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

Chapter 117 Treasure Restoration, Making Money, and Marriage

The Heavenly Book Space, inside the wooden house.

Li Changsheng sat cross-legged, his trip to Wulong Mountain imminent. He planned to use the next two weeks to master the secret technique of Soul-Breaking Thorn.

Nine threads of divine consciousness emerged from the sea of ​​consciousness, each condensing into a silver needle as thin as a cow's hair, hovering in front of the brow. The tips of the needles gleamed with a cold light, trembling slightly, poised to strike.

"go!"

Nine Soul-Piercing Thorns shot out silently, disappearing into nine different directions outside the wooden house. Ye Wushuang was watering the Foundation Establishment main medicine by the spirit field when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively shrank back. The nine Soul-Piercing Thorns grazed the top of his head and embedded themselves in the distant mist, stirring up ripples.

Li Changsheng opened his eyes and shook his head.

Even with all nine arrows fired simultaneously, the accuracy was still somewhat lacking.

However, compared to a month ago, there has been a lot of progress.

The trip to Wulong Mountain is just around the corner; more strength means more security.

He habitually communicated with the mysterious scripture.

"Today's divination result is 'open'."

A yellow light flowed, and the deduced text slowly emerged:

【Five Dragon Mountain - Jade-Fat Spirit Pig】

On the southeastern slope of Wulong Mountain lies a secluded valley called "Hundred Flowers Valley." The valley is rich in spiritual energy, and a large area of ​​first-tier spiritual herbs called "Jade Marrow Flowers" grows there. A litter of Jade Fat Spirit Pigs inhabits the valley. These pigs are pure white, feed on Jade Marrow Flowers, and their meat is tender and contains pure spiritual energy. When cooked using special methods, it can be made into "Jade Fat Spirit Meat," which is beneficial for Qi Refining cultivators, enhancing their cultivation and nourishing their blood and qi. Spirit Pigs reproduce rapidly; if they could be captured and raised live, they could become a long-term, stable source of spiritual materials for a family.

There was a boar, a sow, and six piglets in the valley. The boar was at the peak of Tier 1, and the sow was at the late Tier 1.

The valley entrance is perpetually shrouded in miasma containing trace amounts of toxins, which, if inhaled, will stagnate one's spiritual energy. One must carry an antidote or wear a poison-repelling bead to enter.

Li Changsheng noted down the divination result and was overjoyed.

The Jade Spirit Pig is another fortuitous encounter. If they can capture it alive and bring it back to Qinglan Mountain, raising it in the bamboo grove alongside the sand bamboo rats, the Li family's spiritual food supplies will be even more abundant in the future.

Just as he was about to get up, the communication jade talisman at his waist suddenly lit up.

The divine sense probed in, and it was Shen Tieshan's voice, filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Clan leader! The Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella has been repaired!"

Come quickly!

The backyard, the weapon-refining room.

"Clan Chief!" Shen Tieshan saw Li Changsheng enter and hurriedly went to greet him, presenting the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella with both hands. "Look!"

""

Li Changsheng took the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella, finding it surprisingly heavy. The umbrella was several degrees heavier than before, and the cracks on the ribs had disappeared, replaced by a faint silver sheen. The umbrella surface was still made of seven-colored glazed glass, but the spiritual light was more restrained, with faint runes flowing within. He gently stroked the ribs; they felt warm to the touch. He infused them with spiritual energy, and the umbrella surface glowed slightly, an invisible force enveloping him.

"Clan leader, repairing this umbrella is much more difficult than I imagined." Shen Tieshan rubbed his hands together, his eyes full of emotion. "Azure sand is a good thing, but it needs to be used wisely. Qing'er and I spent more than a month figuring it out before we finally got the hang of it."

He pointed to the umbrella ribs and explained, "Here, the crack is the deepest; it almost broke. I used three parts of azure sand to fill the crack. After filling it, I had to use spiritual energy to nurture it, allowing the azure sand to fuse with the umbrella ribs. This process can't be rushed; if it's too fast, it will crack, and if it's too slow, it won't fuse. I only dare to nurture it for one hour each day; any longer and I'm afraid it will damage the umbrella ribs."

