Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

19: The path to immortality is about to begin, thanks to good intentions.”There are poisonous insects in the forest! Everyone, watch your steps and the branches!”

Li Changyu issued an urgent command.

Upon hearing this, everyone’s hair stood on end, and they vigilantly scrutinized the fallen leaves and branches around them, their steps becoming hesitant.

”Changxing, don’t move!”

A clear voice rang out, it was Lin Xiaowan.

She quickly went to Li Changxing, who was sweating from pain and whose lips were pale, and gently supported his rapidly swelling wrist.

”This insect venom is very potent; numbness has already set in. If it’s not neutralized in time, it might damage the meridians.”

Lin Xiaowan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she carefully observed the color of the wound and the swelling trend, her eyes focused and calm, completely devoid of her usual gentle shyness.

She remembered her grandfather once saying that within seven steps of where highly poisonous creatures lurked, there was often an antidote.

”You all guard the surroundings, don’t let other poisonous creatures get close! I’ll be right back!”

After speaking, her gaze, like lightning, swept over the nearby bushes, rock crevices, and weeds underfoot.

In just a few breaths, her eyes locked onto a plant growing against a rock a few steps away.

This plant had serrated leaves and inconspicuous small yellow flowers at its tip. Although it had slight differences from a certain plant in her memory, its essence should be the same.

”Found it!”

She quickly stepped forward, carefully plucked a few tender leaves and flowers, and confirmed them by sniffing them at the tip of her nose.

Returning to Li Changxing’s side, she unhesitatingly put the herbs into her mouth and quickly chewed them. Then, she leaned down, carefully used the water from her water pouch to clean Li Changxing’s wound, sucked out some of the poisonous blood, and then meticulously applied the chewed herbs to the wound.

Her movements were swift and precise, without the slightest delay.

”This herb is called ’Golden Chalice Toxin Repeller,’ it’s cool in nature and specifically counters insect and snake venom. It’s recorded in my grandfather’s notes.”

”It’s just that this plant is larger than any I’ve seen before, it might be a variant.”

She explained to her worried companions who had gathered around, while bandaging Li Changxing with a clean cloth strip.

She also didn’t know that the creatures on this island, nourished by Spiritual Qi, had all undergone some degree of mutation.

Therefore, this ’Golden Chalice Toxin Repeller’ was quite effective.

Misfortunes never come singly.

Zhao Mingyuan, who was responsible for covering the rear, suddenly felt his feet tighten, and he was hoisted upside down!

It was a perfectly camouflaged vine trap!

”An ambush!”

Li Changyun roared, his long spear thrusting rapidly, cutting the vine and saving Zhao Mingyuan.

Everyone looked around in horror, only to see tree shadows swaying, as if countless eyes were secretly peeking.

”It’s a monkey troop!”

Thunder Frost, with her excellent eyesight, pointed to several monkeys with gray-black fur, green glowing eyes, and sharp claws and teeth on a large tree fork.

They were not large in size, but their movements were swift, swinging between branches, emitting sharp screeches, and constantly throwing hard fruit pits or stones to attack the group.

Stone Iron Pillar raised his large shield, protecting everyone’s heads, and the sounds of ”thump, thump” were incessant.

Li Changyun and Thunder Frost tried to counterattack, but the monkeys were too agile to hit.

”Don’t get entangled! Charge through!”

Li Changyu assessed the situation, knowing that prolonged defense would lead to loss.

The team pushed forward, quickening their pace, enduring the ”stone rain.”

The monkey troop chased for a while, and seeing they couldn’t gain much advantage, they screeched a few times and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

The successive encounters left the team exhausted and mentally strained.

Fortunately, while passing through a more open fern thicket, Li Changxing, with his sharp eyes, noticed traces of trampled weeds on the ground, vaguely forming a small path.

”Look! There’s a path here!”

Li Changxing pointed timidly.

Everyone gathered around, and Li Changyu squatted down to examine it carefully, saying in a deep voice:

”These are traces of people walking! Not long ago... and,”

He pushed aside a fern leaf and picked up a small piece of faded, blackened coarse cloth:

”This is... cloth from a living person, judging by the material... it should be coarse cloth worn by some servants!”

The fire of hope instantly ignited in everyone’s eyes!

What they found was exactly the Lin family’s cloth that Li Yinglong had discovered on his first visit.

He deliberately didn’t clean it up, leaving it as a small hint for everyone.

Having a path and traces of previous human activity meant that the direction was likely correct, and there might be a turning point ahead!

”Follow the traces! Everyone, cheer up!”

Li Changyun shouted, raising his arm.

Following the faint path and the scattered cloth and broken tools, the team’s progress accelerated.

Although they encountered several more poisonous insect attacks and harassment from small exotic beasts along the way, with experience, they no longer panicked as they did initially.

