“Ancestor, do you think they’ve fallen into our trap?”

After returning, the ancestor recounted today’s conflict to everyone, prompting this question.

The ancestor smiled and shrugged, “Fallen into our trap? With the Revitalizing Pill I took, my injuries were already worsening. Plus, considering the losses from alchemy, even without pretending, I could still bluff them.”

“What about what you said earlier…”

“What I said earlier still stands. If they realize the extent of my injuries, and if Zhang and Han don’t back down, then everything will naturally be fine. If they truly act ruthlessly, it’s not our fault for being ruthless ourselves.”

Everyone nodded.

This time, the Qin family employed a strategic deception.

If Zhang and Han weren’t so greedy and had followed our previous agreement to jointly develop the secret realm peacefully, everything would have been fine.

But given the current situation, it seemed precarious.

Even if they didn’t strike at the secret realm entrance in two days, could they resist causing trouble once inside the realm? It seemed unlikely.

However, Qin Deming furrowed his brow, recalling something. “Ancestor, if a real fight breaks out, won’t your injuries… worsen further?”

The ancestor sighed and suppressed his smile. “If we don’t do this, are we just going to hand over the secret realm? We must use an iron-fisted approach to buy time for the Qin family to catch its breath.”

“No need to say more.”

And so, the matter was settled.

On the appointed day, Ancestor Qin Wenxuan indeed brought people to the secret realm entrance, only to find the Zhang and Han families had not only maintained their presence but increased their numbers.

Wenxuan ancestor’s expression turned cold. “As expected, you still want to stir up trouble. Enough talk, let’s fight.”

Zhang’s ancestor blocked Wenxuan’s sword moves with a smile, saying, “Let’s not ruin our relationship.” However, his attacks grew fiercer.

This fight wasn’t about display or intimidation, so there was no need to discuss martial ethics.

Han’s ancestor watched for a while before finding an opportunity to join in.

Now, it was two against one.

The Qin family members were anxious, especially the Fourth Elder.

He had been stationed around the secret realm for years without returning to the clan.

This time, to achieve the best effect, he hadn’t receive information from the elders about the additional Foundation Building member in the clan in Qin Dexin.

Therefore, the Fourth Elder’s anxiety was genuine.

He believed the Qin family had made a foolish decision.

Although he was angry at the bad attitudes of the Zhang and Han families, and they had even fought on the day the secret realm opened, he knew well enough that the Qin family’s strength wasn’t enough to contend directly with the combined might of the Zhang and Han families.

With these two united, the Qin family was bound to suffer losses.

Initially, he thought it was just about delaying them at the secret realm entrance for a while longer.

But after the ancestor’s arrival that day and the declaration of “a battle in two days,” he had sensed something amiss.

Why would there be a battle in two days? Looking at today’s situation, it wasn’t just bluffing; they were serious about a battle!

The ancestor still had injuries.

If they really fought fiercely today and she strained a muscle or broke a bone, her injuries might truly become irreparable.

Seeing Han’s ancestor join the fray, the Fourth Elder’s eyes widened sharply.

Today wasn’t about whether the injuries were serious or not.

It was about the possibility that, with one wrong move, their ancestor’s life might be at stake right here.

At this critical moment, the Fourth Elder saw disaster looming if they didn’t intervene.

Among the Qin family members present, he held the highest cultivation level.

With a solemn expression and a resolve akin to facing certain death, he prepared to fly up and stop the ancestor.

But just as he was about to perform the hand seals and ascend, he suddenly felt his sleeve being pulled.

Turning his head, he saw Qin Dexin, who had come with the ancestor.

She appeared unusually calm and said, “Wait a little longer.”

Wait longer? At such a crucial juncture, what more was there to wait for?

The Fourth Elder was anxious and puzzled, but deep down, he felt a restraint from acting rashly.

In those few hesitant seconds, a powerful aura fluctuation swept through the air.

The Fourth Elder sensed it and his face changed drastically. “Zhang’s old scoundrel, how despicable! They’ve actually brought two ancestors at once!”

Among the three prominent families in Nanling County, Zhang family was the strongest because they had two Foundation Building ancestors.

Their ancestor was originally at the peak of Foundation Building, and even with lowered cultivation due to injuries, could still wield mid-stage Foundation Building strength to deal with two early-stage Foundation Building opponents.

However, facing another mid-stage Foundation Building…

The Fourth Elder’s hand trembled—it was too late!

He was about to shake off Qin Dexin’s hand, but she gazed at the surging battle above with a meaningful smile and said, “They’ve finally come.”

Finally come? What did she mean by that?

Before he could ask, the Fourth Elder saw, with wide eyes, Qin Dexin suddenly emit a powerful aura.

She voluntarily released his hand, soared into the air, and joined the battle.

This… this aura!

The Fourth Elder couldn’t believe it.

How could Qin Dexin exude a Foundation Building aura?

Had she broken through???

In the battlefield, the ancestors of Zhang and Han families were more surprised than even the Fourth Elder.

They watched as a strange cultivator at the early Foundation Building stage suddenly entered the fray and stood beside Qin Wenxuan.

The situation, which they had completely dominated, suddenly turned around.

“Who dares to meddle in the affairs of Nanling County!” Zhang’s ancestor thundered.

Qin Dexin’s fierce attacks didn’t resemble those of a newly established Foundation Builder at all.

She burst into laughter and mocked, “Don’t you recognize me, your grandma?”

