Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1983 - 1460: Ambush (2)

Li Guangxing let out a sigh filled with regret and remarked, "It's quite a shame we weren't aware of this from the start, so during our assault, we only struck at mere illusions. As a result, the Water Devil managed to flee. If we'd captured even one, we might have questioned it and gained some insights."

"The Sea Clan surely harbors some concealed plot."

However, Li Hongshi couldn't speculate further on this, given the limited details available to them at present.

"What course of action should we take next?"

He pondered deeply for a brief while before stating, "Instruct the clan members to return to their original posts. I'll guide a team of those who've cleared their karmic ties but suffer grave injuries back to the ancestral grounds. The Clan Leader and the rest might possess additional intelligence."

This plan seemed entirely appropriate.

"Very well."

The intelligence circulated swiftly. The clan, bewildered only moments earlier, now erupted in commotion.

Li Guangxing supported Li Hongshi by ensuring the message was disseminated accurately.

Before long, affairs were promptly concluded, and Li Hongshi boarded the Spirit Boat with the clan members, setting off rapidly.

Upon arriving at Mount Wanxian and briefing Clan Leader Li Xiuyuan and the others, their initial response was to suspect a larger conspiracy from the Sea Clan lurking in the shadows.

"Could the Sea Clan have orchestrated this deliberately to make the Immortal Tao relax their vigilance over the East Sea, allowing them to capture the coastal areas in a single stroke?" one Elder pondered aloud.

"That's entirely plausible!"

Though this strategy appeared straightforward, under the current circumstances, it proved remarkably potent.

The Sea Clan held the upper hand—they could strike whenever it suited them!

Without deploying a vast array of cultivators to monitor the Sea Clan's actions ceaselessly, the Immortal Tao would inevitably expose vulnerabilities for the Sea Clan to exploit.

Yet cultivators couldn't maintain eternal surveillance; they still had to pursue methods for dissolving their karmic burdens.

Should this prove true, the situation would grow exceedingly complicated.

If Li Zhirui were present, he wouldn't assess the matter so narrowly—he'd expand his perspective across the entire Primal Spirit Realm. Beyond their speculations, another region fit this pattern as well!

And that region is—the Western Sea!

Indeed, when contrasting the two areas, the East Sea remained the more perilous.

"Shall we consult Ancestor Rui? The elder has always shown profound wisdom—perhaps he'll discern the Sea Clan's intentions," an Elder, confronting the impasse, instinctively sought Li Zhixuan's counsel.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head and replied, "We shouldn't burden Ancestor Rui with such trivial concerns."

He'd already been dismissed by Li Zhirui before, indicating his reluctance to intervene; these days, he secluded himself in his courtyard, shunning all knowledge of external matters.

After thorough discussion, they decided to dispatch several clan members to surveil the Sea Clan's activities, enabling swift alerts and countermeasures should events unfold.

…

The revelation that the Sea Clan's Beast Tide served as a ruse propagated at lightning speed—even that same day, the Cave Abyss Sect received word.

Initially skeptical, they dispatched disciples to verify—and discovered the reports rang true: nearly all Water Devils were nothing but illusions.

"It's no surprise the Beast Tide hovered offshore without ever charging in—they were incapable of it from the outset! And we've squandered all this time idling here."

Certain cultivators felt manipulated by the Sea Clan, seething with fury. Should a Water Devil cross their path now, it would probably be shredded instantly.

Concurrently, various cultivators grew anxious—they'd expected a ferocious onslaught from the Sea Clan, offering plentiful chances amid the grand conflict to settle their karmic obligations.

Yet the Sea Clan refrained, showing no signs of imminent aggression.

Without a colossal Beast Tide, resolving years of accumulated grudges would prove arduous—what alternatives remained?

Ultimately, their gazes shifted northward, fixing upon the Li family!

"Do we launch an assault on the Li family?" one Earth Immortal inquired tentatively.

