Her final words, however, were directed at the other True Masters present.
Master Chen suddenly opened his eyes at this moment and interjected, "These words are appropriate."
Master Xiao secretly praised Qin Yuâs skillful maneuver. Unable to pluck the fruit herself, she cast the fruit out for others to share it. When a chaotic battle ensues, the outcome wonât necessarily depend solely on individual strength. Itâs truly hard to say who would ultimately capture Su Yihong.
Thinking further, everyone might have a chance, which means that even Zhu and Yan might not vehemently oppose the plan, even if they donât explicitly support it. With their numerous disciples, thereâs no harm in giving it a try.
Moreover, this approach afforded them an avenue to get involved actively, rather than remaining on the sidelines. The noble families could also contribute to crushing the Su Family, which surely aligns with the Sect Leaderâs wishes.
Master Xiaoâs mind turned over these possibilities, and he exchanged a look with Master Han, who instantly understood and spoke up, "Sect Leader, we are willing to send our capable disciples under Nephew Qiâs command to help exterminate the Su Family."
As expected, the two True Masters Zhu and Yan clearly understood their intentions. They simply stroked their beards and said nothing.
Master Sun couldnât hold back and seemed about to speak, but Master Meng shot him a look and shook her head. He had no choice but to restrain himself.
Master Peng remained serene and unspoken.
Compared to the other nine Cave Heaven True Masters, she had only recently achieved enlightenment and her cultivation level was lower. Her words carried less weight, so for now, she could only play a minor role. The success of the plan would ultimately depend on Zhang Yanâs power.
Sect Leader Qin glanced at the seated members and, seeing no dissent, spoke in a melodious tone, "Then let it be as Junior Sister suggestsâwhoever defeats Su Yihong will fill the vacancy among the Top Ten Disciples."
Though her voice wasnât loud, it carried far.
The disciples outside the hall heard it clearly. Excitement flared in their hearts, their spirits stirred. Though they were unlikely to win this chance during the grand contest, the current opportunity allowed them to try.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly. In terms of battle prowess, who would he truly fear?
If even this challenge was beyond him, how could he hope to claim a position among the Top Ten Disciples? When he defeated Su Yihong, not even the Cave Heaven True Masters could deny him.
The four noble True Masters, with approval from the Sect Leader, waved their hands and dispatched dozens of token talismans, summoning their disciples.
At this moment, everyone remained seated in the hall under Sect Leader Qinâs watchful eyes. No one dared make any secret moves to inform the Su Family.
True Master Qin also issued a talisman, but by this point, she could no longer act as freely as before.
She knew clearly that the Sect Leader had long disapproved of her actions but refrained from addressing them due to the current situation. Therefore, his active support of Master Peng served to restrain and counterbalance her.
Initially, she had calculated that Master Peng had only recently achieved enlightenment, with no capable disciples under her wing. At least several dozen years would pass before Peng could establish her influence. She had been secretly preparing countermeasures.
But unexpectedly, Zhang Yan aligned with Master Peng, catching her off guard. Faced with such sudden action, she could only do her best to fill in the gaps hastily.
Within an hour, disciples from the noble families began arriving one after another.
Zhang Yan gazed across the scene. Including the disciples and elders Qi Yuntian had summoned, the outer hall now hosted over ten Nascent Soul True Masters, nearly a hundred Hua Dan Cultivators, and over a thousand Xuan Guang Disciples.
Such power would suffice to crush even a sect as established as the Beichen Sect. However, it was still somewhat insufficient to annihilate the Su Family, hence reinforcements continued to arrive steadily.
In his heart, Zhang Yan couldnât help but ponder deeply. The Zhou Clan, far in the southern reaches of the East Splendor Continent, possessed foundations even deeper than those of the Su Family. Moreover, a Cave Heaven True Master governed them. If he aimed to annihilate the Zhou Clan in the future, he might need several Cave Heaven True Masters to join forces to succeed.
Qi Yuntian stood in the hall, calmly assigning tasks to the disciples.
The Su Family had five Nascent Soul True Masters, all currently at Surging Wave Lake and Deep Pool Ravine. That vast aquatic region, protected by an array, was easy to defend but hard to attack. Therefore, the first step required deploying array flags around the area, enclosing them thoroughly to ensure no one escaped.
Aside from this, the Su Family possessed numerous spirit islands, famous peaks, and cave mansions within their mountain gateâall of which needed to be captured and redistributed among disciples as future rewards.
Upon the Floating Heavenly Palace, disciples finally learned that the Su Family intended to rebel and establish independence, committing the heinous crime of betraying their sect and ancestors. This summons was aimed at purging them.
Initially shocked, the disciples soon began to harbor ambitious thoughts. The Su Family, as a thousand-year-old clan, must have many treasures among their members. Acquiring even a fraction of them would surely surpass the effort spent hunting demons and accumulating merit.
Qi Yuntian at this moment summoned Ning Chongxuan to his side, smiling as he said, "Junior Brother, Su Wentian did not resolve matters with you that day. He remains in the sect, currently visiting Fang Zhenlu. Iâll leave him to youâyou may advance ahead."
Ning Chongxuan solemnly nodded, raised his hands in salute, and replied, "Elder Brother, I will not fail your trust."
After watching Ning Chongxuan leave, Qi Yuntian summoned Fan Changqing, speaking in a grave tone, "Junior Brother, thereâs a task that only you can handle. Youâll need to make a trip to Wei Kingdomâs Jin State."
He whispered a few details. Fan Changqingâs expression turned serious and he bowed, "Senior Brother, rest assuredâI will undertake this task with care."
Qi Yuntian said, "Good. Although the area lacks powerful cultivators, you must not be careless. Stay vigilant."
Fan Changqing saluted Qi Yuntian once more before arranging his robes and activating a talisman, transforming into golden light and exiting the Floating Heavenly Palace.
He headed toward Ancient Qin Yang County, located in Wei Kingdomâs Jin State, where the Su Familyâs roots were established.
Though tens of thousands of Su Family members resided there, most were mere mortals and werenât worth attention. Fan Changqingâs mission was to identify and eliminate any Su Sect cultivators stationed there, cutting off all avenues for the Su disciplesâ reincarnation to prevent resurgence.
This precise task required someone meticulous, and Qi Yuntian trusted no one else for it, hence assigning Fan Changqing to handle it.
After Qi Yuntian finished delegating responsibilities, he invited Zhang Yan forward privately.
The two exchanged a few words in confidence, after which Qi Yuntian patted Zhang Yanâs shoulder and spoke with loaded meaning, "Junior Brother Zhang, spearheading the annihilation of the Su Family is a task entrusted to me, and I will ensure it falls unmistakably to you. Thereâs no need for you to follow usâyou may proceed independently."
Zhang Yan grasped the implication and smiled, "Senior Brother, then I shall take my leave."
Qi Yuntian gave a small smile and clasped his hands behind his back, saying, "Go on."
Zhang Yan bid him farewell with a bow, activated his talisman, and golden light enveloped him as it carried him out of the Floating Heavenly Palace. Smoke swirled, and before long, he had traveled dozens of miles.
But at that moment, Zhang Yan paused mid-flight, his eyes flickering as if struck by sudden realization. He then changed direction and continued on, heading not toward Surging Wave Lake but in the direction of Shouming Palace instead.
...
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, youâre welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets or monthly votes on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)