Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 8 Seeking Instructions on Magic
After spending a few days on the mountain, and with the announcement from the fourth branch of the family, the Li family was now fully aware of Li Xiangming's return.

However, due to their personal relationship, apart from a few young people living nearby, no one visited Li Xiangming's courtyard.

Li Xiangming was happy to have some free time and focus on his cultivation, as the spiritual energy on Tailai Peak was much richer than where he lived in Green Cloud Cave.

Green Cloud Cave certainly has spiritual veins, but only true disciples can follow Green Cloud Fairy to cultivate in the inner cave. As for nominal disciples like Li Xiangming, they all live in the outer cave, where the spiritual energy is a level lower, and they have to figure out their cultivation entirely on their own.

Only because Li Xiangming came from a prestigious family and was influenced by his family from a young age, and with Li Qianhe filling in the gaps in his knowledge, was his cultivation not lagging behind.

The other disciples who were with him obviously did not have the necessary qualifications. Most of them remained at the early stage of Qi Refining. One disciple, for some unknown reason, joined the cave and was already in his sixties or seventies, but was still at the first level of Qi Refining. Fairy Green Cloud never cared about him.

Two days later, Li Xiangming had a comprehensive understanding of Danggui Mountain.

At this moment, Li Qianxiong finally returned and immediately summoned Li Xiangming to Changlin House.

Changlin House was where Li Qianxiong often worked. The house faced south, and upon entering, one could see a huge plaque with the four characters "Fu De Qian Kun" (meaning "Blessings and Virtue of Heaven and Earth").

Below that is a couplet: "Those of the same lineage repair the trees in the courtyard; with the same ambition, they build a magnificent forest."

Below the couplets are Li Qianxiong's own table and chairs, and on both sides are eight tea tables made of rosewood.

Li Qianxiong looked to be about forty years old. He had a two-finger-long light gold hair crown that tied his thick hair up high, with a few long strands of hair hanging down by his ears, adding to his carefree demeanor. He wore a loose-fitting blue and green robe and an emerald jade ring on his right hand, exuding an extraordinary elegance.

However, when combined with his burly physique and unkempt stubble, he appears quite comical.

It is said that Li Qianxiong's appearance has been ridiculed more than once, and he has even been given the nickname "Cook-Layman".

Li Xiangming dared not underestimate him. Putting aside Li Qianxiong's ability to become the family head, his intelligence and methods, just considering his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could kill him with a single slap.

Therefore, he bowed respectfully and said, "Xiangming greets the head of the family."

"It's been ten years since you've been back. Are you settling in well?"

"Of course I'm used to it at home."

Li Xiangming quickly replied that he didn't want to be sent abroad again.

"You'll get used to it. How's the Green Cloud Cave doing now?"

"It's not good. Our master went into seclusion the year before last, and when she came out, she was injured. In the past two years, the disciples in the cave have also had to reduce their activity range."

“When you mentioned it last time, I thought it was just a minor injury. I didn’t expect it to be two years later and still not fully healed. No wonder Green Cloud Cave hasn’t gotten involved in Pu County. It turns out they are willing but unable to do so.”

Li Qianxiong pondered for a moment, then continued to ask, "What is your master's attitude towards our Li family?"

"Yes, I have quite a few complaints."

"Isn't it more than that?"

Li Qianxiong gave a half-smile.

Li Xiangming lowered his head, not daring to continue. Green Cloud Fairy had more than just a lot of complaints.

It was downright swearing.

The Li family got involved with Green Cloud Cave back then because of business dealings.

As middlemen, the Li family sold the spiritual herbs cultivated by Green Cloud Cave within the Hengyue Sect circle and secured a good price for them.

In the past two years, the Li family has moved to Puxian County one after another. The Hengyue Sect circle naturally began to exclude the Li family, and the Li family had no time to develop new sales channels for the Green Cloud Cave. As a result, a large amount of the Green Cloud Cave's spiritual herbs were stockpiled.

Despite her advanced age, Fairy Green Cloud is actually quite naive about business. Furthermore, with the Li family's success in setting an example, Green Cloud Cave is unwilling to lower the price of its spiritual herbs, thus offending a group of distributors who were negotiating with Green Cloud Cave.

Life is going smoothly now.

Green Cloud Fairy couldn't help but complain, but business is a matter of mutual consent. When the Li family moved, she had voluntarily cut off countless trade routes, so how could she care about Green Cloud Cave?

Green Cloud Fairy searched for Li Qianxiong several times without success, so when she heard that Li Xiangming wanted to return to the Li family, she basically thought it was better to leave him alone and waved him away.

