551: Chapter 551 Extermination

"Can't I come if there's nothing wrong? After all, I am Tong Xiao's Senior Sister!" Li Xihe said with dissatisfaction.

"Speak plainly!" Liu Xuan didn't care to argue with her and spoke directly.

"You..."

Li Xihe took a deep breath, her expression returning to calm as she said indifferently, "I am here to help you!"

"Help me?" A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corner of Liu Xuan's mouth. "Tell me then, what do you want to help me with?"

Being stared at by Liu Xuan's strange gaze made Li Xihe feel uneasy, but she forced herself to remain calm and walked to a nearby seat to sit down.

"Although Star Academy is already under the control of your Liu Family, there are still many hostiles, aren't there?"

She relaxed her body slightly to make herself more comfortable and began counting on her fingers. "True Monarch Jimie Ye Gu, True Lord Shuiyun Su He, the Qiding Sect in the Azure Profound Sect's territory... and then there is my Junior Martial Uncle, Demon Lord Chixia."

Li Xihe grew more confident as she spoke, smiling. "With Peach Blossom Demon Lord absent, aren't you afraid my Junior Martial Uncle will return to deal with you?"

Liu Xuan's expression remained unchanged, but he laughed inwardly. If he weren't concerned about attracting the attention of Daoist Lord Lihuo, he could beat the crap out of Demon Lord Chixia if he dared to come!

He wouldn't even need to act personally; by summoning the ten thousand soul banner, a Peak Nascent Soul Ghost Commander, a Late Nascent Soul Ghost Commander, and a hundred thousand yin souls would make it impossible for that old bird Chixia to escape death.

"Your Junior Martial Uncle has a Peak Nascent Soul cultivation. If he really comes to deal with me, can you help me?" Liu Xuan feigned interest.

"Of course!"

Li Xihe took out a crimson token. "This is the Lihuo Token bestowed by my Revered Master. With it, you will surely be safe."

"Furthermore, I am the sole successor of the Lihuo Lineage, representing my Revered Master, Daoist Lord Lihuo."

She wore a proud expression, slightly raising her snow-white chin. "The Endless Demon Court is destined to be the Dao field of our Lihuo Lineage. Does the Head of the Liu Family not consider the future of his Family?"

After Li Xihe finished speaking, she waited for a long while. Seeing that Liu Xuan had no reaction, she became slightly irritated.

She had already spoken so bluntly, yet this man didn't show any sign of understanding; she didn't know if he was truly stupid or just playing dumb.

"Are you saying you want me to follow your lead?" Liu Xuan asked.

"Exactly!" Li Xihe clapped her hands and said excitedly, "Our Lihuo Lineage lacks people and money, while your Liu Family lacks a background. We complement each other perfectly."

"Rest assured, my Revered Master is a generous man. If the Liu Family contributes now, you will absolutely not lose out in the future."

"I see!" Liu Xuan nodded slightly. "You're not here to help me; you've set your sights on my Family's influence and wealth!"

Liu Xuan was very clear about Li Xihe's situation. Her Junior Martial Uncle, Demon Lord Chixia, was only her fellow Disciple on the surface; in reality, they were not of the same mind.

The Endless Demon Court battlefield was filled with people from Gentlemans Academy. She had neither manpower nor money. Despite holding the title of the sole successor to Daoist Lord Lihuo, she could accomplish very little.

Even when some Cultivators wanted to join the Lihuo Lineage, they were transferred away by her Junior Martial Uncle. Aside from taking in a few Disciples to teach, she had nothing to do all day.

In recent years, Liu Xuan had become a Nascent Soul True Lord, and the Liu Family had integrated the Star Hall. Combined with the business of the Merchant Alliance, they possessed both power and Spirit Stones, which gave her hope of seizing power.

Li Xihe appeared harmless on the surface, even somewhat naive, but her mind was actually exceptionally calculating.

Previously, Liu Xuan had discovered her intention to bypass him and use Tong Xiao, who possessed a fifth-tier Bloodline, but she hadn't succeeded.

