Masters of the Huangfu family—Huangfu Tong, Huangfu Yue, Huangfu Jingwei, and others—were all gathered here. The Murong family, the Tu family, the Du family, and even Chu Shanxin from the Great Chu Kingdom were all maintaining a strict vigil at the Huangfu Estate.

Everyone understood the significance of Gu Dan; the sheer terrifying power wielded by a Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholar was evident to all. Consequently, all experts below the Celestial Realm within the Huangfu family had been temporarily relocated. Every Heavenly Scholar remaining in the estate was capable of holding their own ground.

Gu Dan had not yet arrived, yet these assembled figures were already fraught with tension.

"Little Yue, there shouldn't be any issues with Ji Changkong's situation, right?" Huangfu Tong sat on a cushion, her expression grave. She was the type of person who, once a decision was made, would never hesitate. Since they had resolved to act against Gu Dan, she would show no mercy. Ji Changkong was their most crucial asset in dealing with Gu Dan; if anything went wrong on his end, the Huangfu family was doomed.

Huangfu Yue’s demeanor was detached and calm. "He is imprisoned in the Dead Water Prison, shackled by black iron restraints, and secretly watched over by three Bagua Heavenly Scholars. There absolutely cannot be any slip-up!"

Nodding lightly, Huangfu Tong continued, "That’s good. There cannot be the slightest mistake on that side, or all our arrangements will come to naught. Once Gu Dan escapes, everyone present here today will inevitably face the endless, relentless vengeance of the Heavenly Mountains in the years to come. No one will be spared!"

At these words, the faces of the assembled group turned as cold as solid ice. They regarded this confrontation as the most important battle of their lives, and no one dared to be complacent any longer.

Simultaneously, some experts from the Chen family and the Duan family were either deploying out of the city, or mysterious masters were converging from other cities.

Outside Tianshui City, to the southeast, lay a small village of only a few dozen households, whose residents typically made their living through farming. Today, however, this small village possessed an unusual atmosphere. Every household door was tightly shut, and cold air occasionally swept across the crucial pathways leading into the village, as if millennia-old permafrost lay buried beneath the earth.

Inside a house with red tile roofing, Chen Qisen and Chen Qilin, the two brothers, sat with grim faces, secretly conferring with dozens of Chen family experts.

"Master, someone has arrived!" A low call drifted from outside the tile-roofed house.

Chen Qisen, who had been discussing matters, sprang up abruptly. His spirit, like a chilling wind, shot out of the room. In moments, Chen Qisen detected the approach of several masters at the level of Eight Trigrams Celestial Realm, each advancing with deadly intent.

"Could it be people from the Huangfu family?" Chen Yirong asked anxiously.

Chen Qisen slowly shook his head, closed his eyes, and felt around for a while. A strange smile suddenly curved his lips. He whispered, "Their spirit is erratic; the greeting transmitted is one of goodwill. It's not the Huangfu family. It should be masters from the Xuanyuan Valley."

"Brother, shall we go out to welcome them?" Chen Qilin rose to his full height and chuckled aloud.

Nodding, Chen Qisen waved a hand. "Let's go; let's welcome the experts from Xuanyuan Valley outside the village."

The group immediately filed out of the house, positioning themselves outside the settlement. Before long, a contingent of Xuanyuan Valley experts, led by Xiao Poshang, Gui Rong, and Gui Hai, appeared at the village entrance.

"What's the situation?" Xiao Poshang’s face was stern, and upon arrival, he questioned them without preamble.

"Ji Changkong has been imprisoned by the Huangfu family. We received word that the Huangfu family has already dispatched people to the Heavenly Mountains to notify Gu Dan. Judging by this, the Huangfu family’s target is likely not just Ji Changkong; their greater objective might be Gu Dan of the Heavenly Mountains!" Chen Qisen stated gravely.

"What?!" Not only Xiao Poshang but many others gasped involuntarily. Mo Yunyi looked particularly lost, inquiring, "What is going on?"

Even Mo Yunyi was not entirely clear about the relationship between Ji Changkong and Gu Dan, so Gui Rong, Gui Hai, and the others were even less likely to know. Chen Qisen and Chen Qilin only discovered this connection through a fortunate coincidence while at the Heavenly Mountains; others were not as lucky. Chen Qisen gazed deeply at Mo Yunyi and explained, "Ji Changkong is the maternal grandson of Gu Dan, the Sect Master of the Qiankun Sect. This is absolutely certain. The Huangfu family’s intention in imprisoning Ji Changkong without killing him is to lure the heavily injured Gu Dan to Tianshui City!"

"How... how is that possible?" Mo Weiyi's mind reeled, and disbelief flared fiercely in her eyes.

Gui Rong, Xiao Poshang, and the others were simply stunned speechless.

Frowning slightly, Chen Qisen concisely explained the details he knew. "That’s the situation. This time, I heard from the Duan family that... it seems Changkong willingly surrendered himself to the Imperial Palace in Tianshui City. The Duan family doesn't know what he intended to do; they were only responsible for passing the message to our Chen family and the Xuanyuan Valley."

