Beast Taming Clan: I Have a Jade Book Chapter 971 - 676: Zhang Family’s Plot and Zitian’s Arrival

He paid no mind to others; he simply knew that battles always produce corpses.

Such intelligence holds great value; it might even enable them to dispatch forces against the Zhang Family to claim one or two Tier Two Spirit Mountains.

The mission carries zero risk.

For one thousand Spirit Stones, obtaining this intel is undoubtedly a bargain.

Once the visitor departed, Shopkeeper Qiu muttered to himself:

"Interesting, truly interesting!"

"Both Beast Desolate and Artifact Desolate are rising, and now a descendant of the Eight Desolates Sect stands on the verge of Nascent Soul breakthrough! A first ever!"

...

Beyond Demon-Vanquishing Valley, Ye Jingfeng ejected the Spirit Tea and swiftly withdrew, vanishing without a trace.

With Turtle Ancestor by his side at that instant, he naturally avoided any dangers.

After soaring dozens of miles, he freed six or seven Ye Family members from the Turtle Ancestor Grotto Heaven.

These clansmen proved quite astute.

They handled the task of disseminating rumors to drag the Zhang Family into the mess.

Despite lacking solid proof, all signs directed suspicion toward the Zhang and Jia families.

Since arriving in the Cyan Cloud Sea Domain, the Ye Family had maintained utmost caution in the open.

Only two factions could have infiltrated the Ye Family: partners in the spirit beast meat trade with the Jia Family,

and those dealing with the Taiyi Sect.

Neither Illusion Peak nor Sword Peak of the Taiyi Sect had motive to fabricate charges against the Ye Family, leaving the culprits obvious.

Yet this framing served merely as the Ye Family’s surface retaliation, shifting focus onto the Zhang Family.

It also repulsed the Zhang Family thoroughly.

Meanwhile, it eased the Jia Family’s guard.

After all, the Jia Family remained the Ye Family’s primary foe.

Once Ye Jingfeng briefed the group, he ordered each to propagate the rumors separately.

Their prime audience consisted of Loose Cultivators, minimizing any hazards.

Though Loose Cultivators spread news less effectively, the Ye Family sought only to sway public sentiment for the moment.

The Artifact Desolate’s impending Nascent Soul advancement created a stir equal to the earlier Spirit Gathering Array event.

This revelation stunned as much as the claim of Ye Family ties to Beast Desolate.

With no concrete proof for either, the buzz relied on rampant gossip and the adage that "three people make a tiger."

After the others scattered, Ye Jingfeng and Turtle Ancestor flew toward the hills past Demon-Vanquishing Valley, en route to the four commanderies of the Cyan River in Yan Kingdom.

...

Upon Lingyun Peak in the Taihang Mountain Range.

Unwelcome visitors had now gathered at the peak.

Ye Jingyun greeted them with polite formality.

Among the cultivators stood True Master San Yuan and Master Miaofa from Dharma Peak, exuding formidable auras. Their arrival blanketed Lingyun Peak in crushing pressure.

Ye Jingyun’s mind buzzed fiercely; as a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, resisting proved nearly impossible.

He nearly vomited blood.

"Does the Ye Family recognize its offenses?" Master Miaofa’s voice boomed like actual thunder across all of Lingyun Peak.

"Answering the elder, the Ye Family obeys all sect rules and knows of no offenses!" Ye Jingyun’s gaze blazed with fury.

He hadn’t anticipated the instant True Essence suppression.

"Your Ye Family truly descends from Beast Desolate!" Master Miaofa bellowed once more.

"Elder Miaofa, Han Kingdom hosts the Beast Spirit Sect, Zhao Kingdom the Beast Taming Yu Family, Lu Kingdom the Beast Taming Min Family—all sporadic bearers of the Spirit Beast legacy. Are they all Beast Desolate too?"

"Without this latest false accusation, us juniors wouldn’t even recognize the Eight Desolates Sect!"

Amid the overwhelming force, Ye Jingyun declared.

Without the peak’s array to offset the strain, he would have crumbled.

"Where is Ye Jingcheng?" True Master San Yuan inquired next, and the pressure abruptly lifted from Ye Jingyun.

"Answering Elder San Yuan, he remains in seclusion for his breakthrough!" Ye Jingyun replied.

The statement stunned the assembly.

In their view, Ye Jingcheng’s Purple Mansion breakthrough had occurred merely twenty years prior; advancing every two decades in Purple Mansion posed a formidable feat.

