Yang Province, Celestial Yang Mountain Range, Lieyang Sect headquarters...

BANG!

Wang Yuesong slammed his palm down on the small table beside him, shattering it to pieces. He resembled a raging lion, terrifying the disciple who had come to deliver the news. The disciple knelt on the floor, not daring to breathe, afraid he would meet the same end as the table.

A moment later, an elderly man in a black robe entered. He gestured with his eyes to the disciple, who was kneeling on the floor, trembling in fear. The disciple, as if granted a pardon, quickly and silently withdrew. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The elderly man sighed, shook his head, and closed the doors to the main hall. "I’ve already sent men to retrieve Elder Cheng and Beishui," he said. "Their Soul Lamps are dim, but their lives shouldn’t be in danger. Sect Leader, please calm your anger."

"Who did this!" Wang Yuesong’s face was grim. He had lost count of how many times he had asked that question recently. In just one year, the Lieyang Sect had lost six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including two Elders at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm.

Twenty years ago, the Lieyang Sect had suffered grievous losses when they attacked the Song Clan. They had spent countless reserves over the years to recuperate and rebuild. Just as they had finally recovered, they were dealt another heavy blow. The anger in Wang Yuesong’s heart was a dormant volcano, ready to erupt at any moment!

The elderly man lowered his voice. "The Rong and Song Clans colluded. They ambushed Elder Cheng and the others en route. To break the blockade, Wuwei self-detonated by igniting his internal Spiritual Power, allowing Elder Cheng and He Beishui to escape with their lives.

The Song Clan suffered one serious injury. The Rong Clan had one casualty and two seriously wounded."

"The Song Clan! The Rong Clan! Good! Just wonderful!" ’What goes around comes around, and fast.’ Wang Yuesong was practically mad with rage. He’d only just sent his own men to ambush the Song Clan, and they had already returned the favor twofold.

After venting for a while, Wang Yuesong slumped dejectedly into his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling. Though his heart was filled with boundless rage, he had to admit that the Lieyang Sect no longer had the strength to retaliate.

"Grand Elder, please go to the Spirit Stone Vein battlefield yourself," Wang Yuesong said, his voice full of dejection. "Elder Cheng is grievously wounded and Wuwei has fallen. I’m afraid Second Martial Brother won’t be able to hold the line on his own."

The Grand Elder nodded, then said with some hesitation, "Our Sect originally held an absolute advantage on the Spirit Stone Vein battlefield, but now the tables have turned. Should we not readjust our strategy?"

Even with the manpower lost during the last ambush on Song Changsheng, the Lieyang Sect still had the Rong Clan completely pinned down on the Spirit Stone Vein battlefield. They were only waiting for Yu Chengbo and his group to return to defeat the Rong Clan in one fell swoop and seize the Spirit Stone Vein.

But that was no longer possible. Although Yu Chengbo and He Beishui were lucky to have survived, they would be unable to fight for the foreseeable future. With the Lieyang Sect short on manpower, the Rong Clan was now in an unassailable position.

"Prepare to negotiate with the Rong Clan. While we can no longer take the Spirit Stone Vein for ourselves, we must secure at least a forty-percent share. That is our bottom line. Go." Wang Yuesong waved his hand weakly, looking as if he had aged decades in an instant. This was the greatest crisis he had faced since becoming Sect Leader; all his lofty ambitions evaporated like smoke.

The Grand Elder turned and sighed to himself. ’Wang Yuesong’s abilities are not weak, in truth.’ Twenty years ago, the Sect had failed in its assault on the Song Clan. Eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators had fallen, the Supreme Elder was grievously wounded, and the former Sect Leader had taken the blame and stepped down. The entire Lieyang Sect had hit rock bottom.

Wang Yuesong had taken the mantle of Sect Leader at that critical juncture. While consolidating the Sect’s influence, he kept the surrounding wolves and jackals at bay. Through vigorous effort and a period of rebuilding, he had led the Lieyang Sect out from the shadow of its defeat in just ten years.

After that, he had vigorously developed the Sect’s industries, opened new trade routes, and expanded their layout into Bian and Ling Provinces. In less than a decade, he had restored the Lieyang Sect’s strength to a level where it could contend with the Rong Clan. If not for this recent string of misfortunes, he might have led the Lieyang Sect to even greater heights.

’Unfortunately, his time is up.’ After the Sect had suffered such a grievous loss, someone had to be held responsible.

"Sect Leader, according to reliable intelligence, Song Xianming was part of the group that ambushed Elder Cheng. His injuries may have fully healed. Do we need to take any countermeasures?"

"That’s to be expected. Unless we abandon the Spirit Stone Vein right now, there’s nothing we can do about them.

Breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm is no easy feat. Ignore him for now. Pull all of our people back from Ling Province. Their doom will come when the Supreme Elder emerges from seclusion." Wang Yuesong was surprisingly calm in the face of this news.

He had anticipated this day would come ever since the failed ambush on Song Xianyun. ’But what can I do? Attack the Song Clan again?’

’They are no pushovers, not so easily dealt with. A rash attack would only drag the Sect into the Abyss. All we can do now is bide our time and wait for the right moment to deliver a killing blow!’

"As you command." The elderly man gave a slight bow, then opened the doors of the hall, allowing the blinding sunlight to stream back in.

"Martial Uncle, I’m entrusting the Spirit Stone Vein to you. The Sect needs those resources to recuperate and rebuild."

"Rest assured. No matter what, I will hold the line at forty percent." The Grand Elder nodded and walked out of the hall without a backward glance.

’The next time I enter this place, it might have a new master...’

The clock turns back four days, to when Zhuang Yuechan was escorting Song Changsheng on the road to meet the Great City Lord.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuang, why the sudden summons from the Great City Lord?" Song Changsheng felt no excitement, only deep confusion.

Zhuang Yuechan smiled. "Why don’t you take a guess, Fellow Daoist?"