Though the Li family's power paled in comparison to their sect, the existence of the Solar and Lunar Star Lords instilled hesitation.

For this wasn't mere friendly combat, but a lethal confrontation bound to incur severe losses on both sides.

Might those two Star Lords fly into rage and strike at the Cave Abyss Sect in other locales for retribution? Such risks demanded careful consideration.

"Perhaps it's best to abandon the idea? After years of fortification, the Li family's base must stand unassailable. Attacking there would grant them overwhelming terrain benefits."

Arguments flared regarding whether to assail the Li family.

In truth, however, such weighty choices lay beyond their authority.

When the tidings reached the Cave Abyss Sect's central peak, the majority of Elders rejected any action against the Li family!

Primarily, because the Li family housed at least two Celestial Immortals, and from prior displays, their battle capabilities were formidable. Additionally, initiating an attack would squander positional superiority, and moreover, no one desired to spark discord within the Immortal Tao alliances.

Moreover, the unique standing of Li Chengsheng and Li Chengshuo as Star Gods compelled all parties to tread warily around provocation.

Consequently, most Elders opposed targeting the Li family.

With both the Sea Clan and the Li family now unable to aid their disciples in clearing karmic debts, the Cave Abyss Sect needed to explore other battlegrounds—such as the Immortal-Demon frontlines, the Demon Clan, or the distant northern Wanling Alliance.

Determining the precise option still necessitated meticulous allocation of roles and deliberations.

…

Meanwhile, on the Immortal-Demon battlefield—

Demonic cultivators currently dominated, forcing the righteous path into retreat with mounting fatalities among the Immortal forces.

The cultivators sought strategies for reversal; the tide couldn't persist like this.

"How did the demon cultivators surge in power so abruptly?!"

Even as fresh reinforcements streamed from the reserves into the melee, the outcome defied logic.

The Immortal Tao factions scrambled for countermeasures to shift the balance, while the demonic forces reveled in triumph, eager to sustain their advance.

Yet soon, startling intelligence shattered the deadlock!

The Sea Clan unleashed a grand incursion into the Western Sea, rapidly claiming oceanic territories and pushing along river routes inland, striving to claim dry land and dominate the river basins!

"What's happening? Weren't the Sea Clan besieging the Immortal Tao along the East Sea? How did they abruptly appear in the Western Sea!?"

This development unsettled not only the lesser demonic cultivators but roused even the Celestial Demon Immortals from their thrones.

Everyone recognized the peril—if the Sea Clan secured a land-based waterway, it heralded unending woes. They'd encroach upon further aquatic networks, unleashing relentless assaults, rendering existence unbearable.

Numerous demon cultivators abandoned their pursuit of Immortal foes; their sole focus became hastening to the continent's western fringes to repel the Sea Clan!

Some cultivators entertained notions of exploiting the turmoil, only to face swift reprimand from a Celestial Demon Immortal: "Are the Immortal Tao colluding covertly with foreign tribes to unite against us—against the human demon path?"

The charge sufficed. Several Celestial Immortals intervened, prohibiting any continued chase of the demonic cultivators.

In this chaos, none felt greater vexation than Li Zhixuan!

She'd intended to bide her time, then emerge somewhat fatigued, enticing a Celestial Demon Immortal into a celestial duel among the stars.

But the Sea Clan's offensive compelled the demon cultivators to withdraw and fortify. Her long-prepared scheme lay in tatters.

"Sigh!"

Li Zhixuan couldn't suppress a sigh—she was now at a loss for a fitting arena to wage battle.

This dilemma plagued not only her but fellow cultivators too!

Fortunately, she had already discharged her karmic burdens; her lingering in this turmoil solely served to forge a path toward ultimate ascension.

Across the Primal Spirit Realm's major powers, with the Sea Clan and Demon Dao poised for fierce confrontation, and the Human Path and Demon Clan braced for southern clashes, the northern Wanling Alliance stood as the sole remaining foe!