Chapter 1 The Trial

　　She pushed open the wooden door of the ancestral hall.

　　Li Qingsui stood at the entrance to the hall's meeting room, watching figure after figure rise, appearing as tall as mountains in the dim candlelight. These people stood too high, their faces dark and indistinct.

　　The Second Elder, Li Changchi, slowly walked out.

　　He held a thin sheet of yellow paper, with only a few words written on it.

　　It was the joint letter from the council of elders stripping her of her position as acting family head.

　　Li Changchi slowly read aloud.

　　"New Calendar 629, the Li Clan announces that, due to the special circumstances, the authority of acting family head Li Qingsui is hereby revoked..."

　　The rest of the words no longer mattered.

　　Li Qingsui looked up at the elder who was blocking a large portion of the candlelight. For some reason, when she heard the "verdict" from the Li Clan's ancestral hall, her mood didn't change at all.

　　A complete calm.

　　Perhaps it was because... she had expected this situation before even entering the ancestral hall.

　　This was indeed a war.

　　But not a long one.

　　Li Qingsui turned her head again to look at the room Gao Shu had entered.

　　That room was deathly silent.

　　Less than a hundred meters apart.

　　She knew how strong Gao Shu's spiritual power was. Not to mention just a hundred meters, even if they were a thousand meters apart, every sound from here could be clearly heard by Gao Shu.

　　Until the entire bill of indictment was read out.

　　The room remained silent.

　　Li Qingsui didn't even focus her gaze on the Second Elder who was reading the joint letter. She only looked at that room, and after all the sounds stopped, she softly asked, "Is it over?"

　　The Second Elder also looked towards the distant room.

　　"There's no need to look anymore, Gao Tian won't come out... at least, not for the time being."

　　He smiled and said, "So, it's over."

　　Li Changchi reached out his palm to grab Li Qingsui, who was close at hand.

　　The next moment.

　　Li Qingsui raised her head.

　　"Bang!"

　　A burst of fireworks exploded at the entrance of the ancestral hall!

　　Li Qingsui raised the black long umbrella she carried with her. Dozens of brilliant and scorching flames erupted from the tip of the umbrella, instantly illuminating the entire dim ancestral hall like daytime!

　　The Flame Demon Umbrella!

　　This was the top-tier A-grade sealed item that Li Quhu had left to his daughter!

　　Each strike possessed unparalleled destructive power!

　　The only flaw was that it required a large amount of "extraordinary source matter," and with Li Qingsui's current strength, she didn't have any extraordinary source matter to replenish it.

　　So... the Flame Demon Umbrella, even with its terrifying power after being fully charged, could only unleash one or two bursts!

　　However... that was enough!

　　The Second Elder, who had reached out his palm, was struck by the full force of the "scorching flames" at close range. He roared and retreated backward, his eyebrows and beard instantly ignited by the flames, his entire person submerged in a sea of fire—

　　The afterglow of the exploding flames filled the entire ancestral hall where the impeachment meeting was being held!

　　Li Qingsui turned around quickly.

　　She didn't hesitate and fled in the direction away from the ancestral hall. The next moment... a huge white-robed figure rushed out from the sea of fire. Li Changchi, his body burning with flames, stretched out his hands to grab Li Qingsui!

　　But before he could even expand his domain, brilliant fireworks bloomed once again before his eyes!

　　"Rumble—"

　　This time, Li Qingsui unreservedly unleashed all the source matter accumulated within the umbrella.

　　The gushing flames dyed the night sky above the entire Li Clan ancestral hall red!

　　Li Changchi was blasted backward and crashed heavily into the ancient buildings of the ancestral hall.

　　Li Qingsui was also struck by the powerful recoil, the propelling force of the umbrella pushing her dozens of meters away. She was like a ragdoll, scraping bloodstains on the ground, but her expression remained ice-cold. Supporting herself with her hands, like a small leopard, she opened the car door, knowing that her time was running out. If Gao Shu was trapped... then it proved that the elders were really prepared to make a move against her.

　　She must not be caught by them.

　　Escape!

　　Li Qingsui stepped on the accelerator. In front of the Li Clan ancestral hall, which had turned into a sea of fire, temperatures of several hundred degrees evaporated heat, making everything look like hell. With the violent roar of the engine, the black car parked in front of the ancestral hall sped out like a phantom.

　　Li Changchi, who had rushed out of the sea of fire for the second time, could only see the shadow of the black car disappearing into the horizon.