The three ancestors of Zhang and Han families actually scrutinized her carefully and realized they didn’t recognize her.

This was normal; typically, at their level, they only paid attention to enemy ancestors and at most, vaguely recognized clan leaders and elders.

Qin Dexin, a relatively unknown junior from the Qin family, was naturally unrecognized by the senior ancestors.

Naturally, those guarding beneath the secret realm for Zhang and Han families also noticed this turn of events.

If the ancestors didn’t recognize her, how could they?

“She’s from the Qin family!”

They couldn’t help but feel waves of emotion:

When did the Qin family unexpectedly gain another Foundation Builder?

Moreover, judging by her aura, she didn’t seem like a recently breakthrough Foundation Building at all.

Had she been at Foundation Building for a long time?

If the Qin family truly had two Foundation Builders early on, why would they have swallowed their pride earlier?

The people from Zhang and Han families grew increasingly apprehensive as they thought more about it.

What they could imagine, the senior ancestors surely considered far more.

They even felt that today’s situation was completely unfavorable.

Two days ago, Qin Wenxuan’s impulsive and reckless behavior seemed entirely calculated, all to draw out their full strength…

In secret, the Qin family might even have a third foundational building hidden…

The more they thought, the deeper the fear grew, causing hesitation among their ranks.

Ancestoe Wenxuan’s eyes were sharp; seizing the moment, she immediately separated the three.

She faced the Zhang family’s two Ancestor alone, while Qin Dexin handled the weakest Ancestor from the Han family.

Before those three could react, Ancestor Wenxuan’s momentum soared.

Utilizing some unknown secret technique, she forcefully restored herself to her peak state.

The Ancestor’s faces turned pale.

They were shocked, not just by Ancestor Qin Wenxuan regaining her strength, but by the extent of her recovery, which far exceeded their expectations.

—The aura emanating from Qin Wenxuan now wasn’t just mid-foundational stage; it was nearing perfect foundational stage! Just one step away from the legendary Golden Core Cultivator!

Could it be that Qin Wenxuan wasn’t merely at mid-foundational stage?!

They had speculated before that even if Qin Wenxuan recovered from her injuries, at most she would reach late-foundational stage.

Now, it appeared she had achieved perfect foundational stage?!

Had she healed, or was this just the temporary effect of a secret technique?

Regardless of how shocked the three Ancestor were, now was not the time to ponder over this.

The Ancestor from the Zhang family, with the highest cultivation, wore a grave expression. “She must have used a secret technique that burns blood essence or lifespan, with a steep price. As long as we delay her, when the technique’s time is up, it will be her time to die!”

But Qin Wenxuan’s time to die was not so easily determined.

Dealing with a perfect foundational stage practitioner nearing Golden Core level was extremely difficult.

Even with two against one, the Zhang family’s Ancestor, slightly weaker in cultivation, who initially tried to deceive Ancestor Wenxuan, was now red-faced and unstable in his breath after being sent flying.

Seeing him thrown back, Qin Wenxuan flew towards her own direction.

The other Ancestor from the Zhang family felt a sense of danger but realized Qin Wenxuan wasn’t heading towards him; instead, she was heading towards— the direction of the Han family’s elder, who was currently engaged with Qin Dexin!

That foolish Ancestor from the Han family was unaware that someone had already been driven to Qin Wenxuan’s front.

This led directly to his capture!

With such a huge difference in cultivation, and given that the Han elder was already the weakest among them, he couldn’t evade in time and was struck by Qin Wenxuan’s palm, spitting blood as he flew out.

The Zhang family’s mid-foundational stage elder saw this.

After Qin Wenxuan’s attack, instead of returning to him, she continued towards the Han elder, clearly intent on killing him.

Not good!

The Han Ancestor was in danger!

Realizing this situation, the first reaction of the two Zhang family elders was not to intervene but to hesitate.

Since she wasn’t targeting them, if Qin Wenxuan killed the Han Ancestor… so be it…

However, they had just formed an alliance with the Han family, and blatant indifference wasn’t quite appropriate.

So, the two elders of the Zhang family moved to intercept. Yet, their interception was hesitant and slow.

They intercepted, yet it seemed they hadn’t.

Seeing the two Zhang Ancestor pretending to fall behind, the Han elder shouted to stop while feeling extreme contradictions under his feet, already despairing of the situation before him.

That traitor from the Zhang family dared to betray me!

The Han Ancestor no longer hesitated, clutching his chest as he shouted loudly to Qin Wenxuan, “The Han family is willing to withdraw from the secret realm. Please spare my life, Ancestor Wenxuan!”

In the blink of an eye, the situation changed. Qin Wenxuan’s attack could have landed the next second.

Therefore, the Han Ancestor spoke rapidly, using the most concise and quick language to express the most crucial sentence.

Closing his eyes, the approaching sword finally stopped three inches above his brow.

Qin Wenxuan wore the most ordinary Daoist robe of the Qin family, suspended in mid-air and overlooking him from above, her voice echoing calmly but resoundingly:

“If that’s the case, the additional development rights in the secret realm will belong to the Qin family.”

Her voice was indifferent yet thunderous, chilling to the bone.

The Han Ancestor collapsed to the ground.

In his mind, only those plain five words remained, “the Qin family will take…”

Oh no, the development rights of the Han family’s secret realm!

That traitor from the Zhang family deceived me!

Once I’m healed, I must kill you—!