Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1949 - 1443: The Summoning (Part 2)

The Elders harbored no further suspicions. While Ancestor Li Zhirui might not know Li Xiuting intimately, they grasped this junior's nature completely and were convinced he would never fabricate stories on such critical issues.

"Ancestor Rui, what do you think we should do? Should we summon Ancestor Xuan back to help?" one Elder proposed.

Li Zhirui firmly shook his head in refusal and replied, "There's no time left for that. Moreover, if she pulls back now, discovery is certain. That could unleash far worse calamities upon us."

"Then what course should we take next?"

"Right now, our only option is to set up ambushes outside while dispatching someone to the Primal Spirit Realm for reinforcements from the clan!"

No alternatives existed. Nearly five thousand cultivators resided in their stronghold, yet close to half were still mending wounds. Their power was already constrained, and it dwindled further in this state.

After a moment's reflection, Li Zhirui continued, "If feasible, enlist additional loose cultivators too."

After all, the clan's own cultivators were finite in number, and not everyone could be dispatched to the Floating Light Realm. The optimal approach was to rally loose cultivators and harness their might.

"Understood!"

"We'll handle the preparations right away!"

Seeing that Li Zhirui had issued his directives and had no further words, the Elders rose promptly, bid their farewells, and rushed away to execute the assignments he had just described.

"May we have sufficient time to pull this off!"

A wave of pressing anxiety swelled inside him, yearning to resolve it all in a flash, yet he recognized that haste now would breed errors—so he compelled himself to steady his nerves.

His mind turned to the impending massive conflict, pondering the sharpest strategies to not only safeguard the clan amid the looming strife but potentially diminish the foes of This Realm as well.

To realize such an aim, the primary necessity was formidable power. Lacking it, survival against the relentless assault from This Realm's inhabitants proved impossible.

Next, they required methods to vanquish—or at minimum, drive off—the adversaries!

Indeed, Li Zhirui held the rank of Heavenly Immortal, but amid these dire straits, his solitary efforts fell short of obliterating a horde of tens of thousands; he needed to amass greater forces still.

...

In another location.

An Elder called Li Xiuhuai raced back to Mount Wanxian without delay, ignoring all else, and immediately located Li Xiuyuan.

"Clan Leader, this is dire!"

He swiftly detailed the colossal peril threatening their outpost in the Floating Light Realm, then added, "Ancestor Rui directed me to rally as many clan members and loose cultivators as I can to arrive within two hours."

"Did Ancestor Rui specify a minimum number of cultivators required?" Li Xiuyuan inquired gravely.

"He didn't, but I reckon we need to dispatch at least half the clan."

"Is such a force truly essential?"

Li Xiuyuan needed little deliberation to realize the clan couldn't muster that many on its own; the sole path was to conscript extra loose cultivators.

Given the urgent timeline, normal recruitment channels for loose cultivators were out of reach. Thus, invoking his role as Clan Leader, he activated the Synchronized Bell's authority to broadcast this urgent call directly into every loose cultivator's mind:

"The Li family now calls upon three thousand loose cultivators at Mahayana, Tribulation Transcendence, and Immortal Realm to venture into the Floating Light Realm and counter the imminent invasion. Any who aid during this crisis may freely enter and leave the Floating Light Realm repeatedly in the days ahead, retaining full ownership of all spiritual treasures they acquire."

The proclamation from the Synchronized Bell echoed outward, expanding across greater distances.

"Is the Li family facing some exceptionally perilous crisis? Why else offer such lavish rewards?" one loose cultivator wondered aloud to his fellow.

This round's conditions far surpassed prior offers in generosity and autonomy.

Yet it served their interests. To hastily assemble thousands of loose cultivators under such pressure, amplified incentives were vital, or participation would fall short.

Every loose cultivator sensed the Li family's genuine peril this time. Some opted to provide aid in the nick of time, others merely observed, but notions of exploiting the chaos for personal gain were futile.

Under these conditions, any who viewed the Li family as vulnerable and sought to sow disorder would meet swift defeat, as the clan would remain hyper-vigilant in defense, never dropping its defenses.

Drawn by these bountiful rewards, countless loose cultivators paused only briefly before deciding to back the Li family—though in truth, they pursued their own gains above all.

Within a single hour, more than two thousand loose cultivators had crossed into the Floating Light Realm via spatial tears, and this marked merely the start; queues of others awaited their turn.

Even as arrivals surpassed the Li family's stated limit of three thousand, additional loose cultivators resolved to join regardless.

The motive was straightforward: they understood the Li family wouldn't overlook such overreach. Retribution was inevitable once the crisis passed!

Entering the Floating Light Realm at this juncture meant entanglement in the Li family's future endeavors.

Among those loose cultivators, numerous had trailed the Li family before and harvested immense riches. They recognized the potential windfalls and refused to forgo them now.

Why delay until after the fray? The Li family wasn't some benevolent giver. Refusing risk now meant forfeiting later spoils. How could it possibly work that way?!

At the same time, Li Xiuting and his companions staggered back to the clan, weary and gasping for air. Their arrival delivered even sharper details on the demon cultivator and beast alliance.

"Ancestor Rui!"

As they bowed in respect, Li Xiuting caught his breath briefly and announced, "The demon cultivators and beasts' coalition totals no less than thirty thousand! Though we spied from afar for just moments, it's evident many radiate potent auras."

"Furthermore, their progress is quite deliberate; another six to eight hours should pass before they reach our base's detection zone."

"That many?"

Li Zhirui had deemed his prior guess of over twenty thousand ample, yet now it appeared he'd lowballed the natives' resolve to eradicate them.

"That said, I noticed abundant cannon-fodder beasts in their ranks. Likely, the count of elite warriors isn't overwhelming," he quickly supplemented.

Still, this update offered Li Zhirui scant reassurance.

Naturally, he concealed his inner turmoil from the juniors.

"Got it. Rest up now. You'll need your vigor for the fight ahead."

Shortly after their departure, yet another Elder dashed in, offering a bow. "Ancestor Rui, close to six thousand loose cultivators have reached the base. Factoring in over two thousand clan members plus those already present, the stronghold now holds more than ten thousand souls."

"Yet loose cultivators keep streaming from the clan's territories, seeking entry. Shall we permit them?"

"Admit them! Meanwhile, evacuate the wounded clansmen to free up space!"

"Affirmative!" Through this command, the Elder perceived the colossal magnitude of the brewing showdown; it was fated to be a titanic confrontation that could sway the Floating Light Realm's destiny!

With that, he departed in haste once more.

"Let my scheme unfold without hitches!" Li Zhirui stared afar, whispering to himself.

Meanwhile,

A colossal horde—merging into a shadowy mass spanning hundreds of miles—advanced leisurely across the heavens.

In its wake, darkness descended like sudden nightfall; the firmament plunged into gloom without warning.

Their pace wasn't sluggish, but the array stretched so vast that the vanguard had surged far ahead, while the rear barely stirred from its starting point.