[Your descendant, Li Yunlin, returned to the sect and was questioned by Sect Leader Zhen about the incident. He recounted the events, and none of the Skyveil Sect elders detected any hint of deception in his words. Even the Grand Elder, with his Nascent Soul projected outward, found nothing amiss. They sent people to investigate the Su family in Five Peaks Mountain and also observed the overwhelming demonic energy. Messages from Azure Cloud region confirmed the timing of the assassins' arrival and the situation at the demonic cave.]
[Enraged by Li Yunlin's unauthorized actions of leading sect elder and disciples to massacre the Su family, Sect Leader Zhen imposed a punishment, forbidding Li Yunlin from leaving the sect for fifty years and confining him to the Wall of Reflection for ten days!]
[Sect Leader Zhen learned of Elder Qiuye's attempt to assassinate Li Yunlin but remained unmoved. He merely glanced meaningfully at the two of them. Seeing Elder Qiuye kneeling and begging for forgiveness, yet with a flicker of malice in his eyes, Sect Leader Zhen simply smiled faintly and sentenced him to twenty years of confinement and self-reflection in the dungeon.]
Two days passed.
Li Yunlin, in secluded cultivation, suddenly felt a surge of memories flooding his mind.
"?????"
His expression gradually grew complex, a mixture of relief, admiration, gratitude, and an indescribable sense of shame. Finally, he unleashed a roar that had been suppressed deep within his heart, "Ahhh!!!"
A moment later, he let out a numb laugh. "As expected of Fourth Aunt, she thought of everything. Those assassins must have been sent by her. I only heard that she had gone to Azure Cloud region, but I didn't expect her to have such influence already. Has she made a breakthrough in her scholarly cultivation?"
"Fourth Aunt definitely wouldn't do something so childish. The demonic cultivators in the cave were under Second Aunt's command. Besides, she scolded me when I left the family to join the Skyveil Sect all those years ago. Her desire for revenge is truly strong."
"To think she's still so childish at her age."
With that, Li Yunlin simply shrugged it off with an indifferent expression. It was just a minor matter.
Until a few days later, while cultivating at night, he suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Then, with practiced ease, he took out the ancestral spirit tablet, dropped to his knees with a thud, and cried out, his voice filled with grievance and bitterness,
"Ancestor, your child... your child... please, you must discipline Second Aunt!"
...
"Hmm, this boy's safety is no longer a concern. Yaoqing and Yaowen truly haven't disappointed me. This matter has been handled flawlessly."
Evidently, he also knew that Li Yaoqing and Li Yaowen had already sent people ahead of time to take care of the post-battle cleanup.
Seeing Li Yunlin tattling to his ancestor, Li Wei quickly switched the screen, feigning an attitude of "Don't ask me, I can't do anything about it, and I don't want to. You're on your own."
He chuckled to himself.
Li Wei switched the screen back to the Li family. Having obtained abundant resources, the family once again embarked on a vigorous development spree.
[Your descendant, Li Dalong, has entered the Heaven-Piercing Coffin. This time, he brought three top-grade spirit tools, vowing to break through the limitations of the second seal!]
[Xu Cuihua took two Golden Cores, attempting to use them as substitutes for the Demon King Blood Pill. Two thousand foxes have gathered around her cave.]
[In the battle against the Su family, Li Yaozu obtained nearly two hundred swords from his enemies. He planted these swords around his cultivation grounds, calling it the Sword Tomb.]
[Cultivating near the Sword Tomb increases swordsmanship comprehension by 10%!]
Soon, time in the game advanced again.
[Year 64th]
[Your family has gained 2 new members.]
Another one was born!
A joyful expression appeared on Li Wei's face.
He glanced at the family member list in the top right corner.
[Fourth Generation Members: 11]
However, Li Wei rarely paid attention to new members anymore, mainly because Li Yaotie's lineage had too many children. Not only him, but even Li Dalong and his wife had grown distant from their descendants after three generations. They would only pay slight attention to truly exceptional members.
And that would be Li Tianyi, the pride of the Li family.
Not only was this boy gifted, but he was also incredibly hardworking. He was even busier than Li Yunbing, the head of the family. Every day, he had to look after his ten younger siblings, rush to the village teacher in Green Valley Village for cultural lessons, meditate to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, and practice martial arts... A true master of time management.
However, it was expected that they couldn't attend to every single member.
As the years passed, the Li family members observed the workings of other families. They understood that their descendants would continue to multiply, a natural consequence of human reproduction. At the same time, it was also the key to a family's strength!
Only with a sufficiently large bloodline could they confidently entrust their descendants with the businesses outside the family estate that they couldn't personally manage.
Moreover, the aptitudes of their descendants varied. Having more children increased the probability of producing exceptionally talented offspring.
This was the reason why large families often had thousands, even tens of thousands, or more members.
The increase in offspring also signified the true growth of the Li family.
And it marked the beginning of the next phase!
"Once the children of the fourth generation grow up, we can gradually take control of the Sky Jade region."
Li Wei smiled faintly. The Li family had always been unable to expand beyond Tailin Town precisely because even if they controlled other areas, they lacked the manpower to manage them.
He suppressed his thoughts and shifted his attention to the head of the family, Li Yunbing.
[Your descendant, Li Yunbing, is watering the Blood Spirit Fruit Tree. It is currently digesting a large amount of blood, its roots continuously spreading and expanding. It has also begun to undergo some kind of transformation, which will be a lengthy process.]
[The formations obtained from the Su family are being inscribed onto the Blood Spirit Fruit Tree, with materials being gathered for the process.]
[Li Yaotie is forging more spirit puppets...]
[A large quantity of herbs has been delivered to your descendant, Li Yaoqing. She is overjoyed and spinning in circles, knowing that it must be a reward from her ancestor. She is currently expressing her gratitude to you.]
[...]
Under Li Yunbing's leadership, the Li family was developing smoothly and systematically.
Moreover, the Li family currently had no external enemies to speak of.
Although the conflict between the two major sects continued, things were gradually calming down in the Sky Jade region, as clearly recorded in the special event log.
[With the ongoing war between the two sects, the resources in the Sky Jade region have been gradually divided between the Black Tortoise Sect and the Skyveil Sect. All other factions have chosen their sides.]
[Due to the consecutive deaths of two Golden Core elders, the Skyveil Sect has adopted a defensive stance.]
"In that case, the previously chaotic Sky Jade region has lost its value. Tailin Town is a remote rural area anyway; even in the worst-case scenario, the fighting wouldn't reach here. I might as well focus on my breakthrough."
Li Wei licked his lips.
The Golden Core stage!
He had long desired to break through, and after the battle at the Su family estate, he seemed to have developed a fascination with immense power.
Besides, if he didn't pursue a breakthrough, he had nothing else to do. At most, he could only watch as the Li family slowly absorbed the gains from their recent victory.
[You are using Ancestral Time——]
[Detected that you are at the False Core stage, consuming 1,000 incense value annually!]
[Do you wish to enter?]
Li Wei clicked "Yes" without hesitation!
The next moment, his vision blurred, and his consciousness drifted into chaos...