　　...

　　...

　　The roar of the flames was far behind her.

　　The withered black umbrella was placed on the passenger seat, the tip still emitting rolling heat. It was hard to imagine that this black umbrella, usually used to shield from wind and rain, was a terrifying weapon of great power.

　　Most of the Li Clan's sealed items were registered.

　　But... there were always exceptions.

　　This Flame Demon Umbrella was one such exception.

　　In terms of the amount of extraordinary source matter that the umbrella could store, even when fully charged, it could only fire two blasts... it seemed somewhat impractical, but for those extraordinary individuals with vast amounts of their own source matter, the upper limit of this fire umbrella could be raised almost infinitely.

　　The upper limit of the fire umbrella's power depended on... how much extraordinary source matter the wielder possessed.

　　Li Qingsui's expression was calm, but her fair face was somewhat pale.

　　Raising the umbrella.

　　Firing it.

　　All of this happened too quickly... the decisions she made, and the actions she took, seemed like a habit engraved in her bones. It wasn't until she began her "escape" that she realized what she had just done.

　　In the rearview mirror, she could only see the silent trees rushing past.

　　The latter half of the night in Nagano was very peaceful.

　　If she remembered correctly... the two blasts from her Flame Demon Umbrella had turned the entire Li Clan ancestral hall into a sea of fire.

　　Recalling the scene just now.

　　Memories flowed, reversed, and froze.

　　She... had just burned down the Li Clan ancestral hall?

　　Li Qingsui narrowed her eyes slightly.

　　She slowly exhaled a long breath.

　　The tense expression on her face gradually relaxed.

　　Then, Li Qingsui couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

　　"Heh..."

　　The feeling of burning down the ancestral hall was surprisingly good!

　　The girl drove the Phantom, stepping on the gas pedal, speeding wildly along the highway. She opened one of the car windows, the wind messing up her hair. At this moment, the etiquette of the Five Great Clans, the rules of the Li Clan, were shattered, blown away, and left behind the car.

　　She rested one hand on the car window, her thoughts clearer than ever before.

　　In the time since her father's death, she had been in an extremely enclosed and difficult situation, running around, encountering setbacks everywhere. Until today, when the situation came to a head and both sides revealed their positions, all the pent-up frustration was finally released.

　　Clearly... her opponents had abandoned all pretense.

　　Then, she didn't need to hold back either.

　　This ancestral hall, so be it burned!

　　Let the Li Clan's rules go to hell!

　　Li Qingsui floored the accelerator, speeding towards the northern border of Nagano. She was going to Highway 447... to pick up her sister.

　　...

　　...

　　Today, a large patch of ink surged towards the summit of the Shinshi Mountain.

　　This large patch of ink floated above the clouds on the summit, but it was not a cloud.

　　Li Qingci was not in the mood to cultivate.

　　She stood on the summit, looking worriedly at the distant sky... no matter how much she watered them, it was useless. The few little white flowers in the flowerbed drooped their heads, as if their life force had been drained away.

　　An aura of death permeated the air above the Shinshi Shrine.

　　This area was covered with millions of black flowers.

　　Each black flower was a manifestation of the black dots after the "collapse of order".

　　These flowers were constantly emitting their "aura."

　　Perhaps it was just a small wisp of extraordinary source matter.

　　But, little by little, it added up!

　　Countless extraordinary source matter was floating in the void of Shinshi Mountain's wondrous realm, invisible and intangible, but truly existent... this source matter flowed and accumulated in the void, and today, due to "unknown" reasons, it had inexplicably begun to gather.

　　Thus, there was such a large mass of ink.

　　Li Qingci tried to use the "Wishing Art" to seek the meaning of this gathering of extraordinary source matter... but this time, the Wishing Art rejected her offerings.

　　But she once again saw that familiar dream.

　　A dim darkness.

　　The earth shook and the sky swayed.

　　It was as if the entire Shinshi Shrine was about to collapse... there were countless figures.

　　And.

　　A dazzling golden light.

　　With a "boom!"

　　A rumbling sound came from outside the Shinshi Mountain's boundary. A familiar Phantom crashed into the wondrous realm barrier of Highway 447. Li Qingci sensed the driver's spiritual aura immediately.

　　It was Li Qingsui!

　　And... only Li Qingsui!

　　Gao Shu wasn't there?

　　She instantly realized that something terrible must have happened outside.

　　She hurried down the mountain.

