Chapter Five: A Successor Emerges

At this moment, Li Qi observed Li Tianxing’s demeanor and temperament, comparing it to the memories he held, and indeed felt a marked change. The arrogance that once defined Li Tianxing was now gone. This was undoubtedly the result of his successful cultivation of both heart and spirit.

Though Li Qi’s own realm was not high, he had read extensively and spent much time online. Especially in this age of information, while knowledge about entering the Dao and attaining the True was scarce, the details on entering realms were abundant. Li Qi understood this as a sign of refining the heart and spirit, beginning to reach harmony.

Previously, Li Tianxing’s arrogance was well-known, but Li Qi knew that if his former self had experienced what Li Tianxing had, his personality would likely have become even more arrogant and overbearing.

“Calculating the time, my life chart will be fully loaded in three days. The basic functions of the panel are already formidable; this thing must be even more powerful,” Li Qi thought. “Hope it doesn’t disappoint me…”

His thoughts returned to his own panel. Recently, the progress of his life chart increased steadily by 1% daily. The projection and shop were stuck early at 80%, indicating that his life strength was too low and the anchoring point was insufficiently strong, yet his life chart had no such problem.

A strong feeling stirred in Li Qi’s heart: once the life chart was activated, his future would undoubtedly undergo a tremendous turning point.

His current growth was rapid, but Li Qi harbored greater ambitions. After all, as the life master, the core of his external enhancements clearly could not remain at his present level of “Heaven rewards diligence, never retreat.” He naturally would not be satisfied with this.

Li Qi trusted his instincts, a feeling almost like being guided by fate. When he first awakened his memories, this guiding force helped him avoid a major pitfall—choosing to continue cultivating the Tiger Sha Eighteen Blades rather than forcibly increasing proficiency in a higher-quality martial art through his panel.

Martial arts quality was not the most important; compatibility was paramount. The strongest was not the best; the most suitable was. Fortunately, Li Qi had avoided that trap.

Alongside this guidance also came a sense of danger, as if warning him of future perils, urging him to grow quickly…

At this moment, the noise in the great hall abruptly fell silent. The hubbub instantly turned to profound stillness. Then an elderly man with white hair and a beard hanging to his chest, dressed in a black long robe, entered through the main door with his hands clasped behind his back. Behind him followed seven or eight serious-faced middle-aged men.

This man was Li Changqing, the clan leader of the Huai West Li family, branch of Mount Qi.

Li Changqing’s build was not tall nor thin; his face was somewhat rounded. At first glance, he appeared kind and gentle, but on closer inspection, one could feel a profound and composed aura—like a tiger in a light slumber.

A tiger curled up when it sleeps, looking round and unthreatening, but once awakened, its roar shakes the mountains and forests, revealing its fierce nature.

Li Changqing had undoubtedly attained the essence of the tiger’s spirit, though he had not turned from man into tiger. Rather, the tiger had matured into a human form. In myth, a tiger, no matter how fierce, was merely a minor demon; but if it cultivated into human form, it became a true great demon—an indication of higher attainment.

Li Qi’s cultivation had only just begun, not yet entering the main hall of mastery. The gap between him and Li Changqing was vast as the heavens and earth. Yet, thanks to the internet, Li Qi was somewhat well-informed and could sense a fraction of this greatness.

In fact, Li Qi had met Li Changqing a year ago, but at that time, his own realm was far inferior to now, so the impression was not as deep.

Now, however, Li Qi felt some of the village rumors might be true. If not for the old patriarch’s misfortunes in youth, wasting his years and delaying cultivation, causing him to lack sufficient enlightenment at his life’s peak, and then arriving at enlightenment only when his life force was declining and unable to support further transformation...

Otherwise, the old patriarch would have long since become a True Being, a foremost innate Grand Reality!

Entering the realm! Entering the Dao! Attaining the True!

These three steps seemed few but were each a leap to a new world, with immeasurable differences in every aspect.

Each step was not simple addition but a profound evolution.

Those who entered the Dao were famed scholars throughout history; only the elite among them became immortalized in history. The True Grand Beings were so respect-worthy that even emperors ruling all under heaven granted them the highest honors.

In the Western world, entering the Dao meant being an elite, attaining the True was the stuff of legendary heroes, while transcending to the saintly realm was the embodiment of gods walking among mortals.

Seeing Li Changqing now, Li Qi’s heart stirred with emotion, realizing how fleeting youth and peak moments were. A single moment’s hesitation or a period of squandered time could create a vast gulf in the future.

Li Changqing’s steps were swift and steady. Everyone in the hall instinctively made way, forming a path leading directly to the ancestral spirit tablet.

Li Changqing’s gaze was straight ahead but took in everyone present. Normally, in a crowded hall, it would be impossible to see everyone clearly without a vantage point, but the mysteries of entering the Dao granted spiritual perception beyond ordinary comprehension.

Although aged, his vitality, spirit, and life force had waned from its peak, he could still perfectly sense the subtle life magnetic fields within this ancestral hall.

Of course, this perception was not like a scanner showing a clear image of all objects, but sensing the life magnetic fields of all present. Compared with physical objects, life magnetic fields were closer to the source, revealing a person’s physical and mental state.

