Increased power

He tossed the Crimson Flame Crystal and several pills into the air, and with a thought...

"[Blazing Dragon Venerate], this is yours."

"Roar!"

A high-pitched dragon roar resounded in Su Zhan's consciousness space, and a miniature crimson Fire Dragon phantom burst out from his body, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the Crimson Flame Crystal and the pill in one gulp.

The Fire Dragon let out a satisfied burp, its body radiating brilliant light, and its form seemed to solidify a bit.

[Blazing Dragon Venerate]: Burp~ Awesome! Boss, this Crystal Stone tastes good, but it lacks energy, not enough to even fill a tooth gap. Could you get a bigger one next time? Like the Heart of a Volcano or something?

Ignoring its insatiable greed, Su Zhan threw the piece of Beast Bone away again.

"[Nine Heavens Divine Lightning]."

"Sizzle!"

A flash of silvery-white lightning streaked across the sky, instantly turning the Beast Bone into dust, its thunderous power completely absorbed.

[Nine Heavens Divine Lightning]: Barely enough to whet the appetite.

Finally, Su Zhan crushed the remaining pills, turning them into pure Spiritual Qi. A thick, earth-yellow light shield appeared, slowly absorbing the Spiritual Qi.

[Immovable Wisdom King Wall]: Thank you, boss.

Watching the various Cultivation Method fully saturated, Su Zhan could clearly feel that their connection with him had become stronger, and their power had subtly increased. This was the foundation of his strength.

Just then, Yuan Chou, who had been sent out to scout, strode in.

"Young Master Su," he said gravely, handing over a Jade Slip, "This is intelligence we just obtained from those main faction guys. Also... their people seem to be getting restless."

Su Zhan took the Jade Slip, probed it with his Divine Sense, and quickly browsed the information inside.

"How exactly are you being restless?" he asked without looking up.

Yuan Chou frowned and said, "Although they are stationed at the location we designated, several groups of people are using patrol as an excuse to sneak around the Palace, their eyes filled with ill intent. I'm afraid they're still up to no good and are planning some underhanded tricks."

After reading the Jade Slip, Su Zhan revealed a cold smile.

"They're just clowns, ignore them. Let them watch, let them guess. The more they don't understand our strength, the less likely they are to act rashly."

He stood up, walked to the Palace Gate, and looked at the camp where the main branch of the clan was stationed in the distance, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"However, we need to give these 'allies' something to do, lest they get bored." Su Zhan's lips curled up slightly. "Yuan Chou, go tell that White-haired Elder that based on intelligence, I've deduced a possible stronghold of the Black Demon Sect."

"Have him take all his elite troops and come with me tomorrow morning... to scout ahead."

The next morning, as dawn broke.

In the square in front of the Palace, two groups of people stood facing each other in a clear and distinct manner, the atmosphere subtle and tense.

On one side were Su Zhan, Yuan Yuan, Yuan Chou, and dozens of spirited members of the branch clan. They stood in neat rows, their demeanor imposing, with Su Zhan at the absolute core.

On the other side stood the White-haired Elder and his nearly one hundred main branch disciples. Although they outnumbered each other, their faces showed reluctance and frustration. The younger members, in particular, looked at Su Zhan with a mixture of fear and resentment.

Making them obey an outsider's orders to carry out so-called "exploration" missions feels like a tiger with a collar on it—it has all the strength, but can only let others lead it around.

The White-haired Elder stood at the front of the line, his face so gloomy it could drip water. He hadn't slept a wink since receiving Su Zhan's message last night. On one hand, he suspected Su Zhan wanted to use them as cannon fodder to test the strength of the Black Demon Sect; on the other hand, he held onto a sliver of hope that if Su Zhan really found the Black Demon Sect's stronghold, it would be a great thing for the entire Yuan Household.