Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 390 - 396: Madness

After receiving the affirmative reply from the Artifact Spirit, Li Zhirui couldnʼt help but reveal a smile on his face. This way, he would have more opportunities to exchange for rewards!

For instance, if he were to pass the fifth level, the sixth level, or even higher levels of the trials, he could directly exchange for a high-tier Wanling Sutra, whereas the rewards from the lower levels could be used to exchange for other Spiritual Objects.

Because the trial of the fourth level was exceedingly dangerous, it could be said that apart from the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, Li Zhirui had used up all his trump cards, leaving him completely exhausted. He couldnʼt hold on any longer and immediately sat down cross-legged, seizing the time to recover his mana and Divine Sense.

——

”Damn it, thereʼs actually someone guarding the front of the stone tower!” Li Zhiyue looked at the cultivator sitting cross-legged in front of the stone tower, holding a Spirit Sword in his arms without moving, her face darkened terribly.

She had faced many hardships since entering the Secret Realm. Several times she nearly lost her life along the path. What Wang Daozhi had described as a one in ten survival rate wasnʼt an exaggeration at all but, in fact, was not accurate enough!

It took her over a month just to get to the stone tower!

So much time had passed that many cultivators had failed the trial and were sent away, while she hadnʼt even entered the stone tower yet!

After finally reaching the stone tower, she was blocked by a cultivator at the very entrance!

Moreover, judging by the aura of that cultivator, not to mention the injured Li Zhiyue, even at her peak, she was no match for him.

Although the suppressive force of the stone towerʼs Immortal Artifact made it impossible to stay nearby for too long, there is a solution for every policy. It only required arranging a few cultivators to take turns in replacing one another, circumventing this issue. And resisting the force of an Immortal Artifact was also a form of cultivation, wasnʼt it?

”Now, I can only take a gamble!” Li Zhiyue refused to give in! Having suffered so much and paid an unimaginable price to get here, she couldnʼt just give up and retreat. How could she possibly be content with that?!

A fierce glint flashed through Li Zhiyueʼs eyes as she tightly gripped a dark, unremarkable bead in her right hand, quickly rushing to three yards away from the stone tower before stopping.

This distance was her carefully calculated optimal range. Should the other party make a move, she would have just enough time to activate the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.

Of course, she didnʼt want to die if at all possible. She still had the mission of avenging Li Shiting!

The moment she stopped, the cultivatorʼs eyes suddenly opened, and a terrifying sharpness of Sword Intent soared into the sky. Even the heavens and earth seemed unable to bear such fearsome Sword Intent, wailing in agony as the Spirit Sword flew out of his arms, ready to pierce Li Zhiyueʼs body at his command.

But when he saw the Heavenly Thunder Pearl in Li Zhiyueʼs hand, his indifferent eyes couldnʼt hide a flash of terror and shock. He hurriedly reached out to grab the Spirit Sword.

With his discerning eyes, he naturally recognized that it was a third-tier Heavenly Thunder Pearl. Considering the distance between them, once activated, there would be no escape for him!

Even with his treasures, he feared he would sustain serious injuries.

As for whether Li Zhiyue was bluffing to threaten him? His constantly throbbing Spirit Sense and the warning from his Sword Heart clearly told him that she was truly prepared to activate the Heavenly Thunder Pearl and perish together with her opponent!

Even Jian Chen, who was accustomed to great storms, couldnʼt help breaking out in a cold sweat on his forehead and said, ”Fellow Daoist, letʼs talk this through. Thereʼs no need for such drastic measures.”

”Let me in! Or Iʼll activate the Heavenly Thunder Pearl!” Li Zhiyue rasped out with a hoarse voice, releasing all her Divine Sense in preparation for any sudden attacks.

”Heh heh, thereʼs no need to be so agitated, fellow Daoist. Go on in,” Jian Chen chuckled dryly, quickly stepping aside from the entrance, afraid that if he delayed, Li Zhiyue might activate the Heavenly Thunder Pearl in desperation.

Li Zhiyue saw this and did not withdraw the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, but instead stimulated her mana even more, bringing it to within an inch or two from the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.

Jian Chen naturally noticed her subtle movement, or rather, Li Zhiyue had done it openly, intentionally letting others notice, feeling extremely suffocated but not daring to say anything for fear that the madwoman would inject her mana into the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.

Li Zhiyue quickly walked into the stone tower, and the moment her figure vanished, be it Li Zhiyue, Jian Chen, or the cultivators hiding not far away, all of them heaved a sigh of relief.

”Madwoman! How can there be such a madwoman!” Jian Chen couldnʼt help but exclaim.

Several Golden Core cultivators came out of the shadows, still frightened, and said, ”Brother Jian Chen, thereʼs still more than a month before the Secret Realm closes, shouldnʼt we also go in?”

”Hmm, letʼs go. If we encounter such madwomen again, one slip and weʼll all be done for here!” Jian Chen agreed without hesitation and then briskly walked into the stone tower.

”Donʼt let me see you again, you madwoman! Otherwise, I swear to make you beg for life but be unable to beg for death!”

Ever since Jian Chen started cultivating, there had not been a day that was as frustrating as today. If he didnʼt find an outlet for his pent-up emotions, it might become an obsession hindering his cultivation!

”Finally in!” After Li Zhiyue reached her exclusive rest space, she collapsed on the ground, utterly drained, with tears uncontrollably welling up in her eyes.

Fortunately, Li Zhiyue still had some sense left and knew that her condition was not good. She did not start the trial immediately but took out a Spirit Pill to heal her injuries.

——

On Wanxian Island, peace prevailed, and the clan members were busy yet fulfilled.

”Mom, why hasnʼt dad come back yet?” Li Chengshuo had lost count of how many times he had asked this question; it seemed to have become a habit.

”Shuo, your father is out in the world undergoing trials, seeking the opportunity for a Nascent Soul breakthrough, so he wonʼt be coming back so soon,” Jiang Fengwu replied with her usual answer.

The fact that Li Zhirui had gone to the Central Region, entered The Secret Realm of Wanxian and participated in trials was still kept secret and not disclosed to others.

”Mom, do you know that Cheng Huo is undergoing his Golden Core breakthrough?”

Jiang Fengwu really didnʼt know; even though she had married into the Li family years ago and even became the Elder of the Array, she still didnʼt inquire much about the affairs of the Li family.

One reason was her very nature; she didnʼt like being too nosy, and the second reason was as an outsider married into the family, she was somewhat separated from the Li family. Many matters were inconvenient to talk about, and gradually, she stopped asking about anything.

”Speaking of which, how old is Cheng Huo this year?”

Li Chengshuo pondered for a moment and said with some uncertainty, ”Probably eighty or ninety years old?”

”Cheng Huo is ninety-one this year,” Li Chengsheng said, providing the exact answer.

”It looks like the family is going to welcome another centenarian with a Golden Core, what a pity he missed...” Jiang Fengwu caught herself mid-sentence and swallowed back her words.

However, this might be a good thing. It gave Cheng Huo three hundred years of cultivation time. When The Secret Realm of Wanxian next opens, as long as he doesnʼt fall halfway, heʼs bound to reach Golden Core Perfection.