<h4>Chapter 435: The Separation of Immortals and Mortals (I)</h4>


    Li Yuanping returned to the town, his heart still aching with anger and sorrow. His eyes were bloodshot as he entered the main hall which was dimly lit, with two small flickeringmps barely illuminating the space.


    Dragging his exhausted body along, he sat on the highest seat and picked up a document, only to find himself unable to focus. Frustrated, he coughed twice, swallowing the blood that rose in his throat.


    Dou Yi hurried in, climbing the steps quickly. Li Yuanping spoke in a low voice, "Prepare the ink."


    Dou Yi obediently ground the ink, and after finishing, Li Yuanping waved him away. Taking up the brush, Li Yuanping gradually calmed down, taking some time to think through his thoughts carefully.


    The position of family head required bncing the external branches of the n, managing the spirit fields, and distributing the n''s stipends. It involved managing the benefits of nearly the entire n, from those in the Embryonic Breathing Realm to those in the Qi Cultivation Realm. Ever since Li Xuanxuan became the family head and established the four lineages, the rule of single session had been set.


    Now, with the Li Family firmly under the control of the main family endowed with the talisman seed, the family head could be appointed arbitrarily, with the wise ruling and the foolish obeying.


    But once this precedent was set, future descendants of the main family, whose bloodlines would be more distant and whose backgrounds would differ, might begin to support different lineages, leading to internal strife.


    "If ites to that, the position of family head will be a tool for power struggles among the talisman seed-bearing cultivators, used to exploit the family... Moreover..."


    As Li Yuanping''s emotions settled, his thoughts became sharper, and he mused, "Seeing how things are with Ming''er, he is ultimately not fit for great responsibility. If the Li Family were handed over to him, how could he suppress the external branches? How could he control someone like Li Jiman?"


    The hall was silent, with only Li Yuanping sitting high above in the dim light, his gaze fixed on the flickeringmps. His voice was low as he continued solemnly, "In the end, the familycks a figure of great power to maintain order. Foundation Establishment Realm may be achievable, but the Purple Mansion Realm is far beyond reach. Without significant fortune, the family is destined for decline or division..."


    He stared nkly ahead of him as the first light of dawn slowly crept into the hall. His elder brother, Li Yuanjiao, stood quietly at the entrance, unnoticed by Li Yuanping, who was deep in thought.


    As the morning light climbed the steps of the main hall, Li Yuanping spoke in a muffled voice, "The current nw was established by our great-grandfather. In those days, the family had only a few in the Embryonic Breathing Realm... how could he have foreseen today''s situation? Simply following the oldws may not be the best approach..."


    Only then did Li Yuanping notice Li Yuanjiao standing before him. His gaze was sharp as he spoke softly, "Brother, if I were to die, who in the family should take the lead, suppress the external branches,mand Mount Yue, and manage the n while nurturing the younger generation?"


    Li Yuanjiao hesitated before answering slowly, "At present, only Xijun is capable of such a task. Aside from him, Xicheng is too kind, and Ximing is..."


    "It is indeed difficult to pick among those in the generation of Xi and Yue! They are all highly talented. By right, none should be singled out to lead. But if their generation passes without a strong leader, and the next generationcks a dominant figure, what then?" Li Yuanping asked.


    Li Yuanjiao vaguely understood the meaning behind his words and replied, "If that happens, it cannot be helped."


    "Brother, I intend to reform the n system."


    He suddenly stood up and dered, "The authority of the family head is far too great, a system established during the time of Lord Xiangping... But how many in the n can match him? This method centralizes power and benefits, but it is truly too difficult to manage. Our descendants cannot always produce individuals with exceptional cunningness but moderate talent. What happened with Ximing may seem coincidental, but in truth, it reveals that our family can no longer sustain such a system of governance. Sooner orter, something will go wrong."


    Li Yuanjiao looked at him intently, saying nothing for a long time. Finally, he replied gently, "Do what you must. I will support you."


