"Little Black, you are no match for me now. Fine, I shall go find a new opponent."
Another six months passed. Li Xuan glanced at the black tiger that nudged him and said with a smile.
"Roar, roar." The black tiger immediately let out a cry upon hearing this.
"Are you saying there's a more powerful being in the depths?" Li Xuan was taken aback, then, with a hint of curiosity, he extended his divine sense rapidly towards the depths of the Five Peaks Mountain Range.
A few minutes later, Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with astonishment. In the depths of the Five Peaks Mountain Range, Li Xuan had indeed sensed the presence of a powerful beast.
"This giant python must have lived for over a hundred years," Li Xuan murmured to himself, a thoughtful light flickering in his eyes.
According to his senses, this giant python was over thirty meters long. Its body was as thick as a washbasin, truly a dominant force in the Five Peaks Mountain Range. No wonder even the black tiger was wary of it; such a creature could crush any other beast in these mountains.
"Roar, roar." The black tiger cried out a few more times upon hearing this.
"You little rascal, did you suffer a loss at the hands of this giant python before?" Li Xuan asked with a slight smile, listening to the black tiger's barks.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Xuan nodded slowly. "However, that Purple Spirit Luo Flower is quite alluring to me. Fine, consider it revenge for you."
"Roar, roar." The black tiger immediately stood up cheerfully, its large head fixed intently on Li Xuan.
Seeing this, Li Xuan shook his head and smiled. This black tiger truly couldn't wait for a moment.
However, Li Xuan knew that besides wanting him to avenge it, the black tiger likely also wanted to see the white lion. The white lion had left with its family towards the depths of the Five Peaks Mountain Range.
There was no need for Li Xuan to linger here anymore. Perhaps the depths would be more suitable for him.
"Let's go." Li Xuan mounted the black tiger's back and patted its head.
"Roar!" The black tiger let out a great roar to the sky, then galloped rapidly towards the depths of the Five Peaks Mountain Range with its four legs.
...
"Still unable to contact Mr. Li?" In the lakeside villa, Elder Li looked dejectedly at Li Enzhong.
"Mr. Li's phone is still unreachable," Li Enzhong nodded slightly, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.
For the past half month, Li Enzhong had been trying to contact Li Xuan almost constantly. However, every call went straight to voicemail.
"Have you found out where Mr. Li went? By the way, have you asked Li Wan'er?" Elder Li pondered for a moment, then asked Li Enzhong.
"I have. She went with someone to Mr. Li's hometown to inquire, and the information they received was that Mr. Li had already gone abroad. After so much time, it's highly likely true."
"However, according to exit records, there's no trace of Mr. Li leaving the country. This is what I can't understand. If Mr. Li told his uncle he was going abroad, did he walk there?" Li Enzhong said with a perplexed look.
"Dongcheng District is inland. Without taking a plane or a super high-speed train, it would be quite impossible to walk out. Since there are no exit records, Mr. Li is likely still in China. Going abroad might just be an excuse. In that case, finding Mr. Li will indeed be difficult," Elder Li said, rubbing his forehead.
"But if we can't find Mr. Li, then the Chief Leader's condition..." Li Enzhong frowned slightly.
"If Mr. Li truly cannot be found, then it simply means our Li family has reached its end. After nearly a century of glory, returning to the life of ordinary people is not impossible. At least our Li family has a clear conscience towards China," Elder Li said with firm conviction.
"I will continue to try and contact Mr. Li, but the Chief Leader's condition cannot wait for another three months. The elections are approaching. If the old leader cannot recover before the elections, our Li family will truly have to disappear from the stage, just as Father said." Li Enzhong spoke.
"Everything depends on fate," Elder Li said slowly, then looked out the window in silence.
Seeing this, Li Enzhong pondered for a moment, then turned and walked out.
Baoxiu Garden, Zhuo Residence.
"It's a humble abode, and I apologize for troubling General Manager Qian to visit such a place," Zhuo Wei said with a smile to the portly man before him.
Although the man before him was corpulent, he represented the Qian family.
