Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Chapter 493 - 499: Injured

If the real Hu Qingshan were here, Li Zhirui would have turned and fled without hesitation, for he knew that his current self was no match for this seasoned Great Devil.

But if it was just a projection...

Li Zhirui felt he might as well give it a shot!

”Interesting! Interesting!” The corners of Hu Qingshanʼs eyes rose, as if he saw through Li Zhiruiʼs thoughts, and he chuckled, ”I havenʼt taken action in a long while, yet now Iʼm being underestimated by a junior.”

”If the seniorʼs true self were before me, I would surely turn and run, but against a mere projection, I do have some confidence in preserving my own life.”

As long as Hu Qingshanʼs mana in the projection ran out, it would soon dissipate, and then Hu Linghuan would be like a lamb to the slaughter!

However, if Li Zhirui actually managed to kill Hu Linghuan, it was highly likely to infuriate the old demon, which would spell disaster for the Li family.

Li Zhirui was well aware of the gravity of the situation, but one must not lose face in a battle of spirits. If his aura seemed weaker now, how could he exert his full strength later?

And since his life was not at stake, Li Zhirui naturally grew much bolder.

Moreover, the chance to clash with a top-tier fourth-order Great Devil was not an opportunity that came often. For Li Zhirui, this was an extremely valuable experience.

”Very well! Let me see what skills you, a young whelp, have to be so confident!” An extremely amused Hu Qingshan laughed furiously and, with a wave of his hand, several attacks came sweeping in.

The attacks were also Spatial Blades, but their power was incomparable to what Hu Linghuan could muster. Wherever the blade passed, space cracked inch by inch, carrying a destructive force trying to engulf Li Zhirui.

Li Zhixuan and the others had been sent dozens of miles away by Li Zhirui when the projection appeared. Without any worries behind him, he just needed to give it his all to deal with the projection.

”Thousandfold Water Lotus!”

With the spell quickly cast, Li Zhiruiʼs mana surged forth, and water lotuses began to appear out of thin air, growing densely around him.

Water has no constant shape!

The blade could easily cut through the water lotus, but it did not dissipate back into the world. Instead, it melted into puddles of Spirit Water, which eventually gathered into a serene blue lake.

Flowers wilt and bloom. The water lotus continued to grow endlessly, using the lake as a foundation, constantly forming new ones to weaken the opponentʼs attack.

”Interesting. With your current realm, you actually have a good grasp of both the Virtue of Water and the Virtue of Wood. You deserve the title of a genius,” Hu Qingshan complimented, then his tone shifted, ”But if this is all youʼre capable of, you might as well stay here!”

With a single push of his hand forward, the lake was completely shattered, Spirit Water splashed everywhere, no longer able to create water lotus defenses.

The remaining momentum was still fierce, unstoppable as it smashed towards Li Zhirui.

”Your action has actually done me a great favor!” A smile formed on Li Zhiruiʼs lips, but in the next moment, he was suppressed by a giant palm.

ʼNot right!ʼ

The moment it made contact with Li Zhirui, Hu Qingshan knew what he had struck was not his real body.

Boom——

A Plant Spirit, into which Li Zhirui had poured most of his mana, explosively self-destructed, inflicting substantial damage on the projection, which now appeared much fainter.

But by this time, Li Zhiruiʼs forcibly recovered mana was once again nearly depleted, temporarily leaving him unable to use more powerful spells.

”Have you run out of tricks already?” Hu Qingshan looked at Li Zhirui somewhat disappointedly. It was rare to encounter such an interesting cultivator. What a pity.

”Senior, goodbye! I hope there will be another chance to cross swords,” Li Zhirui said. As his voice fell, he disappeared from view.

The technique he employed was known as the Water Transformation Skill, which allowed him to turn into a pool of liquid. As long as he did not act aggressively or reveal his killing intent, he was indistinguishable from any ordinary liquid, making it very difficult to detect Li Zhiruiʼs trail.

And from this bout with Hu Qingshanʼs phantom, Li Zhirui had gained a lot.

The intense pressure had allowed him to break through a minor bottleneck in his cultivation, enabling him to improve his cultivation level once more.

Though it was not a breakthrough to the middle phase of the Nascent Soul, it was still a significant advance, at least bringing him a step closer.

Also, it was due to the pressure brought on by Hu Qingshan that Li Zhirui gained a deeper understanding of the spells he had created himself, which he could continue to refine.

For a Nascent Soul True Lord, creating a Divine Power is almost impossible, for Divine Powers are a manifestation of the Laws, and Nascent Souls have only just begun to come into contact with the Laws. How could they accomplish such a profound feat?

But perfecting a few spells was no issue.

”What a pity, not being able to eliminate this young man now, he may become a great trouble in the future!” Hu Qingshan looked towards Li Zhiruiʼs retreating figure and sighed helplessly.

From the very first moment of their encounter, he had entertained the thought of slaying him, and indeed, if his true form werenʼt preoccupied with more pressing matters, making it impossible to be present, Li Zhirui would have had no chance to escape.

Alas, by now it was too late for such thoughts.

Hu Qingshan glanced at Hu Linghuan and sighed deeply in his heart. His descendent had always had things too easy, and now, faced with this setback, it was highly possible he would not recover.

If he could overcome this obstacle, Hu Linghuan would face enormous growth, but if he failed, his journey was likely to end here.

——

”Cough! Cough!”

Meanwhile, Li Zhirui, who had narrowly escaped with his life, suddenly began to cough violently, as if he was about to expel all of his internal organs, and many crimson blossoms bloomed on the ground.

”Jiu, are you alright?” Li Zhixuan asked urgently.

This disaster had been triggered by her, and if Li Zhirui were injured, she would be overwhelmed by guilt.

”Iʼm fine, just some accumulated blood stasis from the battle, it will be better once I spit it out,” Li Zhirui stated, his complexion a bit pale, but otherwise, he appeared to be without serious harm.

But in reality, his internal organs had suffered fairly serious injuries. It was just that the likes of Li Zhixuan and others couldnʼt help him, and bringing it up would only cause them worry without aiding his recovery in the slightest.

”After this battle, that fourth-order Great Devil should no longer trouble our family.”

Next, Li Zhirui planned to focus on his cultivation, to strive to the utmost to advance his realm and strengthen his abilities.

But before that, he needed to heal his injuries and then push for elders like Li Dayuan to step down from their positions of power.

The group returned to Wanxian Island in silence.

Seeing Li Zhirui and the others return safely, Li Shiqing and the rest of the Li family sighed with relief.

After discussing the familyʼs next moves, they all dispersed.

”Jiu, I will work hard at my cultivation, striving to help you shoulder the familyʼs burdens as soon as possible,” Li Zhixuan said somewhat abruptly before leaving.

Li Zhirui was momentarily taken aback, then cracked a smile and replied, ”Good! Then Iʼll be looking forward to your performance.”