One day, a year ago, not long after the Great Elder and Yan San had returned from the swamp. Just as their spirits were lifted by the fact that the seal was intact and the great war with the Wind Beasts had not resumed, they were met by the blood-soaked Fifth Elder, who flew back into the clan with a ferocious expression.
Under the horrified gaze of the Third Elder, who was on duty in the clan, the Fifth Elder only had time to say one thing.
"Second… Second Brother…" Then, he wiped a ring on his hand, but before he could even take it off, he fainted. It was a Spirit-Storing Ring!
Afterward, the Great Elder, Gong Shanhe, the Fourth Elder, and the others all rushed over. With the clan's medicinal pills and the Great Elder's unstinting use of magical power for rapid healing, the Fifth Elder woke up half an hour later.
Although weak, the first thing he did was communicate with the Spirit-Storing Ring with his divine sense . To everyone's surprise, they had thought the Second Elder was severely injured and had been placed in the Spirit-Storing Ring, but they hadn't dared to forcibly open the Fifth Elder's storage space for fear of erasing the divine sense imprint on it and worsening his injuries.
However, when the Second Elder appeared before them, he was nothing but a Nascent Soul , his aura almost completely gone. This stunned everyone.
Even though the Tianli Clan subsequently used all their treasured high-grade pills and the Third Elder performed the "Soul-Descending Art" at great cost to her own essence blood , they only managed to keep the Second Elder's Nascent Soul in an unconscious state for over a month. In the end, without leaving a single word, he perished and stepped onto the Way of Reincarnation .
During this time, the Fifth Elder recounted everything that had happened.
The Qionglin Sect had harbored malicious intentions in inviting the Tianli Clan over. The primary reason was to use them, just as the Great Elder had foreseen, to fend off the Sea-Breaking Beasts. When the Second Elder and his companion went over, they began negotiations. The other party's bottom line, as ascertained by the Second Elder, was that if they could not be given at least three inner-ring islands, the matter would be dropped.
Moreover, the Second Elder had also stated that even in that situation, only about half of their clan members would be willing to relocate. Only if all seven islands were in the inner ring would there be a chance to persuade the Great Elder.
Thus, the other party began to hesitate. The two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Qionglin Sect started communicating via voice transmission. It had to be said that the Second Elder was cautious enough. The place where they met was ten thousand li away from the Qionglin Sect, and one side was close to the edge of the Sea-Breaking Beast's territory. He felt that if anything went wrong, they could escape immediately.
However, the Second Elder and the Fifth Elder had still underestimated the Qionglin Sect's methods. Seeing the subtle changes in the expressions of the two as they communicated via voice transmission, the Second Elder and the Fifth Elder, who had walked out of a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses, faintly smelled danger.
Thus, the two began to quietly retreat. But the other party was determined to plot against them, and the Qionglin Sect was known for its formations. Their skill in setting up formations was superb. They had actually, silently and without a trace, already set up a formation around them when they arrived.
By then, they already knew that the Second Elder and his companion had sensed something was wrong. The Qionglin Sect finally showed its true colors. It turned out that the Qionglin Sect was having a very hard time dealing with the Sea-Breaking Beasts, but they were equally worried about leading a wolf into the house. It wasn't that no sects or clans had approached them for discussion before, but in the end, they could never reach a consensus. Cultivators valued cultivation resources extremely highly, and the Qionglin Sect was even more so.
They mainly cultivated the way of formations, and the materials they consumed were astonishing. They were already living on a tight budget themselves and were completely unwilling to give any to outsiders.
They had long coveted the top-tier Body Refining Art of this realm. Once obtained, it would allow their sect's strength to multiply. In one or two hundred years, they might be able to break the balance with the Sea-Breaking Beasts and gain the upper hand. But the Tianli Clan had long dominated their region, and there were also three clans of Wind Beasts entrenched there. They only had a total of four Nascent Soul cultivators, and their daily struggle against the Sea-Breaking Beasts was a stalemate. How could they have time for anything else?
But to their utter surprise, the Tianli Clan had one day come knocking on their door. They, of course, began to have ideas. In the Tianli Clan's situation, with their own clan in grave danger, it was the perfect time to strike.
They not only wanted to use the other party to block the Sea-Breaking Beasts, but they also wanted to obtain that top-tier cultivation method of the lower realm. However, when the Fifth Elder had come the first time, although he was somewhat reckless, he was a man who had truly crawled out of a pile of dead bodies.
His contact with the Qionglin Sect was all outside, and he only requested that one Nascent Soul cultivator appear to talk with him.
Although they were confident they could have captured the Fifth Elder, at that time they were still thinking of using the Tianli Clan to wear down the strength of the Sea-Breaking Beasts, so they let him go back. But this time, the meaning in the Second Elder's words was very clear: only a part of the Tianli Clan might come, and they wanted to enter the inner-ring islands.