In Jingcheng District, the Qian family was among the top three prominent families, with many influential figures within its ranks. Their Qiankun Group was just one of their assets. Even Zhuo Wei had influential backing, but he dared not offend the Qian family.
"It's fine. With the elections approaching, members of the Su and Yi families have also returned to Jingcheng. Appearing in public might attract unnecessary trouble. Moreover, my visit is due to instructions from above. Therefore, I will likely need your cooperation, Brother Zhuo, in the coming period." Qian Ren waved his hand and said with a smile, putting down his wine cup.
"How does Brother Qian require my cooperation?" Zhuo Wei asked, raising his wine cup in a toast.
"Hangcheng is the premier city in our China. Its economy and geographical location are top-notch. If Jingcheng is the central hub of our nation, then Hangcheng is the foundation upon which our nation stands."
"The Qian family needs a reliable ally, and I sincerely hope that ally will be your Zhuo Group. The patriarch's intention is to secure Hangcheng by the end of the year at all costs. Taking hold of Hangcheng's economic pillar will serve as a congratulatory gift to the new leadership. Brother Zhuo, do you have confidence?" Qian Ren asked with a smile, raising his wine cup.
"With Brother Qian's words, I, Zhuo Wei, will certainly go through fire and water without hesitation!" Zhuo Wei said with a resolute expression. The excitement in his eyes was unmasked.
"In that case, let this cup of wine be a preemptive toast to Brother Zhuo!" Qian Ren said with a smile.
"Brother Qian, please!" Zhuo Wei replied with a smile, raising his wine cup.
"Cheers."
...
Five Peaks Mountain Range, depths.
Boom!
With a massive roar, a giant python fell from mid-air. The black tiger, which had been observing, pounced forward and bit down on its vulnerable spot.
"Alright, alright, it's already dead, and you only decide to help now," Li Xuan clapped his hands and smiled at the black tiger's actions.
"Roar, roar." The black tiger released its bite upon hearing this and then barked at Li Xuan.
"You have gained sentience now. If you cultivate, you might forge your own path. Although I don't know if you'll achieve great things in the future, at least nothing here can threaten you for now."
"Hmm, your friend is not too far from here. With your speed, you should be able to reach him in about half an hour. Alright, thank you for your companionship during this time," Li Xuan stroked the black tiger's head and said with a smile.
"Roar, roar." The black tiger nudged Li Xuan with its head upon hearing this.
"My cultivation has reached a bottleneck. And the reason I came here is to perfect my divine soul. The order of this world is not the same as the world I understand. It seems the path ahead will be a bit arduous. Our connection ends here for now," Li Xuan said, looking into the distance with a sigh, seeing the black tiger's reluctance.
Over the past year, Li Xuan had cultivated his strength to the advanced stage of the Enlightenment Realm by absorbing the spiritual energy from the Spirit Storing Beads and relying on his own comprehension. However, Li Xuan found that several days of closed-door cultivation yielded no progress.
Breaking through to the Unity Realm through cultivation was exceedingly difficult. It seemed the only way now was to venture into the mortal world again to undergo trials and temper his heart.
"Roar, roar." The black tiger cried out upon hearing this, then even bit down on Li Xuan's pants, refusing to let go.
"If I were to take you to the mortal world, it would be difficult for you to survive. You are not of my kind, and human hearts are unpredictable. There's no need for this. If one day I miss you, I will return here to see you," Li Xuan said with a slight smile, stroking the black tiger's head.
"Roar, roar."
"Yes, you can be with your friend, the white lion. It would be relatively safer. Don't worry, I won't forget you."
Li Xuan stroked the black tiger's head, then stood up and looked at the giant python on the ground. "You can swallow the snake gall of this giant python. Although it won't grant you a leap in cultivation, it will be enough to enhance your strength considerably."
"Alright, I'm leaving." Li Xuan stroked the black tiger's head again, then leaped forward and instantly vanished from the spot.
Roar!
As Li Xuan departed, the black tiger let out a long roar to the sky. It then performed a human-like gesture of kowtowing. Its large eyes gazed into the distance, not retracting for a long time.
It was only when night fell that the black tiger stood up and slowly disappeared into the darkness.