CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 179: CONTINUE THE MUSIC, CONTINUE DANCING!

Time flew by, and soon the day arrived for the Li Family to host a feast for guests from all corners.

On the main streets of Luo City, the Li Family had arranged banquets for the entire city’s residents. True Martial Artists from afar sat together with local ordinary citizens at the tables, creating a bustling scene with clinking glasses and lively chatter everywhere.

Of course, that was if one ignored the peculiar appearances of the True Martial Artists and the fact that most of Luo City’s residents bore Daoist bloodlines with strange limbs.

From the perspective of an ordinary person from another version, this was nothing short of a demon banquet sweeping over the whole city, and the feast above would be imagined as a delicacy of human blood.

Amidst the celebration, the Li Family’s residence, the core of the event, carried a certain indescribable strangeness.

Under the blazing sun, the entire Li Family mansion was magnificent, with jade decorations on the eaves glittering brilliantly.

Surrounding the courtyard, Demon Qi as thin as hair formed a dense light web, reflecting colorful light under the sunshine, enveloping the entire banquet area.

Each ray of light contained powerful Restriction force, perfectly isolating the place from the aura outside the mansion.

Within the Central Hall of the mansion, various elite forces were seated and enjoying the graceful dances of the dancers in the hall.

Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, yet twisted strangely upon touching certain guests.

True Martial Artists from the Cloud Mountain Qing Family wore frost-white robes, exuding a chill with every gesture, freezing the surrounding warmth into ice.

Members from the Bohai Ye Family were draped in luxurious brocade, their faces handsome, but the fleeting blood-red pupils revealed their true nature when they raised their cups.

Apart from them, representatives of the Nine Millennium Families, like the Tianhe Feng Family and the Shangyuan Ma Family, sat within the hall.

In the corner, a few guests with bizarre appearances were conversing and laughing with others. Their shadows grew deeper and darker under the blazing sun, as if an abyss without a bottom. The bright sunlight shone upon them, yet exuded an eerie gloom.

Everyone looked at the empty seat at the top, their eyes carrying a hard-to-describe mocking look.

Qing Fengyang, the representative of the Cloud Mountain Qing Family, glanced at the sun already risen to the center above the sky, and casually played with the fan in his slender fingers, saying:

"Members of the Li Family, the auspicious time has arrived, why hasn’t Patriarch Li appeared yet?"

Li Kuang, a Mara Realm Elder from the Li Family’s second branch, solemnly replied respectfully:

"The Patriarch is presumably handling urgent matters."

Another Mara Realm Elder from the Li Family, Li Que, also spoke, with a smile of apology:

"Didn’t expect such an important moment, yet the Patriarch is missing, letting Young Master Qing witness a joke."

One could hardly blame the Li Family elders for their flattering attitude; Qing Fengyang’s background was indeed exceptional.

Qing Fengyang, as the representative of the Qing Family, is also a powerful Mara Realm martial artist.

The reason he managed to advance to the Mara Realm is simple—an elderly ancestor of the Qing Family in the Nether Abyss Realm was nearing the end of his lifespan and gave up part of his path, and Qing Fengyang is one of the heirs of that Nether Abyss Realm ancestor.

As long as he manages to fight his way out from the other inheriting Qing Family members, Qing Fengyang is sure to inherit the Great Dao left by the Qing Family ancestor and advance to the Nether Abyss Realm.

Even at this current banquet, his status is considered top-notch.

Ye Qi, the representative of the Bohai Ye Family, is an ordinary person, but he has a silent elder behind him, who is also a Mara Realm expert.

Ye Qi’s blood-red eyes gazed at the vacant main seat, expressing a cold smile.

Regarding Li Hao’s absence, all parties present had almost anticipated beforehand.

The matter of the false Underworld Envoy had been spreading for a month. Had Li Hao truly had any relation with the Underworld ghosts and spirits, he would have reacted long ago.

