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Chapter 1202: Chapter 1070: Gifting
"Ancestor Rui, may I ask when you plan to hold the grand ceremony?" Upon learning of Li Zhirui’s return from seclusion, Li Taichang immediately came to visit and sought the opinion of the central figure.
To be honest, this was Li Taichang’s first time encountering Li Zhirui up close. Although this old ancestor had ignored family affairs for many years, if he were to step in and veto a clan leader, the clan members would undoubtedly stand behind him.
Thus, Li Taichang wanted to use this opportunity to gauge Li Zhirui’s attitude toward him.
"You all decide on a date and inform me in advance, that will suffice." Li Zhirui was unaware of how the family’s preparations were progressing and had no desire to inquire further. After all, when the time came, he only needed to make a brief appearance and share some trivial methods.
"Understood."
Li Taichang paused briefly, then took out a jade slip, saying, "Ancestor Rui, these are the strategies I intend to implement within the family going forward. I respectfully request your review."
Li Zhirui glanced at him, noticed his tense demeanor, and eventually took the slip. Without using his divine sense to examine it, he said, "No need to be so nervous. Since the many clan members have chosen you, it’s because they trust you to lead the family toward continued growth."
"In the future, there’s no need to show these plans to me. You all understand the various situations of the family best. But remember, nothing should be rushed; seek progress steadily."
The Li family had grown to this point, but there were already numerous issues within. Due to its relatively short lineage and the pursuit of rapid development, coupled with various suppressive measures, major problems had been avoided thus far.
"Of course, if you encounter issues you cannot resolve, you may come to me. As long as it benefits the growth of the family, I will offer my assistance." This was, in essence, a promise from Li Zhirui.
"Many thanks, Ancestor!" Li Taichang expressed his gratitude.
"Once we’ve decided on a date, we’ll inform you again."
Li Zhirui nodded. "A sound transmission talisman will suffice; there’s no need to come in person. You’ve got plenty to keep you occupied."
In truth, he simply preferred not to deal with visitors. Still, on the surface, he had to show respect to the clan leader.
"Understood!" Li Taichang acknowledged and turned to leave.
After deliberating with the elders, it was decided to hold the Mahayana Grand Ceremony in one year.
Meanwhile, the family had already prepared a considerable number of spiritual objects. However, certain more valuable ones were still in transit, and coupled with the invitations sent to various powers and other trivial matters, the timeline of one year was deemed fairly tight.
When Li Zhirui received the notification, he simply replied with a single acknowledgment and then continued his focused cultivation, occasionally answering the cultivation-related queries of Jiang Fengwu and others.
The family, on the other hand, began bustling with activity, preparing the venue while dispatching numerous clan members to invite nearby powers to attend.
Of course, the invitation itself came with a threshold—only Nascent Soul powers or higher were eligible to receive an invitation.
One year passed in the blink of an eye.
On this morning, the Li family opened the mountain gates, waiting for the powers to arrive.
The first arrivals were the Nascent Soul powers, each vying to be the earliest, lest they offend the Li family or Integration powers.
Special personnel were assigned to receive them and guide them to the ceremony grounds.
As they traversed the paths, exclamations of awe echoed among the crowd. The spirit mist was so pure and dense that simply breathing it in seemed to enhance the mana within.
Occasionally, various spirit beasts would come into view: Sixth Rank Clear Wind White Cranes and Sixth Rank Dragon-blooded Spiritual Beasts. Against the backdrop of the spirit mist, these added a layer of Dao Intent to Mount Wanxian.
Alongside the Great Tao, spiritual fields had been cultivated on both sides, growing a myriad of spiritual objects. The further up the path one went, the more precious the spiritual objects became, leaving visitors astonished and granting them a glimpse of treasures they had never seen before.
Before long, the group arrived at the grand ceremony’s expansive square, where cloudbeds floated in mid-air, with small tables set on them that displayed plates of Fifth Rank Spirit Fruits prepared for cultivators who arrived early.
"Just these Fifth Rank spiritual objects likely cost the Li family tens of thousands of spirit stones."
One cultivator sighed in amazement. Though they could also produce that many spirit stones, they would never squander them on objects with limited utility for cultivation.
"The Li family truly lives up to the name of a Mahayana family. Even after just ascending in rank, its distinction is already apparent."
"The spirit beasts bred by the Li family are quite powerful, especially those Dragon-blooded Spiritual Beasts. They might even possess higher-grade Dragon Beasts hidden away."
Others chimed in with their praises. As guests, they naturally aimed to flatter their hosts. Moreover, with the Li family as their sect master, no one dared utter anything inappropriate.
Though their words flattered, there was a genuine undertone of admiration and envy.
As time passed, more and more powers arrived at the ceremony square. The previously empty cloudbeds were soon occupied.
Although everyone kept their conversations to a low murmur, the sheer number of people made the square quite noisy.
Dong——
Once a crisp bell sounded across Mount Wanxian, the crowd fell silent.
A group of Integration cultivators from various families then walked to the forefront of the square.
"With Mahayana cultivators in the Li family, even those Integration powers with longer legacies now have to lower their heads."
"Shush! Do you have a death wish? How dare you say such things about Integration powers? That’s asking for trouble." A nearby cultivator admonished quickly, nervously glancing around to ensure no one overheard.
When the cloudbeds at the front were fully seated, Clan Leader Li Taichang announced the official commencement of the grand ceremony.
One by one, cultivators filed out, each carrying a pristine jade tray. Beneath red silk coverings lay rare and precious spiritual objects.
Based on their cultivation levels, the spiritual objects atop the jade trays corresponded to their ranks.
