That condensed black sword gleam swept past, as though it had split heaven and earth apart for an instant.
The Bone-Eroding Douluo Qiu Wanhe, level 94, along with the ninth soul skill he had been so proud of, melted away beneath the sword named "Seven Kill" like snow under the blazing sun. He did not even manage any further effective resistance, leaving behind only a bottomless sword scar and the stench of blood to proclaim the fall of a Titled Douluo.
Silence.
Deathly silence blanketed 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, were all frozen in place. The color drained from their faces, their eyes filled with boundless terror and disbelief. Their family's core elder, a mighty Titled Douluo, had been... killed in a single strike?
Chen Jianjun remained calm, as though he had merely done something insignificant. He paid no attention to those ants and instead turned to Li Xuansheng, giving a slight bow. His voice carried just the right amount of respect and concern. "Young Master, Chen arrived too late and gave you a fright."
Suppressing his shock, Li Xuansheng hurried forward and made a gesture to stop him. "Elder Chen, you praise me too highly! If not for your timely arrival, Xuansheng would have had no escape today. I will never forget this life-saving grace!" His words were sincere, but his thoughts raced. The system's effects of "reasonable identity" and "absolute loyalty" were utterly heaven-defying. A level 98 Super Douluo truly regarded himself as the Li Family's guardian.
Taking this opportunity, Li Xuansheng silently thought, System, inspect Chen Jianjun's attributes.
The pale blue screen appeared again, locking onto Chen Jianjun:
· Name: Chen Jianjun (Li Clan) · Identity: Guardian of the Li Family's reclusive branch · 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: ...(detailed list can be collapsed) · Loyalty: 100% (Absolute Loyalty)
(Red denotes a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.)
Looking at the striking red ninth soul ring and his Soul Power of level 98, Li Xuansheng finally felt at ease. The Li Family had gained a supreme expert capable of intimidating all sides!
"Elder Chen, these people..." Li Xuansheng's gaze swept over the trembling Qiu Family Soul Masters.
Chen Jianjun understood. His indifferent gaze swept across them. There was no need for a soul skill; the sword intent contained in his eyes, coupled with the lingering might of having just slain a Titled Douluo in one strike, pressed down upon them like a towering mountain.
"Go back and tell Qiu Miehun." Chen Jianjun's voice was not loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority. "The Li Family is not someone he can touch. The Li Family will remember what happened today."
As his words fell, the terrifying pressure abruptly vanished.
Qiu Lie, Qiu Han, and the others felt as though they had been granted amnesty. They fled in a panic toward the Qiu Family, not daring to look back. They did not even dare collect Qiu Wanhe's remains, afraid that if they slowed by a single step, that terrifying Seven Kill Sword would descend again.
Watching the Qiu Family members flee in disgrace, Li Xuansheng drew a deep breath and suppressed his churning blood and complicated emotions. He walked to the bodies of Gu Yi, the fallen guards, and his clansmen, then bowed deeply three times.
"Grandpa Gu, brothers of the Li Family, your blood will not be shed in vain. This grudge—I, Li Xuansheng, will avenge it!"
He carefully placed Gu Yi's body into a high-quality storage Soul Tool, then gathered the other clansmen's bodies as best he could. Only after finishing did he say to Chen Jianjun, "Elder Chen, let's go home."
"Yes, Young Master."
The two did not delay any longer. Chen Jianjun released gentle Soul Power to envelop Li Xuansheng, and they transformed into a streak of light, racing toward Heavenly Phoenix City at a speed far beyond the horses they had ridden there.
Heavenly Phoenix City, Li Family estate.
Family Head Li Yuanhui paced within his study, his brows furrowed with unshakable worry. Li Xuansheng had been headed to Skywood Village for more than a day. By all reason, news should have returned long ago, yet there was still nothing. The unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
Just then, a powerful and unfamiliar sharp aura suddenly descended directly outside the family head's courtyard.
"Enemy attack?!" Li Yuanhui's expression changed. The Soul Power of a level 96 Super Douluo erupted instantly, and with a flash, he appeared in the courtyard. At the same time, two other powerful auras rapidly rose within the estate. Second Elder Li Tiancheng and Fourth Elder Li Tianji arrived in an instant, as though facing a great enemy.
