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Chapter 719: Chapter 725: Unrest
"You’ve been staying in your cave dwelling for the past few years, unwilling to step outside. Don’t you find it boring?" Jiang Fengwu asked, perplexed.
"Every day, I practice alchemy, ponder over the Laws, and continue my daily cultivation. I find my life very fulfilling and always fresh," Li Zhirui answered leisurely.
After years of secluded cultivation, his entire mentality had become much calmer, like a fine wine stored away, growing richer with the passage of time.
"I can’t understand that at all," Jiang Fengwu shook her head, knowing she could never do the same.
Li Zhirui smiled and asked, "Did you encounter anything during your trading travels?"
The Li family’s development had been extremely rapid these past few years!
Firstly, there was the private trade with the Loose Cultivators of Profound Ice State. Even though the Profound Ice Sect discovered it quite early, they never found any evidence.
After all, neither the Li family nor those Loose Cultivators wished for their lucrative route to be cut off. Their dealings were very cautious.
Several trades nearly got caught by the Profound Ice Sect on the spot. In the end, they either had a lucky escape or resorted to killing to silence others!
Because everyone knew what was going on, it led to an increasing number of conflicts between the Profound Ice Sect and the Li family. If it weren’t for the Taixu Devil Race acting as a buffer, the two might have already erupted into various conflicts.
And why not take a detour and attack from the Boundless Sea? If they really did that, then there would be too many disadvantages: difficult resource resupply, obvious targets, etc. Had the Profound Ice Sect gone mad or stupid to act against the Li family at such a major disadvantage?
Through a few Loose Cultivators, the Li family’s low-tier Spiritual Objects quickly spread throughout Profound Ice State due to their low prices, making a large profit for both the Li family and the Loose Cultivators while the Profound Ice Sect suffered losses.
However, to avoid completely infuriating the Profound Ice Sect, the Li family still held back and did not dump a large quantity of low-tier Spiritual Objects. Otherwise, more than just two or three percent of the Loose Cultivators would have been able to buy Spiritual Objects.
The Li family’s other trading route was also developing well and they conducted business openly and legitimately, without so many concerns.
To begin with, the Li family was not well-known in Cang Hai Province and could only attract Loose Cultivators with low-tier Spiritual Objects. But after holding a few auctions and offering precious items like the Sky Cleansing Pill and Golden Ganoderma Pill, they gradually opened up the situation.
By now, the Wanxian Pavilion set up by the Li family had opened shops in several major Immortal Cities of Cang Hai Province, and the business was booming.
Of course, the Li family also encountered many troubles during this process.
Numerous Cultivators ambushed and robbed them, fellow traders suppressed and framed them, among other tactics. In the first one or two years, it could be said that there was an endless emergence of such incidents!
Fortunately, the Li family resolved them smoothly and made an example out of some, gradually stabilizing their footing.
And the Li family’s strength had greatly improved over these years. Although no new Nascent Soul Cultivators had been born, they had gained over a dozen Golden Cores.
The number of clan members had also increased significantly, for the family incentive for offspring had not been abolished. The more children born with better Spiritual Roots, the more generous the rewards. Naturally, many clan members were keen on having more children.
With such a vast base, more clan members with excellent talents naturally emerged. During this period, a total of five individuals with dual spiritual roots were discovered.
There were also some with Three Spiritual Roots but with one highly pure Spiritual Root or some unique Spiritual Body. Their cultivation speed was not inferior to those with dual spiritual roots.
Among them, the one with the best aptitude was a clan member named Li Hongxiang. Not only did he have dual Fire and Earth Spiritual Roots, but he also had a Melting Fire Spiritual Body.
Another Nascent Soul seed!
Speaking of which, there were quite a few Nascent Soul seeds in the Li family. Li Chenghuo, Li Chengsheng, Li Chengshuo, Li Xianxun, and Li Mingyao with the Earth Heavenly Spirit Root were all among them.
The reasons for not including elder generation Golden Cores like Li Chenghua and Li Chengwu into account are not that they have no chance of breaking through to Nascent Soul; it’s just that the likelihood may not be as great as theirs. After all, at lower realms than Nascent Soul, one’s natural aptitude remains very important!
Regrettably, a seed is still only a seed, having not grown up.
Luckily, Li Zhirui and Jiang Fengwu are still young enough to afford the time to wait for their growth.
You see, many powers that have just advanced from Golden Core to Nascent Soul eventually decline because they lack a new generation of Nascent Souls!
There are even powers that had offended too many other forces and got attacked in alliance, leading to their complete annihilation.
Speaking of which!
Li Zhirui could cultivate in peace within the family for a few years, but Jiang Fengwu and Xiaoqing couldn’t sit still, so they took the initiative to join the Cang Hai merchant fleet, to relax and treat it as a form of tempering.
"This trip was quite dull," Jiang Fengwu pouted as she spoke. In the past, there were always blind, fearless cultivators who would try to rob them on their way, but now they were gone.
She had been full of anticipation before she left, thinking there would be fun to be had.
"Oh right! I saw a large group of cultivators wearing black robes in an Immortal City; they seemed to be migrating."
It would have been hard not to notice them, numbering over a hundred, all clad in black long robes, very conspicuous. Each one of them had several storage bags, and the one leading them was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
With just a glance amidst the crowd, she could feel a powerful pressure emanating from that person!
Jiang Fengwu was sure that she was no match for him, and that she could be defeated by the opponent in a very short amount of time.
"I feel that his strength is even greater than yours."
Li Zhirui’s eyebrows lifted slightly upon hearing this. Not to boast, but his prowess among late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators was certainly top-notch!
If there was anyone stronger than him, it would be those at the perfection of Nascent Soul, or perhaps even half-step Divine Transformation.
"There shouldn’t be such a powerful force nearby, right?" And to force a power with half-step Divine Transformation to migrate, that strength would have to be immense.
For some reason, Li Zhirui suddenly had a strong premonition of an impending storm and said, "I’ve got a bad feeling."
"Are you worried that the destination of that group of black-clothed cultivators is Wanxian Island?"
Jiang Fengwu explained, "They only have that one Nascent Soul; with the power of our Formation, we might be able to defeat him."
"No! What I’m worried about is not this. That sense of premonition is telling me that it’s going to be something even more terrifying!"
Li Zhirui’s expression unconsciously became very solemn as he took out a Sound Transmission Talisman from his storage ring; this was the first time he was going to meet Li Wenli since they exchanged a few years ago!
"What has happened?" 𝚗𝚘v𝚙𝚞b.𝚌𝚘m
Li Wenli, who was dealing with family affairs, stood up immediately from his chair upon receiving the Sound Transmission Talisman, sensing an urgency within him, and he dashed towards the cave dwelling at the mountain peak at top speed.
"Ancestor! Has something major happened?" asked Li Wenli, panting.
Li Zhirui did not answer his question but said to him with a serious look, "I have a feeling that something big is going to happen. Tell the members of the Dark Department to gather more clues and intelligence!"
