This day, the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance received a string of horrifying news. The Bai family's ancestral home was destroyed, leaving only Bai Tianxia's faction of the Bai family. The Chen, Huang, and Han families, three major ancient martial arts aristocratic families, and even the Tian family, all suffered casualties among their people. The Tian family, being the foremost ancient martial arts family, the royal family of the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance, and boasting numerous powerful individuals, also met with misfortune.
Furthermore, the businesses of several major families were successively ruined. In just one day, these families lost over thirty percent of their foundations. It could be said that this single day wiped out a hundred years of accumulation for these families. All of this was attributed to one person: Li Xiaotian!
No one had anticipated that a figure they had previously disregarded could unleash such immense destructive power. At this moment, all of Li Xiaotian's information was laid bare before the eyes of the major aristocratic families. In ten years, he had single-handedly established the Dragon King Hall and unified the war zone, commanding dozens of God of War level experts and tens of thousands of martial artist troops. He had suppressed hundreds of forces in the war zone and defied top-tier superpowers!
It was only then that the aristocratic families of the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance truly recognized Li Xiaotian's terrifying capabilities. They had been arrogant in the Great Qin, looking down on everyone. As a result, their attitude had led them to provoke a formidable and troublesome enemy!
In the westernmost part of the Great Qin, near the border region, lay a primeval forest spanning hundreds of kilometers. At the four cardinal points on the forest's edge stood four massive stone tablets, each inscribed with the same character: "Tian"! This forest was the Tian family's territory; anyone wishing to enter required the Tian family's consent, even the Great Qin's officials. This fact alone demonstrated the Tian family's authority, dominance, and supreme privileges within the Great Qin!
Within the forest was a vast complex of ancient architecture, complete with palaces, rockeries, and lakes. This was the Tian family's residence! The Tian family had constructed a palatial compound within this forest. Although they had lost their dominion over the land, they maintained their royal traditions, using all this to inform the world that they were still royalty!
The Tian family courtyard was patrolled by countless martial artist guards on the periphery. Upon entering the compound, guards stood post every ten meters, showcasing a grand scale and strict defense!
At this moment, within the central palace of the Tian family, the highest seat was a throne crafted from gold. A middle-aged man in ancient attire sat upon it, his face grim. He was Tian Gu, the current head of the Tian family, holding absolute power over the clan. Along both sides of the grand hall were rows of seats made from golden nanmu, already occupied.
In the center of the hall stood two figures: one standing, the other kneeling. The standing figure was Tian Qilin, his face filled with grief and indignation. The kneeling figure was Ah San, his face contorted with fear. In the Tian family, servants were required to kneel before their masters.
"Foolish! Who gave you the authority to unilaterally deploy the pawns cultivated by our Tian family? Do you know that because of your stupidity, our Tian family's decades of investment in Qi Yinglong have been wasted!" Tian Gu glared at Tian Qilin, his expression one of deep disappointment. "Because of your foolishness, our Tian family's authority has been challenged, giving the Great Qin an excuse to act against us! How can the Tian family have a fool like you!"
"Father! The Ancient Martial Arts Alliance is united. If I hadn't intervened, the Bai family and the other four families would have been annihilated!" Tian Qilin said, unwilling to concede, feeling no guilt for his actions. "Moreover, it's common knowledge that Li Shanhai intends to eliminate the ancient martial arts. If we don't act, we're just waiting for death! As for Li Xiaotian, I don't believe he poses a threat to our Tian family; he's seeking his own demise!"
"Fool! You dare to remain defiant? The Tian family has rendered great service to the Great Qin. Li Shanhai's target is the ancient martial arts aristocratic families, not our Tian family! Now, because of your foolish actions, you've plunged our Tian family into a dilemma, and you still refuse to admit your mistake?" Tian Gu suddenly roared, his face a mask of fury. A terrifying aura erupted from him as he fixed his gaze on Tian Qilin.
With a soft "crack," the armrest of the throne beneath Tian Gu cracked. It was worth noting that the throne was made of gold, yet Tian Gu easily crushed it, demonstrating his formidable strength.
"Clan Master, this matter is not Young Master Qilin's fault. It is this old servant's error; I failed to clearly explain the intricacies of the situation to the young master," Ah San, kneeling on the ground, spoke deferentially. He continued, "The primary issue is that Li Xiaotian acts with excessive arrogance. The Bai family is a member of the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance, and our Tian family is its leader. Li Xiaotian challenging the Bai family is equivalent to disrespecting the authority of our Tian family, so the young master could not stand by and watch."
"Presumptuous!!" To everyone's surprise, Tian Gu suddenly bellowed, grabbing a teacup and hurling it directly at Ah San. "Crack!" The teacup shattered on Ah San's face, its hot contents drenching him. Yet, Ah San, a God of War level expert, dared not even dodge. "I was speaking to him. What right do you have, you servant, to interrupt? What he does is his business. You are merely an old dog; do you presume to instruct him?" Tian Gu's voice was filled with rage, his gaze chillingly fixed on Ah San. Ah San instinctively lowered his head deeply, stammering fearfully, "This servant deserves death, this servant deserves death!"
"Father, it has nothing to do with him. If you are angry, direct it at me. Why take it out on him?" Tian Qilin frowned, a hint of anger in his voice. "What use is it for our Tian family to remain alone if the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance is annihilated? At that point, we would still be at the mercy of the Great Qin! Therefore, we must act in this matter! Moreover, we suffered no losses this time; exchanging that dog Qi Yinglong for the loyalty of the Bai family and the other four families is, I believe, a gain!" Tian Qilin's expression was unapologetic, and his tone grew colder. "It's just that the aftermath of this matter was not handled properly; Li Xiaotian, that bastard, was not killed, otherwise, we wouldn't be in this situation now."
Just as Tian Gu was about to respond, an elder seated in the hall spoke. "Clan Master, Qilin is not entirely wrong. Our Tian family is one with the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance, so the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance cannot be destroyed! If we stood by and watched this time, and then Li Shanhai targets our Tian family next, our Tian family will be in peril!" "Therefore, the Tian family cannot retreat this time! Not only must we not retreat, but we must also proactively move to consolidate the loyalty of the major families in the alliance!" "As for that Li Xiaotian, hmph! To dare to kill people of my Tian family is audacious! His entire clan should be exterminated!" "I suggest we send people to destroy his Dragon King Hall, and also issue a warning to Li Shanhai, letting him know that some people in this Great Qin he cannot touch!" After the elder finished speaking, others in the hall nodded slightly, expressing their agreement.