Chapter Summaries

Li Qianqing arranged for Li Qian'ou to learn cultivation guidance and eventually take responsibility for ordinary Mixed Spiritual Root children, while he would continue guiding talented cultivators. Eight days later, Li Xunting brought four children with Spiritual Roots to Changqing Mountain, setting a new family record.

• Li Qianqing told Li Qian'ou to observe his cultivation guidance for several years while Li Xingsheng handled the Spiritual Fields.
• Li Qianqing explained that Li Qian'ou would guide ordinary Four Spiritual Roots and Five Spiritual Roots cultivators, while he would continue guiding talented and exceptional cultivators.
• Li Qianqing considered the Li Family's prospects amid uncertainty about future changes in Zhao Kingdom and resolved to keep developing the family as he continued cultivating.
• Eight days later, Li Xunting brought four children who had tested positive for Spiritual Roots to Changqing Mountain, breaking the family's previous record of three in one year.

Li Qianqing welcomed four new spiritual-root cultivators into the Li Clan and helped Li Xunting recognize that her combat-guidance standards no longer matched the clan’s priorities. After his advice, she adjusted her standards to better suit the clan’s focus on development.

• Li Xunting told Li Qianqing that four children had spiritual roots: one had Three Spiritual Roots, two had Four Spiritual Roots, and one had Five Spiritual Roots.
• Li Qianqing examined the children for special physiques and took responsibility for settling them into cultivation, while Li Qian'ou began learning how to nurture cultivators.
• After sparring with Li Xunting, Li Qianqing learned that none of the five Late-Stage Qi Refining elders had passed her combat-guidance test for the second year in a row.
• Li Qianqing explained that the clan’s changing circumstances and focus on development meant Li Xunting’s standards were too strict, and she understood that she needed to adjust them.
• The next day, Li Xunting revised her guidance standards and told Li Qianqing, who approved the changes before she left Changqing Mountain.

Li Qianqing received the harvest of Seven Leaf Machilus and prepared to refine Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills for the Li Family. With all the materials ready, he considered whether to refine cautiously or quickly.

• Li Qianqing waited in his cave dwelling for the Seven Leaf Machilus to mature, with the family’s new Low-Grade Spirit Tool Alchemy Furnace ready.
• Li Qiantong delivered one hundred carefully harvested Seven Leaf Machilus plants, and Li Qianqing awarded him one thousand Contribution Points.
• Li Qianqing encouraged Li Qiantong to cultivate toward Qi Refining Ninth Layer Peak before age sixty-five and considered his future prospects for Foundation Establishment.
• Li Qianqing prepared the harvested herbs and auxiliary materials for one hundred batches of Spirit Enhancement Pills, then weighed whether to refine them steadily or quickly.

Li Qianqing began refining Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills, choosing a steady approach and succeeding with a full yield from his first furnace. Meanwhile, Li Xingsheng and the Mutated Gold Devouring Rat set out in the rain to search for Metal Spirit Ores, still hoping to find their first lead.

• Li Qianqing chose to refine two portions of Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pill materials per furnace to balance efficiency and yield.
• Li Qianqing completed his first furnace after two days and three hours, producing twelve Spirit Enhancement Pills.
• Li Qianqing planned to refine three furnaces before resting and considered how to use the pills to cultivate without damaging his foundation.
• Li Xingsheng woke Shu Shu and prepared to leave Changqing Mountain for their monthly search for Metal Spirit Ores.
• Shu Shu reluctantly followed Li Xingsheng into the rain, and Li Xingsheng hoped they would find something this time.

During a search mission, Li Xingsheng and Shu Shu discovered a deposit of Metal Spirit Ore in the woods, but returned to Changqing Mountain when Shu Shu would not stop digging. Once Li Qianqing finished his seclusion, Li Xingsheng reported the discovery, and they set out to inspect it.

• Shu Shu sensed Metal Spirit Ore beneath the ground and led Li Xingsheng to the site, where it began digging excitedly.
• Li Xingsheng lifted Shu Shu away from the deposit, marked the location, and promised to bring it back later.
• Li Xingsheng returned to Changqing Mountain but found Li Qianqing in seclusion, so he waited and checked on the cave dwelling each day.
• After thirteen days, Li Qianqing emerged from seclusion, and Li Xingsheng told him Shu Shu had found Metal Spirit Ore.
• Li Qianqing gave Shu Shu a Low-Grade Spirit Stone and carried Li Xingsheng out to inspect the deposit.

Li Qianqing followed Shu Shu to a deeply buried Azure Rock Spirit Mine and assessed its value to the Li Family. He concealed how far his divine sense could reach and asked Li Xingsheng whether he lacked confidence in Shu Shu.

