You Haiyin was overwhelmed with grief, and when he learned that his grandson had been murdered, his sorrow turned into uncontrollable rage.
With his emotions boiling over and his rationality hanging by a thread, he dismissed any thoughts of who the enemy might be or the possible consequences of his actions.
"All members of the You Clan, surround them and wipe them out!" he roared.
Standing at the peak of You Mountain, You Haiyin looked down at the plains below. His powerful aura, befitting a Late-stage Inquiring Journey realm cultivator, spread across the entire area, suffocating everything in its path.
"Yes, Honorable Ancestor!" The You Clan cultivators responded with enthusiasm.
"Our ancestor is here! We’re unstoppable now!"
"How dare Gu Ran and the Heavenly Gu Society murder the eldest son of our You Clan? They’re digging their own graves!"
"Destroy them! With our ancestor protecting us, we have nothing to fear!"
The You Clan, initially hesitant, now felt their courage reignite. They surged out of the city in waves, one after another.
Meanwhile, the clan’s remaining elite forces were already rushing to the battlefield.
Earlier attacks on Gu Ran had been led by You Caigao’s personal guards and didn’t reflect the full strength of the You Clan. But now, the situation was different.
Two Inquiring Journey realm experts, along with five Heavenly Origin realm cultivators who could combine their power to rival an Inquiring Journey realm combatant, charged out of You Clan City, their fury shaking the ground.
Outside the city walls, Gu Ran used his Spectral Concealment ability to slip away unnoticed. Finding a secluded spot, he sat cross-legged in meditation. A cold, mocking chuckle escaped his lips. "Heh."
They think they can assassinate me? Let’s see who’s the hunter and who’s the prey!
His cultivation base had grown steadily, and he was now on the verge of breaking through to the Inquiring Journey realm.
Thinking about the string of misfortunes he had recently endured, Gu Ran let out a quiet sigh.
It had been a rough path, no doubt.
Before beginning his breakthrough, Gu Ran cast one last sweeping glance over the chaotic battlefield.
He noticed a sizable group of assassins claiming allegiance to the Heavenly Gu Society disappearing into the shadows.
However, their levels of stealth varied widely.
The less skilled among them were quickly spotted by You Haiyin, who wasted no time directing his forces to surround and trap them.
Suddenly, skirmishes erupted at the outskirts of You Clan City!
Sword glimmers and blade-like figures clashed chaotically amidst the explosions of spells. Each blast unleashed waves of energy, tearing apart the battlefield and leaving devastation in its wake.
The weaker black-clad assassins were obliterated in an instant, but many You Clan cultivators also fell under the onslaught.
The battlefield became cloaked in a thick, suffocating atmosphere reeking of blood.
The Heavenly Gu Society... Gu Ran thought, frowning. What is this organization, really?
I can feel a dangerous aura surrounding them. They must be hiding something.
Who’s targeting me? Why are they pursuing me? And more importantly, why do they seem to be helping me at the same time?
Are they trying to earn my trust before striking?
No matter. Since they’re an enemy, it’s best to let them exhaust each other first.
These thoughts swirled through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them, clearing his head of distractions.
He then began his breakthrough in earnest.
...
Meanwhile, from his vantage point, Jiang Chen watched the chaos unfold and quickly realized that Gu Ran had begun his breakthrough.
It didn’t come as a surprise. The fact that Gu Ran could start his breakthrough in such dire circumstances was entirely expected.
After all, Gu Ran was a protagonist.
The real surprise was that he had managed to hold off his breakthrough for this long.
Even with his impending advancement to the Inquiring Journey realm, Gu Ran’s strength would still have limits. At best, he could contend with cultivators at the Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm. Facing someone at the Late-stage would be far beyond his current abilities.
Gu Ran’s power remained constrained by his cultivation base. His martial techniques, secret arts, and equipment were all fairly ordinary.
His ability to fight above his level was mostly thanks to the unique strength of his Endless Dark Blood Moon Bloodline.
Because of this, Gu Ran’s breakthrough didn’t cause Jiang Chen to reconsider his plans.
Gu Ran’s biggest weakness right now is his combat skills, Jiang Chen mused, analyzing the situation.
That major opportunity connected to Wu Qian—most likely a Transcendence-level chance—could it be meant to address this flaw?
Or is it simply another boost to his cultivation, allowing him to charge forward like an unstoppable force, crushing his enemies with raw strength alone?
After a brief moment of reflection, Jiang Chen shifted his focus back to the battlefield around You Clan City.
His death warriors were engaged in an intense struggle against the You Clan cultivators.
