Poison Clouds Press In, the Plot Revealed

The evening welcome banquet was held in the newly renovated family banquet hall. Though it was called a banquet, there was little extravagance. More than anything, there was relief at having survived the disaster and reassurance at the arrival of allies. The dishes were plentiful, and the wine was fine vintage, but everyone's thoughts were clearly not on food and drink.

As the family head, Li Yuanhui was the first to raise his cup and express his sincerest gratitude to Dongyue Qing and his group. As cups clinked and wine flowed, the atmosphere gradually warmed, yet an invisible heaviness lingered throughout. Whether it was the exhaustion and grief not yet faded from the faces of the Li Family or the occasional worry flashing in the eyes of the Dongyue Family's elders, all of it suggested that this banquet was more like a brief respite between great battles.

After the banquet, the attendants cleared away the leftovers and served tea. The key figures moved to a smaller discussion hall with tighter defenses. Aside from top figures from both sides, such as Li Yunming, Li Yuanhui, and Dongyue Qing, Li Xuansheng was also permitted to attend as the young master. It was both recognition and training.

The hall was brightly lit. The steam rising from the tea dispelled some of the night's chill, but it could not drive away the weight hanging in the air.

Li Yuanhui was the first to break the silence. Looking at Dongyue Qing, he spoke gravely. "Father-in-law, you mentioned before the banquet that Five Poisons Valley had colluded with the Qiu Family. This concerns our very survival. Please tell us in detail—what exactly are Five Poisons Valley and the Qiu Family plotting by joining forces?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Dongyue Qing. The Dongyue Clan's First Elder gently set down his teacup, deep apprehension appearing on his aged face.

"Five Poisons Valley," he began slowly, his voice carrying a heavy weight, "is one of the great powers entrenched in the east of our continent, within our Eastern Region. Its strength is no weaker than the Qiu Family's—if anything, it is stronger."

He paused, as though organizing his thoughts, or perhaps recalling his dealings with that force. "The strongest person in the valley is an ancestor, a Divine Official-level existence with cultivation of at least level 105. In terms of individual strength alone, he is likely even more troublesome than the Qiu Family's ancestor."

A collective gasp rose in the discussion hall. A Divine Official above level 105! The Li Family knew that the Qiu Family had a God Rank ancestor, but his exact level was likely only at the initial Divine Official stage. Hearing that Five Poisons Valley's master was above level 105, the pressure on them surged.

Dongyue Qing continued, "The valley is not a single family, but an alliance of five families whose inherited martial souls are poisonous creatures. Those five are the Chan Family, with the Poison Toad; the Wu Family, with the Poison Centipede; the She Family, with the Poison Snake; the Xie Family, with the Poison Scorpion; and the Zhu Family, with the Poison Spider. Whenever a soul master in the Eastern Region awakens one of these five martial souls and possesses passable talent, Five Poisons Valley will come knocking. There are only two paths—submit, or die."

His words were cold, carrying the bloody cruelty of that rule, and many present felt a chill run through them. Such tyrannical conduct made them less of a sect than an organized cancer.

"Besides that Divine Official ancestor, there are also two old monsters in the valley who remain in seclusion year-round. Both are level 99 Limit Douluos." Dongyue Qing's tone grew even graver. "Their poison arts have reached an unfathomable level. It is said that they can spread invisible poison with a single breath. Without special means of restraint, a powerhouse of the same level would rather face several Limit Douluos than confront them. They are... a headache to anyone who sees them, and feared by anyone who encounters them."

Chen Jianjun frowned deeply. He had pursued the ultimate path of the sword all his life and instinctively disliked and guarded against methods that relied on external deadly poison. Li Tianwu, Li She Long, and the others also wore solemn expressions. Clearly, they had all heard of Five Poisons Valley's vicious reputation.

"In that case," Li Yunming finally said, lightly tapping his fingers against the table with a steady rhythm that drew everyone's attention, "Five Poisons Valley and the Qiu Family could not possibly have joined forces merely for our Li Family and Heavenly Phoenix City."

"Elder Yun Ming is absolutely right." Dongyue Qing nodded approvingly, his gaze sweeping over the room. "Heavenly Phoenix City may be the Li Family's foundation, but among the thirteen eastern cities, its scale and resources are only middling at best. Even if they took it, the gains would not be enough for forces of the Qiu Family and Five Poisons Valley's size to make such a massive move, much less set aside whatever past grievances they may have had and choose to cooperate."

