NOVPUB
Chapter 1191: Chapter 1064: Cultivation_2
After the explosion, the Seventh Rank Spirit Mountain was blasted into fragments. The Seventh Rank Spirit Vein they had fought so fiercely over was also affected, its grade falling to Fifth Rank!
A Fifth Rank Spirit Vein was commonplace for each family. There was no need to fight to the death over it, let alone one that had suffered heavy damage—a vein that most likely could never advance further.
The Integration Cultivators of the three families somberly instructed their people to gather the corpses, then left directly with their own cultivators without even considering ownership of the Fifth Rank Spirit Vein.
News of the battlefield couldn’t be concealed, so the Li family quickly learned of the incident.
"Who would’ve thought the Zhang family left behind such a generous gift before leaving," one of the Elders said with a laugh.
Given the escalating tensions between the Li family and several other sects, no one found this ridicule inappropriate. What’s more, they were inwardly elated.
After all, while the incident resulted in major casualties, it also secured a large swath of territory. For a long time to come, the affected families would be busy nursing their wounds and managing their newly acquired domains, leaving no time to trouble the Li family. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
"Luckily, we didn’t get involved; the family couldn’t have borne such massive losses," another Elder said with a face full of relief.
The Qingzhu Sect, as a longstanding Integration power, had exceedingly robust foundations—not something the Li family could hope to match.
Take this event, for instance—despite losing so many elite cultivators, they were still able to maintain significant combat strength. But if the Li family suffered such losses, it could very well have shattered completely!
With the Qingzhu Sect’s three families sustaining heavy losses and the Li family sensibly staying out of conflict, the region gradually returned to calm, free from large-scale battles.
Time passed in the blink of an eye; ten years went by in a flash.
Li Chengsheng, who had been traveling abroad for many years, returned to Mount Wanxian one day.
During his absence, Li Chengshuo had been guarding the family, while Jiang Fengwu was stationed on Wanling Island.
"Big Brother, judging by your appearance, you seem confident about breaking through to Integration?" Li Chengshuo, who happened to not be cultivating, sensed Li Chengsheng’s arrival and immediately greeted him.
"Indeed, I finally have hope of breaking through!" Li Chengsheng said, filled with emotion.
But he had fallen far behind Li Chengshuo by many years. Who knows what level of cultivation she had reached now?
Soon, that feeling of envy was dispelled by Li Chengsheng. Everyone has their own fate; although he was progressing more slowly, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t have the opportunity to catch up in the future.
"Great!" Li Chengshuo exclaimed loudly, her face brimming with joy as she sincerely blessed him, "Here’s wishing you an early breakthrough to Integration!"
"Thank you for your kind words."
After a moment’s thought, Li Chengsheng asked, "Is Father in the mountain?"
"Yes, do you have something to ask Father?"
"During my travels, I came upon a piece of Fusang Branch. I want to ask Father if he can cultivate it into a Spiritual Root."
Li Chengsheng and the others didn’t know that Li Zhirui possessed a Mysterious Space; they only assumed his ability to produce rare, high-grade Spiritual Objects stemmed from some unique gift or power.
No one questioned him, as every person has their secrets.
"But Father is currently in seclusion, aiming for a breakthrough to the late Integration stage. Who knows how long it will take. Will you wait?" Li Chengshuo asked.
"No rush. Breaking through to Integration isn’t something that happens overnight. I can ponder the Fusang Branch while waiting for Father to complete his breakthrough."
"As long as you’re mentally prepared."
Noticing the weariness on his face, Li Chengshuo refrained from continuing the conversation and urged Li Chengsheng to rest, then departed promptly.
After returning to Mount Wanxian, Li Chengsheng stayed very low-key, holing up in his Cave Mansion to study the Sun Law embedded within the Fusang Branch alongside his Spirit Beasts.
Although his progress each time was limited—and even occasionally stalled—his understanding of the Sun Law deepened with each passing day.
Buzz——
Decades passed unknowingly, until the long-quiet Cave Mansion suddenly erupted with a massive pull of force, stirring the Spiritual Energy of Double Dragon Valley.
An immense tide of Spiritual Energy surged into Li Zhirui’s body, flowing directly into his Dantian through his broad and resilient meridians. Though inherently wild and unruly, under his mastery, the Spiritual Energy became tame and compliant.
