Chapter 2280: Situation of the Tianlan Realm

In the northwest of the Tianlan Realm, lay a sprawling range of verdant green mountains.

The void vibrated and distorted, suddenly tearing open to reveal a rift over a hundred zhang wide. A two-headed golden giant owl flew out of the rift, which then closed behind it.

Wang Changsheng, Wang Qingxiao, and Zhong Ruyi were sitting on the back of the golden giant owl. Wang Changsheng's expression was grave.

“There are people in the northwest,” Wang Changsheng said. The golden giant owl flapped its wings fiercely and flew towards the northwest.

In an open clearing, over a hundred cultivators were engaged in battle. A continuous roar filled the air, and various spell lights intertwined. Numerous scorch marks dotted the ground, and dozens of corpses lay scattered. Judging by their attire, they belonged to two factions.

One faction commanded spirit beasts and spirit birds to attack their enemies, led by a nine-foot-tall man in a golden robe. The other faction controlled puppet beasts against their enemies, led by a graceful young woman in a blue dress. Both leaders were Core Formation cultivators.

A golden giant owl flew in from a distance. Soon, it stopped.

The cultivators' expressions changed, and they all halted their fighting, looking nervous.

“Who knows about the Azure Lotus Wang family?” Wang Qingxiao asked in a deep voice. Wang Qingshan had previously helped the Tianlan Sect explore secret realms and unknown interfaces, so the Tianlan Sect had allowed a portion of the Wang family members to live and thrive in the Tianlan Realm.

“They are members of the Wang family,” the man in the golden robe said, pointing at the young woman in the blue dress.

“Junior Wang Xianyuan greets you. May I ask why you are inquiring about our family, Senior?” the young woman in the blue dress asked cautiously.

“We are also members of the Wang family. Qingshan settled a group of our clan members in the Tianlan Realm, and we wish to know about the situation of our kin here,” Wang Changsheng said in a gentle tone.

Upon hearing this, the man in the golden robe and his allies' expressions drastically changed. They scattered and fled in all directions. Zhong Ruyi flicked her sleeve, and a red light shot out. A series of screams followed, and all the enemies were slain.

“Ancestor Qingshan? And Senior, you are?” Wang Xianyuan asked cautiously.

“I am Wang Changsheng, True Master Taihao. This time, I descended to this realm as a soul avatar to resolve some troubles for the family. Quickly, come aboard and take us to the family's main stronghold,” Wang Changsheng instructed in an irrefutable tone.

“Yes, Ancestor,” Wang Xianyuan replied, and leaped onto the back of the golden giant owl.

“Quickly clean up the battlefield and return immediately,” Wang Xianyuan commanded. Her clansmen acknowledged, and swiftly began clearing the battlefield.

The golden giant owl flapped its wings fiercely, transforming into a gust of wind and soaring into the sky.

The Azure Lotus Mountain Range, the Wang family's main stronghold in the Tianlan Realm.

Wang Zongyun was the most highly cultivated member of the Wang family in the Tianlan Realm, at the early stage of Soul Transformation.

The Soul Transformation cultivators of the Tianlan Sect lacked a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure to break through interfaces, so they could only secretly cross realms. As Soul Transformation cultivators successively slipped away, no one cared about the survival of the Tianlan Sect.

After the older generation of Soul Transformation cultivators departed, the Tianlan Sect quickly fell into internal strife, splitting into multiple factions and sects who then fought each other for cultivation resources.

After years of conflict, seven major powers emerged, comprising five sects and two families. The Wang family was one of them, boasting one Soul Transformation cultivator and twenty-five Nascent Soul cultivators. The Wang family allied with the Hundred Refinements Sect.

Due to the machinations of the preceding generations of Soul Transformation cultivators, cultivation resources in the Tianlan Realm became scarce. The number of Soul Transformation cultivators dwindled. Wang Zongyun's ability to form a Nascent Soul had been largely thanks to Wang Qingshan's patronage.

Wang Qingshan had reached a certain agreement with the Tianlan Sect: as long as Wang Qingshan lived, the Tianlan Sect's Soul Transformation cultivators dared not make trouble for the Wang family.

Cultivation resources that could interest Soul Transformation cultivators were few and far between, naturally preventing major wars. Minor skirmishes were common, but the destruction of entire sects or families was rare.

One day, Wang Zongyun was cultivating in her residence, striving to advance to the middle stage of Soul Transformation as soon as possible.

