[Congratulations, your lineage helped their in-law, the Pig Demon King, protect his homeland!]
[Incense +2000!]
[Your lineage saw you risk your life without regard for death, controlling the War Puppet to hold back Master Shancai. Their admiration for you has greatly increased.]
[Incense +1000]
3,000 Incense!
Li Xiang had already stopped controlling the War Puppet. Seeing the Incense in the upper-right corner rise above 7,000 once more, a smile appeared on his face.
They had won.
Once again, he and the Li Family had resolved a crisis together. Even a Golden Core Realm mid-stage expert had died through the cooperation of the Li Family and the Pig Demon King!
This was a small lineage that had risen from the countryside. Who would dare believe it if told?
"The Ancestor was mighty! He knew the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin could restrain Monk Shancai!"
"The Ancestor is invincible!"
"If not for the Ancestor, Fat Baldy would probably have escaped!"
The Li Family members' eyes were filled with reverence.
Only when the battered Pig Demon King walked before them did their expressions return to normal.
The Pig Demon King said gratefully, "Had it not been for the help of you, my in-laws, I fear the Silver Iron Forest would have been ruined by my hand. I will not speak empty words of gratitude. From this day onward, the Silver Iron Forest shall be the Li Family's closest friend. The Li Family may mine within the Silver Iron Forest and receive the eternal gratitude of the Silver Iron Forest's demon clans."
As soon as his words fell.
Azure radiance suddenly rose from the land of the Silver Iron Forest, enveloping the Li Family members!
In an instant.
They felt warmth suffuse their bodies, and even the spiritual power within them increased by several degrees!
[Your descendants have received the Protection of the Silver Iron Forest. The Pig Demon King, guardian of the Silver Iron Forest, has bestowed fifty percent of the Silver Iron Forest's Power of Living Beings upon the Li Family!]
[Congratulations, the Li Family has gained the group trait: Guardian of the Silver Iron Forest!]
[When Li Family descendants fight in the Silver Iron Forest, those below the Golden Core Realm gain a 50% increase in combat power. When cultivating in the Silver Iron Forest, protected by its flowers, grasses, and trees, those below the Golden Core Realm gain a 10% increase in cultivation speed. All demonic beasts in the Silver Iron Forest will feel affinity toward Li Family disciples. Descendants with a Wood Spirit Root will have their spirit root increased by 2 points.]
"A group trait!"
It was Li Xiang's first time seeing such a thing, gleaming conspicuously on the member list.
There was no need to mention how formidable such a trait was.
A 10% increase in cultivation speed meant they could directly place the Li Family's training hall in the Silver Iron Forest anyway; the two places were not far apart!
And besides...
Every descendant born would gain 2 points to their Wood Spirit Root. It seemed little, but even newborn children of the Li Family would see their aptitude improve by a small margin in the future!
"Jackpot!"
Li Xiang was practically beside himself with joy.
Such a group trait was already immensely powerful.
But for now, the true benefit was that the Li Family had gained the Silver Iron Forest as an ally, along with the protection of a Golden Core Realm mid-stage expert. All the spirit beasts of the Silver Iron Forest could also be used by the Li Family.
The combat strength the Li Family secretly possessed was now enough to sweep through any town in Taiqing City!
This battle.
Had given the Li Family a genuine trump card in combat strength.
Before long, the Li Family members cleaned up the battlefield, bade farewell to the Pig Demon King, and promised that after some time, they would bring Bai Rourou's descendants to meet their maternal grandfather.
With the great matter settled, the Li Family's mature descendants could now develop on their own. Li Xiang also had Yuexian roast a chicken to reward himself properly.
At this moment, on the screen.
The Li Family group was already hurrying home.
"Wifey, we won! Hahaha, the Ancestor showed his might and saved the pig demon... no, my father-in-law!"
Li Yaotie laughed heartily as he headed home.
But the moment he reached the delivery room.
"Waa—"
A loud cry seemed to add the finishing touch to the Li Family's joy that day!
