Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1911 - 1424: Success (Part 2)

"Have you heard that Zhixuan has returned?"

He halted briefly, then continued, "She has already overcome the bottleneck, and it won't take much time before the Thunder Tribulation arrives. If she succeeds, our family will welcome another Heavenly Immortal."

"Isn't this cause for celebration? Jiu, why do you appear so troubled still?"

Li Zhirui could only shake his head. He couldn't understand it, but Li Zhixuan, who usually brimmed with assurance and faced every challenge with poise, now fretted over her own Thunder Tribulation. How could he not ponder it deeply?

"Are you concerned that Zhixuan might fail?"

Da Qing saw right through him and remarked, "Why not have faith in Zhixuan, believe she possesses the strength to overcome this challenge."

The underlying message was that fretting at this point served no purpose; it was wiser to focus on actions that could truly assist.

Li Zhirui shook his head, quietly passed the Jade Slip over, and stated, "You two should examine this Jade Slip carefully, and then you'll grasp my concerns."

"This, this, this..."

As the pair regained their composure, words escaped them momentarily. Even they felt shocked by Li Zhixuan's ordeals.

Solitary, lacking any restorative Pills, she had faced countless dangers in The Void. Had it been either of them, death might have claimed them ages ago.

Yet, she not only shattered the bottleneck but was on the verge of facing her Tribulation.

"These kinds of tactics are utterly ruthless!" Xiaoqing couldn't hold back her outburst.

Li Zhirui and Da Qing nodded along in full accord.

"How have you two been faring lately?"

Da Qing shook his head steadily and replied, "I'm not yet at the Peak of Earth Immortal, much less pursuing the Heavenly Immortal Realm. That goal feels incredibly far off for me."

On such topics, he stayed ever composed and detached. Though his progress lagged, it remained steady and firm.

For Da Qing, this rhythm truly suited his cultivation journey best.

"My wounds haven't mended. Lately, I haven't risked any cultivation."

The scars from that Heart Demon Tribulation ran deep, and he continued to suffer their consequences even now.

"That's why I've come to you this time, Jiu, seeking some healing Pills."

"Bad timing; the Pills you're after, I've already handed them all to Zhixuan."

Li Zhirui shook his head, noting the dismay on his face, then added, "No need to fret; in a few days, I'll begin refining more. Swing by then to collect yours."

"Fine."

They conversed a bit more before the visitors departed.

Days cycled with the rising and setting sun, and ten passed swiftly.

In that span, Li Zhirui devoted himself mainly to Pill refining, sharing some with Xiaoqing, while setting the remainder at the entrance to Li Zhixuan's Cave Mansion for her immediate access upon emerging.

With those tasks settled, he held off on cultivation. Rather, he strolled the family lands to relax his mind.

To his surprise, this day marked the yearly Spirit Testing Conference for the clan!

Consequently, the valley below the mountain buzzed with activity and chatter.

"Do you reckon this year's Spirit Testing Conference will uncover a Heavenly Immortal among the selected talents?"

"As chosen ones, they must possess extraordinary rarity and gifts. How could such prodigies appear so readily?!"

"I certainly wish for it, since with their talents, their cultivation advances rapidly, and perhaps I'd earn a chance to encounter or pay respects to them."

Each person harbored private musings. Li Zhirui felt no particular excitement, for to him, even chosen ones provided scant aid to his own cultivation path.

Still, he yearned for such gifted family members to emerge, given their swift progress and modest demands on Spiritual Objects.

That said, to safeguard the privacy of clansmen, the family's Spirit Testing Array concealed their potentials from public view.

Naturally, as a family elder, Li Zhirui could effortlessly request the list from the clan if curiosity struck.

He chose not to, merely observing from afar for a spell before departing with a grin.

His smile stemmed from witnessing the new generation rise steadily, and even if just a handful attained the Immortal Realm, it would bring immense delight to the family.

Buoyed by good spirits, Li Zhirui immersed himself in cultivation.

...

Flowers bloom, each on its own splendid branch.

In the Southern Domain, the Daqian Empire.

Inside a hidden valley.

At that moment, cultivators from the Human Dao Hundred Schools, seemingly setting aside their rivalries, fixed their gazes on the lone young man at the forefront, dressed in a robe featuring coiled pythons.

"All you esteemed seniors eyeing me so intensely—it's truly weighing on me heavily." The young man quipped with a light tone.

"Your Highness, the Third Prince, preparations are complete. Kindly begin without delay." An aged Confucian Saint pressed, his voice carrying a firm edge.

"Got it, got it. I'm commencing now." The Third Prince pouted slightly, showing traces of irritation.

His response made sense; ever since acquiring an incomplete spatial traversal technique from those three Outer Realm cultivators, starting with just the Confucians, Legalists, Mo Family, and School of Names, and expanding to the full Hundred Schools, immense efforts had poured into its refinement.

The initial cooperation among the Confucians, Legalists, Mo Family, and School of Names arose not from outer dangers but from recognizing that solo endeavors couldn't swiftly perfect the world-crossing Secret Technique.

After all, its originator came from the Immortal Tao, requiring them to first adapt it into a Human Dao method before seeking ways to refine it further.

Undoubtedly, the four schools reaped certain gains along the way.

Through endless years of pouring in vast human resources, materials, and funds, they achieved perfection half a year prior, markedly prolonging the space rift's stability.

From a mere hour at first to nearly an entire day presently, the leap proved monumental.

Yet this neared their utmost boundary, since the Primal Spirit Realm's Heavenly Dao forbade space rifts lingering much longer, compelling a shift in strategy.

For example, crafting targeted space rifts offered a promising avenue, enhancing their edge in assaulting other realms!

Those ideas awaited future exploration, though.

In any case!

The triumph half a year back stood as mere theory; practical success in forging a space rift for traversal remained unproven, demanding trials.

In the end, the imperial house selected the Third Prince as the test subject.

Over the ensuing half-year, every few days saw the Third Prince running tests, a repetitive grind that might have made him bail were it not for the Emperor's decree.

As he performed the Secret Technique with practiced ease, a dark void soon tore open before him—this marked the space rift enabling world passage!

Silence reigned; all eyes locked on the rift, as though intense focus might pierce spatial barriers to glimpse the distant realm.

The Third Prince betrayed no feelings, merely following protocol by dispatching a Devil Beast through, then monitoring its vitality via the Life Token.

Thirty minutes elapsed, followed by a second Devil Beast's dispatch.

"It's still alive?!"

An hour on, both Life Tokens endured unbroken.

They refrained from rushing in, opting to observe further.

Crack!

One Life Token abruptly fractured, but this sight only eased their tensions.

For the later-entered Devil Beast bore a Secret Technique seal and severe wounds, destined to perish within two hours absent aid.

The Life Token's action confirmed exactly that.

This strongly suggested the space rift's far side posed no threat!

"We did it! At long last, success!" The Third Prince exhaled deeply, grasping he'd endure no more trials.

Meanwhile, the nearby Hundred Schools cultivators required no prompt; they understood that the myriad Secret Techniques they'd invested had at last borne fruit this day!