"Miss, actually, there's no need to have the family take action. The Misty Cloud Sect is already not far from destruction."
"Elder Ling, why do you say that?" Gu Xun Er asked.
Ling Ying chuckled. "The Misty Cloud Sect has been constantly expanding its influence, and it's already attracted the attention of certain powers in the northwest. If this continues, someone will definitely take action.
"Besides, if you send word to the Ancient Clan, will you still be able to remain at Jia Nan Academy? Those people in the clan will certainly come to take you back."
The Ancient Eight Clans were powerful not only because they possessed numerous Dou Saint experts, but also because every Ancient Family controlled the cultivation resources in the major regions of the east, south, west, and north.
The Misty Cloud Sect's current rate of development had already attracted the attention of certain family powers. That was why Ling Ying had determined that the Misty Cloud Sect's future would end in tragedy.
Gu Xun Er furrowed her delicate brows. She truly had not considered this point. "Elder Ling, which family governs the northwest region?"
Ling Ying said, "The west belongs to metal and is governed by the Stone Spirit Tribes. The east belongs to wood and is governed by the Lei Clan. The north belongs to water and is governed by the Spirit Clan. The south belongs to fire and is governed by the Yan Clan. The Central Continent belongs to earth. The central region is governed by the Ancient Clan, Yao Clan, and Soul Clan. The northwest lies between the west and north, so it naturally falls under the control of the Stone Spirit Tribes and the Spirit Clan."
Gu Xun Er asked, "Even so, will the Stone Spirit Tribes and the Spirit Clan really take action?"
"They definitely will," Ling Ying replied. "Although the many great powers of the northwest appear formidable, every year they pay tribute to the territories governed by the Ancient Families. After the Misty Cloud Empire rose to prominence, it never reported its establishment to the regional heads of the Stone Spirit Tribes and the Spirit Clan. The consequences are obvious."
Gu Xun Er nodded, but she was still somewhat furious. "But they bullied Brother Xiao Yan. I don't want to let them live even a few more days. Do this—send word back to the Ancient Clan and say that I, this young lady, was bullied by the Misty Cloud Sect. It would be best if that fellow Gu Yao found out. He has Elder Tong Xuan supporting him. No matter how powerful the Misty Cloud Sect becomes, it can't possibly defeat a Half-Saint, right?"
Ten short days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the Lion Underworld Sect's grand ceremony had arrived.
Ye Qianqian was dressed in luxurious clothes. She brought Yun Shan, She Qingqing, Saber, and Wang Ba with her as they rode a Dou Qi Warship toward the Lion Underworld Sect.
The Qing Luan Warship flew extremely quickly under the combustion of several thousand Dou Qi crystals. However, the Misty Cloud Sect was at least ten thousand li from the Lion Underworld Sect, and the journey was rather boring. Ye Qianqian took out a deck of cards and taught Yun Shan and the others to play landlord.
"Elder She Qingqing, aren't you going to play?" Ye Qianqian asked when she saw She Qingqing's solemn expression.
She Qingqing smiled bitterly and shook her head. How could she be in the mood to play? The Lion Underworld Sect had gone to such lengths to invite more than a thousand great sects. It clearly possessed some immeasurable secret. Whether this trip would bring fortune or misfortune was still unknown.
"Forget it, I won't play either." Ye Qianqian put down the cards in her hand and said to Wang Ba and She Qingqing, "The two of you are both familiar with the sects of the northwest. Why don't you tell me what kind of sect the Lion Underworld Sect is?"
The Lion Underworld Sect had always been rather unfamiliar to her. In the plot of her previous life, it had merely been a minor background faction. It had not appeared a few times before being destroyed by Xiao Lao San, so she was extremely curious.
As a branch hall master of the Soul Hall, Wang Ba had an extremely thorough grasp of the Lion Underworld Sect's intelligence. Seeing Ye Qianqian ask, he immediately began slowly describing the sect's origins and strength.
"The Lion Underworld Sect originated with a Nine-Revolutions Dou Venerate named Venerate Tian Shi. Two thousand years ago, this powerful man made a fearsome name for himself across the Dou Qi Continent. He was also a Beast Tamer whose achievements rivaled those of alchemists.
"According to legend, Venerate Tian Shi raised a Nether Mighty Lion with the strength of an Eight-Revolutions Dou Venerate. When faced with a powerful enemy, the man and lion complemented each other. Even if two Nine-Revolutions Dou Venerate experts attacked together, they would remain unafraid."
Yun Shan and Ye Qianqian were slightly startled. The Lion Underworld Sect had actually been founded by a Nine-Revolutions Dou Venerate. It truly was extraordinary.
"Then does that mean the Lion Underworld Sect has a Nine-Revolutions Dou Venerate guarding it?"
She Qingqing shook her head. "Not at all. No matter how powerful Venerate Tian Shi was, he was ultimately only a worldly rogue cultivator. He was too arrogant at the time and did not put anyone else in his eyes. He directly offended the person overseeing the northwest on behalf of the Ancient Families. That overseer was actually a Half-Saint. He appeared for less than a few breaths before completely wiping out Venerate Tian Shi with a single palm strike.
