Chapter 344: The Three Huashen

Qingzhou City, the Divine General's Mansion.

The glow of the Ancestral Blood Array faded; Li Li Tiangang bade farewell to his ancestors in the ancestral hall and returned to Shanhe Courtyard.

He glanced at Li Li Xiaoran's icy expression, abandoned the thought of explaining, and said, "Fourth Uncle, you must meet those who've returned to reinforce the Li family—I plan to activate the ancestral secret passage, letting them enter through the Huai River."

"You handle the planning; I'll follow your orders," Li Li Xiaoran replied coldly.

Li Li Tiangang nodded, then swept his gaze over the group, ordered paper and ink brought, and swiftly wrote out the next phase of the plan.

At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to the sleepless nights of the Yanbei battlefield; he looked at his wife—still beside him now, those eyes still holding the same look of shared life and death, stirring his heart slightly. To have such a wife, what more could a man ask for?

"Open the secret vault. Each courtyard shall command fifty thousand elite troops, ready to deploy at a moment's notice. Each courtyard shall receive fifty thousand doses of Divine Medicine and Blood Elixir, ten thousand Dragon Qi Pills…"

These divine medicines, in past times, even direct descendants could receive only a few doses per year; collateral branches needed great contributions to earn even one. Now, they were being handed out as if they were worthless.

The accumulated reserves of millennia, besides countless miraculous elixirs, included divine weapons and armored suits.

All of them were now being poured into this final battle.

"Send out the secret transmission—order every city to activate their secret passages, guide those returning to the Li family to enter from beneath the Huai River mountain range on the eastern side…"

Li Li Tiangang spread out the Qingzhou topographical map and deployed the rendezvous plan.

To the east of Qingzhou City, peaks stood in clusters, and the winding Huai River curved like a coiling dragon through the land; most households in Qingzhou drew their water from this mighty river.

Yet no one knew the Li family had long ago carved secret passages beneath the Huai River—a route conceived by an ancestor in anticipation of Qingzhou's direst hour, allowing both escape and reinforcement through the hidden tunnels.

Now, with demons and monsters entrenched outside the city, retreat was impossible. The Great Yu Divine Dynasty had not yet fallen; the Divine General's Mansion's core province could not be surrendered.

As each order was transmitted, sweat slowly beaded on Li Li Tiangang's forehead, his face grim, brows knotted into a deep crease—but the pressure in his heart eased slightly.

The Li family's troops within Qingzhou City moved in response; the city's garrison commander and all officials were Li bloodline. Every level of authority in Qingzhou was held by Li family members—here, the Li family ruled as absolute sovereigns.

At the Divine General's Mansion's command, their efficiency was extraordinary: half the elite troops were pulled from the ranks, issued divine medicines from the mansion, and under these rare substances, their combat power surged dramatically—even those at the Fifteen Li Realm could unleash strength rivaling the Celestial Realm.

Such enhancement naturally carried side effects, but compared to life and death, they no longer mattered.

At this moment, massive chests of treasures were being carried out from the Divine General's secret vault; everyone in each courtyard wore grim expressions—these were relics painstakingly accumulated by ancestors over generations, now being exhausted.

"When the Li bloodlines from all regions return, it will be time for a final, mortal clash!"

Li Li Tiangang said solemnly.

The returning Li bloodlines would be used primarily to reconstruct the ancestral bodies, then animated by ancestral spirits, unleashing immense power.

The exact strength would depend on how many returning bloodlines there were.

As He He Jianlan and others departed, taking their commanded armies to guard the city's various sectors, Shanhe Courtyard grew empty.

Li Li Tiangang and Ji Ji Qingqing exchanged a glance; the couple fell into silent mutual regard.

"If only I could reach the Tai Ping Dao Realm… Had I known this would come, I should have trained harder, devoted myself fully to cultivation…"

Ji Ji Qingqing whispered, her eyes dim. As a prodigy of the Ji family, had she remained in Ji and cultivated diligently, by now she would surely have entered the Tai Ping Dao Realm.

With her and Second Uncle Li Li Muxiu together, the battlefield's tide would turn drastically.