Upon reaching the ancestral spirit tablet, Li Changqing already had a clear understanding of the younger generation’s conditions.

Indeed, all present were his descendants; there was no one of his own generation because he was ninety-seven years old.

This was the power of entering the Dao. Ordinary people, even with a healthy lifestyle, suffer hearing and vision decline and unsteady steps in their eighties. Yet he remained vigorous, striding briskly, eating and drinking heartily, only losing function rapidly in the final moments before death.

One could say if a strong enemy attacked now, he could unleash, for a short time, the strength and spirit of his prime youth, showing what it means to rekindle youthful madness in old age.

The cost would be immediate death after the burst of power.

Old is old; one cannot fight to exhaustion and simply recover after sleep as in youth.

“Forty-plus years have passed in the blink of an eye. The clan has many mediocre members, but luckily, there is Tianxing. Without him, the Li clan would splinter and scatter after I die, unable to protect the elders and young...” Li Changqing silently gazed at the ancestral tablet, thoughts turning.

At ninety-seven years old and with Dao-level cultivation, he had experienced the vicissitudes of life and deeply understood the world’s workings.

Though a century ago, a sage and a king joined forces to sweep through the Six Harmonies, pacifying the world, establishing great peace and equality, with the ideal that everyone might be like dragons...

In truth, knowing is easy, doing is hard. The ideal world is not so easily realized.

Today’s world seems peaceful, with no one starving or freezing to death, but this is thanks to technological progress, not a fundamental change in the rules.

The world remains cruel, only less obviously so. There is endless hardship to endure; only by preying on others can one rise above.

In youth, Li Changqing held no strong attachment to family ties, believing one relied on heaven, earth, and oneself, needing no help from others, regarding kinship lightly.

Only after fifty, when life declined and he witnessed human suffering—rootlessness, neglect in old age, helplessness in youth—did compassion arise in his heart.

One must know, in youth, he believed in the law of survival of the fittest, that the weak being destroyed by the strong was natural and just.

This was why he never attained the Grand Reality: possessing beastliness but lacking humanity, inherently incomplete, how could he truly attain the True?

But the world was vast, beyond any one man’s power to change, so he chose not to look beyond his clan, focusing only on his kin.

Over forty years ago, having made some achievements, he returned home, gathering his clan, restoring the ancestral hall and genealogy, establishing clan schools, buying clan land, and setting up a special fund to support the helpless elderly and children.

Moreover, he arranged jobs for clan members without prospects. Though not wealthy, they had enough to live on, avoiding exile.

People away from home are looked down upon; no one would leave unless they had no choice.

This had created the current thriving ancestral hall scene. Otherwise, Li Family Village would have long since become deserted, with only the old and weak remaining.

“However, the fifth brother’s child seems to have awakened, with pure spirit and concentrated intent. Compared to a year ago, his progress is earth-shattering, and the entrance to the realm is near. Single-mindedness is rare; perhaps he will achieve greatness...” Li Changqing thought again.

The “fifth brother” was his younger sibling; he was the third son, the fifth brother was fifth, and one of that brother’s children was Li Qi’s grandfather.

Li Qi’s cultivation had advanced rapidly. Outwardly, he appeared only a bit thinner and sharper-eyed, with not much change, but in Li Changqing’s perception, the difference was dramatic.

This gave Li Changqing a sense of hopeful anticipation. The greatest fear of the old is not death itself but having no successors.

Thus, Li Changqing unknowingly smiled aloud.

This drew the attention of nearly everyone present. At this moment and place, Li Changqing was unquestionably the absolute center and focus.

“Old patriarch, what brings you to laugh?” someone boldly asked.

“There are many mediocre people in the clan. I thought aside from Tianxing, no one else had talent. The future seemed bleak for Tianxing alone. But now I see, there is indeed someone else with promise!”

“Knowing the family has successors, do you think I should be laughed at?” The old man’s gaze swept over the crowd, who lowered their heads, unwilling to meet his eyes.

His words shocked everyone, who exchanged glances, puzzled and curious about who could have earned such praise.

“Who is that person?” asked Li Tianxing, the one question everyone wanted answered.

At this, all ears perked up.

Li Changqing slowly shook his head and said, “Cannot say, cannot say. The time is not right; no more words.”

He had his reasons. Seeing Li Qi was currently single-minded in his cultivation, advancing steadily toward entering the realm, he knew distraction now would be detrimental.

When Li Qi entered the realm, he would have his arrangements, ensuring he would not be buried or forgotten.

This only deepened the crowd’s curiosity. They looked around restlessly, whispering and speculating. Even Li Tianxing could not help but glance around, eager to know the identity of this mystery person.

Yet no one found an answer.

“Ah Qi, do you think the old patriarch has seen my inner talent and means he was speaking of me?” Li Zheng, standing beside Li Qi, whispered, tugging at him.

“Just now, it seemed the old patriarch glanced at me specially…”

“I feel the praise fits me best—my majestic bearing and radiant presence surely deserve such recognition,” Li Qi said earnestly, though no one believed the truth in his words.