Family Management Game In Immortal Continent

Chapter 1147: Chapter 1141: Preparing To Rebel

“Preparing to rebel?”

Li Wei waved his hand, dismissing Li Xinghuo to go speak with his sons, Li Xinri and Li Xinjue, hoping to thaw the nearly frozen relationship between the estranged father and his children.

Watching Li Xinghuo stand before the two brothers with a towering, majestic demeanor, Li Wei’s brows furrowed deeply.

Li Xinghuo had relayed many troubling details about the Northern Frontier to him.

The Grand Tutor had indeed been acting increasingly erratic lately.

Back when Demon Emperor Xuweng first manifested in the Northern Frontier, the Demon Race and the Wu Tribe had forged a deadly alliance.

Exploiting a moment when the Wu Tribe had brutally breached the Western Frontier, Demon Emperor Xuweng launched a massive, coordinated invasion into the Northern Frontier.

It was the perfect opportunity to marshal the entire might of the Demon Race to crush the North, especially with a second Demon Emperor abruptly joining the fray.

Faced with such apocalyptic odds, Lin Jiu had frantically requested reinforcements from the Dynasty, only for the Imperial experts to repeatedly drag their feet with hollow excuses.

The Dynasty had blatantly adopted a posture of sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight, hoping the Grand Tutor and the two Demon Emperors would bleed each other dry so the Imperial Family could swoop in to reap the spoils.

Yet, defying all expectations, from that day onward, it was the Demon Race that steadily retreated, while the Grand Tutor launched a relentless counteroffensive.

Li Xinghuo still didn’t know the full truth of what had transpired during that bloody period, but the Dynasty’s cowardly inaction had sown deep seeds of resentment across all major factions in the Northern Frontier.

Even if the Grand Tutor remained fiercely loyal to the throne, how could he possibly suppress the mounting fury of countless experts who were growing increasingly disillusioned with the Dynasty?

The only reason they hadn’t shown their hand yet was because the Northern Frontier still bore the crushing, suffocating pressure of the Demon Race.

Perhaps all it would take was a single misstep for both sides to completely shatter the fragile peace.

“Motherfuckers, you Imperial dogs are truly despicable.”

Li Wei raised a brazen middle finger in the general direction of the Imperial Capital.

However, after retracting his hand, Li Wei raised his eyebrows with a slight, helpless sigh.

In truth, looking at the bigger picture, the Dynasty couldn’t shoulder all the blame.

Every single one of the Dynasty’s Crown Princes was utterly useless.

Never mind Crown Prince Sheng—as for Crown Prince Fei Heng, the clan had painstakingly nurtured the boy for three hundred years, only for him to idiotically entangle himself with Min Tiange and throw his future away.

“Let it burn to the ground, then; it’s completely out of our control.” Li Wei shrugged dismissively.

He shifted his gaze toward the towering iceberg, where his descendants were busily hauling plundered treasures in every direction, and a warm trace of gratification flashed through his eyes.

Indeed, who gave a damn what happened to the Dynasty? The Li Clan had long since grown accustomed to thriving and expanding in the face of absolute adversity.

Among the thousands of battle-hardened descendants who had just returned from the Auric Empire, three exceptional talents in the Divinity Transformation realm had managed to catch Li Wei’s discerning eye.

[Li Xinfeng, the fifth son of Li Xinghuo, age two hundred and thirty-eight.]

[Blessed with a dual-element Spiritual Root, he was sent from the harsh Northern Frontier to the clan at a young age.

Receiving vigorous, focused nurturing in the Azure Cloud Prefecture over the decades, and after consuming the clan’s Primal Blood Fruit, Qilin Blood, Dragon Blood, and Myriad Dharmas Spiritual Spring…

He survived the brutal wars against the Wu Tribe in the Auric Empire, seized rare treasures, and forcefully broke through to the fourth-tier Divinity Transformation realm.]

…

[Li Zhige, son of Li Xinghuo’s fourth daughter Li Xinyu, age two hundred and forty-two.]

