Chapter 248 - 254: The Gap

Words : 1425 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

After a series of interrogations, Li Zhirui finally rooted out more than five hundred Loose Cultivators from the Marketplace who had practiced evil methods. For a marketplace that only had two to three thousand Loose Cultivators, this was an extremely high proportion already. Moreover, Li Zhirui believed that there must be Demon Cultivators among them, who were simply hiding too well for him to inspect each one thoroughly, thus remaining concealed. However, he did not pay it much mind, as this was the territory of Shen Leishan. Capturing so many Demon Cultivators was quite an achievement and sufficient for him to report back. Furthermore, there was another Immortal City with an even larger population waiting for Li Zhirui, and when the time came to capture one or two thousand Demon Cultivators and exchange them for Merit Points at Shen Leishan, perhaps he could barter for a few more Foundation Establishment Pills. It wasn't that the Li family didn't wish to barter for Spiritual Objects, Pill Recipes, Cultivation Techniques, and other items, but Shen Leishan imposed many restrictions in this area. Not to mention the steep prices, the quality was also not very good. The most important point was that the Li family now had another source for acquisitions! That was the Southern Edge Commerce Association, with whom they had been conducting surreptitious transactions for several years! The collaboration between the two parties was indeed very pleasant, so like the Li family purchasing family heritage Methods and some precious Spiritual Objects at market price, the Southern Edge Commerce Association typically wouldn't refuse. And to a Golden Core power, Spirit Stones were fundamentally nothing to worry about. With the Southern Edge Commerce Association in play, the Li family naturally wouldn't pursue the "junk" offered by Shen Leishan. But back to the matter at hand! After Li Zhirui captured these Demon Cultivators, someone boldly said, "Senior, didn't you promise to spare our lives? Why haven't you let us go yet?" "Yes, Senior Li, we were forced into a corner. Those Demon Cultivators coerced us into practicing the evil methods!" Whether they were coerced or not, Li Zhirui neither knew nor cared to know. He only knew that these people were all Merit Points, and that Cultivators who had practiced evil methods could never possibly stop! It was like an addiction. No, it was even more terrifying than an addiction because if one stopped practicing for a long time, the evil Mana previously stored in the Dantian would riot, causing unbearable pain and even lead to death from entering a demonic state. Therefore, Li Zhirui would absolutely not let these Demon Cultivators off. He said coldly, "I said I would spare you once, which I did when I captured you. Otherwise, how could you have lived until now?" As soon as these words fell, a large amount of Spirit Light surged through the heavens and earth, simultaneously shattering their Dantians and hearts. To the end, their faces revealed horror and anger, their eyes full of resentment and venom, but they had no chance to utter their curses. In an instant, the Marketplace was filled with the intense scent of blood and resentment, as well as corpses everywhere. "Ugh!" Many Cultivators' stomachs churned at the sight of such a bloody and brutal spectacle, and quite a few of them vomited on the spot. Li Zhirui merely watched with a calm demeanor. He had seen scenes dozens of times more bloody than this, so why would he feel uneasy? It was the relatives he had brought with him that showed the weakest performance, including Li Zhizhun, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator among them! In fact, it wasn't their fault. Although the Li family often organized its members to hunt Water Devils in the sea, Devil Beasts and the human race were ultimately different. In addition, those he brought were new generations of the family and had not experienced beast tides, nor seen such gory scenes before. Fortunately, Cultivators had strong adaptability; they may feel uncomfortable the first time, but their reaction would become more nonchalant the second time. The expedition to Immortal City resulted in Li Zhirui capturing more than three thousand Demon Cultivators, accounting for one-tenth of the city's total population. Compared to the Marketplace, this proportion was quite low, which certainly meant many Demon Cultivators were still hidden among the others. However, Li Zhirui did not probe further; in fact, it was intentional on his part because the more Demon Cultivators that remained, the more difficult it would be for Shen Leishan to clear them out, thus delaying the outbreak of war with Yin Wind Cave. And buying a little more time was a good thing, both for Li Zhirui himself and for the Li family. ... More than ten days later, Li Zhirui and Li Shiqing, along with a group of clan members, set foot on their journey back to Wanxian Island. Due to the substantial number of Demon Cultivators the Li family had captured, their Merit Points had increased significantly, from being able to exchange for only two Foundation Establishment Pills to exchanging for a total of five by the time they left! After returning to the clan, Li Zhirui went straight back to his cave abode, determined to use the coming years to enhance his cultivation and strength as much as possible. After all, should the two Great Sects truly engage in battle, the danger would be incomparable to what they faced when repelling the Demon Cultivators! Meanwhile, Li Shiqing called over Li Chengmo and relayed the news that a great battle was imminent, urging him to find ways to enhance the strength of the clan members. Previously, Shen Leishan only summoned the two Golden Core cultivators, Li Shiqing and Li Zhirui, but the next time, the number of conscripts would not be so few. "Okay!" Li Chengmo didn't waste words and straightforwardly agreed to the request. After discussing with the Elders, they decided to hold a grand competition, featuring both individual and team events, which would not only hone their personal strength but also improve the camaraderie among the clan members. This announcement was met with enthusiastic reception from the clan members, who were very eager to sign up and participate. Due to the overwhelming number of repeat registrations, the competition, originally scheduled for the same day, had to be spaced out instead. On the day of the grand competition, Wanxian Island was bustling with activity as thousands of clan members gathered, and even Li Zhirui, who had been in seclusion for cultivation, came out to join the opening ceremony. "It seems my Li family truly is brimming with talent, to have so many in the early stages of Qi Cultivation," Li Zhirui remarked. "I remember a hundred years ago, when we only had a few dozen Cultivators in our family." Although these individuals were only in the early stages of Qi Cultivation, they were young! They symbolized the future of the Li family! "Speaking of which, what are Zhixuan and Zhiyue doing right now?" These two were, in his eyes, the most likely in the clan to break through to Golden Core in the past thirty years. Li Chenghuo might also have a chance, but he was too young and needed more cultivation and accumulation. Though Li Shiqing did not manage the clan affairs, he had a thorough understanding of them and replied without hesitation, "Zhixuan is still gaining experience in the outside world, it's just unclear whether she has broken through her bottleneck and advanced past the late stage of Foundation Establishment." "And Zhiyue, she's now in seclusion within the family, attempting to break through to Golden Core." When he spoke these words, Li Shiqing's eyes were filled with pride and anticipation. Li Zhirui nodded slightly, "Zhiyue is both strong in cultivation and firm in character, it's just a matter of when she can seize that sliver of opportunity." He had anticipated the current gap between the two, as the difference between them was indeed significant. Li Zhixuan was a Sword Cultivator with Four Spiritual Roots, and although the family supported her, the resources poured into her were limited. Whereas Li Zhiyue was a dual Spiritual Root Alchemist who also cultivated the Wanling Sutra, had the support of two third-rank Spirit Beasts, in addition to the substantial resources from the family. If she couldn't create a substantial lead over Li Zhixuan, calling her useless wouldn't be an overstatement.

Chapter 248 - 254: The Gap

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