Having spoken his piece, Li Guanqi fell silent.
He gave the others time to consider.
Among them, none wrestled with the choice more than Hu Shouqing.
Li Guanqi's gaze casually drifted toward the doorway, and with a wave of his hand, he swung open the grand hall's double doors.
"Come inside and listen."
Seeing this, Hu Mingtao slowly stepped through the entrance and took a seat beside the old man.
A look of worry clouded the man's eyes as he watched his father.
Hu Mingtao was by no means weak, possessing mid Mahayana realm cultivation.
The old man's expression gradually grew calm. Since things had come this far, he had already anticipated such a reality deep down.
To him, clinging stubbornly to the Ice Lion Sect no longer held much meaning.
Nowadays, the strife between the mortal Six Domains, the Ancient Clan, and the Misty Immortal Domain had diminished considerably. Friction still broke out from time to time, but it was nowhere near as fierce as in earlier years.
Yet he still yearned to advance further, which was why he had approached Guo Feng and the others in the first place, leading to today's meeting.
Han Yuan broke the silence first, letting out a soft sigh.
"Guanqi, we actually made up our minds long ago."
"We merely didn't expect conditions in the Seventh Domain to have reached such peril."
"Even so... the worse it is, the sooner we ought to go!"
With that, Han Yuan turned to Jiang Qizhi and Guo Feng at his side.
A hint of proud amusement played upon his face as he said in a deep voice, "Though our combat prowess is modest, our attainments in the Dao of Alchemy still count for something. If we go, we can at least offer you all a few more chances to survive! As for Old Hu, whether he can take that further step will depend on his own fortune."
With those words, Han Yuan looked toward Hu Shouqing.
The old man's countenance grew increasingly composed, and he spoke in a soft voice:
"If there is even a sliver of hope, I still wish to enter the Seventh Domain!"
"If I must wither away in this Misty Immortal Domain, powerless to break through until I die under that samsara heavenly tribulation, I would rather step onto the battlefield soaked in blood, dragging a few mongrels down with me to the grave. Only then will I not have disgraced my life as Lion King Hu Shouqing!"
A brilliant light gleamed in the old man's eyes, his voice resolute and resounding like clanging iron, his visage awe-inspiring.
Li Guanqi was deeply moved by the sight.
He could sense the inner resolve of Hu Shouqing, Han Yuan, and the rest.
At their realm and advanced cultivation age, they had long since grown indifferent to life and death. Perhaps all they cared about was whether their end carried meaning.
Listening to this, Li Guanqi felt a swell of reverence. Looking at the old man who had risen to his feet with such fervent passion, Li Guanqi caught a glimpse of the unique magnanimity possessed by elders of his stature.
*One may die, so long as that death has purpose...*
Li Guanqi drew a deep breath, suddenly feeling that his initial display of overbearing pressure to intimidate them had been somewhat unworthy. He had originally assumed Guo Feng's group sought a lifeline merely to keep Hu Shouqing from dying. Now it seemed he had been the narrow-minded one.
Ever since entering, Hu Mingtao had kept his head bowed in silence.
Li Guanqi could sense a slight turmoil in the man's emotions, bordering on uncontrollable. After all, it was his own father who wanted to march onto the battlefields of the Seventh Domain. Inevitably, deep worry weighed on his heart.
Standing upright, the old man noticed the shift in Hu Mingtao's state of mind.
He reached out with a broad palm, chuckling as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder.
"You little bastard, what are you worrying about your old man for?"
"I've fought my entire life and carved out this domain in Nanjiang. It's just a Seventh Domain—did you really think it could take my life?"
"What the hell is there to fear!"
Yet despite his words, when Hu Mingtao looked up, the slight redness rimming his eyes betrayed him after all.
"Father... I won't stop you, but I can't help feeling worried. How about I go with you? That way, we can look out for one another."
The moment those words were uttered, the old man's face darkened instantly.
"You come with me? If you come with me, what happens to the sect? Just abandon it?"
"Bullshit! You brainless fool, what kind of Dao are you cultivating if you fear death?! Cultivators under the heavens all go against Heaven's will! If you're afraid to die, don't cultivate at all!"
The man fell silent. He knew his father was worried that his cultivation was too low, and that going to the Seventh Domain would only bring greater danger.
Li Guanqi drew a deep breath and spoke softly.
"Since you seniors have made your choice, I will dissuade you no further."
"From here on, we are comrades in arms. Allow me to bestow a fortune upon you all."
Before anyone could comprehend what he meant, a terrifying pressure of incomprehensible magnitude surged forth.
In an instant, wind and clouds churned above the Ice Lion Sect. Heavy black clouds blotted out the sun, plunging the world into darkness.
Immediately after, myriad bolts of lightning cascaded from the heavens amidst howling gales, and a dense lightning boundary enveloped the Ice Lion Sect's grand hall!
Pengluo poked its head out from the void with visible reluctance, tossing down a finger root as white and lustrous as jade.
With a flick of his hand, Li Guanqi severed it into five pieces, sending them floating toward Han Yuan, the two elders, and the two members of the Hu family.
Hu Shouqing's eyes blazed with light; he knew full well this was the core essence of a rank-nine spirit creature!
Hu Mingtao stared blankly at the radish chunk floating before him, brimming with immense primordial energy.
With a wave of his hand, Li Guanqi condensed five lightning prayer mats in the center of the hall.
For the first time, everyone present distinctly felt the staggering might radiating from Li Guanqi.
The Tribulation Transcendence realm—and far from an ordinary early stage!
A faint pressure pervaded the hall, closely followed by an inexplicable power of fire laws radiating from Li Guanqi's body.
Han Yuan and the other two alchemists felt their hearts leap into their throats, their eyes snapping toward Li Guanqi in disbelief!
In their recollection, had he not already gifted his Purple Firmament Thunder Flame to Cao Yan?
Why did his body now hold such terrifying fire power?
The flames within the three of them were completely suppressed, resisting even their attempts to mobilize them.
Catching on at once, the elders sat down cross-legged on the prayer mats and entered a meditative state.
Li Guanqi likewise sat cross-legged before them as a mysterious silver-white pattern materialized between his brows.
*Spirit-Devouring Dao Body · Resonating with Heaven and Earth!*
Li Guanqi murmured inwardly, *Shiwu, I leave the three of them to you.*
*Shiwu obeys.*
The Flame Spirit was thoroughly obedient to Li Guanqi now.
They were merely three alchemists wielding beast flames; helping them comprehend the power of fire laws was as easy as turning over a hand.
In contrast, Hu Shouqing and Hu Mingtao both possessed ice-attribute spirit roots. Li Guanqi could offer them no direct aid in that regard; their progress would depend entirely on their own luck.
Right here within the modest Ice Lion Sect, Li Guanqi had unhesitatingly unleashed Resonating with Heaven and Earth for their sake.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Beneath a night sky where a bright moon hung high, the Ice Lion Sect remained brightly lit.
Every elder and consecrated expert stood at strict attention, vigilantly raising the sect-protecting grand formation.
Even the eighth-rank ice lion chose to crouch submissively upon the sect square.
Chapter 1390