Sky-Piercing One Returns to the Clan, a Storm Looms

After the secret meeting ended, although they had discussed matters until dawn without finding a foolproof solution, Li Xuansheng had already made his decision. With the gods bound by their covenant and unable to act freely, a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo represented the peak of conventional strength on the continent! The scorching summoning card in his hand was the key to changing the clan's fate!

Without further hesitation, Li Xuansheng sat in his quiet room and immersed his consciousness into the system.

"System, use the level ninety-nine Limit Douluo Summoning Card!"

[Ding! Level ninety-nine Limit Douluo Summoning Card successfully used! Beginning summoning...]

[Summoning...]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully summoned the level ninety-nine Quasi-God Limit Douluo—Yun Ming!]

As the system prompt fell silent, an indescribably vast aura seemed to cross endless space and was quietly drawn to the vicinity of Heavenly Phoenix City.

"System, add the Li Bloodline to Yun Ming and make his identity plausible! Set it as follows: his father was a cousin of my grandfather's generation. He encountered misfortune while carrying out a clan mission in his youth, while his pregnant wife was left stranded elsewhere. Not long after giving birth, she died of grief. Their son, Yun Ming, was separated from the clan as a child. The clan searched for him for many years without success, and it became a lasting regret. Now, through his own efforts and the faint call of his bloodline, Yun Ming has endured countless hardships and finally found his way back to his homeland!"

[Ding! 175 Summoning Points consumed, one-third of the 500 Summoning Points required for a level ninety-nine summoning. Identity adjustment complete! Bloodline successfully added!]

[Current remaining Summoning Points: 225.]

The instant the summoning was complete, Li Xuansheng sensed a gentle yet boundless spiritual power sweep across all of Heavenly Phoenix City like spilled mercury. It carried a trace of searching, a trace of excitement, and the trembling unease of one nearing home. Then, instead of flying in from outside the city as the previous summons had, a figure silently appeared above the Li Family estate as though he had merged with space itself.

He was a man who looked to be around thirty, tall and upright, with handsome, refined features. His eyes were as deep as though they contained a sea of stars, giving off the warmth of a spring breeze while remaining unfathomable. He wore a simple white robe, and no imposing aura radiated from him. Yet simply standing there, he seemed to become the center of heaven and earth, as even the light unconsciously gathered around him. He was Yun Ming, the famed master of the Sea God Pavilion from his former life on Douluo Continent, the Sky-Piercing Douluo! His life had been legendary. With the Sky-Piercing Divine Spear as his martial soul, he possessed both unrivaled offense and defense, with limitless might. He had once been hailed as the person closest to God Rank on the continent, with both strength and prestige standing at its very peak.

His appearance instantly alerted every expert in the Li Family.

Li Yuanhui, Chen Jianjun, Li Tianwu, and the others appeared in the courtyard at once, staring uncertainly at the figure in the sky who looked like an immortal descending into the mortal world. They had never seen him before, but the unfathomable aura around him, one that even made Chen Jianjun and Li Tianwu feel faint pressure, put them on full alert.

However, in the next moment, Yun Ming's gaze fell upon Li Yuanhui, and his eyes revealed uncontrollable excitement and reminiscence. He slowly descended to the ground, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor as he asked, "You... are you the current head of the Li Family? My father... his name was Li Tiandao."

"Great-Uncle Tiandao?!" Li Yuanhui's entire body shook, and disbelief burst from his eyes. Li Tiandao was mentioned only briefly in the clan records. He had been a talented grand-uncle who had tragically died young, while the disappearance of his wife and child had remained one of the clan's greatest regrets. "You... who are you?"

"My name is Yun Ming. Before my mother passed away, she told me of my origins and instructed me to return to my ancestral clan." Yun Ming—no, he should now be called Li Yunming—spoke with grief and sincerity. "After drifting for half my life, I have finally returned today!" As he spoke, the pure and powerful aura of the Li Bloodline within him erupted without reservation, resonating clearly with Li Yuanhui, Chen Jianjun, and the others!

This bloodline resonance could not be faked! Coupled with that long-buried family secret, all doubts vanished in an instant.

"He truly is Great-Uncle Tiandao's descendant! Heaven has eyes!" Li Yuanhui was so excited that tears filled his eyes. He stepped forward and tightly grasped Li Yunming's arm. A clansman who had been lost outside, yet cultivated to such a realm through his own efforts, had returned—this was practically smoke rising from the Li Family's ancestral graves!

