The Zhan family was finished.
No one could have imagined that a noble family that had stood for tens of thousands of years would collapse so suddenly.
Of course, the Zhan family brought this upon themselves.
As humans, their attempt to harm the Human King was a self-inflicted doom, a fate they deserved.
The once-declining Duan family, after this event, once again entered the sight of the major powers in Mingyue City.
These powers knew that the Duan family was about to rise.
Although the Duan family did not have a Spirit Emperor, the strength they displayed was enough to rival, and even surpass, some families that did possess a Spirit Emperor.
Most importantly, the Duan family was closely connected to the New Human King, and behind them stood a mysterious Mr. Ji, whose future was limitless.
Many people began to speculate whether this Mr. Ji was the same person who had toyed with and killed the Nine Nether Ancestor not long ago.
If it were indeed the same person, would it mean that Mr. Ji intended to meddle in the Southern Region with grand ambitions?
They wanted to investigate Mr. Ji's true identity, but the Duan family remained tight-lipped, refusing to reveal any information.
To save his life, Zhan Zhiming handed over everything the Zhan family possessed.
The Zhan family's industries and territories fell into Fan Jingxing's hands, who then handed them over to the Duan family for management.
Their accumulated wealth of tens of thousands of years was divided among Huineng, Xuan Ao, and Tian Peng.
These three fellows struck it rich, sleeping with smiles on their faces every night.
Of course, many rare and beautiful treasures ended up in Ah Li's possession, making the little girl a bona fide rich kid.
As for Ji Mo, he didn't get a single hair.
Everyone believed that Mr. Ji had plenty of good things, that a single strand of his hair was thicker than their thighs, and that he wouldn't bother with such trivial matters.
Tian Peng and the Ginseng King could only watch enviously. Due to their criminal status, they also received no benefits.
Because of this incident, Ah Li was finally exposed to the world.
A child less than six years old awakened the Human King's bloodline and even reached the Spirit Emperor realm. This news shocked the world.
The youngest Spirit Emperor in history!
And also the youngest and most monstrous Human King in history!
These two titles made Ah Li the most sought-after individual in the entire Southern Region, and even the entire Xuanling Realm.
Some veteran Spirit Emperors predicted that in twenty years, the entire Southern Region would follow Ah Li's lead, and in fifty years, the five great regions and four great oceans of the Xuanling Realm would likely be dominated by Ah Li.
Of course, all this was predicated on Ah Li being able to grow up smoothly.
Such a dazzling human king would not be tolerated by the alien races as she grew.
Ah Li's true identity and origin were also revealed to the world.
Luo Li, from the Luo family of Human Kings in the Southern Region.
"The Luo family is extraordinary! Cultivating a prodigy like Luo Li, their former glory is within reach!"
Many major powers sighed with envy, wishing they could produce such a favored child.
They even secretly inquired about how the Luo family nurtured their descendants.
However, some who knew the inside story understood that things were far from simple, and the Luo family might experience great upheaval. If not handled properly, they might even decline from this point on.
After all, when Ah Li was still in swaddling clothes, she had been targeted, and her spiritual bone from the center of her brows had been dug out by her own clansmen.
Now that Ah Li had become the Human King, she was destined to seek revenge.
And the perpetrators of that year would certainly not sit idly by; they would undoubtedly resist with all their might.
"Just wait and see, the Luo family will likely undergo a major change soon!"
Many old fossils saw through it clearly, anticipating the unfolding drama.
The more prominent a family, the more complex it became, with too many vested interests at play.
Throughout history, countless families had collapsed due to internal strife, and this was nothing new.
Upon learning of Ah Li's situation, the Luo family immediately dispatched people to bring Ah Li back and have her succeed as the head of the Luo family.
Those who came were relatives from Ah Li's branch of the Luo family. When Ah Li's spiritual bone was dug out and she was on the verge of death, it was the ancestor of this branch who offered a drop of Human King's essence blood to save Ah Li's life.
The Luo family members of this branch were trustworthy.
Now, with the Luo family selecting a new patriarch, it was an excellent opportunity for Ah Li to return.
"Brother Ji, I'm going home."
Although Ah Li was reluctant to leave Ji Mo, she knew she had to.
To avenge the digging of her bone and to investigate the truth behind her parents' deaths, she had to return, find a way to seize the position of family head, and absolutely not let it fall into the hands of the Grand Elder.
Ji Mo did not stop her, respecting Ah Li's choice.
He secretly sought out Ye Yao and asked directly, "Was the perpetrator who harmed Ah Li the Grand Elder of the Luo family?"
Although Bian Wei had repeatedly mentioned the Grand Elder, it was merely his personal speculation without concrete evidence and could not be taken seriously.
Ji Mo had specifically questioned Zhan Zhiming about this, but the latter did not know anything, and the Grand Elder had never mentioned it to him.
Of course, the Grand Elder's instigation of Zhan Zhiming to harm Ah Li made him the prime suspect.
However, it was also possible that the culprit was someone else.
"I don't know either. The perpetrator left no clues behind back then. And because it was a scandal, the Luo family's higher-ups, to minimize the impact, did not pursue it thoroughly, choosing to let it go and maintain peace. But from this, we can infer that this person must have held a very high position in the Luo family. Now, it seems the Grand Elder is highly suspected."
Ye Yao revealed all that she knew.
Now, five years had passed, and it was likely that all evidence had been destroyed, making it very difficult to find the true culprit.
Ji Mo frowned upon hearing this.
He was very uneasy. If the culprit could not be identified, wouldn't Ah Li be in great danger upon her return?
"Don't worry. Ah Li's status is different now, and she will receive the best protection. Once she takes charge of the Luo family, no one will be able to harm her."
As if sensing Ji Mo's concern, Ye Yao comforted him.
Although she disliked Ji Mo immensely, she could feel that Ji Mo genuinely cared for Ah Li, so her attitude towards him improved.
"I've thought of a way to find the real culprit!"
After much thought, a flash of inspiration struck Ji Mo.
Why would the culprit dig out Ah Li's spiritual bone?
It was naturally to transplant it and claim it as their own.
In other words, as long as Ah Li's spiritual bone was found in someone's possession, that person would undoubtedly be the culprit.
"You're amazing, Ji the Great Liar! How did I not think of that? It's indeed feasible!"
After hearing Ji Mo's analysis, Ye Yao's eyes lit up with a different kind of brilliance as she looked at him.
This great liar was indeed clever, having immediately identified the crucial point.
Therefore, all that was needed was to investigate the Luo family disciples and find the whereabouts of Ah Li's spiritual bone, which would naturally lead them to the true culprit.
The night before she left.
Ji Mo entered Ah Li's room, holding a crystal bottle.
Inside the bottle, a drop of blood shimmered like fire, as brilliant as a star.
This was a drop of phoenix blood, refined by Ji Mo. After absorbing it, one could comprehend the phoenix's divine ability of Nirvana, essentially possessing immortality.
This was Ji Mo's parting gift to Ah Li.
That night, Mingyue City was as bright as day, and the sound of phoenix cries echoed through the heavens and earth.
Ah Li, bathed in a ball of seven-colored flames, completed her transformation.