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Chapter 1139: Chapter 1038: Invitation_2
Staying any longer would also be a waste of time; it might be better to return sooner rather than later.
Figuring the time was about right and that the group of cultivators should have already lured the calamity beasts and catastrophe beasts away, Li Zhirui stepped out from the space.
Looking at the charred soil under his feet, the withered trees all around, and the world devoid of any life force, filled with an overwhelming aura of death, Li Zhirui felt exceptionally anxious and oppressed.
No wonder at the brink of world destruction, so many people went mad. Watching the world slowly perish and themselves trapped within, struggling in vain to survive—how could they not go insane?
Li Zhirui recited the Scripture of Purity and Stillness several times in his heart, and at the same time, mobilized the Purification Principle to dispel the destructive qi unconsciously absorbed into his body, which then allowed him to gradually calm down.
"Has it already come to this?"
Li Zhirui used a secret technique, his eyes emitting Spirit Light; at this moment, the world seen through his eyes was filled with death energy, catastrophic qi, disaster qi, and so on, with no corner free from these destructive auras.
——
"Is the Traction Array set up yet?"
In a concealed location, a large number of cultivators gathered for the purpose of completing the anchoring and traction to allow the Heavenly Dao of Primal Spirit Realm to merge with Qianling Realm as quickly as possible.
"We’re conducting the final check. If there are no issues, we can activate it immediately."
"That’s good. Under the premise of ensuring there are no mistakes, we must speed up. We can’t let those mortals overtake us." By the end, the tone unconsciously carried a trace of worry.
"Senior Brother, rest assured, how could those mortals possibly compare with us?" Someone spoke with full disdain.
Even though the Daqian Empire had proven their strength, many cultivators still looked down upon them, believing that they had no true foundation in many aspects, such as in the Dao of the Array, even though they possessed special methods that granted them powerful capabilities in a short span of time.
"If it weren’t for those damned beasts, it wouldn’t have dragged on until now!"
Nobody knew whether it was their terrible luck or not, but more than a month ago, when the Traction Array was about to succeed, it suddenly attracted a large group of calamity beasts and catastrophe beasts.
After exhausting all measures and finally managing to slaughter these beasts, the formation had been heavily damaged in the process, and they had no choice but to start from scratch, only finishing now.
At that time, many cultivators suspected that the Daqian Empire had meddled secretly, otherwise, what were the odds? Moreover, the entire valley was enveloped by a powerful shielding formation, making them utterly undetectable.
However, they were preoccupied with reconstructing the Great Array and without evidence, the matter eventually faded into nothing.
"Senior Brother, there are no issues with the Great Array."
"Good, activate the Traction Array immediately!" Upon hearing this good news, the leading cultivator immediately gave the order.
But before they could take action, the ground suddenly sank.
"What’s happening?"
Some cultivators didn’t understand, thinking that some new disaster had befallen the world, but since it occurred precisely where they were, they soon calmed down.
"Not good!"
"The Daqian Empire has activated their array before us!"
Those cultivators with higher cultivation bases turned pale, their eyes filled with shock.
The whole world seemed to be falling, and at the same time, they felt a trace of spatial fluctuations, possibly because the Heavenly Dao of the Primal Spirit Realm was intending to guide them back.
"Damn! How could this happen!"
All the cultivators were extremely unwilling to accept this. If they had been outpaced by a few days, they could have swallowed their pride, but to be only a step behind, differing by merely half an hour, was truly a bitter pill to swallow.
The Traction Array they had rebuilt at great cost and effort was now useless because the Heavenly Dao had completed anchoring and would not act again.
Hum—
Not long after, a unique Spirit Light spread in all directions, and all beings of Primal Spirit Realm were teleported away.
During the teleportation, Li Zhirui was practicing his Demonslaying Divine Ability on a desolate mountain. He hadn’t come to his senses before everything went dark before his eyes, followed by a spinning sensation. It seemed like an instant had passed when his feet once again touched the ground.
"I wonder which side took the initiative first."
