Migration of the Entire Clan

Three months was neither long nor short.

Yang Wudi spent those three months selling off all of the Breaking Clan's assets in the Xingluo Empire.

Their apothecaries, medicinal herb warehouses, clan land deeds—everything that could be sold was sold, and whatever could not be sold was given away.

He left no way out for himself.

Since they had decided to join Nine Nether Hall, they had to cut off all attachments, break the cauldrons and sink the boats, and fight with their backs to the river.

At first, the clan members were somewhat reluctant.

After all, they had lived in the Xingluo Empire for so many years. Though life had been hard, every blade of grass and every tree carried memories.

But seeing their clan leader being so resolute, they gritted their teeth and began packing as well.

Yang Wudi did not keep the money from selling their assets for himself. He distributed all of it among the clan members.

Every household received its share according to family size and contribution. His own share was no larger than that of an ordinary clansman.

That was Yang Wudi. He had a foul temper toward outsiders, was stubborn and sharp-tongued, and never gave anyone a pleasant look. But he had never mistreated his own people.

Medicinal herbs were the Breaking Clan's greatest wealth.

Yang Wudi spent an entire month sorting and organizing the herbs in the Warehouse.

Ordinary herbs were packed into crates, ready to be taken with them.

The precious herbs were carefully preserved in specially made jade boxes to prevent their medicinal potency from dissipating.

The Breaking Clan made its living through pills. These herbs were the foundation of their survival.

Once they reached the Tiandou Empire, they would be strangers in an unfamiliar land. If their source of medicinal herbs was cut off, what would the more than one hundred members of the clan eat?

Yang Wudi had thought far ahead.

He did not intend to rely solely on Dugu Bo to support them. The Breaking Clan had to stand on its own feet and possess its own businesses and sources of income.

A few days before departure, Yang Wudi gathered the entire clan for a meeting in the ancestral hall.

"Once we reach the Tiandou Empire, the Breaking Clan will still be the Breaking Clan."

Yang Wudi stood in the center of the ancestral hall, behind him the memorial tablets of the Breaking Clan's ancestors.

"Nine Nether Hall is our support, but not our master. We are joining Nine Nether Hall to cooperate, not to sell ourselves into servitude. Remember this: the Breaking Clan's backbone must never be lost."

The clan members all nodded.

Three days later, Yang Wudi set out with the entire clan.

More than a hundred people—elderly men, women, children—and dozens of horse-drawn carriages loaded with luggage and medicinal herbs formed a mighty procession.

The journey from the Xingluo Empire's border to the Tiandou Empire was long, crossing the border between two nations. With the carriages moving slowly, it would take at least more than half a month.

Yang Wudi did not choose the shortcut through the Star Dou Great Forest. Instead, he followed the official roads and made a detour through the eastern border of the Tiandou Empire.

This route was nearly twice as long, but it was safe.

There were elderly people and children in the group. They could not endure the troubles Soul Beasts might bring.

Dugu Bo had not come to meet them.

That had been Yang Wudi's own request.

He said that the Breaking Clan was not a child that needed someone to hold its hand. They could make the journey themselves.

Dugu Bo did not insist. He only said one thing: "Once you reach the Tiandou Empire, go directly to Sunset Forest. This old man will send someone to receive you."

A month later.

The outskirts of Sunset Forest.

Yang Wudi stood at the front of the procession, gazing at the boundless forest ahead with a slight frown.

"Sunset Forest..."

he murmured.

"Nine Nether Douluo lives in there?"

The clan members behind him were whispering among themselves as well.

A forest. Not a city, not a town—a forest.

They had assumed Nine Nether Hall's headquarters was in Heaven Dou City, or at the very least, in a town.

Why was it a forest?

"Clan Leader, have we been deceived?"

Someone could not help asking.

Yang Wudi glanced back at the man but said nothing.

For a moment, he had doubted as well, but he did not reveal it.

Since he had chosen to trust, he could not give up halfway.

Besides, the strength and methods Dugu Bo had displayed were not something a fraud could possess.

"Enter."

Yang Wudi said only one word before taking the lead into the forest.

The procession followed the route Dugu Bo had left behind, traveling through the forest.

The path was rugged and difficult, making the carriages especially hard to move.

The clan members cleared obstacles as they walked, moving as slowly as snails.

After traveling for two full days, they finally arrived at their destination.

When the valley containing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes appeared before them, everyone was stunned.

Crimson-red and snowy-white spring water converged together, giving rise to misty vapor.

All around the spring, countless varieties of Immortal Herbs and lingzhi grew densely, each one radiating rich spiritual energy.

A refreshing fragrance filled the air. One breath left the entire body feeling at ease, as though one's whole being had been cleansed.

Yang Wudi stood at the valley entrance, his mouth slightly open for a long while before it finally closed.

He was not an inexperienced man.

The Breaking Clan had refined medicine for generations, and he had seen countless heavenly treasures and rare materials.

But this valley before him had completely surpassed the limits of his understanding.

"Th-this... what kind of place is this?"

Even his voice trembled.

Dugu Bo emerged from the valley. His Profound Black Robe drifted through the mist, and his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes swept across the Breaking Clan's procession as the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes. This old man's backyard."

Backyard.

Yang Wudi's lips twitched.

To call such a paradise a backyard—Nine Nether Douluo's words were far more boastful than he had imagined.

"Welcome to Nine Nether Hall."

Dugu Bo stepped aside and made way, a faint smile in his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes.

"Come in. This old man has already arranged your residence."

Yang Wudi took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, then turned and waved to his clansmen.

"Enter!"

The Breaking Clan's procession slowly entered the valley.

The carriages stopped at the valley entrance, and people climbed down, curiously looking around.

The children played by the spring, the elderly rested on bluestone slabs, and the women began unloading their luggage from the carriages.

Yang Wudi walked up to Dugu Bo and lowered his voice.

"Hall Master, this valley... it is simply too..."

"Too large? Or too astonishing?"

Dugu Bo finished for him.

Yang Wudi nodded.

Dugu Bo glanced at him, and a deep light flashed through his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes.

"This old man possesses more than you can imagine. Since the Breaking Clan has joined Nine Nether Hall, all of this is yours."

Yang Wudi fell silent.

The Breaking Clan joining Nine Nether Hall was an opportunity Dugu Bo had given them.

But from the moment he stepped into this valley, he understood.

This was not merely Dugu Bo giving the Breaking Clan an opportunity. Dugu Bo had also given him an opportunity.

An opportunity to come into contact with power and resources far beyond imagination.

"Where is the residence?"

Yang Wudi asked.

Dugu Bo pointed toward an open area on the western side of the valley.

"Over there. This old man had several dozen wooden houses built for you. Stay there for now. Once Nine Nether Hall expands in the future, we will build a proper residence."

Yang Wudi followed his finger and indeed saw a cluster of newly built wooden houses.

Though simple, they were enough to house the Breaking Clan's more than one hundred members.

"That is enough."

Yang Wudi nodded.

"The Breaking Clan is not made up of people raised in luxury."

Dugu Bo led Yang Wudi around the valley and gave him a general introduction to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.

He explained everything one by one: the effects of the ice and fire springs, the varieties and ages of the Immortal Herbs, and the distribution of spiritual energy throughout the valley.

The more Yang Wudi heard, the more alarmed he became.

The spiritual energy in this valley was more than ten times denser than outside. Cultivating here would yield twice the results with half the effort.

Some of the Immortal Herbs around the spring were even more than ten thousand years old, the finest medicinal herbs he had ever seen in his life.