Though heavily outnumbered, they fought with fearless determination, holding their ground despite the overwhelming odds.
The You Clan’s cultivators, each with varying levels of concern for their own survival, struggled to suppress Jiang Chen’s unyielding death warriors.
Meanwhile, You Haiyin chose to hold back, refraining from joining the battle right away.
His hesitation stemmed from two concerns: he suspected there might be stronger Inquiring Journey realm cultivators hidden among the ranks of the Heavenly Gu Society, and he remained cautious of potential threats from the Gan Clan and the Cai Clan.
These three clans—You, Gan, and Cai—shared the limited resources of Three Mountains Island, leading to inevitable conflicts. However, these weren’t minor disputes; they were long-standing grudges that had turned them into bitter enemies.
As he watched his forces struggling to gain the upper hand, You Haiyin shouted with a mix of frustration and urgency, "What are you afraid of? Kill them all!"
"Take down just one of them, and you’ll be rewarded with fifty thousand spirit stones!"
"And remember, cowards will meet terrible ends!"
By skillfully combining threats with tempting rewards, he stirred his troops into action.
"Attack! Attack! Attack!" some of the You Clan cultivators roared, their voices filled with newfound fervor.
"Fifty thousand spirit stones for one kill!"
"With that kind of reward, I’ll finally be able to break through!"
"This is the opportunity of a lifetime—I won’t miss it!"
"I won’t let myself fall to disgrace. Brothers, charge!"
Fueled by greed and fear alike, the You Clan cultivators seemed as though they’d been injected with a powerful stimulant. Their combat effectiveness surged as they launched into the fray with renewed vigor.
As Jiang Chen watched his death warriors being pushed into a defensive retreat, his expression remained calm. This outcome, too, was within his expectations.
Even so, he chose not to intervene right away. He had a backup plan in place but decided to hold off on using it for now.
Meanwhile, Gu Ran, observing the fierce battle from a distance, felt a growing sense of urgency. The Heavenly Gu Society’s forces were on the brink of collapse!
He knew he had to complete his breakthrough quickly. If left to face this battle alone, the situation would become far more difficult.
Though he was wary of the Heavenly Gu Society’s intentions, Gu Ran understood the importance of using their strength for now.
After all, You Haiyin was an opponent far beyond what Gu Ran could handle at the moment.
If the Heavenly Gu Society’s fighters were completely wiped out, it was inevitable that You Haiyin would personally join the battle.
And without their support, the lack of strong allies on the front line would become painfully clear.
Gu Ran understood that no leader, especially one as cunning as You Haiyin, would sit back and watch their forces crumble without taking action.
You Haiyin wasn’t a fool. He would undoubtedly move quickly, not only to address the immediate threat but also to prepare for potential interference from the Gan Clan and Cai Clan.
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Determined, Gu Ran took a deep breath and focused all his energy on the breakthrough. Origin Power surged wildly inside him, swirling like a tempest.
Soon, a faintly red Dao Core began to take shape within his Dantian—a clear sign that he had successfully stepped into the Inquiring Journey realm!
The moment the Dao Core fully formed, an unusual ripple spread outward, subtly linking with the energies of heaven and earth.
The vibrations were faint, but Jiang Chen, whose divine sense had reached the Transcendence realm, detected them with razor-sharp precision.
So, Gu Ran has completed his breakthrough, Jiang Chen thought.
It looks like he’s ready to act.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Heh, once again, it’s time for me to steal the spotlight and cut off his options.
With a single thought, Jiang Chen sent a signal to his hidden forces stationed outside the island, preparing them for action.
Jiang Chen’s strategy hadn’t been limited to deploying troops on the island; he had also placed powerful reinforcements beyond its borders.
Among them was the strongest of his subordinates—Liu Xiong, a cultivator in the Dao Comprehension realm!
Liu Xiong had been kept in reserve, but now he might prove indispensable.
However, Jiang Chen instructed Liu Xiong to initially suppress his strength and only display combat power equivalent to You Haiyin’s Late-stage Inquiring Journey realm. Whether or not to reveal his true Dao Comprehension realm cultivation would depend on how the situation unfolded.
Nearby, Gu Ran, feeling the surge of power from his breakthrough, was overcome with excitement. "I’ve done it! I’ve finally advanced, and my bloodline power has grown even stronger!"
Not only had his combat strength reached new heights, but his ability to absorb the cultivation base of his defeated enemies had also improved!
His combat power had soared to the peak of the Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm, just one step shy of the Late-stage.
With his ability to turn invisible, it would now be incredibly difficult for cultivators in the same realm to take him on effectively.