Return to Mist Sea City

In the side hall, Huo Min stood respectfully to one side with his hands at his sides.

He initially thought it was just another routine announcement.

Over the years, he has been guarding the Contact Core, handling at least eight or ten thousand routine communications. Although ad-hoc communications are rare, they are not uncommon either.

But when Huo Han uttered the words "a catastrophe," Huo Min's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked up at the usually composed elder.

At this moment, Huo Han was holding the dark green crystal, and a fine layer of cold sweat had already seeped out from his forehead.

His lips moved as if he were repeatedly chewing on the message in the crystal, or as if he was forcing himself to accept some unacceptable fact.

Huo Min opened his mouth, wanting to ask, "Elder, what happened?", but before he could speak, Huo Han suddenly raised his head. His eyes, which were usually half-closed, were now wide open, and his eye sockets were bloodshot, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

No one is allowed to tell this!

Huo Han's voice almost changed tone.

He stared intently at Huo Min, the oppressive force in his gaze causing Huo Min to involuntarily take a half-step back.

Huo Min hurriedly bowed and agreed, about to swear that he would never reveal a single word, but Huo Han didn't even wait for him to speak before flicking his sleeve and disappearing in a streak of light.

Deep within the floating island, in the patriarch's cultivation room.

Huo Wen sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation platform, surrounded by dense chaotic energy. The hazy air currents, guided by the law framework, flowed slowly along the energy flow patterns on the four walls of the cultivation room, like combed silk threads. Each flow drew more chaotic energy from the void, and after being purified and filtered by the complex law patterns, impurities were stripped away, leaving only the purest energy.

At that moment, the protective barrier suddenly emitted bursts of vibrations.

Huo Wen frowned slightly and slowly opened his eyes.

Everyone in the clan knows that he doesn't like to be disturbed during his cultivation, so the sudden arrival of someone must mean that something very important has happened.

However, before he could even ask a question, Huo Han's urgent, almost frantic voice came from outside the door.

"Chief! Something terrible has happened!"

Huo Wen's heart skipped a beat.

Huo Han usually values rules the most, so for him to disregard the proper etiquette of announcing his arrival and instead shout from outside, the situation is probably more serious than he imagines.

He immediately concealed his aura, raised his hand to release the protective barrier of the cultivation room, and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The door to the training room slid open silently, revealing Huo Han with a gloomy expression.

He disregarded etiquette, stepped directly in front of Huo Wen, and handed Huo Wen the small, dark green crystal.

"The master just sent a last-minute message: the Jiheng Constant Guard assessment is complete, and the new Constant Guard... is Lin Yi."

Lin Yi?

Huo Wen was taken aback upon hearing this, then snatched the crystal and pressed it against his forehead.

As his consciousness sank into it, lines of clear and unmistakable text unfolded in his mind.

Lin Yi ranked first in two categories in the Silent City Constant Guard assessment.

After the assessment concluded, all major factions immediately issued a notice to the entire city of Silent City, officially announcing the registration of the new Constant Guard.

At the end of the message was a young image.

Huo Wen was familiar with that face.

When he decided to take action against the Rui Family, he had briefly reviewed the intelligence about this genius of the Imperial Army, and his conclusion at the time was merely that he was " of Outer Island of Constant Island level and not worth worrying about."

Huo Wen sat silently on the cultivation platform, his expression shifting from confusion to astonishment to disbelief, finally settling into an extremely somber, iron-blue hue.

Constant Guard).

Lin Yi.

When these two words were placed side by side, Huo Wen felt as if he had been punched hard in the chest.

A brief silence fell over the meditation room.

Not a cause for concern.

Huo Wen slowly lowered his hand, placed the crystal on his lap, and remained silent for a long while.

These four words now felt like a slap across his face, delivered across an entire cosmic distance.

Constant Guard...

Let alone the fact that the Huo Family is just a branch of the Silent Huo Family, even the main family of the Constant Source Realm would have to be extremely cautious when facing the Constant Guard.

And now, the Rui Family, whom they have been openly and covertly suppressing for a long time in Mist Sea City, is precisely the benefactor of this newly promoted Constant Guard.

