Days passed.
Within the cavernous sanctuary of the Crimson Clan estate's Main Gathering Hall, an oppressive, suffocating stillness held sway. High atop the Patriarch's throne sat Wang Yun. Having recently returned from his journey across the empire to secure cultivation resources for the upcoming Grand Tournament, the Clan Leader's sharp, calculating eyes swept over the council of elders assembled before him.
"Where is the Fourth Elder?" Wang Yun asked, his deep voice reverberating off the grand stone pillars.
Since stepping foot back inside the estate, he had sensed that something was deeply amiss. First came the grim reports of missing children from the lower branch families—innocent youths who were later found dumped along the border roads, their corpses shriveled, their Dantians shattered, and their blood essence violently harvested.
The Third Elder stepped forward, bowing his head. "Clan Leader... Elder Gu has been away from the estate for several days."
Wang Yun's eyes narrowed instantly, locking onto him. "For what reason?"
The Third Elder hesitated before recounting the full sequence of events: the shocking breach of the Ancestral Reflection Chamber, the sudden abduction of Wang Zhi from the core grounds, and the activation of the blood-bound tracking pendant that had sent Wang Gu tearing toward the Mamaya region in a murderous frenzy.
As the truth unfolded, Wang Yun's expression darkened into an icy, unyielding mask.
"A direct strike against our main line under our very noses," Wang Yun murmured, his voice laced with an oppressive gravity that caused the heavy stone walls to vibrate. The ambient temperature in the grand hall plummeted in a fraction of a second. "This is no random bandit incurrence."
He let out a slow, heavy breath, settling his surging aura. Rising smoothly from his throne, his regal robes snapped in the sudden wind as a terrifying wave of high-tier spiritual pressure rippled outward, pinning the council elders to their seats.
"...Elders—"
Before Wang Yun could issue his next command, the colossal, iron-reinforced doors at the back of the hall groaned. The massive gates slid open slowly, the low grinding noise cutting through the tense atmosphere and drawing every eye toward the entrance.
"Huh? Fourth Elder?!" one of the council members blurted out, leaning forward in his chair.
A collective wave of surprise rippled through the room.
Stepping through the threshold was Wang Gu. Yet his appearance left the entire assembly stunned. His skin was pristine—entirely unblemished and free of physical wounds—yet his heavy silk training robes were tattered, scorched, and heavily coated in forest ash and dried dirt. He looked as though he had walked straight out of a localized cataclysm.
Walking past the guard pillars, the Fourth Elder offered a formal greeting, lowering his frame into a bow. "Greetings, Clan Leader."
"Lift your head, Elder Gu," Wang Yun commanded, his sharp gaze evaluating the old man's disheveled state. "I have been reviewing the clan logs since my return, and a certain question has crossed my mind. Where is your grandson? I have not seen Wang Zhi within the estate grounds for days."
Whispers broke out among the council members sitting nearby. Didn't we just explain the entire situation to the Clan Leader? Why is he asking again?
In truth, Wang Yun remembered every detail he had just been told. He simply chose to feign ignorance, testing the old man's response.
Before Wang Yun could expand on his thought, Wang Gu smoothly cut in, his tone perfectly even and tightly controlled.
"Clan Leader, Zhi'er is currently resting inside the Hall of Doctors," Wang Gu stated calmly. "He suffered unexpected physical complications during his isolation, and we plan to unseal his cultivation foundation immediately so his body can channel spiritual energy to heal at a much faster rate."
A few seats away, Chief Martial Instructor Wu Shan's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. A wave of sharp irritation washed over him, his jaw clenching tightly.
Bastard, Wu Shan thought bitterly. He uses this mysterious incident as a flawless political excuse to bypass the seven-day sealing punishment I placed on his grandson.
"Martial Instructor," Wang Yun called out, breaking the sudden silence.
"Yes, Clan Leader," Wu Shan replied instantly, forcing his expression into a neutral mask.
"I want you to personally visit the Hall of Doctors and unlock the boy's foundation by tomorrow morning," Wang Yun ordered calmly. Observing the subtle tension between the two men, Wang Yun added with a faint, knowing tone, "Besides, Wu Shan... has it not already been over seven days since you placed the seal? The duration of his punishment has passed."
Wu Shan bowed his head slightly. "Understood, Clan Leader." Yet beneath his calm exterior, his mind raced with deep suspicion regarding Wang Gu's sudden return.
Hearing the directive, the surrounding elders resumed their hushed murmurs. Altering the execution of the Martial Instructor's decrees—even by technicality—was a subtle political maneuver that kept the balance of power delicate.
