Chapter 159 Family Talk

At Immortal Learning Tower, in the Immortal Teaching Room on the second floor, Chen Songli and the others returned to their familiar spots: the familiar blackboard and the familiar windowsill.

It was the height of summer, the cicadas were chirping, and the spirit rice fields were still lush green. Today, Chen Li had gathered them, saying it was time for 'class'.

The topic was: [How the Family Can Maintain Sustainable Cultivation].

A month after coming out of seclusion, Chen Li decided to have another heart-to-heart talk with them, to hold a session on ideology, ensuring the Family's thoughts were unified and their will consistent.

It had been a long time since they discussed ideology together. Everyone had also gone out to travel and witnessed the Yao Beasts of the Boundless Forest; they must all have their own ideas now.

During these years of seclusion, these few had not been idle; their cultivation had all advanced.

Chen Songmei, by absorbing the Spiritual Qi of the life spirit flower without relying on Medicinal Pills, had raised her cultivation to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Chen Songli also advanced to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage by consuming pills and the Spiritual Qi from the life spirit flower. The same was true for Chen Songxiao, Chen Songyan, and Chen Songxuan.

In the Immortal Teaching Room, Chen Li stood familiar in the front, the atmosphere relaxed.

"Everyone speak freely. Let's discuss and exchange ideas together—let our thoughts collide!"

Zhu Lingyue was also listening from behind the door, and Brother Ox and the Three-Flower Cat also had two seats.

Chen Li first brought up the first topic: "What is the main conflict in our Family's cultivation?"

Chen Songmei had become much more steady after traveling these past few years, but at home, she still maintained an innocent and unrestrained demeanor.

She spoke first: "Father, I think the main issue is that we cannot expose our true cultivation level or our Family identity when we are outside."

Chen Li nodded and commented, "Mm, that is one point."

"Father, I have more!"

Chen Songmei continued speaking, her liveliness causing Chen Songli and the others to look sideways.

"Father, we cannot be overly sympathetic or overly empathetic towards certain people!"

"Oh, it seems Songmei also has a story, haha!" Chen Li laughed.

Chen Songli stepped forward to explain at this moment: "Father, last time I took Songmei out traveling, she saw a Loose Cultivator at the Third Level of Qi Refining being bullied. After she intervened to stop it, that Third Level of Qi Refining Cultivator actually spoke harshly, saying he was willing and that she was meddling."

"Songmei was sulky for a few days after that, haha!" Chen Songli laughed happily when recalling the incident.

"Sister~~ Don't talk about it, I was so angry that time.", Chen Songmei felt angry even thinking about it.

Chen Songxiao couldn't help but laugh, and Chen Songxuan and Chen Songyan were the same.

"Alright, alright, who wants to speak next?" Chen Li interrupted.

Chen Songxuan spoke up regarding this matter: "Dealing with Qi Refining families and Non-Clan Cultivators over the years, the thing our Family absolutely cannot expose is our wealth."

Chen Songyan echoed: "Mm, I think the same as Third Brother!"

"Me too.", Chen Songxiao summarized in four words.

Chen Songli pondered and said: "Father, I think the conflict lies in how to maintain ourselves against external influences when faced with temptation, vanity, status, and power, and the endurance we have for our own demands."

"I have traveled to many places over the years: the Taihu Mountain Range, Duan Ya Mountain, the Nanwu Kingdom, and among Mortals. I have seen many Cultivators engaging in worldly interactions when their strength is insufficient, pushing themselves into the spotlight. Moreover, for the sake of so-called vanity, they participate in supposed Secret Realm explorations or deal with Robber Cultivators when their strength isn't enough, often losing their lives for nothing!"

Chen Songxuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Big Sister spoke well, hitting the nail on the head. Sometimes, the demands placed upon oneself are the hardest!"

Chen Songyan also felt it made sense: "Yes, Big Sister is right!"

Chen Songmei also seemed thoughtful. Brother Ox and the Three-Flower Cat listened, looking surprised and nodding frequently, as if expressing, 'Yes, all of that is right.'

Chen Li commented and finally summarized: "Mm, Songli has indeed hit the core of the issue. So, I will summarize. The main conflict in our Family's cultivation is how to maintain our personal desires and restrain our vanity while adhering to our self-requirements, amidst the superiority arising from the gap between our growing Family strength and reality."

As Chen Li finished his summary, Zhu Lingyue also nodded and immediately added, "Husband is right; the summary is simple and clear!"