Seeing his silence, Huo Han couldn't help but take a step forward and said anxiously, "Clan leader, what do we do now? If they find out what we've done over the years... that would be a huge disaster!"

"How could I not know?"

Huo Wen abruptly interrupted him.

He suddenly stood up and began pacing back and forth. "There's no point in saying more now! The key is how to make amends!"

Huo Wen paced back and forth in the training room several times, then stopped and looked at Huo Han.

"First, go to the Rui Family. Prepare a generous gift immediately, and select several of the clan's most valuable treasures. I will go personally. If we can persuade Clan Chief Ruizhan to reconcile and put in a good word for us, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation."

Huo Han nodded repeatedly, already calculating in his mind what he could give away from the clan's treasury.

But Huo Wen didn't finish his sentence.

"However, we can't place all our hopes on the Rui Family."

As he spoke, Huo Wen's voice turned cold. "Contact them and tell them they performed well recently. Send them an extra batch of supplies as a reward. You and the third brother go personally. Once you arrive, eliminate them all, leave no one alive. Erasure all traces, make it as clean as possible."

Upon hearing this, Huo Han's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he nodded emphatically.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, another elder rushed in.

"It's terrible, Chieftain! The City Lord, along with the experts from the City Lord's Mansion and the City Guard, has surrounded the floating island!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Wen's expression changed drastically.

City Lord's Mansion?

"Let's go take a look."

Huo Wen gave Huo Han a wink, then turned and walked out.

They encountered many members of the Huo Family along the way, all of them looking bewildered. Upon seeing Huo Wen, they bowed respectfully, wanting to ask him questions, but were so frightened by his gloomy gaze that they swallowed their words back.

At the edge of the floating island, the energy barrier was still functioning normally, but outside the barrier, the scene was completely different.

Hundreds of standard-issue Flying Shuttle of the city guards completely surrounded Huo Family Floating Island.

Each Flying Shuttle was adorned with the insignia of the city guards, and beams of pale blue energy intertwined between Flying Shuttle, weaving a vast, sealing net that covered the entire floating island.

Behind the Flying Shuttle array, a larger flagship hovered.

At the bow of the flagship stood a figure clad in dark green armor.

The armor's shoulder and breastplates were engraved with the city lord's exclusive emblem. The man had a square face and a neatly trimmed short beard; he was none other than Lord Ote of Mist Sea City.

Behind him, more than ten commanders of the Eternal Source Realm of the city guards lined up in a row, and further away, countless elite city guards cut off all the waterways in all directions around the Huo Family Floating Island.

Outside the sealed light net, countless cultivators had already gathered on the air routes of Mist Sea City to watch the spectacle.

Although Mist Sea City is not small, it is rare to see the City Lord's Mansion mobilize such a force to blockade a floating island, even across countless Epoch.

The news spread like wildfire throughout every corner of Mist Sea City. Cultivators in the vicinity dropped what they were doing, some rushed out of their shops, some temporarily left their cultivation towers, and others gathered with friends and family, crossing half of Mist Sea City from other districts to come here.

The cultivators who were watching the spectacle hovered far away outside the cordon set up by the city guards. Some whispered to each other, some pointed at the floating island, and some had already taken out communication talismans, excitedly relaying the scene to their relatives and friends who were unable to attend.

"Even the City Lord himself has come out; is this a sign that he's about to completely break ties with the Huo Family?"

"A complete breakdown in relations? I don't think so. If we really wanted to break off relations, we'd just attack directly. Why just surround them without fighting?"

"What do you know? This is clearly waiting for the main character. For the City Lord's Mansion to mobilize such a large force, there must be a powerful figure behind it..."

Similar murmurs rose and fell among the onlookers.

Huo Wen stood on the platform at the edge of the floating island, taking in the entire scene outside through the energy barrier.

His gaze swept over the hovering city guard Flying Shuttle, over the intricate patterns of the sealing light net, and finally landed on Ote.

Huo Wen's heart sank lower and lower.

But things still needed to be resolved. He took a step forward, hovering above the floating island, and bowed to Ote.

