Star Trace Gate

Chapter 925 The Void Sword Formation Presses Down, A Clear Night Reading Startles the Sect Hall

The Li family and others had truly waited far too long for this moment.

Under the pretext of hosting a banquet, the Sun family placed Li Erbo under house arrest. They then sent him gifts twice, threatening him with a condescending attitude and constantly putting pressure on the Li family. This situation was no different from a monarch being imprisoned by an enemy state, forced to perform a sheep-leading ceremony, and forced to sleep in a pigsty.

In this forbidden land, what do the major clans care about most?

It's about face!

It's about quantity!

It's majesty!

These things, which sound so abstract and vague, actually translate into tangible benefits. If this powerful clan loses its prestige and dignity, it will gradually be looked down upon and despised. Then, it will be tested and provoked by those with ulterior motives. Further on, numerous uncontrollable events will occur, internal conflicts will arise, and hidden dangers will collectively erupt. And resolving these events one by one will inevitably come at a price.

Therefore, in this forbidden land where "the strong prevail and the weak are preyed upon," if a powerful clan suffers a loss of face and a decline in prestige, the best course of action is to launch an extremely fierce counterattack, a life-or-death struggle, and re-establish the clan's superior status.

Don't assume that Li Erbo's imprisonment is a secret known to few. The various forces in Xuwang Village, both overt and covert, are all seasoned veterans, always watching closely. The members of the clan hall, the Wudao Academy, the Sun and Zhao families, and even those shrewd scholars who are more astute than monkeys, are all paying close attention to the Li family's reaction and attitude.

Why did the Yin family dare to openly challenge the Li family? Why did they dare to set up another alchemy academy just across the street, directly competing with the Li family? It was all because there were always rumors that the Li family had declined in recent years, with the elders of the clan passing away one after another, and no outstanding talents emerging in the new generation...

Although Li Taishan ultimately won the contest between Li Yin and Li Taishan through his schemes, it was ultimately just a contest between clan leaders, not a true reflection of the clan's strength.

From this point of view, the Li family really needs a fierce and decisive battle!

Within the Li clan's alchemy academy, besides the clan elders who were over three hundred years old, there were more than twenty extraordinary old monsters who had emerged from the brink of death. They had truly lived for far too long, so long that many in the clan believed they had perished a hundred or two hundred years ago. But at the moment the clan war horn sounded, they returned, shattering the void, some incredibly old, others with vigorous blood and robust souls, as if they had broken through their shackles and extended their lifespans.

They were not the living dead in the hanging coffins of the Divine Tomb, nor were they those who survived by relying on elixirs; rather, they truly endured the merciless years by virtue of their own character and Daoist intent…

If Ren Ye were in the Li family at this moment, he would be extremely surprised, because the lifespan of these people has exceeded his understanding. He would definitely think that these people could not possibly live for so long, and would only assume that the Li family has some special elixirs or secret methods that can prolong their lives.

With over twenty extraordinary old monsters in charge, and all the clan elders over three hundred years old, all holding the belief that "we will fight to the death today," they led the younger generation of the Li clan to begin tearing through the void in the Dan Academy.

The Li family members all cultivate the Dao of Void and are proficient in the technique of shrinking the earth to an inch. When these more than a thousand people surged their spiritual power together and tore apart the sky above the Sun family compound, the more than a thousand torn and distorted voids were like stars that exploded in an instant, emitting rays of annihilation that even obscured the light of the bright moon.

"brush!"

Li Fusheng was the first to descend upon the sky above the Sun family compound, and said in a booming voice: "The Sun family is an ancient clan of illusion, and Sun Michen is the elder in charge of the law hall. He should abide by the laws of illusion and maintain fairness here, but because he is greedy for the Huang family's inheritance, he imprisoned my Li clan leader and threatened him twice."