Thus, the two Nascent Soul cultivators who came out couldn't help but entertain the idea of directly capturing the two, performing a soul search, and obtaining the cultivation method. One of them was the Second Island Master, at the late-stage Nascent Soul, and the other was the Third Island Master, at the mid-stage Nascent Soul.
The Second Island Master alone was confident he could capture the two alive. Who would have thought that just as this idea emerged, the Second Elder was the first to sense the danger.
He secretly sent a voice transmission to the Fifth Elder. Although he felt it might be a false alarm, he still trusted his instincts and decided to leave first.
At this, the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Qionglin Sect didn't want to delay any longer. They immediately activated the grand formation on the spot and trapped the two, then made their move.
However, when the fight truly began, the two Island Masters were greatly surprised. The Second Elder's combat experience was extremely rich. As he and the Fifth Elder were retreating, they were immediately blocked by the grand formation behind them.
He knew that although he was much stronger than an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he absolutely could not withstand a strike from a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.
The best chance to escape was now; he could not let the other party unleash their methods. Thus, the Second Elder's ruthlessness and decisiveness exceeded everyone's expectations. The moment he saw he was trapped, the Second Elder didn't even hesitate. He immediately self-detonated four incredibly powerful magical treasures.
Among them was his natal magical treasure . At the same time, he took a direct hit from the late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator. Although he was defeated in one move and coughed up blood, he had managed to withstand half of the attack from the self-detonated magical treasures with his physical body.
The Second Elder was already filled with regret at that time—regret for his misjudgment, regret for his desire to establish an independent branch.
In that situation, facing a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, he had already resigned himself to death. His only thought was to allow the Fifth Elder to escape the grand formation and return to the clan.
He was also an intelligent man, but he had been dominated by the idea of strengthening the Miao lineage, losing his original calmness and patience.
Therefore, the location he chose for the negotiation was excellent. As long as the shockwaves from the battle here could spread out, they would have at least a fifty percent chance of escaping.
This was because the Qionglin Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators would not dare to pursue too far. Among the high-rank Sea-Breaking Beasts, there were many wise ones, and they were also watching the Qionglin Sect.
After being injured by a single blow, the Second Elder didn't delay for even a breath. Instead, he immediately self-detonated his own formidable physical body.
The power generated by the explosion of a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert's lifetime of magical power, combined with their exceptionally sturdy physical body, was so terrifying that even a Nascent Soul cultivator could be killed on the spot.
The Fifth Elder, upon receiving the Second Elder's voice transmission in his mind, also immediately burned his essence blood. He took a direct hit from the Third Island Master's magical treasure on his back. As he coughed up blood, he was sent flying.
And the Second Elder immediately rushed towards the Second Island Master, simultaneously activating all the defensive magical treasures and talismans on his body and throwing them towards the spot where the Fifth Elder had fallen.
This move was completely unexpected by the other party. The exchange had not lasted more than two breaths, yet the Second Elder was so ferocious, first detonating his magical treasures, then himself.
But a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator was a Great Cultivator after all. In his desperation, he also unleashed all his power and managed to suppress more than half of the self-detonation.
However, the formation that had been set up collapsed on the spot. Although the Second Elder's Nascent Soul used Instantaneous Movement , it had already been injured when it took the hit from the late-stage Great Cultivator earlier.
While frantically burning his nascent fire to defend against the aftershocks of the self-detonation, he escaped the moment the grand formation shattered. But he had not gone far before he fell unconscious, his aura almost completely gone.
Fortunately, the Fifth Elder, under heavy protection and with most of the self-detonation force suppressed by the Second Island Master, finally escaped. He grabbed the Second Elder's Nascent Soul and fled with all his might.
He flew madly along the edge of the Sea-Breaking Beast's territory. As expected, the Qionglin Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators gave up the chase after only ten thousand li. This was because the powerful auras of the Sea-Breaking Beasts had already begun to emerge!
Afterward, the Fifth Elder, covered in blood, fed the Second Elder's Nascent Soul the best medicinal pills he had and then teleported again and again.
The cultivators guarding the formations, seeing his ferocious and blood-soaked appearance, didn't dare to ask any questions. Even though he was alone, they immediately teleported him away.
Finally, relying on a single belief, the Fifth Elder managed to persevere and return to the clan… but the Second Elder could not be saved in the end. This tragic result sent a wave of fury through the Tianli Clan. For the Miao clan, it was as if the sky had fallen, and they were filled with righteous indignation.
They were warriors and cultivators who had been through hundreds of battles. How could they be willing to suffer such a loss? They even wanted to spontaneously go and seek out the Qionglin Sect and storm their gates. But they were all suppressed by Gong Shanhe with an iron fist. This made many people dissatisfied with their Clan Head, but for a time, they did not dare to vent their anger on a Nascent Soul cultivator.
But how could they know that the Great Elder, Gong Shanhe, and the other elders had already discussed it several times in secret, constantly planning how to retaliate.
