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Chapter 656: Chapter 662: Contact
After spending more than half a month, Li Zhirui and his companions safely traversed the territory of the Jade Demon Sect, officially entering the Central Region.
Between the Central Region and the Jade Demon Sect, there seemed to be an invisible wall. Merely a wall apart, yet the spiritual energy between the two places had an enormous disparity.
"Dad, anywhere in the Central Region is comparable to a third-tier Spirit Vein. No wonder this place is the most prosperous," Li Chengshuo whispered.
You see, there are currently two fourth-tier Spirit Veins on Wanxian Island and many lower-tier ones, but even so, not every corner has spiritual energy on par with a third-tier Spirit Vein.
If that’s the case even on Wanxian Island, what more of the other regions in the Eastern Territory?
"The advantage of an exceptional favor, it’s not something you can envy," Li Zhirui had long since adopted a calm mindset towards this.
However, a thought came to Li Chengshuo’s mind. "Dad, after the secret realm event is over, I want to stay in the Central Region to gain experience for a while."
She could look for opportunities to break through the late stage of the Golden Core and also try to find some fourth-tier Taiyin Spiritual Objects to help enhance the bloodlines of their spirit beasts.
"We can talk about that when the time comes; for now, let’s focus our energy on the trial," Li Zhirui didn’t agree, but he didn’t object either.
Training in the Central Region wasn’t out of the question; after all, the place was rich in treasures and resources. However, it also depended on one’s physical condition after coming out of the secret realm.
If someone sustained serious injuries, how could he rest assured letting her stay behind to gain experience?
"There’s still more than two years before the opening of the secret realm, so for now, follow me to a nearby Immortal City. After that, you can organize your own time," he said.
It had taken them more than a year to reach the Central Region since departing from Wanxian Island.
Li Zhirui couldn’t help but remind them, "It’s best not to get into conflicts with others. If you get hurt, it would be easy for you to put yourself in danger once you enter the secret realm."
Seeing the three of them take his advice to heart, he continued to steer the Spirit Boat onward.
Compared to before, their speed had slowed down considerably. They would occasionally stop at some Immortal Cities or marketplaces to rest, mainly to gather news about Spiritual Objects—when leaving the Central Region, they’d take them back to the family.
It would be a shame to come to the Central Region and return empty-handed, wouldn’t it?
Li Zhirui had brought a large number of Spirit Stones from the family, ready to make hefty purchases of Spirit Seeds to expand the variety of Spiritual Medicines within the family.
And why Spiritual Medicines and not other Spiritual Objects? Of course, that’s because Spiritual Medicines can reproduce and regenerate, whereas other Spiritual Objects can only be used once and would not be as meaningful to purchase.
If they really needed something, they could always purchase through those two major trade associations, albeit at a higher price.
Moreover, through these few outings, it also broadened the horizons of Li Chengsheng and the others. They had never imagined that Nascent Soul cultivators could be seen so commonly and casually here, unlike the rarity in the Eastern Territory.
"You are rare talents within the family, but in the grand scheme of the world, that’s all there is to it. Don’t let a little success breed arrogance and self-indulgence," he warned them opportunistically.
"But you shouldn’t undervalue yourself. You are like the rising sun, one day destined to climb to the zenith, shining in all directions," Li Zhirui added.
Three hundred years ago, when he participated in the Stone Pagoda trial, there were at least a thousand Golden Core cultivators around the age of one hundred. Since then, the pride deep in his heart had dissipated, and he had maintained a humble attitude.
"What the friend says is absolutely true!"
A Nascent Soul cultivator passing by laughed and said, "I am Qingzhu from the Wandering Cloud Sect. I’ve seen the friend."
Turning his head to look, Li Zhirui saw the man dressed in green, with a tall and straight figure, bright and clear eyes, like a proud bamboo standing on a cliff edge, with a cultivation higher than his by a notch, in the late Nascent Soul stage.
And his Wandering Cloud Sect was the overlord of this Immortal City and the surrounding thousand miles, a major force with over a dozen Divine Transformation cultivators.
Indeed, in the flourishing cultivation world of the Central Region, the Wandering Cloud Sect barely qualified as a first-rate power.
"I am Huang Zhaoming from the Guangling Huang Family of the Eastern Territory. I have seen the friend," Li Zhirui replied.
Li Zhirui still used a false name.
Similarly, Li Chengsheng and the other two also chose false names to avoid trouble and not implicate their family.
Such a practice is actually quite common; only those forces that have reached a certain level of strength and are not afraid of any trouble would completely disregard this.
For a large force like the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, the disciples announcing their names could also serve as a certain deterrence.
In fact, members of the Li family, when practicing around Wanxian Island, would openly declare their true identities, but now they were in the Central Region, so it was better to be cautious.
"Fellow Daoist, are you bringing the younger members of your family to the Secret Realm of Wanxian to participate in the trials?" Qingzhu asked with a slight movement in her eyes and a smile.
"Yes, the secret realm will open before long, and we need to go early to rent a cave dwelling," Li Zhirui replied, his eyes holding a trace of vigilance, not understanding the purpose of this sudden conversation.
"If Fellow Daoist is not in a hurry, why not stay and enjoy a few days at the Wandering Cloud Sect, then we can go together when the time comes?"
"Thank you for the kind offer, Fellow Daoist, but it’s not necessary to trouble you," Li Zhirui declined with a polite smile.
Unwarranted friendliness without reason, either treachery or thievery!
In the world, besides one’s parents, there are no people who will be good to you for no reason at all!
If there are such people, one must always be wary, because it’s very likely that they want something more from you.
"Since Fellow Daoist is occupied, then it can’t be helped. Another day, I will have the opportunity to show Fellow Daoist the nine sights of the Wandering Cloud," Qingzhu also realized that she had been too eager, and left with a smile.
Li Zhirui gave one glance at her retreating figure and then led Li Chengsheng and the other two out of the Immortal City without even gathering information about the spiritual objects available there.
"Dad, what purpose do you think that person had in approaching us?" Li Chengshuo asked curiously.
"Do not know, but they certainly must want something."
Li Zhirui could not figure it out either, so he decided to put the worry behind him and keep moving forward. n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
"Unexpectedly, just by the whims of my heart, I encountered a cultivator carrying great fortune," Qingzhu mused to herself after returning to the sect.
Few people knew that her eyes were extraordinary by nature, capable of discerning the fortune of the creatures of the world.
And in her eyes, Li Zhirui’s fortune was the most prosperous she had seen in her lifetime!
So she couldn’t help but want to befriend him, thinking she might be able to borrow a bit of his fortune.
As for not using a secret technique to seize it? One reason was that such methods are rare and exceedingly difficult; they are quite damaging; and second, the other party’s fortune was stable, they likely possessed a treasure that suppressed fortune, not so easily seized.
"Alas, I was a bit too anxious, which made the other party wary," Qingzhu lamented her actions.
With such a poor first impression, reversing it was not going to be easy, so she could only take it one step at a time now.
——
Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
Dressed in a dark red robe, Li Zhixuan muttered to herself, "I wonder if I can see Jiu and the others before the Secret Realm of Wanxian opens."
She had taken the initiative to accept a sect mission, leading the Golden Core disciples who were going to the Secret Realm of Wanxian for the trials.
Her goal was to see Li Zhirui and the others.