Yet when they saw Li Xuansheng standing in the courtyard, along with the old man in ancient blue robes beside him whose aura was as deep and steady as an abyss and mountain, they were all stunned.
"Xuansheng! You're all right?" Li Yuanhui was both shocked and delighted, but his gaze immediately turned wary as it settled on Chen Jianjun. This old man felt unfathomable; his Soul Power cultivation was likely far above Li Yuanhui's own! Since when had such an unfamiliar sword expert appeared in the eastern region?
"Father, Second Grandpa, Fourth Grandpa, I'm fine." Li Xuansheng stepped forward, his tone heavy. "But the team we sent to Skywood Village... apart from me, was completely wiped out. Gu Yi... died protecting me."
"What?!" The three pillars of the Li Family cried out at once, their expressions instantly turning dreadful.
Suppressing his rage and grief, Li Yuanhui fixed a sharp gaze on Chen Jianjun. "Xuansheng, who is this?"
"Father, this is Chen Jianjun, Elder Chen." Li Xuansheng introduced him according to the explanation he had prepared long ago. "He is the guardian of a reclusive branch of our Li Family and has spent many years traveling outside in search of a breakthrough. Today, I was ambushed by the Qiu Family in Skywood Village and was in grave danger. Fortunately, Elder Chen sensed the crisis and arrived in time, allowing me to escape by luck."
"A reclusive branch? A guardian?" Li Yuanhui and the other two exchanged looks. There seemed to be no such record in the family archives. Yet the other man's unfathomable strength and the fact that he had saved Li Xuansheng left them with no choice but to believe him. In particular, the faint yet unmistakably kindred sharp aura around him made them instinctively feel a trace of familiarity.
Chen Jianjun stepped forward at the right moment and gave a slight clasped-hands salute. His tone was calm yet naturally authoritative. "This old man is Chen Jianjun. Greetings, Family Head and two Elders. Protecting the Young Master and the family is simply my duty."
His manner was neither servile nor overbearing. He expressed respect while also displaying the standing of a true expert.
Li Yuanhui took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts as he returned the salute solemnly. "So it is Elder Chen! The Li Family will never forget this life-saving favor! This is not a place to speak. Please, let us discuss this in the inner hall."
The group entered the heavily guarded inner council hall.
After dismissing the attendants, Li Xuansheng recounted in detail everything he had seen and heard in Skywood Village: Qiu Wanhe's ambush, Gu Yi's sacrifice, his forced flight, and finally Chen Jianjun's appearance and his single-sword execution of Qiu Wanhe. Naturally, he omitted the matter of the system awakening and his memories of a past life, claiming only that his potential had erupted at the brink of life and death, allowing him to barely hold on until Chen Jianjun arrived.
"...That is what happened." After Li Xuansheng finished, the hall fell silent.
Li Tianji clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "The Qiu Family! They have gone too far! They actually sent a Titled Douluo to ambush a junior. Are they trying to tear all pretense apart?!"
Li Tiancheng was comparatively composed, but fury burned in 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 cripple them badly."
Li Yuanhui looked toward Chen Jianjun and solemnly bowed once more. "Elder Chen, words cannot express our gratitude. By killing Qiu Wanhe, you not only saved Xuansheng, but also avenged the blood debt of our fallen clansmen and restored the Li Family's honor! From today onward, you will be the Li Family's Chief Elder, equal in status to us and entitled to the family's highest offerings!"
It was only proper. The addition of a level 98 Super Douluo was undoubtedly the strongest possible shot in the arm for the Li Family in its current precarious state.
Chen Jianjun did not refuse and accepted calmly. "You are too courteous, Family Head. Since this old man is the Li Family's guardian, I shall naturally do my utmost for the family."
After establishing Chen Jianjun's position, Li Yuanhui immediately began making arrangements.
"After this setback, the Qiu Family may not dare act rashly in the short term because they do not understand Elder Chen's background. But retaliation is inevitable," Li Yuanhui said gravely. "Pass down the order:
First, Heavenly Phoenix City will enter the highest state of military readiness immediately. All city-defense Soul Tools are to be charged, patrol forces doubled, and all suspicious individuals closely monitored, especially any movement from the Qiu Family.
