Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 404 - 410: Cold Heart

After all, the family has long stipulated that all gains obtained during external training belong to the individual.

Of course, although thatʼs what is said, if one really does that without considering the family at all, then the familyʼs attitude towards you would change because anyone would feel disheartened by someone who only takes without giving anything in return.

While the Nascent Soul Pill is indeed precious, Jiang Fengwu is also considered a member of the Li family; in the end, the item is still being used on oneʼs own people.

Seeing that neither of them objected, Li Zhirui immediately felt relieved. He had been worried that he would have had to spend a great deal of effort persuading them, but now there was no need.

”In addition, I have exchanged for a fifth-grade True Dragon lineage Spirit Beast Egg, which will be born before long. Once it matures, I will cultivate a batch of high-grade hybrid Spirit Beasts for the family.”

Li Shiqing and Li Shilian were instantly filled with joy and excitement upon hearing this. Their reaction wasnʼt due to the Spirit Beast Egg, but because Li Zhirui, after passing the fifth level trial, hadnʼt chosen the Wanling Sutra, which meant he must have obtained even higher-level cultivation techniques!

This implies that he has secured a more advanced cultivation technique!

For a moment, both of them completely overlooked the precious Spirit Beast Egg.

Under their eager gazes, Li Zhirui smiled and said, ”I passed the sixth-layer pagoda trial, and the Wanling Sutra that I obtained is a method that leads directly to the perfection of the Void Refinement Realm!”

”Hahahaha!”

Li Shiqing laughed out loud, displaying immense excitement and happiness. After all, many Nascent Soul forces donʼt have cultivation methods for such a high realm!

Now that the Li family possessed this technique, they could directly cultivate up to and prepare for ascension to the Upper Realm, eliminating the need to switch cultivation techniques.

”All of this, thanks to Zhirui!” Li Shilianʼs face was full of smiles as he said, ”Without you, the family would still be worrying about cultivation methods!”

”Elder Lian, you flatter me too much. I am doing this for my own path as well,” Li Zhirui humbly replied.

He now had the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul and, if he lacked the subsequent methods of the Wanling Sutra, he would inevitably have to change his cultivation technique since no one knew where the real Beast Taming Sect had gone and it was impossible to find them and obtain their methods in the short term.

Perhaps it was due to Li Zhiruiʼs limited experience, but to this day, he had not come across any cultivation method more profound than the Wanling Sutra. Given the choice, he naturally would not want to switch methods.

”Uncle, here is the original Jade Slip; please keep it safe.” Although Li Zhirui had not made a copy, he had memorized all its contents during his journey home.

To ensure that the technique would not be leaked, he even purchased a Divine Sense Jade Slip and transferred the relevant content into it.

In this way, even if Li Zhirui were to fall in battle, it would be impossible to extract the Wanling Sutra from his memory through soul-searching methods.

”By the way, letʼs not disclose this matter for the time being. Once I break through to the Nascent Soul, then we can tell the family members who are being groomed as key figures, or only those who are about to break through to the Nascent Soul.”

The words of Li Zhirui exploded in the ears of Li Shiqing and the other like a thunderclap, leaving them dizzy and in a fog.

”Zhirui, the meaning of your words just now... are you saying that you have overcome the bottleneck and are about to enter closed-door cultivation for a breakthrough?” Li Shiqing asked cautiously, his eyes filled with hope, and Li Shilian next to him felt the same.

”Yes!” Li Zhirui nodded affirmatively, responding to his elders.

”Very good, very good! Never would I have expected to see a Nascent Soul True Lord born into the family before my death!” Li Shiqingʼs eyes brimmed with tears, he was uncontrollably excited.

”Uncle, I promised you back then that I would definitely find you a Life-Extending Spiritual Object. I will surely do it!”

The reason why Li Zhirui didnʼt exchange for a Life-Extending Spiritual Object in the Secret Realm of Wanxian was because, compared to the Nascent Soul Pill and the Spirit Beast Egg with True Dragon bloodline, the Life-Extending Spiritual Objects were somewhat easier to obtain.

Many powerful factions with deep roots had one or two types of Life-Extending Spiritual Objects in their hands. Of course, the effects of most Life-Extending Spiritual Objects werenʼt as good as the legends claimed, extending life by only twenty or thirty years at most.

Moreover, there were several restrictions, such as the effect being halved—and sometimes even more reduced—upon a second use, with no effect at all by the third time.

”You are considerate, but thereʼs no need to rush. I still have many decades to live,” Li Shiqing said, reassured.

But Li Zhirui felt quite uncomfortable inside. If it hadnʼt been for saving them, Li Shiqing would have at least one hundred and fifty years of life left!

”Youʼve been running around outside for so long, you must be tired. Go back and rest.”

”Alright.” Li Zhirui was indeed quite tired, so he nodded very decisively, bowed to the two elders, and then turned to leave.

”Elder brother, Zhiyue... she...”

Upon hearing this, Li Shiqingʼs brows furrowed, interrupting, ”I know she harbors hatred in her heart and wants to avenge Shiting, trying to improve her strength by all means necessary, but why doesnʼt she think about how many resources the family has invested in her over these years?!”

Li Zhiyue was able to break through to the Golden Core stage so rapidly not only because of her own good inherent qualities but also because the family had spent a great amount of resources on her, arguably the most in the family!

Even compared to Li Cheng Huo, whose talent was quite similar to hers, he couldnʼt match the amount of family resources devoted to Li Zhiyue.

Not to mention she was an alchemist too. The value of the Spiritual Medicine the family provided for her practice in the beginning was probably no less than a million!

”But what has she given back to the family over these years? Has she ever considered the familyʼs interests?!” Li Shiqing said somewhat angrily.

Setting other issues aside, as a Golden Core cultivator, the increase in strength that first or second-tier Spiritual Objects could offer Zhiyue was negligible.

But to the family, as long as the right Spiritual Objects were chosen, the improvement could be very significant, yet she still never considered the family!

Moreover, as an alchemist raised by the family, aside from crafting a number of Spirit Pills for the family at the start, Li Zhiyue had gone out for training. And due to the downfall of Li Shiting, she hadnʼt returned to the family for over a decade. To this day, the cost of the Spiritual Medicine initially invested in her had not been recouped!

All these matters, one after another, had thoroughly chilled Li Shiqingʼs heart.

Li Shilian had nothing to say about this either. In the end, it was Li Zhiyue who had gone too far, and he might not be free from dissatisfaction either.

Still, in the end, she was a younger member of the family whom he had watched grow up, and he couldnʼt help but think about her and miss her.

In fact, since Li Zhiruiʼs return, he had only briefly mentioned Li Zhiyue, without offering any explanations for her actions, nor did he remind her of this small matter while they were in the Central Region, indicating his own dissatisfaction with her.

In Li Zhiyueʼs heart, perhaps there was a place for the family, but it constituted a very, very small part, so minor that she had never considered the familyʼs interests in many matters.