No matter how she tried to persuade him, Tong Xiao would not listen to her. If she pushed too hard, he would even grow to dislike her, leaving her with no options.

"What kind of attitude is that?" Having her true purpose exposed, Li Xihe's face showed a mix of embarrassment and anger. "A short-sighted person who doesn't recognize good intentions. I completely misjudged you..."

She used her scolding to mask her embarrassment while standing up to leave, only to hear Liu Xuan say, "However, I can actually help you."

Li Xihe stopped in her tracks and sat back down, asking in confusion, "You mean..."

Liu Xuan smiled. "You're right. My Liu Family has people and money; all we lack is a background!"

"How about this!" Liu Xuan feigned contemplation for a moment. "I will have Tong Xiao become the Head of the Liu Family, and all the Liu Family's actions will represent the Lihuo Lineage. How does that sound?"

Daoist Lord Lihuo coveted Tong Xiao's fifth-tier Bloodline, making their conflict irreconcilable. Since they were destined to fall out in the future, he might as well collect some interest now.

Liu Xuan had long wanted to deal with Ye Gu, Su He, the Qiding Sect, and the anti-Liu forces gathered around Demon Lord Chixia. He just lacked a good pretext, as it could easily lead to greater trouble.

If he allied with Li Xihe and acted in the name of the Lihuo Lineage, he would have no such concerns and could strike whoever he wanted.

The key point was that Li Xihe's cultivation was very low. Even with an alliance, control would remain in the hands of his Liu Family.

"Really?" Li Xihe stood up excitedly. If what Liu Xuan said was true, she was confident she could use this opportunity to gradually take control of the Liu Family's power and increase the development speed of the Lihuo Lineage by countless times.

Liu Xuan didn't say much more to Li Xihe. He immediately announced that Tong Xiao would take over as Head of the Family and that the Liu Family would officially join the Lihuo Lineage.

...

The next day.

Chen Beiming, Bai Jie, Yun Yao, and You Ruo—four Nascent Soul True Lords—led a group of Sword Cultivators. A massive sword formation composed entirely of thousand star flying swords moved in the name of the Lihuo Lineage. Under the pretext of purging Star Academy, they directly attacked True Monarch Jimie Ye Gu and True Lord Shuiyun Su He.

In just one day, True Monarch Jimie was heavily wounded and fled, and the Jimie Sect he founded was exterminated and seized. True Lord Shuiyun surrendered on the battlefield and was escorted back to the Star Hall.

With this, the entire territory within a hundred thousand miles of Star Academy belonged to the Liu Family, with no other powers or Sects remaining.

It didn't end there. The Liu Family did not let go of the forces that had previously targeted the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance, striking them with heavy blows.

Every Cultivator in the Merchant Alliance's guard above the Foundation Establishment Stage held a thousand star flying sword. Some of them had even refined True Qi, doubling their strength. When formed into a sword formation, their combat power was extremely formidable.

For a time, the entire Star Academy was in a state of panic. Those who surrendered and admitted defeat fared better, as the Liu Old Ancestor was kind-hearted and disliked taking lives.

Those who resisted fared much worse; those with severe offenses were killed on the spot, while others had all their shops and properties confiscated.

Though most of these forces were not large, they all had backgrounds—either high-level members of the Azure Profound Sect or high-level members of the Gentlemans Academy. Previously, the Liu Family hadn't dared to move against them and would rather suffer some losses.

But now, if there were any problems, they could go talk to Daoist Lord Lihuo!

Liu Manor.

Li Xihe was left dumbfounded by the succession of news. She finally understood why Liu Xuan had agreed so readily!

"This isn't right!"

"Is the Liu Family really that strong? True Monarch Jimie and True Lord Shuiyun fought True Lord Haoran for so many years without issue, so how could they not even last a single day?!"

"No, I must go and see for myself."

Li Xihe felt she had underestimated the power Liu Xuan wielded. She was now both worried that the Liu Family would be hard to control and excited by the strength they had displayed.

"Exterminating two Nascent Soul forces, plus so many shops and properties... just how much money must that be worth!"