The War Between Litian Sect and Xuanwu Sect

Looking at the astronomical amount of Incense required.

Li Xiang could no longer estimate what level of technique the Heavenly Condemned Vegetation Divine Art actually contained.

He was even less able to estimate what level Li Yaoqing's current potential had reached.

Li Xiang suppressed the shock and excitement in his heart.

He knew clearly that no matter how strong Li Yaoqing's potential was, for the time being, she was merely a slightly stronger Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator and a gifted apothecary.

What needed to be done now was not to fantasize about the future, but to focus on current development.

If they couldn't develop, everything else was just empty talk!

Li Xiang began to increase the flow of time.

Possessing a massive amount of resources and with the Li Family's strength growing ever more powerful, the Li Family did not become arrogant. Instead, they hid these secrets and began to develop in silence.

[Following your discussion with your descendant Li Yaowen, Li Yaowen hid the large quantity of Spirit Stones the family possessed and gradually increased the family's Spirit Fields by ten mu every year.]

[Zhien Village no longer grew ordinary crops. Li Yaoqing gifted Spirit Herb seeds that even ordinary people could plant to the villagers and slowly taught them the methods of cultivation.]

[As every household in Zhien Village became increasingly prosperous, more and more ordinary residents and cultivators came seeking fame. Petty theft became more frequent, and some even began to deceive the villagers of Zhien Village. The members of the Li Family decided to build city walls around Zhien Village to prevent harassment from outsiders.]

"Has the prototype of a city already begun to take shape?"

Under Li Xiang's gaze.

In the game screen, the villagers of Zhien Village, which had returned to a population of 3000, began to volunteer to build the city. With the ability to eat Spirit Rice every so often, the villagers' strength grew, reaching the level of ordinary martial artists, and carrying hundred-pound stones was no longer a challenge.

Under the accelerated time rate, these game characters were carrying out infrastructure projects.

However, this city was somewhat different; most of those living there were the original villagers of Zhien Village. Every household bore a tattoo of the character 'Li', and because it was inscribed using the blood of the Li Family, it was easy to tell who was truly loyal to the Li Family.

For those who wished to join Zhien Village, the Li Family would also exercise caution and screen them layer by layer.

Even for retainers recruited from outside, if they did not have the 'Li' character inscribed on their bodies by a member of the Li Family, they could never truly gain the family's trust.

[Your descendant Li Yaoqing successfully crafted the Rank 8 potion 'Tianyuan Huiling Powder'. Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm and below can recover a large amount of spiritual power upon consumption!]

[Your descendant Li Yaoqing has successfully advanced to a Rank 8 apothecary!]

[Under her years of cultivation, a Rank 9 apothecary has emerged in the Spirit Herb Garden.]

Soon.

Li Yaoqing came to the ancestral hall to pay her respects as usual.

Li Xiang also bestowed upon her a dose of 'Love from the Ancestor'.

However, this fellow becoming a Rank 8 apothecary so quickly was within expectations; in fact, as long as there were enough medicinal herbs, Li Yaoqing could refine all Rank 8 potions in a short period!

This was the terrifying nature of her current talent.

Li Yaoqing even wanted to test if others could cultivate the Heavenly Condemned Vegetation Divine Art like her, but the final result was...

A bolt of heavenly lightning struck down from the sky, nearly killing the newly trained Rank 9 apothecary.

She dared not try again.

"Is she a unique existence? But as long as there is enough Incense, it is not a problem for me."

Li Xiang pondered in every way, but he could not figure out the reason.

Such a technique had long since surpassed his current understanding.

[With the increase in resources and the growth of the Zhien Village villagers, the number of Black Blood Hall members has increased to 300!]

[The Forging Pavilion worked continuously and finally crafted enough Black Iron Beast Blood Sets. The effect of a full set of equipment is close to that of a mid-grade magical artifact.]

After gaining the support of the Silver Iron Forest, those who benefited the most were undoubtedly the Forging Pavilion and the Spirit Herb Garden!

The Silver Iron Forest had a large number of demonic beasts and spirit beasts for the Li Family to command. Every so often, Xu Cuihua would take people to the Silver Iron Forest to extract blood from the spirit beasts and demonic beasts.

Li Yaotie now possessed over twenty 'Blood Altars' used for soaking equipment.

The remaining beast blood could support the cultivation of ten Beast Blood Fruit Trees!

When the demonic beasts needed to break through, they could also obtain the Beast Blood Fruit Trees; it was simply a win-win situation.

[Your descendant Li Yaozu is cultivating in the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin, and his techniques and martial arts have improved.]

[Li Dalong is cultivating in the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin...]

[Xu Cuihua is in the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin...]

Li Dalong and his wife, along with Li Yaozu, who was most obsessed with swordsmanship, would cultivate in the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin whenever they had free time, while also coaxing Li Yunbing into the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin for training.

They all made progress in the Litian Secret Canon they were cultivating.

However, the Li Family dared not easily use the techniques and martial arts from the Litian Secret Canon outside; this stuff was the secret, non-transferable technique of the Litian Sect, and if it leaked out, it would inevitably lead to trouble.

The villagers of Zhien Village still practiced the techniques and martial arts obtained from the three destroyed families.

But their progress was also very rapid.

Currently, the Li Family had built ten training rooms.

[Li Family Year 46.]

[Bai Rourou carried the pregnancy for ten months and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, named Li Yunqian and Li Yunxing!]

