Silence filled the meeting hall after Yan Ruoxue's words.
The Yan Clan has decided to bet on you instead.
Even the air itself seemed heavier after that sentence.
Because everyone present understood what it truly meant.
An ancient bloodline clan had officially chosen a side.
And once ancient clans started choosing sides…
War was no longer avoidable.
Lin Yanyan leaned slightly back against her chair, cold eyes fixed directly on Yan Ruoxue.
"You people decide loyalty very quickly."
Yan Ruoxue smiled faintly.
"No."
Her crimson gaze shifted calmly toward Su Chen.
"We simply recognize opportunity faster than others."
Lin Yanyan's expression became colder immediately.
Xu Mingshan silently lowered his tea cup, pretending not to notice the invisible tension spreading between the two women.
Su Chen remained calm.
"What exactly does the Yan Clan want?"
Yan Ruoxue answered without hesitation.
"Survival."
A pause.
"And a future."
The honesty of her answer surprised even Zhao Ren slightly.
Most hidden cultivation forces would speak about honor, destiny, balance, or ancient duty.
But Yan Ruoxue simply spoke about survival.
That alone made her more dangerous.
She slowly crossed one leg over the other while resting her chin against her hand.
"The upper realms have ruled the cultivation world for too long."
Her crimson eyes darkened slightly.
"They call it balance."
A faint mocking smile appeared.
"But balance created by chains is still imprisonment."
Xu Mingshan quietly nodded once.
Clearly agreeing.
Yan Ruoxue continued.
"The moment the Emperor Mark appeared… every surviving ancient clan understood something."
Her gaze locked onto Su Chen again.
"The seal separating realms is finally weakening."
Silence followed.
Then Zhao Ren frowned slightly.
"So all of you are basically gambling on whether Boss can overturn heaven."
Yan Ruoxue looked toward him calmly.
"Yes."
Zhao Ren blinked.
"…You people are insane."
"No," Yan Ruoxue replied softly.
"We're desperate."
The atmosphere inside the room shifted slightly after that.
Because beneath all the power, ancient bloodlines, and hidden cultivation politics—
Fear still existed.
Even ancient clans feared the upper realms.
Su Chen finally spoke again.
"How many ancient bloodline clans still remain?"
Yan Ruoxue became quiet briefly.
Then—
"Originally there were thirteen."
Xu Mingshan's eyes darkened immediately.
"The Ancient Court."
Yan Ruoxue nodded slowly.
"After the Primordial War, most were destroyed."
A pause.
"Now only five still survive in secret."
Lin Yanyan narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And one serves the upper realms."
"Yes."
"The others?"
Yan Ruoxue's smile faded.
"Neutral."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"For now."
Su Chen understood immediately.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting to see whether he truly had the ability to challenge the heavens.
Or whether he would die before fully awakening.
The weak would never gain real loyalty from ancient monsters.
Then suddenly—
The black ring on Su Chen's finger pulsed again.
A low golden light spread briefly across the table.
Yan Ruoxue's pupils contracted instantly.
Xu Mingshan stood abruptly.
"The inheritance reacted."
Su Chen looked down calmly.
The symbols rotating across the ring had changed again.
This time forming a single ancient character repeatedly.
War.
The atmosphere inside the room instantly turned colder.
Yan Ruoxue slowly exhaled.
"…That's bad timing."
Before anyone could ask—
A violent explosion suddenly echoed from outside the building.
BOOM.
The entire tower trembled violently.
Alarms erupted instantly across every floor.
Zhao Ren moved immediately.
"Enemy attack!"
His spiritual energy exploded outward as he rushed toward the windows.
Below the skyscraper—
Chaos had already erupted.
Several black-robed cultivators were fighting directly in the middle of the city streets while civilians fled in panic. Spiritual energy exploded across nearby buildings as hidden cultivation techniques tore through concrete and steel openly.
Lin Yanyan's eyes sharpened dangerously.
"They attacked in public?"
Xu Mingshan's expression became grim.
"The hidden world is losing control."
Another explosion erupted outside.
One of Zhao Ren's hidden defensive arrays shattered visibly around the building.
Then—
A cold voice echoed across the city.
"Hand over the Primordial descendant."
The pressure descending alongside that voice caused ordinary humans nearby to collapse unconscious instantly.
Nascent Soul Realm Peak.
And not just one.
Three separate terrifying auras surrounded the building from different directions.
Yan Ruoxue slowly stood.
"So they moved already."
Su Chen glanced toward her.
"You know them."
"The Black Sun Sect."
Her expression turned colder.
"The dogs of the upper realms."
Outside the building, three figures slowly floated upward into the air.
All dressed in black robes marked with silver eye symbols.
Behind them stood dozens of hidden cultivators.
The hidden world had officially revealed itself.
Panic spread rapidly throughout the city streets as people recorded the scene with phones, screaming while spiritual pressure distorted the air around the skyscrapers.
One of the black-robed men stepped forward.
His voice echoed coldly across the skyline.
"By decree of the upper realms…"
Silver spiritual energy exploded around him.
"…The Primordial Bloodline must be erased."
The moment those words fell—
A giant silver spear formed above the city again.
Similar to the Watcher's technique.
But weaker.
Incomplete.
Still—
Strong enough to destroy half the district.
Inside the meeting hall, Zhao Ren cursed under his breath.
"These bastards are insane."
Lin Yanyan stood calmly beside Su Chen.
But her fingers tightened slightly.
Because this time—
The battle would happen before the entire world.
No more hidden shadows.
No more secrecy.
The cultivation world was beginning to expose itself openly.
Su Chen slowly walked toward the shattered windows overlooking the city.
Golden traces flickered faintly beneath his skin.
The moment he stepped forward—
The black-robed cultivators outside all froze slightly.
Because the pressure surrounding him now felt fundamentally different from before.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Dominating.
Yan Ruoxue watched him carefully from behind.
And for the first time since arriving—
A small thrill appeared in her crimson eyes.
Not fear.
Excitement.
Because she wanted to see it personally.
The existence that made ancient clans gamble everything.
High above the city, the black-robed leader raised his hand.
The giant silver spear descended instantly.
BOOM.
The air screamed from the pressure.
Buildings cracked.
People below cried out in terror.
But Su Chen simply raised one hand calmly toward the heavens.
Then—
The world stopped.
The descending spear froze midair.
The black-robed cultivators' expressions changed instantly.
And then—
Crack.
Golden fractures spread across the giant spear.
One.
Two.
Hundreds.
BOOM.
The heavenly spear exploded into countless fragments of silver light.
Shockwaves spread across the entire city.
Every hidden cultivator watching felt their hearts shake violently.
Then Su Chen finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet it echoed clearly throughout the entire skyline.
"If heaven wants war…"
Golden light ignited slowly within his eyes.
"…Then let the mortal world witness who bleeds first."