Chapter 108: The Fall

But after hearing Yang Rui’s next words, Xu Haoran once again felt relieved.

“Brother Xu, your plan—Brother Han has already told all of us. There is no need for you to struggle to deceive us anymore. Still, there’s no harm in going to your Xu Clan’s Council Hall to talk. After all, your Xu Clan is one of the Four Great Clans of the Northland—of course we would give you that respect.”

“Then… please!” Xu Haoran stretched out a hand in a gesture of courtesy.

“You, Family Head Xu, should go first!”

“Very well!”

Xu Haoran leaped down from the High Platform and flew directly toward the Council Hall. Zhou Ba, Yang Rui, and Han Kui followed behind him. Suddenly, a figure shot up from the Yang Family’s tent and caught up with them in an instant, falling in behind Yang Rui. Xu Haoran turned his head abruptly and saw that person was the one he had seen earlier with the cultivation level at the First Layer of Foundation Building Stage. He spoke to Yang Rui:

“Brother Yang, the conversation among us Family Heads—it seems your subordinate does not have the qualification to join, does he?”

Yang Rui shook his head slightly, moved closer to Xu Haoran in mid-air, and said in a low voice, “Brother Xu, he is not my subordinate. I would not dare treat him as a subordinate! He is a disciple of the Huayang Sect, merely disguised this time to help us.”

Xu Haoran’s heart shook, followed by immense alarm. He looked again at that person. Although the man still appeared to be at the First Layer of Foundation Building Stage, how could Xu Haoran still believe that was his true level? He couldn’t help but feel anxious and worried. He did not know what that person’s actual realm was, nor whether the Talisman Array around the Main Hall could defeat this person.

Watching the figures disappear into the sky, the entire Plaza fell into dead silence. Li Wanpeng, Xiao Rugui, and Wu Meng’s expressions changed drastically. They saw that the Han Family and Xu Clan had not formed an alliance—in fact, they had become mortal enemies. This made them extremely excited, as if they saw a bright future for themselves. But when they heard that the Zhou Family of Canglang City, the Yang Family of Nanlin City, and the Han Family of Juque City had formed an alliance, their hearts turned cold and sank to the bottom.

It was very clear: the alliance of these three families had come to carve up the Xu Clan. If that was the case, what share would be left for them? Moreover, they were now very worried: if the three families could not come to an agreement inside the Xu Clan’s Main Hall and ended up destroying the Xu Clan, would they take the chance to wipe them out as well? The three men gathered together, looking at each other with worried eyes, then began to talk in low voices.

By now, the Central Plaza was in chaos. The Xu Clan’s disciples formed a square formation. The people from Canglang City, Nanlin City, and Juque City gathered together, facing off against the Xu Clan’s people. Everyone else retreated to the sides, watching the two opposing sides with both fear and excitement.

Xu Ziyan stared at the disappearing figures in the sky, her unease growing. Especially after she saw that last person who shot up into the air, her unease intensified, because Xu Ziyan once again caught the scent of a Breath-Concealing Talisman. Ever since her cultivation had reached the Foundation Building Stage and she had gained deeper insights into talismans, she had become much more sensitive to the auras of various talismans.

“Who is that person? Why would he hide his cultivation level? Could it be because his cultivation is very high? Then… is he… someone from the Huayang Sect? Oh no!”

Xu Ziyan was shocked. Her heart pounded violently, as if it wanted to leap out of her chest. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She hurriedly looked around and just then saw Xu Haoliang whisper a few words to Xu Haobo before they parted ways. Xu Haoliang did not fly through the sky; instead, he quietly pushed through the crowd, heading outward.

Xu Ziyan stepped forward, grabbed Xu Haoliang’s sleeve, and said quietly:

“Ninth Uncle, does the clan have a Secret Passage that leads directly to the Council Hall?”

Xu Haoliang did not answer Xu Ziyan. Instead, he glared at her with mild anger and said in a low voice:

“Don’t mess around. Stay here. I have urgent business!”

“Ninth Uncle, I’m not messing around! The situation is critical right now. Where are you going, Ninth Uncle?” Xu Ziyan whispered anxiously, “If you are going to the Main Hall, please take me with you!”

“I’m not going to the Main Hall. I’m going to awaken the Family Patriarch from Secluded Death Cultivation. With the clan in this predicament, the Patriarch must emerge!” Xu Haoliang’s expression hesitated slightly, but he ended up telling Xu Ziyan. In his heart, he didn’t know why he did so.

“Awaken the Family Patriarch?” Xu Ziyan’s expression froze in surprise. The existence of a more powerful ancestor in the Xu Clan was the clan’s highest secret; of course Xu Ziyan didn’t know. But even if she had known now, Xu Ziyan wouldn’t believe that the Xu Clan’s Family Patriarch could be a match for a disciple of the Huayang Sect. She lowered her voice again and said:

“Ninth Uncle, I’m afraid even if the Family Patriarch emerges, it won’t help!” Seeing Xu Haoliang’s shocked expression, Xu Ziyan said urgently:

“That person who just flew out from the tent—I suspect he is a disciple of the Huayang Sect. If he really is a Huayang Sect disciple, since the Huayang Sect sent him here, his cultivation level would definitely not be lower than any Family Patriarch in the Mortal World—in fact, it would be much higher. There is absolutely no way our Xu Clan’s Patriarch could handle him!”

