"If you dare run, I'll wipe out your entire family."

"It's alright."

Chen Fan shook his head.

This location is outside the City Wall of Cave No. 1, where the City Wall have been completely raised, making it impossible to see the scene inside Cave No. 1.

"Good."

Qi Feng nodded, took out Incense Stick from his pocket, lit it, and then sat motionless as if suddenly entering a deep meditation. Only after the Incense Stick had burned out did he slowly open his eyes, stand up, and say with a complicated expression.

"Sect Leader Chen, this Exotic Beast is called the 'Sky-Swallowing Crocodile'."

"Extremely rare, with extremely high potential."

"The combined value of all the Exotic Beast in Jiangnan might not even equal the value of your Exotic Beast, Sect Leader Chen, but..."

The "Sky-Swallowing Crocodile" has a genetic mutation that occurs in approximately one in ten thousand Sky-Swallowing Crocodile.

"The main manifestation is that the wound fails to heal."

"Even the smallest wound cannot heal. If it weren't for Sect Leader Chen's continuous nourishment with the Altar these past few days, it would have already bled to death. Unless Sect Leader Chen is willing to continue nourishing it with the Altar, it..."

He didn't dare say the rest of his words aloud.

The father said he was willing to pay a high price to buy the carcass of the Sky-Swallowing Crocodile.

But he didn't dare say it.

It's quite obvious that Sect Master Chen has feelings for this Sky-Swallowing Crocodile; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to nourish it with the Altar.

"Is there really no way?"

Chen Fan frowned and asked.

"Have."

Qi Feng took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "The Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine. There is no disease in this world that is completely Healing. As long as you find a rare and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures called 'Snow Lotus,' and have it swallowed, it Healing."

"Only..."

"This Snow Lotus, although only Green Grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, is extremely Rare. It takes a hundred years to mature, and it also requires a special Formation to nurture it in a unique environment. My father doesn't know how to form such a Formation; he only learned about it from ancient books."

"There is no other way."

Qi Feng's words were full of regret.

This essentially means a death sentence for this Sky-Swallowing Crocodile; it's truly a pity that such a Rare Sky-Swallowing Crocodile has died.

Nurturing for a century.

Perhaps only the most powerful forces would have begun cultivating such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures a century ago?

The deepest foundation of top-tier powers lies in their heritage.

They expended a great deal of energy and heritage just to pass on a "Snow Lotus" to future generations. This kind of foundation is unmatched by any other power. They are not even sure if their power can be passed down for ten years, let alone have the resources to lay the groundwork for things a hundred years from now.

That's a real shame.

Chen Fan sighed, then lightly tapped his head Weiwei smiled, gesturing, "Let's go back and continue drinking tea."

The problem is solved.

Snow Lotus.

Very Rare.

But...

He happened to have one in his Warehouse, which, coincidentally, was stored in the "Heavenly Treasures Room".

It wasn't a coincidence, actually.

He probably understood why the That One who smashed the mountain open with a single Hammer didn't take "Weiwei" with them when they left; it was probably because they knew Weiwei had inherited this disease and had planted "Snow Lotus" for Weiwei.

Let Weiwei eat the Snow Lotus after it matures.

But it's obvious they forgot to Weiwei.

He roughly understood why Weiwei was so timid.

It's highly likely that the That One kept talking about it shortly after Weiwei baby was born.

"You absolutely mustn't get hurt! You absolutely mustn't get hurt!"

"If you get hurt, you die. If you get hurt, you die."

"We'll eat it when the Snow Lotus is ripe."

Weiwei, my brain isn't big enough; I only remembered the first two sentences.

I didn't eat the Snow Lotus even though it was ripe.

He said that with Weiwei's strength, why would he need to hunt by driving General Strange off cliffs? That was completely illogical.

The Sky-Swallowing Crocodile.

Is this little guy's name really that powerful?

It's much more imposing than his Mortal Sect.

Inside the Wooden Hut.

The Elderly Man following behind Qi Feng slowly spoke, "That section of the City Wall on the rock face is Level-3 City Wall, covered in Wraith Blood Pattern."

They are all sharp-eyed and discerning individuals.

They naturally knew how many Eerie Stones would be needed to build a City Wall with identical Vein Patterns.

"Um."

Gongyang Yiyue, showing no interest in chatting.

Seeing that none of them intended to speak...

The Elderly Man didn't say anything more.

He simply sipped his tea silently.

"Gentlemen."

Chen Fan walked in with a smile, leading Qi Feng in. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Another distinguished guest has arrived. Would you all like to come along?"

"Nature."

"The Northbank Merchant Association presents Congratulatory Gift: 3,000 Eerie Stone!"

"The Jiangnan One Sword Sect presents Congratulatory Gift: 5,000 Eerie Stones!"

Inside the Sinkhole.

More and more powerful forces came to visit, and the Congratulatory Gift piled up on the ground also increased. Wang Kui counted them while shouting loudly.

