After the path was cut off

The main hall of the Li residence was dimly lit.

At the head of the table sat elder brother Li Wangchuan and younger brother Li Wangxiang, side by side. To the lower left was Li Jingshan, and to the lower right were Li Qingfeng and Li Qinghan.

These five people are now the entire core of the Li family.

Wangchuan and Wangxiang—the fates of these two brothers are just like their names. Li Wangchuan stayed in his hometown, rooted there, yearning for the path to immortality; Li Wangxiang went far away to the Immortal Sect, seeking the Dao, his homesickness only tied to letters home. After many years, the brothers, whose fates were so drastically different, reunited.

According to ancient etiquette, the left is considered superior to the right. Li Wangchuan sits in this position not only because of his age, but also because he is the founder of this enterprise.

When Li Wangchuan was eight years old, his village was massacred by evil cultivators, and his parents also died tragically. Faced with this blood feud, the eight-year-old boy made a cold-blooded decision far beyond his years—he did not obey his parents' dying wish to "take his younger brother to escape," but instead took his five-year-old brother's hand and took the initiative to appear, pretending to be a cowardly child, and fawningly revealed several hiding places in the village, thus gaining the initial trust of the evil cultivators.

For the next three years, he remained patient and bided his time, carefully sowing seeds of suspicion among the three evil cultivators.

Ultimately, escalating suspicions led to infighting over the unequal distribution of spoils, resulting in a lose-lose situation for all three. Then, Li Wangchuan appeared, wielding a sharp blade, and amidst their horrified and desperate gazes, severed their heads, thus comforting the spirits of their parents and villagers in heaven.

After taking his revenge, he rescued the captive blood servants, and these survivors became the original inhabitants of Baixi Town. It was he who led these young, weak, women, and children to struggle for survival in the wasteland surrounded by evil cultivators, gradually carving out this home. The hardships they endured cannot be described in a few words.

Now, Li Wangchuan is over sixty years old, his temples are white as frost. Years of hard work and mental strain have made him look older than his peers, and the hidden injuries left from his life-risking days in his youth have made his body hunched over, but his eyes still hold a rock-solid determination and sharpness.

His gaze swept over everyone present, and he spoke calmly: "Our Li family has never been very large. Perhaps it is because our ancestors encountered immortals, which gave our bloodline an unsettling obsession, always thinking about seeking immortality and enlightenment, while neglecting our duty to have many descendants."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. "Fortunately, after hundreds of generations of torment, we've finally made it. Our Li family now has three cultivators."

He changed the subject, his expression becoming solemn: "It's a rare occasion for us all to gather here today, so I'd like to tell you the story of the immortal who bestowed favors upon our Li family ancestor."

"The ancestors of the Li family were bestowed the surname 'Li' by an immortal, and their given name was Shou, with the courtesy name Youcheng."

"Our clan's history can be traced back to the year 3671 of the Kaiyuan era, at the end of the thirtieth War of Opening Up..." Li Wangchuan recounted the history of the internal strife in the Immortal Abode and the failure to liberate the Taoist temple, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of history. "The immortal who was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and was saved by our ancestor, was the survivor of that crushing defeat."

"His ancestor cared for him for a year, and the immortal, after recovering slightly, departed. Before leaving, he expressed his gratitude to his ancestor and taught him to read, farm, and smelt iron. His ancestor begged him to leave a token, and the immortal took out a book and wrote a line of words."

"The suffering of all beings—understand it, accept it, and never forget it."

"Later, our ancestors used this book to record the clan's history, which has been passed down to this day." Li Wangchuan's voice lowered.

"The book has over a hundred pages, with blank spaces throughout. Perhaps they were lost due to the passage of time, perhaps the tradition was interrupted and then continued by later generations, or even... perhaps we are not of the same lineage as that original ancestor. But regardless of bloodline..."

The eight characters, "Always empathize with the suffering of all beings," have become the soul of my Li family, passed down through generations.

After the words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the hall. The five men, each with a different expression, were all moved by those words—for none of them had escaped from the mire of suffering.

The story of the brothers Li Wangchuan and Li Wangxiang, who suffered hardship in their youth, losing both parents, and enduring countless dangers to finally establish themselves, needs no further elaboration.

Li Jingshan was the only survivor of the "Qixia Town Erasure Incident" for unknown reasons. After being adopted by Li Wangxiang, he did not experience much warmth before being sent back to Baixi Town. The loneliness and confusion deep in his heart never dissipated.

Li Qingfeng was an ordinary mortal. His father was also an ordinary mortal, but due to his obsession with immortality, he abandoned his young son and sought enlightenment from Buddha.

His mother... His mother became depressed and poured out all her endless sorrow and questions on her young son.

"Qingfeng, tell your mother, why did your father marry me? Why did he watch me being...? Are mortals not worthy of living? Can't you see your mother clearly? Will you also leave your mother in pursuit of immortality in the future?"

Despite Qingfeng's repeated assurances that he would "never seek immortality and never leave."

But the mother still went on a hunger strike, seeking death.

Li Qinghan was discovered twelve years ago during a migration from Baixi Town, amidst the blood of a massacre perpetrated by evil cultivators. At the time, she was at the core of a blood array, her body surging with chilling energy, which backfired on the evil cultivators who cast the spell, leaving her surrounded by carcasses. She was later adopted by Li Wangchuan, and the horrors of her past shaped her current suspicious and aloof nature.

