Shortly after Xiao Fang and the rest left, a carriage carrying Li Qin, Li Lian, and Ancestor Li Xianyu, came to a smooth halt within the outer courtyard of the Patriarch’s Hall.
Li Qin was the first to notice that something was wrong.
The courtyard was too empty.
This was the heart of the Li Family Clan—normally alive with guards, attendants, and the restrained presence of experts moving in and out of the hall. Yet now, the stone-paved grounds lay mostly bare. Only a handful of attendants lingered at the edges, hurriedly dismantling formations and retracting banners that had clearly been raised only moments ago.
Whoever had gathered here... had just left.
Li Qin stepped down from the carriage, her gaze sweeping the courtyard with practiced composure. Floating beside her, the ancestral spirit—Ancestor Li Xianyu—followed in silence, her expression unreadable, though a subtle heaviness lingered in her eyes.
A moment later, Li Lian stepped down as well.
Almost immediately, footsteps echoed from a side corridor.
A young man in formal clan robes emerged, his posture relaxed yet confident. He was tall, his features refined by both cultivation and status. The moment he saw Li Qin, surprise flickered across his face—then shifted into mild amusement when his eyes landed on Li Lian behind her.
"Elder brother Li Chengyuan, we’ve just arrived," Li Qin said.
"You just missed them," Li Chengyuan replied.
"Missed who?" Li Qin asked.
"The mobilization," he replied. "Generals, captains, lieutenants—all deployed not long ago."
Li Lian’s chest tightened.
’War... already?’ she thought, biting down lightly on her lower lip.
Li Qin frowned. "When I received the message, I was only told that tensions were worsening—not that we’d already entered open conflict."
Li Chengyuan exhaled slowly. "We don’t know what triggered it, but things have escalated rapidly in the past twenty-four hours. If we hadn’t mobilized now, we would’ve risked falling behind."
Li Lian’s jaw clenched.
She couldn’t prove it—but deep down, she knew Chen Li was involved.
Li Lian’s fist tightened at the thought of the danger she put her family in, simply because she wasn’t able to kill Chen Li when she had the chance.
Li Chengyuan’s attention shifted fully to Li Lian. A faint, knowing smile curved his lips.
"It’s good to see you again, Li Lian."
She stiffened.
They had never been close—she had never even spoken to him, or any of the other Patriarch’s children growing up. This sudden familiarity, paired with that subtle smile, made her instincts flare.
’Something’s off...’ she thought.
Before she could dwell on it, her senses caught something fleeting—yet unmistakable. It was a scent.
Clean, cold, and sharp. Like rain brushing against shadow.
’Xun Wei?’ Li Lian thought, her breath hitching. ’If she was here—then Xiao Fang...’
Understanding dawned.
’So that’s it...’ she thought before returning her attention to Li Chengyuan.
She didn’t know what Xiao Fang must’ve done, but if he was in this courtyard, then it must’ve been something significant to get Li Chengyuan to look at her the way he did.
Ancestor Li Xianyu drifted forward slightly, her gaze lingering on the closed jade doors of the Patriarch’s Hall. The ancient formations carved into them pulsed faintly beneath the surface.
"More than 3000 years... I’ve finally returned," she murmured.
Li Chengyuan turned toward her. "Elder, may I ask—"
"Elder Brother," Li Qin interrupted sharply, shooting him a look. "Show some respect. This is our ancestor. Ancestor Li Xianyu."
Realization struck him at once. His posture straightened and his tone shifted instantly.
"My apologies, Ancestor," he said with a respectful bow. "Father is waiting for us inside. Please, enter."
Then, turning back to Li Qin, he added, "Our brothers and sisters should be arriving shortly."
After a brief pause, his gaze returned to Li Lian.
"You can come too."
Li Lian hesitated—then nodded.
Just as they were about to move, Li Xiang suddenly entered the courtyard from the opposite side.
"Little sister, you finally returned. Were you having a good time?" Li Chengyuan said.
"Mhm, I was just showing my friend around. I’m not late, am I?"
As she spoke, another girl walked in behind her, the sight of which made Li Lian freeze.
"Is that the friend you were speaking of?" Li Chengyuan asked calmly.
"Yes," Li Xiang replied. "Her name is Fei Lin."
The moment the name left her lips, Li Lian’s brows knitted.
"Xiao Hei..." she murmured under her breath.
Hearing her name, Xiao Hei glanced sideways—and the instant her eyes landed on Li Lian, they sharpened like a predator locking onto prey.
"Lian..."
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hei crossed over fifty meters.
That speed wasn’t something they had ever seen. This kind of speed wasn’t something Profound realm cultivators could ever reach. Even amongst Divine Realm cultivators, Xiao Hei’s natural speed was frightening.
Her movement was so sudden it left behind a shockwave.
Claws flashed—razor-sharp and aimed straight for Li Lian.
Li Lian reacted instantly.
Her Spirit Attribute Qi erupted, surging outward as her battle power climbed to meet Xiao Hei’s head-on.
BOOM!
The collision sent violent shockwaves ripping across the courtyard. Stone cracked. Banners snapped. Everyone nearby was forced back several steps.
They already knew Li Lian was strong.
But for the rest of them, this was the first time they were seeing Xiao Hei’s true strength.
So young, yet exuding Divine Realm pressure.
It was absurd.
"Impossible..." Li Chengyuan muttered, shielding his face with his sleeve.
Not only was Xiao Hei matching Li Lian’s spirit strength—her physical power was suppressing her.
Li Lian scoffed.
"What? Now that Xiao Fang isn’t here, you think you can do whatever you want?"
Xiao Hei grinned devilishly from ear to ear.
"I still haven’t paid you back for the attack you hit me with outside of our Nameless guild."
"Pay me back, do you have the ability?" Li Lian said.
Xiao Hei stepped forward, her presence pressing down and forcing Li Lian to retreat half a step.
In terms of raw physical strength, Li Lian knew she couldn’t compete—but when it came to spirit cultivation, Xiao Hei was not her equal.
Li Lian’s eyes ignited, her pupils glowing as her hair flared into a blazing crimson. Heat rolled off her body in violent waves, the air itself distorting as it became thick and suffocating. In a single breath, her battle power surged—rising beyond the limits of ordinary mortals.
Then, in the next instant, a dragon’s roar thundered through the courtyard, shaking stone, bone, and spirit alike.
Likely, there wasn’t anyone in the Li Family Clan that couldn’t hear its roar.
[ 1st Stage Dragon Perception ]