Not only did Mu Lingyao find the Golden Crow Li Clan's lineup utterly excessive, everyone present was also startled to see the Li Clan charging over with such a massive force.
In their minds, this mysterious Great Old Master had merely frightened a few Taibai Golden Immortals to death on Floating Sky Island—and whether they actually died was unknown to anyone. The important point was that the Golden Crow Li Clan had at least ten to twenty thousand Taibai Golden Immortals in their service; losing a few meant nothing to them.
While it was true that Li Zhengshi was a member of the Golden Crow Li Clan, and his immortal spirit had indeed dispersed—so the Li Clan seeking revenge and reclaiming their face was understandable—was it really necessary to mobilize so many experts?
Even an elder like Li Xiao, a Five Luminance Great Perfection cultivator, was personally leading the team.
Could it be that the Golden Crow Li Clan feared this Great Old Master's identity and background?
His cultivation strength?
His mysterious and bizarre nature?
That seemed unlikely.
Although this Great Old Master's origins were unknown and his background a complete mystery, rumors said that Qianling and others from the Little Luo Secret Realm had picked him up from outside. Moreover, he was of mortal flesh and blood, not even possessing an immortal body, indicating he was merely a former cultivator. What great identity or background could he possibly have?
Even if he was some 'Great Old Master,' that was a title from the mortal world, utterly insignificant.
That wasn't important.
What mattered was that this Great Old Master had not a shred of cultivation on him. Even if he had reached the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold, it only proved his divine sense, comprehension, and deduction abilities were remarkable. His complete loss of cultivation was an ironclad fact; no matter how powerful he was, he couldn't be that powerful.
If this Great Old Master were truly as formidable as all that, wouldn't he have backed down earlier when faced with threats from the Lotus Secret Realm, the Prestigious Bai Family, and the Golden Crow Liu Family?
Given all this,
was it worth it for the Golden Crow Li Clan to make such a grand production?
Within the venue,
Mu Lingyao was burning with anxiety. She quietly pulled Flower Butterfly Immortal aside and asked, "Sister Huadie, what should we do about this?"
The two moved to the rear of the Fire Cloud Great Carriage. Flower Butterfly Immortal looked up at the Golden Crow Li Clan's vast force of several thousand and said, "The Golden Crow Li Clan didn't come earlier or later; they chose precisely this moment. I'm afraid this matter isn't so simple."
Flower Butterfly Immortal was extremely intelligent and relatively familiar with the various powers of the Twin Polar Heavenly Domain. She understood clearly that if anyone else had killed members of the Golden Crow Li Clan on Floating Sky Island those days ago, the Li Clan would have come knocking within a short time.
The reason they hadn't acted until now was precisely because the Great Old Master's existence was too mysterious and bizarre. Not only were his identity, background, and origins unknown, but he had also scattered an immortal art with a single puff of spiritual smoke, casually uttered words that caused Li Zhengshi's immortal spirit to disperse, and with a single mighty shout, frightened three Taibai Golden Immortals to death—all while having no cultivation whatsoever on his person.
Such a mysteriously bizarre individual inevitably made the Golden Crow Li Clan wary.
These past days, the Golden Crow Li Clan definitely hadn't been idle; they must have been secretly investigating the Great Old Master's identity.
Whether they had actually uncovered his background, Flower Butterfly Immortal didn't know, but it was no longer important.
Earlier, when faced with threats from Dan Lei and others of the Lotus Secret Realm, the Great Old Master had ultimately dared not refuse. This was enough to prove that his existence wasn't as powerful and terrifying as everyone imagined. At the very least, he wasn't powerful enough to dare challenge an immortal family. For the Golden Crow Li Clan, that was sufficient. What exactly the Great Old Master's identity and background were, and why he was so bizarre, no longer held any significance.
After hearing Flower Butterfly Immortal's explanation, Mu Lingyao still couldn't understand. She asked, "Since the Golden Crow Li Clan no longer fears the Great Old Master, why would they still mobilize so many experts?"
"The purpose is to intimidate. While intimidating the Great Old Master, they also want to tell everyone one thing."
"Tell everyone one thing?"
Mu Lingyao asked, puzzled, "What thing?"
"By making such a grand display, the Golden Crow Li Clan wants everyone to know that this time they are seeking justice for the three dead Taibai Golden Immortals and for Li Zhengshi's dispersed immortal spirit. Anyone who interferes with this matter is making an enemy of the Golden Crow Li Clan."
"So that's it!"
Mu Lingyao pondered for a moment, then said, "But it's not a big deal. I'll call my elder brother and second uncle over right now. I doubt the Golden Crow Li Clan would dare do anything to the Great Old Master."
As she spoke, Mu Lingyao was about to summon a message talisman to call her elder brother and second uncle for help, but just as she moved, Flower Butterfly Immortal stopped her. "Absolutely not!"
"Why not?"
"Your elder brother and second uncle are both prestigious figures in the Twin Polar Heavenly Domain, especially your second uncle, who is an elder of the Fengyue Small World. If you ask him to intervene, wouldn't that damage his reputation? The rights and wrongs between the Golden Crow Li Clan and the Great Old Master are no longer important. What matters is that the Golden Crow Li Clan has lost three people now, especially with Li Zhengshi's immortal spirit dispersed. If you ask your elder brother and second uncle to intervene, they might save the Great Old Master's life in the end, but their reputations would suffer for it."
Mu Lingyao said, "I know the Great Old Master isn't in the right this time, and helping him would invite criticism, but what else can we do? Although we haven't known the Great Old Master for long, I feel a real connection with him. And back at Eight Treasures Manor, when I lost the bet, the Great Old Master didn't hold it against me. I can't just stand by and watch him get beaten to death by the Golden Crow Li Clan."
"Did I say you should stand by and watch the Great Old Master get beaten to death by the Golden Crow Li Clan? You still have me, don't you?"
"Sister Huadie, are you planning to intervene for the Great Old Master?"
"I'll try. A few years ago, I treated the Golden Crow Li Clan's patriarch. Their clan owes me a favor."
"Right! How could I forget that! The Golden Crow Li Clan owes you a favor. If you intervene, they wouldn't refuse to give you face, would they?"
Flower Butterfly Immortal shook her head. "I'm not entirely confident. The Golden Crow Li Clan has always been shameless and never cared about sentiment or righteousness. By bringing so many experts now, they're clearly telling everyone that anyone who intervenes is making an enemy of the Golden Crow Li Clan."
"Sister Huadie, even if you intervene, can't you at least save the Great Old Master's life?"
"That's precisely the problem."
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you see it yet?"
"See what?"
"Haven't you considered why the Golden Crow Li Clan didn't come earlier or later, but chose to charge over with such a grand force precisely after the Great Old Master reached the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold?"
Hearing Flower Butterfly Immortal's words, Mu Lingyao suddenly understood. "So the Golden Crow Li Clan is after the ten trillion bonus the Great Old Master won!"
Flower Butterfly Immortal nodded. "If my guess is correct, the Golden Crow Li Clan this time not only wants the Great Old Master's life but also aims to seize the ten trillion bonus he won!"