Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 1973: Chapter 1455: Sudden Upheaval (Part 2)

“If you wish to survive the Great Tribulation unscathed, you must resolve your own karma.” Li Zhirui spoke slowly.

But now he could no longer, as last time, help his clansmen settle their karmic debts with his own strength alone, for the karma he bore himself was already an unbearably heavy burden, leaving him with no surplus power to aid too many others.

It was not just him—Li Zhixuan, Li Mingyao, and the others were the same, so the clansmen could only rely on themselves to deal with it.

As for methods to resolve karma, the easiest and most straightforward—yet also the hardest—is simply to offset it directly with merit!

Another way is to return nature’s spiritual energy, as Shen and Mu did, using certain methods to convert chaotic spiritual energy, but that threshold is so high, barely anyone can pull it off.

Therefore, the vast majority of living beings commonly resort to another method—fighting!

By slaughtering other creatures, they allow their cultivation and mana to return to the world.

This is also why, when the Great Tribulation erupts, all living beings are filled with fear and restlessness.

Even those like Li Zhirui and Li Zhixuan, Heavenly Immortals, cannot remain calm, for they too face the risk of falling, only their chances are relatively smaller.

Perhaps only those divines who uphold the order of heaven and earth remain indifferent.

Because they will not be affected by the Great Tribulation!

No helping it—what else could be expected? They are the children of heaven and earth, favored by the Heavenly Dao, upholding order, even able to influence the Laws as divines.

However, if they themselves descend into the scene and enter the Great Tribulation, then they can only tread its path, and whether they live or die depends on their own fate.

…

Hearing this answer, Li Xiuyuan’s expression grew even more grave; he knew that in this tribulation, Ancestor Rui and the other old ancestors could offer little aid—it was up to the strength of the clansmen themselves.

He could not help but wonder how much the clan would lose after this Great Tribulation.

Harboring all sorts of tangled thoughts, he took his leave with the elders. He needed to think carefully about how to minimize losses and casualties among the clan!

“Jiu, I’m planning to head to the Immortal Demon Battlefield and seek a chance to resolve my karma.” Once they’d gone, the always silent Li Zhixuan suddenly spoke up, choosing immediately the most dangerous place.

Battlefields under the Tribulation would be even more perilous than before.

If it were anyone else, Li Zhirui might have some concerns, but since it was Li Zhixuan, he felt much more at ease.

With her current strength, she could not claim invincibility against everyone under the heavens, but she was formidable enough that if she wished to flee, most likely no one could stop her.

Before leaving, she asked curiously, “Jiu, where will you go to resolve your karma?”

“I’ll remain at the clan’s territory; the Cave Abyss Sect, Sea Clan, and Ten Thousand Spirits Alliance might all send people to attack our clan.”

Ordinarily, Li Mingyao would oversee the clan, but as this is the Great Tribulation, he had best stay out of it.

As for the Sea Clan—hadn’t they sworn their Dao Oath never to invade the Li family’s Ten Thousand Spirit Sea Area? Why was Li Zhirui still wary of them?

Because under the interference and influence of Tribulation Evil Energy, such Dao Oaths temporarily lose their restraining power!

Which is to say, within the Great Tribulation, one can act in violation of Dao Oaths.

Furthermore, the Sea Clan’s original oath was to never invade the Ten Thousand Spirit Sea Area—this didn’t include the Li family’s territories on land!

“Then… maybe I should stay in the clan as well.” Hearing this, Li Zhixuan hesitated and spoke.

“No need, you should go to the Immortal Demon Battlefield.”

Li Zhirui said, “If no one comes here after all, wouldn’t you miss the chance to resolve your karma?”

“Then what about you, Jiu?”

“I’ll opt to use the method of consuming merit.”

All these years, he’d been purifying important, critical regions everywhere, and the merit he’d accumulated was hardly less than what Li Zhixuan had after sacrificing Floating Light Realm.

Moreover, his method of transcendence did not require much merit, so Li Zhirui had the confidence to do so.

But others could not imitate this.

On hearing this, Li Zhixuan said nothing more. Since there was nothing she could help with, she’d better avoid causing trouble.

“Jiu, take care. I’ll be off.”

With that, she transformed into a sword light and vanished in an instant.

…

Meanwhile, the evil qi and catastrophic qi in heaven and earth had already risen to an astonishing level, and the whole world was shrouded in a black-red hue!

Some beings of weak will, as the Tribulation Evil Energy entered their bodies, gradually lost their minds; if they didn’t recover in time, they would ultimately become monsters controlled by this energy, knowing only slaughter.

This situation was most common among devil beasts, demon cultivators, and low-level cultivators, as most never cultivate the Dao Heart, or hadn’t had the opportunity or need to cultivate it yet.

Fortunately, in Shanhai State, regardless of cultivation or background, not a single cultivator had been invaded by Tribulation Evil Energy.

The reason was simple—the Li family, on its own territory, had been planting Purifying White Lotus on a grand scale!

This wasn’t a mandatory policy of the clan, but a voluntary act by its members, as Purifying White Lotus was a spiritual object of pure treasure, easy to cultivate, and even created by their own ancestor.

Moreover, simply planting them, as they grew, would purify the surrounding environment—even spiritual energy became fresher and cleaner, providing slight benefit to cultivation.

No one had expected it would have such an effect when the world’s Great Tribulation broke out.

At first, Shanhai State’s cultivators paid no heed, thinking it was normal, but as time went on, and more creatures controlled by Tribulation Evil Energy broke through, they realized the outside world had become so dangerous!

At that moment, they felt a sense of relief—thank goodness they were in Shanhai State and not elsewhere, thus avoiding becoming such monsters.

However, for now, unless they only intended to cling to survival, staying in Shanhai State meant they couldn’t resolve their karma!

So eventually they would have to leave this safe haven, and head to other regions.

Some cultivators believed Shanhai State wouldn’t remain peaceful, that other powers would surely invade—there are always those who cannot abide others’ good fortune.

“Ancestor Rui, should we take this opportunity to root out all the undercover agents and spies?”

Li Xiuyuan discussed with the elders, after arranging all the countermeasures, and suddenly thought of this matter.

Li Zhirui shook his head and said, “These people cannot be eliminated entirely; unless the forces behind them fall, even if they’re dealt with, after the Tribulation passes, their side will send another batch to infiltrate.”

Given that, it’s better to keep things as they are.

After all, the clan already knows about these undercover agents and spies, and can fully control what information they can discover and transmit.

If a new batch replaced them, the Li family wouldn’t know them well, and who knows what important secrets might leak—then the gains would not outweigh the losses.

Li Xiuyuan hadn’t thought this far before, but after being reminded, he didn’t mention it again.

“How many clansmen are still left in Shanhai State?” Li Zhirui suddenly asked.

According to the methods worked out by the clan leader and elders, the clansmen were to form teams and head for East Sea or the Northern Domain, to resolve their karma by fighting the creatures of those lands.

And given the distance was close enough, they could rotate squads repeatedly, doing their utmost to care for each clansman.

Also, those yet to reach eighteen years of age or break through to Golden Core, whose minds were immature and strengths too weak—the clan did not permit them to join the battle squads.

This was the clan’s protection for them!

The karma they bore would be shouldered and resolved by the clan itself.

Fortunately, since their cultivation is low, the karma they’ve accumulated is not much.