"Lord Ote, what is your intention in besieging my Huo Family's floating island without cause?" Huo Wen's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire airspace. "Could it be that you think my Huo Family has no one to rely on?"

Ote down at Huo Wen from the bow of the flagship, a surge of indescribable pleasure welled up in his heart as he gazed upon the once domineering head of the Huo Family who had run rampant in Mist Sea City.

When the Huo Family first arrived in Mist Sea City, they adopted an extremely humble attitude.

Huo Wen personally visited the city lord's mansion, bringing a large number of gifts. He spoke politely and showed great respect to the city lord.

But not long after they had figured out the true nature of the various families in Mist Sea City, the Huo Family began to reveal their true colors.

First they poached customers, then they cut off supplies, and then they attacked other companies' transport fleets, gradually driving those local families with little background to the brink of despair.

The heads of those families had some connection with Ote.

Although it wasn't a life-or-death friendship, they had spent so many Universal Epoch in Mist Sea City, so naturally they would keep in touch.

They also came to Ote, asking him to mediate.

Ote did indeed show up.

He remembered clearly that time when he, as the city lord, invited Huo Wen to the city lord's mansion and kindly advised him that the various families in Mist Sea City had always lived in peace, and since the Huo Family were outsiders, it was always good to follow local customs and leave some room for maneuver in everything.

He also hinted that if the Huo Family were willing to restrain themselves a bit, the City Lord's Mansion could offer some compensation in other ways.

So how did Huo Wen respond?

Huo Wen wore a polite smile, but his words were barbed and sarcastic.

He said the Huo Family has always competed fairly in business and never resorts to any underhanded tactics, so he didn't know what the city lord meant by leaving room for maneuver.

He said that those families were eliminated by the market due to poor management. If every eliminated family came to the city lord to complain, wouldn't the city lord's mansion be overwhelmed?

On the surface, this is an explanation, but its underlying meaning is crystal clear.

Mind your own business.

Ote was so angry he almost lost his temper on the spot.

But he endured it.

Because the Mist Sea Huo Family is backed by the Constant Source Huo Family of Silent City.

Although he held a prestigious position in Mist Sea City, he was only at the Eternal Source Realm Completion. Faced with the wrath of a Constant Lord, he was truly no match for him.

Besides, while he had connections with those families, they weren't deep enough for him to risk everything and confront the Huo Family head-on.

Therefore, he had no choice but to remain neutral, and despite repeated pleas for help from his old friends, he reluctantly refused to see them.

But unexpectedly, just now, he received a message from Commander Wen Qianfei.

The highest-ranking military officer in Mist Sea City, who was of equal rank to him, spoke in a businesslike tone, but the content was enough to make his heart stop.

Wen Qianfei said she was conveying the request of Lin Yi, the newly promoted Constant Guard, hoping that the City Lord's Mansion could immediately seal off the Huo Family's floating island. Lin Yi himself would soon depart from Silent City and rush back to Mist Sea City.

Constant Guard Lin Yi.

Ote was stunned for a long time.

He had certainly heard of Lin Yi. Back in the day, Lin Yi was known as Lin Three Favors in the Imperial Army of Mist Sea City. He had even talked about this man privately with his staff, thinking that given time, he might become a general in the Imperial Army. But how did he suddenly become a newly promoted member of the Constant Guard?

Although he was full of doubts, he knew that Wen Qianfei would never joke about the Constant Guard.

He readily agreed, assuring the City Lord's Mansion that it would fully cooperate with Constant Guard's actions, while simultaneously sending someone to contact Silent City, which confirmed the truth of the matter.

Furthermore, the Silent Left City's Mansion is preparing to send a message to its subordinate cities.

Lin Yi did indeed pass the Silent Left City Constant Guard assessment, ranking first on both lists.

Ote was overjoyed.

He already disliked Huo Wen, and now that the Constant Guard were in front of him, what did he have to worry about?

Furthermore, according to the rules, the City Lord's Mansion has an obligation to cooperate with the Constant Guard's actions.

The Constant Guard, upon reasonable suspicion, have the authority to temporarily detain a target for ten thousand Epoch, including but not limited to sealing off or imprisoning them.

