Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

7: The Chronicles of the Universe, The Five Elements Spirit Control TechniqueA month’s time passed in a flash.

The sky over Linhai City had already changed color.

The Lin Family, once a dominant sea merchant, along with the so-called ”Immortal Master” they colluded with, had completely vanished, becoming mere gossip for tea talk in the streets and alleys.

Their vast Family assets, including shops in the city, dock warehouses, farmlands outside the city, and even several trade routes and more than a dozen sea vessels traversing the seas, were all taken over and reorganized by the Li Family with swift and decisive measures.

The Li Family’s prestige was soaring.

Every day, gentry, merchants, and Jianghu guests came in an endless stream to pay respects, seek cooperation, or even pledge allegiance, making their gates as bustling as a marketplace.

The Family’s population also swelled, with nearly a hundred newly absorbed servants, guards, accountants, and craftsmen. The once slightly cramped residence now seemed a bit crowded, and Li Qingshan was already looking for a new Family estate.

The morale within the Family was high, and everyone’s face glowed with the flush of surviving a calamity and finally being able to hold their heads high.

On the System panel, Family prestige soared all the way to [Slightly Famous (500)], and the loyalty of most core Family members significantly increased.

At the same time, Li Yinglong also received an additional reward from the System:

[Long-Lasting Family Fortune (Group Buff): Activated after Family prestige reaches the standard; all Family members (including servants and other non-Family personnel) with loyalty above 50 receive a small, permanent increase in Cultivation speed.]

This reward came very suddenly; one second Li Yinglong was meditating, and the next he received the System notification.

This also made him understand that this [Family Revitalization System] was not just a shrine as it appeared on the surface; there were many hidden potentials yet to be unearthed.

However, this System took a cold and aloof approach, not actively giving hints, but only providing them as appropriate after he had done something.

Li Yinglong deeply understood the principle that a tall tree catches the wind and was not carried away by victory.

He handed over all external miscellaneous affairs to his eldest son, Li Qingshan, to oversee, and promoted Uncle Zhong and two other outstanding collateral disciples who also had [Management Talent] to assist in management.

Li Qingshan was steady, honest, and reliable, and possessed the [Talent for Managing a Family] talent. Although handling the complex affairs brought about by this expansion was slightly challenging, he managed them in an orderly manner.

As for his second son, Li Qingchuan, ever since he deserted on the battlefield outside the city that day, he had been feigning illness and staying in his small courtyard, rarely daring to show his face.

Li Yinglong neither questioned nor criticized him, nor did he assign him any tasks. This complete cold shoulder, however, made Li Qingchuan even more anxious than any punishment.

Inside the secret chamber, the oil lamp was lit again.

Li Yinglong and Li Qingzhu sat facing each other.

After a month of diligent Cultivation, aided by Spirit Stones, both of them looked much better. Although they had not yet entered the Qi Refining Second Layer Realm, they had reached the Qi Refining First Layer Great Perfection. The only thing lacking was the depletion of Spirit Stones.

Most of the aged and weary look on Li Yinglong’s face had faded, his gaze grew deeper and more profound, and even his hair had started to turn from white to black.

Li Qingzhu’s cheeks were a little fuller, no longer looking malnourished, and her eyes were clear and focused.

On the stone platform between them, two items were placed:

One was the tattered qiankun bag retrieved from Liu Yi’s corpse.

The other was an old jade box, about a foot long, taken from a hidden compartment in the deepest part of the Lin Family’s secret room. It was locked with steel, and Li Yinglong had forcibly broken it open with his overlord spear.

”Qingzhu, let’s see what this fellow and the Lin Family have hidden as their Family fortune.”

Li Yinglong first picked up the qiankun bag.

His spiritual sense entered it more smoothly than when he opened Li Qingzhu’s mother’s qiankun bag last time.

The space inside the bag was not large, only half a zhang square, and there were very few items.

With a few ”clatter” sounds, all the items were poured out.

There were very few things, making it seem quite impoverished:

Eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, whose luster seemed slightly inferior to those they had used before.

Several jade bottles, with red paper labels on their bodies, reading ”Qi Replenishing Medicinal Pill” (four remaining), ”Blood Replenishing Medicinal Pill” (five remaining), and ”Qi Gathering Medicinal Pill” (two remaining).

A familiar small ebony shield, which was the ”Ironwood Shield.”

Finally, there were two jade tokens of distinct colors, one black and one white, and nothing else.

”Heh.”

Li Yinglong picked up the eight Spirit Stones, weighed them, and sneered:

”Heh~ A Qi Refining Second Layer, after all these years, only this much savings? It seems he also had no hope for the Grand Dao, knew he had no way to advance, and so came to this Mortal world to lord it over others, squeezing out the last bit of profit to enjoy his remaining life. What a scoundrel.”

Li Qingzhu picked up the bottles of Medicinal Pills and examined them carefully:

”Uncle, these Medicinal Pills...”

”Keep them. They might come in handy at a critical moment.”

Li Yinglong nodded:

”Especially this Qi Gathering Medicinal Pill. Although there’s only one, it can assist in Spiritual Qi absorption, and it will be of some help when you Breakthrough a minor Realm barrier.”