Now it seems, things are indeed as the major families had initially guessed; the Underworld has long left this realm.

The so-called ghostly Li Family is nothing more than a stray dog without a master.

Li Hao’s final struggle appears to be avoiding the banquet, attempting to use this attitude to deny the identity of the Fake Envoy.

Yet, for the major families, such actions are utterly meaningless.

Ye Qi chuckled lightly, and spoke with a cold tone:

"Since this is the case, let’s invite our esteemed Underworld Envoy up!"

"Although Patriarch Li has been negligent of us, we cannot neglect the Underworld Envoy."

"Hurry and prepare; invite the Underworld Envoy up."

The echo from representatives of other thousand-year families ensued, transmitting commands outside the hall.

Moments later, a young man slowly entered the hall under the lead of a Li Family elder.

The handsome young man wore a black robe, embroidered with gold patterns looking lavish, yet the young man’s temperament completely failed to match the outfit.

He strove to maintain a serene demeanor, but his gaze involuntarily avoided the representatives of the various elite forces present, with his identity’s transformation failing to cover his inner insecurity.

A dressed-up monkey!

The same phrase arose in everyone’s minds, causing mocking smiles to surface on their faces.

No one realized that they instinctively overlooked the overpowering force of the Underworld half a year ago, with only Li Hao’s retreat and the dressed-up monkey Fake Envoy before them remaining.

"Pfft!"

Someone among the crowd let out a soft laugh.

But when Qing Fengyang turned his gaze towards them, the laugh was immediately restrained.

"Greetings, everyone!"

Located at the center of the hall, the Fake Envoy bowed to the representatives of the thousand-year families, with some responding in an act-like manner, some indifferent, and others openly showing mockery.

"Since it’s the Underworld Envoy, he should be granted the upper seat!"

Though Qing Fengyang sat down below, he seemed to have become the master of this hall, issuing orders on behalf of the Li Family.

Upon hearing Qing Fengyang’s words, Li Sheng, the third-branch elder of the Li Family leading the Fake Envoy, quickly guided the Fake Envoy to the seat near the hall entrance.

There was only a small table there, looking less like a seat and more like a guard at the entrance.

The Fake Envoy didn’t feel anything amiss and was about to sit directly.

And at that moment, a sharp voice echoed within the hall.

"Hold on!"

Like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day, the hearts of the more than ten Peak Mara Realm experts gathered in the hall were startled, and Qing Fengyang looked towards the outside of the hall with a wary expression.

Appearing before everyone was none other than the Patriarch of the Li Family, Li Hao.

The oppressive presence of the Peak Mara Realm was poised yet unreleased, causing many of the strong in attendance to look at Li Hao with trepidation.

Only Qing Fengyang chuckled lightly, with a gentle expression saying:

"Patriarch Li, we’ve been waiting for you for a long time."

"The Patriarch was delayed, and we feared we would miss the time, so we had to let the Underworld Envoy enter the hall first. I hope the Patriarch will not hold it against us."

"Underworld Envoy?" Li Hao swept his stern gaze across the hall, speaking coldly:

"Nonsense, where is this Underworld Envoy?"

Upon these words, the faces of the various forces in the hall instantly turned cold, even Qing Fengyang’s formerly gentle expression became indifferent.

"The arrival of the Underworld Envoy was a message publicly sent by your Li Family.

There is no Underworld Envoy here now. Are you fabricating in the name of the Underworld to cause trouble, or are you trifling with us clans?"

Upon hearing this, the various forces echoed:

"What does the Patriarch Li mean by this?"

"Forging rumors of the Underworld, deceiving the major families, what is Patriarch Li’s intention?"

"What ghostly Li Family? Just fools borrowing the name of the Underworld."

"The events of today, I’m afraid the Patriarch Li owes us an explanation!"

As these words were exchanged, the three elders of the Li Family in the hall, along with the so-called Fake Envoy, were thoroughly ignored.

