Chapter 11: Rapid Development
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[Your clan has successfully repelled the invaders.]
[Faith points +300!]
With the death of the Hu family patriarch, the invasion was finally over.
No.
Or rather, it was just beginning!
Inside the Li family ancestral hall, the descendants of the Li clan had gathered. Only that brat Li Yaozu was outside dealing with the surviving refugees. These refugees hadn’t joined the group that forcefully stormed the Li family stronghold—Li Dalong seemed to have other plans for them.
At this moment, a bound captive cultivator trembled before the Li family members and the massive Purple Thunder Sky Yang Python.
“Ungrateful descendants, useless! You even forced the old ancestor to intervene personally. Please have the old ancestor forgive us!”
Li Dalong and his wife and children knelt toward the ancestral tablet.
From where Li Xiang sat watching the screen, how could he blame the Li family? Their performance this time truly pleased him. Yet he frowned slightly and said, “First, let’s ask about the Hu family’s situation; they’ve come looking for trouble twice already.”
He clicked on the Purple Thunder Sky Yang Python’s icon and typed:
“Inquire about the Hu family situation.”
In an instant, the temple guardian beast received Li Xiang’s message. Unexpectedly, it bowed its head toward Li Xiang’s ancestral tablet in a human-like manner before speaking to the gathered Li family members.
“Hiss~ shh~”
Unlike its previous roaring, the Purple Thunder Sky Yang Python now emitted a low, gentle hissing typical of a serpent.
“???”
Listening to the sound coming from the game, Li Xiang scratched his head, inexplicably reminded of the way Voldemort communicated with snakes in Harry Potter. “Could Voldemort actually be me?”
“Is the old ancestor delivering a warning?”
Li Dalong immediately understood that the temple guardian beast was conveying Li Xiang’s orders!
Xu Cuihua, being a beast tamer, closed her eyes and meditated briefly. To everyone’s surprise, she clearly understood the message from the Purple Thunder Sky Yang Python: “The old ancestor says we are to resolve the trouble caused by the Hu family!”
“Please rest assured, old ancestor. I will handle this matter properly!”
Li Dalong nodded firmly.
Despite his burly appearance, Li Dalong was remarkably meticulous. He quickly began to interrogate the captured cultivator for precise details.
The cultivator was a coward and blurted out everything he knew before Li Dalong could even ask much.
Listening to the captive’s story, Li Xiang began to ponder.
During the decade-long drought, cultivators in Tailin Town had been aiding with relief efforts. But this time, the Hu family patriarch deliberately withheld porridge from the starving refugees, luring the desperate people to test the Li family. This led to the refugee invasion incident.
As one of Tailin’s four major clans, the Hu family had four patriarchs, all seasoned Foundation Establishment masters who had been in seclusion for years, with profound strength.
“Sir, it’s impossible for you to seek revenge on the Hu family!”
The captive’s face turned pale. “The four great clans of Tailin Town are the foundation of the town. Though they occasionally have minor conflicts, to prevent outsiders from seizing their resources, they maintain a cooperative relationship. Even the town mayor would never allow chaos. If you dare attack the Hu family, the mayor will brand you as rebels!”
“Hiss~ shh~”
The massive head of the Purple Thunder Sky Yang Python suddenly appeared before the cultivator, nearly scaring him out of his wits. “Don’t... don’t eat me! I’ve told you everything. I can even help you strategize. I...”
“I’m switching sides!”
Xu Cuihua smiled knowingly. The temple guardian beast wasn’t intimidating the cultivator. She stepped forward and said, “Don’t be afraid. Our old ancestor only wants to ask whether Tailin Town might retaliate if we kill the Hu family patriarch.”
“No, no!”
The cultivator hurriedly replied, “Even if the Hu family patriarch is dead, they wouldn’t dare send anyone here. The other three clans would be glad, not wanting to stir trouble. They won’t allow you into the city to kill. The Hu family is even more afraid, but be careful—if you don’t have the protection of the Python Lord, they might attack you!”
Hearing this, the group’s expressions turned grave.
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...
“Damn it, they’ve blocked the gate.”
Li Xiang muttered. After learning about the Li family’s current situation, he sped up the game’s time flow and instructed the Li family to be cautious in the coming days—stay indoors unless necessary.
Next, Li Xiang reviewed their spoils from the battle: thirteen cultivators had been eliminated.
The Li family had never had many magical treasures before, but this time, they looted an abundance of equipment!
[Obtained loot: Hu family patriarch’s human skin.]
[Obtained loot: Spiritual Breath Flying Sword (Magical Artifact).]
[Obtained loot: Black Nan Ring (Magical Artifact).]
[Obtained loot...]
“Thanks to the Hu family for the startup capital for our clan’s development!”
Li Xiang smiled broadly as he watched the clan’s progress in the game.
The family had upgraded their weaponry!
Where Li Dalong used to carry two large machetes, he now strode toward the Silver Iron Forest carrying a strange bluish weapon with guns at both ends.
[Silver Ring Shadow Hand Twin-Headed Snake (Mid-grade Magical Artifact)]
[Can split into two, connected by chains. Venom is extracted daily from the mouths of a hundred silver ring snakes and soaked for forty-nine days in a spirit-imbued iron vessel. This artifact can generate its own silver ring snake venom liquid, stored on the twin guns. When infused with true energy, the snake spirits aid in combat!]
