This command very clearly exhibited the determination to ‘not rest until the Li Clan has been uprooted’!

All the members of the joint army were invigorated.

Diwu Qingrou said something which roused everyone’s spirits —”This time, our basecamp will be situated a thousand miles away from here!”

A thousand miles away from here was basically in the Li Clan’s core territory.

What was the difference between that and having destroyed the Li Clan?

With a single command, two to three thousand people decamped and stormed in with great strength and vigor.

…

The Li Clan was terribly taxed and overloaded to the max right now.

Building the clan and cleaning up the ruins had wasted too much time. In addition, the Li Clan’s vigor and energy seemed to have also disappeared along with the clan’s collapse. With an air of grief and hopelessness around them, everyone was rather lifeless.

During this period of time, they had been going after Lang Yilang and the others. But as they did so, the other party had disappeared as though all of them had melted into the surroundings.

The Li Clan had already overturned that particular region tens of thousands of feet deep. And even so, they didn’t find even a trace of them!

In short, this matter had taken place in this manner that was simply so… bizarre and incomprehensible.

The Li Clan members were terribly enraged, yet there was nothing that they could do about it.

The people stationed at the boundaries clearly didn’t discover anything because they expressed very confidently — The enemies are definitely still in the northwest! They absolutely and definitely… hadn’t escaped into the outside world!

Fine, they would continue the search then.

But then, the other Super Clans sent their men over at this point.

So be it, right? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t come here before in the past. They were merely going to harass them a little and probe around a little, that was all. It was troubling times right now for the Li Clan; they couldn’t let them enter and create a disturbance.

Thus, they locked down their territory.

But the moment they did, something terrible suddenly happened!

The Li Clan clearly didn’t issue any commands directed at any of the Super Clans outside, yet they had suffered casualties and deaths for some strange reason. What made it worse was that all the casualties and deaths were important figures in their respective clans!

Not just that, everything also clearly pointed toward the Li Clan.

The Li Clan felt incredibly wronged.

First of all, during such a sensitive timing, they couldn’t wish for anything more than to avoid them, so why would they dig their own grave like that? But before they could even explain, the bloody warning boundary line appeared.

With this, the few Super Clans outside went berserk and started storming in to demand an explanation.

When people of the Li Clan entered their sight, without caring whether they tried to explain or not, they attacked them as if they had gone mad.

The Li Clan was forced to retaliate, but with this retaliation, things got even worse and became increasingly out of hand…

The Li Clan was subsequently forced to draw their line of defense inwards a few hundred miles.

After a few days of peace, they resumed their full efforts in searching for Chu Yang and the others. And then…

The Li Clan discovered that the world had crumbled on them!

Each of the other Super Clans had actually dispatched their own secret team — all Supreme Martial Artists — and was approaching them with great strength and vigor. After they arrived, they started a war that went on without even a moment’s pause.

Then, the law-enforcement officers also came…

By then, the Li Clan finally realized that something was amiss, but it was already too late.

The moment those few from the Law-Enforcement Interrogation Hall showed up, the Li Clan knew at once that it was all over!

Goddamnit, they were still overturning every nook and cranny in their own home to search for them, but it turned out that they had already escaped long ago! And had even brought reinforcements! And launched a siege on them!

Because of this, the clan leader of the Li Clan, Li Wubo, blew his top and disregarded seniority to give the few Supreme Martial Artists in charge of pursuing them a huge scolding.

“Are all of you pigs?!”

“They’ve already left long ago, yet all of you are still… This is truly driving me up the wall!”

But anger aside, the fact that the clan was facing a life and death crisis was still hanging right over their heads.

Outside, more than a thousand Supreme Martial Artists had been deployed along the border. The Li Clan was already in a precarious and unstable situation. Explaining was of absolutely no use at all.

When Xiao Zhengyan of the Xiao Clan arrived, he did, however, state his condition. But this condition was something that no one in the Li Clan could accept!

