The Azure Cloud Prefecture had produced a Body Integration cultivator—this was monumental news.
Here, Li Yaotie was still constructing his Dao Field in full swing, while many people were arriving near Azure Cloud Prefecture to offer their congratulations.
The appearance of a Body Integration expert also meant that the family had thoroughly gained substantial weight.
There was a saying in the Imperial Dynasty: Once a mighty figure emerges, all enmities vanish.
This was simply because if a Body Integration mighty figure wanted to flee, it was too difficult to deal with them.
Very few factions harbored the idea of becoming mortal enemies with a Body Integration cultivator or a faction possessing a Body Integration mighty figure.
Who would want to be targeted by an utterly crazed Body Integration cultivator?
No matter what kind of deep-seated blood feud existed, as long as the other party produced a Body Integration expert, the surrounding factions had to be polite and agreeable.
The simplest approach was, of course, to increase mutual friendship.
"Why are so many people coming to attend the banquet?"
In the City of Merit, Li Qiuming and Li Chuxiu, who managed the family's major affairs, looked in astonishment at the visiting cards continuously delivered over this short month.
What puzzled them the most was that these factions seemed to have agreed beforehand to all come on the exact same day.
"They aren't coming to attack, are they?" Li Chuxiu frowned deeply.
This child was someone who played with hidden weapons and had spent his whole life taking orders within the family.
Back when Li Jianshu was going to the Northern Frontier to kill enemies, he had settled his final affairs and handed the family over to him and Li Qiuming, the most outstanding of the younger generation.
Having been a Patriarch for over a decade, the only thing Li Chuxiu knew how to do was whatever Huang Xiujin told him to do, tinker with his hidden weapons to increase his strength, and then go figure out how to kill Li Chuyuan.
"They aren't coming to attack." Li Qiuming was, after all, the one who had defied the heavens and changed his fate in the brothels of the Imperial Capital, walking step by step to where he was today.
Looking at the piles of letters on the table, he smiled bitterly,
"Our Li Clan is being forced to host a banquet. The Old Ancestor of the family has broken through to Body Integration, and a mighty figure has emerged.
Even if they don't want to come, they have to come and pay their respects."
"They're not coming to attack? Then I'll leave dealing with them to you." Li Chuxiu sighed in relief.
"Where are you going?" Li Qiuming frowned. Li Chuxiu didn't care about anything.
In the past, when Li Qiuming was in the Imperial Capital, desperately striving to change his fate, he dreamed of becoming an immortal clan scion like Li Chuxiu.
Now that he had recognized his ancestors and returned to the clan, he found out that immortal clan scions were just like this.
"I'm going to forge hidden weapons!" Li Chuxiu grinned.
"You saw the rainy night a year ago. The ones who came were all experts.
We lost over a hundred clansmen and filled the gap with their lives just to take down one Divinity Transformation cultivator, all to defend one of our Grotto-Heavens.
If everyone had one of my hidden weapons in their hands, and if the spirit stone consumption could be lowered a bit more, we could just grind them to death!"
"Then go."
Li Qiuming smiled. This was how the family's children were; much better than that Li Chuyuan. "Mr. Huang and I can handle things."
As Li Chuxiu left.
Huang Xiujin came to Li Qiuming's side.
Having assisted generation after generation of Patriarchs and watching the family grow increasingly prosperous, he was looking younger and younger.
Seeing Li Qiuming reading the banquet letters, Huang Xiujin smiled with gratification.
This child, Li Qiuming, had grown up in poverty.
After coming to the family, he had worked diligently and conscientiously, not daring to slack off in the slightest, and was now slowly becoming a qualified Patriarch.
Seeing Li Qiuming flipping through the visiting cards while simultaneously reviewing the information on the various factions, Huang Xiujin said softly, "Patriarch, you should rest for a while."
Li Qiuming frowned and didn't speak.
Huang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. Over the years, he had also been paying attention to Li Qiuming.
When this child first came to the family, his aptitude was mediocre, but the more he faced adversity, the braver and fiercer he became.
He couldn't help but say to Li Qiuming, "With your temperament, being a Patriarch in the family is too much of a waste of your talents. I can go and talk to your elders."
Li Qiuming was still flipping through the papers, but this time he shook his head.
"When the previous Patriarch managed the family, there were many systemic issues. Before these matters are resolved, Mr. Huang, please do not mention this again."
"Sigh."
Huang Xiujin sighed. On that rainy night, a Divinity Transformation cultivator with extraordinary methods had found the hiding place of their Li Clan, and many people died.
After finally killing the enemy, Li Qiuming had knelt in the rain for seven days and seven nights.
...
At this time.
In the Eternal Immortal Sect, the numerous fellow Daoists who were in the Department of Immortal Suppression alongside the Li Clan were currently drinking tea together.
Duanmu Qi paced around restlessly.
Those drinking tea included the three fellow Daoists: Zhangsun Buhuo, Jiang Tianjun, and Master Han of the Sword Sect.