　　From a distance, Li Qingsui's voice came, "Get in the car! I'm taking you away!"

　　No need to say more.

　　Li Qingci had already guessed the general outline of what had happened outside.

　　Since Gao Shu wasn't by Li Qingsui's side, then something must have happened to him.

　　The elders really dared to make a move?

　　A few seconds later, the Phantom came to a screeching halt. Li Qingsui opened the passenger door and said, "Sister! Let's leave Shinshi Shrine!"

　　However, Li Qingci didn't move.

　　She looked towards the distant, gloomy sky, didn't get into the car, and softly said, "It's too late..."

　　Too late?

　　Li Qingsui was slightly stunned.

　　She followed her sister's gaze and looked into the distance.

　　At the entrance to Highway 447.

　　The fog was thick.

　　And within the fog, one powerful spiritual aura after another was constantly pouring in.

　　Li Qingsui's face was a little ugly.

　　She had been moving very fast... but the elders were even faster. Clearly, they had anticipated her first destination after leaving.

　　Perhaps.

　　They had long wanted to make a move against the "Shinshi Shrine."

　　Li Qingsui gritted her teeth and said, "You get in the car first... I'll try to break through..."

　　Li Qingci looked at her stubborn sister and couldn't help but smile.

　　"It's no use."

　　"These guys have been waiting for this moment..."

　　She shook her head and murmured, "No wonder Shinshi Mountain is so abnormal today..."

　　One powerful aura after another gathered at the entrance to Shinshi Mountain.

　　They had sealed the entrance very tightly.

　　Highway 447 was the only entrance to Shinshi Shrine, and also the only exit.

　　Li Qingsui could sense familiar auras.

　　Thinking about it now... perhaps the "conflict" in front of the ancestral hall was just an overture in their plan. If she escaped, it would actually be a good thing for those guys.

　　Because Nagano was too small.

　　She couldn't escape anywhere, she could only escape to Shinshi Shrine.

　　Soon.

　　When the huge "ink" in the sky floated directly above Shinshi Mountain, the Li Clan's transcendents also arrived at the foot of the mountain.

　　The Second Elder hadn't had time to change his robes, which were burned and tattered.

　　Only half of his snow-white eyebrows and beard remained.

　　His appearance at this moment was quite disheveled.

　　But he had a smile on his face.

　　A smile of victory.

　　"Miss Qingsui."

　　Li Changchi flicked his robes, spoke softly, and slowly said, "Burning down the ancestral hall, destroying the memorial tablets, what you have done... can be considered a criminal of the clan."

　　Li Qingsui gripped her black umbrella.

　　This scene made Li Changchi frown slightly.

　　He moved to the side without leaving a trace... the explosive power of that umbrella had truly shocked him, and he had almost fallen at the hands of this junior.

　　If there was a third blast, he might really fall.

　　However... sealed items in this world always required source matter to be consumed.

　　The two explosions in the ancestral hall had been terrifying enough, the power of this black umbrella should have been exhausted, right?

　　As long as he was a little careful, there should be nothing to worry about.

　　"You... burned down the ancestral hall?"

　　Li Qingci was slightly stunned after hearing this, and asked through voice transmission.

　　"Yeah."

　　Li Qingsui gritted her teeth and said, "They set a trap in the ancestral hall, imprisoned Gao Shu... and were planning to attack me."

　　After hearing this news.

　　Li Qingci's expression turned grim.

　　She stepped forward and protected her sister.

　　"Esteemed elders, Uncle Quhu's funeral was only a few days ago, are you in such a hurry to impeach the family head, are you planning to rebel... what would the ancestors in the ancestral hall think if they knew?"

　　"What a joke!"

　　An elder stood out from beside Li Changchi.

　　It was Elder Li Xuan, who had been deprived of his token and had only been able to enter Shinshi Mountain by borrowing the permissions of others.

　　Li Xuan raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "It's Li Qingsui who's rebelling! She dared to burn down the ancestral hall!"

　　"Miss Qingci, out of respect for you as a protector, I won't take action in Shinshi Mountain today..."

　　Li Changchi said in a deep voice, "Hand over the criminal, and this matter can be settled here."

　　This matter...

　　He put it nicely.

　　The elders had already been plotting to usurp power. After detaining Qingsui, how could Shinshi Mountain have a tomorrow?

　　"I can hand over Li Qingsui," Li Qingci said calmly, "but you need to have Gao Tian come to claim her."

