The news of the Yao Clan's annihilation didn't stay hidden for long. As soon as the Lei and Yan Clans discovered that they were unable to contact the Yao Clan, the heads of both clans immediately went to the realm where the Yao Clan resided.
They only found a few juniors led by Yao Ling. These juniors had gone to see Old Man Shen Nong, who had recently returned.
The two clan heads approached them and inquired about the situation.
When the Lei and Yan clan heads found them, the juniors were still in a state of shock, and since they really didn't know the details, they couldn't provide any useful information.
Unable to extract any meaningful answers, the two clan heads felt helpless and could only bring them back.
Once they conveyed the news to the elders of both clans, it immediately stirred shock and panic among them.
...
The Two Clans' Meeting Hall.
"Damn it! This is undoubtedly a provocation against our Three Clan Alliance!"
"The enemy can make the Yao Clan disappear, and they can make us disappear in silence as well. What should we do!"
"Which of the Gu and Hun Clans is responsible for this!"
"..."
A metal tower-like man sat proudly in the left seat. His skin was a little black, and the visual impact he gave was extremely strong. It seemed as if there were giant dragons moving beneath his skin, and a terrifying sense of power was faintly spreading. It caused the feet of those close to him to tremble slightly.
This man was Lei Ying, the head of the Lei Clan. He looked down at the bustling crowd below and felt a headache coming on. He couldn't help but let out a loud shout.
"Silence! What's all this commotion? It's a disgrace!"
There was an instant silence.
Lei Ying then turned to the head of the Yan Clan, Yan Jin, who was standing by his side.
"Brother Yan, some time ago, that Xiao Ming of the Xiao Clan warned us to be careful of the Hun Clan. Then this incident happened. It's extremely suspicious. Perhaps there's some connection."
"Yes, I have the same thoughts. I've already sent someone to consult Xiao Ming, but he's already in seclusion, probably dealing with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. We probably won't get any useful information," Yan Jin sighed.
"Could it be that this matter was really orchestrated by those bastards from the Hun Clan?"
On the side, the voluptuous and enchanting Fairy Huo Ling also furrowed her brow.
"It's hard to say. The Xiao Clan had an alliance with the Gu Clan in the past. Even their slots for the Heavenly Tomb every thirty years are controlled by the Gu Clan. So we can't rule out the possibility that they're putting on a show together."
The lack of hard evidence to prove which clan was guilty was the dilemma the Lei and Yan Clans now faced.
In the absence of proof, any reckless taking of sides would be catastrophic.
But now the situation had reached a critical point. With the strength of the two clans, they were definitely no match for the hidden hand orchestrating this.
They couldn't afford to sit back and do nothing. Otherwise, they might end up getting wiped out quietly and without resisting.
Therefore, the heads of both clans were in a state of great distress, finding it difficult to make a decision.
After much discussion, they couldn't come up with a good strategy to deal with the situation.
In the end, they could only discreetly allow their clans' geniuses to leave and enter the Central Plains to prevent any unexpected incidents and preserve their seeds.
After all, based on the Yao Clan's experience, it seemed that the puppet master behind the scenes did not care much about the people scattered across the Central Plains.
At the same time, they also knew that the enemy would most likely come for the Tou She Ancient God's Jade. So they instructed the guardian elders to tear space apart and hide in some unknown small spatial dimensions.
That way, their ancient jade would be safe...
...
Hun Clan.
"What! You mean the Lei and Yan Clans actually let the guardian elders leave their realms with the pieces of ancient jade?"
"Yes, Lord Nihility."
"Hahaha, this is truly a godsend!"
Nihility Devouring Flame was the first to hear the news and burst out laughing like a maniac.
He had managed to replace the souls of the guardian elders of the Lei, Yan and Gu Clans with those of his own loyal followers with the help of a series of fortuitous opportunities.
These individuals appeared to the heads of the three clans to be dedicated and trustworthy long-time members, but in reality, they were traitors.
"Assemble a team immediately and come with me to seize these two jades."
"Should we inform the clan head about this?"
"No need to bother him."
Nihility Devouring Flame held a very high position within the Hun Clan, with some even considering him more important than Hun Tiandi himself. Naturally, his subordinates had no objections.
"Understood!"
...
And then, not long after that, the Lei Clan and the Yan Clan gathered together once again.
The expressions of the heads of both clans were extremely grim.
"The guardian elders are missing, and the pieces of Tou She Ancient God's Jade have been stolen!"
"What! What's going on? Do we know who did this?" The elders couldn't believe their ears.
"It was the Hun Clan!"
Lei Ying gritted his teeth. They had set up several contingencies in those spatial dimensions. One of them was the so-called Lightning Shadow Stone, which was originally used as an energy source. However, these stones could also retain a small number of images, a function that few paid attention to.
Among the remaining Lightning Shadow Stones, Lei Ying saw the shadows of the Hun Clan members.