Shen Qing added from the side, "My dad couldn't sleep every night. He would hold the umbrella and toss and turn over, looking at it. Sometimes he would get up in the middle of the night and add a little more azure sand. He added it more than ten times in total."

Shen Tieshan glared at his son: "You talk too much."

Li Changsheng smiled but didn't reply. He simply channeled his spiritual energy into the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella and activated it.

The umbrella suddenly lit up.

Seven-colored shimmering light intertwined to form a light curtain, enveloping him within. The light curtain was as thick as a wall, with spiritual energy flowing through it, and faint runes flickering within. Li Changsheng raised his hand and tapped it, but the light curtain did not budge. He then had Shen Tieshan attack with a high-grade first-tier magic weapon. The magic weapon struck the light curtain, only creating a ripple, and the light curtain remained intact.

"Great!" Li Changsheng's eyes lit up.

With a thought, the umbrella lit up again. This time, the seven-colored glazed light transformed into countless tiny blades of light, shooting out from the umbrella and scattering in all directions like a torrential rain. The blades were as sharp as knives, striking the walls of the weapon-refining room and leaving deep marks. Shen Tieshan was startled and quickly pulled Shen Qing to hide in a corner.

Li Changsheng withdrew his spiritual power, and the light on the umbrella faded. He nodded in satisfaction and communicated with the Heavenly Book through his thoughts.

[Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella: Tier 2, Low Grade (Repair Progress: 10%)]

[Current Functions: Glazed Light Shield (Defense), Glazed Sword Rain (Attack)]

[Materials needed for further repairs: Ten-thousand-year-old cold iron (for reinforcing the umbrella ribs), ice silkworm silk (for repairing the umbrella surface), and five-colored stone (for re-engraving runes). Once all materials are collected, a second-tier weapon refiner can continue the repairs.]

Li Changsheng put the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella into his storage bag, looked at Shen Tieshan, and solemnly cupped his hands in thanks: "Master Shen, thank you for your hard work."

Shen Tieshan quickly waved his hand: "Clan leader, what are you saying? You saved my father and me, what is this little bit of trouble? Besides, repairing this umbrella has also greatly improved my weapon-refining skills."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Clan leader, the rune technique used on this umbrella is completely different from what's common in the world of weapon crafting today. I've been studying it for two months, and I've only managed to understand about one or two tenths of it. If I can fully comprehend it, my weapon crafting skills will at least reach a new level."

Li Changsheng nodded: "Master Shen, take your time to study it, there's no rush."

He turned to Shen Qing and looked him up and down: "How is your injury healing?"

Shen Qing clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Clan Chief. I'm mostly better now. With another month or two of rest, I should be fully recovered."

"Alright." Li Changsheng patted his shoulder. "You two should rest well. The trip to Five Dragon Mountain is imminent; I'll go and make preparations."

.

He turned and walked out of the weapon-refining room, and behind him he heard Shen Tieshan and Shen Qing's voices: "Father, the clan leader's umbrella is really amazing—"

"Of course, that's an ancient magical artifact—"

"Father, when will you be able to forge such a magical artifact?"

"You brat, your father is only at the second rank, and you expect me to forge an ancient magical artifact? Dream on!"

Li Changsheng smiled slightly and strode towards the front yard.

..

"Clan leader, Du Liu Niang from the Du family has come to visit and is waiting outside the mountain gate."

Li Changsheng put down the jade slip in his hand, got up and walked outside.

In the reception room, Du Liuniang, dressed in a green robe with a long sword at her waist, stood by the window admiring the bamboo in the courtyard. Hearing footsteps, she turned around, smiling brightly: "Clan Chief Li, it's been a long time, you look much better."

Li Changsheng invited her to sit down, ordered someone to serve her some spiritual tea, and got straight to the point: "Clan Chief Du, has your visit been for the trip to Five Dragon Mountain?"

Du Liuniang picked up her teacup, took a sip, and nodded, saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

She put down her teacup, took out a document from her sleeve, and pushed it in front of him: "Clan Chief Li, I have come here to make a few deals with the Li family."

"The first matter is the method of composting," Du Liuniang said. "I would like to purchase the right to use the Li family's composting method."

