Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 591 Harvest
In the past!

The Li family relied on the Hengyue Sect to establish themselves in Zhangning Prefecture, and from then on, they inevitably bore the label of "lackeys and lackeys".

But to be honest, not every force is qualified to become a lackey of the Hengyue Sect. The Li family can, because their foundation and potential are strong enough.

Now, Li Xiangming has assigned this role to the Five Scattered Sect.

This was not due to any ill intent on his part!

In terms of overall strength, the Five Scattered Sect is inferior to the Green Cloud Cave, which boasts Qi Refining Perfection cultivators like Zhang Min and Luo Changqing. Even the Green Cloud Cave hasn't received much attention from the Li family, so naturally, the Five Scattered Sect wouldn't be taken seriously by them either.

Li Xiangming leased Jiming Mountain to five independent sects, treating them merely as tenants to be exploited. Whenever the Five Sects faced a crisis, the Li family immediately forced them to sign unequal treaties, continuing to suppress them. This is essentially the most common sect leader-vassal relationship; regardless of the changes in vassalage, the Li family always maintained its superior position.

However, after learning that the Five Scattered Sect had produced Foundation Establishment cultivators and discovered the Dragon Blood Ancient Tree, Li Xiangming's thoughts changed slightly.

This small sect, formed by a few independent cultivators, was able to traverse the poisonous miasma and develop the Yellow Springs Marsh in just a few years, even achieving some success.

This is enough to show that their potential far exceeds imagination, or it can be described in two words—luck!
Li Xiangming was a cultivator, so he had no choice but to believe in the concept of destiny.

Rather than watching the Five Scattered Sects rise to power, it would be better to become their benefactor and let the Li family share in their good fortune.

As for whether the Five Scattered Sect could turn around and threaten the Li family, Li Xiangming was not worried.

These people's roots are ultimately in Liusha County. If they are left unattended, and the old woman and others all pass away, the Five Scattered Sect will instead compete for interests in Pu County. If they are sent back to Liusha County in advance, the Li family will not only avoid conflicts with emerging forces, but can also use the Five Scattered Sect to hinder the expansion of the Beast Soul Sect.

It can be said to serve multiple purposes.

Of course, the Li family will continue to pay a price. The Five Scattered Sects are in dire need of rebuilding, and the resources and effort required to cultivate them into a force capable of contending with the Beast Soul Sect to a certain extent are immeasurable.

But the Li family has the resources and is willing to show their sincerity.

By forming an alliance with the Li family, the Five Scattered Sects will see an immediate improvement in their finances, and the Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruit that the members have been longing for will be readily available.

If you refuse the Li family
This means that the Li family is not destined for this good fortune.

So, can the Li family just sit idly by and watch the Five Scattered Sect rise to power?

There were some things that Li Xiangming didn't say aloud.

But how could these casual acquaintances not know? Especially after Granny Lai spoke, the entire room fell silent.

No one expected that Li Xiangming, who appeared out of nowhere, had already visited the Black Swamp.

On one hand, he could obtain the benefits he had longed for; on the other hand, he could lose everything he was entitled to! Zhang Can's eyes twitched, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

After a long silence, it was Qingyang Daoist who broke the silence: "It is a good thing that Layman Li has gotten rid of the snake demon. In my opinion, why don't we sit down and have a few drinks before we talk? I have some fine wine here."

"That's a good feeling."

Li Xiangming responded with a smile.

Zhang Can also breathed a sigh of relief and arranged for the Flower Monk to prepare the banquet.

The group gradually dispersed.

Li Xiangming watched them leave, then looked at Qingyang Daoist and casually asked, "Do you have a good relationship with these wandering monks, Daoist?"

"We just get along well."

The Taoist priest remained unfazed.

Li Xiangming remained silent for a moment.

The Taoist priest remained the same as before. Despite being close to the Li family, which would have brought more benefits to Qingyang Temple, he consistently maintained a certain distance from them.

It is said that even now, the Taoist priest has never taken the initiative to visit Li Qianxiong.

The reason is not complicated.

According to the Taoist priest, not aspiring to high positions has always been his way of life.

