Chapter 863: Five Years

Five years passed quickly, as spring turned to autumn.

In the Red Moon Sea Area, the Lu family of Black Eagle Island was an affiliated force of the Wang family of Silver Snake Island. The Lu family comprised two hundred cultivators, five hundred thousand mortals, and five Foundation Establishment cultivators. Lu Yongkang, a Foundation Establishment Layer Seven cultivator, was the Lu family's most powerful member, though his lifespan was nearing its end.

One day, Lu Yongkang was mentoring the younger generation. Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar resounded, and alarms blared loudly. An enemy attack was underway!

Lu Yongkang immediately rushed out of his residence and soared into the sky, where he saw hundreds of cultivators attacking the Lu family's protective formation. Leading them was a tall, middle-aged man, clearly a Cloud Sea Sect cultivator of Foundation Establishment Layer Eight, judging by the emblem on his attire. The invading force consisted of fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a hundred Qi Refinement cultivators; their power far surpassed that of the Lu family.

"We need to send for assistance from the Wang family immediately!" Lu Yongkang simultaneously commanded his clansmen to engage the enemy and dispatched a messenger to request aid from the Wang family. In recent years, the Cloud Sea Sect had frequently sent forces to attack the Wang family's affiliated powers. It had become a pattern: the Cloud Sea Sect would raid the Wang family's vassals one day, and the Wang family would retaliate against the Cloud Sea Sect's the next, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

"Break their formation quickly; don't waste time!" the middle-aged man ordered, summoning five ethereal cyan flying daggers to strike the Lu family's protective formation. With fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a hundred Qi Refinement cultivators attacking frantically, magical lights flared and constant roars echoed. The Lu family's protective formation was utterly overwhelmed.

In less than fifteen minutes, the Lu family's protective formation shattered, and hundreds of cultivators surged towards the Lu family members. Though the Lu family cultivators outnumbered the invaders, their Foundation Establishment cultivators were few. Lu Yongkang was the enemy's primary target; ten Foundation Establishment cultivators jointly attacked him, slaying him in a single exchange. The other Foundation Establishment cultivators were equally no match for the invading forces and successively fell, bleeding into the ground.

"They dare to trouble our Wang family again? They seek death!" A man's voice, loud as a bell, suddenly rang out, and a massive dark cloud, hundreds of zhang wide, abruptly appeared high in the sky, flashing with lightning and roaring with thunder.

"No, the Wang family's reinforcements are here! Retreat quickly!" Upon seeing the dark cloud, the Cloud Sea Sect cultivators' expressions changed drastically, and they immediately prepared to flee.

Boom!

A tremendous thunderclap resounded, and from within the colossal dark cloud, over a dozen thick silver lightning bolts flew out, accurately striking the Cloud Sea Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators. They screamed in agony, falling to the ground, their bodies charred black. In an instant, streaks of multicolored light scattered as cultivators attempted to flee. The dark cloud churned violently, and over a hundred thick silver lightning bolts shot forth, accurately striking these fleeing cultivators. Only a few of the invaders managed to escape; the majority perished.

A streak of silver light flew from the distance, landing on Black Eagle Island. As the light receded, it revealed a tall young man in silver robes – Wang Mengbin. Dozens more streaks of light soon followed, landing on Black Eagle Island.

"Senior Wang, you've finally arrived! The clan head and many others have been killed by the Cloud Sea Sect!" The Lu family cultivators were grief-stricken, regarding Wang Mengbin as their savior.

"Alright, first attend to the wounded! Ji Yu, you and your group are to establish a temporary base on Black Eagle Island and ensure the Lu family's safety," Wang Mengbin instructed a tall, green-robed young man, who immediately agreed. With all of the Lu family's Foundation Establishment cultivators dead, without any powerful cultivators to oversee them, the Lu family would likely face annihilation. The Lu family cultivators did not resist the Wang family members and dutifully followed their commands. Firstly, several small families had been annihilated by the Cloud Sea Sect's affiliated forces precisely because they lacked Foundation Establishment cultivators to defend them. Secondly, the Wang and Lu families were connected by marriage, and the female cultivators from the Wang family who had married into the Lu family cooperated, leaving the Lu family no reason to object.

