Chapter 1859: Xuan Yang Villa Ye Family

At Xuanling Gate, a realization dawned.

Wang Qingjing sat at the head of the table, her brows deeply furrowed, while True Monarch Xuanling stood beside her, his face a shade paler than usual.

“What? A fifth-tier demon beast? What happened to Seventh Brother and Martial Aunt Tian?”

Wang Qingjing's voice was heavy; she had expected an easy mission, but something had gone wrong.

Given Wang Qingshan's talent in the sword dao and his cultivation, it was only a matter of time before he reached the Soul Transformation stage, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Immortal Purple Moon also had a good personal relationship with Wang Changsheng and treated Wang Qingjing well. With both of them missing, the situation had become quite problematic.

“I'm not sure either,” True Monarch Xuanling replied, “we were pursued by a fifth-tier demon beast and scattered to escape. Fellow Daoist Wang and Immortal Tian possess immense divine abilities, so they should be alright.”

True Monarch Xuanling spoke with forced composure; if Wang Qingshan and Immortal Purple Moon didn't return, he would have a difficult time explaining it to the Wang family.

True Monarch Xuanling was filled with deep regret. Had he known this would happen, he would have made an excuse to avoid the treasure hunt. Not only had he found no treasure, but his vitality was severely depleted, and he might even face severe punishment from the Wang family.

“Seventh Brother possesses a complete set of spirit treasures, so he should be fine,” Wang Qingjing said. “You should go back and recuperate. Don't wander off. I will send people to deal with this matter.”

Wang Qingjing gave her instructions. Wang Qingshan and Immortal Purple Moon absolutely could not be harmed, but given the presence of a fifth-tier demon beast, she needed to contact Wang Changsheng as quickly as possible.

True Monarch Xuanling agreed, then turned and departed.

Wang Qingjing took out a pale green communication disk, channeled a spell into it, and instructed, “Hua Yun, take a group of people to search for my parents. If you find them, tell them that Seventh Brother and Immortal Purple Moon encountered a fifth-tier demon beast near what appears to be True Monarch Gust's cultivation abode, and their whereabouts are unknown.”

“Yes, Old Ancestor,” came the reply.

She then channeled another spell to contact other clan members: “Hua Yang, immediately lead a group of Xuanling Gate disciples to a valley in the Bell Chime Mountain Range. Guard that valley; no one is permitted to trespass without my direct order.”

“Yes, Old Ancestor,” came another reply.

Wang Qingjing simultaneously sent people to guard the entrance to the secret realm and to search for Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan. However, the Thousand Gourd Realm was vast, and for the time being, they were unable to contact Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

The Xuanyang Mountain Range, located in the northwestern part of the Thousand Gourd Realm, is composed of one hundred thousand volcanoes of various sizes. The fire spiritual energy here is abundant, supporting the growth of some fire-attribute spiritual herbs rarely seen elsewhere, as well as some rare fire-attribute spiritual beasts. The renowned Xuanyang Mountain Villa is situated in this very location.

Xuanyang Mountain Villa served as the Ye family's stronghold. The Ye family boasted a legacy of ten thousand years and possessed profound foundations.

When the demon race first arrived in the Thousand Gourd Realm, the Ye family made a misstep, suffering heavy losses. Many of their Nascent Soul cultivators were killed or injured, and the family was nearly annihilated. They were forced to pledge allegiance to the demon race to gain a chance to recover. After more than a thousand years of recuperation, the Ye family now had four Nascent Soul cultivators, with Ye Tianlong being the most highly cultivated, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

With the arrival of the main forces from the Heavenly Ripple Realm and East Fence Realm in the Thousand Gourd Realm, the Ye family also caught wind of the news. Since all the Demon Race's Soul Transformation cultivators had perished, the Ye family naturally had no intention of seeking revenge for them. Their priority was to find a powerful new patron.

In the discussion hall, Ye Tianlong and dozens of other clan elders were deeply engrossed in discussing countermeasures, their brows tightly furrowed.

The cultivators from the Heavenly Ripple Realm and East Fence Realm were like a plague of locusts, aggressively attacking various factions and plundering all sorts of cultivation resources. Several of the Ye family's strongholds had already come under attack.

“Old Ancestor,” one said, “I heard that the Heavenly Ripple Realm has only one sect, the Heavenly Ripple Sect. Their strength must be considerable. Let's pledge allegiance to them!”

“That's right!” another chimed in. “I heard the Heavenly Ripple Sect Master is a mid-Soul Transformation cultivator, possessing immense divine abilities. If our Ye family pledges allegiance to them, we might be able to use this opportunity to grow and strengthen.”

“The Heavenly Ripple Sect isn't a monolithic entity either,” someone else argued. “I think it would be better to pledge allegiance to Myriad Beasts Island. They have two Soul Transformation cultivators, and it's said that Senior Sun of Myriad Beasts Island is also a mid-Soul Transformation cultivator.”

Numerous clan members offered various opinions, all urgently seeking a powerful patron.

Ye Tianlong's brows were tightly furrowed. He, too, favored the Heavenly Ripple Sect; a sect that governed an entire realm would surely possess considerable strength.

