178: Chapter 178 Li Family Meeting

The gaze drifts across the territory of Anping County, deep within the Qingfeng Mountain range.

The Li Family's decennial clan meeting was held as scheduled.

Situated atop a high Peak, the Li Family's Council Pavilion was solemn and ancient. Inside the hall, sandalwood incense curled upward, and the beams made of millennium-old spirit wood shimmered with faint light, bearing the long-standing clan destiny accumulated by the Li Family through generations.

Six Foundation Establishment Cultivators were seated in the main positions, while thirty-six clansmen with cultivation at the Qi Refining 7th Layer or higher were lined up neatly on both sides. Everyone wore tidy robes and had solemn expressions.

At the head of the Council Pavilion, Clan Chief Li Huaming sat upright.

His gaze was deep and focused, and he wore a dark cyan Dao robe with the clan emblem, making his figure appear as steady as a mountain.

On the desk, several well-bound ledgers made of jade pages were neatly arranged.

These were the ten-year master ledgers for all the Family's industries. Clansmen responsible for the six major departments—Spirit Medicine, Spirit Beast, shops, hundred arts, population, and revenue—had spent three months counting and summarizing them item by item. They covered all the Family's foundational industries and talent reserves, with detailed data and clear entries.

Three days before the meeting began, Clan Chief Li Huaming had shut himself away at his desk, working without sleep or rest. He verified the profit and loss in the ledgers page by page and took stock of the resources remaining in the Family, gaining a thorough understanding of the Li Family's ups and downs, gains and losses, and pros and cons over the past decade.

A moment later, the sound of an ancient bronze bell resonated from outside the hall. After three deep tolls, the entire hall instantly fell silent, so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

Clan Chief Li Huaming slowly stood up, holding the ten-year master summary scroll he had transcribed himself. His gaze slowly swept across all the core members of the clan in the hall, and his steady, profound voice echoed throughout the Council Pavilion.

"Now, I declare that the 101st Li Family Council is officially open."

"Fellow clansmen, since the conclusion of the last decennial council, our entire Li Family has worked diligently, focused on accumulating strength, and advanced steadily. We have had no internal strife and no major losses, our various industries have climbed steadily, and the clan's destiny is flourishing."

"Today, I will announce the full details of the clan's ten-year industries, population combat power, revenue and expenditure, and talent reserves!"

As his voice fell, the clansmen in the hall held their breath, their eyes fixed on the main seat, waiting quietly for the Clan Chief's report and conclusions.

Clan Chief Li Huaming raised his hand to open the scroll, speaking clearly and communicating item by item.

"First, the Foundation of Spirit Fields and Spirit Medicine."

"In the past decade, our Family has continuously reclaimed land, organized fields, and improved soil quality. Currently, the Family operates a total of 650 mu of Spirit Fields, clearly classified and utilized for their respective purposes."

"Among these are 300 mu of Low Grade 1st-tier Spirit Fields and 200 mu of Medium Grade 1st-tier Spirit Fields, primarily planted with basic Xuanyang Spirit Rice to support the daily cultivation needs of all Cultivators in the Family; there are 120 mu of High Grade 1st-tier Spirit Fields and 30 mu of Top-Quality 1st-tier Spirit Fields, planted with High Grade 1st-tier Spirit Rice."

"Since we broke through the Lu Family's territory and annexed their mature Spirit Medicine garden back then, our Family's Foundation in Spirit Medicine has leaped significantly."

"After years of careful cultivation and maintenance, the Family's second small Spirit Medicine garden has fully taken shape, achieving stable and abundant production. Now, the Li Family possesses two complete Spirit Medicine gardens."

"The variety of Spirit Medicine has also expanded significantly. The number of 1st-tier Spirit Medicine has increased from 56 to 98, and 2nd-tier Spirit Medicine has increased from 15 to 26. We have even successfully cultivated several rare 3rd-tier Spirit Medicine in the garden, storing a large amount of medicinal materials for future Alchemy."

"Second, the Spirit Beast breeding industry."

"In recent years, thanks to Yuxi's careful guidance in cultivation, the Family's Spirit Beast taming industry has changed with each passing day. The breeding scale, survival quality, and combat capability have all greatly improved compared to ten years ago."

"Currently, the Family's standing stock includes: 36 1st-tier Golden Horned Horses, fully guaranteeing transportation for field Cultivators to patrol the mountains; 46 1st-tier Yellow Spirit Chickens and 51 Black Spirit Chickens, providing stable production of Spirit Eggs and Spirit Meat; in addition, there are 35 1st-tier Psychic Dogs, 37 1st-tier Black Spirit Ducks, 16 1st-tier Qingshan Cows, 6 1st-tier Swift Wind Wolves, 5 1st-tier Azure Spirit Wolves, 3 1st-tier Elephant Armor Beasts, and 9 1st-tier Golden Feather Eagles."

