She Long Returns to the Clan and the Journey to Azure Jade Forest

Return of She Long to the Clan and the Journey to Azure Jade Forest

The following morning was the appointed time for departure. Yet during the final night before leaving, Li Xuansheng sat alone in his room, his consciousness sinking into the system interface.

[Current Summoning Points: 400 points.]

[Summoning Level: Level 1 (0/5). Can summon Level 91 to 94 Titled Douluos, consuming 150 summoning points per attempt.]

[Proceed with summoning?]

Looking at the data on the glowing screen, Li Xuansheng silently muttered in his mind: System, spend 150 summoning points to summon!

As the 150 summoning points were deducted, the system interface blazed with light, and an illusory wheel began to spin rapidly.

[Ding! Summoning successful!]

[Congratulations to the host for successfully summoning the Level 94 Titled Douluo—She Long!]

[Rationalizing identity... Implanting relevant memory fragments...]

[Rationalization complete: He is a descendant of a branch family of the Li Family that was scattered abroad. A century ago, during a period of internal family strife, his ancestors were forced to leave Heavenly Phoenix City in order to protect a family heirloom. For many years, they kept a low profile while secretly building up their strength. Now, sensing a crisis in the main family, he has specifically returned with his cultivation base to acknowledge his ancestors and rejoin the clan! Relevant memories have been vaguely implanted into the consciousness of current major family members.]

[Ding! Detected that the host possesses a free compulsory name-change/bloodline-addition opportunity ×1. Would you like to use it on the summoned character "She Long"?]

She Long, wasn't that the Serpent Douluo from the Spirit Hall in the first book? He didn't expect it to be him. Although his performance in Douluo 1 was mediocre, he was still a Level 94 Titled Douluo, only a step away from being a Super Douluo.

Use it! Add the Li Bloodline to him and rename him to Li She Long! Li Xuansheng gave the order without hesitation.

[Command confirmed! Bloodline added successfully! Name changed successfully!]

The moment the system prompt faded, Li Xuansheng felt a powerful aura approaching from afar, speeding rapidly toward the Li Family estate. This aura was filled with a certain cold and piercing sharpness, yet it carried a trace of bloodline resonance that made him feel a sense of familiarity.

While several people were discussing it with excitement, a family guard hurried over to report: "Patriarch! An elderly man outside the estate is asking for an audience, claiming to be... claiming to be a descendant of a branch of our Li Family that was scattered abroad. His name is Li She Long, and he has specifically come to return to the clan!"

"Let's go take a look together!" Li Yuanhui stood up immediately and led the group out to greet them outside the estate.

In front of the estate gates, a tall, thin old man with a gloomy expression yet piercing eyes stood proudly. Upon seeing Li Yuanhui and the others, he immediately dropped to one knee, his voice hoarse yet carrying suppressed excitement:

"Unfilial descendant Li She Long pays respects to the Patriarch! My ancestral grandfather Li Qingyuan, trusted by the family, left in order to protect a treasure! For a hundred years, our Qingyuan Lineage has drifted, never daring to forget our roots for even a day! Now, sensing that the main family is facing calamity, I have specially returned with my meager cultivation and the treasure, willing to re-enter the family registry and die in service to the family. I hope the Patriarch will accept us!"

Almost at the same time, Li Yuanhui, Li Tiancheng, Li Tianji, and even Chen Jianjun all slightly froze. It was as if dust-covered memories in their minds had been touched, bringing forth some vague fragments—regarding that internal strife a century ago, the heroic figure of a family member leaving with a treasure, and the records in the ancient family texts that vaguely mentioned "perhaps descendants still exist in the world."

"This aura... so familiar... It's the genuine bloodline resonance of my Li Family!" Li Yuanhui's face showed shock as he exchanged glances with the two elders, both of them seeing sudden realization and excitement in each other's eyes. "Could it really be... the descendant of that ancestor mentioned in the records?"

"It must be!" Li Tianji slapped his palm and said, "The family records are vague, but the bloodline cannot be faked! For him to return at this moment, he must have sensed the family's peril. This is truly the descendant of a loyal and righteous man!"

His words matched the vague memories that had just surfaced in the minds of Li Yuanhui and the others. Coupled with the pure and powerful Li Family bloodline resonance, this instantly dispelled the last shred of doubt in everyone's minds.

