It was only at the end that he finally said something rather disheartening. “Xiongtu, Li Jue, Batian. The three of you, remember this.”

“What is it?”

“In case… I’m talking about just in case! Of course, before that, we will try our best to strive for the best results. But should the Li Clan not be able to hold on until the Nine Tribulations Sword Master arrives… the three of you are to bring your women with you and help and support each other. Don’t care about anything else, run for your lives the first chance you get!”

There was a hint of stupor in Li Wubo’s sinister hawk-like eyes. He stayed silent for a long while before he said, “Should the Li Clan really be finished, all of you… must preserve the seeds of the Li Clan… Should that time really come, you must keep in mind that you fleeing is not a coward’s escape, but taking upon oneself a task for the bravest!”

The three of them stared at Li Wubo, stupefied. They didn’t expect the clan leader to say something like that at this time.

“When that time comes, none of us will blame any of you. Everyone will also risk their lives to provide cover so that all of you can escape!” Li Wubo spoke somberly. “Of course, I’m only saying this just in case!”

The three of them were in a stupefied daze.

Li Wubo, someone who had always been cold and harsh, heartless and ruled with an iron fist, had actually said something like that.

Even his own sons, Li Jue and Li Batian, were so stunned that they couldn’t accept it.

“Of course, that kind of ‘just in case’ situation may not necessarily happen!” Li Wubo smiled in a comforting manner. Then, he got to his feet and walked out.

Li Jue, Li Batian and Li Xiongtu exchanged a complex look. The two of them then walked out together with Li Wubo and left Li Xiongtu behind by himself.

Tumultuous waves were crashing through Li Xiongtu’s heart!

The clan had actually made such a decision! Should it really come down to that, they would put full effort into covering him so that he could escape…

I, Li Xiongtu, was like a loser in the Middle Three Heavens. Yet after coming to the Upper Three Heavens, I have instead received such an honor!

What meritorious deeds have I done to deserve such treatment? To be worthy of receiving such treatment?

…

After sending Li Jue and Li Batian away, Li Wubo and the three Supreme Martial Artist elders walked down the wide path. The night fog was thick and heavy and the frigid winter chilly.

“Are the arrangements to settle the family members of the affiliated clans done?” After a long while, Li Wubo finally asked.

“Yes, proper arrangements have been made for them.” An elder said, “They’ve all gathered near the Line of Heavens. That place is easy to defend and hard to breach. Nothing will go wrong.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” Li Wubo shook his head lightly.

“In the event that the clan really cannot hold on until the situation turns for the better, the Li Clan will need to sacrifice all our lives for the sake of the future! Using the most heroic sacrifices to fight for the bright future of our children and descendants!”

Li Wubo went on solemnly. “All of you’d better be prepared for this. Our lives are not something that cannot be forsaken.”

“Yes.” A look of heroic sacrifice flashed across the countenances of all three elders.

“The Elder Master is very disappointed in us right now. He has also developed a mentality of hopelessness. To him, the end of the Li Clan is already here! And that there is no way to reverse the situation.”

Li Wubo let out a resigned chuckle and said, “The Elder Master singlehandedly founded the clan. Yet when it reaches the generation of I, Li Wubo, it is going to be destroyed in my hands…”

The three Supreme Martial Artist elders were at a loss for words, all of them sighing at the same time. “There’s no need for the clan leader to take it to heart. Victory and loss are predetermined by heaven! The only thing we can do is try our best.”

“Just trying our best won’t work!” Li Wubo said impassively, “Even though the destruction of the Li Clan has already been dictated by the general trend of events, I must preserve the seeds of the Li Clan nevertheless! The hard work of the nine great affiliated clans is necessary for this…”

“The hard work of the nine great affiliated clans?” A thought occurred to the three Supreme Martial Artist elders at the same time. All of a sudden, cold sweat drenched the clothes on their back.

“Yes. Everyone from the nine great affiliated clans who is participating in the battle has been separated from their families, right?” asked Li Wubo calmly.

“Yes.”

“Do the family members make up 100,000 people?” It was apparent that Li Wubo was more concerned about this issue.

“Including the guards, etc… All the family members should make up approximately 200,000 people! At present, they are all under our… protection.”

“Under protection?” A cruel smile appeared in Li Wubo’s eyes as he nodded. “Alright, that’s great then.”

“At the critical moment, the affiliated clan experts who should be sacrificed must be sacrificed first. At this moment, there are already several cases of rebellion in the affiliated clans on the outer boundaries… These people cannot be relied upon,” said Li Wubo solemnly.

“Understood.”

“Also… Get the blood passageway and Demonic Heart Array ready!” Li Wubo took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment before he finally said, “At the critical moment, let the heads of 100,000 people fill up the sky and the hearts of 100,000 people open up the path, and send Li Xiongtu, Li Jue and Li Batian and the others away from this place!”

A violent jerk went through the three elders from head to toe at the same time, a look of disbelief in their eyes.

“Demons Escaping The Heavenly Net!” There was a faint frosty glint in Li Wubo’s eyes, just like ghost fires seen in graves in the wilderness late in the night.

The three elders nodded grimly.

…

Demons Escaping The Heavenly Net was a strange and fascinating secret art. It was something that the Li Clan had found when they discovered that premium Purple Crystal mine back then. In the outer boundaries of the Purple Crystal mine, they discovered a peculiar leather scroll. The content recorded on it was exactly this secret art.

“Using innocent warriors, ten thousand young boys, ten thousand young girls, ten thousand women and children and ten thousand young and elderly as the main element, and another 60,000 people as a supplementary element, decapitate them to form a mountain of bleached bones and allow their aura of grudge to fill the heavens and rip apart the heavenly net. Extract their hearts to pave the road of wronged souls and give us Extraterrestrial Demons freedom!”

