The senior members of the Fang family gathered together.

Yesterday, the clan leader received some bad news.

After contemplating and hesitating for a whole night, he decided to call a clan meeting to discuss it.

At this moment, all the high-ranking members of the Fang family from the East Domain’s Yingzhou were gathered in a secret chamber with an engraved sealing formation.

The room wasn’t very brightly lit; orange wall lamps burned in the corners, casting a warm glow throughout the room.

The clan leader, Fang Qishan, sat under one of the lamps.

The flickering candlelight created a play of light and shadow on his face, giving him a very solemn appearance.

“It seems it’s time for our Fang clan to make a significant decision,” Fang Qishan said slowly as he looked around at the gathered elders. “Yesterday, I received a secret report that Qin Ruqing, the prodigy of the Qin family, arrived secretly at the Lu family’s territory with the Feng family’s envoy and made a deal with them. Now, the Lu family’s position has changed significantly from before.”

The room fell silent for a moment as the elders absorbed the shocking news.

After a while, an elder spoke cautiously, “It’s not surprising that Qin Ruqing is involved with the Feng family; Feng Qinxue personally invited her during the Return to the Void. But the Lu family… What could Qin Ruqing offer that would make the Lu family abandon us? That family has always been peculiar, focusing on spiritual creatures.”

“It’s precisely because they focus on spiritual creatures that Qin Ruqing’s bargaining chips are related to them,” Fang Qishan replied calmly.

“I’ve received information that a century ago, the Lu family didn’t actually want the divine elixir manual they took from us. Their real goal was the spirit attached to the manual.”

This was news only Fang Qishan and the Fang family’s Grand Elder knew.

Thus, most of the high-ranking members of the Fang family looked astonished.

Fang Qishan continued, “Our informants in the Lu family reported that the state of the spirit isn’t very good, but the Lu family values it greatly. The Feng family’s envoy’s visit to the Lu family is likely related to this spirit. However, this spirit was eventually awakened by Qin Ruqing.” Fang Qishan’s fingers tapped heavily on the table, emphasizing the importance of this news.

The room was very quiet, only the sound of flickering lamps breaking the silence.

“Qin Ruqing likely used the method of awakening this spirit to make a deal with the Lu family. The Lu family always treats spirits as crucial; it’s hard for them not to be tempted,” an elder said with realization.

“The result is obvious,” Fang Qishan nodded slowly, his expression becoming more serious and deep. “The Lu family has switched sides for profit. They may not have fully joined the Qin family, but they will no longer support us in any way. The Fang family must rely on itself!”

The betrayal of an ally brought a sense of crisis, but some elders still tried to see the positive side.

One elder hesitated and said, “The Qin family’s prodigy is indeed a threat, but she’s just one person and has just emerged from the Void. Her strength is uncertain. Even if she gained a great inheritance, it still takes time to absorb and refine it. It’s been barely a month since she came out!”

A month isn’t enough for her to make a huge impact.

Fang Qishan shook his head. “You can’t imagine how much she has grown. This means her growth will exceed your expectations. Haven’t previous examples shown this? She always surprises us and repeatedly slaps us in the face. If we still underestimate her now and don’t take it seriously, the Fang family will suffer losses far greater than last time.”

The clan leader was indeed visionary. Facing a prodigy like Qin Ruqing, they needed to act decisively before she became too powerful.

In truth, the timing was already somewhat late.

Qin Ruqing had come out of the Void Realm, gained an inheritance, and received attention from two great families.

If they delayed any longer, the Fang family might not be able to handle her.

Everyone at the table agreed with nods, though some were worried: “I’ve also heard that this prodigy has a good relationship with the Feng family. It’s uncertain if she might enlist their help this time.”

“If the Feng Clan intervenes, things will become difficult,” the elders discussed.

“The Feng Clan is an Celestial Clan. The position of Celestial Clans is pivotal. They won’t make a clear stance easily. At most, they might offer some protection to Qin Ruqing while she is within their territory,” one elder commented.