Second, recall all important clansmen and resource teams stationed outside. Temporarily contract our sphere of influence to avoid being defeated one by one.
Third, open the family's secret treasury. Prioritize resource allocation to strengthen the core descendants and guard units.
Fourth, strengthen contact with our in-laws, the Dongyue Clan. Inform them of today's events and seek their clearer support.
Fifth, Elder Chen..." He looked toward Chen Jianjun. "The family's safety, especially Xuansheng's safety, will be entrusted to you for now."
Chen Jianjun nodded. "Rest assured, Family Head. With this old man here, no petty villains will succeed."
Meanwhile, at the Qiu Family headquarters.
"What?! Elder Wanhe's Soul Lamp... has gone out?!"
A roar of shock and fury rang out from the great hall, shaking even the beams and pillars.
Within the hall, Qiu Miehun, the current head of the Qiu Family, wore an ashen expression. His Soul Power surged uncontrollably around him, shattering the tables and chairs nearby. Below him, the Qiu Family's core elders and stewards stood as silent as cicadas in winter, their faces full of horror and disbelief.
A level 94 Titled Douluo, one of the family's core fighting forces, had actually fallen during an operation to ambush a junior? The news struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving every Qiu Family higher-up stunned.
"Investigate! Find out everything! Who did this? Aside from Li Yuanhui, how could the Li Family possibly have another expert capable of killing Elder Wanhe?!" Qiu Miehun roared, his eyes bloodshot.
After a brief silence, the hall quickly divided into two camps.
One faction was led by the hot-tempered Third Elder. He abruptly stepped forward and shouted, "Family Head, what is there to investigate?! The culprit must be a hidden foundation of the Li Family! They killed Elder Wanhe. This is a provocation that means no less than an endless war with our Qiu Family! I propose we gather our forces immediately, raze Heavenly Phoenix City, destroy the Li Family, and use their blood to honor Elder Wanhe! Let the world know the consequence of offending the Qiu Family!"
The other faction was more cautious and was led by the Fifth Elder, who managed the family's intelligence. He said in a deep voice, "Family Head, Third Brother, calm down. The Li Family managed to conceal without a trace a Super Douluo of at least level 95, perhaps even stronger, until today. Their schemes and hidden foundation are far more complicated than we previously understood. If we rashly begin a full-scale war, even if we win, the Qiu Family will suffer grievous losses and may allow other forces to reap the benefits. The urgent priority is to use every available resource to uncover that mysterious expert's identity, strength, and origins, as well as whether the Li Family has other hidden powers. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we devise a foolproof plan and kill them in one decisive blow!"
"Investigate? How long are we supposed to investigate?! Is Elder Wanhe supposed to have died for nothing?" The Third Elder glared furiously.
"Of course not! But even revenge requires the right method! If the other party is a level 98 or even level 99 Limit Douluo, would rushing in not simply be courting death?" The Fifth Elder argued forcefully.
The two factions held fast to their positions and argued without end.
Listening to the quarrel below, Qiu Miehun's expression shifted unpredictably. He grieved Qiu Wanhe's death and wished he could immediately tear the Li Family to pieces, yet he also feared the mysterious expert who had slain a level 94 Titled Douluo with one sword strike.
Finally, he slammed his palm against the armrest, silencing everyone.
"Enough!"
His sinister gaze swept over the crowd. "This grudge must be avenged! The Li Family must be destroyed!"
"But the Fifth Elder's words are also reasonable. Convey my orders:
First, activate every covert operative. At any cost, investigate all information regarding that mysterious expert in Heavenly Phoenix City!
Second, place all family forces on wartime alert, ready to strike at any moment.
Third, contact our connections in the Central Dynasty and probe their attitude. If necessary, offer them great benefits and invite the Dynasty's enshrined experts to act!"
Cold light flickered in his eyes. "Before we uncover the truth, let them live a few more days. When the time is right, I will leave not even chickens and dogs alive in Heavenly Phoenix City!"
A greater storm was quietly brewing within the Qiu Family, drawing ever closer to Heavenly Phoenix City.
(End of Chapter 2)
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