Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

41: Seeking the Way, the Hundred Ethnic Groups of Southern XinjiangIt was still the first month of the year, with the lingering taste of the New Year, but the secret chamber of the Li Family had already shed its warmth, leaving only solemnity.

Li Yinglong sat at the head, his gaze calm as he swept over the people gathered there:

His eldest son, Li Qingshan, and his other disciples.

”I have summoned you all today to make a decision on a matter.”

Li Yinglong got straight to the point.

”For the Family to prosper long-term, it cannot be achieved by simply isolating ourselves. We lack in all the hundred arts of cultivation, such as alchemy, artifact refining, talismans, and formations. What we gain from isolated islands overseas is ultimately limited.”

He paused slightly, his gaze like an ancient, deep pool:

”Therefore, I have made up my mind. I will personally travel to the Blackwater Marsh in the southwest in a few days. There is a ‘North Marsh Market’ there, a place where Cultivators come and go for trade. Perhaps I can find the necessary ancient texts and techniques to make up for the deficiencies in our Foundation.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire chamber fell silent.

Li Qingshan was the first to change color, and he said urgently:

”Father! Absolutely not! Marketplaces are places where Dragons and snakes mix, and dangers are unpredictable! You are the Clan Chief, how can you risk yourself so lightly? It would be better to send more capable disciples with ample funds to purchase what is needed...”

Li Changyu and others also said:

”Uncle is absolutely right. Although your cultivation has advanced, traveling alone to an unfamiliar place, if you encounter strong adversaries, you might be unable to cope. Please reconsider.”

Li Yinglong’s expression remained unchanged. Only after everyone had finished speaking did he slowly say:

”How could I not be aware of your concerns?”

”However, this trip is not for sightseeing, but for seeking the Dao. Ordinary gold and silver may not move the hearts of Cultivators; rare Spiritual materials are the true hard currency. The discernment, identification, bargaining, and even reading people’s expressions and avoiding risks involved in such transactions cannot be decided by someone without personal experience. Although the disciples are loyal and brave, their experience is still shallow, and they are prone to revealing their whereabouts, which would attract trouble instead.”

He swept his gaze over everyone:

”My decision is made. Traveling alone is most suitable. Concealing my aura and acting discreetly will actually be safer.”

Everyone knew his temperament; once he made a decision, it was difficult to change.

Yet, worry was still evident on their faces.

In the silence, Lin Xiaowan suddenly looked up and spoke timidly:

”Clan Chief... if someone absolutely must accompany you, Little Wan... Little Wan is willing to go.”

Everyone looked at her.

She took a deep breath and continued:

”Although Little Wan’s cultivation is shallow, I am also at the Qi Refining Second Layer. Perhaps... perhaps I can ease some of the Clan Chief’s burdens; moreover, Little Wan has some knowledge of herbs, medicinal principles, and identifying Spiritual plants. If we encounter relevant ancient texts, Spiritual seeds, or medicinal pills in the market, I might be able to discern their authenticity and value, preventing the Clan Chief from being deceived.”

She paused:

”Furthermore... two people traveling together, an old man and a young girl, disguised as a grandfather and granddaughter gathering herbs, would be less conspicuous than an old man traveling alone...”

Li Yinglong gazed at her for a moment, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

This girl was meticulous in her thoughts, and what she said was indeed reasonable.

Taking her along could both reassure everyone and indeed be beneficial.

He pondered for a moment, then finally nodded:

”Very well... Little Wan, you shall accompany me.”

Although Li Qingshan and the others were still worried, seeing Li Yinglong compromise and knowing that Lin Xiaowan’s words were not false, they had no choice but to agree.

With the plan settled, there was no more delay.

At dawn the next day, the cold mist had not yet dispersed.

A somewhat old blue-canopied carriage quietly departed from Linhai City’s South Gate.

On the carriage shaft sat an old man in a green robe, with a gaunt face and slightly frosted temples, dressed as an ordinary village doctor.

Inside the carriage was a young girl wearing a coarse cotton jacket, her cheeks smeared with some stove ash to conceal her spiritual aura, clutching a bundle containing dried provisions and a water skin.

It was Li Yinglong and Lin Xiaowan, disguised.

The carriage rumbled along the official road, heading south.

Initially, there were still signs of human habitation, though sparse, with villages and market towns.

After three to five days of travel, the scenery gradually changed.

Many fields by the roadside were overgrown and abandoned, with weeds taller than a person.

Nine out of ten villages were empty, with crumbling walls and broken ruins everywhere, leaving only the noisy cawing of crows and sparrows.

Refugees streamed along the road, carrying their young and supporting their old, their faces sallow and emaciated, their eyes vacant, stumbling towards the rumored southeastern coast where they might barely survive.

Bands of bandits on horseback roamed and preyed like vultures. Seeing the simple carriage, they bothered little with it, merely whistling past, raising dust.

It was a tragic scene of a Dynasty in decline and a desolate populace.

