[Year 854]
[More and more cultivators are spying on the Azure Cloud Prefecture, and your clansmen can sense probes coming from all directions.
These covetous individuals belong to the major immortal clans and sects of the Azure Cloud Prefecture seeking opportunities, and their actions stem entirely from their own selfish motives.]
[Now, your family has realized that they are gradually uniting.]
...
[Nurtured by your family's medicinal pills and treasures, along with the massive amount of resources brought back from the battlefield, your descendants are gradually growing up.]
It was once again time to collect resources.
Inside the Immortal Martial Grotto-Heaven.
Li Qiuming and Li Chuxiu were directing the clansmen to collect another year's worth of resources.
In just a short period, they had already felt the changes in the clansmen over the past year.
Various blood pills had made the physique of every clansman incredibly robust.
Aside from the limitations their innate aptitudes placed on their realms, it did not affect their powerful auras within the same realm in the slightest, especially among the younger generation.
"After the elders sent the treasures back home, I never expected the changes to be this massive."
Li Qiuming let out a long sigh.
Three years ago, their family had only been developing for a short time. Even with profound foundations from major powers like the Secret Stele and the Myriad Dharmas Spiritual Spring, the younger generation was still no different from a Divinity Transformation sect.
But over the past two years, they had developed rapidly.
The foundations accumulated by the predecessors erupted instantly within a very short period—a true culmination of the family's profound accumulation.
The family also ushered in a transformation.
Staying in the Azure Cloud Prefecture, the territories the family had previously conquered were handed over to the major immortal clans and sects of the Azure Cloud Prefecture to manage.
They collected a share of the profits, resulting in a continuous stream of resources flowing into the family's pockets.
Those clansmen with relatively good aptitude were cultivated as outer sect disciples in factions like the Heavenly Light Sect, Eternal Immortal Sect, Heavenly Monarch Dao Sanctuary, and Sword Pavilion, enjoying the protection of these sect powers.
Or they became retainers in major families, abiding by the clan's regulations and establishing connections with other immortal clans, regardless of their size.
This was the strategy of their elder, Li Chang.
It allowed other sects and immortal clans to gradually dismiss their misgivings about the family, subtly negating the impact of the 'Ten Deadly Sins' on the clan.
Even if the family faced difficulties, as long as the family's Void Refining experts were still around, these clansmen would be protected by the major factions—at the very least, they had to protect the people of the Li Clan on the surface.
[Your descendant Li Chang returned from the Imperial Capital and carried out a large-scale reform of the family system.]
[High-realm experts of the family respectively lead descendants of non-direct bloodlines.
If the descendants show improvement compared to before—whether in cultivation, knowledge, zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting—they can receive family rewards.]
[Established major cultivation and experiential training grounds for the family.
Descendants commute to the major Grotto-Heavens of the twenty-four Regions to cultivate, establishing specialized Grotto-Heavens for alchemy, artifact refining, array formations, and so on.]
[Distribution of family treasures...]
Nowadays, among the major factions in the Azure Cloud Prefecture, it is common to see the spirit boats of the Azure Cloud Li Clan flying back and forth as the Li Clan descendants busy themselves with cultivation.
Some whose cultivation was truly subpar simply followed the farmers in Merit City to farm the land, or became literary scholars and musicians in the Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Moreover, in Merit City, the former Ancient Tree was re-established outside the family hall.
Ancient trees appeared in all twenty-four Grotto-Heavens of the family.
However, these ancient trees weren't necessarily blood-red, but without exception, they were all of a tier above Spirit Trees.
Clansmen stood one after another in front of the ancient trees, awaiting their teachings.
[Your family's Ancient Tree broke through to the Void Refining realm, acquiring the Talent: Tree Manipulation]
[It can descend its spirit into the spirit trees via its Divine Soul. The spirit trees possess a special magical power — Simple Prediction]
[Through fifty percent of the 'Omen' effect, it can simply perceive the root bone and talent of the clansmen, predicting a suitable path for them.]
Whether to farm, refine pills, or participate in family missions was entirely up to these children to decide for themselves.
As for their development, that was the elders' business.
The family was prospering and flourishing.
But what Li Wei didn't expect was that the younger generation had different ideas.
One day, the Old Tree's divine soul complained to him.
[Your family's Divine Tree reports to you: the descendants of the Chu, Hong, and Guang generations mostly did not follow its predictions.
Rumors say that at the iceberg in the northern part of the Azure Cloud Prefecture, where Li Xinjue presides, the descendants possess the strongest perseverance and bravery.
Thus, they flocked to the iceberg to cultivate with the Silver Moon Lineage.]
[For a time, the Silver Moon Lineage was overcrowded. However, the descendants could endure for no more than seven days before wanting to flee the iceberg.]
[Your descendant Li Xinjue set up an array formation that allows entry but no exit.
Acquired Trait: Strict Elder.
Not a single clansman can give up halfway in front of him. Perseverance increases by 5%.]
[Acquired Trait: Devil Coach]
[His cruel training of the descendants increases his physical and psychological damage to them by 30%. The immense inner satisfaction increases his comprehension by 5%.]
The Silver Moon Lineage became the most sought-after cultivation ground.
"You guys really went out of your way to suffer for no reason..."
Li Wei speechlessly looked at the Silver Moon Lineage's trait [Leaving the Novice Village in Tears].
Looking again.
[Your descendant Li Yaoqing, hearing of the family's grand occasion, secretly created an avatar with her spiritual power within the clan, spreading the rumor that the Silver Moon Lineage was a holy land for cultivation.]
[Acquired Trait: Happy Ancestor]
[The immense satisfaction after a prank increases pill refining speed by 5%.]
Li Wei thought of Li Xinjue's serious face, then imagined Li Yaoqing sneaking around, whispering to the clansmen with a mischievous expression.
He couldn't help but feel a chill. "So making the children suffer is also part of your cultivation plan?"
In front of the pill furnace in Merit City was a Buddhist temple.
Seeing Li Yaoqing's avatar return, Li Kuanghua immediately recalled the scene of being pranked in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave back then and said helplessly,
"Great-Great-Grandaunt is being naughty again."