    Li Yuanping seemed to have fully recovered from his disappointment in his eldest son, but there was a lingering sense of mncholy as he said in a deep voice, "First, we''ll measure the spirit fields, record everything... and begin to decentralize power!"


    ————


    For prestigious ns, it was nearly impossible to fully ount for privately held spirit fields. Even the Azure Pond Sect couldn''t urately assess the spirit fields of the ns under its jurisdiction, having to rely on a rough estimate based on the number of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators when collecting tribute.


    The reason was simple: as long as an illusionary formation was in ce, a small piece ofnd could easily blend into the vast mountains and seas, making it virtually impossible to detect unless by sheer chance or a sweep of one''s spiritual sense.


    Although the Azure Pond Sect had specialized techniques for breaking formations, it was unrealistic to inspect every cun ofnd thoroughly, so they had to rely on estimations based on earth veins and spirit veins.


    This same reason exined why so many remnants of the Immortal-Devil War still existed within the sea, with their protective formations so advanced that even if one were to bash their head against them, they still would not be able to find the entrance.


    However, when Li Yuanjiao summoned the mirror, he was able to see every cun of the Li Family''snd clearly. He could immediately identify which prominent families had secretly built small courtyards and demarcated spirit fields, as they were all exposed before his eyes.


    "Indeed..."


    This situation was inevitable. Every prominent family under the Li Family''s rule had privately developed spirit fields. In the barrennds that the Li Family had deemed worthless, they had secretly enclosed courtyards and set up illusionary formations to nt spirit paddies.


    This was considered the lesser offense. Over the years, as more external cultivators joined the family, they hade into contact with many cultivation methods from rogue cultivators. Not all children with a spiritual orifice were sent to the Li Family; some external cultivators even ventured out to seek other opportunities, never to return.


    Li Yuanjiao''s gaze swept over the area, noting that even some minor sect cultivators of the Xi and Yue generation were involved. He sighed quietly.


    "Thesends may be barren, but they are still free! After all, no matter how good the family''snds are, most of the yield still has to be handed over. It is far more satisfying to grow and harvest for oneself."


    The family had inspected these spirit fields twice before, and those remaining were within the allowed regtions. Li Yuanjiao carefully documented everything and returned to the hall, where Li Yuanping had been writing furiously for some time.


    When Li Yuanjiao returned, Li Yuanping took the map he had drawn and circled several immortal mountains. After pondering for a moment, he spoke softly, "Brother, I have carefully studied the old methods from Lixia Prefecture and the current practices of the Yuan Family... Take a look at my n."


    Li Yuanjiao lowered his head to examine it, and at the top wererge letters: <i>Dual n System, Peak and Town Counterbnce.</i>


    Li Yuanping, his face pale but eyes bright, exined, "Now that our family has more cultivators than ever, I want to separate the n system from the sect system, cing the n above and the sect below, separating immortals from mortals. Cultivators would join the peaks and form the n, while mortals would descend the mountain and form the sect. Unless specifically assigned for demon extermination, none are permitted to descend the mountain.


    "When an external or n member develops a spiritual orifice, they will be sent to the main peak of Mount Lijing to cultivate, where our family cultivators will carefully guide them. Those with high aptitude will continue their cultivation, while those with lower aptitude will be sent to other peaks.


    "Each immortal mountain will establish its own office, dispersing the descendants of the four lineages into them. They will have a peak master, an enforcer, and a n chief... All spirit fields below the mountain will no longer be individually assigned but managed by the respective immortal mountains.


    "The cultivators of each immortal mountain will rotate and be reassigned regrly. The collected spirit resources will be sent directly to Lijing and delivered to the cave dwelling on Mount Meiche. As for the family head... the head will handle promotions and assignments, while the n chiefs and enforcers will monitor the n''s affairs. With the mirror in the family, any embezzlement of spirit resources is almost certain to be exposed!"