C"The person who appeared was actually like a summoned character—once killed, they leave behind their weapon and vanish. But the real members of the Li family haven't shown up at all. What's going on here?" Seeing this, Chu Lian couldn't help but start thinking deeply about what was really happening.
After killing someone who looked quite formidable with a single punch, Tina stood there with a confused expression. "Meow? Why was he so easy to kill, meow? He looked really strong—I thought it would take a long time to fight him. Why was he so weak?"
"Ah! You monster—how dare you kill someone in public! Are you bullying us Li family members because you think we have no one? Men, follow me and avenge my lord! Demon, hand over your life!" Tina no longer had time to stay dazed, as the Li family servants who had seen her "kill" "Li Kui" became enraged. They all raised their weapons and charged at her.
"You're the ones bullying people, okay? So many of you ganging up on just one of me—that's way too much, meow!" Tina didn't take these people's strength seriously at all. She just hated how they said one thing and did another.
Seeing them surround her, Tina puffed out her cheeks. In the next instant, her body turned into a gust of wind and circled around them. Immediately after, they all clutched their stomachs, their faces pale, cold sweat pouring down as they dropped to their knees. Then their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.
Clearly, Tina's attack had directly crippled their bodies. Aside from passing out to relieve the intense, twisting pain in their stomachs, there was nothing else they could do.
"Why hasn't anyone come out yet? Just how slow are they?" Chu Lian looked at the gate of the Li family estate. Even after things had escalated this far, no actual members of the Li family had appeared. The strange feeling in her heart grew stronger and stronger. Could it be something happened to Xiu'er?
"Chu Chu, when you came here before, how long did it take for them to come out?" Chu Lian needed to understand the real situation so she could decide her next move.
"How long? I think it was about three to five minutes. As soon as they came out, there were a whole bunch of them—like they were afraid we'd start fighting," Chu Chu replied after thinking back.
Then she waved her hand. "Mother said that as long as we don't go into the backyard, we'll be fine. Instead of waiting here, we might as well just charge in now."
"Anyway, there's no one around the Li family estate. Even if we rush in, no one will say anything. And judging from how the Li family acts, they'll only deal with things themselves—they won't call for outside help." Chu Chu's suggestion actually matched Chu Lian's own thoughts. But without understanding the situation, she still didn't dare act rashly.
"Wait. If no one comes out in a few more minutes, we'll go in." Suppressing her urge to rush inside, Chu Lian stopped Hiyori and Kurosaki Satsuki, who were getting restless. She stepped forward, looked at the luxurious residence before her, took a deep breath, and called out loudly, "I am Chu Lian of the Chu family, here to pay a visit to the Li family!"
There was no reply. Not even the slightest response. Her voice echoed in the night sky, lingering for a long time before fading away.
Frowning, she tried again. "Is this how the Li family treats guests—letting a group of rude servants guard the gate? Or sending out someone who doesn't even know where he is, just to imitate others?"
It was still just as silent. The Li family seemed to be playing an empty fortress strategy—or perhaps telling her, "Since you've already arrived, come in on your own."
"Something's wrong. Something is definitely wrong. If this keeps going, Xiu'er will be in danger—we're going in!" At this point, Chu Lian could no longer hesitate. If she delayed any longer, what awaited her inside would likely be the worst possible outcome.
"Tina, open the gate." Having made her decision, Chu Lian ordered the cat-eared maid, then turned to the girls behind her. "We're not waiting anymore—let's charge in!"
"Should've done that from the start, Big Sis! Let Chu Chu clear the way for you!" The moment she heard Chu Lian's decision, Chu Chu became excited. Her small body floated into the air, wrapped in blue-violet lightning, and she shot straight toward the mansion.
"Let's go." Chu Lian didn't stop her. Seeing Chu Chu rush ahead, she followed immediately.
"Ah—!" In the very next moment, simultaneous cries from Tina and Chu Chu made Chu Lian's heart sink. She looked up—and her eyes instantly filled with raging fury.
Before the gates of the Li family estate, a black barrier filled with twisted human silhouettes had spread out, enveloping the entire property.
The moment Chu Chu and Tina made contact with it, countless hands extended from the barrier, wrapping around their wrists as if trying to drag them inside and turn them into part of itself.
"The Ten Thousand Ghosts Senluo Formation... damn it, what are these people doing?!" Chu Lian recognized the formation. She hadn't known about it before, but after following her mother to deal with the Wang family's vengeful spirits—and seeing her deploy the Hundred Demons Night Parade—she had searched for information about formations out of curiosity.
This Ten Thousand Ghosts Senluo Formation was one she remembered clearly. It was an extremely vile formation with an absurdly terrifying cost to use.
"But this should only be an Earth-rank formation. That means there's still hope!" Seeing that Chu Chu and Tina's hands had already been dragged halfway in—and no matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free—a blue-green light flared in Chu Lian's eyes. Her pupils transformed into intricate patterns—the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Gripping the blade jewel at her wrist, the sword Cold Yan appeared in her hand in a burst of pale moonlight.
