…
Inside the formation, there is warmth and peace everywhere.
Outside the formation, the wind was blowing hard and the snow was falling heavier.
Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest, but this is not true in the extreme edge of Uttarakuru.
Those who lived here were all from the Qi family's side branches. Calling them side branches was just to make it sound nicer. Most of the people who lived here were unable to practice cultivation or had low cultivation levels and were unable to advance.
Northern Juluzhou is vast, with over a hundred nations, large and small, and Xinglai is merely the most insignificant of them all. The Qi family, mentioned earlier, is one of Xinglai's four great immortal cultivation families, though it's at the bottom of the heap. Compared to the other three, their strength is far inferior, like the difference between an ocean and a stream.
The reason why the Qi family was able to be named one of the four great immortal cultivation families was due to the Ice and Fire Lotus that was unique to their family.
Xinglai Country, located to the north of Northern Julu Continent, is perpetually covered in ice and snow, and its people have lived alongside the snow for generations. Those who are able to embark on the path of cultivation often cultivate techniques related to ice and snow.
Ice and fire are inherently in conflict, a fact deeply understood by those with advanced cultivation. Humans possess three true fires, controlling their essence, energy, and life. When practicing the Ice and Snow Technique, the higher one's cultivation, the greater the risk to these three fires.
This Ice Fire Lotus is a rare item. It can steadily improve cultivation while nourishing and protecting the True Fire. It is a treasure coveted by all great cultivators.
Scarcity makes things valuable. The reason why a treasure is called a treasure is not only because it is precious, but also because it is rare.
The Qi family, who cultivated the Ice and Fire Lotus, only managed to obtain three in sixty years.
The preciousness of the Ice and Fire Lotus also allowed the Qi family to join the ranks of the three major families in one fell swoop, and their wealth rose.
The Qi family's branch, living in the remote northeastern region of Northern Julu Continent, did not enjoy any of the Qi family's preferential treatment. After all, they were low-ranking individuals who could not cultivate, had low cultivation bases, and had no hope of advancing. They were not worth the family's waste of resources.
…
The next day, the snow was still falling.
On the third day, the snow was still falling, mixed with a few pieces of ice.
…
On the tenth day, what fell from the sky was no longer snow, but ice cubes the size of stones.
It hits the ball in the array, making a "ping pong pong..." sound.
Qi Changfeng stood under the eaves, looking at the gray sky with a solemn expression. There were knocks on the wooden door in the yard.
A strong young man, just over twenty, was chopping wood in the yard. He was Qi Changfeng's eldest son, Qi Weixiu. When Qi Weixiu heard a knock at the door, he quickly stopped what he was doing and went to open it.
Who would come to visit in such bad weather?
The man outside the door looked a bit strange, wearing a thick fur coat, holding a large wooden basin in both hands, and his face was red from the cold. It turned out to be Qi Dong, the grandson of the great elder, who was a few months older than Qi Weixiu.
"It's Brother Qi. Come on, hurry up and go into the house. There is a brazier inside." Qi Weixiu greeted him quickly.
"No, that's not necessary. Just tell Uncle Changfeng that grandpa asked everyone to gather at the ancestral house for a meeting at 3:00 PM. I'm in a hurry to notify the next family!" After saying that, Qi Dong put the big wooden basin on his head and left.
…
At noon, the ancestral home in Qijia Village, a relatively large wooden house, was full of people.
In the center of the main hall stood a wooden statue, holding a jade vase containing several lotus flowers, and smiling at its descendants. It was said that this statue represented the Qi family's first ancestor. Beneath the statue stood rows of wooden plaques, each representing a deceased ancestor.
A thin old man with gray hair, wrinkled face and hunched back, holding three incense sticks, led the people in the house to kneel down and worship the statue.
After kneeling, the thin old man, Qi Tiansheng, the chief elder of Qijia Village, said, "Everyone has seen the current situation. We have to prepare for a rainy day."
"Yes, even though we have plenty of meat at home, it can't hold up to those half-grown boys!"
"My mother's illness hasn't healed yet, and she's still in need of some medicine!"
“My family is almost broke.”
…
Everyone expressed their concerns.
"Changfeng, what do you think?" The Great Elder looked at Qi Changfeng who was standing in front of the crowd.
"There are still a lot of food stored in the cellar of our ancestral home. Some time ago, I helped Fourth Uncle Qi find a lot of herbs. If you all save them, you can get through for a while." Qi Changfeng said with a frown.
"What if we finish eating?" someone asked.
"Yeah, if the snow is heavier than it is now..." another person expressed his concern.
"God won't give us a way to survive!"
…
"If people have no way to survive, how can the beasts in the mountains and forests survive?" Qi Changfeng expressed his concerns.
Qi Changfeng's words instantly silenced everyone.
Everyone was living under the claws of wild beasts, and they instantly understood what Qi Changfeng meant.
A beast with no way to survive? What would happen? It would definitely attack the village first.
It's not so bad on weekdays. There is plenty of food in the mountains and forests, and these beasts are too lazy to come and gnaw on the village. After all, some human monks are quite difficult to deal with.
However, the beasts, now starving and lacking food, don't care about whether it's difficult or not...
Those who were just thinking about leaving the village suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, it was just a talk and they didn't leave the village, otherwise...
The Great Elder raised his eyelids, glanced at the quiet crowd with satisfaction, and said slowly, "Changfeng is right, we can't go out now."
"Not only can we not go out, we also have to strengthen our defenses." The elder walked to the door with a cane and looked up at the sky.
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