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Chapter 1147: Chapter 1042: Rumor_2
But except for those with extreme confidence in their own strength, the average cultivator dares not to dive into the water. Besides, the spiritual objects on the island are not bad, so there’s no need to risk one’s life for just a few of them.
Li Zhirui was not very keen on taking risks either.
If he hadn’t obtained those tens of thousands of high-level spiritual medicines, perhaps he would have considered diving into the sea in search of spiritual objects. But now, there was no longer any need.
As the saying goes, what goes to extremes is bound to reverse!
Li Zhirui felt that his luck couldn’t always remain in a good state; he might be at a low point right now, so it was better to be cautious.
With this in mind, Li Zhirui was very careful with his subsequent actions, daring not to act impulsively.
Nevertheless, he still encountered danger several times.
It took Li Zhirui a lot of time to defeat a cultivator who was ambushing him beside a rank seven spiritual object, and before he could even catch his breath, he saw several streams of spirit light flying towards him from a distance.
Then they landed in front of him, revealing the figures of six Integration-level cultivators.
One of them had serious injuries, while the other five surrounded both him and Li Zhirui.
"So you have companions! But do you really think you can be saved like this? I’m telling you, stop dreaming! Hand over the treasures!" A cultivator, looking fierce and menacing, yelled with a killing aura in his eyes, launching an attack on the two without hesitation.
"Fellow Daoist, I have accidentally obtained an eighth rank Bishui Dragon Pearl. If you’re willing to save me, the pearl will be yours," the man pleaded while struggling to defend himself, hoping that Li Zhirui would intervene on behalf of the treasure.
"Troubles really do fall from the sky," Li Zhirui mumbled to himself. Despite quietly gathering spiritual objects, he still encountered danger. As the attack neared, he had no choice but to defend himself.
He was interested in the Bishui Dragon Pearl mentioned by the man; if Cang could assimilate it, his Dragon Tribe bloodline would evolve further, perhaps reaching the acme of rank eight directly. "Hand over the Dragon Pearl to me first, and then I’ll protect you," he said.
"This..."
The cultivator hesitated. It was the first time they met, and there was no trust between them. He worried that if he gave the Dragon Pearl to Li Zhirui too soon, he would be abandoned and Li Zhirui would leave with it.
"I can assure you, Fellow Daoist, that as long as you save me, I will thank you with the pearl once it’s over," he promised.
Li Zhirui just watched him, saying nothing.
Clearly, Li Zhirui did not plan to concede, nor did he offer any promises.
Li Zhirui could understand the other’s concerns, but he also had his considerations, and since the initiative was in his hands, why should he relent?
If he believes, he would help; if not, he would simply leave. He believed that the five cultivators opposite wouldn’t stop him.
"Fine." The cultivator at a complete disadvantage had no room to judge and could only agree, extending his hand to pass the Dragon Pearl to Li Zhirui.
It seemed as though their negotiation took a long time, but in reality, it was just a few moments, and the defenses they deployed were not yet broken.
"Damn it!"
The leading cultivator became extremely angry upon seeing the transaction, as it meant that Li Zhirui would officially join the battle—and as an opponent at that.
To obtain those precious treasures, it wouldn’t matter if Li Zhirui alone joined the battle or even if several more cultivators came; he wouldn’t give up.
"What are you waiting for? Take action, quickly take down both of them!"
Boom, boom, boom—
The five cultivators spared no mercy as they launched their killer moves, causing the very heavens and earth to change color.
Li Zhirui felt the terrifying pressure around him, his expression solemn, crazily circulating his mana. While using his Defense Divine Ability, he also summoned the protection of Thousand Spirits. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Crack!
The attacks collided with the dual layers of defense, which barely managed to hold up in a precarious defense.
Without hesitation, Li Zhirui instantly tapped into the power of his Cave Heaven to bolster his combat strength, as he couldn’t defeat these five cultivators alone.
"You hurry up and recover," Li Zhirui reminded, "I can’t guarantee how long I can hold on. If my life is truly threatened, I will choose to flee immediately rather than stay to protect you."
