At midnight, during the hour of the rat, the group stopped to rest for the fifth ti. Hongi finally found his chance.
They had taken shelter in a small mortal market town, where Hongi and Yulou shared a room.
anwhile, Yu'an had been taken along by Wang Rongsheng.
Yulou slept deeply. Having rushed around for the past few days, he was completely exhausted.
Looking at the fast-asleep Yulou, Hongi plotted in his heart.
He would kill Yulou first, then use a secret technique to conceal his presence. He would strike with all his might to eliminate Wang Rongsheng, leaving only that blockhead Yu'an.
Yu'an possessed a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman, but Hongi was confident he could slay him in a short ti to prevent his escape.
Once he killed these three, he would quickly return to Clear Stream Market, take Zhong Ningyao, and flee to parts unknown.
The Wunan cultivation world was vast. Even if the Wang Clan discovered what he had done, finding him would be incredibly difficult.
The key was that as long as he cleaned up the scene and slaughtered everyone in this town, the Wang Clan would have no proof!
Yet, after hesitating and scheming for a long ti, Hongi still did not dare to act.
The descendants of the Wang Clan were far too cautious. He could not be certain if Wang Rongsheng and Wang Yulou were just putting on an act to bait him.
Wang Yulou was sleeping so soundly—could he have so hidden trump card on him?
In truth, his suspicion was correct. Yulou wore a mid-grade spiritual belt bestowed upon him by the Patriarch. The spiritual resonance of the defensive artifact would automatically protect its master, making a sneak attack from Hongi utterly useless.
This was the source of Yulou's confidence to sleep so peacefully.
Wang Rongsheng feared a surprise attack from Hongi even less.
There was a vassal clan territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect nearby, yet Wang Rongsheng chose to stay in a mortal town instead of seeking lodging there precisely because he possessed absolute confidence.
The Wang Clan was an immortal clan with a rich heritage. Though Wang Rongsheng's cultivation base was not exceptionally high, his actual strength was formidable.
He usually disguised himself as an early-stage Qi Refining cultivator, appearing frail and weak, yet he dared to directly approach the people of the Valley Spirit Sect to sell goods. It was not because he was reckless, but because he was powerful enough.
After weighing his options back and forth under imnse pressure, Hongi ultimately failed to find the courage to strike.
Trapped in extre inner turmoil, Hongi simply stared blankly at Yulou, sitting rigidly through the entire night.
He was on the verge of Foundation Establishnt. Once he reached that stage, everything would change.
Endure a little longer, just endure a little longer!
When daylight arrived, the three continued to 'escort' Hongi on their journey.
Along the way, Hongi offered nurous terms of exchange, trying to sway Yulou or Wang Rongsheng, but he still failed.
The reason was simple: no matter how wonderful Hongi's promises sounded, he was still an outsider.
Yulou and Yu'an had been educated by their family since childhood and would not easily trust an outsider.
Wang Rongsheng was an experienced Qi Refining cultivator who could hold his own, so he was even less likely to believe Hongi's lies.
When the group was 150 kiloters away from Hidden Dragon Market, Wang Rongsheng stopped his flying tool and spoke.
"Fellow Daoist Hongi, ahead lies the Echoing Water Shoals. We should take a detour."
The Echoing Water Shoals was a massive swamp spanning fifty kiloters, surrounded by mountains. Once, a sixth-grade spiritual item had appeared here.
After that spiritual item was removed, though the spiritual vitality and spiritual veins of the Echoing Water Shoals were broken, a remnant of energy still lingered.
Under the influence of that spiritual vitality and the broken veins, spiritual materials and items would occasionally form there.
Consequently, many rogue cultivators and bandit cultivators gathered there, seeking opportunities.
"Haha, fine, let us detour to the south."
Hongi displayed an excellent attitude, replying with a smile.
Wang Rongsheng was a veteran Qi Refining cultivator and naturally understood Hongi's intentions. He spoke with implicit aning.
"To the south lies Wung Mountain. Fellow Daoist Hongi, I am actually familiar with both of these areas; I simply do not wish to court trouble.
How about this: you choose one. Either Wung Mountain or Echoing Water Shoals is fine with . I have no objections."
Not wishing to court trouble did not an Wang Rongsheng feared it.
After all, he conducted business in Hidden Dragon Market and frequently dealt with the local rogue cultivators, who all knew he belonged to the Wang Clan.
Even if Hongi knew a few bandit cultivators, Wang Rongsheng remained unfazed.
Wang Rongsheng knew very well that if those rogue cultivators had to choose between Hongi and himself, they would be far more willing to assist him.
Within the territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the reputation of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom carried significant weight!
With a heritage spanning a thousand years and having produced over twenty Foundation Establishnt cultivators, what kind of ordinary force did anyone think this was?
It was anything but ordinary. If the Wang Clan was considered weak, then there would be few formidable factions left in this cultivation world!
