The battle raged on fiercely, the Chen family retreating as they fought. Their casualties were already immense, and a pervasive sense of dread filled everyone’s hearts. Was this to be the day their Chen family was wiped out?
The surviving Chen family War Gods were filled with regret, wishing they had heeded Chen Baisuan’s advice. But now, it was too late.
“Hold on! We’ll be saved once Old Ancestor emerges from seclusion!” someone shouted. This rallied many, but despite their renewed hope, the Chen family members continued to dwindle.
Li Xiaotian’s army pressed forward relentlessly. Since the start of the battle, the Chen family had lost at least two-thirds of their people, with only six War Gods remaining, each on the verge of falling.
Li Xiaotian narrowed his eyes, ceasing his own attacks. The Chen family still had hidden experts, the trump card of an ancient martial arts family. Their strength must be terrifying.
“Fight harder!” Li Xiaotian roared. At this moment, their only objective was to continuously weaken the Chen family.
“Kill!” The battlefield erupted in renewed slaughter as Li Xiaotian’s army launched a frenzied assault. Unchallenged, the War Gods on their side plunged into the enemy ranks, wreaking havoc.
Watching the Chen family forces dwindle and with a significant portion still unable to evacuate, the Chen family’s few remaining War Gods grew desperate.
More lives could not be lost. If too many perished, even if the Chen family miraculously survived this ordeal, their strength would be severely diminished, relegating them to the lowest tier of the ancient martial arts alliance.
“My lords, let us fight with all we have!” the Chen family War Gods roared, charging their opponents like madmen, trading wounds for wounds. Yet, there were only six of them, while Li Xiaotian’s War Gods outnumbered them more than two to one. Even with their desperate efforts, they were still outmatched.
“Ah!” A scream echoed as another Chen family War God fell.
“How dare you attack my Chen family? You are courting death!” Suddenly, a deafening roar boomed from afar, shaking the very air.
Both sides, caught in the heat of battle, instinctively halted their fighting, turning their shocked gazes towards the source of the sound.
Li Xiaotian’s expression turned grave as he fixed his gaze on the depths of the Chen family compound.
Moments later, a figure exuding an incredibly terrifying aura shot towards the battlefield.
“Bang!” The figure landed in the center of the combat zone with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves that hurled those nearby flying.
In an instant, the entire battlefield fell into profound silence as all eyes turned to the lone figure.
So powerful! Li Xiaotian’s heart skipped a beat. This person’s strength was immense, far exceeding that of the one who had rescued Tian Qilin in the capital.
All the War Gods quickly moved behind Li Xiaotian, their faces etched with gravity as they stared at the approaching figure.
The Chen family members, initially stunned, were soon overcome with elation.
“Old Ancestor, it’s Old Ancestor! Old Ancestor has emerged from seclusion! The Chen family is saved!” a Chen family War God shouted excitedly, his emotions overwhelming.
“Old Ancestor has emerged from seclusion! Haha, we won’t die today!” The Chen family erupted in joyous cries, their eyes blazing with delight.
Everyone in the Chen family knew of their Old Ancestor, Chen Wanli, who was close to two hundred years old and possessed terrifying power, but had been in continuous seclusion.
Many had assumed Chen Wanli had perished during his seclusion, as it was a miracle to be alive at nearly two hundred. Who could have imagined that tonight, Chen Wanli was still alive!
“Descendants of the Chen family, we greet Old Ancestor and welcome Old Ancestor’s return!” The Chen family members roared in unison, kneeling before him, their gazes filled with fervent adoration.
Chen Wanli was not tall. Dressed in ancient robes, his disheveled gray hair cascaded down, yet he exuded an aura of vitality. His eyes, in particular, gleamed with sharp brilliance, seeming to pierce the air with palpable killing intent.
He slowly turned his gaze towards Li Xiaotian and his entourage, his eyes filled with fury and malice, and he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Kneel! The War Gods shall atone with their lives. All cultivators below the War God realm will serve as slaves in my Chen family for thirty years. Furthermore, inform Li Shanhai to personally come to my Chen family and grovel in apology. Otherwise, all of you will perish! Your loved ones and friends will also accompany you to death!”
His words were laced with arrogance and killing intent, delivered as if he were addressing mere ants, utterly domineering!
“Old Ancestor is mighty!” The Chen family members cheered, their hearts filled with triumph. They stared intently at Li Xiaotian and his forces, believing their Old Ancestor’s intervention had settled the outcome.
“Heh.” Li Xiaotian let out a light chuckle, his eyes brimming with sarcasm. Could one man truly turn the tide?
“Has this old fossil’s brain rotted from seclusion? Who gives him such confidence?” Long Yi scoffed, his voice soft, yet audible to most present.
“Just an old geezer, demanding we kneel? He’s asking for death!” Long Shiwu declared defiantly, his eyes alight with battle lust. He could sense Chen Wanli’s formidable strength, but he yearned for a fight.
To shy away from a superior foe was not the way of their Dragon King’s Hall.
“Demanding Lord Li kneel and confess? Does he think this is the past? The current Great Qin will not bow to anyone!” Qin Tian Ce’s eyes glinted with killing intent. Though the opponent was powerful, their own side was not weak. At worst, they could fight to the death, exhausting him into submission.
“Insolent!” Chen Wanli’s face contorted with rage upon hearing their words. His aura intensified, becoming even more terrifying, as he surged forward directly.
It was one thing for them to disregard his command, but to insult him? Excellent. He would strike fear into their hearts until they yielded.
“Li Xiaotian, why do you not kneel quickly! Old Ancestor is enraged; you have no path to survival!” The Chen family War Gods urged, their hearts burning with anger at Li Xiaotian and the others for insulting their patriarch.
“Old Ancestor offered you a chance, yet you refused it. You ants clearly do not comprehend the terrifying strength of Old Ancestor!”
“Old Ancestor, kill all their War Gods. We shall handle the ordinary cultivators. Kill half and leave half. The Chen family is not to be provoked!”
The Chen family members shouted incessantly. Chen Wanli had once been at the peak of the War God realm, and his seclusion must have greatly enhanced his power. In their eyes, with Old Ancestor’s emergence, the situation was decided.
As Chen Wanli drew closer, Li Xiaotian’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He roared, his aura surging, and launched a punch directly to meet the incoming attack.
“Bang!” A deafening impact, like an explosion, reverberated. Li Xiaotian’s heart pounded with shock. He was driven back by the immense force, and his fist, clashing with Chen Wanli’s, sent agonizing pain shooting up his arm. The sleeve of his entire arm was torn to shreds.
So strong! Li Xiaotian’s heart tightened. The opponent’s strength was truly terrifying. Yet, in the next instant, his gaze sharpened, a flicker of thought crossing his mind.
The opponent’s punch had exuded dense true qi, unlike others who cultivated true qi.
“His true qi seems to have manifested outside his body. His realm is above War God!” Li Xiaotian’s face darkened, his mind in turmoil. He had long speculated whether a higher realm existed beyond War God, and how one could break through it. Now, he was certain.