A silver arc of lightning struck down at Thunder God Ridge, tearing the void around it completely apart.
Immediately followed was a stone-shattering roar as the Demon Puppet Zombie and the Eighteen Copper Men leapt out, causing the surrounding rocks to shatter into powder.
Seeing this scene, Li Chen was overjoyed, his pupils shining with excitement.
"Ha ha, finally a great success!"
Jiao Long, who was sound asleep, was startled by Li Chen’s sudden laughter, rolling down the mountainside in fright, his beastly eyes wide and his face full of confusion.
Li Chen put the Eighteen Copper Men and the Demon Puppet Zombie back into the storage ring. He then patted Jiao Long’s head to comfort it.
"Let’s go, we’ve been here for nearly two months, it’s time to go back!"
Not far from Thunder State to Lingnan, Li Chen suddenly remembered that he had asked Mei Ruohua to prepare for the Southeast Asia Suballiance, and decided to stop by.
However, upon entering the Mei Family Mansion, he felt that the atmosphere was odd. At the main entrance, there were scattered paper money, Soul Summoning Banners, mourning sticks, and wreaths for the dead.
Li Chen frowned deeply, filled with doubts, and hurriedly walked in.
Compared to his first visit, the Mei Family Mansion was already desolate, even showing signs of fighting.
The guards and maids were less than half of the usual, and almost all of them looked worried, as if mourning a deep loss.
Li Chen stopped a maid and asked, "What’s going on, where are your master and the young miss?"
Recognizing Li Chen, the maid choked up and said, "The master is dead, the young miss is at the spiritual hall!"
Hearing this news, Li Chen’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
How is this possible, has the entire alliance met with disaster?
Li Chen’s heart sank, without any pause, he immediately headed to the main hall.
Mei Ruohua, with a vacant stare, was blankly looking at a spiritual tablet.
Li Chen stood at the doorway and softly called, "Ruohua!"
Turning her head to see Li Chen, Mei Ruohua threw herself into his arms. The grievances of nearly a month, like floodwaters breaching a dam, uncontrollably flowed down,
"Young Master, you’ve finally returned, my grandfather he..."
Li Chen looked at Mei Ruohua who had already cried into a tearful figure in his arms, then glanced at the spiritual tablet on the coffee table.
The words "Spiritual Position of Mei Jiuling" felt like a blade stabbing his eyes, causing his pupils to sharply contract.
After a brief stare, he gently patted Mei Ruohua’s back.
"Ruohua, stop crying for now. Tell me, what exactly happened, who did this?"
"It was the Yuann Family Ancestor. On the 12th last month, when our suballiance was established, he suddenly appeared. He not only killed my grandfather but also Qin Tianlong, the Black Witch King, and others. He also said that you have one month to find him at the Overseas Hongmen Headquarters; otherwise, he will come to the mainland and annihilate our headquarters!"
Mei Ruohua wiped her tears with the back of her hand, enduring the grief, and repeated the events that occurred in the Philippines exactly as they happened.
Furious True Yuan surged up from Li Chen’s Dantian, shooting straight into the Nine Heavens Cloud. His handsome face instantly twisted viciously, resembling the arrival of the Death God.
"Yuann Keding, Overseas Hongmen, I will have you all buried with me!"
The low growl, filled with murderous intent, echoed through the sky, causing glass and vases to shatter thunderously.
"Young Master, I will go with you!"
Mei Ruohua stepped forward and grabbed Li Chen’s arm, her beautiful eyes hopeful and expectant as she looked at him.
Only then did Li Chen notice that Mei Ruohua’s face was pale, her palms sweaty, indicating extreme weakness. If not for her strong will, she might have already fainted.
Mei Ruohua nodded gently, biting her lip: "Yes, I was hurt by the Yuann Family Ancestor!"
Recalling the signs of fighting in the courtyard, Li Chen asked solemnly, "Did someone come here?"
Mei Ruohua nodded again: "Yes, but it wasn’t Hongmen or Yuann Family people, but some miscreants from Lingnan. They found out my grandfather had passed and that you were away, and tried to take advantage!"
