Why aren't the Li family cultivators playing by the rules?

[With Li Dalong's assurances, everyone in Zhien Village felt the majesty of the Li Family. He won over the hearts of nearly everyone, and his reputation grew.]

[Incense +100 obtained!]

This guy is looking more and more like a leader.

Watching Li Dalong's dignified demeanor in front of the crowd, Li Xiang felt a sense of gratification.

Although he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes to guide the Li Family's development, the people of Zhien Village knew nothing of his existence, making someone with genuine leadership talent essential.

In the current Li Family, only Li Dalong, after years of cultivation, possessed decent leadership skills. He was slowly growing from a hunter into a qualified patriarch.

Time in the game passed quickly.

Li Xiang opened the map, and thirteen white dots appeared outside Zhien Village!

As the game progressed, the map had changed. The game system seemed to determine who was an ally, marking them in green. As for neutrals, they were marked in white.

Those deemed hostile, like the location of the Hu Family in Tailin Town, were marked in red.

"Ancestral Tablet, the people from the Tailin Wang Family are here!"

After the Wang Family appeared, Li Dalong immediately knelt in the ancestral hall, skillfully tucking Li Xiang's Ancestral Tablet into his pocket. "Please, Ancestral Blessing!"

According to Li Dalong's logic.

This was fighting while carrying the Ancestral Tablet.

On the road leading to the Li Family's residence behind Zhien Village.

A group of thirteen people dressed in lavish clothing approached. In the lead were an old man and a middle-aged man: Wang Chaoyuan, the patriarch of the Wang Family, and the Third Elder, who had been in seclusion for many years.

"I didn't expect the Li Family to have developed to this extent in such a short time." Wang Chaoyuan looked at the well-structured buildings ahead, his expression grave.

"Hmph, they just happen to have an expert capable of killing the Hu Family Ancestor. Their foundation is still lacking!"

Despite his words, the Third Elder of the Wang Family remained cautious. "Do not enter the Li Family residence later; I fear they may have set an ambush. After all, we killed their people at the Black Iron Mine, and this is our first contact with the Li Family."

"No matter how stupid the Li Family is, they wouldn't make an enemy of us over a mere first-level Qi Refining cultivator and three commoners."

Wang Chaoyuan stated confidently, "The Li Family has just started and is already at odds with the Hu Family; they currently wouldn't dare step half a foot near Tailin Town. My guess is that their patriarch, Li Dalong, intends to use this event to establish trade with us, or perhaps even wants to collaborate on developing the Black Iron Mine."

As he spoke.

Wang Chaoyuan's gaze deepened. "Third Elder, this is also an opportunity for us. The Hu Family's business is growing too large; Tailin Town does not need four great families. If we can use the Li Family to wipe out the Hu Family, we can then invite the Su and Chen families to help us bring the Li Family into Tailin Town, and slowly devour them..."

As his voice trailed off, the two Wang Family members exchanged glances, both seeing the cunning in each other's eyes.

However, moments later.

The expressions of everyone in the Wang Family changed!

When they arrived at the Li Family residence, they were not met by a welcoming party. Instead, they saw...

Four coffins placed in front of the Li Family gate, and white mourning silk draped all over the entrance!

A cold breeze blew by.

Everyone in the Wang Family felt a genuine chill!

"Coffins? This is bad, we've been tricked! These lunatics in the Li Family never intended to talk business; they want to kill us!"

"Despicable and shameless! Do they not care about their family's reputation? Who would ever dare come to the Li Family again???"

"How could anyone use such low-handed tactics?!!"

The Wang Family members were thrown into a panic.

Even Wang Chaoyuan, who had been so sure of victory, turned pale.

When the Li Family invited him to discuss business, he had considered every possibility and had even planned to use this invitation to set a grand trap that would swallow both the Hu and Li families whole.

But he never imagined that the Li Family would be so straightforward and crude.

The Li Family had no intention of breaking the blockade Tailin Town had placed on them; they simply wanted to lure them here to take revenge for a mere Qi Refining cultivator and three commoners!

"You bastards! Run, split up and run!"

Realizing his miscalculation, Wang Chaoyuan gritted his teeth and shouted to his men, "Third Elder, once we get back, rally the four great families and destroy the entire Li Family!"

The Third Elder didn't say a word and fled in another direction.

He had already spotted a massive figure emerging from the Li Family grounds—a gargantuan python. Standing atop the python's head was Li Dalong, clutching the Ancestral Tablet!

That guy was looking at him with a sneer of disdain!

Tsk tsk, they've got some nerve.

At this moment, Li Xiang, sitting before the screen, wore an amused expression. He was very curious about the mental state of the Wang Family members right now.

Initially, when he had Li Dalong invite the Wang Family, he was only doing it to test the waters.

His primary plan had been for Li Dalong to kill every Wang Family member at the Black Iron Mine, one batch after another.

But he never expected...

Are the people of the Wang Family really this straightforward?

I told them to come, and they actually dared to show up!

"I was planning to lure the Wang Family to the Black Iron Mine, kill a few key figures, and scare them out of their wits," Li Xiang shrugged helplessly. "Well, I guess there are idiots everywhere."

He didn't dwell on it further and switched his focus to the screen.

The battle had already begun!

The members of the Wang Family had no stomach for a fight and scattered in all directions, but they had severely underestimated the combat power and preparedness of the Li Family!

The strongest member of the Wang Family, the Third Elder, had reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. This old guy used some unknown movement technique, fleeing toward the Silver Iron Forest like a phantom.

Given the Li Family's current combat strength, no one could stop him.

Admittedly, the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was powerful, but its speed was a fatal flaw, and its massive size meant it wasn't as agile as a human cultivator.

[Ancestral Patriarch's Fury] X5!

