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Chapter 796: Chapter 802: Vengeance
On this day, Li Zhirui, who had gone out to clear his mind, unwittingly found himself at the silent and deserted rear mountain. Standing at the foot of the mountain, he stared from afar at those stone towers and couldn’t help but come to a halt.
Because of the presence of Demon Cultivators, who were feared to excavate graves for Refining Corpses, the Profound Origin Realm had the custom of cremating the deceased and using their ashes for memorial purposes; therefore, burials were no longer considered restful, and Spirit Towers were erected instead.
Although one need not worry about the invasion of Demon Cultivators on Wanxian Island, the rich Spiritual Energy made it very easy for corpses to undergo transformation, which is why the Li family also used Spirit Towers to honor relatives who had died for various reasons.
And the moment Li Zhirui ascended the rear mountain, the heavens and earth seemed to be veiled in a grey mist, becoming gloomy and oppressive.
Ascending from the base of the mountain, the elder the generation, the more ancient the stone tower appeared.
Li Zhirui walked slowly among the cluster of towers. Most of the relatives here, in fact, he did not recognize, but when he saw one particularly ancient tower covered in moss, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He stood in front of the door for a moment before pushing open the long-sealed gate.
Squeak—
An ear-piercing sound shattered the stillness that enveloped the rear mountain.
With heavy steps, Li Zhirui walked in, looking up at those familiar, yet strange names, Li Shiqing, Li Shilian, Li Shiren, Li Shiting...
The sadness in his eyes deepened as he whispered softly, "Uncle, I haven’t come to see you for so many years, I don’t know if you blame me for that."
"Centuries have passed, I believe you must have successfully reincarnated by now. Sadly, I did not have the ability to find your reincarnated selves, I hope you won’t hold it against me."
In fact, Li Zhirui had never heard of such Secret Techniques existing; this was only a memory from his past life, making him believe that it existed in the Profound Origin Realm, only that he was unaware.
Besides, even if such Secret Techniques truly existed, whether he could find them, and even if he did, how to unravel the mysteries of birth, and if they belonged to a hostile force, or were no longer of the human race, what then? In short, there would be a series of problems.
"However, the family is now doing very well, very strong. The Li family is no longer the small clan that can be bullied by anyone, but the overlord spanning tens of thousands of miles! I am now a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and Fengwu, Sheng, they have also reached Golden Core..."
"Right, the family has also given birth to a junior with a Heavenly Spiritual Root; he is also very outstanding..."
Li Zhirui stood alone among the stone towers, talking about all the developments of the family over the years, as if he could tell them everything.
"It’s getting late, I should head back. I’ll come to worship you again next time."
Just as Li Zhirui was about to leave, his eyes caught a glimpse of a very familiar name in the corner—Li Zhiyue!
Because the Li family honored their dead based on seniority, Li Zhiyue, although the highest in Cultivation level among them, had the youngest seniority, and thus her remains were placed in a secluded corner.
Seeing her ashes, Li Zhirui suddenly remembered something and murmured, "I will take revenge for you!"
If it wasn’t for Li Zhiyue’s legs being severed back then, completely losing the chance to advance further, she might not have died.
And the main culprit was a fourth-order puppet from a ruin in Huanggu State! 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Over the years, Li Zhirui had been busy either cultivating to achieve Divine Transformation or dealing with other matters, causing him to forget about this.
Now that he remembered, he had no intention of delaying any longer!
The day he left, Li Zhirui found Da Qing and said, "Da Qing, I have some things to take care of outside and will be back soon."
"Jiu, do you have something important to do?" Da Qing looked at him curiously.
In recent years, Li Zhirui had devoted himself to cultivation, rarely leaving the Spirit Realm, and his sudden departure was quite unusual.
"I just recalled an old matter that I have yet to resolve; I’ll be back soon," Li Zhirui said without going into detail, instructed Da Qing to be vigilant about the family’s situation, and then left Wanxian Island straight away.
"What could the matter be, that compels Jiu to set out overnight, without even waiting for one evening!"
Alas, Li Zhirui had already gone far, and Da Qing’s curiosity was of no use.
——
In Huanggu State, one can tell from its name that this place consists mostly of desolate deserts, while the character for ’ancient’ signifies its long and profound history!
It is said that long ago, this was the region in the Profound Origin Realm with the densest spiritual energy, even surpassing the current Central Region.
But for some unknown reason, whether it was a heaven-shaking war or a sudden calamity.
It led to the nearby lands becoming deserts in a very short time, and the shifting sands swallowed up those thriving sects. The cultivators who did not react in time, along with countless spiritual objects, were buried beneath the yellow sand.
Therefore, even many years later, there are still undiscovered ruins that some fortunate cultivators happen upon and make a fortune from.
But more often, they lose their lives here, becoming a pale dot within the yellow sands.
Li Zhirui, following the Jade Slip given to him by Li Zhiyue years ago, smoothly arrived at the ruins, removing the massive boulder that concealed the entrance.
A profound underground passage was thus revealed, and looking into the pitch-black opening, Li Zhirui murmured to himself, "Is this the place where Zhiyue lost her lower leg, ultimately leading to her demise?"
Back then, Li Zhiyue, stuck at the Golden Core stage and anxious for success, had attempted to challenge a fourth-grade puppet, hoping to break through the shackles in a life-or-death situation.
Unfortunately, not only did she fail, but she also lost part of her lower leg.
"So many years have passed, and it has yet to be discovered by others," Li Zhirui calmly surveyed the surroundings and stepped inside.
Since the first three trials had already been solved by Li Zhiyue, it took Li Zhirui about a quarter of an hour to finally see that fourth-grade puppet.
"A mere fourth-grade puppet, and yet it caused Zhiyue to lose her life," Li Zhirui said coldly as he looked at the humanoid puppet standing with a large saber.
As Li Zhirui drew closer, he was startled to find two beast skeletons beside it.
One had a thick shell, and the other was clearly a kind of spirit bird.
"This is... the Spirit Beasts that Zhiyue had contracted!"
Li Zhirui’s expression turned wistful. Back when the two Spirit Beasts had brought Li Zhiyue’s body back to Wanxian Island, they had quietly left, and he had surmised that they must have sought revenge.
Unfortunately, not only had they failed to avenge Li Zhiyue, but they had also perished at the hands of the same puppet.
"You deserve to die!" Li Zhirui’s calm tone contained a thick intent to kill.
In anger, he struck out, and a cyan light transformed into an Azure Dragon, roaring as it attacked the puppet.
Clang!
Boom——
The puppet only managed to block with its large saber for a split second before being shattered by the terrifying force of ten thousand jun.
Its body, forged from fourth-grade Spirit Materials, was also fragmented under Li Zhirui’s strike.
Li Zhirui didn’t even glance at the fragments, but went straight to the two beast skeletons, solemnly and meticulously collecting them.
"Zhiyue, after so many years, I have finally avenged you."
The voice, full of remorse, echoed in the empty, dark tunnel for a long time before dissipating.
