Companion

Black Mountain.

Divine Wood City.

Within the city, there is a great immortal cultivating clan, the Li Clan.

Unlike other immortal cultivating clans in Black Mountain, the Li Clan relocated from the coastal Immortal Tide Bay fifty years ago.

Although the Li Clan has adapted to local customs, they still retain many of the clan rules of coastal families.

Within the clan, they built ancestral halls, dining halls, study halls, and cultivation halls.

Children born into the Li Clan could enter the junior study hall immediately after birth, and the wives of the Li family would collectively care for the children in the junior study hall.

By the time children reached the age of six, they would attend the primary study hall.

The primary study hall focused solely on literacy and character recognition, without touching upon cultivation. They needed to understand the general overview of the entire Tianyuan Immortal Cultivating Continent, learn in detail about the history of the Li Clan, understand the local customs and traditions of Black Mountain's Five Poisons Sect, and most importantly, be taught etiquette.

The core of etiquette was: Respect your teachers and value the Dao, revere the strong.

When children reached the age of twelve, they could enter the cultivation hall and begin their path of cultivation.

On this day...

Over twenty children, who had just turned twelve, sat cross-legged on futons in a room of the cultivation hall.

Behind these twenty-odd children hung three ink wash paintings.

Elder Li, Li Tianliang, slowly walked into the hall. He surveyed the twenty-odd young and vibrant faces in the hall, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his stern face.

They were all the hope of the clan. The Li Clan should have been wiped out fifty years ago, but the clan leader, Li Haimo, decisively led the clan members to abandon everything on the coast and relocate to Black Mountain, successfully joining the Five Poisons Sect. This preserved the bloodline of the Li Clan, allowing them to continue to exist in this world of immortal cultivation.

"I am from the Tian generation, Li Tianliang. You may call me Elder Tianliang or Doctor Tianliang from now on," Li Tianliang introduced himself.

"Greetings, Master," all the disciples said in unison.

"Hmm... Starting today, I will teach you the secret arts of immortal cultivation. Starting with you, introduce yourselves," Li Tianliang said, pointing to the first person on the lower right.

A child dressed in clean white clothes stood up and cupped his fists, saying, "Disciple Li Shuilang. My father is from the Hao generation, Li Haoyun."

"Disciple Li Shuiting. My father is Li Haoyun," the second female disciple stood up.

Li Tianliang smiled and nodded. It was truly fortunate that Li Haoyun had a pair of twins.

"Disciple Li Shuidao. My father is Li Haoshan."

"Disciple Li Haoze. My father is Li Tianqing."

"Disciple Li Yijun. My father is Li Shuixiao."

According to the rules of immortal cultivating clans, although their generation names were different, they were actually of the same generation.

The generation ranking of the Li Clan: Hai Tian Hao Shui, Yi Sheng Lang Tao.

Each cycle represented one generation.

Currently, the Li Clan had four generations of members; there were no members from the third generation left.

After everyone had introduced themselves, Li Tianliang asked with a serious expression, "In this world, everyone has the potential for cultivation. Why is it that some people can cultivate to become immortals, while others can only become mortals and live a mediocre life?"

"Li Shuidao, you answer," Li Tianliang said, raising his hand to point.

A disciple sitting in the second row stood up and said, "Because the distribution of cultivation resources is unfair."

Li Tianliang showed surprise. This was not because the disciple had answered incorrectly, but because his answer hit the nail on the head, unlike a child who was ignorant of the world.

"Then why do you possess cultivation resources, while the gatekeeper Grandpa Li's child can only work in the laundry room?" Li Tianliang continued to guide.

Li Shuidao cupped his fists with a solemn expression and said, "Because he is not a member of my Li Clan!"

Li Tianliang nodded and continued to ask, "Then why can members of my Li Clan cultivate the Dao?"

"It is because all members of my Li Clan share the same desire and are united as one, enabling us to obtain sufficient cultivation resources."

"Good! Well said. It is rare for you to have such insight," Li Tianliang said with great joy.

