The man who had just spoken was none other than Ji Cangming.
Veins bulged on his forehead, and his steps were hurried, as though he could scarcely conceal the fury in his heart.
Ten or twenty years earlier, Ji Cangming had brazenly defected from the Condensed Jade Sect, damaged a War Treasure Ship, and wounded a host of cultivators, causing part of the defensive line to collapse.
He now held a notorious place on the Condensed Jade Sect's bounty list, ranked second, behind only Mysterious Altar True Person and above even several False Core cultivators.
Over the years, Ji Cangming had not only led a band of remnants to evade wave after wave of pursuit by the sect, but had also stumbled upon a considerable fortuitous opportunity.
His cultivation had now broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and he had even faintly touched the threshold of its peak. His aura had grown ever more profound, and his combat strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Inside the stone house, an old man in black robes sat opposite Ji Cangming.
The old man stood tall and straight, but his face was utterly withered, like an ancient tree with desiccated bark.
Dressed in black robes and leaning on a Coiling Dragon Spirit Staff, he remained as calm as still water, unmoved by Ji Cangming's near-roaring demands, and said mildly:
"Brother Ji, it isn't that we're unwilling to help rescue him. That scoundrel Qing Chen is simply too difficult to deal with. He now holds Earth Pass Island, with experts around him as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river. The Rebel-Slaying Platform has been secured like an iron barrel, its defenses impenetrable.
"If we rush there to rescue him, we'll be lambs walking into a tiger's jaws. Not only