Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 2011 1474: Rejection (2)

The East Continent and the Northern Domain remained in a state of relative tranquility; while sporadic skirmishes occurred, they were largely inconsequential in scale.

Upon reviewing these reports, Li Zhirui could only exhale, lamenting, "Truly, the tree longs for stillness, yet the wind shows no sign of relenting!"

A global catastrophe seemed unlikely in the near future; nonetheless, these localized, petty conflicts appeared destined to persist in a cycle of endless entanglement.

Reflecting on the situation, Li Zhirui found this to be a rather fortuitous development.

Increased warfare inevitably accelerates the accumulation of death energy, malevolent qi, and other tainted auras, thereby reducing the duration he would otherwise spend waiting.

Moreover, given the limitations of his own power, he could hardly be expected to halt such widespread bloodshed or restore harmony to the world; thus, it was far simpler to feign ignorance.

Having abandoned his seclusion within his cave mansion—as he found little virtue in remaining idle—he set out for the Middle Thousand Worlds recently discovered by his clan, seeking to master the Purification Principle inherent to another realm to further deepen his understanding of the Great Tao.

After all, he could not simply linger in a cave, waiting indefinitely for darkness to fester.

Who could predict how many years would be required to reach the necessary conditions? It was far better to occupy his time with meaningful tasks, whether for his own edification or to bolster the clan's prosperity.

His thoughts turned to the recently charted Middle Thousand World—a fresh frontier whose underlying laws would undoubtedly diverge from those he had already mastered.

Leveraging his influence, he bypassed conventional routes, utilizing a spatial passage to arrive directly at the clan's foothold in the Otherworld.

"Ancestor Rui."

The guards were initially perplexed—as it was not the designated hour for activation, seeing a Secret Technique triggered caused momentary confusion. Yet, upon recognizing their visitor, realization dawned at once.

Compared to the arrival of Ancestor Rui, the infraction of a few bureaucratic rules seemed entirely insignificant.

"There is no need for such formalities."

Li Zhirui waved a hand and commanded, "Brief me on the state of this realm."

"This territory is known as the Pan Yun Realm, a Middle Thousand World which ascended less than a millennium ago. Consequently, though classified as a Middle Thousand World, the prowess of the indigenous inhabitants has yet to reach the expected peak."

Such an opportunity occurs perhaps once every ten millennia, which is precisely why the clan was able to secure such a firm foothold and accelerate its conquest of the region.

A representative of the Earth Immortal Clan stepped forward, detailing the clan’s progress over the preceding years. He eventually sighed, adding, "Ancestor Rui, given the current strength the Li family exerts within the Pan Yun Realm, we have reached an operational limit. We simply lack the manpower to extend our territory further."

Li Zhirui immediately grasped the underlying request: he was being petitioned to intervene and dismantle the remaining resistance.

He contemplated the matter briefly, only to decline with a shake of his head: "The environment here remains well-suited for our clansmen to temper their abilities. Any interference on my part would serve no purpose for your development."

While Li Zhirui could certainly resolve the dilemmas of the Pan Yun Realm with extreme efficiency, he saw no incentive to do so.

"As you wish."

The clansman had anticipated this refusal, having held onto a sliver of desperation, yet he bowed to the inevitable conclusion.

"I shall locate a vacant cave mansion to contemplate the laws of this world. You may proceed as if I am not present."

With a flicker, Li Zhirui vanished from their sight.

His word was true; he proceeded to find a secluded area to begin his study of the realm's governing laws.

As an outsider, however, the local Heavenly Dao instinctively rejected his Divine Sense, preventing any meaningful interaction with its laws.

This was, nonetheless, a trivial obstacle. One must recall that within the Taixu Illusionary Realm, it was his mastery of the Purification Principle that allowed the Heavenly Dao to grant him support at the moment of collapse.

He now applied the same technique, and once again, it proved effective.

Petals of Bai Lian flared to life; the malevolent qi and killing aura that shrouded the region perceived a natural enemy, scattering in frantic retreat or being purified outright upon contact.

Through this technique, despite technically being an intruder, Li Zhirui received a form of special recognition from the Heavenly Dao, enabling him to achieve the impossible: the comprehension of the local Purification Principle.