[Congratulations, you have gained +30 Incense!]

Bai Rourou was undoubtedly the most hardworking and meritorious daughter-in-law of the Li Family. As the cries of infants rang out once more in the delivery room, the midwife skillfully handed the two children to Li Dalong and his wife, filling the Li Family with indescribable joy and excitement.

"Ancestor, look at me! I've had two more children—I'm doing much better than my big brother!"

Looking at the large, healthy babies in his parents' arms, Li Yaotie was so happy he spoke without thinking.

Li Yaozu glared at Li Yaotie, though he was already accustomed to his third brother's recklessness. More than anything, he felt a hidden joy, and he took the opportunity to scold him with a dark face: "What kind of talk is that? Do you think that just because we've all grown up, I won't beat you?"

"Ah, haha, I'm just happy. I'm happy today."

Li Yaotie scratched his head.

Watching the happy, harmonious family on the screen, Li Xiang took the opportunity to bestow a 'Love from the Ancestor' upon each of them.

"Their time really passes so quickly."

Li Xiang's face was wreathed in smiles.

Soon, the scene shifted, and the Li Family was already hosting a grand banquet to celebrate the arrival of the new additions to the family.

Li Xiang noticed that over these years, the Li Family had made quite a few friends, and the hall was filled with guests.

The Su and Chen families from Tailin Town, the Gu Family from Qingping Town, the Han Family from Lantian Town—which the Li Family had supported—and other major families from neighboring towns who had business dealings with the Li Family had all arrived with gifts.

Just as he was tallying up the Li Family's friends, a line of text suddenly appeared in the event log, clashing sharply with the festive atmosphere of the scene.

[Special Event]

[The two major sects behind Taiqing County have fallen into conflict once again after many years. The situation has reached an irreparable point; a great war is imminent, and chaos has arrived.]

"???"

Li Xiang was stunned for a moment. He remembered that when Li Yunlin joined the Litian Sect, the notifications had mentioned the conflict between the Litian Sect and the Xuanwu Sect, and that Li Yunlin's master had died in the crossfire of their feud.

These two factions had been fighting for thousands of years, clashing every so often.

However, he had been so focused on his family's development that he hadn't realized the outside world had descended into such turmoil.

He looked toward the game screen.

The people at the dining table were discussing this very matter!

Chen Chuang shook his head and sighed: "Alas, when sects fight, it is we families, and even the common folk, who suffer."

The Gu Family Head also looked deeply troubled.

"I have a friend in the Litian Sect who told me some inside information."

"Back then, the two sects obtained an ancient stele and learned that a great ancient war had occurred around our Taiqing County. A master of the Great Vehicle Realm had fallen there, and that master had left behind a treasure, something like a heavenly coffin. They searched for the ancient tomb and used magic to trigger the tomb's grand formation, causing a drought that plagued Taiqing County and the surrounding counties for nearly twenty years."

"They claimed to be searching for a heavenly coffin, but it turned out to be a joke. There was nothing in that tomb—only a... fart, left behind by an ancient powerhouse using great magic to preserve it for ages."

"For the sake of a joke, they disregarded the lives of the common people and our own. Now that both sides are at war, how are we to protect ourselves?"

"..."

Hearing this, the members of the Li Family remained calm on the surface, but their hearts were in turmoil!

Even Li Xiang, sitting before the screen, felt the same!

"What the hell?!!"

In an instant, Li Xiang understood!

No wonder Li Dalong had found that Mysterious Spear in the Wild Boar Forest at the beginning of the drought.

And no wonder the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin had appeared in the world.

"In other words, they searched the wrong place and unleashed their magic, causing the Mysterious Spear and the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin, which were far away in Zhien Village, to break through the earth one after another, eventually falling into the hands of our Li Family."

Li Xiang felt a chill run down his spine.

Fortunately, both the Litian Sect and the Xuanwu Sect believed the ancient legend was non-existent and that the tomb of the powerhouse had merely played a trick on them. As long as they didn't let it slip, no one would suspect that the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin was in the hands of the Li Family!

"Phew..."

Li Xiang let out a long breath.

Only now did he feel grateful for his own caution in having the Li Family keep the secret of the Death-Stilling Heavenly Coffin. Otherwise, if even the slightest clue had leaked, those two sects—having been mocked by an ancient powerhouse—would have torn the Li Family to shreds!

Soon, the banquet in the game interface concluded.

The descendants of the Li Family walked to the ancestral hall, filled with worry.

The most important issue now was that if the two sects went to war, they would inevitably be caught in the crossfire!

Li Xiang clicked on the avatar of the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python to ask them for details.

He heard Li Yaowen say solemnly:

"Ancestor, for a long time, the twelve towns of Taiqing County have been dominated by the two sects. Taiqing County is only one of them; the two sects each occupy two other county seats as well."

"Taiqing County has been shared by both sects for years, with tax revenue split down the middle. Now that they are at war, I fear Taiqing County will be caught in their struggle. When that happens, even the county government won't be able to maintain order, and Taiqing County will become a place of chaos! We could be ordered about by either sect at any time, and we could be harassed by opportunists at any moment."

"The Gu Family Head said their conflict is irreparable. According to the records I have consulted, this war is likely to last for decades, or even a century!"

Li Xiang rubbed his mouse.

He could feel that the days ahead would no longer be peaceful!