"Let's go! We're leaving right now!"
Fei Heng lowered his head as a tremendous force clamped onto his wrist; a pair of greasy, fleshy hands were dragging him forward.
He looked up to see "Big Fatty" Li, whose mountain-like physique radiated an oppressive pressure.
Li Yuanshang's face, piled high with the flesh of prosperity, wore a look of brash aggression.
"I've been waiting for Your Highness, the Crown Prince, to arrive!
Those people from the Min family are no good. Guess what that piece of work, Min Nantian, said?
He said that if it weren't for Min Youguo's face, he would never have agreed to a marriage alliance with a good-for-nothing merchant like me! Hmph!
Now that I have Your Highness's assistance, let's see just what he amounts to!"
Fei Heng looked utterly bewildered, but Li Yuanshang gave him no chance to react.
The retainers of the Li family's merchant branch hoisted him directly into the royal carriage.
Li Yuanshang squeezed his mountain-like frame into a separate carriage, and the procession set off grandly toward the Min residence.
Two hours later, the two of them were seated at the Min residence, located on Longleaf Mountain.
The Min family's Grotto-Heaven was hidden within an inconspicuous apricot tree.
The interior was incredibly understated, featuring small bridges over flowing streams and rustic cottages.
Upon entering the main hall, they saw a man dressed in coarse cloth robes with a gentle expression, sitting in the seat of honor and quietly sipping tea.
Despite his calm demeanor, he possessed a natural authority—a presence even more imposing than that of Min Youguo.
This was the Patriarch of the Min family, Min Nantian.
"..."
After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Li Yuanshang and Crown Prince Fei Heng walked out of Longleaf Mountain, exchanging bewildered glances.
[Your descendant Li Yuanshang and Young Master Fei Heng went to the Min family to pick a quarrel, but instead heaped flattery upon the Min Family Patriarch, Min Nantian. Obtained a gift from Min Nantian: one Top-Grade Spirit Artifact.]
Li Yuanshang looked down at the Top-Grade Spirit Artifact in his hand, trapped in a moment of awkward silence for quite a while.
Then, gnashing his teeth, he slammed the artifact onto the ground.
"Look! Just look! He has absolutely no regard for either of us!
Come on, let's go back. With the two of us joined forces, we're invincible under the heavens!"
"Forget it! Just forget it!"
Fei Heng hurriedly held Li Yuanshang back, his face filled with impatience.
He had originally assumed there was some deep, hidden history between the Li family and the Min family.
But looking at it now, he realized this Li Yuanshang was simply a 'hobmeat' rascal.
Seeing the fatty still obsessed with going back to reclaim his lost face, Fei Heng said helplessly, "Stop trying to provoke him. Just being able to form a marriage alliance with the Min family is already a tremendous advantage."
"What are you afraid of?" Li Yuanshang glared, his eyes widening.
"Even the Immortal Zhao Clan fell at the hands of my Li family!
You are the Crown Prince, and I have Spirit Stones.
I've even become quite familiar with the people from the Immortal Suppression Department recently. Together, we're invincible!"
"You underestimate the Min family, and you underestimate Min Youguo."
Fei Heng shook his head.
"Before my Father Emperor even inherited the Mandate of Heaven, the Min family was already a presence in this world.
It was not Min Youguo who made the Min family; rather, it was because of the Min family's backing that Min Youguo could be entrusted with such heavy responsibilities by my Father Emperor.
"The Min family produces talent generation after generation.
Their influence extends even into the hidden factions of the world.
Even a monstrous prodigy like Min Tiange, the Hall Master of the Peerless Hall, is Min Youguo's son."
"What?" Li Yuanshang's expression shifted drastically.
"Whether it is me or your Li clan, compared to such a behemoth, we are still far behind.
It is best that we remain on peaceful terms with them."
Having spoken his piece, Fei Heng, the newly appointed Crown Prince, departed dejectedly, his footsteps heavy.
...
Meanwhile, within the Min family's ancient Grotto-Heaven, Li Wei had long since entered, following closely behind Li Yuanshang.
