NOVPUB
Chapter 1195: Chapter 1066: Sneak Attack_2
"Jiu, you don’t need to worry. It’s a good thing," Cang slowly recounted his experiences over the years.
Back then, he ventured into the Eighth-Order Secret Realm of the Sea Clan. Indeed, it had an abundance of precious Spiritual Objects, but it was equally perilous. Several times, he almost lost his life, and each time, Cang thought he wouldn’t make it out alive.
Moreover, since the Secret Realm remained open for five years, for someone like Cang whose Cultivation only reached the Sixth Rank, his presence there was no better than that of an ant.
In the end, Cang survived by hiding and evading danger.
"What is this ’good thing’ you speak of?"
Li Zhirui felt heartache for him but knew there was no other way; the path of Cultivation is never smooth. The fact that Cang managed to preserve his life in such a dangerous place and even gained opportunities was already remarkable.
"Although I didn’t break through the bottleneck during life-and-death moments, I was fortunate enough to obtain an Eighth-Order Dragon Pearl Fruit." As he finished speaking, Cang couldn’t suppress the joy lighting up his face.
The Dragon Pearl Fruit is said to be a special Spiritual Object formed after a Dragon Tribe’s demise, when a Dragon Ball absorbs the essence of the entire Dragon Corpse and undergoes transformation. Its grade is closely tied to the Cultivation level the dragon had during its lifetime.
Once one refines the Dragon Pearl Fruit, unless there’s a clash with similar-tiered bloodlines, such as those of Phoenix or Kylin descendants, other beings will acquire Dragon Blood equivalent to the grade of the fruit.
"Then why are you just returning now?"
"The Dragon Pearl Fruit couldn’t be preserved for long. By the time I left the Secret Realm, the spiritual essence within the fruit had already started dissipating. So, as soon as I exited, I found a place to refine it. Only recently did I complete the process of enhancing my bloodline."
Dragon Pearl Fruits are exceedingly rare treasures that might not be seen outside for many years, so it was natural for Li Zhirui to be unfamiliar with them.
"No wonder I felt something off the moment I saw you—your aura has indeed changed. It turns out your bloodline was enhanced," Li Zhirui remarked thoughtfully, laughing. "Looks like you plan to start with your bloodline to surpass the bottleneck of the Seventh Rank."
Cang nodded. He was now an Eighth-Order Flood Dragon, with advancements in various aspects. The bottleneck before him no longer posed the insurmountable challenge it once did.
"I wonder who will succeed first in breaking through to Seventh Rank—you or Xiaoqing."
"Has Xiaoqing gained something as well?" Cang was startled. He thought he alone had been fortunate enough to encounter such an opportunity.
Li Zhirui nodded, smiling. "She returned several years before you and is currently in closed-door meditation for a breakthrough."
"Looks like I’ve fallen behind," Cang shook his head, yet without any inclination to rush or compete.
Momentary bravado means little; the true victor is determined by who lasts until the end.
Besides, though he may have lost momentarily, the advantages granted by his bloodline made the future outcomes far less certain.
Li Zhirui observed Cang’s reaction and inwardly nodded in approval—such a calm and humble disposition was admirable.
"Stay in the clan and cultivate well. I’ll be stationed at Wanling Island for the next century. If anything comes up, you can seek help from Fengwu or Sheng."
In the short term, breaking through to the Great Vehicle Realm wasn’t possible for him. Furthermore, he didn’t want to continuously engage in closed-door practices within the clan, leaving Jiang Fengwu and others to take turns guarding the two locations.
Especially since the time for a beast tide instigated by the Sea Clan was approaching, Li Zhirui planned to lead a group of clan members to provide support.
"Alright," Cang didn’t stay to disturb him further, carrying the top-grade Precious Pills Li Zhirui had long prepared and returning to his own Cave Mansion.
Meanwhile, Li Zhirui made brief preparations and departed for Wanling Island with several thousand clan Cultivators.
Before long, a few gigantic Cloud Boats floated in mid-air. Only after the Island Defense Array opened did they slowly descend.
"Father, why are you here?" Li Chengshuo looked at the arrival, his face filled with surprise.
Wasn’t he supposed to be cultivating in seclusion within the clan, working toward the breakthrough to the Great Vehicle Realm? Why come to Wanling Island suddenly?