Qingyang Daoist was also silently observing Li Xiangming.

Enraged, the Black Swamp Dragon annihilated the Five Scattered Sect, leaving them utterly defeated. The strongest among them, Dr. Jiu, remains unconscious, while Granny Lai, whose strength was second only to Dr. Jiu, was once in a state of uncertainty.

The group of lone travelers fled back to Jiming Mountain, utterly disheartened.

At this moment, Li Xiangming swiftly killed the snake demon, rescued the old woman, and paid a visit to the Wusan Sect, which was enough to force the Wusan Sect to return to the Demon Suppression Camp.

However, Li Xiangming concealed the matter of the Black Swamp Pool, first using the pretense of "alliance" to win over the Five Scattered Sects, and then offering up the precious Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruit, without displaying any power whatsoever. Yet, precisely because of this, everyone could better feel the weight of Li Xiangming's seemingly "effortless" elimination of the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivator.

No one dared to mention the ownership of the Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruit.

Including himself.

Li Xiangming's methods seem subtle, but they are becoming increasingly ruthless. With this combination of attacks, the Five Scattered Sects may very well be forced to submit to the Li family.

If Li Xiangming uses this tactic against Qingyang Temple, what will become of Qingyang Temple?
How should he view his relationship with Li Xiangming?

"Does the Taoist priest like the scenery of Jiming Mountain?" Li Xiangming suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Qingyang Daoist nodded and said, "The thick fog around Jiming Mountain is hard to dispel, so it can't really be called scenic. However, it is secluded and quiet, which is perfect for cultivating one's character."

"In that case, would you be willing to relocate Qingyang Temple to the island, Daoist Master?"

Li Xiangming's expression turned slightly serious.

Qingyang Daoist was taken aback and subconsciously said, "I'm afraid this isn't a good idea?"

"Nothing bad."

Li Xiangming smiled faintly: "Qingyang Temple doesn't have many people. It's just a Taoist temple and a few thatched huts built on the island. I'm sure the Five Wanderers won't make you pay the rent. As for your home, I'll just let you know."

He did not want Qingyang Daoist to stay at Jiming Mountain.

Because Qingyang Daoist is of strategic importance to the Li family, he hopes that Qingyang Temple can be moved to Changyang Valley, or even Yiyuan Peak, so that it can be protected by the Li family for generations and refine pills for the Li family.

However, this move was in the Li family's interest, but not in Qingyang Daoist's opinion.

Or perhaps, his enthusiasm only made Qingyang Daoist more wary of the Li family, keeping him at a distance.

He could also go to great lengths and use all sorts of tricks to force the Taoist priest to move the temple to Danggui Mountain without uttering a word of complaint.

But it's just talk!

In any case, he hoped the Taoist priest would continue to call him Layman Li, rather than Master Li or anything else.

Since force cannot be used, and the Taoist priest is close to the Five Scattered Sect, it would be better to let them live together and watch over each other—no matter how remote Jiming Mountain is, it is still Li family territory! It's much better than letting Qingyang Temple settle arbitrarily in Pu County, bringing many uncertainties and troubles.

Qingyang Daoist seemed surprised by Li Xiangming's suggestion and fell into deep thought.

However, he did not refute it for a long time.

At this critical juncture, Jiming Mountain, with its natural defenses and poisonous miasma, has demonstrated significant value to the Five Scattered Sects – its safety!
Safety is a scarce resource!
Even if he didn't consider himself, he had to consider the disciples of the Taoist temple.

With the beast tide surging in Pudong, Sun Siyan and the others stayed at Jiming Mountain, allowing them to focus more on their cultivation without having to worry about being disturbed by monsters as they used to.

The five wandering cultivators each possess unique skills, and many cultivation resources can be exchanged directly with them, which is quite convenient.

Furthermore, Jiming Mountain is far from Danggui Mountain. Although it belongs to the Li family's territory, the Li family has almost no influence there. The outside world is unaware that the Li family also possesses an enclave. If the Li family were to encounter a major crisis in Pu County, Qingyang Temple would not be the first to be affected.

