The Ancient Martial Alliance comprised fifteen ancient martial families, each possessing formidable strength. Even the Bai family's power was considered only mid-tier among them.
At this moment, the Tian family had summoned all the affiliated families. If they united, the combined influence of the fifteen families would undoubtedly be terrifying.
Within the ancient martial Tian family, Tian Qilin's mission to kill Li Xiaotian had failed, nearly costing him his own life. Had it not been for his third uncle secretly following him, Tian Qilin would likely have perished.
The Tian family was utterly enraged. They were shocked by the terrifying strength of Li Xiaotian, but even more furious that their counterattack had been neutralized. For them, this was an immense blow to the Tian family's prestige.
Consequently, the Tian family decided to pool the strength of the ancient martial families, realizing that they could not defeat Li Xiaotian through individual efforts.
The Chen family and two other major families began a full defensive posture. The remaining families, who had no existing feud with Li Xiaotian, also focused on defense, remaining vigilant of Li Xiaotian's movements.
As the Tian family summoned the major families, each dispatched representatives. By now, they had clearly seen the situation: either resist, or await their doom.
The Bai family was the first to arrive at the Tian family. In truth, the Bai family had no one else to spare. If Bai Tianxia were to seek revenge on his own, he would have no chance.
News from the ancient martial families continuously reached Li Xiaotian's ears. As dusk deepened, the day was rapidly drawing to a close.
Deep into the night, in a dense mountain range not far from the capital, a vast army moved silently through the forest under the cover of darkness.
An aura of deadly intent permeated the army, frightening the wild beasts of the forest into trembling silence within their dens.
Li Xiaotian marched at the forefront of the army, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the distant lights within the deep mountains. A cold smile played on his lips.
The Chen family was located here! It was also the ancient martial family closest to the capital.
A faint mockery touched Li Xiaotian's face. He wondered where the Chen family’s confidence stemmed from. They had already fallen out with him, and they knew Li Shanhai intended to act against them. Instead of quickly evacuating their people, they foolishly occupied this location. Was this not simply seeking death?
"Dragon King, the Chen family's strength is comparable to the Bai family's, with nineteen War Gods and five thousand family guards. Today, the Tian family summoned the various families, and the Chen family patriarch, Bai Tian, took two War Gods to the Tian family," Qin Tiance whispered beside Li Xiaotian, coldness flashing in his eyes.
Li Xiaotian nodded slightly. This time, he had split his forces into two routes. He was leading one team to annihilate the Chen family, while the other, led by Long Yi, was tasked with destroying the Nanfeng family!
Although the Nanfeng family had no direct conflict with him, Li Xiaotian and Li Shanhai's objective was to destroy the Ancient Martial Alliance. As a member of the Ancient Martial Alliance, the Nanfeng family would inevitably become an enemy sooner or later.
Both contingents were led by twenty War Gods, commanding an army of ten thousand martialists.
At this moment, the Chen family was brightly lit. In the Chen family's main hall, figures were seated in their places.
"Chen Baisuan, are you afraid of Li Xiaotian? You won't let us rest, forcing us to just sit here. Li Xiaotian is audacious, but does he dare bring his troops to attack our Chen family?"
In the hall, a Chen family War God spoke with disdain, looking at Chen Baisuan.
The Chen family patriarch had gone to the Tian family. Before leaving, he had instructed that Chen Baisuan would be in charge of the Chen family in his absence.
However, no one expected Chen Baisuan's first decision to be that half of the Chen family's martialists would rest each night, while the other half would be responsible for the family's security.
This applied even to the War God-level experts!
This caused considerable dissatisfaction among many present, who felt Chen Baisuan was overreacting.
"Everyone, it's only been a day or two since the Tian family made a decision. Our entire Chen family might be heading to the Tian family to form an allied army. However, before that, we must be wary of Li Xiaotian's machinations. Don't forget what happened to the Bai family!"
Chen Baisuan frowned, his mind tense. He had reviewed all of Li Xiaotian's information and knew that the man was not one to wait idly. Therefore, before the Tian family's allied army was formed, Li Xiaotian would surely make a move.
And the Chen family, being too close to the capital, was highly likely to become Li Xiaotian's target.
Thinking of this, Chen Baisuan sighed inwardly. He had suggested to the patriarch earlier that day that it would be best to evacuate the entire family, but no one believed him. They all thought Li Xiaotian wouldn't dare attack their Chen family proactively.
"The Bai family was annihilated because Bai Tianxia was foolish and their family's defensive strength was insufficient, allowing Li Xiaotian to seize the opportunity. Baisuan, our Chen family is not as foolish as the Bai family," an elder said unhurriedly, taking a sip of tea and sneering.
"In the last battle at Dongshan, we only deployed a small contingent. Although we were defeated, it had little impact on our Chen family's overall strength. Now that all our forces are within the family, even if Li Xiaotian attacks, heh, we will ensure his complete annihilation!"
"Indeed. We must remember that this is our Chen family's territory. We possess the advantage of time and terrain. If Li Xiaotian dares to come, we will show him the true strength of our Chen family!" someone chimed in.
Everyone in the hall appeared unconcerned, believing Li Xiaotian would never dare to sneak attack their Chen family. After all, their entire strength was within the family, giving them ample confidence.
Chen Baisuan opened his mouth, filled with speechlessness. If he were not a member of the Chen family, he would have left immediately.
At this critical juncture, these people were still lost in the glory of the ancient martial families, completely disregarding the reality of the situation. The Chen family? Heh, why would they be able to annihilate Li Xiaotian’s entire force? The Dragon King Hall had dozens of War Gods, and Li Xiaotian was a powerhouse comparable to Bai Tianxia. Once Li Xiaotian decided to move against the Chen family, the Chen family would inevitably be defeated!
Chen Baisuan sighed inwardly, no longer bothering to persuade the others. Their thinking was too antiquated.
Suddenly, Chen Baisuan's heart tightened, and he asked,
"Why haven't the night patrolmen returned to report?"
Chen Baisuan had previously instructed that the patrolmen report back every hour. But by now, with everyone talking, more than an hour had passed.
Immediately, Chen Baisuan had a bad feeling, fearing that something was about to happen.
"Baisuan, why don't you go and rest? You're too nervous, completely terrified by Li Xiaotian. It's normal for the patrolmen to be a little late. You're being too sensitive," someone said mockingly, as, after all, only Chen Baisuan among those present was not a War God.
"No! Everyone, something is very wrong! Haven't you noticed how exceptionally quiet it is on this mountain tonight?" Chen Baisuan abruptly stood up, his expression grave. Normally, the surrounding forest would be filled with the calls of wild beasts, but tonight it was eerily silent. This was highly abnormal.
Chen Baisuan's reminder caused everyone in the hall to fall silent, listening intently to the sounds outside.
"Kill!!" Suddenly, a roar erupted from outside, followed by shouts echoing across the mountain.