Chapter 260: The Wild God

In the Qingzhou City, within the grand manor of the Divine General's estate.

As the radiant light of the Ancestral Blood Array faded, Li Tiangang bade farewell to his ancestors in the ancestral hall and returned to the Mountains and Rivers Court.

Glancing at the cold-faced Li Xiaoran, he chose not to offer any explanations and instead said, "Fourth Uncle, the returning Li family members will need your guidance. I plan to open the ancestral secret passage to allow them entry from the Huai River."

"You make the plans, and I shall follow your instructions," Li Xiaoran replied indifferently.

Li Tiangang nodded and then surveyed the group before ordering someone to bring paper and brush so he could swiftly draft the follow-up plan.

At this moment, he felt as though he had returned to the sleepless battlefields of Yanbei. He glanced at his wife, who was still by his side. Her eyes, unwavering in their shared life and death struggles, stirred his emotions. To have such a wife, what more could one ask for in life?

"Prepare to open the secret vault. Each court will command fifty thousand elite troops, ready to form battle arrays and provide aid at any moment. Each court will receive five thousand Divine Elixirs, ten thousand Spirit Pills, and a thousand Dragon Qi Pills..."

In the past, even the legitimate direct descendants would only receive a handful of these divine pills each year, while the illegitimate branches would need to make significant contributions to earn such rewards. But now, they were being doled out as if they were worthless trinkets.

In addition to the myriad spirit pills and magical elixirs accumulated over millennia, there were also divine weapons and precious armors.

All of these resources were now being committed to this final battle.

"Use secret techniques to send messages, instructing those in various cities to activate the secret passages and guide the returning Li family members. They are to enter from beneath the Huai River Mountains to the east..."

Li Tiangang spread out the feng shui map of Qingzhou, orchestrating the plan to receive reinforcements.

To the east of Qingzhou City, peaks dotted the landscape, and the winding Huai River snaked through like a coiling dragon. Most of the households in Qingzhou City drew their water from this majestic river.

But what no one knew was that the Li family had long ago diverted the Huai River to create a secret passage underneath it. This route had been conceived by an ancestor of the Li family in preparation for the direst situations Qingzhou might face. It could be used for escape, but it could also allow reinforcements to enter Qingzhou City.

Now, with demons and monsters occupying the area outside the city, escape was impossible. The Great Yu Divine Dynasty had not yet fallen, and the headquarters of the Divine General's estate in this grand state would not be relinquished without a fight.

As orders were issued one after another, beads of sweat formed on Li Tiangang's forehead, and his expression grew solemn, his brows furrowed. But the pressure on his mind eased slightly.

The Li family army within Qingzhou City sprang into action. The city's defenders, including the city lord, were all of Li family blood, and the various levels of officials in Qingzhou City were also members of the Li family. Here, the Li family held the power of a local emperor, and their word was law.

With the orders from the Divine General's estate, the efficiency of their actions was exceptionally high. Half of the elite troops were withdrawn from the main force and given access to the treasures of the estate. With the aid of these rare medicines, their combat strength would be greatly enhanced in a short period, allowing even those at the Fifteen Li Realm to unleash power comparable to the Heavenly Man Realm!

Of course, such rapid improvement came at a cost, but when faced with life and death, those consequences were insignificant.

At this moment, large boxes of treasures were being carried out from the secret vault of the Divine General's estate. The people from the various courts wore somber expressions as they witnessed the expenditure of the resources accumulated by their ancestors over generations.

"When the Li family members with blood ties return, it will be time for a decisive battle!"

Li Tiangang said in a low voice.

The return of numerous Li family members with blood ties would allow them to reshape the physical body of their ancestor and, driven by the ancestor's heroic soul, unleash tremendous power.

The actual strength they could muster would depend on the number of returned bloodline members.

With He Jianlan and the others departing to guard different sections of the city with their respective armies, the Mountains and Rivers Court became more spacious.

Li Tiangang and Ji Qingqing exchanged a glance, both silently conveying their mutual support.

"If only I had reached the Grand Peace Realm. If I had known, I would have practiced harder back then..."

Ji Qingqing spoke softly, her eyes dimming. As the pride of the Great Wilderness Celestial Ji family, if she had stayed in her family and cultivated diligently, she might have already attained the Grand Peace Realm at her current age.

