The discussion in the council hall on how to address the God Rank threat and reinforce the city's defenses continued, the atmosphere grave. Everyone understood that what lay ahead might be the final test determining the family's survival.
At that moment, Li Yunming, who had been sitting with his eyes closed to regulate his breathing, his face still somewhat pale, slowly opened his eyes. He shifted slightly closer to Li Yuanhui beside him and swiftly whispered a few words only the two of them could hear.
Although Li Yunming had kept his voice extremely low, those who had been watching this pillar of support closely still keenly noticed the movement. After hearing those whispered words, Li Yuanhui's body gave an almost imperceptible shudder, and an intense look of shock flashed across his face. His expression was even more obvious than when he had faced the siege of dozens of Titled Douluo earlier!
However, as the family head, Li Yuanhui possessed deep composure. That shock was like a stone cast into a lake, raising only a momentary ripple before he forcibly suppressed it. His expression swiftly returned to calm, though an indescribably complicated emotion flickered deep in his eyes.
After speaking, Li Yunming cupped his hands slightly toward Dongyue Qingxuan, Su Qingyin, and the others. His voice carried just the right hint of fatigue. "Everyone, the remaining poison in my body has only just been cleared, and my Soul Power is circulating somewhat sluggishly. I need to return at once and meditate for a while. Please excuse me for the moment."
Li Yuanhui also rose to his feet, wearing an apologetic smile as he explained to the Dongyue Family. "Family Head Qingxuan, Elder Qingyin, Elder Qing, I truly apologize. Elder Yunming fought three Limit Douluo alone before this, expending enormous strength, and was also poisoned by She Duyun's sinister toxin. He needs to recuperate so as not to leave behind any hidden complications. Please forgive this discourtesy."
Though Dongyue Qingxuan and the others found it somewhat sudden, Li Yunming's injuries were indeed of utmost importance, so they naturally expressed their understanding. Dongyue Qingxuan said with concern, "Elder Yunming, please go ahead. Your treatment comes first. If needed, Qingyin can assist you at any time."
Su Qingyin also gave a slight nod.
Li Yunming said no more. He nodded to everyone, then turned and left the council hall at once. His steps seemed steady, but they carried a faint urgency that was difficult to detect.
With his departure, another shadow inevitably fell over the atmosphere in the hall. Li Yunming was now the Li Family's greatest reliance. If he was not in good condition, the situation ahead would become even more difficult. Several Li Family elders revealed worried expressions, and one could not help asking, "Family Head, Elder Yunming... is he all right?"
Li Yuanhui returned to the main seat, his expression already restored to normal. He waved a hand and reassured them steadily, "There is no need for concern. Elder Yunming merely overexerted himself and needs to meditate quietly to recover. He should be well again soon enough. Let us continue discussing our defensive arrangements."
His calm demeanor eased everyone's hanging hearts somewhat.
However, Li Xuansheng, who had been sitting silently in a corner and had not spoken, frowned slightly. He had keenly caught the fleeting shock on his father's face. It did not seem like the reaction to bad news, such as an aggravation of Li Yunming's injuries. Instead... it seemed more like astonishment at something unexpected, perhaps even with a trace of delight? What shocked Father? What did Master Yunming tell him? Li Xuansheng's thoughts raced. And Father immediately regained his calm and even helped conceal it... That means what Grandpa Yunming said is important, but absolutely cannot be revealed right now.
He suppressed his curiosity. Since his father and Grandpa Yunming had chosen secrecy, there had to be a deeper reason. This was not the time to investigate.
The meeting continued, and everyone's attention returned to how to plug the remaining gaps and combine the Nine Heavens Phoenix Flame Formation with the advanced defensive array disks brought by the Dongyue Family to enhance their overall defenses. The discussion lasted until nightfall before a preliminary plan was finally settled. Exhausted and burdened, everyone returned to their quarters to rest.
The night was deep, with neither stars nor moonlight visible.
Li Yuanhui did not return to his own residence. Instead, accompanied by Li Tianwu, Chen Jianjun, and Li Xuansheng, whom he had specifically summoned, he silently arrived before a secluded independent courtyard in the family's rear compound. Two family members at the Soul Sage level, their auras steady and eyes sharp, led the way.
