Family Management Game In Immortal Continent Chapter 769: Ancestral Possession
Previously on Family Management Game In Immortal Continent...
Regarding the latest generation of descendants, Li Wei couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for Li Xinjue; the boy’s luck was truly abysmal. After reflecting on this, he moved on to inspect the rest of the children.
The "Jian" generation had already entered the world, and these youngsters were currently maturing in safety and health.
Li Wei paused to think for a moment before navigating to the Family Skills menu, specifically hovering over the Spirit Tablet skill. Ever since he gained the power to personally descend into the game world, this particular ability had felt increasingly redundant. However, as the clan expanded and his own cultivation reached the Void Refining realm, the skill had evolved.
[Do you wish to expend 5000 points of Family Will to advance this skill to the Void Refining realm, evolving it into—]
[Ancestral Possession]
[Spend 2 points of Family Will to create a Golden Core realm "Ancestral Spirit Tablet." Grant it to a clansman to manifest an Ancestral Spirit, providing the user with one hour of Golden Core spiritual power.]
[Spend 20 points of Family Will to create a Nascent Soul realm "Ancestral Spirit Tablet," granting one hour of Nascent Soul spiritual power.]
[Spend 200 points of Family Will to create a Divinity Transformation realm "Ancestral Spirit Tablet," allowing one hour of Divinity Transformation spiritual power.]
[Spend 5000 points of Family Will to create a Void Refining realm...]
"What an incredible ability!" Li Wei’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
While this power wasn't as effective as him stepping onto the battlefield himself, the clan had grown so large that he couldn't possibly shadow every single child every second of the day.
His brow twitched, however, when he noticed the steep Family Will cost required for the Void Refining version. The price was staggering. Furthermore, battles at the Void Refining level were never simple affairs. Ultimately, Li Wei accepted the cost; it was a necessary investment for the protection of his bloodline.
[You have spent 5000 points of Family Will to evolve the skill into—Ancestral Possession]
[Spent 2000 points of Family Will to forge 10 Divinity Transformation Spirit Tablets.]
[Spent 2000 points of Family Will to forge 100 Golden Core and Nascent Soul Spirit Tablets.]
[Distributing the items to the descendants' spirit tablets...]
"With this protection, the children will be much safer from now on."
Wearing a faint smile, Li Wei kept an eye on the game interface while traveling toward a neighboring planet. During his downtime, he checked his Star Domain communication wristband for updates on Earth. He knew that if a massive conflict erupted within the Star Domain, his current location would no longer be secure.
...
"Is it true? By reciting the spiritual incantation, can we actually summon the Old Ancestor to possess us and shield us with his spiritual power?"
At that moment, the spirit tablets worn by every Li family descendant began to glow with a soft light, sparking waves of joy among the clansmen.
As the family’s numbers grew across successive generations, these spirit tablets gifted by the Old Ancestor had become their ultimate insurance policy for survival.
In a hidden chamber within the Li family estate in Silvermoon City, Li Xinjue sat with a dignified air at the head of the room. Six individuals, ranging from young boys to teenagers, stood before him.
During his time in Northguard City, his maternal relatives had arranged many marriages for him, resulting in a sprawling lineage of children and grandchildren.
The six descendants present looked stunned, their hands instinctively reaching for the spirit tablets hanging from their waists. Seeing their shocked expressions, Li Xinjue immediately understood that they had all received the Old Ancestor's blessing.
Li Xinjue spoke with a heavy, serious tone, "Since you were small, I have told you that our Li clan’s Old Ancestor possesses limitless power. His Venerable Self watches over us constantly.
Now that the Old Ancestor has granted this technique, you should finally grasp the true extent of his world-shaking might."
The descendants of the Silvermoon branch nodded fervently. Most were merely at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages. Throughout their lives, the Old Ancestor was a figure of myth and legend. They had only a vague understanding of the Main Family and were largely ignorant of the Li clan’s true depth. But now, for the first time, they felt the tangible power of their lineage and their forefather!
This spirit tablet held Golden Core level spiritual power, allowing them to host the Old Ancestor’s essence. In all of Silvermoon City, there were only four Golden Core cultivators in total!
"Father, what kind of place is the Main Family? And the Old Ancestor..."
"Hmph!"
Li Xinjue’s heart raced at the question; the truth was, he didn't actually know the full details of the Azure Cloud Main Family either. He quickly adopted a haughty tone, saying, "Do not pry into matters beyond your station. If you focus on your cultivation and earn the respect of the elders in the Main Family’s Ancestral Hall, you will eventually return to the Main Family and be granted an audience with the Old Ancestor."
His voice softened slightly as he continued.
"These spirit tablets are not to be used frivolously. This is our most guarded secret, the foundation of our branch’s status in Silvermoon City, and our final card to play. You must never let your personal cultivation slip just because you have this backup."
"Understood!"
The descendants nodded with solemn faces, feeling as though their futures had never looked more promising.
...
At the Li Branch Family in the Imperial Capital.
Li Yuanshang, the youngest grandson of Li Xinnian, was a man with a penchant for expensive, gold-trimmed robes. His frame was quite stout, which explained why he had pursued the path of a merchant since his youth. Despite his weight, he possessed features that suggested he would be quite handsome if he ever slimmed down.
Clutching his Ancestral Spirit Tablet, Li Yuanshang looked at his eldest son, Li Jianguo, and asked with a grin, "Jianguo, are you keeping the Ancestral Spirit Tablet on you at all times?"
"I am."
Li Jianguo was a mere seven-year-old with a runny nose. He looked up curiously and said, "The tablet started glowing today. Daddy, it says the Old Ancestor can possess me now."
