For three days, Ji Changkong and Tuoba Lie remained in the barren mountains north of Bianjiao City. During this time, several members of the Du family came searching, but Li Hentian never showed himself.

On the fourth day, both Ji Changkong and Tuoba Lie were growing impatient.

The Du family headquarters was located in Yinlong Abyss, far to the north of Bianjiao City, not an excessive distance from the desolate mountain where they were hiding. Seeing that Li Hentian remained untraceable while the stream of Du family experts passing by grew steadily, they could hold back no longer.

"Uncle Tuoba, perhaps we two should go check near the Du family residence. If Old Luo hasn't come looking for you, maybe he’s already causing trouble over there. With so many Du family masters coming and going these past two days, if Old Luo is there, he might be in serious danger," Ji Changkong proposed.

Tuoba Lie’s brow was deeply furrowed. With a grim face, he stated, (Regarding 'Flowing Years Recruiting a Son-in-Law,' his daughter is Xue Han) "If Old Li is truly causing a ruckus at the Du residence, our going over would likely be useless. I heard that experts from the Guiyuan Sect are already waiting at the Du family home. They know how formidable Old Li is; the Du residence must be ironclad and heavily fortified now. Even if we manage to get close to the Du family, even if we actually encounter Old Li, we probably won't be able to offer him help; we might even become a burden to him."

"Just waiting here isn't a solution either," Ji Changkong paced anxiously, agitated.

"You stay here, and I’ll go take a look. If Old Li has indeed started a massacre in Yinlong Abyss, while I cannot fight against him, I at least won't become his trouble. The moment the situation turns bad, I can still slip away. If you go, you might distract Old Li; he would never want you to put yourself in harm's way," Tuoba Lie mused for a moment before settling on a decision.

With a gentle smile, Ji Changkong nodded helplessly. "Fine, I’ll wait for you nearby. If you see Old Luo, just bring him to find me. Don't worry, the Taixu Secret Record I cultivate is quite miraculous; as long as I’m careful to conceal my aura, most people will have a very hard time detecting my presence."

He was well aware of his own insufficient strength; even with the power of the Silver Eyes, he couldn't make much difference in a battle of that scale. More importantly, he couldn't fly. Once his whereabouts were exposed, it would be difficult to retreat easily from the Du family grounds. To avoid becoming a drag on Li Hentian or Tuoba Lie, he consciously refrained from suggesting they go together.

"That arrangement is best," Tuoba Lie emphasized with a few more careful instructions. Seeing that Ji Changkong was listening intently, he nodded silently in his heart before setting off alone.

After Tuoba Lie left, Ji Changkong didn't just wait idly. He extended his senses, attempting to probe the surroundings for any anomalies. Because the news of Li Hentian’s emergence had been widely spread, all the Du family members were extraordinarily cautious. The barren mountain where he was located, though remote, sat between Bianjiao City and the Du family's main base. He frequently saw Du family members rushing past on formidable beasts.

From the movements of these Du family members, Ji Changkong could gauge their anxiety. The more agitated they seemed, the more uneasy he became, constantly worrying that Li Hentian might have already met disaster at the Du residence.

Ji Changkong wandered around the vicinity of the barren mountain, releasing his spiritual sense to feel for any useful information.

Suddenly, a low roar from a fierce beast echoed from a distance. A squad of Du family guards, riding Saber-toothed Rhinos, sped rapidly in his direction.

Frowning, he quickly concealed himself behind a boulder, his mind utterly clear. He instantly suppressed his entire aura.

"Quick! That fiend Li Hentian is trapped in the Du family grounds! The two Great Elders of the Guiyuan Sect, along with the Du family's Old Matriarch, are working together—this time he definitely won't escape! We must hurry back to the Du residence and ensure we keep that fiend Li Hentian pinned down so he can’t go out causing trouble again!"

"Indeed, Li Hentian at large is an eternal menace to the Du family. (I love Flowing Years because Faye Wong sings it.) We absolutely cannot let him escape today!"

These Du family warriors, mounted on their Saber-toothed Rhinos, shouted loudly as they swept past Ji Changkong's position. Their expressions were eager, radiating intense killing intent.

His heart sinking, Ji Changkong’s face drastically changed. Although he had known Li Hentian would go to the Du family alone to cause trouble, although he had prepared for Li Hentian possibly being surrounded, hearing the news now was still difficult to accept.

With two Great Elders of the Guiyuan Sect attacking, plus the Du family’s Old Matriarch, and adding the various Celestial Master sects gathered around Yinlong Abyss—so many forces combined—even if Li Hentian’s divine abilities were immense, it would be hard for him to get out of the Du residence.

What to do? Should he stay here and wait for news, or disregard Tuoba Lie’s instructions and go to the Du residence to see the situation for himself?

In an instant, a string of thoughts flashed through his mind. It was only at this moment that he truly realized how significant the usually cold 'Old Luo' had become in his heart. Upon hearing that Li Hentian was trapped, his state of detachment nearly shattered, and he lost all patience.

No, I must go and see!

