The Li Family, the Power Behind Tailin Town

"Shocking: according to internal sources, the Human Spiritual Energy Recovery History Research and Excavation Center has discovered a massive ruin. It is highly likely that the site was once home to an unprecedentedly powerful family!"

"Outside the eight planets, a magical civilization continues to provoke our nation, attempting to return to Earth to take over our civilization. A war between the two civilizations may be on the horizon."

"California Li Pharmaceutical Company has gone bankrupt overnight, and all Li personnel have withdrawn. Rumors suggest they have found their ancestral home on an alien planet. Star River Company will replace the Li Group as the richest entity in California."

"..."

He had been playing the game for several days without realizing it, especially when it came to capturing Tailin Town, which had taken Li Xiang the better part of a day.

Now, he was eating lunch while scrolling through the news on his phone.

"Another ruin found?"

Li Xiang looked at the first headline with interest. This was no longer a rare occurrence; as humanity explored Earth and outer space, it had long been discovered that human civilization had gone through many eras.

As for the other news, Li Xiang had little interest.

With the development of humanity, there had been both cooperation and conflict with alien civilizations. He had heard that the neighboring magical civilization had also migrated from Earth after its spiritual energy dried up. Now that they saw Earth's experts expanding to places countless light-years away, they had come running back to clamor for control.

And as for the Li Pharmaceutical Company... he was the only remaining descendant of the Earth-based Li Family.

"Master, your teacher called. He asked you to return to school. The gatekeeper, Uncle Chen, said that your teacher even came to Jixian Manor, but he was chased away." Yuexian's voice interrupted Li Xiang's thoughts.

Only then did Li Xiang remember the call from the school.

He had been too busy fighting a war and had temporarily blocked his teacher.

"If you don't go to school, your teacher is going to get anxious," Yuexian laughed. "The California Hundred Schools Alliance Tournament is only a week away, and the school's strongest expert at the False Core Stage has already been defeated outside the competition. I heard the opponent is a dark horse from the Second Academy, possessing a mutated Lightning Heavenly Spirit Root—calling him a heaven-gifted prodigy is no exaggeration."

"So he lost, big deal."

Li Xiang shrugged indifferently. "Besides, what benefit would I get from helping them win the tournament? I really don't care for what the school can offer me. Tell him to go play somewhere else."

Glancing at Yuexian's hesitant expression, Li Xiang smiled. "As for the Spirit Stone issue, don't worry. Boss Qi owes the family a sum of money and will send it over. Alright, I'm going back to my game."

Yuexian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Watching Li Xiang's back, she couldn't help but murmur.

"Fine, as long as Master doesn't starve to death."

[Li Family Year 37.]

[Bai Rourou, after ten months of pregnancy, gives birth to a pair of fraternal twins, named Li Yunzhe and Li Yunjie!]

[Obtained Incense +20!]

"Ancestor, my wife has given birth again! Hahaha, twins!"

As soon as he sat down, Li Xiang's eyes widened.

In the ancestral hall, that kid Li Yaotie was holding one in each arm, both of them quite sturdy.

"Ancestor bless us, Dalong has descendants filling the house; this life has been worth it. Ancestor, take a look, aren't these two babies sturdy? They will surely be excellent hunters in the future."

"Dear, look at what you're saying. Our family is wealthy now; we don't need to hunt anymore."

"Hunt, we must hunt! The children of the Li Family cannot lose my craft!"

Small text floated above the heads of the family members.

Li Xiang could see the joy of the family, and he felt equally delighted.

Without realizing it, the family that once consisted only of Li Dalong had now developed into a large household!

He smiled and cast 'Love from the Ancestor' on all the members collectively.

Amidst the joy.

Li Xiang looked at the increasingly prosperous Zhien Village.

"Let's first check how the Li Family has developed during this time."

He quickly scrolled to the member list.

Li Yaozu was still in seclusion, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Li Xiang even hoped that Li Yaozu's seclusion would last longer; the so-called "hundred-day foundation establishment" meant that the longer one spent building the foundation, the better the potential for transformation.

Of course, there were some talented individuals who achieved foundation establishment instantly and still had good transformations, but those were rare cases.

Li Yaoqing and Li Yaotie had also reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, but they intended to teach the apprentices they had taken in over the years before entering seclusion themselves.

At the same time.

In this member list, Li Xiang also noticed something different; their personal information lists now included an additional category for positions!

[Your family has developed over many years, and under the planning of Li Yaowen, special family factions have been established.]

Li Dalong, Family Head.

Xu Cuihua, Head of the Spirit Beast Pavilion, 30 animal keepers.

Li Yaozu, Hall Master of the Black Blood Hall, 150 family guards.

Li Yaoqing, Head of the Spirit Herb Garden, 15 apprentices.

Li Yaotie, Forging Pavilion, 20 apprentices.

Li Yaowen, Internal Affairs Bureau, 3 assistants, maids... grooms... coachmen...

"Things are becoming increasingly organized."

In the real world, families like this often consist of small merchants and peddlers without any specific roles. When a family begins to implement a structured plan, it signifies that they have reached a higher level of development.

