The truth was finally out. The audience now understood why the Primer Clan—the greediest merchants in the empire—had suddenly found a conscience. They hadn't found their souls; they had found their limits.
Facing the encroachment of the Luo Yan Empire, the Primers knew they couldn't hold the secret realm alone. Their logic was cold and brilliant: if they couldn't own the mountain, they would lead the army that conquered it. By inviting the entire Jia Ma elite, they were effectively using the nation's power as a private security force to protect their interests from the Jin Yan Sect.
But the Primers went a step further. By announcing this in a room filled with spies from other neighboring countries, they ensured the news would spread like wildfire. Soon, even more empires would join the fray.
"The more people there, the muddier the water," Xiao Lin mused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "And in muddy water, a shark can hunt without being seen."
"So, we are to go to war with the Luo Yan Empire for these resources?" Jia Xing Tian asked, his voice booming from the VIP level.
Despite the manipulation, the Dou Huangs couldn't say no. The lure of a realm that broke a Rank 7 beast and produced a Dou Huang was too potent. They were being played, but the prize was worth the price of the ticket.
"Yes," Primer Tengshan replied, his voice tinged with a rare note of sincerity. "The Luo Yan Empire is formidable. Unless we unite, we will be picked apart one by one. I propose a Grand Coalition for this expedition!"
"The Imperial Family agrees," Jia Xing Tian declared. As the ruler, he couldn't allow a foreign power to seize a treasure on his doorstep.
"The Yun Lan Sect will join," Yun Shan added. Though the sect was past its "Cloud Master" peak and technically in a slow decline, it still possessed the pride of a lion. They would not be sidelined in a clash of empires.
"The Alchemist Association is traditionally neutral in domestic affairs," Fa Ma stated, "but against a foreign invader, we shall provide our full support!"
Following the lead of the three giants, the Dou Wang clans made their stand.
"The Xiao Clan has no objections," Xiao Lin said calmly. "The Nalan Clan is in!" Nalan Jie roared. "The Mu Clan stands with the Empire!" Mu Chen echoed.
Then, a wave of smaller voices followed—the Li family, the Chen family, the Water Cloud Sect, the Far Mountain Gate. For the first time in years, the fractured power structure of the Jia Ma Empire consolidated into a single, jagged blade.
The foreign spies in the hall didn't wait for the closing remarks. They vanished into the shadows, racing to carry the coordinates back to their respective kings. The "Great Hunt" was no longer a secret; it was a race.
"In three months, meet at the Eastern Gate of the Capital," Tengshan announced, striking his gavel one last time. "We go to the realm together!"
The auction ended, and the crowds dispersed like mist. After a brief, boisterous chat with Nalan Jie and Mu Chen, Xiao Lin returned to the Xiao estate.
He handed over the bulk of the auction's gains—the pills and equipment—to Xiao Dongcheng. The old Clan Head was stunned by the news of the realm but gave Xiao Lin total autonomy. "The clan is yours to lead in this matter, Xiao Lin. Do what must be done."
Xiao Lin's plan was surgical. He wouldn't bring the whole clan, but he needed to blood the younger generation. He selected Xiao Ze, Xiao Zhen, and Xiao Yi, along with seven other Da Dou Shis. To lead them, he chose a newly promoted Elder—a man who had recently used the Intel Clan's resources to break through from a Peak Da Dou Shi to a One-Star Dou Ling.
While a One-Star Dou Ling was a minor player in a realm involving Dou Huangs, it was a massive step up for the Xiao Clan's field presence.
With his team selected, Xiao Lin retreated to his private meditation chamber. He didn't pick up his sword. Instead, he pulled out the dusty Annotated Guide to Basic Formations.
"If I'm going into a realm where the 'Wardings' are failing," Xiao Lin whispered, his Heavenly State Soul beginning to unravel the ancient diagrams, "I'd best know how to read the locks before I try to kick down the doors."
For the next three months, while the rest of the empire sharpened its steel, the Empowered Ancestor of the Xiao Clan began to master the language of the stars and the earth.