　　After saying this.

　　Li Changchi smiled.

　　He said coldly, "Since that's the case... then I won't be polite."

　　With just a reach of his hand!

　　A huge suction force suddenly appeared in front of Li Qingsui, the little girl's expression changed drastically.

　　Li Qingci raised her hand and waved!

　　The next moment—

　　A formation pattern appeared!

　　"Clang!"

　　A crisp sound exploded.

　　Only to see a corner of Second Elder Li Changchi's sleeve shatter.

　　He narrowed his eyes and looked at where Li Qingci was standing. Between the two, there seemed to be an invisible wall, with wisps of extraordinary source matter flowing and churning within it... at the point where he had reached out his hand, there was a fierce wind blade, which slowly dissipated into calmness.

　　This invisible formation pattern had not been set up the last time they met.

　　So... she had learned to be smart?

　　"A single formation pattern, Miss Qingci doesn't think... it can stop this old man, does she?"

　　Li Changchi wasn't in a hurry. He stood with his hands behind his back and slowly said, "I didn't want to settle accounts with you, the protector... but since you insist on this, then let's settle the old accounts together."

　　The Second Elder's voice was very soft, "Li Qingsui is incapable of being the family head, and you are incapable of being the protector... the damned Seeker of the Light project that cost the Li Clan so much money is simply a joke."

　　He raised his head and looked at the black flowers all over the mountains.

　　Li Changchi shook his head.

　　"What a foolish act..."

　　"For six hundred years, exchanging one's own life for so-called hope, for the future..."

　　He couldn't help but laugh mockingly, "The elders have long wanted to cancel the investment in the Shinshi Shrine... the Li Clan clearly possesses a miraculous art like the Wishing Art, it should have become the number one family in Nagano, but it insisted on confining the Wishing Art to this broken mountain!"

　　Li Qingci looked at him calmly.

　　Before entering Shinshi Mountain.

　　In her memory, this old man was not like this.

　　But... everyone had two faces.

　　After Li Quhu's death.

　　The white-haired old man finally revealed his true face.

　　His eyes revealed a contempt and disdain that had been hidden for decades.

　　"Look... look!"

　　"I have long proposed to destroy this rotten Black Mountain... it is because of you, fools like you, stubbornly persisting, that this broken mountain has been preserved to this day, consuming large amounts of funds every year..."

　　"Every year... my proposal is rejected..."

　　"Every year... every protector is willing to be trapped in such a broken mountain..."

　　Li Changchi pressed one hand on the formation pattern.

　　With a "crack!"

　　A crack appeared in the solid formation pattern.

　　He pressed forward.

　　The formation pattern shattered!

　　But his steps stopped again, because in front of him was the second formation pattern that had floated out.

　　Li Changchi smiled, "I really can't understand..."

　　He continued to walk forward.

　　Li Qingci led her sister backward.

　　Under the guidance of the dream omens that had been disturbing her peace of mind day and night, she had set up several transcendent formation patterns on the mountain path leading to Shinshi Mountain... and at this moment, one after another, they were being broken open by Li Changchi.

　　If Shinshi Shrine really faced the siege in the dream.

　　Then these few formation patterns would of course be unable to stop them...

　　Her face was a little pale.

　　And the voice of the white-robed figure in front of her became increasingly stern.

　　The kind, benevolent face of the old man had become somewhat sinister.

　　Li Changchi broke through all the formation patterns and stood in front of the two of them.

　　"I really can't understand..."

　　He shook his head mockingly, "How could there possibly be a Divine Embryo in this world?"

　　"Rumble!"

　　A deep thunderclap.

　　Sounded from the clouds above Shinshi Mountain.

　　It was as if a golden lightning bolt had fallen from the sky, instantly dyeing the entire Shinshi Mountain area like golden paper. Everyone's eyes were flooded with blazing light.

　　This strange phenomenon startled everyone.

　　And the next moment.

　　The blazing light slowly disappeared.

　　At the foot of Shinshi Mountain... all was calm.

　　It was as if nothing had happened.

　　Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

　　However, the next moment.

　　A gentle female voice rang out in everyone's hearts.

　　"In this world... nothing is impossible."

　　This wind-like voice swept across everyone's faces.

　　But for some reason.

　　A guiding force in the dark prompted everyone to look up.

　　On the summit of the mountain.

　　Golden light surged.

　　At the end of their vision... a graceful, young female figure seemed to be taking shape.