Besides, what do you mean by "no evidence can be found"?

Even an outsider like him knows the Huo Family isn't clean. With the Constant Guard's methods and intelligence network, if they investigate thoroughly, how could they not find irrefutable evidence?

Ote snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Huo Wen, who was now trying to play the victim.

He sneered and shouted, "At the request of Lord Lin Yi Constant Guard, I, the City Lord, have sealed off your Huo Family Floating Island! If Patriarch Huo Family has any questions, you can ask Lord Lin yourself when he arrives!"

"Until then, you are not allowed to go anywhere!"

The sound, like a tangible sonic wave, exploded above the floating island and spread throughout the entire airspace.

The sealing off of the outer perimeter of the light net caused an uproar among the cultivators who had been watching from afar.

Their news hadn't arrived that quickly. They had only seen the city guards suddenly mobilize to blockade the Huo Family's floating island, assuming there had been some conflict between the city lord and the Huo Family, and were speculating about what serious matter it was. But they never expected that the name that came from the mouth of City Lord Ote would be this.

Lin Yi, the Constant Guard!

Could it be that Lin Three Favors, also known as Lin Yi?

Constant Guard?

The onlookers were so excited that their breathing became heavier, and they all took out communication talismans to send the message back to their respective families, guilds, and forces as quickly as possible.

"Constant Guard Lin Yi, the Imperial Guard, requests the blockade of the Huo Family's floating island."

This explosive news is spreading throughout the entire megacity at an astonishing speed.

Huo Wen listened to Ote's words and observed the reactions of the cultivators on the periphery, his heart sank to the bottom.

He knew that since Ote had said those words in front of so many people, there was no point in arguing with him anymore.

Therefore, without uttering a word and ignoring the anxious gazes of his clansmen behind him, he turned and landed back on the floating island. Then, without turning his head, he said in a deep voice, "Elders, come and discuss matters."

A moment later, the doors to the core council hall deep within the floating island were slammed shut.

Inside the hall, Huo Wen and six elders at the initial stage of the Eternal Source Realm sat around a long table.

The energy source on the roof illuminated everyone's face clearly, including the unconcealed terror on their faces.

The five clan elders were summoned at the last minute. Apart from Huo Han, the other five had no idea what had happened. The floating island was suddenly surrounded by the city lord's mansion.

"Clan leader, what exactly happened? Why is the City Lord's Mansion suddenly mobilized so heavily?"

An elder asked anxiously, his gaze darting back and forth between Huo Wen and Huo Han, trying to read the answer from their expressions.

Huo Han took a deep breath, glanced at Huo Wen, and seeing that he didn't intend to speak, he stood up and recounted the message he had received from the communication crystal.

When he uttered his last word, the core council chamber was so quiet that everyone's breathing could be clearly heard.

Another elder stared intently at Huo Han, "Lin Yi... is that Lin Yi?"

"It's him, it's definitely him," Huo Han.

The elder slowly leaned back in his chair.

The other slammed his fist on the table, stood up angrily, and shouted, "He just became Constant Guard, hasn't even returned to Mist Sea City yet, and hasn't even had a chance to rest overnight, but he can't wait to attack us!"

Isn't he afraid that people will say he's using his position to settle personal scores, and that this will cause controversy?

Huo Wen sneered upon hearing this.

"Dissent?"

He raised his head, his gaze icy. "If he can solidify our guilt, then he's not settling a personal score; he's acting decisively and has earned a reputation for being intolerant of injustice!"

The elder was speechless, opened his mouth, and finally slumped back into his chair.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Huo Han turned to Huo Wen and said urgently, "Patriarch, our situation is probably worse than we imagined. Originally, I was planning to send generous gifts to the Rui Family to try and gain their forgiveness while dealing with those people to eliminate future troubles. But I didn't expect Lin Yi to act so quickly, not even overnight, and he trapped us here through the City Lord's Mansion. Now it's too late for anything."

"I knew it! I shouldn't have been in such a rush!"

One of the elders couldn't help but say something.

