"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince Ying Zhong of the Sheng Yuan Dynasty has ascended to the throne and sent an invitation!"
In the Xuanzheng Hall of the Han Dynasty's royal palace, Li Si held a golden invitation card, intricately adorned with nine five-clawed golden dragons intertwined, exuding a regal aura.
"Hmm?"
Yang Hao frowned as he looked at the invitation. He wondered why the Human Emperor of Sheng Yuan had suddenly passed away. The new emperor, Ying Zhong, had been seen from afar during the Qian Yuan Festival not long ago. Ying Zhong had a stern countenance, with a hint of阴沉 (yin chen - gloominess/sinister) beneath his eyes, marking him as a ruthless individual.
Li Si opened the invitation. A wave of ancient and profound imperial authority emanated from it, with the might of experts at the Rong Tian realm pressing down on all sides.
"Disperse!"
Yang Hao's eyes shot out, shattering the supreme might of the Rong Tian realm. "What an impressive display. Written by an expert at the fourth level of the Rong Tian realm, it seems our understanding of the dynasties is only superficial. To withstand the erosion of the Ancient Wasteland time and again, these Ten Great Dynasties must possess powerful underlying support to remain among humankind!"
Li Si furrowed his brow. "Your Majesty, what about this invitation?"
"Let Li Bai go," Yang Hao mused. Li Bai was already on his way to the Sheng Yuan Dynasty, so he could handle this matter along the way.
"Lord Li, we are nearing the location of my Ling family!" Ling Xuan's group rode tirelessly, rushing to arrive on the day of the Ling family's patriarch selection. Accompanying Ling Xuan were Li Bai, Xu Chu, and Sun Simiao.
"Who goes there? Daring to loiter before my Ling family, seeking death!" A guard from the Shen Fu realm stood before the Ling family's main gate. He watched the group pointing and gesturing towards the Ling family, growing increasingly annoyed. He immediately bellowed.
"Hmph!"
Xu Chu's eyes instantly flashed with ferocity as he glared at the Ling family's gate guards. He roared in fury, "Presumptuous!"
His roar shook the surroundings, and with a mighty crash, the Ling family's main gate was directly shattered by Xu Chu's furious cry.
How could a mere Shen Fu realm formation withstand the roar of a Ling Zun expert!
"Boom!"
Dozens of figures suddenly burst forth from the dust. Among the first to emerge were the elder members of the Ling family.
"Ling Xuan, how dare you indulge your subordinates to such an extent and destroy my Ling family? Do you still have us in your heart?" The Great Elder of the Ling family, Ling Lan, immediately spoke out. Earlier in the mansion, with a single fourth-grade top-tier pill, he had suppressed several strong contenders for the patriarch selection and was about to announce his departure for the Dan Qing Pavilion when the family gate suddenly exploded.
"Hmph, if my Ling family acknowledges her, then she is a member of my Ling family. If my Ling family does not acknowledge her, then she is not!"
The Third Elder, with a face like a mop, looked at Ling Xuan without the slightest respect for the patriarch's daughter. To Li Bai and his companions, it was clear that Ling Xuan's life was difficult, and there was no point in her staying with this family.
"I am not here for any patriarch selection. I am here to take my father away!" Ling Xuan suppressed her tears and looked directly at the Ling family's high-ranking members.
"Elder Zhang, let her see if she can take away that foolhardy patriarch today!" Ling Lan sneered.
An aged figure walked slowly forward. His cultivation had reached the third level of the Ling Zun realm. This was the bodyguard Ling Lan had hired at great expense.
Elder Zhang strode forward and looked directly at Ling Xuan. Even at this point, no one paid much attention to Li Bai and his companions.
"Thud!"
Xu Chu, holding his Huoyun Blade, remained calm, his expression unchanged. He directly blocked Elder Zhang.
"Who are you?"
"You dare to stand before this old man? Leave quickly!" Elder Zhang said with drooping eyelids, completely disregarding Xu Chu.
"The Han Dynasty's Tiger Marquis—Xu Chu!"
Xu Chu, holding his Huoyun Blade, looked at the aged figure before him, his eyes filled with disdain.
"The Han Dynasty!"
The two words instantly shocked everyone. The Han Dynasty had suppressed the former emperor into silence. Not long ago, they had even killed the Purple Mountain Marquis of the Blood Sun Dynasty, a Rong Tian realm expert!
"My apologies, I will leave now!" Elder Zhang's expression instantly relaxed, and he looked at Xu Chu with a placid smile, repeatedly saying, "Forgive my offense."
"Your business is finished, but mine is not!"
Xu Chu placed a hand on Elder Zhang's shoulder. His strength at the sixth level of the Ling Zun realm erupted, causing Elder Zhang's bones to creak.
"Presumptuous!"
The Great Elder of the Ling family was enraged. The Ling family was not without its strong cultivators; it was just that their top-tier power was slightly inferior to other factions. He, the Great Elder of the Ling family, was a strong cultivator at the sixth level of the Ling Zun realm.
"Interesting!"
Xu Chu let go of his hand and looked coldly at the Great Elder of the Ling family.
The Great Elder's face contorted, his eyes bloodshot. Although he had participated in the patriarch selection and had a hand in the patriarch's confinement, he had done it all for the development and prosperity of the Ling family. Seeing the Ling family insulted, he immediately stepped forward.
Xu Chu stomped his foot, and waves of formidable killing intent swept through the heavens. Warriors who had fought on the battlefield were far more powerful, tenacious, and formidable than these martial artists of the jianghu!
A trace of the Southern Bright Fire surged forth. Xu Chu bared one of his arms, revealing a fierce, dark red tiger. His crimson battle armor painted the sky with the illusion of a surging sea of blood!
"Gulp!"
Li Bai leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowed, continuously shaking his wine gourd, utterly unconcerned with the unfolding battle.
The Great Elder of the Ling family raised his walking staff, and white light radiated everywhere, seemingly to dispel Xu Chu's killing intent. His body trembled slightly, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He brought down his staff, resembling a long saber, with immense power. Streaks of brilliance spread out, blinding the eyes of everyone present.
"Boom!"
As the staff descended, it possessed both the weight of a mountain and the sharp brilliance of a flashing saber!
"Boom!!"
A river of blood, burning with the Southern Bright Fire, clashed head-on with the white light!
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The sounds of impact, accompanied by ripples of white and red mingling, radiated outwards. The terrifying power instantly attracted martial artists and officials from the entire city.
"Clang!"
Xu Chu's eyes suddenly turned blood red. A fierce, blood-red tiger materialized behind Xu Chu, exuding killing intent. A strong wind howled, and the burning Southern Bright Fire instantly covered the fierce tiger.
Xu Chu caressed his Huoyun Blade with his right palm, his gaze fixed on the Great Elder of the Ling family. He suddenly swung his saber, "Die, Marquis!"
Xu Chu was enraged. The fierce tiger on his bare arm became even more scarlet. The blood-red river churned violently, and the fiercely burning Southern Bright Fire pushed back the vast expanse of white light. A saber's gleam instantly tore through the river of blood. With a sweep of his arm, he brought down the saber!
"Boom!"
Heaven-shattering waves of energy and dust erupted. Rocks and flying sand shot in all directions within hundreds of zhang. The fierce tiger in the sky overlooked all, defying the world!
"Boom boom!!"
Crimson starlight instantly engulfed the white light, obscuring everything!
"Hmph!"
The Third Elder of the Ling family immediately intervened, blocking half of the fierce impact. Streaks of blood-red light exploded, dazzling and illuminating the heavens and earth!