Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan-Chapter 434 - 440: Grand Ceremony
"What Spiritual Objects should we gift for the Li family's Nascent Soul ceremony?" Lei Tian asked the elders below in an even tone, completely indifferent to the anger and contempt in the eyes of some of them.
Many elders believed that his continued position as Sect Leader was pure luck, a fluke, and quite a few of them were scheming to unseat him and replace him with someone from their own faction.
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"I recall that we have a piece of fourth-grade Blue Yin Yang Wood in the storeroom, why don't we give that?"
Another elder from a different faction immediately opposed the suggestion, saying, "That's inappropriate! The Yin Yang Wood is extremely valuable and rare, how can we simply give it away?"
And thus, what was supposed to be a proper meeting turned into a scene resembling a quarrel, with both sides locked in an endless dispute, neither willing to back down.
Lei Tian, however, remained aloof, like a man above the fray, quietly observing the drama unfold before him without any intention to intervene. After all, the fiercer they argued, the more the rift between them would grow, making his own position more secure.
"Enough!"
"What are you all quarreling about!"
The leading elders of both factions, as if by a tacit agreement, spoke up, putting an end to what had become a farce for others to scoff at.
"Let's gift the piece of Cleansing Spirit Wood from the storeroom. What do you think, Elder Er?"
"Hmm, that sounds good. Let's go with what the Great Elder says."
The two elders did not care what Lei Tian thought and swiftly decided on the gift, and in their exchange, they also chose the two elders who would attend the banquet.
"Since we've agreed on the matter, I'll be taking my leave." With that, the Great Elder stood up and departed.
Elder Er didn't even utter a word, he strode away quickly, completely disregarding Lei Tian.
However, within a short while, the once somewhat crowded hall was left with only a few elders and Lei Tian, whose face was as dark as water.
But faced with such disdain, Lei Tian could not burst out in anger, because he had previously thought he was going to be removed from the position of Sect Leader. Thinking his faction would be purged, he had told them to step down voluntarily to retain their honor and wealth.
To everyone's surprise, Lei Tian was not ousted!
Yet those elders could not come back, so now, Lei Tian was almost in a state of solitary isolation, his power greatly diminished.
"Hmph! I, Lei Tian, will remember this!"
----
After much hard work from the numerous clan members, Li Zhirui's Nascent Soul ceremony was finally ready!
The invitations had been sent out, and now they only awaited the auspicious day and time, three days later, to commence the grand celebration.
Li Dayuan, as the Clan Leader, went through the preparations countless times, ensuring there could not be the slightest mistake, for it would be an embarrassment in front of thousands of people and dozens of powers!
This was something Li Dayuan would not allow!
Days and nights passed in succession, and the three days went by in a blink.
Dang dang dang—
At dawn, the Dharma Bell on Wanxian Island rang, summoning all members of the family who were not in seclusion or cultivation to step out of their rooms and take their positions.
Before long, the first congratulatory power arrived. It was one of Li family's Foundation Establishment dependents, whose sect was located within the territory of Yunping State. They had been fortunate enough to survive the Devil Beast invasion mostly intact, one of the best-preserved, humble glaucous perennials.
Afterward, one after another, all the Foundation Establishment powers arrived as if they had arranged a sequence amongst themselves, with not a single Golden Core power showing up at that time.
Only after all the Foundation Establishment powers had assembled did a Golden Core power make its appearance, followed by the Xuanfa Pavilion, and the three strongest forces of Green Mountain State: Wood Spirit Sect, and Spiritual Cloud Sect, marking the end of this round of entries.
"Xuanfa Pavilion presents a fourth-grade Green Heaven Pill Recipe as a congratulatory gift, wishing True Lord Li success in his cultivation and his path to Ascension!"
A loud and clear announcement of the gift stirred discussions among the cultivators present—they had not expected the Xuanfa Pavilion to be so generous.
There were cultivators who understood that the gift from Xuanfa Pavilion was just a gesture; a fourth-grade Pill Recipe was precious indeed, yet in reality, it was just that. After all, if you possess the original, you could replicate it countless times.
"Southern Edge Commerce Association presents a fourth-grade Red Sun Treasure Pill Recipe as a congratulatory gift, wishing True Lord Li significant progression in his cultivation and success in becoming immortal!"
As expected! The Li family already had connections with the Southern Edge Commerce Association, otherwise, how could such a grand gift be given for Zhirui's Nascent Soul ceremony?
However, it was too late to become aware of this now, as the Li family had already amassed enough strength to stand up against Shen Leishan. Moreover, with Zhirui's achievement of the Nascent Soul realm, the Li family had essentially broken free from the control of Shen Leishan, no longer a vassal to the mountain.
"Shen Leishan presents a fourth-grade Cleansing Spirit Wood..."
Compared to the two Pill Recipes, this piece of Spirit Wood was not as valuable, but it was more practical.
Since no Nascent Soul True Lord was present in person, tasks such as reception were naturally not something Zhirui needed to handle personally. Li Zhixuan, Li Dayuan, and Li Chengshuo, the trio was sufficient for such matters.
A Golden Core cultivator, a Clan Leader, and a True Lord's direct daughter—all were of suitably high status and would not leave guests feeling snubbed.
"Now that everyone has arrived, let's serve the dishes!" Seated at the head of the table were Li Shiqing and Li Shilian, two elders responsible for entertaining the numerous guests.
The empty seat of honor was naturally reserved for Zhirui, to be used for his sermon after the banquet had concluded.
Dish after dish of exquisite delicacies were brought to the jade tables, Spirit Food, Spiritual Wine, Spirit Fruit, and all sorts of Spiritual Objects, which left the guests in awe. Amidst the clinking of cups and laughter, a group of dancers, draped in sheer veils, sashayed gracefully into the room.
As the strings of the lute were plucked, a melodious and continuous tune filled the air, capturing the attention of all the cultivators. The dancers moved, and their long sleeves fluttered like celestial clouds descending to the mortal realm, while the pearls and jewels on their bodies jingled softly.
When the final note of the lute died away, the dancers, like fairies from the heavens, drifted away, leaving many cultivators melancholy and still savoring the moments just passed.
There were also many cultivators who remained alert, awaiting Zhirui's arrival.
"Roar!"
"Screech!"
Suddenly, a dragon's roar and an eagle's shriek tore through the sky, followed by an overwhelming pressure that swept over the attendees, making it hard to breathe.
The two Golden Core cultivators from Shen Leishan paled as they felt the pressure; they had experienced the Nascent Soul pressure before and hence knew the difference it bore.
But hadn't Zhirui just broken through less than two years ago? Why was his pressure comparable to that of Yun Lei and Qing Lei, the two elders?
Zhirui, dressed in a green Taoist robe, was seated atop Cang, slowly descending onto the prominent main seat.
"Greetings to True Lord!" The crowd bowed respectfully,
'Is that a True Dragon?!' Some of the closer Golden Core cultivators stole a glance and were deeply shocked when they saw the small Cang behind Zhirui.
This was a True Dragon, the legendary Divine Beast! Once mature, it could match the might of a Nascent Soul, even a Divine Transformation, True Dragon!
