Family Management Game In Immortal Continent Chapter 1: Immortal Cultivation Family Simulator
The year is 3014.
In California's most prestigious academy for cultivation studies.
While his peers were soaring through the clouds on flying swords to reach their homes, Li Wei's Storage Ring pulsed with light, and a luxury sports car materialized on the asphalt below.
"Heh, being underage doesn't stop me from driving, and I never have to deal with the post-school traffic rush."
He pressed a command token against the steering wheel to ignite the engine and merged into traffic. "This world is truly magical."
Despite living here for three years after his soul crossed over, Li Wei was still frequently stunned by the marvels of this reality.
A millennium ago, this planet closely resembled the Blue Star of his past life.
However, the resurgence of spiritual energy transformed the world into a unique fusion of advanced technology and ancient cultivation.
Immortality is the universal pursuit, and in a remarkably short span of time, humanity even reached the stars through interstellar travel.
"Hey, look, isn't that the Li family's Young Master?"
"There he goes again in that magical vehicle. I've heard the cost of forging such a tool is astronomical in spirit stones. Just driving to school and back probably burns through three low-grade spirit stones a day. Must be nice to be that wealthy."
"What’s so impressive about him? He’s just a commoner with a mixed spirit root like the rest of us. Word is the Li family essentially exiled him. The other young masters call him a total embarrassment to their bloodline!"
...
The roadside was lined with students who lacked the skill to fly swords or the wealth to purchase high-end magical tools.
By driving his spirit stone-guzzling sports car, Li Wei naturally drew every eye in the vicinity.
Hearing the biting comments of the crowd didn't bother Li Wei in the slightest.
Sliding on his sunglasses, he caught the reflection of the jealous, whispering students in his rearview mirror. With one hand on the wheel, he casually extended a middle finger out the window and sped away.
He had no interest in them; he just wanted to get home and lose himself in some games.
...
After a quick stop for groceries, Li Wei arrived at Jixian Village. An elderly guard, tasked with maintaining the high-level Dongfu District magic formation, was busy eating a meal of coarse rice and a chicken leg. Recognizing the roar of the engine, the old man set his bowl aside and kindly deactivated the barrier for Li Wei.
"Young Master Li, you went out specifically for groceries? Are the high-grade fasting pills not to your liking?"
"Uncle Chen."
Li Wei gave a friendly grin. "No matter how premium a fasting pill is, it has zero flavor. We shouldn't let our palates suffer just because we're practicing cultivation, right? Otherwise, what's the point of seeking the Dao?"
Uncle Chen’s eyes sparkled at the remark, and he gave an approving thumbs-up. "Well said. Starving oneself with fasting pills just for a 'pure body' is a fool's errand. True cultivation requires an open mind."
"I'll head inside to start cooking then, Uncle Chen."
Li Wei drove toward the residential area, offering polite nods and smiles to the various aunts, uncles, and Elders he passed.
The cultivators residing in Jixian Village were far more mature than the students at school.
Their life experiences had made them pragmatic; they didn't look down on Li Wei for his youth or his mediocre mixed spirit root. They treated him with warmth, knowing full well that nobody living in this district was truly "simple."
The villas here in the Dongfu area appeared standard on the outside, but most were infused with hidden spiritual wonders.
Li Wei’s home, Jixian Village No. 1, sat at the very edge of the community.
As he pulled into the driveway, a girl with an ethereal, fairy-like beauty appeared. She wore a white maid’s outfit, her slender legs clad in white silk beneath her apron. Her face, framed by elegant sleeves at her temples, was captivating.
Even after living with this puppet for three years, Li Wei still found his heart fluttering under her gentle gaze.
"Welcome home, master," the puppet said, her voice like a soothing spring that washed away the day's stress.
"Yuexian, take the car to the garage."
Li Wei tossed the keys to her. "The front trunk is full of groceries. Prepare dinner and bring it to my room. I’m planning a two-day gaming marathon."
"As you wish, master."
Yuexian nodded, but as Li Wei walked toward the villa, she added, "By the way, master, the monthly spirit stone allowance from the family is late. Our reserves are running low. Should I reach out to them?"
Li Wei wasn't even sure what grade this puppet was. She had raised him since infancy and possessed an intelligence far beyond the AI of his previous world.
"It still hasn't arrived?"
Li Wei’s brow furrowed. "Give them a nudge. Contact Old Gui first—he’s reliable. See what the delay is about."
"Understood, master."
Li Wei dismissed the thought and headed to his private quarters.
The Li family was a titan among the cultivation clans of California, but Li Wei’s knowledge of them was limited. Whether it was due to his lack of talent or his deceased parents' friction with the clan, he had spent his life in Jixian Village under Yuexian's care.
