Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1888 - 1413: Pending Fix
Previously on Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan...
Li Zhirui remained utterly unaware that revealing his cultivation base had stunned Feng Yan so deeply, and right now, his complete attention was fixed on escaping the Undying Volcano without delay.
By pushing himself to the utmost, he managed to depart from this scorching-hot zone in only a handful of days.
This journey could be viewed as wrapping up flawlessly.
After all, he had reaped plenty of rewards during the trip, and though his fortune remained strong, he had struck a temporary low point.
At first, Li Zhirui intended to soar from the South Sea straight to the East Sea, then head into the East Continent and make his way back to Shanhai State's lands.
This path would let him skip the Human Territory entirely and dodge the restrictive effects of the human Daoist magic network.
Yet he overlooked a key detail!
The grudge between the Phoenix Clan and the Dragon Tribe had dragged on for eons. Despite the weakened power of both groups, skirmishes and full-blown battles still erupted occasionally.
As a result, while Li Zhirui pressed onward toward the South Sea entrance, he abruptly spotted hordes of Sea Clan Water Devils clashing fiercely with swarms of Flying Feathered Birds right in front!
Faced with this chaos, he had no choice but to scrap his original route back home and instead veer northward, cutting through Human Territory.
This detour cost him a fair amount of time, forcing him once more into human-controlled lands.
Still, on this occasion, Li Zhirui steered clear of the mighty empires Daqian, Great Xia, and Great Zhou, choosing instead to pass through the cluster of minor nations sandwiched between Great Xia and Great Zhou.
Those lesser states lacked real power, and with his Ancestor Dragon Qi at hand, the human Daoist magic network's pressure barely touched him.
Should trouble arise, Li Zhirui could strike openly without hesitation, a far cry from Daqian where he needed to plot and maneuver in the shadows.
Upon stepping into a modest nation called Qi Country, he didn't rush ahead but simply disappeared from sight.
Right then, he had slipped into the space realm.
With a mere flicker of intent, he selected five mountain summits to sow the Spiritual Objects he'd claimed from the Phoenix Clan's hidden treasury!
For context, ever since Li Zhirui advanced to Heavenly Immortal level, the space realm's expanse had swelled beyond certain lesser Minor Thousand Worlds, while its Spiritual Energy density matched that of Heavenly Immortal-grade Spirit Veins.
In light of this, a clear issue surfaced!
He lacked the moments to nurture and oversee such an enormous Medicine Garden.
He'd pondered commanding some Devil Beasts to handle the upkeep, yet he hadn't come across fitting breeds and couldn't spare time for a thorough pick.
As such, vast stretches of fertile Spirit Field inside the space realm lay idle or claimed by scattered Spiritual Objects to this day.
That's why dedicating five peaks just for the Ten Thousand Moisture Bright Light Xuan Lotus, Ten Thousand Water Treasure Spirit Root, Starlight Vine, Long Spirit Origin Tree, and Spirit Transformation Fruit proved no challenge at all.
After settling each Spiritual Object into the soil, they soon began gulping down the surrounding Spiritual Energy with ravenous hunger.
Fortunately, the space's Spiritual Energy brimmed abundantly, and the peaks stood well apart; if not, Li Zhirui might fear they'd clash in savage growth battles!
Never dismiss these Spiritual Objects for wanting Spiritual Intelligence—their raw drive to endure could spark brutal rampages, far deadlier than any smart being!
The mindless ones would battle without end just to persist, forcing a brutal you perish or I triumph; the aware, however, might choose retreat against unbeatable foes.
Once he confirmed the newly sown Spirit Seeds were thriving splendidly, Li Zhirui spent some casual time conversing with the Five Elements, urging them to watch over these fresh plantings closely, then exited the space realm.
...
Qi Country.
A tiny realm stretching just three hundred miles, dwarfed by even the outlying corners of Daqian's provinces, home to only tens of thousands of souls.
It fit the bill perfectly as a puny state, clinging to existence amid Great Zhou and Great Xia, forever at risk of turning into a war zone for the colossal powers.
In this tense setup, from high lords to everyday folks in Qi Country drifted through life with idle ease, grabbing joys in the now and chasing fleeting delights.
But exactly from this odd backdrop, a bounty of amusements sprang forth.
Thus, this wee nation somehow turned into a top pick for visitors from nearby lands, letting its residents thrive in ease.
Having grasped this, Li Zhirui couldn't hide a peculiar look on his face; prior to now, he'd never pictured such a quirky place thriving so decently, with lives far from miserable.
"No wonder the Daoist magic network here in Qi Country feels looser than elsewhere."
Muttering offhand, he had no intent to hang around Qi Country long; with twilight drawing near, he chose to press on with his travels.
Come nightfall, Li Zhirui arrived at Qi Country's northern edge town, past which sprawled an area known as Great Marsh.
This immense wetland covered roughly five or six hundred miles, transforming into a massive lake for about eight months yearly.
Owing to the harsh terrain, building settlements proved all but impossible, leaving such a huge swath ownerless by any grand empire.
Still, the marsh teemed with folks, including outlaws fleeing distant realms and tax-dodgers scorning heavy levies.
Temporary settlers abounded too, mainly anglers and gatherers, drawn by the Great Marsh's rich bounty of fish and herbs.
To traverse the Great Marsh and arrive at the far-side Jiang Country, options beyond a long bypass or aerial flight mostly boiled down to boating across.