Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Above the clouds, the rosy glow gradually faded, and the world returned to the tranquility of a newly born world.

Xiao Xiting's words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in Li Xiaoyao's heart that lingered for a long time.

The journey ahead is fraught with peril, fraught with obstacles, dead ends, and faint traces of predecessors and a way out.

Li Xiaoyao remained silent for a long time, gazing into the distance.

There, in the direction of what was once a defiled sanctuary, now lies a vast plain being soothed by the new spiritual energy.

Further away, the outline of Luoxia Market can be faintly seen, along with the survivors of the disaster, who are eagerly awaiting news.

He spoke slowly, with a calm and strength born of worldly experience, as if questioning Xiao Xiting, or perhaps questioning his own Dao heart:

"Senior Xiao, I have heard that the hardships of life are like a never-ending river. Although one may aspire to flow eastward to the sea, the journey is slow and arduous."

"Yet rivers will eventually flow into the sea, but the ambitions of human life are often difficult to realize, leaving people with lifelong regrets."

Xiao Xiting listened quietly without interrupting.

Li Xiaoyao's gaze became distant, as if piercing through the clouds before him and seeing his past life, a life of mediocrity yet filled with resentment.

I witnessed the perilous and precarious struggle that followed crossing this realm.

They witnessed the hardships their family endured, building their home from scratch amidst the chaos and turmoil.

They also witnessed the breathtaking scene of someone narrowly escaping death and attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion under the watchful eyes of Heaven.

"Most of my life has been spent drifting along, being pushed along by fate. For a living, for my family, for survival."

His tone gradually became firm, and a flame seemed to ignite in his eyes.

"But this time, Kong Zheng's ascension to the Purple Mansion through the [Imperial Cloud Heaven] was not only due to a series of coincidences, but also to the help of four seniors, the favor of the Heavenly Dao, and the accumulation of countless karmic connections..."

"But this might be the only opportunity in my life, Li Xiaoyao, to truly grasp the direction of my own path, and perhaps even to forge a new one!"

He turned to Xiao Xiting, his eyes clear and intense, without a trace of hesitation or doubt:

"I'm thinking, I must hold on to it tightly! Whether it's an opportunity or a shackle."

"The path of our predecessors is broken? Then I will continue it! The path of the rainbow is faint? Then I will widen it! Opening a new road is fraught with difficulties and dangers? When has my journey, Li Xiaoyao, ever been easy?"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a do-or-die courage:

"Therefore, no matter how difficult, dangerous, desolate, or shrouded in mist the road ahead may be, I will persevere on this path of 'emptiness' and continue along my [Imperial Cloud Heaven]!"

"Rivers may have twists and turns, but if their aim is to flow eastward, they will eventually reach the sea! My path should be the same!"

As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell over the clouds.

Only the gentle breeze of the new world brings the faint fragrance of grass and trees from afar.

Xiao Xiting stared at the newly promoted "Shangyuan Zhenren" before him.

Over the years, he has seen too many exceptionally talented cultivators, and even more who hesitated and retreated when faced with their choice of the path of cultivation, or whose Dao hearts collapsed.

Li Xiaoyao's talent may not be exceptional, but his temperament and decisiveness, and his courage to choose the most dangerous path even after clearly understanding the difficulties, earned him the admiration of Zifu Zhenren, who had seen many storms.

After a long while, a relieved and reassured smile slowly bloomed on Xiao Xiting's face, a smile that was more genuine and warm than ever before.

"Excellent! What a fine ambition, flowing eastward, destined to reach the sea!"

Xiao Xiting clapped his hands in praise, "Since Fellow Daoist Shangyuan's Dao heart is so firm and unwavering, then this old man will no longer utter any more discouraging words about regrets or retreat."

"With such ambition and such a mindset, Fellow Daoist, the Path of Rainbow Cloud Emptiness may very well shine brightly in your hands, and may even open up a new world!"

He stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes, glanced at the faint outline of the sky beyond, and his tone became more relaxed:

"With this matter settled, I have already lingered here for quite some time. I still have some trivial matters to attend to at home, and I also need to return to the Immortal Sect to report back. I will take my leave now."

Li Xiaoyao quickly rose to see him off: "This junior respectfully bids farewell to Senior Xiao! I will forever remember this kindness!"

Xiao Xiting waved his hand: "No need for formalities. We are already fellow cultivators of the same realm, and we may have opportunities to interact in the future."

As if remembering something, he added, "By the way, about the fact that this realm belongs to the Li family's jurisdiction."

"Although I have made this announcement on behalf of the Immortal Sect today, the formal documents, seals, detailed delineation of powers and responsibilities, and tribute quotas still need to go through the procedures in the relevant halls of the Immortal Sect."

"It will take anywhere from a few months to several years before a special envoy comes to Luoxia Realm to issue the Li family a formal certificate of autonomy for expanding their territory."

"Only then will the Luoxia Realm be truly recognized in terms of the laws and resources of the Immortal Sect, and completely belong to your 'Luoxia Li Clan'."

"This junior understands and awaits good news from the Immortal Sect."

Li Xiaoyao nodded.

"Before leaving," Xiao Xiting took out another warm, cyan jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Li Xiaoyao.

"Here you go. It's not some kind of cultivation technique or secret art; it's just a compilation from within the Immortal Sect, intended for newly ascended Purple Mansion Immortals like yourself, born in a newly advanced Lesser Thousand World."

"This 'Beginner's Guide to the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan in the New Dimension' serves as a guide, giving you a general understanding of what to do next and what you will encounter, so you don't take detours."

Li Xiaoyao solemnly accepted the jade slip, and after briefly probing it with his divine sense, he indeed felt that the information inside was complex, but the structure was clear.

He said gratefully, "Thank you so much for your generous gift, senior! This is truly a godsend for me and my family!"

"It was just a small favor."

Xiao Xiting smiled. "There's a lot of content inside, you can take your time to read it later. But there are a few key points that I can briefly point out to you."

He held up one finger: "The first type is a dimensional array."

"After a demiplane is promoted to a minor world, it will generate stable coordinate nodes in the endless void, and from then on it will truly 'take root' in the void, and will no longer be able to naturally hide in the void turbulence like a demiplane."

"This means it's easier for outsiders to detect and locate it, and it also means it needs protection."

"The manual contains brief information and acquisition methods for a set of the lowest grade four general-purpose 'Tai Xu Concealing Breath Protective Array'."

"This formation can help your Sunset Realm to conceal itself to a certain extent in the void, regulate the leakage of spiritual energy, and provide basic defensive and early warning functions."

"Moreover, such magic arrays can usually be enhanced in power by replacing the core materials and array base with higher-grade ones, growing with the world."

Li Xiaoyao nodded repeatedly, for this was a matter of paramount importance concerning world security.

"The second type is the secret realm."

Xiao Xiting extended his second finger.