"My Li clan once produced a former master of the divine path, who ruled over the illusory for an entire era. In the battle of the tides, the former master returned to heaven and his soul was preserved forever. Nearly 80% of my Li family descendants were killed or injured. With the blood of the entire clan, we protect those who come after us."

"The memorial tablets of the fallen heroes in my Li family ancestral hall have never failed this land!"

"Since your Sun family dares to imprison my clan leader and insult the descendants of my former divine master, you should know that... this war against the barbarians is inevitable!"

Above the heavens, Li Fusheng's calm and steady words, devoid of any personal emotion, resounded like the cold voice of the Great Dao, suddenly echoing in the ears of every member of the Sun family and every resident of Xuwang Village.

His words were not only directed at the Sun family, nor did they carry any threatening intent. They were more like a "notice," a one-way announcement, meant to be clear to everyone.

Inside the No. 3 Enlightenment Academy in the village, a ruler dressed in white stared dumbfounded in the direction of the Sun family, exclaiming in fear, "A war against the barbarians... The Li family is actually going to launch a war against the Sun family?! These four words... have been unseen for far too long. The Li family is as extreme as ever; once they act, they leave no room for retreat!"

“Yes, a war between barbarian tribes, that’s really barbaric… such primitive words, I’ve only seen them in the books of the old master’s time.” Another person in charge responded, looking a little bewildered.

Above the sky, Li Fusheng turned around leisurely, facing more than a thousand clansmen who had emerged from the shattered void. He slowly raised his arm and pulled a golden dragon key token from his waist.

"Seeing the Dragon Key Token is like seeing the head of the family."

As he watched the void tremble and his clansmen don their armor, a look of rage finally surfaced on his usually calm face: "Disciples of the Li clan, heed my command! Smash the Sun family's Dragon Key Dojo, welcome the patriarch, and raze the entire Sun clan to the ground, leaving not a single one alive!"

"kill!!!!!"

More than a thousand cultivators shouted in unison, their voices like thunder, rolling endlessly.

Li Fusheng slowly bent down and shouted, "Please, the twenty-three patriarchs, join forces to set up a void sword formation and shatter this place!"

"Boom boom boom...!"

A series of powerful auras exploded from the night sky. The more than twenty extraordinary old monsters who had emerged from seclusion today scattered without hesitation after seeing the Dragon Key Token of their clan. They each occupied a corner of the sky above the Sun family compound and summoned their magic weapons, which landed on their positions.

……

The Sun family's residence is located in the main hall of the inner sanctuary above the Longyue Dojo.

"The Li family has actually come to attack?!"

An elder who had already sensed something was wrong suddenly stood up and cursed, "We should have chopped off Li Taishan's arm earlier and sent it to his descendants, so they wouldn't be shouting about a war against the barbarians now!"

"I'll go down there and bring Li Taishan out. I'll dismember him in the courtyard, piece by piece. I want to see what this Li family descendant can do to me!"

"I am coming too!"

"...!"

For a moment, the inner hall was filled with noise. The more than thirty clan elders who were responsible for looking after Li Taishan at home and preventing the Li family from causing trouble were also extremely angry and expressed their opinions all at once.

"Shut up, me!"

Just then, Sun Michen's uncle, Sun Fu'an, slowly raised his head from the head seat of the family and said in a steady voice, "Didn't we already anticipate that the Li family might suddenly launch an attack before tonight? Why are you all talking at once, looking so panicked?! And you're supposed to be hundreds of years old...!"

The moment those words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

"With such a large commotion, can the Li family hide it from the clan hall? Can they hide it from Zhao Han?" Sun Fu'an slowly stood up and calmly said, "Don't panic. The Li family has sent quite a few people, and those old monsters who should have died have all shown up. We don't need to fight head-on. We can just join forces to activate the clan's great formation and defend for the time being."

"In less than half an incense stick's time, hundreds of experts from the clan hall, along with the elders of the Zhao family, will arrive together and bury the entire Li family here!"

"Each performs their assigned duties, and the operation commences!"