“But if the little monster hides away and doesn’t come out of Penglai? She’s always slippery and full of tricks. If she really wants to hide, it won’t be easy for us to find her!” another elder raised a concern.

At this point, the Fang Clan’s Grand Elder, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, “If she wants to hide, we can lure her out.”

“Lure her out?” The others were puzzled.

The Grand Elder stroked his beard and smiled, as if he had everything under control. “No matter how strong she is personally, she is still dragging along the Qin Clan. But she is a Qin. Her roots are in the Qin Clan. If the Qin Clan falls and loses its status as a great clan, even with her strength, she won’t be able to stir up much trouble. If she dares to act as a lone ranger against the great clans, the collective spit of the clans could drown her.”

“That’s right. This strategy is called ‘cutting off the firewood from under the pot’!” One elder clapped in agreement.

“However, due to regulations, it’s not easy to openly wage war on the Qin Clan.”

“Who said we have to openly fight?” the Grand Elder countered with a faint smile. “I’ve heard that the Qin Clan’s ancestor, Qin Wenxuan, is currently not in the Qin Clan’s territory.”

“Not in the territory? What, is that old woman planning to go to Penglai to find Qin Ruqing?”

The Grand Elder slowly shook his head, with a hint of delighted surprise in his tone. “Perhaps it’s a stroke of luck. She has recently returned to that ancient secret realm. It seems she plans to cultivate there.”

The ancient secret realm… The elders exchanged glances.

There were many secret realms in the cultivation world, but ancient secret realms were rare.

The number of documented ancient secret realms did not exceed a handful.

Since the Grand Elder used the term “return,” they knew which ancient secret realm Qin Wenxuan had gone to.

— It was the very ancient secret realm where the Fang and Qin Clans had irreconcilably severed their ties.

“That’s strange. That secret realm isn’t new. The good things inside have long been scavenged. Why would Qin Wenxuan go there?”

One elder speculated, “Perhaps for cultivation.”

“Cultivation? Why go there? The Qin Clan is doing well now. Is there a need to go to an old secret realm that has already been cleaned out?”

“It’s not quite like that. Although the ancient secret realm may have little treasure left, it still has some unique and exceptional cultivation spots. If Qin Wenxuan is nearing a breakthrough and needs specific cultivation environments, it wouldn’t be strange for her to go there.”

After some discussion, the Grand Elder concluded, “Regardless of her reasons, the fact remains that Qin Wenxuan is not in the Qin Clan’s territory. This gives our Fang Clan an opportunity.”

One elder commented, “She must be going to the secret realm to make a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.”

The Grand Elder smiled faintly. “Qin Wenxuan has managed to reach the Nascent Soul stage even in the remote South Ridge. She is indeed talented, but her progress stops here. This time, I will enlist the help of our ancestors to capture Qin Wenxuan with overwhelming force!” His final words were emphasized with spiritual energy.

The Fang Clan members’ faces reddened with excitement.

Ever since the rise of the Qin Clan’s prodigy, the Fang Clan had suffered many losses, both overtly and covertly.

With the clan leader’s words, they could almost envision the scene of capturing Qin Wenxuan and the prodigy’s furious reaction.

“Exactly, let’s do this decisively!”

“We’ve endured this humiliation for too long!”

“Let’s seize this opportunity to eradicate that prodigy and the Qin Clan!”

The Grand Elder appeared enthusiastic, but inwardly remained calm, waiting for the elders to vent their emotions.

Since Qin Ruqing’s rise, the Fang Clan had indeed felt a sense of frustration.

Their plans to deal with her had almost all ended in failure.

It was not just about the failures but also how that wretched woman had repaid them with subtle and unpleasant vengeance.

She was like a nail stuck in a festering wound, occasionally moving and reminding them of her presence, but stubbornly lodged in a critical spot, not easily removed.

But the festering wound needed treatment, and if the Grand Elder did not remove this rotten nail soon, his authority as the clan leader would likely be undermined.

After letting the elders vent their frustrations for a while, the Grand Elder finally raised his hand to stop them.

“Alright, next we need to discuss the detailed plan. This operation must be flawless…”