The path of immortality is long but ultimately empty.

  Lu Qing had been here for three hundred years.

  Three hundred years ago, he had transmigrated to this cultivation world. By chance, he became the disciple of a wandering cultivator. Later, following the death of his master, he forged his path in the cultivation world, overcoming numerous challenges to become a renowned independent cultivator in Flying Cloud State.

  For an independent cultivator to reach the Golden Core realm was truly no simple feat.

  When he first stepped onto the path of cultivation, he naturally harbored grand ambitions, vowing to attain supreme immortality.

  Initially, he faced many crises but always managed to overcome them without serious harm. At nearly two hundred years old, he joined with his Dao companion, and over several decades, they had nine children. The Lu cn occupied the Spirit Vein of Jade Smoke Mountain and flourished in the following hundred years under the protection of their Golden Core ancestor, Lu Qing. Lu Qing was, of course, the founding ancestor of the Lu cn. Below him were three generations of descendants, including in-ws, totaling between twenty and thirty individuals.

  But his strength had advanced slowly after breaking through to the Golden Core realm.

  Talent, opportunity, resources— these limitations pressed down on Lu Qing like the sturdiest of ceilings.

  Fifty years ago, in a magical battle with an enemy, he killed an opponent far stronger than himself, but in doing so, he damaged his foundation. He lost the ability to progress from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul, and his lifespan suffered significantly.

  Cultivators at the Golden Core stage could typically live to four or five hundred years; some who were particurly adept at nurturing life might live even longer. However, following this epic battle, experts estimated his remaining lifespan to be less than fifty years.

  As a transmigrator, he refused to accept this fate.

  Mobilizing the full power of the Lu cn, he also took out all his savings accumuted over many years to purchase many healing treasures. He began secluded meditation at the cn's residence on Jade Smoke Mountain, attempting to reverse his injuries.

  Fifty years of secluded meditation had now passed.

  His injuries had not improved. In fact, for the past ten years, he had been clinging to life only by the power of those healing treasures.

  Recently, the efficacy of those healing treasures had gradually diminished, and his life was now in imminent danger.

  He had made many attempts, but not only had he failed to save his life, he didn't even have the opportunity to gather his descendants to hear his final words.

  On the final day of his life, he had come to terms with it. "Perhaps after death, I might return to Earth..."

  "It's just... I can no longer protect my descendants. I've exhausted the family's resources to collect healing treasures, and I don't know what will become of the Lu cn after my death..."

  "I somewhat regret not leaving more behind. Zhaxi, you must take excellent care of this family..."

  Lu Zhaxi was his eldest son.

  His final thoughts were about his descendants, and then his consciousness gradually faded.

  ...

  When he opened his eyes again, his first thought was

  "I'm still alive?"

  But immediately, he saw his body not far from him, devoid of life force.

  He was indeed dead.

  Lu Qing had not reached the Nascent Soul stage, so there was no possibility of his physical body dying while his soul survived. Not to mention, even for Nascent Soul cultivators, when the physical body died and the Nascent Soul escaped, it would still suffer grave damage.

  But Lu Qing didn't feel any damage to his soul; he felt completely normal.

  The only difference was that he had transformed into a spirit.

  However, the outcome was still a major surprise.

  Although he didn't know why, he had originally thought his lifespan was exhausted and he would re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, but he hadn't expected the treatment of having his soul remain in the world.

  Since his soul and consciousness still existed, there was hope for living again. Suddenly, he felt something new within his soul.

  With a thought, a system interface appeared before his eyes.

  [Family Rise System]

  [Cn: Lu]

  [Level: Two Stars]

  [Karma Points: 100]

  [Buildings: One-Star Scripture Pavilion, Two-Star Fire Refining Room, One-Star Pill Room, One-Star Cultivation Room, One-Star Training Ground]

  [Savings: 347 Spirit Stones]

  [Net Income: -260 Spirit Stones/year (Income 750 Spirit Stones/year, Expenditure 1010 Spirit Stones/year)]

  [Popution: 106]

  [Resources: Jade Smoke Mountain Spirit Vein (Two Stars), Jade Smoke Mountain Herb Garden (One Star), Jade Smoke Mountain Luminous Stone Mine (Two Stars)]

  [Territory: Pingyao County (27%)]

  [Map]

  [Exchange]

  [Achievements]

  "This is a system? Would it be possible for me to exploit this system? Are you giving it to me only after I'm already dead?"

