Chapter 424: 387. All Arrive at the Appointment

387. Chapter 387: All Arrive at the Appointment

After slaughtering the young dragon, Li Yi gave its peeled hide, extracted sinews, and stripped bones to his master Zhao Ge, then tossed the carcass into a large pot to boil, instructing Skinny Monkey to tend the fire and prepare for a hearty meal.

"Big Brother, I've never cooked dragon meat before—what if I ruin it?" Skinny Monkey scratched his head, hesitant to take on the task.

This was a rare treasure, and he had no confidence at all.

Li Yi said, "Just cook it until it's done. How could you ruin meat that's supposed to fall apart in the pot? Don't worry—when it's ready, I'll treat everyone to dragon meat. Even though it's only a young dragon, its flesh is extremely nourishing and greatly beneficial for martial cultivation."

"If Big Brother says so, then I'll give it my all." Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth, accepted the task, and called over two fellow disciples to help.

At that moment, Zhao Ge suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Meng De, earlier you said today something important would happen. I assume this isn't about cooking dragon meat?"

"Master, I came to San Yang City in haste because of the ghost gods. Previously, I made a pact with the Four Great Families to help them eliminate the ghost gods, and in return, they pledged full support for me." Li Yi said, "The time is ripe—I plan to act tonight."

"When I arrived, I already slew one ghost god named Tian Xiong on Ghost Street. Now it's the turn of the other ghost gods across the Four Seas and Eight Provinces. I've sent the Four Great Families' yin spirits to issue challenges—unless something goes wrong, a great battle will erupt outside San Yang City tonight."

He briefly summarized the matter in a few words.

Though brief, the information was explosive.

Everyone was stunned.

"Challenge ghost gods? This—this—" Even Zhao Ge, usually composed, was speechless with shock: "This is too sudden, Meng De. Have you truly reached this level? Are there no one left in the Four Seas and Eight Provinces who can match you? Only legendary thousand-year ghost gods can stand against you?"

He couldn't believe it—when Li Yi had first wandered into Ghost Street, he was just an ordinary man with no strength. Yet now, in the blink of an eye, Li Yi stood at the pinnacle of martial cultivation.

Such rapid advancement was unprecedented.

"It seems my words back then will come true—you've now earned the right to sit upon the golden throne, with ghost gods bowing before you."

Amid his shock, Zhao Ge let out a sigh.

Everything had happened too fast—he still felt dazed.

Carefully calculating the time, it had been roughly a year.

For a martial arts academy disciple, a year wasn't enough to even nourish their blood and qi, let alone enter martial cultivation. Yet Li Yi now dared to openly challenge ghost gods.

Li Yi said, "Master, the outside world is vast. My pace of cultivation isn't remarkable. In other worlds, my strength would barely rank at the bottom. Thousand-year ghost gods aren't truly fearsome—it's just that the Four Seas and Eight Provinces are too small, lacking true masters, which is why this situation exists."

Zhao Ge fell silent, gazing at the sky, a strange curiosity and urge rising within him.

He too wanted to see the world where masters abounded.

He was already a Qi Condensation martial artist, having entered the Upper Three Realms. His martial path was nearly at its end, yet he was still young—would he spend the rest of his life trapped here?

"Big Brother, is challenging ghost gods dangerous?" Rong Niang asked, her voice filled with concern.

Li Yi said, "If I dared to issue the challenge, I have full confidence. Don't worry—stay inside the mansion tonight, don't go anywhere. After tonight, everything will be over. You won't have to fear ghost god retaliation or the loss of lifespans anymore. You can live and cultivate in peace."

Rong Niang didn't know what to say, only nodded softly, but her gaze toward Li Yi grew complex.

Yet as the group chatted,

the streets of San Yang City suddenly rang with the clatter of iron hooves—clear and sharp in the night. All martial artists in the mansion noticed it, then saw over twenty riders galloping through the darkness toward them.

"Big Brother, it's the Four Great Families!" Zhao Qian exclaimed.

During Li Yi's absence, she and Zhao Ge had dealt with the Four Great Families often enough to recognize them at once.

