158: Chapter 158 Inviting the Supreme Elder

"That person..." The Li family member swallowed hard, a deep sense of dread surfacing on his face. "That person was a hunched old man wearing a gray Daoist robe, looking completely unremarkable. But with just one slap, he sent the Elder of the Tiangang Sect flying! That was a powerful expert of the second level of the Primal Chaos Realm, yet he didn't even have the strength to fight back in front of him!"

Zhou Yanchang's face turned ashen, the fury in his eyes almost ready to erupt.

Sending a Tiangang Sect Elder flying with a single slap?

This was practically slapping the face of the Tiangang Sect!

"What is that old man's background?" Zhou Yanchang gritted his teeth, enunciating every word.

The Li family member shook his head: "I don't know. That person has never appeared in Guangnan City before; it's as if... as if he appeared out of thin air. And, and..."

"And what?"

"And that person shows extraordinary concern for the Shen Family." The Li family member paused, then spoke up with trepidation, "That day when Elder Senior Brother Sun Zhengyang made things difficult for the Shen Family Head, that old man acted without a word. Later, when the Shen Family had a conflict with the Zhao Family and the Chen Family in the ruins, that old man also stayed by the side of the Shen Family members..."

Zhou Yanchang was silent for a moment, his gaze falling upon Ancestor Shi Kai.

"Junior Brother Shi, what do you think?"

Ancestor Shi Kai's brow furrowed tightly as he paced back and forth in the hall, his mind racing.

A mysterious expert of unknown origin, sending a second-level Primal Chaos Realm flying with one slap, yet showing extraordinary concern for the Shen Family.

The Zhao Family and Chen Family disappeared overnight, with no bodies found, yet the Shen Family remained unscathed.

Those Shen Family Elders who were originally only in the Dharma Image Realm suddenly became Void Piercing Realm...

"I'm afraid all these matters are inextricably linked to the Shen Family." Ancestor Shi Kai stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Zhou Yanchang, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Yanchang nodded, his expression so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

"But where did the Shen Family get such strength?"

Ancestor Shi Kai was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "There are two possibilities. First, the Shen Family has been hiding their strength, and their true Foundation far exceeds the outside world's perception. Second..."

He paused, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "The Shen Family has someone backing them."

"Someone backing them?" Zhou Yanchang raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Ancestor Shi Kai nodded. "That hunched old man might be the outside help the Shen Family invited. To be able to send a second-level Primal Chaos Realm flying with one slap, he must be at least a Primal Chaos Realm expert, or perhaps even at the Peak of the Primal Chaos Realm!"

Zhou Yanchang gasped.

Peak of the Primal Chaos Realm!

Such an expert, even within the Tiangang Sect, would be a pillar of strength.

"However..." Ancestor Shi Kai changed the subject, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Even if the Shen Family has a Peak Primal Chaos Realm expert backing them, so what? A Peak Primal Chaos Realm expert isn't the Shen Family's dog; they can't stay by their side at all times. As long as we find the right moment, we can still deal with the Shen Family!"

A ruthless look flashed in Zhou Yanchang's eyes: "Junior Brother Shi is right. My Tiangang Sect must avenge Senior Brother Sun Zhengyang!"

Before his voice could fade—

"Report!"

An urgent voice came from outside the hall, followed by a gray-robed Disciple who ran in quickly, kneeling on one knee with an anxious face.

"Old Ancestor, something has happened at Canglang Mountain!"

Ancestor Shi Kai's face darkened: "What is it?"

"The Third Young Master got into a conflict with someone at the market and was injured!" The gray-robed Disciple's voice was trembling. "The Grand Elder took men to reason with them, but... but he was also beaten!"

"What?!" Ancestor Shi Kai's pupils shrank suddenly, and a terrifying pressure erupted from his body, shaking the entire hall violently!

"Who did it?!"

"The, the Guangnan City Shen Family..." The gray-robed Disciple knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head. "The Third Young Master fought over something with a young man from the Shen Family. The Third Young Master made the first move, but he was sent flying by a slap from an old man beside the Shen Family. The Grand Elder took men to demand an explanation, but the Shen Family directly brought out two in the Void Piercing Realm, as well as an unfathomable white-haired Elder..."

"The four of them, including the Grand Elder, were all beaten down. They were also forced to sign a contract, transferring three of the Shi Family's Flame Crystal Ore Veins, two Spirit Medicine gardens, and a thirty percent share of Tianshi City's resources to the Shen Family..."

Ancestor Shi Kai's face turned from ashen to pale, then from pale to purple. His chest heaved violently, and his whole body was shaking.

"The Shen Family! The Shen Family!"

He slammed his palm onto the stone table beside him, and the entire table instantly turned to dust, with stones flying and dust filling the air.

"This is too much! Simply too much!"

Ancestor Shi Kai's voice was trembling, the fury in his eyes almost ready to erupt.

Three Flame Crystal Ore Veins!

Two Spirit Medicine gardens!

A thirty percent share of Tianshi City's resources!

These things were the Foundation accumulated by the Shi Family over thousands of years!

Now, they were actually snatched away by the Shen Family in a single day?!"

"Junior Brother Shi." Zhou Yanchang stood up, walked to Ancestor Shi Kai's side, and patted his shoulder, his tone low. "The Shen Family's situation is unclear, and they have a Primal Chaos Realm expert backing them. It is not a wise move to confront them head-on right now."

Ancestor Shi Kai took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Zhou Yanchang was right.

The Shen Family's ability to easily defeat Shi Pojun and the other three at Canglang Mountain showed that their strength far exceeded expectations.

Acting rashly now would only result in even greater losses.

"Then, in Senior Brother Zhou's opinion, what should be done?"

A cold light flashed in Zhou Yanchang's eyes: "Isn't the Shen Family going to participate in the Canglang Mountain Assembly? Then let them participate. At tomorrow's assembly, we will first test the Shen Family's depths and see how much strength they actually have. I will contact the sect shortly to request the Grand Elder to intervene. After the assembly is over, we will..."

He paused and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Ancestor Shi Kai understood, and a ruthless look flashed in his eyes.

"Fine! We shall do as Senior Brother Zhou says!"

He turned to look at the gray-robed Disciple kneeling on the ground and said coldly: "Tell the Grand Elder to endure for a few days and not to have any conflicts with the Shen Family."

---

The next day, Canglang Mountain.

As the sky brightened, golden sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the verdant Peaks, dyeing the entire Canglang Mountain in a golden hue.

At the summit of the Peak, a massive stone platform stood majestically.

The stone platform was a full hundred yards across, constructed entirely of bluestone, with its surface covered in dense array patterns that enveloped the entire platform.

Around the stone platform, banners fluttered, and there was a sea of people.

Cultivators from the three cities of Guangnan City, Tianshi City, and Qingmu City gathered here, a bustling and crowded scene.

"Held once every five years, the Canglang Mountain Assembly is finally here again!"

"This assembly is not simple. I heard that the Tianshi City Shi Family has brought four Void Piercing Realm Elders, Qingmu City has brought two, and the Guangnan City Shen Family even has two Void Piercing Realm experts!"

"The Shen Family? That Shen Family from Guangnan City? They have the Void Piercing Realm as well?"

"Your news is too outdated! Yesterday at the market, two Void Piercing Realm Elders from the Shen Family beat all four of the Shi Family's Void Piercing Realm experts to the ground in just a few moves!"

"Hiss—so fierce? Then this time, it looks like Guangnan City is going to make a comeback!"

Whispers spread through the crowd, and everyone's eyes fell upon the figures in the center of the stone platform.

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