Li Yan and Hong Yin stood in the air. They were surprised to see two familiar faces: the First Elder and the Fifth Elder.
Both of them looked drained of qi and blood. The Fifth Elder's aura was particularly weak and listless.
A few short years had not been enough for their injuries to fully recover, especially since they had repeatedly used secret arts to kill their enemies and escape the Qionglin Sect, which had damaged their very essence.
It was not like Gong Shanhe and Li Yan's severed limbs and injured organs, which recovered quickly with their own vitality and the help of medicinal pills.
When these two saw Li Yan holding the clan's token, standing in the void and watching the patrolling cultivators around him, the First Elder was the first to smile at Li Yan. He then exchanged a few simple words with him before flying towards Gong Shanhe.
The Fifth Elder, on the other hand, had been standing by silently. It was only after the First Elder gave him a meaningful look that the Fifth Elder suddenly stepped forward.
With many clan members watching, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply, his eyes turning slightly red.
"Thank you, thank you, Fellow Daoist Li!"
For the past few years, although he had been in seclusion nursing his injuries, the image of the Second Elder immediately self-detonating when things went wrong constantly troubled his mind. Amidst boundless regret, there was a deep hatred and self-blame.
The hatred, of course, was a towering resentment towards the Qionglin Sect. The self-blame was regret for his own momentary rashness.
Under such circumstances, even during his seclusion, he would go out every so often to inquire about various news from the outside world, to see how the clan would handle this matter in the future. This caused his injuries to heal very slowly.
In his heart, he hoped the clan would punish him severely. After all, it was under his instigation that the hesitant Second Elder had been moved.
But what he received was the First Elder's furious action, including the news of his own near-death. This made the Fifth Elder regret it even more. He finally understood the First Elder's magnanimity, his willingness to do anything for the clan.
But his injuries had not yet healed, and even if he wanted to offer a sincere apology, the Fourth Elder would not allow it. Was he to be punished again?
Several years later, the Fifth Elder received more news from the Fourth Elder: Li Yan was out of seclusion! After that, Gong Shanhe and Li Yan decided to strike at the Qionglin Sect again. This left the Fifth Elder speechless for a long time.
Both of them were only at the Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. They were stronger than their peers, but the Qionglin Sect had two Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators.
Even the First Elder had returned in defeat. For them to go was undoubtedly like moths to a flame, a suicide mission. The Tianli Clan truly had no stronger forces left to deploy.
And what he couldn't understand the most was why Li Yan would go. This was clearly a matter of nine deaths and one life, even a suicide mission.
If the other party was after the Qiongqi Purgatory Art, the seal had been fine all these years. He had basically secured it already. And he had heard that the grand wedding was to be held in the next few years...
He couldn't figure out any of it. What was Li Yan's motive?
Yesterday, when the Fourth Elder personally visited him again, he told him something else, something that left him in a daze all night.
Gong Shanhe and Li Yan had returned. Not only had they severely injured the Qionglin Sect's First Island Master, leaving him with only his Nascent Soul, but he might never be a Late-stage Great Cultivator again.
And they had also brought back the Third Island Master's physical body, as well as his Nascent Soul...
After the half-day-long Heavenly Sacrifice ceremony was over, the unrest in many of the branch lineages quickly subsided under a quiet force.
Although many did not know what had happened, and those from their own branches who had been chosen to enter the ancestral land remained tight-lipped, they began to take action after coming out, allowing many to vaguely guess at some of the reasons.
Not long after, the Tianli Clan experienced an unprecedented level of unity, something not seen since the disappearance of the Great Sacrificial Priest.
Cultivators from clans like Second Elder Miao's had their trust in Gong Shanhe restored. The Fourth and Fifth Elders also showed their obedience to Gong Shanhe's words during this Heavenly Sacrifice ceremony.
At the same time, Li Yan's name once again circulated secretly throughout the entire Tianli Clan. Those who knew the inside story admired Li Yan even more!