Chen Li paused for a moment and then spoke again: "Therefore, for the long-term stability of the Family, before a Nascent Soul Cultivator appears in the Family, everyone must endure a little longer.

Increase your demands on yourselves, restrain your personal desires, and curb some vanity.

In the future, when the Family's strength is sufficient to protect itself in this world, everything you endure now will come to you more easily and more intensely!"

Zhu Lingyue also expressed: "Below the Nascent Soul Realm in this world, everyone is like an ant. Everyone knows this from traveling outside.

The stronger Realm bullies the weaker one; the bottom layer of the Cultivation world is extremely cruel, where eating people and seeing blood is commonplace!

A Nascent Soul Cultivator can defeat a Golden Core Cultivator in a single move. Therefore, we must continue to strive together and make further progress!"

After speaking, Chen Songli took the lead in applauding: "Strive together and make further progress!"

The remaining members of the song generation also applauded enthusiastically, shouting together: "Strive together and make further progress!"

After this, the five of them unified their goal on this topic.

"Good, next, let's bring up other topics for discussion!" Chen Li said.

Next was the topic brought up by Zhu Lingyue, and the question was also quite sharp.

Zhu Lingyue asked: "If we discover that our wife is being a vampire to her maternal Family, what actions should we take, how should we remind her, and what preventative measures are there?"

This statement immediately drew the attention of Chen Songyan and Chen Songxuan, as they were the ones who had married wives.

Chen Songxiao had no intention of marrying yet. He had expressed his thoughts to Chen Li and Zhu Lingyue, saying that since his Second and Third Brothers already had wives, he would wait a while.

Zhu Lingyue, who brought up the topic herself, spoke first: "After marrying your father, in the letters I exchanged with the Zhu Family, I never discussed our Family's gains, what Cultivation Techniques we practiced, or what we used for Cultivation.

Any probing questions were kept vague. If the Zhu Family ever sought aid from the Chen Family in the future, I would help, but I would not allow the Chen Family to suffer losses, nor would I allow myself to get trapped and unable to get out."

Chen Li had witnessed Zhu Lingyue's stance over the years; she was indeed the person he trusted most.

Chen Songxuan thought for a while and said: "Mother, if Qinglan had such intentions, I would not tolerate it immediately.

However, she is my wife after all, so I would first use courtesy before force. If it happens repeatedly, I believe our fate together will be exhausted, and then we will each go our separate ways!"

Chen Songyan also expressed: "Mother, after more than ten years of getting along with Yun Qiu, she has slowly integrated into our Family.

But if she has such thoughts in the future, I will first try to dissuade her. If Yun Qiu doesn't change, then I can only say our fate is too shallow, and she hasn't seen enough; our bond will also run out."

Zhu Lingyue summarized: "I brought this up here to prevent such problems from arising, which is why I introduced this topic.

However, do not apply this directly to your own situations; this is a hypothetical question. Everyone should still live in harmony when you go back. Trusting the people around you allows you to go further together. If problems arise, discuss them together."

...After the two topics concluded, the feeling of having issues laid bare was exhilarating. The atmosphere in the second floor of the Immortal Teaching Room became even more fervent, and people brought up more topics.

Afterward, Chen Songxuan brought up another major issue.

"What is the meaning of our immortal cultivation for longevity, and how can we make cultivation more meaningful and increase our desire for further practice!"

This led to another round of discussion, and the atmosphere gradually heated up. Brother Ox and the Three-Flower Cat also expressed their views.

After that came topics like [How to educate the bai generation, and whether to let them know some Family secrets], [If all members of the bai generation have Spiritual Roots, how to deal with external suspicion, and what measures to take].

[How to demonstrate the competitiveness of a Family Cultivator to outsiders without exposing one's own cultivation], [How Family Cultivators can better convert their productivity into Family wealth], and so on.

This discussion lasted for about six hours. At this moment, the cohesion of the Chen Family leadership was unprecedented!

All the questions they were puzzled by, all the worries they had, could be voiced out and communicated frankly, facing their true selves, allowing some problems to surface early and providing a preemptive inoculation.

The five members of the song generation were personally guided by Chen Li and Zhu Lingyue, and they certainly hoped to last forever and meet at the peak of the Great Dao!

One hundred years later, this discussion was recalled by the members of the song generation as the [Immortal Learning Tower Great Discussion].