Li Zhiheng had the appearance of a Daoist priest, while his eldest son, Li Yuanwu, was a valiant and burly man with an exceptionally gruff voice.
"Father, our lineage was still somewhat lacking in this battle.
If not for the Old Ancestor's protection, your son might have been beaten to death.
I have decided: once we return, I will go to that mountain peak.
I will not come out of seclusion until I have achieved 'One Force to Shatter All Arts'."
Li Qiukong's father, Li Jianshu, nodded gravely.
"I have already bathed in the Spirit Spring of Heaven and Earth and have achieved a Single Lightning Spirit Root.
Upon returning, I will request Senior Wine Maniac of the clan to send me to the Thunder Fire Devil Cave to cultivate amidst the heavenly lightning."
"I will go into seclusion beneath the Old Tree."
"I will go to the Crab Clan and ask Senior Qing Yuan to help me cultivate at the bottom of the sea."
"I intend to go to the Five Elements Forbidden Zone in the Northern Region. I ask that Cousin Aunt take me along when she returns there."
"...."
Li Zhijing watched the members of the Immortal Martial lineage discussing cultivation one after another.
Her mouth twitched as she tugged at her cousin's sleeve.
"Cousin... don't you people have any serious business to attend to?"
"Hm?"
Pair after pair of large, guileless eyes stared back at her.
Li Zhijing shrank back slightly. "Like beast fighting? Stone gambling? Do you guys go to brothels?"
"..."
Li Zhiheng hesitated for a moment.
"Cousin, you must never say such things in front of my father. He detests those who act recklessly.
Years ago, I merely went to see my wife once, and Father felt I was being too dissolute; he refused to see me for three years.
It was then that I understood: one is born to follow the rules, and cultivation is the only matter of importance."
"Father's way of thinking surely has its logic.
Cousin, why don't you stay instead of returning to the Northern Region?
You can cultivate with us and correct your conduct..."
"Cousin?"
Li Zhiheng watched Li Zhijing as she sprinted away into the distance.
He waved his hand and shouted, "I haven't finished explaining the Truth of the Great Dao to you yet!"
But she had already vanished without a trace, running even faster than she did on the battlefield.
Li Yuanwu furrowed his brows.
"Father, stop trying to persuade her. We cannot envy Cousin Aunt's lineage.
Like Grandpa Xinghuo, they are heroes who exterminate demons.
They are born with powerful aptitude, and the Grand Preceptor has even rewarded them with vast resources.
Our family is poor, and our aptitude is extremely poor; we can only catch up to them by cultivating day and night."
"Mm, my son speaks reason. Striving hard in cultivation is the Right Path."
...
"Too scary! That was too scary!"
Li Zhijing ran all the way.
Only when she saw that the people of the Immortal Martial lineage were nowhere in sight did she heave a sigh of relief.
"I almost got grabbed by Cousin to go cultivate."
Just now, her cousin's expression bore a striking resemblance to the way her grandfather looked whenever he threw her into the cultivation chamber to train.
However, once she heaved a sigh of relief, Li Zhijing's face was filled with envy.
"As expected of the Immortal Martial lineage.
They are clearly already so wealthy, yet they still cultivate so diligently.
Even that grand-nephew of mine has a Single Spirit Root; his aptitude is truly extraordinary.
After I go back, I must redouble my cultivation efforts.
I also need to write a letter to Uncle Xinjue and tell him to work hard too, otherwise we'll really be shaming Grandpa."
"So, the reason the Immortal Martial lineage works so hard is all because Eldest Uncle Xinnian supervises them.
But isn't this a bit too harsh? The legendary Grandpa Xingchen must also be a very serious person, right?"
Meanwhile.
Somewhere out on a certain maritime region, Li Xingchen—carrying his wife on his back while riding a flying sword, and holding a set of reins to lead a giant sea turtle across the waves—suddenly sneezed.
He muttered something under his breath, then shouted to Fan Feixuan, whose face was beaming with happiness behind him:
"Xuanxuan! Today we're going to follow this sea turtle—hehehe—and find the lair of the North Sea Leviathan. I'll cook up a real feast for you!"
"Mhm." Fan Feixuan nodded repeatedly.
Ever since Li Xinnian had grown up, the couple had spent a hundred years as if it were a single day, remaining deeply in love. Occasionally, thoughts of home would arise.
"Husband, we haven't seen Xinnian and the grandchildren for a long time. The family was involved in a war recently."
Li Xingchen waved his hand casually.
"It's too far; we couldn't make it back in time anyway.
Besides, the Old Ancestor said we wouldn't be of much help in this battle.
Hehe, I have a feeling the North Sea Dragon Palace marked on this treasure map should be right around here.
Now that is the real big treasure!
My dream from when I was young is finally about to be achieved."
"Besides, you and I are the famous 'Divine Turtle Hero Couple.' Let's not tell other fellow Daoists that we have so many children and grandchildren."
"Why can't we tell other fellow Daoists?" Fan Feixuan blinked her large eyes.
"If people found out that our kid and those grandkids of ours have never left the Azure Cloud Prefecture, have never seen the world, and know nothing but cultivation all day long... wouldn't that be humiliating?"
"That's true, huh."
...
"Ah-choo!"
Xinnian led his wife, Nangong Qingya, Su Chen, and a host of subordinates into the Zhao Clan's Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, whereupon he suddenly sneezed.
Nangong Qingya wrinkled her nose. "Xinnian, you're sneezing quite a bit. There must be a reason for it."
Hearing this, Li Xinnian waved his hand.
"The Zhao Clan has perished. The news that a Hidden World faction was defeated by my Azure Cloud Prefecture will inevitably spread throughout the world.
My Azure Cloud Prefecture is no longer a place that others can covet."
"The family is powerful, so naturally, there are petty people bearing us in mind.
I presume the sneezing is merely due to that—nothing more than a trifling bit of wind and dust."
"Mn." Su Chen nodded slightly.
Every time he returned, Brother Xinnian seemed a degree more steady.
He felt extremely gratified.
"It is no wonder the family appointed you as the Family Head. You are neither arrogant nor rash; it is very good."
---
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