Inside the Void Refining Space.
Ten immortal mountains, ten divine statues!
Grand Elder Puci held a whisk in his hand.
With a complex expression, he formed a hand seal and looked down from above at Zhao Tingyu.
Though he had been acquainted with the Immortal Zhao Clan for hundreds of years, fate had been stingy—he and this Zhao Tingyu had never truly met before.
"Old Daoist Puci, what are you doing?!!"
Those ten divine statues were Grand Elder Puci's signature technique.
Capable of both killing enemies and serving as a trapping array, even Zhao Tingyu sensed that he would not be able to break Grand Elder Puci's technique in a short amount of time.
His expression turned grim, and his heart sank.
The war between the Zhao Clan and the Li Clan had raged for three full months.
Too much had occurred during this time; he did not even know what had transpired within the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
And behind him...
The burly man shrouded in a ghastly, dense aura, who had pursued him for three months, also entered the Void Refining Space!
Grand Elder Puci let out a sigh, ignoring Zhao Tingyu's question.
Upon seeing the burly man enter the Void Refining Space, a trace of disbelief flashed across his face.
He remained stunned for a long while before finally giving a slight nod to the man.
"This humble Daoist, Puci, greets Clan Head Li.
We have not met for over two hundred years. To think that on the day I see Clan Head Li again, you have already broken through to the Void Refining realm.
It is truly a sin that I could not be present to observe the ceremony of your breakthrough."
"Clan Head Li?" Zhao Tingyu looked even more horrified.
He spun around, scanning Li Dalong with disbelief.
"You are... You are Li Dalong?!! Impossible, you aren't even a thousand years old!"
Li Dalong paid no heed to Zhao Tingyu.
Since emerging from the Underworld, his demeanor had gained an added layer of yin softness.
He smiled at Grand Elder Puci.
"Fellow Daoist Puci, it seems you have made the right choice again this time."
"..."
A trace of awkwardness flashed through Grand Elder Puci's eyes.
Back during the battle at Prince Qian's Estate, he had also waited until the very last moment to choose a side.
This time, he had done the same.
Seeing that neither of them was paying him any attention, Zhao Tingyu took a deep breath.
The Dharma Treasure saber in his hand radiated a powerful Void Refining aura, and his gaze grew cold.
"You think you two can trap me? You don't have the ability!"
As the words fell, he slashed his saber toward Grand Elder Puci!
But just as the long saber descended, a cold glint flashed within this Void Refining Space!
Clang!
The shadows of the saber and sword clashed head-on.
The sword's radiance was severed on the spot, though the remaining momentum of the saber shadow was exhausted and subsequently swept clean by a wave of the whisk from Grand Elder Puci's divine statue.
"Who is it this time?!!"
Zhao Tingyu's eyes glared furiously as he watched a grim-faced sword cultivator step into the space.
Li Yaozu!
The sword box hummed incessantly. Another long sword fell into his grasp.
Li Yaozu nodded to his father and Grand Elder Puci, his expression extremely unsightly.
Since attaining the False-Void Refining stage, including this current battle, he had only fought in two engagements.
In the fight against Zhao Wan'er three months ago, he had lost in the very first exchange.
Now, after this single collision with Zhao Tingyu—well, he knew that in a one-on-one duel, he wouldn't last 20 minutes against Zhao Tingyu.
"Sword Venerable?"
With Li Yaozu's arrival, Grand Elder Puci's expression relaxed further, though a thousand waves surged within his heart.
Two Void Refining cultivators!
Back during the Li family's battle at Prince Qian's Estate, they had needed to exhaust every possible scheme just to defeat Prince Qian.
But now? The Li family possessed two Void Refining experts!
No.
Not just two!
Just as Grand Elder Puci was reeling from his astonishment, the Spirit Tablets beside Li Yaozu and Li Dalong began to flicker.
A black mist gradually condensed, while a Yin-Yang Fish Diagram and two long spears radiated the chilling aura of the Void Refining realm!
"Old Ancestor."
Li Dalong and Li Yaozu hurriedly bowed in respectful greeting.
The Li Clan—three Void Refining experts!
"Impossible. Impossible! Three Void Refining experts in the Li Clan... this is absolutely impossible!"
Zhao Tingyu's face turned the color of dead ash.
Their Zhao Clan had been absolutely certain that the Azure Cloud Li Clan was nothing more than a family emerging from the wild backwaters.
Sure, they possessed some destiny—even if they had once seized everything from Tian Xing, Tian Xing had merely been at the peak of the Divinity Transformation realm.
Now, this Li Clan, which had existed for barely six hundred years, had produced three Void Refining cultivators.
With the Void Refining spiritual power of these three vividly displayed before their eyes, both Zhao Tingyu and Grand Elder Puci felt as if they were dreaming.
...
"Tingyu is back!"
As Zhao Tingyu entered the Duravia Trade Prefecture, inside the Zhao Clan's towering pagoda, Fairy Bai and Zhao Buqun instantly sensed the aura of their shared bloodline.
Fairy Bai and Zhao Buqun emerged from the Grotto-Heaven to stand alongside Zhao Jingmiao.
However, they felt not even a shred of joy at Zhao Tingyu's return.
Even from this distance, they could sense the sudden eruption of Grand Elder Puci's Void Refining aura from the Ethereal Immortal Sect, followed immediately by three other Void Refining auras.
"Three Void Refining experts... the Li family has three Void Refining experts!"
Zhao Jingmiao finally understood the source of the Li clan's confidence.
But what struck even greater terror into his heart was the realization that the movements of the Zhao clan members had never once escaped the Li family's vision.
The Ethereal Immortal Sect was, without a doubt, a trap set by the Li family to besiege Zhao Tingyu!
His face twisted with rage.
"To think that old Daoist Puci would actually side with the Li clan! We should have exterminated him back then!"
At this moment, the entire Immortal Domain was thrown into chaos. Three Void Refining experts from the Li clan, plus Grand Elder Puci...
Meanwhile, outside...
Two figures instantly appeared beside Li Chang'an.
The Martial Emperor and Zhuo Linlin!
Li Chang'an smiled.
"Everyone, my elder pursued Senior Zhao Tingyu for three months, yet never fought him with his life on the line.
After all, against a Void Refining realm expert, killing is far too difficult.
My Li clan predicted he would flee back to the Zhao clan—and that, precisely, was the trap."
"Now, he faces four Void Refining experts alone.
From the Immortal Domain to the Ethereal Immortal Sect, it would take you, seniors, only an hour to arrive. However... should you choose to go..."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three Zhao Clan Elders turned gloomy.
If they left, what would become of this Immortal Domain?
Looking around, the resolve of the many Divinity Transformation experts led by Ding Yuanxiao had already wavered.
Without the Elders here to hold the fort, Ding Yuanxiao and his cohorts would surely rebel!
Li Chang'an continued in an indifferent tone, "If you do not go, this junior is certain that no matter how powerful Senior Zhao Tingyu may be, he will lose his life at the hands of my clan's elders."
Fairy Bai and Zhao Buqun stared at Li Chang'an, a trace of coldness flashing through their eyes.
They finally seemed to understand why Li Chang'an had said that the moment Zhao Tingyu and Zhao Feimeng returned would be the moment of their most difficult decision.
Then, they heard Li Chang'an continue:
"Naturally, the three of you could also attempt to lead your forces out to force a decisive battle.
In this junior's opinion, the best course of action for you seniors, would be to leave one person to guard the Immortal Domain while two of you go to the rescue.
However... as to whether my clan's elders have laid another trap or not, that remains unknown."
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