If they could hold back the top combatants of the two demon factions, the Qingzhou army would not be inferior to the demons outside—after all, here stood over thirty million Yuanzi Camp troops, the Li family's most elite warriors, each capable of fighting ten, matching three million troops of the same realm!

"Don't say that. You've worked hard enough—you sacrificed your cultivation by accompanying me to Yanbei."

Li Li Tiangang shook his head.

Ji Ji Qingqing looked at him, bit her lip slightly. Now that they had been cast out of the Ji family, she could no longer seek aid from them.

A few days ago, when Qingzhou was besieged, she had already intervened—using the prestige of Da Huang Tian to intimidate the demons into holding back. But the Longmen and Shenggong were not fools; this was no longer Yanbei. They had unleashed their full strength, arrows drawn, with no turning back.

The deterrence of the Ji family of Da Huang Tian no longer worked.

After all, this was beyond Da Huang Tian's borders. In Yanbei, they had hesitated not only out of respect for the Ji family's three modest favors, but mainly because a powerful Ji elder had appeared to escort Ji Ji Qingqing, forcing the Shenggong to retreat.

"Rest for now. A hard battle lies ahead—I'll go check on their progress."

Li Li Tiangang said to his wife.

He stepped out of Shanhe Courtyard, and at the gate, saw several figures rushing toward him.

"Uncle…"

It was Li Li Yuanzhao and Li Li Wushuang, among others. They collided with Li Li Tiangang at the gate, startled—though they were uncle and nephews, his overwhelming authority always instilled a measure of fear.

"We came to see if there's anything we can be assigned."

Li Li Yuanzhao's eyes flickered with unease; he lowered his head and asked softly.

Li Li Wushuang stared directly at Li Li Tiangang; since Li Li Yuanzhao had spoken, she remained silent.

Seeing these young ones clad in armor, ready to rush to battle, Li Li Tiangang's cold gaze softened slightly, his tone gentling: "You're all good children. Go back and wait. You'll be needed once the other Li family members return."

Saying this, he sidestepped them and hurried away.

Li Li Yuanzhao and the others froze, watching the imposing figure vanish into the distance, momentarily disoriented.

Today's Seventh Uncle seemed like a gentle elder—something they had never felt before.

Li Li Wushuang turned back, gazing until the figure disappeared; her cold eyes dimmed with sorrow: "He was the best… If only I could have said those words to him back then, none of this would have happened… he wouldn't have… died."

Hearing her, Li Li Yuanzhao and the others froze, memories instantly rising of that dazzling, carefree, laughing figure—they fell silent.

Li Li Yuanzhao clenched his fists, biting his teeth. Though days had passed, even mentioning Li Hao made his eyes redden.

In Shuihua Courtyard, the grounds were sealed; only two old servants remained inside, attending to Liu Liu Yuerong.

"Ancestral Blood Trigger… Ancestral Blood Trigger…"

In the pavilion, Liu Liu Yuerong stared blankly toward the ancestral hall. She was no longer the radiant woman of before; her robes were still luxurious, but her hair was simply coiled, no rouge on her face—she looked haggard.

"Li Li Tiangang, how heartless you are—no wonder even your own son was driven away!"

"My son… don't you dare be foolish. Follow the Buddha Master, cultivate diligently. If you reach the Tai Ping Dao Realm, rivaling the Primogenitor, even if the Divine General's Mansion falls, you can rebuild it. But don't think of me—don't come back and throw your life away…"

Liu Liu Yuerong turned toward the direction of Mount Wuliang Mountain, eyes reddening, lowering her head to clasp her hands in prayer.

…

As time passed.

All cities in Qingzhou received the Li family's secret orders; Li family members serving in those cities swiftly activated the signal.

This signal was meant for Li bloodlines to follow, but those who had left the family too long ago might have forgotten its meaning.

Nevertheless, those who rushed first to Qingzhou had already flooded into the cities, guided by local signals, heading toward the Huai River, then upstream toward Qingzhou City.

The remaining ones traveled through the wilderness, battling scattered demons en route to Qingzhou City.

Not long after the Ancestral Blood Trigger, behind the demon horde outside Qingzhou City.

