26: Chapter 26 The Three Clans Join the Alliance, Soul Wind Offers a Plan

Above the ruins of Starfall Pavilion, a new palace complex had risen from the ground.

In just two short months, with the full support of the Ancient Clan, the headquarters of the Sky Mansion Alliance, which had been razed to the ground by the three Demon Saints of the Hun Clan, stood once again atop the mountain peaks.

The new palace was larger than the old one, cast entirely from star meteorite, and the walls were engraved with defensive restrictions personally laid by the Ancient Clan's array masters, each rune emitting a pale golden light.

Looking from afar, the entire Starfall Pavilion resembled a star embedded in the mountaintop, shining brilliantly in the night.

Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back at the main entrance of the palace, the xuan heavy ruler slung diagonally across his back.

His injuries had healed by seventy or eighty percent, and the four Heavenly Flames circulated endlessly through his meridians, his aura more composed and heavy than it had been two months ago.

Gu Xun'er stood by his side, clad in green robes like a lotus, her features picturesque, yet a trace of lingering worry remained hidden in her clear eyes.

She knew how Xiao Yan had spent these past two months—supervising the construction of the palace and handling the aftermath of the Sky Mansion Alliance's remnants during the day, and sitting alone at the edge of the ruins, gazing toward the Soul Realm all night long.

He never mentioned the names of Cai Lin or Xiao Xiao, but every time he looked toward that darkness, his gaze was more heartbreaking than any words.

Xun'er saw it all and never pointed it out, simply bringing a cup of tea to his side every night and sitting with him quietly until dawn.

"Brother Xiao Yan, they have arrived." Xun'er said softly.

Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and turned to walk into the palace, his black cloak sweeping a sharp arc behind him.

The moment he stepped into the great hall, dozens of gazes fell upon him simultaneously.

There was no questioning or hesitation in those gazes, only a trust rekindled in the midst of a desperate situation.

The remnants of the Sky Mansion Alliance—representatives from the Pill Tower, Flower Sect, Burning Flame Valley, and over a dozen small and medium-sized factions—were already seated in their respective places.

But what truly gave weight to today's alliance was the three new faces at the main guest seats.

Gu Dao of the Ancient Clan sat upright in the seat on the far left, his aura as a late-stage Seven-Star Dou Sheng contained like an abyss.

He had changed into dark green robes today, his white hair tied up meticulously, and no joy or anger could be discerned on his face, yet when his old eyes, having seen a thousand years of wind and rain, looked at Xiao Yan, they held significantly more approval than when he had come to reinforce Starfall Pavilion last time.

Gu Qingyang stood behind him, a faint scar left by the sword wind of Elder Hun Tu still lingering on his young face, yet he smiled openly and nodded slightly at Xiao Yan in greeting.

With the head of the Ancient Clan Elder Hall personally in attendance, the weight of this occasion needed no words to embellish.

Lei Ying, the patriarch of the Lei Clan, sat opposite Gu Dao, dressed in purple robes, his physique as burly as a mountain; his cultivation as a late-stage Four-Star Dou Sheng was not the peak among the Ancient Eight Clans, but the thunderous Fighting Qi unique to the Lei Clan ensured he did not appear inferior even before Gu Dao.

In his youth, he had shared a bond of comradeship with Xiao Xuan, and this old friendship had always been regarded within the Lei Clan as the final bloodline tie to the Xiao Clan.

His personal arrival today already made the Lei Clan's stance clear.

Representing the Yan Clan was Great Elder Yan Jin, a mid-stage Four-Star Dou Sheng, clad in red robes like flames, his beard and hair all red.

The conflict between the Yan Clan and the Hun Clan was long-standing—years ago, a young elder of the Yan Clan with exceptional talent was assassinated by the Hall of Souls, a wound that remained unhealed in the heart of the Yan Clan to this day.

Yan Jin had come with three protectors of the Yan Clan; though the lineup was not as strong as the Ancient Clan's, the sincerity was absolute.

"Seniors," Xiao Yan took his seat at the head, his gaze sweeping calmly across the great hall, his voice not loud but every word resonant.

"The Sky Mansion Alliance being able to return to this place is entirely due to your great assistance."

"The Hun Clan destroyed our alliance first, and abducted my wife and daughter later; this hatred and humiliation, I, Xiao Yan, will repay tenfold in this lifetime."

"But the strength of the alliance is still insufficient; relying solely on the remnants of the Sky Mansion is not enough to confront the Hun Clan head-on."

"I have invited you seniors here today to reorganize the alliance—with the Ancient Clan, Lei Clan, and Yan Clan as the new core, we will rebuild the Sky Mansion Alliance."