But to Gong Shanhe and the others' surprise, one night, the Great Elder, Gong Shengguang, left only a jade slip and departed from the Tianli Clan alone.
"The clan has just stabilized; Shanhe, you must not have any accidents. The Third Elder has the potential to become the Great Sacrificial Priest in the future! The others still need to cultivate hard. If I do not return, unless a Great Sacrificial Priest is born in the future, you must not seek revenge. You must not break the clan's lineage! You must not!"
After the Great Elder went over, because the other party was already on guard, the sect's grand formation was always active, and Nascent Soul cultivators strengthened their patrols every day.
It was not easy to sneak in. The Great Elder was discovered while trying to infiltrate. But he did not immediately flee. Instead, he was even more ferocious. Relying on his own power, he fought his way into the Qionglin Sect. In the face of a siege by four late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he displayed a strength that terrified them. He was like an awakened ancient, savage beast.
The four Nascent Soul cultivators could not trap the Great Elder. He beat the Third and Fourth Island Masters until they spat blood, and in the end, he even cut off both arms of the late-stage Nascent Soul Second Island Master.
He himself was also not lightly injured, but he still broke through their sect-protecting grand formation with two punches. The Great Elder's valor was unmatched; the four Nascent Soul cultivators were helpless against him. He was like a divine being descending upon the world. For a moment, they did not dare to pursue him.
But as the Great Elder was escaping, he was targeted by two fourth-rank Sea-Breaking Beasts. To a Wind Beast, the Nascent Soul of an injured late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was a great supplement that they might be able to obtain.
While moving stealthily under the sea, they launched a sneak attack, worsening the Great Elder's injuries. But fortunately, he still managed to escape in the end and return to the clan. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
"The Great Elder chose to attack by force?" After hearing the story, Li Yan rubbed the tip of his nose. He hadn't expected the seemingly gentle old man to be so formidable and domineering. Truly, no one who could cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm was without blood on their hands.
"The Great Elder also wanted to wait for a Qionglin Sect Nascent Soul cultivator to come out, or for them to be in a big battle with the Wind Beasts, and then take the opportunity to strike. But the people of the Qionglin Sect, knowing they would likely be retaliated against, are now defending with extreme strictness. The sect-protecting grand formation is always running. And they have added special formations that not only check for illusion arts but also check the cultivation of everyone entering and leaving, supplemented by the divine sense of Nascent Soul cultivators. It is extremely difficult to sneak in. The high-level cultivators on both the Wind Beast and Qionglin Sect sides are of similar strength, basically in a stalemate. Usually, only battles below the Nascent Soul level occur."
"As long as there are no major changes, it's normal for Nascent Soul cultivators not to fight for ten or even decades."
"And the Great Elder also sensed that his concealment in the vicinity might have been detected by either the Qionglin Sect or the Wind Beasts."
"After all, including the Wind Beasts, there are four late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators there. Although the Great Elder's combat power is strong, his concealment techniques are not top-tier."
"So, he could not wait any longer. After being discovered while trying to infiltrate, he simply changed his plan to a direct assault," Gong Shanhe explained.
"Then why has the Clan Head come to see me?" After hearing the cause and effect of the matter, although Li Yan had his guesses, he still asked directly.
"We lost a Nascent Soul; I want to use the life of at least one of their Nascent Soul cultivators as a sacrifice! Now, although the Great Elder has injured one of them, he himself is also not lightly injured. The hearts of many clansmen are beginning to waver. I plan to go over, and the Third Elder will go with me. But with only the Fourth and Sixth Elders in the clan, they cannot hold off Yan San and the others. So I want to ask you and Fellow Daoist Hong Yin to help guard for a period of time. Before the Great Elder comes out of seclusion, help the Fourth and Sixth Elders manage the Tianli Clan. At a critical moment, you may need to take action!" Gong Shanhe looked at Li Yan with a calm expression.
If they went and killed any one of the four Nascent Soul cultivators, even the weakest initial-stage one, it would be enough.
But the consequences of such an action would be too severe for the Qionglin Sect. It would lead to a great crisis, even the annihilation of the sect. This was the result Gong Shanhe wanted to see.
The high-end combat power of the Qionglin Sect was already barely maintaining a balance with the Sea-Breaking Beasts. The fall of any Nascent Soul cultivator would instantly break this balance.
This was also the reason behind the Qionglin Sect's desire to obtain the Tianli Clan's cultivation method and rapidly increase their sect's strength.
"You and the Third Elder are going? What's the plan? You said before, they are just turtling in their sect. Besides, they have two late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators, how can you defeat them? And you might also be pincered by the Sea-Breaking Beasts. On top of that, after the Great Elder's assault this time, they will only be more on guard. How can you break through in this situation?" Li Yan said with a frown. The other party's intention was indeed as he had thought, but such an idea was far too irrational.