Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Crisis Averted
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“See? See? You've all been duped! What did I tell you? Grievously injured? Nearing the end of his life? It was all an act!”
The Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the White Clan saw the Yun Clan Ancestor charge toward Lan Tianxiang, flying sword in hand, without a trace of deathly aura about him.
The Foundation Establishment Ancestors on the other three flying vessels merely glanced coolly at the White Clan Ancestor before turning their attention to the revitalized Yun Clan Ancestor.
Finally, their gazes fell upon the Yun Clan's ancestral hall on the lake's central island.
Yun Bufan had successfully reached Foundation Establishment.
It was too late to say anything now. Besides, they had already suspected the Yun Clan Ancestor might be feigning, but what of it?
Your White Clan has a generational feud with the Yun Clan, so why didn't you risk your life to stop Yun Bufan's Foundation Establishment?
Even a grievously injured, dying Yun Clan Ancestor made them worry about being dragged down with him, let alone one who wasn't injured at all.
“Hmph! You brazen fiend! How dare you trespass upon Mirror Moon Lake and commit violence in broad daylight? Do you truly believe we Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans can do nothing to you?”
“My friends, since we are all gathered here today, why don't we join forces and eliminate this fiend!”
“A sound proposition, fellow Daoist.”
The three Foundation Establishment Ancestors hesitated for only a moment before making their decision. They all charged out of their flying vessels to help the Yun Clan Ancestor slay the fiend.
The White Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor's mouth twitched, but he was helpless to do otherwise. He could only summon his magical artifact and charge at Lan Tianxiang.
“Hmph! You dare interfere in the feud between this venerable one and the Yun Clan? In the days to come, I shall pay each of you a personal visit.”
Seeing the Yun Clan Ancestor brimming with vitality, showing no signs of injury whatsoever, and noticing the other Foundation Establishment Ancestors about to make their move, Lan Tianxiang didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately used a secret art to escape.
One of his arms dissolved into a blood mist, and in an instant, he vanished within it.
It seemed he possessed a secret art for regenerating limbs, as he showed no hesitation in sacrificing his arm. Moreover, the arm he had lost using the secret art last time had already grown back.
“What kind of secret art is that? To be able to instantly escape the range of our divine sense.”
“Those of the demonic path have many wicked arts.”
Watching Lan Tianxiang escape, the faces of the several Foundation Establishment Ancestors turned grim. It was clear they all feared being targeted by him.
The White Clan being treated like a personal treasury by Lan Tianxiang, robbed of nearly five thousand spirit stones, was a prime example.
“Fellow Daoist Yun, why don't our clans jointly report this to the Tiannan Sect and request a great power from the immortal sect to eliminate this fiend?”
“That is acceptable. But before that, shouldn't the territories of my Yun Clan that you have all been 'managing' be returned?”
The Yun Clan Ancestor withdrew his gaze from where Lan Tianxiang had vanished and turned to face the four Foundation Establishment Ancestors before him.
“But of course. With the recent turmoil in the Yun Clan, we were merely concerned that the Mirror Moon Lake territories would be seized by neighboring powers, so we took it upon ourselves to safeguard them.”
“Now that Fellow Daoist Yun has not only recovered from his injuries but also has a junior clan member who has successfully reached Foundation Establishment, you will surely be able to defend our Eastern Mirror Region without loss.”
“Good. In that case, this old man thanks you all, fellow Daoists.”
The Yun Clan Ancestor cupped his hands in thanks, then his gaze fell upon the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the White Clan.
“The Linyun Mines will be fully returned to my Yun Clan for excavation. You have no objections, do you?”
“Hmph!”
The White Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor snorted coldly, turned, and flew back to his vessel, leaving Mirror Moon Lake.
“We shall take our leave as well. As for the territories we were managing, you need only send your people to handle the handover.”
The four hundred-zhang-long flying vessels had arrived swiftly, and they departed just as decisively.
“Ancestor…”
“We'll talk back there.”
In the ancestral hall on the central island, the Yun Clan Ancestor sat in the main seat. Standing below were the Yun Clan Head, four elders, and the two remaining eighth-level Qi Refining disciples.
“Bufan is currently consolidating his Foundation Establishment cultivation. He will emerge from seclusion in half a year at the earliest, a year at the latest. During this period, there is no need to rush to reclaim our lost territories.”
