Homecoming and Undercurrents

Homecoming and Undercurrents

That condensed-to-the-extreme black sword beam swept across, as if splitting heaven and earth asunder for an instant.

The ninety-fourth-rank Bone-Eroding Douluo Qiu Wanhe, along with his prideful ninth soul skill, melted instantly beneath that sword named Seven Kill, like snow under the blazing sun. He could not even manage any more effective resistance, leaving only a bottomless sword scar on the spot and a lingering bloody stench to proclaim the fall of a Titled Douluo.

Silence.

A dead silence shrouded the edge of Blackwood Forest.

The remaining Qiu Family soul masters, whether Soul Sage Qiu Lie, Qiu Han, or those Soul Emperors and Soul Kings, all froze in place, the color drained entirely from their faces while their pupils were filled with boundless fear and disbelief. Their clan's core elder, a powerful Titled Douluo, had just been... killed in a single second by a sword?

Chen Jianjun's expression remained calm, as though he had merely done an insignificant chore. He paid no mind to those ants, turning instead to face Li Xuansheng, bowing slightly with a tone carrying just the right amount of respect and concern: "Young Lord, Chen has arrived late for the rescue and allowed you to be frightened."

Li Xuansheng suppressed the shock in his heart, hastily stepping forward to gently support him: "Elder Chen is too serious! If not for your timely arrival, Xuansheng would surely have escaped no disaster today. The grace of saving my life, Xuansheng shall engrave it upon my heart!" His words were sincere, yet inside his mind thoughts were spinning wildly. The system's "rationalized identity" and "absolute loyalty" effects were nothing short of defying the heavens, as a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo now truly considered himself his own personal protector.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Xuansheng chanted silently in his heart: "System, check Chen Jianjun's attributes."

The pale blue light screen surfaced once more, locking onto Chen Jianjun:

· Name: Chen Jianjun (Li Family)

· Identity: Li Family Hidden Lineage Protector

· Soul Power: Level 98

· Martial Soul: Seven Kill Sword

· Title: Sword Douluo

· Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red

· Soul Skills: ...(Specific list can be folded)

· Loyalty: 100% (Absolute Loyalty)

(Red denotes a hundred-thousand-year soul ring)

Looking at that striking red ninth soul ring and the soul power reaching level 98, Li Xuansheng's heart settled completely. The Li Family finally possessed a top-tier powerhouse capable of deterring all directions!

"Elder Chen, these people..." Li Xuansheng's gaze swept over the trembling Qiu Family soul masters.

Chen Jianjun understood, his gaze sweeping across them indifferently. There was no need for soul skills; merely his gaze containing sword intent, coupled with the lingering might of having just slain a Titled Douluo in a second, pressed down like a mountain ten thousand zhang tall.

"Scram back and tell Qiu Miehun," Chen Jianjun's voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty, "The Li Family is not someone he can move against. Today's events—the Li Family has remembered them."

As his words fell, that terrifying oppressive force vanished abruptly.

Qiu Lie, Qiu Han, and the others felt as though they had been granted a pardon, scrambling and crawling as they fled desperately toward the Qiu Family direction without daring to look back, not even daring to pack up Qiu Wanhe's corpse for fear that if they were a step too slow, that terrifying Seven Kill Sword would descend once more.

Watching the wretchedly fleeing figures of the Qiu Family members, Li Xuansheng took a deep breath, suppressing his roiling blood and complex emotions. He walked over to the remains of Honored Gu Yi and the fallen guards and clansmen, bowing deeply three times.

"Grandpa Gu, various clansmen and brothers, your blood will not flow in vain. This hatred, I, Li Xuansheng, shall surely repay!"

He carefully stowed Gu Yi's remains into a top-quality storage soul guide, doing his best to gather the remains of the other clansmen as well. After finishing all this, he said to Chen Jianjun: "Elder Chen, let's go home."

"Yes, Young Lord."

The two no longer delayed as Chen Jianjun released gentle soul power to wrap around Li Xuansheng, his figure transforming into a streak of light that galloped toward Heavenly Phoenix City at a speed far exceeding the horses of their arrival.

Heavenly Phoenix City, Li Family Estate.

Patriarch Li Yuanhui was pacing within his study, his brow furrowed with an unshakeable worry. Li Xuansheng had already been gone to Skywood Village for a full day, and logically word should have been sent back long ago, yet now there was complete silence, making the sense of unease in his heart grow increasingly intense.

Right at that moment, a powerful and unfamiliar sharp aura descended abruptly, landing directly outside the patriarch's courtyard.

