Chapter 148 - 143: Shattered_2

Words : 1765 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

The next day, a piece of news spread throughout the entire Yunqing Marketplace. "Master Mingling, along with a large group of cultivators from the Yuanming Sect, has besieged the Green Sword Sect, and has announced that Master Yu Qing has perished. They are demanding that the smaller powers of Guangqing State switch allegiances and submit, or face death without mercy!" Countless loose cultivators were shocked, for the Golden Core masters, who seemed so unattainable to them, had just fallen like this! "Does anyone know what’s going on?" "Doesn’t the Yuanming Sect only have two Golden Core cultivators? How could they possibly kill Yu Qing, who was at the Middle Golden Core Stage? Could it be that they sought external help?" "External help? That can only mean the Li family from Da Rong Island!" After the shock, many cultivators began to discuss the matter with great interest, as no matter how the situation changed, it was irrelevant to those at the bottom of the Cultivation World. However, the Li family’s agents stationed in Yunping State quickly relayed the news back to Da Rong Island. "Isn’t Jiang Tianming around?" Li Shiqing couldn’t help but speculate, "Could it be that he was injured yesterday?" But upon further recollection, he saw no sign that Jiang Tianming was injured and pressed down on the matter. "Uncle, how should we deal with Blue Mountain Island?" Li Zhizhun asked from the side. "Let’s lease it to loose cultivators for farming; the family can’t take care of it." Li Shiqing thought for a moment and then added, "Let the minor tasks that outsiders can do be handed over as well." "Especially those young members of the family, before they reach the middle stage of Qi Cultivation, let them focus on their training, and not get involved in those trivial matters." Li Zhizhun nodded and said, "I’ll take care of these affairs right now, and by the way have someone bring Zhiyue and the others back." Consequently, the next day, the news that the Li family had occupied Blue Mountain Island and was leasing out Spirit Fields spread in the Yunqing Marketplace. The loose cultivators also confirmed that the external help they had speculated about was indeed Li Shiqing. Otherwise, why would someone just give the Li family a second-tier Spirit Island for no reason? —— "So much has happened in the family while I was in seclusion?" Li Zhirui, looking at the Jade Slip Li Zhizhun had specially sent, said with a shocked face. In this Jade Slip, there were detailed records of all the major events that had occurred during his months of seclusion, including the Yuanming Sect’s three Golden Core masters threatening Li Shiqing, the plot to lure Yu Qing and kill him, resulting in the loss of a Golden Core master for the Yuanming Sect... Li Zhirui now knew the cause, process, and outcome of each event. "The Yuanming Sect has annexed Guangqing State and lost a Golden Core cultivator, and Jiang Tianming hasn’t shown up for a long time, which may mean he’s injured..." Li Zhirui assessed the family’s situation, his brows slightly furrowed, but then they relaxed. Under the current circumstances, the Li family was doing quite well. The Yuanming Sect now only had two Golden Core cultivators, and one might be severely injured and thus did not dare to pressure the Li family too much. Moreover, they also needed time to digest and bring the vast Guangqing State under their control. Thus, a delicate and strange balance had formed between the Yuanming Sect and the Li family. Your adventure continues at novelhall.Côm However, the strength of the two families remained unequal, with the Li family still in an inferior position, needing to be vigilant against the Yuanming Sect. As for the tributary relationship previously mentioned by the Yuanming Sect, both families had tacitly refrained from bringing it up, as if it had never been mentioned. "It’s a pity that my strength is too weak now to be of any help!" sighed Li Zhirui helplessly, shaking his head. Chirp! Da Qing slowly crawled over, used its Divine Sense to toss a storage bag in front of him, and suggested that he take more Spirit Fruits and Spirit Pills to refine, in order to quickly boost their strength. "You’re thoughtful," Li Zhirui said appreciatively, "but there’s no hurry right now. Establishing a solid foundation is most important. Don’t push yourself too hard; it’s good to relax occasionally as well." If he hadn’t understood the importance of a solid foundation, he could be entering seclusion right now to break through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and then refine the Barrier-Breaking Pill to advance to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in one go. This advice wasn’t just for Da Qing, but also a reminder to himself not to be hasty and ruin his foundation. Chirp! After this period of cultivation, Xiaoqing had advanced to the fifth level of Qi Cultivation. Although its Spiritual Intelligence had not increased much, it was very sensitive to the word "relax" and chirped continuously. "Alright, let’s go out for a walk today." No sooner had Li Zhirui finished speaking than he decided to take the two pets out for some relaxation. Nevertheless, there isn’t