"After that, the Lion Underworld Sect never recovered. To preserve the sect's existence, it had to obediently pay tribute to the Ancient Families every year. With a sect like the Lion Underworld Sect taking the lead, the other great sects also offered tribute one after another. My Heavenly Snake Mansion was no exception."
After hearing Wang Ba and She Qingqing's words, Ye Qianqian's mood became extremely poor. The northwest was actually a territory governed by the Ancient Families. If the Misty Cloud Sect wanted to grow stronger, it would presumably face pressure from the Ancient Families as well.
Seeing Ye Qianqian's worry, Wang Ba continued, "Senior, don't be dejected. The Ancient Families have a common ironclad rule across the Dou Qi Continent: Half-Saints and Dou Saints absolutely cannot act recklessly. Whoever does so will face condemnation from the other families."
"Heh." Ye Qianqian's face darkened, and the corner of her mouth twitched repeatedly. The person is already dead. What use is condemnation?
It seemed she had to accelerate her development. Otherwise, if a Half-Saint from an Ancient Family took action, she would not even be left with ashes.
The group discussed the various forces and circumstances of the northwest for a while. At last, the warship reached Holy Lion City.
The city was magnificent and splendid, covering an area of forty li in every direction—twice the size of Jiama Sacred City. Viewed from the sky, it resembled a flourishing paradise.
At the same time, countless sects and forces below were also streaming toward the city. They were all representatives and sect masters from the various sects.
After they disembarked from the warship, She Qingqing waved her delicate hand and stored the Qing Luan Warship in her Storage Ring.
"Ancestor, the resting area for the various sects is just ahead. Let's go register and settle in as well. I heard the Lion Underworld Sect has prepared a high-grade resting area for us," Yun Shan said.
Nearly all the great sects had arrived, waiting for the Lion Underworld Sect's grand ceremony to begin the following day. Yun Shan was both excited and thrilled. If Ye Qianqian, his ancestor, had not appeared, a sect master from a small sect like his would never have had the chance to stay in such a high-grade resting area.
"No rush. Let's stroll around Holy Lion City first." Ye Qianqian was extremely curious about the city and wanted to look around before settling in.
When they reached a street stall, she crouched down to take a look. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
The items being sold at the stall were all exceptionally precious. There were more than ten second-tier magic cores, five or six bottles of third-grade Qi Gathering Powder, and a treasured sword forged by a fourth-tier weaponsmith.
So many precious items had actually been placed on a street stall for sale. Weren't they afraid someone would snatch them?
She looked at the other stalls and found that they were basically selling the same kinds of items. Only then did she marvel at the Lion Underworld Sect's strength. It did not even care about fourth- or third-tier objects.
"Hey, kid, the blade on your back looks pretty good. Name your price!"
Just then, a burly man walked over. He pointed at the Zanpakuto on Wang Ba's back and asked greedily.
Wang Ba ignored him and continued walking away.
But the burly man was utterly uncivilized. He grabbed Wang Ba by the shoulder and said, "Kid, I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me?"
"Get lost." Wang Ba lightly shook his shoulder, sending the man flying backward. After rolling on the ground more than ten times, the man landed on his butt.
"Damn it, do you know who I am? I'm the master of the Myriad Blade Sect, a nine-star Dou Ling. I was invited here by the Lion Underworld Sect as an honored guest. You dare provoke me? That's an unforgivable crime! I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off for now."
The burly man had been scared out of his wits by Wang Ba's strength. Yellow, foul-smelling liquid continuously dripped from his trouser legs—he had actually wet himself. After issuing a threat, he fled in panic.
"Pfft." Ye Qianqian failed to hold back her laughter, but she was also extremely puzzled. What exactly is the Lion Underworld Sect trying to do? It even invited a small sect whose strongest expert hasn't reached the Dou Wang realm.
However, the moment she arrived, she had sensed that something was wrong with the city. The surroundings were shrouded in an inexplicable soul force. If she had not eaten the Soul-Soul Fruit, she would never have sensed these fluctuations.
By coincidence, Wang Ba had also sensed this force.
"Wang Ba, you're the hall master of the Soul Hall, and your understanding of souls is quite profound. Can you sense where the source of this fluctuation is?"
After hearing Ye Qianqian's question, Wang Ba hurriedly closed his eyes and used a soul secret technique to investigate. A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes. "It should be underground!"
"Underground?"
Ye Qianqian found the Lion Underworld Sect's grand ceremony increasingly mysterious.
"Oh, so several esteemed members of the Misty Cloud Sect have arrived! We failed to welcome you properly!" At that moment, an old man with white hair and a youthful face walked over with a group of disciples behind him, laughing heartily.
Everyone took one look and discovered that the old man's strength had actually reached the realm of a two-star Dou Venerate.
The old man cupped his hands toward Yun Shan and the others with a smile. "I am the Lion Underworld Sect's Great Elder, Shi Yutian. I have been waiting here for some time today, specifically to welcome the esteemed members of the Misty Cloud Sect. I have already prepared a welcome banquet for you all. Please accompany me there."
Before you continue