The scene was silent, everyone looking at Li Xiaotian. He had taken a blow from a Heavenly Soldier with his bare body and emerged unscathed, leaving them awestruck and unsettled.
"Rumble!" Jian Lin and the others stepped forward, their killing intent radiating, their gazes locked onto the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor. The latter had suddenly attacked Li Xiaotian. If Li Xiaotian were any other Emperor-level cultivator, he would likely be dead by now.
The Heavenly Clan's Ancestor had intended to kill, aiming for Li Xiaotian’s life right before their eyes. How could they tolerate this?
"Heavenly Clan's Ancestor, attacking Brother Li in front of us, do you take us as non-existent?"
Jian Lin’s face was grim. If Li Xiaotian hadn't managed to withstand the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor's attack, something terrible might have happened just now.
Hearing this, the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor's expression turned ugly. That Heavenly Soldier spear was his trump card. He had even held back from using it during ancient battles with humans, saving it for a fatal blow against his opponents.
Who would have thought that Li Xiaotian could withstand his attack?
"Heh, senior, don't be angry. Am I not doing fine? Some old geezers only look strong, but are actually just paper tigers."
Li Xiaotian spoke, a light smile on his face, and continued.
"An Emperor-level peak cultivator wielding a Heavenly Soldier, unable to even injure me. Such a waste, no need to get angry with him."
"Haha, indeed, quite a waste."
Jian Lin and the others burst into laughter, but their hearts remained tense. After all, the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor was not weak, and with a Heavenly Soldier, his power was even greater. Li Xiaotian could withstand one attack, but what about the second?
"You!!!" The Heavenly Clan's Ancestor glared at Li Xiaotian, his heart filled with fury. How could he endure such insult from Li Xiaotian?
However, he hadn't killed Li Xiaotian with his last strike, and now Jian Lin and the others were on guard. He likely wouldn't have another chance to attack.
"Fellow Daoist Liu, Li Xiaotian has grown powerful, and he must possess treasures. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to withstand my attack. You and I are both his enemies. If we don't eliminate him today, the consequences will be endless!"
The Heavenly Clan's Ancestor transmitted his thoughts to Liu Neng, wanting to join forces. Li Xiaotian had already made him feel threatened.
Liu Neng's expression flickered, his eyes showing hesitation. He also wanted to kill Li Xiaotian, but could he? How many people on his side would genuinely participate?
"Everyone, what I said earlier still stands. For the life of just one Heavenly Clan member, the Heavenly Stele will be open to you indefinitely. You can comprehend it anytime."
Li Xiaotian suddenly spoke, his intention to provoke the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor into making a mistake.
"Everyone, don't believe him. He's deliberately trying to make us kill each other!"
The Heavenly Clan's Ancestor hurriedly shouted. He knew too well the temptation of the Heavenly Stele for these individuals, and they would do anything to comprehend it.
Thinking of this, his hatred for Li Xiaotian grew. The latter had killed his descendants, causing his Heavenly Clan to lose all face and become a laughingstock among the revivified forces.
But now, what made him feel indignant was that Li Xiaotian stood right before him, yet he couldn't kill him!
On Liu Neng's side, many Emperor-level cultivators’ eyes flickered. Li Xiaotian’s words had swayed them. Exchanging the life of a Heavenly Clan member for an opportunity to comprehend the Heavenly Stele was a simple matter for them.
The only thing that gave them pause was the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor's threat. However, if they could truly break through with the Heavenly Stele, what did it matter if the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor resented them?
With this thought, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in the eyes of some, their decisions clearly made.
The Heavenly Clan's Ancestor grew anxious. He was filled with resentment. While he feared no threat, his other family members were different. Those were his descendants. He looked at Liu Neng, hoping he would make a move.
"Everyone, let us form an alliance and be as one. If anyone betrays their allies, my Desolate Hall will not forgive them. I will invite the Hall Master to personally eliminate the traitor!"
Liu Neng spoke, not wanting to see his own people incited by Li Xiaotian.
Indeed, upon hearing Liu Neng’s words, fear flashed in some people’s eyes. The Desolate Hall Master was a Hegemon-level expert, and the Desolate Hall had many slumbering Heavenly-level experts. Offending the Desolate Hall might risk their entire sect.
Li Xiaotian smiled upon hearing this, and did not provoke further. He had said what he needed to say, and he believed someone would be unable to resist the temptation of the Heavenly Stele and exchange a Heavenly Clan member’s life for an opportunity.
"Retreat!" Liu Neng gritted his teeth and said, feeling extremely stifled. He had expected to kill Li Xiaotian and seize the Heavenly Stele today, but the situation had turned into this. This left him deeply displeased.
"Brother Li, the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor is not weak. You provoked him so harshly just now, be careful of his secret retaliation."
After Liu Neng and his men left, Jian Lin whispered to Li Xiaotian.
"It's alright, senior, no need to worry. My feud with the Heavenly Clan is no secret. Even if I didn't target him today, he wouldn't let me go."
Li Xiaotian spoke, his eyes flickering. The reason he had enraged the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor so much was also a secret: to draw all of his attention to himself. Only then would he have a chance to rescue his daughter.
Moreover, there was something he had always suspected: was the Heavenly Clan truly as it appeared on the surface?
Did the clan really only have three Emperor-level cultivators?
After all, many ancient powers had slumbered without leaving any legacy.
Yet, those ancient martial families had always been active.
Among the fourteen ancient martial families of Great Qin, the cultivation methods of other families were derived from the Heavenly Clan's techniques, and these families all followed the Heavenly Clan as their leader.
Wasn't this too coincidental?
Even Hegemon-level powers like Jian Ge and Dao Men had not maintained active legacies after their slumber, while the Heavenly Clan and these ancient martial families had persisted to this day.
Furthermore, when he fought against the ancient martial families in the past, Tian Gu and others had surrendered by crippling their own limbs. Clearly, he knew something, or rather, he knew that the world was about to change greatly, and that the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor would return.
That was why he surrendered and crippled himself, because he knew that when the Heavenly Clan's Ancestor returned, any grievances they suffered would be insignificant.
And later events proved this, as the Heavenly Clan returned, and Tian Gu and others were rescued.
Imagine, when the Heavenly Clan returned, if Li Xiaotian had not been in the Blood Sea but with the Dragon King Hall.
He would likely have died in battle long ago, just like Li Shanhai!
Li Xiaotian returned to the Qin Palace Plaza. On the plaza, all the battle-hardened warriors looked at Li Xiaotian with fervent eyes.
He had forcefully killed an Emperor-level cultivator, dared to confront a hundred Emperor-level cultivators alone, and returned completely unharmed.
They had witnessed all of this. This was the Dragon King, the person their battle forces would pledge allegiance to in the future.