"The Qiuhe Wang Family presents Congratulatory Gift: 9832 Eerie Stone, 17 Unopened White Exotic Treasure, 11 opened White Exotic Treasure, 2 Unopened Green Exotic Treasure, 1 opened Green Exotic Treasure, and 2 Building Blueprint."

After finishing his drink, Wang Kui suddenly realized something and stared blankly at the somewhat familiar Elderly Man in front of him, a strange smile that Wang Kuigao had never seen before appearing on his face.

"Long time no see, sir."

"Um... um..." The Wang Family Head's eyes darted around awkwardly, "It's good that you're still alive."

"Hold head high."

"That's great, that's great. I'm so happy to see you've made something of yourself. I knew you'd soar to great heights someday."

"I almost forgot." Wang Kui suddenly remembered something, slapped his forehead, and looked at Zhou Mo, who was busy beside him. "Let me use your knife. According to the rules of the Qiuhe Wang Family, leaving the Wang Family requires three cuts and six holes."

"Here." Without a word, Zhou Mo unfastened his sword and handed it to Wang Kui: "Remember to wash it clean for me after you're done."

"No, no!" The Wang Family Head's expression changed instantly, and he even pleaded in a humble tone, his voice trembling with tears, "Brother Wang, Brother Wang, really, there's no need..."

The forces that came to visit this time.

He was the lowest in rank.

Surrounded by powerful figures like the Jiangnan Medicine King Valley and the Jiangnan Gongyang Clan, even the largest force in Jiangbei, the "Northbank Merchant Association," had arrived. As a Qiuhe Wang Family of Northbank City, he dared not speak loudly.

Seeing that many people were looking at him made him feel even more awkward.

"Not targeting me?"

Wang Kui suddenly sneered, "Then let me ask you, among all the Station Master of the Qiuhe Wang Family, am I the most capable?"

"Yes." The Wang Family Head nodded firmly.

"Over the years, I've rotated through several locations, and every time I've been assigned to Station, even if it was previously ignored, I've managed to develop it, haven't I?"

"Yes..."

The Wang Family Head shrank back and looked around, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Am I capable enough?

"Enough."

Are you qualified enough?

"Enough."

"Is the Station Master doing a good job?"

"Good."

"Then why am I still the Station Master after working for the Qiuhe Wang Family for 13 years?"

"Because..."

The Wang Family Head forced a smile and said in a low voice, "Because your Station Master did a good job..."

"If you do a good job, you have to keep doing it?"

"Uh..." Wang Family Head was momentarily at a loss for words. If he couldn't let the good performers continue, did he expect the bad performers to become Station Master?

"Fine."

Wang Kui suddenly laughed and patted the Wang Family Head on the shoulder, "I really didn't expect you to come. It's good that you're here, so you don't have to leave. I've already discussed with the sect leader the handling of your Qiuhe Wang Family."

"Your Wang Family is hereby dissolved."

As for you.

"You'll serve Station Master in the Mortal Sect for 13 years. After that, you can go back and reunite with your family. You have to work hard, okay? Just do what I did back then. I'll come and supervise you from time to time."

"If you dare to run, we'll wipe out your entire family."

The Wang Family Head showed little resistance; instead, he let out a long sigh, "Of course, of course. I will follow the orders of the Mortal Sect and serve them faithfully."

During the Rainy Season, he would occasionally keep an eye on "Jiangbei Chen Family Station No. 37".

The Rainy Season stopped only on the last day of the rainy season.

After that, the Mortal Sect rose to prominence.

It's obvious to anyone that the one who created the Mortal Sect was that illegitimate son of the North River Chen Family. Creating a power requires manpower, so the Station Master of the "Qiuhe Wang Family Station 17," which is closest to "Jiangbei Chen Family Station No. 37," was most likely recruited.

Would a Station Master had worked for the Wang Family for 13 years without a promotion not harbor resentment towards the Wang Family?

He didn't believe it.

So when he saw that some powerful figures were visiting the Mortal Sect, he hurriedly followed them.

He didn't dare to be the first to go.

The first one to go is likely to die.

If too many people follow, we can't just kill him in public; that would have a bad influence.

He brought all the clan's belongings with him when he arrived.

If Wang Kui were not in the Mortal Sect.

Then he would give 1000 Eerie Stone.

If Wang Kui were there.

He handed over all his possessions as a way to save his life. The outcome wasn't bad; at least his family members survived. He only needed to serve as Station Master for 13 years, which was perfectly acceptable.

As for the confrontation...

A force capable of Slaying the Wraith King, a force that can attract so many powerful forces to visit—how could a small Qiuhe Wang Family possibly contend with such a power?

After the dust settled.

He felt much more relaxed and scurried over to Wang Kui, saying, "Hey, Brother Wang, is there anything I can help you with? I saw that the Canyon entrance is short of a gatekeeper, how about I go and guard the gate first?"

"Let me know what the next steps are."

