Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 1204: Chapter 1071: Suddenly

After the auctioneer finished speaking, the venue plunged into a prolonged silence. All the cultivators stared fervently at the Treasure Bead.

”The auction has concluded. If any fellow Daoists are interested in joining the secret realm exploration a year from now, please wait at Wanling Market at that time,” Li Taichang stepped forward and announced.

The crowd eagerly got up. Cultivators who had conducted transactions headed to the rear hall to finalize settlements, while others left immediately, intent on delivering the news as quickly as possible.

This opportunity must not be missed!

At the same time, Li Taichang stood before a Void Refinement cultivator and said, ”Hand over the other magical treasure that controls the secret realm to the family as soon as possible.”

This person was named Zhou Qing’an, the clan leader of the Void Refinement Zhou Family. The final auction item was a treasure that the Zhou Family had obtained in a stroke of luck.

When the Zhou Family first acquired the pair of magical treasures, they were ecstatic, believing that the dawn of their family’s prosperity was imminent. After all, this was a treasure capable of controlling a secret realm. Regardless of the grade of the realm, the spiritual objects growing within, and the fields of spirit plants abundant throughout, would provide significant development assistance for the Zhou Family.

But no one expected the realm to turn out to be a seventh-order secret realm!

The danger far exceeded the Zhou Family’s capacity. The Zhou Family was merely a Void Refinement family, and even within the clan, Void Refinement cultivators were scarce.

During their exploration of the secret realm, after paying a monumental price, the Zhou Family had no choice but to give up. The cost was simply too great, as the powerful devil beasts guarding the high-grade spiritual objects were well beyond their capability to handle.

Initially, the Zhou Family planned to seal the magical treasure, intending to explore it later when their family’s strength was sufficient. However, a traitor within the clan leaked this information to an Integration-level power in the East Sea.

Quickly realizing the impending threat, the Zhou Family knew this could potentially lead to their clan’s destruction. If they wanted to survive, they had two options: either surrender the magical treasure voluntarily, or find a force capable of countering the Integration-level power.

The Zhou Family naturally chose the latter and turned to the strongest nearby force — the Li Family.

Still, the Zhou Family didn’t want to give it up too easily and devised some schemes, hoping to extract some cultivation resources from the secret realm.

Yet fate intervened when they encountered the Li Family hosting an auction. Filled with trepidation, they laid down their conditions, fearing that the Li Family might deem them greedy and simply seize the treasure by force.

Fortunately, the Li Family valued their reputation and refrained from committing such acts of violent theft.

Looking back now, Zhou Qing’an couldn’t help but feel lingering fear.

Now hearing Li Taichang’s words, he nodded repeatedly and said, ”Clan Leader Li, please wait for a moment. The other Treasure Bead will be delivered immediately.”

Shortly after, a Zhou Family elder approached and respectfully handed over the remaining magical treasure with both hands.

”Hmm, no issues here,” Li Taichang inspected the item and remarked with satisfaction, ”When you return, you can inform that Integration-level power that your Zhou Family enjoys protection from our clan. If they remain obstinate and dare to make any moves, activate this Jade Talisman. Within an hour, reinforcements from the family will arrive.”

Mount Wanxian is quite distant from the Zhou Family’s territory but is only around a thousand miles away from Wanling Island, where several Integration cultivators currently reside.

If any Integration-level force dares to act against the Li Family, the repercussions would not be easily resolved.

As it happens, the Li Family, having recently ascended to the status of a Great Vehicle force, has yet to solidify its dominance. If this Integration-level power takes the initiative to challenge them, it might serve as the perfect opportunity.

”Understood! Many thanks, Clan Leader Li!” Zhou Qing’an replied with elation, his hands trembling as he carefully stored away the Jade Talisman within his storage magical treasure and retreated respectfully.

After the Zhou Family had left, an elder beside Li Taichang couldn’t help but ask, ”Clan Leader, why treat the Zhou Family so generously? We could easily eliminate them and claim the seventh-order secret realm for ourselves. Allowing so many cultivators into the realm will no doubt result in significant losses of precious spiritual objects.”

Li Taichang did not comment on the elder’s shortsightedness. Instead, he said, ”According to the Zhou Family, the seventh-order secret realm contains a large number of seventh-rank devil beasts. Even with the dozen or so ancestors we have within the family, who knows how long it would take to clear the realm.”

”Rather than idly wasting our resources, it’s better to sacrifice some spiritual objects and enlist the efforts of various forces to expedite the secret realm’s development. This will bring greater benefits to the Li Family’s growth.”

As the two conversed, suddenly, an oppressive aura erupted from Double Dragon Valley, and heavenly tribulation clouds swiftly converged.

Several cultivators who had yet to depart turned their gazes toward the commotion.

”Is this... someone within the Li Family undergoing tribulation?!”

”I wonder what realm the cultivator has reached.”

When the tribulation clouds fully formed, the crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief. It wasn’t a Mahayana Thunder Tribulation but an Integration Thunder Tribulation.

Had the Li Family produced Great Vehicle cultivators in such a short span of time, then forces initially hesitant to pledge loyalty to the Li Family would have undoubtedly reconsidered.

Such breathtaking speed in cultivation advancement was simply too astonishing.

Even so, the Integration Thunder Tribulation still left many cultivators envious. After all, there were forces present here that lacked even a single Integration cultivator.

However, due to the imminent thunder tribulation, the Li Family began expediting the departure of guests from Mount Wanxian. They wished to prevent any malicious individuals from sabotaging the tribulation, as such interference would be a disaster.

Even if those responsible were subjected to endless torment afterward, it would not undo the damage.

By the time the tribulation clouds started to gather, the Li Family had already reacted decisively. Numerous clan members had mobilized, appearing outside Double Dragon Valley to serve as protectors.

”Which ancestor is undergoing the tribulation?” Li Taichang rushed over and asked a nearby elder.

”It’s Qingxuan Spirit Ancestor,” the elder replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Taichang’s lingering worries dissolved for the most part. He firmly believed that, with Da Qing’s capabilities, this thunder tribulation would undoubtedly be passed smoothly.