Li Yuanhui stepped forward quickly, personally helping him up with a voice carrying emotion and vigor: "Elder She Long, please rise quickly! The loyalty and righteousness of our ancestors is something my Li Family has never dared to forget! For you to return at such a time of peril is not unfilial at all; indeed, you are the descendant of loyal martyrs who strengthens our family's prestige! From today onward, you are an elder of the Li Family, and you shall protect the family alongside us!"

He took the box. On top of the box was a mechanism lock—a mechanism lock that required bloodline activation. Li Yuanhui was stunned for a moment, squeezing out a few drops of vital essence blood and dropping it onto it. With a clank, the mechanism lock sprang open in response. Opening it revealed a precious orb inside, its surface covered in exquisite patterns as if naturally formed. The energy fluctuations it emitted were enough to make even Li Yuanhui's expression shift. What was this? While he was pondering:

"This is the [Phoenix Orb] of my Li Family that disappeared a hundred years ago. Previously, it was always kept in the hands of the Patriarch, containing within it the bloodline origin of a divine-rank phoenix. The Sky Phoenix Halberd of my Li Family was originally just an ordinary halberd, and it is only because it was continuously nourished by the phoenix origin and essence blood generation after generation that it has now become the Sky Phoenix Halberd. If it hadn't been lost a hundred years ago, absorbing energy over these past hundred years, the Sky Phoenix Halberd of my Li Family would likely have transformed into the Divine Phoenix Halberd, ranking among the top weapon martial souls on the continent."

While Li Yuanhui was still deep in thought, Chen Jianjun, whose memory had been imparted by the system, stated the origin of the orb.

"What, it's this treasure? I've seen this treasure in the family records, but I've never laid eyes on it. Back then, the old patriarch only said that this treasure was already lost, and even warned me that the orb possessed spirit—if there was affinity it would return, and if not, there was no need to force it. My Li Family should strive to constantly improve ourselves, and naturally we would have our own opportunities to grow strong. I never imagined it would actually return to the family today." Li Yuanhui wore a look of deep emotion.

"The old patriarch truly possessed grand vision and a broad mind," Li She Long said, full of admiration.

System, what is going on with this Phoenix Orb? How did an extra treasure suddenly appear?

Seeing that the development of events was getting a bit strange, Li Xuansheng inquired of the system.

"Host, you've taken a huge loss! Because your family truly did have such an event occur a century ago, and back then a branch family really did escort a treasure out—only, all of those people are dead now, and the treasure was indeed a piece of jewelry, though it was just an ordinary piece of jewelry. It was actually the heart, or rather the inner core, of a three-hundred-thousand-year-old Heavenly Phoenix Tree, and its energy had long since been exhausted and dissipated."

So that's how it was. Then how did it turn into a Phoenix Orb?

Hearing this, Li Xuansheng suddenly understood, but immediately after, he was filled with doubt again.

"Because when setting up She Long's identity, I borrowed that lore. Now, choosing to let him return to the family meant arranging a pearl treasure of the same caliber. But within the system, among pearl-type items matching the Li Family's situation, this Phoenix Orb was the most suitable. Summoning this orb in the mall using summoning points costs the price of a tier-2 god, so I'm saying you've taken a massive loss this time."

Hearing this, one could hear the system's overflowing grievances, while Li Xuansheng was naturally extremely satisfied.

The addition of a Level 94 Titled Douluo, and one who had returned in such a "perfectly logical" manner while also bringing back the Li Family's Phoenix Orb (yes, that's right, it was indeed the Li Family's original Phoenix Orb), made Li Xuansheng swell with joy while also invigorating the entire Li Family from top to bottom! This meant that even if Elder Tianji led a team to leave tomorrow, the family would still have three top powerhouses—Li Yuanhui, Chen Jianjun, and Li She Long—holding down the fort, greatly increasing their safety!

Early the next morning, the sky was faintly bright.

In front of the Li Family estate gates, the team had already assembled.

At the lead was Dongyue Qingxuan, the third elder of the Dongyue Clan. He wore green robes, and his aura was as imposing as a deep pool of water. Beside him stood Li Family Elder Li Tianji, whose expression was stern.

Following them were the young disciples who needed to acquire soul rings this time and participate in the training journey. Li Xuansheng, Li Xuanbei, Dongyue Ling, Dongyue Xuejian, Dongyue Yu, and over ten others were prominently among them.

Li Yuanhui, Chen Jianjun, and the newly returned Li She Long stood in front of the estate gates to see them off.

"Elder Qingxuan, Tianji, I leave these children to the two of you." Li Yuanhui cupped his fists solemnly.

Dongyue Qingxuan nodded slightly. "Rest assured, Patriarch Li."

