Chapter 1190: 1064: Cultivation

Chapter 1190: Chapter 1064: Cultivation

The Zhang family’s relocation at this time, which could even be described as fleeing, must have stemmed from their belief that they couldn’t withstand the impending onslaught from these factions.

Especially since the Zhang family occupied an exceptionally prime piece of Spirit Land, their inability to defend it would inevitably invite significant calamity.

This perhaps also included a scheme to incite a massive conflict among the factions.

Although the Qingzhu Sect, He Family, and Huoyang Sect were well aware of this, they had no intention of avoiding the fight in the face of such well-developed and luck-symbolizing land.

The Li family didn’t intervene—not because they didn’t want to, but because they lacked the strength and dared not get involved.

If the Li family had a few more Integration cultivators, even if they didn’t dare to participate deeply, they would undoubtedly claim territory within a few hundred miles of their surroundings. But as it stood, they had to notify the other factions in advance that they wouldn’t participate.

To seize more and better Spirit Land, the Qingzhu Sect, He Family, and Huoyang Sect deployed a significant number of cultivators, mobilizing almost their entire strength apart from essential guarding forces.

One could say they had thrown everything they had into this effort!

Mount Wanxian, Li family’s ancestral hall.

“Clan Leader, are we truly going to miss out on this golden opportunity to expand our clan’s territory?” an Elder asked anxiously.

If we miss this chance, we may never again find it so easy to acquire territory, especially with such prime Spirit Land on offer.

“Our clan’s strength is insufficient. If we act to seize it, we’ll bring disaster upon ourselves.”

“But can’t the clan at least expand a hundred miles southward, or even just a few dozen miles?” The Elder was still unwilling to give up.

Li Taiyao looked at him and sighed. She naturally understood that this Elder hoped for the clan to grow stronger, but she couldn’t gamble the safety of tens of thousands of clan members.

“With the clan’s current strength, we can only protect our existing territory. If we take any action, we might provoke a joint strike from the three factions.”

Thanks to Mount Wanxian’s seventh-rank top-grade Mountain Protection Array, they understood that destroying the Li family would come at a great cost. This, combined with the mutual restraint among the factions, granted the Li family a breathing space.

But if the Li family made a move to seize territory now, it would likely trigger a coalition among the three factions. By then, the clan would either disappear or end up like the Zhang family, forced to relocate. No! Their fate would be even more tragic than the Zhang family’s.

At least the Zhang family relocated of their own accord. Aside from losing the Spirit Veins they nurtured for years, the Spirit Fields they developed, and countless Spiritual Objects, they suffered no casualties.

As the ancestral hall fell into a deathly silence, Li Taiyao said, “This matter has nothing to do with our clan. Focus your efforts on refining yourselves.”

After everyone had left, Li Taiyao gazed toward the Cave Mansion where Li Zhirui was in seclusion and murmured to herself, “As long as Ancestor Rui breaks through to Mahayana, the opportunities we miss now can be regained tenfold in the future!”

This was the reason behind her decision.

Although Li Zhirui wasn’t even in the late Integration stage yet, Li Taiyao had unwavering confidence in him, believing that this ancestor, who had already performed miracles time and again, could one day lead the clan to become a Mahayana power—or even ascend to greater heights!

While the Li family debated, the Qingzhu Sect, He Family, and Huoyang Sect were already engaged in carving up the Wanzhang Plains.

At first, when they competed for the scattered Spirit Veins, the three factions were relatively cordial, as though they had prearranged agreements. Only minor skirmishes occasionally broke out—matters too trivial to concern anyone.

But as the number of Spirit Veins dwindled, hidden conflicts began surfacing. Disputes, battles, bloodshed, and full-scale wars followed one after another.

To secure more territory, which also symbolized luck, the cultivators from all three factions showed no signs of retreating.

After several months of struggle, countless cultivators perished, and the newly acquired territories of the three factions were roughly established—except for one place, which remained unclaimed.

It wasn’t the Zhang family’s ancestral Spirit Vein. When the Zhang family left, they used a Secret Technique to take their seventh-rank Spirit Vein with them.

Rather, it was another seventh-rank Spirit Vein!

This Spirit Vein could be described as the most coveted prize on the Wanzhang Plains, and the three factions fought fiercely over it.

Rumble——

An unexpected catastrophe struck!

A Spirit Mountain containing the seventh-rank Spirit Vein that the three factions were contesting suddenly erupted with a power capable of annihilation.

At that moment, the Spirit Mountain was teeming with cultivators—at least fifty thousand, most of whom were the elite forces of the three factions!

Yet, under this overwhelming destructive force, at least ten thousand cultivators perished instantly. More than thirty thousand were severely injured, and fewer than ten thousand survived, either due to sheer luck or superior strength, sustaining only minor injuries.

It was the Zhang family’s “parting gift” to those coveting the Wanzhang Plains.

Within the heavy mountain rock were buried vast quantities of fourth-rank and fifth-rank Heavenly Thunder Pellets. Though lower in grade, the sheer volume created devastating power.

The cultivators hadn’t detected anything earlier for two reasons: one, the Heavenly Thunder Pellets were buried deep, shielded by layers of rock and soil; two, the Zhang family deliberately used a seventh-rank Aura Concealment Illusion Talisman, which not only masked Spiritual Energy fluctuations but also tricked cultivators’ Divine Sense probing.

“Damn the Zhang family! If I ever find out where you’ve hidden, I swear I won’t let you go!”

The enormous casualties from this event left the three factions deeply distraught. Those ten thousand cultivators who died were at least in the Divinity Transformation Realm!

And that didn’t even account for the heavily wounded. Of the more than thirty thousand injured, many more deaths were likely imminent.

Because of this one explosion, the factions lost at least a tenth of their elite cultivators!