"Immortal Linghu."
In the cloudy sky above Jade Mist Valley, Li Wei looked down at Immortal Linghu.
"You only have 1 hour."
Over half a month had passed.
More and more cultivators gathered in the sky above Jade Mist Valley.
Li Wei had attempted to enter Jade Mist Valley directly through a Spatial Gate, but the array formation protecting Jade Mist Valley was truly no joke.
Fortunately, they had come prepared.
"You cannot break my array. The Blood Moon is arriving, and you will all pay the price for your actions today.
If you retreat—letting the Blood Moon reach Redmere, Westfall, and finally Azure Cloud—I will leave a path of survival for every single one of you."
From within the array, Immortal Linghu glared coldly at the countless experts gathered outside.
The cultivators attempted to break the array from the outside.
The Nine Dragons Jade Mist Array of Jade Mist Valley featured an immortal-like old man manifesting within it to maintain the formation, while nine phantom dragons circled the exterior.
Li Wei had already tested it; even when he attacked personally, he felt an intense sense of danger from those nine phantom dragons.
This grand array was profoundly abstruse; ordinary array masters couldn't even grasp the slightest hint of its mysteries.
Yet, Immortal Linghu remained apprehensive.
He had already become a Half-Immortal; when the Blood Moon arrived, he would be a part of it, destined to secure his own place in the immortals' lands.
His gaze was fixed on the distant future, and the disciples of Jade Mist Valley were merely bargaining chips for his further advancement.
He wasn't sure whether the Li Clan would break his array first, or if reinforcements from the Blood Moon would arrive faster.
Outside the array.
Hearing Immortal Linghu's words, Li Wei rolled his eyes.
"If you could step outside this array and say those exact words to my face, I might actually think highly of you. I am the one giving you a choice, and you now have 30 minutes left."
Immortal Linghu's breath hitched.
Li Wei simply ignored him.
Nearby, Zhangsun Buhuo approached, her face solemn as she stared at the array. "Daoist Friend, if we cannot break this grand array, what should we do?"
With the Blood Moon approaching, if they couldn't even deal with a single Half-Immortal's stronghold, how could they possibly face the Blood Moon itself?
However, the moment this grand array was activated, Zhangsun Buhuo's heart sank.
The most powerful array master in her clan had inspected it; a Tier-3 grand array contained Dao principles.
Even if they managed to force their way through, it would cost a catastrophic price.
"The Blood Moon of the Western Frontier will not ask us what we should do."
Li Wei's expression was utterly emotionless. "Either exhaust every possible means to win, or die."
"Either win... or die..." Watching the departing back of the Li Clan's Old Ancestor, Zhangsun Buhuo's expression darkened slightly.
"This Daoist Friend speaks the truth."
Xuanyuan Liqun strolled over, an iron-eating beast gnawing on a verdant bamboo shoot trailing behind him.
Looking with a trace of admiration at the Li Clan Old Ancestor's figure, which burned like black fire, he praised,
"It seems the Azure Cloud Li Clan owes its current success heavily to this Daoist Friend.
Every word and action of his carries profound reasoning. He has certainly lived a very long life and witnessed all there is to see in this world..."
"Senior, have you run out of things to praise?"
Zhangsun Buhuo didn't give Xuanyuan Liqun the slightest bit of face.
This Xuanyuan Liqun was indeed a good-natured person, but he had a glaring flaw: he was overly sentimental and indiscriminate in his affections.
Since the Zhangsun Clan had temporarily settled in Redmere Prefecture, they naturally needed to build a good relationship with the Xuanyuan Clan.
When she took the women of her clan to propose marriage alliances, even the Old Ancestor of the Xuanyuan Clan had personally come out.
The outcome was excellent: the young men of the Xuanyuan Clan took a liking to the women of her family, and Xuanyuan Liqun took a liking to her...
"Ahem," Xuanyuan Liqun coughed, his face flushing with awkwardness.
He originally intended to continue pestering her, but unexpectedly, a figure in green robes blocked his path.
The Old Ancestor of the Zhangsun Clan, Zhangsun Feng, wore a gentle expression and smiled faintly.
"My little girl severed her ties to romance the moment her husband's lifespan reached its end; it is a vow unto death.
I beg Daoist Friend's forgiveness. With a great enemy before us, please focus your mind on the task at hand."
"So that's how it is."
Xuanyuan Liqun suddenly understood, silently cursing that it wasn't due to his own lack of charm after all.