[Bai Rourou carried for ten months and gave birth to a son, named Li Yunlie!]
[Congratulations, Incense +10!]
"Hahaha, Ancestor, not only did your child save my father-in-law, your child also gave the family a baby!"
Li Yaotie raised the infant high overhead. The fierce man who stood nearly two meters tall was actually weeping tears of joy.
"Good!"
One happy event followed another. Li Xiang picked up the walkie-talkie. "Yuexian, eat two roast chickens!"
The entire family was wild with joy.
Next.
Li Xiang watched the Li Family members bring the corpses of the Lantian Wu Family's dead, along with Master Shancai's body, to the Spirit Herb Garden. They drained their blood dry to nourish the Beast Blood Fruit Trees.
There were now three Beast Blood Fruit Trees.
Of them, the Beast Blood Fruit Tree that had been transplanted first had grown increasingly lush, already reaching ten meters in height!
But Li Xiang no longer valued the Beast Blood Fruit Trees that much.
Beast Blood Fruit Trees could be sold for money, and likewise, the potions refined by Li Yaoqing were highly valuable. Most importantly, there was no fear of others finding the formula for the potions, because Earth simply did not possess these materials!
Just as Li Xiang was considering how to use the large sum of Spirit Stones he had earned.
On the screen, Li Dalong bled Master Shancai, and the blood dripped onto the largest Beast Blood Fruit Tree.
He saw roots burst from beneath the Beast Blood Fruit Tree's soil, piercing into the corpse's dantian. The roots resembled a living creature's mouthparts as they sucked greedily!
The Beast Blood Fruit Tree underwent a mutation as well.
It actually summoned Rain's Blessing from the heavens. Raindrops fell upon its luxuriant branches and leaves, giving rise to a mysterious yellow sheen!
[Congratulations, your descendants used the blood of a Golden Core Realm mid-stage expert to nourish the Beast Blood Fruit Tree. The Beast Blood Fruit Tree has mutated, absorbed the power of the Golden Core, and begun advancing—]
[Eighth Grade, Blood Spirit Fruit Tree!]
[The Blood Spirit Fruit Tree has developed faint intelligence. It senses the Li Family's nourishment, and its roots will take root within the Li Family's sphere of influence, protecting the Li Family with its life!]
[Blood Spirit Fruit Tree, bears fruit once every thirty years.]
"Holy... shit?"
Li Xiang froze. This was the first time he had seen a spirit tree transform!
The Blood Spirit Fruit Tree was like a child who had starved for centuries and had only just eaten its fill. Its branches and leaves swayed, conveying its delight.
"It is the Ancestor who has once again bestowed great divine power, allowing the Beast Blood Fruit Tree to transform! The Ancestor's might rivals that of immortals and gods!"
Seeing this scene, Li Dalong immediately pulled out the Ancestral Tablet and kowtowed repeatedly.
Before the screen, Li Xiang no longer bothered examining Li Dalong's wild imaginings.
He casually picked up the walkie-talkie. "Yuexian, three. I want to eat three chickens!"
"Master, there are only two chickens."
Yuexian's helpless voice came from the other end of the walkie-talkie.
"Then roast a duck!"
Li Xiang hung up the walkie-talkie.
The Beast Blood Fruit Tree had become a Blood Spirit Tree, which meant the effects of the fruit it bore would multiply as well!
Moreover, the evolution of plants was absolutely something special. They often needed to grow over countless years. Even the oldest known tree on Earth was only Sixth Grade, and that was because it had already lived for nearly ten thousand years when it happened to encounter the revival of spiritual energy!
Amid immense joy.
Li Xiang continued accelerating time, watching the Li Family grow.
He also took a look at the event log.
This time, there was actually much more loot, including plenty of equipment!
[Your lineage killed sixteen experts from the Lantian Wu Family and obtained a great amount of spoils!]
[Obtained low-grade Spirit Artifact, Spirit God Xinsheng Robe!]
This was a robe once worn by Wu Mengqiu of the Lantian Wu Family. It now looked no different from ordinary cloth garments.