“Old Ancestor,” another suggested, “why not pledge allegiance to the Wang family of Qinglian Island? I heard the Qinglian Immortal Couple are proficient in combined attack techniques, and True Monarch Taihao held his own against the Heavenly Ripple Sect Master. The Wang family has risen relatively recently, so they would need our Ye family more.”

The Heavenly Ripple Sect was too powerful; if the Ye family pledged allegiance there, they might not be given much importance. The Thousand Gourd Realm had dozens of families and sects with legacies spanning tens of thousands of years. The Wang family, however, had a shallower foundation, meaning the Ye family would surely be greatly valued if they joined them.

“The Qinglian Immortal Couple?” Ye Tianlong mused.

Ye Tianlong was slightly taken aback.

Just then, a medium-built middle-aged man walked in quickly and said respectfully, “Old Ancestor, two Nascent Soul cultivators have arrived outside. They claim to be cultivators from the Qinglian Wang family. What are your thoughts?”

“The Wang family is that fast?” Ye Tianlong exclaimed. “Let's go, let's go out and see.”

A flicker of surprise flashed in Ye Tianlong's eyes as he stood up and walked out.

Outside Xuanyang Mountain Villa, Wang Youwei, Ouyang Mingyue, and a corpulent man in a red shirt stood on a glittering green flying boat. A green lotus pattern was carved on the surface of the vessel.

Initially, Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue had accompanied Wang Mengbin and others to raid major forces in the Thousand Gourd Realm, plundering cultivation resources. However, during one operation, they lost contact with Wang Mengbin and his group. Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue hadn't thought much of it, as with Wang Mengbin's strength, he wouldn't be in danger unless he encountered a Soul Transformation cultivator.

As a large number of cultivators from other realms poured into the Thousand Gourd Realm, its major forces also got wind of the news, realizing the demon race was finished. They all began seeking powerful patrons.

Wang Youwei had set his sights on the Ye family. While there were many forces stronger and with longer legacies than the Ye family, these were tough opponents that the two of them couldn't tackle alone. The Ye family, with its long history but not overly formidable strength, was the ideal target.

“Senior Wang, Senior Ouyang,” the corpulent man in red said with a fawning tone, “if our Ye family pledges allegiance, I hope you won't forget your promise to this junior. This junior is very willing to serve you.”

The red-shirted youth spoke with a fawning tone. His name was Ye Junlang, and he was not of illegitimate birth. He had only managed to reach the Core Formation stage with great difficulty, and barring any unexpected breakthroughs, he would likely remain a Core Formation cultivator for the rest of his life.

Wang Youwei nodded in acknowledgement, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes.

He had incidentally encountered Ye Junlang, who had voluntarily offered to guide them in subduing the Ye family.

Wang Youwei felt immense disgust towards someone who would betray their sect and ancestors. He had only spared this person's life to ensure the smooth subjugation of the Ye family; otherwise, he would have killed him long ago.

Regardless of location, traitors are never looked upon favorably.

Ye Tianlong and dozens of other cultivators flew over and stopped opposite Wang Youwei.

“This old man is Ye Tianlong,” Ye Tianlong said politely. “How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?”

Ye Tianlong spoke politely, but a hint of disdain flickered deep within his eyes.

Their opponents' cultivation was too low. Two early Nascent Soul cultivators wanting to subdue the Ye family? That was far too disrespectful to the Ye family!

“I am Wang Youwei, and this is my wife, Ouyang Mingyue,” Wang Youwei stated calmly. “Fellow Daoist Ye, you should be well aware of the current situation in the Thousand Gourd Realm. As the saying goes, ‘The wise adapt to circumstances.’ I heard from Young Friend Ye that your family is willing to pledge allegiance to our Wang family. Is that correct?”

Ye Tianlong was slightly stunned. He looked towards Ye Junlang, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“So it's Fellow Daoist Wang and Madam Wang,” Ye Tianlong said politely. “Forgive our lack of hospitality. May I be so bold as to ask, did your family send only the two of you?”

“What? Is our presence not enough?” Wang Youwei retorted with a cold laugh.

Wang Youwei let out a cold laugh, then flicked his sleeve. Two glittering golden metal spheres flew out, and as he channeled a spell into them, they transformed into two massive golden giant apes.

They were indeed fourth-tier puppet beasts.

“Fourth-tier puppet beasts!” Ye Tianlong exclaimed.

Ye Tianlong's pupils constricted, his eyes filled with apprehension.

The Ye family had once possessed two fourth-tier puppet beasts themselves, but they had been destroyed during the resistance against the demon race. Wang Youwei's ability to effortlessly produce two such creatures indicated that the Wang family's strength was considerable.

Just then, a long green rainbow appeared in the distant sky, rapidly flying towards their location.

Before long, the green long rainbow halted, its escape light receding to reveal a giant eagle, entirely green. Three men and one woman, all Nascent Soul cultivators, stood on the back of the majestic bird.

The character “Qin” was embroidered on the sleeves of their robes, seemingly representing something.