Stronghold Completed, Undercurrents Surge

Meanwhile, Within the ancestral land of the Qingyun Sect.

Atop a cloud-shrouded peak sat an ancient, rustic palace.

Inside the palace, an elder clad in a grey Daoist robe was seated cross-legged on a prayer mat.

His face was gaunt, his eyes tightly shut, yet an unfathomable pressure emanated from him.

--He was the Qingyun Sect's ancestor, Jian Xiaotian.

Before him lay a severely wounded figure, barely clinging to life – it was Zhuge Xiu, who had been rescued.

Below the palace, the Qingyun Sect Leader, Xuanxiaozi, stood with his body bowed, his expression respectful, not daring to breathe too deeply.

After a long while, Jian Xiaotian slowly opened his eyes. A flicker of exhaustion crossed his gaze as he spoke, his voice old and hoarse:

"Xuanxiaozi, Zhuge Xiu's soul has suffered severe damage, and his physical body is on the verge of shattering."

"Go to the Sect's treasury and retrieve the thousand-year-old Soul Nurturing Grass and the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill. You must save his life."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Xuanxiaozi quickly accepted the order.

Jian Xiaotian sighed softly, a hint of helplessness and resentment in his tone:

"I never expected a mere Misty Rain Tower to possess such strength."

"If not for the current Heavenly Dao restrictions, preventing me from unleashing my full power, would I let these ants run rampant?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of hatred flashed in Xuanxiaozi's eyes:

"Ancestor, this is an irreconcilable hatred! The Misty Rain Tower has killed dozens of our Qingyun Sect disciples and two elders,"

"They have utterly disgraced our Qingyun Sect. I implore you, Ancestor, to take action and annihilate the Misty Rain Tower!"

"No!" Ancestor Jian Xiaotian waved his hand and said gravely, "The Spiritual Energy has not yet recovered. If I forcefully act now, I will undoubtedly suffer the backlash of the Heavenly Dao."

"This matter will be suppressed for now! When the Spiritual Energy recovers, I will personally act. I will grind the Misty Rain Tower to dust and flay the mastermind alive!"

"Yes..." Although Xuanxiaozi was unwilling, he dared not defy the Ancestor's orders.

Jian Xiaotian closed his eyes and waved his hand, "You may go! Issue an order that Qingyun Sect disciples are forbidden from entering Qingzhou City for the time being."

"Concurrently, closely monitor the Misty Rain Tower's movements. Report any important news immediately!"

"Your disciple obeys!" Xuanxiaozi bowed and retreated.

Leaving the palace, Xuanxiaozi went straight to the Sect's main council hall.

Inside the hall, several elders dressed in luxurious robes were discussing with furious expressions, each filled with righteous indignation and murderous intent.

"Sect Leader! Can we just let the matter of Qingzhou City go just like that?!"

"The Misty Rain Tower has gone too far! They killed our Qingyun Sect disciples and our Third Elder and West Elder. If we don't avenge this, what honor will our Qingyun Sect have left?!"

"Please, Sect Leader, order us to mobilize the Sect's strongest forces and flatten the Misty Rain Tower!"

Xuanxiaozi looked at the impassioned elders, his face so grim it could drip water.

He slammed the table and said sternly, "All of you, shut up! The Ancestor has ordered that we are not to provoke the Misty Rain Tower recently!"

"We will seek revenge when the Spiritual Energy recovers!"

At these words, the hall fell instantly silent.

The elders exchanged glances, their faces showing shock and unwillingness, but they could only reluctantly shut their mouths.

They knew that no one dared to disobey the Ancestor's command.

However, this insult was truly hard to swallow!

The sky of the Eastern Region, seemingly calm, was in reality already turbulent beneath the surface.

Qingzhou City, West District.

Yuan Tiangang stood before the abandoned courtyard in the middle of the alley. His fingertip brushed over the rusted copper lock, and the lock cylinder snapped with a "click."

Behind him, Jing Ke and the other seven concealed their auras to the extreme, their figures almost blending with the shadows of the walls—this was the result of their day-long screening.

The location was adjacent to the dense forest outside the city. The streets were winding, and the population was sparser than in the central area. Yet, it offered access in all directions.

It allowed them to conceal their movements amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, and in times of crisis, they could quickly escape to the outskirts. It offered both concealment and accessibility.

"This place offers excellent concealment and is close to the dense forest. It's perfect as a base, allowing for both offense and defense."

"Jing Ke, place it," Yuan Tiangang's gaze fell on the empty space in the center of the courtyard, and he nodded.

Jing Ke stepped forward, holding a small, inch-sized black pavilion in his palm.

Though the pavilion was small, one could clearly see the dark patterns on its eaves and the three characters "Misty Rain Tower" above the door. This was the foundation of the stronghold given to them by Ye Junlin.

He touched the base of the pavilion with his fingertip and could feel a faint energy flowing within—it was the power of the pavilion's inherent formation.

Jing Ke took a deep breath, channeling his spiritual energy into the pavilion and shouting, "Rise!"

Instantly, the entire pavilion lit up with ethereal blue patterns, as if it had come alive.

He raised his hand and tossed it, the pavilion transforming into a streak of light and landing steadily on the open ground in the center of the courtyard.

Hummm--

The pavilion suddenly erupted in brilliant radiance, a surge of spatial power sweeping out, distorting the surrounding air currents.

Everyone instinctively took a few steps back, watching as a magnificent pavilion, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, rose from the ground within the light.

The main building had three stories, supplemented by east and west wing buildings connected by corridors, forming a "pin" character shape overall.

The eaves curved upwards, carved with ferocious ghost faces. Above the lintel, a plaque with gold characters on a black background shone resplendently.

It bore three powerful, vigorous characters: "Misty Rain Tower," with a faint aura of killing intent lingering between the strokes.

In mere moments, the originally empty space was filled by this pavilion, yet it strangely did not press against the surrounding earthen walls and old trees, perfectly blending with the atmosphere of the entire alley.