Forefather Xiahou couldnât believe that the imperial forefather would just leave like that.
âWait, fellow daoist!â His attempt to stop the imperial forefather was met with resounding silence. The man didnât even turn around.
Forefather Xiahouâs heart sank. Without the other forefatherâs help, it was next to impossible for him to maintain the sealing formation on his own. If the sacred landâs forefather escaped, the Xiahou forefather would be the first to fall victim. The sacred landâs forefather was much more powerful than he was.
He was beside himself with anger, but there was nothing he could do. Staring at the formation, he agonized over his options. Should he retreat, or stay to hang doggedly on??
Heâd already been anxious when receiving Duke Xiaoyaoâs message. He also wasnât sure what was happening inside the formation now. Had the forefather been tormented within an inch of his life? Had he died? There was no way to tell.
If he left and gave the forefather a chance to recover, the latter would break free, and all their hard work wouldâve been for nothing.
But if he stayed trying to maintain the formation on his own, he might exhaust himself. More importantly, House Xiahou was in great danger. If he didnât go to their rescue quickly, theyâd fall under prolonged siege as well.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Forefather Xiahou came to a decision after some deliberation. âI wonât last long on my own here. If the forefather rises again, Iâll only get myself killed. I might as well hurry back to the family and strike down the sacred land to resolve our crisis. Once things settle down, Iâll recruit the help of divine cultivators from other nations.â
He knew it wouldnât do much good for him to stay here if the forefather could escape. He spent some time reinforcing the formation before making his way to the capital without a glance backwards.
He burned with anxiety. The threat against House Xiahou intensified by the minute. He couldnât say for sure how long his clan could prevail under the sacred landâs attack.
Not long after the Xiahou forefather departed, the sacred landâs forefather frail form inside the formation wavered as he expanded his consciousness. The two divine cultivators had left the formation!
What an absolutely delightful and unexpected turn of events!
During the time in which he was trapped, his subordinate elders had been tormented and killed by the formation, leaving only him still standing. He had a feeling that heâd be met with the same fate after three to five months.
Unexpectedly, his captors had left his goal. As a result, the pressure on him ceased to increase.
âWhatâs going on? They wouldnât have left without a reason. Has something changed about the situation in the sacred land?ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
In order to preserve his strength, the forefather had turned a blind eye to the happenings outside, which was also why it took him some time to notice the two forefathersâ departure.
âIs this a ploy, perhaps?â He considered the possibility, but dismissed it after some consideration.
It didnât make sense for them to trick him, not at this stage. As long as they continued to broil him through the formation, heâd deplete his strength sooner or later. His instinct as an expert told him something mustâve gone wrong for them to take off at such a critical juncture.
Heâd made up his mind. No matter what they were trying to do, he had to seize the opportunity to recover his strength and break through the formation as soon as possible!
......
Meanwhile, the three primes and the heads of each faction were gathered before House Xiahouâs home base.
The first prime gazed at the fort and declared gravely, âHouse Xiahou makes for a formidable foe, but their fort isnât impenetrable. Their defense canât keep us out forever. Let us work together on our respective tasks and break through their defenses as quickly as possible!â
âBreak in, break in!â
Morale was high and everyone was eager. The Vermilion Bird soared into the sky first, leaving a sea of fire in its wake, vibrant and tremendous.
Whoosh! True fire came out of its beak on the exhale, raining rain of flames on House Xiahouâs fort.
A din of screams and wails rang out from within. Even the stone walls and structures burned. A brief contact with the fire was enough to reduce cultivators into ash.
The Vermilion Bird was as strong as a god after all. It could easily slaughter everyone with its full power. It was capable of greater destruction than anyone from the sacred land.
The first prime was both intimidated and relieved as she witnessed the birdâs might.
âItâs fortunate that the bird is Shao Yuanâs friend, and therefore on our side. Otherwise we wouldâve been defeated by the alliance,â she sighed inwardly. The divine beast was the key to turning things around.
She hadnât been there when the bird killed Xiahou Zhen and Forefather Calmdew. Now, with her own two eyes, she saw how powerful the bird was and how integral it was to their victory.
The birdâs fire blotted out the sky above the fort, surrounding House Xiahouâs home base and raining down an ocean of flames upon them.
âWhatâs wrong? Whatâs the commotion about?â A surprised Duke Xiaoyao looked upwards and spotted the vermilion birdâs demonstration of its prowess.
âThe Vermilion Birdâs struck again! Weâve underestimated that feathered bastardâs lust for blood!â
Duke Xiaoyao knew how powerful the bird was, but it still surprised him that it was able to break into their fortified stronghold. Although the walls had kept most of the fire out, even the slightest crack was enough to let the flames through.
âYour Grace, that feathered bird is a great threat! We must find a way to stop it, or people will panic under its relentless attack!â
âYour Grace, we mustnât take the hit without doing anything!â
Duke Xiaoyao huffed. âSo? Do you expect people at my level to risk our lives fighting the bird?â
Perseverance seemed to be their only option if even their fort couldnât stop the sacred land.
âIf any of you have a solution, feel free to speak up. Youâll be rewarded as long as your proposal is sound.â This was a difficult time. He knew rewards were the only way to motivate people.
âThis subordinate has an idea, Your Grace, but Iâm not sure if itâll work.â
âGo on.â Duke Xiaoyao glanced at him. It was one of their elders who wasnât particularly valued within the family.
âYour Grace, Shao Yuan is an emotional man who has fought hard for a woman. He wouldnât have considered us his enemies if not for Yan Qinghuang.â
âSo what?â Duke Xiayao asked in a low voice.
âWhy donât we exploit that weakness of his and try to appease him with a marriage? Xiahou Zongâs sister Xiahou Ying is both beautiful and talented. Wouldnât she be a good candidate?â
Duke Xiaoyaoâs expression clouded. âXiahou Ying? Do you think sheâll cooperate after Shao Yuan killed her brother?â
The elder sighed. âHer opinions are insignificant when the entire family is at stake.â
âEven if Xiahou Ying is willing, Shao Yuan may not be. I hear that she made an offer to Shao Yuan before, but he never accepted it. He was clearly hostile to her then. This is unlikely to work.â Duke Xiaoyao shook his head. He didnât think that was a good idea.
âYour Grace, we wonât know until we try. The family is in great danger. We canât afford to waste any time. This subordinate volunteers to seek Shao Yuan out and try to convince him. As long as Shao Yuan gives us some leeway by telling the Vermilion Bird to hold back, weâll be able to survive!â
Duke Xiaoyao considered the elder carefully and asked seriously, âYour enthusiasm is appreciated, but are you sure you can sway Shao Yuan?â
âThis subordinate will do my best,â promised the elder with confidence.
Duke Xiaoyao mused in silence. The plan was unlikely to work, but if it did, itâd be great news for the clan. Theyâd get some breathing space as long as the bird held back even by a little.
Without the birdâs help, itâd take a long time for the sacred land to break into House Xiahouâs fort.
âThereâs no reason to hesitate, Your Grace. Shao Yuan started out as a wandering cultivator and he hasnât been in the sacred land for long. I donât believe that he is truly devoted to them. At the end of the day, material gain is all that matters. As long as we give him enough incentives, he will talk to us.
âEven if the negotiation fails, it wonât do us any harm to drive a wedge between him and the sacred land.â The elder made some convincing arguments.