If that were the case, along with the support of her Second Uncle, Li MuXu, the tide of the battle would have turned significantly in their favor.

With them restraining the top fighters of the two major demon forces, the army of Qingzhou City would not have been inferior to the demons occupying the area outside. After all, there were over thirty thousand elite troops in the city, the cream of the Li family's military might. Each of these soldiers could take on ten opponents, matching the strength of three million troops of the same realm!

"Don't say that. You've already done your best. It was I who dragged you into the Yanbei campaign and held you back."

Li Tiangang shook his head.

Ji Qingqing looked at him and gently bit her lip. Having been expelled from the Ji family, she could no longer seek their aid.

A few days earlier, when Qingzhou City had been besieged, she had already tried to use the prestige of the Great Wilderness Celestial Ji family to intimidate the demons. That was why they had not chosen to attack directly. But the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace were not fools. Unlike during the Yanbei campaign, they had now mobilized all their forces, and with their backs against the wall, they had no choice but to act.

The intimidation of the Great Wilderness Celestial Ji family no longer held any weight.

After all, this was outside the Great Wilderness, and aside from the three favors owed by the Ji family, the main reason the Holy Palace had retreated during the Yanbei campaign was because a powerful expert from the Ji family had come to receive Ji Qingqing.

"You should rest first. There's another tough battle ahead. I'll go and check on their progress."

Li Tiangang said to his wife.

Then, he stepped out of the Mountains and Rivers Court. As he was about to exit the courtyard, he saw several figures rushing over.

"Uncle..."

It was Li Yuanzhao, Li Wushuang, and the others. They bumped into Li Tiangang at the door and were startled, feeling a mix of awe and fear toward this uncle of theirs, despite their familial relationship.

"We came to see if there's anything you need us to do," Li Yuanzhao said, his eyes flickering with unease as he lowered his head and spoke softly.

Li Wushuang, on the other hand, stared directly at Li Tiangang, remaining silent since Li Yuanzhao had already spoken.

Seeing these young ones clad in armor, seemingly ready to rush to the battlefield at any moment, Li Tiangang's cold gaze softened, and his tone became gentler. "You are all good children. Just wait for now. When the other Li family members return, that's when we'll need your help."

With that, he walked past them and quickly headed toward the distant battlefield.

Li Yuanzhao and the others stood there, taken aback by the departing figure, feeling a sense of incongruity with the gentle demeanor their Seventh Uncle had just displayed.

"He's the best... If only I had told him those words back then, perhaps things wouldn't have happened the way they did, and he wouldn't have..." Li Wushuang's cold gaze turned mournful as she watched the retreating figure until it disappeared from view.

In the Water Splendor Institute...

The courtyard had been sealed off, with only two old servants attending to Liu Yue Rong within.

"Ancestral bloodline... Ancestral bloodline..."

Within the pavilion of the courtyard, Liu Yue Rong stared blankly at the direction of the ancestral hall, her once vibrant and elegant self now a shadow of its former glory. Her luxurious hair was simply tied up, and she wore no makeup, her face drawn and haggard.

"Li Tiangang, you're so heartless. No wonder even your own son was driven away by you!"

"My child... You must not be foolish. Follow the Buddha and cultivate well. As long as you can attain the Grand Peace Realm, comparable to the ancestors, even if the God General's Manor is lost, we can rebuild it. Don't ever think of me, your mother, and come back here to do something stupid..."

Liu Yue Rong turned her head towards the direction of Mount Wuliang, her eyes reddening as she bowed her head and prayed.

...

As time passed.

The various cities of Qingzhou received news through secret orders from the Li family, and the non-bloodline Li family members holding positions in each city quickly sent out signals.

These signals were meant to guide the Li family bloodline members, but those who had left the family too early might have forgotten what these signals meant.

Nevertheless, those who rushed to Qingzhou first had already entered the cities and were making their way towards the Huai River, following the guidance from each city and heading upstream towards Qingzhou City.

The remaining group traveled through the wilderness, fighting the scattered demons and monsters along the way while also making their way towards Qingzhou City.

Not long after the activation of the Ancestral Bloodline, behind the demon tide outside Qingzhou City.

On the mountain peaks where the elders of the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace were located, along with the leaders of the two major forces, the Dragon Gate's Master stood tall in a black robe, his face cold and stern. He seemed to sense something and looked towards the city.

