In fact, not only were those outsiders shocked, but even the members of the Li family stationed outside had only recently learned of the news, and their shock was no less than anyone elseâs.
Of course, their joy was even stronger than that of outsiders.
If not for their duties, they would have wanted to return to Mount Wanxian immediately to witness what was different about a Heavenly Immortal.
...
Meanwhile.
Various forces near the Li family also gradually received the news of Li Zhiruiâs breakthrough to Heavenly Immortal.
"That Li Zhirui is truly remarkable, breaking through to Heavenly Immortal in such a short time, and Iâve heard his tribulation cloud spanned nearly a hundred miles, clearly a sign of extraordinary potential."
Since the Thunder Tribulation is a test from the Heavenly Dao, what it tests naturally includes talent.
The larger the area of the tribulation cloud, the greater the personâs potential, and the stronger their power.
"Now is not the time to praise him! We should be seriously considering how to deal with the suddenly strengthened Li family!" The Sect Leader of the Cave Abyss Sect said with a grim expression.
Another Elder, however, was unconcerned and said, "The Li family now only has one Heavenly Immortal cultivator, theyâre hardly our match, is there really a need to be so cautious? Furthermore, they might not even make a move."
"Youâre all well aware of how fast the Li familyâs development has been, do you really intend to wait until they become a threat before discussing how to deal with them?!" The Sect Leader said coldly, his face dark.
"But wouldnât it be counterproductive to offend the Sun God and Moon God just because of taking action against the Li family? Maybe itâs better to see how the Li family acts next and decide whether to act against them afterward, how about that?"
"Yes, besides, our sect is still in a dispute with the Yumen He Family and Xiaxian Sect over the Great Zhou territory, diverting our attention now might lead to failure in the conflict."
Many Elders spoke up, advising the Sect Leader not to act impulsively.
Did they not know the Li family posed a threat? They knew!
But they didnât believe that the Li family could produce Heavenly Immortals one after another like they did Earth Immortals, since the gap between the two is as wide as heaven and earth, not easily bridged!
Ultimately, they still looked down on the Li family.
Besides, they were speaking the truth: the sect was staring down the Yumen He Family and Xiaxian Sect, and the land they were fighting for was fertile ground cultivated over thousands of years in the Great Zhou.
These were visible benefits they naturally wanted to seize quickly.
"You all!!!"
The Sect Leader was extremely vexed, his face unsightly, but he could only rise in anger, cloak swirling as he left, muttering resentfully, "You will regret this someday!"
He had no choice; faced with nearly unanimous opposition from the Elders, even as a Sect Leader, he couldnât just ignore them.
Of course, if the Sect Leader was strong and assertive, he could confront all the Elders and forcefully implement his will.
Unfortunately, he wasnât strong enough to do so.
...
With a tale of two flowers, each shows a different branch.
After Li Zhirui transcended the Heavenly Tribulation and successfully broke through, he returned to his quiet room, sitting cross-legged on the meditation mat, slowly circulating his cultivation technique, absorbing the external spiritual energy.
This time, however, he wasnât cultivating but healing his internal injuries and consolidating his realm, so his intake of spiritual energy was very gentle.
More importantly, he was comprehending the laws!
After breaking through to Heavenly Immortal, Li Zhirui thought he had almost completely comprehended the laws, but suddenly he found many new contents surpassing those he had understood before.
Moreover, during this process, he discovered flaws and errors in what he previously perceived, which now needed to be corrected bit by bit.
As time passed, his aura became rounder and more ethereal. At first glance, he might seem like an ordinary person without mana, but a deeper look would evoke a mysterious and daunting feeling akin to facing an abyss.
...
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed!
Consolidating his cultivation didnât require this much time; Li Zhirui was so engrossed in cultivation that he unintentionally delved into deep cultivation.
If he hadnât suddenly remembered that there might be people outside waiting for him to emerge, he would have considered remaining in seclusion indefinitely.
Creakââ
Accompanied by the distinctive sound of a wooden door opening, the door that had been shut for ten years, trying the patience of many, was finally opened from inside!
"Ancestor Rui, youâve finally emerged!"
Two family members on duty waiting outside the cave mansion hurried up to greet him, immediately sending a communication talisman to other ancestors to inform them of his emergence.
They were also quite pleased because everyone knew Li Zhirui was very generous, and they might soon receive a few bottles of spirit pills.
"You seem anxious to see me; has something happened in the family?"
The family member honestly replied, "Ancestor Rui, youâve been in seclusion for many years without appearing, so a few years ago, rumors began to spread that you hadnât actually broken through to Heavenly Immortal but had perished in the Thunder Tribulation, and that everything spread by the family were lies."
The Thunder Tribulation back then had such a massive impact that it was visible for miles around, impossible to cover up or tamper with.
But since he hadnât appeared since the breakthrough, it naturally aroused suspicion.
"All because of such a small matter?" Li Zhirui said, somewhat amused after understanding the reason.
"This is no small matter!"
Xiaoqing, the fastest, was the first to arrive and said seriously, "At worst, itâs just the family lying; at worst, it could lead to a war!"
After all, the Li family had made such a grand affair of Li Zhiruiâs breakthrough to Heavenly Immortal, but since no outsiders had seen him appear, some forces might think the family used the news to cover up his demise.
If they sent people to probe, it would inevitably lead to a fight.
Li Zhirui reconsidered and realized Xiaoqingâs words held some truth, and he said, slightly embarrassed, "Sorry, I got so lost in the joys of cultivation that I lost track of time."
"Itâs okay! Now that youâre out, everything will be easier to handle!"
Xiaoqing didnât dwell on it further but directly changed the subject, saying, "To celebrate your breakthrough to Heavenly Immortal, the family is planning to host a grand ceremony. You must attend when the time comes!"
Upon hearing this, Li Zhirui instinctively frowned; he wasnât keen on doing it.
In his eyes, those celebrations were ostentatious and a waste of time, entirely unnecessary to hold or attend.
"You canât refuse! You must make an appearance and attend!" Xiaoqing saw his expression and immediately interrupted.
"Thatâs right! Jiu, you have to participate!"
Li Zhixuan, Jiang Fengwu, and others had also arrived and were all persuading Li Zhirui to attend the ceremony.
"Alright, alright, Iâll participate. When will it be held?" Reluctantly, he nodded.
He certainly knew the reason and indeed didnât want to attend, but faced with Da Qing and the others, he could only agree.
"Thatâs great! The family has already prepared many things, just waiting for you to come out of seclusion and to send out invitations, which will take about half a year."
"Half a year?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Li Zhiruiâs eyes. It seemed the family had started preparing for this celebration long ago, otherwise, it wouldnât have been ready so soon.
After all, a grand ceremony required many preparations, especially given their scale, it obviously wouldnât be simple, and the grade of spiritual objects wouldnât be low.
"Let me contribute a bit as well."
Li Zhirui decided, picking all the Earth Immortal rank Spirit Fruits grown in his space over the past millennium, along with other spiritual objects.
Unfortunately, he had just broken through to the Heavenly Immortal realm. Even though he had Heavenly Immortal rank pill recipes, he didnât have the materials and definitely couldnât refine them within half a year.