[Year 807]
[Your descendant, Li Yunlin, under the command of the Spear Saint, participated in the Void Refinement battle and obtained a massive amount of spiritual medicine as a reward.
Your descendant, Li Yunbing, led the Azure Cloud Army to trace the whereabouts of the "Lotus Ferry Nunnery" and fought a great battle against the Wu tribe.
Your descendant, Li Xinnian, captures members of the Yun Clan at regular intervals to suck their blood.]
[The war in Deston Prefecture escalates, with various factions launching expeditions.]
...
Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Li Wei appeared at the clan's garrison, his face calm.
"Bi Shihu and the Yun Clan are merely two worthless things. If they cannot reach the Body Integration realm, how can they survive in this era of great chaos?"
Having achieved the true Void Refinement realm for many years, Li Wei was now also probing into deeper realms.
Accumulating his own Spiritual power was actually easy; using Clan Will to consume spiritual medicines, elixirs, and spiritual materials, he could reach the extreme limits. It simply required a massive amount of Clan Will.
But that was merely the realm boundary. For the Void Refinement realm, the most important thing was comprehension.
Comprehending laws to fill the Void Refinement space was like building a house step by step, with "laws" acting as the materials.
Once the house was built, how to "design" it became the crucial point.
Once the "design" met the standards, one could attempt to break through to the Body Integration realm, which was further divided into the three sub-stages: Glimpsing the Dao, Questioning the Dao, and Integrating with the Dao.
The clan members now held considerable status in the world and had learned many secrets.
In the past, when the Human Emperor suppressed the world, those seeking to break through to the Body Integration or Mahayana realms had to tread carefully.
For example, the Old Ancestor of the Zhao Clan devoured the people of his entire clan and the Qi-Destiny of the commoners across an entire prefecture.
If he had done this during the Human Emperor's peak, he likely would have been beaten so badly that not even dust would have remained.
Would Min Tiange have dared to cause trouble? I'm afraid his father, Min Youguo, would be nailed to the dynasty's pillar of shame.
"Yunlin and the others are searching for Body Integration opportunities in Deston Prefecture.
As for that kid Zhiheng, he doesn't need to search; his Body Integration opportunity is already upon him."
He looked ahead.
Li Zhiheng was currently at the clan's garrison.
Since Li Xinnian had gone to Deston Prefecture, clan affairs had been handed over to Li Jianshu to manage.
Li Jianshu's cultivation wasn't quite there yet.
The Wu tribe still caused trouble from time to time in the lands of the Westfall Prefecture and Azure Cloud Commandery.
Moreover, the Wu tribe's unrest had given rise to many evildoers committing crimes. Dealing with these people was also left to Li Zhiheng.
The grandson managed the house, while the grandfather acted as the enforcer. What a harmonious scene.
"Grandfather, there are many Wu tribesmen in the Westfall region. Please be careful," Li Jianshu bowed to see Li Zhiheng off, with Huang Xiujin standing behind him.
"It's just a round trip. The fact that the Qi-Destiny on the enemies can be consumed is a good thing."
Li Zhiheng, his white robes fluttering, led the descendants of the Immortal Martial lineage gathered from all over the world, stepping onto an auspicious cloud and heading toward the Westfall Prefecture.
After bowing, Li Jianshu led Huang Xiujin back into the estate.
In the past, when Li Xinnian managed the clan, there was rarely any letters.
Since Li Jianshu took over as Patriarch, the desk was piled high with intelligence reports from the Heavenly Principle Hall.
In addition to that, there were two seals: "Guilty" and "Innocent."
Just looking at those two seals filled Huang Xiujin with complex emotions.
For the Li Clan, a different era of governance came with each generation's Patriarch.
When Li Xinnian managed the family estate, he mediated between all parties and excelled at assassination.
In the eyes of outsiders, Li Xinnian was absolutely the kindest Patriarch of the Li Clan, presenting a beautiful image to everyone in the Azure Cloud Prefecture.
During the short few years since Li Jianshu took over, it wasn't as if no one in the Azure Cloud Prefecture had attempted to rebel by taking advantage of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems incident.
Even though the Blue Moon Immortal Sect had already shown what happens when an egg strikes a rock, human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
Yet, over these two years, Li Jianshu had shockingly suppressed everything.
And it was all because of these two seals: the innocent lived, and the guilty were killed.
"The world is in chaos. Steward, have someone draft a letter inviting the large and small factions of the Azure Cloud Prefecture to come and discuss the matter of establishing an army." Li Jianshu frowned, having already made a decision in his heart.
"Establishing an army?" The muscles on Huang Xiujin's face twitched.
When Xinnian was Patriarch, his methods were subtle and gentle; this kid Li Jianshu, however, used iron-blooded methods.
"Patriarch, establishing an army will consume a massive amount of spirit stones and resources; otherwise, the supply will be insufficient.
The Azure Cloud Army maintains a standing force of three hundred thousand, and two hundred thousand have already gone to Deston Prefecture, demanding a huge amount of resources. Now..."
"I have already made my decision."
Li Jianshu said in a deep voice,
"Steward Huang, you have seen it too.
In recent years, the Wu tribe's harassment has grown increasingly severe, and there are also evil cultivators and those with sinister intentions harming the world.
Sooner or later, there will be more and more incidents.
Recent reports from Deston Prefecture state that the two great races are fighting with true fury, and the Body Integration mighty figures are each seeking their own opportunities.
Even in a street brawl between thugs in a bustling market, it's not uncommon for bystanders to suffer."
"Do the people of my Azure Cloud Prefecture want to wait for death in ignorance, or seek survival under my heavy pressure? They will make their own decisions from now on."
"Go and issue the order.
I want every Region, city, and town, every sect and noble family in the Azure Cloud Prefecture to search the mortal realm for those with Spiritual Roots and cultivate them.
Send the seeds of our cultivators' spiritual plants down to the mortal realm and instruct the cultivators to plant them."
"Cultivators are to prepare for military service.
They must gather every half-year to cultivate and practice array formations and Spiritual arts without delay.
For the remaining half of the year, they will return home to grow spiritual plants."
"To encourage cultivators in their practice, there will be annual martial arts competitions where opportunities can be won."
"Establish laws. If anyone commits a grave crime, their family and associates shall be implicated and punished together."
Huang Xiujin's expression changed.
"Patriarch, are you trying to... put the entire Azure Cloud Prefecture in a state of combat readiness?"
"Mm," Li Jianshu said.
"Reduce and exempt taxes. Allowing the major factions to bolster their strength in this way will surely delight them, thus earning their support. I imagine they won't refuse.
As for whether they will rebel, you needn't worry. As long as our Azure Cloud Li Clan is here, they will only ever be able to see the shadow of our forward progress."
"Understood."
Huang Xiujin pondered for a moment and also felt it was a good idea.
"I will go mediate. Patriarch, you focus on your cultivation. There is also the Immortal Martial Grotto-Heaven; the clan's descendants should lead by example."