Intimidation and Entry

The fiery red flying boat was called the Crimson Wing Boat. Its keel had been refined from the entire skeleton of a Second-Tier Middle-Grade Red-Wing Flying Eagle. It was exceptionally fast; at full speed, it could outpace even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.

Another half a shichen passed. Following Yang Tianyou's directions, the Crimson Wing Boat arrived at the Dragon Valley Sect's palace.

The flying boat landed. There was nothing in sight, because the Formation was concealing it.

Yang Dangmo gave a soft snort, then activated an eye technique. As a pale red light fell from his eyes, the barrier manifested by the Two-Yi True Water Formation appeared before them.

"Watch me break this turtle shell!"

As he spoke, Yang Dangmo took out a red seal. It was the Law Artifact that had made him famous, the Second-Tier Middle-Grade Law Artifact, the Separation Fire Seal!

After he infused it with spiritual power, the Separation Fire Seal swelled to fifty feet tall in the blink of an eye. Streams of scorching red flame erupted from its body, turning into fire serpents that raised their heads and hissed at the sky.

Boom!

The seal struck, denting the Two-Yi True Water Formation, which was sustained by Spirit Stones alone. But the dent quickly vanished.

Yang Dangmo was undeterred and continued his attack.

Boom! Boom!

Fire and water clashed, the Formation's power contending against the Law Artifact. Waves of heat and steam spread out as Foundation Establishment-level might erupted without restraint, opening Yang Tianyou's eyes.

He felt that he could not withstand a single attack of that degree.

It seemed Fifth Grandpa was considerably stronger than the Zhao Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator who had sent a flying sword to attack him earlier.

"Wait, Yang Dangmo, what are you doing? Why are you attacking my Zhao Household's Formation so recklessly?"

Zhao Tingshen's voice rang out. With the Foundation Establishment cultivator personally taking control, the Two-Yi True Water Formation, which had been on the verge of collapse, stabilized.

Seeing this, Yang Dangmo stopped attacking. He had only intended to draw out the Zhao Household's cultivators; otherwise, if he had asked the Wolf Ancestor to act, the Formation would probably have been broken already.

"Hahaha, Zhao Tingshen, so it's you, brat. Don't you know why I'm here? Stop playing dumb and open the Formation, quickly. My Yang Household is entitled to a share of the Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance too!"

Yang Dangmo spoke directly, without exchanging pleasantries with Zhao Tingshen. He did not want to waste time and risk complications.

Inside the Formation, Zhao Tingshen's face alternated between pale and ashen. That little thief had indeed been from the Yang Household. His fourth uncle had yet to arrive; what was he to do?

Just then, a golden streak flew toward them, and Zhao Tingshen immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yang Dangmo, you old bastard, you dare try to snatch my Zhao Household's fortuitous opportunity?"

The newcomer's voice was deep and overbearing. Hearing it was like standing face-to-face with a mighty, surging river, making one instinctively wary.

"Zhao Zongkun. It's actually him. Good thing the Wolf Ancestor came too, or this would have been hard to handle!"

Yang Dangmo's eyes grew grave. Clearly, he recognized the owner of the voice.

Beside him, Yang Tianyou saw the rare grave look on Fifth Grandpa's face and involuntarily looked up.

The golden streak faded, revealing a majestic spirit beast hovering in midair. It was only a little over ten feet long, and its feathers looked as though they had been cast from gold.

Standing proudly atop the spirit beast was a tall, broad-boned man dressed in close-fitting clothes. His unrestrained, overbearing presence surged toward them; looking at him was like seeing a raging flood or a great river rolling furiously onward.

He was Zhao Zongkun of the Zhao Household of Bianhe, the nephew of Zhao Household Ancestor Zhao Leicong and a clansman reputed to be the household's most gifted. He was at the Seventh Layer of Foundation Establishment and cultivated the Sea-Covering Scripture, one of the Zhao Household's three Foundation Establishment Cultivation Methods.

Zhao Zongkun was overbearing, and his word was law. He had personally slain at least three Foundation Establishment cultivators and even more Tier 2 Demon Beasts. His fearsome reputation was second only to the Zhao Household Ancestor's, and because he was fiercely protective of his own, the Zhao Household held him in great esteem.

Yet at this moment, the habitually overbearing Zhao Zongkun wore a solemn expression as he stared fixedly at the old wolf lying beside Yang Tianyou.

"Your Yang Household certainly spared no expense, inviting even the Purple Moon Wolf King out. Aren't you afraid this old fellow will meet his end here?"

Zhao Zongkun spoke slowly, but his tone was much milder.

"There's no need to trouble your Zhao Household with that worry. As I see it, even if Zhao Leicong dies, the Wolf Ancestor will still be alive and well."

Though he could not beat his opponent, Yang Dangmo gave no ground with his words.

"Hmph! Enough. Let's dispense with this war of words and finish our business first. Your Yang Household doesn't want another force coming to claim a share, does it?"

Zhao Zongkun snorted coldly.

"Naturally. But first, I must ask your Zhao Household to open the Formation."

Seeing that his opponent would not press the matter, Yang Dangmo spoke with a smile.

"Fine. Tingshen, open the Formation and let us in!"

"Yes, Third Uncle!"

Zhao Tingshen answered and took out a token to open the Formation.

"After you, Brother Zhao."

Yang Dangmo extended his right hand, a smile on his face.

"Hmph, let's go!"

With a cold snort, Zhao Zongkun flew into the Formation with the Gold-Piercing Falcon beneath him.

Once they had entered, Yang Dangmo took out a Tier 2 defensive talisman and held it in his hand, ready to activate it at any moment.

"Tianyou, are you going to wait outside, or come in with me?"

"I'll come with you. I'd like to see what's inside the Dragon Valley Sect's palace too."

"All right, then stay close to me. It's not the ten thousand things that don't happen, but the one that might. If the Zhao Household attacks, I can protect you."

Hearing this, Yang Tianyou hurried over to Yang Dangmo. The two then entered the Formation, both on guard.

Everything went smoothly. The Zhao Household made no move.

Yang Tianyou breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though he was not surprised. After all, it was normal for them to make no move. In the face of enormous benefits, past grudges could all be set aside for the time being.

Even so, Yang Dangmo and Yang Tianyou did not lower their guard. A careful hand steers a ship for ten thousand years; under the cover of someone else's Formation, it was better to be cautious.

Following the Zhao Household members ahead of them, Yang Dangmo and Yang Tianyou entered the palace.

The hall, over a hundred feet high, was resplendent with gold and jade. More than a hundred bright pearls radiated light, keeping the hall as bright as day.

They crossed the hall and walked down a corridor, arriving before a set of scarlet-gold doors.

Several Zhao Household array masters at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement were working at full tilt to break the restriction. When they saw Yang Tianyou and the others approach, their expressions all changed.

Some showed anger, some hostility, and others hatred!

Ignoring their gazes, Yang Tianyou quietly activated his Great White Gold Eyes, hoping to peer into the secret of the doors before him.

An invisible gaze fell upon them, and densely packed, intricate Array Marks appeared before Yang Tianyou's eyes.

The Array Marks intertwined and overlapped, forming an extraordinarily intricate Formation restriction. Yang Tianyou studied it for a while, then gave up dejectedly.

A Formation restriction of this level was beyond his present reach. It was at least a Third Tier Formation, and could only be worn down slowly over time. Certain special Spirit Items for breaking formations, such as Array-Eroding Talismans, could also speed up the process.

The pale white liquid the Zhao Household's array masters were using was one such unusual spiritual object for breaking arrays.