"They're all unfortunate souls." Li Wangchuan sighed softly, breaking the silence. His expression turned serious. "Alright, enough of the past. Let's get down to business. Wangxiang."

He looked sharply at his younger brother: "You are sixty-one years old this year. Considering the lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is two hundred and forty years, you are in your prime. You should be focusing on cultivation within the sect, seeking the Golden Core Dao. Why are you distracted by establishing an immortal sect?"

Li Wangxiang met his brother's gaze, sighed deeply, and his face drained of color: "Brother, to be honest, my foundation for immortality has been shattered, and my path to immortality... is severed."

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall changed drastically.

Li Jingshan suddenly looked up, his face filled with shock and disbelief, and opened his mouth to speak.

Li Qingfeng frowned slightly, his calm eyes filled with turbulent thoughts.

Li Qinghan narrowed his eyes, his scrutinizing gaze falling on Li Wangxiang with a deeper sense of inquiry.

Only Li Wangchuan remained calm and composed, as if he had already anticipated this: "Is his life in danger? Has his cultivation level dropped?"

"My life is temporarily safe, but my lifespan... is probably halved. Although my cultivation level remains at the peak of Foundation Establishment, my Dao foundation is shattered, and I have lost all my supernatural powers. My true strength is probably only comparable to an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator." Li Wangxiang said bitterly.

"Father! Who could have done this? There must be more to this than meets the eye!" Li Jingshan asked anxiously.

"It was my bad luck, not someone else's doing," Li Wangxiang said to Li Jingshanzi, his tone both comforting and admonishing.

"More than half a month ago, the cold moon hung in the sky and did not dissipate for three whole days. That was because a strange phenomenon of celestial rifts suddenly appeared in the Northern Plains, and a giant ape carrying the sun and moon on its shoulder strode down from the sky and destroyed the Northern Chen Immortal City. I happened to be in the middle of it. Although I was lucky enough to escape with my life, my Dao foundation was shattered."

Li Jingshan's expression changed several times: "How could Father happen to be in Beichen Immortal City? Is someone...?"

Li Wangxiang interrupted him: "Jingshan, remember, life and death are predestined. The more you cling to something, the harder it is to find freedom. If I were harmed, what would you do? Seek revenge? Now is the time to investigate. Do you intend to drag your entire clan into an abyss of no return?"

Li Wangchuan spoke up at the right moment, his tone calm yet weighty: "Jingshan's concern for his father stems from filial piety, which is only natural. We also have this question in our hearts, but he is just being straightforward."

"Brother is right." Li Wangxiang nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone becoming more relieved.

"The cause and effect have been set, and regret is useless. When my foundation was first shattered, I was also terrified. But as time went by, I felt an unprecedented clarity of mind, and even a sense of joy arose. To be able to accompany my brothers for the rest of my life, watch you grow up, and protect this land, is enough for me."

Upon hearing this, Li Jingshan realized he had no rebuttal and lowered his head.

"Even so, establishing a family at this time is not a wise move." Li Wangchuan's voice suddenly turned cold, his gaze sharp.

"You and I are both old and frail. Jingshan and Qinghan are steadfast in their Daoist beliefs; how could they be suited to managing worldly affairs? Do you really intend to place the immense burden of continuing the family line and expanding the clan on the shoulders of Qingfeng, a mere mortal who has just come of age?"

His words were like icicles, piercing through the warmth that had just been there: "Wangxiang, your idea is unrealistic."

"Brother, the continuation of a family doesn't necessarily have to be limited to bloodlines!" Li Wangxiang's voice became excited as he pointed outside the hall.

"Although Jingshan and Qinghan are not my biological children, how are they any different from my own flesh and blood?"

The more than 100,000 people in Baixi Town, regardless of their surnames, are all members of the clan that I, Li Wangxiang, must protect.

Brother, time waits for no one! While I still have a breath left, while I can still shelter them from the wind and rain, I must fight for a future for the people of Baixi Town—a future where they no longer have to hide and live in constant fear!

Li Wangxiang spoke earnestly, but Li Wangchuan's face remained expressionless, even becoming more cold and hard.

"Looking back, more than fifty years ago, when our parents died at the hands of evil cultivators, did any of those in power show us any pity? If we hadn't struggled to survive, we would be nothing but dust by now! I've never believed that those in power can have any genuine pity for those in power! Even if they do, how long can that pity last in this cannibalistic world? How many people can it protect? If you establish your immortal sect based solely on this idea, its end is destined for destruction! Unless there's a more concrete reason, I absolutely do not agree!"

A heavy pressure hung over the entire main hall. Li Qingfeng, sitting at the lower end of the table, felt it most deeply—of the five people present, only he and his grandfather were mortals.

How fragile and helpless it is to entrust the fate of one's family to the "compassion" of a future spiritual practitioner for mortals. If given a choice, no one would willingly entrust their life and death to the kindness of another.

The atmosphere froze, and no one spoke again.

Xuan Li, listening to Li Wangxiang's words from within his sea of ​​consciousness, felt a headache coming on. Outside, two evil spirits were eyeing them menacingly, while this family was still arguing back and forth—what a waste of time.

Thinking of this, it could no longer hold back and revealed its form.