Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan

Li Zhirui had just returned to his cave abode when Li Chengshuo greeted him warmly, his eyes pleading as he asked, "Father, can you tell me about your experiences while you were out cultivating?"

"Of course, I can!"

Li Zhirui answered with a smile; however, he had barely opened his mouth when Jiang Fengwu interrupted him, "Your father has just returned, exhausted from his journey. Don't bother him now."

As soon as Jiang Fengwu spoke, Li Zhirui decisively shut his mouth. Li Chengshuo wanted to persist, but after receiving a stern glance from her, he obediently left.

Once the pair entered the room, Jiang Fengwu couldn't wait to ask, "Are you hurt? Did you encounter many dangers?"

"It's all right, it's all right, I've come back safely, haven't I?"

To soothe Jiang Fengwu, Li Zhirui took out the Nascent Soul Pill, smiling as he said, "This is the gift I've brought back for you."

Although Jiang Fengwu was not an alchemist, she still recognized the renowned Nascent Soul Pill. Her heart started racing, thumping loudly, betraying her excitement.

Once she had calmed down, she shook her head and refused, saying, "You should take this precious pill for yourself. I still have a long way to go before my breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm."

"I no longer need it, so naturally, I should keep it for you."

Jiang Fengwu still refused to accept it, "Isn't there Zhiyue? Her cultivation speed is faster than mine; she's more suitable for it."

"Hmph!" speaking of her, Li Zhirui couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, "She doesn't have the family in her heart, don't bother with her."

Hearing this, Jiang Fengwu frowned but chose not to press the issue further. After all, Li Zhiyue was still his clan's younger sister and, one could say, someone Li Zhirui had watched grow up. It was better not to speak out to avoid being criticized by both sides.

"I'll keep it for now, and give it to you when you need it." After mentioning Li Zhiyue, he immediately lost interest in the conversation. He told Jiang Fengwu and decided to get some sleep.

After returning to Wanxian Island, Li Zhirui's life suddenly became leisurely and comfortable. Although he had many tasks to do every day, they lacked the urgency he had felt before.

Time passed neither swiftly nor slowly until, after a few months, there was a stir in Li Chengsheng's quiet chamber of seclusion!

"Is Sheng about to make a breakthrough?!" Since Li Zhirui had not established his foundation on his own, he didn't understand this very well; his judgment was based solely on the fluctuations of spiritual energy nearby.

The entire process was very calm, and without the issues Li Zhirui had worried about, Li Chengsheng made his breakthrough, becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator! And he had established the foundation on his own!

If he could form a Golden Core, there was a good chance that he would acquire a Heavenly Gifted Divine Power suitable for him!

Just by observing Li Zhirui, one could understand how important and convenient Heavenly Gifted Divine Powers were. They could be invoked with just a thought, were essentially instant-cast, and consumed little mana.

Li Chengsheng secluded himself for a few days to consolidate his cultivation. Upon emerging, he saw his waiting family, including Li Zhirui, and couldn't hide his excitement as he said, "Father! Mother! Shuo! I've successfully broken through!"

"Not bad, but on the path of cultivation, Foundation Establishment is just the first step. You mustn't become arrogant and allow your cultivation to stagnate," Li Zhirui stepped forward as the voice of reason, dousing him with a cold reality check amidst the warm occasion.

Li Chengsheng was momentarily stunned, but quickly grasped the good intentions behind Li Zhirui's words. He nodded solemnly, saying, "Father, rest assured, I will continue to maintain a singular focus on my Dao and won't be distracted by these matters."

On the side, Li Chengshuo watched with envy. Her twin brother was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while she remained stuck in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

This stimulation also made her determined to seize the time to make a breakthrough as soon as possible, and it could not be with the aid of Foundation Establishment Pills.

After Li Chengsheng had broken through to Foundation Establishment, he sought out Li Shiqing, who imparted to him the subsequent cultivation techniques, because Li Zhirui had brought back a more complete and perfect version of the "Wanling Sutra," which filled the gaps of the previous incomplete version.

Only after he had acquired a certain understanding of the cultivation technique of the Foundation Establishment chapter did Li Zhirui begin to resolve his questions and give guidance on his cultivation.

One day, as Li Zhirui was explaining the essentials of Foundation Establishment cultivation to Li Chengsheng, Da Qing's voice suddenly resounded in his Sea of Consciousness.

"I have matters to attend to today, so let's end here early," he said, and without giving Li Chengsheng a chance to react, vanished without a trace.

Li Zhirui had good reason for his haste—it was that the fifth-grade Spirit Beast Egg was about to hatch!

It is known that many Spirit Beasts suffer from the imprinting phenomenon, where they naturally develop dependence, affinity, and other emotions towards the first living creature they see upon being born.

He had rushed back so eagerly just to not miss this opportunity to bond with the newborn Spirit Beast.

Moreover, to prevent complications, Li Zhirui was prepared to sign a contract with it immediately.

"Crack, crack—"

The Spirit Beast Egg cracked bit by bit, revealing a tiny, slender dragon with adorable little horns on its head, entirely azure, and covered with fine dragon scales. Were it not for having only three toes, one would mistake it for a Divine Beast, an Azure Dragon!

This display was enough to show how rich the True Dragon bloodline was within this Spirit Beast. Perhaps after a couple more upgrades, it might evolve into a True Dragon.

Although the number of upgrades was low, the difficulty had increased dramatically. Li Zhirui might not encounter such a chance in his entire life.

"Little one, let's sign the contract first."

The newly born dragon had no capacity to resist and was placed by Li Zhirui into the Formation, where he quickly completed the contract.

"From now on, your name will be Qingcang, little Cang," Li Zhirui decided joyfully as he named the young dragon.

He left little Cang in the space under Da Qing's care and returned to his quiet room, contemplating how to nurture it so as not to waste its natural gifts.

"It would be best to increase his True Dragon bloodline!" In time, he wouldn't need to worry about devising strategies for its growth; as time passed, little Cang would naturally mature.

However, little Cang's bloodline was already very rich, and upgrading it now would require extremely precious Spiritual Objects—items that Li Zhirui could not afford in the short term.

He could only proceed slowly! Li Zhirui sighed helplessly, possessing the will but not the means.

When Jiang Fengwu and her two children first saw little Cang, their reactions were shock and disbelief. Even the usually lively Li Chengshuo became stuttered due to the astonishment and said, "Dad, did you actually manage to obtain a True Dragon as a Contracted Spirit Beast?!"

"Take a closer look; although Cang looks similar to a True Dragon, there are differences."

True Dragons are five-clawed, while Cang has only three.

Here, the claws refer not to the claws themselves but to the number of toes!