Huo Wen gave the elder a cold glare. "What's the use of saying all this now? The action back then was unanimously approved by the elders. Who knew Lin Yi would pass the Constant Guard exam? Everyone was just reaping the benefits."

Silence fell once again in the hall.

"Patriarch, what should we do now?" another elder asked.

Huo Wen remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, looked around at the six elders present, and went through all the possible paths in his mind.

There's no way to avoid it, no way to hide it, no way to conceal it; we can only face the mountain that's about to crush us.

"I didn't want to alarm the main family," he said. "The patrols of the Constant Guard can be large or small. Although the main family is our backer, asking for their help always comes at a price. But now the floating island is blocked, we can't get out, and we don't trust outsiders, so we have no choice but to ask the main family for help."

He paused for a moment, then stated his assessment. "As long as our family is willing to mediate and send someone to eliminate any future troubles, and we show genuine sincerity in seeking reconciliation, I doubt Lin Yi will insist on fighting us to the death."

Huo Han nodded silently, and the other elders also sighed in silence.

That's all we can do.

Having made up their minds, the group did not hesitate any longer. They hurriedly got up and left the council hall, passing through the corridors inside the floating island and walking quickly toward the secluded side hall.

Along the way, they encountered many clansmen. Some wanted to go up and ask questions, but seeing the expressions on the faces of the clan elders, they swallowed their words and silently made way for them.

Inside the side hall, the enormous, dark green Contact Core still hovered in mid-air, emitting a faint glow that enveloped the entire side hall in a layer of dim green light.

Huo Wen walked to the front of the crystal core and stood still, raising his hand to press on the activation rune on the surface of the crystal core.

Pure Chaos Power surged from his palm into the crystal core, activating the dormant law patterns.

This is no longer the kind of one-way short message; this is real-time communication.

The crystal core trembled at an increasingly faster frequency, and the dark green light on its surface grew stronger. The patterns of laws seemed to move rapidly across the surface of the crystal core like living things. A moment later, a beam of light, condensed to its extreme, shot out from the core of the crystal core and struck the void in front of Huo Wen.

The light collapsed, coalescing into a blurry, illusory image.

The illusory figure gradually became clearer, revealing the appearance of a middle-aged man wearing a dark green robe.

His gaze fell on Huo Wen, then swept over the somber-faced elders behind him, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"What happened? Is it necessary to use emergency communication, and in real-time?"

Huo Wen took a deep breath, bowed slightly, and quickly reported the whole story, from their suppression of the local families in Mist Sea City to Lin Yi's relationship with the Rui Family, from Lin Yi becoming a newly promoted Constant Guard to the Floating Island being surrounded by the City Lord's Mansion, leaving nothing out.

"Given the current situation, we have no choice but to ask our master for help," Huo Wen concluded.

The illusory figure of the contact fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Please wait a moment. This is not something I can decide."

The illusory figure trembled slightly, then slowly dissipated.

Return to Stillness to the side hall.

Huo Wen and several elders waited quietly. No one spoke; only the energy crystal slowly rotated on the ceiling, casting flickering light on everyone's faces.

After a long while, the dark green beam of light shot out from the crystal core once again.

Upon seeing the newly appeared phantom, Huo Wen's pupils contracted sharply. He quickly straightened his robes and bowed to the phantom, saying, "Greetings, Chieftain!"

This person is none other than Huo Yi, the current patriarch of the Silent Huo Family.

The six elders behind him also bowed in unison, none of them daring to look directly into the eyes of the phantom.

Huo Yi's illusory figure hovered in mid-air, his gaze sweeping over the bowing crowd, and he slowly spoke, "Tell me everything again, exactly what you did in Mist Sea City. There must be no concealment or omission."

A layer of cold sweat had seeped out of Huo Wen's back.

He straightened up, not daring to meet Huo Yi's gaze, and could only lower his head slightly, honestly recounting everything they had done since arriving in Mist Sea City.

This included figuring out how to find out the details of each family in the city, how to select targets, how to seize customers and disrupt the supply of goods, how to raise pirates to attack transport fleets, and how to force the local families to submit—not a single detail was overlooked.

Huo Yi listened quietly until he finished speaking, and then spoke again.