The Yun Clan Ancestor said gravely, “Our Yun Clan has suffered heavy losses this time. Fortunately, Bufan succeeded in his Foundation Establishment. The sacrifices of our clansmen were not in vain.”
“Yes, Ancestor.”
Yun Xiaotian nodded, his expression fervent. “With Bufan's successful Foundation Establishment, our Yun Clan now has two Foundation Establishment cultivators. From now on, our Yun Clan will be the strongest among the Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans in the Eastern Mirror Region of the Tiannan Domain.”
“For now, we must focus on recuperating and directing all our efforts toward developing the core strength of our clan.”
The Yun Clan Ancestor nodded, agreeing with Yun Xiaotian's decision. “Mm, we'll do as you say.”
“After the next two years, once things have settled down, this old man will make a trip to the Tiannan Sect to see if I can procure a Foundation Establishment Pill for you.”
---
Three days later.
Deep within the sandstone at the bottom of the lake, Chen Jianghe opened his eyes. He quietly sensed the pulse of the lakebed and the flow of the water.
“It grew quiet yesterday, and there's been no disturbance today either. Yun Bufan must have finished his Foundation Establishment.”
Chen Jianghe thought to himself, raising an eyebrow at Xiao Hei above him.
“Xiao Hei, go quietly float to the surface and see what's going on.”
“Don't pretend to be asleep. I know you're wide awake. Hurry up and go take a look.”
Seeing Xiao Hei remain motionless, he urged him through their spiritual imprint, but Xiao Hei still didn't budge.
“One stalk of Clear Spirit Grass.”
Chen Jianghe took out a stalk of Clear Spirit Grass and waved it.
Xiao Hei poked his turtle head out, opened his beady eyes, and lunged forward with his mouth open to gulp it down.
Chen Jianghe was prepared. He quickly withdrew his hand, leaving Xiao Hei with a mouthful of sand.
“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey~”
“Master, I feel like there's still fighting outside. Let's wait a bit longer!” Xiao Hei retracted his head, shaking it frantically like a rattle drum.
“Fighting my ass! It's been quiet since yesterday.”
Chen Jianghe was exasperated. “How did I end up with a turtle as timid as a mouse and afraid of its own shadow?”
After scolding him, before Xiao Hei could retort, he directly took out two stalks of Clear Spirit Grass.
“Two stalks of Clear Spirit Grass. Hurry up and take a look. Be quiet and don't get spotted.”
“Alright, but you have to let me eat the Clear Spirit Grass first.” Xiao Hei grinned, his eyes gleaming with a green light as he weighed the pros and cons and agreed.
Looking at Xiao Hei's cowardly appearance, Chen Jianghe tossed both stalks of Clear Spirit Grass directly into his mouth.
Twelve hours later.
After devouring and refining the two stalks of Clear Spirit Grass, Xiao Hei finally left his burrow, though his limbs and head were retracted into his shell.
He let his shell drift slowly upward.
His level of caution was such that Chen Jianghe didn't even need to remind him.
“Cowardly mouse.”
After Xiao Hei left, Chen Jianghe immediately took out the Water Escape Talisman that Zhou Miaoyun had given him. He then circulated his spiritual power, ready to cast the Water Escape Art at any moment.
He looked inward with his divine sense, using his connection to Xiao Hei through the spiritual imprint to track his position. To his surprise, he found that even after an hour, Xiao Hei was still slowly floating upward.
His aura was as faint as a thread, making him seem like a dead turtle floating up from the lakebed.
A trip that should have taken only a few breaths to swim to the surface ended up taking Xiao Hei a full two hours of floating.
“It's safe now! It's safe!”
Xiao Hei swam over cheerfully, spitting a jet of water from his mouth that blasted deep into the sand.
“Hurry and come out! I have some good news and some bad news for you.”
Chen Jianghe received Xiao Hei's telepathic message through their spiritual connection, learned that all was safe outside, and crawled out from the lakebed.
“What good news and bad news?”
“Just that—some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
Chen Jianghe frowned. “The bad news.”
“All the little green fish we were raising are dead. Three years of work down the drain.”
“And the good news?”
“Everyone else's farmed green fish are dead too. So? Aren't you happy!”