NOVPUB
Chapter 639: Chapter 645: Understand
"Damn Profound Ice Sect! Who knows what madness possessed them! They attacked us out of nowhere and relentlessly pursued us!" an agitated clan member growled in a low voice.
The only thing worth celebrating was that they had shaken off the disciples of the Profound Ice Sect who were chasing them, otherwise, the casualties would have been even greater!
"Cough, cough!"
Among the three gravely injured clan members, the one in the middle spoke weakly, "Brothers, I’m afraid I won’t make it through this ordeal. My wife and kids at home are still young, I beg you all to help look after them. In the next life, I will repay your kindness in any way I can."
"Don’t talk nonsense! If you know your wife and children have no one to care for them, then hang on, we’re about to reach Wanxian Island!" the eldest clan leader said, soothingly.
But in reality, they needed at least another hour of flight to get back to their clan.
And these three were simply unable to last that long.
"They’re over there!"
"Chase them! We can’t let them get away!"
Just as the atmosphere on the Spirit Boat was dipping into despair, a burst of shouting came from behind them.
"No good! They’ve caught up to us!"
The clan members who could still stand turned pale instantly, as they too weren’t without injuries, just not as severe.
"Quick! Speed up!"
With their current situation, there was no way to confront those cultivators; they could only flee headlong.
Whoosh——
Suddenly, a gust of wind passed over them, and the bleeding wounds of the three severely injured Li family cultivators on the Spirit Boat immediately stopped. A bottle of healing Spirit Pills was also left behind as he said, "Give them the Spirit Pills in this bottle! I’ll go take care of those people."
"Quick, stop! Our clan’s people have come to rescue us!"
"I wonder which Golden Core Elder the clan has sent."
The older clan member felt he had heard this voice somewhere before. After thinking for a moment, he shouted loudly, "It’s Elder Zhirui who has come!"
"What?!"
"How is that possible!"
"Truly! I had the fortune to hear the ancestor preach once! I will never forget his voice!"
Initially, they planned to keep fleeing, but upon hearing this, they immediately felt relieved.
"No good! The person coming is a Nascent Soul!"
"I beg you, senior, to spare our lives!"
They were just at the Foundation Establishment stage, and they didn’t even have the courage to lift their heads in front of Li Zhirui, let alone take action. They could only desperately beg for mercy.
But how could Li Zhirui, knowing the plight of his clansmen, possibly let them go?
With a flick of his finger, countless water spears shot from the sea below, so densely packed that not a single gap was visible. Though formed from seawater, the tips emitted a bone-chilling gleam.
Seeing this, several disciples from the Profound Ice Sect went weak at the knees, almost falling off their Flying Artifacts.
But before they could even get to their feet, the water spears soared into the sky toward them.
The defenses of most cultivators were like thin paper in front of this assault, easily punctured. Their bodies were reduced to fragments under the countless piercing spears!
The few cultivators with some background managed to hold on for just a dozen more breaths before they ultimately couldn’t escape death.
Li Zhirui casually incinerated their corpses, collected their storage bags, then turned around to return to the Spirit Boat. He looked at the three seriously injured clan members and saw they had all kept their lives, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Elder Zhirui!" The clan members who were still able to move greeted him one after another, their expressions filled with immense excitement.
Li Zhirui waved his hand, saying, "No need for such formalities. There’s no rush to inform me about the affairs of Profound Ice State. Sit down and rest for a while; we can talk after we return to the clan."
There was no need for him to listen in advance. When they got back, he would have to discuss it again with Li Darong and the others. It was only about a quarter of an hour either way, and he was not so anxious.
Soon, the group returned to Wanxian Island. After ensuring the three severely wounded clan members were well taken care of, Li Zhirui led the remaining few towards the clan’s grand hall.
Li Darong and a host of Elders were already waiting there.
"Ancestor Rui!"
Li Zhirui took his rightful place at the head, saying, "Take your seats. Let’s first hear the news they have gathered in Profound Ice State, as well as the entire sequence of events leading up to the sudden action from the Profound Ice Sect."
"Ancestor, the reason the Profound Ice Sect took action this time is that someone leaked news of a Nascent Soul about to undergo Tribulation Transcendence."
An Elder furrowed his brows, saying, "That’s not right! Didn’t this rumor spread a few months ago? And there has been no stir since then. What madness has taken hold of the Profound Ice Sect?"
At the time, the news was public knowledge; how could they not be aware?
"There might be other reasons, but we haven’t found them out," someone suggested.
Li Zhirui’s mind stirred, the development very much resembling a story he had heard in his previous life. He immediately asked, "Tell me in detail about the current situation in Profound Ice State."
"Yes!"
The guards of the Profound Ice Sect have become extremely exaggerated. All cultivators of unknown identity are either driven out of Immortal City or caught and executed!
Disciples from the Profound Ice Sect patrol the streets at all times, and if they spot any cultivator who seems the slightest bit off, they have the authority to take them down.
They refuse Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators entry into Immortal City. Those who were already in the city must provide detailed information. Otherwise, no matter how high their cultivation, they are forced to leave.
All four major city gates to the northeast, southwest, and northwest are manned by Nascent Soul elders from the Profound Ice Sect, dispatching many Disciples to the borderlands where the Devil Race resides and so on.
Having finished, he spoke with eyes brimming with tears, saying, "Among these, there were several clan members who died at the hands of those patrolling Disciples. They hadn’t disclosed their identities at all; they were targeted and then killed."
Li Zhirui’s expression was as dark as water; anger surged in his heart—had their undercover identities been exposed, maybe he wouldn’t be so angry. But to fall for such a nonsensical reason, how could he possibly contain his rage!
"This account! Our Li family will remember it!"
Li Zhirui whispered, the gap in their current strengths was still too vast. To think of retaliating now? It was impossible, and would likely cost him dearly.
At the same time, he saw through the Profound Ice Sect’s scheme!
A beacon fire plays with the lords!
Yet King Zhou of the Shang dynasty played with his life and ended up infamous for eternity, whereas Profound Ice State intended to lower the Devil Race’s guard with various false messages to achieve their own ends.
’This matter must be made known to the Devil Race! We cannot allow the Profound Ice Sect to give birth to a Divine Transformation ancestor! Otherwise, the future for our family will be very difficult!’ a glint of cold light flashed in Li Zhirui’s eyes.
Considering the purge of spies, it was clear the Profound Ice Sect no longer regarded the other forces. They killed without hesitation, without mercy!
They hadn’t even a Divine Transformation ancestor and were already acting so ruthlessly; what would it be like if they had one? Could this be endured?
By that time, it was likely the Li family’s submission wouldn’t be submission, but rather servitude under the Profound Ice Sect! Life and death, all within their grasp.
However, this matter mustn’t be known to others, not even the most trusted Jiang Fengwu, since in a way, Li Zhirui’s actions were akin to colluding with the Devil Race, a betrayal of the human race!
