After a long time.
In the Jiang family's main hall, Jiang Zhenshan returned with visible exhaustion, followed by a group of clan elders. Every one of them looked dispirited, their expressions dark and heavy.
The forbidden land in the back mountain had erupted for unknown reasons. A demon cultivator had nearly escaped. Even after mobilizing all the Jiang family's high-level experts, they had only managed to barely suppress it. Still, a powerhouse at the eighth level of the Human Sovereign Realm had died in the process.
What chilled Jiang Zhenshan the most was that the fallen expert was his right-hand man—someone who had supported him every step of the way. His smooth rise within the Jiang family owed much to this person's efforts. Now that he had fallen just like that, Jiang Zhenshan felt not only heartbreak, but a deep, gnawing sorrow.
"Humph!"
"Where is Lao Shi?"
"He couldn't even guard the forbidden land!"
"There's no need for him to guard it anymore!"
"Force him to face the cliff and reflect on his mistakes!"
Jiang Zhenshan suppressed the grief in his heart. His gaze sharpened as he looked toward the Fifth Patriarch, his pupils icy cold. From these words, he smelled danger—and deliberate targeting.
The forbidden land had erupted.
A powerful figure had fallen.
If Lao Shi were stripped of his authority within the Jiang family, then Jiang Zhenshan's own faction would lose even more control. The Fifth Patriarch would only need to pull in the neutral factions. Once the balance tipped, it would not be impossible for Jiang Jue to ascend.
Jiang Zhenshan's eyes grew colder.
He could not believe that, for the sake of choosing the next eldest son, people from Jiang Jue's lineage would dare to recklessly stir up trouble in the forbidden land. If this were true, then he would not hesitate to be ruthless and personally clean up this internal rot.
"Humph!"
"I swear to the heavens!"
"If this was caused by me, I'll sever my own lineage! Although there are disagreements over the younger generation becoming the eldest son, I am not foolish enough to drag the entire Jiang family into chaos!"
The Fifth Patriarch's face was flushed with anger as he swore.
Jiang Zhenshan suppressed his fury.
Hopefully… that was true.
At this moment, the silver-haired elder of the Six Clans—who had strongly supported Jiang Chen in the Yin Ruins—swept his murderous gaze across the hall and said domineeringly:
"If I find out that any of you dared to cause trouble in the forbidden land, I'll make you regret ever being born!"
"Humph!"
Third Grandpa, a supporter of Jiang Jue's lineage, sneered coldly.
"Talking like this is useless. Let's discuss how to resolve what comes next."
The forbidden land was in turmoil.
They had paid a massive price.
And it had only been forced back temporarily.
Before long, it would surge out again.
This problem had to be solved.
"With the current strength of our Jiang family, it's already difficult to suppress it. If we want to seal it again, we can only seek external help."
A neutral elder spoke with a sorrowful expression.
Seek external help?
The hall fell into brief silence.
Many faces showed shame.
As the oldest aristocratic family, the Jiang family had once dominated even Zhongzhou. Now, after repeated decline, they had reached the point where they needed outside assistance just to survive in the Eastern Region.
It was humiliating.
But unavoidable.
"…Invite them."
Even the Fifth Patriarch, who had been fiercely opposing earlier, sighed helplessly.
"Who would we invite?"
"Immortal Dao Sect?"
"Zhenwu Sect?"
"Goddess Sect?"
"Tianji Sect?"
None of these forces were friendly with the Jiang family. In fact, they would gladly see chaos erupt here—better yet, total annihilation—so there would be one less transcendent force competing in the Eastern Region.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in Jiang Zhenshan's mind.
Chu Xun.
The seemingly ordinary old man from the Sutra Pavilion.
Jiang Zhenshan's eyes filled with trust. If he could be invited, this matter would certainly be resolved.
"Hah!"
The elders of the Three Clans immediately saw through his thoughts and laughed mockingly.
"Master Jiang, are you still dreaming at a time like this? Even you and I can't deal with the forbidden land. And him—a mere fifth-level Human Emperor cultivator—what right does he have to participate?"
Among the neutral faction, many had also thought of Chu Xun.
Hearing this, their expressions dimmed.
Yes.
Even the Jiang family's strongest experts were helpless.
How could Chu Xun possibly solve this?
The silver-haired elder of the Six Clans snorted coldly.
"Who says Elder Chu isn't qualified? In the Yin Ruins, Jiang Chen held Chu Xun's talisman and killed Old Wei Zhao of the Immortal Dao Sect with a single sword. That strike was absolutely at the Nine Realms of the Human Emperor!"
"Hiss!"
Hope flickered once more in the eyes of the neutral elders.
"Hah!"
The Three Clans' elders scoffed.
"You believe that nonsense? When the Immortal Dao Sect and Zhenwu Sect pressured the Donglin Sect, even a saint was on the verge of awakening. With Chu Xun's strength, how could he possibly do that?"
The silver-haired elder flew into a rage.
"Bullshit! You were there that day! The shadow of Chu Xun wielding the Taixuan Sword—slashing Old Monster Zhao in one strike—did you not see it with your own eyes?!"
The Three Clans' elders laughed.
"And you believed it? Who knows if it was a saint's leftover trick. Maybe Chu Xun just happened to activate it and mistook it for his own power!"
The spark of hope that had just ignited among the neutral faction was extinguished once again. Their expressions turned grim, some even burning with anger.
Nothing works.
This won't do.
That won't do.
Could it be that the Jiang family was destined for destruction?
Seeing the moment was ripe, the elder of the Three Clans spoke leisurely:
"My grandson, Jiang Jue, knows Ye Chen of the Immortal Sect. If you're unfamiliar with him, ask around. In recent years, he's been a rising star—coming from the fringes of the Eastern Region, step by step, reaching his current brilliance through extraordinary talent and will, far beyond his peers."
The elders nodded slightly.
To rise from the edge of the Eastern Region and survive to this day already proved Ye Chen's talent, character, and wisdom.
"It just so happens that my grandson is close friends with him. If Ye Chen leads the way, we might even invite fellow cultivators from the Immortal Dao Sect—or perhaps a saint—to help my Jiang family eliminate this hidden danger!"
"Really?"
"Is that true?"
In an instant, the wavering neutral faction lit up with hope.
Soft discussions broke out.
"Ye Chen?"
"Who would he invite?"
"Is he really that capable?"
Seeing the situation turn favorable, Third Grandpa smiled faintly.
He never imagined that the forbidden land's eruption today would be such divine assistance to his lineage.
"Oh?"
"Ye Chen?"
"Is that the insignificant fellow who was nearly killed by a casual strike of my sword?"
A cold, arrogant voice suddenly echoed through the hall, silencing the chatter.
All eyes followed the sound.
A handsome young man with a jade-like bearing slowly walked in.
His temperament was transcendent, his white robes purer than snow. Though of the younger generation, he placed immense pressure on the elders—not through cultivation, but through presence alone.
He had long been invincible in the Eastern Region.
Tempered by unbroken victory.
And now, with the changes in the world's fortune, an indescribable transcendence clung to him.
"Jiang Chen!"
"My son!"
Jiang Zhenshan's furrowed brows instantly relaxed into a beaming smile. When he sensed the earth-shaking transformation in his son's aura, that smile only grew wider.
In a corner of the hall, a young man's face stiffened.
His fists clenched… then clenched again.
It was none other than Ye Chen.
Moments earlier, he had finished stirring trouble with Jiang Chen at the forbidden land and rushed here to observe the situation. Hearing the Three Clans praise him so highly, Ye Chen had remained calm on the surface, smug inside.
Who could have imagined—
A slap would come so fast, right at the peak of his pride.