Chapter 1494 Nine Tribulations Brothers, Dragons Roar and Phoenixes Dance

The Li family was in a state of despair.

During this period, the enemy’s attacks were not strong but incessant. There were hardly any loopholes to exploit, forcing the Li family to gradually retreat and tighten their defenses, while the enemy steadily advanced.

The enemy approached at a leisurely pace, yet they carried the pressure of a mountain.

Though the Li family had not suffered significant losses, the pressure they faced was unprecedented, almost driving them to the brink of collapse.

From the enemy’s actions, it was evident that their commander was brilliant. They fought entirely with wisdom, and despite the Li family’s efforts, they could not discern the enemy’s plans.

Step by step, they were led by the enemy.

Each time the enemy attacked, they targeted the Li family’s weaknesses. After each battle, the Li family inevitably suffered casualties and were forced to abandon some territory.

Gradually, their territory of thirty thousand miles had shrunk by nearly half!

What was most terrifying was that the enemy had hardly suffered any losses. They continued to advance at a steady pace.

At this moment, these arrogant martial artists finally realized the importance of strategy, wisdom, and cunning.

Apparently, having a high cultivation level did not mean everything.

Although all the intelligence from the northwest accurately reached them, they still couldn’t determine the enemy’s direction of attack.

Facing such an enemy, even those with high cultivation levels could only be toyed with like fools.

The Li family was shrouded in gloom and despair.

Li Wubo sat at the head of the family’s temporary conference hall, his brows furrowed, as he listened to the family’s experts discussing and arguing below. He felt increasingly powerless.

How could a group of martial artists compare to a supreme military strategist?

The discussion went back and forth, and everyone was at a loss.

In the end, everyone agreed: “To truly counter the enemy and maintain the current situation, we must have a genius military strategist leading us, and they must be superior to the enemy’s commander. Only then can we lead everyone to victory against the odds!”

However, after reaching this conclusion, everyone’s spirits were even lower.

It was easy to say, but… it was uncertain whether there was even one person in the Nine Heavens who could surpass the enemy’s current commander.

The terrifying prowess of Diwu Qingrou was now apparent to everyone.

Initially, when they heard Diwu Qingrou had single-handedly built a reputation in the Lower Three Heavens, they regarded it as a joke, with a sense of superiority like an elephant watching ants fighting for power.

But now…

Everyone felt ashamed.

Suddenly!

“There is one person who can completely counter Diwu Qingrou!” Li Jue, the eldest son of the Li family, spoke.

Everyone’s spirits were lifted: “Who?”

“Chu Yanwang!” Li Jue’s eyes sparkled: “Only Chu Yanwang, who defeated Diwu Qingrou in the Lower Three Heavens, can lead us out of this predicament at this moment!”

“Chu Yanwang…” Everyone realized it, feeling as if the clouds had parted to reveal a clear sky.

“But where exactly is Chu Yanwang?” Li Wubo frowned, his eyes flickering.

“It is said… Chu Yang, who is now being falsely accused as an outsider demon, is the former Chu Yanwang!” Li Jue spoke solemnly: “He is from the Chu family in the southeast of the Upper Three Heavens. Now, he is in the Upper Three Heavens!”

“I will go invite him immediately!” A white-bearded Supreme stood up resolutely.

“Indeed, at the moment we may not have reached a dead end, but under the pressure of our enemies, we’re like a group of fish gradually being herded into a net, devoid of any ability to resist. To request the help of Chu Yanwang at such a time could be considered a brilliant move amidst our desperate situation. However, there are two issues: first, our surroundings have already been sealed off, so how can we break out? Second, would Chu Yanwang be willing to come?” Li Wubo furrowed his brow, “These two points are crucial.”

“With a team of experts, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fight our way through and tear open a gap in the encirclement,” one of the Supreme experts said.

“But what about when we return? How will we get back in? And if the enemy pursues, can those who go out be certain they will return? Even if they can return and break back in, by then… will the Li family still exist?”

Li Wubo scoffed coldly, “Moreover, where is Chu Yanwang now? How long will it take to go out? How long will it take to find him? How long will it take to return?” Everyone suddenly lost their spirit. The possibilities Li Wubo mentioned were indeed real.

Leaving everything else aside, there was no more time for the Li family to delay. Even if Chu Yanwang agreed to help, it would take at least two months for the round trip. And after two months, the existence of the Li family was uncertain. Everyone’s faces were filled with worry.

Was there no other choice but to resign themselves to their fate?

Li Xiongtu, who was attending the meeting, furrowed his brows and said, “Chu Yanwang might have the capability, but as far as I know, there’s another person who’s more likely to outdo Diwu Qingrou. Unfortunately, that person is in Middle Three Heavens…”

Everyone’s expression changed, and they asked, “Who is it?”

If Li Jue’s recommendation of Chu Yanwang only gave people hope, then Li Xiongtu’s recommendation would absolutely leave them ecstatic!