• Shu Shu pointed Li Qianqing and Li Xingsheng southeast, and Li Qianqing flew them to the indicated area.
• Shu Shu led them to its digging spot, where Li Qianqing probed underground with his divine sense.
• Li Qianqing discovered a top-tier Miniature Azure Rock Spirit Mine buried about ninety zhang underground.
• Li Qianqing judged that the mine could earn the Li Family more than three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones each year and benefit Li Qianyin's artifact refining.
• Li Qianqing told Li Xingsheng he had not seen anything, then asked whether Li Xingsheng lacked confidence in Shu Shu.

Li Qianqing and Li Xingsheng confirmed that Shu Shu had sensed a likely deep Metal Spirit Ore deposit beneath the Azure Rock Spirit Mine. They returned to Changqing Mountain to notify the Li Clan and arrange an excavation, while Li Qianqing estimated Li Xingsheng could earn at least ten thousand Contribution Points if the mine was confirmed.

• Li Qianqing estimated that Shu Shu could sense Metal Spirit Ore nearly one hundred and ninety zhang away in a straight line and judged the deposit was likely deep underground.
• Li Xingsheng struggled to stop Shu Shu from digging, but persuaded it to wait until the Li Clan uncovered the ore and promised to bring it back.
• Li Xingsheng rewarded Shu Shu with Spirit Stones, and Li Qianqing decided to send a clansman to Changqing Mountain to inform Great Grandfather and Fourth Uncle instead of using an expensive Sound Transmission Talisman.
• Li Qianqing and Li Xingsheng set off for Changqing Mountain, leaving Shu Shu on Li Qianqing's shoulder.
• Li Qianqing noted that the ore lay about ninety zhang underground, that mining it would require an accessible excavation, and that Li Xingsheng could receive at least ten thousand Contribution Points if the deposit was confirmed.

Li Liqing dug beneath Changqing Mountain for Metal Spirit Ore despite growing doubts, while Li Qianqing urged him to continue. After reaching nearly eighty-nine zhang, Li Liqing confirmed a deposit of first-order low-grade Azure Rock and rushed to tell Li Qianqing.

• Li Cunliu and Li Lilong arranged for Li Liqing to go to Changqing Mountain and investigate the suspected Metal Spirit Ore.
• Li Liqing dug down seventy-five zhang without finding anything and questioned whether Li Xingsheng's Gold Devouring Rat could detect ore so deep.
• Li Qianqing persuaded Li Liqing to keep digging until he reached at least a hundred zhang.
• At about eighty-five zhang, Li Liqing sensed something below and continued digging through the night.
• At eighty-nine zhang, Li Liqing uncovered first-order low-grade Azure Rock and hurried to report the discovery to Li Qianqing.

Li Liqing discovered an Azure Rock Spirit Mine beneath Changqing Mountain, and Li Qianqing confirmed it was a superior-quality tiny mine. The clan announced the discovery, rewarded Li Xingsheng and Shu Shu, and Li Qianyin welcomed the new source of material for her artifact refining.

• Li Liqing found Azure Rock ninety zhang underground after continuing his search, and Li Qianqing thanked him for his hard work.
• Li Qianqing probed the mine and found it was a superior-quality tiny Azure Rock Spirit Mine with Second-Order Middle Grade ore at its core.
• Li Qianqing told Li Xingsheng about the discovery and awarded him twelve thousand Contribution Points for Shu Shu's role in finding the ore.
• Li Xingsheng took Shu Shu to the mine so it could eat a piece of Azure Rock as promised.
• Li Qianyin heard the news at Pingyun Valley and was pleased that the clan's Azure Rock supply would reduce her artifact-refining costs.

Li Qianyin and Li Liqing prepared to support the clan’s growth while Li Qianqing finished refining Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills. At the meeting of the Li Family’s three Foundation Establishment cultivators, he revealed a remarkable result: 327 pills from 100 furnaces.

• Li Qianyin planned to recommend stocking more Azure Rock in the Clan Treasury and continued cultivating after improving her artifact-refining skills with a damaged spirit tool from Li Qianqing.
• Li Liqing took responsibility for the Tiny Azure Rock Spirit Mine, where the clan prepared to improve access so Mortal Martial Artists could mine efficiently.
• Li Qianqing completed 50 furnaces of Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills, producing 592 pills with only eight lost.
• Li Qianqing returned to Changqing Mountain and met with Li Lilong and the other Foundation Establishment cultivator to discuss the pill refinement.
• Li Qianqing announced that 100 portions had yielded 327 Spirit Enhancement Pills, astonishing Li Lilong with a formation rate close to fifty-five percent.