Back in his private courtyard, Xiao Lin finally had the silence required to study his "treasure." After spending time with his son, Xiao Zhan, he sat beneath a silver-leaf tree and opened the Annotated Guide to Basic Formations.
Thirty minutes later, he closed the book. His expression was blank.
"The title is remarkably honest," Xiao Lin muttered, his voice dripping with irony. "It really is just a guide. Not a single diagram. No array maps. Just a history of formations and a list of 'best practices' for drawing lines. I didn't find a hidden masterpiece... I bought a textbook on how to sharpen pencils."
For a moment, Xiao Lin felt like he should paint his nose red and join the imperial circus. He had fallen for his own "protagonist's delusion," thinking he had "picked up a leak" that everyone else was too blind to see. In reality, everyone else was right: the book was useless without actual array blueprints.
With a frustrated sigh, he tossed the manual into the furthest corner of his Storage Ring. "Maybe I'll use it to stabilize a wobbly table leg one day. So much for the legendary '撿漏' (picking up a bargain) luck."
Despite the disappointment with the manual, Xiao Lin's core strength was anything but a joke. He threw himself back into cultivation.
In the eight years since his awakening, Xiao Lin's progress had been monstrous. While he publicly posed as a One-Star Dou Wang, his true, hidden cultivation had reached Seven-Star Dou Huang.
He realized that his "Suhui" hadn't just given him a Heavenly State Soul; it had effectively doubled his cultivation talent. It felt as if his past self and current self were cultivating simultaneously, their aptitudes stacking on top of one another. This "Two-Life Synergy" allowed him to leap from a Four-Star Dou Ling to a Seven-Star Dou Huang in less than a decade—even while spending five of those years creating the Star Manual.
Xiao Lin knew that even with this genius-level speed, time was his greatest enemy. There were roughly thirty years left before the original plot began. Even if he became a Dou Sheng, he wouldn't have enough time to reach the 9-Star peak required to challenge Hun Tiandi.
Xiao Xuan, Hun Tiandi, and Gu Yuan... those monsters had God-grade bloodlines and took hundreds of years to reach the peak, Xiao Lin reasoned. I don't have a century. I have three decades.
This was why his strategy remained focused on "Hugging the Grandson's Thigh." It wasn't that he was lazy; it was that he was a realist. If he couldn't be the one to save the world, he would be the one who built the foundation for the person who could. He wanted to be the Xiao family's ultimate shield, ensuring that when Xiao Yan rose, the path was clear of obstacles.
Two months of focused cultivation allowed Xiao Lin to break through to Eight-Star Dou Huang in secret. He spent the final month stabilizing his foundation and personally training the ten Da Dou Shis and the new Dou Ling Elder he had chosen for the expedition.
On the day of the gathering, Xiao Lin didn't play the "late arrival" trope. He led his team to the Eastern Gate of the Capital early. Soon, the other factions arrived.
The "Coalition of Jia Ma" was a sight to behold:
The Four Emperors: The Imperial Family, Yun Lan Sect, Alchemist Association, and the Primer Clan led the pack with 20–30 elite members each, including Dou Lings and Dou Wangs.
The New Kings: The Xiao, Nalan, and Mu clans followed with their respective elite squads.
The Minor Sects: Dozens of smaller families and schools brought the total count to several hundred.
The destination was a "No-Man's-Land" buffer zone between the Jia Ma Empire and the Luo Yan Empire. It took the high-level group less than half a day to reach the coordinates.
As they arrived, they weren't alone. A similar force of several hundred was already stationed at the edge of the mountain range—the Luo Yan Empire's vanguard.
Scattered around the periphery were smaller groups of "stray" cultivators from minor neighboring nations. These were the "Muddy Water" elements Xiao Lin had expected. Individually, they were weak, but as a collective "sh*t-stirring stick," they were perfect.
"Luo Yan's forces are larger than I expected," Nalan Jie whispered, his hand on his sword hilt.
Xiao Lin scanned the horizon. "Let them be large. The more people there are, the harder it is for them to focus on us. Just keep the clan members close. This 'Secret Realm' is about to become a slaughterhouse."
The two empires stood on opposite ridges, staring each other down across the valley where the ancient seal was slowly cracking. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and impending violence.