"Not good, a Foundation Establishment expert!"
Li Dalong cried out and stopped what he was doing.
Feeling how powerful the cultivator was, the Li Family members hurriedly gathered around Li Dalong.
"Oh? What kind of magic artifact is this? It turns into ten? And they look like ancestral tablets. That's interesting."
The Foundation Establishment cultivator gazed at the ten tablets before the Li Family, intrigued.
"Who are you? Why are you trying to harm the Li Family?!"
Li Dalong looked rough around the edges, but he had a thoughtful side, and he could tell that this disaster-stricken mob's invasion was connected to the cultivator before him.
But with the Ancestral Tablet standing before him, he felt much more at ease.
"Oh? Your family's pretty interesting, too."
The cultivator raised an eyebrow. "The disaster refugees came from Tailin Town. Who do you think I am?"
"The Hu Family?!"
Li Dalong gritted his teeth. The only person he could think of was Hu Wei, who had clashed with him before.
"Smart man. You catch on quick."
The cultivator grinned, not taking the Li Family seriously. In fact, he hadn't made a move all this time because he wanted to see what trump cards the Li Family had. Now it seemed they were just one big family, along with a few ordinary demonic beasts to fight for them—nothing to worry about. "When I emerged from seclusion this time, my grandson told me that a family living in these remote mountains had killed one of his Qi Refining eighth-layer subordinates. At first, I didn't believe him, but now it looks like you really were the ones who did it."
"Hu Wei." Li Dalong's face darkened. "I've never offended your Hu Family, and Hu Wei even beat me until I was badly injured. Why are you hounding us like this?"
"Hounding you? Not really."
The cultivator brushed the dust from his hem and glanced at the Li Family members with disdain. "You people aren't worth my attention. I just looked into your background because I was curious. You were born a slave, so how did you become a Qi Refining seventh-layer expert in less than twenty years? And your children, tsk, tsk. They've turned out more promising than mine."
"Just look at your demonic beasts. They'd fetch a high price. This is all so interesting. My useless grandson has finally done something that pleases me."
The cultivator's mocking laughter abruptly stopped, and his expression turned cold.
"Now tell me: what secret are you hiding? Hand over your treasures, and I'll spare your lives!"
"And that broken tablet of yours. You don't actually think that useless magic artifact can protect you, do you?"
The Li Family members said nothing, merely glancing at the Ancestral Tablet.
There was a secret. They had a mysterious ancestor!
But...
"I'll tell you what your eighteen generations of ancestors can do!"
Li Dalong's eyes turned bloodshot. He snatched the longbow from Li Yaotie, nocked an arrow, and poured all his spiritual power into it. The iron bow creaked as if it were cracking from within!
He didn't know how the ancestor existed.
He didn't know how incredible the secret behind the Ancestral Tablet was.
He only knew that, as a descendant of the Li Family, he would never reveal the slightest hint of the ancestor's existence—even if it cost him his life. And he would fight for the ancestor's honor!!!
"Whoosh!"
The arrow, carrying true qi, ripped through the air with a furious roar.
It was a testament to the resolve of every member of the Li Family!
As Li Dalong's arrow flew, every member of the Li Family clenched their weapons. Li Yaozu even thrust out a blade of Sword Qi.
But...
It was useless!
The arrow, infused with most of Li Dalong's true qi, was caught effortlessly by the Hu Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor. Li Yaozu's Sword Qi couldn't even pierce his protective true qi!
"I think you'd be better off handing over everything you've got—the treasures and the secrets."
The Hu Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor looked down at Li Dalong as he drew his bow again, wearing the air of a man toying with his prey. He strolled forward, casually fending off their attacks as he approached the Li Family.
As long as these trash were frightened enough, he'd have no trouble making them cough up what he wanted!
"Just what I'd expect from the descendants I raised."
Watching the Li Family descendants face a Foundation Establishment expert in the game without so much as flinching, still standing against their foe even after using every last bit of their true qi, Li Xiang felt a strange swell of pride. At that moment, he no longer saw them as game characters, but as real members of his clan.
He even hoped these Li Family members were his family in the real world.
Then.
His gaze fixed on the Hu Family Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he grinned. "You're pretty cocky, huh?"
The ten tablets floating before the Li Family finally moved!
The first flew toward the Hu Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor. His opponent was just about to block it.
He pressed R. It exploded!
"Not good!"
This time, the Hu Family Ancestor finally retreated in a hurry, hastily using his true qi to block the blast. He hadn't expected these strange tablets to have a trick like this!
"The ancestor's unleashing his divine might!"
"Kill that bastard!"
When the Li Family members saw the tablet drive the Hu Family Ancestor back, their eyes lit up.
"It has that kind of power?"
The Hu Family Ancestor frowned at another tablet as it began to move. He snorted. "I'd like to see what this useless thing can do to me!"
This time, the Hu Family Ancestor sent his flying sword at it!
"Boom!"
Li Xiang controlled the tablet and made it explode again, blasting the flying sword away.
Then he quickly sent two tablets hurtling toward the Hu Family Ancestor and pressed R!
"Let's see how cocky you are now!"
