And with the truce with Yan San, Gong Shanhe and his faction would only focus more and more on internal matters, on managing the clan members, with the fundamental goal of continuously strengthening and improving the clan's power.
If no one from the lineages of the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Elders broke through to the late-stage Nascent Soul, they would never have a day in the sun.
Shanhe only needed to keep the cultivation resources in his hands, and even if the Second Elder himself wanted to break through to the late-stage Nascent Soul, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Therefore, he had to ascertain the Great Elder's final thoughts. When they had a common enemy, for the sake of survival, the Second Elder and his faction could naturally present a united front.
But now that the great war had ceased, the Great Elder's faction controlled more and more, and their means of balancing the other lineages were also growing stronger.
It was inevitable that the Second Elder's worries would multiply, and the idea of re-establishing the Miao lineage surged uncontrollably in his heart once more.
The existence of Li Yan and Hong Yin were two uncontrollable factors. Although Hong Yin was strong, she was ultimately just a wisp of a soul. With some preparation, there were many ways to deal with a soul.
Therefore, they wanted to thoroughly understand all of Li Yan's trump cards before making any further plans.
Li Yan merely glanced at the Fifth Elder, then turned his head and nodded at the Great Elder, thus accepting the Great Elder's words.
That glance from Li Yan swept over him as if he didn't exist. The Fifth Elder's blood rushed to his head. He had long found Li Yan displeasing. Since his arrival in the Tianli Clan, his branch lineages had been passive and constrained at every turn.
Therefore, although Li Yan's contribution to the Tianli Clan was not small, he personally believed that the man had only come for the cultivation method. The Fifth Elder was only at the initial-stage of Nascent Soul, but he was fearless even against a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. His body leaned forward slightly.
"I didn't see Fellow Daoist Li personally seal a Fifth-rank Yin Mountain Beast. Since the Great Elder has entrusted the grave responsibility of protecting the clan to Fellow Daoist Li and the Clan Head, it is equivalent to placing our lives in your hands. I naturally believe in the Clan Head's strength, but can Fellow Daoist Li truly possess the kind of strength the Great Elder speaks of, to the point where he can join forces with the Clan Head to hold off Yan San? Hehehe..." The Fifth Elder let out a cold laugh, his eyes fixed on Li Yan's. If he had that kind of high-powered magical treasure, his own strength would also increase explosively.
According to the Great Elder's previous description, both of Li Yan's supreme treasures were now being used on the seal. How much strength could he himself have left?
He had already cultivated the Qiongqi Purgatory Art to the sixth layer.
"I am honored by the Great Elder's high regard. I have also told Sixth Senior Sister that I will not shirk from any matter within my power!" Li Yan calmly returned the Fifth Elder's gaze.
"Within your power? I hope you don't end up implicating our Clan Head!"
"Does the Fifth Elder perhaps have a better method?" A faint, unreadable smile appeared on Li Yan's face at this moment. And when he spoke, he slightly emphasized the words "better method," as if to imply that the Great Elder's arrangement was the most reasonable and that no one else could replace him.
Moreover, a smile also appeared in Li Yan's eyes as he watched the other man. Being stared at by Li Yan with such an expression, the Fifth Elder, whose anger was already being forcefully suppressed, began to churn. He actually didn't speak again immediately…
For a time, the hall was surprisingly quiet, with everyone watching the two of them exchange words.
In truth, every person had their own thoughts. Some wanted to figure out Li Yan's true capabilities, while others could see that Li Yan was already displeased.
After a few breaths, the Fifth Elder broke the dead silence.
"I wonder if I might have the honor of experiencing Fellow Daoist Li's divine abilities!"
"No problem!" As the Fifth Elder issued his challenge, Li Yan answered immediately without even blinking, his response faster than the question itself.
At this, the Fifth Elder immediately stood up and began to walk out.
"Then let's settle it in the sky above!"
"No need. Right here is fine. The restrictions here are also quite strong. You may make your move!" Li Yan also rose from his chair. He first glanced at Gong Chenying, whose voice then sounded in his mind.
"Do not injure him severely!" When Gong Chenying saw the faint, unreadable smile on Li Yan's face, she sighed in her heart. She knew Li Yan was definitely going to make a move, and any attempt to dissuade him would be futile.
Moreover, Gong Chenying had also guessed Li Yan's other intention. This fellow wasn't just acting because he was provoked by the Fifth Elder; he had been holding a grudge against the Fifth Elder all along, remembering the matter of him hiding her letter.
Now that the overall situation had stabilized and he had firmly established his footing in the Tianli Clan, he was starting to look for an opportunity to cause trouble for the Fifth Elder.