Li Qianqing and the Li Family’s elders set the Clan Treasury price and reward for his large batch of Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills. The chapter ended with Li Lilong asking whether Li Qianqing would accept a pill-refining request from Clan Head Meng.

• Li Qianqing reported refining 327 Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills, and Li Lilong praised his results.
• Li Qianqing proposed lowering the Clan Treasury exchange price for a pill to 15,000 Contribution Points, and Li Cunliu and Li Lilong agreed.
• Li Cunliu and Li Lilong discussed rewarding Li Qianqing more, but Li Qianqing argued that one million Contribution Points was fair and better upheld the family’s rules.
• The three Foundation Establishment cultivators settled on a reward of one million Contribution Points for Li Qianqing’s pill refining.
• Li Lilong asked whether Li Qianqing would accept Clan Head Meng’s request to refine Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills, and Li Cunliu said he could refuse if he did not want the work.

Li Qianqing arranged to accept pill-refining work from subsidiary Qi Refining families and appointed Li Qian'ou to handle clients and explain his fees. The Meng Family chose a fee plan for fifteen batches of Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills and was told to collect them in a month and a half.

• Li Qianqing agreed to refine Rank 1 High-Grade pills at Changqing Mountain and placed Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pills in the Clan Treasury.
• Li Qianqing assigned Li Qian'ou to receive pill-refining clients and offered her three Low-Grade Spirit Stones for each deal she secured.
• Li Qianqing explained the pill-refining fees to Li Qian'ou, then answered her cultivation questions and returned to cultivate with a Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pill.
• Ten days later, Clan Head Meng of the Meng Family visited Changqing Mountain, where Li Qian'ou explained the two fee options for refining Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills.
• Clan Head Meng chose the second fee option and submitted materials for fifteen portions, agreeing to return for the pills in a month and a half.

Li Qianqing refined fifteen portions of Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills for the Meng Family and received payment after producing more pills than expected. After settling the commission, he turned to cultivating divine abilities and preparing for other tasks, while Li Qian'ou was set to begin training family cultivators.

• Clan Head Meng commissioned Li Qianqing to refine fifteen portions of Rank 1 High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills using the second payment method, and Li Qian'ou delivered the spirit herbs.
• After finishing a Rank 2 Low-Grade Spirit Enhancement Pill, Li Qianqing refined the Meng Family's herbs into 116 pills across four furnaces.
• Li Qianqing set aside eight pills for himself and gave Li Qian'ou the rest to deliver to Clan Head Meng.
• Clan Head Meng paid 700 Low-Grade Spirit Stones for the 108 pills, which included nearly thirty percent high-quality pills, and gave Li Qian'ou four extra stones as a tip.
• Li Qianqing told Li Qian'ou to keep the tip, gave her five more Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and reminded her to prepare to train family cultivators at the start of the next month.

Li Qianqing oversaw the Li Clan’s growing group of children with spiritual roots and found that Li Xunting had successfully begun training ordinary Mixed Spiritual Root cultivators. During the latest testing, he discovered Li Xunchen’s water-fire Dual Spiritual Roots and agreed to take responsibility for disciplining him.

• Li Qian'ou began cultivating and guiding a Four Spiritual Roots child, and Li Qianqing later judged her instruction successful.
• After ten years of allowing mortals to have children freely, the Li Clan brought eight children with spiritual roots to Changqing Mountain for testing.
• Li Qianqing found that six children had ordinary Mixed Spiritual Roots, including four with Four Spiritual Roots.
• Li Qianqing discovered that Li Xunchen had water-fire Dual Spiritual Roots, making him the Li Clan’s fourth Dual Spiritual Root cultivator.
• Li Xunting asked Li Qianqing to discipline the naughty Li Xunchen, who felt she was treating him unfairly and was corrected for addressing her improperly.

Li Qianqing tested this year’s children and discovered that Li Xunchen was a rare Dual Spiritual Root cultivator, whom he would personally guide for the next three years. After learning why he received special treatment, Xunchen began his training while Li Xunting stayed close by.

• Li Qianqing finished testing eight children, finding one Dual Spiritual Root cultivator, five Four Spiritual Root cultivators, and two Five Spiritual Root cultivators.
• Li Qian'ou took the seven Mixed Spiritual Root children she would train, while Li Qianqing led Li Xunchen to his residence and training area.
• Li Qianqing began teaching Li Xunchen basic knowledge about himself, the clan, cultivation, and the Cultivation World as Li Xunting watched.
• After learning he was a rare Dual Spiritual Root cultivator, Li Xunchen asked whether Li Xunting was also a Dual Spiritual Root cultivator.

Li Qianqing guided young Li Xunchen and sparred with Li Xunting, whose Ice Spiritual Body made her unusually strong. Meanwhile, Li Cunliu reached Peak Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment and began preparing for a breakthrough, while the Li Family monitored the growing Wang Family of Purple Flower Prefecture.