"Enemy attack?!" Li Yuanhui's expression shifted as the soul power of a ninety-sixth-rank Super Douluo erupted instantly, his figure flashing to appear within the courtyard. At the same time, two other powerful auras within the estate rose rapidly; Second Elder Li Tiancheng and Fourth Elder Li Tianji also arrived instantly, treating the situation as a formidable enemy.

Yet when they saw Li Xuansheng standing in the courtyard alongside the elderly man beside him who wore plain azure robes and possessed an aura as unmovable as a towering peak, they were all stunned.

"Xuansheng! You're alright?" Li Yuanhui was both startled and overjoyed, but his gaze immediately turned vigilant toward Chen Jianjun. The feeling this elder gave him was unfathomable, and his soul power cultivation likely far exceeded his own! When had such an unfamiliar sword dao powerhouse appeared in the eastern territories?

"Father, Second Grandpa, Fourth Grandpa, I am fine." Li Xuansheng stepped forward, his tone heavy with grief, "But the team we sent to Skywood Village... aside from me, was completely wiped out. Honored Gu Yi... died in battle to protect me."

"What?!" The three pillars of the Li Family exclaimed in unison, their expressions turning instantly unsightly to the extreme.

Li Yuanhui forcefully suppressed his anger and grief, looking toward Chen Jianjun with a sharp gaze: "Xuansheng, who is this?"

"Father, this is Chen Jianjun, Elder Chen." Li Xuansheng introduced him according to the pre-concocted narrative, "He is the protector of our Li Family's hidden lineage, wandering outside year-round to seek breakthroughs. Today I was ambushed by the Qiu Family in Skywood Village and was in imminent peril, but fortunately Elder Chen sensed the crisis and arrived in time, allowing me to narrowly escape."

"Hidden lineage? Protector?" The three men looked at each other in dismay; the family records seemed to have no such record. Yet the other party's unfathomable strength and the fact that he had saved Li Xuansheng left them unable not to believe it. Especially the faint yet identically rooted sharp aura on the other party (the system's bloodline-adding effect), which made them subconsciously feel a trace of affinity.

Chen Jianjun stepped forward at the appropriate moment, cupping his fists slightly with a calm yet naturally majestic tone: "Old man Chen Jianjun greets the Patriarch and the two elders. Protecting the Young Lord and the family is naturally my bounden duty."

His attitude was neither humble nor overbearing, expressing respect while also showcasing his status as a powerhouse.

Li Yuanhui took a deep breath, suppressing his inner doubts, and solemnly returned the salute: "So it is Elder Chen! This grace of saving a life, the Li Family will never forget! This is not a place for speaking; I ask you to come to the inner hall for a detailed discussion."

The group entered the heavily guarded deliberating inner hall.

After dismissing the attendants, Li Xuansheng detailed everything he had seen and heard at Skywood Village, along with encountering Qiu Wanhe's ambush, Gu Yi's sacrifice, his own forced flight, and finally Chen Jianjun's appearance to slay Qiu Wanhe with a single sword. Of course, he omitted the parts about the system's awakening and his past-life memories, claiming only that a burst of potential at the moment of life and death had allowed him to barely hold on until Chen Jianjun arrived.

"...That is how the events transpired." Once Li Xuansheng finished speaking, a dead silence fell over the hall.

Li Tianji's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white: "The Qiu Family! Too deceptive! To actually dispatch a Titled Douluo to ambush a junior—are they trying to completely tear away all pretense of civility?!"

Li Tiancheng was relatively composed, but anger burned within his eyes as well: "With Qiu Wanhe dead, the Qiu Family will never let this rest. The loss of a Titled Douluo is enough to damage their foundation."

Li Yuanhui looked toward Chen Jianjun and bowed solemnly once more: "Elder Chen, great kindness requires no words of thanks. Your slaying of Qiu Wanhe not only saved Xuansheng, but also avenged the Li Family members who died, restoring the family's dignity! From today onward, you shall be the Chief Elder of the Li Family, with a status equal to our own and enjoying the family's highest honors!"

This was only fitting; the addition of a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo was undoubtedly the strongest shot of adrenaline injected into the currently precarious Li Family.

Chen Jianjun did not refuse, accepting it calmly: "The Patriarch is too polite. Since this old man acts as the Li Family's protector, I shall naturally do my utmost for the clan."

Having established Chen Jianjun's status, Li Yuanhui immediately began deployment.