Meanwhile, the clansmen, determined to transform the Pan Yun Realm into sustenance for the Primal Spirit Realm and the clan's own Spirit Lands, exhausted every resource at their disposal.

The Li family could not conquer this realm solely through esoteric maneuvers. Success required a foundation of raw, unadulterated power!

Thus, in the defining moments, the outcome rested upon the bloody theater of war.

"Attack!"

To capture the Pan Yun Realm rapidly, they could not afford to dally, for delay often brings ruin—especially since no Immortal Realm entities had yet manifest, the battlefield remained within their capacity to manage.

However, should an Immortal Realm being arise, the war would surely descend into chaos.

With the full might of the Li clan’s cultivators unleashed, the tide of battle shifted instantaneously!

"Impossible! Hold the line!"

The resistance buckled under the weight of the assault; the indigenous forces, terrified of total annihilation, abandoned their posts and fled toward the rear in a state of utter panic.

By deserting their positions, they collapsed their own formations, leaving them shattered and defenseless.

Following a crushing triumph, the Li family effectively broke the backbone of the resistance, ensuring no opposition could threaten their hegemony.

At this junction, the Li family had established initial suzerainty over the Pan Yun Realm.

Consolidating this rule would undoubtedly require significant time.

But there was no urgency—the Li family could slowly digest this world, nourishing their own expansion.

In any case, the secret ritual had already been performed, tethering the Primal Spirit Realm's Heavenly Dao to the Pan Yun Realm. The two entities were vastly imbalanced in power, causing the Pan Yun Realm's consciousness to retreat steadily.

It appeared certain that the Pan Yun Realm would soon be fully suppressed.

This rapid shift took Li Zhirui by surprise; his deep meditation on the laws was interrupted because the Primal Spirit Realm's Heavenly Dao had arrived far sooner than he had calculated.

He was forced into a desperate race against the Heavenly Dao, striving to complete his comprehension before the total assimilation of the realm.

Why go to such lengths? He simply wished to avoid incurring further karma toward the Primal Spirit Realm. Should he master the laws of the Pan Yun Realm while it still existed independently, that karmic burden would naturally cease upon its assimilation.

If the process dragged on, he would be weighed down by yet another debt.

Alas, Li Zhirui overestimated his capabilities; his rate of enlightenment could not keep pace with the swift devouring performed by the Heavenly Dao.

Consequently, he was forced to accept the burden of additional karma.

Once the local Heavenly Dao was consumed, the Li family could exert their true power within the Pan Yun Realm, no longer hampered by any external restrictions.

By contrast, the indigenous beings were now profoundly suppressed by the change in environment.

Yet, ironically, this new order provided a wider horizon for potential progression.

Whether this new dawn was a blessing or a curse remained entirely a matter of perception.

...

During the years Li Zhirui spent away from Mount Wanxian, the clan enjoyed a period of remarkable stability.

Or perhaps, given the Li family's current magnitude and influence, momentum alone carried them forward through every challenge.

Barring a truly catastrophic event, the clan was now capable of self-sustaining governance.

Yet, in the volatile climate of the Primal Spirit Realm, such periods were an anomaly; no power could rely on inertia alone to fuel its growth forever.

Such was the case at this very moment!

Buzz!

The sudden clamor of the Eight-direction Heavenly Pillar Array signaled to all that a significant crisis was unfolding.

Clan Leader Li Debo reported to the formation, his composure tested by the uncertainty of the situation.

Upon witnessing a Heavenly Immortal assuming command of the Great Array, he realized that this was a situation of dire gravity!

"The Immortal Tao and Demonic Tao have agreed upon a temporary truce. We are ordered to launch a campaign in the East Sea to relieve the pressure exerted upon the Demonic Tao by the combined forces of the Sea Clan and Ghost Clan!"

Though the directive was brief, it sent shockwaves through the hearts of every cultivator present.

Lifelong adversaries, now bound by a fragile pact?!

Beyond the confusion lay a wave of indignation and visceral rejection.

After all, what segment of the Immortal Tao did not harbor profound animosity toward the Demonic Tao? It was an arduous task to suppress generations of hatred for the sake of aiding such rivals.