Chapter 370: The Bloodline Refining Pool (Three-in-One Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes, Recommending)

"This is indeed an Advanced Demon Taming Art!" Li Wenbo was clearly quite moved, but because this Inheritance Jade Slip contained a special restriction, Li Wenbo could only read a small portion of the content, which only made him itch with impatience.

If he were to switch to cultivating the *Wanli Changhe Yuyao Jue*, Li Wenbo's Mental Power would become increasingly vigorous and pure; furthermore, once this Advanced Demon Taming Art was cultivated to perfection, it could also reduce the rate of physical stamina consumption for his Demon Pets and increase their endurance.

Finally, the speed at which an Advanced Demon Taming Art tempered Mental Power far exceeded that of an Intermediate Demon Taming Art.

Li Zhangsheng did not speak, quietly waiting for Li Wenbo to continue.

Li Wenbo thought for a moment and said, "The clan has never treated those who have rendered meritorious service unfairly, but an Advanced Demon Taming Art is too precious; for the clan to provide corresponding compensation, I still need to consult with the Clan Elders!"

Li Zhangsheng nodded, not feeling surprised. He had heard that when Li Wenbo prepared to issue the rewards for the Li Clan Four Heroes for being selected for the Elite Class last time, he had already called a clan meeting, let alone this time.

Li Wenbo could not act as a dictator after all; there were still several high-ranking and powerful Clan Elders who could keep him in check.

"Clan Leader, besides the Advanced Demon Taming Art, I have one more matter to discuss with you!"

Li Zhangsheng felt the time was ripe and laid out the matter of the Fire-Radiance Stone mine, while simultaneously revealing his idea of wanting to jointly mine it with the clan.

Of course, he was not stupid enough to reveal the location of the Fire-Radiance Stone mine.

"A Fire-Radiance Stone mine!"

Li Wenbo was clearly taken aback, followed by a look of great joy. This was a Fire-Radiance Stone mine, after all; even a barren micro-mine could be squeezed for massive profits.

Unfortunately, the person he was facing was Li Zhangsheng.

If this were before the Exchange Tournament had begun, Li Wenbo might have harbored some other thoughts, using some resources as a reward to let the clan monopolize the profits from the Fire-Radiance Stone mine.

But times were different now; Li Zhangsheng's momentum was already established—at least that was how Li Wenbo saw it. Especially since he had just contributed an Advanced Demon Taming Art to the clan, Li Wenbo could no longer deal with Li Zhangsheng as he would an ordinary clan junior.

However, haggling was ultimately unavoidable.

"Good!"

After a long while, both sides negotiated a plan that made them both feel satisfied; in the plan initially discussed with Li Wenbo, Li Zhangsheng and the clan would each take a fifty-percent share of the Fire-Radiance Stone mine's profits.

It was just that the matter was of great importance, and Li Wenbo could not decide it alone; the necessary procedures still had to be followed, and he needed to consult with over a dozen Clan Elders.

"The clan meeting will be held in one hour; remember to come and attend!"

"Understood!"

After agreeing, Li Zhangsheng left the reception hall and returned to the small courtyard where he lived.

The small courtyard was still the same, only the servants inside were filled with respect and admiration for him, and they had even tidied the courtyard until it was in perfect order.

"Has my second uncle returned?" Li Zhangsheng stopped a servant who was helping his second uncle tidy the room.

"Not yet, he hasn't returned for this entire period!" the servant answered truthfully, their tone full of respect.

There was no helping it; as one's personal strength and reputation increased, the level of intimidation one held over subordinates also rose.

The news that Li Zhangsheng had returned spread rapidly through the Manor, so when Li Zhangsheng returned to his small courtyard, it was inevitable that some meddlesome clansmen would come to visit.

Contrary to Li Zhangsheng's expectations, the first to come visit was the Beast Garden Elder; from his clothes and hair, which were messily blown about by the strong wind, everything showed the 'urgency' with which he had arrived.

The Beast Garden Elder had come to find Li Zhangsheng to carry forward the essence of his "clinging to power."

More than three months ago, before the Li Clan Four Heroes headed to Peng City, the Beast Garden Elder had personally instructed his granddaughter Li Jingyi on the essence of clinging to power, telling her at the time to go and cling to Li Zhangsheng.

