The Earth Element Spirit Ship sped through the air like a whirlwind, and soon arrived at Crescent Moon Island.
Li Mu put away the Earth Element Spirit Ship, set down the Azure Jade Ginseng King and the others, then, taking Little Gold and Little Tile, he disguised himself slightly, piloted a spirit boat, and returned to Wanxing Island, arriving smoothly at Li's Treasure Pavilion!
"Lord Li, where did you go? You scared me to death! I thought you were going to abandon me and not come back!"
Seeing Li Mu, Little Gold, and the others return safely, Xue'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, nervously pulling Li Mu's arm and saying with concern.
"Silly girl, if I were going to leave, how could I abandon you? Don't overthink it. Qing Yue just Underwent Tribulation, and we went to observe and support him," Li Mu said, patting Xue'er's shoulder with a smile, reassuring her.
"That's right! Big Brother Qing Yue successfully Underwent Tribulation of the seventh-tier Lightning Tribulation. He can now transform, and his transformed appearance is so handsome!" Little Gold said with genuine envy.
"Mmm!" Little Tile grunted in a muffled voice, and a look of envy also appeared in his eyes.
"That's great! Big Brother Qing Yue successfully Underwent Tribulation. With this powerful assistance, Lord Li, you don't have to worry anymore, right?"
Xue'er's eyes lit up, and she looked at Li Mu with joy, asking with concern.
Hearing this, Li Mu was slightly startled, and probably understood that his worries during this period had been noticed by Xue'er, and the little one had been secretly worrying!
Li Mu smiled freely and nodded affirmatively: "Indeed, with Qing Yue's successful Undergoing Tribulation, I'm much more at ease, and I have stronger protection in terms of strength. I can indeed relax a bit and continue with business!"
Li Mu decided to continue staying in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region. If the Ji Family really came knocking, he would figure out a way to deal with it then! For now, raising his Cultivation to the Soul Transformation Realm was the most crucial matter.
Soon, Li's Treasure Pavilion reopened for business. Li Mu, disguised as a spirit appraiser, guarded the shop. About half a month later, he would return to Crescent Moon Island to take care of the two Yin and Yang spiritual plants, instruct a few beast tamers, Artifact Refining, talisman making, Alchemy, and Puppet manufacturing.
Years flew by like an arrow, and in Li Mu's dedicated Cultivation and busyness, time quietly passed. In the blink of an eye, three months went by.
Li's Treasure Pavilion stood firm in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region, with flourishing business and growing reputation. Li Mu gradually let go of his worries, busy and happy every day, living a peaceful yet fulfilling life.
However, this peaceful life was destined not to last too long!
At this time, in the Southern Wilderness Region, the giant city standing in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range was trampled underfoot by an army of countless blood-colored Yao Beasts. The brown-gold city walls collapsed, and countless buildings located between the two giant spiritual mountain passes were bombed beyond recognition. Giant spirit cannons, giant long crossbows, etc., all kinds of powerful spiritual weapons, all turned into scrap, scattered haphazardly across the battlefield...
In the sky, blood-colored demonic birds, covering the sun, surrounded various giant spiritual ships, including fourth-tier aerial spiritual ships, fifth-tier thunder spiritual ships, fourth-tier flame spiritual ships, and fifth-tier giant spiritual ships, from all directions. Tens of thousands of Human Race Cultivators were routed under the siege of countless blood-colored Yao Beasts.
...
A month passed.
In the Central Continent Region, at the old residence of the Ji Family, one of the Eight Great Families, in the solemn Elder Hall, Ji Zhantian, the Clan Chief of the Ji Family, convened an emergency Elder meeting. The atmosphere on site was heavy.
"Unfortunate news from the Southern Wilderness battlefield: the Nine Demon Sect opened a crack in the Demon Abyss Channel, releasing the Demon Abyss creatures – the Blood Demon Clan. They controlled countless low-tier Yao Race members, formed a large army, and broke through Zhenyao City..."
"Although the joint army of the Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect resisted with all their might, they still couldn't curb the combined forces of the Blood Demon Clan and the Yao Race...!"
"The joint army on the front line in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain suffered heavy losses and could not continue to hold, retreating to the second line of defense... Now, the first crack in the Demon Abyss Channel has appeared, and soon there will be a second crack. If the situation cannot be effectively prevented from further deteriorating now, the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain, and even the entire Central Continent Spirit Domain, this realm will be drawn into this great war!"
Ji Zhantian's face was grim as he surveyed the Elders of the Ji Family, speaking in a low voice to introduce the latest battle report from the front line. Every word was filled with heaviness and worry.
"What is the current situation of that joint army from Taiyi Sect?"
"Clan Chief, do you mean our Ji Family needs to send our main force to the front?"
"Has the current situation become this severe? Are the Dao Lords of Taiyi Sect still not showing up? What is their attitude?"
"..."
Hearing such grave intelligence from Ji Zhantian, all the Elders' expressions changed drastically, and they anxiously questioned him.