“Hu… Huayang Sect? Are you sure?” Xu Haoliang’s expression changed dramatically.

“I’m sure! I smelled the Breath-Concealing Talisman’s aura on him. That can’t be wrong!”

Xu Ziyan said with firm resolve. In her heart, she wasn’t completely certain at this moment, but she was gambling: It would be best if that person wasn’t from the Huayang Sect. But if he was, asking the Patriarch to come out would be utterly pointless. It would be better for her to sneak into the Main Hall and take a chance. If she failed, at worst she would die—it wasn’t like she hadn’t died before. But if she abandoned the clan now and ran away alone, not to mention how she would explain it to her parents, if a cowardly obstacle arose in her own heart, how could she ever achieve a breakthrough in her Mental State later on?

“Then… what should we do?” Xu Haoliang’s mind was in complete disarray.

“Ninth Uncle, does the clan really have a Secret Passage to get into the Main Hall? If there is, quickly take me there. I’m afraid that Talisman Array won’t be able to deal with that Huayang Sect person.”

“Take you? Do you have a plan?” Xu Haoliang’s eyes suddenly lit up. Although Xu Ziyan’s cultivation level was not high in his eyes, ever since he lost to Xu Ziyan, she had held a mysterious quality in his mind! Naturally, he felt an inexplicable confidence in her.

“I have a plan!” Xu Ziyan said resolutely.

“Then let’s go quickly!”

Xu Haoliang grabbed Xu Ziyan’s hand and ran forward at full speed.

Inside the Council Hall, Xu Haoran sat in the main seat at the head. Zhou Ba, Yang Rui, Han Kui, and that mysterious person casually took seats on either side. They looked at Xu Haoran with mocking expressions. Xu Haoran struggled to remain calm. His gaze swept over the mysterious person again, and the mockery in that person’s eyes grew even stronger…

Xu Haoran could only inwardly sigh, but he still wanted to make one last attempt. He turned to Han Kui and said:

“Brother Han, why is this? Aren’t you afraid of punishment from the Taixuan Sect?”

“Heh, punishment from the Taixuan Sect? Brother Xu, you know very well—the Taixuan Sect doesn’t interfere with conflicts in the Mortal World!” Han Kui said indifferently.

“That’s because no matter the outcome of the conflict, the victor always sends tributes to the Taixuan Sect as is customary. Now it’s clear: the Yang Family and Zhou Family will not send tributes to the Taixuan Sect as usual. Can you be sure the Taixuan Sect would ignore such a matter? Would they let a clan that betrays them under these circumstances go unpunished?” Xu Haoran’s eyes revealed sarcasm.

Han Kui’s face changed, and he fell silent for a moment.

“Heh, Brother Xu, there’s no need for you to worry about that,” Zhou Ba said with a bold laugh. “From now on, whether the Taixuan Sect can even take care of itself is already a question. How would they still have energy to manage matters in the Mortal World?”

“A great sect—it’s not something a Mortal World clan should comment on, is it?” Xu Haoran said coldly. Then, turning to Han Kui again, he said:

“Brother Han, have you truly decided?”

Han Kui let out a long sigh, a resolute expression appearing on his face. He nodded toward Xu Haoran and said:

“I’ve decided. I will ally with Nanlin City and Canglang City and pledge allegiance to the Huayang Sect.” Seeing the disappointment on Xu Haoran’s face, Han Kui couldn’t help but gently advise:

“Brother Xu, you also know the Taixuan Sect cannot be relied upon. Otherwise, after we sent the Flying Sword Messenger, there would not have been a single reply for over a month. Under these circumstances, Brother Tang…” At this, Han Kui bowed respectfully toward the mysterious person who had remained silent the whole time, “Brother Tang personally came to our Han Family and told us the Taixuan Sect will no longer concern itself with matters of the Mortal World. We have been abandoned by the Taixuan Sect.”

“Why?”

Xu Haoran’s body shook, and panic appeared on his face. Over the past days, he had also discussed this matter with his clansmen. They believed the Taixuan Sect must have encountered some trouble; otherwise, after receiving the Flying Sword Messenger, they would not have remained completely silent. They just hadn’t thought the Taixuan Sect had reached the point where they could no longer look after themselves and had to abandon the Mortal World.

“Simple!” said that Huayang Sect’s Brother Tang slowly. “Because the Taixuan Sect’s Nascent Soul Patriarch has perished!”

Xu Haoran’s heart sank. His whole body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar—piercingly cold. As the Clan Leader of one of the Four Great Clans of the Northland, he naturally knew that the reason the Taixuan Sect and Huayang Sect became the two great sects of the Northern Region was that each sect had a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing it, while other sects did not. Now that the Taixuan Sect’s only Nascent Soul cultivator had perished, the sect had lost its pillar, and its strength would naturally be greatly reduced. And as the Taixuan Sect’s rival, would the Huayang Sect let this opportunity pass?