Chapter 231
In the Li Family residence, a new ceremony for taking concubines began, capturing the attention of many cultivators from the Northern Territory. Li Su was welcoming a female cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage from the Central Province. Rumour had it that she was one of the three celebrated beauties among the independent cultivators in the Central Province. Many Northern Territory cultivators had never even heard of the Central Province before.
Despite the Northern Territory’s declining prosperity compared to other regions, it thrived thousands of years ago, covering an extensive land area. For some Qi-refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Northern Territory was vast enough to explore for their entire lives, making it their whole world.
The perspective of low-level cultivators differed significantly from high-level cultivators, and the Northern Territory had been relatively isolated from other regions in the past. Talented cultivators from the Northern Territory ventured outward, but there were few cultivators from other regions coming to the North.
However, Li Su’s recent wedding, where several immortal sects came to seek his favor, had expanded his reputation to other regions and facilitated a broader understanding among Northern Territory cultivators. Now, even some Qi-refining cultivators knew the term “Canglan Realm,” representing the region where the Northern Territory was situated. The Canglan Realm comprised five territories and four seas, with the Central Province being the most dominant.
This wedding became a topic of joyful discussion among people,
“Senior Li has taken his concubines to the Central Province!”
“Yes, Senior Li has practically recruited all our talented female cultivators in the Northern Territory. I thought he would take a break, but he’s opening up a new battlefield.”
In a city within the Central Province, several months after Li Su accepted the three renowned beauties, news circulated again. Li Su’s rise brought a continuous flow of information to the Northern Territory, with some delay due to distance. The Central Province had intelligence-gathering forces, but they had not yet established a presence in the Northern Territory.
Valuable information from the Northern Territory was scarce at the moment. Using communication stones for transmitting less valuable information was not cost-effective, and sending messengers back and forth required time and resources. For swift round trips, he needed at least a Foundation Establishment peak-stage cultivator, and the cost would be significant. After the three celebrated beauties married Li Su, they didn’t return to the Central Province.
The pocket realms within the Mangkang Mountains were extensive, with exceptionally rich spiritual energy. Li Su had allocated a mountain peak for them, providing abundant resources for their cultivation. In the future, when he gained control over the entire Mangkang Mountains, Li Su could transform the entire area into his pocket realm, with each mountain peak assigned to his concubines. However, the three women didn’t have time for cultivation because they were all expecting.
Two years later, Li Su returned to Xuantian Academy. The academy possessed an extensive collection of books, and Li Su intended to spend time studying them. His efforts yielded substantial gains. While some damaged formation manuscripts posed challenges for others, Li Su’s skills enabled him to reconstruct them. He also could restore incomplete alchemical recipes due to his proficiency in alchemy. Moreover, he discovered valuable information on crafting mechanical puppets. His knowledge of cultivation techniques allowed him to interpret certain ancient texts.
In a tower, a graceful female cultivator in a light blue gown, one of the assistants Li Su had requested from the Sect Master Lu, inquired, “Senior Li, we’ve already copied the ‘Emperor’s Northern Scripture.’ What other inscriptions do you require?”
Li Su handpicked a few female cultivators for his tasks and responded, “Please inscribe a copy of the remaining pages of the Water Technique Manuscript and the Sun Gengjin Technique.”
The chosen female cultivators nodded, and they commenced their work. In a little over half a year, Li Su made remarkable progress. He organized several special manuscripts, the most valuable being a formation manual and instructions on creating Five Elements Puppet Beasts. Additionally, he stumbled upon a fragment of a Dao Artifact manual. Crafting a Dao Artifact was far more complex than creating precious artifacts. While Li Su could easily forge high-quality precious artifacts with the right materials, Dao Artifacts remained beyond his reach.
After this significant haul, Li Su prepared to depart from Xuantian Academy, with plans to return later. The Sect Master Lu expressed his admiration for Li Su’s exceptional skills in formations, remarking, “I’ve been studying formations for over a thousand years, but your comprehension surpasses mine. Your expertise is truly remarkable.”