All eyes focused on Li Hao, awaiting his next words.

"Explanation?" Li Hao disdainfully swept his eyes over the representatives of various families, sneering:

"The real Underworld Envoy has yet to enter the hall, and all of you are so eager to put a blame on me. It’s unsightly behavior.

However, my tarnished reputation is a small matter. If all of you slight the true Underworld Envoy causing the wrath of the Ghost Soldiers and Spirits, I’m afraid your families won’t be able to account for it!"

When he finished speaking, Li Hao composed himself and stepped aside, speaking respectfully:

"Please let the Underworld Envoy enter the hall!"

Everyone then noticed that there was another person behind Li Hao.

A young man in a dark long robe fluttering in the wind, with intricate patterns on his robe like wandering dragons. He held a simple Soul Banner in his hand, its lines depicting a vast continent as if ghostly and spiritual auras flowed within.

The youth had an aura of transcendence between his eyebrows, with eyes as deep as the abyss, surrounded by a faint aura of Spiritual Qi, exhibiting an extraordinary presence with every movement.

The moment he appeared, a heavy pressure seemed to descend upon everyone’s soul.

Tracking the source of this sight, everyone realized that the pressure was coming from that Soul Banner.

Someone couldn’t help but study the Soul Banner, their pupils suddenly constricting as if they had witnessed something horrifying.

"The continent on this banner, I saw it when the Lord of the Underworld appeared!"

The entire hall was in an uproar.

In everyone’s mind appeared that continent which seemed to loom over the entire Demon World, with an unparalleled sense of oppression re-emerging in their hearts.

The pressure from this Soul Banner was but a fraction of that when the Lord of the Underworld emerged, yet it was enough to stir the minds of many Peak Mara Realm experts present.

Lu Yan held the Soul Banner and strode into the hall, the atmosphere inside oppressive to the extreme, everyone wore solemn expressions, not daring to breathe heavily.

But Lu Yan’s gaze was the first to fall on the corner by the door, where the Fake Envoy and the third elder of the Li Family, Li Sheng, stood.

He looked calmly at the trembling Fake Envoy and the barely smiling Li Sheng, slowly raising the Soul Banner in his hand.

"Take this banner, and you shall be the Underworld Envoy!"

The Fake Envoy wore a panicked expression, not daring to utter a word.

Then, the Soul Banner in Lu Yan’s hand slowly tilted towards the Fake Envoy, and in an instant, everyone seemed to sense an endless continent descending towards the hall, a soul-crushing suffocation accompanying the fall of the Soul Banner.

As the Soul Banner fell, the oppressive feeling magnified several times over.

Even Peak Mara Realm experts felt immense pressure when facing such a terrifying presence, their human appearances fading, revealing their original Mutated Dao Bodies of True Martial Artists, while Soul Burial Realm martial artists in the hall had already shown True Intent of the Great Dao to barely find a moment of respite.

Just as the Soul Banner was about to reach the Fake Envoy, Lu Yan’s motion halted.

"Boring."

A soft whisper echoed, Lu Yan retracted the Soul Banner, striding towards the main seat.

"Thud!"

"Bang!"

Two heavy thuds were heard.

Everyone then noticed that the Fake Envoy by the door had already collapsed to the ground, this Soul Burial Realm True Martial Artist had died silently even before touching the Soul Banner.

But what was even more shocking was that Li Sheng, the third elder of the Li Family standing next to the Fake Envoy, had also fallen.

This elder, unable to withstand the pressure of the Soul Banner, didn’t even have time to manifest True Intent of the Great Dao before his Divine Soul shattered.

Peak Mara Realm experts didn’t even qualify to face the Soul Banner directly.

The hall was deathly silent, only Lu Yan took the steps, sitting at the main seat.

Looking down at the various forces present, Lu Yan said blandly:

"Continue the music, continue the dance!"