Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 350 - 356: Test

”Now that the matter has concluded, you can rest well and need not worry about the Mountain Protection Array anymore.”

Jiang Fengwu replied with a smile, ”You too.”

Afterward, the couple each entered a cultivation chamber designed for intense practice, and through this method, they quickly restored their vital energy and spirit.

For cultivators, cultivation was more effective than sleep.

By the time the two left seclusion, several days had passed, and by then, Li Shilian had also returned to Wanxian Island.

So the following day, Li Zhirui received a notification from Li Shiqing, instructing him to attend a family meeting at the clan hall.

”Letʼs go, you can come with me,” Li Zhirui said to Jiang Fengwu beside him.

Jiang Fengwu had married into the Li family many years ago and hadnʼt exhibited any issues; she had proven herself trustworthy, and moreover, she was the only Third-order Formation master in the family.

Furthermore, as a Golden Core cultivator, it was no longer possible to leave her out of significant family matters as it had been in the past.

This family meeting would be her first step toward integration into the family, gradually gaining the acknowledgement of the clan members.

”Why should I go? It is your familyʼs meeting,” Jiang Fengwu said, slightly embarrassed as she tried to decline.

”Come on, thereʼs a matter that concerns you,” Li Zhirui insisted, pulling her towards the grand hall without further discussion.

Li Chengmo and the other Elders, who had arrived earlier, were taken aback upon seeing Jiang Fengwuʼs figure. They wanted to say something but, because Li Zhirui was present, didnʼt dare to speak up.

When Li Shiqing and Elder Li Shilian arrived, Li Zhirui got to his feet and said, ”I brought Fengwu here because I believe she is already a member of the family and as a Golden Core cultivator, she should attend the family meeting!”

”Indeed, we have been negligent before,” Li Shiqing not only didnʼt refuse but also admitted a mistake.

”No, no, Uncle, please donʼt say that,” Jiang Fengwu waved her hands in protest, unwilling to accept an apology from an elder.

Li Shiqing smiled and chose not to linger on the issue, redirecting the conversation to the topics of todayʼs meeting.

First and foremost, it involved taking stock of the aftermath of the attack by the evil cultivators, such as casualties, resource consumption, and so on.

This time, in addition to the routine items, there was a special project: accounting for how many Spirit Veins they had retrieved!

”Guangqing State brought back five Spirit Veins, while Yunping State had slightly more, with seven Spirit Veins,” Clan Leader Li Chengmo took it upon himself to report: ”Among them, six are Second-order Spirit Veins.”

This meant that in the wake of disaster, twelve lesser powers had vanished into the annals of history.

”Have you thought about how to deal with these Spirit Veins?”

No sooner had Li Zhiruiʼs words fallen than an Elder began to speak, ”Since our clan members are few, and because all these Spirit Veins are located in the western two states, making them difficult to manage, we could refer to a previous family measure.”

”Turn them into vast Spirit Fields and farms for lease, collecting rent; at the same time, these Loose Cultivators could provide the family with a substantial number of low-level Spiritual Objects.”

Beyond this Elder, others also voiced their suggestions. For example, one Elder proposed temporarily sealing off the areas until they might be needed in the future.

Li Zhirui managed to hold back his words of scolding for quite a while. It amazed him that anyone could come up with such an idea—whether to praise the Elder for being clever, or for lacking common sense, he really couldnʼt decide.

Sealing the mountains was not an easy task; just setting up the Sealing Great Array would consume countless Spirit Stones, not to mention the upkeep costs later on.

If all twelve Spirit Veins were to be sealed, the materials for setting up the Formations alone would cost over a million Spirit Stones, with maintenance fees amounting to hundreds of thousands every year!

What a waste of Spirit Stones on merely sealing Spirit Veins!

Almost without needing a vote, aside from the Elder who suggested sealing the mountains, everyone agreed on the proposal to develop Spirit Fields for lease.

”The second issue is Zhiruiʼs coincidental encounter with the Niu Family, leading to the discovery of the evil cultivatorsʼ hideout and the reward from Shen Leishan,” Li Shiqing paused, then allowed Li Zhirui to continue.

”Shen Leishan has granted me the choice of one Third-order Pill Recipe and two Third-order Methods.” With a wave of his hand, three Jade Slips floated before everyone as Li Zhirui continued, ”They are respectively the Purification Pill recipe, the ʼTome of Third-order Formationsʼ, and the offensive Divine Power named ʼBurial of Ten Thousand Treesʼ.”

”The Spiritual Medicines required for the Purification Pill are grown by the family; the Formation tome was chosen due to its rarity and value; the Divine Power is to enhance the combat strength of Uncle and Elder Lian,” Li Zhirui explained his choice of these three Methods, to avoid any claims of self-serving bias, even though it appeared that was exactly what he had done.

Li Chengmo and the Elders didnʼt show much reaction, as such matters werenʼt for them to decide.

Meanwhile, the two Elders Li Shiqing and Shilian, who entrusted the hope of strengthening the family to Li Zhirui, naturally had nothing to say.

”Besides, thereʼs one more thing Iʼd like to mention,” Li Zhirui paused before continuing, ”As everyone knows, the matter with the evil cultivators has not been completely resolved. Aside from Wanxian Island, where weʼve conducted a thorough cleansing, there are still many evil cultivators lurking in the two western states.”

”But they are too scattered and not suitable for group searching. So, I wonder, could we treat this as a test for our clan members?”

”In doing so, it would not only train their combat skills but also deal with those evil cultivators, preventing future chaos and ensuring tranquility in both states.”

”Hmm, that surely is a good idea,” Li Shiqing first expressed his agreement but then shifted tone, ”However, Zhirui, have you considered that this approach could lead to a substantial number of casualties among the clan members?”

”Iʼm aware, but if they want to go further, they must eventually face such things! Itʼs better to start working hard now than to have regrets later,” Li Zhirui asserted.

Li Chengmo spoke up in support, ”I think Uncleʼs right!”

”As the familyʼs strength has been growing stronger, Iʼve noticed that many of our clan members have become arrogant and complacent. This is a very bad sign that could slow down our development, halt our progress, or even cause regression,” Li Chengmo added.

Li Zhirui looked over, admitting to himself that he hadnʼt thought that deeply and simply believed that the clan members should improve their combat capabilities.

ʼBig brother has an excellent eye for people!ʼ He possessed a sensitivity surpassing others, making him an outstanding candidate for leadership and planning.

”If youʼre really worried, you could allow them to form small teams of five to operate together,” Li Zhirui suggested.

”Since you all believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, then go ahead with it,” Li Shiqing concluded.

Though Li Shiqing had become more conservative over the years due to his shortened lifespan, one could still see the decisive, action-oriented nature of his youth.