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Chapter 823: Chapter 829: Dark Horse
"Kui Lei Spirit Body!"
Li Zhirui, well-versed in myriad books, recognized this special type of Spiritual Body immediately.
It was a first-class Spiritual Body that could enhance the physical body’s strength to a level comparable to Devil Beasts of the same realm, and also improve the affinity with Thunder Spirit Energy!
Before Li Mingkui had shown any special traits, Li Zhirui thought he had been practicing a Body Cultivation Technique, which was why his physical body was so strong.
The reason Li Zhirui took a liking to him, aside from his robust physique, was the vast Mana within his body and the combat talent he had displayed during the previous trials.
"Some special kind of Spiritual Body?" Li Mingzi couldn’t discern it in such a short time, but...
She frowned and said, "But if I remember correctly, Li Mingkui previously didn’t have a Spiritual Body."
Just by their names, it was clear that these two, including Li Minghong and Li Mingquan, or rather, the current central pillars of the clan, were of the ’Ming’ generational line!
When Li Mingzi first became the Clan Leader, she had thought of promoting some of her peers to quickly take control of the family, so she had specifically looked into their records.
Li Mingkui, possessing Thunder-Fire Dual Spirit Roots and being one among those with the best talents in his generation, naturally caught her attention. If Li Mingzi remembered correctly, there was no record of him having a Spiritual Body in the family archives.
"Was it a mistake during the Spirit Testing, or another reason? Like coming across some opportunity?"
It was indeed possible to awaken a Spiritual Body later in life, though incredibly rare; after all, the category of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures it fell under was of the absolute top tier.
Li Mingzi lowered her gaze in contemplation. If it were the latter, one could only say that Li Mingkui was blessed by the heavens, but if it were the former, things were more complicated.
It could be an issue with the Magic Artifacts used, or it might have been man-made!
Thinking of this, Li Mingzi felt a fierce fire ignite in her heart. The Spirit Testing was about the foundation and future of the family – if there was a problem, it meant that the talents of a portion of the clan members had been concealed or falsified!
’This matter must be thoroughly investigated!’
Li Mingzi decided to start an investigation into this after the family competition ended.
While she was lost in thought, Li Mingkui had already successfully defeated Li Minghong. From his exhausted appearance, one could tell that he had paid a significant price for his victory.
Several hours later, Li Mingkui’s condition had completely recovered, and the second round of combat trials began.
After witnessing Li Mingkui’s strength, Li Mingquan didn’t dare underestimate this previously unremarkable clan brother. As the duel kicked off, he summoned two Spirit Beasts and had his Divine Powers ready to launch at any moment.
After countless battles, the coordination between Li Mingquan and his two Spirit Beasts was extremely high, and since they were already Third Order Spirit Beasts with great Spiritual Intelligence, they could fully understand human speech.
As soon as the battle began, Li Mingquan seized the initiative. With the cooperation of the two Spirit Beasts, he pressured Li Mingkui almost to the point of falling off the combat platform several times.
Of course, Li Mingkui wasn’t going to give up just like that. His hands flew as he cast various complex Mantras. Suddenly, three dark clouds formed, each unleashing relentless bolts of lightning.
For a moment, the adversaries were locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Roar!
Li Mingkui was the first to lose his patience, unleashing the Venerable Thunder God Method that had defeated Li Minghong.
However, due to the rapid consumption of Mana and the tremendous strain on his body, he needed to end the fight quickly.
Boom—
The thunder roared, and the electrified Li Mingkui charged ferociously ahead. But in Li Mingquan’s eyes, he was like a flash of lightning, impossible to see clearly, only to be faintly tracked by Divine Sense.
Bang!
Just as Li Mingquan realized something was amiss, he put up a defense, along with the Spirit Beasts’ protection, looking quite secure.
But in the face of the furious Thunder God, it was just a moment before the two defensive Spells were shattered into pieces, leaving Li Mingquan completely exposed.
"Still not ready to concede?"
In the next instant, Li Mingkui sensed something amiss. A horrifying burst of lightning erupted from his body, knocking Li Mingquan, who’d attempted a surprise attack, flying away.
"Cough, cough!"
Li Mingquan lay on the ground, eyes filled with reluctance to accept his defeat, but a loss was a loss. No matter what he thought, in his current condition, he was simply no match for Li Mingkui.
The subsequent battle between Li Mingquan and Li Minghong garnered little attention from the clan; people always focus only on the first place, not caring who comes second or third.
With the conclusion of the last duel, the family competition came to an end in perfection!
The once unknown Li Mingkui, silent until now, burst onto the scene and became the leading figure of the new generation in the family. As for why not Li Ming Yao? His talent was too heaven-defying, having already broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm early, so subconsciously, they didn’t consider him a peer.
In the end, Li Minghong, with superior skills, defeated his opponent to claim second place in the competition.
Yet, Li Minghong was very dissatisfied with his ranking. Even though the difference in resources with the first place was slight, he resolved in his heart to dethrone Li Mingkui in the next year’s competition.
Li Mingquan was even less reconciled, only achieving third place.
The modified competition stirred up the enthusiasm of all clan members. With such an incentive dangling before them, the family could at least ensure a favorable cultivation environment in the short term.
As for whether problems would arise over time, that was a certainty!
After all, things do not remain static but change every moment, and no single method can be sustained forever.
After the family competition, Li Mingzi ordered an investigation into those responsible for managing the Spirit Testing and summoned Li Mingkui as well.
"Mingkui, what’s with your Spiritual Body? I didn’t see any record of you having a Spiritual Body when I checked the family archives. Did you gain it during your travels outside?" Li Mingzi dismissed everyone from the great hall and asked him seriously.
"No."
Li Mingkui shook his head and said, "I actually discovered my Spiritual Body by accident."
When he was still relatively weak, he encountered a Devil Beast stronger than himself. In a desperate situation, he learned the technique to transform into the Thunder God, which allowed him to escape.
The light in Li Mingzi’s eyes flickered uncertainly, and after a long while, she came back to her senses and said, "Sorry, I just got a bit lost in thought about something."
"Alright, I understand now. Sorry to trouble you." Having inquired what she needed, there was no further need for Li Mingkui to stay.
Once only Jiang Fengwu was left in the great hall, her light voice sounded quite distinct, "Now, we’ll see if we can find any evidence from those clan members."
If the evidence was conclusive, their fate would be extremely miserable!
Tampering with Spirit Testing meant digging at the very foundation of the Li family. Regardless of their motives or reasons, without instructions from Li Zhirui, they would face the most severe punishment.
