The sword hummed as it sang, and sword lights flickered like auroras in the night, instantly illuminating the land.
The next moment, an air sword, easily ten zhang in size, slashed down towards Ming Yuan Ji.
*Crack!*
The space seemed unable to bear the power of the air sword, collapsing with a crisp cracking sound.
That ethereal glow was directly scattered the instant the air sword descended.
Ming Yuan Ji's pupils contracted violently, his hair standing on end. His body then shot backward madly.
At the very moment the air sword struck, Ming Yuan Ji's heart harbored an unbelievable thought: *If I'm hit by this sword, I'll die!*
But the next moment, Ming Yuan Ji's expression changed drastically. No matter how he retreated, the air sword had locked onto him, making evasion impossible.
"Nether Arts, Nether Shield!"
Sensing this, Ming Yuan Ji gritted his teeth, stopped his retreat, and quickly formed hand seals. Countless ethereal lights surged, then instantly coalesced into a round shield before him.
*Boom!*
The air sword directly struck the round shield. Everyone held their breath, watching intently.
Ming Yuan Ji's face was solemn, but when he saw the air sword strike the shield without any effect, a hint of joy flickered across his face.
*Crack!*
Just then, a crisp sound rang out.
The next moment, the round shield instantly turned to powder and dissipated.
*Boom!*
The air sword fell again, and with a roar, Ming Yuan Ji's body was sent flying backward like a kite.
"Great Elder!" The powerful figures from the Great Elder's family rushed towards where Ming Yuan Ji had fallen. They breathed a sigh of relief upon checking his body and finding he still had a pulse.
However, at this moment, everyone looked at Li Xuan with reverence and shock.
Defeating the Great Elder with a single sword strike!
They all knew Ming Yuan Ji's strength was at the peak of the Divine Realm, yet Li Xuan, with only the peak of the Unity Realm, had defeated him with one sword!
If not for the tattered robes and pale complexion of the unconscious Ming Yuan Ji, along with a bleeding sword wound on his chest, the crowd might have felt the illusion that Ming Yuan Ji had deliberately gone easy.
Li Xuan glanced at everyone, then waved his left hand towards the void.
"Sword, come!"
*Hum!*
The Nine Nether clan naturally had many who used spiritual swords or were sword cultivators. At this moment, they all fearfully discovered that their spirit swords, which had already recognized masters, were humming and then, completely out of their control, flew directly towards the heavens.
Seeing tens of thousands of spirit swords hovering above Li Xuan's head, even Ming Jiu You's expression was somewhat dazed.
Clearly, Ming Jiu You was reminded once again of the scene he had witnessed when he had used the forbidden art.
"This battle, Li Xuan wins."
Ming Jiu You quickly recovered and announced the result of the match.
After a slight pause, Ming Jiu You looked at everyone and said, "From this day forward, Li Yao shall be the new Patriarch of my Nine Nether clan!"
As Ming Jiu You's words fell, Li Yao's figure also appeared before him.
"We, pay respects to the Patriarch!"
Seeing this, everyone immediately knelt down. After witnessing Li Xuan's strength and hearing Ming Jiu You's direct declaration, no one dared to object.
In the grand hall, Li Xuan and Ming Jiu You sat facing each other. Other than them, there was no one else.
"Aren't you waiting for Yao'er's succession ceremony before leaving?" Li Xuan asked Ming Jiu You.
After the battle concluded, Li Xuan and Ming Jiu You left first. Li Yao had been the Lord of the Ghost Realm; although this Netherworld was far superior to the Ghost Realm, it was still a position of authority. Thus, there was no need for Ming Jiu You and Li Xuan to be present.
Upon returning to Ming Jiu You's palace, Ming Jiu You suddenly stated that he would be leaving now, which surprised Li Xuan.
Ming Jiu You smiled and replied, "My entire life has been dedicated to the Nine Nether clan. For the remaining days, let me have some peace."
"Your noble intent is admirable," Li Xuan said after a moment of silence.
"At your current stage, there's no need to address me as 'senior' anymore. With your strength, even at my peak, I fear I wouldn't be your match," Ming Jiu You chuckled. "When you fought Ming Yuan Ji, what percentage of your strength did you unleash?"
Li Xuan smiled and replied, "Fifty percent."
Ming Jiu You looked at Li Xuan with some surprise and then sighed, "The younger generation is truly formidable."
However, Ming Jiu You quickly began to smile. Such a monstrous talent boded well for the future. And his Nine Nether clan, what worries could they have about development in the future?
One could say that Ming Jiu You felt this was the best decision he had made in his entire life.
"Alright, while I still have the ability to move, I shall tour my Netherworld. Should the Nine Nether clan encounter trouble in the future, I implore you, young friend, to lend a hand," Ming Jiu You said, standing up. He then bowed to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan let out a wry smile and then said solemnly, "Putting aside the fact that Yao'er is my kin, just based on your noble character, I will indeed look after the Nine Nether clan."
Ming Jiu You nodded with satisfaction, then looked around the palace and said slowly, "With this, I am content."
As Ming Jiu You spoke, his figure gradually dissolved and then vanished completely.
"Xuan Ge," just then, Li Yao's figure suddenly ran in. After glancing around the palace, her gaze fell on Li Xuan. "Did she… leave?"
Li Xuan nodded with a complex expression, "She spent her entire life working for the Nine Nether clan. For these remaining months, let her live freely."
"Xuan Ge, are you leaving too?" Li Yao's expression was somewhat dejected, but she quickly composed herself and looked at Li Xuan, asking, "Are you leaving too?"
Li Xuan fell silent for a moment, then replied, "The troubles are gone now. I believe you can do well here. It's time for me to forge my own path. At the very least, I need to have the ability to protect you and those I care about."
"Xuan Ge, thank you." Li Yao instantly understood Li Xuan's thoughts. How could Li Xuan not want to stop his journey, yet how could he?
In this life, sometimes fate was not something one could control. Only by standing in the clouds could one have the qualification to view all mountains as small.
"We're family, no need for formalities," Li Xuan smiled and said, "Come on, how about I grill some meat for you?"
"Okay!"