Establishing a Clan in the Eastern Wilderness: A Daily Divination, Cultivating Longevity in a Grotto

Chapter 116 The Power of the Spiritual Body, Eliminating Hidden Dangers, Marrying into the Family

"Clan Chief Li, we will meet in Qinglan County in half a month and head to Wulong Mountain. Each family can bring three people. Please finalize the list as soon as possible."

""

Li Changsheng put away the communication talisman, his heart suddenly racing.

The subsequent cultivation methods of the Chaos Origin Scripture are located in the ancient cultivator's cave deep within Five Dragon Mountain. He has waited far too long for this day.

Without further cultivation techniques, his cultivation level remained stuck at the fifth level of Qi Refining, unable to advance any further. Although the Heavenly Book could enhance his spiritual root, the lack of cultivation techniques was a fatal flaw.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and began to calculate the list.

He definitely had to go. His younger sister, Li Changle, was an array master, indispensable in a dangerous place like Five Dragon Mountain. The third person—he thought for a long time, and a silent, taciturn figure appeared in his mind.

Li Changmo.

Intelligence reports indicate that second-tier demonic beasts roam the Five Dragons Mountain, making injury inevitable. Li Changmo possesses a healing spirit body; although his cultivation is still shallow, he can extend life in critical moments.

The seed of endless life. It's time to give it to him.

Having made up his mind, he got up and walked towards his grandmother's courtyard.

Grandmother's courtyard is as serene as ever.

The sacred mulberry tree in the courtyard had grown quite tall, its branches and leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Just as Li Changsheng was about to push open the door, his grandmother came out of the house and gestured for him to be quiet.

"Changmo is inside treating that young lady's injuries." Grandmother lowered her voice, pulling Li Changsheng to sit down on a stone bench in the courtyard. "This child, ever since you let him open the clinic, he's been full of energy. Cultivators from the clan come to him for treatment. Although he doesn't talk much, his medical skills are truly superb. He's cured many of the cultivators' hidden ailments and old injuries from the mortal world. Now, the number of people coming for treatment is endless, and he's too busy to handle them all."

Li Changsheng nodded without interrupting.

"A few days ago, I asked him to try healing that girl's injuries." Grandmother sighed. "That girl's injuries were too severe, and Changmo's cultivation level was too low to cure the root cause, but her complexion would improve after each treatment. Changmo was unwilling to give up, so he came every day, and each time he would observe for a long time and take many notes."

Li Changsheng probed the room with his divine sense.

Inside the inner room, the mysterious female cultivator lay quietly on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her brows slightly furrowed. Li Changmo sat beside the bed, his hands hovering above her body, his palms glowing with a faint emerald green light. The light, soft as water, slowly descended from the top of her head, inch by inch sweeping across her body.

Li Changmo closed his eyes, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Emerald light flowed through his palms, seeping into the female cultivator's skin, meridians, and internal organs. The female cultivator's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a trace of color returned to her pale face.

But it was only for a moment.

When Li Changmo withdrew his hands, the female cultivator's face returned to its deathly pale state. Li Changmo opened his eyes, a hint of disappointment flashing within them. He took out a thick notebook, turned to a new page, and neatly wrote a few lines. Then he stood up and shook his head apologetically at his grandmother.

"Grandmother, I am incompetent. The root of her illness lies deep within her soul, which is beyond my current cultivation level. I can only temporarily alleviate her pain, but I cannot heal her wounds."

Grandmother said gently, "No rush, take your time. You're only at the second level of Qi Refining, and to have such abilities is already quite remarkable."

"Changmo, come with me," Li Changsheng said.

Li Changmo glanced at his grandmother. His grandmother nodded, and he silently followed Li Changsheng out of the courtyard.

Inside the quiet room, the stone door slammed shut, and the restrictions were lifted.

Li Changsheng sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, gesturing for Li Changmo to sit opposite him. Li Changmo sat down as instructed, bowing his head and placing his hands on his knees, remaining motionless.

"Changmo," Li Changsheng said bluntly, "I'm going to Five Dragon Mountain in half a month. It's extremely dangerous there, and I need someone who can heal me to go with me. Are you willing to go?"

Li Changmo raised his head and looked at Li Changsheng. A slight ripple appeared in his usually cold eyes: "The clan leader saved Changmo, so Changmo's life belongs to the clan leader. No matter what, Changmo is willing."

