Chapter 96

The Li family was located in the eastern part of Songyan City, occupying ten thousand acres of land. The buildings were majestic and splendid, with artificial hills, flowing water, waterside pavilions, and winding corridors and pavilions arranged in a well-ordered manner. At its center was a lake spanning a thousand miles, the scenery picturesque, with a multitude of servants, presenting the grandeur of a prominent family.

At this moment, in the main hall.

Sitting in the main seat was no longer Li Yizhen, but Li Ming.

"How is it? Has the Longyuan Su family responded? Su Jiao has already returned, and I have helped her kill tens of thousands of people. Could she still refuse to marry me?"

As he sipped the wine in his cup, Li Ming's face was extremely gloomy, and a savage and bloody aura emanated from his body, making him look extremely fierce.

The butler, Wu, was drenched in cold sweat and hurriedly explained, "The Su family is very satisfied with our actions, but they said that Young Master must rank in the top ten at next year's Qianlong List Competition to be eligible to marry Miss Su."

"Qianlong List Competition?" Li Ming exclaimed in surprise.

In Longyuan City of Southern Border, every ten years, the eight major sects, six major families, and three major academies would jointly hold a competition to select the most talented young cultivators.

The threshold for the Qianlong List Competition was very high, requiring young cultivators to reach the Purple Mansion Realm before the age of thirty to be eligible to participate.

The top one hundred would receive a large number of elixirs and cultivation techniques as rewards.

The top fifty would receive powerful magical treasures as rewards.

The top ten would have the qualifications to be core disciples of the eight major sects, six major families, and three major academies.

The top three would be taken as closed disciples by Nirvana Realm cultivators!

Considering that the entire Southern Border had a population of hundreds of billions, being among the top one hundred young cultivators selected from hundreds of billions was a tremendous honor, and no one would be unmoved.

Even ordinary disciples, core disciples of the eight major sects, six major families, and three major academies would participate in the Qianlong List Competition. One reason was to gain fame, and the other was to obtain more resources or to be taken as a disciple by a powerful cultivator.

While the rewards were tempting, the competition was extremely harsh and cruel.

"Master, with your talent, if you cultivate diligently for another year, your strength will surely improve. Participating in the Qianlong List Competition and ranking in the top ten is very hopeful," the butler Wu flattered with a smile.

"Hmph, with a population of hundreds of billions in Southern Border, geniuses are as numerous as fish crossing a river. The Qianlong List Competition is not as simple as you think," Li Ming coldly snorted, then said proudly, "However, since the Su family has set this requirement, I will strive to improve my cultivation. For Miss Su, I will definitely rank in the top ten of the Qianlong List!"

"The old servant congratulates Young Master on a great victory, displaying your might and gaining fame throughout the world!" The butler Wu flattered again, causing Li Ming to laugh heartily.

"Report! Young Master, Chen Xi has returned! He has returned!" At this moment, a guard rushed into the main hall and shouted loudly.

Chen Xi!

Li Ming suddenly stood up, his face filled with joy, and he laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good! This kid has finally returned. Capturing him and presenting him to the Longyuan Su family will undoubtedly be another great achievement!"

"Where is Chen Xi?" the butler Wu asked.

"He... He is about to approach our Li family!" The guard wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted heavily in response.

"He is coming to us on his own?"

The butler Wu was taken aback, then sneered coldly, "He is truly courting death. It seems he has discovered that his homeland has been destroyed and his family and friends have all perished. He wants to break into our Li family alone? Perhaps he has been driven mad by anger, which is why he is doing such a foolish thing."

"This waste is not worth my personal effort. Butcher Wu, take our elite guards and capture him quickly. Remember, don't hurt him, hahaha."

Li Ming waved his hand indifferently. Now that he had advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm, he no longer considered Chen Xi a threat.

...

At the front gate of the Li family.

Two thousand black-clad guards were lined up in two rows. These two thousand people, dressed in black armor and white armor, were the most elite members of the Li family, with the lowest cultivation at the Innate Realm and the highest at the Innate Perfection Realm.

They were the famous Black Dragon Guards and White Armor Guards in Songyan City, and also the core strength of the Li family, the first family in Songyan City.

At this moment, they held powerful crossbows, with swords hanging at their waists, standing solemnly like two brave and skilled armies. The cold and fierce aura emanating from them would scare ordinary people to death just by looking from a distance.

The powerful crossbows they held were called Flying Spirit Heavy Crossbows, with arrows as thick as spears, a range of a thousand miles, and a thousand people firing together could even kill a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator!

The swords at their waists were called Tiger Stab, made of Heart Earth Black Pattern Steel, sharp and resilient, comparable to a magical treasure. Two thousand people drawing their swords at once could instantly form a Yin-Yang Thousand Sword Array, which had successfully killed many enemies in the history of the Li family, demonstrating its formidable and powerful might.

The butler Wu stood with his hands behind his back, with a hint of concern in his heart.

A year ago, by the Spirit Kong Lake, to offer tribute to the Purple Rhinoceros Demon, he led a team of guards, but unexpectedly encountered Chen Xi. To his disbelief, Chen Xi, at the Innate Realm, slaughtered many guards and even forced him to flee.

Later, he heard that the Purple Rhinoceros Demon was also killed by Chen Xi. Since then, he had become increasingly wary of Chen Xi's strength.

Now, a year had passed. Had this guy's cultivation improved further?

The butler Wu could not be sure, but when he saw the two teams with overwhelming momentum beside him, his last bit of worry vanished.

The Black Dragon Guards and White Armor Guards were fully mobilized, capable of killing ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Chen Xi coming alone, did he still have anything to worry about?

Tap! Tap! Tap!