"What? It's really the Hun Clan!"
Lei Ying threw out a blue stone amidst the elders' cries of surprise.
After infusing it with some lightning energy, two somewhat indistinct silhouettes could be seen exchanging blows.
Although it was only a few seconds, it was enough to confirm the identity of the culprits.
"The Hun Clan is really going too far!"
"We can't let them get away with this!"
The faces of the elders were filled with righteous indignation, and even their gray beards stood on end.
"With our strength, it's difficult to deal with the Hun Clan. Inform the Gu Clan and the Heavenly Court and ask for their help…"
...
Once again, turmoil reigned in the Central Plains!
News of the destruction of the Yao Clan, the attacks on the Lei and Yan Clans, and the revelation of the Hun Clan as the mastermind quickly spread throughout the Central Plains.
It soon overshadowed the events of the Pill Gathering and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, and created a state of anxiety among the people.
The tendency of the Hun Clan to dominate the Central Plains was keeping many people awake at night.
After all, no one wanted to be ruled by the Hun Clan with their ruthless and vicious methods.
It was somewhat reassuring, however, that the Three Clans - Lei, Yan and Gu - had formed an alliance.
They had also extended an olive branch to the Heavenly Court, the hegemonic power in the Central Plains.
This had made many people feel much more at ease. After all, the combined power of these factions was extremely frightening.
It couldn't be that even this couldn't defeat the Hun Clan, could it?
…
Holy Pill City.
Heavenly Court Headquarters.
The First Elder, Nine-Tailed Fox Saint, and other high-ranking members gathered.
"What should we do? Should we inform the Alliance Leader of the Three Clans' invitation?"
"Well... the Alliance Leader is in seclusion, forcibly interrupting him might have negative effects."
"But without the Alliance Leader's order, no one has the authority to make that decision..."
They exchanged looks and, in the end, they had to give up. All eyes then turned to the silently sitting elderly figure, Zhu Zhen.
"I can't make a decision on this matter."
"Cough, we understand that. It's just that the situation is critical right now, so we need to combine all our forces."
Zhu Zhen understood. This was a request for him to contact the tribe and ask them to send reinforcements.
Although a spatial channel had already been established, without the Alliance Leader, it was indeed most appropriate for him to deliver the message.
"I understand."
Some further countermeasures were then discussed.
Just as they were about to announce the end of the meeting, everyone suddenly froze.
A smiling young man dressed in white had appeared on the main seat without anyone noticing.
The news of the Yao Clan's annihilation didn't stay hidden for long. As soon as the Lei and Yan Clans discovered that they were unable to contact the Yao Clan, the heads of both clans immediately went to the realm where the Yao Clan resided.
They only found a few juniors led by Yao Ling. These juniors had gone to see Old Man Shen Nong, who had recently returned.
The two clan heads approached them and inquired about the situation.
When the Lei and Yan clan heads found them, the juniors were still in a state of shock, and since they really didn't know the details, they couldn't provide any useful information.
Unable to extract any meaningful answers, the two clan heads felt helpless and could only bring them back.
Once they conveyed the news to the elders of both clans, it immediately stirred shock and panic among them.
...
The Two Clans' Meeting Hall.
"Damn it! This is undoubtedly a provocation against our Three Clan Alliance!"
"The enemy can make the Yao Clan disappear, and they can make us disappear in silence as well. What should we do!"
"Which of the Gu and Hun Clans is responsible for this!"
"..."
A metal tower-like man sat proudly in the left seat. His skin was a little black, and the visual impact he gave was extremely strong. It seemed as if there were giant dragons moving beneath his skin, and a terrifying sense of power was faintly spreading. It caused the feet of those close to him to tremble slightly.
This man was Lei Ying, the head of the Lei Clan. He looked down at the bustling crowd below and felt a headache coming on. He couldn't help but let out a loud shout.
"Silence! What's all this commotion? It's a disgrace!"
There was an instant silence.
Lei Ying then turned to the head of the Yan Clan, Yan Jin, who was standing by his side.
"Brother Yan, some time ago, that Xiao Ming of the Xiao Clan warned us to be careful of the Hun Clan. Then this incident happened. It's extremely suspicious. Perhaps there's some connection."
"Yes, I have the same thoughts. I've already sent someone to consult Xiao Ming, but he's already in seclusion, probably dealing with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. We probably won't get any useful information," Yan Jin sighed.
"Could it be that this matter was really orchestrated by those bastards from the Hun Clan?"
On the side, the voluptuous and enchanting Fairy Huo Ling also furrowed her brow.
"It's hard to say. The Xiao Clan had an alliance with the Gu Clan in the past. Even their slots for the Heavenly Tomb every thirty years are controlled by the Gu Clan. So we can't rule out the possibility that they're putting on a show together."
The lack of hard evidence to prove which clan was guilty was the dilemma the Lei and Yan Clans now faced.
