The blood stench in the valley had yet to fully dissipate, and the lingering fluctuations of Soul Power spoke of the brutality of the battle just fought. Li Xuansheng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart as his consciousness sank into the system.
"System, submit and complete Mission Three: successful kill!"
[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully killed an enemy Super Douluo (Qiu Qianlie, Level 97) and two Titled Douluo (Level 91 ×2), fulfilling the completion conditions for Mission Three!] [Mission reward issued: 200 Summoning Points! Level 99 Ultimate Douluo Summoning Card ×1!] [Current Summoning Points: 400.]
Looking at the Level 99 Summoning Card in the system space, radiating heart-palpitating power, as well as his replenished Summoning Points, Li Xuansheng finally felt somewhat reassured. This was a powerful trump card capable of turning the tide!
The situation was urgent, leaving no room for delay. Li Xuansheng swiftly made final arrangements with Headmaster Mu and Ye Qi.
"Brother Ye Qi, Headmaster Mu, our agreement remains unchanged. In five days, my Li Family will send people to receive you. The journey is long, so please be sure to stay safe," Li Xuansheng said solemnly.
Ye Qi nodded vigorously, his clear eyes filled with gratitude and hope for the future. "Rest assured, Young Master Li. I will be waiting on time."
Headmaster Mu also gave repeated assurances. With that, the two sides parted ways. The Azure Stone Academy group hurried away, carrying the relief of having survived disaster and anticipation for the future.
After seeing Ye Qi and the others off, Li Xuansheng immediately used the family's specially made emergency communication Soul Tool to send a concise report back to Heavenly Phoenix City about everything that had happened in the Azure Jade Forest—especially the conflict with the Qiu Family, their loss of three Titled Douluo, and Qiu Qiansha's escape. He knew this news would surely cause an uproar within the family.
"We must return at once!" Elder Dongyue Qingxuan said in a deep voice, his expression grave. "Qiu Qiansha escaped. The Qiu Family will never let this go, and the great battle may come sooner than expected."
Everyone understood the severity of the situation. They could not afford to search too carefully now. Relying on the formidable senses of the two Super Douluo, they soon found a Heavenheart Fox that met their requirements and was roughly fourteen hundred years old. This soul beast excelled at mental interference and illusions, making it perfect for Dongyue Xuejian's Heavenly Heart Ring.
Under the protection of Dongyue Qingxuan and Li Tianwu, Dongyue Xuejian smoothly completed the kill and absorption, successfully obtaining her third soul ring and raising her Soul Power to Level 31.
With that, all objectives of the journey had been accomplished. The group did not linger any longer. With the two Super Douluo, Li Tianwu and Dongyue Qingxuan, leading them at full speed, they raced back toward Heavenly Phoenix City. The journey there had taken over twenty days, but the return trip took less than two-thirds as long.
When the towering walls of Heavenly Phoenix City came into view, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
After returning to the family, Elder Dongyue Qingxuan politely declined an immediate celebration banquet. He needed to return to the Dongyue Family at once to report the situation to the family head and discuss their response. After solemnly bidding farewell to Li Xuansheng and the others with the Dongyue Family disciples, he hurried away.
Within the Li Family estate, however, there was an atmosphere of jubilation and shock.
Family Head Li Yuanhui personally led the remaining core members—Chen Jianjun, Li She Long, Li Tiancheng, and the others—to welcome them at the gates. When they saw Li Tianwu, whose aura was deep and unfathomable and whose sword intent soared into the heavens, along with the burly, imposing Li Changlong, whose killing aura was overwhelming, even Li Yuanhui and the others, despite being mentally prepared, were struck by unbelievable ecstasy.
That night, the Li Family held a grand banquet to welcome Li Tianwu and Li Changlong's "return" and celebrate the soul-hunting team's bountiful harvest. At the banquet, Li Yuanhui officially granted Li Tianwu and Li Changlong the positions of elders, entitling them to the family's offerings. The entire Li Family was immersed in celebration and exhilaration at their explosive growth in strength.
Yet after the celebration, dark clouds still hung overhead.
After the banquet, the Li Family's core members—Family Head Li Yuanhui, Young Master Li Xuansheng, and six Titled Douluo elders: Chen Jianjun (98), Li Tianwu (98), Li She Long (94), Li Changlong (92), Li Tiancheng (93), and Li Tianji (92)—gathered in a brightly lit secret chamber. The atmosphere was solemn.
Li Xuansheng was the first to give a detailed report on Ye Qi's circumstances and his astonishing talent.
"A ten-year-old at Level 30, with a super martial soul... That child possesses limitless potential. If he can truly pledge allegiance to us, he will become a great aid to the Li Family in the future." After pondering for a moment, Li Yuanhui made his decision. "In five days, we will proceed as Xuansheng suggested. Elder Tianwu will make the trip personally, protect them in secret, and ensure his entire family is safely brought back to Heavenly Phoenix City." Li Tianwu nodded and accepted the order.
The discussion then turned to the most urgent threat—the Qiu Family.
Li Yuanhui swept his gaze across the room, his voice heavy. "Everyone, the Li Family now has six Titled Douluo in plain sight. Our strength can be said to be unprecedented. However, our enemy, the Qiu Family..." He paused before continuing, "According to our years of investigation, the Qiu Family has more than twenty Titled Douluo known to the public! This time, they consecutively lost Qiu Wanhe, Level 94; Qiu Qianlie, Level 97; and two Level 91 Titled Douluo. It was a devastating blow, but their remaining strength, together with those hidden in the shadows, likely still amounts to at least twenty or more!"
That number left everyone present, aside from Li Xuansheng, feeling suffocated. Six against twenty—the disparity remained enormous.
"More importantly," Chen Jianjun slowly spoke, voicing their greatest concern, "the Qiu Family has two Level 99 Limit Douluo standing guard. Though Qiu Qiansha fled wounded this time, the other one, Qiu Qianchi, is in his genuine peak state. That is the insurmountable chasm we currently face."
"Furthermore, the Qiu Family's ancestor, Qiu Qianchen, is a Level 104 Divine Official. Although the gods of the continent jointly established an agreement that deities may not intervene unless a family faces extinction, we must still take him into account." Li Yuanhui shook his head and revealed an even crueler reality.
Li Tianji continued, "Moreover, while the Dongyue Family is our steadfast ally, they also have their hereditary enemy, Five Poisons Valley, to guard against. They cannot possibly devote all their strength to helping us fight the Qiu Family. No matter how strong the Dongyue Family is, they cannot deal with a pincer attack from both the Qiu Family and Five Poisons Valley at once."
The atmosphere in the secret chamber grew increasingly grim. Their surge in strength had brought brief joy, but after calm analysis, they still faced a nearly despairing disparity in power. Even after losing four Titled Douluo, the colossal Qiu Family still possessed crushing strength.
Everyone spoke in turn, analyzing the situation and discussing countermeasures. From reinforcing the city's defenses and contacting allies to allocating resources and evacuating younger family members... every possibility was raised for discussion. Although Li Xuansheng's cultivation was still shallow as the young master, the decisiveness and "luck" he had displayed during this incident made his opinions highly valued.
This meeting concerning the survival of the family continued until the eastern sky turned pale with dawn, yet they still failed to devise a foolproof plan. Nevertheless, the Li Family had to prepare itself to face the coming storm.
(End of Chapter 15)
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