This sparked their suspicions.

"If the elders aren’t pressed for time, they may climb Lingyun Peak and await Jingcheng’s emergence!" Ye Jingyun pressed on.

"Every Ye Family member is present; none have departed!"

"Let's hold off for a few days!" True Master San Yuan gazed at Master Miaofa, who wavered several times prior to giving a nod.

True Master San Yuan possessed Late Golden Core stage cultivation, whereas Master Miaofa held Early Golden Core stage, so he naturally wouldn't challenge True Master San Yuan.

...

Another seven days elapsed.

Right now, the whole Yan Kingdom brimmed with warlike tension, like the Qinghe Sect gearing up for another assault on the Taiyi Sect, instilling fear across the land.

And precisely then, a streak of golden radiance flashed across the heavens and dove into Lingyun Peak.

It was Ye Jingcheng. Right now, he made no effort to mask his aura, aware that True Master San Yuan and Master Miaofa could detect him, unlike mere Purple Mansion cultivators.

Furthermore, his presence wasn't fully suppressed at that instant.

True Master San Yuan and Master Miaofa were jolted by this.

In that instant, realization dawned on them.

"Fellow Daoists, come chat in the side hall!" Ye Jingcheng openly revealed his Golden Core breakthrough aura.

No point in concealing it anymore.

Concealing it could even backfire spectacularly.

Within the Cultivation Realm, balanced power forms the foundation for fruitful talks. Even more crucially, his Divine Sense had picked up on a presence.

"Junior Brother Tianfu, is that you?" Inside the side hall, True Master San Yuan uttered these words.

Doubt clouded his gaze.

For no matter Ye Jingcheng's genius, achieving Golden Core seemed improbable to him.

It defied all belief.

Nothing short of body possession followed by recultivation made sense.

Ye Jingcheng merely shook his head, offering no clear response.

"I've been breaking through lately. What brings you here?" Ye Jingcheng inquired.

These remarks made the pair grasp why Ye Jingyun had felt such deep shame.

Clearly, Master Tianfu had possessed the body, so how could they be Beast Desolate heirs?

Any Beast Desolate legacy they might hold was probably just a lucky scrap.

"Rumors claim the Ye Family truly descends from Beast Desolate." Master Miaofa spoke up this time.

Reminiscing wasn't his goal, nor did he mind if the man before him was really Master Tianfu or Ye Jingcheng.

His sole concern was their Beast Desolate lineage.

"After all your searches of Lingyun Peak, did it ever feel like Beast Desolate folk dwelled there?"

"That individual just teamed up with the Cyan Cloud Sea Domain to spread lies while I was away from Lingyun Peak—did you swallow it whole?"

"Or perhaps you're siding with the Qinghe Sect too?" Ye Jingcheng's sharp words stunned the duo.

After all, the Qinghe Sect from Cyan Cloud Sea Domain had first mentioned Beast Desolate.

Yet throughout, no Beast Desolate figure ever showed in the Cyan Cloud Sea Domain.

No one ever located any Beast Desolate individual.

Beast Desolate might well be a made-up patsy.

"I get it now; I'll relay this back home!" True Master San Yuan nodded, ready to depart.

Be it possession, recultivation, or Ye Jingcheng's exceptional talent propelling him to Early-stage Golden Core, time hadn't allowed trips from Lingyun Peak.

As True Master San Yuan chose to drop it, Master Miaofa nearly spoke but held back, mindful of Ye Jingcheng's Golden Core realm.

"We've lingered too long; time to head back. The Taichang Mountain Range could see Penglai Immortal Sect forces shifting to aid Celestial Horse Sea Domain!"

"In Celestial Horse Sea Domain's three great islands, only Celestial Lu Islands hold. The Celestial Flood Dragon Sea's flood dragon and Chenjing Sea's Chenjing Whale rage uncontrollably—even True Monarch Zi Ming rushed to Celestial Horse Sea Domain!" True Master San Yuan departed with his followers.

Once they were gone, Ye Jingcheng stayed in the side hall, beginning to steep some tea.

Moments later, a cultivator in purple robes stepped in from beyond.

Ye Jingcheng recognized this silhouette well; it was Master Zitian of Taiyi Purple Peak, second only to True Monarch Zi Ming in the Taiyi Sect.

And the presence Ye Jingcheng had sensed before was none other than Master Zitian.