Below, the cultivators watched their ancestors get brutally slain before their very eyes, their faces instantly turning ashen as death.
The elder responsible for contacting the Li clan slumped onto the ground, his eyes completely hollow.
"It's over... it's all over..."
The jade slip representing those high and mighty lords had still sent them no reply whatsoever.
What followed was a one-sided massacre, just like before!
By the time the slaughter ended, Li Guanqi's black robe was stained dark red.
Blood dripped steadily from the cuffs of his black sleeves.
Over a hundred severed heads were strung up in the void behind him.
The gloom choking Xiao Chen's chest dissipated slightly.
He understood that in this dog-eat-dog world, if he were not ruthless enough, the Xiao clan's fate would be no better than that of these families right now.
Handing over all the plundered resources to Xiao Chen, Li Guanqi shook away the bloodstains clinging to his body and said, "Head back first."
Xiao Chen looked up at him. "Then what are you going to do?"
Li Guanqi shrugged. "I'm going to take a look at the clan playing tricks behind the scenes."
Xiao Chen's eyes flickered, murmuring in a chilling voice, "The Li clan?"
Li Guanqi was a little surprised; he hadn't expected Xiao Chen to guess so accurately.
Seeing his look, Xiao Chen shrugged. "Big Brother... I'm just naive, not purely stupid, all right? Can you stop looking at me like I'm an idiot? Though those six clans usually don't get along, for them to dare kick us when we're down at a time like this, someone must be pulling the strings. All six are connected to the Li clan. It doesn't take much thought to put two and two together."
The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth curved upward, and he nodded in genuine surprise. "Impressive. Not completely stupid after all."
Xiao Chen looked at him, his voice turning grave. "If I'm not mistaken... did Uncle Meng intercept the people from the Li clan? Otherwise, there's no way we could have slaughtered our way through all six clans without the Li clan showing the slightest reaction."
Li Guanqi twitched his lips, then suddenly asked with utmost seriousness, "Then do you... know why the people from that organization chose to target the Xiao clan of all families?"
Hearing this, Xiao Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and monstrous waves surged in his heart.
He took a deep look at Li Guanqi. It seemed that all along, his perception of Li Guanqi had been based purely on his peerless strength.
Yet at this moment, those white eyes—calm as still water—seemed to see right through every single secret he possessed!
Never had he imagined that Li Guanqi, who hadn't lived through those events with him, had guessed the gist of the truth based solely on a few scraps of information relayed by Ye Feng!
Such intellect...
He had thought himself to be the kind who hid great wisdom behind foolishness. Now, it seemed he had still underestimated his big brother.
Xiao Chen set up several barriers around himself one after another. This action put Li Guanqi on alert as well.
He promptly severed the nearby void, isolating it into a standalone domain space!
He had learned this trick from the sword spirit; it was far superior to simply erecting barriers.
The instant Li Guanqi severed the void, the pupils of a black-clothed figure lurking in the shadows contracted abruptly!
"Vanished?! Why... how could this be?!"
A mask covered the robed figure's face, and beneath it, their eyes were full of panic.
At the same time, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and snapped his gaze toward the void beside him.
"Looks like you can't leave on your own," he said in a low voice. "You're coming with me right now!"
On second thought, Li Guanqi made a swift decision to depart this very second!
A teleportation array formed instantly, and the two figures vanished completely from the severed domain space.
After they left, the severed domain space reappeared silently in the distant void.
Whoosh!
A dark shadow appeared there, looking at the spot where the two had vanished with an ugly expression.
Amid the pitch-black void, the glow of a teleportation array suddenly shone.
Two figures swept out from within. Li Guanqi looked behind him, lingering fear still fresh in his chest. Only when he confirmed no one had followed did he finally relax.
Xiao Chen could not help asking, "Boss, how did you know someone was tailing us?"
To his surprise, Li Guanqi merely shrugged. "I didn't know. Just guessed. My sixth sense is quite sharp, so I thought I'd sever the space to test the waters. Given the enemy's influence, I figured they'd keep a constant watch on the Xiao clan."
As for the reason...
Li Guanqi gave Xiao Chen a deep look. From the hesitation Xiao Chen had shown just now, he knew something was definitely amiss!
That being the case, after Meng Jiangchu had intervened to force them back last time, there was no way the opposition would let matters rest. With so many people across the six clans, there would always be an informant or two to pass word along.
As their figures gradually faded into the void, Li Guanqi looked at Xiao Chen and asked in a low voice, "Speak now. What is this really about?"
Xiao Chen took a deep breath. The storage ring on his finger flashed with light, and immediately afterward, a bizarrely shaped implement appeared in his hand.
Looking at the item, Li Guanqi immediately furrowed his brows.
Pitch-black from end to end, the object resembled a drill bit, fully three chi long. It was as though over a hundred awls had been assembled into a single drill. Each individual awl was its own magic treasure, covered in profoundly intricate patterns and shimmering with an eerie glow.
Yet on this composite dharma artifact, one awl was missing!
Li Guanqi drew in a sharp breath, suddenly feeling that this thing was too hot to handle.
He looked up at Xiao Chen and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, "From this moment on, hand this thing over to me. You have never seen it, nor have you ever heard of it!"
Xiao Chen's expression tightened instantly, understanding Li Guanqi's intentions in a flash.
He quickly refused, "No! Wouldn't that put you in grave danger?!"
"It's settled."
With that, Li Guanqi took the dharma artifact—an item on par with an ancient treasure—and put it away.
Seeing this, Xiao Chen grew anxious. This was clearly his own family's affair; doing this meant Li Guanqi would bear all the danger on his behalf!
Yet Li Guanqi shut him down with a single sentence: "If you still acknowledge me as your big brother, do as I say."
Helpless, Xiao Chen could only acquiesce. Li Guanqi patted his shoulder and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll hand this over to Uncle Meng. I won't keep it on me."
He was not conceited enough to believe he could handle an assassination attempt by a Body Integration Realm cultivator. However, the item definitely could not remain with Xiao Chen. Though he did not know how Xiao Chen's father had obtained it, most of the Xiao clan's troubles were likely tied to this object.
"All right, take the resources and head home first. Once I finish handling things, I'll come find you."
Xiao Chen nodded silently. Taking a deep look at Li Guanqi, he cupped his fists in a formal salute. "Boss, I won't say any more. Thank you."
Li Guanqi kicked him in the rear and said with feigned nonchalance, "Get out of here. Just remember this, kid: from now on, you will never be alone. You have a band of brothers backing you up. No matter what happens, we'll always stand by your side!"
Xiao Chen's eyes rimmed with red, glistening with tears. His throat worked as he fought hard to keep the tears from falling.
Chapter 624