In the Zhang family, they had just finished the funeral of their Ancestor, Zhang Xiao.

Hao Gou, dressed in mourning clothes, sat on a chair with a furrowed brow, feeling a headache coming on.

This pain reminded him that the full moon was approaching, and it might be time to ask that deceitful girl for the antidote.

But he couldn’t afford to lose focus.

There were too many matters within the clan that needed attention.

At this moment, they were arguing about whether the Jin family should compensate them.

Their late Ancestor had convinced the Jin family to attack the Qin family, which had promised substantial benefits.

However, after the Ancestor’s downfall and Jin’s change of heart, the question of compensation became contentious.

Not compensating would violate their agreement with the Zhang family.

But compensating would make them feel like fools, especially since they were already drained financially from ransoming their Grand elder back from the Qin family.

Meanwhile, Clan Leader Zhang Hong was saying, “We should still give compensation. The Jin family has been related to us through marriage, and our late Ancestor made a solid promise to them.

If we go back on our word completely, how will the Jin family view us? What will others think of us? And aren’t we just inviting another powerful enemy by doing so?”

Upon hearing this, Hao Gou, with his hand on his furrowed brow, retorted coolly, “Inviting another powerful enemy? Isn’t that what’s deserved?

I’ve always said we shouldn’t have fought with the Qin family in the first place.

Now look at the mess.

What does it matter if we provoke another clan? Isn’t our Zhang family strong enough? If they provoke us again, we’ll just fight back!”

Zhang Hong slammed the table angrily, “What do you mean by that, you! Don’t talk nonsense here.

In that battle, the old Ancestor was crippled, and you were captured alive.

And then the Qin family returned you without harm.

Tell me, aren’t you suspicious? Maybe you’ve been turned by the Qin family to spy on us!”

Hao Gou didn’t even raise an eyebrow, “Fine, I’m a spy. Just hurry up and notify the elders to expel me from the clan. I don’t want to clean up this mess anyway.”

Zhang Hong turned red with anger, his momentum abruptly stifled.

Currently, Hao Gou was the only Foundation Establishment in the Zhang family.

If they expelled him, the clan would lose face without a Foundation Establishment to support its reputation.

This was something they absolutely couldn’t accept.

That was why, despite the exorbitant ransom demands from the Qin family, they were determined to redeem Hao Gou.

They argued while the bystanders below the Zhang family just enjoyed the spectacle.

The scene of the elders and the clan leader arguing happened almost daily, even during the Ancestor’s funeral, with the clan leader often coming out on the losing end.

The reason was simple: Zhang family now only had one Foundation Establishment, and he was confident—unafraid of their opinions, their suspicions, or their discontent.

If he was unhappy, he would just leave.

Surprisingly, this attitude silenced most of the Zhang family.

The second elder quickly intervened, “Alright, enough arguing. Our clan treasury is depleted from Qin family demands, and the Jin family can’t afford to offer extra spiritual stones as collateral, we should just delay it for the moment”

….

The response came back, saying to delay it for now.

Upon hearing this reply from the debt-collecting messenger of the Jin family, it seemed he had anticipated it all along.

He calmly stated, “The spiritual stones can be delayed, but the third condition promised by your late noble Ancestor to the Jin family must be fulfilled. your late noble Ancestor made a solemn oath about this.”

And so, the exact words of the Jin family’s messenger reached the higher echelons of the Zhang family.

Hao Gou waved dismissively upon hearing this, “Tell him to scram. What third condition? Forget about it. It’s good enough that we agreed to defer payment on the spiritual stones.

Frankly, we’re too lazy to pay it back anyway.

As for our late Ancestor’s oath, he’s already underground.

If activating that oath could bring our late Ancestor back to life, then our Zhang family would eagerly desire it. Tell him to get lost!”

With these words from Hao Gou, surprisingly, there was hardly anyone in the Zhang family who objected.

Some didn’t understand, and those who did were naturally reluctant to honor the promise.

The third condition promised by the late Ancestor was the whereabouts of the Mysterious Heart Elixir.

Only the Grand Elder, the Second Elder, and Clan Leader Zhang Hong knew about it.

But could such information about the Mysterious Heart Elixir be casually leaked?

Even if the Ancestor had passed away, this was impossible.

Moreover, with the Ancestor’s death, the oath couldn’t be fulfilled.

With no proof of his death, they conveniently delayed their obligation.

And so, the Jin family was left hanging.