"All who join the alliance will share resources, exchange intelligence, and stand together on the battlefield."

Gu Dao was the first to set down his teacup, his expression calm as an ancient well, yet his voice was deep and heavy as a mountain: "The Ancient Clan Elder Hall has already passed the resolution to join the alliance."

"The Hun Clan has crossed the line too deeply these past two years; for the Ancient Clan to stand by and watch would be to sit and wait for death."

"Xiao Yan, the Ancient Clan will not stand idly by regarding the grudge between you and Hun Feng; the Ancient Clan will cover the reconstruction of the Sky Mansion Alliance's headquarters."

Lei Ying slapped the armrest, emitting a dull thunderous sound, a flash of genuine anger in his copper-bell-like eyes: "Xiao Yan, I heard about your situation from Gu Dao."

"Let's not mention the Ancient Clan breaking off the marriage in public—that is the Ancient Clan's own business."

"But they extended their hands into the Magical Beast Mountain Range, daring to abduct even the Queen of the Snake-People Tribe and your daughter; this is no longer just a matter of one clan or one family."

"The Lei Clan joins the Sky Mansion Alliance starting today; three hundred elites of the Thunder Fighting Qi Battalion have already set up camp fifty miles away, ready for your command."

Yan Jin was the last to speak, his voice low and steady, each word sounding like iron sand tempered in fire: "The old debts between the Yan Clan and the Hun Clan have not been settled, and now the Hun Clan has intensified its actions, abducting wives and daughters and swallowing foundations; it is no surprise that the Yan Clan is joining the alliance."

"The Yan Clan will cover the Pill Hall of the Sky Mansion Alliance."

"From today on, all Alchemists in the alliance will be given priority in allocating medicinal pills from the Yan Clan's Pill Hall, with prices suppressed below cost."

Xiao Yan stood up, bowed to the representatives of the three clans one by one, and then turned to all the sect leaders and elders in the hall.

He pressed his hands on the long table, leaning forward slightly, the aura of four Heavenly Flames spreading silently behind him, with deep blue, ghostly white, dark blue, and colorless flames weaving into a long and brilliant curtain of fire.

"The Sky Mansion Alliance is reorganized as of today."

"The alliance will not disband until the Hun Clan is destroyed."

Soul Realm, Hall of Hun Tiandi.

When Hun Feng stepped into the hall, Hun Tiandi was sitting on the main seat, flipping through an ancient scroll that seemed never-ending.

A phantom image formed of black flames floated beside him; Void Swallowing Flame had rarely not taken human form, simply burning quietly in its original form.

There were no extra guards in the hall, only Hun Qinger leaning alone in the corner, her fingertips carelessly twisting that ice crystal lotus.

Soul Yuan Tian stood with his hands behind his back to the right of Hun Tiandi, his withered face flickering in the dim light, the aura of an Eight Star Dou Sheng as calm as an abyss.

With the addition of Hun Feng himself and Yao Yao, there were only a few people in the hall, but these few auras combined were enough to make the entire Fighting Qi Continent tremble.

"Patriarch, Lord Void."

"The Sky Mansion Alliance rebuilt its headquarters on the ruins today; the Ancient Clan's Gu Dao, the Lei Clan's Lei Ying, and the Yan Clan's Yan Jin have officially joined the alliance."

"Including the original remnants like the Pill Tower, Flower Sect, and Burning Flame Valley, the number of Dou Sheng in the alliance is estimated to be approaching forty, not counting the Dou Zun elites accompanying each side."

"The Ancient Clan is covering the reconstruction of the headquarters, the Yan Clan is covering the Pill Hall, and the Lei Clan is covering the front lines."

"Intelligence also shows that Gu Dao's joining the alliance this time was not an impulsive decision, but the result of months of games within the Ancient Clan's Council of Elders—Elder Gu Qian's peace faction has been suppressed, and although Gu Yuan himself did not attend in person, he tacitly approved this action."

"Furthermore, both Lei Ying and Yan Jin have publicly stated that the Hun Clan's act of abducting wives and daughters is extremely dishonorable, and there are even hints of an intention to unite with the clans of the Magical Beast Mountain Range to resist us in the future."

He placed the jade slip containing the intelligence on the table, his tone unhurried, as if reciting an ordinary ledger.

Hun Tiandi did not look up, simply turning a page, his tone as flat as usual: "Forty Dou Sheng, with the Ancient Clan holding the line and the Yan and Lei clans cheering them on."

"Xiao Yan's hand of cards is indeed much better than before."