In the absence of proof, any reckless taking of sides would be catastrophic.
But now the situation had reached a critical point. With the strength of the two clans, they were definitely no match for the hidden hand orchestrating this.
They couldn't afford to sit back and do nothing. Otherwise, they might end up getting wiped out quietly and without resisting.
Therefore, the heads of both clans were in a state of great distress, finding it difficult to make a decision.
After much discussion, they couldn't come up with a good strategy to deal with the situation.
In the end, they could only discreetly allow their clans' geniuses to leave and enter the Central Plains to prevent any unexpected incidents and preserve their seeds.
After all, based on the Yao Clan's experience, it seemed that the puppet master behind the scenes did not care much about the people scattered across the Central Plains.
At the same time, they also knew that the enemy would most likely come for the Tou She Ancient God's Jade. So they instructed the guardian elders to tear space apart and hide in some unknown small spatial dimensions.
That way, their ancient jade would be safe...
...
Hun Clan.
"What! You mean the Lei and Yan Clans actually let the guardian elders leave their realms with the pieces of ancient jade?"
"Yes, Lord Nihility."
"Hahaha, this is truly a godsend!"
Nihility Devouring Flame was the first to hear the news and burst out laughing like a maniac.
He had managed to replace the souls of the guardian elders of the Lei, Yan and Gu Clans with those of his own loyal followers with the help of a series of fortuitous opportunities.
These individuals appeared to the heads of the three clans to be dedicated and trustworthy long-time members, but in reality, they were traitors.
"Assemble a team immediately and come with me to seize these two jades."
"Should we inform the clan head about this?"
"No need to bother him."
Nihility Devouring Flame held a very high position within the Hun Clan, with some even considering him more important than Hun Tiandi himself. Naturally, his subordinates had no objections.
"Understood!"
...
And then, not long after that, the Lei Clan and the Yan Clan gathered together once again.
The expressions of the heads of both clans were extremely grim.
"The guardian elders are missing, and the pieces of Tou She Ancient God's Jade have been stolen!"
"What! What's going on? Do we know who did this?" The elders couldn't believe their ears.
"It was the Hun Clan!"
Lei Ying gritted his teeth. They had set up several contingencies in those spatial dimensions. One of them was the so-called Lightning Shadow Stone, which was originally used as an energy source. However, these stones could also retain a small number of images, a function that few paid attention to.
Among the remaining Lightning Shadow Stones, Lei Ying saw the shadows of the Hun Clan members.
"What? It's really the Hun Clan!"
Lei Ying threw out a blue stone amidst the elders' cries of surprise.
After infusing it with some lightning energy, two somewhat indistinct silhouettes could be seen exchanging blows.
Although it was only a few seconds, it was enough to confirm the identity of the culprits.
"The Hun Clan is really going too far!"
"We can't let them get away with this!"
The faces of the elders were filled with righteous indignation, and even their gray beards stood on end.
"With our strength, it's difficult to deal with the Hun Clan. Inform the Gu Clan and the Heavenly Court and ask for their help…"
...
Once again, turmoil reigned in the Central Plains!
News of the destruction of the Yao Clan, the attacks on the Lei and Yan Clans, and the revelation of the Hun Clan as the mastermind quickly spread throughout the Central Plains.
It soon overshadowed the events of the Pill Gathering and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, and created a state of anxiety among the people.
The tendency of the Hun Clan to dominate the Central Plains was keeping many people awake at night.
After all, no one wanted to be ruled by the Hun Clan with their ruthless and vicious methods.
It was somewhat reassuring, however, that the Three Clans - Lei, Yan and Gu - had formed an alliance.
They had also extended an olive branch to the Heavenly Court, the hegemonic power in the Central Plains.
This had made many people feel much more at ease. After all, the combined power of these factions was extremely frightening.
It couldn't be that even this couldn't defeat the Hun Clan, could it?
…
Holy Pill City.
Heavenly Court Headquarters.
The First Elder, Nine-Tailed Fox Saint, and other high-ranking members gathered.
"What should we do? Should we inform the Alliance Leader of the Three Clans' invitation?"
"Well... the Alliance Leader is in seclusion, forcibly interrupting him might have negative effects."
"But without the Alliance Leader's order, no one has the authority to make that decision..."
They exchanged looks and, in the end, they had to give up. All eyes then turned to the silently sitting elderly figure, Zhu Zhen.
"I can't make a decision on this matter."
"Cough, we understand that. It's just that the situation is critical right now, so we need to combine all our forces."
Zhu Zhen understood. This was a request for him to contact the tribe and ask them to send reinforcements.
Although a spatial channel had already been established, without the Alliance Leader, it was indeed most appropriate for him to deliver the message.
"I understand."
Some further countermeasures were then discussed.
Just as they were about to announce the end of the meeting, everyone suddenly froze.
A smiling young man dressed in white had appeared on the main seat without anyone noticing.