Li Changsheng looked at him, a slight stirring in his heart. This child, though aloof and cold, was not inherently bad and knew how to repay kindness. He glanced at Li Changmo's loyalty rating above his head: 96%. It had increased considerably from before, but it wasn't enough. However, once the Dharma Seed was refined, it should reach 100%.

"Alright." Li Changsheng took out a vibrant green seed, brimming with life, from his robes and held it in his palm. "This is the Seed of Endless Life, which I bestow upon you today. After refining it, your healing spirit will be fully awakened, and your healing abilities will be greatly enhanced."

Li Changmo looked at the seed of magic, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He never imagined that he, a quiet orphan from a collateral branch of the family, would receive such a blessing.

"Thank you, clan chief."

Li Changsheng took out several array flags and an array plate from his storage bag and set up a magic array in the quiet room. The array was named "Yin-Yang Harmony Array," a mid-grade first-tier array. It used the power of harmonizing Yin and Yang energies to assist in refining spiritual objects, maximizing the efficacy of the medicine and reducing the risk of qi deviation. He had seized this array from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave and had never used it before.

The array flags were planted in the ground, and the array plate was embedded in the array eye. Li Changsheng cast a spell, and the array lit up. Faint Yin and Yang energies flowed within the array, like threads, enveloping Li Changmo.

"Go in and sit down."

Li Changmo followed the instructions and entered the formation, sitting cross-legged and placing the Everlasting Life Seed between his eyebrows. The seed transformed into a beam of emerald light and entered his sea of ​​consciousness.

Li Changsheng sat cross-legged behind him, pressing his palms against his back, slowly channeling his spiritual energy into him to help him guide that mysterious power.

As the seed of Dharma entered his body, Li Changmo shuddered.

A surge of vitality erupted from his body, like a flood bursting its banks, rushing in all directions.

Li Changmo closed his eyes and guided the life force to flow through his meridians.

The healed spirit was fully awakened at this moment.

Every inch of his meridians, every bone, and every drop of his blood was undergoing a transformation under the nourishment of life. His meridians became more resilient, his bones more compact, and his blood gained a strange power—the power of healing.

Strange phenomena occurred in the quiet room.

Emerald green light condensed in the void into leaves, flowers, and seedlings, slowly rotating around Li Changmo. These leaves, flowers, and seedlings were all formed from pure life force, radiating a soft light.

As an assistant, Li Changsheng was also enveloped by that vitality.

He felt a warm current surging from Li Changmo's body, flowing through his hands and into his meridians. Wherever that warm current passed, the hidden injuries accumulated in his body from cultivation and battles—tiny cracks in his meridians, barely perceptible fissures in his bones, and residual blood stasis in his internal organs—gradually healed under the nourishment of this life force.

He had always thought those hidden injuries were normal wear and tear from cultivating the "Iron Bone Body Forging Technique" and never paid them any attention. But now, under the cleansing force of life, he realized that although those hidden injuries were minor, they would accumulate over time and eventually cause serious problems.

Now, everything is fine.

His meridians were clearer than before, and his spiritual energy circulated nearly ten percent faster. His bones were stronger, and his progress in the Marrow Refining Realm had also made a small step forward. His internal organs were healthier, and with each breath, his lungs felt cool and refreshed, an indescribable comfort.

Li Changsheng was filled with emotion.

The ability to heal spirits truly lives up to its reputation.

This is just the aftershock of refining the seed of magic. If Li Changmo's cultivation level increases in the future, wouldn't he be able to bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded?

The emerald green light gradually faded.

Li Changmo's aura began to rise steadily—

Refinement Level 2, Refinement Level 3, Refinement Level 4, Refinement Level 5.

His aura remained steadily at the fifth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from the sixth level.

He opened his eyes.

A gentle light appeared in his once cold eyes. He looked down at his hands, clenched his fists, and then relaxed them. He could sense that the healing power within him was more than ten times stronger than before.

He turned around and kowtowed deeply to Li Changsheng.

"Clan leader, Changmo's life belongs to you from this day forward."

Loyalty: 100%

Li Changsheng helped him up, took out a thin booklet from his bosom, and handed it to him: "This is the Turtle Breath Concealing Yuan Technique. Your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, which easily attracts attention. Practicing this secret technique allows you to suppress your cultivation at any level, making it impossible for outsiders to see through it."

