This army made up of Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts had no intention of concealing themselves whatsoever; instead, they advanced toward the Li familyâs stronghold in an overwhelming, ostentatious show, as if they were afraid the Li family wouldnât notice them.
Moreover, when this army was discovered by the Li familyâs patrol teams a thousand miles from the stronghold, not only did they not attack and kill them, they even let them leave unharmed, loudly mocking their panicked and pathetic escape.
"Hahahaha, did you see the way those Outer Realm cultivators looked when they ran for their lives? Absolutely hilarious!"
"Those ants must be scared out of their minds! They know theyâre no match for us, thatâs why theyâre desperately fleeing. Who knows, maybe the moment we arrive, theyâll drop to their knees and beg us not to slaughter them."
"Come on! Chase after them! Let these brazen invaders taste a lesson! Make them understand that we are not to be trifled with!"
That being said, they didnât speed up in the slightest, only continuing to mock brazenly, as if their only purpose was to toy with those of the Li family. Their laughter was so loud it made the very heavens and earth tremble.
"Damn it!"
"These filthy beasts are simply too arrogant!"
The few Members of the Li Family who were retreating felt a surge of rage boil in their hearts upon hearing these voices. If not for the Elders repeatedly instructing them to put on this little actâmagnifying the enemyâs arrogance and having them underestimate the Li familyâ
Another goal was to carefully observe the size and strength of the opposing force, so that the family could have a clear picture of what they would face.
If not for the heavy responsibility on their shoulders, even at the cost of their own lives, they would have turned around and let this horde of monsters see what true wrath meant!
Li Xiuting was among them as well, fury burning in his heart, but his expression only grew colder as he said in a low voice, "The family has already prepared a fitting gift for these beasts. When the time comes, weâll make sure it leaves a deep impression. Donât ruin the clanâs plan for the sake of fleeting anger."
To speak of it, thanks to him being the first to spot the incoming army of local creatures, and his swift countermeasures, heâd caught Li Zhiruiâs attention, who then named him as the lead of this patrol.
"Huff, huff, huffâ"
They knew this reasoning full well, but still couldnât quell their anger, their breathing rough and heavy as if trying to steady themselves.
The army trailing behind treated Li Xiuting and the others like insignificant ants, not worth a second glance, letting them leave without a care.
Even if those Outer Realm creatures inside the stronghold were warned, so what? With a little over an hour, what could they possibly accomplish? At most, struggle a bit more, but in the end, nothing would change.
As the army continued to advance at a slow pace, Li Xiutingâs group returned to the stronghold and reported comprehensive intelligence on the approaching force to Li Zhirui.
Seven Demon Cultivators and Devil Race experts of the Realm of Human Immortality were leading, with over thirty thousand total troops; among them, there were no fewer than a hundred Individual Immortals, and quite a few Mahayana and Tribulation Transcendence as well.
This kind of scale and lineupâwere it in the Primal Spirit RealmâLi Zhirui and the Li family wouldnât even take it seriously; Zhirui, Zhixuan, or Ming Yao, any one of them could handle it with ease.
In fact, they wouldnât even need to act. Just send three or four members of the Earth Immortal Clan, and with a bit of effort, the enemy would be routed.
But this wasnât their home turf; their power was heavily suppressed, causing even Li Zhirui to treat the situation like a great enemy, carefully laying out all sorts of plans.
It wasnât that Li Zhirui feared he couldnât defeat this army of local creatures; with him overseeing in person, and plenty of Demon Cultivators in that army whom he could easily suppressâ
The real concern was the potential for massive casualties among his clan.
If that were to happen, then even in victory, it would be a Pyrrhic one. And if the locals reacted fast enough and attacked again post-battle, they might lose the stronghold altogether.
"Pass down the orders: spread word of the enemy armyâs full strength and numbers to everyone. The great battle is about to begin!" Li Zhirui cut off the stray thoughts in his mind and gave a deep, decisive command.
"Ancestor Rui, isnât this inappropriate? If we tell them so soon, plenty will grow fearful, weakening our power, and some might even try to flee..." an Elder said worriedly.
"Thatâs right, the battle is imminent. Isnât this just weakening ourselves?"
Especially those Loose Cultivatorsâthey value their lives most. Once they know the situation is this dire, surely many will take the chance to slip away before fighting erupts.
Several Elders looked puzzled, unable to fathom why Li Zhirui would make a decision so apparently detrimental to their own side.
"Isnât this actually a good thing?"
Li Zhirui retorted, "By sending away those who might waver or sap morale ahead of time, those who choose to stay are less likely to do so. In fact, this benefits our coming battle."
"Moreover, the stronghold is packed right now. Letting some cultivators leave will free up more space for movement and maneuvering."
At these words, everyone suddenly understood. Why hadnât they thought of this before?
"In that case, letâs spread the news immediately!"
"Go, then."
With that, Li Zhirui waved his hand, signaling them to see to it themselves.