Li Zhirui felt that it was more likely to be a cultivator, not because of his origin, but because the Daqian Dynasty had risen too quickly. Most of their energy must have been spent on enhancing their strength, with possibly little development in other areas.
But when he saw those Mahayana and Tribulation-Transcending Cultivators with ugly expressions, and the Lianxu and Integration Cultivators grinding their teeth in frustration, he knew his guess was wrong.
"The Daqian Dynasty actually won?" A hint of surprise appeared on Li Zhirui’s face, and he could hardly believe it.
"Did you scheme against us in secret?"
A certain Lianxu Cultivator couldn’t hold back his anger and questioned in front of everyone, "Otherwise, with your superficial methods, how could you possibly surpass us?"
"I don’t understand what you’re talking about, and we would not resort to such despicable tactics," the elder said with a stern face.
"Hmph! Like I would admit it..."
The person wanted to say more, but was stopped by a Tribulation-Transcending Cultivator.
"Enough! Defeated by superior skill, yet still making a spectacle of yourself here, step down!"
"Congratulations on your superior skills. The matters here are concluded, we should now take our leave."
Seeing this, the elder hurriedly asked, "May I ask what are your esteemed views regarding the peace talks?"
"We have not had the time to discuss this matter and cannot give an answer for the time being."
After excusing themselves, they left with all the Sect and clan cultivators, leaving only Li Zhirui and the other Loose Cultivators behind.
Li Zhirui was curious about what had happened between the two parties, but he suppressed the urge to get involved and decided to leave as well.
"Please wait a moment! I sincerely invite you all to join our great Daqian Dynasty!"
Seeing the people stopping, the elder then touted various benefits. In short, there were numerous advantages and rewards for joining the dynasty.
"Sorry, my abilities are limited, I cannot assume such a heavy responsibility and will take my leave first."
Without a second thought, Li Zhirui refused outright. The Daqian Dynasty, with its frequent troubles and convergence of karmic ties, was not something he wanted to be involved in.
Without waiting for a reply, he immediately made his escape.
Among the remaining Loose Cultivators, many were attracted by the generous conditions offered by the Daqian Dynasty and nodded in agreement, while a portion left.
In truth, those Loose Cultivators who agreed to join were aware that the Daqian Dynasty was a tumultuous place full of karma, not an ideal environment for cultivation.
However, they either had full confidence that they could resist temptation, viewing it merely as a trial; or they had no other choice. As Loose Cultivators desiring various resources, they were gambling with their lives, one misstep could lead to their fall.
Now that they could obtain many resources from the Daqian Dynasty, they chose to join despite the abundance of karma, as it was at least safe, and they could see a path forward.
...
Meanwhile, Li Zhirui, after departing, did not continue to linger in Falling Star State but went directly to the ancestral land of the Immortal Tao—Kunlun State!
The war between the Daqian Dynasty and the cultivation world of Falling Star State no longer bore watching. Staying there would bring little benefit, so it was best not to waste time.
Because that sense of urgency had always accompanied Li Zhirui!
It had been there for many years; at first, he thought it was due to not having broken through to the Integration Realm and the danger his family faced, but even after the crisis was averted, the feeling of urgency did not disappear.
Later, after learning about the Era of Great Strife from Li Chengshuo, Li Zhirui realized it was because of this.
However, Li Zhirui was not very clear about the meaning of ’Era of Great Strife’, so in addition to honing his own mental state and improving cultivation during this journey, he was also collecting information on this matter.
Yet, he had made little progress, as if the ’Era of Great Strife’ had never appeared, merely a casual mention by that mysterious woman on the Taiyin Star, and they were overthinking it.
But what kind of place was Taiyin Star? Given that beings who could stay on the Taiyin Star went out of their way to warn Li Chengshuo and his companions, how could it possibly be said casually?
"Sigh! In the end, it’s still because my strength is too low; I can’t access those high-level circles, and many pieces of information are simply beyond my reach," Li Zhirui sighed helplessly.
"I hope that the upcoming journey to Kunlun State will bring some gains."
At least to give Li Zhirui a vague goal, so he is not completely in the dark.
