Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 825: Chapter 831: Fear

"Do you really think that once the Li family’s cultivators have left, some places will no longer have any defensive power?"

"The Li family wouldn’t dare to do this unless they were confident about their defenses."

"Those cultivators burdened by family and sect obligations wouldn’t dare take advantage of others’ vulnerability. Once the Li family gets wind of it, they wouldn’t even know how they died!"

"We can’t, but loose cultivators can! Let’s don masks and become robbing cultivators, you have no idea how many resources we could secure for our clan!"

Though still somewhat unconvinced, the person replied, "Do you mean to say that the Li family could see through our masks and identify us?"

The previously calm individual was intrigued by this idea, thinking that if they disguised themselves well, the Li family wouldn’t be able to track them, and they would gain a bounty of resources.

"Most importantly, when we operate outside, we can conceal some resources for ourselves. Don’t you want to progress further, clan brother? I’ve heard that the several Immortal Cities built by the Li family all contain Gold Core Formation Pills!"

With these words, the deep-rooted greed and desire within the person’s heart were thoroughly triggered.

"You’re right! As long as we’re careful and disguise ourselves as loose cultivators, the Li family won’t be able to touch us!"

But what they completely failed to consider was the disaster their decision would soon bring upon them and their families.

There were many more cultivators with the same intentions, including a large number of loose and vassal cultivators, who acted on similar thoughts.

Before long, apart from the Li family’s main base and the two Marketplace Islands that were openly accessible nearby, the entire Wanxian Province was plunged into chaos with Marketplace and Immortal City disturbances constantly erupting.

Stores with substantial strength could still resist, but those of smaller factions were almost all eradicated in the unrest.

At the same time—

On Wanxian Island, dismissing the thousand or so clan members either on external trials or in secluded cultivation, all the remaining clan members, including children still honing their meridians in the Spirit Wisdom Court who hadn’t formally begun their cultivation practices—over nine thousand people—all gathered in the plaza.

The plaza, originally very spacious, now became so crowded that it was impenetrable, as the clan members huddled close together, a necessity to accommodate everyone.

"What do you think has happened to the clan for such a command to be issued, ordering all clan members to attend, or else they’d be held guilty of treason?" an elder inquired.

"Who knows? The Clan Leader issued this sudden command. Like you, we were taken by surprise upon receiving the message. By the time we arrived at the clan hall, we discovered it had been completely shut off, and the Clan Leader didn’t come out to meet us," replied an Elder of the current generation, answering with utmost respect.

"It looks like Ancestor Rui is about to make a significant move!"

This speculation wasn’t hard to deduce, since in the Li family, only Li Zhirui could prompt Li Mingzi, the Clan Leader, to make such earth-shaking decisions.

Shortly after, Li Zhirui appeared before all the clan members, accompanied by Li Mingzi.

"Greetings, Ancestor Rui! Clan Leader!"

Whether it was the elder with snow-white hair or the child with innocent eyes, they all bowed respectfully to Li Zhirui.

But some clan members who stole glances at Li Zhirui’s face were filled with unspeakable terror!

It was known that whenever Li Zhirui appeared before them, he always had a mild expression and a smile that made him seem approachable, but his countenance now was dark as deep water, cold as frost.

Li Mingkui, who knew a little more than the rest, was completely stunned. He could never have anticipated that things would escalate to such a serious and solemn point!

In the next instant, their guesses were confirmed.

And this time, Li Zhirui didn’t tell them to rise, nor did he offer to help them stand. Instead, with a voice as cold as millennia-old Profound Ice, he said, "Mingzi, tell everything you’ve uncovered without leaving anything out!"

Li Mingzi struggled to suppress the tremor in his voice, recounting the matter of altered clan member’s potentials with as much calm as he could muster.

Thump—

Before Li Mingzi had gotten far into her explanation, some of the clan members in the crowd began to tremble. By the time she had finished, those people collapsed to the ground, boneless, expressions of despair on their faces.

The surrounding clan members looked at them with shock, fury, and fear, then instinctively began to back away, as if afraid of being implicated.

"It seems that some of you already know who’s being talked about."

Li Zhirui’s voice, like the coldest wind in winter, made all the clan members shiver.

"For over a century! The actions that have eroded the foundation of our clan and encroached upon our interests—you’ve been at it for over a hundred years! In that time, who knows how many clan members were deprived of their rightful resources, not to mention how many resources were seized or stolen from the clan!"

Inside, Li Zhirui felt like a volcano on the verge of eruption, but he forcibly kept it in check, preventing an outburst. Nonetheless, the overwhelming Divine Transformation pressure leaking from him still made all the clan members tremble in fear.

"You are the greatest enemies within the clan, the ones most deserving of annihilation!"

"Ancestor Rui! I realize my mistake! Please spare my life!"

"Please consider my lifetime of service to the clan, Ancestor Rui, spare me!"

"Ancestor, I had no part in this!"

...

Li Zhirui pronounced their crimes and their fate, watching with indifference as they wailed, cried, and begged for mercy, "All those involved will be sent to Profound Ice State for life, never to leave by a single step, destined to toil! Only in death may they return to Wanxian Island."

"Those who benefited from this must face punishments defined by their gains! They will have to return everything they took from the clan, every single benefit. If they can’t make restitution, they will be restrained, toiling for the clan by refining various Spiritual Objects, and they, too, will never leave Wanxian Island again."

In reality, Li Zhirui had initially considered a massacre to utterly purge them but reconsidered, mindful that they were still part of the clan, thus lightening their punishment.

All the clan members present, with the verdict announced, let out a sigh of relief at heart. Though reduced to a life of confinement or servitude, they were at least alive!

"I know many of you belong to this faction or that one. "

Yet the very next words from Li Zhirui tightened the majority of the clan members’ hearts once again.

"I don’t object to you forming factions, but—"

Li Zhirui unleashed his full oppressive force, especially targeting the leaders of those factions, "If you dare to infringe upon or harm the clan’s interests, let me assure you that your fate will be far more miserable and dire than theirs!"

"Don’t think I truly won’t kill anyone!"

"Therefore, before I take action for an investigation, it would be in your best interest to sincerely return the resources you have illegally obtained from the clan over the years."