Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 250 - 256: The Feast

However, Li Zhiruiʼs words had caught the attention of the Li familyʼs upper echelons.

Especially after he secured the top spot in the Qi Cultivation Stage competition, some hesitant senior members started to believe that Li Chengwu might indeed be deserving of the title ʼGolden Core Seedʼ as Li Zhirui had claimed.

Thus, right after the competition, he received a lot of resources, and apart from those senior members who knew the real reason, everyone else assumed he was rewarded for winning first place and had therefore gained the familyʼs recognition.

Li Zhirui himself was unaware of this, as he had returned to his cave abode to continue his secluded cultivation right after the family competition ended.

But there are some things that cannot be avoided!

For example, Shen Leishanʼs Grand Nascent Soul Ceremony for Cloud Thunder True Lord included a personal invitation for Li Zhirui to the banquet.

One day, a Golden Core cultivator suddenly appeared above Wanxian Island, boldly requesting an audience, stating, ”Zhang Bufan from Shen Leishan requests to meet with the venerable cultivators.”

Most of the clan members were startled awake, and Li Shiqing and Li Shilian flew directly to him, exchanging courtesies before bringing him into the main hall, where they asked, ”May we know if Zhang has brought a decree from the Supreme Ancestor?”

”After a period of secluded cultivation, Ancestor Yun Leiʼs realm has stabilized, and for this reason, our Shen Leishan is preparing to hold a grand celebration. We wish to invite friends from the Li family to the banquet,” he answered.

Zhang Bufan paused, then continued, ”May I ask, is Li Zhirui present? He cannot be absent from this celebration.”

The expressions of Li Shiqing and another changed slightly as they replied, ”Zhirui is currently in cultivation. I will go and call him out right away.”

Li Shiqing gave Li Chengmo a signal to arrange for someone to inform Li Zhirui about this matter and then asked, ”May I inquire with you, friend, as to why Zhirui cannot be absent?”

Zhang Bufan shook his head, ”Iʼm not sure myself, but it is likely a good thing, otherwise…” Shen Leishan wouldnʼt be so ʼcourteous.ʼ

Li Zhirui, who was then preparing Essence-Enhancing Pills, was disturbed by the outside interruption and with a bang, the whole furnace of Spiritual Medicine was ruined!

”Whatʼs the matter?” Instead of feeling the loss for the expensive Spiritual Medicine, he stood up immediately, looking towards Li Chengmo.

Li Zhirui knew that unless it was an extremely urgent matter, the family would not forcibly notify him, let alone send Li Chengmo, the Clan Leader.

Li Chengmo quickly briefed him on what had happened so that he could be prepared in advance.

”I cannot be absent?” A chill went through Li Zhiruiʼs heart as he quickly made his way to the main hall.

”I have seen Zhang,” he said as he entered, apologizing with embarrassment, ”I apologize for not greeting you from afar, please forgive my oversight!”

”Itʼs of no matter.” Upon seeing Li Zhirui, Zhang Bufan examined him curiously a few times, but seeing nothing particularly special, he dropped his curiosity and continued, ”In one month, the Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony will be held at Shen Leishan. You must not be absent!”

After speaking, he bid farewell, ready to move on to the next Golden Core power to continue delivering invitations.

”Friend, are there other cultivators like me?” As he spoke, Li Zhirui discreetly handed over a bottle of high-quality Essence-Enhancing Pills.

”Iʼm not sure, among the powers I am visiting, you are the only one. Perhaps my fellow brothers and sisters have others,” replied Zhang Bufan happily accepting the Spirit Pill before departing straightaway.

Watching the Golden Core cultivator who came to distribute invitations leave into the distance, Li Shiqing and the others returned to the main hall with furrowed brows, looking at Li Zhirui.

”What do you think about Shen Leishan specifically inviting you to the banquet?”

Li Zhirui had been hurriedly called out, only to be met with such an unfathomable situation, leaving his mind somewhat unclear.

He waited for quite a while before he could clear his thoughts and said with uncertainty, ”Is it because of Da Qing?”

But after he said it, he felt that it was unlikely. Not to mention that Shen Leishan now had a Nascent Soul True Lord, even without one, it would not be that they would ʼvalueʼ him so much just because he had a third-order Contracted Spirit Beast.

Apart from that, the only thing left was the Heavenly Gifted Divine Power!

Thinking of this, Li Zhirui immediately transmitted his thoughts to the two elders, ”It could be because they have noticed that I possess the Heavenly Gifted Divine Power, which is why they have made it a point to invite me specifically.”

Although he had tried to conceal his use of the Divine Power at the time, it was not impossible that it had been exposed.

The expressions of the two changed slightly, and they immediately told the other elders to discuss what gifts to bring to the banquet first, while they stood up and went to the rear hall to discuss this matter alone.

The fact that Li Zhirui had the Heavenly Gifted Divine Power was known only to the three of them within the entire Li family.

”What other secrets does this Heavenly Gifted Divine Power hold that Shen Leishan regards this matter so highly that they need to verify it over and over again?” Li Shilian said with a heavy voice.

Li Shiqing and the others were also full of doubts, especially Li Zhirui himself. Although he possessed the Heavenly Gifted Divine Power, other than using it for fighting, he did not have a deep understanding of it and was unaware of any hidden secrets.

”Alas!” Li Zhirui sighed deeply and said, ”Now all we can do is take one step at a time, but it would be best if we can keep it hidden.”

Time hurried by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Because the situation was somewhat peculiar, Li Zhirui was the only person from the Li family who attended the banquet!

Li Shiqing and the others did want to accompany him in case any danger arose so they could look out for each other.

But they were silenced by a single sentence from Li Zhirui, ”With the strength of Shen Leishan, if they really intend to harm me, the entire family going together would still be no match for Cloud Thunder True Lord.”

So instead of accompanying him on this risky venture, it would be better to stay with the family. If he truly encountered any danger, with the two Golden Core elders present and the escape passage beneath Wanxian Island, the family would surely survive without being exterminated.

Watching Li Zhirui on the Spirit Boat, Li Shiqingʼs lips slightly moved, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, he only uttered four words, ”Return safely!”

”Uncle, donʼt worry, I will surely return safely.”

As the sound of his voice lingered in the air, Li Zhirui soared into the sky, and a streak of Spirit Light vanished into the distance within an instant.

Because his heart was filled with various thoughts, he had no interest in enjoying the scenery along the way, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the gates of Shen Leishan in Myriad Thunder State.

As he approached the gates of Shen Leishan, a Golden Core cultivator came up to greet him and asked, ”May I know where you are from, fellow Daoist? Do you have an invitation?”

”From Wanxian Islandʼs Li family, Li Zhirui!” he replied, and then handed over the invitation.

”So you are Li Zhirui?!” The Golden Core cultivator looked at him in surprise and laughed, ”Fellow Daoist, you are now well-known within our sect.”

Li Zhirui was full of confusion, not understanding the meaning behind his words.

”It was thanks to the method you came up with before that we were able to easily capture a large number of Demon Cultivators, stopping them from continuing to hide and secretly cause destruction.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zhirui was stunned. Was this the reason Shen Leishan specifically named him to come to the banquet!?

Then why did Zhang Bufan, who went to deliver the invitation, not know the reason?