"Where there are people, there is strife. From a small family to a large sect, even among yourselves, there will inevitably be disputes. I don't need to inquire to know. However, you must remember, 'Brothers quarrel within the walls, but defend against insult from without!' No matter how much internal conflict there is, you must never betray the clan, otherwise, you will be removed from the genealogy, your spirit tablet will not be placed in the ancestral hall after death, and your parents will be shamed by it!" Li Tianliang said emotionally.

"We will definitely unite with one heart and will never betray the clan's interests," Li Shuidao said, cupping his fists.

The other disciples echoed his sentiment.

Li Tianliang was silent for a long time, regaining his composure before continuing, "So-called cultivation is the absorption of spiritual energy from heaven and earth for one's own use. The Companion cultivation method is the path and method. Turn around and look."

Li Shuidao and the others turned their heads, looking at the three ink wash paintings behind them.

The first ink wash painting: A young boy riding a green ox, playing a flute.

The second ink wash painting: An old man riding a donkey backward, comfortably asleep on the donkey.

The third ink wash painting: A heroic and mighty man controlling a flood dragon, overturning seas and rivers.

"The first person is Immortal Lord Daode. He is the first cultivator in the history of the immortal cultivation world to ascend to the upper realm. His Companion was a green ox."

"The second person is Sleeper Immortal Chen Tuan. He is the second Immortal Lord to break through the realm and ascend. His Companion was a donkey."

"This third person is the founding patriarch of my Li Clan. He possessed a cultivation base in the middle stage of the Void Nascent Realm. His Companion was originally a koi, which later transformed into a flood dragon. He lived for five hundred years and eventually passed away. That flood dragon guarded the clan for three hundred years after the old ancestor's passing before leaving. It was this ancestor who laid the foundation for my Li Clan in the Azure Sea Sect. Alas..." Li Tianliang shook his head at this point.

Unfortunately, there was a traitor. That traitor has become a taboo within the family, and no one is allowed to mention them.

"Although my Li family still possesses the cultivation techniques of the Azure Sea Sect, we have now relocated our entire clan inland. It's impossible for our clansmen to choose sea beasts as Companions, rendering the Azure Sea Sect's techniques useless."

"Our clan has now been living in Black Mountain for fifty years. According to clan rules, all disciples must cultivate the Black Mountain Five Poisons Sect techniques. The Black Mountain Five Poisons Sect has five types of Companions: centipede, gecko, toad, snake, and scorpion."

Li Tianliang tapped his storage pouch and took out a five-colored porcelain plate. The plate was adorned with paintings of five creatures.

A golden scorpion, an earth-colored gecko, a jade-green toad, a vibrant red snake, and an ink-green centipede.

"You are not yet qualified to enter the Five Poisons Cave to capture the five poisons as your Companions. Before that, you need to learn how to use herbs to detoxify and how to avoid dying from poison in a highly toxic environment," Li Tianliang said with a serious expression.

"Your disciples understand," the disciples replied.

"Mmm..." Li Tianliang nodded unhurriedly and continued, "You have no cultivation yet, so when facing the five poisons, you must maintain absolute composure and remain unfazed by any situation! Be as calm as if Mount Tai were collapsing before you, showing no change in expression. Even if bitten by a venomous creature, you must handle it calmly and respond steadily. Do not panic; if you panic, you will surely die!"

"Your disciples know," the disciples said in unison.

"Good! Since you know, then this old man will test you." Li Tianliang raised his hand, and a centipede as thick as a baby's arm immediately crawled onto Li Shuilang's face.

Li Shuilang didn't react much. He hadn't even seen clearly what had flown towards him.

But his sister, Li Shuiting, saw it all too clearly.

"Ah! Brother... a centipede, a big centipede is on your face!" Li Shuiting exclaimed in shock.

The centipede circled and disappeared, then appeared behind Li Shuiting and nimbly crawled into her collar.

Li Shuiting felt something thick and hard crawling down the back of her neck.

What if it crawls further inside...

Li Shuiting's face instantly turned pale.