The Founder of Qi Cultivation, Reincarnates?

Hearing this girl's words, every realize this woman's identity and all the youths in the surroundings cupped their fist and bowed their heads as they greeted her.

​ This Elder Hongji was one of the seven active elders in charge of the Imperial Academy. Her cultivation was at the Nascent Soul realm with some saying she was a step away from becoming a Soul Transformation realm existence.

Asides from being an Elder in charge of the Imperial Academy, she was also a member of the Li Royal Family.

Most of the high positions in the Imperial Academy were occupied by Li Clan members, with a few being from the various top Noble Families in the Imperial City.

As for why such a distinguished person would be here among the young members of the Li Clan, they didn’t know.

A few more notable elders were spread out across the Palace in hiding while watching this lightning tribulation. It seemed like they were standing guard, whether it was to protect the young members of the clan from this increasingly expanding tribulation or something else, it wasn’t clear.

But it could be seen the Li Clan had been condensing their strength over the last few months.

“Elder, could you tell us what you mean by your words?”

A youth asked Elder Hongji from the side.

Elder Hongji was unlike cultivators of her level who don’t interact much with low-level cultivators, even if they were fellow clan members.

She was known to have a respectable personality and would even show the same amount of respect to mortals as she would show to cultivators of the same level.

This could be seen as she was the only one that openly showed her presence instead of hiding.

Elder Hongji didn’t mind the question and she responded slowly.

“This lightning tribulation is a lightning calamity. A lightning calamity is fundamentally different from a Heavenly Tribulation. When one goes through a Heavenly Tribulation, they receive some leeway from the Heavens and even reap some benefits useful to them in their next realm of cultivation. But a Heavenly Calamity is when the heavens mark something or someone and sentence them to death. A Heavenly Tribulation would stop after one enters the next realm, so it has a time duration. But a Heavenly Calamity won’t stop until the person the heavens mark is completely eradicated.”

Everyone heard this and they sucked in a cold breath of air while they felt their scalps go numb.

To anger the heavens to the point it wants to kill that person no matter what, just what could this person have possibly done?

Looking at the dark clouds over the horizon that would occasionally have blue sparks of lightning inside, the youths in the surrounding shivered.

However, one observant youth suddenly thought of something and said in shock.

“Wait, then that means this person has been facing this Heavenly Calamity for nearly three days?!”

Everyone upon hearing that realize this fact and mirrored this person's shocked expression. The person who could face the wrath of the Heavens for almost three days and still continue even now wasn’t ordinary.

Just who could that person be?

One youth asked Elder Hongji, but she only shook her head meaning she did not know as well. She said the patriarch and the ancestors were investigating the scene.

At the same time at the periphery of the Heavenly Calamity, Li Shu's face was completely dark. Next to him was Fulong along with thirty or so people floating behind them.

These thirty people were the elders that quickly left the training grounds when this calamity had begun.

All of them had a somewhat archaic air around them and gave off terrifying Qi fluctuations. All of them were in the Nascent Soul Realm, with some of them being at the very peak of the realm.

This was a testament to the Li Clan’s power. With this many high-level Nascent Realm cultivators, they could fight one-on-one with any major power on the continent and not be on the losing end.

This was not even mentioning the truly old monsters hiding inside the Ancestral Grounds.

The saying that the Li Clan was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, wasn’t an exaggeration but an understatement.

It was just a pity that when those old monsters leave, the absolute edge the Li Clan had over the other powers would diminish tremendously. If any major power teams up, they could actually match the strength of the weakened Li Clan.

Right now everyone was mirroring Li Shu’s expression.

“Even the Guardian Treasure can’t occupy that space, this Heavenly Calamity has completely sealed off this area.”

Li Shu said with a solemn expression.

After a moment, Li Shu asked.

“Did you really see my son exit the dimension?”

The old man next to Fulong nodded his head, and despite being slightly older he still said respectfully.

“Yes, Clan Leader, I saw the Second Prince exit along with his friends. Immediately as he exited, this Heavenly Calamity formed.”

“It seems this is truly a result of that child of yours.”

Fulong said.

Hearing it being confirmed, the elders at the back felt a wave of shock flood their hearts.

They were wondering what that Second Prince could have possibly done to cause this terrifying calamity.

Li Shu’s eyes never left the Heavenly Calamity, he was contemplating how long he would survive if he went in now and help his son overcome the calamity.

Fu Long could tell Li Shu's thoughts and he sighed before saying.

“It’s useless even if your true body was here. It would only cause the calamity’s power to increase if anyone interferes. The only way is for that child to overcome it.”

Li Shu knew that, but he couldn’t just wait here while his son was in mortal danger. The only comfort he had was that despite being nearly three days, the Heavenly Calamity was still ongoing.

That meant his son was still alive, but at the same time, it also meant he was still in danger.

It was a complicated feeling that was eating away at Li Shu from the inside.

“Father!”

Upon hearing this voice, Li Shu turned his head to see his eldest son, Fu Wei approaching.

“Wei’er, you’ve exited seclusion?”

Fu Wei bowed respectfully to Fulong and the other elders, before he turned to his father and said.

“How could I continue my seclusion when this Heavenly Tribulation is disrupting the natural Qi flow in the entire Palace? I might even suffer Qi Deviation if I continue. But is this really a Heavenly Tribulation? It's more like a Heavenly Calamity, which senior from our clan triggered such a large-scale calamity?”

Fu Wei was shocked when he came closer and realized this wasn’t a Heavenly Tribulation, but a lighting calamity of a terrifying magnitude.

Li Shu nodded and said in a hoarse voice.

“It is, and your brother is the one going through it.”

"What, little Shen is?!"

Fu Wei looked at his father stunned.

It took him a moment to register his words.

Fu Wei soon turned back to look at the dark clouds and said emotionally.

“And we aren’t going to help little Shen?”

Li Shu was carefully watching his son’s actions. He thought he would charge towards the calamity when he heard it was Li Shen, but seeing how calm he was Li Shu knew he was thinking too much.

“We can’t, any help we can provide him will only endanger him more. But...”

Li Shu didn't finish his words, but those unfinished words hung in the air as silence fell in the surroundings.

Li Shu's unfinished words were that, if this really continued further, as a father he was going to rescue his son no matter the consequences.

Suddenly, Fu Wei's figure moved.

Li Shu didn’t hesitate to reach out and lock the space around Fu Wei before pulling him back.

He was actually charging towards the Heavenly Calamity. Li Shu thought this eldest son of his would act calmly and rationalize how stupid that decision was, but to think he would instead charge head first.

The Calamity seemed to have limits with even a Nascent Realm Cultivator could block the lightning with certain means. But once someone with a higher cultivation realm than the person enters the lightning calamity, its power would multiply to a level that was deadly for that cultivation realm.

As Fu Wei was being dragged back by his father, he didn’t resist. His gaze lingered on the dark clouds in worry.

If it was before, his worry for his little brother wouldn’t be this strong. But after regaining his true self that was in a deep sleep, over these past years his priorities slowly shifted. It went from wanting the throne just for the power and control it came with, to wanting it to protect his clan and everyone in it.

As for the place Li Shen had in his heart, whether his sudden overly concern for his safety was because of his guilty conscience for wanting to harm him previously, or because it was genuine concern for him, it didn’t really matter.

It might be both at this point.

“Little Shen, don’t you dare die.”

Fu Wei whispered in worry as he saw the Heavenly Calamity increase in size.

Li Shu began forming several hands seals, trying once more to see if the Li Clan's Guardian Treasure can overlap this space and observe inside the tribulation.