At the Skyveil Sect.
With the ancestral tablet floating beside him, Li Yunlin, who had once been disheveled, had now shaved the short, rough hairs on his face and changed his clothes. He looked just like the young man who had first arrived at the Skyveil Sect.
He stood at the highest point of the Skyveil Sect, looking down at the foot of the mountain. Many cultivators from outside the sect were arriving to offer assistance. The Skyveil Sect disciples were using formations to protect them, preventing them from being affected by the strange poisonous miasma outside the mountain gates.
Li Yunlin's eyes shone with a golden light.
In a flash, Daoist Jiuyou appeared behind him. He sighed and said, "Yunlin, you are the Sect Master of the Skyveil Sect. At this time of the Wu Clan invasion, do you truly intend to return to the Li family?"
"I am first and foremost a descendant of the Li family, and only then the Sect Master of this sect."
Li Yunlin smiled. "In this great calamity," he said, "I will not take the sect's disciples with me. But the Skyveil Hall..."
Daoist Jiuyou shook his head and smiled.
"Fellow Daoists are protecting the Skyveil Sect," he said. "No one will dare disturb it for the time being. You may take the Skyveil Hall with you."
"Thank you, Master!"
Li Yunlin smiled faintly and leaped into the air.
Nine fire lotuses surrounded him.
At that moment, everyone in the Skyveil Sect looked up. Above the sect, a dark space filled with stars was following Li Yunlin as he departed!
His expression was calm.
"Ancestor," he declared, "this time, I will fight on the front lines!"
...
On the main road leading to the Li family estate, a group of eight people were walking.
The one leading the way had his upper body bare, a blood-red saber strapped to his back. He was incredibly handsome, his body covered in mysterious runes.
Behind him followed five men and two women, all with powerful builds, clad in heavy armor. The ground trembled with each step they took.
Wherever they went, dark clouds gathered, and black mist swirled around them.
Behind them, lay the headless corpses of Wu Clan members. They walked through a path of blood.
Beside each of the Seven Ironclad, an ancestral tablet floated.
They were silent, but their killing intent grew heavier and heavier.
Suddenly, another group of Wu Clan members appeared from an unknown direction. They held their heads high, their eyes glowing red.
Li Yundou's thick lips parted wide.
"Take their heads back home as an offering to our ancestor!" he commanded.
...
[Thunderfire Cave]
Inside Li Yaoqing's cave, she was still being held aloft by the giant tree, having been dormant for an unknown length of time. It had been so long that the demon cultivators and righteous cultivators who had recently arrived at the Thunderfire Cave had only heard of the existence of the Saintess and the Deadly Pharmacist.
"Whoosh!"
Inside the cave, a sudden gust of wind stirred, seemingly out of nowhere. Li Yaoqing, still wearing her mask, opened her eyes and stared at the ancestral tablet floating before her, its surface gleaming!
"Ancestor," she said, "I understand. I have recovered. I will immediately—"
"—return home!"
As her gentle words faded, the entire cave, just like that day when Li Yaoqing sacrificed her lifespan for the three children's training, was filled with vibrant flowers and plants sprouting from the withered ground!
...
In the cave where thunder and lava converged, the ancestral tablet was glowing!
"Clang!"
Li Yaotie, who was lifting his massive hammer to forge, froze mid-swing. He raised his large, sweat-covered bald head, droplets of sweat trickling down his neck and onto his bulging muscles, his physique perfectly sculpted.
"The Wu Clan?" Li Yaotie exclaimed. "Don't worry, Ancestor! No matter what they are, I'll smash them all!"
Li Yaotie put down his hammer and walked toward the end of the cave.
As he slowly turned around...
Behind him, rows of spirit puppets opened their eyes. Their eyes, reflecting the molten lava within the cave, looked like stars in the night sky!
...
In the central area of the Thunderfire Cave, atop the palace built by Li Yunbing.
Li Yunbing was reclining in his seat, his head resting on the back of his hand, looking quite seductive.