Seeing Duanmu Qi pacing back and forth, Zhangsun Buhuo rolled her beautiful eyes. "Brother Duanmu, stop pacing."
"Sigh." Duanmu Qi continued to pace, sighing repeatedly.
"Can he not pace?" Jiang Tianjun laughed.
"When the Azure Cloud Li Clan met with disaster, he was the most anxious. Now that the Azure Cloud Li Clan has produced a Body Integration cultivator, he is still the most anxious.
The ways of the world are truly bizarre."
At this, Duanmu Qi stopped his footsteps. Having his thoughts seen through, he gritted his teeth and said,
"How can I not be anxious? The Li Clan is right near our Westfall Prefecture. Now that the Imperial Dynasty is looking for trouble with them, heaven knows what will happen in the future?"
"Are you afraid that since the Li Clan even managed to slay Uncle Rain, they will make a move against you when the time comes?" Jiang Tianjun smiled faintly.
"Based on my understanding of the Li Clan, they won't."
"Is that what I'm afraid of? Everyone in the world knows that the Li Clan relied on the assistance of a grand array to slay Uncle Rain."
Duanmu Qi took a deep breath, pulled out several letters, and handed them to the group.
The several people opened the letters, and their expressions darkened.
Seeing their expressions, Duanmu Qi was taken aback. "You all received the same letter?"
"Yes." Jiang Tianjun smiled bitterly.
"The letters say the same thing. They say the Li Clan has produced a Body Integration cultivator, and tell us not to help the Li Clan build their Dao Field."
Zhangsun Buhuo smiled bitterly.
"When a Body Integration cultivator emerges in the world, they become a part of heaven and earth and nature itself.
However, the method to construct a Dao Field has always only been in the hands of mighty figures and ancient factions."
"The Dao Fields built by these Body Integration cultivators will become excellent cultivation grounds, but besides the construction method, a massive amount of resources is also required."
"Our Zhangsun Clan encountered this very matter.
Back when our family produced a Body Integration expert, we lacked both the construction method and the resources, so other factions came to assist.
Our Old Ancestor cultivated in the Dao Field they helped establish for five thousand years, and trained disciples for them for five thousand years."
The few exchanged glances, and besides Duanmu Qi, they all smiled bitterly in succession.
Duanmu Qi waved his hand.
"It seems you have all fallen for it. But what can the Li Clan do? The Fire Ancestor in their clan has only just entered Body Integration; he is inherently inferior, and they lack the method to forge a Dao Field.
Moreover, being able to save a massive amount of resources, they might as well just accept it."
"I only hope that even if these mighty figures are scheming against others, they don't scam them too ruthlessly."
...
Li Xinghuo, who had gone out to demand explanations, was still traveling. The debts he had collected couldn't be sent back to the family anytime soon.
Even so, the construction of the Dao Field had not been delayed in the slightest.
Although Li Wei's and Li Yaotie's breakthroughs had nearly exhausted the family's spirit stones, the Li family had also defeated countless enemies over the years.
"Yuanshang, it's alright."
Li Yaoqing gently patted the dumbstruck Li Yuanshang on the head.
"There are wars raging across the East, West, and North right now. This is exactly when treasures are in high demand. It would be a waste to let Third Brother melt all of these down.
They can't be openly sold through the merchant guild, so moving them is difficult. But with your abilities, you should be able to fence them off. Once you do, the spirit stones will come flooding back."
"..."
His fat trembling all over, Li Yuanshang silently took out the medicinal pills he had been reluctant to eat over the past few years and swallowed them all in one gulp.
As his throat bobbed, his expression gradually turned solemn.
"Ancestor Qing... have we struck it rich?"
"Yes, we've struck it rich."
Li Yuanshang immediately gathered up the resources and shot into the sky in a flash.
After the kid left...
Li Zhiheng walked over carrying a basket.
Inside, the Nirvana Sage Elder was vigorously rubbing himself against the edge of the basket.
Li Zhiheng then took out the Soul-Holding Lamp and drew out the Nirvana Sage Elder's ancient soul.
The Nirvana Sage Elder looked around at the Dao Field still under construction before speaking numbly,
"There is no problem with my Dao Field forging method. It's just that if you want to build a Dao Field comparable to the Flaming Mountain, I'm afraid you don't have enough resources..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhiheng silently pointed toward the mountain-like pile of resources.
The Nirvana Sage Elder followed his finger.
Among the countless treasures floating in the air... was even a Tier-3 spirit vein.
The Nirvana Sage Elder decisively shut his mouth.
"I forgot... You robbed the Dusheng Nunnery."
Li Kuanghua, who was busy tinkering away nearby, replied with dissatisfaction,
"Wrong. That's called capturing the spoils of war. Your Flaming Mountain was captured too. The Heavenly Fire Dao Field will only be stronger than the Flaming Mountain."
---
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