In this solemn and deadly atmosphere, on the deserted street, footsteps echoed, ethereal like the wind, heavy like drumbeats, with an unusual rhythm that made people's hearts race involuntarily.

He's here!

A lean and tall figure walked out of the twilight, the setting sun stretching his shadow long and lonely, appearing desolate and solitary.

His expression was cold and indifferent, his eyes bloodshot, like two burning torches, as if ready to incinerate, crush, and erase everything before him.

Sss! Sss!

As he walked, the air seemed unable to withstand the overwhelming killing intent from his body, distorting and changing, making his figure blurry.

What intense killing intent!

The butler Wu's pupils constricted, and he couldn't help but draw a deep breath. How could this guy's killing intent be as thick as blood, making one's heart race just by looking from a distance? Had he just come out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of bones?

"Look, it's that jinx!"

"Haha, he's truly courting death. I remember a few months ago, Young Master Li Ming's casual words caused tens of thousands of people to be slaughtered, blood flowing like a river, even the City Lord's Mansion dared not say a word. It was truly exhilarating!"

"Indeed, he's courting death. Does he think he can break into our Li family alone? What a pitiful guy, clearly driven mad by anger, turned into an idiot!"

"Jinx, jinx, sigh, he has killed all his family and friends, and now he's about to lose his own life. Without him, our lives will lose a kind of entertainment."

On the walls of the Li family, many Li family members, maids, and servants were watching. Seeing Chen Xi's figure, they couldn't help but discuss excitedly.

The butler Wu collected his thoughts, feeling ashamed of his earlier loss of composure. He immediately changed his expression, looking fiercely at Chen Xi a hundred paces away, and laughed wildly, "Chen Xi, are you here for revenge? I think you're here to court death, hahaha."

Tap, tap, tap...

Chen Xi did not speak, only his footsteps echoed as he stepped forward.

"Hmph, don't pretend. Surrender obediently, and you can live for a while longer. Otherwise, you will surely die today," the butler Wu's face turned cold, and he shouted fiercely.

Chen Xi continued forward indifferently, ignoring the words. In the sunset, his shadow grew longer, as if the end of the shadow was the entrance to hell, and he was a ghost emerging from hell, filled with killing intent and unable to speak.

"Courting death!"

Seeing that Chen Xi was only fifty paces away, the butler Wu waved his hand, and a hundred Black Dragon Guards charged forward.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Hundreds of thick, sharp arrows shot out from the Flying Spirit Heavy Crossbows, covering the sky, whistling through the air like the cries of ghosts.

Clang!

Almost simultaneously with the shooting of the crossbows, the hundred Black Dragon Guards drew their Tiger Stab swords, leaped forward, and charged at Chen Xi, following the arrows.

Shooting, drawing swords, and charging, a series of actions were completed in a flash, demonstrating the formidable combat skills of the hundred Black Dragon Guards.

The arrows were like locusts, like a rain of swords, and behind them, the hundred Black Dragon Guards charged like a tide, almost blocking all of Chen Xi's escape routes.

In everyone's eyes, Chen Xi, who was still stepping forward, seemed to be scared stiff, showing no reaction at all!

Is this guy here to court death?

This thought had just flashed through everyone's minds when, in the next moment, they saw Chen Xi's figure vanish as if it had evaporated into thin air, completely disappearing!

Bang, bang, bang...

The arrows from the Flying Spirit Heavy Crossbows were nailed to the ground, the powerful force creating hundreds of holes in the ground, with rocks and debris flying in all directions.

Where is he?

The hundred Black Dragon Guards who rushed forward were stunned, their hearts sinking.

At this moment—

The hundred Black Dragon Guards were horrified to see a sword light like a bolt of lightning, stunning, beautiful, cold, and suddenly appearing in their field of vision.

Puff, puff, puff!

A series of blood splatters erupted, spraying into the air, forming a bloody scene.

In less than a tenth of a moment, thirteen Black Dragon Guards had blood holes the size of coins in their throats. Their expressions were frozen, and they died without understanding what had happened.

Puff, puff, puff!

Chen Xi's figure was like a wisp of smoke, a flash of lightning, leaving multiple afterimages in the air due to his incredible speed. The black sword in his hand, the Xuanming Flying Sword, was like a streak of light, precise, ruthless, and incredibly fast, reaping lives like a farmer cutting weeds, each swing cutting a row of weeds at the waist.

At this moment, these charging Black Dragon Guards were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. It wasn't that they were too weak, but that the enemy was too strong.

With the cultivation of the Fifth Rank Purple Mansion Realm, a complete Wind Dao Intent, and the terrifying strength to fight a Yellow Court Realm cultivator, how could an Innate Realm cultivator resist?

And the Xuanming Flying Sword in his hand did not disappoint its status as a top-grade yellow magical treasure. Its sharp and cold aura easily shattered the Tiger Stab swords in the hands of the Black Dragon Guards, demonstrating unparalleled piercing power and sharpness in Chen Xi's hands.

Blood splattered like fountains, and in an instant, more than thirty Black Dragon Guards were pierced through the throat and fell to the ground.

"Purple Mansion Realm! But what level of martial cultivation is this? In just a year, this waste's cultivation has improved to such a terrifying level?"

In the distance, the butler Wu's expression changed, his eyes filled with disbelief. The hundred Black Dragon Guards were almost all slaughtered, and he dared not hesitate any longer. He raised his right hand and shouted, "Fire!"

On both sides, the remaining 1,900 Black Dragon Guards and White Armor Guards were already prepared. Hearing the order, they released their Flying Spirit Heavy Crossbows, and a dense rain of arrows shot out!

At this moment, to kill Chen Xi, the butler Wu even disregarded the remaining Black Dragon Guards in the distance!