He had only promised protection before, without specifying a timeline, so when the time came to leave, Li Zhirui would definitely not stay behind.
However, before that, Li Zhirui still honored his promise and protected the injured cultivator with all his might.
"What’s going on? His strength has suddenly increased so much!"
The expression of the cultivator changed slightly, but he did not give up, instead he summoned his Life-bound Magic Treasure, a Spirit Sword emanating a dense Killing Aura, and fiercely struck out towards Li Zhirui.
Clang!
The seemingly fragile Thousand Spirits, surprisingly, managed to block the attack unscathed.
Li Zhirui, under the joint attack of five Integration cultivators, held his ground for an hour, but ultimately he was powerless to continue.
This battle was incredibly stifling for Li Zhirui.
Because he had to protect the cultivator who was healing and recovering, he couldn’t fully engage in the fight and could only create distractions, which led to him constantly being on the defensive.
"My Mana is about to be exhausted, so whether you can escape or not is up to your own ability now!"
An hour was more than enough for him to recover a significant amount of Mana, and Li Zhirui felt he had done his utmost. If he couldn’t escape, it wouldn’t be Li Zhirui’s fault.
After holding out for a moment longer, once there was a response from the other side, Li Zhirui did not hesitate to withdraw Thousand Spirits and vanished from sight under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
"How did the person disappear?"
The injured cultivator also had some tricks up his sleeve, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been pursued for so long.
Seizing the opportunity when a few were in shock, he immediately followed suit and escaped.
"Damn it! Chase after him quickly, he must not be allowed to get away!" The cultivator yelled frantically in fury.
Several streaks of Spirit Light cut across the sky, chasing after the cultivator at the fastest speed.
Within the space.
"A frustrating great battle, but obtaining an Eighth Rank Dragon Ball makes this deal very worthwhile." Li Zhirui admired the Dragon Ball in his hand.
After appreciating it, he promptly sealed it away, planning to refine it for Cang upon returning to Mount Wanxian, to enhance his Dragon Tribe bloodline.
...
In the following time, Li Zhirui encountered being pursued by three cultivators and fell into the trap of a Devil Beast while harvesting Spiritual Objects, among other crises.
It was precisely because of these frequent accidents that Li Zhirui had no time to collect Spiritual Objects, leading to an ultimately mediocre haul.
Time swiftly passed by, and soon it was time for the Teleportation Array to activate again.
During these few months, Li Zhirui’s gains were not significant, but they confirmed his guess that his luck had indeed been at a low ebb during this period.
But now it was slowly recovering back to normal.
Although Li Zhirui did not find many Spiritual Objects in the Thousand Islands Secret Realm, he chose the day before the Teleportation Array was about to activate to leak a piece of information while concealing his identity.
That was the existence of a mysterious domain within the Secret Realm, where numerous high-rank Spiritual Medicines were planted. As long as one could find this place, there would be no worry about insufficient Cultivation resources before achieving immortality.
If it were just a rumor, not many cultivators would believe it, so Li Zhirui presented compelling evidence!
He used ten Eighth Rank Spiritual Medicines as bait to increase the credibility of the rumor.
Li Zhirui chose to do this just before the activation of the Teleportation Array, naturally, because he feared that they would be sitting ducks and, in order to get to the bottom of the truth and find him, they would seal off the Thousand Islands Secret Realm.
If those powerful forces really did that, it would be too dangerous for him.
Therefore, for the sake of ensuring his own safety, Li Zhirui chose this particular moment.
He didn’t believe that the cultivators who believed in the rumor would find that secret base in just a few short days left. Li Zhirui’s aim was to spread the news through them.
Because often times, chaos brings more opportunities.
In the moment before Li Zhirui stepped onto the Teleportation Array, he thought: "Now, there should be cultivators who have discovered the rumors and Eighth Rank Spiritual Medicine I left behind, right? Wonder if they will believe it and what choices they will make."
