Walking within the Eternal Immortal Sect, Li Changyao let out a long breath.
Those allies were indeed not wrong; they were truly terrified.
Li Changyao was currently the intermediary with these individuals, yet she had to hold something back in everything she did.
Given the overarching trend of the world, they could only trust themselves.
"I wonder how that child Jianning is faring with his cultivation here."
As she murmured to herself, Li Changyao headed toward the Eternal Immortal Sect's forbidden grounds.
Though termed 'forbidden,' the area was completely unguarded.
Before long, she spotted an elegant, middle-aged man with mottled gray hair sitting cross-legged before a bronze statue. On the ground beneath him was an eight-symbol array.
The majestic spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth's Five Elements poured into Li Jianning's body.
Li Jianning's twelve meridian acupoints could be seen acting like bottomless abysses, madly absorbing the ambient spiritual energy and forcefully charging toward a thirteenth meridian acupoint.
Li Jianning's expression was twisted in agony, as if he were enduring the torture of death by a thousand cuts.
Li Changyao's face darkened. "How could he actually believe the words of that old monster?"
It was a well-known fact within the family that Li Jianning was recklessly practicing chaotic cultivation methods.
Only the Old Ancestor doted on him to such an extent, using his immense Spiritual power to save Li Jianning three times when his life hung by a mere thread.
The Old Ancestor had simply said, "Since the child insists on persevering, then let him persevere."
"Once Jianning attains his Dao Fruit, I'll have him slay his master first!" Li Changyao took a deep breath.
Over the years, her investigations had also led her to Ancestor Lan.
This old monster was no benevolent figure; every so often, he would refine his disciples to death.
In truth, he had been silently observing the strange and erratic cultivation methods his disciples practiced, using them as test subjects to uncover the correct path of cultivation so he could safely practice it himself.
The disciples of the Eternal Immortal Sect suffered greatly from this, their grievances unspeakable.
However, this old monster wasn't entirely malicious. At the very least, he did not force anyone, showing that he still possessed a sliver of humanity.
Seeing that Jianning's cultivation was at the critical juncture of breaking through his meridian acupoint, Li Changyao found it inappropriate to disturb him.
Just as she was about to leave, a voice rang out from behind her.
"Good, what a fine seedling! An Ice Phoenix Physique! Eh? You are also of the Li Clan bloodline?
I have a cultivation method that can aid your cultivation, allowing you to transform into a Nine Heavens Ice Phoenix. I wonder if you would be willing..."
Hearing the remarkably kind and benevolent voice behind her, Li Changyao flew away without the slightest hesitation.
This left only Ancestor Lan behind, who stroked his beard and let out a long sigh.
"This little girl is too short-sighted. Just look at Jianning cultivating here with me; it can be said his future is boundless, and his path of the Dao is completely unobstructed."
As his voice faded, Ancestor Lan raised his head to observe the Heavenly Destiny.
Pinching his fingers in divination, twenty-four stone steles materialized within the cloudy void.
Names were carved upon each of these steles, causing him to stroke his beard and smile faintly.
"Soon, very soon. You have all sat high up there for far too long; it is about time to drag you down from your imperial thrones."
In the distance, Li Changyao had already returned to the clan grounds.
In the cloudy sky above Merit City, she saw that the two Old Ancestors, who had originally gone out to bring Great-Aunt home, had already returned and were still refining the "Void-Soul Exchanging Dao Technique."
She had originally intended to seek out her father, but heard that her father, Kuangren, along with Senior Bai Gen, had already taken the Three Corpses to Duskwild Prefecture to ask Fourth Prince about the fortuitous encounter for the Body Integration Dao Realm.
Meanwhile, Xinnian was personally leading the clan's descendants to deal with the surrounding Wu Race members.
Li Changyao silently made her way to the administrative office of the Heavenly Principle Hall, where a jade slip had long been spread open.
[Found the traces of the deserters: Marshal Bi Shihu and Prefecture Lord Yun Manlou.]
Within the family's Hidden Nest, a Dark Crow landed in Li Changyao's hand.
Heading toward the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
The Dark Crow landed in Huan Gui's hand. Beside her, a pale-faced young man covered in runes could be seen waking up.
"Sis, what is this?" Taotie asked weakly.
He had awakened a year ago, only to find himself already in the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
Upon hearing the news of Ling Xu's death, he wanted nothing more than to tear that bastard Zhen Wu to pieces.
Unfortunately, he was now severely injured and forced to hide within this Merit Grotto-Heaven, firmly under the thumb of the Azure Cloud Li Clan.
"A letter from the Li Clan."
Huan Gui frowned deeply. Over her past few years in the Thunder Fire Demon Lair, her anger toward Li Tianyi had subsided.
Three years ago, Li Tianyi had also stopped pestering her for forgiveness, simply because his disciple's younger sister had perished in Shadowfell Prefecture.
"A letter from the Azure Cloud Li Clan? Don't tell me they still expect us to serve them?" Taotie gritted his teeth.
The Azure Cloud Li Clan had played a direct hand in the annihilation of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
"Yes, Li Changyao of the Li Clan wants me to kill on their behalf."
Glancing at Taotie's injuries, Huan Gui smiled.
"We owe the Li Clan our lives. You just focus on recuperating. They are merely a few pests. Once this matter is concluded, you and I will have our freedom."
She then informed the Yidian Holy Monk and headed out of the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
The Yidian Holy Monk narrowed his eyes slightly, calculating the Heavenly Destiny.
Sensing a thread of qi tracking his whereabouts, the old monk let out a cold snort.
"Min Tiange, you treated me like captive livestock. Now that the Dao Seed is no longer upon me, do you still wish to establish a fortuitous encounter in the Western Border and break through to the Mahayana Realm?"
"Keep dreaming!"
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