The rchant caravans of the Wang Clan could travel freely throughout the domains of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect based solely on their family na, entering places like Twin Dragon Mountain with absolute peace of mind.
The young descendants of the Wang Clan could easily join various Purple Palace sects and readily arrange marriage alliances.
The heritage of the Wang Clan was even more extraordinary. The family resources allocated to Yulou and Yu'an before their Foundation Establishnt were comparable to those given to an Immortal Alliance Emissary or the descendants of prominent Immortal Alliance families.
More importantly, the master of True Person Danri—Patriarch Mangxiang of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect—was preparing to attain the Golden Core realm. Consequently, the status of the Wang Clan was rising rapidly!
This was an established Foundation Establishnt immortal clan with deep ties to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Even the second elder of the Purple Mansion Clan Gu could not overshadow the brilliance of Patriarch Wang Xianmao!
Why was Hongi afraid?
Because the Wang Clan truly possessed the power to ruin him completely!
Because the Wang Clan was so overbearing that they provided a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman to every single mber at the Qi Refining stage!
"Forget it, let us take the northern route, the northern route."
Hongi replied with a hollow laugh.
He seed to be resigning himself to his fate.
He had not dared to act the entire night, and his recent hope that the rogue cultivators of the Echoing Water Shoals might aid him was rely the final delusion before defeat.
Hongi did not actually know those rogue cultivators; he simply wanted to try his luck.
Placing one's hopes on luck—did that not precisely demonstrate his utter despair?
"Leave? There is no need to leave!"
An imnsely majestic voice echoed across the sky, reverberating through the heavens and the earth.
The voice sounded so distant that when Yulou looked toward the horizon, he could see nothing at all.
Hongi was the first to realize who was arriving, and his face turned deathly pale.
At this mont, he finally knew for certain that he was finished.
A few breaths later, Yulou finally caught sight of the newcor.
It was a ghastly green streak of light, resembling a green teor from afar.
Riding upon a vibrant fruit core teeming with vitality and covered in leaves, Wang Xianmao flew before the group in the blink of an eye.
Standing in mid-air, he imdiately drew Yulou and Yu'an to his side.
The fruit core beneath his feet grew rapidly. Driven by spiritual energy, over a dozen chains erupted from various angles, locking down every possible escape route for Hongi.
"Rongsheng, you did well. I always said we could not do without the ssenger pigeons!"
Hongi smiled, accepting his fate.
Was this the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom?
Too cautious!
That mortal market town was just over fifty kiloters away from Hidden Dragon Market, which happened to be the exact distance covered by a single Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman.
The reason Wang Rongsheng chose to rest there was to release a ssenger pigeon.
Sound transmission talismans had a limited range, but a ssenger pigeon could easily traverse hundreds of kiloters!
He had been foolishly waiting for an opportunity, but he had never possessed an opportunity from the very start.
"Senior Wang Xianmao, let explain," Hongi spoke with great difficulty.
Wang Xianmao waved his hand and said calmly, "Hongi, you should not have burned down the Golden Light Pavilion. Fellow Daoist ngbai and I share so mutual respect.
"Join the Wang Clan. Otherwise, if Fellow Daoist ngbai investigates this matter, you will find no escape from death."
Yulou guessed that the 'Fellow Daoist ngbai' his Patriarch ntioned must be the individual from the Immortal Alliance backing the Golden Light Pavilion.
Hongi gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I will join the Wang Clan as a guest elder."
He still wished to retain so dignity, but Wang Xianmao had no intention of granting him any.
"Change your na. From now on, you shall be called Wang Yushuo.
"However, you must not be mischievous in the future. Do you understand?"
Since he held the leverage of Hongi plundering the Golden Light Pavilion, Wang Xianmao intended to exploit it to the absolute limit.
This audacious scoundrel actually harbored designs to kill Yulou and Yu'an.
You are their master—what were you thinking?
"Good, the na Wang Yushuo is splendid, truly wonderful! Thank you, Senior Wang Xianmao!"
Hongi expressed his gratitude with an agitated, forced smile.
Endure. A true man must endure what ordinary people cannot to achieve extraordinary greatness!
I will endure!
"Oh? Still calling senior? Is that not a bit too distant?"
Seeing him behave so shalessly, Wang Xianmao continued to apply pressure expressionlessly.
Hongi, just how long can you endure?
Hongi fell silent. At this mont, his personal dignity was subjected to the ultimate humiliation.
In terms of age, he belonged to the sa generation as Wang Rongyuan and Wang Rongwen. To be so humiliated by Wang Xianmao and forced to call him...
It was utterly degrading!
"Yulou, what should he call ?" Wang Xianmao looked toward Yulou.
Since his master had agreed to change his na, he truly belonged to the family now.
Although Yulou was not particularly pleased, he held great respect for the Patriarch.
"Master, when you see the Patriarch in the future, you should address him as clan uncle.
"As for Yu'an and , we will continue to call you master.
"We will each maintain our respective relations. That should not be too troubleso, right?"
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