Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1911 - 1424: Success (Part 2)

"Have you heard that Zhixuan has returned?"

He hesitated briefly, then continued, "She's already surpassed the bottleneck, and it won't take much time before the Thunder Tribulation arrives. If she pulls it off, our clan will welcome yet another Heavenly Immortal."

"Isn't that cause for celebration? Jiu, why does your face still show such concern?"

Li Zhirui could only shake his head in response. For some reason, Li Zhixuan, who usually brimmed with assurance and faced every challenge with poise, now fretted over her impending Thunder Tribulation. How could he not ponder it deeply?

"Are you concerned that Zhixuan might fail?"

Da Qing saw right through him and remarked, "Why not place your faith in Zhixuan, believe in her power to overcome this trial."

His words implied that fretting at this point served no purpose; better to focus on actions that could truly assist.

Li Zhirui shook his head again, quietly passed the Jade Slip over, and stated, "Examine this Jade Slip carefully, both of you, and you'll grasp the root of my anxiety."

"This, this, this..."

As the pair regained their composure, words escaped them momentarily. Even they felt a chill from the ordeals Li Zhixuan had endured.

By herself, lacking any restorative Pills, she had braved countless dangers in The Void. Had it been either of them, death might have claimed them ages ago.

Not only that, but she had shattered her bottleneck, and transcendence of the Tribulation loomed near.

"Those tactics are utterly ruthless!" Xiaoqing burst out involuntarily.

Li Zhirui and Da Qing nodded solemnly in unison.

"How have you two been faring lately?"

Da Qing shook his head steadily and replied, "I'm nowhere near the Earth Immortal Peak, much less eyeing the Heavenly Immortal Realm. That's a goal far off in the distance for me."

On such topics, he stayed ever composed and detached. Though his progress lagged, it built a firm and unshakeable foundation.

For Da Qing, this steady rhythm truly suited his Cultivation path best.

"My wounds haven't mended at all. Lately, I've avoided Cultivation entirely."

The scars from that Heart Demon Tribulation ran deep, and he continued to suffer their consequences even now.

"That's why I've come to you this time, Jiu, seeking some healing Pills."

"Bad timing; the Pills you're after, I've already handed them all to Zhixuan."

Li Zhirui shook his head, noting the dismay on his features, then added, "No need to fret—in a few days, I'll begin refining more. Swing by when you're ready."

"Very well."

They conversed a bit more before the pair departed.

Sunrise followed sunset, and ten days slipped by swiftly.

In that span, Li Zhirui devoted himself mainly to Pill refinement, allocating some to Xiaoqing while stashing the remainder at the entrance to Li Zhixuan's Cave Mansion for her immediate access upon emergence.

With those tasks settled, he held off on Cultivation. Instead, he strolled the clan territories, seeking a moment of relaxation.

To his surprise, this day marked the yearly Spirit Testing Conference for the clan!

As a result, the valley below the mountain buzzed with activity and chatter.

"Do you reckon this year's Spirit Testing Conference will reveal a Heavenly Immortal among the select few?"

"Since they're the chosen ones, they must be exceptionally rare talents. How simple would it be to uncover them?!"

"I truly wish for it—given their aptitude, their Cultivation advances rapidly, and perhaps I'd earn a chance to encounter or pay respects to them."

Thoughts varied among the crowd. Li Zhirui felt no particular urgency, for to him, even prodigies among the chosen offered scant aid to his own Cultivation.

Yet he yearned for such gifted kin to emerge, as their swift progress demanded fewer Spiritual Objects.

Still, to safeguard the clan's privacy, the family's Spirit Testing Array veiled potentials from prying eyes.

Naturally, as an Elder, Li Zhirui could readily secure the list from the clan if curiosity struck.

He refrained, merely observing from afar for a spell before departing with a grin.

His smile stemmed from witnessing the young generation's steady rise; even if only a handful attained the Immortal Realm, it spelled immense fortune for the clan.

Brimming with positivity, Li Zhirui immersed himself in Cultivation.

...

Flowers bloom on distinct boughs, each shining in its own way.

In the Southern Domain, the Daqian Empire.

Deep within a hidden valley.

At that moment, a band of Human Dao Hundred Schools cultivators, seemingly setting aside their rivalries, fixed their gazes on the lone youth at the forefront, draped in a robe etched with coiling pythons.

"All you esteemed seniors eyeing me so intensely—it's weighing on me heavily." The youth quipped with a lighthearted tone.

"Your Highness, the Third Prince, preparations are complete. Kindly begin without delay." An aged Confucian Saint pressed, his voice firm and urgent.

"Got it, got it. I'm commencing right away." The Third Prince pouted slightly, impatience flickering across his face.

No surprise there; upon first gleaning an incomplete spatial traversal technique from the trio of Outer Realm cultivators, the effort had ballooned from just the Confucians, Legalists, Mo Family, and School of Names to encompass the full Hundred Schools, with immense dedication poured into its refinement.

The four initial schools agreed to collaborate not from looming perils, but from recognizing that solo endeavors couldn't swiftly polish the world-crossing Secret Technique.

After all, its originator drew from the Immortal Tao, so adaptation into a Human Dao method came first, followed by paths to refinement.

Undoubtedly, the quartet reaped certain gains amid the process.

Through endless years of pouring in lives, treasures, and wealth, they achieved completion half a year back, vastly prolonging the space rift's stability.

From a mere hour at the start to nearly a full day now, the leap proved monumental.

Yet this neared the boundary, for the Primal Spirit Realm's Heavenly Dao forbade rifts lingering longer, demanding alternative strategies.

For example, directing rifts with precision offered a promising avenue, easing invasions into foreign realms!

Those remained subjects for later exploration.

In any case!

The triumph half a year prior stood as mere theory; practical viability in forging a rift for traversal demanded trials.

In the end, the imperial house selected the Third Prince as the test subject.

Over the ensuing half-year, every few days saw the Third Prince running these tests—such repetitive drudgery might have broken him, save for the Emperor's decree.

As he performed the Secret Technique with practiced ease, a dark void soon tore open before him—this marked the space rift enabling world traversal!

Silence reigned; all eyes locked on the rift, as though intense focus might pierce spatial veils to glimpse the distant realm.

The Third Prince betrayed no emotion, merely advancing through the protocol by dispatching a Devil Beast, then monitoring its vitality via the Life Token.

Thirty minutes elapsed, and a second Devil Beast crossed over.

"It's still breathing?!"

An hour on, both Life Tokens endured unbroken.

They held back from leaping in, opting to linger a tad more.

Crack!

Suddenly, one Life Token crumbled, but the sight only eased tensions with collective exhales.

For the later-sent Devil Beast bore a Secret Technique seal and grievous wounds, dooming it to perish in two hours absent aid.

The Life Token's reaction confirmed this exactly.

This strongly suggested safety on the rift's far side!

"It worked! At last, success!" The Third Prince exhaled deeply, thrilled at escaping further trials.

Meanwhile, the encircling Hundred Schools cultivators required no prompt; they grasped that the torrent of Secret Techniques they'd invested had borne fruit this day!