Holding the hilt, her mind suddenly grew calm. The space before her vision turned into a strange world composed of countless black lines—lines she could cut at will.
"There!" Activating Teleport, her figure vanished. Her sword rose high into the air and slashed down toward a single point within the Ten Thousand Ghosts Senluo Formation.
"Awooo—!" As if sensing the end—or perhaps liberation—the twisted, imprisoned souls writhed violently. Some even broke free from the formation and lunged at her.
"All of you—disappear!" At this moment, Chu Lian had no intention of holding back. Even if it alerted the three Heaven-rank experts beyond, she would not allow her hesitation to put Xiu'er in danger.
"Swoosh..." After holding on for a brief moment, the formation finally exhausted its power and was split apart. Countless souls twisted and wailed, but it was futile. They vanished into the air, as though they had never existed.
With the formation broken, Chu Chu and Tina were immediately freed. They checked their hands, and only after confirming they were unharmed did they let out sighs of relief.
"No more delays!" Chu Lian no longer wanted to waste even a second. Everything that had just happened—and the appearance of that formation—proved that the situation had already spiraled beyond control. If she didn't want to lose Xiu'er, she could not hesitate any longer.
"Big Sis, I absolutely won't let them off! How dare they treat Chu Chu like this—this is going too far!" Having just experienced that ordeal, Chu Chu was still shaken and furious. Seeing Chu Lian rush in, she followed without a second thought.
"These guys are so hateful, meow!" Tina's ahoge stood straight up. In her ice-blue eyes, flames of anger seemed ready to burn everything away. Being surrounded by such deathly aura was an unbearable humiliation for her as an Underworld Watcher!
"Looks like we finally get to fight." Glancing at the white-haired girl beside her, Hiyori's voice was low yet excited. Wasn't this exactly the kind of situation she had been hoping for?
"Stay cautious." With Chu Chu and Tina's carelessness as a warning, Kurosaki Satsuki had no intention of making the same mistake. After speaking, she drew her twin blades and chased after Chu Lian.
"The slaughter is about to begin." Drawing her own twin blades as well, Hiyori's tall figure suddenly vanished from where she stood. When she reappeared, she was already behind Kurosaki Satsuki—it was almost like teleportation.
No one knew how much strength this Umbral Knight was truly hiding. But the white-haired girl understood clearly that every time she improved and felt she was getting closer, Hiyori would reveal strength that matched her own growth.
Such a rate of growth might be normal for a human genius, but for an unusual undead like an Umbral Knight, it was extremely strange.
How strong was Hiyori at her peak? She didn't know. But she could sense that if Hiyori truly went all out, she might become the third strongest on their side—after Inori and Chu Lian.
"This place..." Inori was the last to remain. It wasn't that she didn't want to follow Chu Lian inside, but a strong sense of unease held her in place.
"Inori, go. If you don't, you'll regret it." A phantom figure appeared behind her—a girl wearing a pink dress with orange-blonde hair, bearing a seventy percent resemblance to Inori. She spoke gently to her.
"Mana, I have a bad feeling." Inori knew Mana had already awakened.
Because most of the energy feedback from Chu Lian's growing strength had been used to strengthen Inori herself, while a smaller portion had been absorbed by Mana. Not only had this increased Mana's power, it had also allowed her to awaken much earlier than expected.
"I know..." Mana raised her orange-red eyes and looked toward the Li family estate. Strange symbols flickered within her pupils, and her voice became mysteriously profound. "Tonight is a very special night. If you miss it, everything will have to start over. No matter how difficult it is, move forward. I will explain everything to you."
Possessing the ability to foresee, the girl fully utilized her power at this moment, revealing fragments of possible futures to Inori and removing her hesitation.
"If something happens, remember to call me." Another girl appeared behind her—a graceful figure with long purple-red hair and an elegant dress. Raising her slender hand, she pointed at the Li family estate and said proudly, "Although you'll fall unconscious for a long time if I come out, and I won't be able to stay for more than ten... there is no one inside who can defeat me."
"I understand." With the affirmation of her two "selves," Inori no longer hesitated. Her wine-red eyes sharpened as she fixed her gaze forward and sprinted ahead.
As she ran, she drew her handgun. Spiritual power flowed through her body, ready for any enemy that might appear.
"Xiu'er, you must be safe!" There was no one in the front courtyard, and even the places with lights were scarce. This grand residence, built in the style of an ancient Huaxian mansion, felt completely lifeless.
This situation only made Chu Lian's unease grow stronger. Something about tonight was definitely wrong!
Not in the front courtyard. Not in the central courtyard. Chu Lian didn't slow her steps at all. If they weren't there, then even the most dangerous rear courtyard had to be searched!
With the firm resolve to save Xiu'er, she rushed into the final large courtyard. When she saw the scene before her, her eyes burned with an unprecedented fury...