Visible to the naked eye, the medicinal fragrance above the Ten-Acre Spirit Field had grown so dense that it condensed into a thin layer of Colored Spirit Mist, swirling beneath the moonlight like a fairyland.
"It worked."
Zhang Chen reached out and plucked a ripe Heavenly Spirit Fruit, then took a gentle bite. Juice spilled from it.
The abundant Spiritual Energy made his whole body feel at ease.
He looked at the fortune before him, enough to drive any Golden Core family wild, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
With all this, he could outfit ten Foundation Establishment cultivators without breaking a sweat.
He could even outfit ten more.
Under that same night sky, several hundred miles away on Black Reef Island, the Wang Family's council hall presented a very different scene.
The hall was brightly lit, and the atmosphere was lively.
Yet beneath it lurked a sinister air of scheming.
Wang Teng was animatedly recounting to his father, Wang Lie, seated at the head of the hall, all his "achievements" at the Zhang Family.
When he got to the part about that fool Zhang Chen signing a Three Million Spirit Stone Bet—
He laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
"Father, you should've seen it. That Old Ghost Zhang Family was sitting in his chair, barely able to catch his breath. He just shut his eyes and pretended to be dead, saying, 'Let him do as he pleases.'"
Wang Teng tossed back his wine and drained the cup, his face full of scorn. "The Zhang Family really has nobody left. They'd even sign a ruinous contract like that. They've given up and decided to go down in flames!"
As Wang Lie listened to his son's report, he toyed with two Iron Gallbladders in his hand.
A smile rested on his face.
But his sharp, eagle-like eyes gleamed with thought.
"You're saying that woman, Lin Qingxue, really recovered her cultivation?"
Wang Lie asked abruptly.
"She did recover, and there's something a little strange about it."
Remembering the bone-chilling Sword Qi from earlier that day, Wang Teng furrowed his brows. "But so what? Even at her strongest, she's just one Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. What can she do, turn the world upside down?"
"We have ten people!"
"Family Head, this old man thinks there's something fishy about this."
The Goatee Old Man seated at the place of honor on the left set down his teacup. He was Wang Lie's cousin.
He was also Wang Lie's strategist.
He stroked his beard, brows tightly knitted. "The Zhang Family has stood firm in the East Mountain Islands for centuries. As the saying goes, a centipede may die, but it never falls over. Zhang Chen may not be well known, but if he was appointed Young Master, he can't be a true fool."
"Three million Spirit Stones, on top of a Second-Rank Spirit Vein—that's practically the Zhang Family's entire fortune."
"If they weren't sure they'd win, how would they dare place such a bet?"
"Strategist, you're overthinking it."
Wang Teng waved his hand dismissively. "He's just a good-for-nothing whose strength's been drained by women, showing off in front of his wife."
"Besides, that Old Ghost Zhang Tianzheng is practically in his grave. The Zhang Family is a total mess now. What trump cards could they possibly have?"
The Goatee Old Man still shook his head. "What if Zhang Tianzheng is putting on an act? What if he was never ill at all, or is merely enjoying a last flicker of life..."
"An act?"
The Iron Gallbladder in Wang Lie's hand abruptly stopped, making a crisp click.
He narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment before answering slowly. "It's unlikely he's putting on an act."
"I got reliable information. The injuries that Old Ghost sustained in his youth really did flare up. He's been clinging to life with medicine these past few years."
"Even if he's pretending to emerge from seclusion today, that broken body of his won't last long."
At this, Wang Lie gave a wicked smile. "Besides, even if that Old Ghost still has enough strength for a fight, so what?"
He lowered his voice and swept his gaze over the trusted men present, his tone icy. "Don't forget who's standing behind us."
The expressions of everyone present changed at those words.
Fear and greed flashed in their eyes.
The Demonic Path!
That towering force entrenched in the Outer Sea, the one that made Righteous Path Cultivators tremble in fear.
"The Demon Envoy has already sent word."
Wang Lie drew a black Jade Slip from his sleeve and held it gently. "They're very interested in that Secret Realm. For this Arena Competition, the Demon Envoy will secretly send two sleeper agents to infiltrate our team."
"With the Demon Envoy's agents to help us, and the Wang Family's accumulated strength from these past few years, our odds of winning are at least seventy percent!"
Wang Lie sprang to his feet, and the aura of a Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator erupted with a roar. "Seventy percent is enough for us to take this gamble!"
"The arrow's already on the string; there's no choice but to let it fly! This time, I'll wipe the Zhang Family off the map of the East Mountain Islands!"
He turned to his eldest son, Wang Long, who stood at the side in silence. "Eldest, go make the arrangements."
"Call out those old geezers in the family who've been in Seclusion for Breakthrough. And gather the desperadoes we recruited at great expense."
"Over the next year, even if I have to bury them in Spirit Stones, I'll raise their combat strength!"
"Yes, Father!"
Wang Long clasped his fists and accepted the order.
The next morning, just as the eastern horizon was beginning to lighten.
At the Zhang Family's Herb Garden on the Back Mountain, Uncle Zhang Tong, who was in charge of keeping watch, did as he always did.
Stretching, he pushed open the door of the little wooden hut.
The Spirit Wine from last night had packed a punch, and he'd slept especially soundly.
"I wonder when Young Master left last night..."
Muttering to himself, Zhang Tong picked up a bucket, ready to water the precious spirit herbs.
But when he rounded the bamboo fence that blocked the view and saw the scene before him, the bucket fell from his hand with a clatter. The Spirit Spring Water inside spilled all over the ground.
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