They understood the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold, but at a time involving their own interests and safety, the Elders of the Ji Family all thought about how to avoid taking on this responsibility.
"Our several Clan Chiefs have already discussed with the two Sect Masters of the Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect. The Dao Lords of both Sects are currently tied up with matters in the outer Domain and cannot spare the time to resolve the crack in the Channel in the Southern Wilderness. Now, the joint army in the Southern Wilderness Region is preparing to re-establish their front line around Tianzhu Peak, and the two great Immortal Sects will continue to dispatch their main forces there."
Ji Zhantian continued to explain to the Elders.
The Elders' eyes lit up slightly, but they knew there must be arrangements for their Eight Great Families, so they quietly watched Ji Zhantian, awaiting further details.
"If the crack in the Demon Abyss Channel is allowed to expand, eventually leading to the complete unsealing of the entire Demon Abyss Channel, the consequences would be unimaginable. Furthermore, if the Nine Demon Sect did not exist, the crack in the Demon Abyss Channel would not have expanded to this extent," Ji Zhantian said, looking at the Elders as he continued to explain.
After a pause, Ji Zhantian continued: "Therefore, the two Sect Masters have asked our Eight Great Families to form an elite force. We either directly strike at the Nine Demon Sect's lair to cripple them, or we send our main force to the Demon Abyss Channel to ambush the Blood Demon Clan and completely Seal the crack! We need to choose one of these two crucial tasks."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the Ji Family Elders changed dramatically.
"Can't those two families do it themselves? Are they sending us to our deaths?"
"That's right! Is there any chance of surviving if we participate in these two tasks? This is a task with a ninety percent chance of death!"
"Are the Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect going too far?"
"Clan Chief, you didn't agree, did you? What did the other seven Clan Chiefs say?"
...
As soon as Ji Zhantian finished speaking, the Ji Family Elders began to discuss animatedly, all showing expressions of fear. They were Cultivators with heaven-reaching Cultivation, who had lived for thousands of Years, and were especially afraid of death, particularly when facing such life-threatening tasks, which made them even more terrified.
Ji Zhantian was not surprised by the Elders' strong reactions. He had anticipated this scene. Sitting in the Clan Chief's seat, his expression was downcast, and he silently sighed.
The Ji Family's Legacy had lasted too long. Standing on the monument of the Ji Family's ancestors, they had gradually become decadent, and the entire Family no longer possessed its former bravery.
"This matter cannot be refused. The Eight Great Families will jointly dispatch a portion of their main forces to complete one task. We will choose the task first, and the other task will be resolved by the two Immortal Sects together. This was the result of a joint discussion at the conference. If any Family is unwilling to dispatch its main force, it will no longer be worthy of enjoying the status and benefits of the Eight Great Families," Ji Zhantian said in a deep voice, looking at the intensely reacting Ji Family Elders.
As soon as Ji Zhantian finished speaking, the intense protests instantly ceased. The Elders looked troubled, but no one spoke out against it for a moment. They all knew that this was the result of a joint discussion between the Eight Great Families and the two great Immortal Sects, and they had no way to refuse.
"Clan Chief, our Ji Family indeed cannot stand idly by in this crisis." The fifth Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Hongyun, was the first to speak: "I support sending the main force to the Demon Abyss Channel to ambush the Blood Demon Clan and strive to Seal the crack."
"How big is that crack? How many elites of the Blood Demon Clan have arrived? Everything is unknown. I suggest executing the first task, directly attacking the Nine Demon Sect's headquarters!" The third Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Wuheng, strongly retorted.
"No, no! The Blood Demon Clan has just arrived in this realm, so their strength must have decreased. In contrast, the Nine Demon Sect has existed in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain for thousands of Years, and their carefully crafted Demon Abyss is not easy to break into!" The sixth Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Tianlin, quickly interjected upon hearing this. Compared to the insidious and cunning Demon Cultivators of the Nine Demon Sect, he was more willing to deal with the Blood Demons from the outer Domain.
...
The Elders held different attitudes, expressing their views, and discussing fiercely, unable to reach a decision for a long time.
"Stop arguing! This matter will be decided by a show of hands. After this vote, we will wait for the eight Clan Chiefs to meet and continue to vote by ballot. You only need to prepare for battle. This vote also determines the selection of the main personnel!" Ji Zhantian looked at the Elders and gestured.
"Clan Chief, could you please clarify!" The fifth Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Hongyun, quickly asked.
All the Ji Elders looked at Ji Zhantian with great concern.
"To be fair, if the task you choose is the same as the final decision of our eight Clan Chiefs, then the main force will be selected from that group. If the number of people is insufficient or too many, we will continue to draw lots. Make sure you have made your choice," Ji Zhantian announced, looking at the Elders.
After a pause, Ji Zhantian looked at everyone and said faintly: "No matter how you choose, the direct lineage of the Ji Family will send people to join this force. No one can lie on the Family's merit list for a lifetime!"