"Who knows about these things? Who was involved?"

Huo Wen quickly replied, "Only I and a few elders know the inside story. The other clansmen were merely following orders and were unaware of the situation." He paused, then added, "Therefore, as long as those pirates are dealt with cleanly, there will be no future trouble."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yi gave Huo Wen a deep look and slowly said, "I didn't expect that you would become so arrogant and reckless so soon after leaving Silent City."

Huo Wen lowered his head, not daring to reply.

Huo Yi looked at him, shook his head, and sighed softly.

"Alright. Let's just wait patiently."

After uttering the last word, the illusory figure trembled slightly and vanished silently like dust blown away by the wind.

The dark green Contact Core also fell silent again, with only a very faint afterglow slowly flowing across its surface.

Huo Wen remained bowing for a moment before slowly straightening up and letting out a long breath.

The elders also breathed a sigh of relief.

Huo Han reached out and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and some color finally returned to his usually composed face.

Before he could say anything, another elder beside him spoke up first.

"I never expected the Rui Family to get so lucky and climb up to such a powerful tree."

The elder stroked his goatee resentfully, his voice filled with indignation and resentment, "We can only endure it for now. Once this storm passes, we'll make sure he doesn't fall from grace!"

Before he could finish speaking, Huo Wen suddenly turned his head.

Those eyes were as cold as ice, fixed on the elder's face, making him choke on the rest of his words.

Huo Han quickly reached out and tugged at his old friend's sleeve, "What kind of time is this to be saying such things? Stop it."

The elder with the goatee shut his mouth sheepishly, but the resentment on his face had not completely faded.

Huo Wen withdrew his gaze, said nothing more, and simply turned and walked out of the side hall.

Several clan elders quickly followed, none daring to utter another word.

Meanwhile, on another floating island in Mist Sea City, the scene was completely different.

Rui Family Floating Island, the core meeting hall.

The furnishings in the hall were much simpler than before. The few valuable items that were originally placed in the side hall had long been sold off and exchanged for emergency funds to maintain the family's operations.

The energy patterns on the walls, which were used for decoration, had dimmed considerably due to the compressed energy supply from the floating island. Only the light source above the long table remained lit, illuminating every wrinkle on the faces of the elders sitting around it.

Ruizhan sat in the main seat, holding an information crystal and saying something.

In recent years, under the relentless pressure from the Huo Family, the Rui Family has faced extreme hardship. The energy supply from the floating island has been reduced time and again, and the cultivation resources for the clansmen have been greatly reduced.

But Ruizhan never showed the slightest sign of dejection in front of his clansmen.

He appeared in the council chamber on time every day, listened to reports from various managers, and arranged each task in an orderly manner, even though those tasks were much fewer than before.

He maintained the demeanor and dignity befitting the head of the Rui Family, just as he had when he stood suspended in mid-air outside the Huo Family's floating island for an Epoch.

"Regarding the batch of goods in Warehouse No. 7, since the Li family is still hesitant, let's not rush them for now. They have their own difficulties." Ruizhan put down the crystal in his hand and was about to continue speaking when his voice suddenly stopped.

The hearts of the elders present sank simultaneously.

They've gotten used to this scene over the years.

Halfway through the meeting, the clan chief suddenly received a message, then remained silent for a moment before announcing bad news.

Another supply chain was cut off, and another old customer was poached by the Huo Family. These things happened so frequently that they almost became a conditioned reflex for them.

If Ruizhan suddenly pauses during a meeting, it's highly likely that some bad news has arrived.

But this time, something seems amiss.

Ruizhan's pause this time was longer than any he had ever taken before.

He lowered his eyes, as if repeatedly confirming the contents of the message.

A moment later, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, then again, and then he laughed.

At first, there was only a low laugh, somewhat suppressed, as if they hadn't fully reacted yet.

But soon, the laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, until finally he threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the council hall, making the teacups on the table tremble slightly.

The clan elders present looked at each other, completely bewildered.

Ruituan sat to Ruizhan's right, looking at his elder brother's appearance with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

He had followed his elder brother for so many years, and he had seen him angry, he had seen him restrained, he had seen him exhausted but still holding on, but he had never seen him laugh out loud like this.

