Youming

Flames filled the sky; mountains and rivers withered. Trees across a hundred li turned charred black in an instant, and the earth baked until it cracked wide open. Surrounding rivers evaporated in a flash. Eerie dark green flames erupted from the void. Within the firelight, the phantom silhouettes of five ferocious ghosts of varying shapes floated behind a white-robed figure. Watching the figure walking forward upon the flames, Li Guanqi could not help but swallow hard. Yet this was not what shocked him most... Within his divine sense, countless auras were fading one after another. Li Guanqi stared wide-eyed into the depths of the blaze. Under the terrifying pressure, those figures were held in place as if bound by chains. Whatever their cultivation realm, they could only watch helplessly as the flames devoured their bodies whole. Li Changshan knelt on the ground, his face steeped in bitterness. He wanted to say something, but in the end swallowed every word back down. He suddenly felt a pang of regret for secluding himself in closed-door cultivation all these years, remaining completely indifferent to clan affairs. Of all the people to provoke, why did they have to enrage Meng Jiangchu! The flames gradually died down. The entire Li clan domain vanished completely from the world. It was as if a powerful clan had never existed here at all. Watching the figure walking toward him, Li Guanqi swallowed nervously once more. Ruthless! A strike ruthless enough to shock an entire domain! Li Guanqi considered himself ruthless enough in his own actions, yet he still held a scale in his heart. Wiping out an entire clan... he always felt it dragged in the innocent. Though his sword intent was Yanluo, it was mostly laden with retribution and punishment—ignoring secular scrutiny and others' coercion to pass judgment on the guilty. What he did was keep his conscience clear. Even if the other side had backers, he would still draw his sword. Noticing Li Guanqi's gaze, Meng Jiangchu clearly sensed what he was thinking. "Think I was too ruthless?" Li Guanqi did not hide his feelings and gave a nod. Meng Jiangchu sighed. He did not expect Li Guanqi to understand his actions right now. Even so, he patted Li Guanqi's shoulder and explained with earnest gravity: "I think you handled the six clans well. You were not in the wrong. "However... the Li clan is different." Hearing this, Li Guanqi frowned slightly. Clearly, he had guessed a few things as well. The man's voice rang out again: "Above all else, the Li clan should never have ignored my words, nor should they have involved themselves with that organization!" Meng Jiangchu's voice was bone-chillingly cold. Clearly, both matters infuriated him immensely. To ignore his decree, scheme behind his back, and direct the six clans against the Xiao clan... Such conduct was nothing less than defying the majesty of a Domain Lord. If he did not intimidate them today with thunderous methods, would other sects and clans in the future think a Domain Lord was nothing special, eroding his authority? Li Guanqi's heart shuddered. Thinking back, the Great Xia Sword Sect operated the same way. Mistakes made by disciples in the mortal realm might not matter in the least to other sects. Yet only the Great Xia Sword Sect magnified those matters without end, enforcing the most severe punishments. The man took a deep breath and whispered in a chilled tone: "Moreover... the Li clan could never have cared for the Xiao clan's meager resources. There is a hidden story behind this!" With that, the man stopped speaking. He figured Li Guanqi would know nothing about such matters, so there was no point in elaborating. Yet Li Guanqi abruptly raised his head to look at him and said in a heavy voice, "Father-in-law, please erect a barrier!" Seeing his expression, Meng Jiangchu frowned slightly as well. With a wave of his hand, that terrifying power of flame manifested once again! A four-sided fiery barrier enveloped them both in an instant. After a brief thought, Li Guanqi still used his earlier technique to sever the void. Even Meng Jiangchu could not quite grasp how this maneuver worked, yet he sensed it was remarkably formidable! "Ahem... teach me that trick later." Li Guanqi shrugged and nodded in agreement. *Whoosh!* With a flip of his hand, a bizarrely shaped dharma artifact instantly appeared in his grasp. The moment Meng Jiangchu saw it, his pupils shrank violently! *This thing...* Reaching out, he snatched it over. Countless fiery threads wound around the dharma artifact. With his eyes half-closed, Meng Jiangchu's expression grew uglier and uglier. "*Hiss...* So that's how it is!!" "Humph! To think the Sha organization's ambitions run so deep!!" At this point, the man's voice paused slightly, and with a dazed expression, he let out a bitter laugh. "The Xiao clan... Sigh... Who knows how they got hold of this thing." Li Guanqi nodded. The reason the Xiao clan had been targeted was likely because of this dharma artifact. Evidently, Meng Jiangchu knew what it was used for! The man suddenly paused, then turned to Li Guanqi with a solemn expression and cautioned him: "Xiao Ye came out of the Purgatory Abyss, so you've likely learned a few things recently. "Elder Gu and I have just returned from there. Don't even think about going there again—the situation on that side is quite complicated." Seeing the man's earnest demeanor, Li Guanqi realized that things over there were probably far from simple now. With a solemn look, he nodded and said in a deep voice, "Understood. I will warn them not to go for the time being." Meng Jiangchu nodded and asked softly, "Are you coming back with me, or heading to the Xiao clan?" Li Guanqi shrugged. "I'll go back with you. Xiao Chen should be able to handle clan matters by himself now. "As long as those elders in their clan aren't blind like me, none of them will dare look for trouble with him. "As for the other families... heh, anyone thinking of touching the Xiao clan had better feel their own necks first." Meng Jiangchu smiled. With a wave of his hand, spatial power enveloped Li Guanqi, and their figures vanished from the spot. On the way, Li Guanqi also shared the news that he and Xiao Chen were being targeted. Hearing this, Meng Jiangchu's face gradually grew somber as well. "This organization... I had never heard of it before, yet the power behind it is exceptionally formidable. "In your day-to-day affairs, you must still exercise extra caution." Li Guanqi nodded. He had already realized that this organization was extraordinary; anyone they sent out was a half-step Void Refinement expert. It was hard to imagine just how powerful the leader behind it must be. An opponent whom even Grandfather took seriously had to be terrifyingly strong, right? Meng Jiangchu glanced at him and asked with concern, "Your Void Returning is finished?" Li Guanqi smiled and nodded. As if sharing a tacit understanding, neither said another word on the matter. One did not ask; the other did not tell. Li Guanqi was also worried about Meng Wanshu's condition, which was why he chose to return with Meng Jiangchu. Matters here could be considered brought to a close for now. *** At the same time, a handsome man who carried a trace of demonic allure strolled through the void with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a black robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns, walking barefoot in the void. Long hair cascaded down his back, and an air of languor hung about him. His narrow, monolid eyes curved up slightly at the corners, and his thin lips seemed perpetually graced with a faint smile. With a pale complexion, the man spoke in an ethereal, unhurried whisper: "Which family should I start with?"