[Born to a father who married into the family, he spent years hunting beasts in the perilous Northern Frontier. Catching the appreciative eye of Li Zhijing, he was brought back to the main clan for proper cultivation.

After consuming the Primal Blood Fruit and Qilin Blood… he pushed his limits and broke through to the third-tier Divinity Transformation realm amidst the slaughter of the Auric Empire.]

…

[Li Jianping, granddaughter of Li Xinjue, age one hundred and seventy-two.]

[Transferred from Silver Moon City to the main clan for cultivation… Her extraordinary, explosive physical strength earned the profound appreciation of Daoist Mosquito of the Ephemeral Grotto-Heaven in the Azure Cloud Prefecture.

Gifted a drop of precious heartblood, she awakened an innate “Blood-Drinking” physique and spectacularly shattered her bottlenecks to reach the fifth-tier Divinity Transformation realm in the Auric Empire.]

…

Standing among these elites were countless other battle-tested clansmen in the Nascent Soul and Golden Core realms.

At this very moment, they were happily reuniting with their elders, passionately recounting the grueling hardships they had endured while operating deep behind Wu Tribe lines over the years.

However, seeing so many of the aged, graying clansmen huddled among them—wrapped in thick furs and breathing out white plumes of frost to stave off the iceberg’s biting chill—Li Wei couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh.

These children had also marched boldly into the Northern Frontier.

In their youth, they had harbored immense, boundless confidence. Yet, after struggling bitterly through decades of blood and frost, they still couldn’t escape the tragic fate of their mediocre aptitudes, failing to even cross the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

For some children, even repeatedly consuming precious medicinal pills designed to enhance Spiritual Roots couldn’t force a heaven-defying change.

Moreover, with the clan’s massive population now swelling to nearly ten thousand, it was mathematically impossible to provide top-tier pills for every single mouth.

After all, even if they strip-mined the entire Azure Cloud Prefecture, the resources simply wouldn’t be enough to defy heaven and alter the destinies of so many people.

To the clan’s current standards, merely being born with a functional Spiritual Root was already considered a blessing.

Breaking through to Foundation Establishment remained an insurmountable chasm for the vast majority of ordinary cultivators.

And stepping into the Golden Core realm demanded not just massive stockpiles of resources, but an abundance of sheer, heaven-sent providence.

Not everyone could be a freak like Li Jianning, who had somehow clawed his way to his current realm despite being burdened with a chaotic five-element mixed Spiritual Root.

“Old Ancestor, Father… Father is dying!”

Cutting through the howling blizzard, Li Jianning and Li Jianshu sprinted frantically toward Li Wei, panic written all over their faces.

Li Wei’s expression drastically changed.

Aboard the Spirit Ship.

Behind them loomed the massive Qiu Clan Immortal Mountain.

Transformed into a colossal ice sculpture, the mountain was set against a stunning backdrop of snow drifting across thousands of miles.

Below, the Northern Frontier’s unique leafless silver needle trees stood solitary in the frozen wastes, painting a scene of haunting beauty.

Snowflakes drifted gently onto the Spirit Ship, the biting wind tossing the hair of the Li Clan members.

It wasn’t that the vessel lacked a formation to block the weather; rather, a young clansman had remarked that the biting wind and snow made him truly feel the scenery of his continued existence in this mortal world.

Upon the freezing deck lay dozens of clansmen who had fallen in battle.

Their bloodstained clothes had been neatly arranged, their battle-ravaged bodies carefully mended by Spiritual power.

They lay in absolute peace.

They still gripped their artifacts tightly in their hands, looking as though they were merely resting before hurrying off to another great battle.

Hundreds of survivors leaned heavily against the ship’s rails; most were wounded and had only just been healed.

Among them, a remaining dozen or so were truly old and withered.

Li Yuanwu was one of them.

This man, who had spent years practicing martial arts in the ancient tower of the Immortal Martial Cave Heaven, was now in his twilight hours, every breath an agonizing struggle.

The surrounding clansmen sat silently cross-legged in front of him.

