331: Chapter 331 A Loving Family

Yunxiao Heaven, North Region, Withered Bone Demon Mountain.

Although named a mountain, this place was actually a continuous mountain range composed of countless pale, giant, and strangely shaped rocks resembling various types of skeletons.

It was shrouded year-round in grayish-white Yin-fiend mist, containing a unique energy that was highly beneficial to Cultivators who Cultivate specific Cultivation Techniques.

Ten thousand years ago, it was precisely because Fu Tianming saw the peril and seclusion of this place that he established the headquarters of the Inverse Immortal Alliance here.

Now, after ten thousand years have passed, the appearance of Withered Bone Demon Mountain has not changed much; it remains just as deathly silent.

However, deep within the mountain range, atop the ruins of the original Inverse Immortal Alliance headquarters, a much grander and more sinisterly grotesque complex of buildings had been constructed.

The black halls were like crouching behemoths, arranged in a certain sinister Formation. Eerie green ghost fires floated between the palaces, and from time to time, Cultivators clad in black robes with cold auras would pass through.

In the core area of the headquarters, within the dark hall, only a few ever-burning lamps emitted a ghastly green light, illuminating two figures in the hall.

On the left was a man dressed in a dark purple robe embroidered with gold patterns, his face handsome but carrying a hint of wickedness.

He was the Cultivator who had joined forces with Fu Tianming's Dao Companion to ambush Fu Tianming and Seal him back then—Li Juexin.

At this moment, the aura faintly emanating from him was actually that of a Peak Golden Immortal!

On the right was a woman dressed in a dark green palace-style gown, her appearance beautiful yet carrying a cold arrogance and ruthlessness etched into her very bones.

She was Li Juexin's Dao Companion, and the Dao Companion Fu Tianming had trusted most back then—Fairy Bi Lin.

Her aura was on par with Li Juexin's, also reaching the Peak Golden Immortal level!

The two sat facing each other, separated by a cold white table upon which sat two cups of Spirit Wine as crimson as blood.

Li Juexin picked up his wine cup, gently swirling the viscous liquid inside:

"Not long ago, the connection to the Seal Formation I left in Yuqing Heaven disappeared. It should have been broken."

He took a sip of wine and gave a wicked smile:

"My dear elder brother must have come out."

Upon hearing this, Fairy Bi Lin, far from showing any fear, let out a cold sneer, her beautiful face full of disdain and mockery:

"Out? So what if he's out?"

She gracefully picked up the cup of crimson Spirit Wine before her but did not drink, simply letting the viscous liquid slowly swirl in the cup.

"Ten thousand years of time is enough to change anything."

Fairy Bi Lin's voice carried a condescending indifference.

"Ten thousand years ago, he could contend with us and even hold a slight advantage, relying on a slightly higher cultivation and that so-called prestige. But what about now?"

She gently swirled her wine cup, her gaze passing over Li Juexin toward the gray sky outside the hall:

"Through ten thousand years of bitter cultivation, you and I have long reached the Peak Golden Immortal level, and we are but a step away from that Taiyi Realm! How can our Divine Abilities, Magic Treasures, and understanding of the Great Dao be compared to those of the past? And him?"

Fairy Bi Lin turned her head to look directly at Li Juexin, her eyes filled with ridicule:

"Suppressed in that godforsaken place for ten thousand years, worn down day and night by the Formation, his Origin Qi is severely depleted and his Foundation damaged! It is a stroke of luck if he can barely maintain his Golden Immortal Realm without it completely collapsing! I dare say that if his current strength can even stay at the level of just entering the Golden Immortal Realm, it would be considered profound! A waste who is barely at the Early Stage Golden Immortal..."

She paused, her red lips curving into a malicious arc:

"What does he have to fight us with?"

Listening to his Dao Companion's analysis, the last trace of doubt in Li Juexin's eyes vanished, replaced by an equally swelling confidence.

He laughed and chimed in:

"My lady is absolutely right! Moreover, over these ten thousand years, through our painstaking management, this Inverse Immortal Alliance is no longer what it used to be! The number of Golden Immortal Cultivators in the alliance who are loyal to us is no less than ten! We have long been an overlord of the North Region; how can we be compared to that loose and chaotic rabble from ten thousand years ago?"

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, speaking with the smugness of someone in total control:

"Fu Tianming? Even if he really dares to return, what can he do against the now strong and impregnable Inverse Immortal Alliance? I'm afraid he won't even be able to reach the gates of Withered Bone Demon Mountain! Hahaha!"

Fairy Bi Lin also giggled, her still-charming body trembling slightly with her laughter, her curves faintly visible under the dark green palace gown.

Watching her giggle, the original smugness in Li Juexin's eyes was gradually replaced by a different, burning light.

He tilted his head back and drained the remaining wine in his cup, his Adam's apple bobbing, then he set down the empty cup and slowly stood up from his seat.

He walked around the cold white jade table toward Fairy Bi Lin, his gaze lingering on her exquisite figure, his voice taking on a low, suggestive tone:

"Bi Lin, after such a long seclusion, your husband has missed you dearly..."

He reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to touch her cheek:

"Looking closely today, my lady's skin seems even more lustrous and fair than before your seclusion... Come, let your husband inspect it properly. Have you been secretly Cultivating some Youth-Preserving Secret Technique again?"

How could Fairy Bi Lin not understand the undisguised desire in his eyes?

Far from being annoyed, she gave him a flirtatious glance, gave a coquettish "Pah," and reached out a slender jade finger to tap Li Juexin's forehead:

"You old rogue! You just came out of seclusion, and instead of talking about serious matters, your head is filled with these messy thoughts! You'er is coming to pay his respects soon. As a father, do you have no sense of propriety?"

Though she spoke words of refusal, her body leaned back slightly against the chair. Instead of dodging, she emphasized her graceful curves even more.

The neckline of her dark green palace gown opened slightly due to her movement, revealing a patch of snow-white skin. A perfect blush rose to her face, and her eyes shimmered with a mix of rejection and invitation.

Seeing her in such a state, the fire in Li Juexin's heart grew even stronger, and he was about to take another step.

"Father! Mother! Your son, Li Jiuyou, requests an audience!"

A clear young voice with a hint of arrogance clearly penetrated the hall's Restriction and came from outside the doors.

Hearing this voice was like having cold water splashed on their faces.

Almost simultaneously, the flirtatious and playful expressions on the faces of Li Juexin and Fairy Bi Lin vanished completely, as if they had never existed.

With a flicker of his body, Li Juexin returned to his seat like a ghost, sitting upright with an expression that restored his dignity and depth as the leader of the Inverse Immortal Alliance.

Fairy Bi Lin quickly tidied her slightly disheveled collar and hair at her temples. She sat gracefully, her blush fading as she became cold and noble once more, though a trace of unfulfilled charm remained deep in her eyes.

"Enter."

Li Juexin said in a deep voice, his tone steady and devoid of any abnormality.

The hall doors slid open silently.

A young man dressed in a black robe embroidered with dark gold runes walked in slowly.

He was tall and straight, with an extraordinarily handsome face. His skin had a paleness from years of not seeing sunlight, his eyes were narrow, his nose was high, and his lips were thin.

Overall, he gave off a feminine and refined vibe, yet one that was as cold and dangerous as a venomous snake.

Most striking was his aura, which had actually reached the Late Golden Immortal Realm!

He was the son of Li Juexin and Fairy Bi Lin, the Young Lord of the Inverse Immortal Alliance—Li Jiuyou.