He paused, then said solemnly, "Changmo, you must remember, a healing spirit is one of the most precious spirits in the world. If someone with ulterior motives finds out, you will be imprisoned and used as a tool for others' healing. Therefore, your true cultivation level and your healing abilities must not be known to anyone except me and my grandmother."

"Yes, Chieftain!"

Li Changmo took the booklet and nodded.

"Go. We'll depart in half a month. In the next few days, focus on mastering this secret technique as quickly as possible."

When Du Liuniang received the message from the Yun family, she was sitting in the study of the main residence of the Cuiwei Mountain family, reviewing account books. The message talisman lit up, and she took it out to look at it. Her brows furrowed slightly at first, but then relaxed.

"The Five Dragons Mountain opens once every ten years, and even the ninth-rank Yun family might not be able to secure many spots."

Du Qiqi peeked in from outside the door, holding a bowl of spiritual tea. Seeing her strange expression, she put down the teacup and came closer to look: "Sister, Five Dragon Mountain? That's a place with second-tier demonic beasts! Even though we've broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, going in would just be sending us to our deaths, wouldn't it? Maybe—maybe we should give up? Survival is the most important thing."

Du Liuniang picked up her spirit tea, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "Qiqi, do you know that Five Dragon Mountain only opens once every ten years? Even the Yun family disciples might not be able to get in. If our Du family misses this opportunity, what will we use to compete with other Qi-refining families? The beast tide is just around the corner. When that time comes, other families will have second-tier magic weapons and elixirs. What will our Du family have?"

"Fortune favors the bold." Du Liuniang put down her teacup, stood up, and said, "Don't worry, I have a plan."

:

:

Qinglan County, Zhenshisi.

Du Liuniang changed into a simple dress, her black hair styled into a bun, adorned with a jade hairpin. She stood in front of the Zhenshi Division gate, straightened her clothes, and stepped inside.

The town hall wasn't large; the front hall was where business was conducted, and there were several quiet rooms in the back. This wasn't Du Liuniang's first time here, so she easily made her way through the front hall and arrived at a side room in the back courtyard, where she raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in."

A rough voice came from inside the door.

Du Liuniang pushed open the door and entered. The room was simply furnished with a table, a chair, a bed, and a map hanging on the wall. A man in his thirties sat behind the table. He was tall and strong, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He wore a blue robe in the style of the Zhenshi Division, and a bronze plaque with the words "Guardian" engraved on it hung at his waist.

This man, surnamed Zhou and named Tiezhu, was a peak Qi Refining cultivator and an ordinary guard at the Zhenshi Division in Qinglan County. He came from a small Qi Refining family in Anyang Prefecture, and his family had pulled every string to get him into the Zhenshi Division. Unfortunately, his background wasn't strong enough, so he could only be a guard, doing errands, standing guard, and relaying messages. However, he was righteous and well-informed, and had quite a few connections among the independent cultivators in Anyang Prefecture.

"Clan Chief Du, what a rare guest!" Zhou Tiezhu stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "What brings you here?"

Without any formalities, Du Liuniang took out a bulging bag of spirit stones from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of him.

"Brother Zhou, I need your help."

Zhou Tiezhu glanced at the spirit stone bag, but didn't reach for it. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "Clan Chief Du, we've known each other for a while, so please speak frankly. I will do my best to help if I can."

Du Liuniang sat down opposite him and recounted the events at Five Dragon Mountain. She concluded by saying, "I would like to ask Brother Zhou to recommend two rogue cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining to accompany me into Five Dragon Mountain. The terms are negotiable."

"Clan Chief Du, to be honest, when I first thought your Du family was just incredibly lucky to break through the ranks of the aristocratic families and make it into the top five, I realized I had misjudged you." He smiled. "Clan Chief Du is both brave and resourceful; I admire you."

Mr. Zhou helped with this.

He reached out and picked up the spirit stone bag, weighed it in his hand, and put it in his pocket. Then he took out a booklet from the drawer, flipped through a few pages, and pointed it out to Du Liuniang.

"These two people should suit your taste."

Du Liuniang leaned closer and looked at the names and descriptions in the booklet.

The first one is surnamed Han, named Tieyi, a peak Qi Refining cultivator, a rogue cultivator. Forty years ago, he was the head of a Qi Refining family, but offended an enemy, and his entire family was wiped out, with only him escaping. Since then, he has wandered the world, making a living by taking on bounty missions. This person has solid cultivation, rich combat experience, a calm personality, and is trustworthy and keeps his promises.