Li Jianshu and Li Jianning quietly explained that their father hadn’t even needed to fight in this battle, yet he had still burned away his final embers of vitality defending a certain city.

The Martial Emperor leaned against the bulkhead nearby, occasionally casting stolen glances at Li Yuanwu.

A profound trace of guilt flashed through his eyes—so much so that he soon lacked the courage to even look at the dying man.

Weakly, Li Yuanwu waved a trembling hand toward Li Jianshu.

Li Jianshu’s eyes were bloodshot. For the first time in his life, his movements were agonizingly slow. He didn’t dare make a sound with his footsteps, terrified of disturbing the old man’s peaceful enjoyment of the wind and snow.

Slowly squatting beside Li Yuanwu, he softly choked out, “Father.”

“Shu’er.”

Li Yuanwu exhaled a ragged breath.

Gazing at the drifting snow descending from the cloudy sky, his fading vision could somehow still trace the intricate structure of the flakes.

Every single snowflake bore a different shape, much like these descendants of his who shared his blood but walked entirely different paths. A faint smile graced his lips:

“You have always been resolute and vigorous, unable to tolerate even a single grain of sand in your eyes.

You act straightforwardly and follow your heart’s inclinations. My greatest fear is that your temper will cause you to suffer deeply.

Within the Azure Cloud Prefecture, it’s fine; everyone is our own people, and your transparent nature actually puts them at ease. But out in the wider world, no one cares what you actually think.”

“The matters of this world are rarely black and white. And Senior Martial Emperor’s martial arts might not necessarily be the one true Martial Dao.”

Li Yuanwu’s half-joking words couldn’t coax even a hint of a smile onto Li Jianshu’s face; the son only felt his father’s weak grip tighten affectionately around his hand.

Seeing Li Jianshu’s grief-stricken expression, Li Yuanwu gently shook his head and waved toward Li Jianning.

The moment Li Jianning dropped to his father’s side, his face was already drenched in tears.

Li Yuanwu sighed softly. “Ning’er, you have always been far too passive. You eagerly believe whatever others say. The world is full of demons and monsters; you must keep your wits about you in the future.”

With that, Li Yuanwu tightly clasped the hands of his two sons.

He exhaled another long breath of frosty air.

Staring at a break of bright light in the cloudy sky, he suddenly felt the dissipated vitality within his body mysteriously surging back.

His aged, pallid face became increasingly flush and radiant.

“In the future, whatever you two brothers do, you must consult one another more.

With your completely opposing temperaments, seeking each other’s counsel will provide you with many more choices in life.”

“Yuanshang.” Li Yuanwu waved his hand again.

Li Yuanshang hurriedly stumbled over.

The heavyset man desperately grasped his elder brother’s hands.

Though they were brothers, Li Yuanshang was soft, round, and plump.

He frantically transmitted Spiritual power into Li Yuanwu’s wrists, but all his senses fed back was the utter devastation of his brother’s meridians and physical vessel.

A pain like a twisting knife violently pierced Li Yuanshang’s heart.

“Brother, I have medicinal pills—top-tier, life-extending medicinal pills!”

Li Yuanwu simply shook his head without answering the offer.

“When we were young, you ran off to the Imperial Capital. You’ve been enamored with wealth since you were just a child.”

Li Yuanshang hung his head in deep shame.

“Brother, I’m so sorry to you, and I’m sorry to Father. The dazzling prosperity of the Imperial Capital blinded me, and for a long time, I completely forgot about our home.”

Li Yuanwu, however, shifted his gaze up to his father, Li Zhiheng.

“My brother was never unfilial. I know his true heart. Back then, the clan was devastatingly poor.

The Old Ancestor desperately needed heavenly materials and earthly treasures; he needed massive amounts of Spirit Stones to acquire illusory souls to exchange for the Dao Profound Spiritual Method.

At that time, we were truly so impoverished we could barely keep ourselves fed.

I was isolated on the mountain, and my brother was stuck at home; we were completely cut off from any cultivation resources.”

“From then on, he tried absolutely every possible means to funnel heavenly materials and earthly treasures to me.

