Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1989 - 1463: Esteem (Part 2)

Should we delay any longer, Li Zhixuan will truly get away! What kind of predicament is unfolding here?

Regarding the current battlefield conditions, even with shifts in positions and strategies, allowing Li Zhixuan to flee would bring deep shame upon his abilities.

Thus, upon witnessing Li Zhixuan's withdrawal, he ceased all hesitation; fearing she might vanish in an instant, he charged forward to strike.

Yet he could never have foreseen that someone would turn such brutality against him, deliberately suffering severe wounds to draw him into an ambush.

Just as the Water Devil relaxed his vigilance, multiple beams of Sword Qi erupted from Li Zhixuan’s palms; since he had dropped his guard entirely, evasion or blocking became impossible.

"Hmph!"

Faced with no escape, he resorted to his techniques to counter the incoming Sword Qi.

However, Li Zhixuan, battling through her agonies with unyielding desperation, unleashed assaults that proved far too difficult to repel outright!

The Water Devil, who had remained untouched until now, suddenly endured multiple critical wounds.

To his astonishment, these injuries refused to mend—they began drawing in the Evil Qi from heaven and earth, expanding relentlessly!

"Damn it! What’s going on? What sort of bizarre method is this!" the Water Devil exclaimed in alarm.

It appeared peculiar, but in truth, she had merely integrated Evil Qi into her Sword Qi.

Naturally, this feat demands exceptional control; a single lapse could allow the Evil Qi to invade the body, wreaking havoc instead.

Under ordinary conditions, Evil Qi infiltrating the body poses more annoyance than peril—as long as it's contained, resolution can wait.

Yet during this rampant Great Calamity, with Tribulation Evil Energy saturating the atmosphere, the Evil Qi at his injuries pulled in even greater quantities from the environment.

Healing was out of the question now—the gashes simply widened further.

Stricken with fear, the Water Devil no longer wished to clash with Li Zhixuan, attempting to withdraw while protecting himself, clinging to any hope of endurance.

But having sacrificed so much, Li Zhixuan refused to grant him such an easy departure!

She propelled her damaged form ahead, unleashing relentless barrages that blocked the Water Devil’s paths and compelled him to confront her directly.

The Water Devil proved no pushover either—despite his preference for guarding, as a Heavenly Immortal, he possessed immense power and ferocity.

In their depleted conditions, the outcome of this desperate duel hung in the balance.

Such logic held true, yet he overlooked a crucial factor—the repercussions of Evil Qi permeating his system!

Initially, vast quantities of Evil Qi obstructed his meridians, drastically impeding the flow of Spiritual Energy; soon after, it clouded his thoughts, shattering his concentration amid the fray.

Among Heavenly Immortals in combat, unleashing full might is essential to overpower the foe, rendering timing of utmost importance!

With his mind befogged by Evil Qi, the Water Devil forfeited his capacity to exploit openings!

Li Zhixuan fared poorly too, yet her afflictions were mere bodily harms. By consuming a Pill, she quelled the damage.

Her resolute spirit ensured that agony in no way diminished her fighting prowess.

Therefore, in this climactic confrontation, despite her dire state, Li Zhixuan ultimately vanquished the Water Devil!

This victory bestowed upon her immense Merit.

However, the toll proved exorbitant—these wounds demanded centuries for recovery!

Fortuitously, the arenas of Heavenly Immortal conflicts lay distant from one another; details of this event would remain unknown to others for a while, affording Li Zhixuan an opportunity to seek concealment.

Otherwise, in her vulnerable condition, even several Individual Immortals could end her, to say nothing of another Heavenly Immortal!

Naturally, that assumes they could survive the final, desperate counterattack she had prepared.

…

Concerning Li Zhixuan’s plight, Li Zhirui remained entirely unaware, though worry for her well-being weighed heavily on him.

From his perspective, even after settling her personal karma, she wouldn’t depart the battlefield hastily—she would seek out additional foes to engage!

Yet after numerous intense skirmishes in quick succession, though her condition seemed restored, hidden strains surely lingered.

These might not surface right away or vanish completely, but if they accumulate excessively, an explosive outburst could severely compromise Li Zhixuan’s state.

Should that occur under normal circumstances, it might be manageable—but if it struck during combat, she would need to devise an escape!

Li Zhirui himself, through months of persistent toil and expending substantial Merit, had at last cleared all his karma!

As the karma dissipated, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over him—like a crushing load finally removed from his back.

"I wonder how the clansmen have been doing these past months?"

Having secluded himself for months without accessing external communications.

Now with leisure at last, he gathered all the Jade Slips waiting beyond his door and started perusing the most recent ones.

They recounted how Immortal Dao forces from the East Sea Shore surged toward the Southern Domain. With countless cultivators bolstering the ranks, the Devil Race buckled under the onslaught and was compelled to fall back.

Most Devil Beasts, repeatedly bested and their vexing karma addressed, faced no further hindrance from withdrawing.

This left a cadre of human cultivators seething with frustration.

Even the arriving reinforcements, not to mention the Human Dao cultivators, had unfinished karma; thus, upon the Devil Race’s departure, they required alternative means to rectify it!

Li Zhirui examined the Jade Slips sequentially, rapidly grasping the Great Calamity’s developments and forming a thorough picture.

"At this rate, the end won’t be far off!" This thought struck him immediately upon finishing.

Next, he considered that while clansmen had handled their individual karma, the Li family bore a significant collective burden; for instance, the young ones’ karma had been shifted to the clan entirely.

After deliberation, Li Zhirui dispatched a Communication Talisman to Clan Leader Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan was occupied with clan matters then. Spotting the incoming Communication Talisman, he triggered it without inspection—and a voice he recognized echoed forth.

"Has Ancestor Rui emerged from seclusion?"

Yet the content demanded his full attention.

Should Li Zhirui’s assumptions prove accurate, with the Great Calamity nearing its close yet the family laden with unresolved karma,

Failing to dispel it promptly could doom the family’s prospects, inviting countless troubles, so his calm shattered briefly.

He convened all elders without delay and initiated talks on purging the clan’s karma.

"Assuming Ancestor Rui’s prediction holds, time is scarce. Relying on hunting Water Devils in the East Sea to clear karma won’t proceed swiftly enough."

Water Devils in the East Sea were already scarce; following exhaustive sweeps by Cave Abyss Sect and allied forces—coupled with the Li family’s pursuits since the Calamity’s onset—

So much duration had elapsed that remaining Water Devils grew sparse and burrowed deeper.

The elder pressed on, "Our sole viable path now lies in exterminating Devil Beasts within the mountain regions we command!"

No opposition arose; everyone endorsed the proposal unanimously.

One elder alone added: "In purging the mountain Devil Beasts, spare the pregnant and immature ones; post-Calamity, these lands will serve for our clansmen’s cultivation practice."

"Mm."

Li Xiuyuan endorsed it instantly, then inquired, "Who among you believes should command the forces?"

"Li Xiuting!"

An elder recounted Li Xiuting’s remarkable exploits across the Great Calamity, lauding him effusively.