As they brushed aside the Jin family’s demands, someone hesitantly brought up the Qin family, “The Qin family has been making big moves recently. They’re even recruiting subsidiary clans…”

This statement caused a hush in the hall below, as the Qin family had stirred up a hornet’s nest for them.

If not for the Qin family, their Ancestor wouldn’t have died, and the Zhang family wouldn’t be in such dire straits now.

As for the Qin family recruiting subsidiary clans, this was definitely bad news.

The Zhang family hadn’t even started recruiting subsidiary clans yet, and now the Qin family had beaten them to it.

In the past, the Zhang family would have reacted strongly, but now…

Still, someone couldn’t help suggesting causing some trouble.

Upon hearing this, Hao Gou waved his hand irritably and rebuked, “Forget it. We can’t even handle our own internal affairs, and you’re thinking about the Qin family?

They’re riding high now, stepping on us to rise up. Naturally, they’re going to recruit subsidiary clans.”

“And how can we manage that? I bet the Qin family is hoping one of us will stick our neck out so they can put on a show of power to those small subsidiary clans. Let’s not rush to give them any more advantages!”

Hao Gou’s words were harsh, but they made sense.

Even though the Zhang family might resentfully agree, they knew they couldn’t spare the effort to deal with the Qin family’s affairs now.

They had to dismiss the bad idea of causing trouble, along with a complex sigh in their hearts:

The Qin family had stepped on them to rise up.

Now, with this move to recruit subsidiary clans, they were truly shaking things up.

Internal discord within the Zhang family left them preoccupied, but the news of the Qin family’s intention to recruit subsidiary clans truly shocked everyone in the Southern Ridge.

Because among the prestigious families of the Southern Ridge, there had never been such a precedent.

Even the historically powerful Zhang family seemed to think the timing wasn’t right before, despite their intentions, they hadn’t taken action.

Now, with the Qin family making such a move, wasn’t it saying they had beaten both the Zhang and Han families to the punch?!

Had the Qin family become so powerful already?

Since when did they rise silently and overtake others on the curve?

The various large and small clans in Southern Ridge heard this news, and their initial reaction was one of astonishment and suspicion.

But upon reviewing recent events, they began to realize, “Ah, it seems they’re not just making empty threats. They really have the clout for this.”

Traditionally, the oldest and most prestigious clan in their impression was the Zhang family.

However, with the Qin family disposing of the Zhang Ancestor, the Zhang family’s strength had significantly diminished.

This indirect comparison suggested that the Qin family was now the top dog in Southern Ridge.

It was said that the entire Secret Realm was now firmly in the grasp of the Qin family.

How many years would it take to digest all that!

As for the Han family—always relatively low-profile, quietly existing—they were disregarded whether the Zhang family dominated Southern Ridge or the Qin family did.

l0Since they were not strong, they were ignored.

Thus, the news released by the Qin family felt like a drop of cold water in boiling oil, causing Southern Ridge to boil over.

For ordinary folks, it might be manageable, but for the major and minor clans within Southern Ridge City—now that the Qin family had announced they were opening recruitment for subsidiary clans—should they join or not?

Joining a subsidiary clan wasn’t just for show.

Depending on how dominant your clan was, you could either lean in or walk away.

It meant signing a serious contract.

Moreover, once you became a subsidiary, it meant you were subordinate to the main family.

Who wanted to be second-rate all their life?

Who could say that their family wouldn’t have a stroke of luck one day, receive the favor of heaven, and produce a Foundation Establishment Stage?

Then their family could establish itself as a top-tier clan.

Why settle for being someone else’s junior?

Of course, this was just an ideal scenario.

In reality, even an ordinary clan might not have such luck in centuries.

Who knew when they might be wiped out in the next beast tide?

It wasn’t easy for any family these days.

How nice would it be to lean on a big tree for shade? Moreover, with the Qin family’s current momentum, who knew if their family’s fortunes might turn?

Could they become a Silver or Gold-tier family in the future?

Thus, the major and minor clans in Southern Ridge were both excited and conflicted.

At this moment, the Cheng family of Southern Ridge convened a small meeting on this matter.

This family wasn’t large, with about a hundred members in total.

The clan leader, Cheng Xin, was a Qi Cultivator at the fifth level.

This was quite impressive, as among the legitimate cultivators in the clan, you could count them on one hand; the rest were ordinary people.

The reason this family prospered was due to their patriarch coincidentally consuming a celestial herb (for ordinary people, it was different from ordinary herbs, often called celestial herbs).

This patriarch unexpectedly withstood the pain of tempering the body and managed to draw in spiritual energy.