Alas, Li Jingyi's face was too thin, and she never mastered her grandfather's essence of clinging to power; however, out of consideration for their clansman, Li Zhangsheng had taken good care of her at the Academy.

But the old man was crafty; he had relied on clinging to power in his early years to grow to his current position. After hearing of Li Zhangsheng's dominance at the Exchange Tournament yesterday, the Beast Garden Elder 'saw' his bright future.

Thus, the Beast Garden Elder decided to enter the fray himself, preparing to cling to Li Zhangsheng, this future big thigh, and continue to carry forward his essence of clinging to power.

As for the other Clan Elders, they all cared more about their dignity, but upon hearing that the Beast Garden Elder had visited Li Zhangsheng, they felt quite annoyed in their hearts—they had been beaten to the punch by this shameless old fellow again.

Soon, several other Clan Elders made up their minds and prepared to visit Li Zhangsheng.

"Zhangsheng, you've returned! Your performance at the Exchange Tournament has truly brought great glory to our Li Clan. This old man truly admires you from the heart and feels exceptionally regretful that I didn't make a trip to Yecheng at the time; I wish I could have seen your glorious performance on the competition field with my own eyes."

Listening to the Beast Garden Elder's shameless flattery, Li Zhangsheng truly didn't know what to say. It was the first time he had discovered that the usually aloof Beast Garden Elder had such an unknown side.

At this moment, the Beast Garden Elder caught a glimpse of a few old cronies about to arrive at the scene and immediately patted his chest, beginning to express his loyalty.

"Zhangsheng, you were also watched by this old man as you grew up, and this old man was even a cousin to your late grandfather. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come find this old man at any time; this old man will definitely do everything in his power to help you!"

"Clan Elder, you are too polite!" Li Zhangsheng finally understood; Li Jingyi's grandfather was trying to claim a kinship with him to close the distance between them.

It was just that after his parents passed away back then, the two families had not had much interaction to speak of; coming to build a relationship now was nothing more than confirming his potential and wanting to make an additional investment.

This was just like when many poor relatives suddenly become wealthy, and relatives who were not originally close would take the initiative to visit and build a relationship.

One had to say, this was very snobbish!

But the Beast Garden Elder was, after all, a cousin to Li Zhangsheng's grandfather, and he was willing to set aside his dignity to come over and build a relationship; Li Zhangsheng couldn't exactly pull a long face, as that would look bad if it got out.

Not only could he not pull a long face, but he also had to treat the Beast Garden Elder with a pleasant expression; this was actually an attitude, just treating it as respecting the old and loving the young.

It was also at this time that several Clan Elders arrived together to visit, and Li Zhangsheng naturally welcomed them into the small courtyard and personally hosted them.

For a time, both sides were harmonious, chatting mainly about domestic trifles, and occasionally discussing the great affairs of the world.

In short, the fact that these Clan Elders were willing to lower themselves to visit Li Zhangsheng already indicated their attitude, and they were willing to place Li Zhangsheng on the level of interacting with them as peers.

The few Clan Elders were very patient, actually accompanying Li Zhangsheng in conversation for nearly an hour without showing any signs of impatience.

At this time, Li Zhangsheng looked at the sky and suggested, "Elders, the clan meeting is about to begin!"

"Good, let us go now!"

"Let us go together!"

Soon, Li Zhangsheng and the several Clan Elders walked together toward the Clan Council Hall.

Li Family Manor, Council Hall!

Li Wenbo was sitting in the main seat early on; to his left and right were the seats for the Internal Affairs Hall Elder, External Affairs Hall Elder, Beast Garden Elder, Treasure Pavilion Elder, and Secret Technique Pavilion Elder, while below them were the seats for more than ten Clan Elders without real power.

However, Li Wenbo was quite troubled regarding Li Zhangsheng's seat; if he placed him in the position of an ordinary Clan Elder, he was truly afraid that Li Zhangsheng would be displeased given his current strength and reputation, but he couldn't exactly seat him right next to himself either—how would the other Clan Elders view that?

This was where Li Wenbo felt conflicted; in the end, after thinking about it, Li Wenbo added a chair between the seats of the powerful Clan Elders and the ordinary Clan Elders.

In this spot, there was actually already a chair; that was the seat of Li Zhangsheng's second uncle, Li Haoqiong, but Li Haoqiong had left the clan three or four months ago, and no one knew where he had gone.

