Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1983 - 1460: Ambush (2)

Li Guangxing let out a sigh filled with regret and commented, "It’s quite a shame that we weren’t aware of this from the start, leading us to strike only at illusions during the assault. In the end, the Water Devil slipped away. Had we captured even one, we might have questioned it and uncovered some secrets."

"The Sea Clan surely harbors some concealed plot."

Yet, Li Hongshi found himself unable to speculate further, as this remained the entirety of the intelligence available to them at present.

"What’s our next course of action?"

He pondered deeply for an instant before declaring, "Have the clan members return to their prior stations. I’ll guide those who’ve cleared their karmic ties yet bear grave injuries back to the ancestral grounds. It’s possible the Clan Leader and the rest possess additional details."

Such a plan struck everyone as entirely reasonable.

"Very well."

The intelligence circulated with lightning speed. Those who’d been bewildered mere moments earlier now erupted into commotion.

From his position nearby, Li Guangxing supported Li Hongshi, ensuring the directives were relayed accurately.

In short order, affairs concluded rapidly, and Li Hongshi boarded the Spirit Boat along with the clansmen, setting off at full velocity.

Upon arriving at Mount Wanxian and briefing Clan Leader Li Xiuyuan and the others on the events, their initial response mirrored the suspicion of a larger intrigue orchestrated by the Sea Clan lurking in the shadows.

"Could the Sea Clan have staged this deliberately to lull the Immortal Tao into complacency, diverting attention from the East Sea, only to claim the coastal territories in a single stroke?" one Elder pondered aloud.

"That seems highly likely!"

Though the ploy appeared straightforward, under the current circumstances, its potency was undeniable.

The Sea Clan held complete control over the timing—striking precisely when it suited their ambitions!

Only by deploying vast hordes of cultivators to monitor the Sea Clan’s actions ceaselessly could the Immortal Tao avert exploitation of weaknesses.

However, such eternal vigilance proved impossible for the cultivators, who still required methods to discharge their accumulated karmic burdens.

Should this prove true, complications would undoubtedly escalate.

Were Li Zhirui present, he would avoid such narrow assessments, expanding his perspective across the entire Primal Spirit Realm. Beyond the points raised, another region fit this scenario perfectly!

Namely—the Western Sea!

After all, when weighed against it, the East Sea posed the greater peril.

"Shall we consult Ancestor Rui? The elder’s wisdom has always shone through— he might discern the Sea Clan’s true intentions," suggested an Elder, instinctively turning to Li Zhixuan amid the impasse.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head, replying, "We shouldn’t burden Ancestor Rui with trifles like this."

Earlier, Li Zhirui had driven him away, signaling his reluctance to intervene; these days, he secluded himself within his courtyard, shunning all knowledge of external matters.

Following extensive discussion, they opted to dispatch several clansmen to surveil the Sea Clan’s activities, enabling swift notifications to the family and readiness for countermeasures should events unfold.

…

The revelation that the Sea Clan’s Beast Tide served as mere deception propagated at an astonishing pace—even on that same day, word reached the Cave Abyss Sect.

Initially skeptical, they dispatched disciples for verification—and discovered the reports held true: nearly all Water Devils consisted of nothing but phantoms.

"It’s no surprise the Beast Tide hovered offshore without ever charging in—they were incapable of it to begin with! And here we’ve squandered time lingering in vain."

Anger flared among cultivators who felt mocked by the Sea Clan; should a Water Devil materialize now, it would face immediate dismemberment.

Concurrently, unease gripped many cultivators—they had expected a ferocious onslaught from the Sea Clan, offering plentiful chances amid the chaos to settle their karmic obligations.

Yet the Sea Clan refrained from such aggression, showing no signs of impending action in the foreseeable future.

Without an enormous Beast Tide, discharging years of vendettas would prove arduous—what alternatives remained?

Ultimately, their gazes shifted northward, fixating on the Li family!

"Do we launch an assault on the Li family?" queried a particular Earth Immortal, voice laced with uncertainty.