"Feng'er, what do you think?"

"The hand is indeed not small, but it has a fatal flaw—the fear of infighting."

Hun Feng walked to the huge sand table in the hall, his finger sliding between the four locations of Starfall Pavilion, the Ancient World, the Lei Clan, and the Yan Clan.

"The divergence between the war faction and the peace faction within the Ancient Clan did not disappear because of Gu Dao joining the alliance; it was only temporarily suppressed."

"Elder Gu Qian's group is still there and could light a fire in the backyard at any time."

"As long as the backyard catches fire, the alliance on the front lines will collapse without an attack."

"The conditions for the Yan and Lei clans to join the alliance seem unconditional, but in reality, they are all watching—if Gu Dao falls, they will retreat faster than anyone."

"So the alliance looks solid as a rock, but in reality, the three clans each have their own agendas."

"What the Sky Mansion Alliance fears most now is not a head-on confrontation, but a fire in the backyard."

"But we must also make full preparations—we can afford to play this game, and we can afford to lose."

Hun Tiandi finally put down the scroll, lifted his eyes, which were as deep as the void, and looked at him, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Continue."

"The pieces we planted within the Ancient Clan are about ready to be harvested."

"The old debts of Elder Gu Qian's son, Gu Huan, will expire if we don't use them now."

"It is perfect to deliver the complete evidence of Gu Huan's embezzlement to the Ancient Clan's Discipline Hall, all the Elders of the Ancient Clan, and the envoys of the Yan and Lei clans stationed in the Ancient World, with each version marked with sources from different channels, so that the accused themselves will think it was done by their rivals."

"If Gu Qian falls in the Council of Elders, the peace faction behind him will collapse, the Ancient Clan's backyard will catch fire, and the Sky Mansion Alliance's formation will fall into chaos on its own."

"As one rises, the other falls, and the pressure on our side will be much less."

Hun Tiandi nodded slightly without saying much.

This level of division and disintegration was only a basic operation in his eyes, but the fact that Hun Feng could think of it showed that his thinking had become increasingly meticulous.

"But just a fire in the backyard is not enough."

Hun Feng's voice suddenly deepened, his finger moving on the sand table to two inconspicuous gray markers between the Ancient World and the Soul Realm—the territories of the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan, which were not large but were located exactly in the cracks between the major powers.

"The Sky Mansion Alliance's greatest reliance now is the Ancient Clan, and the Ancient Clan's prestige comes from its influence on other ancient races over the past millennium."

"If the Ancient Clan's prestige is shaken, the Sky Mansion Alliance will collapse without a fight."

"And the fastest way to shake the Ancient Clan's prestige is to burden it with an indelible stigma."

He paused, raised his eyes to look at Hun Tiandi, his gaze calm to the point of coldness.

"I suggest—destroy the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan, and frame the Ancient Clan."

The great hall fell suddenly silent.

Hun Qinger's fingertips twisting the ice crystal lotus paused imperceptibly.

Soul Yuan Tian lifted his old, dark green eyes, and the gaze of an Eight Star Dou Sheng fell on Hun Feng with a scrutiny as if looking at a stranger for the first time.

The black flame body of Void Swallowing Flame paused slightly in mid-air, then emitted a low laugh—the laugh had no warmth, but carried a hint of undisguised appreciation.

Hun Tiandi's eyes narrowed.

It was not anger, not surprise, but a subtle expression of a hunter seeing the wolf cub he had raised finally grow its fangs.

"The Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan are not strong, but they are members of the Ancient Eight Clans after all."

"Destroying a clan requires sufficient reasons, a meticulous plan, and a frame-up that leaves no flaws afterwards."

"How will you arrange it?" Hun Tiandi's voice was very light, so light it was as if he were asking what was for dinner tonight.

"Although the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan are members of the Ancient Eight Clans, their strength is at the bottom; the Spirit Clan has no more than five Dou Sheng in the entire clan, with the strongest being no more than a Five-Star Dou Sheng, and the Stone Clan is slightly stronger but no more than early Seven-Star."

"The two clans are located in remote areas and have very little contact with the outside world; even if they are destroyed, it will take a long time for the outside world to notice."

"We will send Hun Clan elites to disguise themselves as Ancient Clan experts to take action, use the traces of the Ancient Clan's unique cultivation techniques to create the scene, and leave behind a few pieces of physical evidence that point to the Ancient Clan—such as broken sword fragments engraved with the Ancient Clan's emblem, or secret technique scrolls that have been deliberately burned but are still identifiable."