Yet this robe was extraordinary. When many spirit beasts had surrounded Wu Mengqiu, he had relied on this robe to withstand the full-force strike of every spirit beast before being killed. Once this robe was pierced through, it could recover in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
[Spirit God Xinsheng Robe]
[Can automatically restore itself and freely change shape. When danger arises, the living robe protects its wearer, blocking a full-force strike from anyone below the False Core Stage. It keeps the wearer clear-headed and immune to all illnesses!]
The Li Family had gained another low-grade Spirit Artifact.
Li Dalong gave the Spirit God Xinsheng Robe to Li Yaowen as well. After all, she traveled outside most often, and when she had encountered danger several times, Li Xiang had even used the Ancestral Tablet to kill several assassins for her.
[Obtained low-grade Dharma Artifact...]
[Obtained mid-grade Dharma Artifact...]
[Obtained Yellow-rank cultivation technique, Shengxi Changming Technique!]
Only the cultivation technique obtained from the Wu Family caught Li Xiang's eye.
This technique cultivated faster than the Naqi Technique. It was not as strong as the technique in the Litian Secret Canon that refined Qi into essence, but it had one advantage: it could slightly increase the cultivator's lifespan!
Other than that, there was nothing particularly special for the current Li Family.
[Congratulations, your lineage defeated the Lantian Wu Family in battle.]
[After many days of planning by your descendant Li Yaowen, she conspired with the Qingping Gu Family and subdued a cultivation lineage in Lantian Town, having it manage all of the Wu Family's industries in Lantian Town on behalf of your two families!]
[Obtained a large quantity of mineral resources!]
Li Xiang hurriedly opened the map.
He saw that northwest of the Tailin Town map, the map marked [Lantian Town] had now entirely turned green!
"Ancestor, this is wonderful! Half of Lantian Town counts as ours now! The Qingping Gu Family holds forty percent, and the controlled lineage holds ten percent!"
Inside the ancestral hall.
Li Yaowen was already reporting the good news to Li Xiang.
At this time, although she wore a low-grade Spirit Artifact that could alter the form of clothing at will, she still wore the same scholar's robe as before. Even though she had shed her frail constitution due to the Spirit Artifact, she still liked sitting in a wheelchair. In her words, it was to show weakness to the enemy.
"Big Brother now has one top-grade Dharma Artifact and two high-grade Dharma Artifacts. He has no opponent at Foundation Establishment Early Stage!"
"Once Second Sister leaves seclusion, she will surely be overjoyed! Lantian Town has herb gardens, so we can add eight kinds of spirit herbs. Second Sister can then try making the Eighth Grade potion from the Classic of a Thousand Herbs, the Tianyuan Huiling Powder!"
"And Third Brother—five kinds of ore, along with the Lantian Wu Family's years of stockpiled supplies, will be enough for our Forging Pavilion to squander for ten or twenty years!"
"We even gained the allegiance of a Ninth Grade alchemist!"
The Li Family's power expanded once again!
With the support of two towns, the Li Family basically would not need to worry about resources for twenty years.
Li Xiang let out a long breath.
They could even refine pills now. Together with the greedy alchemist the Li Family had acquired earlier, the Li Family now had two alchemists!
The bountiful year quickly passed.
[Year 43 of the Li Family.]
[Your lineage has spent a busy year, with vast resources awaiting consumption.]
[Your descendant in the Litian Sect, Li Yunlin, emerged from seclusion!]
[After five years of facing the wall in repentance, he broke through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining and gained the trait: Silent Lone Wolf!]
[No matter what he faces, he can always endure in silence like a lone wolf separated from the pack. During battle, strength increases by 10%; when cultivating alone, cultivation speed increases by 10%.]
Watching Li Yunlin emerge from seclusion, stubble now covering his face yet looking far more steady than before.
The corners of Li Xiang's mouth lifted slightly.
This brat seemed to have matured during those five years of cultivation.
"Silent Lone Wolf? I like it."
Before you continue