The Li family arrived, swaggering in and settling down outside without even seeking permission from the Long family, their hosts.

Their action only fueled the Long family's mounting anger.

Outside the Long family compound, numerous deserted earthen houses stood, remnants of past habitation. Though built of earth, they were remarkably sturdy. The Long family plains enjoyed perpetual spring; there were no fierce gales, hailstorms, or torrential downpours. Furthermore, since each house was built by its occupants for their own use, construction had been undertaken with great care, resulting in high-quality structures for the most part.

The Li family members selected a few houses relatively close to each other and nearer to the Long family palace, and promptly moved in.

Inside one small house, there were now only five people, with guards posted outside the door.

“Old Ancestor, since arriving here, I have conducted probes and observations, and it is entirely proven that the Long family is indeed in disarray!”

In the room, an elder stood respectfully beside a man who appeared to be in his sixties, though the elder looked even older, yet his deference was absolute.

“I know. I just completed a sweep; the old ghost Long is truly gone!”

The man nodded lightly. As he spoke, his eyes briefly opened, unleashing a frightening gleam of sharpness—the person Zhang Yang had quickly detected earlier was him.

This man was the Li family’s Guardian, Li Jianyi.

The elder speaking to him with such respect was Li Wei, the Li family’s First Elder. Li Wei had arrived earlier than the others and had specifically surveyed the Long family's situation to brief those who followed.

“Old Ancestor, First Elder, so you confirm that the Long family’s guardianship has indeed encountered a succession gap?”

Li Wenruo, standing nearby, looked somewhat thrilled. The Li family had always lived in the shadow of the Long family for years. As Clan Head, his greatest aspiration was to lead the Li family to glory and eclipse the Long family.

Now, this long-held wish could finally be realized due to the gap in the Long family’s guardianship.

Not only could it be fulfilled, but they might even seize the wealth the Long family had accumulated over two millennia, elevating the Li family to the true pinnacle of the great families.

“It should be true. Old ghost Long is indeed absent. He has no reason to stage such a charade; he likely passed away earlier.”

After a pause, the Li Family Guardian, Li Jianyi, slowly nodded. The news from the Long family had arrived too suddenly, and initially, he had harbored doubts. Only upon genuinely failing to sense the Long family Guardian’s aura did he accept the truth.

“That’s good news.” The absence of the Long family Guardian severely weakens their power. Junbao, did you observe the situation within the Long family just now? How is their grand formation?”

Li Wenruo exclaimed excitedly, then turned to another person beside him.

This was the youngest among them, whose cultivation was only at the initial stage of the Third Layer.

“Clan Head, I took a brief look just now. There is indeed a hidden formation within, but it is not fully activated, so I cannot discern any issues with it!”

The young man nodded slightly. He was also a member of the Li family, named Li Junbao, the one in the Li family with the greatest talent and research into the wondrous Qimen Formations.

Although the stream of Qimen Dunjia had vanished, the major prominent families and sects had never ceased their study of Qimen Dunjia.

Qimen Formations, capable of harnessing the power of Heaven and Earth, could achieve effects beyond the ordinary person’s capability—this alone held a fatal attraction for them. Every great family desired to have someone among their ranks who could truly master this art.

However, Qimen Dunjia was profoundly esoteric and exceedingly difficult; even those families who managed to foster researchers only grasped superficial knowledge.

As for this Li Junbao, his ability was still inferior to Zhang Yang’s.

Li Jianyi nodded again: “The Long family’s Grand Formation is their final lifeline; they won’t activate it easily. Wenruo, you will go see Long Haotian this afternoon.”

Li Wenruo quickly agreed. His visit to Long Haotian was to present the Li family’s demands.

It would be best if the Long family agreed to their terms, allowing them to obtain a massive fortune without expending any effort. If they refused, this visit would serve as the formal prelude before any subsequent conflicts, allowing them to act with clear conscience.

After the Li family settled in, the atmosphere within the Long family grew even more tense.

Everyone was assigned new duties. The Long family even imposed a strict gag order and confinement decree: all disciples were forbidden from speaking carelessly, and everyone was restricted to designated areas of activity.

This was an unprecedented situation in the Long family’s thousand-year history.

While tension reigned outside, Zhang Yang leisurely brewed tea in a guest room at the rear. For now, these were matters for the Long family; he had no need to step forward yet.

Long Feng was also present, though his brow had not relaxed for a moment.

The Li family had already encroached upon their territory, and no member of the Long family felt at ease. This was just one Li family; who knew how many others might arrive later.

In the afternoon, Long Feng went out for a while and returned wearing an expression thick with simmering rage.

“Too despicable! Those Li family curs have gone too far!”

As soon as he entered, Long Feng couldn't help but curse loudly. He had gone to the rear hall that afternoon and learned news that enraged every Long family member.

Li Wenruo, the Li Family Head, had personally come to see Long Haotian and put forth two demands.

The first was that they wished to borrow the Long family plains for two hundred years, returning them afterward. The environment and conditions here were superior to Mount Shu, allowing disciples to progress faster in their cultivation than elsewhere.