Li Changsheng put down the documents. The method of composting was Li Chang'an's brainchild and the secret to the high yield of the Li family's spiritual fields. Selling out the usage rights would only yield limited one-time profits. But what if we used a different method—

"Clan Chief Du, you can have the right to use it," Li Changsheng said to her slowly, "but it's not a one-time buyout."

I want a share—20% of the increased red marrow rice production from the Du family's spiritual fields each year, and the Li family will take 20%.

Du Liuniang was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes narrowed slightly.

Taking a cut means that the more spiritual fields the Du family cultivates and the higher the yield, the more the Li family receives. This is a long-term, sustainable business, much more profitable than a one-time sale.

"Clan Chief Li is quite shrewd," she laughed. "Twenty percent is too much, one percent is fine."

"15%," Li Changsheng said.

"Deal." Du Liuniang took out a pre-prepared soul contract from her sleeve, added a line to it, and pushed it in front of Li Changsheng. "Clan Chief Li, take a look. Is there anything else you want to add?"

Li Changsheng carefully examined the contract, confirmed it was correct, and used his blood as a guide to press his handprint on it. Du Liuniang also pressed her handprint, and the contract flashed with spiritual light, transforming into two beams of light that entered between their brows.

The soul contract is complete.

"The second matter," Du Liuniang said solemnly after putting away the contract, "I would like to request a statue of the Heavenly Dragon God to be enshrined at Cuiwei Mountain."

The Du family will build a temple specifically for all the villagers of the three towns of Cuiwei to worship.

Li Changsheng was slightly taken aback.

Du Liuniang's courage was greater than he had imagined.

If the statue of the Heavenly Dragon God can take root in the Du family's fiefdom, it will firstly increase the divine power of the Heavenly Dragon God, and secondly, the Du family's fiefdom will not be afraid of evil spirits invading in the future.

It benefits both sides.

"I need to ask my grandfather about this matter," Li Changsheng said. "The affairs of the Heavenly Dragon Temple have always been decided by my grandfather. Clan Chief Du, rest assured, I will give you an answer as soon as possible."

Du Liuniang nodded: "Then I will await good news."

She picked up her teacup and took another sip, then suddenly changed the subject: "Clan Chief Li, I have another favor to ask."

"Speaking."

"A marriage alliance between the two families." Du Liuniang put down her teacup, her gaze frank. "The Li family and the Du family have been on good terms for generations. If we can form a marriage alliance, it will strengthen our ties even further. In the future, in Qinglan County, the two families will help each other and neither will dare to bully the other."

Marriage alliances were the most common way for powerful families to form alliances.

The fact that Du Liuniang brought this up shows that she genuinely wanted a long-term partnership with the Li family.

However, marriage is a major event and should not be taken lightly.

"After the trip to Wulong Mountain," Li Changsheng said, "the Li family will hold a matchmaking event. If the Du family has any eligible young men, they are welcome to participate."

Du Liuniang's eyes lit up, she stood up, and solemnly clasped her hands in a fist and palm salute: "Then it's a deal."

It's a deal.

The next day, at dawn.

Li Changsheng sat cross-legged in the quiet room, communicating with the Heavenly Book through his mind.

"Today's divination result is 'open'."

A yellow light flowed, and the deduced text slowly emerged:

【Wulongshan Star-Patterned Bronze】

On the western slope of Wulong Mountain, there flows a stream called "Starfall Stream." The stream's water is crystal clear, and at its bottom lies a peculiar mineral called Star-Patterned Copper. This stone is entirely bluish-black, its surface covered with silver star-like patterns, and it contains pure Geng Metal energy, making it an excellent food source for beetle-devouring insects to advance. After consuming Star-Patterned Copper, the beetle's shell becomes harder, its Golden Blade's power greatly increases, and it has a certain probability of awakening a new bloodline spell.

A first-tier peak-level Xuan Shui snake dwells in the stream, feeding on star-patterned copper and using it as its nest. This snake is entirely black, its scales as hard as iron, and its venom can corrode spiritual energy shields. Caution is advised.

Li Changsheng memorized the divination result, his heart filled with joy. If the beetle could devour the star-patterned bronze, its advancement to the peak of the first tier would be just around the corner. His journey to Five Dragon Mountain had gained another target.