The Tianji Temple elder, coiled around Qingzhou City, detected the flash of bloodlight within the God General's Manor and immediately panicked, quickly descending to take the form of a charming young woman.

"Master, it seems that the Li family of the God General's Manor has used the legendary God General Bloodline Secret Art!"

The green-skirted young woman hurriedly spoke.

Dragon Gate's Master, Long Jue Shen, frowned, his expression turning ugly. "Are these people really determined to wipe themselves out and fight to the death?"

He was also aware of the God General's Manor's background. Two thousand years ago, there was a God General's Manor that had fallen, and at that time, this secret art was used, gathering all the bloodline members of the family to summon the ancestor's physical body and heroic soul, unleashing terrifying power. However, they had ultimately lost.

"It's better this way. It saves us the trouble of searching for them one by one, and we can finish this all at once."

The Holy Palace Master, Feng Lingxiao, opened his eyes, his voice cold with a hint of anger.

"How much longer until you're fully healed?" Long Jue Shen asked him.

"It won't be long. Another three to five days should do it," Feng Lingxiao replied.

"That's too long," Long Jue Shen frowned, his gaze fixed on Feng Lingxiao.

Seeing his gaze, Feng Lingxiao's heart stirred with anger as well. He wanted to say, "If you're willing to risk your life, why fear a half-step Dao Realm old dog?"

But he kept these words to himself, knowing that now was not the time for their internal disputes.

"If you can restrain that old man, Limuxu, I can break the formation," he said.

Long Jue Shen remained silent, and at that moment, a black mist suddenly drifted over from the distance and landed on the mountain peak.

As the black mist approached, the surrounding demons and monsters were completely unaware of its presence until it descended upon them.

The black mist dissipated, revealing a pair of snow-white legs and a graceful figure. A woman with a purple pattern on her cheeks stepped forward, her eyes smiling as she looked at Long Jue Shen and Feng Lingxiao.

"You two were expelled like pigs and dogs by the Great Yu Shenchao, and it's not without reason. You've been given a simple task, and yet you drag your feet. You're truly disappointing."

"Lord Huoshen!"

Upon seeing this woman, the faces of Long Jue Shen and Feng Lingxiao changed, their bodies tensing up as their eyes reflected a hint of nervousness.

"Why are you here? What about the Imperial City...?" Long Jue Shen asked in a low voice.

"It's just a mere projection of myself. That old man, Yu Huang, is very clever. The Imperial Family is indeed ruthless, only concerned with preserving their own lives," the woman said, her tone indifferent.

"But if you continue to delay, not only will the Li family bloodline escape, but that Qing Wangye will also arrive. Then, it won't be as simple as it is now," she continued.

"What?"

Hearing this, both Long Jue Shen and Feng Lingxiao were startled. Qing Wangye was one of the strongest among the emperor's brothers, second only to the Ninth Prince Jianmo!

"When did this happen? How far is he?" Feng Lingxiao asked, his face darkening as he thought of the battle in Yanbei. He remembered inflicting heavy injuries on his opponent, so how could he have recovered so quickly?

"He's almost here. That's why I've come here in person. If necessary, I'll stop him for you. It's not yet time for us to reveal ourselves, so you'd better be smart about handling this Li family matter. If you're truly incompetent, then we might as well do away with you," she said, her eyes narrowing.

Hearing her words, the two men's faces changed slightly, and they quickly agreed.

The woman glanced at them and then at the city, waving her hand. Two pitch-black, sinister treasures appeared out of thin air.

"I'm lending you these two Sacred Heart Supreme Treasures. By the end of today, I want to see the Li family's blood flowing like a river!" she declared.

With that, her figure dissipated like a black mist, leaving only the two treasures floating in the air.

Long Jue Shen and Feng Lingxiao's eyes glittered, and they quickly reached out to take one treasure each.

They preferred to call this object the Sacred Heart Heavenly Treasure, but those outside the Great Yu referred to it as the Sacred Heart Supreme Treasure.

Even as top-tier demon and monster forces, they had only managed to obtain a few supreme godly weapons after attacking the Treasure Pavilion when the Ten Thousand Artifact Daoist perished a thousand years ago.

As soon as these supreme treasures appeared, they were basically divided up by the Imperial Family and the Five Great God General's Manors.

In the Great Wilderness, only the Ancient Sacred Tribes could easily bring them out. For smaller tribes, possessing one or two was already impressive.