  Lu Qing's feelings were very complicated.

  How wonderful it would have been if he had received a cheat ability while he was still alive! Without any cheats, he had cultivated to the Golden Core realm in this cultivation world full of hidden dangers. If he had had a cheat ability, wouldn't he have already attained true immortality?

  But what can we do to address it now?

  With the name "Family Rise System," it was clear that the main function of this system was to develop the family's power.

  [Karma Points] functioned as the system's currency. He could consume [Karma Points] to activate various miraculous system functions.

  Opening the exchange list, he discovered this was where all the functions requiring [Karma Points] were concentrated.

  Currently, the family level was at two stars, so most functions were locked.

  But even the avaible portions included many with extraordinary effects. The [Exchange] function divided the currently avaible items into two parts.

  One part was basic functions, currently just one called 'Voice Transmission.' He could directly speak to family members within the family territory, consuming one karma point per message.

  The other part consisted of randomly appearing 'products' that would disappear once purchased.

  For example, [One-Star Status Type-Healing], [Two-Star Talent Type-Spirit Root Enhancement], [One-Star Map Type-Resource Exploration]...

  These purchase items would refresh once every ten years, with new ones randomly appearing in the product library, varying in quantity and level. The higher the family level, the better and more numerous the items that would appear.

  And if Lu Qing was willing, he could spend ten karma points and refresh immediately.

  These products wouldn't disappear if not purchased; each refresh would accumute new options.

  After a brief overview, Lu Qing basically understood how the system worked.

  He could consume [Karma Points] to do anything within the system, leading the family to prosperity and increasing the family level.

  The family level was directly reted to the family's prosperity. The more cultivators in the family and the stronger they were, the greater the power the family controlled, the more abundant the resources, and the higher the reputation; then the family level would increase accordingly.

  There were two ways to obtain [Karma Points], the system currency.

  The first was the regur method, which required Lu Qing to enter 'seclusion.'

  We cssified this seclusion as either active or complete.

  After selecting the [Seclusion] option, he could set a time. During this period, he couldn't perform any system operations, but he could observe the data panel changes and wander outside as a spirit, earning three karma points per year.

  If he chose complete seclusion, he could only stay in the meditation room beside his physical body, unable to go out or view the system interface, earning ten karma points per year.

  If the family level increased, the karma points gained through [Seclusion] would also increase.

  The second method was through the [Achievements] panel. The [Achievements] panel featured numerous achievements that covered a wide range of topics. Completing one would earn an achievement.

  These ranged from small ones like [Develop any new resource point, gain ten karma points], [Cultivate a new Qi Condensation cultivator, gain five karma points], to rger ones like [Completely control Pingyao County], [Become the most powerful family in Anling Prefecture], [Destroy a small enemy family]... Even greater ones included [Completely control Qingfeng Sect], [Become the imperial family of the Great Yan Dynasty]...

  Lu Qing eventually came to the conclusion that these achievements didn't require specific pursuit. As long as the family developed steadily, these achievements would naturally be completed and converted into [Karma Points] as system currency.

  Overall, wasn't the situation just a management game? The object of management was his family.

  Find ways to obtain [Karma Points], develop the family to gain more [Karma Points], and further develop the family...

  Before transmigrating, he had pyed such management games.

  But this time was exceptional.

  Not only did the object of management actually exist, but more importantly, it truly represented the family he had established. Under the [Popution] list in the system, each number, each name, represented his retives and descendants—his sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters...

  "I can't py around with this. If I don't py it well, I'll harm my sons and grandsons, and if things go badly, I might end up without descendants."