Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Half an hour after the departure of the Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator, Li Zhirui and his companions could see the scenery of Spirit Cloud Mountain from afar.

Where once there were pavilions, terraces, and artificial rock fountains, now all that met their eyes were corpses everywhere, fresh blood and white bones, vividly resembling the scene of hell on earth.

"The Sect has been breached..." Xu Changle clung to the bow of the ship, his entire being as if he had lost his soul, chanting repeatedly, "How is this possible! This cannot be! The Mountain Protection Array of the Sect is renowned for its defense!"

And in his distraught state, he failed to notice the flash of satisfaction in Li Zhirui's eyes.

'It seems that those Demon Cultivators have some skills after all.'

Li Zhirui was very satisfied with this outcome, knowing that after such a calamity, it would take the Spiritual Cloud Sect likely several hundred years to recover!

"Zhixuan, Cheng Huo, after we reach Spirit Cloud Mountain, each of you choose a Golden Core Demon Cultivator as your opponent, but do not overdo it. Focus on training yourselves!" Li Zhirui solemnly transmitted his voice.

They only needed to handle the aftermath now. While they had to put on a show in battle to win the gratitude of the Spiritual Cloud Sect cultivators, it was still their own lives that mattered the most.

"Yes!"

Li Zhirui's fleet was also immediately discovered by the Demon Cultivators.

"Since when did the Spiritual Cloud Sect send for reinforcements?"

"Tsk!" A certain Golden Core Demon Cultivator sneered disdainfully, saying, "Didn't expect there to be cultivators daring enough to come here seeking death."

"Just in time, my Hundred Ghosts Banner still lacks a few ghost generals. These cultivators have arrived at the perfect moment."

Because Li Zhirui had concealed his aura and his fleet was not flying the Li family's banner, the Demon Cultivators felt no sense of danger and instead chatted with unabashed bravado.

In the half-hour before Li Zhirui and his group's arrival, the Demon Cultivators had already slaughtered seven or eight tenths of the Spiritual Cloud Sect's cultivators!

The remaining two or three tenths were being protected by a few powerful Combat Elders.

However, after such a long duration of battle, they were already at their wits' end, merely exhausting their lifespans to persist in the fight and attempting to break free.

If nothing unexpected happened, even if they paid with their lives, they would not be able to take the disciples under their protection with them.

The Demon Cultivators had long seen through their intentions and were simply not engaging them in a life-or-death struggle, only wearing down time.

And once these Combat Elders' lifespans were depleted, those disciples too could not escape death.

"Huh?"

A Demon Cultivator who had cultivated the Pupil Skill was the first to notice the situation of the fleet and, laughing loudly, said, "Four Golden Core cultivators? Plus a few third-rank Devil Beasts? They dare come for a rescue?"

"What did you say?!"

A few quick-reacting Demon Cultivators immediately recognized who the arrivals were and shouted loudly, "They are cultivators from the Li family!"

"So what? They're only a few Golden Cores, and that Nascent Soul isn't here. What is there to fear?"

"Idiots! The Li family has but a few Golden Core cultivators. If they didn't have sufficient strength, how could they possibly dispatch nearly half of their Golden Cores at once?"

While he was speaking, several astute Demon Cultivators had already started retreating toward the west.

"Since we've been discovered, then there's no point in hiding any longer." With a divine sense far surpassing an ordinary Nascent Soul True Lord, Li Zhirui was naturally well aware of everything happening within the Demon Cultivators' ranks.

Boom!

The terrifying pressure of the Nascent Soul burst forth, and some of the lower-ranked Demon Cultivators with less resolute wills were instantly stunned and fell unconscious.

"This True Lord really did come!"

"Quick, run!"

The Demon Cultivators fled in panic, Spiritual Light shooting in all directions as they tried to escape.

"Think you can just leave? Isn't that a bit too disrespectful towards me?"

Li Zhirui reached out towards The Void, and the Spiritual Energy within miles responded to his call, transforming into vines of various colors that bound the Demon Cultivators.

"This one, is Zhixuan your opponent..."

Soon, Li Zhirui had arranged for Zhixuan and their group to face opponents of equal strength, including even those of lower ranks within the family.

Although their fate was sealed with death, they at least fared better than the Demon Cultivators who had not been selected. At the very least, they could live a while longer, even if only for an hour or two.

"Sigh," Li Zhirui sighed with deep empathy and said, "You all shall atone for the lives of the fallen cultivators with your own."

The vines acted upon his will, stabbing into the Demon Cultivators' Dantian and taking their lives instantaneously.

"Wake up!"

Having done all this, Li Zhirui called out sharply to Xu Changle, urging him to quickly regain his composure.

"Thank you, senior, for avenging the tens of thousands of cultivators from the Spiritual Cloud Sect," said Liang Huan'an, dragging his broken body forward to bow deeply before Li Zhirui.

"It was nothing more than a mutually agreed trade, no need to thank me," Li Zhirui said coldly, but in the depths of his eyes as he looked at Liang Huan'an, feelings were complex, filled with pity and yet, more so with relief.

Li Zhirui could see that this Sword Cultivator, having gone through this life-or-death catastrophe, had pushed open the gates to the Nascent Soul stage. It would only take one more step for him to sit on par with Li Zhirui.

But fortunately, he was about to die!

In order to protect the last ember of the Spiritual Cloud Sect, Liang Huan'an had no choice but to burn his own lifespan to obtain great power.

Shaking his head, Liang Huan'an said, "Senior's actions deserve to be remembered in our hearts!"

Li Zhirui, no longer speaking, turned and left, focusing his attention on those family members who were still battling the Demon Cultivators, leaving the remaining time to Liang Huan'an and Xu Changle.

"Elder Xu, what did you promise the Li family?"

Xu Changle, feeling embarrassed, bowed his head and said softly, "The Li family wants our sect to honor their master. There was only one condition, and I agreed to it."

"A vassal?!" Liang Huan'an was startled by the news, then said with a wry smile, "Perhaps it is for the best. Given the extent of the sect's losses, our strength is less than one-tenth of what it was before. We indeed need the protection of a powerful force."

"The sect has suffered such heavy losses?" Xu Changle quickly asked.

"The Golden Core Elders, dead or fled. As for those still breathing, aside from the five of us, there are only three left. The Outer Sect Disciples were almost entirely slaughtered, and the Inner Sect and true disciples lost more than seventy percent."

Even though this was not an exact count, the figures were likely not far off.

After all, the Demon Cultivators had been everywhere, and apart from the disciples they had protected, it was unlikely that the others had survived.

"But the greatest loss was the accumulation of so many years by the sect! The treasure vault was plundered by the Demon Cultivators! The Scripture Pavilion also suffered severe damage..."

The more Xu Changle heard, the more distraught he became, reproaching himself, "If only I had been faster, if only I had arrived at Wanxian Island earlier..."

"You are not to blame for this!"

Liang Huan'an immediately cut him off, saying, "An hour ago, a Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator took action personally, rallied the power of numerous Demon Cultivators, and instantly shattered the Mountain Protection Array."

"Changle, our lives are coming to an end. Now, the only one left unscathed in the sect is you," Liang Huan'an said firmly, looking at him. "I hope you can shoulder the responsibility of rejuvenating the Spiritual Cloud Sect!"