At this time, if Li Yan fought with any of a an elder, as long as he didn't kill him, everyone else would just watch from the sidelines.
"Hehehe, Fellow Daoist Li's divine abilities are even greater than I imagined. Right here?" The Fifth Elder, who had been walking out, paused. He immediately turned his head back to look at Li Yan. Although he was laughing, his eyes had turned ice-cold.
Li Yan hadn't explicitly said he was no match, but the meaning between the lines was that dealing with him would require no effort at all. He could defeat him right here without damaging the hall.
He was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and a powerful body cultivator who could tear open space with his physical body . Even among the three Wind Beast clans, besides Yan San, not even those mid-stage fourth-rank Wind Beasts could claim an easy victory over him.
The gazes of the others in the hall were even more varied: strange, surprised, contemplative… Even Hong Yin had now reopened her wondrous eyes, an expression of someone ready to watch a good show on her face. This made the Fifth Elder feel even more humiliated by the other party.
Li Yan paid no mind to the others' gazes. After standing up, he took a few steps toward the center of the hall and then stood there, his black robe fluttering without any wind.
His hands simply hung down inside his wide sleeves, with no other movement. Then his gaze fell upon the Fifth Elder, who seemed like an imminent volcano.
All eyes in the hall fell on the two of them. As expected, even after both men had risen, no one tried to stop them, including Gong Shanhe and the Great Elder.
"Good, good, good!" The Fifth Elder stared at Li Yan, a cold laugh escaping his lips. Across from him, Li Yan had already frowned. Once he started a fight, he hated talking to his opponent.
If he hadn't let the other party make the first move, he would have already been at his side, striking. If you can fight, then fight. Can you win a fight by babbling?
The next moment, the Fifth Elder's figure suddenly vanished from his spot. At the same time, Li Yan also moved. His body blurred, leaving an afterimage in his place.
"Boom! Boom!"
The instant their figures vanished, two loud bangs erupted almost simultaneously. First, a ball of yellow light exploded outward from the center of the hall.
Immediately after, a dazzling burst of restrictive light erupted from a hall pillar that was so thick it would take four or five people to encircle.
The two bursts of light came suddenly. Before anyone in the hall, except for the Great Elder and Hong Yin, could see clearly what had happened, the Fifth Elder's figure, which had just leaped up, was instantly enveloped in the brilliant light.
The two flashes of light quickly dissipated. A figure appeared at the spot where the Fifth Elder had been standing. That person was dressed in a black robe, with jet-black short hair like steel needles. He was looking towards a giant hall pillar to the side. It was Li Yan.
And where he was looking, a stout man in a purple robe was half-leaning against the pillar, his face a deathly gray, his chest heaving violently and rapidly, as if the air here wasn't enough for him to breathe.
"Fifth Brother!" the Second Elder's voice rang out in an instant. As his voice sounded, he had already appeared in front of the Fifth Elder. Without a word, he pressed his palm directly onto the man's shoulder. His expression immediately relaxed.
The Fifth Elder's body was only temporarily sealed by a force, and that sealing force was also rapidly receding. This made him swallow the words of rebuke he was about to shout at Li Yan. The other party had clearly shown mercy.
"You…" After the Second Elder infused a stream of spirit power into him, the stuffiness in the Fifth Elder's chest eased slightly, but his body still felt sore and weak, unable to muster much magical power.
What made him tremble with anger and disbelief was that he had been defeated in a single move. The key was that he had no idea how the other party had attacked; everything had happened faster than he could react.
The moment he attacked his opponent, he felt the body he had just launched into the air being enveloped by a powerful force. Immediately after, it felt as if his Shanzhong acupoint had been pricked by a needle.
The magical power that had been circulating like lightning was instantly choked off as if by a hand gripping his neck, and it vanished from his meridians . He couldn't draw another breath.
Greatly alarmed, his whole body fell towards the ground, but he was then kicked hard in the lower abdomen.
The magical power in his dantian , which he had been about to forcefully muster again, was violently dispersed, and he was sent flying.
The Fifth Elder only managed to utter one word before another wave of sharp pain shot through his lower abdomen. His face turned white, and he couldn't speak any further.
And Li Yan, standing in front, now wore a smile on his face again. But in the Fifth Elder's eyes, his smile nearly made him choke on his breath.
Li Yan looked at him with a grin. Did he need to expend time and effort to deal with an initial-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?
If he hadn't considered the man's status, he would have added another Demon-Sealing Needle just now and pinned his Nascent Soul in his dantian as well. That last kick, with the Nascent Soul unprotected by magical power, could have directly shattered it. Although he had held back most of his strength, it still caused the man's Nascent Soul to be shaken, and severe pain was unavoidable.