Li Changyun’s bravery, Thunder Frost’s precision, Stone Iron Pillar’s steadfastness, Li Changyu’s coordination, Li Changyue’s meticulousness, and even Li Changxing’s observation, all began to play their roles.

Finally, as the sun set and dusk approached, they passed through the last dense forest, and their vision suddenly opened up!

Beside a clear mountain stream, on a relatively flat clearing, a bonfire blazed, illuminating two figures standing with their hands behind their backs.

It was Li Yinglong and Li Qingzhu.

Li Yinglong, in a dark robe, stood still as a mountain, his gaze calmly watching the group of teenagers stumbling out of the forest.

Li Qingzhu stood quietly by his side, her face filled with joy, clearly happy for these nephews and nieces.

The ten young men and women staggered out of the forest. Seeing the bonfire and the two familiar figures, the tension that had held them for an entire day suddenly relaxed.

The immense relief of surviving a disaster, the exhaustion from the journey, and an unspeakable sense of grievance instantly flooded their hearts.

Someone started sobbing, and soon the sound became a chorus.

Even the most stubborn Li Changxuan and the most composed Li Changyun couldn’t help but redden their eyes, tears mixing with the dust and sweat on their faces as they fell.

They supported each other, stumbling towards the bonfire that represented safety and their destination, many of them almost collapsing to the ground.

Li Yinglong’s gaze slowly swept over the group of ragged, disheveled teenagers whose eyes, however, were completely different from when they set out.

He did not offer comfort, but simply waited quietly.

When everyone’s emotions had somewhat calmed and the sobbing gradually ceased, he slowly began to speak:

”It seems you have all gained something.”

All the teenagers looked up, gazing at their dignified Clan Chief.

”Before today, on the boat, you cooperated well and managed effectively, which pleased this old man greatly.”

He first gave affirmation, but then his tone shifted:

”However, did you therefore feel that this place was also like the boat, where you could do as you pleased? Did you feel that with a little martial skill and cleverness, you could disregard everything here and view the path ahead as a smooth road?”

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads, their faces showing shame.

When they first landed on the island, they indeed had such a mindset, thinking it was just a slightly more difficult hunt, until the crab claws as big as millstones and the strange poisonous insects dragged them back to reality.

”A heart of disrespect leads to disaster.”

Li Yinglong’s voice turned cold:

”The dangers you experienced today, the strangeness you encountered, far exceeded anything you’ve ever seen or heard, did they not?”

The teenagers nodded repeatedly, still feeling lingering fear at the thought of the terrifying giant crab, poisonous insects, and monkey troop.

”You must know, the world here is far from the Linhai City you are familiar with.”

Li Yinglong raised his hand, pointing to the majestic mountains and forests around them, and to the towering volcano.

”Everything here—the plants, insects, beasts, and even the wind, clouds, water, and soil—their principles of operation, their strengths and weaknesses, are all... completely different from your past understanding.”

His words carried a peculiar depth, as if hinting at a broader and more unknown world.

”Today’s disarray was all because you haven’t yet grasped this principle, still measuring a new sky with an old ruler.”

”However, in desperation, you did not ultimately collapse. Changyu was able to remain calm in crisis and coordinate; Changyun and Thunder Frost were able to step forward to cover the rear; Stone Iron Pillar was able to guard the entrance; Little Wan was able to identify herbs and save lives; Mingyuan, Changyue, Changxing, and others also did their best, supporting each other. Ultimately, you found your way and escaped to here.”

”This performance truly shows the true colors of my Li clan’s children, and it is also the greatest harvest of your journey.”

Li Yinglong’s tone gradually softened:

”Remember today’s lesson, and also remember today’s cooperation.”

”The road ahead is long, and what you have seen today is but the tip of the iceberg. What you will encounter in the future may be even more bizarre and beyond imagination. Hold reverence, not fear; be constantly vigilant, not complacent; trust each other, not suspect. Only then can you establish yourselves in new challenges, and even... go further.”

”Everything today, whether sweet or bitter, will transform into your resources. May you engrave it in your hearts, for it will become the first and most solid cornerstone on your future Dao path.”

With that, Li Yinglong said no more, only stating calmly:

”Go wash and bandage yourselves first. There’s hot food on the stove. Rest well; there will be things to do tomorrow.”

The teenagers stood rooted to the spot, pondering the Clan Chief’s words.

The initial euphoria and grievance gradually settled, and a clear understanding and determination, forged through hardship, emerged in their eyes.

Although the Clan Chief’s words didn’t explicitly state it, they seemed to have opened a window before them, allowing them to vaguely glimpse a world far more vast, mysterious, and dangerous than they had imagined.

And everything they had experienced today was merely the initial, and most genuine, initiation into this world.

They exchanged glances, each seeing in the other’s eyes that glimmer of spirit, shedding its childishness and gradually growing.

No one spoke, but silently, they deeply imprinted the Clan Chief’s teachings and the day’s experiences into their hearts, transforming them into a silent vow and invaluable experience.