Soundproofing and warning formations had clearly been set around the courtyard, making it exceptionally quiet. When the two Soul Sage guards at the entrance saw the family head and his group, they immediately bowed in salute, solemnity in their eyes.
Li Yuanhui nodded slightly. One of the guards stepped forward and silently pushed open the heavy door.
The room was dimly lit, with only several oil lamps flickering. Six figures were bound by special Soul Power chains and slumped on the floor. Of these six, three men and one woman appeared middle-aged, while there was also an elderly man and two young family members who looked only in their twenties. Their cultivation levels varied as well. The elderly man possessed the strongest aura and was clearly a Soul Douluo-level expert! The two young people, meanwhile, possessed only the cultivation of Four-Ring Soul Ancestors.
Upon seeing Li Yuanhui and the others enter, complicated expressions immediately surfaced on the six faces—fear, shame, despair, and a trace of barely perceptible resentment.
Li Yuanhui's gaze first fell upon the elderly Soul Douluo. His voice was low, filled with grief and incomprehension. "Uncle Tianhao."
Li Tianhao was his granduncle by seniority and a highly experienced elder within the family. Though his cultivation had failed to break through to Titled Douluo, he had always managed part of the family's businesses and held no low position.
"You are a member of my Li Family, bound to us by blood. Has the family ever treated you unfairly all these years?" Li Yuanhui's voice contained suppressed fury.
Li Tianhao raised his head, deep wrinkles lining his face. His gaze flickered, but then became "calm." He sighed, speaking with a self-righteous sort of "clarity." "Yuanhui, it is not that the family has treated this old man unfairly. It is simply... the tide of events is against us! The Qiu Family and Five Poisons Valley have joined forces. Their momentum is unstoppable! Our Li Family is merely a mantis trying to stop a chariot! This old man... this old man only wished to leave the family a way out, to seek a path to survival! Yuanhui, heed your elder's advice. Surrender! Perhaps some of the clan members' lives can still be preserved!"
"And you!" Li Yuanhui's gaze swept over the three middle-aged people and the two youths. "Yuan Tu, Yuan Xia, Xuanguan... what about you? I ask myself whether in the distribution of resources or in how I treated you day to day, I have never wronged a single one of you. Now, when the family stands at the brink of life and death, why would you commit such an act of abandoning your ancestors and betraying your bloodline?!"
The middle-aged man named Yuan Tu stiffened his neck and said, "Family Head! We simply do not want to die alongside the family! No matter how strong Elder Yunming is, can he defeat a God Rank expert? We passed along information only because we wanted to show goodwill toward the Qiu Family and find a way for our own households to survive!"
The young man named Xuanguan cried out, his voice choked with tears, "Family Head, we are still young! We do not want to die! What is wrong with surrendering? At least we can live!"
As Li Yuanhui looked at their self-righteous faces, the last trace of warmth in his eyes froze over. He had originally retained a sliver of hope, hoping to hear their remorse, even if they had acted under coercion. Yet all he heard was cowardice and selfishness that cast aside everything for the sake of survival.
"Live?" Li Yuanhui's voice was cold as iron. "Better to die standing than live on your knees! My Li Family has stood in Heavenly Phoenix City for four hundred years, and our spine has never bent! If everyone thought as you do, the family would have long since ceased to exist!"
He did not spare them another glance. Turning to Li Tianwu and Chen Jianjun, he said in a deep voice, "The family rules are as unyielding as a mountain. Traitors to the family shall be dealt with accordingly. Clean this up. Do not let word leak out and shake morale."
"Yes, Family Head." Li Tianwu and Chen Jianjun answered at the same time, a fierce glint flashing through their eyes.
Li Xuansheng silently watched it all, feeling little turmoil in his heart. Before the survival of the family, any wavering or betrayal was unforgivable. He merely activated the system in secret and once more confirmed the crimson "Hostile" markers above their heads, along with the detailed records of their betrayal. At the same time, his determination to raise his strength as quickly as possible and help the family overcome this crisis grew even firmer.
Only by clearing out the parasites within could the family's will become more united, allowing them to clench their fists and face the powerful enemy amid the coming storm!
Before you continue