Qingce Manor.
Inside a makeshift small world,
Chen Guan, Zi Yan, Second Elder Zhu Wen, and Ling Yu sat quietly cross-legged.
The haphazardly constructed world was barren, its four figures the only glimpse of the world.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Guan opened his eyes and said with a smile, "Since the four clan leaders have arrived at Qingce Manor, please enter and have a chat."
With a wave of his hand, a portal appeared.
Silence lingered for a moment. The space at the cracked portal rippled, and three figures emerged, followed by Gu Yuan.
However, their movements revealed a wariness of Gu Yuan, maintaining a distance.
Standing before the entrance, the four took in the desolate world, their hearts slightly relaxed.
Then, their gazes were quickly drawn to Elder Zhu Wen.
An Eight-Star Dou Sheng!
The power of the Dan League—or, more accurately, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan—was truly not to be underestimated.
Gu Yuan's shock was no less than that of the three people beside him. He had met Zhu Kun before, and now, seeing Elder Zhu Wen, an Eight-Star Dou Sheng, he already placed the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan on par with the Ancient Clan.
He even had a vague feeling that the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan's strength might even surpass that of the Ancient Clan.
After all, the three immortals of the Ancient Clan were only at the late Seven-Star Dou Sheng stage.
While the four were horrified by Elder Zhu Wen, Chen Guan and the others were also sizing up the patriarchs of these ancient races.
Gu Yuan had already met them, so there was no need to explain.
Among the other three, one was a white-haired old man in a white robe. He looked kind, yet his aura was not weak, a late Seven-Star Dou Sheng.
"If Chen Guan's guess is correct, this must be the Yaodan clan leader. I've long admired him."
"Young friend, at such a young age, has already reached the rank of Five-Star Dou Sheng. Your future is limitless. My humble strength is not worth mentioning."
Yaodan politely returned the greeting. While exchanging pleasantries, his eyes involuntarily glanced at Elder Zhu Wen.
Clearly, Elder Zhu Wen's presence was the key to his politeness.
Chen Guan smiled faintly, not offering a modest response. His gaze turned to another middle-aged man in a crimson robe.
He looked to be about forty years old, with a rugged appearance. His eyebrows were a crimson hue, resembling twin wisps of blazing flame. Even more astonishing was his eyes, which were also completely crimson, as if embedded in two flaming gems. Even the air seemed to heat up as he glanced at him.
Chen Guan could sense the fiery aura of a strange fire within him.
"Chief Yan Jin's control over fire has truly reached the pinnacle, capable of completely fusing the volcanic stone flame with the Nine Nether Golden Ancestral Fire. Chen Guan is ashamed of his own control."
Volcanic stone flame is seventeenth on the list of unusual fires.
Nine Nether Golden Ancestral Fire is seventh.
These are no secrets; they are well known among the ancient races.
Yan Jin possesses the strength of a late-stage eight-star Dou Sheng, but at this moment, he maintains no airs, forcing a polite smile across his rugged face.
"You're not bad. In terms of my understanding of strange fire, I might even be inferior to you."
"Alright, alright, what's the point of you all praising me? Chen Guan, I've heard a lot about you from Mang Tianchi. Since you're in charge of the Dan League and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, I can believe that the affairs of the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan have nothing to do with you. You sent us a message saying that a Spirit Clan bloodline survived. Is this true? Don't lie to me."
Seeing these people taking their time, a towering figure standing between the three of them couldn't contain himself and interrupted.
His skin was slightly dark, creating a powerful visual impact. It was as if a giant dragon was swimming beneath it. A terrifying sense of power emanated from him, visible to the naked eye.
The Thunder Clan leader, Lei Ying!
He also possessed the strength of an eight-star late-stage Dou Sheng.
"Of course I won't lie to you. Four clan leaders, please come forward and discuss in detail,"
Chen Guanlang greeted with a smile, unable to help but glance at the ostracized Gu Yuan. He felt that Gu Yuan was unusually quiet today, and the way he looked at him was ten, a hundred times more complex than when he was in the Demonic Fire Dimension.
Soon, the eight people sat in a circle.