Upon hearing this, several Elders' faces flushed slightly, feeling ashamed of their cowardice.
Soon, the Ji Family Elders conducted a show of hands. For the two life-threatening tasks, the votes were almost evenly split. However, counting Ji Zhantian's vote, the Ji Family ultimately chose to Seal the Demon Abyss Channel.
The important vote concluded, and this Family meeting was about to end. Just then, the third Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Wuheng, suddenly spoke up, asking Ji Zhantian: "Clan Chief, do you still remember the matter of that Nascent Soul cultivator, 'Li Jianxian,' from last time?"
"Nascent Soul cultivator! Li Jianxian? Who?"
Several Years had passed, and during this time, he had been constantly worried about the war in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain and troubled by the Demon Abyss. Ji Zhantian had completely forgotten about a mere Nascent Soul cultivator.
"It's that Nascent Soul cultivator who killed the assassin Dry Wood, the one who made Old Daoist Tianji furious!" Ji Wuheng had expected this and reminded him.
Ji Zhantian immediately remembered. He had been troubled by this fellow for a while!
"Isn't this guy always hiding his identity, with no clues about him! What, has he popped up again?" Ji Zhantian asked in surprise.
"This is his latest intelligence, just obtained from Tianji Pavilion. Clan Chief, please take a look first!" Ji Wuheng sighed and handed a Jade Slip to Ji Zhantian.
Ji Zhantian took it casually, immersed his Divine Sense, and began to browse.
After reading the Jade Slip intelligence, Ji Zhantian remained silent for a moment. He had to admit that this Nascent Soul kid had done another thing that surprised him: a seventh-tier True Dragon recognizing him as master, and single-handedly fighting the White Whale Demon Emperor. Neither of these was something he, at the Nascent Soul Stage, or even the Soul Transformation Realm, could do. Even the Prodigies of the two great Immortal Sects, Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect, could not compare to him.
"At this critical juncture, our Ji Family cannot afford to provoke such a Prodigy. Isn't he in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region? Send someone to find him, settle the matter of Dry Wood with him, and forge a good relationship. Don't cause any other trouble," Ji Zhantian said, throwing the Jade Slip back to Ji Wuheng and sighing, gesturing.
"Understood!"
Ji Wuheng took the Jade Slip and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After seeing this intelligence, he and the Clan Chief had thought of the same thing.
"Mmm! In the upcoming war, the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region will likely become a strategic stronghold for the Central Continent Spirit Domain's offensive against the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain. Why don't you personally make a trip to find a suitable island for the Ji Family to establish a base, and while you're at it, conclude this matter?" Ji Zhantian remembered something and instructed Ji Wuheng.
"Yes, Clan Chief!" Ji Wuheng readily accepted the order.
...
The Kun Family, one of the Eight Great Families of the Central Continent Region.
Tianshang Honored One and Celestial Venerable Kun Ling sat facing each other, drinking, both with worried expressions.
"If I had known, I would have learned from Little Friend Li and traveled everywhere, instead of returning to this Kun Family, instead of returning to the main Family in Central Continent. They said we were familiar with the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain and knew the Nine Demon Sect inside and out, but it was just to make the two of us undertake that life-threatening mission!"
Celestial Venerable Kun Ling "thump-thumped" a pot of spirit wine into his mouth, saying angrily to Tianshang Honored One.
"Forget it! What the Clan Chief said isn't entirely unreasonable. If we sent others to the Southern Wilderness, they would be unfamiliar with the place, which would not be conducive to carrying out the mission. On the other hand, if we lead the way, there might be a chance of success!" Tianshang Honored One said with a wry smile, trying to comfort him.
"Heh! Have you been to the Nine Demon Sect's headquarters? Have you been to that Demon Abyss Channel? How can you believe such an excuse?" Celestial Venerable Kun Ling glared at Tianshang Honored One, angrily questioning him for not fighting back.
"This mission is just the two of us. Given our efforts, the main Family should not make things difficult for our lineage anymore. This is Central Continent. If we don't accept this mission, life here, living under someone else's roof, won't be as relaxed and free as in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain!" Tianshang Honored One looked at Kun Ling, saying with a somewhat helpless expression.
Hearing this, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling was speechless and took several more gulps of spirit wine, venting his frustration.
After this experience, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling had completely seen through the Family's entangled interests. If he could miraculously survive this mission, he would never stay in a place like the Kun Family again!
At this Kun Family Clan Chief meeting, the main Family and several Family Elders pressured them with various noble causes and Family interests. Tianshang Honored One and Celestial Venerable Kun Ling were powerless to resist at this Family meeting and were forced to accept the life-threatening mission of returning to the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain.
...
At this time, in the Central Continent Spirit Domain, the Eight Great Families and the two great Immortal Sects were experiencing undercurrents, all mobilizing the peak combat power of Human Race Cultivators to support the war in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain. (End of this chapter)