The mountain where I cultivated was dangerously high, prowled by fierce beasts.

This foolish kid would ride a horse until it died of exhaustion, and then he would climb the rest of the mountain on his own two feet.

He nearly worked himself to death; that was the thinnest he had ever been in his entire life.

After delivering supplies for a few years, he couldn’t bear the poverty anymore and set off for the Imperial Capital. He told me to leave everything regarding money to him.”

“Father, please don’t blame him. After he established himself in the Imperial Capital, we never lacked for Spirit Stones ever again.”

“Brother!” Li Yuanshang sobbed, violently hugging Li Yuanwu’s arm as if he could physically anchor his soul to the mortal world.

Gazing down at his dying son, Li Zhiheng’s eyes were dull and glazed over, but his Heavenly Dao heart was beating frantically.

Deep within his Spirit Soul, thousands of desperate words fought to squeeze out of his throat, but in the end, all he managed to choke out was, “Swallow the medicinal pill. We’re going home.”

Possession—there is still body possession!

Li Zhiheng constantly repeated these words like a mantra in his heart.

But seeing the desperate facade his father struggled to maintain, Li Yuanwu couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

Then, he smiled bitterly. “Father, please… let me leave in peace. Ultimately, fate is out of one’s hands. Even if my life is forcibly extended, this ruined body cannot be saved.”

“His meridians…” Li Yuanshang murmured, his face deathly pale.

“They are completely scattered.”

In his Spiritual vision, the meridians across Li Yuanwu’s entire body had violently shifted, digging into his vital acupoints.

Years of forcibly emulating the laws of all things in heaven and earth had caused his meridians to twist and tangle into grotesque, agonizing shapes.

Seeing this horrifying condition left Li Yuanshang with a blank, horrified stare.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine the sheer, unadulterated agony his eldest brother had silently endured throughout his years of martial cultivation.

He had already pushed far past the absolute limit of a mortal.

The end of that limit wasn’t a breakthrough; it was an impassable wall of infinite torment.

Yet, against all odds, Li Yuanwu’s face remained full of serene ease.

It seemed he had long grown accustomed to the agony—or perhaps, he was simply accustomed to hiding it from the people he loved.

He was incredibly stubborn, blindly pursuing a single, insurmountable goal his entire life…

In other words, if he were forced to take life-extending pills, he would only be tethered to this torturous agony, blindly pursuing the illusory Martial Dao with a near-certainty of never breaking through that wall.

Even if he miraculously seized another body through possession, given his obsessive temperament, he would inevitably ruin it the exact same way…

A biting gust of wind swept across the deck of the Spirit Ship.

Everyone watched the dying Li Yuanwu in suffocating silence.

Extend his life, and then what? It would yield nothing but endless pain.

Suddenly, his vitality violently surged.

Li Yuanwu slowly pushed himself to his feet. Seeing the Old Ancestor stepping forward, he calmly walked to his side.

“Old Ancestor, I wish to be freed. Please, do not blame Senior Martial Emperor.

The days I spent pursuing the Martial Dao were the happiest days of my long journey. But in my obsession, I forgot that I still had a family waiting for me.”

Moved by Li Yuanwu’s plea, Li Wei cast his gaze toward the many mediocre, elderly clansmen leaning against the railings in the distance.

Li Yuanwu softly continued, “My aptitude was always mediocre. Just like them, we are all your children. I beg that you and every elder continue to treat us ordinary ones kindly.”

The wind and snow swirled chaotically across the Spirit Ship.

Li Yuanwu’s eyes suddenly shone with a blinding brilliance, looking exactly as if he had returned to the peak of his youth.

Channeling the absolute great completion of his Martial Dao, he fluidly executed his forms; his final punches and palm strikes generated roaring gales across the deck.

In that fleeting, beautiful moment, he seemed to have traveled back in time—a young man joyfully practicing martial arts in the wild mountains and sparring with the demonic beasts of the Ephemeral Grotto-Heaven.

Forever strong. Never growing old.

—

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