Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1898 - 1418: Pending Repair

Seated cross-legged within the serene chamber, Li Zhirui pondered his treatment of Xiaoqing and released a quiet sigh; he truly preferred not to resort to such approaches if it were possible.

Yet the challenge remained that, even without his efforts to hasten the progression, Xiaoqing would soon become ensnared by the Heart Demon.

Exactly!

Having endured prolonged stagnation in his cultivation for years, Xiaoqing saw his deep-seated fixations morph into a Heart Demon the instant he observed Li Mingyao's breakthrough. Lurking deep in his Sea of Consciousness, it began to subtly influence him over time.

This issue wouldn't bring about such dire outcomes for Da Qing or Cang, but it struck Xiaoqing hardest, given his most volatile disposition among the trio.

Should the Heart Demon be permitted to fester in obscurity and expand unchecked, Xiaoqing might not recognize it until it had fully matured!

At that point, overcoming it would prove nearly impossible for him.

Telling him outright at this stage might lead Xiaoqing to trust Li Zhirui and commence a search, yet it would prove fruitless since the Heart Demon conceals itself too cleverly for detection.

Soon, worry and distress would consume him; fueled by these dark feelings, the Heart Demon would swell swiftly, tightening its grip until escape became unattainable!

Li Zhirui might never have spotted Xiaoqing's unusual state—except during Li Mingyao's triumphant Tribulation crossing, as he continued drawing in Spiritual Energy, when Xiaoqing abruptly surged with fierce resentment and envy!

Feeling envious toward a junior's advancement is typical, but that level of hostility stood out as profoundly abnormal.

Without the presence of numerous clan members observing, he could have actually assaulted Li Mingyao right in his vulnerable phase!

Later, as Xiaoqing and Cang came to his Cave Mansion seeking aid for swift breakthroughs, Li Zhirui subtly probed and detected subtle traces of Heart Demon essence in Xiaoqing's Sea of Consciousness.

Without his mastery of the Purification Principle, uncovering this deadly threat in Xiaoqing would have eluded him entirely.

"Sigh!"

Contemplating Xiaoqing's plight, Li Zhirui couldn't suppress yet another heavy sigh.

Interfering with a Heart Demon from the outside offers scant assistance; conquering it demands one's personal strength alone.

All he could manage was to safeguard Xiaoqing's life if the Heart Demon overpowered him; anything more lay beyond his grasp.

"I hope Xiaoqing manages to conquer the Heart Demon."

As cultivation extends over longer periods and realms ascend higher, fewer companions remain by one's side. Yet since Li Zhirui shunned the Heartless Path, he favored traveling with allies over enduring isolation.

He hadn't invested heavily here because his interventions had already stretched to their limits.

With that, Li Zhirui turned to his personal tasks, organizing the abundant prizes from his recent training session.

Among those acquisitions, the standout treasure was the world-crossing Secret Technique seized from that master and disciple pair.

Once fully honed, it promised total command over a world's assets. Even a mere Minor Thousand World could propel the family's growth and roots to unprecedented heights!

Still, it carried numerous drawbacks, such as the unpredictable nature of world traversal!

No one could predict the conditions beyond the space-time rift; it might open to a Minor Thousand World or a vast Great Thousand World; it could offer security or plunge into peril.

The uncertainty loomed too immense, compelling Li Zhirui to hesitate before acting, lest he encounter a Great Thousand World where dispatched clan members met their end—a relatively small loss.

Far graver, should it connect back to the Primal Spirit Realm or allow invaders to locate it via scouting cultivators, catastrophe would follow.

Moreover, space-time rifts endured far too briefly, hindering Outer World ventures since the Heavenly Dao might seal them amid repairs before venturing deep.

Wouldn't the exploring clan members then find themselves forever stranded in foreign realms? The fallout required no spelling out.

Hence, Li Zhirui resolved to wield the world-crossing Secret Technique with utmost care.

In truth, when sharing the Secret Technique, his intent was to unite Immortal Tao powers for Outer World expeditions.

And while this diluted the clan's exclusive gains from any world, it ensured at least some security.

Regrettably, those powerful sects harbored selfish agendas and trusted their might too much, showing no desire for partnerships or alliances.

"Indeed, only after enduring a harsh defeat and gaining hard-won wisdom might they humble themselves and seek ties with fellow powers."

This reflection swiftly soothed Li Zhirui's earlier agitation and dissatisfaction. He simply had to bide his time and refine the world-crossing Secret Technique.

He had already charted the path for its improvement, focusing primarily on prolonging space-time rift stability to enable secure Outer World probes.

"Maybe insights from the Teleportation Array's principles could prove useful..."

Entertaining this idea, Li Zhirui departed his Cave Mansion and promptly accessed the Li family's hallowed site, the Scripture Pavilion, where he collected pertinent Classics before retreating to the quiet room for deep study.

...

After departing, Xiaoqing hurried back to his own Cave Mansion, diving into meditation on the Laws of the Wind Dao in hopes of sparking an imminent breakthrough.