“Hand over Li Xiongtu and have everyone above Emperor-level in the Li Clan cripple their own cultivation, and we can let the Li Clan off!”

Every Li Clan member who heard this condition swore at and cursed all of Xiao Zhengyan’s ancestors to the high heavens.

Can this even be called letting us off? If we really did that, the Li Clan would be totally finished! There’s nothing to consider at all… We’ll just become lost souls under the knife!

As the commander-in-chief of the joint army arrived, the Li Clan’s situation became more and more arduous.

Bit by bit, their forces on the outer boundaries were devoured. At last, the Li Clan took this painful lesson to heart and decided not to give way anymore. They began to fight back on a large-scale basis. Taking advantage of the fact that they were familiar with the terrain, they went into great battle after great battle with the other Super Clans.

All this while, the other party had been attacking with the momentum of a motley crowd. This actually allowed the Li Clan to attack and defend appropriately, and even let them gain some benefits.

But the Li Clan’s losses were similarly significant.

They lost dozens of Martial Saint experts while their Supreme Martial Artist experts also decreased by four to five. Most of the affiliated clans on the boundaries had completely fallen…

But the situation was ultimately temporarily stabilized.

Li Wubo knew that this was merely the beginning. The large-scale stuff would only appear from this point onwards. Therefore, during this period of time, the Li Clan put their full efforts into battle preparation and stood alert and combat-ready.

Watching the Li Clan making battle preparations full speed ahead, everyone’s countenance was solemn and their gait hurried. As a battle-hungry man and a part of the Li Clan, Li Xiongtu naturally wanted to participate as well.

However, everyone forbade him from joining the war. As long as he was spotted walking out, the four Supreme Martial Artists at the doorway would drag him back in any way they could, disallowing him to go out no matter what.

What kind of joke is this? The eight Super Clans are all here for you! The moment you go out, you’ll definitely be ripped into pieces instantly! If that happens, all of the Li Clan’s sacrifices and perseverance would be for naught!

Li Xiongtu was extremely frustrated.

A warrior was born to fight. What sort of warrior would he be if he didn’t fight? How was he supposed to improve his cultivation?

In the midst of his frustration, two people came to visit him one after the other on this night.

Two people who carried a lot of weight in the Li Clan.

The first one who came was Li Wubo.

The clan leader of the Li Clan.

“Xiongtu, what level is your cultivation now?” Li Wubo didn’t come alone. He came with five to six other people, including Li Jue, the Eldest Young Master of the Li Clan, and Li Batian, the Second Young Master who had brought Li Xiongtu into the Upper Three Heavens. Three Supreme Martial Artist-level experts who were core members of the clan also came along.

“At present, I’ve managed to break through to first-grade Supreme Martial Artist after some difficulty!” Li Xiongtu took a breath and said respectfully, “The hidden ailment in my body is already gone too.”

There was a hint of approving admiration in Li Wubo’s eyes.

As expected of one of the Nine Tribulations. The future of his way of the martial arts was truly admirable. “In that case, you’ll be able to continue advancing on the path to the pinnacle of the way of the martial arts?”

Li Xiongtu answered carefully, “If nothing unexpected happens, I should think so.”

Li Wubo finally smiled in a comforted manner.

“Xiongtu, we’ve just received news… After so long since the Li Clan was besieged, our reinforcements have finally appeared!” There was a hint of excitement in Li Wubo’s sinister eyes. He stared closely at Li Xiongtu’s eyes as he said, “The Lan Clan of the eight Super Clans was uprooted by someone a month ago! Everyone in the Lan Clan has died. Lan Buhui, the Elder Master of the Lan Clan, has also perished in this battle!”

“Huh?” Li Xiongtu got a huge shock.

“Do you know who the one behind this is?” Li Wubo went on. “You should be able to guess who it is.”