Because Li Xiongtu’s status was different.

The person he recommended was a wise man, most certainly one of the Nine Tribulations strategists!

Throughout history, the Nine Tribulations strategists have been known for their unparalleled wisdom and invincibility under heaven! This fact was well known to everyone.

Li Xiongtu shook his head and said, “It’s a pity that he is too far away to save us from this imminent danger…”

Everyone was about to ask again when suddenly, a distant, long cry shook the air. A clear voice said, “Li Xiongtu!” The voice was like a dragon’s roar from the heavens, and though it was far away and faint, the pure, unyielding arrogance was unmistakable!

The Supreme experts in the hall were taken aback.

Who was calling Li Xiongtu’s name? Had the enemy already launched a large-scale attack and broken through?

Li Xiongtu, who was attending the meeting in the hall, was also puzzled: Who was calling my name? Moreover… this voice seemed somewhat familiar.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Li Xiongtu’s rugged face revealed some confusion and said, “I don’t know who it is, but it sounds somewhat familiar…”

Everyone was shaken!

Could it be…?

A glint suddenly shot through Li Wubo’s eyes, and he shouted, “Who goes there?”

Previously, the voice had stopped speaking, but another voice shouted, “Tell your people to stop! Fools, if we were enemies, why would we be shouting here…”

Then, the sound of intense fighting grew closer and closer.

It seemed that the Li family’s disciples couldn’t stop the intruders.

Li Wubo yelled, “Stop! Please, esteemed guests, come in!”

Li Xiongtu’s expression changed, and he said, “I recognize them!” A strange mix of emotions appeared on his face, seemingly resentment, nostalgia, and a hint of sadness.

Them?

These two words left everyone’s imagination running wild.

Everyone knew that Li Xiongtu was one of the Nine Tribulations. Could it be… that the other brothers from the Nine Tribulations had finally arrived?!

No one spoke, but in the next moment, both the eighth and seventh-rank sovereigns stood up abruptly.

Their gazes were fixed on the entrance of the hall.

Although the other party’s voice was faint, it was at least a hundred miles away. But now, everyone seemed impatient, and once they stood up, no one sat down again.

After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, someone finally reported, “Master, there are three people outside who claim to be Young Master Xiongtu’s friends.”

Li Wubo’s face lit up with joy, and he waved his hand, “Quickly, invite them in!”

Everyone eagerly awaited their arrival.

Three figures rapidly approached from a distance.

After the Li family’s foundation was destroyed and they were besieged, they had no time to build a new base. Instead, they used the Eternal Ice and Snow and the power of the sovereigns to create an Ice Palace!

Now, it appeared to be a magnificent crystal palace, seemingly even grander than their original base.

In front of the Ice Palace’s gates, three people slowly walked up.

The three were all dressed in white, tall and upright, their eyes bright and spirited.

They possessed an indescribable aura, as if saying, ‘In the mortal world, there are phoenixes lurking, and amid the chaos, there are dragons soaring in the sky.’

The three walked side by side, and everyone in the hall sensed their imposing presence. Even before they met face-to-face, even the eighth-rank sovereigns felt a chill in their hearts.

Such powerful young men.

Each of them was a dragon among men, a peerless genius!

If there had been any doubt before, now there was none. For, among the three, whether it was their demeanor, temperament, quality, or cultivation, each surpassed the Li family’s firstborn son, Li Jue.

Who else but the Nine Tribulations could possess such a boundless presence?

Li Wubo’s eyes shone with excitement, filled with ecstatic colors. The Li family had finally weathered the storm!

Reinforcements had arrived!

And they were the legendary figures who had been passed down for 90,000 years in the Nine Heavens World: the Nine Tribulations!

“Everyone, follow me to greet our distinguished guests!” Li Wubo said solemnly.

But everyone could hear the usually stoic family head’s voice trembling slightly.

The crowd stood up together, left the hall, and lined up at the base of the palace steps.

Three young men in white appeared fifty meters away. They hesitated upon seeing so many people waiting to greet them, and then slowly walked forward.

Finally, they met face-to-face!

The Nine Tribulations brothers, like divine dragons!

As the sovereigns looked up, they saw the three were all handsome and refined, full of vitality, and striding with the confidence of dragons and tigers.

Among the three, the one on the left moved with ease and grace, yet there was an undeniable air of a soaring dragon about him.

The person on the right, although walking on two legs like any other, was perceived by the crowd as a phoenix, wings outstretched, soaring through the clear skies.

The one in the middle walked between the dragon and the phoenix, yet his own aura was not the least bit overshadowed. He radiated a presence akin to the sun at its zenith. Though he appeared gentle and refined, every gesture and movement naturally conveyed a sense of absolute confidence, as if saying, ‘The world is in my grasp, and all the lands are mine.’

It seemed as though, in the presence of this person, all the world’s hardships simply ceased to exist.