As he spoke, he reached for the tablet as if to test it out. Li Yuanshang’s eyes widened in a fierce glare, causing the boy to snap to attention immediately.
"Don't you dare! This is a sacred gift from the Old Ancestor. If you use it for play, I'll give you the whipping of a lifetime!"
After the reprimand, Li Yuanshang spoke more gently, "Your father is just a merchant with mediocre talent. The future of this Imperial Capital branch rests on your shoulders. This city is a gold mine.
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor of the Heavenly Light Sect shares a deep history with our family. We can sell unorthodox immortal goods from there at a massive markup. Every household in this capital represents a business opportunity."
Li Jianguo blinked and asked, "Dad, if our Main Family is so powerful, why do we need to work so hard for Spirit Stones here?"
"You little brat, look at you talking like a layabout."
Li Yuanshang snapped back, "This is about making the family stronger. Our ancestors began as simple farmers with nothing, yet they rose to rule a whole region. Now that we have the family backing us and the protection of these Ancestral Spirit Tablets, if we can't even turn a profit, we might as well go hang ourselves right here in the capital!"
...
Within the Azure Cloud Main Family.
Li Xinnian stared at the Divinity Transformation spirit tablet in his palm. Instead of happiness, his face was masked in a deathly, pale shadow. His reaction terrified Nangong Qingya. "Xinnian, what’s wrong?"
"I have failed the Old Ancestor."
Li Xinnian dropped everything and sprinted out of the main hall. Nangong Qingya followed close behind. As they raced through the estate, servants scrambled out of the way, shocked to see the Family Head and Matriarch in such a frantic state.
Moments later, they reached the Ancestral Hall. Li Xinnian collapsed before the Ancestral Spirit Tablet, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Old Ancestor, I beg for your punishment! The elders trusted me with the role of Family Head, yet I failed to look after the branch families properly. To force the Old Ancestor to divert his precious focus and effort while he is so busy... Xinnian is deeply ashamed of his negligence!"
Li Wei watched this display of contrition on his screen and quickly used the spirit tablet to send a message, telling Xinnian not to blame himself. He knew Xinnian was a hard worker. In truth, the elders had also been preoccupied with their own growth over the last few decades, neglecting the younger generation.
The world was falling into deeper chaos. Many elders weren't even aware of how much the family had expanded. They were too busy hunting for resources and pushing their cultivation to protect the clan from threats like Peerless Hall and the Zhao Clan. Meanwhile, the new generation led by Li Xinnian was quietly spreading the family's influence, each member playing their part.
"I didn't realize the family's reach had become so extensive."
Li Wei checked the in-game map. Across the vast territory of the Azure Dynasty, countless green markers had appeared, representing the various Li branch families.
Time passed steadily.
[Year 630: Your descendant, Li Dalong, has reached the "False Void Refining" stage and manifested the Ice Space.]
[Learned Void Refining Technique: Extreme Cold Seal]
[After years of wandering the chaotic Underworld, he has entered "Hell Layer I: The Silence Maw," specifically the Ironjaw Territory. He has been in a long-standing conflict with the "Hellblade King," the Punishment Officer of that region, over the "Ghost Tongue Blood Stone," a unique ore of the Silence Maw. Li Dalong has sustained minor injuries.]
[Ghost Tongue Blood Stone: Rank 5 material. Created from the blood spilled during tongue-ripping tortures in the first layer of Hell, refined by ghostly qi over eons. Items made from this stone can manipulate the human heart and Divine Soul.]
"Wow..."
Triggered by the notification, Li Wei instantly manifested in Hell Layer I: The Silence Maw. He observed a landscape made entirely of charred black earth. Li Dalong was taking cover inside a cavern filled with bubbling lava, surrounded by a horde of zombies. The intense heat created gusts of wind that made the bells on Xuan Tianzi ring incessantly. The Moon God and the Soul Duke stood by Li Dalong like twin guardians.
It had been a long time since Li Wei had checked on him. He was startled to see that the Underworld had changed Li Dalong; his skin was now a sickly white, and his eyes were streaked with red.
[Your descendant, Li Dalong, has absorbed the Endless Sea of the Dead to hide his human scent from the predatory ghosts of the Underworld. After years of accumulating Deathly Qi, he has gained the Trait: Half-Zombie]
[Half-Zombie Body: Increases combat effectiveness within the Underworld significantly. Allows the use of Underworld arts. Vulnerable to Confucian and Buddhist paths.]
"Old Ancestor!"
Li Dalong beamed with joy as the spirit tablet began to glow. "My zombie forces have already seized half of the Hellblade King's lands. Soon, all the Ghost Tongue Blood Stones will be ours, and I can finish another Void Refining Space!"
"Also, Old Ancestor, I found a Talismanic Seal Technique here on the corpse of a long-dead Daoist. Xinnian mentioned that the branch families need more protection. This technique allows one to trap evil ghosts in talismans to use as weapons. Our descendants will need to be discreet with it to avoid making enemies."
As Li Dalong finished speaking, a dark crimson formation flickered to life. A group of zombies dragged a wailing, long-tongued ghost into the center, binding it with chains. While the ghost shrieked, Li Dalong raised the Seal of the Twin Serpents of Righteous Qi and began carving seal characters into the air. A talisman pulsed with red light inside the cave.
[Ghost-Sealing Demon-Subduing Talisman: Contains a Golden Core level "Long-Tongued Ghost General." If fed blood for three years, it will become a loyal servant to kill your enemies.]
"By the Dao..."
Watching Li Dalong command tens of thousands of zombies and spirits in this volcanic hellscape, Li Wei felt a chill run down his spine. It looked like Li Dalong had found his true calling.