Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 199 - 205: Dilemma

First were the various talismans that Li Zhirui had previously purchased, mainly focusing on Smoke Talismans and Defensive Talismans—the former to obscure visibility, the latter to block attacks.

Besides that, there were all kinds of wound-healing and Mana-recovering Spirit Pills, just in case.

After spending half a day adjusting himself to the best possible state, under the worried and anxious gazes of Da Qing and Xiaoqing, Li Zhirui silently left the space.

The first thing he had to face were the demon cultivators guarding the exit of the secret realm. Although their strength was not bad, Li Zhirui had no intention of fighting them to the death; he just needed to enter the exit.

However, when he appeared in that treetop, he suddenly realized that there were more than a dozen demon cultivators near the exit!

At the same time that Li Zhirui was making his preparations, the demon cultivators had already set up the Boundary Array. They no longer had to worry about the secret realm closing at any moment, so they dispatched many disciples into the secret realm, hoping to quickly deal with the Yin Spirits lingering there and take control of the realm.

This scene caused Li Zhirui to furrow his brows tightly. There were too many demon cultivators, a significant difference from what he had anticipated earlier.

Unless he used the only third-ranked talisman in his hand, it was simply impossible for him to reach the exit safely.

ʼWhat should I do now?ʼ Li Zhiruiʼs complexion was extremely unsightly as he found himself caught in a dilemma with no solution at hand.

To advance, not to mention the several Golden Core experts stationed outside, there were more than ten Foundation Establishment demon cultivators nearby that he had to use every trick in the book to pass through that doorway.

To retreat, now that the secret realm had become a battleground for Yin Spirits and demon cultivators, if he—a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator—was to reveal his whereabouts, he would probably be pursued and killed by both forces.

Li Zhiruiʼs face showed bitterness, unable to think of a way out for the moment. He could only adapt to the situation, focusing on fully concealing his aura, desperately avoiding revealing any trace of his presence, and then quietly waiting for an opportunity to escape.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened, and the demon cultivators were even more vigilant, not daring to slack in the slightest.

Although there were no sun, moon, or stars inside the secret realm and no true day or night existed, the operation of the realmʼs laws still produced a similar effect.

In the ʼnight,ʼ the strength of the Yin Spirits would be enhanced. Last night, the Yin Spirits caught everyone by surprise, and they nearly lost the strategic location of the secret realm exit.

Today, as ʼnightʼ approached, the Yin Spirits were unlikely to give up. They would probably increase their strength, preparing to snatch the exit from the demon cultivators.

ʼHere they come!ʼ

Li Zhiruiʼs Divine Sense was much stronger than that of his peers, allowing him to detect a large number of Yin Spirits approaching this area from afar in advance.

To avoid the impact of the impending battle between the two forces revealing him, Li Zhirui took advantage of the fact that the fighting had not yet started. He cautiously retreated to a more distant spot, finding a safer place to hide.

”Stay alert! If the exit falls into the hands of the Yin Spirits, all our efforts will have been in vain! Even if you manage to survive by chance, the Sect will never spare you!” the leading demon cultivator proclaimed in an even tone.

The punishment for losing the secret realm entrance was so cruel, it might not be lighter than betraying the Sect!

”Iʼve already contacted the fellow Sect brothers and sisters in the secret realm during the day. They are rushing here at full speed now. As long as we can hold on for a little while, weʼll be able to repel the Yin Spirits!”

Although the carrot and stick approach was cliché, the effect was clearly visible.

The demon cultivators, who were originally panic-stricken, became much calmer and collected. At this sight, the leader of the demon cultivators immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Entering the secret realm involved random teleportation, but by setting up a Boundary Array, one could actually fix the teleportation location; it was just that due to limited time, they had not managed to set it up yet.

Therefore, even now the demon cultivators entering the secret realm were randomly teleported to various places within it. Even though they had received the message, with the patrol of numerous Yin Spirits, it was not only hard to arrive at this place in time, but even arriving safely was no simple matter.

Soon, a large number of Yin Spirits appeared in front of everyone, and a fierce battle ensued as soon as the two sides met, with a flurry of spells being cast continuously.

However, compared to the diverse spells of the demon cultivators, the Yin Spiritsʼ spells seemed somewhat monotonous. Thankfully, there was an abundance of Yin Spirits, and the environment of the secret realm was more conducive to them, so gradually the demon cultivators were overpowered, unable to withstand the Yin Spirits.

Just when Li Zhirui thought that the demon cultivators were about to be overwhelmed and the portal to the secret realm was about to change hands, one of the demon cultivators suddenly activated a third-order talisman.

Suddenly, a foul stench wafted through the air and a speck of red light expanded instantly, forming a vast Blood Lake in the blink of an eye, enveloping all the Yin Spirits within it.

”Ah!”

As soon as the Yin Spirits touched the bloody water, they let out heart-wrenching screams, the pain conveyed in their cries causing even the distant Li Zhirui to shiver uncontrollably.

The blood water possessed an extremely strong corrosive force, and just upon contact, the bodies of the Yin Spirits began to dim; it was likely that in no time at all, they would be completely annihilated.

The Yin Spirits struggled to fly out of the Blood Lake, retreating rapidly with apprehension, not daring to advance any further. At the same time, they kept a wary eye on the demon cultivators while absorbing the dense Yin Qi from the heavens and earth.

Li Zhirui was somewhat surprised by this turnaround; he had not expected the demon cultivators to have such a powerful third-order talisman, which allowed the previously dominating Yin Spirits to be defeated in an instant.

And now, the situation was extremely favorable for him, a cultivator wanting to escape the secret realm.

Because after the battle between the two sides, even the victorious demon cultivators had expended a lot of mana, and their strength had declined.

Li Zhirui, however, did not act rashly but continued to wait. He wanted to see if the Yin Spirits still had a trump card, or wait until the demon cultivators began to recover their mana before making a move.

It turned out that his caution was warranted; although the Yin Spirits had suffered a great loss, they too had tricks up their sleeves!

A large number of Yin Spirits joined forces to cast a spell, and they managed to condense into a stream of Six Ghostly Waters, attacking the demon cultivators.

The Six Ghostly Waters is a degraded version of the legendary Netherworld Water, above which are the Six Ghostly Waters, and the Nine Nether Waters, which have mixed Netherworld Water, carrying some of the distinctive properties of Netherworld Water.

For instance, once touched, it cannot be easily removed, and it is useless against the flesh, specifically targeting the spiritual soul. In sufficient quantities, it can easily erode the spiritual soul of someone at the Foundation Establishment stage.

And that stream formed by the Six Ghostly Waters, summoned by the concerted efforts of the many Yin Spirits, was enough to annihilate all the demon cultivators present!

”Quick, dodge it!” Seeing the Six Ghostly Waters about to fall, the leading demon cultivator shouted loudly.

Fortunately, the demon cultivatorsʼ will was not weak, and most managed to dodge before the attack landed. Only one or two unlucky ones were drenched by the Six Ghostly Waters.

The Spirit Water quickly entered their bodies, and unlike the Yin Spiritsʼ previous agonized screams, they made no sound before suddenly losing all signs of life in front of everyone.

This terrifying, eerie manner of death not only made Li Zhirui swallow hard, but even the demon cultivators, accustomed to seeing various deaths, could not help but gulp down their saliva.