The days passed, one by one.
[Year 470]
[Your descendant, Li Yunbing, has obtained the official post of Prefecture Lord of the Duravia Trade Prefecture. He has received a boon from Heaven and Earth and has broken through to the early-stage Divinity Transformation realm!]
[Received a treasure bestowed by Heaven: the Low-Grade Dharma Treasure 'Divine-Mechanism Crossbow.' It can store spiritual power by absorbing Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi. It can hold either one bolt containing a full-power strike from a peak Divinity Transformation expert, or ten bolts containing a full-power strike from a mid-stage expert.]
[Obtained an official-post technique: Sight-Inch Step. You can instantly arrive at any location within your line of sight. The farther the distance, the greater the spiritual power consumed.]
The Li family had another Prefecture Lord in its ranks.
When Li Wei awoke from his cultivation, he was immensely gratified.
The Li family had yet another Divinity Transformation expert.
Watching as Li Yunbing received his official seal and was subsequently blessed with a heavenly anointing, he thought it was no wonder so many people wanted to become officials.
It truly was a meteoric rise.
However, Li Yunbing's post was not a hereditary one. If the Human Emperor were to issue a decree, the spiritual power he had gained would be reclaimed.
Soon after.
After obtaining the spiritual power of an early-stage Divinity Transformation expert, Li Yunbing went to the Duravia Trade Prefecture to assume his new post. He established the Prefecture Lord's mansion right beside the Perennis Immortal Palace.
"How has this place become a great city?"
Li Wei hadn't visited the Perennis Immortal Palace in several years, and seeing its current state, he couldn't help but be stunned.
He saw that on the shores of what had originally been the Perennis Immortal Palace's Sea of Red Spider Lilies, layers of spiritual formations had now been erected. Numerous cultivators on flying swords soared over the city walls. Within the city stood many magnificent jade pavilions, upon which the emblems of various sects were visible.
Li Wei opened Li Yunlin's information panel and finally understood why.
[Your descendant, Li Yunlin, led the disciples of the Skyveil Sect to establish a foothold in the Duravia Trade Prefecture. For many years, he was suppressed by the great clans of the prefecture, making progress extremely difficult.
He had no choice but to build a city at the Perennis Immortal Palace, gathering the strength of the major sects to contend with the great clans of the Duravia Trade Prefecture.]
[Led by the Perennis Immortal Palace, the Perennis Immortal City was established, with numerous powers agreeing to advance and retreat as one.]
[Your descendant, Li Yunlin, has obtained a new identity: Vice City Lord of the Immortal City.]
[To a certain extent, he can now command the major sect-based powers of the Duravia Trade Prefecture.]
"So that's how it is."
Walking into the Immortal City, Li Wei finally understood that in just five short years, the situation in the Duravia Trade Prefecture had changed repeatedly.
Originally, the clan factions of the Duravia Trade Prefecture had been powerful. But after Li Yunbing's arrival, he and Grand Elder Puci had begun a clandestine struggle for influence.
That Grand Elder Puci was an old fox indeed; Li Yunbing, the former hegemon of Azure Cloud, had surprisingly been unable to gain any real advantage over him.
Within the Duravia Trade Prefecture, the Li family's younger generation had gradually formed a small faction. Li Yunlin, Li Yunbing, Li Kuanghua, and the Three Thieves were active in the prefecture all year round.
A few days later, Li Wei saw the six of them gathered together, discussing matters of the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
"Big Brother," Li Yunbing said, "if you see Fairy Hongxiu, tell her to have a word with the disciples of the major sects. Have her pressure them to recruit new disciples from within the spheres of influence of the great clans. That way, they can compete for the clans' resources, and it wouldn't hurt to cause some trouble for the great clans in the process."
Li Yunbing's brow was furrowed. Back in Azure Cloud, everyone had followed his lead, but here in the Duravia Trade Prefecture, he found himself unable to make any progress.
Li Yunlin smiled faintly. "As it happens, I am meeting with Fairy Hongxiu today to discuss the Dao. I will mention it to her then."
"Hmm?"
Li Yunlin's faint smile earned him a peculiar look from Li Yunbing.
Seeing his cousin's curious expression, Li Yunlin couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Li Yunbing's eyes widened. "Big Brother, you've gotten so much more cheerful recently. I remember in the past, all you ever thought about was cultivating, wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao. You always had such a stern look on your face; the juniors used to say you were a block of wood."
"Did I?" Li Yunlin turned to look at the other juniors in the hall.
The Three Thieves and Li Kuanghua all stared at him and nodded vigorously in unison. "You did!"
"Then it must be that my cultivation has progressed," Li Yunlin said with a shrug and walked out of the room, his face wreathed in smiles.
Seeing his big brother's pleased and cheerful expression, Li Yunbing couldn't quite understand it, but he didn't pry.
In truth, his big brother had always looked after him. But after he left the family for the Skyveil Sect, his life of misfortune began, and he had become especially taciturn after Old Pig's death. To see him smiling like this now also filled Li Yunbing with immense joy.
"He only smiles when Fairy Hongxiu is mentioned, hmm?" Li Yunbing's mind was sharp. Seeing Li Kuanghua's smug grin, he instantly understood.
He gave her a light cough and asked, "So, how far has it progressed?"
"Huh?" Li Kuanghua feigned ignorance for a moment before catching on. She broke into a grin.
"Second Grand-uncle, it's getting there! You know how First Grand-uncle has always been so taciturn. Just look at him now—he's even starting to smile without realizing it."
"But as you know," she added, "it's perfectly normal for some people to be a little slow on the uptake."
"First Grand-uncle is slow?" Li Tianyi, who was standing to the side, was taken aback.
"Has First Grand-uncle encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation? Maybe I should ask a few of the seniors to give him some guidance."
"..."
Li Yunbing and Li Kuanghua both rolled their eyes. Seeing the clueless looks on the faces of the three brothers, they didn't bother to say anything more. They were a lost cause anyway.