"The relationship between the Spirit Clan and the Ancient Clan has been subtle for the past millennium; once the incident happens, there will inevitably be suspicion within the Sky Mansion Alliance, and the other ancient races will re-evaluate the risks of siding with the Ancient Clan."

"We don't need to annihilate them completely, just cripple the main force, and the rest will scatter on their own."

"In this way, the Ancient Clan secret rune scroll for help from the last survivor of the Spirit Clan will 'coincidentally' flow into the market, letting the entire continent know what the Ancient Clan has done."

As soon as Hun Feng finished speaking, the black flames of Void Swallowing Flame surged violently, burning a fist-sized crack in the surrounding void.

Void did not comment with words, but a low word came from the black flames: "Acceptable."

Hun Qinger put the ice crystal lotus into her sleeve, her ice-blue eyes looking at Hun Feng, her tone still as cold as a spring, but with a trace of faint approval upon close listening: "Leave that Five-Star Dou Sheng of the Spirit Clan to me."

"I won't take action on the others, to avoid leaving traces of the Seven-Star Ice Soul cultivation technique."

Soul Yuan Tian also nodded slightly: "That old monster of the Stone Clan is early Seven-Star; I will go meet him personally."

"I met the patriarch of the Stone Clan a thousand years ago, and this is just the right time to send him on his way."

Hun Tiandi slowly stood up from the main seat and walked in front of Hun Feng.

He stared into Hun Feng's eyes for a moment, and then smiled.

That smile was different from his usual ambiguous expression, but a genuine, heartfelt satisfaction.

He patted Hun Feng's shoulder, with a force that was neither heavy nor light.

"Feng'er, since you came back this time, you have indeed changed."

"The old Hun Feng only knew how to shout about killing, but the current Hun Feng knows how to use his brain to kill."

"The reasons for destroying the clans must be prepared thoroughly—there must be a plausible cause for the 'disappearance' of the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan."

"The physical evidence for framing the Ancient Clan must be airtight; at the very least, it must appear to outsiders that only the Ancient Clan has the ability and the motive to do this."

"The timing of blocking the news and leaking it after the destruction of the clans must also be precise; too fast and it will have no effect, too long and it will be counterproductive."

"Go back and draft a complete plan, and give it to me tomorrow."

"Also—this operation is under your full command; Hun Qinger is responsible for the Spirit Clan, Soul Yuan Tian is responsible for the Stone Clan, and the rest of the personnel are at your disposal."

"Yes." Hun Feng bowed to accept the order.

Yao Yao stood behind him, a flash of bloodthirsty excitement in her peach-blossom eyes—the Young Master was going to make a move again, and it was a grand gesture at the level of destroying clans.

Hun Qinger glanced at Hun Feng lightly, and the scrutiny in her ice-blue eyes finally faded, leaving not a trace of reservation.

Void Swallowing Flame transformed back into human form, leaning on the black jade chair, his eyes burning with black flames looking at Hun Feng, his tone flat but every word heavy as a thousand jun: "Kid, you don't need Hun Qinger for that Five-Star Spirit Clan member."

"I will handle it."

"The Sea Heart Flame burn marks are most suitable for framing the Ancient Clan—the Ancient Clan is a fire-attribute family, and the Sea Heart Flame is a Heavenly Flame that has been snatched by Xiao Yan countless times; leaving uniform Sea Heart Flame burn marks will make investigators think they were left during infighting within the Ancient Clan or a conflict with the Yan Clan."

"Go help me find a good fishing rod—Hun Yan's is about to break."

On the path of the East Courtyard, Hun Feng had just come out of the Hall of Hun Tiandi when he met a messenger from the Hall of Souls rushing over.

He took the jade slip offered by the messenger, swept his fingertip across it, and finished reading the report from the dark line.

In the southwestern part of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, in the region of the Snake-People Tribe.

A large amount of cultivation resources and daily necessities had been delivered according to the Young Master's instructions, and the elders of the four major tribes of the Snake-People Tribe had all received them personally, with no one in the tribe suffering from cold or hunger.

He put away the jade slip and didn't say anything more.

Yao Yao leaned over from behind him and took a look, a hint of mischievous laughter staining her peach-blossom eyes, asking the Young Master in a low voice if this counted as a bride price for the Snake-People Tribe.

Hun Feng didn't answer, just looking at the figure in the white dress behind the bamboo curtain in the East Courtyard who was lowering her head to comb her daughter's hair, the corners of his mouth curving up very slightly.

Whatever she wanted, he would give—be it resources or dignity; even if she wanted time to slowly wear him down, he could afford to give it.

After all, Xiao Xiao already called him Daddy.