This wasn't the first time he had seen Zhangsun Feng, yet every time they met, his eyes lit up, causing the iron-eating beast behind him to roll its eyes.
Seeing Zhangsun Feng preparing to leave, Xuanyuan Liqun immediately adopted a profound look and said earnestly,
"Daoist Friend, the Li Clan claimed they had a method for this, though I do not know what it is.
Daoist Friend has always been intelligent and possesses a unique perspective; I wonder if you might have guessed a thing or two?"
Zhangsun Feng furrowed her brows, instantly realizing what this old geezer—who specialized in deceiving innocent female cultivators—was planning.
"I have already told Daoist Friend, I cultivate the Dao of Severed Emotions."
"How will you know if it's severed or not unless you test it?" Xuanyuan Liqun's expression was grave.
"Perhaps I am the very trial Daoist Friend needs to break through from Dao-Comprehending to Dao-Integration."
The trial was a lie; tricking her into his bed was the truth.
Zhangsun Feng simply ignored this shameless scoundrel.
Regarding Xuanyuan Liqun's question, she too had been wondering for a long time what exactly the Li Clan's method was.
She looked at the numerous experts the Li Clan had brought.
In the past, although the Li Clan's reputation was resounding within the Department of Immortal Suppression and the Imperial Dynasty, it was built upon commerce, political careers, and external battle records.
Hidden factions fundamentally disregarded such worldly prestige. Even though Zhangsun Buhuo frequently mentioned the Li Clan to her, she had never taken it to heart.
But this time, she was truly and utterly astonished.
They dispatched four Body Integration experts as if it were nothing.
The miraculous utility of the Li Clan Old Ancestor's spatial rules was even more terrifying.
Then there was that little girl holding the chains, Li Kuanghua.
At the two ends of the chains she held, Nun Dairou of the Dusheng Nunnery was evidently controlled by both Buddhist Dharma and the yin-infused chain.
Even if her Dao-Comprehending combat power could only be unleashed in brief bursts, it was still extraordinary.
The other figure... if her guess was correct, should be the deceased Zhao Clan Old Ancestor!
This once Half-Step Mahayana Zhao Clan Old Ancestor was already dead; his Dao and Spiritual power had gradually assimilated into heaven and earth over time, and manipulated by the Corpse-Driving Art, he had become a grotesque entity neither human nor ghost, not even qualifying as a zombie.
Yet even so, his physical body remained terrifyingly robust.
Besides that...
She sensed the aura of the Buddhist Dao emanating from Li Kuanghua.
"This girl is profoundly versed in Buddhist Dharma.
Having the Nun manipulated by her is no different from directly inheriting her teachings and receiving an enlightenment empowerment.
Now that she has reached the Half-Step Body Integration realm, Buddhist Dao cultivation is relatively easy.
I heard the Li Clan has already built numerous Daoist Buddhist temples across the Imperial Dynasty.
If she wanted to break through her Dao, it should be very easy, unless... what she wants is Nun Dairou's Dao!"
At this moment, Li Kuanghua also noticed Zhangsun Feng's gaze.
She slightly raised her head and smiled at Zhangsun Feng with a nod, making Zhangsun Feng's heart skip a beat.
Although they were in the same boat as the Li Clan, no one wanted to interact too deeply with a cultivator capable of manipulating Body Integration experts; it was terrifying.
In addition to this, the Li Clan had brought many retainers: the Painting Ancestor Dongfang Xuan, Zhuo Linlin of Skynet, the Soul-Refining Gu Yinming...
These were all renowned experts of Azure Cloud Prefecture who had been running errands for the Li Clan over the years, and their reputations had reached Zhangsun Feng's ears.
"Where are the core members of the Li Clan?" The highly famed cultivators of the Li Clan were nowhere to be seen.
Figures like the multi-titled Li Yunlin, the Holy Maiden Li Yaoqing, Sword Venerable Li Yaozu... none of them were present.
As she was pondering this, her expression suddenly changed, and she looked toward Jade Mist Valley.
"Boom!"
An explosive roar echoed from within Jade Mist Valley, and the array formations within the valley flared up repeatedly.
The cultivators from the three prefectures outside the array were instantly jolted awake.
They had already been primed for battle, and this commotion made their eyes shine brilliantly.
"It's Jade Mist Valley's array! The Spiritual power of the array foundations is dissipating!"
"The opportunity is here."
"Charge into Jade Mist Valley! Kill!!!"