Immortal Domain.
Before the high tower, Zhao Qingguang remained kneeling, refusing to rise.
Many heads of households knelt alongside him; they had already been kneeling for over half a month.
Someone emerged from the tower, a member of the Zhao Clan's Xianhe lineage.
That person glanced at Zhao Qingguang with disdain and sneered, "Zhao Qingguang, oh Zhao Qingguang. You have already been stripped of your position as Family Head by the Clan Elders. Why do you persist in this endless pestering?
If not for the fact that you have made considerable contributions over these past hundred-plus years, I fear you would have already been punished."
"I want to see the Clan Elder!"
Zhao Qingguang gritted his teeth and said, "The longer I stay in this Duravia Trade Prefecture, the more I understand the Li clan.
This family must absolutely not be opposed.
In the past, Tian Xing of Azure Mist Mountain had thousands of avatars walking the world.
The techniques, cultivation methods, and rare physiques he obtained were all seized by the Li clansmen.
It is because of this that their older clansmen were able to break through to the Divinity Transformation realm within this past century."
"Li Dalong's Dharma Treasure, the Spirit Coffin, is by no means as simple as the rumors claim.
His wife received the true inheritance of the Demon Clan's Fox Saint—the true inheritance of a genuine Integration realm mighty figure.
Li Yaozu cultivates the Sword Dao and has traveled every path in the world; even the Pavilion Master of the Sacred Sword Pavilion, who received the true inheritance of the Pavilion Elder, was no match for him.
And Li Yaoqing... what she practices is a Divine Art—it must be a Divine Art. The medicinal pills she refines bear the shadow of ancient spirit pills..."
Zhao Qingguang continued to speak without pause.
Inside the high tower, three figures sat cross-legged in a triangle formation.
They frowned repeatedly as Zhao Qingguang's voice continued to drift into the tower.
"Li Yaotie's spirit puppet techniques are unconstrained and imaginative; he has learned every single one of that old fogey from the Heavenly Light Sect's unorthodox methods.
If not for his refusal to contend, how could the position of Master of the Heavenly Light Sect have fallen to Wang Jinhu?
Li Yaowen is unfathomable; for over a hundred years, I haven't found even a shred of news about her."
"That Li Yunlin obtained the true inheritance of the Skyveil Sect.
Rumor has it that one hundred and thirty thousand years ago, at the dawn of the Dynasty, Azure Cloud gathered the Dynasty's mighty figures to jointly resist foreign enemies.
I fear all of Azure Cloud's legacy lies with him.
The seven children of the 'Yun' generation cultivate the true inheritance of the Demonic Path, and beside them is an undying fiend who is currently growing!"
"And then there are the Three Thieves..."
The strengths of the Li family members were enumerated one by one, the voice continuing to drift into the tower.
"Hmph." Zhao Jingmiao let out a cold snort.
"Two Clan Elders, it seems that with our Zhao Clan's re-emergence into the world, the young people have lost their mettle, scared out of their wits by a small family of this era."
That Zhao Qingguang came from Zhao Buqun's lineage.
Zhao Buqun stroked his beard and laughed, "Jingmiao, you go too far. Qingguang is the Family Head, after all; being cautious is merely for the sake of the family's future.
He is seeing the world for the first time, and the experiences of the Li clan are indeed extraordinary, so it is common for him to be timid because of it."
"Yes, Clan Elder." Zhao Jingmiao nodded slightly.
"What the Clan Elder says is true. As the saying goes, 'Know the enemy and know yourself,' but it is a pity that Zhao Qingguang only knows the enemy, yet does not know the Clan."
"Hahaha!"
Zhao Buqun laughed loudly. "If we truly let the juniors know of our affairs, I fear it would give them a fright."
Having spoken, a trace of gravity flashed across Zhao Buqun's face.
"However, we must guard against the Li clan. That Zhuo Linlin and the Martial Emperor are truly formidable members of the younger generation.
If those two are dead set on being used by the Li family, we have no other choice.
Now that a member of the Li clan has lost his life, have they made any moves?"
"No moves yet. The Immortal-Martial Li family is holding a funeral."
Fairy Bai glanced at Zhao Jingmiao and said calmly, "Jingmiao, your Xianhe lineage is too presumptuous.
To kill a junior of the Li family over a mere Heaven and Earth Spirit Spring is truly a foolish act.
Afterward, a disciple of your lineage even sent a supreme-grade spirit artifact, calling it compensation, but it was no different from an insult.