Such a spectacle naturally drew the attention of Li Chengsheng and Li Chengshuo, who promptly emerged to guard him.
Though Li Zhirui was breaking through within the family, eliminating any significant dangers, they vigilantly protected him nonetheless.
The colossal Spirit Qi Vortex persisted for an unknown length of time before gradually dissipating under the gaze of the clan members.
This was followed by an intense and oppressive aura, weighing down on the entire family. Some of the weaker cultivators were even forced to their knees.
Among those closest, the strongest—Li Chengshuo—revealed slightly labored breathing, showing she wasn’t as unaffected as she appeared.
"So this is the power of late-stage Integration?"
Li Chengshuo murmured, "No, that’s not right. Father practices the Earth Spirit Tao Record, and his contracted Spiritual Object is an Immortal Grade Spiritual Root, hence the terrifying pressure."
"If Father unleashed his full strength, who knows how many Integration cultivators could stand against it."
A flicker of envy crossed Li Chengshuo’s eyes. Her cultivation technique, the Wanling Sutra, was a family inheritance. Although she had modified it to better suit herself, it still fell short compared to the Earth Spirit Tao Record.
Especially since the Wanling Sutra only reached the Great Vehicle Realm, whereas the Earth Spirit Tao Record extended to the Individual Immortal Realm.
It wasn’t that Li Chengshuo didn’t want to switch techniques, but she had broken through to Integration during a state of muddled unconsciousness. Her Dharma Aspect was already imbued with the Wanling Sutra’s Mana aura, meaning she’d have to dissolve and reforge her Dharma Aspect if she wished to change paths.
With no alternative, she could only continue cultivating the Wanling Sutra.
As for her future plans, Li Chengshuo was unsure—but she would likely look to refine her technique. Unless she obtained rare celestial treasures like Forget Dao Dust Water, she had no choice but to proceed along this path.
That aside!
Li Zhirui successfully broke through to late Integration, though he quickly withdrew his overwhelming aura. However, having just achieved his breakthrough, he couldn’t yet fully control it with ease.
Rather than making an appearance, he remained seated on his meditation mat to recover, regulate his breath, and stabilize his Realm.
Li Chengsheng didn’t rush to see him either, leaving a Sound Transmission Talisman before departing.
"Late-stage Integration!"
"The family has taken one step closer to becoming a Great Vehicle power." Li Taiyao was brimming with excitement, as though she could already envision the future, her radiant laughter filling the air.
Not just her—every family member was thrilled.
The growth in the family’s strength meant benefits for all clan members.
...
A year later.
Li Zhirui, having consolidated his Realm, emerged from his Cave Mansion and noticed the Sound Transmission Talisman left by Li Chengsheng.
"Chengsheng is back, huh? Fusang Branch? No wonder Chengsheng is confident about breaking through—and now wants me to cultivate it."
Li Zhirui understood that the clan members believed he possessed some means of accelerating the growth of Spiritual Objects, or even resurrecting those with faint traces of life.
He hadn’t bothered to correct them; it was better left misunderstood. At least for now, whenever he produced Spiritual Objects, he no longer had to evade scrutiny like before.
The next day, Li Zhirui met with his long-absent son, Li Chengsheng.
"Greetings, Father."
Li Zhirui raised his hand to stop him mid-bow. Li Chengsheng, as though frozen in place, slowly stood, "No need for formalities. I already know your intentions. Bring out the Fusang Branch for me to examine."
He needed to confirm whether it still contained traces of life—not much was required, just a shred of vitality.
Fortunately, Li Chengsheng had been mindful of preserving the Fusang Branch’s vitality from the moment he acquired it, knowing he might ask Li Zhirui to nurture it into a Fusang tree.
"I can help cultivate the Fusang tree, but the process will demand an immense amount of Spiritual Energy, which you’ll need to replenish using Spirit Stones," Li Zhirui cautioned.
He was running low on Spirit Stones himself; growing a Fusang tree would require substantial reserves.
"Understood. I’ll start collecting Spirit Stones right away."
Saying this, Li Chengsheng handed over his scant supply of Spirit Stones, urging Li Zhirui to use them for now while he procured more.
