Beast Taming Clan: I Have a Jade Book Chapter 978 - 681: Entering Fire Peak

On the summit of Lingyun Peak, ice and snow beside the lake slowly thawed, as the water released strands of steam. Spirit Fish zipped and swirled around, crashing into lotus stems and sending out broad waves.

Obviously, the lake's rising temperature wasn't noticed by ducks alone, but by the fish too.

Particularly the massive Black Mushroom Fish, their bulky forms now shimmering with thick black mushroom designs, splashing wildly across the lake in a spectacle that was truly captivating.

Ye Jingcheng traced the waves over the lake, crossing through the Array there, and saw that the clansmen he'd stationed were perfectly aligned, none absent and no one slacking off around the mountain.

All of them had clearly anticipated this exact instant.

Yet in reality, this marked the Ye Family's riskiest confrontation.

Far too many unknowns lurked within.

For instance, the Zhang Family and Jia Family might conceal more Golden Core True Masters than expected, rival barbarian clans could interfere, or it might all be an elaborate ambush.

To sum it up, any outcome remained possible.

Still, the Ye Family had no alternative route. Failing to strike now would leave them as mere puppets of the Taiyi Sect in Taihang Mountain once the Zhang Family birthed a Nascent Soul.

The Taiyi Sect may spare them for the moment, but that offered no guarantee for later.

Without action, the Zhang Family would eventually eye every Ye Family asset.

Thus, the Ye Family had to launch the assault.

Ye Jingcheng scanned the faces of his clansmen. After days of watching Lingyun Peak, their gazes shone with greater intensity and determination.

Hidden Island offered only shadows.

Lingyun Peak, though vulnerable, brimmed with tangible hope.

"Jingcheng, here's the intel we've compiled on the Jia Family and Zhang Family. Our top priority now is stopping the Teleportation Array from getting wrecked right away!" Ye Xuefan pulled out several Jade Talismans and passed them to Ye Jingcheng. Evidently, Ye Xuefan hadn't wasted time lounging; he'd been diligently preparing for the raid.

This assault targeted Jia Family’s Fire Peak. For the Ye Family, Spirit Beasts and Divine Sense held limited value. Dodging detection and safeguarding the Teleportation Array until then was crucial.

Should the Teleportation Array fall, the enemy would go on high alert.

Even if the Ye Family fixed it and teleported over anew, they'd confront stacked Arrays, with risks skyrocketing tenfold.

Thus, swiftness was essential.

"Yes, in this fight, everyone gives full effort—Body Cultivators switch straight to Spirit Cultivation without restraint, unleash all Spirit Beasts; grab Tier Three Spirit Talismans and Five Elements Celestial Armor Puppets from the clan stores too."

"Expenditure doesn't matter this round; seizing the Teleportation Array means the Ye Family rebounds ten or a hundred times stronger, securing our own turf without constant identity masks," Ye Jingcheng declared calmly.

The clansmen hung on his every word with grave focus.

Ye Haicheng and Ye Haisheng began handing out items, focusing on Thunder Attribute Spirit Talismans and Fire Attribute Spirit Talismans for their devastating might.

Subpar Magical Artifacts got swapped out for better ones.

Most came from Ye Family hauls in the Cyan Cloud Sea Domain, where Beast Tides raged often amid hordes of Demon Beasts, so scavenging them raised no flags.

Naturally, plenty originated from Yun Family stocks.

As the plan kicked off, the Ye Family held nothing back from the Yun Family.

With preparations complete, Ye Jingcheng opened the Grotto Heaven and ushered everyone within.

Then he neared the Tai Cang Turtle.

The Tai Cang Turtle had rejoined the clan during Ye Jingcheng's stint in the Taihang Mountain Range.

Turtle Ancestor obviously had words brewing for Ye Jingcheng right then.

But Ye Jingcheng cut off any chance for Turtle Ancestor to talk, pouring in Treasure Light directly.

This round, he channeled two full pages of it.

Only when surplus Treasure Light flickered on Turtle Ancestor’s head did Ye Jingcheng halt.

"Turtle Ancestor, your duty weighs heaviest this time."

"We're storming Fire Peak and jumping into the Teleportation Array immediately; after we depart, shift that Teleportation Array!"

"No clan signal in a quarter-hour? Smash the Teleportation Array in your Grotto Heaven and guide Earth Dragon Valley clansmen northward."

"Flee the Yan Kingdom!"

"Understood, understood! Jingcheng, you’ve formed your Golden Core through Cultivation and increasingly mirror those sly old foxes Ye Xuefan and Ye Xuecang!" The Turtle Ancestor waved dismissively.

"At least, the Treasure Light was handed over without issue."

Ye Jingcheng paid no mind to the Tai Cang Turtle’s words.

Rumors had reached him that the Turtle Ancestor had been constantly asking after his return and frequently relayed messages of support along his retreat path.

"Turtle Ancestor, deal with Jing Feng afterward, but hold off for just a quarter-hour!" With those words, Ye Jingcheng summoned his Spiritual Ship and shot ahead with determination.

Over the Ye Family’s territories the Spiritual Ship soared, Ye Jingcheng at the bow gazing down upon throngs of mortals.

Amidst the towering mountains they labored, vulnerable like driftwood adrift without roots.

A deep sigh rose unbidden from him.

In terms of true injustice, nothing surpasses the plight of these mortals.

Yet it is these very mortals who endow the Ye Family with endless potential.

Hence, success is imperative for the Ye Family this time.

Secure vast lands, and even amidst the Desert Sea, they could rise as a mighty clan in mere centuries!

...

Zhao Kingdom, Xin’an County, Fire Peak.

Right then, atop the summit, Zhang Yongxin glared savagely at the Jia Family cultivators.

"Hadn’t we reserved the Spirit Gathering Array already? Why are complications surfacing now—we’ve secured the Spirit-Attracting Stone!"

"Brother Zhang, imagine it’s still those years past when Spirit Gathering Arrays were simple to buy or barter? These days, suspicion lurks in every shadow. How many puppets did our Jia Family forfeit to acquire the Spirit Gathering Array?" The Jia Family patriarch wore an equally sour expression.

A Golden Core himself, on his home ground, he wouldn’t tolerate such tone.

"Yet failure here means both our clans plunge irretrievably into oblivion within the Cultivation Realm!" Zhang Yongxin pressed.

"Failure? Speak not of defeat! The Spirit Gathering Array is ours now; procured from Wei Kingdom, it simply needed time, and any leak stems from the Zhang Family—none of our concern. Freshly ascended to Golden Core Clan status, the Jia Family prospers mightily."

"None will dare stir trouble at Fire Peak!" This came from Jia Yun, once the Jia Family’s Grand Elder, now a newly minted Golden Core True Master.

His breakthrough Spirit Pill had come from the Gold Condensing Pill auction at the Nascent Soul Ceremony.

That Golden Core of his was no Fake Pill.

"Brother Zhang, feeling uneasy? Scout the outskirts a few more rounds!" Master Jia Yun remarked.

...

Along Xin’an Commandery’s frontier, through jagged peaks aplenty, a Jia Family Spiritual Ship pressed toward Fire Peak too.

Marked clearly as a Jia Family merchant vessel,

brimming with abundant cargo,

it convincingly mimicked a commonplace trading ship.