'I've had my eye on you for a while, and you even took the initiative to give me an opportunity!' Li Yan thought to himself. This man had interrupted the connection between his Senior Sister and the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Did he really think he was some mighty elder? In front of Senior Sister, he deserved a beating.
And all of this, in the eyes of the others, left the Fourth Elder, who had been smiling moments before, with his mouth half-open, the smile frozen on his face.
"One… one move? Fifth… Fifth Brother was defeated in one move? Not even the Second Elder could do it so cleanly. Is he… a late-stage Great Cultivator?" His own strength was only a notch above the Fifth Elder's. The Second Elder, like Li Yan, was at the mid-stage Nascent Soul, but if he wanted to defeat them, it would still take dozens of breaths, or even longer.
This also had to account for their familiarity with each other's cultivation methods. The only one here who could incapacitate them in a single move should be the Great Elder. Gong Shanhe was stronger than the Second Elder, but it would still take time.
The Third Elder's beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Yan's face, shimmering like water.
"He seems even stronger. Has A Ying been lying to me all along? This person hasn't just been cultivating for around two hundred years, but is an old monster nearly a thousand years old…"
At the head of the hall, Gong Shanhe, after a moment of slight surprise, returned to normal and began to mutter to himself.
"I… I don't think I can beat him anymore!"
Only the Great Elder and the Sixth Elder remained impassive. But while the Great Elder had truly guessed Li Yan's strength, the Sixth Elder was frozen in his seat.
The cultivators of their Tianli Clan had always prided themselves on their formidable combat power, especially among those of the same rank. In the past, it was always them who crushed other cultivators of the same rank. Even beings with physical bodies as strong as the Wind Beasts were suppressed by the Tianli Clan at the same cultivation level.
There was a time when the Sixth Elder believed that the cultivators and warriors of his clan were among the strongest in this realm.
But this Dao Companion of his niece, Ying, how could he be so powerful? The Fifth Elder hadn't even lasted half a breath against him. This was a duel between two Nascent Soul cultivators! Shouldn't it have been a spectacular, drawn-out battle?
A flash of light flickered in Hong Yin's wondrous eyes.
"This kid's combat power has already reached the early stage of a Great Cultivator. To be able to defeat an enemy in one move, he must have a lot of good things on him. That conjured golden needle technique is very powerful. Even among all the techniques in the 'Red Whisk Temple' back then, it would at least rank in the top five, and it's a top-tier technique that can only be cultivated by those at the late-stage Nascent Soul or above!"
By this time, the Fifth Elder had recovered slightly with the help of the Second Elder's magical power, and the Demon-Sealing Needle Li Yan had used had also dissolved after entering his body, as Li Yan had deliberately controlled it. The Fifth Elder slowly pushed away the Second Elder's arm, his eyes, filled with a mixture of confusion and resentment, fixed on Li Yan. The opponent's strength was astonishingly great, able to penetrate his tempered, formidable physical body and instantly deliver the force inside.
The Fifth Elder finally knew now: this Li Yan had definitely cultivated other Body Refining Arts , and had also cultivated them to a very high level.
Without another word, the Fifth Elder strode towards the exit of the hall. It was clear that he now held a grudge against Li Yan.
However, after learning about the clan lineage divisions within the Tianli Clan, Li Yan had long known that this day might come.
Without the Great Sacrificial Priest, and without absolute authority and rules, the Tianli Clan would have likely fractured during the years Gong Shanhe was missing, if not for the Great Elder's repeated tolerance.
Furthermore, Li Yan had a vengeful personality by nature. Someone had designs on Gong Chenying, so of course, he had to retaliate. Was he supposed to act like a coward?
Just when everyone thought the matter would be left at that, and that today's discussions would proceed in three months according to the Great Elder's earlier plan, an unexpected turn occurred.
The Second Elder, who had been watching the Fifth Elder's departing back, suddenly turned to look at the Great Elder. This time, his gaze didn't even sweep over Li Yan.
"Great Elder, some things are better done sooner rather than later. Three months is enough time for variables to arise. I plan to go to the Qionglin Sect first with Fifth Brother. I feel it would actually be safer for me to go. They will be more cautious due to their fear of the Great Elder's existence. If something were to happen to me and Fifth Brother, the retaliation of a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator is something they cannot bear, especially given our current situation. They wouldn't dare to risk a life-and-death struggle with people like us who have already burned our bridges!"
As soon as the Second Elder said this, the brows of the Great Elder, Gong Shanhe, and the Third and Sixth Elders furrowed. They all instantly fell into deep thought.
They were considering the true meaning behind the Second Elder's words, and the various possibilities that could arise.