After leaving Tianxuan Mountain, Han Li returned home, safely arriving back at the Han Family in Lingjun City.
His round trip had taken two months, and the whole Lingjun City was already festooned with lanterns and streamers. With less than three months to go until his two-hundredth birthday, the entire city had come to life.
The Daqian Empire was divided into provinces, manors, counties, and townships. Lingjun City was a county seat, and Lingjun County itself was quite large, stretching hundreds of miles and governing many villages and towns with a countless population.
The esteemed ancestor of the Han Family, a cultivator of the Pihai Realm, was the number one figure in Lingjun County. His upcoming two-hundredth birthday banquet had stirred excitement throughout the county. Many powers and families within Lingjun County and from Fengyang Manor's territories practically tripped over each other trying to get into Lingjun City, resulting in the city reaching full capacity.
Even during normal times, Lingjun City had a large population, boasting over three million residents, but now the number had soared to more than four million. Aside from the various guests, the rest were there to watch the excitement, since it had been over a thousand years since a Pihai Realm cultivator had emerged from Lingjun County.
Despite Lingjun City's large population, the number of those born with cultivation talents was very limited; in a year, less than a thousand emerged, most of whom possessed mediocre talent. A Ninth Grade talent was uncommon, an Eighth Grade talent even rarer, and as for a Seventh Grade talent or higher, one might not appear in ten years.
In the grand hall of the Han Mansion, Han Li was receiving reports from several of his children and, as he listened, a smile appeared on his face.
The first and second tasks he had assigned had been completed, while the third and fourth were still underway, all with commendable efficiency.
Indeed, hefty rewards spurred the Han Family's younger generation to reproduce more quickly. He had only been gone for two months, and already more than a dozen women in the Han Family were pregnant. In time, when they gave birth, his progeny would significantly increase.
The selection of the five new concubines he planned to take had also been finalized. They were all top-notch beauties; the least talented still possessed mediocre talents, but among them, there was unexpectedly one with a Ninth Grade talent, which pleasantly surprised Han Li.
As the sole cultivator in the Pihai Realm in Lingjun County, his status was incredibly high. Coupled with his fondness for taking concubines, many families eagerly presented their beautiful daughters, giving the Han Family their pick.
Even if they weren't chosen as a concubine by the esteemed ancestor of the Han Family, marrying into other branches of the Han Family was still a good prospect. Such marriages promised a life of luxury and glory, and the woman's family would benefit from the connection to the influential Han Family.
Han Li distributed some resources as rewards to his children, which thrilled them immensely.
Soon, the Han Mansion became a hive of activity once again, as Han Li planned to marry the five concubines within the next few days, mainly to avoid overlapping with the possibility of taking more concubines after the big celebration.
Better to marry them sooner and start expanding the family earlier.
Although taking in five concubines at once made everyone in the Han Mansion extremely busy, they were experienced in these matters. The Han Family patriarch had already taken seven concubines, and his descendants went about the preparations methodically and adeptly.
Each time he took a concubine, Han Li's ceremony was as grand as a cultivator's wedding, reflecting the importance he placed upon his concubines, and this time was no exception.
While Han Li had taken many concubines, each held deep affection for him, with no one speaking ill of him. Despite his reputation for being a womanizer, his social standing remained positive.
"The Han Family ancestor is taking in concubines again, and this time five at once!"
"The Han Family ancestor is a powerful being of the Pihai Realm. It wouldn't be strange even if he took fifty at once, let alone five."
"Five female cultivators, can the Han Family ancestor's stamina keep up?"
"..."
As the five bridal processions of the Han Family returned, each escorting a beautiful bride, Lingjun City was buzzing with conversation once again.
At nightfall,
Han Li entered the first bridal chamber, lifted the red veil, and looked at the shy and beautiful bride. With a light flick of his finger, the lamp went out.
Han Li spent a wonderful night here.
In the following two months, Han Li could be described as indefatigably tilling his fields, tending to a concubine each day, until finally all five ravishing women were with child.
He was almost worn out by these delightful days of an immortal's life.
"Tsk, tsk, if it weren't for my breakthrough to Pihai Realm and the Dragon's Chant Golden Bell Shield coupled with the Tiger's Roar Ironcloth Shirt greatly enhancing my physical strength, not even an immortal could withstand this," Han Li sighed. It was his first time facing such a situation, but fortunately, he had honed his techniques. He would definitely be more at ease next time.
In the following few days, Han Li stayed inside Han Mansion without leaving, contemplating life.
He now had one hundred and eight descendants, with two more little ones recently born; still, only twenty of his offspring possessed cultivation talent.
Now that his five concubines were pregnant and other descendants were also performing admirably, with over a dozen pregnant, the Han Family's lineage would increase by at least thirty more within a year at the most.
Han Li was not worried about his future development. His cultivation level would reach the peak of ninth grade in the Pihai Realm next year, and his next step would be to strive for a breakthrough to the Gangyuan Realm.
With only eighth-grade cultivation talent, normally his chances of breaking through to the Gangyuan Realm were one in ten thousand. He wondered if the system reward could help him overcome the shackles of his talent and advance to Gangyuan Realm.
If not, he would have to wait patiently until his talent improved to the seventh grade before attempting the breakthrough.
Of course, Han Li also hoped the system would award some treasures that could enhance cultivation talent, so not only could he improve his own talent, but his concubines and capable descendants could also follow in his footsteps and go even further.
The hardest to retain are the times of life, the beauty bidding farewell to the mirror, the flowers to the trees!
If possible, Han Li hoped his concubines could accompany him forever. Liu Yuexin, the first he had taken, was already nearly seventy, and the other five concubines were not young either.
With Han Li's assistance, they all maintained the appearance of their youth, and their lifespans were extended to one hundred and twenty or thirty years.
"In future years, if I should stand above the eternal heavens, I shall share the years with you all!"
Han Li wished he could say to his concubines this famous line by Shi Ritian.
"Alas~"
With only sixty years remaining, if he could not find a treasure that would increase his talent, he would have no choice but to forcefully aid his concubines in breaking through to the Innate Realm.
There are generally two types of pills for breaking through realms: one that increases the success rate without affecting subsequent promotions to higher realms, and the other that enables direct breakthroughs but has significant side effects, depriving the user of any chance to advance to higher realms upon consumption.
Han Li knew of a pill that could help one break through to the Innate Realm, called the Innate Pill; Tianxuan Mountain had it, not cheap but those who had a chance to break through the Pihai Realm would never choose to consume the Innate Pill.
If given the choice, Han Li would still prefer to improve the cultivation talent of his concubines so they could ascend with him and thus accompany him further on his journey.
He was not a heartless man; though having many sons brought blessings, he wouldn't treat his concubines as mere birthing machines. He treated each one well, limiting to bearing no more than three children each. That was why his concubines were utterly devoted to him, each one profoundly in love.
Of course, while cutting expenses on one side, it was necessary to open up new sources of wealth—only by taking in more concubines could he enjoy the blessings of many sons.
At that moment, one of Han Li's offspring rushed in hurriedly, interrupting his thoughts.