"Big brother?" Ruituan couldn't help but stand up and call out tentatively.

Ruizhan laughed for a while before managing to stop. He looked around at the elders present, took a deep breath, and said, "The Huo Family's floating island is surrounded by the city guards."

There was a moment of silence in the council chamber.

Then Ruituan was the first to react. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "Surrounded? The City Lord's Mansion has made its move?"

The elders also showed surprise, but their surprise was mixed with confusion.

The city lord's mansion has always turned a blind eye to the Huo Family's actions over the years. Although the city lord of Ote is secretly dissatisfied with the Huo Family, he has never dared to actually show his face because of the Silent Huo Family's power.

Why did they suddenly start fighting?

Seeing the confused expressions on everyone's faces, Ruizhan's smile deepened.

He said slowly, "The one who just sent me the message was the head of the Barnes Family."

Head of the Barnes Family.

The Barnes Family is a branch of the Constant Source Realm family in Mist Sea City.

The Barnes Family had been operating in this megacity for far longer than the Huo Family.

Although its power in Mist Sea City is not as aggressive as that of the Huo Family, its foundation, resources, and connections are far superior to those of the Huo Family.

Such truly behemoths usually treat small families like the Rui Family with utmost contempt. Let alone sending a message, even if Ruizhan personally visits them, being able to meet a clan elder is already considered a great honor.

Now, the head of the Barnes Family is actually sending a message to the patriarch?

"The Barnes Family head said," Ruizhan said slowly, observing the shocked expressions on the elders' faces, "Lord Ote, at the request of Constant Guard Lin Yi, has sealed off the Huo Family's floating island."

Constant Guard Lin Yi.

The moment Ruizhan uttered those words, the air in the entire council hall seemed to freeze.

Ruituan was stunned.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found that his voice seemed to be blocked in his throat.

"Really?" another elder asked urgently, "Lin Yi... he's become Constant Guard?"

"It's true." Ruizhan slowly stood up.

His fingers, which were gripping the edge of the table, trembled slightly; it was a subtle tremor that only occurs when someone suddenly relaxes after a long period of tension.

Ruizhan subtly tucked his hand into his sleeve and continued, "The Barnes Family head said he received a message from the main family that the Constant Guard assessment in the Silent Cosmos Domain has concluded. Lin Yi ranked first on both lists and was officially enrolled as Constant Guard. The City Lord's Mansion, at Lin Yi's request, immediately sealed off the Huo Family's floating island."

He paused, looked around at the elders who were speechless with shock, and suddenly laughed heartily.

"First place on both lists! That's the top spot on both lists in the Silent City Constant Guard assessment! The most outstanding Eternal Source Realm in the entire Silent Cosmos Domain gathered together, and he took first place on both lists! The Barnes Family head's tone when he sent the message was so polite that I almost didn't recognize him. Heh, he even said that he hadn't taken good care of the Rui Family before, and that he would definitely pay them a visit another day to reminisce."

"Catch up! What past has there to catch up on between us?"

Upon hearing this, Ruituan could no longer hold back.

He threw his head back and let out a long, hearty laugh, even louder than Ruizhan's earlier.

The other elders in the council chamber also laughed, and as they laughed, some of them even had tears in their eyes.

They've had such a hard time these past few years.

Driven to the brink by the Huo Family, their supply channels were cut off, their customers were robbed, their transport ships were hijacked, and their patriarch waited outside the Huo family's floating island for an entire Epoch without being allowed to enter. This humiliation weighed heavily on the hearts of every member of the Rui Family.

They had considered rebelling, but the disparity in strength was too great. They could only endure, persevere, and place all their hopes on that young man, hoping that he would one day grow stronger.

But no one expected that day to come so soon.

"Is there any need to discuss these things now?"

With a flick of his sleeve, Ruizhan swept all the crystals on the table recording cargo losses and customer attrition aside, and announced loudly, "Send the order: disarm the entire floating island! Let's go watch the show!"

"Let's go!" Ruituan was the first to rush out of the council hall.