Li Xiang couldn’t help but envy Li Dalong’s artifact.
This kind of magical artifact was clearly made with ancient craftsmanship. In the world where Li Xiang currently was, such artifacts had become rare. Most people used magical artifact pistols, bombs, or mechas. Over the millennia, technology and cultivation had gradually fused.
Meanwhile, Li Yaozu wielded the ‘Spiritual Breath Flying Sword’ taken from the Hu family patriarch.
[Spiritual Breath Flying Sword (High-grade Magical Artifact)]
[Refined from high-quality Spiritual Breath Stone, it can absorb the spirit of heaven and earth into the sword for its own use. This sword possesses a spirit and can perform sword control techniques on its own. Even those unfamiliar with sword control can use it to kill unseen.]
Li Xiang had seen this sword in action before—his ancestral tablet had been shattered by it in an instant.
Other Li family members also possessed magical artifacts, but unlike Li Dalong and Li Yaozu, who enjoyed fighting, the others were occupied with other matters.
Time passed swiftly.
The Li family did not recklessly venture into Tailin Town to stir up trouble. Although Tailin’s residents occasionally sent troublemakers, none got near the Li family stronghold without losing their heads.
[Year 19 of the Li family.]
[Half of those who invaded the Li family stronghold survived. They were gifted land by the Li family outside the clan’s territory and gradually formed a village...]
Li Dalong had asked about this.
It was Li Xiang’s decision to spare these people—slaughter was always a last resort.
The Li family had enough spirit beasts capable of summoning water to irrigate the fields. Their manure was the best fertilizer!
In this year of great disaster, the refugees under the Li family’s protection could cultivate land and raise poultry. After paying taxes, they saved the Li family members time from farming. Soon, the food produced would also sustain the spirit beasts the family controlled!
Moreover...
These refugees were valuable laborers.
Outside the Li family stronghold, vast fertile fields had been cultivated. Livestock happily roamed the fields, and once emaciated refugees had gradually gained flesh, their faces glowing with smiles.
Furthermore, with nearly five hundred laborers, the Li family’s stronghold had been transformed.
The stone courtyards had become grand structures with blue bricks and white tiles, covering an area of about a thousand square meters, looking quite magnificent. Occasionally, spirit beasts could be seen leaping on the walls or soaring above them.
Even so, villagers continued to grind stones. Once shaped uniformly, they began paving the ground outside the Li family stronghold!
The once solitary Li family
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was now beginning to show signs of growing into a major clan. The region centered around the Li family had started to become lively and prosperous.
“Old ancestor, come quickly! The big tree I planted in the spirit beast garden has blossomed!”
While admiring the Li family’s progress, joyous voices from the ancestral hall interrupted Li Xiang’s thoughts.
Li Yaoqing was hopping excitedly into the ancestral hall.
“Beast Blood Fruit Tree? Finally some progress?!”
Li Xiang was overjoyed.
He quickly clicked on Li Yaoqing’s icon. The ancestral tablet followed her viewpoint to the spirit herb garden.
Sure enough, tall Beast Blood Fruit Trees bore clusters of bright red blossoms!
“Awesome!”
Since bringing back the Beast Blood Fruit Trees, there had been no sign of growth. Li Xiang had worried they might have died, but now he saw hope!
[Beast Blood Fruit Tree]
[Status: Nourished by the blood of hundreds of human corpses and cultivators’ blood, it has absorbed sufficient nutrients. This year’s fruits will be even more vibrant!]
“?????”
Clicking on the tree to see its status, Li Xiang was dumbfounded. Then he looked beneath the tree, where Li Yaoqing, pure and gentle-faced, was tenderly stroking the fruit. “Goodness, you’re too ruthless.”
Since that invasion, Li Xiang hadn’t paid much attention to how the Li family handled corpses.
Now he understood!
Hundreds of corpses had been bled dry by this little girl to nourish the Beast Blood Fruit Trees!
Such a thing—Li Xiang wouldn’t dare even imagine it in reality.
If he did this in the real world, he’d be condemned nationwide the next day...
“Hmm... but the results are good.”
Li Xiang immediately used a skill, sending ‘Love from the Ancestor’ to Li Yaoqing.
“Thank you for the reward, old ancestor!”
Feeling the warmth, Li Yaoqing knew the mysterious old ancestor was watching her. A beaming smile appeared on her face. “From now on, Yaoqing will nurture the Beast Blood Fruit Trees even bigger... no, Yaoqing will cultivate many, many Beast Blood Fruit Trees!”
“Don’t do anything too cruel just to grow the trees... or if the Li family gets labeled as demonic cultivators, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
Li Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Looking at the game’s timeline, the next decade was about to begin. He raised an eyebrow. “Has Granny Ling not come knocking yet? Looks like I’ll have to visit and check if my stuff is ready.”
He had long prepared for this blessing!
Just as Li Xiang stood up, the antique phone in his pocket rang.
It was a call from Uncle Han at the law firm.
“Has Uncle Han already settled my family matters so quickly?” Li Xiang’s eyes brightened. Only if his family continued to provide him with pocket money could he play games in peace!
He answered the call.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Li Xiang was completely stunned.
“Little Li, I’m afraid this time I really can’t help you. Your new family head fled overnight with the entire Li family on a spaceship...”
Li Xiang was dumbfounded.
After a long pause, he murmured as if dreaming,
“Damn, I haven’t even boarded the spaceship yet!”