After only a moment of hesitation, he made up his mind. Forgetting what level of Celestial Masters were guarding the Du family grounds, he resolutely headed toward the Du family’s main base, following after Tuoba Lie.

An hour later, Ji Changkong appeared before the Du family estate. Surrounding the area were towering mountain peaks that pierced the clouds. The Du family was situated at the foot of one such peak. Behind the Du residence was a large pond emitting faint wisps of mist. The vast Du family base was encircled by all manner of fierce beasts, each chained to colossal boulders.

The Du family headquarters resembled jade palaces; from afar, it looked like a paradise. Beside the misty pond, tall structures rose from the ground, soaring toward the heavens like miniature mountains. Within the Du family base, figures moved indistinctly. In the center, a confluence of golden, blood-red, and pure white light flowed and swirled. Three aged figures were summoning their innate destiny cultivation divine weapons from three different directions: a golden iron staff, a blood-red ancient zither, and a longsword gleaming with white light.

These three divine weapons hung suspended over the center of the Du residence, continuously releasing immense power, all focused downward upon a single person.

Below, a Dharma Wheel spun slowly like a blazing sun, its dazzling solar light blinding. The entire Du residence seemed to be engulfed in a vast sea of fire. The surrounding Du family members were sweating profusely, their eyes filled with terror.

Li Hentian sat cross-legged in the center of the Du residence, his expression cold. Above his head, the divine weapon of his innate destiny cultivation, the Sun Wheel, shone brilliantly, resembling a small sun, constantly emitting light and heat.

The ferocious beasts tethered around the Du residence howled in fear, struggling desperately as if trying to break free of their chains and flee this fiery abyss of trouble.

Beside Li Hentian, scattered about were nearly a hundred Celestial Masters from various factions—some from the Du family, others from cultivation sects in the surrounding mountain ranges. They all stared excitedly at Li Hentian in the center, shouting loudly, yet none dared to approach.

Gazing at Li Hentian amidst the crowd from afar, Ji Changkong’s emotions stirred. Watching him stand fearlessly against the siege of so many Celestial Masters, Ji Changkong realized for the first time that the usually aloof and taciturn eccentric was, in fact, a peerless powerhouse looking down upon the world. This contrast in perception made Ji Changkong’s spirit surge.

"Who goes there?" A middle-aged man with the demeanor of an immortal, holding an orange-red long spear, roared toward the southwest.

"Hahaha! So many people attacking one person! The Du family truly has no regard for rules; I have witnessed it today!" A brazen, unrestrained laugh echoed from a distance. Tuoba Lie, having resumed his original appearance, strode out without hesitation.

"Hmph, Tuoba Lie, it is indeed you!" The immortal-like middle-aged man sneered. "When you were young, you received a favor from Li Hentian. Are you here at our Du residence this time to stand up for him? Tuoba Lie, look at the current situation. It is best not to go looking for trouble. Otherwise, the Du family doesn't mind making an enemy of one more acquaintance!"

"Hahaha! I’ll spit filth on your face! In all the years I’ve been active, I’ve never liked meddling in others' affairs! Today, I simply cannot stand seeing so many of you ganging up on one person. So what? I curse you! Du Yunmian, you hypocrite! Come on, if you have the guts, fight me!"

The three elders surrounding Li Hentian—two men and one woman—were the ones holding the divine weapons. The blood-red ancient zither belonged to the Du family’s Old Matriarch, Zhang Yueqin. The other two appeared to be the Great Elders of the Guiyuan Sect, as mentioned by the person on the road. These three seemed to all be in the Eight Trigrams Celestial Realm, their auras as imposing as mountains.

Excluding these three, there were about a dozen more experts in the Seven-Star Celestial Realm nearby. Du Yunmian was one of them; the rest were either Du family masters or arrivals from surrounding celestial master sects. With a dozen Seven-Star Celestial Realm experts present, for a mere Tuoba Lie to dare provoke them was truly like striking a stone with an egg.

"Tuoba Lie, you are courting death," Du Yunmian sneered, shaking his head. "Centered on the outer compound of the Du residence, if you dare to force your way in, you will be an enemy of the Du family, and we will show no further courtesy."

"In my life, I have made countless enemies. I truly don't mind adding the Du family to that list!" Tuoba Lie’s head was shining brightly, gleaming under the blazing sun. He walked step by step toward the Du residence, completely disregarding Du Yunmian's warning.

Du Yunmian sneered coldly and waved a hand to two Seven-Star Celestial Masters beside him, instructing quietly:

"Later, I ask the two of you to act with me. Absolutely no one must be allowed to approach this area. If Li Hentian manages to leave today, it will bring endless trouble upon us."

The two Seven-Star Celestial Masters nodded together, saying in unison, "If Tuoba Lie dares to cause a disturbance, we certainly won't tolerate it!"

"Good!" Du Yunmian let out a sharp sound, then ceased speaking, focusing his gaze coldly on Tuoba Lie, waiting only for Tuoba Lie to breach the outer defenses of the Du family compound.

"Du Yunmian, come on! Come and kill me!" Tuoba Lie laughed heartily all the way, utterly fearless, his attitude extremely provocative.

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