Being able to draw in spiritual energy meant transcending mortal bodies.

This family quickly developed, now owning thousands of acres of land, managing a dense forest, and even owning a few shops in Southern Street selling spiritual plants and medicines harvested from the forest.

They were considered a middle to lower-tier family in Southern Ridge City.

The only noteworthy point was that among the younger generation of this family emerged a highly talented youngster, Cheng Yiming, the son of Clan Leader Cheng Xin.

At only sixteen years old, he had already reached the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, catching up quickly to his father.

Now, the entire Cheng clan placed their hopes on him, believing he had the potential to reach Foundation Building.

The point of contention for the Cheng family was also this… now that the family had a seed for Foundation Building, should they still consider joining the Qin family’s recruitment?

After discussing it among the old-timers in the clan, Cheng Yiming spoke up, saying, “Why not go?”

The recruitment event was just an inspection; we’re not committing to become their subsidiary clan.

And… if it really fits well, being a subsidiary clan to the Qin family wouldn’t be a loss at all.

They’re a legitimate prestigious family, and their ancestor, Wenxuan, was the top cultivator in Southern Ridge, second only to the Celestial Bureau.

Who knows, maybe he’ll achieve Golden Core Formation one day. If that happens, when the Qin family soars, our family won’t be left behind!”

Cheng Yiming sat casually among the clan elders, but no one dared to overlook his words.

Upon hearing him speak, they nodded in agreement.

“Yiming is right. It’s just a look, we won’t lose anything.”

After a lively discussion, the decision was made for the Cheng family to attend the Qin family’s recruitment event.

Once the elders had left, only Cheng Yiming and his father, Cheng Xin, remained in the hall.

Cheng Xin spoke up:

“Son, what do you think?”

Cheng Yiming played dumb, “What do I think? Didn’t I just say it?”

Cheng Xin pointed to his son’s forehead, “Your eyes…”

Father and son shared a major secret: Cheng Yiming had a unique physique, suspected of having a third eye.

Positioned at his brow, this eye, when activated with spells, could see the obscure fortunes and destinies of this world.

Hence, Cheng Xin asked this question.

Cheng Yiming turned serious and said, “The Qin family’s fortune is flourishing and continuous.

Even if we truly become their subsidiary clan this time, we’ll only gain, not lose.”

Cheng Xin pondered, “In that case, I understand. Three days from now, you’ll come with me to the recruitment event!”

Cheng Yiming bowed, his peach blossom eyes charmingly smiling, “Yes.”

This day was crucial for the Qin family.

It was their first time recruiting subsidiary clans, and major and minor clans from Southern Ridge City, regardless of their intentions, would all come to observe.

It was an important occasion for showcasing the Qin family’s strength and asserting their dominance, and they couldn’t afford any mistakes.

Qin Deming was dressed in a solemn robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns, crowned with a golden crown.

At first glance, he exuded the dignity of a clan leader.

However, when he spoke, “My daughter, I’m still a bit nervous. Do you think no clan will want to be our subsidiary clan? Maybe our timing to recruit subsidiary clans is too early. Should we wait?”

If no one wanted to join, it would be embarrassing.

Qin Ruching rolled her eyes, “Dad, at this critical juncture, why are you still overthinking? How could no one want to join? Believe me, the clan leaders who come knocking today will be eager to join the Qin family!”

Qin Deming stroked his beard, puzzled, “Is our Qin family that popular?”

“…It’s not about being popular. They may not genuinely want to join us, but how many clans are struggling to make ends meet and are just waiting to lean on a big tree for shade? If they don’t seize this opportunity, they’d be either foolish or ambitious. Regardless, they’ll all show up today. So, relax!”

Seeking support from a powerful figure has always been a lasting pleasure from ancient times to the present day, even in the world of cultivation.

So, how could no one want to join?

At such a crucial moment, why is Dad nervous here?

“Really?” With his daughter’s assurance, Qin Deming’s heart finally settled.

In fact, he understood the situation.

Today’s occasion was very special.

It was the first time the Qin family was asserting its dominance outwardly, and he was the family’s spokesperson.

Under the scrutiny of many, one naturally tends to overthink, fearing that they might not do well enough.

Qin Ruqing pondered for a moment before adding, “However, there are definitely many people today trying to take advantage of the situation.

The Qin family doesn’t need just anyone; when you’re choosing, those who look like they are up to no good, those who are hesitant, those who are opportunistic… none of them should be chosen.

You should choose those who have some ambition, some vision, those who sincerely believe that our family has a future and want to work with us!”