"After suffering this setback, the Qiu Family might temporarily dare not act rashly because they cannot fathom Elder Chen's true depth, but retaliation is inevitable." Li Yuanhui said in a deep voice, "Pass down my orders:

First, Heavenly Phoenix City shall immediately enter a state of Grade-One combat readiness. All city-defense soul guides are to be charged, patrol forces doubled, and all suspicious personnel closely monitored, especially movements in the direction of the Qiu Family.

Second, recall all important clansmen and resource teams currently outside, temporarily contracting our sphere of influence to avoid being picked off one by one.

Third, activate the family's secret treasury to prioritize the distribution of resources, elevating the strength of core disciples and the guard unit.

Fourth, strengthen ties with our in-laws, the Dongyue Clan, informing them of today's events to secure their clearer support.

Fifth, Elder Chen..." He looked at Chen Jianjun, "The safety of the clan, and especially Xuansheng's safety, is temporarily entrusted to you."

Chen Jianjun nodded: "Rest assured, Patriarch. With this old man here, no petty villains will be allowed to succeed."

At the same time, the Qiu Family headquarters.

"What?! Wanhe Elder's soul lamp... has extinguished?!"

An enraged roar erupted from the main hall, causing the beams and pillars to tremble slightly.

Inside the hall, the contemporary head of the Qiu Family, Qiu Miehun, wore a livid expression, soul power fluctuating uncontrollably around him to shatter the tables and chairs nearby. Below, a crowd of core elders and stewards of the Qiu Family stood in terrified silence, their faces written with shock and disbelief.

A ninety-fourth-rank Titled Douluo, one of the family's core combat strengths, had actually fallen during an operation to ambush a junior? This news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving all the Qiu Family higher-ups bewildered.

"Investigate! Find out clearly for me! Who on earth did this? Aside from Li Yuanhui, how could the Li Family possibly have a powerhouse capable of slaying Wanhe Elder?!" Qiu Miehun roared, his eyes blood-red.

After a brief silence in the hall, opinions quickly split into two factions.

One faction was led by the hot-tempered Third Elder, who sprang forward abruptly and said sternly: "Patriarch, what else is there to investigate! The culprit must be the hidden foundation of the Li Family! They killed Wanhe Elder; that is an irreconcilable provocation against our Qiu Family! I suggest we immediately gather our forces, flatten Heavenly Phoenix City, wipe out the Li Family, and use their blood to sacrifice to Wanhe Elder! Let the world know the consequences of offending our Qiu Family!"

The other faction was more cautious, led by the Fifth Elder in charge of family intelligence. He said in a deep voice: "Patriarch, Third Brother, calm your impatience. For the Li Family to silently hide a Super Douluo of at least level 95, and perhaps even stronger, without exposing them until today means their scheming and foundation are by no means as simple as we previously understood. To rashly wage total war—even if we win, our Qiu Family will suffer heavy losses, and we fear being taken advantage of by other factions as the third party reaping the profits. The most urgent task is to use all our forces to investigate the identity, strength, and origins of that mysterious powerhouse, as well as whether the Li Family possesses any other hidden strengths. Knowing the enemy and knowing oneself allows us to formulate a foolproof strategy and achieve a kill in a single strike!"

"Investigate? When are we supposed to finish investigating! Could it be that Wanhe Elder died in vain?" The Third Elder glared angrily.

"Naturally he did not die in vain! But revenge also requires methods! If the other party is a ninety-eighth-rank or even ninety-ninth-rank Limit Douluo, wouldn't us rushing over blindly be courting death?" The Fifth Elder argued strongly.

Each faction held its own views, arguing endlessly.

Listening to the quarreling below, Qiu Miehun's expression turned uncertain. He both grieved the fall of Qiu Wanhe, wishing he could immediately tear the Li Family to pieces, and dreaded the mysterious powerhouse capable of slaying a ninety-fourth-rank Titled Douluo with a single sword.

In the end, he slammed a palm heavily against the armrest, suppressing all sound.

"Enough!"

His gloomy gaze swept across the crowd: "Revenge must be taken! The Li Family must be wiped out!"

"Yet what Fifth Elder said also makes sense. Pass down my orders:

First, activate all covert intelligence lines and investigate all information regarding that mysterious powerhouse in Heavenly Phoenix City at any cost!

Second, all family forces are to enter a state of combat readiness, preparing to strike at any moment.

Third, contact our connections within the Central Dynasty to test their attitude, and if necessary, promise heavy rewards to invite the dynasty's honored protectors to make a move!"

Cold light flickered in his eyes: "Before we figure out the truth, let them live a few more days. When the time is ripe, I shall leave Heavenly Phoenix City with not even a dog or chicken left alive!"

An even greater storm was brewing within the Qiu Family, quietly closing in upon Heavenly Phoenix City.