Chapter 3271: Wang Xiao Issues a Warning

Crane Thunder Island was the ancestral home of the Thunder Crane Tribe. In the center of the island stood a manor spanning a thousand acres.

A graceful young woman in a golden dress and a stout old man in a blue robe were seated in a green stone pavilion, conversing. The old man's eyes faintly glowed with a bloody light, clearly indicating he was not human.

"What? Go into the mainland? I'm sorry, Fellow Daoist Mu, I'm afraid I can't help you with that." The young woman in the golden dress shook her head decisively.

Chen Xin, at the Mid-Integration stage, was the leader of the Thunder Crane Tribe. The old man in the blue robe was Mu Hai, from the Blood Whale Tribe, also at the Mid-Integration stage.

Centuries ago, several Integration-stage cultivators from the Blood Whale Tribe sought them out, offering substantial rewards to the Thunder Crane Tribe for help in finding Long Qingfeng. Wu Yan had sought help from the Golden Scale Tribe but failed to find Long Qingfeng. The Blood Whale Tribe then changed its strategy and decided to cooperate with the Thunder Crane Tribe. They originally intended to work with the Silver Shark Tribe, but after Yuan Gang was killed by Xuan Qingzi, the Silver Shark Tribe became much more subdued and completely unwilling to cooperate. Faced with no other option, Mu Hai could only seek cooperation with tribes hostile to humans, ultimately choosing the Thunder Crane Tribe.

Asking the Thunder Crane Tribe to help find a Void Refinement cultivator was not an issue. However, Chen Xin adamantly refused to send people into the mainland. She had no idea what Mu Hai intended to do, and if it led to a major disaster, the Thunder Crane Tribe would also suffer the consequences. The Mahayana cultivators of both the Silver Shark Tribe and the Golden Scale Tribe had been subdued by Xuan Qingzi. Smaller tribes like Chen Xin's were even more hesitant to provoke humans, especially without any significant benefits at stake.

"Surely you can send some Void Refinement cultivators! They'd only be helping with minor tasks; we'll handle the main work ourselves. That should be acceptable, right?" Mu Hai frowned.

"This..." Chen Xin looked troubled.

"Madam Chen, you've received considerable benefits from us; you must do something in return! Do you think our Blood Whale Tribe is easy to bully?" Mu Hai's tone became heavy, tinged with menace.

"Alright! I'll have the Golden Dove Tribe send people to assist you. This is all I can do." Chen Xin said with a reluctant expression. She dared not send her own tribesmen to the mainland, but having accepted Mu Hai's benefits, she was unwilling to return them. By sending the Golden Dove Tribe, any trouble would fall on them, ensuring the Thunder Crane Tribe remained uninvolved.

"No problem. Dispatch them as soon as possible to join us on the mainland," Mu Hai instructed.

"Okay, I'll send someone to convey the order to the Golden Dove Tribe right away," Chen Xin agreed.

On Azure Lotus Island, a secluded manor.

Liu Hongxue and Wang Mousen were sitting in a green stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting. They could currently refine three types of seventh-tier elixirs, thanks to the numerous spiritual herbs and demon cores Wang Changsheng had acquired from Yi Xin.

"The Five Thunder Spirit Transformation Elixir! I wonder if the formula is real; we're just missing the core of a seventh-tier Five Thunder Beast," Wang Mousen sighed. The Five Thunder Spirit Transformation Elixir was remarkably similar to the Sky Vast Elixir. Wang Yingjie had consumed the Sky Vast Elixir and successfully passed his fifth grand heavenly tribulation, relying on a mid-grade Sky-Penetrating Spirit Treasure and a seventh-tier formation. Over the years, the Wang family had continuously sent people to search for the core of a seventh-tier Five Thunder Beast, but there had been no news. There was information about seventh-tier Five Thunder Beasts in the Myriad Spirits Ruins of the Azure Glaze Sea, but the ruins would not open for several millennia. Consequently, they had not yet found the core of a seventh-tier Five Thunder Beast and thus could not refine the Five Thunder Spirit Transformation Elixir.

Liu Hongxue nodded, saying, "When the Myriad Spirits Ruins reopen, we'll enter and hunt for seventh-tier Five Thunder Beasts. Yongqian and the others have also received the news and are looking out for information on the core of a seventh-tier Five Thunder Beast." If they could refine the Five Thunder Spirit Transformation Elixir, it would greatly enhance the Wang family's foundation.