After much deliberation, a glint flashed in Qingyang Daoist's eyes: "Then I thank you, Layman Li."
-
Two days later.

Li Xiangming bid farewell to Qingyang Daoist and the Five Wanderers, and before departing, he hurried to the Black Swamp Pool to check on the Black Water Serpent.
Surprisingly, the Black Water Serpent remained hidden in the pool, refusing to come out. Xu Qingchi couldn't help but ask, "Master, aren't we taking the Serpent with us?"

Li Xiangming shook his head.

As a spirit pet, the Blackwater Serpent would not leave his side without reason.

Now that he is almost there, the Blackwater Serpent still hasn't come out to greet him. There's only one possibility: Little Black has sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Demon cultivators generally have longer lifespans!
However, unlike humans, they cannot take shortcuts to consume elixirs, so their cultivation time is extremely long!
When Li Xiangming captured the Blackwater Serpent, its cultivation had already reached the ninth level of the Spirit Awakening Realm. Now, nearly ten years have passed, and there is no sign of it breaking through to the next level.

If nothing unexpected happens, it will take the Blackwater Serpent at least fifty years to successfully enter the Bone Fusion stage. And this is a spirit pet that consumes Spirit Feeding Pills daily!

If it is a wild black water snake, it is probably over a hundred years old.

However, now, as long as the Blackwater Serpent can digest the Black Swamp Dragon's Hibernation, this time will be greatly reduced. It might even have a chance to break through to the next realm in one or two years.

Li Xiangming did not disturb it and returned directly to Changning City.

He gained a great deal from this trip. Aside from the opportunity with the Blackwater Serpent, the negotiations with the Five Scattered Sect also went very smoothly.

As Li Xiangming raised his cup in toasts, he distributed the eight Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruits to the Five Scattered Sect and the Green Sheep Temple—the former receiving six and the latter two. Several of the scattered disciples, including the later-appearing Dr. Jiu, agreed to form an "alliance" with the Li family and unanimously decided to join the Demon Suppression Camp as members of the Li family.

Among them, the Flower Monk, the Corpse Driver, and the Dove Doctor have already confirmed their participation in the battle.

Of course, the biggest gain was the deal with the Taoist priest.

After he suggested relocating Qingyang Temple to Jiming Mountain and personally distributed Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruit to Qingyang Temple, the Taoist priest seemed to sense his sincerity and adopted a very humble attitude in the subsequent negotiations for the Thousand-Jun Pill.

Li Xiangming took the opportunity to reveal that he had new Thousand-Jun Grass.

The Taoist priest was both surprised and delighted!

Li Xiangming then bought one Qianjun Pill from the Taoist priest for three thousand spirit stones, and pre-ordered a second Qianjun Pill for three thousand five hundred spirit stones.

As for the last one, the Taoist priest was unwilling to part with it, and Li Xiangming did not insist.

After obtaining the Thousand-Jun Pill, Li Xiangming discussed the matter of the Dragon Blood Pill with the Taoist priest.

Dragon Blood Pill is not a dedicated Foundation Establishment Pill, but it is known as the "Minor Foundation Establishment Pill," which shows its power.

Li Xiangming possessed four five-hundred-year-old Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruits, and naturally, he was eager to exchange them for precious Dragon Blood Pills.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Blood Pill is a third-tier pill, and its refining difficulty is much higher than that of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Not to mention that the Five Scattered Sect and the Green Sheep Temple didn't have the formula for this pill, even if they did, they could only look on with envy. In fact, both of them went there with the Dragon Blood Vermilion Fruit in mind from the very beginning.

But just because neither of the two families has it doesn't mean Hengyue Sect doesn't!
Li Xiangming was already planning to let the old folks in his family meet with Xuanli Zhenren—although the Min family was affiliated with a sect, its size was no less than that of the Li family, and there were quite a few juniors with excellent aptitude, so they wouldn't be uninterested in the Dragon Blood Pill.

As I pondered this, Changning City came into view.

Li Xianghua greeted him at the city gate, but his expression was not very pleasant.

"What happened?"

"The envoy from Bailu Gate has come to see you in person."

"Bai Lu Gate?"

Li Xiangming immediately frowned.

