Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 1199: Chapter 1068: Mahayana_2

It’s not as simple as they claimed; their true intent was to disrupt Li Zhirui’s tribulation transcendence.

But now that the moment has arrived, observing the changes in the situation, the Head of the Qingzhu Sect dared not continue to take risks. He could see that the ninth tribulation thunder had already fallen, leaving only the final Heart Demon Tribulation!

If they were to turn against the Li family now and wait for that man to overcome the Heart Demon and break through to the Mahayana stage—even though he would only just have stepped into Mahayana and might not yet be familiar with his own power—they still wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Although Integration, Mahayana, and Tribulation Transcendence may not differ fundamentally in nature, there are considerable disparities in the amount and quality of mana.

Furthermore, with the likes of Lianxu cultivators such as Li Chengshuo, by then, their party would likely face an inescapable calamity!

Not only would they lose their lives, but they’d also implicate the families and sects behind them.

Thus, the Head of Qingzhu adjusted his objectives, changing their initial plan of sabotage into one of observing and learning.

”Is that so? Unfortunately, dear fellow cultivators, you’ve come a step too late; the tribulation thunder has already passed,”

Li Chengshuo turned the conversation around and said with a smile, ”It won’t be long before my father overcomes the Heart Demon. Since you’ve rushed here so hastily, why not rest briefly in the mountains and attend the family banquet as well.”

Her words served as a further warning, urging them to abandon any malicious plans.

”We outsiders would not dare intrude on a fellow Daoist’s family banquet. Instead, we shall wait for Senior Li’s Mahayana celebration. Daoist, don’t forget to send out an invitation then,” Qingzhu Sect’s leader replied with a smile.

”Of course...”

Li Chengshuo was about to say more when the tribulation clouds behind them began transforming into dense spiritual energy, signifying that Li Zhirui had conquered his Heart Demon and successfully broken through to Mahayana!

The Qingzhu Sect cultivators were startled. Could it be the Heart Demon barrier had been overcome so swiftly?

They clearly remembered seeing the black light of the Heart Demon descending when they were still far away from Mount Wanxian, and now, at most, only a quarter of an hour had passed!

Such speed made them involuntarily think that perhaps the Heart Demon was weaker than expected.

Yet that was only a fleeting thought—they had their own share of experience dealing with Heart Demons.

Simultaneously, a sense of relief welled up in their hearts. Fortunately, they hadn’t acted rashly earlier, or they would have truly ended up as sinners to their families and sects.

If they had made a move then, there would’ve been no way to resolve the Integration cultivators before them within a mere quarter of an hour.

And by that time, they’d be directly facing a Mahayana cultivator!

”The Li family has important matters; we shall not impose further. Farewell.”

Without waiting for Li Chengshuo and others to respond, they transformed into spirit light and hurriedly departed.

Li Chengshuo glanced at their retreating silhouettes and returned to Mount Wanxian alongside the others, waiting for the spiritual energy’s reverse flow to conclude.

Meanwhile, the cultivators of the three families who were rapidly leaving had set aside their past grudges and were now seated together onboard a Spirit Boat.

”So, what do you both think?” Qingzhu Sect’s leader broke the silence and spoke first.

”What is there to think? As long as the Li family doesn’t overstep and obediently offers their tribute, what else can we do? You don’t seriously plan to spar with the Li family, do you?” Chief He mocked coldly, sensing the Qingzhu leader’s reluctance to accept reality.

It wasn’t just the Qingzhu Sect’s leader harboring resentment; the other two individuals shared the same feelings. After all, some centuries ago, their cultivators had vastly outperformed the Li family’s, and now they found themselves having to bow and scrape for favor.

Yet the stark disparity in strength forced them to confront reality without delusions.

”To comply is the wisest choice.”

No fool would dare to take the lead in opposing the Li family. Silence fell over the cabin, rendering it unnervingly quiet.

”Alas, what a pity—we arrived too late. If only we’d acted earlier, this wouldn’t have been the outcome,” Qingzhu Sect’s leader sighed, rising to leave with his own Integration cultivators.

The others who heard his final remark couldn’t help but lament. If they had arrived half an hour earlier, the situation would’ve been drastically different.

