Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Li Shiqing also commented, "Zhirui is right, and his combat power is no less than mine." He had witnessed Li Zhirui fight and knew his strength. Now that Da Qing had made a breakthrough to the third rank and awakened a Defense Divine Ability, even if unable to defeat Demon Cultivators, survival was assured. However, if Li Shilian were to fight, the danger would be real. Although Li Zhirui was the hope of the clan, there was no need to risk another Golden Core Cultivator's life. "But..." Li Shilian wanted to say more, but faced with the opposition from both, he had to reluctantly agree. "The matters of the family will then be an inconvenience to you." Even though fighting between powers was not allowed during the recruitment period, it was still good to be cautious. The three returned to the main hall, where Li Zhirui began, "Fellow Daoist, we have made our decision." "This time, Uncle and I will answer the call." Surprise flickered in Wan Heji's eyes; he had assumed that it would be the two elders from the Li family taking part, as typically smaller forces preserve the younger generation with more potential and let the elders undertake the dangerous tasks. He didn't ask further, only saying, "Then you two prepare yourselves and follow me to Myriad Thunder State." "We leave now?" Wan Heji nodded, explaining, "The situation is urgent. Given the attitude of the Demon Cultivators towards this matter, they will surely act at the first opportunity." "Alright, we ask the fellow Daoist to wait a moment then," Li Zhirui said. They had no choice but to pack their belongings and make sure all necessary arrangements were in place. The most important was the contract with Southern Edge Commerce Association regarding the Essence-Enhancing Pills. There would probably be some delay because no one knew how long this matter would last. Fortunately, Li Zhirui had previously concocted quite a few Essence-Enhancing Pills, and now there were many stockpiled in the clan. However, a significant portion of these were specially selected high-quality Spirit Pills, intended for his own family members' consumption. It would be a loss if these were sold to Southern Edge Commerce Association. Who would have thought that the initial contract was carelessly signed without detailed negotiations on price and quality? All of them were sold at the same price. The Southern Edge Commerce Association was well aware of this. Otherwise, how could all the Essence-Enhancing Pills provided by the Li family be of lower quality? But even if they were aware, there wasn't much they could do, as such practices were common among Alchemists. Almost all Alchemists did the same. What Li Zhirui was doing now was selecting the lesser quality and the slightly lower quality Essence-Enhancing Pills for Li Shilian to deliver to Southern Edge Commerce Association each month as agreed. About half an hour later, Li Shiqing and Li Zhirui were ready. The latter suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist, in responding to the call of the Supreme Ancestor, what should we do if someone takes the opportunity to attack our clan's territory?" "Do not worry, Fellow Daoist," Wan Heji, being a clever person, understood the deeper meaning of Li Zhirui's words and smiled as he replied, "If other affiliated forces act against you, the Sect not only will intervene and eradicate them but also provide certain compensation." "If other forces act, the Sect will also do its best to help avenge and provide ample compensation." "With that assurance, I am at ease." Following that, the two of them left Wanxian Island accompanied by Wan Heji. On the road, Li Zhirui asked curiously, "I wonder how many Golden Core cultivators other powers will recruit?" As he spoke, he passed over a bottle of Essence-Enhancing Pills, "This is a Spirit Pill I've refined. You're well-traveled and knowledgeable; I'd be grateful for a few pointers." "Unless something unexpected happens, they should all be recruiting two, and if there aren't enough, they'll have to additionally recruit Foundation Establishment cultivators to fill the ranks." Since Wan Heji had brought it up, it wouldn't hurt to say a bit more, "The two fellow cultivators from the same clan have been arranged by the sect to work together, and the place we are heading to now is where you'll be undercover in the future." The main reason he was willing to say so much wasn't the bottle of Essence-Enhancing Pills, but to give face to Li Zhirui, a third-tier Alchemist. Although Shen Leishan wasn't without third-tier Alchemists, those people were each so haughty and proud that even if he held some status within the sect, he'd still have to plead with utmost humility. But Li Zhirui was different. Although he might not yet be able to refine other third-tier Spirit Pills, the man was young! Barely a hundred years old with three to four hundred years of lifespan remaining, and his talent for Alchemy was quite decent too. When the time came that he needed some Spirit Pills, it would be convenient to have Li Zhirui craft them. "The place the two fellow cultivators are headed to is called Bicui Peak, a quite famous third-tier Spirit Mountain in Myriad Thunder State, with rich Spiritual Energy and a trend toward advancing to the fourth tier. It is neither too far nor too close to Yin Wind Cave." Li Zhirui expressed his gratitude earnestly, "Thank you for your guidance, fellow cultivator! Should there be anything I can assist with in the future, please do not hesitate to ask!" To some, his words might not seem to convey much, but in reality, they revealed a lot. 'Well-known' suggests that Demon Cultivators are aware of this place; 'rich with Spiritual Energy, with a trend to advance to the fourth tier,' indicates that it's suitable for Golden Core cultivators to undergo Tribulation Transcendence; and the distance from Yin Wind Cave was to tell them that the place was not entirely safe. Wan Heji smiled and nodded. Wasn't this what he had hoped for? In the following hours, the three talked and laughed as if time flew by, and they soon arrived at Bicui Peak. "We've reached Bicui Peak; I should return to the sect to report. I wish you both a smooth and safe mission." Having said that, Wan Heji reactivated the Spirit Boat, transforming into a rainbow light and departing. "First, set up a concealing Formation and be careful in your actions. We don't need to kill Demon Cultivators; staying safe throughout this is enough," Li Shiqing emphasized after he left. Even though Shen Leishan was the main sect of the Li family, what did that have to do with them? There was no need to fight to death for it. Of course, when the nest is overturned, not an egg remains intact. If Yin Wind Cave rises and Shen Leishan weakens, the Li family wouldn't fare well either. But the current situation was clear; Shen Leishan was the dominant power and was set to overpower Yin Wind Cave. Moreover, if Shen Leishan were to have a Nascent Soul cultivator again after a hundred years, it would actually be bad news for all the vassal powers. Because once Shen Leishan's strength greatly increased, they would be able to control every area more effectively, unlike now, when they didn't have much control over fringe forces like the Li family. "Uncle, rest assured, we aim to avoid mistakes rather than to achieve merits," Li Zhirui echoed. Even though Shen Leishan had offered a 'generous' reward, for the Li family at present, aside from the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Medicines, other Spiritual Objects were not particularly attractive. Because the Spiritual Objects provided by Shen Leishan belonged to those newly advanced Golden Core forces, and with the development over the years, the Li family was already on its way up, naturally not as desperate as Li Shiqing once was, to risk life and limb for it. "Who knows how long this will last," Li Zhirui heaved a sigh. He had no wish to waste his precious time on things that brought little benefit to himself or his clan.