This was Demons Escaping The Heavenly Net!

An extremely brutal and inhumane means of escape that originated from the Extraterrestrial Demons.

As the name implied — At the point of being surrounded by the all-encompassing net of heaven and at one’s wits’ end with no hope of survival, kill 100,000 innocents and use the accumulated grudge of the heads of 100,000 innocents to breach the net of heaven; and use the hearts of 100,000 innocents to pave a way out of calamity!

In addition, within these 100,000 people, the number of young boys, young girls, adult women and elderly must reach a total of 10,000 each! This was the most basic requirement. When this requirement was met, it wouldn’t matter even if there were repeats for any of the categories of people.

Such a scheme was inhumane to the extreme! Even the Li Clan had never once used it since the day it came into their possession. However, they had long since prepared and gotten the array ready in advance…

As a means to guard against the unexpected, obviously.

When the array was first set up and readied, Li Chunbo, the Elder Master of the Li Clan, had appeared right away and destroyed the entire array. He then strictly forbade them from ever doing something like this again.

At that time, a terribly aggrieved Li Chunbo had said, “From the moment this array appeared and the very moment where the Li Clan members harbored such intentions, the Li Clan’s destruction has been destined! Should all of you not repent in time, the Li Clan’s destruction is certain to happen in the foreseeable future.” Ever since then, the Li Clan was peaceful and stable for a few thousand years and did not harbor any ideas about the array.

However, when it reached Li Wubo’s generation, he felt that the Nine Tribulations Sword Master’s emergence into the world was at hand and that the Nine Super Clans were in a precarious situation with the possibility of destruction. Thus, he secretly set up this array at the Line of Heavens, a place far away from the Li Clan.

Not many knew of this. Only Li Wubo’s trusted henchmen were vaguely aware…

And now, it was apparent that Li Wubo intended to put into action this scheme that he had prepared in advance…

…

In another direction.

Li Jue and Li Batian held a thin memo in their hands. They watched as it disintegrated in their hands. The countenances of both brothers were rather complex.

Inside was Li Wubo’s secret arrangements. Only the two brothers were aware of these arrangements.

“Should the Li Clan remain, this plan shall be abolished. Should it not, you are to escape with Li Xiongtu. Once you come into contact with the Nine Tribulations, find the chance to do this and that… If it fails, you can… get rid of him and replace him… Take note to be discreet about this…”

This was Li Wubo’s true plan.

Should things really reach such a point, our Li Clan has already sacrificed the entire clan for you, the Nine Tribulations Sword Master. Surely you can’t just sit by and do nothing?

When that time comes, should anything happen to Li Xiongtu on top of what has already happened, other than choosing a Nine Tribulations substitute from between Li Jue and Li Batian, what other choice do you have?

Even if it’s purely to repay the contributions of the Li Clan, just for these 1,100,000 lives, you should compensate us! Otherwise… You, the Nine Tribulations Sword Master, would also be going against Heaven’s Way! You should know very well what is important and what isn’t!

The Li Clan is ultimately one of the Nine Super Clans that you had decided on long ago. You can’t just change something like that so easily…

…

Li Xiongtu sat in the room in deep contemplation. He was thinking about the Li Clan’s current circumstances. He wanted to find a way out for the Li Clan during this stormy and turbulent period. However, he was not someone who was adept at schemes and conspiracies at all. When it came to battle and killing, Li Xiongtu didn’t lose to anyone. But when it came to schemes and conspiracies…

He was helpless!

Meng Huanhuan sat behind him docilely, her eyes full of gentle devotion as she gazed at Li Xiongtu.

No matter what happened in the future, at least they were already blissful right now!

I’ve already achieved happiness.

Li Xiongtu finally gave up and exhaled a long breath of air. He said impassively, “I can’t think of any solution. But it is nothing more than a fight!”

His candid and mighty domineering style destined that he could only be a born warrior! Rather than a wise man! In this instant where he gave up on thinking, he felt relaxed all over instead.

“‘Nothing more than a fight’ won’t do! You need to continue battling for the rest of your life!” A voice drifted over softly.

When Li Xiongtu turned back, he couldn’t help but receive a huge shock. “Elder Master!”

The person who had just arrived was exactly the Elder Master of the Li Clan — Li Chunbo.

With a solemn expression, Li Chunbo nodded and said, “I heard your conversation earlier.”

There was deep weariness and sadness in his eyes.

However, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he openly stated his intention in coming here. “I’m here to chase you away!”

“Chase me away?!” Li Xiongtu was stunned.

The clan leader had only just brought up the contingency plan yet the Elder Master was actually stepping forward the next moment to chase him away!

What kind of logic was this?

Li Chunbo took a deep breath. Holding his hands behind his back, he said, “If you go north from here, vast snow plains stretch for thousands of miles. There is no trace of human habitation within 30,000 miles! There are only countless ferocious beasts and spirit beasts… You can train and battle along this entire way. Should you survive, you’ll be able to achieve greatness in your way of the martial arts too! Once you go past the snow plains, you’ll reach where the Three Stars Divine Clan is. Everything would depend on your fate…”

He removed a ring on his finger and tossed it lightly to Li Xiongtu.

The silver ring formed an arc in mid-air and landed in Li Xiongtu’s hand. “I’ve prepared all the medicine, daily necessities, dry rations and clean water, and even 5,000 liters of good wine for you. Other than that, there are also a lot of Heavenly Treasures, Purple Crystal Cores and Purple Crystal Jade Essence.”

Li Chunbo went on. “There are a few books inside. They contain the insight that I’ve gained over my last 10,000 years of cultivation. You may draw references from them!”

Li Chunbo said dispassionately, “But now, I only request that you bring your woman with you and leave this place immediately!”