Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1448 - 912: Gathering at Wuxiang Sect (Part 2)

Yang Zhenshan pressed further, "Who exactly is within the confines of this array?"

"A significant number of individuals are present," Yang Chengye responded. "The Three Sects, twelve prominent families, several major clans from the Wanlin Mountain Range, and even the Nether Prison Sect have dispatched representatives to this Martial Arts Ceremony."

He continued, "Lin Daoyuan, Yue E, and Han Jiangche from the Nether Prison Sect are all taking part and are likely already inside the array."

Yang Chengye concluded his statement.

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhenshan's countenance immediately turned serious.

Lin Daoyuan and Yue E, both within the array?

This implies that Yang Shenwu and Zhang Xian from the Wuxiang Sect must also be trapped inside.

Could it be that all the Divine Soul Realm cultivators in the Sea of Spirit are now ensnared within this formation?

When you factor in the Golden Body Realm cultivators as well, if they cannot escape, won't this array effectively capture the majority of the Sea of Spirit's formidable warriors in a single stroke?

"Who possesses the audacity and foresight for such a grand, intricate scheme?"

Even Yang Zhenshan found himself taken aback by the sheer scale of the plan.

Should all those who entered the array perish, the very fate of the Sea of Spirit would be sealed.

Without the guardianship of Divine Soul Realm experts, the Three Sects would be utterly incapable of defending the Sea of Spirit. And without the protection offered by the Three Sects, the Sea of Spirit would undoubtedly fall under new dominion.

The Sea of Spirit itself is a rare and valuable treasure land!

Consequently, numerous factions would inevitably set their sights on this coveted territory.

Hidden Sword Mountain would surely be compelled to intervene, yet even with their considerable strength, asserting complete control over the Sea of Spirit would prove challenging.

The Nether Prison Sect, harboring long-standing ambitions, would undoubtedly make a play for the Sea of Spirit.

Furthermore, the Yun Que Clan, residing in Cangyu Mountain, though preferring seclusion, would likely not pass up the opportunity to claim the Sea of Spirit.

Beyond these, various other immortal cultivation forces might also emerge with their own claims.

It is even conceivable that White Cloud Immortal City might develop an interest in the Sea of Spirit.

As long as the Sea of Spirit maintains its contingent of Divine Soul Realm experts, White Cloud Immortal City would have no cause for intervention, as suppressing such formidable cultivators would necessitate the personal involvement of Golden Core stage experts.

However, the absence of Divine Soul Realm experts stationed in the Sea of Spirit could very well ignite other intentions within White Cloud Immortal City.

Even if the higher echelons of White Cloud Immortal City remain uninvolved, other factions within its sphere of influence, such as the Cloud Wild Alliance, might harbor such designs.

The critical question then becomes: what repercussions would such a drastic shift in the power dynamic have on the Spirit Source Land?

Yang Zhenshan's thoughts raced, meticulously weighing the potential advantages and disadvantages stemming from this unfolding situation.

The primary drawback: the Sea of Spirit would descend into utter chaos, and the Spirit Source Land's established interests there would inevitably suffer significant damage.

Moreover, his own Yang family could be dragged into this maelstrom, forced into a constant struggle against a multitude of competing forces.

Yet, there existed potential benefits as well; with the Sea of Spirit's situation spiraling out of control, the Spirit Source Land might find an opening to expand its territory and accrue greater advantages.

While securing the entire Sea of Spirit was an unlikely prospect, the acquisition of additional peripheral spirit vein branches seemed entirely achievable.

He delved into deep contemplation for a considerable duration, gradually bringing his thoughts into order.

The reason for his calculated calm was the underlying certainty that, irrespective of the tumultuous changes in the Sea of Spirit, the Spirit Source Land could, in fact, safeguard its own stability.

After all, his current standing as a respected Guest Elder of the Eighth Grade within the Ten Thousand Treasures Store rendered him a notable figure in White Cloud Immortal City, far from being an obscure junior.

By leveraging the considerable influence wielded by the Ten Thousand Treasures Store, he might not be able to guarantee the Yang family's acquisition of greater spoils in the Sea of Spirit, but he could assuredly protect their existing interests from suffering undue harm.

This level of assurance significantly alleviated his fretting.

"Let us depart. We shall pay a visit to the Wuxiang Sect,"

Yang Zhenshan announced to Xuanzhen.

Xuanzhen naturally offered no objection; the current circumstances surrounding the Wuxiang Sect also held considerable interest for him.

...

Wuxiang Sect.

At this precise moment, a substantial portion, nearly half, of the Wuxiang Sect lay enshrouded within the terrifying confines of the Blood Spider Immortal Trapping Array.

A swirling vortex of crimson mist permeated the very air between the majestic pavilions and ancient temples, effectively segregating the interior and exterior of the array into two distinct and separated realities.

Upon Yang Zhenshan and Xuanzhen's arrival at the Wuxiang Sect grounds, the entire sect was already in a state of utter pandemonium.

The disciples of the Wuxiang Sect were flitting about like bewildered, headless flies, their movements erratic and filled with palpable confusion.