Not waiting long, the Clan Elders arrived at the meeting room one after another; when they saw the extra chair, they were startled at first, then immediately assumed a look of sudden realization.

The Clan Elders present were crafty and naturally said nothing; besides, they already felt it was a matter of course, just like Li Zhangsheng's second uncle, Li Haoqiong, back in the day—as long as one displayed sufficient strength, there would be a place for them here.

At this moment, Li Changsheng and four Clan Elders arrived together; among these four Clan Elders, only the Beast Garden Elder held actual power.

Seeing this scene, Li Wenbo and the remaining Clan Elders wore solemn expressions; with the influence and voice of Li Changsheng and the four Clan Elders, they could entirely form a faction of their own.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of conflict; even in a family as sentimental as the Li Clan, one still cannot avoid some infighting.

However, in the grand scheme of things, almost everyone can pull together as one.

Five minutes later, including Clan Elder Li Ming who had a broken right hand, all the Clan Elders of the Li Clan gathered in one hall, totaling 14 Clan Elders.

Li Changsheng was not a Clan Elder, so naturally, he was not included.

"Everyone, before we discuss, I intend to have Li Changsheng serve as an Honorary Clan Elder of the family; does anyone have any objections?"

An Honorary Clan Elder does not participate in the specific affairs of the family and holds no real power, but it is a symbol of status, and the family also provides a certain amount of resources each year.

"This old man agrees!" The first to speak in agreement was the Beast Garden Elder; this guy was truly addicted to sucking up to power, his reaction was unimaginably fast, and he was also the least concerned about his reputation.

The remaining Clan Elders then reacted, and no one expressed opposition; besides, Li Changsheng becoming an Honorary Clan Elder was something they were happy to see.

An Honorary Clan Elder has no real power, so naturally, there is no competitive relationship with them, but it can strengthen Li Changsheng's sense of belonging to the family.

"From now on, Changsheng is an Honorary Clan Elder of our Li Clan!"

Li Wenbo was not surprised, paused, and continued: "Next, I will first announce a piece of good news: Clan Elder Changsheng is prepared to contribute an Advanced Demon Taming Art to the family, a point I have already confirmed without error. It is just that our family has always been clear about rewards and punishments and never treats those with merit unfairly; calling everyone here this time is mainly to pool our wisdom and discuss compensation for him!"

After Li Wenbo's announcement, the Clan Elders present were all taken aback, followed by expressions of wild joy, while also being shocked by Li Changsheng's generosity.

With the Advanced Demon Taming Art, these high-ranking and powerful Clan Elders would very likely have the authority to switch to cultivating this Advanced Demon Taming Art, which was naturally a good thing for them.

"This is excellent; we must increase the compensation. I propose opening the family Bloodline Cleansing Pool and granting the reward of a Bloodline Baptism!"

It was the Beast Garden Elder again; since this old guy had made up his mind to suck up to Li Changsheng, he naturally considered things from Li Changsheng's perspective.

"Bloodline Baptism?" Li Changsheng was slightly stunned; it was his first time hearing of a Bloodline Baptism.

He did not know the effects of a Bloodline Baptism, but since it was related to bloodlines and was a reward proposed by the Beast Garden Elder, it was clearly very precious.

The reason the Li Family was established outside Luo City was related to this Bloodline Cleansing Pool, which was also the Li Family's ancestral treasure.

The Bloodline Cleansing Pool can provide a Bloodline Baptism for a Demon Pet, with a certain probability of activating deeper bloodlines within the Demon Pet, or even fusing favorable factors from multiple bloodlines to create a new bloodline; the probability is related to the quality of the Demon Pet itself—the higher the quality, the greater the probability.

The only drawback of the Bloodline Cleansing Pool is that the cycle is very long; it can only be opened once every fifty years, and each time it can only perform a Bloodline Baptism for one Demon Pet.

It was also in March of this year that the cooldown time for the Bloodline Cleansing Pool had passed, but since the bloodline pool only offered this one opportunity, both the Clan Leader and the Clan Elders were scrambling for it, because they knew very well that at their age, they would almost certainly not live to see the next opportunity.

Before becoming a King, unless one consumes Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that increases longevity, even for a Sixth-tier Beastmaster, their maximum lifespan is usually just over a hundred years.

However, treasures that increase longevity are so rare; a single Low-grade Chema Mushroom could be bid up to tens of thousands of Soul Crystals, and with the meager financial resources of these Clan Elders, how could they afford it?