Sensing the clan leaders' confusion, Chen Guan introduced them, "Zi Yan, the current Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, you should all be familiar with her. Senior Zhu Wen is the Grand Elder of the Ancient Dragon Clan. He was uneasy after learning that I had arranged a meeting with you, so he came forward."
In short, he was just there to keep the conversation going.
Conversation requires equal status, and strength is the key to determining that status.
"As for the last person, her name is Ling Yu, and I am her teacher."
"Ling Yu?"
Lei Ying and the other two muttered the name, their expressions shifting slightly.
Initially, they were puzzled by why Chen Guan would allow someone present, whose aura was still unstable and who had clearly just broken through, to be a Half-Saint, considering the lowest among those present were Five-Star Dou Shengs.
Now, everything became clear.
"You're the daughter of Ling Chong?!"
Yao Dan was the first to confirm Ling Yu's identity. There was no way around it; compared to the other three clans, the Yao Clan and the Ling Clan had the most connections.
The girl looked at Chen Guan, and only after he nodded did she step forward and salute.
"Ling Yu, from the Ling Clan. Meet the four uncles. My father is indeed Ling Chong."
As she stood up, Ling Yu activated her spiritual techniques, energizing her bloodline.
Sensing the unique aura of the Ling Clan, Yao Dan and the other three were completely convinced of her identity.
"Ling Yu... niece, while we don't want to touch upon your painful memories, this matter is of grave importance. Please tell us exactly what happened on the day of the Ling Clan incident," Gu Yuan said with a serious expression.
Chen Guan had informed him in advance in the message he sent, and Gu Yuan seemed genuinely unaware that Ling Yu had left before the Ling Clan incident, his expression flawless.
He felt a little awkward, however, when he addressed Ling Yu as his niece.
After all, Chen Guan had just introduced him as Ling Yu's teacher.
Doesn't that mean Chen Guan is of the same generation as him?
Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and Yao Dan also stared at Ling Yu.
In fact, they already had a guess in their minds: it must be the Soul Clan. Otherwise, Chen Guan wouldn't have invited all four of them.
Sure enough, Ling Yu confirmed their suspicions.
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"It was the Soul Clan! Long before this incident, the Soul Clan had secretly sealed off the entire Spirit Realm. That day, a war erupted in the Spirit Realm, on a scale greater than any before. Even my father was forced to a near-death struggle by several Soul Clan Dou Sheng masters. My people were like ants, evacuated in large numbers, and my brothers and sisters tragically perished one after another. To prevent my Lingyu bloodline from being completely extinguished, my father used the power of the clan's protective formation to forcibly create a rift and release me..."
Lingyu spoke with red eyes, her breathing fluctuating, her fists clenched.
Her words could be embellished, but the sheer hatred she radiated was real. Everyone present could sense her deep hatred for the Soul Clan.
With the person herself speaking, no one doubted she was lying.
The Soul Clan, the most suspected, were undoubtedly the culprits!
"That's enough, you can leave now."
By the time Lingyu finished her story, she was nearly overwhelmed, tears streaming down her face, leaving everyone sighing.
Chen Guan waved her hand and sent Ling Yu out of this small world. That was all she needed to do; the rest could be left to these important figures.
"I've told you long ago, it must be the Soul Clan, but you just wouldn't believe it!"
Gu Yuan glared at Lei Ying and the other two with a snort. Today, he finally let out a sigh of relief, as he had finally gotten rid of the blame.
Lei Ying smiled awkwardly.
Yan Jin and Yao Dan didn't think it was a big deal. For the safety of their race, no matter how cautious they were, it was never too much.
But now they could have a heart-to-heart talk about cooperation.
The strength of the Ancient Clan was unquestionable. If someone from the Ancient Clan could join the alliance to fight against the Soul Clan, it would at least stabilize the situation, right?
Oh, and the Dan League and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan must also be won over!
"Gu Yuan, you're also the clan leader, so you should understand our actions. If you harbor any resentment, the three of us can apologize. But when it comes to joining forces against the Soul Clan, don't take it lightly. The Soul Clan's ambitions are clear. They've already annihilated the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan. If our three clans continue to decline, the Ancient Clan will be Soul Emperor's next target," Yan Jin declared.
As clan leaders, the facts were clear and needed no embellishment.
Gu Yuan understood, but he still felt angry.