"All top experts—over ten Qi Condensation martial artists, and the leader appears to be a Soul Transformation cultivator. Have the Four Great Families deployed all their strength?" Zhao Ge's heart tightened.

Though few in number, each was formidable—any one of them could rule a region in the Four Seas and Eight Provinces.

"So the Four Great Families have begun their move. Good." Li Yi stepped forward, stopping at the mansion's gate.

The twenty-odd experts reined in their horses thirty meters away, dismounting as a sign of respect, then followed their family heads in approaching Li Yi to pay their respects.

"Fan Family head, Fan Wentian."

"Meng Family head, Meng Meng Daoxian."

"Qi Family head, Qi Qi Yunshan."

"Zhao Family head, Zhao Ding."

The four bowed in unison to Li Yi, respectfully: "Greetings, Young Master Li."

"Greetings, Young Master Li." The twenty elite experts behind them also bowed deeply.

This bow signified the Four Great Families' submission, their collective reverence for Li Yi.

Whether Qi Condensation or Soul Transformation, all now restrained their pride, daring not to show the slightest displeasure.

For the Four Great Families now knew: Li Yi had entered Ghost Street and slain the ghost god Tian Xiong. From today, the thousand-year order of the Four Seas and Eight Provinces would change—the world's balance would be rewritten—and they were about to witness this historic moment.

They felt both nervous and excited.

"No need for formalities—we've dealt before, so let's skip the pleasantries. Meng Family head, did you send your yin spirit Meng Meng Fanxing to notify the ghost gods of my challenge?" Li Yi's silver eyes swept over them all, then settled on a burly middle-aged man in brocade robes.

Meng Family head Meng Meng Daoxian hurriedly replied, "Young Master, I've dispatched all of Meng Family's yin spirits. The other family heads have done the same. But the Eight Provinces are vast, and the other Four Great Families were unaware—so it took time. But rest assured, by dawn, every ghost god will arrive."

"Good. I hate trouble—I don't want to hunt each ghost god down one by one. Better to summon them all at once and settle it in one battle. How many ghost gods are there in the Four Seas and Eight Provinces?" Li Yi asked.

Fan Family head Fan Wentian answered immediately, "Since our agreement with you, we've been investigating. Excluding the hidden ghost gods in the Four Seas, there are roughly twenty-four in the Eight Provinces—but no more than twenty will actually come."

"Many are recorded in history but haven't appeared in over a hundred years—they've likely perished or fallen into permanent slumber."

"That's indeed a considerable number," Li Yi nodded.

For a world with scarce cosmic energy to accumulate so many ghost gods was extraordinary. To reach the Law Form realm here required exceptional talent and profound fortune. In other worlds, these ghost gods would be formidable beings.

But the world's ceiling had shackled these once-great martial prodigies, turning them into neither-man-nor-ghost entities. Good.

Now that I'm here, I'll free them—save them from lingering in this world, draining the spirit of heroes.

"Then, Young Master, do you have confidence?" Qi Family head Qi Qi Yunshan asked, uneasy.

They were now trapped—on a tiger's back.

The message had been sent. The Four Great Families' fates rested entirely on Li Yi. There was no retreat. Though they thought it reckless, the moment Li Yi slew Tian Xiong, their fate was sealed: either eternal rule over Yongzhibazhou, or annihilation by the ghost gods.

"Twenty-odd ghost gods? Nothing much." Li Yi's voice was calm.

He had fought Tian Xiong—he knew the ghost gods' strength. He didn't fear them.

This world had scarce cosmic energy; ghost gods could exert only limited power. In a world like Earth, rich in cosmic energy, he wouldn't dare be so careless—those were beings equivalent to Spirit Force realm, and even as decaying corpses with only souls remaining, they were not to be underestimated.

Hearing his confidence, the four family heads breathed a little easier.

That made sense.

Without certainty of victory, no one would act so recklessly.