Meanwhile, the remaining high-ranking members of the Wuxiang Sect appeared no better off, resembling agitated ants trapped on a searing hot surface, completely oblivious as to how to address the unfolding crisis.

"Esteemed Master Yang!"

As Yang Zhenshan made his entrance, Yun Xiao was already present. The sight of Yang Zhenshan seemed to ignite a spark in his eyes, and he immediately moved forward to greet him.

Joining Yun Xiao were Yun Xi and Jie Yan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wuxiang Sect.

"Senior! What is happening?" Yang Zhenshan inquired.

At this point, Yun Xiao had ascended to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, making him the most powerful immortal cultivator within the Sea of Spirit.

Yun Xiao gazed at the swirling crimson mist and gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm uncertain. I haven't been here long myself!"

Yang Zhenshan then turned his attention to Jie Yan. "Senior Jie, you are also unaware?"

Jie Yan, also a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, possessed an even less prominent presence. His influence wasn't as significant as Yun Xiao's had been previously, and his standing within the Wuxiang Sect was not particularly high.

As the Wuxiang Sect harbored Buddhist D_ao traditions, Jie Yan's position as an immortal cultivator within the sect was consequently rather awkward.

Buddhism was not widespread in the Wanhua Domain; only a handful of heritages were passed down, leading to a scarcity of high-level Buddhist practitioners throughout the vast Wanhua Domain.

The Buddhist heritage of the Wuxiang Sect was of an indeterminate level. Despite the sect internally placing value on its Buddhist traditions and actively promoting Buddhist practitioners, the Wuxiang Sect had not produced any prominent Buddhist cultivators in recent centuries.

Jie Yan appeared to be in his forties, with average features and an unremarkable aura. He seemed quite ordinary, lacking the imposing presence and authority typically associated with a Foundation Establishment immortal cultivator.

"I am also in the dark. Today marks Zhang Taishang’s Martial Arts Ceremony, and everyone proceeded to attend it. I was in seclusion cultivating and missed the event!" Jie Yan explained.

Yang Zhenshan was unsure whether Jie Yan's explanation was entirely truthful, but he recognized that this was not the opportune moment to deliberate on such matters.

He then looked back at Yun Xiao and posed the question, "Senior Yun Xiao, what course of action should we take now?"

Just then, Liu Yue and Yue Ming arrived in haste.

"Senior Yang!" Liu Yue exclaimed, a look of delight crossing her face upon spotting Yang Zhenshan.

"Hmm, this is hardly the time for pleasantries. Since you are here, let us first assess the current situation!" Yang Zhenshan stated.

Without further questions, Liu Yue suspended herself beside Yang Zhenshan, her gaze quietly fixed on the blood-colored mist below.

Yun Xiao deliberated for a moment before speaking. "The Supreme Elder remains within the array. We ought to dismantle the formation first!"

While Yang Zhenshan could remain indifferent to Lin Daoyuan's predicament, Yun Xiao could not.

In truth, Yang Zhenshan felt no particular urgency regarding Yue E's fate either. Despite his position as a Guest Elder of the Illusion Moon Sect, his actual connection to Yue E was minimal, having only encountered her once.

Had Yue Qing been the one trapped within, he would have felt more concern. They were old acquaintances, and Yue Qing had consistently fostered a cooperative relationship between the Illusion Moon Sect and the Yang family.

"Break the array? How could that be achieved?" Yang Zhenshan asked, looking somewhat perplexed.

"Where are those two disciples skilled in array techniques?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"They are unlikely to be capable of breaching this malevolent array," Yang Zhenshan replied with a shake of his head.

While Ma Qiuyan and Ning Yun possessed competent skills in array techniques, particularly with Ma Qiuyan now being a Foundation Establishment cultivator whose increased cultivation should naturally enhance her array proficiency, her limitations were also apparent. She was still too young, and her achievements in the art of arrays were not particularly profound.

She was able to establish the Taiyin Cold Spring Array primarily because she and Ning Yun had dedicated their studies to this specific formation.

In essence, Ma Qiuyan's expertise was confined to the Taiyin Cold Spring Array and closely related formations. For other intricate arrays, her skill level remained at the First-order, or perhaps even lower.

It was exceedingly clear that the formation before them was not within Ma Qiuyan's specialization, and she had likely never even encountered such a complex array.

After a moment of contemplation, Yang Zhenshan still decided to summon Ma Qiuyan.

As he had anticipated, after examining the blood-colored mist, Ma Qiuyan shook her head and stated, "Master, this array appears to bear some resemblance to the Blood Evil Array."

Yang Zhenshan understood her implication perfectly. Any formations related to Evil or Blood Evil Arrays were viewed unfavorably by him and were typically purged upon discovery.

Consequently, the Spirit Source Land possessed no such heritage, meaning Ma Qiuyan had never even laid eyes on it, let alone studied it.

"No matter. Simply observe. If it becomes necessary, we shall resort to brute force to break the array!"

Yang Zhenshan directed his gaze back towards Yun Xiao.

With no other viable options, Yun Xiao could only nod in agreement. "We can only attempt to break it by force!"

Within the Sea of Spirit, the number of immortal cultivators was limited, and not a single one was a proficient immortal Array Master.