On the ancient continent of Guhua, atop the peaks of the Kunlun Mountains in the west, lay a vast plaza paved with jadeite. The surroundings were adorned with countless exquisite statues, making the entire scene resemble a celestial realm.

In the center of the plaza at that moment, nine beams of light flickered incessantly. When the light dissipated, it revealed nine human figures suspended in mid-air.

Each figure floated above the ground, seated either on a meditation cushion or a lotus pedestal. Judging by the auras they exuded, none of these were ordinary items.

Seated at the very front was Fang Zhentian, the patriarch of the Fang family. On the entire continent of Guhua, only the patriarchs of the other great families could truly stand as his equals.

"Brother Fang, why the rush to summon everyone? What is the matter?" asked the patriarch of the Feng family. Having failed to recruit Ye Jingyu previously, he had long since aligned himself with Fang Zhentian and was well aware of the purpose behind this convocation of the nine great families. Seeing the silence in the assembly, he was the first to speak.

"Heh heh, what else could it be for? I imagine everyone here is already clear about the recent events unfolding on the Douhun Continent. Now, across the entire Nine Provinces, the influence of the Yuanling Sect has been uprooted; we have completely lost control over them. Not only that, but those few on the Gufei Continent have also been eliminated without anyone noticing. The entire Gufei Continent is now in chaos. I truly suspect that little brat is behind all of this!" Fang Zhentian rapidly summarized the recent turn of events and then distributed some detailed documents.

Naturally, for individuals at their level, these documents were not mere paper but eight slender jade arrows. As the assembled figures swept their divine senses over the arrows, their expressions shifted slightly.

The jade slips contained records of everything that had transpired across the Nine Provinces since Xuanyuan Ruoxing returned from the Demon Realm. It chronicled how Ye Jingyu had later turned the tide, how their forces in the Nine Provinces were systematically purged, and finally, the news of the execution of several Venerable-level experts on the Gufei Continent.

Of course, Fang Zhentian did not know who had assassinated the Venerable experts of Gufei Continent, but pinning the blame entirely on Ye Jingyu was effortless. Although those Venerable experts on Gufei Continent were all Pseudo-Venerables—a different league entirely from themselves—they were nonetheless the strongest forces on that side. To have them eliminated without a trace was something that demanded serious attention.

It signaled that a power capable of threatening their authority, and even their lives, had emerged in this world.

"Brother Fang, is this intelligence accurate?" Feng Yan, the Feng family patriarch, was the first to speak after reviewing the contents of the jade slips.

"Except for the demise of those few on the Gufei Continent, which I cannot confirm absolutely, everything else is entirely true!" Fang Zhentian declared with conviction.

"If that is the case, even if their deaths weren't his doing, we absolutely cannot let that little fellow go. Otherwise, he will surely become a disaster for our entire Guhua Continent!" Feng Yan quickly followed up on Fang Zhentian's statement.

The patriarchs of the other seven families knitted their brows deeply, clearly pondering how to handle these matters, yet none uttered a word. Apart from Fang Zhentian and Feng Yan seemingly coordinating their efforts, the atmosphere was one of profound silence.

Seeing this situation, Fang Zhentian cursed inwardly. Don't you all just want the biggest share of the spoils? Why act so indifferent? I refuse to believe you'd welcome that boy with open arms if he actually attacked!

"Of course, regardless of the circumstances, my Fang family bears significant responsibility for the destruction of the Yuanling Sect. Therefore, in this upcoming action against him, my Fang family is willing to take the lead role. I will personally intervene. However, to prevent any unexpected complications, I hope my esteemed brothers can assist me from the sidelines. Once the matter is concluded, my Fang family will certainly present a generous gift!" Fang Zhentian knew that if he didn't lay out the conditions soon, these men would continue to haggle indefinitely.

"Brother Fang is being too polite. The Nine Provinces have always been our sphere of influence; reclaiming it is a natural course of action. Since Brother Fang is so enthusiastic, how could we stand idly by? Gentlemen, this time we shall follow Brother Fang's lead and eliminate that brat together! Let these people know how unwise it is to provoke us!" This time, the speaker was Xue Hai Wuya, the patriarch of the Xue family—the most enigmatic of the nine great families. Even at this moment, streams of bloody light coiled around him, obscuring his features entirely.

"Thank you, Brother Xue!" Fang Zhentian was surprised that this man was the first to publicly support him. He immediately bowed deeply to Xue Hai Wuya.

Seeing someone take the initiative, the other patriarchs naturally agreed. After all, the Fang family would be bearing the brunt of the fighting. No matter the cost, it would be their men who struck first. They only needed to offer support from the periphery.

If the brat from the Nine Provinces wasn't strong, he would likely be slain by Fang Zhentian swiftly, saving them considerable effort. But if he had truly become as formidable as rumored, they wouldn't mind waiting for him and Fang Zhentian to fight until both were severely weakened before making a move.

Could the combined might of eight people truly fail to deal with a mere youth who had lived only a few decades? Even if he were a truly heaven-defying genius, what of it? Nearly everyone harbored this thought. Perhaps Feng Yan held a slight residual worry, but seeing the others’ air of confident assurance, the decision was settled.

After bidding farewell to Fang Zhentian, the figures of the other patriarchs transformed into eight streaks of light, soaring away in eight different directions. Since they were moving to take action against the people of the Douhun Continent, they naturally needed to return and make preparations.

Half an hour later, Xue Hai Wuya arrived back at his hidden lair—a desolate mountain peak unknown even to those closest to him.

Waving one hand repeatedly, he executed a series of complex hand seals. Streams of crimson light shot out, and suddenly, a void materialized within the barren mountain range. Xue Hai Wuya flickered once and slipped inside.

Upon entering, he found an entirely different realm. The surrounding trees were dense, and birds and beasts roamed the forest. Profound spiritual energy saturated the air, nearly condensing into liquid form.

If one overlooked the blood pool situated within this small forest, this place truly was a grotto-heaven, a blessed land. The moment he arrived here, Xue Hai Wuya’s tension immediately eased; in this place, he had no need to worry about any surprise attack.

But just then, he suddenly spotted a figure standing beside the blood pool, causing a jolt of sheer terror to strike him…