Deep within the Tianji Mountain Range, a colossal metallic lifeform shaped like a black phoenix hovered in the air. The enormous construct resembled a small mountain suspended high in the sky, and at this moment, a steady stream of people were filing inside.
On the cliff face below the metallic lifeform, a large group had gathered to bid farewell to their brothers and loved ones.
Among them stood Tarosha, Di Lin, O'Brien, Bei Bei, Dilia, and several others, all before Lin Lei.
"Tarosha, Di Lin, Olivia — be careful on the road. Once you reach Mi'er City, you should come visit when you get the chance. I'll miss you," Lin Lei said with a smile to the group before him. Ever since his return, when he'd told Dilia they could head into the city, he'd learned something…
Dilia and Bei Bei were only going to the city to look around. They would be coming back.
But Tarosha, Di Lin, and Xise were planning to relocate there permanently.
"Mm, we definitely will!" Di Lin said with an apologetic expression. "Lin Lei, to be honest, we wanted to stay here with you too. But the Tianji Mountain Range is under strict control, and since we're not members of your clan, we can't normally leave the Great Gorge or wander about freely. So…"
"I understand. No need to say more," Lin Lei said with a smile.
But inwardly, he couldn't help but sigh.
Fighting against the Eight Great Families, the clan had imposed tight security to prevent enemy infiltrators. Unless there were special circumstances, clan members weren't permitted to roam freely, and Tarosha and Di Lin weren't even clan members — the patrol warriors watched them even more closely.
With nothing to do and nowhere to go, Tarosha and the others might as well have been in prison.
"This was my failure to think things through," Lin Lei said with genuine regret.
"Lin Lei, don't say that," Tarosha quickly replied. In their hearts, Lin Lei had once saved their lives. They all felt deep gratitude toward him. "Lin Lei, when you have time, come to Mi'er City and visit us."
"I will," Lin Lei nodded.
"Then we'll be heading out now."
Tarosha, Xise, Olivia, Di Lin's family — one by one, they said their farewells to Lin Lei and flew toward the distant metallic lifeform. But Dilia and Bei Bei remained by Lin Lei's side.
"Lin Lei." Dilia looked at him.
Lin Lei gazed back at Dilia with a warm smile, pulling her gently into his arms. "Be careful on the road."
A rush of warmth flooded Dilia's heart. She leaned against his chest and murmured softly in acknowledgment, then lifted her head to look up at him. "Lin Lei, don't worry about me. I won't be in any danger. It's you I'm worried about. Our family is fighting so fiercely against the Eight Great Families — when you're battling for the clan, remember… I'm still waiting for you."
Lin Lei looked down at Dilia, who was gazing intently at him.
"Don't worry. Your husband is quite strong," Lin Lei said with a grin.
"So full of yourself," Dilia laughed.
"Oh my, I can't watch this anymore. I'm leaving first!" Bei Bei cried out dramatically.
Lin Lei shot a glance at Bei Bei, who was wearing a mischievous grin.
"All right, Dilia, Bei Bei — be careful on the road. I've already spoken with the Elder escorting you this time," Lin Lei said. Dilia and Bei Bei nodded, said their farewells to Lin Lei, and then flew up toward the metallic lifeform in the sky.
Lin Lei tilted his head back, watching the enormous metallic lifeform high above power up. In an instant, it streaked across the sky like a phantom and vanished over the horizon.
Loving her didn't mean he could chain her down. They both needed a little space.
Lin Lei turned and flew toward Blood Battle Valley, but along the way, he clearly saw the Dragon Path packed with patrol warriors. Their expressions were stern, their eyes vigilant as they carefully watched over every corner.
"The atmosphere in the clan is too tense," Lin Lei sighed inwardly. "The patrols never stop — all because they're terrified of an infiltrator slipping in."
With the atmosphere this suffocating, it was no wonder Tarosha and Di Lin couldn't stand to stay.
"It's not their fault, either. The clan is in crisis. I just don't know… whether we can survive this ten-thousand-year period." Lin Lei understood full well that if he could kill two Seven-Star Demons, the enemy could just as easily kill two of theirs.
Kill after kill, back and forth.
After ten thousand years, what would the Four Divine Beast Families look like?
In the quiet depths of the Tianji Mountain Range's Great Gorge, Lin Lei sat in his study, reading a book about the Underworld. He suddenly shut the book and gazed out through the window. "Dilia and the others have been gone for over a month now. I keep feeling uneasy."
He shook his head. "I'm overthinking it."
Given the distance between Mi'er City and the Tianji Mountain Range, a round trip would take three or four months. It was still far too early for Dilia to return. And even if they ran into trouble, the intelligence department would certainly get word back.
"This Great Gorge is actually the most peaceful place in the entire Tianji Mountain Range." Through the window, Lin Lei could make out some of the Yulan Lineage's younger disciples gathered on the distant grass, chatting and laughing, utterly at ease.
The reason they could be so relaxed was because they were ignorant.
They didn't know about the predicament the clan currently faced. The clan had no intention of telling those Lowgods and Midgods ahead of time. And the Highgods who did know of the clan's crisis were deeply worried, throwing themselves into cultivation.
They longed to enter Blood Battle Valley and fight for the clan!
"Elder Lin Lei." A voice suddenly called from outside.
"Come in," Lin Lei said with a slight frown. The visitor was dressed in blood-red robes — the standard uniform of Blood Battle Valley warriors.
Someone from Blood Battle Valley?
"What is it?" Lin Lei asked.
"Elder Lin Lei, the Grand Elder has ordered you to report to the Azure Dragon Hall immediately," the blood-robed warrior said respectfully.
"The Grand Elder is summoning me?" Lin Lei shot to his feet without a second word and strode outside. The blood-robed warrior followed, and the two of them rose into the air, flying out of the Great Gorge. Lin Lei's departure drew the attention of many in the gorge.
Whoosh whoosh~~ The bitter wind howled like cold blades slashing against the skin.
In Blood Battle Valley, groups of Six-Star Demons gathered in clusters of three to five, with the occasional Seven-Star Demon among them. Lin Lei's face was cold and composed as he raced toward the Azure Dragon Hall at top speed. He stepped inside and headed straight for the fifth floor.
Lin Lei's gaze swept across the hall. At the head of the chamber sat the Grand Elder, draped in black robes, his face hidden behind a silver mask. Besides the Grand Elder, there was one other person present —
The bald Elder Emanuel.
Elder Emanuel stood off to the side with a respectful bearing. Upon seeing him, Lin Lei felt a flicker of confusion. "He's here too?"