Li Xiang used the skill without a moment's hesitation.

"Don't even think about running!"

Five Ancestral Tablets appeared before the Third Elder and instantly lunged at him, detonating the moment they drew near.

Amidst the thunderous explosions.

"What is this? A magic artifact???"

The Third Elder had lived for one hundred and fifty years, yet he had never seen such a bizarre occurrence. He could clearly sense that there was no spiritual energy on the tablets, yet their destructive power was terrifying!

It seemed that no matter how fast he ran, the tablets could always move to block his path.

"Yo, you're running pretty fast."

Li Xiang grinned. The advantage of this skill was that he could use it through the screen; as long as the Third Elder was still on the map, he could precisely intercept him just by moving his mouse!

Not long after.

Li Dalong finally arrived with the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python!

As a spirit beast, the strength of the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was no longer what it used to be.

"Hiss!"

With a roar, the electric arcs flickering between its downward-curving horns formed a cage of lightning around the Third Elder.

A unique innate skill of a spirit beast—

Thunder Cage!

"Are you all insane? If you dare to lay a hand on our Wang Family, the entire Tailin Town will become your enemy, and you will find yourselves in a desperate situation!" The Third Elder felt the terrifying aura of the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, gritting his teeth as he desperately sought a way to survive.

"Hiss~ Sha~"

Having communicated with the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python many times, Li Dalong understood some of its intent. He looked at the Third Elder trapped in the Thunder Cage and sneered disdainfully:

"My Ancestral Patriarch is a bit curious—where was this attitude when you were provoking us?"

"Just for one Qi Refining stage cultivator and three commoners?" The Third Elder still couldn't believe it.

"Commoners?"

Li Dalong shook his head, his expression turning grim. "You really are cut from the same cloth as the Hu Family. A few years ago, they used refugees to test our Li Family, and now you Wang Family don't value the lives of commoners either! Once upon a time, weren't your ancestors commoners too? Since you've forgotten, we'll send you to the underworld to ask your ancestors yourself!"

"Well said!"

Li Xiang gave a thumbs-up in front of the screen.

Seeing that Li Dalong had already gained control over his opponent, he immediately turned his attention to the rest of the screen.

On the other side.

Wang Chaoyuan, that 'far-sighted' clan leader, was fleeing for his life.

He had never been this pathetic in his entire life.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two arrows shot toward him; it was an eighteen-year-old girl riding a giant eagle, firing at him with an iron bow.

He was being chased like a rat by a mere Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator!

What was even more infuriating was the burly man on the ground, riding a tiger and shooting arrows at him.

"Hahaha, the Wang Family leader? With this little bit of courage, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

"Daring to come to our Li Family, I thought you had some real skills, but it turns out you're just pure stupid!"

"Stupid is one thing, but are you really too scared to even face me and my sister, two Qi Refining Level 5 cultivators?"

Wang Chaoyuan nearly vomited blood; they had almost broken his mental defenses!

But he didn't dare stop. He knew clearly that these two wastes wouldn't dare to chase him like this unless they were rushing to their deaths—this was just another trap the Li Family had set for him!

"He won't even turn back after being insulted like that?"

Li Xiang frowned. He looked at another icon on the game interface, located beneath the portrait of the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python: a robot!

Following that, he tapped it once.

"Whoosh!"

[Deploying War Puppet!]

In an instant, a flash of light erupted from the spatial ring in Li Yaoqing's hand, and a massive mecha suddenly appeared in the sky!

Blinding flames burst forth from the back and legs of the Psionic Mecha, propelling the War Puppet into the air!

"Flight is always the most spirit-energy-consuming maneuver."

Li Xiang curled his lip; he had kept the puppet in his spatial ring the entire time, otherwise, it would have been impossible for Li Yaoqing and Li Yaotie to pursue a master at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

The War Puppet consumed spiritual power, especially during flight, and although it could replenish its energy automatically, it would take at least half a month to fully recover. He had originally wanted to conserve spirit energy, but who would have thought that this fellow Wang Chaoyuan seemed to have gotten smarter.

"What is this?!!"

The moment the War Puppet appeared, Wang Chaoyuan felt a terrifying pressure behind him, and when he turned his head, he was startled by the massive frame of the War Puppet!

Then.

"Boom!"

As the flames on the War Puppet's mecha erupted, it surged toward Wang Chaoyuan like a rocket.

While in flight, the firearms on its back shifted, and two massive cannon barrels locked onto Wang Chaoyuan!

Even though it was in free-action mode.

The War Puppet still possessed basic combat capabilities!

"Crackle!"

As a dazzling light shone from the cannon barrels, a purple longsword appeared out of thin air in the War Puppet's right hand—it was a laser-formed light sword that could slice through iron like mud!

"Boom!"

"Oh no!"

The laser cannon fired in an instant, and Wang Chaoyuan's eyes widened in terror. He pulled out a bronze bell, a magical artifact that had been with him for many years; as the bell rang, it instantly enveloped his body.

But the next moment.

"Boom!"

The moment the laser cannon collided with the bronze bell, the sound emitted by the bell was like a funeral knell ringing for Wang Chaoyuan!

This artifact, which had saved Wang Chaoyuan's life many times, was as thin as paper.

Dust and smoke billowed up.

The next moment, the War Puppet flashed across the sky, light sword in hand, in less time than it takes to snap one's fingers.

Wang Chaoyuan's body, severed at the waist, fell from the smoke toward the ground.

His gaze was filled with despair, and he seemed to have some lingering thoughts, as if he truly couldn't fathom why he had been so possessed as to come to the Li Family in the first place...

"Is... is this the great power of our ancestor?"

Li Yaoqing and Li Yaolong, the siblings, stared at the figure in mid-air that looked like a god of war, their faces filled with shock.

A one-hit kill!