In these ten years, Li Dalong became the Lord of Eternal Sun Prefecture.
The family's Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land now drifts with the wind throughout the prefecture, as traceless as the Tian Xing Cultivator Abode once was.
Within the entire territory of Eternal Sun Prefecture, there are only two or three locations where one can enter Merit City via a Seal.
Azure Cloud Region is still the same Azure Cloud Region; it's just that many of its cultivators have now, in a single leap, become the officials of the army of Eternal Sun Prefecture.
The sects and aristocratic families that once dominated the Eternal Sun Prefecture, after that sound thrashing, no longer have the face to see people.
Those who could flee have fled; those who remain, now behave themselves.
In truth, becoming the Prefecture Lord hadn't brought Li Dalong much trouble.
He had only gone to the Imperial Capital for an audience a couple of times.
The major affairs of Eternal Sun were presided over by Li Kuangren, while Azure Cloud Region remained the Li family's base of operations; that was where their true foundation lay.
Li Xinghuo held a post in the Northern Border.
Li Yaotie and Bai Rourou were cultivating in the Heavenly Light Sect, and also used the sect's influence to act as a backer for Li Yaoqing, who had become an "Imperial Physician."
The family could now be considered nobles akin to "warlords" within the Imperial Dynasty; the affairs of the world now had some connection to their family.
Hearing that the Human Emperor wanted to establish a successor, Li Yaowen's dark brows furrowed slightly.
"The matter of establishing a successor is so secret," she asked, "why would he tell us?"
"It's not that he wanted to tell us too, but rather..."
Li Dalong's voice remained grave. "The Human Emperor only told us about this matter."
"Lin Jiu? Min Youguo?" Li Yaozu spoke the two names.
Li Dalong shook his head.
The entire hall fell silent. After a long moment, Li Yunlin finally spoke.
"The Human Emperor wants to establish a successor, and he has only spoken of it to us.
The one we backed is the Human Emperor, and also the Twelfth Prince, Feiheng.
He has conveyed a message to us: the Human Emperor wants to establish Feiheng as the successor.
Second Aunt said that the Human Emperor has a thousand years of life remaining, but his fated lifespan... he has already defied the heavens to change his fate multiple times in his life and can no longer change it again.
This struggle for the throne is fraught with peril."
Li Yaowen pondered for a long time before saying in a grave voice.
"How important is the position of Human Emperor? The number of princes and princesses is countless, and who knows how many people throughout the entire Imperial Dynasty have placed their bets on them.
Take Min Youguo, who supports the Twelfth Prince, the prince he previously supported died, and he was able to switch his support to Feiheng in the blink of an eye.
And within his own faction, there are many who support other princes."
"The Human Emperor wants Feiheng to inherit the great unifying throne," she continued, "because in his eyes, only our Li family is genuinely supporting Feiheng. It seems that even on his deathbed, that old fellow can still distinguish some right from wrong."
"Father."
Li Yaowen looked at Li Dalong. "Our family has fought so hard to get to where we are today. This struggle for the throne could destroy us. The reason the Human Emperor bestowed such profound grace upon our Li family back then... I fear that Feiheng's visit to Eternal Sun Prefecture was also part of his plan.
He wanted our Li family to feel a sense of gratitude towards Feiheng, to be willing to risk our lives for him!"
Hearing this, the members of the Li family all nodded.
The Human Emperor had made his arrangements long ago; the reason the Li family was granted this great position was all for this very day.
"This child," Li Yaowen said, "has a plan."
Li Yaowen's voice gradually turned ice-cold, sending a chill down the spine of every Li family member present.
"Have Changsheng deploy the Shadow Division of Hall of Heavenly Principle," she said, "and assassinate the other princes and princesses backed by the Imperial Preceptor, one by one. Then, the Imperial Preceptor will have no choice but to support Feiheng with all his strength."
Hearing this, the members of the Li family breathed a sigh of relief.
If it was just killing a few other princes and princesses, that was fine.
"Then, we will arrange for Feiheng's assassination," Li Yaowen continued. "Our clan members will feign a rescue attempt and suffer 'tragic false deaths.'
By that time, the Imperial Preceptor will have already invested everything in supporting Feiheng. He will be enraged and humiliated, and he and Lin Jiu will enter a life-or-death struggle, throwing the world into chaos."