"Regarding 2nd-tier Spirit Beasts, the Family has added two 2nd-tier Early Stage Golden Feather Eagles. Now, there are a total of three 2nd-tier Golden Feather Eagles, which can patrol the mountains from high altitudes, provide early warnings, and ambush external enemies."

"The most precious Snow-Scaled Tiger successfully achieved a Breakthrough three years ago, growing into a 2nd-tier Peak Spirit Beast, and is now our Family's top-tier combat Spirit Beast."

"The only pity is that the 2nd-tier Early Stage Qingshan Cow left by our ancestors, after the baptism of time, has a nearing Lifespan, is gradually aging, and is already in its twilight years."

"Third, population and Cultivator combat power reserves."

"Currently, the Li Family has 362 registered cultivating clansmen, with a total of seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators, an increase of two from ten years ago. They are the 'Chang' generation clansmen—Li Changan and Li Changge."

"The Mortal populace who have lived under the Family's protection for generations has now increased to 2.31 million."

"With the support of Family policies, there are now 260 Mortal Martial Artists with Innate strength. Although they have no Foundation for cultivation, they can guard villages and towns and maintain public order, already serving as a non-negligible secular auxiliary force."

"Fourth, the hundred arts talent system for cultivation."

"After a decade of deep cultivation, our Family values arts and techniques, widely fostering talent. The number of practitioners in various cultivation arts has become increasingly abundant, and the system is gradually improving."

"There are 136 registered Talisman Makers, including three 2nd-tier Talisman Makers and 16 Top-Quality 1st-tier Talisman Makers;"

"16 registered Artifact Refiners, including two Top-Quality 1st-tier Artifact Refiners;"

"18 registered Alchemists, including one 2nd-tier Alchemist and one Top-Quality 1st-tier Alchemist;"

"12 registered Formation Masters, including one 2nd-tier Formation Master and two Top-Quality 1st-tier Formation Masters."

"There are dozens of other 1st-tier talents in various arts such as Beast Taming, forming a talent echelon."

"Fifth, the ten-year master ledger of Family revenue and expenditure."

"In the past decade, the total revenue from all industries, including Spirit Field harvests, shop revenue, resource leasing and sales, and resource resale, amounted to 187,288 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"The total Family expenditure for the ten years was 164,536 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"The ten-year net profit was 22,752 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Clansmen's salaries and Cultivators' monthly allowances account for 60% of the total expenditure; the procurement of cultivation resources and interactions with other clans account for 30% of the expenditure; the remaining 10% is fully invested in the cultivation of talent in the hundred arts, subsidies for high-level techniques, and support for clansmen's advancement, consolidating the Foundation for the Family's long-term development."

Once all the data was announced, sounds of admiration and heated discussion immediately erupted within the Council Pavilion.

Ten years of steady revenue growth, continuously climbing combat power, the rise of talent in the hundred arts, and comprehensive abundant production of Spirit Medicine and Spirit Beasts—each and every item was concrete evidence of prosperity.

All the clansmen present were filled with excitement, and their eyes were filled with anticipation and glory for the Family's future.

After the noise in the hall gradually subsided, Clan Chief Li Huaming closed the scroll and put it away, his expression turning serious.

"All the above data has been checked layer by layer by the Family's six Foundation Establishment Cultivators and finally verified and confirmed by me item by item. It is true, accurate, and beyond doubt."

His gaze was heavy, and he said in a deep voice:

"For the next ten years, the Li Family's core tenet will remain unchanged—stabilize the Foundation, foster the hundred arts, accumulate combat power, and wait quietly for the great trend."

"Starting today, all Talismans of Top-Quality 1st-tier or above are prohibited from being sold externally and will be kept entirely as combat reserve resources for the clan."

"The four core industries of Talisman Making, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Formation setup will uniformly receive an additional 20% resource quota, with key focus and cultivation, striving to cultivate more Top-Quality 1st-tier and even 2nd-tier talents in the hundred arts in batches within ten years, solidifying our Family's Foundation in the hundred arts."

"Chaotic times are approaching. Our Li Family does not covet reckless expansion, nor do we seek quick success and instant benefits. We only seek to advance step by step and accumulate strength. The entire clan must work with one heart and one mind to firmly guard the Family business, accumulate our Foundation, and nurture our combat power."

All the clansmen in the hall bowed and cupped their hands together: "We will strictly follow the Clan Chief's orders, work together, and revitalize the Family!"