The second one is surnamed Meng, named Shanhe, a peak Qi Refining cultivator, and a rogue cultivator. In his early years, he was a lone wolf, specializing in killing evil cultivators, and was quite prestigious among rogue cultivators in Anyang County. He and Han Tieyi did not get along well—it is said that this was because of a bounty mission where the two were vying for the same target. Han Tieyi got there first, and Meng Shanhe was not satisfied, so the two fought and became enemies from then on.

"Brother Zhou, are these two people really reliable?"

Zhou Tiezhu laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Chief Du. Although these two don't get along, they are both trustworthy people."

Du Liuniang closed the booklet, stood up, and bowed deeply to Zhou Tiezhu: "Thank you very much, Brother Zhou. I will reward you handsomely after this is done."

Zhou Tiezhu waved his hand: "You're too kind. I'll arrange for them to meet at Zuixianlou in the east of the city tomorrow at noon. Whether it works out or not is up to you."

The following day at noon, at Zuixianlou Restaurant in the east of the city.

Zuixianlou is one of the top restaurants in Qinglan County, catering exclusively to cultivators. The first floor has general seating, the second floor has private rooms, and the third floor has quiet rooms. Du Liuniang booked the second-floor private room "Tingyuxuan" and sat by the window, with spiritual tea and fruits laid out on the table.

Zhou Tiezhu was the first to arrive. He changed into casual clothes, sat down opposite Du Liuniang with an air of nonchalance, and grabbed a spiritual fruit to eat.

"Chief Du, what conditions are you going to offer them?" he asked while chewing.

Du Liuniang picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "To marry into the Du family. To become a guest elder of the Du family, enjoying the same privileges as the clan—"

Elders will receive the same treatment. If you can help the Du family survive the beast tide, there will be a substantial reward.

Zhou Tiezhu was taken aback for a moment, then gave a thumbs up: "Brilliant. Once you marry into the family, you're family. Family members naturally have to work hard for you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded outside the door.

The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man walked in. He was thin, with a stern face and sharp eyes like a hawk. He wore a faded blue robe, and a long sword hung at his waist, its scabbard worn and tattered, clearly indicating many years of use. His hair was gray, but his back was ramrod straight, and his entire being exuded a calm composure born of experience.

Han Tieyi.

His gaze swept across the room, lingering for a moment on Du Liuniang, before he walked to the table, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Clan Chief Du, I've long admired you."

Du Liuniang stood up and returned the greeting: "Senior Han, please sit down."

Just as Han Tieyi sat down, another person walked in from outside.

In stark contrast to Han Tieyi, this man was burly and broad-shouldered, with a square face tanned dark, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a tangled beard piled on his chin. He wore a short, animal-skin coat, with a large, ghost-headed sword hanging at his waist, its hilt tied with a red rope. He walked with a powerful stride, exuding a fierce and imposing aura.

Meng Shanhe.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Han Tieyi, and his face immediately darkened.

"Hey, you surnamed Han, what are you doing here?"

Han Tieyi picked up his teacup, not even glancing at him: "Clan Chief Du invited me here."

Meng Shanhe turned to look at Du Liuniang, sized her up, and snorted coldly, "Clan Chief Du, you invited him here, so I'm leaving."

Du Liuniang remained calm and composed. She stood up, walked to Meng Shanhe, and gave a graceful bow: "Senior Meng, please calm your anger. I invited you two here because I have a great opportunity to offer. If you two do not wish to sit together, I can speak separately. But please, Senior Meng, do me the honor of sitting down and having a cup of tea first."

Meng Shanhe looked at Du Liuniang's composed demeanor, then glanced at Zhou Tiezhu. Zhou Tiezhu gave him a wink.

He snorted, plopped down opposite Han Tieyi, picked up the teacup, and took a big gulp.

Du Liuniang returned to her seat and recounted the events at Five Dragon Mountain once more. She concluded by saying, "If you two seniors are willing to marry into the Du family and become guest elders of the Du family, and follow me into Five Dragon Mountain, in addition to generous rewards of spirit stones, the Du family will also provide you with resources to support your future foundation building."

Han Tieyi was intrigued and asked, "Clan Chief Du, are you serious?"

"Of course it's true!"