"We can secretly support another imperial bloodline. No matter what the world becomes, Eternal Sun Prefecture will still be Eternal Sun Prefecture, and our family can preserve its own power. After the Human Emperor dies, we can then make our own plans to usurp the state."
"..."
After a moment of dead silence.
Li Yaozu was the first to nod. "Fourth Sister's words are reasonable."
"Fourth Aunt speaks well."
Now that his father had spoken, a smile appeared on Li Yunlin's face.
The Li family members raised their hands one after another. "Seconded!"
This group of "children," every one of them with an eager, ready-to-spring-into-action look on their faces, said enough to make Li Dalong and Xu Cuihua's own faces turn black.
Their own children wanted to usurp the state, and the two elders could see they were truly serious.
Li Dalong waved his hand. "As for how to proceed," he said, "we must first deal with the matter at hand. Changsheng."
Seeing his elder staring at him, Li Changsheng quickly rose and saluted. "Changsheng is here."
Li Dalong said casually, "You are cautious by nature. The matter of the princes supported by Min Youguo, I'll leave it to you to handle. And do it cleanly, don't let Min Youguo suspect us."
"Yes, Great-Grandfather."
Li Changsheng's voice was grave.
"Under the Imperial Preceptor, there are three princes in total. Besides the Twelfth Prince, the other two are quite formidable.
These two have long been under the surveillance of the Shadow Division; killing them will not be difficult.
Within that faction, there are also a total of one hundred and twenty-two other imperial bloodlines.
This child believes we must proceed slowly and carefully. It would be best to force the Grand Tutor's faction to make a move first, so that this matter cannot be tied back to our Li clan."
"Xinghuo is still in the Northern Border. With his help, it will save this child some effort."
As he spoke, Li Changsheng's tone turned wary. "Great-Grandfather, respected elders, this child has a matter of concern."
"Speak."
Li Dalong couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance.
He heard Li Changsheng say, "For these past ten years, our family has been here in Eternal Sun Prefecture. The Azure Cloud Army has become the official army of Eternal Sun, and the people under the former Prefecture Lord Shang Mi have all been driven out by this child, one by one.
But the many other factions remain a great worry in my heart. For ten years, not a single one has dared to resist.
This child suspects they are secretly plotting. I fear that our family... is in peril!"
Seeing the unconcerned looks on his clansmen's faces, a jade slip with a recorded technique appeared in Li Changsheng's hand.
He said in a grave voice, "Please rest assured, respected elders. This child has already had people dig a tunnel.
This is an Earth-rank 'Limitless Earth-Tunneling Technique' that this child has found.
The elders can follow this child and tunnel a hundred thousand meters underground, and we can hide for thirty or fifty years before thinking about what to do next!"
"Oh, right, and it would be best if we brought our family's Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land with us... Ah!"
Li Kuanghua twisted his ear and threw him out.
Where was there any secret plot? Where was there any peril? Those geniuses who had been captured had all been sent back to the great factions.
In these ten years, the Li family hadn't oppressed those great factions, but they knew with perfect clarity that as long as the Li family existed, they would have no opportunity to resist.
They, too, would change with the changing era of the Eternal Sun Prefecture.
They would proactively come to find the Li family, or go to Azure Cloud Region, to join the ranks of those they could not resist.
Time would assimilate them.
As for those who could not adapt to the changing tides, Li Yaowen and Li Yunbing (the one who sat upon the throne of the Jiang Region Prince's manor in Azure Cloud) had long since driven them out or eradicated them.
Just as the Li family had, in these ten years, also adapted to the trends of the Imperial Dynasty, becoming a high-and-mighty Immortal Clan of noble authority, and continuing to survive in the great tide of this world.
It was just that the Li family of today now controlled power, an army of a million, and the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of an entire prefecture.
Within this hall were the ones who controlled every person in all of Eternal Sun Prefecture.
They were just like the Tian Xing of before, yet they were doing it even better, because Tian Xing had already walked all the wrong paths for them.
"You all go and attend to your own matters," Li Dalong said. "The matter of establishing a successor cannot be rushed. I must still ask the Old Ancestor for his decree."
The children left, one by one.
Li Dalong knelt and kowtowed before the Ancestral Spirit Tablet.
"Ancestor," he pleaded, "your venerable self has not appeared for two years now. Please, Ancestor, respond to this child. Is it that this child's offerings this time have not satisfied your venerable self?"
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