Li Yi now turned toward the city outskirts: "The challenge site will be at the foot of Da Qing Mountain. The feng shui there is good—it's already buried many. Burying a few more ghost gods won't hurt. If we fight inside San Yang City, I fear the city will be destroyed. After the battle, your four families' experts have one task: protect Zhao Zhao Shiwu's martial academy and my mansion—prevent any yin spirits or ghost creatures from launching surprise attacks."

"Young Master, rest assured—we will defend with our lives. Not a single scratch will touch your mansion," the family heads vowed earnestly.

This was the perfect moment to prove loyalty—there would be no such chance after tonight.

Li Yi nodded, then gestured: "Then please enter the mansion for a feast. I've boiled a pot of fine meat—I'd like to share it with you."

The four families politely declined a few times, then accepted and entered the mansion.

Upon entering, they smelled an unusual meat aroma—rising from a giant pot in the courtyard, simmering some rare beast's flesh. Merely inhaling it made their blood and qi stir.

"Big Brother, this dragon meat is too nourishing—I drank just a spoonful of broth and my blood and qi nearly exploded. No, this isn't for ordinary martial artists." Skinny Monkey ran over, his entire body flushed, blood boiling—over-nourished.

Dragon meat?

At this,

the four family heads and their elite experts all stared in disbelief. Then some sharp-eyed experts spotted a peeled dragon hide in a corner of the courtyard.

"It really is dragon meat?"

Everyone was stunned.

Dragons had vanished from the Four Seas and Eight Provinces—only legends remained. Yet Li Yi had hunted one and was cooking it here?

Li Yi said, "If you can't eat it, eat less. This won't keep—better to finish it now. And a full stomach helps with fighting."

He strode over, took a bowl from a disciple, poured a full serving, and drank it down in one gulp.

"Skinny Monkey, your cooking is excellent," Li Yi praised, then ladled another bowl of meat and handed it to his master Zhao Ge: "Master, here—try it. The meat's cooked perfectly."

"Good." Zhao Ge was delighted, took it, and carefully bit into a piece.

Indeed, delicious.

But then his expression changed.

After swallowing that single bite, his blood and qi surged violently, his face flushed instantly. The sheer magnitude of blood essence within was unimaginable.

His tendons and bones were nourished, slowly expanding, filling him with unparalleled comfort.

"Huh!"

Zhao Ge exhaled deeply, drenched in sweat: "An extraordinary treasure. One bite equals ten precious pills—no, at least twenty. This isn't meat—it's a divine herb."

Li Yi wasn't stingy—he invited everyone to eat.

Though the pot of dragon meat looked small, each person could consume only a tiny portion—even Qi Condensation experts reached their limit after two bites; Soul Transformation masters could manage only a small piece.

Li Yi was generous—anyone in the mansion could eat, even the steward Jin Jin Dafu received a small bowl.

In less than half an hour, every one of the dozens present burned with heat, blood and qi boiling uncontrollably. No matter how hard they tried to digest, it was useless—the dragon meat's essence far surpassed any treasure in the Four Seas and Eight Provinces. Fully absorbing it would take days.

Li Yi himself ate without restraint, replenishing his strength and restoring his condition.

Though he ate the most, over half the pot remained.

Finally, Fan Family head Fan Wentian suggested Li Yi add potent herbs to the leftover dragon meat, refine it into pills, and seal them in beeswax to prevent waste.

Li Yi followed the advice. The Four Great Families quickly sent various precious herbs and alchemists, refining the entire pot—meat and broth—into three thousand pills, naming them Dragon Essence Pills.

He didn't need them—he gave each family three hundred pills, and the rest to his master Zhao Ge.

After eating, drinking, and busy preparations through most of the night, the once-quiet night suddenly howled with a chilling gale. The wind swept across the entire city, dark clouds choked the sky, dust and stones flew everywhere.

Outside San Yang City, the sounds of clashing weapons and war cries echoed.

The strangeness made everyone realize:

The ghost gods of the Four Seas and Eight Provinces had arrived for the challenge.

"They've put on quite a show," Li Yi said. "Family heads, do as planned—after tonight, ghost gods will be no more." He leapt into the air, his body blazing with brilliant silver light, transforming into a streak of radiance that tore through the heavens, racing toward the outskirts of San Yang City.