But this was only with them not knowing the details of the assassination process, which Li Yan had requested Gong Shanhe not to reveal.
And Gong Shanhe couldn't explain it in detail either. The more he said, the more information could be leaked. He didn't want Li Yan to become a thorn in the Qionglin Sect's side. Both of them were thinking for the other's sake.
The day after the Heavenly Sacrifice, Gong Shanhe's voice echoed throughout the Tianli Clan. He announced that in the year after next, on the Wind God Continent's "Wind God Day," the "Qing A Wang" investiture ceremony would be held.
The several elders of the clan had unanimously decided that this generation's "Qing A Wang" investiture ceremony would be held grandly. Therefore, all the clans and sects that had dealings with the Tianli Clan would be notified.
In the past, such celebrations might have been held only within the clan. But now, Li Yan had contributed too much to the Tianli Clan, and Yan San and the others would no longer intercept and kill cultivators who came to celebrate.
Under such circumstances, some sects that had good relations with the Tianli Clan could send cultivators to attend.
Even so, the time for the Tianli Clan to prepare was somewhat rushed.
They had to spend a large amount of resources again, specifically sending people out to deliver the news. Nearby locations were fine, but for long distances, they still had to use teleportation.
After asking for Li Yan's opinion, Li Yan also said to have them invite Chan Master Xuji from the Sand Gate Temple on his behalf.
Only then did the others realize that Li Yan actually knew a powerful expert from the Sand Gate Temple. No wonder he could refine Buddhist magical treasures.
But curiosity was one thing. Although they didn't understand how Li Yan could know a cultivator from the Wind God Continent, no one pressed for the reason...
As for the Tianli Clan's arrangements, Li Yan actually had no say. He had always liked to keep a low profile, not showing off. But when it came to the rules of a clan, he could only obey.
Just the incident with Gong Chenying's navel ring in the past showed how strict and important the rules were to a clan.
Before the investiture ceremony was held, Li Yan had already heard some things from Qian Ji and Zi Kun.
The two demons were now thriving in the Tianli Clan. Even the mortals would respectfully address them as "Ancestor" when they saw them.
The two demons said that the Tianli Clan's wedding ceremony was very complicated, with customs like singing duets or bride-napping, and bonfire dances. Just hearing their simple description left Li Yan dumbfounded.
But he soon put the matter aside. He would deal with it when the time came...
Afterward, Gong Chenying also left Li Yan. She knew that Li Yan's injuries had not fully healed and didn't want to disturb him.
The matter of the "Qing A Wang" was now entirely handed over to the Third and Fourth Elders. Everyone else went back into seclusion to heal. In these few years, the Tianli Clan had a large number of injured members.
Thus, after Gong Chenying left, Li Yan entered into a state of healing...
Time flew by day by day. The Tianli Clan remained on high alert, but no enemies came to attack. However, three months before the "Qing A Wang" investiture ceremony, a group of people arrived.
On the morning of this day, the Third Elder, who was handling clan affairs in the Heavenly Dawn Hall, finally finished her work after more than an hour of busyness.
She stood up somewhat languidly, her mature and proud figure stretching out long. For a moment, her prominent peaks and perky buttocks outlined a breathtaking scene.
"Being the clan leader is really not a good job. It's both boring and delays cultivation. For the clan leader to have cultivated to the Mid-stage Nascent Soul, and to be one of the strongest among his peers, is truly not easy!"
Since Gong Shanhe and Li Yan had left several years ago, she and the Fourth Elder had had no choice but to manage the clan's affairs. They had agreed to take turns, each serving for half a year, and only meeting to discuss matters when something came up, so they could also find time to cultivate.
Unexpectedly, once they took over, it had been until now. Gong Shanhe was injured upon his return, so the clan's affairs could only continue to be handled by the two of them.
