Conflict Between the Three Ancestors of the An Clan and the Holy Land Immortal Dynasty!

Qing Province, Southern Region.

Xuanqing Sect.

Great Elder Chen Xiu looked at Yan Changkong in disbelief and asked, "Sect Master, are you certain we aren't going to Ning Province?"

"This is something Ancestor Lin Feng spoke of—a secret that could impact the entire Cultivation World, an opportunity related to ascension..."

Yan Changkong sighed, but then replied with firm resolve:

"We are not going!"

"Let Eighth Elder Qi Yuan take a few disciples instead; treat it as a training exercise, and the sect will reimburse his travel expenses."

Chen Xiu remained puzzled; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sects and clans from every province had dispatched their strongest experts, all hoping to seize a sliver of fortune from the event.

Although the Xuanqing Sect was not currently a powerhouse, it still held a certain status.

All because they had two Great Emperors as their backers...

If Yan Changkong were to go in person, other factions would at least show him some respect.

Yet Yan Changkong had actually decided not to go?

Wasn't this being a bit too cowardly?

Seeing that the Great Elder still looked unwilling and refused to leave, Yan Changkong had no choice but to explain patiently, speaking with earnest concern: "If there were truly a great opportunity, why wouldn't Ancestor Lin Feng have sent us a secret message earlier?"

"He didn't do so, which means he had his reasons!"

"Either there is a hidden trap, or our Xuanqing Sect's current strength is simply insufficient to obtain this fortune."

The Great Elder was momentarily speechless, stunned into silence.

At this moment, Yan Changkong continued: "Besides, the whole world is in an uproar this time, and every major faction is making a move. Even if I went to compete, what are my chances of winning?"

"By relying on others to give me face?"

"If there really is a great opportunity, even Ancestor Lin Feng showing up might not be enough to guarantee it. When the fighting starts, nobody cares who you are!"

A look of shame appeared on the Great Elder's face.

Yan Changkong added: "The sect is developing rapidly right now, but we must not lose our heads! We must remain calm."

"We must lay low!"

"Develop steadily; once we are strong enough ourselves, opportunities will come."

The Great Elder felt extremely ashamed, overwhelmed by his own embarrassment!

Yan Changkong continued: "We cannot compete for this opportunity."

"Let the Eighth Elder take a few promising disciples to go; consider it a field trip to broaden their horizons."

"As long as we have someone on the scene to learn the secret the Ancestor mentioned as soon as it's revealed, that is enough."

The Great Elder was moved to tears. The Sect Master was so far-sighted, yet he had suspected him of being a coward who feared death!

Am I even human?

The Great Elder said with deep emotion: "Sect Master, say no more! I will go tell the Eighth Elder about this right now!"

"From now on, I will support every one of your decisions!"

Having said that, he turned and walked out of the main hall, his figure disappearing into the distance.

A moment later...

Yan Changkong took a deep breath and swallowed a Calm Spirit Pill.

Then, he said with lingering fear: "Go and compete? To watch those in the Mahayana Realm brawl?"

"I was nearly scared to death last time!"

In a flash, three days passed.

Ning Province, Heavenly Mist Domain.

In just a few short days, it had arguably become the liveliest place in the entire Cultivation World.

Countless flying ships, storied vessels, and treasure carriages streaked across the sky.

They all eventually descended upon the Heavenly Mist Domain in Ning Province.

This time, the manpower dispatched by the major factions far exceeded the scale of those who had gone to the Xuanqing Sect previously.

After all, the last time was merely to probe the background of the Great Emperors.

To visit the Former Residence of the Great Emperor and the like.

But this time was different; it was a genuine struggle to seize fortune and explore the secrets of ascension.

It was a time to fight, a time to plunder!

A single disagreement could potentially trigger a war that would shake the entire Cultivation World.

After all, almost every faction has gotten involved.

Super-tier factions want to monopolize the opportunity.

First-tier factions want a slice of the pie.

Second-tier factions want to scavenge for scraps.

Third-tier factions want to see if there are any bones left to pick.

Even those eighteenth-tier factions and various rogue cultivators are harboring wishful thinking, watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

As long as an opportunity arises, they will strike without the slightest hesitation.

Isn't everyone paying attention to the Great Emperor's Diary precisely for this day?

As various forces gather in the Heavenly Mist Domain with the momentum of wind and thunder.

The entire Heavenly Mist Domain seems to be shrouded in a murderous atmosphere, and the air has become incredibly heavy.

The pressure is now on the An Clan.

At this moment!

Within the ancestral grounds of the An Clan, hundreds of thousands of clan disciples live here.

Of course, a vast majority are mortals with average aptitude.

They live in the outer towns.

Only those with excellent cultivation talent can enter the core area of the An Clan.

In the past, core disciples of the An Clan only needed to focus on their cultivation.

Carefree, they had various resources provided to them continuously by others.

But now, even within the core city of the An Clan, everyone is feeling insecure, their faces heavy with worry.

Although most people know that the clan's Cangwu Mountain holds a secret, and that this secret was exposed by the Immortal Great Emperor.

They are not clear on what that specific secret is.

However, the fact that even the ancestors were alarmed and brought out of their closed-door cultivation.

Coupled with the series of arrangements made by the clan leader An Shanyuan.

It makes all members of the An Clan understand that the clan truly seems to have reached a moment of life and death.

Some children with decent talent have even been secretly sent out of the An Clan and placed elsewhere.

"What secret could Cangwu Mountain possibly have?"

"Exactly, we've lived here for so long and never noticed a thing."

"No matter what it is, it's all the fault of the Immortal Great Emperor!"

