Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1943 - 1440: Recuperation (Part 2)

Perched cross-legged amid the wreckage, the Sect Leader observed Li Zhixuan advancing toward him, step by deliberate step.

Even though he'd braced his mind for every possible result beforehand, in this instant, all those preparations dissolved—leaving behind merely a flicker of astonishment and reverence.

"Do you have any final words?" Li Zhixuan inquired in a frosty tone.

"One question has haunted me for ages. Could you perhaps enlighten me before my end?" The Sect Leader replied, his face etched with intrigue.

"Speak, then. I'm listening."

"How exactly did you enter the Floating Light Realm? And what drives you to wipe out the Immortal Tao?"

"Through—"

Li Zhixuan started to respond when her features twisted in alarm. Acting swiftly, she unleashed a streak of Sword Light in a slashing motion.

Rumble—

A thunderous blast erupted right in front of her, as though aiming to swallow her whole. Luckily, that timely Sword Light strike allowed her to dodge the peril just in time.

While it wouldn't have ended her life, the impact would have surely battered her—maybe even inflicted injuries—thereby delaying the takeover of the Floating Light Realm.

Li Zhixuan stared at the Sect Leader, whose spirit had utterly crumbled. Seldom did she offer clemency, yet this time it backfired into a harsh reminder she wouldn't easily shake off.

This ignited a blazing fury in her heart. With the Immortal Tao now doomed to extinction, her rage had no outlet except against the Demon Cultivators or Devil Beasts!

Maybe the collapse of the Immortal Tao forced them to grasp the sheer power of the Li family—the Demonic Tao and Devil Race at last united their efforts to stand against the Li family.

In that instant, the joint defensive stronghold built by the Demonic Tao and Devil Race had only just engaged when Li Zhixuan lifted her hand and unleashed a savage sweep of Sword Qi.

The Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts believed their fortress unbreakable, or at least not so readily shattered if challenged.

However, they failed to account for unforeseen factors—Li Zhixuan's fury now boiled over, betrayed by that Immortal Tao Sect Leader in his final breaths.

As a result, the bulwark they trusted so deeply got completely demolished by her lone attack.

"No way! This can't be happening!"

They'd heard rumors of Li Zhixuan's prowess for years, but never seen it firsthand, let alone felt its closeness like this.

The keen Sword Qi, even without hitting them directly, pricked at their flesh!

Certain Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts, whose resolve wasn't firm enough, grew so frightened that their legs gave out, sending them tumbling to the earth.

Li Zhixuan, naturally, extended no quarter. Another flourish of her sword felled the realm's inhabitants without exception.

Facing the Demonic Tao and Devil Race stirred even less hesitation in her than the Immortal Tao, allowing her tactics to grow wilder still.

Even united, her charge on the Mountain Gate and dismantling of their forces proceeded at almost the same relentless speed as prior.

In fact, without regard for her kin's stamina, Li Zhixuan might have pressed on even swifter!

Yet with conflicts unfolding endlessly, the once-thriving Floating Light Realm veered into chaos, its progress ruined, as war and Evil Qi took over as the norm.

The whole realm seemed draped in perpetual dusk; sporadic flames danced about, laced with crimson streaks of blood.

A nearer look disclosed the initial signs of corruption and decay infiltrating the Floating Light Realm!

To be precise, when Li Zhixuan and her group acted, they'd strived to spare the land and sky—not out of dread for karmic backlash, but to prevent harming the world's core, which would hinder settling their debt to the Primal Spirit Realm via sacrifice.

Still, the drain on the world's origin proved inescapable.

Not just because clashes inevitably caused some destruction, but since every creature forms an essential piece of the world. Such vast killing of lives would inevitably ravage the realm—how could it avoid that?

Regarding the Floating Light Realm's Heavenly Dao, it had already clamped down on the power of Li Zhixuan and these invaders from beyond to its limits. Numerous Loose Immortals from the Loose Cultivators, lacking their vast numbers, would now prove almost worthless in combat.

Meanwhile, far from the fray, Li Zhirui sharply detected a shift rippling across heaven and earth.

As he contemplated the Laws, he noticed the realm's slow deterioration seeping in.

This led him to send a message to the battlefield, reaching out to Li Zhixuan and pressing her to pull back temporarily, halting all advances.

"Is this Jiu's command? Why issue such an order?"

She felt puzzled; maybe even she hadn't realized yet—after endless bloodshed, Evil Qi and killing intent had started to fog her thoughts, tainting her Spiritual Soul.

Thankfully, her Dao Heart stood firm, forged repeatedly against Evil Qi and killing intent, lending her superior endurance—her logic and sharpness remained unclouded.

Though she couldn't quite fathom why Li Zhirui would abandon the momentum and call the kin to retreat, Li Zhixuan followed his directive anyway.

She trusted he would never lead her astray!

As for the Loose Cultivators? Absent the Li Family Members' guidance, they probably wouldn't venture forth solo—another flight among them might even be underway.

Li Zhixuan guided her battle-worn, grime-covered kin back to camp, then approached Li Zhirui with a voice laced with wonder: "Jiu, is trouble brewing for the clan? What prompted you to call everyone back?"

Li Zhirui shared his insight: "To spare the world's origin from grave harm, it's wiser to pause here!"

The realm's innate healing force is mighty. Only the ceaseless emergence of fresh 'injuries' prevented any mending.

"Moreover, your current condition is anything but usual!"

At that, Li Zhirui released his Divine Sense, scanning the newly arrived kin—his expression turned solemn in a flash.

Not just her, but the rest of the family had fallen under Evil Qi and killing intent's sway too. Though not as profoundly as hers, varying builds made some cases worse.

Should this persist, they risked permanent scars to their minds and spirits—doomed to become mindless engines of endless killing!

"Simply put, everyone needs to rest and recover for the moment—no more battles."

With those words, Li Zhirui shaped hand seals; specks of pale light appeared, merging into the family's forms, purging the Evil Qi and killing intent.

In reality, the Li family's initial scheme was to seize the Floating Light Realm across two millennia. But scarcely a century had elapsed, and the Immortal Dao Power teetered on eradication.

This tempo already surpassed all forecasts.

Beyond the Li family's strategy to draw in countless Loose Cultivators, the chief factor was Li Zhixuan: she preached restraint, yet her deeds contradicted it utterly.

...

The story branches out, blooms gracing each separate stem.

Presently, Li Chengsheng and Li Chengshuo traded their Divine Positions to Ziwei for the Secret Technique of crossing into target worlds. Following a stretch of analysis and comprehension, they stood ready to proceed!

"Big brother, if our goal is to subdue an Outer World, can we and our subordinate gods manage it alone? Wouldn't it be better to seek reinforcements from the clan?" Just prior to starting, Li Chengshuo abruptly spotted the flaw and voiced it immediately.

Their subordinate gods numbered few, and including the Star Gods sworn to them, the total barely topped one hundred.

Unless each proved an Earth Immortal or Heavenly Immortal, such a meager force rendered conquering an Outer Realm a ridiculous dream.

Li Chengsheng's forehead creased. He'd immersed himself so deeply in unraveling the Secret Technique and tailoring it for personal use that this oversight never crossed his mind.

Still, it had to be faced—this was a critical snag needing swift resolution!

"The clan wages war on another Outer World; I doubt they can lend many forces. Even if they could..." Li Chengsheng shook his head, trailing off unspoken.

Considering their strained ties with the Li family over recent years, even without other duties, for Li Zhirui's benefit they might grudgingly dispatch around a thousand relatives at most.

Such limited numbers wouldn't cut it—they needed a different approach.