She seemed to sense something and quickly ceased her cultivation. She took out a sparkling communication plate and poured a spell into it. A male voice, filled with both surprise and joy, suddenly rang out: “Sixth Aunt, the Ancestor has descended to help us! Come out quickly!”

“Ancestor? Which Ancestor?” Wang Zongyun was slightly taken aback.

“True Master Taihao, and Ancestor Qingxiao! We are in the council hall; please come out quickly!” The man's voice was exceptionally joyful.

“True Master Taihao!” Wang Zongyun was stunned. She knew of Wang Qingxiao's existence.

When Wang Qingshan had relocated clan members to the Tianlan Realm, Wang Qingxiao had already transformed into human form. The high-ranking members of the Wang family in the Tianlan Realm possessed portraits of both Wang Qingxiao and Wang Qingshan, making them easy to recognize.

In the council hall, Wang Changsheng sat in the main seat. Wang Qingxiao, Zhong Ruyi, and Xiao Mie Xian stood beside him, while thirty clan elders stood in neat rows, reporting the current situation to Wang Changsheng.

Currently, there were five known Soul Transformation cultivators in the Tianlan Realm. Both the Hundred Refinements Sect and the Wang family each had one.

“Qingxiao, Little Friend Zhong, you two go to the other six powers and persuade them to work for our Wang family. Go and return quickly,” Wang Changsheng instructed, knowing that with Wang Qingxiao's and Zhong Ruyi's divine abilities, no Soul Transformation cultivator in the Tianlan Realm could be their match.

How things had changed. Once, the Tianlan Realm had been so powerful, but now only five Soul Transformation cultivators remained, with not a single one at the mid-stage.

“Yes, Ninth Uncle (Senior Wang),” Wang Qingxiao and Zhong Ruyi replied, and turned to leave.

A red streak of light flew in; it was Wang Zongyun.

“Your humble descendant greets the Ancestor.” Wang Zongyun bowed respectfully.

Wang Changsheng sized up Wang Zongyun and nodded, saying, “Not bad. It's truly commendable that you've managed to enter the Soul Transformation stage. I hear you are an artifact forger.”

Tracing her lineage, Wang Zongyun was a descendant of Wang Changxing.

“Your descendant has learned some artifact forging skills and can forge fourth-tier puppet beasts,” Wang Zongyun replied truthfully.

“I need to collect some cultivation resources. Send people to gather them. Additionally, tell me about the situation at the Buried Demon Ice Plain,” Wang Changsheng said, handing Wang Zongyun a blue jade slip. Collecting the Water of the Underworld River was his primary purpose for descending to this realm.

Wang Zongyun swept her divine sense over the jade slip, then handed it to a short, stout old man, and commanded, “Send people to handle this immediately. No delays.”

“Yes, Sixth Aunt,” the short, stout old man replied, and departed with the other clan elders.

Wang Zongyun then spoke of the Buried Demon Ice Plain. Because the Tianlan Sect had previously prepared for war, thoroughly scavenging cultivation resources, Soul Transformation cultivators who wished to advance further could only venture into the Buried Demon Ice Plain. Two Soul Transformation cultivators had organized a group to seek treasures there, but they suffered heavy losses and gained nothing.

“So, the Water of the Underworld Moon is still there!” Wang Changsheng said excitedly. The Water of the Underworld River was its true name, but the cultivators in this realm did not know it as such.

“Yes, it's still there. That substance cannot be used for artifact forging. Even spirit treasures would be damaged if they touched it,” Wang Zongyun stated truthfully.

“Let's go to the Buried Demon Ice Plain. You send people to notify the other Soul Transformation cultivators. Tell them that I descended to establish an Ascension Formation. Those who are sensible and cooperate with us will gain the right to use the Ascension Formation. Those who don't cooperate should not blame us for being impolite,” Wang Changsheng commanded, his face filled with killing intent.

He had no time to waste. He had to resolve the matters in this realm as quickly as possible. The cultivation resources provided by the clan members in the Ice Sea Realm and the Thousand Gourd Realm were considerable, but still insufficient to set up the Ascension Formation. The Tianlan Realm should be able to provide the remaining materials, after all, it had plundered vast amounts of cultivation resources in the past.

Xiao Mie Xian transformed into a colossal golden giant owl. Wang Changsheng leaped onto its back. The golden giant owl flapped its wings fiercely, creating a fierce gust of wind as it tore through the air, and vanished into the horizon.