• Li Qianqing told Li Xunchen that Li Xunting had Four Spiritual Roots and explained that her Special Physique accounted for her standing and strength.
• Li Qianqing gave Li Xunchen the Qi Induction Art, and Li Xunchen left determined to earn Thirteenth Grandfather's favor and eventually surpass Li Xunting.
• Li Xunting challenged Li Qianqing to another spell spar, and he judged that her Ice Spiritual Body could let her contend with a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator once she reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer Peak.
• Li Cunliu reached Peak Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, told Li Lilong, and planned to spend about two years preparing for a late-stage breakthrough while taking charge of clan safety.
• Li Qianqing learned of Li Cunliu's progress and reviewed the Li Family's external situation, noting that the Wang Family of Purple Flower Prefecture showed signs of strong growth.

Li Qianqing encouraged Li Xunchen to aim for Foundation Establishment if he hoped to surpass Li Xunting, and rewarded him for his diligent cultivation. More than a year later, Li Qian'ou was training an expanding group of clan children, while Li Qianqing saw their growing respect for him as useful for his future leadership of the Li clan.

• Li Xunchen asked Li Qianqing whether he could someday defeat Li Xunting, and Li Qianqing explained that he would need to reach Foundation Establishment to have a chance.
• Li Qianqing gave Li Xunchen two Qi Gathering Pills and urged him to reach Qi Refining Third Layer before December.
• Li Qianqing visited Li Qian'ou as she trained clan children and observed that she had adapted to guiding seven cultivators.
• More than a year passed, and twelve children born in the Li clan in September had no Special Physiques, though two had Three Spiritual Roots.
• Li Qian'ou's group grew to nineteen children, and she received Contribution Points and a High-Grade Magic Tool for her training work.
• Li Qianqing recognized that Li Qian'ou's stories had made him highly respected among the children, which would ease his future leadership of the clan.

Li Cunliu successfully broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, strengthening the Li Clan and bringing Li Qianqing closer to his planned journey. Li Qianqing continued cultivating and set out a long-term goal of reaching Core Formation before age one hundred and sixty.

• Li Cunliu began his breakthrough without spending clan resources on costly aids, intending to focus more on clan affairs if he failed.
• Li Cunliu successfully entered the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and Li Lilong congratulated him as the Li Clan’s second cultivator to reach that stage.
• The news spread through Changqing Mountain, where Li Clan cultivators celebrated the clan’s increased strength.
• Li Qianqing received word of Li Cunliu’s success and considered the clan’s plans to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills for Li Qianyin.
• Li Qianqing resumed cultivating his divine ability and planned to reach Core Formation before age one hundred and sixty.

News of Li Cunliu entering the late stage of Foundation Establishment spread across Xiangshui Prefecture, strengthening the Li Clan’s standing with rogue cultivators and subordinate clans. In Purple Flower Prefecture, the Wang Clan Head heard the news and was asked whether the Wang Clan should change its strategy toward the Li Clan.

• Rogue cultivators and the Li Clan’s subordinate forces welcomed news of Li Cunliu’s breakthrough, while wavering Qi Refining clans reconsidered whether to become subordinate to the Li Clan.
• Qi Refining clans formerly subordinate to the Jiang Family feared the Li Clan might target them, though the Li Clan had no current intention of acting against them.
• The Huang Clan planned to send the Li Clan a substantial gift for Li Cunliu’s breakthrough while continuing to build funds to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• The Wang Clan Head learned that Li Cunliu had entered the late stage of Foundation Establishment and lamented that Li Cunliu had succeeded where he had failed.
• A Wang Clan member asked the Wang Clan Head whether they should adjust their strategy toward the Li Clan, and he did not answer immediately.

The Wang Clan decided to monitor the Li Clan without changing its strategy, while Yan Xuewei and the Clear Wind Valley Master welcomed Li Cunliu’s breakthrough as a boost to their future influence. On Changqing Mountain, Li Qianqing assessed the clan’s growing population and began training a new group of children.

• The Wang Clan Head rejected changing the Wang Clan’s approach toward the Li Clan, but ordered closer attention to its developments.
• Yan Xuewei told the Clear Wind Valley Master that Li Cunliu had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and he was pleased with the news.
• Li Qianqing judged that the Li Clan could develop peacefully as long as his alchemy talent stayed secret.
• Li Xunting brought ten children with Spiritual Roots to Changqing Mountain, including three Three Spiritual Roots cultivators, and Li Qianqing began training them.
• Li Qianqing reviewed the clan’s population growth and alchemy resources, and noted that a Xing Generation child showed interest in alchemy.