——

The rolling tribulation clouds dissipated into pure spiritual energy, cascading for a full quarter of an hour.

The more terrifying the Thunder Tribulation, the greater the rewards upon successfully transcending it—this reverse flow of spirit energy was just the beginning.

Boom!

An overwhelming Mahayana aura enveloped all family members, inducing both fear and elation in their hearts.

”Congratulations, Father/Zhirui/Jiu/Ancestor Rui, on breaking through to Mahayana!”

Once Li Zhirui voluntarily restrained his aura, the family members were finally able to move freely.

Their first utterances seemed almost rehearsed, as their resounding voices echoed across a span of more than ten miles before fading away.

”Many thanks, many thanks,” Li Zhirui said joyfully.

”I’ll enter secluded meditation to stabilize my cultivation. If there’s anything urgent, address it after I emerge.”

With those parting words, he retreated into his cave mansion and activated its formation.

Now that the protagonist had left, the family members naturally dispersed.

The clan leader, elders, and other key figures converged in the family hall to discuss future matters.

”With Ancestor Rui’s breakthrough into Mahayana, outside of the Cave Abyss Sect in the southern region, the Li family is now undeniably the strongest. We can compel other factions to submit and use that to achieve territorial expansion and luck enhancement,” an elder eagerly proposed.

”Exactly! The Li family now possesses the strength to make factions like the Qingzhu Sect yield,”

Other elders chimed in with agreement, seemingly ready to crush rival forces in an instant to annex their territories.

”You’re rushing too much!” Clan Leader Li Taichang tapped on the table, silencing the overheated elders.

The new clan leader, Li Taichang, a Void Refinement cultivator, had recently succeeded Li Taiyao. Despite his fresh appointment, his methods inspired considerable fear among the elders.

Strict!

Li Taichang was the most stringent of the dozen clan leaders in Li family history, following family rules with unwavering rigidity.

This very disposition allowed him to swiftly consolidate power, placing many facets of the family under his direct control.

Even those elders who thought to refute his words ultimately stalled and swallowed their protests.

”Ancestor Rui has just entered Mahayana and has yet to consolidate his realm fully. And here you are, already planning to seize territories. Have you even considered whether the family has that capability?”

”How could we not? Ancestor Rui alone could take on a substantial number of forces. After that, many factions would willingly seek allegiance.”

Li Taiyao’s eyes revealed disappointment—were these elders always so shortsighted, only seeing immediate gains?

While the Li family seemed formidable now, its foundation remained perilously shallow!

Apart from Li Zhirui, the freshly ascended Mahayana cultivator, they only had a dozen Integration cultivators—far fewer than those established Integration factions.

Additionally, they were bound by a crucial limitation—not using superior strength to oppress the weak!

As a Mahayana cultivator, Li Zhirui was strictly forbidden from meddling in expansions unless faced by opponents of equivalent standing.

Of course, that was the official rule; as long as no one caught them, Li Zhirui could do whatever he wished clandestinely.

Still, Li Zhirui couldn’t simply slaughter every cultivator who had crossed paths with him—it was impractical.

Li Taichang’s comments brought the elders back to their senses. They didn’t see this prohibition as an issue—the benefits it had brought them in past years were unquestionable, and the same would hold true for the present and future.

Only when the Li family became the absolute top power would such restrictions become meaningless.

”There’s no need to rush. Many smaller factions will voluntarily pledge allegiance to the family. With careful planning, we can gradually gain greater and larger territories,” Li Taichang remarked thoughtfully.

With the topic of territorial expansion temporarily set aside, the discussions turned to the next matter—the Mahayana celebration for Li Zhirui!

The family’s intention was to host a grand event to celebrate Li Zhirui’s breakthrough while inviting neighboring factions to witness the family’s prowess.

No one objected to this plan, but disputes over the scale of the event soon erupted.

The majority of elders hoped for an extremely grand affair to showcase the family’s heritage and hasten allegiance from other factions.

However, a faction of elders argued against excessive luxury, fearing that such a lavish celebration might drain the family’s yearly earnings entirely—and potentially not even suffice.