He drew a deep breath and gave the answer weighing on everyone's hearts. "Their true target is most likely—Heavenly Heart City, where the Dongyue Clan is based!"

"Heavenly Heart City?!" Li Yuanhui cried out, his face changing drastically.

Heavenly Heart City was one of the four great main cities of the Eastern Region! Its prosperity, resource reserves, and strategic importance were far beyond Heavenly Phoenix City's. It was the foundation the Dongyue Clan had operated for centuries, a true colossal city! If Heavenly Heart City fell, the Dongyue Clan would suffer a devastating blow and might even never recover.

"That's right." Dongyue Qingxuan took over, his tone filled with indignation and gravity. "Only a prize as rich as Heavenly Heart City is worth the two sides joining forces to divide! The Qiu Family has coveted the Eastern Region for a long time, but it is not confident in facing the Dongyue Clan alone. Five Poisons Valley may be strong, but if it forcibly attacked Heavenly Heart City, protected by natural barriers and countless formations, it would also suffer terrible losses. Only by joining hands do they have a chance!"

Dongyue Qing said in a deep voice, "This operation of theirs is likely part of a grand scheme. First, the Qiu Family would use thunderous force to seize or restrain your Li Family. If they succeeded, they would cut off one of the Dongyue Clan's arms while drawing away part of our attention. If the Qiu Family's operation was obstructed, as it was now, Five Poisons Valley's interception midway may not have truly been intended to wipe us out. More likely, it was meant to delay us and buy time for their later arrangements against Heavenly Heart City. No matter the outcome, their ultimate blade points directly at Heavenly Heart City!"

The discussion hall fell into a long silence.

They had originally believed this was merely a crisis aimed at the Li Family. They had never expected such an enormous conspiracy behind it. The Li Family had become the first chess piece pushed onto the board in a game between two top-tier powers—or rather, the first piece used to break the balance!

Li Xuansheng sat at the end of the table, listening to the elders' analysis as waves surged through his heart. He had previously believed the Li Family had gained a chance to catch its breath through the system's summons. Now, it seemed the enemies were far stronger than he had imagined, and their ambitions ran far deeper. If Heavenly Heart City fell, the Li Family would be unable to stand alone.

"What a brilliant feint—making a show in one direction while secretly striking another!" Li Yunming snorted coldly, sharp light flashing in his eyes. "What a calculation! Do they really think the Li Family is made of clay? They want to come and go as they please, and even use us as bait?"

He looked at Dongyue Qing, his voice firm and decisive. "First Elder Dongyue, this is no longer a matter for the Li Family or the Dongyue Clan alone. The Qiu Family and Five Poisons Valley's wolfish ambitions are plain for all to see. Our two families are now as close as lips and teeth, sharing glory and disgrace!"

Dongyue Qing nodded heavily. "Elder Li is right! At this moment, we must cooperate wholeheartedly. I will immediately send word back to the clan and have them raise their guard and prepare for battle with all their strength. At the same time, the five of us will remain in Heavenly Phoenix City for now. First, we can help you guard against possible retaliation from the Qiu Family. Second, with the top forces of our two families gathered together, we can advance to attack or retreat to defend, allowing us to face the changes ahead."

"Excellent!" Li Yuanhui's spirits rose. "With Father-in-law and all the elders here, the Li Family has far greater confidence! But we cannot simply remain on the defensive."

Li Yunming added, "That's right. We must actively gather intelligence and learn the Qiu Family and Five Poisons Valley's specific movements. At the same time, we need to find a way to divide them, or at least delay the pace of their alliance."

The meeting continued until late at night. Both sides held thorough discussions on details such as intelligence sharing, coordinated defense, and resource allocation. The Li Family, which had relaxed slightly after its victory, tightened up once more, and the enemy it faced was now even larger and more dangerous than before.

After the meeting, Li Xuansheng followed behind his father as they left the discussion hall. The night wind was cool and scattered some of their exhaustion.

"Xuansheng, do you understand everything now?" Li Yuanhui's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"I understand, Father." Li Xuansheng drew a deep breath. "The enemy is strong, and their goal is immense. But we still have a chance."

Li Yuanhui patted his shoulder and said nothing more. Father and son raised their heads and looked southeast, toward the general direction of Heavenly Heart City. Beneath the night sky, it seemed as though two invisible giant nets were slowly closing over Heavenly Phoenix City and Heavenly Heart City. Before those nets tightened shut, they had to find a way to break free—or become stronger than the spiders weaving them.

End of Chapter 25