War God Long Ao

Inside the luxurious restaurant.

Mu Tian was already dead drunk, completely oblivious to what he had just said.

Although Black Demon now knew about the Spiritual Vein, he didn't head to the Long Family alone. He was a firm believer in being cautious; on the off-chance that Long Ao was as powerful as the rumors claimed, wouldn't he be walking right into a trap?

For this very reason, Black Demon spread the news that the Long Family had obtained a Spiritual Vein.

In just half a day, every power in the entire Celestial State—including the Six Great Sects and the Two Great Empires—had heard that the Long Family possessed a Spiritual Vein.

Normally, no one would have believed such a rumor. However, Long Ao's recent fame was so dazzling that it made everyone green with envy. Believing that where there's smoke, there's fire, the Six Great Sects and the Two Great Empires all dispatched men to Red Fire Town to investigate.

Even the Thunder Sect and the Thunder Royal Family, who had always supported Long Ao, found the allure of a Spiritual Vein simply too great. If they could obtain it, the benefits for their Sect's development would be unimaginable.

Red Fire Town, in the Long Family's main hall.

Everyone's expression was incredibly grim. Long Haoshi cursed fiercely, "That animal, Mu Tian! He actually leaked the news about the Spiritual Vein! Now everyone in the Celestial State is eyeing us like a pack of wolves. If they attack, how will we possibly defend ourselves?"

The crowd loathed Mu Tian to the bone for leaking the secret. If he weren't Mu Lin's own second brother, someone would have already killed him.

"Grandfather, please calm down."

"Ao'Er, what do we do now?"

Even Long Haoshi, usually a master strategist who was both shrewd and calculating, was at a complete loss in the face of this crisis.

Long Haoshi knew how grave the situation was. After all, compared to the whole of the Celestial State, the Long Family was but a drop in the ocean. If not for Ao'Er's meteoric rise, would the Long Family even be where it was today?

Long Haoshi understood better than anyone what a Spiritual Vein represented. Now that the secret was out, he was certain the Six Great Sects, the Two Great Empires, and countless Kingdoms were all stirring with greed.

'What in the world should we do?'

Long Ao didn't know what to do either, but he didn't want his grandfather to worry. "We will meet soldiers with generals and water with an earthen dam," he said. "Grandfather, don't worry. With Brother Qilin guarding the family, ensuring our safety should be more than manageable."

"Ao'Er, I'm not just worried about the family's immediate safety. I'm worried that now that the news of the Spiritual Vein is out, it's already attracted the covetous eyes of the Celestial State. In the future, I'm sure even more trouble will come knocking, endlessly. What will we do if Elder Qilin can't fend them all off?"

Long Ao had, of course, considered what his grandfather said.

The Celestial Martial Continent was divided into the nine provinces of Kyushu.

The Celestial State was just one province on the entire Celestial Martial Continent. The Six Great Sects might be hegemons in the Celestial State, but what if they were measured against the whole continent?

Without a doubt, on the scale of the continent, the Six Great Sects were nothing. To say nothing of other powers, the Long Clan alone could take on all six at once and annihilate them with ease.

If news of the family's Spiritual Vein reached the ears of those super-powers and they came looking for trouble, the Fire Qilin wouldn't be able to stop them. Then they would be in real trouble.

"Ao'Er, the Long Family absolutely cannot admit to this. If necessary, we will sacrifice the Mu Family."

'Sacrifice the Mu Family?'

It wasn't that Long Ao couldn't bear to part with the Mu Family, but he was thinking of his mother. No matter what, the Mu Family was her maiden family. If they were destroyed, his mother would surely be heartbroken.

Seemingly sensing Long Ao's hesitation, Long Haoshi said, "Ao'Er, the Mu Family brought this upon themselves; they have no one else to blame. If you are soft-hearted, it won't be the Mu Family that is destroyed in the end, but our Long Family."

Standing up, Long Ao decided he didn't want to deal with it. "Grandfather, I'll leave it for you to handle."

With that, Long Ao turned and left.

「At dusk」 Thundercloud City welcomed its most powerful and numerous guests in history. In addition to countless Kingdoms and the Two Great Empires, the Young Sect Leaders and Elders of the Six Great Sects had all arrived. They were here for the Spirit Stone in the Mu Family's possession, and for news about the Spiritual Vein.

In the Mu Family's main hall.

SLAP! A harsh slap landed squarely on Mu Tian's face. Mu Wanfeng, heartbroken and furious, cursed, "You animal! Ao'Er gave us a Spirit Stone out of the goodness of his heart so our Mu Family could rise! But you—you leaked this matter! Now the Six Great Sects and the Two Great Empires are all here! I'm asking you, what are we supposed to do?"

At that moment, Mu Tian, kneeling on the floor, was scared stiff. He never would have imagined that a moment of resentment and a few extra drinks would bring such a disaster upon his family. Had he known, he never would have dared to feel resentful or angry; he would have been as obedient as a lamb.

"Mother, I'll go to Red Fire Town and find Long Ao right now! If he steps in, I'm sure this crisis can be averted."

With a helpless laugh, Mu Wanfeng seemed to have lost the energy to keep scolding him. "You know better than I do what a Spiritual Vein means," she said. "The Six Great Sects might give Ao'Er some face, but for a Spiritual Vein? I can tell you this clearly: it won't just be us. Even the Long Family will be in trouble."

Mu Tian's body trembled violently. He never, ever thought things would spiral so far out of control.

"Mother, what do we do now?"

"What do we do? You fix the mess you made."

"Mother, I'll never dare to do it again!" Mu Tian was truly terrified, kowtowing repeatedly. He knew that if the Six Great Sects and the Two Great Empires attacked their family, they wouldn't even have a chance to resist before being trampled into dust.

The Long Family. Long Ao. Right now, the only person they could count on was Long Ao.

Mu Tian could still vividly recall the time Long Ao had wreaked havoc on the Ghost King Sect. If Long Ao was willing to intervene, then anything was possible.

"Mother, are you all right?"

Seeing his sister suddenly enter, Mu Tian excitedly grabbed Mu Lin and begged, "Xiaolin, please, I'm begging you! Your Second Brother is begging you! Hurry and get Ao'Er to come! I didn't mean to leak the news about the Spiritual Vein! I just had too much to drink and lost control! I know I was wrong!"

Looking at her frantic son, Mu Wanfeng sighed deeply.

"Second Brother, I..."

"Xiaolin, don't tell me Ao'Er isn't willing to come."

Sighing deeply, Mu Lin said helplessly, "Father-in-law has already said it. You brought this upon yourself, and you have no one else to blame. If the Long Family intervenes, not only will the Mu Family be destroyed, but the Long Family will face annihilation as well. That's why the Long Family and Ao'Er won't get involved."

"Then how did you get here?"

"I snuck out. None of them know I'm here."

Hearing this, Mu Tian collapsed onto the floor, his face a mask of despair. He muttered to himself, 'It's all over now.'