Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1793 - 1365: Preparations (Part 2)
In reality, it wasn’t just the outsiders who were stunned; even the Li family members stationed on the perimeter had only recently discovered the truth. Their amazement was easily equal to anyone else’s.
Naturally, their sense of pride and joy far outweighed that of the onlookers.
Had they not been bound by their official duties, they would have rushed back to Mount Wanxian immediately to witness the divine presence of a Heavenly Immortal for themselves.
...
During this same period.
Word of Li Zhirui’s successful breakthrough to the Heavenly Immortal realm began to filter through to the various powers surrounding the Li family’s territory.
"That Li Zhirui is truly a monster. To reach the Heavenly Immortal stage in such a short window of time... I’ve heard his tribulation clouds stretched nearly a hundred miles. That is a blatant omen of terrifying potential."
Because the Thunder Tribulation serves as a trial from the Heavenly Dao, it inherently measures a cultivator's innate talent.
The broader the reach of the tribulation clouds, the higher the individual's ceiling and the more formidable their ultimate power.
"This is no time for compliments! We must focus on how to respond to the Li family’s sudden surge in strength!" the Sect Leader of the Cave Abyss Sect declared, his expression dark and somber.
Conversely, another Elder remained unbothered, remarking, "The Li family possesses only a single Heavenly Immortal cultivator. They are hardly a match for us. Is such paranoia really necessary? Besides, they might not even harbor aggressive intentions."
"You are all witness to how rapidly the Li family has ascended! Do you honestly plan to sit idly by until they become an existential threat before discussing a strategy?" the Sect Leader hissed, his face clouded with anger.
"But wouldn't moving against the Li family risk offending the Sun God and Moon God? It might be more prudent to observe their next moves before deciding on a course of action. What do you think?"
"Indeed. Furthermore, our sect is currently locked in a struggle with the Yumen He Family and the Xiaxian Sect over the Great Zhou lands. Splitting our focus now could cost us that entire conflict."
A chorus of Elders joined in, urging the Sect Leader to avoid acting rashly.
Were they blind to the threat posed by the Li family? Certainly not.
However, they refused to believe the Li family could produce Heavenly Immortals with the same frequency they produced Earth Immortals. The chasm between those two realms is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth; it is not a gap easily crossed.
At the end of the day, their disdain for the Li family remained rooted deep within them.
Furthermore, their point was valid: the sect was currently preoccupied with the Yumen He Family and the Xiaxian Sect, fighting over the rich, spiritual soil that had been nurtured for millennia in the Great Zhou region.
These were tangible rewards they were desperate to claim immediately.
"You... all of you!!!"
The Sect Leader was consumed by frustration. His face twisted in anger as he stood abruptly, his robes snapping as he stormed out. "You will all live to regret this!" he spat bitterly.
He was powerless; faced with the collective resistance of the Elders, even a Sect Leader could not simply override their consensus.
Had he been a more dominant and powerful leader, he might have forced his will upon the council. Unfortunately, he lacked the sheer strength required to do so.
...
As the saying goes, while one flower withers, another blooms on a different branch.
Following his triumph over the Heavenly Tribulation and his successful advancement, Li Zhirui retreated to his meditation chamber. Sitting cross-legged upon his mat, he began to circulate his cultivation technique, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy.
This time, he wasn't seeking growth, but rather focused on mending his internal wounds and stabilizing his new realm. Consequently, his absorption of Qi was remarkably calm.
More crucially, he was immersing himself in the comprehension of the laws!
Upon reaching the Heavenly Immortal stage, Li Zhirui had assumed his understanding of the laws was nearly absolute. However, he suddenly realized that there were vast new depths far beyond his previous perception.
In this state, he also identified various flaws and misconceptions in his earlier insights, which now required meticulous correction.