Thus, from March of this year until now, they had been arguing endlessly about it, but no one could convince the others, and it had remained deadlocked until now.

The Beast Garden Elder knew very well that this was the family's best reward, which is why he took the initiative to propose the Bloodline Baptism.

In the eyes of the Beast Garden Elder, Li Changsheng had a great chance; his prestige was currently rising, his momentum was immense, and he even vaguely held the title of the number one person in the clan; furthermore, given the value of the Advanced Demon Taming Art, the possibility of success was very high.

"This old man agrees; given the value of the Advanced Demon Taming Art, apart from the Bloodline Baptism, the clan simply cannot produce a matching reward!"

Unexpectedly, the second to agree was the External Affairs Hall Elder; he had met Li Changsheng twice, and it was Li Changsheng who had revealed the Lin Family's conspiracy to him a few months ago, so he naturally did not mind building another favorable connection.

Li Changsheng's momentum of ascent was truly too fast; who knew when he might become a Fourth Rank, Fifth Rank, or even Sixth Rank Demon Tamer? Although the best time for investment had already passed, it would still bring him significant returns.

"Clan Elder Changsheng is also the greatest Heavenly Pride in our family's history; who else but him deserves the Bloodline Baptism! I believe that after the Bloodline Baptism, Clan Elder Changsheng's strength will surely rise to a higher level!"

"Everyone, don't forget that Li Jingyi, Li Runfeng, and Li Tianyu were able to enter the Elite Class because Clan Elder Changsheng put in a great deal of effort!"

"Additionally, in this Academy Exchange Tournament, Clan Elder Changsheng almost single-handedly led Yuanling Academy to become the second-ranked Academy; for this, our Li Clan has gained much prestige, and our influence is no longer limited to the small Luo City; even major clans in nearby cities are actively seeking cooperation with us, including a County-level Clan!"

"And the incident where we ambushed the Lin Family last time, Clan Elder Changsheng also contributed a great deal!"

"Indeed, with such great contributions, apart from the Bloodline Baptism, the family simply cannot find a reward that matches it!"

The few Clan Elders who supported Li Changsheng spoke one after another, focusing on praising Li Changsheng's contributions to the family; those Clan Elders who were originally neutral also expressed their stances one after another.

Li Changsheng's strength was already above theirs, but what mattered most to them was his potential; his future achievements would be limitless, and besides, his contributions were indeed immense; they would have to be fools to openly oppose him—that would be no different from lighting a lamp in a latrine.

However, a few Clan Elders led by Internal Affairs Hall Elder Li Wenhan had not yet expressed their stance; Li Wenhan had long been plotting to obtain the Bloodline Baptism, wanting to advance to a Fourth-rank Demon Tamer, so he was naturally very unwilling in his heart.

"I forgot to tell you all: Clan Elder Changsheng also discovered a Fire-Radiance Stone vein; he is absolutely worthy of the Bloodline Baptism! As for the distribution of profits from this mine, we will discuss it with everyone in a moment!"

At this moment, Clan Leader Li Wenbo timely added another bargaining chip for Li Changsheng; unlike his younger brother Li Wenhan, he felt he was getting old and did not have a deep obsession with the Bloodline Baptism, especially since his primary goal was always the revitalization of the family.

"This old man agrees to open the bloodline pool for Clan Elder Changsheng!"

"This old man also agrees!"

The two Clan Elders in Li Wenhan's camp realized the trend was set; seeing that Li Wenhan had not spoken for a long time, they were anxious and directly bypassed Li Wenhan to express their support.

With this, only Clan Elder Li Wenhan remained who had not expressed his stance, but at this point, whether he expressed it or not did not matter much.

"This old man also agrees!" Li Wenhan was not a fool, he was just unwilling; in the end, he could only choose to compromise.

"Since everyone has no objections, then please hand over the tokens to open the Restriction; in a moment, I will take Clan Elder Changsheng to enter the bloodline pool!"

Li Wenbo stroked his beard and solemnly took out a uniquely shaped gold token; multiple Restrictions were set up outside the bloodline pool, requiring three 'keys' to open.

These 'keys' have historically been kept by the Clan Leader, the Internal Affairs Hall Elder, and the External Affairs Hall Elder.

Without hesitation, the External Affairs Hall Elder took out a bronze token and placed it in front of Li Wenbo.