"Damn it, if his diary hadn't exposed it, how could our An Clan be facing such a catastrophe?"

"What is there to fear? Our An Clan isn't easy to bully!"

"We should take this opportunity to let everyone witness the strength of our An Clan; I swear to live and die with the clan!"

Within the core area of the An Clan, some of the younger generation of cultivators are filled with righteous indignation.

They discuss the situation angrily.

Meanwhile, inside an ancient hall of the An Clan.

The clan leader An Shanyuan stands to the side, trembling slightly, bowing cautiously as he explains the ins and outs of the situation.

As well as the series of arrangements he has made for the An Clan.

Three thin, elderly men with crane-like hair and youthful complexions sit on chairs, listening quietly.

There is no fluctuation of spiritual energy on their bodies.

They look just like ordinary elderly mortals.

But if one ponders carefully, they don't seem like it at all, giving off a feeling of being unfathomable and difficult to discern.

These three are the founding ancestors of the An Clan in Ning Province.

The ancestors who led their clansmen to settle here ten thousand years ago and developed the clan into what it is today.

They are also the strongest individuals in the entire An Clan.

Thousands of years ago, the Three Ancestors of the An Clan were legendary figures in the Cultivation World.

Even back then, they were already existences at the Mahayana Realm.

"Ancestors, that is the current situation..."

After An Shanyuan finishes speaking, he waits to the side, quietly awaiting instructions.

There is a moment of silence.

"Sigh..."

The eldest, An Yujun, lets out a soft sigh, his expression remaining calm as his gaze falls upon An Shanyuan, and he says:

"You have already done very well!"

The second brother, An Yudu, and the third brother, An Yuheng, also nodded with smiles, their expressions remaining calm.

As still as an ancient well.

An Yujun pondered for a moment before adding, "What is meant to come will come; I have long since anticipated that such a day would arrive."

"Since it is here, we simply need to find a way to resolve it."

An Shanyuan's expression flickered, and he dared not speak.

However, the emergence of the several ancestors made him feel deeply reassured, as if he had finally found his backbone.

He was no longer as panicked as he had been at the start.

An Yujun continued, "Let us wait for the others first; this matter cannot be borne by the An Clan alone!"

"There is strength in numbers; if everyone exerts their power, the crisis can be easily resolved."

An Yuanshan quickly replied, "Ancestor, I have already sent people to notify them; they should be arriving soon."

As his voice fell, a burst of loud laughter echoed from outside.

"Hahahaha!"

"An Yujun, calling you an old fox really wasn't a mistake!"

"Indeed, you've only just come out of seclusion, and you're already plotting against us!"

"Three old foxes—that's enough to give us a headache."

An Shanyuan was instinctively startled, but then he let out a sigh of relief, his gaze turning toward the sky outside the hall.

It was empty; there was nothing there.

The voice from just a moment ago had been extremely mysterious, sounding as if it were right beside his ear, yet also as if it were on the far horizon.

It was impossible to discern the direction, nor could one tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.

However, the next moment, An Shanyuan saw over a dozen figures, all shrouded in black hooded cloaks.

They were standing quietly in the middle of the great hall.

It was as if they had been there all along.

The three ancestors of the An Clan stood up and offered a slight bow in greeting.

An Yujun smiled and said, "My old friends, it has been many years. I trust you have all been well?"

"Heh, we were well, but that might not be the case now."

A moment later, An Shanyuan hurried away; the three ancestors of the An Clan had important matters to discuss with their guests.

Meanwhile.

Also within the Heavenly Mist Domain, in a mountain range hundreds of miles away from the An Clan.

A battle had just taken place.

It had caused quite a stir, simply because both sides involved had significant backgrounds.

One side was the powerful Jade Pool Holy Land.

The other side was the renowned Liyue Immortal Dynasty!

As for the reason for the battle, it was quite simple.

Both parties were advance scouts who had arrived early in the Heavenly Mist Domain to seize strategic points.

After all, with so many factions arriving, the Heavenly Mist Domain was already overcrowded.

They had to arrive early to secure a good position.

Who would have known that the people from the Jade Pool Holy Land and the Liyue Immortal Dynasty would arrive almost simultaneously, and both had set their sights on the same mountain peak.

This mountain peak not only had unique scenery but also offered a view of Cangwu Mountain.

Therefore, neither side was willing to yield.

Since both had prestigious backgrounds, they went straight to blows.

After the skirmish, both sides had many people injured, but fortunately, they remained restrained and no one had died.

After the fighting stopped, both sides continued to stand in a standoff.

They were waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

This standoff had already lasted for several hours.

When Yuan Ruoyu arrived and heard of the matter, her expression darkened, and she said, "You resort to violence at the slightest disagreement!"

"What is this? Are the people of the Liyue Immortal Dynasty always this overbearing?"

The Liyue Immortal Dynasty side, seeing that the opposing Holy Venerable had arrived, immediately lost their momentum.

None of them dared to speak.

However, at that very moment, above the sky, an incredibly luxurious Imperial Chariot pulled by nine Flood Dragons approached.

Ye Qingge walked out wearing a magnificent imperial robe, her expression icy as she swept a glance toward Yuan Ruoyu.

Her cold voice was nonetheless incredibly overbearing: "Not bad, the people of my Liyue Immortal Dynasty have always been this domineering!"

"And what will you do about it?"

As the Holy Venerable of the Holy Land, how could Yuan Ruoyu be someone to trifle with?

She turned her head, her gaze fixed upon Ye Qingge...

For a moment, their gazes clashed, and it was as if sparks were flying through the air.

Tit for tat!

At this moment, even the air seemed to have frozen solid.