Chapter 239: Tribulation Transcendence
"While Da Qing has just begun its breakthrough, you should take it out of Wanxian Island and go elsewhere for the breakthrough!" After calming down, Li Shiqing spoke seriously.
Although a third-stage Spirit Beast is equivalent to a Golden Core Cultivator, which could boost the strength of the Li family once more, a breakthrough within the family would also uplift the morale of its members. Nonetheless, it still couldn't form an overwhelming advantage over the Yuanming Sect.
Instead, it would make the Yuanming Sect even more tense. In case they acted recklessly out of desperation, that would be troubling. The Li family still needed time to develop.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhirui couldn't help but frown. Da Qing's breakthrough was too sudden, and while he was preoccupied with happiness, he had forgotten about this trouble.
"As for the location, you don't need to worry. Over the years, we have been relocating islands nearby, and I have found a small island rich in spiritual energy and far from the mainland."
Li Shiqing took out a Jade Slip with a very detailed map. The small island he mentioned was specially marked on it.
Li Zhirui scanned it with his Divine Sense and quickly got a rough idea of the island's location. However, he asked with some confusion, "If the island is rich in spiritual energy and already at the edge of the nearby sea, why hasn't it been occupied by the Sea Clan?"
"Because the island is too small!" Li Shiqing shook his head and explained, "This island is only a li in size, with spiritual energy between that of a second-stage and third-stage Spirit Vein. The Sea Clan occupies the vastness of the Boundless Sea; they wouldn't be interested in such a tiny island."
Initially, when he felt the presence of spiritual energy nearby, he was very happy, as this Spirit Vein could simply be cultivated to advance to the third stage.
However, when he discovered the actual situation of the Spirit Vein, which wasn't entirely within the island and partly blended into the water veins of the ocean, his simple Island Moving Divine Ability couldn't possibly take this special Spirit Vein along. Reluctantly, he had to give up.
Nevertheless, Li Shiqing still noted down the location in detail, because he thought of another use for the island.
That was to use it as the family's Tribulation Transcendence place!
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With rich spiritual energy, there was no need to worry about insufficient spiritual energy during a breakthrough; and being far from the mainland, there was no chance of being discovered by the Yuanming Sect.
With this Spirit Island, if in the future a member of the family were to break through to the Golden Core, there would be no need to specifically hide in Green Mountain State.
After all, those Tribulation caves, besides being costly, were also not nearly as safe as having one's own family members as protectors.
"Alright." To this, Li Zhirui naturally would not refuse. He summoned Xiaoqing back with his Divine Sense.
A moment later, Xiaoqing descended in front of the three with a whirlwind. Then, in front of the two, Li Zhirui carefully stored Da Qing into the Spirit Beast Bag.
The Spirit Beast Bag was filled with a large number of Spirit Stones, where the rich spiritual energy wouldn't interfere with Da Qing's cultivation, since it hadn't begun its breakthrough yet.
"Uncle, you all stay and guard the family. Da Qing will be fine with just me as its protector."
Having said that, he mounted on Xiaoqing's back, transforming into a streak of light that shot up into the sky.
"Heaven bless our Li family!" Li Shiqing looked at the departing figure of Li Zhirui and couldn't help speaking with a mix of emotions.
Reflecting on the development of the Li family, from initially proposing to open a shop in Yunqing Marketplace to earn a good amount of Spirit Stones, to later becoming the Acting Clan Leader with the family developing even further...
All these matters seemed inextricably linked to Li Zhirui. Ever since he showed promise, the Li family had thrived like a fish in water, soaring with the wind.
"Zhirui will certainly be able to lead the family to even greater heights!" Li Shilian, standing by, voiced his agreement.
They had no doubt about this, because to this day, Li Zhirui was just over a hundred years old!
And at this age, for a Golden Core Cultivator with a lifespan of five hundred years, he was still very young, with plenty of time to make a charge at the Nascent Soul.
Once Li Zhirui truly achieved this step, the Li family would have laid the foundation to dominate over ten thousand miles.
Mainly, the existence of Yuanming Sect, a former Nascent Soul power, prevented the Li family from becoming the strongest force within a short time after possessing a Nascent Soul cultivator.
After all, with their heritage, it was not impossible for them to severely injure, or even kill, a newly advanced Nascent Soul.
Keep in mind, Yuanming Sect had Nascent Soul cultivators thousands of years ago; it was only in the past few hundred years that no new Nascent Souls had been born.
Flowers bloom on both branches, each displaying its beauty.
But to speak of Li Zhirui, he dashed all the way and reached the edge of the Outer Boundless Sea within just one hour.
This was his first visit here, and until then, he did not realize how to distinguish between the Inner Sea and the Outer Sea, but the moment he arrived, he knew.
The water in the Outer Sea was azure blue, but the Inner Sea was dark blue, with a clear demarcation between the two, as if an invisible wall separated them.
And that small island rich in spiritual energy was located to the left of this boundary line; however, from the outside, it appeared as a desolate islet.
This was because after its discovery by Li Shiqing, he promptly set up a cloaking array to prevent detection by the Water Devils—although they had long discovered it, they simply disdained to claim it.
Upon entering the formation, Li Zhirui closed his eyes to sense the richness of the spiritual energy and found it to be exactly as Li Shiqing described, more than enough for a breakthrough.
Without any hesitation, he placed Da Qing at the center, where the spiritual energy was the densest, and began aiding the breakthrough alongside Xiaoqing as protectors.
Of course, Li Zhirui still had duties to fulfill. Each year, he made time to craft a batch of Essence-Enhancing Pills as per the ten-year agreement with the Southern Edge Commerce Association, of which only half the time had passed.
In the mountains, unaware of the passage of time, three years quietly slipped by.
During that period, Li Shiqing and Li Shilian both visited several times, sometimes bringing spiritual medicine materials, sometimes to collect Essence-Enhancing Pills.
But whatever the reason, what they always cared about most was Da Qing's situation.
"Zhirui, when can Da Qing breakthrough?" one day, Li Shiqing came to deliver spiritual medicine and once again asked the same question.
"Very soon!"
After three years of cultivation, Li Zhirui could feel that Da Qing's breakthrough was not far away, but the exact timing was unknown—it could be one month or perhaps three.
"Then be careful, as soon as Da Qing breaks through, activate the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman to notify us immediately," Li Shiqing instructed before turning and heading back to the family.
This Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman was specially purchased by the family for this matter; though it was a third-tier talisman, without the crafting method, Li Shiqing could not start from scratch.
"I understand."
Li Zhirui watched Li Shiqing leave, but he did not expect that just half a month after his departure, Da Qing would begin its breakthrough!
The moment the clouds of Tribulation formed, Li Zhirui sensed it, swiftly disarmed the array, erased his own aura, and, along with Xiaoqing, retreated ten miles away.
All of this was accomplished in less than half an hour, so swift that the Tribulation clouds had not even fully taken shape.
"With the accumulation Da Qing has, a mere Golden Core Tribulation is not a problem at all!" Li Zhirui muttered to himself, "As long as no third-tier Water Devil is attracted by the thunder tribulation, it'll be fine."