"I heard about the Sea Clan’s revival of activity. Growing restless from prolonged meditation, I volunteered to lead the clan members and come for support."
Li Chengshuo shook his head dismissively. "It’s been the same all these years. The Sea Clan always makes an impressive spectacle, acting as though they’re formidable, but the eventual attackers are merely low-ranked Water Devils, essentially using us to clear their trash."
Li Zhirui nodded; he had taken some time to investigate before arriving and knew Li Chengshuo wasn’t wrong.
"It doesn’t matter. Treat it as shifting locations for cultivation," Li Zhirui joked. "Who knows? Cultivating on Wanling Island might even be faster."
For increasing Mana, Wanling Island—with its single Sixth Rank Spirit Vein and a dozen Low-level Spiritual Veins—was incomparable to Mount Wanxian.
Yet, Li Zhirui’s demand for Spiritual Energy wasn’t significant now; the island’s resources were sufficient.
As he said, it was merely cultivating in a different locale; he refrained from handling affairs.
Half a month passed swiftly before the beast tide finally surged toward them, prompting Li Zhirui to pause his cultivation.
Though the possibility of him personally intervening seemed slim, he had to show his presence under such circumstances.
Roar—
The restless Sea Clan launched their assault upon the Immortal Tao-controlled sea regions as they always did, emitting deafening clamor from various forms.
"Attack!"
Li Chengshuo, who had presided over countless beast tide defenses, suddenly issued a high-pitched order once the tide approached a certain distance.
Beside him, Li Zhirui remained silent. He had long distanced himself from such matters; with hundreds of years passed, the family’s arrangements had undoubtedly evolved. He wouldn’t assume he was more knowledgeable than Li Chengshuo and intervene recklessly.
Furthermore, his role was akin to that of a spiritual mascot in battle—a symbol of reassurance. Unless the situation became a dire emergency, he wouldn’t act.
Rumble— 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Nearly ten thousand Cultivators unleashed their attacks simultaneously. Even with something as basic as the Fireball Technique, this flood of Spells wielded unimaginably terrifying power that even Li Zhirui dared not confront head-on.
The island’s clan members instantly retaliated, wounding the Sea Clan to the extent of turning the waters red and littering the sea surface with Water Devil corpses in record time.
Everything appeared to proceed smoothly, as though the beast tide’s imminent conclusion would bring tranquility again.
However, no one anticipated that after myriad Water Devils fell, several Seventh Rank Sea Clan members would suddenly emerge from the deep sea, launching rapid and ferocious attacks on Wanling Island.
Fortunately, the Island Defense Array was of substantial grade, blocking their assault.
"Isn’t this island supposed to have only one Integration-level Cultivator guarding it? Why is there another?"
"It’s merely an additional one. What’s there to fear? Let’s hurry and take this place for good."
After the exchange, the Seventh Rank Sea Clan intensified their aggressive assault.
Li Chengshuo’s expression darkened. She couldn’t comprehend why the normally uneventful beast tide this year had taken such an unprecedented turn.
At the same time, she felt a sense of relief.
If not for her father coming to their aid, she alone could hardly defend Wanling Island against the prepared Sea Clan.
The Sea Clan had undoubtedly chosen Wanling Island as their breakthrough point because, among the nearby sea regions, Wanling Island held the strongest forces. Once conquered, the other Spirit Islands could be easily subdued, swiftly claiming this zone.
Had they opted for other islands as their entry points, the takeover speed would indeed be faster, but it wouldn’t allow them quick control of this entire marine territory, especially after exposing their stealth tactics—making further surprise attacks impossible.
Confronting the attacks from several Seventh Rank Sea Clan members, Li Zhirui smiled faintly and, with a casual wave, stirred up towering waves that blocked their strikes.
"Who is this Cultivator!?"
The moment Li Zhirui demonstrated his power, a strong sense of crisis gripped the Sea Clan.
Originally deeming him a typical Integration Cultivator, they now realized they had severely underestimated him.
Rumble—
No one answered their question, as an all-devouring tidal wave surged toward them.
The Seventh Rank Sea Clan members hurriedly dodged, only to discover that the wave had divided into portions, targeting them individually.
"Father, you’re incredible!" Li Chengshuo exclaimed in amazement.
With sheer might alone, he managed to confront multiple Seventh Rank Sea Clan members and even gained the upper hand.
