Li Wei counted himself fortunate to have become aware of 'Venerable Tian Xing's' recent pronouncements.
"We've exercised extreme caution at every step," Li Wei pondered, perplexed. "Accused of 'lacking discretion'? Where precisely could we have erred for him to believe he has found us all?"
Allowing himself no delay, even though he had already been periodically shifting his awareness among his various descendants in recent days, he immediately began to re-examine the status of each of his 'children'.
Li Dalong remained within the Wu Clan's domain. With the attention from the Wu Clan Elders gradually diminishing, he had embarked upon a sixteen-year period of deep meditative cultivation.
Xu Cuihua continued to reside under the Fox Saint's protection; within the whole of the Fox Clan, those aware of her true identity could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
As for Li Yaozu...
[Descendant Update (Li Yaozu): Having received Your bestowed gift, the Rank 7 'Returning to Heaven Powder' which can restore inner vitality and expel foreign detrimental energies, and coupled with his prolonged cultivation within the Snowy Region under Fang Linglong's tutelage, Li Yaozu's injuries have now recovered by 20%.]
"The path of the sword cultivator has been trodden since time immemorial," Fang Linglong's voice echoed.
"Fundamentally, the sword is an instrument of both the noble gentleman and the deadly assassin. Cultivators, more often than not, hail from affluent lineages, and thus, the elegant 'gentleman's sword' style, with its visual grace, became highly favored. And so, as ages passed," she continued, "swords, for many cultivators, devolved into mere instruments of aerial travel. Thus, the sight of Foundation Establishment disciples zipping about on their flying swords became ever more prevalent."
"But in the true art of wielding a weapon," Fang Linglong emphasized, "what matters above all is sword intent, and even more so, the mastery of Rules. Your innate sword path, Yaozu, is that of the single, lethal strike. This 'Heavenly Star Sword' technique you practice – gods know from what dimwit you learned it – is all flourish and no substance, utterly impractical! It has only served to lead you astray from your true potential. The closer one adheres to fundamental simplicity, the more truly effective one's technique becomes...'"
Deep within their icy sanctuary, Fang Linglong lay upon a bed of glacial ice, where Li Yaozu had carefully placed her. From there, she patiently guided his cross-legged cultivation, bit by bit. This ancient being, whose years of practice were beyond reckoning, every utterance, every piece of advice she offered, proved profoundly enlightening for Li Yaozu.
Now, another Rule had coalesced around Li Yaozu's being.
[Descendant Update (Li Yaozu): After prolonged periods of insight and dedicated cultivation, your descendant Li Yaozu has successfully condensed a new Rule within his being: one 'Stone Sword'.]
As for Li Yaoqing, she continued to live under an assumed identity, diligently treading the alchemist's path and quietly accumulating considerable wealth.
Furthermore, Auraria City, her current abode, lay within the Auric Empire and benefited from the protection of formidable cultivators.
Open conflict was strictly forbidden within its walls; any transgression would invite a thorough investigation by the Imperial authorities. Thus, there was little chance of anyone daring to act 'without discretion' against her there.
As for Li Yaotie, his circumstances remained unchanged: still possessing little, still toiling at menial tasks. And Li Yaowen's movements remained as unpredictable as ever; for her, many years had passed as if they were but a single, unchanging day.
Li Wei continued to monitor his 'children,' one by one. Even the thirteen individuals within the Tian Xing Abode appeared to be maintaining a stable situation.
"And Kuanghua?" Li Wei mused. "She had her breakthrough to Nascent Soul not long past – that incredible Nine-Nine Tribulation... But no, that doesn't quite track with my current senses. After that event, Kuanghua, Qingyu, and Xinghuo once again adopted concealed identities, vanishing from sight."
As he muttered these thoughts, his awareness sharpened on their location.
He perceived a great mountain engulfed in a raging wildfire. And there, amidst a throng of displaced villagers fleeing from the surrounding settlements, Li Kuanghua, Qingyu, and Li Xinghuo were carefully hidden.
[System Notification: Your descendant Li Kuanghua has successfully defeated the cultivator ranked 25th on the Nascent Divinity List. She has now made a name for herself as 'The Extremist'.]
"So, she took on someone from the Nascent Divinity List," Li Wei mused. "A tad reckless perhaps, but at least she managed to keep her true identity concealed."