In addition to borrowing the plains, he made an exorbitant counter-demand: that the Long family hand over two-thirds of their accumulated wealth.

These two points, presented as requests, were little different from outright robbery.

Such blatant bullying, coupled with completely unacceptable conditions, had fully exposed the true purpose and nature of the Li family’s visit.

Even Long Haotian had not anticipated that the Li family would approach them so shamelessly with such terms.

Long Haotian, usually even-tempered, finally flew into a great fury and summarily threw Li Wenruo out.

Had the Long family’s Third Elder and Long Zheng not been guarding the cave entrance, Long Haotian would have considered simply keeping Li Wenruo there; based on the conditions he proposed, killing him here would not have been an overreaction.

With Li Wenruo’s departure, the lines between the Long and Li families were definitively drawn.

To prevent any unforeseen incidents, the Long family recalled everyone from outside back into the palace, relying on their Grand Formation for protection.

The Long family members had seen things clearly: as for those outside, let them come if they wished; they could not be blocked effectively anyway.

After the open rupture, the Li family members made no major moves outside, simply waiting quietly.

One day passed swiftly. By the afternoon of the second day, over thirty more people arrived outside.

Among this new group, some carried a distinct killing aura, and several had crimson skin, making them appear terrifying.

The largest demonic sect in the Southern Border, the Demonic Gate, had arrived.

The Demonic Gate also boasted a thousand-year heritage, even older than Shaolin or Wudang. Over the years, the Southern Border Demonic Gate had clashed several times with cultivators from the central regions, but each time they had been soundly defeated.

Afterward, the Demonic Gate learned wisdom, firmly guarding their own territory and ceasing outward expansion.

No expansion, but their presence could not be ignored. The Demonic Gate and the central region cultivators remained mortal enemies, the type who would never associate willingly.

The accumulated grudges from the past had cemented them as irreconcilable foes.

Upon hearing the news of the great upheaval in the Long family, the Demonic Gate arrived openly at their doorstep.

The arrival of the Demonic Gate made the Long family plains even more volatile. On their very first day, they clashed with the Li family members, resulting in a skirmish where two Li disciples were severely injured, though a member of the Demonic Gate nearly died as well.

The Long family members were delighted to watch the conflict unfold from the sidelines.

Eventually, leaders from both sides stepped in to strictly restrain their disciples, preventing the situation from escalating further.

Since both parties shared the same ultimate goal, they would not truly expand the conflict until that goal was reached, lest the Long family reap the benefits.

The Long family had completely abandoned their outer gates; the Long family plains were now undefended. Anyone who knew of this place was welcome to enter.

On the third day, people from the Hua family of Changbai Mountain arrived. There were only about a dozen of them, few in number, but each one an elite. Leading them was Hua Feitian, whom Zhang Yang had met before.

Hua Feitian made no attempt to conceal his identity, appearing directly as a Guardian. As they approached, the Demonic Gate members dared not provoke them.

Hua Feitian’s high-profile entrance annoyed the Long family members inwardly, but they could do nothing about it.

When the Hua family arrived, they immediately took lodgings with the Li family members. Observing this, it was clear that the Hua and Li families were closely aligned, perhaps preparing to form an alliance.

This sight caused the overconfident Demonic Gate disciples to retreat. Against the Li family alone, they might dare to stand firm, but if the Hua and Li families joined forces and attacked, the Demonic Gate stood to suffer losses.

The Demonic Gate also possessed a Great Perfection expert, who was currently concealed. He had already sensed the presence of a Great Perfection expert within the Li family.

But now, with two Great Perfection experts on the opposing side, if they didn't keep a low profile, the Hua-Li alliance might drive them out first.

The close proximity between the Li and Hua families further intensified the Long family’s anxiety. Long Haotian and the Elders and Protectors’ discussions never ceased.

Now they finally understood why the Li family members had initially only presented demands instead of immediately attacking: they hadn't expected acceptance; they were merely waiting for the arrival of their allies.

Their allies were the Hua family.

Once the two families united, they would effectively possess two Great Perfection experts. While the Long family’s Grand Formation could trap a Great Perfection expert, that was its function as an entrapment array; as a defensive formation, it was uncertain if it could withstand the fierce assault of two Great Perfection experts.

If it failed to hold, the thousand-year legacy of the Long family would be utterly ruined.

At this realization, they finally remembered Zhang Yang once more.

Because Long Feng had maintained secrecy, they were unaware that Zhang Yang was already a Great Perfection expert. When they thought of Zhang Yang, they thought instead of Zhang Pinglu.

They desperately hoped to forge a complete alliance with the Zhang family, at least securing the Zhang family’s Great Perfection expert on their side. With the protection of just one Great Perfection expert, they might be able to resist the alliance between the Hua and Li families.

With this thought, Zhang Yang, who had been treated well with food and drink for two days but had not truly been prioritized, was finally summoned again by Long Haotian.