"Silence," Wang Yun spoke coldly.
The single word carried a subtle vibration of spiritual force that instantly snuffed out the chatter, plunging the hall back into total silence.
Wang Yun turned his full attention back to the Fourth Elder, his gaze locking onto Wang Gu's face. "Elder Gu, setting the boy's health aside for a moment... let us speak of the perpetrators. Who was the mastermind behind this breach? Who was running the operation?"
The Clan Leader fired off a series of rapid, calculating questions, demanding precise details regarding the hostile force, their numbers, and their movements.
Wang Gu maintained his rigid, emotionless mask. He chose his words with extreme caution, deliberately withholding the most dangerous details of his encounter. He uttered not a single syllable regarding his confrontation with the Netherworld Sect, nor did he mention the dark ritual designed to harvest their ancestral bloodline essence. Instead, he painted the entire conflict as a mere mercenary encounter.
"It was nothing more than a coordinated ambush by local bandit syndicates hiding within the Mamaya region forest, my Lord," Wang Gu reported smoothly, bowing his head. "They sought to ransom a main bloodline child for spirit stones. I have already systematically executed their entire force."
Sitting atop his throne, Wang Yun leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly as a faint crimson light flickered deep within his pupils. He observed the old man's micro-expressions with complete neutrality.
The elder is deliberately keeping secrets. He isn't revealing half of what he knows, Wang Yun thought, a cold, dark amusement tracing his mind. He returned later than he should have. Something is deeply amiss.
Yet as the Sovereign of the Crimson Clan, Wang Yun cared little for the elder's internal politics. To a cultivator of his standing, the specific name of the vermin mattered little.
It does not matter what they call themselves, Wang Yun's thoughts turned dark and absolute, a suffocating aura momentarily flaring around his robes. Whether they are mere bandits or something far darker lurking in the shadows... whoever dares lay a finger on my bloodline has signed their own death warrant.
Meanwhile, high at the windswept peak above the training hall mountain, an ancient structure loomed against the sky.
It was the Myriad Beast Essence Cauldron—a massive vessel forging twenty meters into the air with a diameter of fifteen meters. Cast from black iron spirit-metal and etched with ancient blood-refining formations, it was built to withstand the violent energy of high-tier beast blood.
Down at the base of the peak, Xiao Lan bowed respectfully. "Thank you very much, Elder Mu Ziyan."
"It is nothing," Elder Mu Ziyan replied, brushing her silk sleeves. "It is only natural to support the Young Master."
Two days prior, Wang Fang had visited the Alchemist Chambers while Mu Ziyan was studying new pill formulas. He had requested the heaviest, most resilient cauldron available. Recognizing the potential danger of his unusual training path, the chief alchemist had recommended the Myriad Beast Essence Cauldron and provided him with a thousand jars of rare-quality beast blood essence.
I never expected him to remain inside the cauldron for this long, Mu Ziyan thought, a faint, intrigued smile touching her lips. With that density of beast essence, an ordinary mortal frame should have collapsed days ago. This boy... if he survives this path, he will surpass us all.
As the days bled into weeks, Wang Zhi recovered inside the Hall of Doctors under the care of top-tier spiritual herbs and pills. With his foundation unsealed and the medical resources of his grandfather at his disposal, he not only restored his condition but successfully broke through to the Middle Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm.
Meanwhile, time marched relentlessly forward. Soon, only two weeks remained before the three-month wager.
High upon the mountain peak, inside the searing dark of the cauldron, Wang Fang pushed his body through the terrifying depths of the Sovereign World-Root Scripture.
The crimson beast essence boiled around him, forced directly into his pores through sheer physical pressure. Every movement he made felt fluid—his frame moving like the sudden surge of a mountain wind or the rolling weight of an ocean wave.
Yet, as he flexed his fingers, a deep sense of frustration settled into his mind. He had pushed his mortal shell to the absolute limit of physical refinement, yet he felt stuck against an invisible ceiling.
I have forged this body over and over, Wang Fang thought, letting out a long, heavy breath as he stepped out of the cauldron's fading heat. My density, my reflexes, my sensory focus... all of it has reached the peak of what a mortal frame can endure. Yet I am still lacking the final trigger to break through.
He looked out over the misty mountain range. The arena is already being set in the main courtyard, and there are only two weeks left. Pushing blindly will yield nothing. I need to let my frame settle.
Deciding to give his body a brief respite before the final showdown, Wang Fang descended the quiet stone paths toward his pavilion.
Minutes later, he pushed open the wooden door to his personal chamber and stepped inside.
"What?!" Wang Fang blurted out, stopping dead in his tracks.