When Li Jing opened his eyes after his cultivation session, the sun had already risen for a few hours.
Thankfully, cultivating Dark Qi had the same effect on his body as cultivating neutral Qi so he felt refreshed after this night of cultivation.
Li Jing stood up and started mentally making a list of the things he needed to do before tomorrow's king's birthday banquet.
Avoiding the banquet was not a possibility, it was the king's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. All the nobles and powerful clans were invited, including the four Great Clans. As the heir of the Li clan, not participating in the banquet could have a big impact on him and his clan's reputation.
The first thing he needed to do was to go see his father and grandfather. Obviously, he will not tell them about the inheritance he found. And, for now, he didn't lack Spirit stones and cultivation resources so he didn't need to sell the weapons and the parts of the variant Demonic Beast he had.
Immediately after that, he will start absorbing the Spirit Stones to gain a maximum of Experience Points. Absorbing five hundred thousand Spirit Stones will take a long time so he preferred to start now.
Li Jing hid his blood ring in his pocket because he knew that his grandfather would recognize that it was a blood ring if he saw it. Then, he left his bedroom and walked towards his father's courtyard.
Once he arrived in the main hall, his father, Li Bai, and his grandfather, Li Zhang, smiled at him as he greeted them.
"Jing'er, quick, sit with us and tell us everything." Said Li Zhang.
Li Jing sat in the armchair next to them and started to think about what he should tell them.
"I mainly stayed in the territory of the Demonic Black Bears. I could easily kill them so I was not in danger. This week in the Dark Forest has been very beneficial to me so I hope you will let me go back there from time to time." He said.
Both Li Bai and Li Zhang nodded, they effectively noticed that Li Jing seemed more mature since the last time they saw him.
"We will let you go back there but for now you should focus on your cultivation. Thanks to the pill given by the Mysterious Alchemist, you had a great head start so you should not waste it." Said Li Bai.
"Yes, father. Talking about that, how was the presentation of the Qi Condensing Pill? Li Hua also told me that the king wanted to see you, how was it?" Asked Li Jing.
"Except you, your grandfather, me, and the president of the Yuan Auction House, no one knows about the Mysterious Alchemist. We told everyone that we sold the pills during the auction to make them popular before selling them in our Heavenly Pill Pavilion. The pill is a huge success and every talented alchemist of the clan is currently producing them… As for the king, he told me that because this new pill could bring a calamity to the kingdom, he had no choice but to ask the Heavenly Jewel Empire for help. The Emperor answered that he will send four of his powerful generals that are in the Nascent Soul realm. They will be here in a week." Said Li Bai.
Li Jing nodded. These four generals were also part of the web novel. The Heavenly Jewel Empire was obviously interested in these pills. So, by selling them to the empire, his clan, and by extension him, will become even richer.
Li Jing, Li Bai, and Li Zhang continued to talk for a moment about the preparation they needed to make before the king's birthday banquet of the next day.
Li Bai also gave Li Jing a bottle containing twenty Qi Condensing Pills. Then, Li Jing returned to his bedroom.
Inside his bedroom, he took out some Spirit Stones and started absorbing them. The king's birthday banquet will take place the next day from noon until late at night…
One day later.
Li Jing just finished absorbing the 71234th Spirit Stones when someone suddenly knocked at his door.
"Young Master, it's time to prepare." It was Li Hua's voice.
Li Jing followed Li Hua and after taking a bath, he dressed in a luxurious purple robe with golden patterns embroidered on it. He really looked like a prince in these clothes.
He left his courtyard and joined his father and grandfather that were also ready. Both of them were wearing a blue robe embroidered with golden patterns. In these clothes, they looked even more noble and intimidating than usual.
A moment later, they all walked to the carriage that will bring them to the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace was located in the center of the White Jade City, the whole royal family lived inside it and rarely left it.
The king was the strongest cultivator in the kingdom so everyone respected and feared him. He was in the Golden Core realm and could, therefore, live for three hundred years! This time it was his one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, it meant that he had just reached half of his lifespan. Unless he could breakthrough the Nascent Soul realm, of course.
Although the king was one hundred and fifty years old, he was not the oldest man in the kingdom. Indeed, Li Jing's grandfather was almost two hundred years old and the patriarch of the Zhao clan was over two hundred and fifty years old!
In this world, cultivators could have children even after their hundredth birthday. Therefore, most of them married late. Li Jing's father, for example, looked like a thirty years old man but was actually over sixty years old.
The carriage of the Li clan suddenly stopped, not because they arrived but because the road that led to the Royal Palace was overcrowded with many carriages of prestigious families and clans. It was as if everyone had decided to go to the palace at the same time…
A long moment later, their carriage finally arrived in front of the door of the palace.
Li Jing got out of the carriage and saw a huge and long wall pierced by a gate. At the top of the gate, the name 'Gate of Divine Might' was engraved on a plaque.
The Royal Palace in this city reminded Li Jing of the time he had visited the Forbidden City in his previous life. Both of them looked really majestic.
After being greeted by some servants, Li Jing, his father, and grandfather followed them inside the palace. The banquet will take place in the Royal Garden.