There have always been people from the Bailu Sect lobbying the Li family at Dangui Mountain to launch a northern attack on the Zhenhun Sect. These people are received and negotiated by the Dianke Pavilion. As the deputy steward, Li Xiangming would not personally intervene without the advice of the Dianke Pavilion.

In fact, all the high-ranking members of the Li family were avoiding the Bailu Sect envoy.

The reason was simple: the Bailu Sect demanded that the Li family be drawn into the war.

How could the Li family possibly agree to that?
However, the Li family couldn't refuse—a clear refusal of the White Dew Sect would mean making an enemy of them. What if the Soul Suppressing Sect attacked in the future, and the Li family then considered seeking help from the White Dew Sect?
Stay on the front line when doing things, and see you in the future.

The Li family has employed its usual tactic of delaying, dragging things out from the initial formation of the "Aid-Dai Alliance" until now. The Bailu Clan has clearly noticed this and has begun to target the person in charge.

The clan elders were as stubborn as rocks, and Li Qianxiong wasn't home. Li Qianxiao simply stayed in bed, so these people could only come to him, the deputy steward.

"Who's coming?"

Li Xiangming asked in a low voice.

Li Xianghua replied, "It is Hua Lun."

He paused, then added, "There is also a female cultivator named Liu Lingzhou, who is also a disciple of the White Dew Sect."

Liu Lingzhou?
Li Xiangming frowned again.

He remembered this name vividly. Back when the Demon Suppression Camp marched north, Liu Qingzhou had broken away from the main force without permission to save this person, causing the Yanji Division to suffer heavy losses.

After the crushing defeat at Calabash Valley, Liu Qingzhou left the Demon Suppression Camp—there weren't many people under Liu's command to begin with, so his departure was not a big deal.

But how could Li Xiangming not have some reservations?

He also disliked the name Liu Lingzhou.

Tell them I'm not here.

Li Xiangming immediately turned around, intending to go to Xiaolan Valley to avoid trouble.

Liu Lingzhou is merely a Qi Refining cultivator; even with the backing of the White Dew Sect, he is not a threat.

Hua Lun is different!
This fellow must have some connections. He deserted his post during the war but was still forgiven by the Bailu Sect. Now he's on a mission to Changning City, probably hoping to redeem himself and persuade the Li family to join the war.

He didn't want to see the other person.

However, as soon as he turned around, a hearty laugh rang out behind him: "Master Li, I, Hua, have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Li Xiangming stiffened, then turned around and smiled, "I returned in a hurry and didn't know Elder Hua was here. I'm so sorry. It's been so long, Elder Hua, you're still as charming as ever!"

"Where there!"

Hua Lun shook his head and sighed, but his feet seemed to fly, and he took three steps in two to grab Li Xiangming's arm, pleading, "Master Li, you must save this old man this time!"

"What does Elder Hua mean by this?"

Li Xiangming pretended not to understand, trying to brush it off.

Hua Lun's smile vanished abruptly: "Master Li, don't play dumb in front of me. Your Li family knows perfectly well why I'm here."

After saying that, a threatening glint flashed in his eyes: "Or is it that Master Li would rather watch Baicaofang go bankrupt?"

Li Xiangming's tone instantly turned serious: "If I remember correctly, Baicaofang is also Elder Hua's business, isn't it?"

"What about Lingguang Pavilion and Ziqi Donglai?"

Hua Lun suddenly stepped forward and gripped Li Xiangming's arm even more firmly.

Li Xiangming unleashed his pent-up magical power, placing a hand on Hua Lun's left shoulder to stop him from approaching, while coldly saying, "Elder Hua, do you mean that if I don't comply, you will confiscate all of my Li family's properties in Pushui Market?"

"No!"

Hua Lun was the first to release his grip, his previous ferocity instantly vanishing. He simply lowered his head and lowered his voice to a whisper: "Hall Master Li has a good memory. Baicao Fang is also my business. Anyone could shut down the Li family's businesses, but I alone would not. However, the sect has issued a death order! If Hall Master Li cannot make a decision as soon as possible, both our families will lose everything!"

(End of this chapter)