Despite the Li family’s might paling in comparison to their sect, the looming figures of the Solar and Lunar Star Lords instilled hesitation.

For this wasn’t mere friendly combat, but a brutal clash to the death, certain to claim numerous lives on both fronts.

Might those Star Lords, in fury, retaliate against the Cave Abyss Sect in other arenas? Every consideration demanded evaluation.

"Perhaps it’s best to abandon the idea? After years of fortification, the Li family’s base stands unassailable like fortified steel. Attacking there would grant them overwhelming dominance on home soil."

Intense arguments erupted regarding an offensive against the Li family.

In truth, however, choices of this gravity lay beyond their authority.

Once the tidings returned to the Cave Abyss Sect’s central peak, the majority of Elders rejected any aggression toward the Li family!

Primarily, the Li family hosted no fewer than two Celestial Immortals, and based on prior displays, their battle capabilities deserved respect. Additionally, initiating an assault surrendered strategic superiority, and moreover, no one desired to spark discord among the Immortal Tao factions.

Besides, the unique positions of Li Chengsheng and Li Chengshuo as Star Gods compelled universal wariness against provoking them.

Consequently, most Elders opposed striking the Li family.

With both the Sea Clan and Li family now barring paths to karmic resolution for their disciples, the Cave Abyss Sect turned to alternative fronts—such as the Immortal-Demon battlefield, the Demon Clan, or the distant Wanling Alliance in the north.

Determining the optimal target necessitated meticulous allocation of roles and deliberations.

…

Meanwhile, upon the Immortal-Demon battlefield—

Demonic cultivators currently dominated, forcing the righteous forces into retreat with mounting losses inflicted upon the Immortal Tao.

The cultivators desperately sought reversal strategies; the tide couldn’t persist unchecked.

"How have the demon cultivators surged in power so abruptly?!"

Even as fresh reinforcements streamed from the reserves into battle, the outcome defied logic.

The Immortal Tao alliances scrambled for countermeasures to shift momentum, while the demonic forces reveled in triumph, eager to sustain their advance.

Yet abrupt intelligence shattered the deadlock soon after!

The Sea Clan unleashed a colossal incursion into the Western Sea, rapidly claiming oceanic territories and pushing along river paths inland, striving to establish a foothold on solid ground and conquer the land-based watercourses!

"What’s happening here? Wasn’t the Sea Clan assaulting the Immortal Tao along the East Sea? Why have they abruptly appeared in the Western Sea!?"

This development unsettled not only the lesser demon cultivators but jolted even the Celestial Demon Immortals from their thrones.

Deep down, all recognized the peril—if the Sea Clan secured a land-linked waterway, it heralded unending woes. They would encroach upon further aquatic domains, unleashing relentless barrages, rendering existence unbearable.

Numerous demon cultivators abandoned their pursuit of Immortal foes; their singular focus became hastening to the continent’s western fringes to repel the Sea Clan!

Though some cultivators entertained notions of exploiting the turmoil, a Celestial Demon Immortal swiftly admonished them: "Are the Immortal Tao conspiring covertly with foreign kin to unite against us—against the human demon path?"

The charge sufficed. Several Celestial Immortals intervened, prohibiting continued harassment of the retreating demons.

In this turn of events, none felt greater vexation than Li Zhixuan!

She had intended to bide her time before manifesting in a feigned state of depletion, enticing a Celestial Demon Immortal into a celestial showdown beneath the stars.

But the Sea Clan’s onslaught compelled the demon cultivators to withdraw and fortify. Her meticulously crafted scheme lay in utter ruins.

"Sigh!"

Li Zhixuan couldn’t suppress a heavy sigh—she was at a loss for another fitting arena to wage her battle.

This dilemma plagued not only her but fellow cultivators alike!

Fortunately, she had already purged her karmic debts; her persistence amid this disaster solely aimed to forge a path toward ultimate ascension.

Across the Primal Spirit Realm’s major powers, with the Sea Clan and Demon Dao poised for fierce confrontation, and the Human Path and Demon Clan on the brink of southern collision, merely the northern Wanling Alliance lingered as a viable foe!