Time passed quietly.
Li Wei remained in the Ancestor Space, cultivating and comprehending the insights he had gained from the great war.
[Year 465]
[In the Duravia Trade Prefecture, the faction led by the people of Azure Cloud and the Perennis Immortal Palace now stands as rivals to the major powers of the twelve Regions, led by the Aeternus Sect. The conflict between them grows by the day. In the Eternal Sun Prefecture under your family's jurisdiction, the great powers are engaged in ceaseless internal strife.]
[In this year of disaster and chaos, your family has given orders to shelter the common people and distribute food and clothing.]
This year, Li Xinnian was only three years old.
Fan Feixuan, the young mistress of the house, was holding Li Xinnian's hand as they walked through the snow. Unlike other children, Li Xinnian was not boisterous. Even on days of heavy snow, he wore only thin brocade robes, looking every bit the part of a young nobleman.
[Your descendant, Li Xinnian, often follows his grandfather, Li Chang'an, and has been unconsciously influenced by his mannerisms. Acquired Trait: Elegant.]
"Mother," he asked, "why is Grandfather Changsheng always on top of Grandfather Divine Tree?"
Pointing to the Old Tree two courtyards away, Li Xinnian asked, his face full of confusion, "It's so strange. When we visit other people's homes, their grandfathers aren't hanging on trees. Why isn't Grandfather Chang'an hanging on a tree?"
...
Fan Feixuan was speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer.
Since becoming a daughter-in-law of the family, she had gradually come to understand that they were anything but ordinary. But her cultivation level was too low, so she didn't know just how powerful the family members truly were, nor did she dare to ask.
On days when she wasn't looking after the child, she would go with her mother-in-law to help the farmers of Merit City plant spirit fields and raise spirit beasts, or they would go out together to provide disaster relief.
Seeing that his mother couldn't answer, Li Xinnian leaped into the air, jumping toward the Old Tree.
"Xinnian, you child!"
Fan Feixuan grew anxious seeing her child jumping about so recklessly.
Xinnian had been different from other children since birth; his cultivation was remarkably high. But he was too young to control his strength.
The last time he had jumped like this, he had broken several bones, terrifying the family.
The incident had even scared his Great-Grand-Aunt Yaoqing in the Imperial Capital so badly that she had rushed all the way home.
But as Li Xinnian leaped high into the air, a cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
Sure enough, the next moment, the Old Tree's roots quickly wrapped around him to break his fall.
Li Xinnian landed gently beside Li Changsheng. The small child looked at the peacefully sleeping figure and asked, "Grandfather Changsheng, why are you different from other people's grandfathers?"
The small, milky voice caused Li Changsheng to open his eyes.
He smiled toward Fan Feixuan in the distance. "Grandniece-in-law, let me look after the child today."
"Yes."
Seeing her child land safely on the tree, Fan Feixuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, she heard a leisurely voice from behind her.
"Good child, how about this? I heard you received a lot of gifts for your birthday this year. Why don't you bring them to your Grandfather Changsheng, and in return, he'll answer your question for you?"
A moment later.
A flash of red light flared from Li Changsheng's body, and Li Xinnian's storage ring vanished.
"Grandfather Changsheng has accepted your gifts," he said. "Now, come, let Grandfather Changsheng teach you how to be an honest and sincere person..."
...
[Li Family Year 468]
[Your family has used the Aeternus Sect's secret treasure, the 'Ethereal Immortal Grove,' to occupy the former site of the Green Lotus Sect in Eternal Sun Prefecture and establish a place of cultivation for your Demon Clan friends from the Northern Border.
Demon Emperor Mosquito Daoist, the Insect Immortal, and the Ghost Wolf Fairy are immensely grateful to your family.]
A Divinity Transformation expert among the Demon Clan was also known as a Demon Emperor.
That year, Li Dalong and Xu Cuihua came to congratulate their many friends from the Demon Clan. Li Yaoqing, who had returned from the Imperial Capital, was also present.
"Thank you, everyone from the Li family."
After the assembled demons had finished their celebration, Mosquito Daoist—a slender, middle-aged man with a long, narrow face who favored black robes—offered a cupped-fist salute to the three members of the Li family.
"If not for this spirit object, the 'Ethereal Immortal Grove,' who knows how long it would have taken us to establish a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land," he said.
"And without the help of young lady Yaoqing and her wood-element spiritual power, it would not have been completed so quickly."
"Don't mention it," Li Dalong replied with a wave of his hand. "You all took such good care of my wife when she was with the Demon Clan, and you aided our family in achieving a great victory. There is no need for such politeness."
After they had exchanged a few more pleasantries, Mosquito Daoist turned to Li Yaoqing.
"Young lady Yaoqing," he asked, "you hold a post in the Imperial Capital. I wonder if you have any news of my Fox Clan...?"
The expressions of all three Li family members turned grim.
After a moment, Li Dalong finally said, "Yaoqing knows little of this. But since my wife is the Saintess of the Fox Clan, I used some of my influence to get a general idea of their situation. In this age of great chaos... sigh."
As Li Dalong finished speaking, the expressions of all the demons present turned to sorrow.
With the Azure Dynasty in chaos, the Demon Clan of the Northern Border had also begun to grow restless and stir up trouble. But in the end, they were no match for Grand Tutor Lin Jiu.
As the Demon Clan's harassment became more frequent, the Grand Tutor decided to teach them a lesson, sending his adopted son to lead an army deep into their territory.
They rampaged through the demon lands before fighting their way out, throwing the entire Demon Clan into chaos.
The Fox Clan... had happened to be on the edge of the line of attack. When Li Xinghuo sent assassins from the Asura Army to investigate, they found the clan had been reduced to nothing but ruins.
No one knew what had become of the Fox Saint.
Xu Cuihua grieved over this for a month, but there was nothing she could do.
"Since my Master had us come here, he must have already planned for this," Xu Cuihua said, her gaze downcast.
"And since there has been no news of his fate, perhaps he has simply gone into hiding. Since his venerable self wished for us to find peace in the Azure Dynasty, we cannot go against his wishes. I will still find a way to get to the bottom of this."
"Alright."
Mosquito Daoist's expression was also somber. He could only say, "Saintess, please rest assured. Even if the Fox Saint has passed away, you will still be our master."
The members of the Li family then took their leave.
But they had only just returned home when a letter from the Azure Dynasty arrived.
Holding the order from the Azure Dynasty, Li Dalong went to the Ancestor Space and knelt before the Old Ancestor.
"Reporting to the Old Ancestor!" he proclaimed. "Dalong has a matter on which he is undecided!"
Li Wei awoke from his cultivation.
He was startled to see Li Dalong kneeling. In recent years, the children would come to pay their respects during holidays and festivals, treating him like a divine statue in the Ancestor Space.
He even recalled how that little brat, Li Tianyi, had used his spiritual power to burn incense and kowtow to him right in his presence...
But the children rarely had any matters to ask him about anymore.
After all, with the family's current strength, there were few major events that could trouble him.
Moreover, most of the children were in closed-door cultivation, still trying to absorb everything they had obtained from Tian Xing, to say nothing of the clan's other vast resources.
"What is it?" Li Wei asked.
"It's the Imperial Preceptor."
Li Dalong's expression was peculiar.
"The Wu Clan... they've invaded again," he said, "and now they are asking us... to send reinforcements."
---
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