However, for the greater good, he couldn't afford to lose his temper.
He had already learned from Gu Xun'er that the Soul Clan possessed two Nine-Star Dou Shengs: Soul Emperor, and the other must be Void Devouring Flame, who had been severely injured by him. With the
addition of a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, the Soul Clan posed a far greater threat.
So, despite his current gloomy appearance, his deep desire for an alliance was no less than Yan Jin and the other's.
"Hmph, my Ancient Clan isn't so easily defeated, but you do have a point."
Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and Yao Dan exchanged a smile, unsurprised by the outcome. The
Ancient Clan's joining the alliance was a done deal, and the three of them didn't rush to bring it up. Their gazes flickered to Chen Guan, Zi Yan, and Zhu Wen, who were standing off to the side.
As if unwilling to get involved in the conflict between the ancient races, after sending the spirit jade out of this small world, Chen Guan and the other two politely distanced themselves from them.
The three seemed uninterested in their conversation, chatting away on their own.
Seeing this, Yan Jin and the other three suddenly realized something.
"Yao Dan, have you sent out all the invitations for this pharmacopoeia?" Gu Yuan asked.
"Most have been confirmed, and some are on the way. I've sent invitations to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan to the Beast Territory, but we haven't found anyone yet."
Yao Dan understood his meaning and replied seriously.
Yan Jin and Lei Ying understood.
The Soul Clan's ambitions are clear, and it's no exaggeration to say that no sect in Zhongzhou can remain unaffected. They, the ancient race, are bearing the brunt of the impact, including the Medicine Clan, the Flame Clan, the Thunder Clan, and even the Ancient Clan.
This is why, once the misunderstanding is resolved, the Ancient Clan will inevitably join the alliance.
However, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is different . They are a
mysterious clan.
Until now, all they know is
that Dragon Island is seemingly located within the Beast Territory, but its exact location remains unknown. This is true for them, and likely for the Soul Clan as well.
This means that the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is perfectly positioned to be the exception, to watch their rise and fall, remaining aloof and safe as a neutral party.
Given this, how can they win over the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan?
This is a question they must confront.
"Starting with Chen Guan, Chen Guan and the Ancient Dragon Clan are already one, and his conflict with the Soul Clan is irreconcilable."
Thinking of this, the four smiled a bit.
Unfortunately, when they proposed the alliance, the outcome was a little unexpected.
Chen Guan spread his hands, "Four clan leaders, this matter is too serious to decide. Zi Yan, though the Dragon Emperor, has limited power within the clan, and even she can't make all the decisions."
Zi Yan sighed softly, her meaning unclear.
Elder Zhu Wen appeared at the opportune moment, his expression cold and indifferent, "Four clan leaders, our Ancient Dragon Clan will no longer interfere in the conflict between you and the Soul Clan. Neutrality will be our clan's future stance. This time, it's because Chen Guan dislikes the Soul Clan that he asked you to come out to resolve your misunderstandings. This way, your alliance of four clans will be more confident against the Soul Clan. It's a small, selfish motive, I suppose."
It was a convincing performance, but Yan Jin and the other three didn't believe a word of
it. After all these years traveling from the northwest to Zhongzhou, Chen Guan had expended so much energy, killing so many members of the Soul Clan's Soul Palace. Could he just call it quits?
The conflict had long been entrenched.
They also believed that both Chen Guan and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan understood the crux of the matter.
Saying so now was merely an excuse to avoid an alliance with them.
But what good would that do?
Dragon Island was indeed a retreat. As long as its location remained intact, Chen Guan and the Ancient Dragon Clan could move freely, unlike their passive position.
Naturally, there was no need to rush into an alliance.
Having sorted out the key points, the four of them were helpless.
After a brief exchange of words, they immediately decided to slowly negotiate. With Chen Guan as their factor, they shared a common enemy, and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan would never side with the Soul Clan.
"Since Elder Zhu Wen says so, we won't force it. Our Yao Clan's pharmacopoeia will be held in a month, a truly grand event. Young Chen Guan and the Ancient Dragon Clan's friends are invited to attend,"
Yao Dan said, holding out several invitations.
Elder Zhu Wen politely accepted them.
"I will definitely be there."