After completing his arrangements, Wang Mengbin led a team of clansmen back to Silver Snake Island to report to Wang Qiuhong. Wang Qiuhong's face showed approval as he smiled and praised Wang Mengbin's excellent work, instructing him to go and rest. Wang Mengbin acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

"Now, this entire sea area belongs to our Wang family," Wang Qiuhong muttered to himself, his expression excited. Originally, to contend for Silver Snake Island, the Wang family had slain two Core Formation cultivators from the Cloud Sea Sect, an unforgivable grudge. If the Wang family and the Cloud Sea Sect were to coexist peacefully, it would easily arouse suspicion from other powers. Moreover, the Wang family intended to infiltrate its own members into the Cloud Sea Sect, making a large-scale purge unsuitable.

Wang Qiuhong proposed a strategy: the two families would mutually send forces to attack each other's affiliated powers. The Cloud Sea Sect would eliminate the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Wang family's vassals. Then, the Wang family would intervene and save them. The surviving cultivators would undoubtedly be deeply grateful to the Wang family, allowing the Wang family to effortlessly take over the vassals' territories, support cultivators loyal to the Wang family, and eventually integrate them into the family.

When the Wang family first settled on Silver Snake Island, their cultivators were too few, forcing them to lease some smaller islands to minor families. Now, however, the Wang family's cultivator population had tripled, allowing them to occupy more territory. Forcibly integrating affiliated powers was not ideal, so they decided to leverage the Cloud Sea Sect to eliminate the vassals' Foundation Establishment cultivators. This also provided an opportunity for Fairy Ziyue to infiltrate more Wang family cultivators.

Over the years, dozens of Wang family cultivators from the Intelligence Hall had gradually joined the Cloud Sea Sect. Without significant achievements, however, appointing them to important positions would not garner respect or support. Having the Wang family cultivators, who were already undercover in the Cloud Sea Sect, lead attacks on the Wang family's affiliated forces not only allowed them to earn merit but also facilitated Fairy Ziyue's ability to remove dissenting elements. A rash, large-scale purge would easily draw the attention of Crocodile Island, so this mutually beneficial method was adopted.

When Wang family cultivators led expeditions, they largely succeeded; when Cloud Sea Sect cultivators led them, they mostly failed. Through this ebb and flow, most important positions within the Cloud Sea Sect gradually fell under the Wang family's control. Wang family cultivators who had joined the Cloud Sea Sect also became key cultivation prospects for the sect due to their military achievements, earning their status legitimately.

Firstly, this charade presented an image to the outside world that the Wang family and Cloud Sea Sect remained adversaries. Secondly, it allowed Fairy Ziyue to conveniently eliminate dissenters and place Wang family cultivators in key positions. Thirdly, it enabled the Wang family to legitimately reclaim the islands they had leased out, while also increasing their overall cultivator population.

After years of recuperation and growth, the Wang family now boasted over a thousand cultivators in the Red Moon Sea Area. A significant portion of these were cultivators from other families, primarily smaller ones, whom Wang Qiuhong had strategically dispersed. In less than twenty years, they would be fully integrated into the Wang family. The Wang family also had three hundred cultivators in the Golden Toad Sea Area, slowly regaining their vitality.

A sharp, urgent whistling sound suddenly pierced the air. Wang Qiuming retrieved his communication plate and chanted a spell formula. Immediately, Wang Tianqi's voice, tinged with excitement, informed him that the Immortal Suppressing Pagoda had appeared in the Golden Toad Sea Area.

In the Southern Sea Immortal Cultivation World, a powerful being had once forged a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure known as the Immortal Suppressing Pagoda. It was said to contain countless treasures, cultivation techniques, and secret manuals, appearing in a different location each time. Every manifestation of the Immortal Suppressing Pagoda drew a massive influx of Core Formation cultivators.

"Tianqi, accompany me to report this to grandfather.""Yes, Patriarch," Wang Tianqi replied.