The years slipped by like flowing water; another decade had passed.
[Li Family Year 250]
During the Great Ceremony of this year, Li Wei's awareness stirred once more [within the Ancestor Space].
The thirteen individuals within the Tian Xing Abode remained largely in the same predicament as before.
Li Yunlin, however, had managed to acquire two more spirit objects, further augmenting his strength.
The Seven Ironclads, too, had procured a substantial new supply of Wu bones.
"A breakthrough?!" Li Wei exclaimed, his attention caught by an update on the system panel regarding his descendants' progress.
A wave of sudden, intense joy washed over him.
It concerned Li Dalong – the one who had been in deep seclusion, cultivating amongst the Wu Clan!
Li Wei's perception focused. Within a secluded grotto deep in Wu Clan lands, Li Dalong was enveloped by a surging, boundless black Qi.
He expelled a long, slow breath of impure air, and the spiritual pressure emanating from him intensified dramatically.
"Old Ancestor," Dalong's voice, filled with elation, reached Li Wei through their connection, "This child... I've broken through!"
Li Dalong was unable to contain his joy. With every increase in his strength, he drew one step nearer to the day he could finally exact vengeance for their fallen clan member!
No sooner had Dalong's jubilant report concluded than, in the very next instant, Apostle Lei Dong of the Wu Clan and You Baiyin of the Ghost Clan came to offer congratulations.
Together, they performed a respectful salute towards Li Dalong.
"Brother Dalong," one of them exclaimed, "you've achieved your breakthrough! This calls for hearty congratulations indeed!"
"Hahaha! My sincere thanks to you both, my friends!" Li Dalong boomed with laughter.
Observing Li Dalong conversing so easily, sharing laughter with these two companions, a warm, gratified smile touched Li Wei's lips.
Throughout his long years within the Wu Clan, Li Dalong had meticulously concealed his true abilities, even enduring the imposition of those nine wives.
That he had managed to maintain such a tranquil existence and continue his cultivation so steadily was, in no small part, due to the genuine friendship and support of Lei Dong and You Baiyin.
[Progress Update (Li Dalong): After extensive cultivation, your descendant Li Dalong can now gradually control his innate power. While he is unable to utilize the Heaven-Piercing Coffin's formation to integrate the 'Four Symbols Array Technique', by harnessing the potent Death Qi from the vast number of corpses dispatched to him on two occasions by Li Yunbing, combined with the souls he has gathered and the might of his current Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he has managed to recover approximately half of his peak strength from his prime!]
"Excellent, excellent!" Li Wei thought, thoroughly pleased. "He has finally moved beyond his dependence on the Heaven-Piercing Coffin."
[Technique Development (Li Dalong): By building upon the principles of the 'Four Symbols Array Technique', he has successfully developed a unique personal technique – the Profound grade Technique of the 'Myriad Souls Path'.
Core Concept: It involves integrating ten thousand souls into his own essence, using these myriad spirits as the technique's core foundation.]
Li Wei had witnessed this Technique of the 'Myriad Souls Path' in action.
While the concept of integrating ten thousand spirits and, similar to the original 'Four Symbols Array Technique,' borrowing the forms of other souls or reanimated corpses was impressive, it was, in truth, a severely limited version, not possessing even a hundredth of the Heaven-Piercing Coffin's true potential.
Still, considering Li Dalong had developed it entirely through his own insight, it was a remarkable accomplishment nonetheless.
His attention then turned to his other descendants.
Li Yaozu's wounds were now 70% healed.
Li Yaotie was making progress, his various professional skills starting to level up.
Li Yaoqing, for her part, continued her dedicated alchemy.
Just as Li Wei was about to immerse himself once more in secluded cultivation, his expression abruptly changed!
[System Alert: Special Event – Ye Xiu's Breakthrough!]
[Details: Your clan's ally, Ye Xiu – a master on the Nascent Divinity List whose Nascent Soul has remained projected from his physical form for numerous years – has, after receiving insightful guidance from General Wang Jinhu and Daoist Shanchen within the Imperial Capital, experienced a sudden epiphany.
He has now reached the absolute threshold for ascension to the Divinity Transformation realm and can no longer contain the onset of his Heavenly Tribulation!]
Concurrently with this alert, Li Kuanghua's own face paled dramatically.
Her spiritual form materialized within the Ancestor Space, and she addressed Li Wei with unconcealed urgency, "Ancestor, what is to be done? Master is currently within the Imperial Capital! For his ascension to Divinity Transformation, he must find a desolate, unpopulated area. But he won't be able to suppress the aura of his tribulation – Venerable Tian Xing will surely detect him! He'll be exposed!"
And indeed, at that precise instant, deep within the Imperial Capital, avatar after avatar belonging to Venerable Tian Xing snapped open their eyes.
The Divinity Transformation avatar of Venerable Tian Xing – the very one who had sped here from Eternal Sun Prefecture two decades prior – was, to their horror, still present within the Capital's bounds!
One of Tian Xing's avatars within the Imperial Capital grinned with savage delight. "Found you at last," he hissed, "you skulking little rat!"
Meanwhile, in Eternal Sun Prefecture, at the Lin Family Estate on Qilin Mountain, Lin Wudao was in the midst of leisurely sipping his tea when, abruptly, a keen light sparked in his eyes.
He cast an appreciative, almost connoisseur-like gaze towards his collection of 'caged birds' in the courtyard.
"Ye Xiu, you say?" he murmured, a slow smile spreading. "A rather capable individual, that one. So, he's been concealing his true strength all along, has he? It would appear his placement on the Nascent Divinity List was somewhat... misleading. Tsk, tsk,"
Lin Wudao mused, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Looks like I've stumbled upon another rather exquisite addition for my collection."
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