Li Xiongtu’s brows drew together as he sank into deep contemplation. “A month or so ago just happened to be the day when the Nine Heavens passageway opened, right? Could… the Lan Clan have been besieged by the Nine Tribulations Sword Master and his men?”

It was totally unsurprising for Li Xiongtu to come to this conclusion!

In the Upper Three Heavens, the Nine Super Clans could be said to have no enemies at all. If one must say that they did, there could only be just one person — The Nine Tribulations Sword Master who had only just appeared the past few years!

And a month ago was exactly the day when the Nine Heavens passageway had opened.

It was entirely reasonable and logical for Li Xiongtu to make this deduction. Even if it wasn’t Li Xiongtu but someone else, this was the only deduction that they could come up with.

One could think of this even with their ass!

But the feeling Li Wubo and the others present got when these words came out from Li Xiongtu’s mouth and when they came out from the mouths of others was as different as day and night!

A mysterious comforted smile appeared on Li Wubo’s face. Nodding, he exhaled a breath. “You do know after all!”

The expressions of the others, such as Li Jue and Li Batian, also turned rather equivocal at the same time.

‘You do know after all’ and ‘You have guessed it after all’ were two completely different things!

‘You have guessed it after all’ was a coincidence, while ‘You do know it after all’ was inevitable!

Li Xiongtu must have known since a long time ago!

What a pity that Li Xiongtu was just a battle maniac. How could he possibly have that many thoughts making all these rounds in his head? He didn’t think much of this one line at all.

“Xiongtu…” Li Wubo’s expression turned more and more sincere and warm. “In your opinion, what would the final outcome of the law-enforcement officers and eight Super Clans laying siege to us this time be?”

Li Xiongtu’s facial expression was rather fervent and worked up. He declared furiously. “The eight Super Clans are committing perverse acts. They will definitely pay the price for it!”

Li Wubo’s face actually reddened from agitation at his words — Because what he heard was certainly not only Li Xiongtu’s words of fury but also the promise of the Nine Tribulations and the Nine Tribulations Sword Master!

In this instant, Li Xiongtu could totally speak on behalf of the Nine Tribulations!

What he was saying right now must be the decision that the Nine Tribulations Sword Master and his brothers had made! There was no doubt about it!

The eight Super Clans would pay for it! And the first price had already been paid — The Lan Clan!

For a moment, there was even some smugness and complacency in Clan Leader Li’s heart.

How’s that? Going against us? Going against the Nine Tribulations? Hurhur, haven’t all of you heard of the saying that the Nine Tribulations Sword Master is undefeatable?

“In that case, Xiongtu, take a guess, why did the Nine Tribulations Sword Master attack the Lan Clan?” Li Wubo sighed in bliss.

“I really can’t think of a reason for that.” Li Xiongtu hesitated.

“Mm, it’s fine, hurhur…” Li Wubo smiled slightly. “Then, take a guess… Will the Nine Tribulations Sword Master take an interest in this siege in the northwest and come here to poke his nose into it?”

An uncertain Li Xiongtu answered, “Since they’ve already dealt with the Lan Clan, then that would make them enemies with the eight Super Clans… Right now, the northwest is where the battlefield is. If nothing unexpected happens, the Nine Tribulations Sword Master will definitely come!”

This was pretty much stating the obvious; this fact was plain for all to see.

However, Li Wubo clapped wildly instead, his eyes gleaming brightly as he exclaimed, “Great! The Nine Tribulations Sword Master will definitely come! That’s awesome! In that case, the Li Clan needs to persevere with full effort until the moment the Lord Sword Master arrives!”

Everyone agreed uproariously!

Only Li Xiongtu’s boorish heart was rather puzzled.

Why has it become ‘Lord Sword Master’ to the clan leader? ‘Lord’? Does he need to be this respectful?

And… Even if the Nine Tribulations Sword Master is here, he may not necessarily help the Li Clan, so… what are all of you so excited about?