Li Chen took out a pill for treating injuries and handed it to Mei Ruohua.
"Your injuries are severe, take this first!"
Mei Ruohua responded and took the pill from Li Chen.
Just then, a noisy clamor suddenly came from outside.
Followed by the maid’s screams and some unbearable curses and laughter.
"Where is your Miss? Hurry up and let her come out to entertain the masters!"
Upon hearing this voice, Li Chen’s expression immediately darkened.
Mei Ruohua’s expression instantly became solemn and she said in a deep voice, "Young Master, it’s the Seven Tyrants of Lingnan, they are here again!"
Li Chen frowned slightly: "The Seven Tyrants of Lingnan, why haven’t I ever heard of them?"
"They are seven bullies in Southern Ridge, led by Yuy Wanxiong, who has recently advanced to a Transformation Realm Master, and the other six are Inner Strength Martial Artists. In your eyes, Young Master, they are less than ants!"
Hearing Mei Ruohua’s explanation, Li Chen nodded suddenly in realization.
"A couple of days ago, they came once. But I was injured then, and only barely managed to repel them. Now that I have taken your pill, I feel much better, and I’m going to kill them all now!"
After saying that, Mei Ruohua was about to pick up her sword and leave.
However, she was grabbed by Li Chen.
"Ruohua, you’re still recovering from serious injuries, rest well, let me handle it."
Mei Ruohua looked at Li Chen’s eyes, bright as stars, and nodded heavily.
She now realized how fortunate it was to have a shoulder to lean on when feeling most helpless.
At that moment, a girl’s scream came from outside.
"Ah, no. Miss, save me, save me!"
Mei Ruohua anxiously said: "Young Master, that’s Little Cui’s voice!"
Li Chen nodded slightly and walked towards the door.
Outside, there were seven figures, varied in height and size, including two women.
The leader, weighing around 250 kilograms, plump and all corpulent, was holding a frail girl, who was Mei Ruohua’s maid, Little Cui.
"Look at this young lady, her skin is so tender. Her thigh is so white and fleshy, it could squeeze out water!"
Yuy Wanxiong burst into a lascivious laugh, about to pinch Little Cui’s thigh.
Before the words fell, a white light flashed, slicing through the air, precisely striking Yuy Wanxiong’s wrist.
Yuy Wanxiong immediately screamed as blood gushed from his fat wrist.
"Miss, save me, save me!"
Seeing Mei Ruohua appear, Little Cui cried tearfully like rain.
Li Chen flicked his sleeve, creating a gust of wind that shook all seven of them back.
Immediately after, he stepped forward rapidly in a Seven Stars Step and snatched Little Cui away.
Seeing Li Chen’s sharp move, Yuy Wanxiong and his group were all shocked.
"Who are you, daring to meddle in the affairs of the Seven Tyrants of Lingnan, tired of living, aren’t you?"
Li Chen handed Little Cui to Mei Ruohua, then glanced sideways at Yuy Wanxiong and his group, saying coldly:
"You few are not even worthy to know my name!"
Since Yuy Wanxiong became a Transformation Realm Master, their arrogance as the Seven Tyrants of Lingnan had clearly inflated, thinking themselves unmatched in the world.
Therefore, before Li Chen’s words even finished, they already jumped up arrogantly.
"My big brother is now a Transformation Realm Master, the foremost person in Lingnan. Even if Immortal Master Li himself came, he wouldn’t fear him the slightest!"
"That’s right, quickly state your name. Under my big brother’s blade, no nameless men are killed!"
The two female bullies, seeing Li Chen’s handsome appearance and sharp features, actually started having designs on him.
"Big brother, this pretty boy looks quite handsome. Don’t kill him first; let us sisters have some fun. It’s been a while since we have seen such handsome fresh meat, it makes me drool!"
"Yeah, big brother, you guys play with Miss Mei. We two sisters can’t just stand by and watch, right?"