Once the news spread, the entire Li Family was once again plunged into an ocean of jubilation! The return of a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo meant far more than any previous event! It was not merely the addition of a peak combatant, but the strongest possible boost of confidence for every clansman!

A grand return ceremony and ancestral recognition ritual were swiftly prepared. Within the solemn ancestral hall, Li Yunming's name was formally entered into the clan genealogy, placed under the Yuan generation. During the ceremony, Li Yunming's gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling on Li Xuansheng, the most outstanding member of the younger generation. His eyes were filled with approval.

"Young Master Xuansheng possesses extraordinary talent, a steadfast heart, and profound fortune." Li Yunming spoke gently before all the clansmen. "If you do not mind, I am willing to accept you as my disciple and impart everything I have learned in my life to you, helping you reach the pinnacle as soon as possible. Are you willing?"

Overjoyed, Li Xuansheng immediately stepped forward and performed the grand ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows. "This disciple, Li Xuansheng, pays respects to Master!"

Recognition of his ancestry and the taking of a master and disciple—two joyous events had arrived together! The tense, oppressive atmosphere brought by the Qiu Family over the past days was finally greatly eased by these successive celebrations. Everyone's faces shone with hope and excitement.

After the ceremony, Li Yunming was unanimously chosen by the clan as its Grand Elder. His status was exalted, and he became the Li Family's unquestionable stabilizing pillar, overseeing its central affairs.

At the same time, the Li Family's war machine began operating at full capacity. Surveillance of the Qiu Family's movements was raised to the highest level, while contact with the Dongyue Clan became more frequent and closer. The upper echelons of both sides continuously communicated through transmission Soul Tools, discussing ways to respond together.

However, while the Li Family celebrated and prepared for war, the atmosphere at the Qiu Family headquarters far away was like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

When the heavily wounded Qiu Qiansha returned to the clan with the two remaining Titled Douluo and only a handful of defeated survivors, the entire Qiu Family exploded into chaos!

The Grand Elder had been severely wounded! Seven elders at the Titled Douluo level had gone out, but only three returned! Even the family head's biological younger brother, the clan's Second Master, the peak Soul Douluo expert who had gone to Azure Jade Forest to obtain his two-hundred-thousand-year ninth soul ring, had fallen there!

The enormous losses and humiliation instantly ignited the rage of every Qiu Family member.

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood!"

"The Dongyue Family dared to collude with the Li Family and slaughter our clan elders. They must give us an explanation!"

"Send the troops! Flatten Heavenly Phoenix City, destroy the Li Family, and leave not even chickens or dogs alive!"

Inside the council hall, emotions ran high. Calls for battle rose one after another, with everyone demanding an immediate all-out war against the Li Family and even the Dongyue Family.

Just as things were about to spiral out of control, a terrifying pressure no weaker than Qiu Qiansha's suddenly descended and enveloped the entire hall. An old man whose features somewhat resembled Qiu Qiansha's, though whose gaze was colder and sharper, slowly emerged from the rear hall. He was the Qiu Family's other secluded level ninety-nine Limit Douluo, Qiu Qianchi!

"Silence!" Qiu Qianchi's voice was icy, like a cold current sweeping through the hall, instantly suppressing all the clamor.

His gaze swept across the furious crowd below before finally landing on the listless Qiu Qiansha. A trace of sorrow flashed through his eyes, but there was even more calmness and ruthlessness within them.

"This vengeance must be taken! The Li Family and the Dongyue Family must pay the price!" he declared decisively, setting the tone. "But taking revenge does not mean charging ahead like brainless brutes!"

"For now, we must give the fallen clansmen a grand funeral and unite everyone in shared hatred of the enemy!"

"Second, devote all our efforts to helping the Grand Elder and the three returning elders recover from their injuries and restore their Soul Power. The Grand Elder, especially, must regain his combat strength as soon as possible!"

"Finally," Qiu Qianchi said, cold light flashing in his eyes, "on the grounds that the Li Family killed four of our elders without cause, notify all forces across the continent that the Qiu Family will formally declare war on the Li Family one week from now!"

"This week is our final period of preparation. Mobilize all subordinate forces, stockpile war resources, and formulate a detailed offensive plan! What we want is not mutual destruction, but to wipe the Li Family from Heavenly Phoenix City at the smallest possible cost! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Grand Elder!" everyone below answered in unison, their killing intent soaring into the sky.

The wind filled the tower before the mountain storm. After one brief week of peace, a violent tempest that would sweep across the entire eastern region was about to descend.