The Li family valued Green Cloud Cave in the past because they were in a period of post-war recovery and had to find ways to expand their allies and maintain their influence.

Now that the Li family has changed their base and moved to Shun'an Prefecture, while Green Cloud Cave is still in Zhangning Prefecture, it naturally no longer receives the Li family's favor. When Li Qianxiong heard about Green Cloud Fairy's anxiety, he just smiled and didn't take it to heart.

"Let's leave Green Cloud Cave aside for now. You should stay in Danggui Mountain and serve the family."

"As ordered."

Looking at the obedient Li Xiangming, Li Qianxiong nodded and said, "Go back and get some rest. You will be appointed in the next couple of days. Do a good job, and the family will not treat you unfairly."
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After leaving Changlin's quarters, Li Xiangming couldn't help but wonder what the family head would arrange for him to do; in any case, he couldn't be idle.

It's best not to arrange for him to hunt monsters; he's heard that his family has established a demon-slaying hall, and they work day and night.

As he was thinking, Li Xiangming suddenly stopped.

He could clearly see a figure loitering at his doorstep.

"Nineteenth Brother!"

A boy, about ten years old, ran over. "Xiangcheng? You were looking for me?"

Li Xiangming couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Li Xiangcheng was a son of the fourth wife and had visited him a few days ago, but since they weren't familiar with each other, the conversation ended hastily.

Seeing the main character in front of him, Li Xiangcheng was quite excited, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he hesitated.

So Li Xiangming patted him and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

The two entered the room, and Li Xiangming brewed tea without saying a word.

Li Xiangcheng was only fifteen years old, a restless age. He couldn't sit still and kept fidgeting, his worries written all over his face.

Finally, he couldn't help but call out, "Nineteenth Brother."

Li Xiangming chuckled and said, "What do you want to see me about? Tell me quickly."

Li Xiangcheng blushed and rubbed his hands together, saying, "I would like to ask Brother Nineteen to instruct me in a spell."

"Spells? Is Uncle Thirteen too busy?"

The thirteenth uncle refers to Li Chengsi, a member of the Cheng generation, who is usually responsible for guiding the cultivation of the younger generation of the fourth branch of the family.

"My thirteenth uncle specializes in fire magic, while I have a water-based spiritual root."

Li Xiangcheng lowered his head. "Moreover, my uncle opposes my practice of this magic."

"Oh?"

Now Li Xiangming was curious. What kind of magic could make Li Chengsi, who was at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining stage, oppose it?

"Is your spell water-based?"

"Yes."

Will it harm your health?

"No, it won't hurt."

"Show me what you've got."

"Is it right here?"

Li Xiangcheng was somewhat surprised, but at the same time, his pupils revealed excitement.

"Outside, of course."

Li Xiangming tapped him on the head, pretending to be angry, which startled Li Xiangcheng so much that he quickly ran into the yard.

The two stood apart, and Li Xiangcheng held his breath and concentrated his magical power.

Suddenly, a glint flashed in his eyes, his small face hardened, and with a shout, his arms became blurry, and the surrounding temperature dropped abruptly.

The sound of waves crashing against the rocks filled the air, and Li Xiangming seemed to see a roaring ocean rushing towards him.

"It's a wide-range attack spell."

Li Xiangming was shocked. How could Li Xiangcheng, with his cultivation level, possibly cast a spell of this scale?

With his keen observation, he quickly realized that these waves were illusions created by magic and were not real.

No, it's not fake, it's just in the second round!

Li Xiangming immediately abandoned his own speculation, raised his right hand, and personally sensed the details. Sure enough, as the first wave weakened slightly, the second wave of long-hidden giant waves came crashing in.

This is true magic!

However, Li Xiangcheng's magical power was too little. It was already difficult enough to create this amazing phenomenon, and the magical power he actually used for attacking was pitifully small. It was shattered by Li Xiangming's palm, and the entire spell lost its luster. Along with that, Li Xiangcheng let out an "Ah!" and was sent flying backward.

"broken."

Li Xiangming belatedly realized his mistake and regretted his actions. He took three steps as if they were two and caught up with his cousin.

"Xiangcheng, are you alright?"

Li Xiangcheng lay in Li Xiangming's arms, his head buzzing. It took him a while to come to his senses. He said resentfully, "Why did you attack me, Nineteenth Brother?"

Li Xiangming was embarrassed: "Now I know why Uncle Thirteen forbade you to practice this magic. I didn't treat you like a child when I saw you."

"So, Brother Nineteen also thinks my magic is powerful?"

Li Xiangcheng's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)