He felt gratified to see the Li Family getting on the right track.

Just then, inside the Ancestral Hall, Li Yaowen was reporting on the family's progress.

"Old Ancestor, in the year that you haven't manifested, Yaowen has lived up to your expectations and has completely taken control of Tailin Town!"

Li Xiang tapped his head.

With time accelerated to its maximum, one hour in reality equaled one year in the game world; his descendants had grown accustomed to his occasional disappearances and manifestations.

In their hearts, I must seem very mysterious, right?

Li Xiang thought to himself with a playful smirk.

He then listened patiently to Li Yaowen's report.

It turned out that after that incident, Li Xiang had a long talk with Li Yaowen. After all, once Li Yaowen displayed such high intelligence, Li Dalong had essentially delegated the management of the family business to her.

Over the past few years, after seizing the foundations of the two major families in Tailin Town, Li Yaowen had begun to lay out her plans for the town.

The Li Family did not seize the dozen or so mines in Tailin Town.

Li Xiang's plan was to remain firmly in Zhien Village, quietly developing through Tailin Town, focusing on staying behind the scenes.

These mines were handed over entirely to the Su Family and the Chen Family to manage and develop, while the Li Family received 50% of the harvest.

The Li Family had also become secret allies with the other families in Tailin Town, looking out for one another.

But in reality.

Both the Su Family and the Chen Family understood that the Li Family was the true master of Tailin Town.

Now, after covering their own internal consumption, the Li Family could earn 20,000 to 50,000 low-grade Spirit Stones every year.

"Old Ancestor, we have also recruited a talisman master and an alchemist."

When Li Yaowen said this, there was no joy on her face; instead, she frowned. "Both of them are ninth-grade, but seeing that our family is just rising, they demanded a high price, which I agreed to. I had intended to arrange for apprentices to learn their craft under them, but they are both old foxes; our apprentices haven't learned a thing from them!"

"I am prepared to have them captured. If they refuse to train alchemists and talisman masters for us, I will have them killed!"

"..."

Looking at the text above Li Yaowen's head, Li Xiang rested his forehead in his hand.

If they really did that, what would the Li Family become? If word of this leaked out even a little, the Li Family would never be able to recruit any other retainers in the future.

Finally, he had the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python speak on his behalf.

"The Old Ancestor has finally responded to me!"

As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, which had recovered from its injuries over the years, opened its eyes and let out a hiss, Li Yaowen said joyfully, "The Old Ancestor is indeed far-sighted. I will go find the apprentices they brought with them immediately. It is impossible that they are all old foxes; there will always be someone who cannot resist temptation and will be willing to work for us!"

Li Xiang nodded slightly.

In the current Li Family, as long as one is not born without spiritual roots, they can be trained into Qi Refining realm experts within three to five years through the use of Beast Blood Fruit and the potions refined by Li Yaoqing.

As for weapons and equipment, the Forging Pavilion possesses seven 'Blood Altars' crafted by Li Yaotie. By meeting conditions like 'enchantment' over forty-nine days, and after a few days of hammering, they can forge a set of low-grade magical artifacts.

This is already enough to meet their equipment needs.

To make further progress, however, an alchemist is essential.

This is especially true for those in the Foundation Establishment Realm, who need to compress their spiritual energy while absorbing it from the world. Li Dalong has been at the Foundation Establishment stage for a few years now, but his progress is very slow.

Currently, the Li Family buys pills from outside every year to help Li Dalong compress his true energy, and those pills are very expensive. In the future, as the Li Family has more Foundation Establishment experts, having a talent capable of refining pills will become crucial.

Beyond that.

Li Xiang also understood that there were still many things to handle if he wanted to push the Li Family further.

Especially regarding Xu Cuihua.

When she came to the Ancestral Hall to pay her respects, Li Xiang had asked her how to advance, as Xu Cuihua was the strongest person in the Li Family.

The result he learned was that as a Beast Tamer, the way Xu Cuihua increased her strength was different from ordinary people. In addition to massive amounts of spiritual energy, she also needed to evolve her bloodline.

[Li Dalong's wife has learned the evolution conditions for the Heavenly Moon Fox from its bloodline.]

[Condition 1: Demon King Blood Pill]

[Condition 2: Ten Thousand Fox Worship]

[Condition 3...]

The various conditions left Li Xiang dazzled. The Demon King Blood Pill was naturally the source of power from a Demon King at the Golden Core Realm.

As for the Ten Thousand Fox Worship...

Li Xiang had no idea what kind of condition that was.

There was also the breakthrough of the other demon beast.

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, which served as the Temple Guardian Beast, also required a Demon King Blood Pill, as well as simultaneous tempering by heavenly lightning and earthly fire.

"Ah, my head hurts. Who knew developing a family would be this difficult."

Li Xiang scratched his head.

However, he didn't have any good solutions right now and could only slowly keep an eye out for any favorable opportunities.

He watched the family's development while calculating how to take the next step forward.

[Your descendant Li Yaoqing was planting a new Beast Blood Fruit Tree and clearing land for the Spirit Herb Garden when he pried open an ancient boulder and discovered an empty coffin...]