Li Yinglong then handed the Ironwood Shield to Li Qingzhu:

”Keep this shield for self-defense. I have martial arts to assist me, but your Cultivation is still shallow. With this item to protect you, I’ll be more at ease.”

”Thank you, Uncle.”

Li Qingzhu did not decline; she knew she was indeed a weakness.

Finally, their gaze fell upon the two black and white jade tokens.

”Let’s see what’s hidden inside.”

Li Yinglong first picked up the black jade token and immersed his spiritual sense into it.

A moment later, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face:

”Good! It comes at just the right time!”

”Uncle, what is it?”

Li Qingzhu asked curiously.

”It’s a spell, named the Five Elements Spirit Control Art.”

Li Yinglong handed the jade token to Li Qingzhu:

”It’s not an offensive spell, but more like a basic... application technique. Once this method is learned, one can transform the spiritual power within their body into corresponding elemental attacks or defensive means based on their Spiritual Root attribute.”

”For example, that Liu Yi must have possessed a Fire Spiritual Root, so he condensed fireballs using this method. If one possessed an Earth Spiritual Root, they might condense earth spikes or earth walls, and so on...”

Li Qingzhu, hearing this, also showed a joyful expression:

”That’s wonderful! The Evergreen Art only teaches how to guide Qi and preserve the spirit, strengthening spiritual breath, but has no methods of application. We have spiritual power but are like holding a gold brick in a bustling market, unable to use it. With this method, we finally have a Dao-protecting technique!”

”Precisely.”

Li Yinglong stroked his beard:

”You take it and study it first; make sure to master it as soon as possible. Your Cultivation progress is faster than mine, so you’ll have to enlighten me later.”

Next, he picked up the white jade token and immersed his spiritual sense into it.

This time, he remained silent for a bit longer, his expression growing increasingly solemn, at times enlightened, at times frowning.

After a long while, he slowly withdrew his spiritual sense and sighed deeply:

”So that’s how it is... I was a frog in a well, only today do I realize the vastness of heaven and earth!”

”Uncle?”

Li Qingzhu asked with concern.

”This jade token contains not a Cultivation Technique, but a miscellaneous record called records of strange tales of the universe. It’s all-encompassing, recording much basic common knowledge of the Immortal Realm, Spiritual Plant identification, Yao Beast bestiaries, regional legends... To us, the value of this item is even greater than that of the Five Elements Spirit Control Art!”

”We are self-taught, without guidance, like blind men touching an elephant. With this book, we can glimpse the path, avoiding countless detours and dangers!”

He handed the jade token to Li Qingzhu to examine.

Li Qingzhu was immediately captivated by the vast and complex knowledge within, her small face filled with fascination.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she took off the grayish-white jade token her mother had left her from her neck and tried to immerse her spiritual sense into it again.

However, the surface of the jade token seemed to be covered by a tough and flexible invisible membrane. Her spiritual sense was gently bounced back upon contact, still unable to peer into it at all.

”Still no good...”

She was a little dejected.

”It’s alright.”

Li Yinglong comforted her:

”What your mother left behind must be extraordinary. Perhaps it requires a specific Opportunity or a higher Cultivation to open it. Keep it safe for now; there’s no need to rush.”

The two turned their attention back to the long jade box.

As the jade box opened, a faint, peculiar medicinal fragrance mixed with the salty scent of the sea breeze wafted out.

Inside the box, lined with dark blue velvet, lay three peculiar Spiritual Plants.

The Spiritual Plants had thick, dark purple leaves with veins that shimmered like silver threads. Their roots were still covered with some moist sea mud, as if freshly picked.

Besides these, there was also a scroll made of some kind of waterproof material.

”This is...”

Li Qingzhu picked up one of the Spiritual Plants and examined it carefully, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, as if trying hard to recall something.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she quickly picked up the white jade token:

”Uncle! I think I saw a similar illustration in the records of strange tales of the universe just now!”

Li Yinglong, hearing this, also immediately picked up the white jade token, immersed his spiritual sense into it, and quickly searched for information related to the Spiritual Plant before them.

A moment later, both of them looked up almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with understanding.

”Found it!”

Li Qingzhu exclaimed first:

”This plant is called ’sea soul moss.’ It’s not a true Spiritual Plant, but a special moss mutation that grows on offshore islands and near-shore areas where Spiritual Veins dissipate. Its medicinal properties are potent, greatly stimulating Qi and blood, and refining muscles and bones. For Mortal Martial Artists, it’s a sacred medicine for Body Tempering! But... all medicine has some toxicity. Its medicinal properties are overbearing, and excessive consumption can easily damage one’s Foundation, or even... cause one’s body to explode!”

Li Yinglong slowly nodded and interjected:

”It’s noted that this item cannot be cultivated artificially. Once removed from its native habitat, even if preserved in a jade box, its medicinal efficacy will slowly diminish...”

”I understand now... That Lin Bei from the Lin Family, so young yet so physically powerful, with Qi and blood far surpassing his peers, must have achieved it by long-term consumption of this item!”

What so-called ”Martial Artist Genius”? He was actually an Acquired product of drug abuse!