As the days turned into weeks, his aura grew more harmonious and ethereal. To a casual observer, he appeared as an ordinary man devoid of mana; yet, to those who looked deeper, he projected a terrifying, profound mystery—like staring into a bottomless abyss.
...
Time flows like a river, and ten years vanished in the blink of an eye.
Stabilizing one's Foundation usually didn't take a decade, but Li Zhirui had become so captivated by the mysteries of cultivation that he had slipped into a state of deep meditation.
If he hadn't suddenly recalled that people might be waiting for him, he might have stayed in seclusion indefinitely.
Creak——
Accompanied by the grinding sound of wood, the door that had remained sealed for ten years—testing the patience of many—finally swung open from within.
"Ancestor Rui, you have finally come out!"
The two clansmen stationed outside the cave dwelling rushed forward to greet him, immediately dispatching communication talismans to notify the other ancestors of his emergence.
They were visibly excited; it was common knowledge that Li Zhirui was a generous man, and they anticipated being rewarded with a few bottles of spirit pills.
"You both seem quite anxious. Has some disaster befallen the family?"
One clansman answered truthfully, "Ancestor Rui, because you remained in seclusion for so long without showing yourself, rumors began to circulate a few years ago. People claimed you failed to reach the Heavenly Immortal realm and had actually died during the Thunder Tribulation, and that the family was merely spreading lies."
The scale of that Thunder Tribulation had been so massive that it was visible for hundreds of miles, making it impossible to hide or fake.
However, his total disappearance following the event had naturally fueled skepticism.
"All this fuss over such a trivial matter?" Li Zhirui asked, finding the situation somewhat humorous once he understood the context.
"This is hardly a trivial matter!"
Xiaoqing, being the swiftest, arrived first and spoke with a serious tone. "At best, it makes the family look like liars; at worst, it could spark a war!"
The Li family had made a massive spectacle of Li Zhirui’s ascension. Since no outsiders had actually seen him since, rival forces suspected the clan was using the news as a smokescreen to hide his death.
If they sent scouts to test the family's strength, a violent conflict would be inevitable.
Thinking it over, Li Zhirui realized Xiaoqing was right. He looked slightly sheepish as he said, "My apologies. I became so enamored with the insights of my cultivation that I lost all track of time."
"It doesn’t matter now! With you here, everything can be resolved!"
Xiaoqing brushed the apology aside and changed the topic. "To honor your breakthrough to Heavenly Immortal, the clan intends to hold a massive ceremony. You absolutely must be there when the time comes!"
Hearing this, Li Zhirui’s brow furrowed instinctively; he had little interest in such things.
To him, these celebrations were merely hollow displays and a waste of precious time, something he felt was entirely unnecessary to participate in.
"You are not allowed to say no! You must show your face and attend!" Xiaoqing interrupted, having already anticipated his reaction.
"She’s right! Jiu, you have to be there!"
Li Zhixuan, Jiang Fengwu, and several others had arrived by then, all of them joining in to pressure Li Zhirui into attending the event.
"Fine, fine. I’ll go. When is the date?" he agreed, albeit reluctantly.
He understood their reasoning, and while he truly didn't want to go, he couldn't refuse Xiaoqing and the others to their faces.
"Wonderful! The family has already handled most of the preparations. We were just waiting for you to emerge to send out the invitations. It should take about half a year."
"Half a year?"
Li Zhirui looked surprised. It was clear the family had been preparing for this for a long time; otherwise, they wouldn't be ready so quickly.
A ceremony of this magnitude required immense logistical effort, and given the family's current status, the quality of the spiritual items provided would have to be top-tier.
"I should contribute something as well."
Li Zhirui made a decision, harvesting all the Earth Immortal grade Spirit Fruits that had matured in his personal space over the last thousand years, along with various other spiritual treasures.
Unfortunately, as a newly ascended Heavenly Immortal, while he possessed the recipes for Heavenly Immortal grade pills, he lacked the rare ingredients and certainly couldn't produce them in just six months.