And just yesterday, the Fourth Elder's six-month term had just ended, so today the Third Elder had no choice but to come again.
Just as she was about to make a cup of tea and rest in the main hall, a ray of light suddenly flashed and arrived in the hall, then flew straight towards her.
The Third Elder was taken aback. Her divine sense had already clearly seen the incoming object. It was a transmission talisman.
But what surprised her was that this type of transmission talisman was only issued to the patrolling cultivators on the periphery. It was not allowed to be used unless there was a major event.
Otherwise, if such transmission talismans were used for every little thing, the Tianli Clan would feel the pinch. That was not how wastefulness worked.
"Hmm?"
The Third Elder extended an arm as white as a lotus root and, with a light pinch of her fingers, caught the transmission talisman. She then immersed her divine sense into it. A moment later, her brow finally relaxed...
At the southeastern front line of the Tianli Clan, this place, which had been a meat-grinding battlefield of daily mountains of corpses and seas of blood for years, was now devoid of the sky-shattering cries of battle.
The land, which had been turned into scorched earth by the day-in, day-out repeated charges, was now lush and green with patches of shrubs, banana trees, and some other trees.
From time to time, various birds would soar into the sky from here, startling some demonic beasts on the ground, which would then dive into the grass and scurry away, creating a rustling sound. This filled the place with a vibrant, lively atmosphere.
At this moment, in the sky above this area, a team of Tianli Clan cultivators was looking at four people opposite them. The highest cultivation level in this team was only at the Mid-stage Golden Core stage; the other ten were at the Foundation Establishment stage.
As for the three men and one woman opposite them, even the patrol team captain could only tell that the graceful young woman in the middle was at the Golden Core stage, possibly even higher than himself. He couldn't discern the cultivation of the other three at all.
Since he couldn't see through them, it meant either the three had supreme treasures that concealed their auras, or their cultivation had reached a terrifying level.
Even those who could possess such aura-concealing treasures were definitely of extraordinary origin.
However, even so, as iron-blooded cultivators of the Tianli Clan, every one of them here was a veteran of a hundred battles. They had long grown accustomed to death and had come to view their own lives with indifference.
So, they unhesitatingly blocked the other party. After some questioning, this captain immediately sent out a transmission talisman.
But they had no intention of leading the four people in. They still stood in their way, staring at them fixedly, without a hint of fear in their eyes.
This team captain could also see that among the three people, the leader was likely the fair-skinned and beautiful Golden Core young woman in the middle.
The young woman, who looked like a maiden, was no less beautiful than A Ying or the Third Elder in their clan, possessing a unique and graceful temperament.
The young woman had a curvaceous and exquisite figure, with a slender waist and full hips. She wore a form-fitting pale green palace dress with a pale yellow sash, which pushed up her full, cloud-like peaks.
Her dark hair was styled in a high chignon, her skin was like snow, and her teeth were like jade. Her beautiful eyes, shimmering with ripples, were captivating with every glance.
Below her cinched waist were a pair of long, jade-like legs that made one's heart race. On her feet were a pair of long boots that reached up to her plump, fair calves.
Her slender and graceful figure, standing there, gave off a feeling of both delicate beauty and noble grace coexisting.
At her side stood two black-robed elders. Both had their faces covered with black gauze, revealing only a pair of cold, emotionless eyes. They stood quietly by the young woman's side, like two insurmountable mountains.
And to the side of one of the black-robed elders was a handsome young man with red lips, white teeth, a face like jade, and eyes like bright stars. He looked to be no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old.
The young man was dressed in a white robe, holding a folding fan. His black hair was casually tied back, cascading down his back, further enhancing his handsome and dashing appearance.
And his pair of black and white eyes were, for the most part, fixed on the green-robed young woman in the middle, his eyes full of tenderness.
Only when his gaze occasionally swept over the guard cultivators in their foreign attire who were blocking them would a trace of disdain and disgust be revealed, but he concealed it well.