Your juniors bully others too far; in the future, they must be disciplined more strictly."
"Ancestor Bai..." Although Fairy Bai's tone was flat, it caused Zhao Jingmiao's expression to change.
"It is only because the Li clan occupies the lands of these two prefectures and is an enemy of my Zhao Clan that I am saving you some face." Fairy Bai's eyes were filled with coldness.
"If such despicable acts are committed again in the future, bringing disaster upon our clan, I will personally wipe them out, ensuring they can never return to the mortal world."
Seeing Fairy Bai's tone turn grim and cold, Zhao Buqun hurriedly smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, alright. Things have already come to this; what is the point of assigning blame now?"
With that said, Zhao Buqun smiled.
"My Immortal Zhao Clan's million clansmen have finally recovered their vitality after much difficulty; there is no need to worry over such trifling matters.
With the world in great chaos, now is the precise time for our clan to restore its glory and claim a place for ourselves in this world."
"Furthermore, our Zhao Clan now has the support of Crown Prince Sheng.
The Crown Prince has promised that if we eradicate the Li clan, the lands of these two prefectures will belong to our Zhao Clan to live and multiply.
The overall situation is already set.
The children of the Xianhe lineage provoking the Li clan actually happened at an opportune moment.
If they let the matter rest here, then so be it; we will simply let them live a few days longer.
But if they refuse to accept it, then let us see if they are truly as fierce and brave as the rumors suggest."
"When that time comes..."
Hearing this, Zhao Jingmiao sneered. "When that time comes, the Li clan will realize just what kind of behemoth they are facing.
It is a powerful existence the likes of which they have never heard of, never seen, and is utterly unknown to them!"
"The Li clan is nothing more than a slightly conspicuous shrub along the path of my clan's journey to immortality."
Winds and clouds surged in the Immortal Domain.
Beneath the countless high towers, it seemed as if a terrifying existence was on the verge of awakening at any moment.
...
"They are people who are already dead, Yuanshang; why do you treat this with such gravity?"
At the Merchant Li family residence, Su Chen's brow was tightly furrowed.
Li Yuanshang shook his head and continued, "One hundred and sixty thousand years ago, these three people alone were enough to make the Immortal Zhao Clan live up to the name 'Immortal.'
With them present, the Zhao Clan was impregnable; I imagine ordinary powers would have no desire to provoke them."
Su Chen deeply agreed.
Even at the peak of his past life, he would not have wished to make an enemy of such an ancient aristocratic family.
Those three Void Refining cultivators could all be considered outstanding figures within their realm.
"These three managed internal affairs, while the other three managed external affairs."
Li Yuanshang's tone was grave.
"One was a bladesman. There were saber marks within the ruins.
The senior accompanying the Clan Elder said that there is no saber qi in this world as all-conquering as this.
His techniques were devoted entirely to slaughter; ordinary Dharma Treasures would be severed with a single strike."
"There were also dead found within the ruins bearing no wounds.
The senior said it must have been someone cultivating Soul Techniques, killing without form.
Even within a Void Refining Space, this person used their soul to slay enemies, and their illusion techniques were formidable.
A Void Refining Fiend lost their life to them, likewise bearing no wounds, killed in a single blow."
"The last one..."
Su Chen narrowed his eyes. As Li Yuanshang continued to speak of those who had died, he seemed to gradually realize something.
As they spoke.
A servant of the Merchant Li family arrived in a hurry, causing Su Chen's heart to skip a beat.
The servant bowed and said, "Reporting to the Family Head: Crown Prince Sheng and the Crown Princess, having accepted the invitation from you and the Lord Imperial Preceptor, are already on their way."
"You may withdraw."
Li Yuanshang waved his hand slightly, then smiled at Su Chen.
"There was one more person. He cultivated Charm techniques.
Though a man, he was skilled at changing into the skins of peerless beauties and possessed naturally seductive bones.
The clan elders only learned of him after finding his human skin, though identifying him took some effort."
"These are the six experts of the Immortal Zhao Clan from one hundred and sixty thousand years ago who allowed the Zhao Clan to stand proud in the world."
Li Yuanshang slowly rose to his feet. Together with Su Chen, who was gritting his teeth, they walked out to welcome Crown Prince Sheng and the Crown Princess.
His voice was faint and eerie. "And one of them... has arrived."
The voice was not loud, yet it caused a storm to rise in Su Chen's heart, waves crashing ten thousand feet high.
Damn it, just what kind of perverts is the family facing?
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