NOVPUB
Chapter 1182: Chapter 1060: Luck
After taking care of some trivial matters, Li Zhirui entered the cave mansion and began a secluded cultivation, vowing not to exit until he broke through to the Late Stage of Integration.
Prior to this, Li Zhirui poured all his efforts into imprinting his insights about the Integration Realm onto a stone tablet, making it easier for Da Qing and the others to comprehend. This was his way of lending them a hand in achieving their breakthroughs into Integration.
"Jiu is about to break through to the Late Stage of Integration, yet we’re still stuck at Void Refinement. If this continues, the gap between us will only widen!" Da Qing felt utterly powerless as he said this.
Over the years, they had cultivated with extreme diligence, but remained trapped at the Late Stage of Void Refinement, unable to advance even the smallest bit. That bottleneck was like an impenetrable wall of steel, blocking their path.
Xiaoqing, Cang, and the others were equally despondent. They had already found ways to elevate their bloodlines to the seventh rank, participated in battles with the Sea Clan, and even ventured out for training missions with members of the Li family.
One could say they had tried every conceivable method, yet they still couldn’t take the last step!
"I hope the stone tablet that Jiu painstakingly created will bring us some good news." Cang spoke solemnly, then composed his mind, focusing all his Divine Sense into the stone tablet as he immersed himself in studying the Dao Rhymes within.
The others followed his example, ceasing their chatter and closing their eyes to concentrate in silent introspection.
Seasons changed, and five years passed in a flash.
Sitting before the stone tablet in meditation, Mu abruptly opened his eyes, a joyful expression crossing his face as he quietly departed the area.
He had gained significant insights from the stone tablet!
Combining this with the inheritance carried in his bloodline, Mu felt as though a breakthrough to Integration was now within reach!
Though he was the youngest of the five Spirit Beasts and the last to form a contract with Li Zhirui, Mu was the first to take the lead in this critical moment.
A few more years passed, and Da Qing and Shen opened their eyes within minutes of each other.
Looking closely at their expressions, one could see that while there was some joy, it was overshadowed by a profound sense of helplessness.
They had gained little from the stone tablet. While it aided them somewhat in confronting the bottleneck, it barely illuminated a glimmer of possibility, and who knew how many more years it would take for success.
Fortunately, both Da Qing and Shen had resolute Dao Hearts. They feared not the passage of endless years, but the absence of hope.
It must be noted that the lifespans of Da Qing and Mu far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. Even at the Void Refinement Realm, they could live for over three millennia, longer than many Tribulation-Transcending Cultivators.
Thus, they did not worry that extended timelines would hinder their future cultivation.
As for Xiaoqing and Cang, they meditated in front of the stone tablet for decades. In the end, they nearly succumbed to inner demons and were forcibly ejected by the safeguards Li Zhirui had left within the tablet.
"It seems we’re the only two who gained nothing." Xiaoqing said bitterly, gazing at the four empty meditation cushions nearby.
"I plan to head to the deep sea to search for opportunities to break through to Integration." Cang, though disappointed, immediately planned his next course of action after calming down.
Or perhaps, this had always been the path he intended to take, but for various reasons, he had delayed putting it into motion.
Cang could not resign himself to stagnation. The only way forward was to use risky methods to stimulate himself and overcome the bottleneck.
"I’ll venture into the deep sea as well!" Xiaoqing hesitated for a moment before making his decision.
The main reason for his pause was that, unlike Cang who had no attachments, Xiaoqing had a Dao companion and offspring to consider.
Speaking of Xiaoqing and the Feng Peng’s only offspring, Qingpeng! Among all their attempts at bloodline fusion, Qingpeng was their crowning achievement. Not only had Qingpeng inherited the essence of both parents’ bloodlines, but he also experienced a regression to an ancestral form. Born as a seventh rank Spirit Beast, Qingpeng possessed extraordinary Spiritual Intelligence and the innate ability to command both wind and water.
There was, however, one regret—over the years, no member of the Li family had been born with the Wind Celestial Spiritual Root. For this reason, Xiaoqing and Feng Peng refrained from forming a contract with Qingpeng and instead nurtured him as the Li family’s guardian Spirit Beast.
That being said, compared to the constraints of the Golden Eagle’s contract, Qingpeng’s contract was far more lenient, fostering a relatively equal relationship between both parties.
Though Qingpeng was obligated to fight for the Li family, his contract stipulated that should the Li family face complete destruction, the contract would automatically dissolve, leaving Qingpeng free.
But back to the main story!
Xiaoqing and Cang both decided to venture into the distant seas for trials, though they had no plans to travel together. Their objective was to experience life-and-death trials that would push them to the edge, shatter their bottlenecks, and pave the way for breakthroughs into Integration.
Traveling together, however, might dilute the intensity and effectiveness of these trials, preventing the results they sought.
After making thorough preparations within the family, they set off one after the other toward the distant seas.
As a descendant of the Dragon Tribe, Cang was truly in his element upon entering the ocean. It was as if his strength grew palpably the moment he touched the waters.
Moreover, since his contract with Li Zhirui had been severed, there was no longer any outward indication that Cang was a Spirit Beast. To the denizens of the Sea Clan, he appeared no different from a Flood Dragon originating from elsewhere, and few marine creatures dared to provoke him.
With no other option, Cang had to initiate provocations himself.
Roar!
"You damned Flood Dragon, courting death!"
Cang picked a fight with a sixth-rank Millipede Octopus, an exceptionally powerful creature capable of stirring massive waves with every move.
Not only that, but the octopus had also mastered a Divine Power of invisibility and concealment, forcing Cang into a pitiful struggle. In the end, Cang had no choice but to flee in disgrace.
If not for the fact that the Millipede Octopus feared its territory might be invaded and its painstakingly cultivated Spiritual Objects pillaged by other members of the Sea Clan, it would never have given up chasing Cang.
"Cough, cough... I was too arrogant and underestimated the Sea Clan’s strength." After escaping, Cang hid in a secluded underwater cave to tend to his wounds and reflect on his arrogance.