He was now perhaps the oldest-looking among the Li family men, his white hair flowing loosely over his shoulders, his face full of wrinkles, and a white goatee adorning his chin.
The ancestral tablet beside his seat was glowing.
"The Wu Clan?"
Li Yunbing narrowed his eyes. His voice was deep, yet utterly indifferent. "Ancestor," he declared, "with this child here, the Wu Clan will not be able to step onto our family's land."
"The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs of the Demon Cavern."
"Twelve righteous paths of the Demon Subduing Alliance," Li Yunbing commanded,
"Hear my orders!"
As his words echoed, figures from all corners of the Demon Cave descended into the main hall, dividing themselves into two sides and standing respectfully, bowing deeply.
"Your orders, Demon Lord (Alliance Leader)!"
...
Time flowed slowly.
Li Wei watched his descendants return home, his heart filled with pride. His descendants had spent many years adventuring in the world, and each of them had left their mark on this land!
He still remembered, how the Li family descendants had vowed to him that one day, they would return to their ancestral home with honor and dignity.
Over the years, they had always strived for this homecoming.
They had endured hardships, but they never abandoned their identity as members of the Li family.
Now, they would stand united, facing the approaching enemy together!
In Green Valley Town, only Li Kuangren, Li Kuanghua, and the two Buddhist disciples were present at the estate.
Within Green Valley Town, everyone had prepared their weapons. They gazed into the distance, the ground trembling beneath their feet!
Cold sweat dripped down Huang Xiujin's face.
With his peak Golden Core cultivation, he could sense the legendary Wu Clan approaching from all directions. He could even see, further in the distance, enormous stone giants stomping across the land.
Although Green Valley Town had developed over the years, in the face of such power, it was as fragile as paper!
"One hundred and sixty thousand," he muttered, "one hundred and sixty thousand Wu Clan members."
Huang Xiujin closed his eyes tightly. Although he had learned a lot about the Wu Clan from Yu Xian, he had never imagined that he would have to face such a vast and terrifying horde of them.
In the face of such a massive force, even a Nascent Soul sect would probably only be able to barely hold on within their protective formations.
Within Green Valley Town, over a hundred thousand citizens had gathered. They were all trembling, feeling the oppressive aura of the Wu Clan!
"Grandpa Huang, it's alright."
Li Kuangtu forced a smile. He had made all the preparations, instructing the people of Green Valley Town to take up arms and prepare the formations. But everything still seemed so fragile. His eyes held a glimmer of hope. "I believe," he said, "that the elders will be able to return in time!"
"Yes."
Huang Xiujin nodded slightly. He recalled the past, and he, too, was willing to believe that those crazy and formidable members of the Li family would return and teach these Wu Clan members a lesson!
But before that, he was also prepared to sacrifice his life to ensure the escape of Li Kuangren and Qingyu.
At this moment, dark clouds seemed to hang over the Li family.
Suddenly, the expressions of Huang Xiujin and everyone else changed. A Wu Clan cultivator, riding a stone eagle and wielding a scepter, approached, laughing at the people within Green Valley Town.
As a scout at the Fake Core Formation stage, he could tell that the Li family, who dared to defy the entire Azure Cloud region according to the information from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, was nothing but a laughable joke.
Look at this so-called Bloodstained Family's estate, with only a single Golden Core cultivator!
Look at their formations, a mere six 'Eighth-Grade formations' and a single 'Seventh-Grade' formation.
They were even... using laughable crossbows!
"Priest," he reported, "this place is nothing special..."
The chieftain shouted towards the sky.
He was even still laughing, but his laughter froze in that instant.
Everyone within Zhi'en Town stared blankly at the scene unfolding outside the town.
"Haven't you heard the people of Azure Cloud region say that when the Li family members are scattered, they can suppress all directions, and when they gather, they become an indestructible force?"
"You, a mere Fake Core Formation cultivator, dare to make such arrogant claims outside our family's territory?"
A mocking voice rang out beside his ear.
The Pseudo Core Formation scout lowered his head in terror.
Blood stained his clothes.
---
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