Wang Kui remained silent for a long time.

He had been dreaming of this moment throughout the Rainy Season.

He fantasized about standing out and appearing before the Wang Family Head, telling him that he had misjudged him, that he was actually very capable, and that he had always thought the Wang Family Head didn't recognize his abilities, which was why he wasn't being promoted. He never imagined that the head of the Wang family recognized his abilities too much, which was why he wasn't being promoted.

It left him somewhat dazed.

He had already figured it out: when the Wang Family Head heard his words, he would definitely be furious and roar, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! Kill me or torture me, it's up to you!"

After all, he had only met the Wang Family Head three times, and each time the other party had a serious and unsmiling expression.

Unexpectedly...

So flexible and adaptable?

Actually, when he saw that the Congratulatory Gift from the Qiuhe Wang Family were in both small and large portions, he had a rough idea that the old man was too decisive and had gone bankrupt to save his life.

The sect leader may have completely given up on even the idea of attacking the Qiuhe Wang Family.

What's the point of fighting?

Everything's here. If we go attack now, all we'll find are a bunch of buildings and nothing else. We don't even know how long those Cannon Tower will be able to fire.

"Go."

"Alright." Without the slightest hesitation, the Wang Family Head, despite being over sixty years old, was remarkably agile. He scurried into the Canyon, ready to guard the Canyon.

"Good."

At the entrance to the Nameless Mountain Canyon, the Wang Family Head stood there, carefully stroking the two characters "Mortal Sect" carved into the mountainside, and sighed, "It can be considered a peaceful end."

The Three Great Powers in Northbank City Qiuhe Wang Family.

That sounds so glamorous!

But in reality, he lived in constant fear every day. Very few organizations can last for more than 50 years since their founding, and there are only a handful in Jiangbei alone.

37 years ago, during that Rainy Season, Jiangbei was almost completely wiped out.

The number of enemies they made also increased.

I'm becoming increasingly afraid of death.

Now that he's joined the Mortal Sect, even though he's only Station Master, the Mortal Sect's rapid rise suggests it will become even stronger in the future. If it can unify Jiangbei, even being a Station Master would be better than what he is now.

Good.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little smug.

He had some grudges with the Mortal Sect, but not too many; he could buy his life by spending money.

What about the North River Chen Family?

The North River Chen Family abandoned Chen Fan in the Wasteland before the Rainy Season. Can such a feud be averted by financial loss?

It's unlikely.

Moreover, he simply didn't believe that the old man from the North River Chen Family, who was willing to give up everything for the rise of his Family, would be willing to abandon his Family and spend money to save his life.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

The Wang Family Head could only stand there at the entrance of the Canyon, looking up at the clear blue sky above, stroking his beard and humming a little tune with a touch of pride.

Being able to pick it up isn't a skill.

Letting go is a skill.

He has already submitted his paper; now it's up to the North River Chen Family to decide how to do the same.

Rainy Season, Northbank City was in danger. He didn't send anyone to defend the city, nor did he deplete his resources. He didn't even expect to be able to hold it. His thinking at the time was simple: even if the city fell, he would still have a chance to survive while guarding the Wang Family's territory.

I'm going to buy my life after the Rainy Season ends.

Once his resources are used up, what can he use to save his life? He can't buy his life with just Zhang Zui; even getting a wife requires a dowry.

Just then--

A group of people appeared in the wilderness and soon arrived at the entrance to the Canyon.

The Wang Family Head coughed lightly, then quickly straightened up and roared.

"This is the territory of the Mortal Sect. Who goes there? State your name!"

However, the group of people riding the Skeleton Horse did not slow down at all, and charged straight into the Canyon.

"Ahead lies the territory of the Mortal Sect."

The Wang Family Head hurriedly shouted again, but the group still showed no sign of slowing down. He gritted his teeth, made a snap decision, and stood directly in front of them, arms outstretched, roaring, "The Mortal Sect is ahead..."

Before he could finish speaking...

A Skeleton Horse rammed into him, sending him flying. His vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious to the side.

Undeterred, the group continued their charge into the Canyon.

In the blink of an eye, we passed through Thousand Meters Canyon and arrived at Sinkhole.

"They're all here."

A young man in a white robe emerged from the Horse-Drawn Carriage pulled by the Skeleton Horse, glanced at Chen Fan was surrounded by the crowd, and smiled nonchalantly.

"It's so lively?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am Zhou Yi, the Pill Sect Young Master. I have come to offer my congratulations upon learning of the Mortal Sect's Slaying the Wraith King."

He waved his hand.

The person behind him carried out a box of Eerie Stone and threw it on top of the mountain of congratulatory Congratulatory Gift: "10,000 Eerie Stones, count them."

He then looked around the crowd, his gaze settling on Gongyang Yue, who was hiding behind Qi Yue, and gave her a gentle smile.

"I've been looking for you for so long, and I've finally found you."

"The Gongyang Yue, its people are as beautiful as its name."