In that brief window of time, Li Wei conducted multiple investigations to gauge the gap between his own clan and a truly formidable power like the Min family.
A single glance left him utterly shaken.
While his family was still rejoicing over possessing a Third Grade Spirit Vein, beneath the Min residence coiled three distinct streams of Flood Dragon Qi.
Waves of powerful auras permeated the area; Min Nantian himself had already reached the Integration realm.
As Li Yuanshang moved further away, Li Wei—bound as his Old Ancestor—was forced to depart as well, just in time to overhear the conversation between the two.
"Min Tiange... Peerless Hall!"
Li Wei's expression darkened.
Years ago, when Yaotie nearly perished while breaking through to the Divinity Transformation realm, the perpetrators had been from the Peerless Hall.
To bypass the Spiritual power of Old Ancestor Tianguang of the Heavenly Light Sect and interfere with Li Yaotie's Lightning Tribulation...
Only a cultivator at the Integration realm could have achieved such a feat.
Amidst these thoughts, Li Wei materialized beside Li Yaowen.
Li Wei saw that Li Yaowen happened to have some downtime from her reincarnation cycle.
She was currently in a bustling city... watching mortals fight while gnawing on a watermelon?
Looking closer, Li Wei saw Yaowen gently spit watermelon seeds into her hand, then flick a few of them at passersby, turning the scuffle into a chaotic group brawl.
Li Wei now had a rough idea of exactly how the passersby had started fighting in the first place.
"..."
Li Wei didn't bother to intervene. After all, when a child reaches this age, being a bit mischievous is normal.
He immediately pulled Li Yaowen into the Ancestral Space and informed her of what he had learned from Fei Heng.
After all, Li Yaowen was the more rational one.
If the other clan members found out, they would inevitably act on impulse.
The Peerless Hall alone was already a behemoth difficult for them to handle, let alone the fact that Min Tiange bore such a formidable surname.
Who would have thought—Li Yaowen was tongue-tied.
The face inside the black fog darkened. "You found this out ages ago? Why didn't you tell me?"
Li Yaowen lowered her head, looking every bit the part of someone who knew they had erred and was awaiting punishment.
Immediately, Li Wei summoned Li Dalong and the others.
Li Dalong and his wife, along with Li Yaoqing and Li Yaotie, all entered with their heads bowed low.
Li Yaozu, however, was seething with rage.
"So what if his surname is Min? We will find a way to claim his life regardless!"
Li Wei suddenly understood why everyone had kept this from him.
Could it be that in the eyes of his clansmen, he—their Old Ancestor—was seen as someone as impulsive and irritable as Yaozu?
His heart had long since become as calm as still water, deliberating deeply on all matters.
How could he still be that young kid attending school from all those years ago?
"Eldest Brother, don't be impulsive."
It was Li Yaotie—once known for his hot temper—who was actually the composed one now.
"That happened so many years ago; I've almost forgotten about it, and that Min fellow has likely forgotten it too.
Besides, the Min family is now related to us by marriage, and Min Youguo cooperates with us frequently.
Let such a small matter scatter with the wind."
Scatter with the wind? In the end, it was impossible to truly let it go.
Everyone hung their heads. Ultimately, their strength was inferior to that of others.
Discussing the matter further would only lead to sighs, so they spoke no more of it.
Li Wei spoke,
"Nowadays, our Li clan has thoroughly mastered Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Fei Heng is the reigning Crown Prince, and our relationship with Min Youguo and the Grand Preceptor is becoming increasingly close. I
t truly is a time to rest, recuperate, and plan for development.
You must all cultivate diligently.
The end of the Human Emperor's lifespan is right before our eyes.
Cultivate as quickly as possible to the realm where you can use the Void-Soul Exchanging Dao Technique."
"Yes, Old Ancestor!"
The descendants departed one after another.
Li Wei took a deep breath and examined his own Spiritual power.
"I myself need to cultivate diligently as well. I haven't even broken through to the True Void Refining stage yet... though, it will be soon."
"Min Tiange, just you wait. When my Yaotie gets powerful, he'll hammer you to death!"
---
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