[Year 93: Your descendants, Li Kuangren, Li Kuangtu, and Li Kuanghua, have been repeatedly killed within the Heaven-Piercing for half a year. Their techniques and martial arts have improved, and their combat experience has greatly increased.]
While their techniques and martial arts did improve, when they emerged from the coffin, their eyes were vacant, and they were on the verge of collapse.
"Great-grandfather said that all our ancestors cultivated within that coffin."
Li Kuangren rubbed his face. "I didn't expect it to be so terrifying," he said.
"Indeed," someone agreed.
Their cultivation was only at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining. Facing the endless hordes of zombies within the Heaven-Piercing Coffin, they basically died every three seconds. Even after training inside for half a year, they still couldn't survive for more than thirty seconds.
"I can feel my true energy growing stronger. I'm not afraid anymore!" Li Kuanghua declared, puffing out her cheeks. At just eleven years old, she wore a black martial arts outfit. Standing at 1.4 meters tall, with a slender figure, she had a rather playful appearance.
She recalled the time three years ago when Huang Xiujin took her to the Hundred Fists Sect. Grandpa Huang had wanted her to kill her wet nurse and the Sect Master's wife. But facing those who had once bullied her, she couldn't bring herself to do it. After killing zombies for half a year in the Deathbringer Coffin, she could feel that she was definitely no longer afraid!
"Yes, not afraid! I'm not a coward!"
Li Kuangtu, also only eleven years old, was a handsome young boy, dressed in fine clothes. He flashed a bright smile, revealing his pearly white teeth. "The Divine Tree called me a coward," he declared. "I'll prove it wrong!"
As the three of them were talking, Li Dalong's voice startled them. "This is just the beginning," he said.
Li Kuangren turned around. "Great-grandfather," he asked, "is there more training? Let us rest..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the three children felt a sudden weight in their heads.
A person dressed in black appeared behind them and bowed to Li Dalong. Then showed a token of Dawn, and with Li Dalong's nod of approval, he took the three children and soared away on the clouds.
...
When they woke up, they saw a sect with a stone sword piercing the clouds, a truly magnificent sight. The place was crowded with people, and there was an arena below, where it seemed a competition was taking place.
"Is this a secret realm?" Li Kuangren asked, looking around in a daze.
"I... I don't know."
Li Kuangtu gulped.
Li Kuanghua hurriedly pulled her brothers behind a large tree, her face full of anxiety. "It's alright," she reassured them, "as long as they can't see us, we'll be fine."
But they were soon captivated by something.
A young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes particularly caught their attention. He stood on the arena like an unyielding pine tree, his sword case behind him emitting a resonant hum. The young man seemed to glance at them briefly.
Then, one by one, swordsmen from below the arena stepped onto the platform to duel with the young man. Despite the flashy sword techniques of those challengers, they were defeated one after another by the handsome youth's simple and unadorned swordsmanship!
It seemed that no matter what sword technique they used, he could counter it with a single strike.
Every time he defeated a swordsman, he would take their sword and store it in his sword case.
Until everyone in the Sword Pavilion was utterly defeated and demoralized!
The young man, with an impassive expression, took a cup of water from a stunned attendant, drank it, and turned away.
"He... he's walking towards us!"
"Ah? Wait, how did we get here?"
"Is this really a secret realm? I can't tell anymore!"
As the three children were in a state of confusion.
The handsome young man walked up to them. It seemed like he hadn't smiled in a long time, as if the smile was forced. "I am your Eldest Great-uncle," he said. "From now on, I will guide your cultivation."
"Eldest... Eldest Great-uncle?!"
Li Kuangren was instantly thrilled. He had grown up listening to stories about his elders, and Eldest Great-uncle was his biggest idol. Eldest Great-uncle was a chivalrous hero. It was said that he once, to refine a divine sword, used the blood of children in the Silver Iron Forest as a sacrifice, a hundred boys and girls a day.
It was Eldest Great-uncle who had chopped off Third Great-uncle's hands and feet, causing him to lose all his cultivation. Third Great-uncle could only refine puppets in hopes of regaining his strength.
The reason Fourth Great-grandmother was in a wheelchair was also because she was beaten by Eldest Great-uncle, leaving her unable to recover and even losing all her cultivation.
He constantly dreamed of following in Eldest Great-uncle's footsteps!
Both Li Kuangtu and Li Kuanghua looked at him with admiration. Eldest Great-uncle was a true legend in the family. He could even slay immortals with his sword!
Seven days later, their dreams were shattered.
The three children watched their Eldest Great-uncle, who had taken them to a noodle shop to eat and then asked them for money to pay the bill.
In the past few days, Eldest Great-uncle had spoken to them less than ten times.
They had thought that Eldest Great-uncle would take them to some mystical realm for cultivation, but, Li Yaozu took out a long list filled with the names of natural treasures required for Qi Refining cultivation.
The very next day, he secretly took them to raid a sect.
Yes, they did it under the cover of darkness, and there wasn't even a single guard present during the raid.
Fortunately, things returned to normal on the eighth day.
Eldest Great-uncle took them to a place called Azure Phoenix Mountain. Strangely, as soon as they arrived, cultivators soared into the sky above Azure Phoenix Mountain, and the sect-protecting formation was activated.
"I'm merely borrowing your Azure Phoenix Mountain's Heavenly Pond to aid my juniors," he declared. "Don't make me come back again, for I won't be alone next time."
"Do you perhaps have another Xuan Tianzi here?"
The sword case behind Eldest Great-uncle trembled, and the sound of sword cries could be heard. The three children could see the fear in the eyes of the Azure Phoenix Mountain disciples.
The grand formation opened, and the Azure Phoenix Mountain disciples, carrying various artifacts, lined the path to welcome them.
"Eldest Great-uncle," Li Kuangren asked with uncontainable curiosity, "where are we? And who is Xuan Tianzi?"
Li Yaozu stroked each child's head in turn.
"They are all the same," he said, "all stepping stones for my Li family."
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