much fun to be found on Nine Springs Island outside of its natural scenery and the vast Spirit Fields that seem to stretch without end. But Li Zhirui’s outing still attracted quite a bit of attention, especially from those Loose Cultivators who looked at him with eyes filled with fear and envy. It wasn’t too much of an issue when there were fewer people, but as the crowd grew, all those gazes sharply directed at you would invariably make one feel shivers down one’s spine. No sooner had they left the island than Li Zhirui wished to return, but Xiaoqing, who was freely soaring in the sky, wouldn’t have agreed anyway. After some thought, he brought his two pets to the sea, placed the Spirit Boat in the water, and boarded it with Da Qing. He didn’t bother controlling the vessel, letting it drift with the waves. As for Xiaoqing, it seemed tireless, its excitement palpable as it soared through the sky. "Xiaoqing has grown quite a bit, too. In a little while, I should be able to let it carry people in flight," Li Zhirui muttered to himself quietly. Xiaoqing was quite fast, and though it wasn’t as quick as his Spirit Boat, it was faster than an average first-tier Magic Artifact, and it didn’t require anyone to control it. While playing at sea, Li Zhirui didn’t encounter any Water Devil attacks, but it wasn’t because he emitted his own aura. It was purely because the Water Devils in this area had been exterminated! The main reason was that there were now over a thousand Loose Cultivators living on the two islands, who aside from their daily cultivation of Spirit Grain and Spiritual Medicine, would hunt Water Devils at sea in their spare time. How could they overlook an area so close to the islands? Under the assault of these cultivators, not a single Water Devil could be seen within a hundred miles of the island. Though Water Devils lacked Spiritual Intelligence, they still possessed the animal instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm; they wouldn’t venture into such a dangerous place, and even if they did, they wouldn’t dare show themselves easily. The setting sun cast an orange glow that painted the monotone sea with a myriad of colors, an incredibly beautiful sight indeed. This also signified that the day was nearly over, and it was time for them to head back. "You’ve been flying around all day, now you’re tired?" Seeing Xiaoqing collapsed on the deck, listless and breathless, Li Zhirui said somewhat irritably. Cheep! Xiaoqing’s eyes whirled around, looking very spirited, but it didn’t understand a word he said. "You’re both third-grade Spirit Beasts, so why are you so slow-witted, nothing like Da Qing at all?" Li Zhirui grumbled. This question was too profound for the current Li Zhirui to understand, but... Li Zhirui turned his gaze to Da Qing. He had the vague feeling that Da Qing might know the reason for his changes. However, since Da Qing couldn’t speak yet, perhaps after it broke through to the Golden Core and refined its Henggu, it could tell him the answer. After relaxing for a whole day, Li Zhirui resumed his strenuous cultivation, each day plain, monotonous, and repetitive. In the evening, he took Spirit Pills to practice and bolster his Mana, while in the morning, he absorbed and refined Spiritual Energy to purify his Mana. When his meridians could no longer withstand the strain, Li Zhirui would start Alchemy. By using Mana and Divine Sense in this manner, he refined his Mana, strengthened his Spiritual Soul, and even earned Spirit Stones—a multitude of benefits with one action! However, he would only refine a few furnaces of Spirit Pills each day. Even so, Li Zhirui’s longest practiced Consolidating Yuan Pill now had an eighty percent success rate, and he occasionally produced nine pills at once. But, because he had assimilated too many Consolidating Yuan Pills, his body gradually developed a resistance. Now, the only Spirit Pills he could take were the Hundred Herbs Pill, exclusively for personal use. If he didn’t need to provide them to his family, he would not bother refining Consolidating Yuan Pills anymore. Time passed in such an unremarkable manner, and in the blink of an eye, a year went by. On this day, on Da Rong Island. Li Zhizhun and several Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered together, their faces alight with joy as they looked at the elegant courtyard not far away. "Spiritual Energy is converging. This is the sign of successful breakthrough and Mana transformation!" Li Shiting, whose face had not seen an expression in a thousand years, was now genuinely happy. Because the one who had broken through to Foundation Establishment that day was none other than Li Zhiyue, whom she had raised and taught since childhood! "Hahaha, Zhiyue has successfully established her Foundation, and our family now has a seventh Foundation Establishment member!" Li Zhizhun laughed heartily. As the Clan Leader, the stronger his family, the happier he was. He felt a sense of pride as if watching his own ’children’ grow up. "I wonder who will be the next to break through?" The family now had four Foundation Establishment Pills. Besides the one used by Li Zhiyue, none of the others had been exchanged.

Chapter 148 - 143: Shattered_2

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