Sun Fu'an was calm and composed, and spoke with experience. He calmed the anxious mood in the clan with just a few words.

"Boom boom boom...!"

In the blink of an eye, the elders of the Sun family gathered at the Dragon Key Dojo also surged with their auras and all ascended into the air, joining forces to activate the Sun family's protective formation.

But there was still one thing they didn't understand: the lamps in all the enlightenment halls of the Illusion Village were already lit. They had noticed this strange phenomenon, but they didn't know the meaning of the signal for lighting the lamps, nor did they understand why the Li family had to attack at this particular time.

The Sun family's protective formation is called the Nine Heavens Star Enclosure Formation. The materials and scriptures used to set up this formation all came from the Sun family's hanging coffin in the Divine Tomb Immortal Palace. It is based on nine Nine Heavens Immortal Stones and can draw upon the power of the sun, moon, and stars to protect the entire clan.

These nine Celestial Stones, each the size of a goose egg, gleamed brilliantly, resembling the core of a star. Legend has it that these stones were once divine objects used by a Celestial Lord of Order to punish his disciples during his teachings. If any disciple was inattentive, lazy, or dozing off, being struck by one of these stones would surely cause severe damage to their soul, resulting in excruciating pain for months.

Each of these Nine Heavens Immortal Stones contains boundless spiritual energy and the Dao intent of the Celestial Venerable; they are truly extraordinary objects.

The Li family came with great force, and the entire clan was determined to fight to the death, which made the elders of the Sun family dare not be careless.

They immediately took to the air, led by dozens of elders and more than a hundred descendants of the Sun family, and together they unleashed their divine power, instantly activating the Nine Heavens Star Enclosure Array.

"Boom!"

The moment the great formation awoke, nine beams of starlight rose from the Sun family compound, stretching across the night sky as bright as day.

Nine beams of starlight instantly blurred the space, making the entire Sun family compound appear like a reflection in water, filled with a hazy, dreamlike quality.

Above the sky, the twenty-three extraordinary old monsters of the Li family also summoned their own natal mirror bodies, which were suspended above their heads, allowing them to expand infinitely and their aura to rise endlessly.

These twenty-three mirrors distorted the void and obscured the bright moon, like rows of black holes lined up in the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the old monsters of the Li family collectively summoned sword-hiding boxes made of green bamboo. Each of these sword-hiding boxes was only the size of a palm, and each was held in the palm of one of the old monsters.

"Snap, snap...!"

With a series of crisp sounds, the sword box was slowly pulled open, revealing neatly arranged small bamboo swords, each less than a finger's length and as thick as a willow branch.

Each sword box contains seventy-two small bamboo swords, resembling silver needles.

The sword box appears; the sword formation can be formed!

"What kind of bullshit Nine Heavens Star Enclosure Formation is this? You old fogies, let's raise our divine swords together and shatter this light of the Nine Heavens!" A blond elder from the Li family, who was in charge of the formation, cursed as he spoke.

He formed a sword finger with his right hand and pointed it into the sword box. His aura surged, causing seventy-two small bamboo swords to rise into the air and reach the distorted void above his head.

"Raise your sword!!!"

The remaining twenty-two old monsters roared in anger at the same time.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh...!"

Suddenly, the sword box vibrated and hummed, and all 1,600 small bamboo swords disappeared into the void of the mirror.

"Boom!!!"

The sword entered the void, causing the heavens and earth to tremble, and the entire Illusory Village seemed to shake violently.

Dust billowed across the land, and birds and beasts in the green forest took flight in fright, fleeing in disarray.

There was no sword light, nor any aura of world destruction, but outside the Sun family's grand formation, twenty-three places in the void trembled and twisted simultaneously.

"Puff puff……!"

Immediately following, the 1,600 swords that instantly entered the void rained down like a torrential downpour, without warning or any flight path, as if they had come from the ages and suddenly descended upon the mortal world, relentlessly crashing into the illusory yet real protective formation.