Li Yinglong’s expression was calm. He simply drove the carriage, slowing down to avoid refugees blocking the road, and taking small detours early when he saw signs of bandits, not causing any extra trouble.

Lin Xiaowan sat inside the carriage, her face turning pale as she watched the tragic sights along the way through a gap in the curtain. She clutched her bundle tightly, remaining silent.

After another ten days or so, the terrain gradually lowered, and the official road, long neglected, became increasingly rugged and difficult to travel.

The air became humid and stuffy, distinctly different from the clear and moist coastal regions.

The wind carried faint, intermittent smells of humus and strange flowers, mixed with a hint of fishiness and sulfur.

In the distance, the outlines of mountains appeared increasingly steep and peculiar, shrouded in mist, like ancient behemoths slumbering.

Signs of human habitation along the way had almost vanished. Village ruins were swallowed by dense vines and ferns, revealing a touch of wildness.

”Clan... Grandpa... where have we arrived?”

Lin Xiaowan couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

Li Yinglong looked straight ahead and said calmly:

”We have entered the southwestern frontier of Minzhou. Further ahead, it is no longer directly under the jurisdiction of the Great Xing Imperial Dynasty, but a buffer zone bordering the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border—the Blackwater Marsh region.”

”Hundred Clans of the Southern Border?”

Lin Xiaowan repeated curiously.

”Mm.”

Li Yinglong lightly pointed his whip towards the vast, misty mountains and forests ahead:

”It is rumored that this land is home to many clans, living by mountains and rivers, forming their own settlements. Their customs are vastly different from the Central Plains; many believe in witches and ghosts, worship nature, and their folk customs are both fierce and simple. Some are skilled in controlling insects and proficient in Gu poison; some are knowledgeable about flora and can dispel miasma; there are also tribes that worship mountain spirits and practice illusionary spells. The area is isolated, and productivity is low, but blessed by heaven and earth, it produces many rare Spiritual plants and exotic minerals, as well as strange beasts, rarely seen in the outside world. Therefore, they often exchange these specialties for salt, iron, cloth, and other goods from the outside world.”

He paused slightly, his tone becoming serious:

”The rules here are also different from the Central Plains. Each clan has its own laws, with clear distinctions of strength. The law of the jungle is probably even more prevalent than outside, so we must be extra careful.”

Lin Xiaowan listened, her heart stirred. She felt both surprised and a little more vigilant, nodding heavily:

”Little Wan understands.”

The further south they went, the muddier and more difficult the road became, with increasing swamps and wetlands all around.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, vines intertwined in the forest, mist swirled, and the cries of poisonous insects and exotic beasts could be heard intermittently, creating an eerie and oppressive atmosphere.

According to the map on the Jade Slip, the ”North Marsh Market” was hidden on the northern edge of this vast swamp.

One day, the carriage reached what appeared to be an ordinary muddy river mouth.

The river was wide, the water murky and slow-moving, with dense reeds and crooked, strange trees on both banks. The air was filled with a strong smell of mud and decaying leaves.

Li Yinglong reined in the carriage, took out the white Jade Slip he had obtained from Loose Cultivator, and slowly infused a trace of Spiritual Qi into it.

The surface of the Jade Slip flashed with light, revealing intricate patterns that vaguely corresponded to the terrain before them.

His gaze was sharp as he scanned the riverbanks, finally settling on a semi-withered old locust tree.

That spot looked no different from the rest of the riverbank, except that the soil was slightly darker, and a few clumps of water irises grew in a particularly strange, circular arrangement.

”This is the place.”

Li Yinglong whispered, put away the Jade Slip, and motioned for Lin Xiaowan to get out of the carriage.

The two tied the carriage in a hidden spot and made a slight cover.

Li Yinglong kept his aura contained, maintaining it at the Qi Refining Second Layer level, and Lin Xiaowan also tried her best to restrain her meager Spiritual power, controlling it at the Qi Refining First Layer.

Walking to the old locust tree, Li Yinglong, following the secret technique hidden within the Jade Slip, formed a hand seal, and a faint light gathered on his fingertip, which he pressed down towards the center of the circle of water irises.

”Om...”

A barely audible soft sound, like a pebble dropped into a deep pool.

The scene before them immediately rippled like water. The images of reeds and strange trees twisted and blurred, then revealed a deep, narrow path, just wide enough for one person, winding into the impenetrable mist ahead.

At the entrance of the path, the air was slightly cool, completely different from the surrounding humid and stuffy environment.

A very faint yet pure Spiritual Qi emanated from deep within the mist.

Li Yinglong and Lin Xiaowan exchanged glances, both seeing seriousness and anticipation in each other’s eyes.

”Stay close to me, conceal your aura, do not speak unnecessarily, and act according to the situation.”

Li Yinglong whispered his instructions.

”Yes.”

Lin Xiaowan took a deep breath and followed closely behind him.

The two, one in front and one behind, stepped onto the misty path, their figures quickly swallowed by the thick fog.

Behind them, the riverbank scene flickered slightly, returning to normal, as if no one had ever been there.