He had actually spent more time with the neighbors in Jixian Village than with his own kin.
Despite being raised in isolation, his status as a direct descendant guaranteed him a substantial monthly stipend for his lifestyle.
He had heard from local Elders that his parents had performed legendary services for the Li family.
As long as the clan stood, his branch of the family would be honored and provided for indefinitely.
Consequently, Li Wei never worried about his finances.
Once inside his room, he sat before his computer, staring blankly for a long moment.
"I guess this life is destined to be one of leisure."
He chuckled to himself and powered on the machine.
This was exactly what he had always wanted. Living as a pampered "rich second generation" was comfortable and secure. As long as he didn't do anything reckless, he had an enviable life. He had already planned for a future of peaceful insignificance.
"Even so..."
Li Wei trailed off, thinking of the legendary masters who traversed the stars and witnessed the universe's grandest secrets, while he remained confined to Jixian Village.
"I'm getting greedy," he muttered with a self-deprecating smirk.
The computer finished booting. Even in a world of high cultivation, there were plenty of digital distractions for people like him. Usually, these were VR titles designed to sharpen a cultivator's instincts and reflexes as a form of training.
However, Li Wei had a soft spot for the traditional "ancient" games of his past life—the ones played with a mouse. Modern VR combat games were exciting at first but eventually felt repetitive.
He opened a directory of vintage games Yuexian had salvaged. She had found them on a millennium-old hard drive from an antique market, and they were as aged as the hardware he used.
He scrolled through the list, feeling bored with the titles he had already finished.
Searching for something new, he clicked into a forgotten sub-folder.
Suddenly, a file name caught his attention.
"Immortal Cultivation Family Simulator? A management sim?"
Intrigued, Li Wei launched the application.
The game loaded in a flash.
The art style was minimalist and retro, looking dated even by the standards of his old world. A digital landscape painting faded in, centering on a humble wooden shack.
A pixelated young man was shown setting up a memorial tablet and lighting incense in a bronze burner.
[On this day, your sole remaining descendant offers you worship. As a lowly slave, he lacks even a name. He only knows the rumors that honoring one's ancestors brings divine favor.]
[Please designate a surname for this family, which stands on the brink of either greatness or extinction.]
[___ Family]
"Pfft!"
Li Wei nearly choked on his drink. The starting scenario was that bleak? A clan of exactly one person?
Following the prompt, he typed: [Li Family].
Once the name was confirmed, the interface shifted slightly, though it remained quite basic.
Li Wei began exploring the mechanics.
A [Time Rate] slider was located on the left, currently set to 1 hour/year in real-time.
"No way to pause?"
It appeared the game only paused during ancestor worship or major events, and even then, the worship would end automatically after five minutes.
Right now, the "First Ancestor Worship" tutorial was active.
On the screen, a spiritual tablet bearing the character "Li" manifested out of thin air. The lone descendant stared at the miracle, a dialogue box appearing above his head.
"The ancestor has responded! My name is Li! I finally have a surname! Hahaha!"
Watching the NPC's frantic joy, Li Wei felt a mix of amusement and slight pity, even if he couldn't truly relate to a bunch of pixels.
Simultaneously, a log appeared on the right side of the screen.
[Your descendant sensed your divine presence and is overwhelmed with joy. He has named himself Li Dalong.]
[Incense +1]
Checking the member roster, Li Wei saw the beginning of a family tree.
[First-Generation Member: Li Dalong]
He clicked on the profile. Li Dalong was, by all accounts, a completely unremarkable human.
"So, in this Immortal Cultivation Family Simulator, am I just a spectator watching them grow?"
He was still trying to grasp the gameplay loop.
[Your descendant is performing the rites. A grand ceremony occurs every ten years.]
[Sacrifice: A pile of yellow paper ashes]
[Would you like to withdraw this item?]
"Why would I want a pile of ash?"
Finding no inventory system for himself, Li Wei clicked 'No'.
[Sacrifice declined.]
In the game, a sudden gust of wind swept through the shack, scattering the ashes everywhere.
The lone descendant fell into a state of panic.
"Ancestor, please forgive me! Your descendant is useless and poor. I cannot provide a sacrifice worthy of your greatness!"
[During this worship ceremony, do you wish to bestow a gift upon your descendant?]
Li Wei froze. His hand, still holding his drink, began to tremble as his eyes locked onto his desk. His jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.
It wasn't the game that shocked him.
There, sitting on his cluttered desk right next to his computer, was a physical incense burner that hadn't been there a second ago.
The scent of burning ritual paper filled his nostrils, drifting from the coals.
The burner was a perfect, real-world replica of the one in the game.
"What... what the hell is this?"