On the hilltop where the Longmen and Shenggong elders and their leaders gathered, the Longmen's master was a cold, stoic young man clad in black robes; he seemed to sense something, gazing toward the city.

The Huang Tianji Palace elder hovering above Qingzhou City detected a fleeting flash of bloodlight from within the Divine General's Mansion and panicked, plummeting swiftly, taking the form of a young woman.

"Master, the Li family of the Divine General's Mansion has activated the legendary Divine General Blood Trigger technique!"

The green-robed young woman cried urgently.

Long Long Jueshen's face darkened: "These bastards really mean to leave no heirs—fight to the death?"

He knew the Divine General's Mansion's reserves well: two thousand years ago, when another Divine General's Mansion fell, they had been forced to use this technique—gathering all bloodlines to summon ancestral bodies and spirits, unleashing terrifying power—but still lost.

"Good. Saves us the trouble of hunting them down one by one. Let's finish them all at once."

Feng Feng Lingxiao, the Shenggong's master, opened his eyes coldly, though a flicker of anger burned in them.

"How long until you're fully healed?" Long Long Jueshen asked him.

"Soon. Three or five days."

Feng Feng Lingxiao replied.

"Too long," Long Long Jueshen frowned, staring at him.

Feng Feng Lingxiao met his gaze, anger rising within him—he wanted to say: If you were willing to risk your life, you wouldn't fear a half-step Dao elder!

But he kept it to himself—this was no time for infighting.

"If you can hold off that old dog Li Li Muxiu, I can break the formation."

Long Long Jueshen fell silent. Suddenly, a wisp of black mist drifted from afar and landed on the hilltop.

The surrounding demons remained oblivious until the mist settled, then startled.

The mist vanished, revealing snow-white legs; a graceful woman stepped forward, her cheeks marked with dark purple patterns.

She looked at Long Long Jueshen and Feng Feng Lingxiao, smiling: "You've been driven out like pigs and dogs by the Great Yu Divine Dynasty—no wonder. Such a simple task, and you drag your feet. Disappointing."

"Lord Three Huashen!"

Seeing her, Long Long Jueshen and Feng Feng Lingxiao's faces changed; their bodies tensed slightly, a trace of tension in their eyes.

"Why are you here? What about the Imperial City…?" Long Long Jueshen asked quietly.

"Merely a fragment of my avatar. That Yu Emperor is too clever. The Imperial Family is truly heartless—no intention of sending that True Person to intervene, only protecting his own skin."

The woman spoke lightly: "But if you delay further, not only will the Li bloodlines arrive, but the Qing Prince is also on his way. Then it won't be this simple anymore."

"What?"

Hearing this, Long Long Jueshen and Feng Feng Lingxiao were stunned. The Qing Prince was among the Emperor's brothers, second only to the Ninth Prince, the Sword Demon! "When did this happen? How far away is he?"

Feng Feng Lingxiao asked, his face darkening as he recalled the Yanbei battle—he remembered crippling him. Had he recovered so quickly?

"Soon. That's why I sent this fragment—to block him when necessary. You'd better resolve the Li family quickly. We won't show ourselves yet, but you'd better act wisely. If you prove utterly incompetent, replacing you isn't out of the question…"

Hearing her, their faces changed; they immediately agreed.

The woman glanced at them, then at the city, flicked her finger—and two black, malevolent artifacts appeared in midair: "I lend you these two Sacred Heart Treasures. Today, I want to see the Li family drown in blood!"

With that, her form dissolved like a wisp of black mist, leaving only the two treasures hovering in the air.

Long Long Jueshen and Feng Feng Lingxiao's eyes flashed; they swiftly moved, each seizing one treasure.

They called these items Sacred Heart Heavenly Treasures, but those beyond the Great Yu borders called them Sacred Heart Supreme Treasures.

Even as top demon factions, having cultivated for ten thousand years, when the Tianbao Daoist died a thousand years ago, they raided the Wanqi Tower's vault and only seized a few supreme divine weapons.

Such supreme treasures, once revealed, were always divided among the Imperial Clan and the Five Divine General's Mansions.

Only the Huagu Sacred Clans within Da Huang Tian could produce them easily; other minor clans would be lucky to possess one or two.

(End of chapter)