Wang Mousen nodded. "Let's hope so!"

Azure Dove Island, an island controlled by the Golden Dove Tribe.

In a secret room, Wang Xiao sat cross-legged on a green meditation cushion, eyes closed, his face slightly pale. A sound transmission talisman flew in. He opened his eyes, spat out a streak of green light that struck the talisman, causing it to ignite. A deep male voice then echoed: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, are you free? I need to speak with you about something." Wang Xiao walked out, opened the courtyard gate, and found a thin old man in a green robe standing at the entrance. Wang Xiao invited the old man inside.

"Fellow Daoist Qing, what can I do for you?" Wang Xiao asked, his voice somewhat weak. During a previous conflict, he had been injured by a powerful enemy and was still recovering.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, your injuries haven't healed yet?" The old man in the green robe asked with a frown.

"What? Is there a mission?" Wang Xiao asked, puzzled.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Xiao, the higher-ups have assigned Fellow Daoist Yan and me to accompany a few seniors on a mission to the mainland. I originally intended to invite you along, but since your injuries haven't healed, we'll leave it." The old man in the green robe sighed.

"A mission to the mainland?" Wang Xiao was slightly taken aback, then a plan formed in his mind. He said, "I've heard the mainland is very dangerous. Fellow Daoist Qing, let me lend you this Five Poisons Fan! I confiscated it from an enemy, and you've witnessed its power yourself." He took out a shimmering palm-leaf fan and handed it to the old man in the green robe. This treasure had a special material refined into it. The Wang family's high-grade spirit-seeking rats were very sensitive to its scent, which would allow them to track Wang Xiao's location and provide protection.

"The Five Poisons Fan! Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xiao." The old man in the green robe was overjoyed and expressed his gratitude.

After chatting for a while, the old man in the green robe took his leave.

Wang Xiao's eyes shifted thoughtfully. He needed to find an excuse to leave Azure Dove Island and transmit information to the Wang family. It seemed the foreign tribes were planning something in the mainland.

At Soaring Dragon Market, a nine-story white pavilion.

Wang Qingxiao sat on the main seat, his expression somber. Long Qingfeng was saying something to him.

"You're sure you're not mistaken in your sensing?" Wang Qingxiao said in a deep voice.

"I also hope it's a false impression, but I fear it's not. It would be terrible if I implicated you all." Long Qingfeng said solemnly. For some reason, his eyelids had been twitching incessantly recently. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, so he told Wang Qingxiao about the false impression he had that day.

"You think it's someone from the Nine Dragon Palace? They still haven't given up pursuing you?" Wang Qingxiao asked, puzzled. Long Qingfeng must possess something very important; otherwise, the Nine Dragon Palace wouldn't send masters to the Profound Spirit Continent to find him.

"Nine times out of ten, yes! I have no enemies on the Profound Spirit Continent. It's better to strengthen our defenses and be cautious," Long Qingfeng suggested. He was worried about implicating the Wang family, as he wouldn't be able to face Wang Ruyi then.

Wang Qingxiao nodded and instructed, "For now, stay in the market. Don't leave it. Our family can handle this." The Wang family was currently strong and well-equipped. Wang Qingcheng, Sun Yuejiao, and Duan Tongtian were all in the Azure Ape Mountain Range. If Soaring Dragon Market was attacked, they could immediately come to reinforce, and there were also disciples from the Zhenhai Palace branch. The Zhenhai Palace currently had nearly thirty Integration-stage cultivators, and their numbers were growing rapidly. Most of them were stationed in the mainland. As the Wang family grew stronger, Zhenhai Palace was able to deploy more Integration-stage cultivators to the mainland.

"Understood," Long Qingfeng readily agreed.

Wang Qingxiao gave a few instructions, then dismissed him.

"Nine Dragon Palace? I hope I'm just overthinking this!" Wang Qingxiao muttered to himself. He took out a white communication disk, infused it with a spiritual art, and instructed: "Guangming, return to Azure Lotus Island, report to the family head, and tell him that the Nine Dragon Palace might have sent people. Have the Dark Hall investigate."

"Understood, Ancestor Qingxiao." Wang Guangming's voice came from the white communication disk.