Beyond that, observing Li Kuanghua's fight with the ranked cultivator, Li Wei noted that, in truth, she too had sustained injuries of no small consequence.
She was, after all, newly ascended to the Nascent Soul realm. No matter how intrinsically powerful she might be, her reserves of ambient Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi were bound to be lacking when compared to her adversary, an established expert at the very pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage.
She wasn't like Li Yunlin; he, much like Li Dalong, drew the bulk of his combat strength from external artifacts rather than innate power.
Li Kuanghua, conversely, depended primarily on the formidable might of her 'Extreme Dao' physique.
Regarding Li Chang'an and Li Xingchen, the father-son pair...
[Descendant Update (Li Chang'an & Li Xingchen): After many years of fruitless exploration in the outer sea regions, the spirit vessel of their cultivator convoy was assaulted by Spirit Beasts. Separated from their companions during the ensuing chaos and subsequently hunted, they were unexpectedly saved by a band of pirates. To honor this debt of gratitude, they have now joined the ranks of the 'Horse Island Pirates'.]
[Trait Acquired (Li Chang'an & Li Xingchen): Pirates.]
[Trait Effect: Combat Effectiveness while at Sea +2%.]
...
Genuinely unable to pinpoint the precise nature of the current threat on his own, and acutely aware that time was of the essence, Li Wei wasted no further moment in opening the Ancestor Space.
Simultaneously, across the globe, the Spirit Tablets carried by his far-flung descendants began to glow in response.
Inside the Ancestor Space, the spiritual essences of his descendants convened. Following a period of deliberation, Li Yaowen spoke, her ethereal voice tinged with gravity, "Ancestor, Venerable Tian Xing continues his attempts to divine our locations. As things stand, it appears he either lacks a clear opportunity to strike, or, more hopefully, he is as yet unable to truly pinpoint our scattered positions."
"Or perhaps, it is some kind of feint on his part, intended to mislead us."
Li Changsheng was also present at this gathering.
He offered cautiously, "This child is of the opinion that all our elders, indeed all of us, should seek refuge together in the Snowy Region. It is a place where human tracks are seldom found, almost like the very edge of the world. Once this current crisis blows over, then we can... ahem, ahem."
Noticing all eyes upon him, Li Changsheng cleared his throat lightly, a touch embarrassed by his trailing off. His proposal, however, was sound, and the assembled Lis collectively resolved to heighten their vigilance regarding their immediate circumstances.
Then, Li Yaowen spoke up abruptly, a new thought dawning. "Ancestor," she said, "Is there any chance... when 'Tian Xing' mentioned the 'Li family members' and accused 'them' of 'underestimating him'... that he wasn't actually referring to us, the ones currently gathered here or known to be active?"
Hearing her words, the expressions on the faces of all the other Lis transformed.
Of course! That was it!
Over the two centuries of the Li family's rise, the 'Li Clan' had, in reality, expanded far beyond just those who shared their blood.
Throughout the Azure Cloud region, countless individuals proudly identified themselves as 'Li Family Affiliated.'
This included the many powers subordinate to them, allied clans of different surnames, the Azure Cloud Region Army, the Hall of Heavenly Principle, and more besides.
Those within Merit City, whose perception of time had been frozen by the Primal Blood Tree's power to the day before the catastrophe, they represented only a tiny fraction of this greater Li family network!
In the aftermath of the disaster, these numerous groups aligned with the Li Clan naturally became targets for the covetous ambitions of outside forces.
While it was true that many of Azure Cloud region's most powerful figures were staunch allies of the Lis, what of those who served beneath them? Could their loyalty be guaranteed? Consequently, many of these affiliated powers had chosen to conceal themselves, to go underground.
Separate from these, word had it that certain powerful individuals – some formerly associated with the Thunderfire Demon Cave, others perhaps from groups like 'Dawn' – had started to coalesce into new, independent factions. Their aims: to uncover the full truth behind the Li family's downfall and to dedicate their lives to exacting vengeance upon those responsible.
"Yunbing," Li Wei finally commanded, his voice like flint, "Investigate. But do so without compromising your current cover."
"Yes!" Hearing the Ancestor's command, Li Yunbing promptly affirmed his obedience.
---
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