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Chapter 1216: Chapter 1077: Interception
"Ancestor Rui, Li Taichang requests an audience!"
The night before the secret realm was set to open, Li Taichang, looking anxious and deeply uneasy, arrived in front of Li Zhirui’s seclusion cave mansion.
"Hmm?"
Li Zhirui, who had been wholeheartedly focused on cultivation, immediately sensed something amiss upon hearing the clan leader’s voice. He halted his cultivation technique and, after half a moment, opened the formation to let Li Taichang enter.
"What is it? Has something happened?"
In his haste, Li Taichang didn’t even bother to salute. With a panicked expression, he said, "Ancestor Rui, according to intel unintentionally gathered by the Dark Department, two Great Vehicle cultivators learned a few days ago that our family obtained a seventh-order secret realm. It’s highly likely they are already on their way here."
Li Zhirui frowned slightly and questioned, "Where did this information come from?"
"In an Immortal City in Cave Abyss State, two Great Vehicle cultivators from a loose cultivator background heard about the secret realm in a tavern. Among the other patrons there was an undercover agent developed by the Dark Department."
"They were identified as a notorious pair of robbing cultivators, particularly fond of plundering forces that aren’t strong enough to resist. As soon as the agent recognized them, they immediately reported this to the Dark Department members responsible for that region."
The Li family’s Dark Department had a long history, and successive clan leaders had always placed great importance on intelligence. Therefore, it had been heavily supported and had grown into an enormous network over time.
At the very least, the nearby state domains all had operatives from the Li family’s Dark Department.
Most were recruited agents, operating as informants willing to pass along critical information in exchange for spiritual objects. This arrangement allowed the Li family to remain relatively sharp in intelligence gathering.
Of course, these mercenary informants held no loyalty toward the Li family, and the family never fully trusted them either.
After all, if someone offered them more spiritual objects, they wouldn’t hesitate to switch sides.
Thus, these agents only collected information. All other secret matters of the Dark Department were unrelated to them, and most agents didn’t even know they were aiding the Li family.
What had left Li Taichang so flustered, then, was that the reliability of this information about the two Great Vehicle cultivators had already been verified—and confirmed. They were indeed coming for the Li family’s newly acquired seventh-order secret realm.
As for why these two infamous robbing cultivators had survived for so long, it was because they were discerning, careful not to provoke powers capable of crushing them or with strong backing.
For instance, forces like the Li family, which only had a single Great Vehicle cultivator—Li Zhirui, who had broken through merely a few years ago and had no external support—were the perfect target, especially after acquiring a seventh-order secret realm. Such an opportunity to seize spiritual objects was one they wouldn’t pass up.
"Do you know the exact cultivation levels of these two Great Vehicle cultivators?" Li Zhirui asked in a deep voice.
If the two possessed mid-to-late Great Vehicle level strength, he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. His only choices would be to lead his clansmen into hiding within a spatial refuge or prevent them from leaving the secret realm entirely.
"We’ve investigated. Both are in the early Great Vehicle stage, having broken through roughly a century ago. One specializes in fire attribute divine abilities, while the other is proficient in wood-attribute divine powers," Li Taichang reported quickly.
Li Zhirui allowed himself a slight sigh of relief. If that’s their level of strength, he still had a fighting chance!
"Guard Mount Wanxian and Wanling Island well! The moment you detect anything suspicious, activate the Mountain Protection Array to its fullest!"
With that, Li Zhirui set off for the sea region where the secret realm was located.
Not long after, he appeared above the sea, concealed his presence, and quietly waited for Jiang Fengwu and the others to emerge as well as for the two Great Vehicle cultivators to arrive.
At the break of dawn.
Two streaks of spirit light shot over the horizon. They didn’t notice the hidden Li Zhirui. With a smirk, one said, "We didn’t come too late, it seems. They haven’t left the secret realm yet."
"This time, we’ll not only deal with those cultivators but also claim the secret realm for ourselves. If we develop it properly and gain ample resources, given our innate talents as brothers, we may very well one day ascend to immortality!" The one in the red robe couldn’t hide his excitement.
The other, dressed in green robes, chuckled, "Elder Brother speaks the truth. With a seventh-order secret realm in our possession, we won’t have to roam everywhere, struggling to seize resources anymore."
Hidden nearby, Li Zhirui raised an eyebrow. These two were not only lacking in vigilance but also had weak divine sense. He’d been here for so long, yet they hadn’t noticed his presence!
Still, he didn’t underestimate them. Being loose cultivators who had grown to this level and both becoming Great Vehicle cultivators—a feat even some cultivators from powerful forces failed to achieve—meant that they undoubtedly possessed real strength.
Who knew how many hardships they had endured along the way? It would be impossible to have come this far without genuine capabilities!
Li Zhirui smirked faintly but did not alert them. Instead, he entered a spatial realm, harnessed the mana within his body, formed complex hand seals, and prepared a special surprise for them.
The moment the divine ability was ready to launch, Li Zhirui reappeared at his original spot.
Rumble—
A massive volume of seawater appeared out of thin air, carrying an overwhelming force as it crashed down on the two.
The instant they sensed the mana fluctuations, the two realized the danger. Without the need for words, they tacitly coordinated their response.
The green-robed one’s hands emitted a radiant glow, rapidly forming thick wooden shields that stacked layer upon layer, instantly creating a wall-like barrier in front of them.
The other, wielding a large saber, summoned a pale yellow flame that enshrouded the blade before he swung it fiercely toward the incoming attack.