Amid the explosions, the Hu Family Ancestor retreated again!
A strand of hair blew loose and fell across his eyes. His expression turned ugly as he brushed it aside. "There are six left. What will you do when they're gone? Let's see!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Meanwhile, Li Xiang, watching the screen, didn't spare a glance at the little text appearing above the Hu Family Ancestor's head.
He controlled the tablets again and again, then pressed R!
At last, the final tablet blasted through the Hu Family Ancestor's true qi and sent him flying!
Blood seeped from the corner of the Hu Family Ancestor's mouth, and his clothes were in disarray.
Yet his face was full of mockery. "Hahaha, that's it. Your strange magic artifact is gone..."
But in the next instant, his laughter cut off.
[Consumed 20 Incense to use 'Ancestral Patriarch's Fury'!]
Another tablet appeared out of thin air before the Li Family members!
"How are there more? Is this never going to end?! I..."
The Hu Family Ancestor's mouth twitched. He stared at the tablet, suddenly caught between advancing and retreating!
He'd just made a big show of boasting. If he left now, he'd blush even in his dreams. But if he didn't... he'd already been blasted nine times, and he had only half his true qi left. Who knew how many of these things were still around???
But he was wrong.
Li Xiang had summoned this tablet not to attack the Hu Family Ancestor, but to protect the Li Family descendants.
Because...
The Thunder Python coiled beneath the Ancestral Tablet in the Li Family Ancestral Hall finally opened its eyes!
Its body had grown even larger, taking up nearly half the Ancestral Hall. Its once-black scales gradually shed their color, turning a deep purple. Mysterious, beautiful patterns ran across its smooth purple skin!
The two sharp horns on its head had curved forward after it shed its skin.
"Roar!"
After waking, the Thunder Python raised its head and roared. Its cry was no longer a snake's hiss, but the bellow of a ferocious beast!
The lightning around its body spread more than ten meters across the ground. Even the people outside the Ancestral Hall could clearly see the purple arcs!
"What... was that?!"
Before, Li Xiang's Ancestral Tablet had only made the Hu Family Ancestor feel somewhat afraid.
But now.
He was terrified to his very core!
He stared in horror toward the Li Family Ancestral Hall. Something there radiated an aura so oppressive that just feeling it was enough to crush him.
"Run!"
The Hu Family Ancestor had come in swaggering. Now he fled in utter disarray.
He didn't dare spare the Li Family another glance. He turned and ran toward the Spirit Herb Garden!
He didn't even dare look back.
But...
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The crash of trees being smashed down kept ringing out behind him, growing closer and closer.
He ran until he reached the Beast Blood Fruit Tree.
He could even smell a foul, bloody stench. Now he didn't dare move. He looked down in terror as purple lightning crawled across the ground at his feet, yet didn't strike him.
Of course, the lightning also conveyed a message: if he dared move, he'd better be prepared to die!
His head stiff as a board, he slowly turned around and swallowed hard.
Then.
A shadow fell over him, and smooth scales appeared before his eyes.
"What... is this thing?!"
The Hu Family Ancestor's head trembled despite himself. After what felt like a lifetime, he finally raised his head and saw what had chased him.
A snake.
A giant python, nearly twenty meters long, its scales so dark a purple they looked black!
Standing on the giant python's head was a tablet—the very tablet he'd mocked, then grown terrified of after it blasted him!
And at that moment.
Li Xiang, before the screen, stared at the Hu Family Ancestor with gritted teeth. Beside the Thunder Python, the Hu Family Ancestor was as small as a mouse!
He slowly clicked on the Thunder Python's image.
Then typed—
Kill him. Don't let him die too easily!
In an instant, the Thunder Python coiled around the Hu Family Ancestor, slowly building its electrical charge and slowly tightening its grip!
"Ah!"
The Hu Family Ancestor did have some backbone. He'd run, sure, but after the Thunder Python wrapped around him, he still hadn't begged for...
"Spirit Beast, please spare me!"
"..."
Li Xiang glared at the Hu Family Ancestor, whose face was covered in bulging veins as the Thunder Python squeezed him. "You were cocky, huh? Go on, keep it up!"
He'd been waiting this whole time for the Thunder Python to wake up!
No.
It shouldn't be called the Thunder Python anymore.
It was now—
The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python!
[Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python (Spirit Beast)] [Introduction: A powerful being with immense strength and an innate gift for thunderflame. It awaits its next transformation!]
After ordinary demonic beasts came spirit-level demonic beasts, and beasts didn't break through the way humans did. The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was an Aberrant; it had already reached maturity. Its shedding was a transformation, more like an evolution!
After becoming the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, it had reached the pinnacle of spirit beasts!
As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python coiled around him, the Hu Family Ancestor's bones soon began to crack. Blood vessels burst beneath his skin, and his blood trickled down the python's smooth scales, slowly dripping beneath the Beast Blood Fruit Tree.
Before long, all that remained of the once-arrogant Hu Family Ancestor was a twisted sheet of human skin.
Only then did Li Xiang let out a long breath.
He clicked the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python's icon again and typed—
Have someone send his skin to the Hu Family...
Before you continue