Huo Family Floating Island, Core Council Hall.

Compared to the agonizing wait in the side hall, the atmosphere was much less tense now.

Since Constant Lord said "wait patiently," it means that his family has decided to take action.

In their view, once Constant Lord decides to take action, there will be room for maneuver.

However, waiting is one thing, but being trapped on a floating island is still a very unpleasant experience.

Huo Wen sent out his deacon to tell the people that it was just a misunderstanding and that they should remain calm and not panic.

He didn't care how many people his words could appease, as long as his clansmen didn't panic at this critical juncture.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the palace door.

A young deacon pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully before the long table.

"Clan leader, elders... the number of cultivators watching from the outer perimeter of the floating island has increased considerably. We've spotted quite a few members of the Rui Family there; Ruizhan and several Rui Family family elders are here, chatting and laughing outside. Several other families with which we have grudges have also sent people..."

The young deacon dared not continue, for he noticed that the elders' faces were frighteningly grim.

The goatee elder clenched his fist, but remembering Huo Wen's cold stare in the side hall, he swallowed back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue, and only let out a heavy snort.

Huo Wen paused for a moment, then spoke calmly.

"Ignore them. Give the order to use the clan treasury to double the amount of cultivation supplies for the clansmen. Let them cultivate peacefully in their respective residences. Say it's a misunderstanding, and the head of the clan will handle it. Let those people outside who want to watch the show."

"Heh, they can only watch. Once this is over, the Huo Family will still be the Huo Family."

He believed that what his enemies wanted to see was nothing more than the Huo Family in a state of panic and utter disarray.

But he wouldn't let those people have their way.

My Huo Family is only temporarily besieged; we have not been defeated.

Anything can happen before the final showdown is over.

Thus, a peculiar sight appeared on the Huo Family Floating Island.

Outside the floating island, the city guards' Flying Shuttle formations remained unchanged, and the light from the sealing net continued to shine day and night.

Inside the floating island, the Huo Family members continued their cultivation and meals as usual. Although they were not as relaxed as before, not many people were too panicked.

Most of them were unaware of the truth of the matter, only knowing that the floating island was temporarily surrounded. Since their master would handle it, they were temporarily relieved.

Time just slipped away, little by little.

Every day, curious cultivators would fly to the outer perimeter of the Huo Family's floating island to watch the spectacle. They would either disperse or gather again, coming and going like the Tide.

But no matter how you look, all you can see is that pale blue sealing net and the eerily quiet floating island behind it.

One day, ten days, one year, one hundred years, one era, one hundred eras.

More than a hundred Epoch have passed quietly.

The Huo Family's floating island remained surrounded, and the island itself remained calm, while onlookers outside came and went in waves.

Those who had once come to watch with great enthusiasm gradually lost their initial passion.

After all, for most people, the siege of the Huo Family was certainly a topic of conversation, but life had to go on, cultivation couldn't be neglected, and no one had that much free time to guard someone else's doorstep for over a hundred Epoch.

However, the spies left by each family around the Huo Family's floating island never left, and they transmitted every little thing that happened on the floating island back to their respective family headquarters in real time.

On this day, the situation suddenly changed.

First, the city guards' Flying Shuttle formation made a move.

The Flying Shuttle that had been hovering for over a hundred Epoch simultaneously adjusted their formation, and then, Lord Ote's flagship also slowly adjusted its position.

Then people saw that from all directions of Mist Sea City, one after another, floating shuttles bearing the insignia of various families arrived in the airspace surrounding the Huo Family's floating island.

Those once high and mighty families all sent representatives at this moment.

All the tribal chiefs were present in person.

Not only the clan chief, but also the elders of various clans were present.

It's fair to say that almost all the Eternal Source Realm from the entire Mist Sea City have come.

They hovered in the airspace surrounding the barrier, maintaining a perfect distance from each other, occasionally exchanging nods of greeting among those who knew each other.

No one forced them to come, but they had no choice but to come.

According to the itinerary information they received, the newly Constant Guard Lin Yi, Lin Yi, will arrive in Mist Sea City today.

And this was his first stop.