These individuals, still dizzy from the revelation of the bond between Ji Changkong and Gu Dan, became bewildered upon hearing that Ji Changkong had actively gone to the Imperial Palace to surrender. They could not fathom his purpose.

"The Duan family said we are to remain outside the city for now and act according to the signal from within the city," Chen Qisen relayed, pausing to add, "It is said that Changkong arranged all these matters. We don't know what he is planning..."

Everyone felt uneasy, unsure how to approach this battle. Although they all wished to rush into Tianshui City to rescue him, they were thrown into disarray by the matter concerning Gu Dan. Hearing that Ji Changkong already had arrangements in place, they decided to follow his instructions.

The Dead Water Prison.

Ji Changkong stood serenely in the water that barely reached his neck, awaiting the person whose arrival would change the entire Shuiyun Kingdom.

In the morning, while in the Dead Water Prison, he suddenly felt a sensation in his spirit—a sense of being spied upon. It felt as if a master was observing him from a great distance using an incomparably subtle method. The sensation was uncanny, yet he was certain it had occurred.

After the feeling of being secretly watched vanished, he noticed that the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth seemed to shift slowly. More and more of this primordial energy began to converge toward Tianshui City along a trajectory known to no one. This Yuan Qi carried a faint, icy aura, similar to the perennial snow and ice of the Heavenly Mountains.

It took him no time at all to determine that the peak expert in the heavens had begun his journey toward Tianshui City.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong’s heart was filled with an ineffable emotion. His nose tingled, and an urge to weep welled up.

So... he truly came for me. So... what Old Li said was correct. He has been silently watching over me all this time, observing me through another means... At this moment, Ji Changkong realized that his other maternal grandfather, just like Ji Yusheng, also held affection for him. He simply understood how to conceal his emotions better.

Should he now dissolve the binding formations on his body and prevent the elder's arrival? Clearly, the Huangfu family must have devised a countermeasure for the elder's coming to Tianshui City. Should he wait for them to strike once the elder arrived, or should he act preemptively to avoid disaster?

Ji Changkong weighed the options repeatedly, unable to settle on a decision.

All the common folk in Tianshui City noticed a slight, frosty chill entering the city’s atmosphere. It was summer, and the weather should have been stiflingly hot. Yet, without any cold wind blowing, the temperature within the city gradually dropped. Within an hour, people needed the heavy clothes reserved for winter to wrap themselves in.

"He's here. Let's go wait in the Dead Water Prison. Utilize all the barriers arranged around the Dead Water Prison, starting now!" In the Huangfu Estate, Huangfu Tong abruptly stood up and issued orders to Huangfu Yue. The various grand masters of the Huangfu family and the Shuiyun Kingdom rose in unison. Following the prior agreement, they departed toward the prison situated between the Imperial Palace and the Huangfu Estate, quietly awaiting the arrival.

As evening approached, the setting sun painted the sky over Tianshui City a terrifying, blood-red crimson.

In the scorching heat of summer, Tianshui City was as cold as an ice cave. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, wrapped tightly in thick clothing, their expressions filled with confusion. They frequently looked up at the sky, their hearts heavy with dread.

Amidst the vast expanse of red clouds, an old man descended with measured grace. His expression was aloof, as if he held no further interest in the affairs of the world. With a single step, he could cover a distance of a hundred zhang, finally landing slowly in the area of the prison between the Imperial Palace and the Huangfu Estate.

His feet touching the ground, the elder glanced at the pitch-black, bottomless passage of the prison. Without haste, he took three steps and found himself standing on a high stone platform. Below the platform was the dim, damp Dead Water Prison. In this vast prison, only a single youth stood quietly at this moment. At this juncture, it seemed as if only this one old man and one young man existed between heaven and earth.

Ji Changkong tilted his head up to look at the sky, while the elder looked down at him.

Their gazes met. Ji Changkong clearly perceived the deep affection and guilt residing within the elder’s eyes. Not a single word was spoken, yet he seemed to understand every hidden emotion the elder possessed.

After holding the gaze for a long time, a smile slowly spread across Ji Changkong’s lips. "Grandfather..." Gu Dan's eyes, profound as the starry sky, instantly brightened. His expression was incredibly complex—admiration, relief, worry, and confusion mingled together. After a long pause, Gu Dan gave a light nod. "I'll take you out in a moment."

Ji Changkong smiled, just about to speak, when his expression abruptly turned severe. "Huangfu Tong, you finally came out!"

Huangfu Tong’s figure slowly materialized on another stone platform, standing opposite Gu Dan. Huangfu Tong bowed from a distance, her manner respectful. "Greetings to the Sect Master."

Gu Dan glanced at Huangfu Tong, frowned slightly, and murmured softly, "Why?"

"Imperial power! No one should be allowed to stand above the throne. For the sake of this nation, for the sake of the Huangfu family, I had no choice but to do this!" Huangfu Tong replied without fear, a faint smile on her face.

"Imperial power?" Gu Dan whispered the word, seemingly tasting its meaning. After a moment, he looked up. "I care nothing for imperial power or anything else. I only wish for my grandson to live out his years safely and without worry. Whoever obstructs that, I will kill."