Internal Affairs Hall Elder Li Wenhan was reluctant in his heart, but he still took out a silver token and handed it to Li Wenbo.

After the gold, silver, and bronze tokens appeared, the three seemed to resonate, and a faint vibration came from the void.

Li Wenbo did not adjourn the meeting and began to discuss the profit distribution of the Fire-Radiance Stone mine with the various Clan Elders.

While they were discussing, Li Changsheng did not speak from beginning to end; it was not that he did not want to fight for more profit distribution, but that the four Clan Elders, including the Beast Garden Elder, would take the initiative to fight for benefits on his behalf.

For this kind of matter, it is more advantageous to let 'subordinates' take the lead.

Because Li Changsheng and Li Wenbo had reached a preliminary consensus, with the support of Li Wenbo's faction and Li Changsheng's faction, Li Wenhan's faction could be said to have no power to fight back.

As for those few Clan Elders who had always been neutral, they kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts throughout the whole process, completely following the crowd.

Five minutes later, the argument finally came to an end; just as Li Changsheng and Li Wenbo had originally agreed, Li Changsheng and the family would split the profits 50-50, with the family providing the manpower and effort to be responsible for mining and managing the Fire-Radiance Stone mine; if any accidents occurred during development, Li Changsheng would also have to provide full assistance.

Li Changsheng only needed to provide location information and a certain amount of assistance to sit back and enjoy 50% of the profits from the Fire-Radiance Stone mine, which was another long-term source of wealth for him.

Even if that Fire-Radiance Stone vein were the most barren micro-vein, it could still bring him a profit of at least several thousand Soul Crystals every year; but if it were a small, medium, or even large Fire-Radiance Stone vein, the profits would absolutely grow in geometric multiples.

Next is the actual person in charge of managing the Fire-Radiance Stone vein; the interests of the Fire-Radiance Stone vein are too great, and it is located on the edge of the Silent Forest, so it must have a Clan Elder stationed there long-term, and very likely more than one.

Besides the Clan Elders, there are also several Deacon vacancies; these are all positions with plenty of perks, and everyone wants to fight for some benefits or install some of their own confidants.

"This time, I have decided to send two Stewards and five Deacons to participate in the management of the Fire-Radiance Stone vein!" Li Wenbo determined the number of management positions.

As Li Wenbo's voice fell, the various Clan Elders began to argue.

This discussion was unusually intense; including the various Clan Elders with real power, almost all the Clan Elders participated, with only Li Ming, who had lost his right hand, remaining silent throughout.

Naturally, the major Clan Elders with real power could not be sent away, but they needed to fight for benefits for the Clan Elders or family members of their own faction, and the other Clan Elders followed the same logic.

"Everyone!" At this moment, Li Wenbo stood up from his seat, temporarily stopping the endlessly arguing Clan Elders.

"Since it was Clan Elder Li Zhangsheng who provided the information, I feel that before making a decision, we must ask for Clan Elder Li Zhangsheng's opinion!" Li Wenbo casually kicked the ball to Li Zhangsheng.

With this, the gazes of almost all the Clan Elders stopped circling Li Wenbo and instead fell in unison upon Li Zhangsheng.

Under the gazes of the crowd, Li Zhangsheng remained calm as water on the surface; he surveyed the Clan Elders present and finally let his gaze fall upon Clan Elder Li Ming.

"Since Clan Elder Li Yi, Clan Elder Li Luo River, and Clan Elder Li Ming made sacrifices for the family more than two months ago, I think we can let Clan Elder Li Ming serve as a Steward of the Fire-Radiance Stone vein, and choose two more Deacons from the families of the late Clan Elder Li Yi and Clan Elder Li Luo River. Of course, these are just my personal opinions; the final result is for everyone to decide!"

Li Zhangsheng thought for a moment; he did not choose the four Clan Elders who had defected to him, as that would easily make them targets for all sides; rather than that, it was better to choose a neutral Clan Elder.

Among the several neutral Clan Elders, Clan Elder Li Ming was undoubtedly the best candidate; pulling him up while he was down would also easily make him a supporter of his within the family.

Additionally, Li Zhangsheng also took the opportunity to win over the families of Clan Elder Li Yi and Clan Elder Li Luo River, who had lost their backbone; the situation of these two families within the clan was even more precarious, and helping them at this time could also earn him a good reputation.

(End of this chapter)