"Let's move out!"

At Dongyue Qingxuan's command, the team of over twenty people, led by the two Titled Douluos Dongyue Qingxuan and Li Tianji, left Heavenly Phoenix City in a mighty procession, heading toward the vast and boundless Azure Jade Forest in the east.

After leaving Heavenly Phoenix City, the team headed all the way east. Along the way, they passed through three small cities belonging to various small and medium-sized factions. The auras of the two Titled Douluos were unmasked, drawing sidelong glances from all sides, while the joint flags of the Li and Dongyue families fluttered in the wind, proclaiming their might.

Along the way, they encountered a few waves of blind bandits, but all of them became whetstones for the disciples of the two families. Li Xuansheng and Dongyue Ling's coordination grew increasingly tacit, Li Xuanbei's Book of Nature provided auxiliary crowd control, Dongyue Yu's sonic waves disrupted the enemy, and even Dongyue Xuejian used her Heavenly Heart Ring to carry out simple attacks, gaining precious actual combat experience.

After twenty-odd days of traveling day and night, that boundless vast forest radiating immense vitality and ancient might finally came into view—the Azure Jade Forest!

Even at the periphery, one could feel the vitality and danger within. Towering ancient trees stood in rows, many of their branches and trunks exhibiting a warm, jade-like green luster. The Azure Jade Forest truly lived up to its name.

Dongyue Qingxuan chose an open area with high ground and proximity to a water source, giving the order to pitch camp and rest.

At night, by the bonfire.

The two Titled Douluos sat at the center, and Li Xuansheng gathered the members who needed to acquire soul rings to make a plan.

"First, let's clarify our respective targets," Li Xuansheng began. "Both Cousin Xuanbei and I need a fifth soul ring, and our target cultivation is between twelve thousand and fifteen thousand years."

He looked at Li Xuanbei. "Brother Xuanbei, your Book of Nature leans toward control and support. It is best to look for plant-type soul beasts with element-control or domain-type abilities, or beast-type soul beasts with similar innate traits. The Azure Spirit Tree, Wind Spirit Fox, Rock-Earth Tortoise, Water-Ring Snake, Prismatic Deer, and others in the Azure Jade Forest are all perfect matches."

Li Xuanbei nodded. "That's right, those with natural attributes will have a very high compatibility."

Then, he spoke of himself, his tone resolute: "My Divine Phoenix Halberd focuses primarily on extreme offense and destruction. Therefore, my fifth soul ring must first possess the traits of extreme sharpness and penetration, which can vastly amplify the destructive power of the halberd blade. If it can be complemented by the lightning attribute, that would be even better; the speed and explosiveness of thunder can complement the fire of the divine phoenix, doubling its might! Secondly, a top-tier soul beast possessing phoenix-type bloodline would undoubtedly cause its soul ring to stir the origin of my martial soul, bringing about a qualitative leap."

In his mind, he envisioned several ideal soul beasts: such as the unparalleled in offense and sword-winged Thunderwing Swordfeather Eagle, the Violet Lightning Phoenix-Billed Crow that controlled destructive lightning, or the blazing Azure Luan which possessed a faint phoenix bloodline and a violent disposition. These were all top-tier choices that could vastly enhance his offensive power.

Finally, Dongyue Qingxuan stated the target: "Xuejian is going for her third soul ring, with a target cultivation around seventeen hundred years. Your Heavenly Heart Ring leans toward output and control, so you can consider looking for soul beasts possessing spiritual interference or attack-enhancing abilities. The Heavenheart Fox, Radiant Butterfly, Jade Spirit, and others are all top-tier choices."

There was also Dongyue Yu from the Dongyue Clan, a fourteen-year-old chubby boy with the mutated Glazed Ring martial soul, an auxiliary-system Soul Elder at Level 40.

"And A-Lin, whose martial soul is the Glazed Ring, an auxiliary-system tool soul master. What he requires is a soul beast between three thousand and five thousand years. For the auxiliary system, you can also consider the Azure Jade Tree, as well as the Illusory King Flower, Swift Monkey, Rock-Armored Tortoise, and so on to increase defense, speed, or recovery."

Dongyue Qingxuan supplemented with the distribution and characteristics of common soul beasts on the periphery of the Azure Jade Forest, and the group discussed cooperative tactics until late into the night.

Looking at the leaping bonfire, Li Xuansheng's gaze was as sharp as a halberd. Azure Jade Forest, I will definitely return carrying the strongest offensive soul ring!

(Chapter 5 End)