Chapter 191: A Crack in the Dam

Xing Ju stood atop the outer sect wall, her figure silhouetted against the fading light of the setting sun. Her gaze stretched far into the distance, yet her heart was heavy, weighed down by the burdens of time and memories long past. The cool evening breeze shivered through her weary bones, carrying an unsettling sense of unease.

Where was Ye An?

After abandoning Song Song, her granddaughter, she chose Ye An as her new disciple. Ye An was supposed to fulfill everyone's expectations. Yet, she hadn't returned from the expedition.

Many within the faction had already lost hope. Xing Ju was the last to lose hope.

The incompetent Core Elders who had escorted the group remained silent! How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator have slipped through their notice?

A part of her hoped the immortal tomb had taken Ye An, perhaps as a disciple under its will. Even though that meant Ye An would no longer need their support, it was better than her being dead.

But now, who else could compete with Song Song? That wild girl was growing stronger by the day, and Xing Ju could feel it—everyone could.

Song Song's Qi sharpened daily, and soon she would reach the four-star Foundation Establishment. In only a handful of years, she could reach their level!

It hadn't even been a year since she broke through! Everyone knew of her talent, but Foundation Establishment required not just talent but also comprehension of one's chosen element. No matter how gifted, many cultivators were stuck in this stage for a lifetime. They simply couldn't advance because they couldn't comprehend their element.

Yet Song Song's compatibility with her blood element was incomprehensible. The records showed that even the current sect leader hadn't progressed through Foundation Establishment so swiftly!

For some strange reason, Ye An had managed to keep up with her.

Rumors whispered she might have an Extreme Physique like Song Song's mother, though nothing had been confirmed. There were plans to investigate once she returned—assuming she ever did. Some even schemed to dig into her background to see if she had any connection to the Ye Clan of the Azure Frost Sect or if her name was just a coincidence.

"Ye An, where are you?" Xing Ju muttered under her breath.

A new recipe had even surfaced from one of the outer elders. The sect's Alchemist Grand Elder was on the verge of discovering replacements for extinct ingredients, allowing them to craft a pill that could restore Ye An's crippled form and beauty. But without her, these plans were nothing more than dreams.

Two paths remained: they could try to approach Song Song and beg for forgiveness. But few were willing to take that risk—Song Song might simply kill them.

The second option was to find someone else to replace Ye An. But who could possibly keep up with Song Song?

There was a reason the sect tolerated Song Song's reckless behavior. She had the highest chance of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator in the last thousand years. Many would prefer to see her fail, but the Song Clan leader wasn't someone anyone wanted to cross. Death would be the best outcome if someone made an enemy of him.

Xing Ju knew her son didn't harbor any familial loyalty or love. But if hypothetically, there was anyone he might care for, it would undoubtedly be Song Song—maybe because she was the one closest to him in personality.

The reason why he cared about her mattered little. But what was important was that no matter what Song Song did, she would get no punishment or minimum sentence at worst.

The hot summer wind brushed against her ashen hair, and Xing Ju knew that holding on to hope was a fool's errand. What she needed now were answers about Ye An—and a replacement.

She already had someone in mind who could provide both.

Turning, she leaped from the outer sect wall. Before her feet touched the ground, the wind around her picked up like a hurricane. An invisible tornado wrapped around her, propelling her forward like a bullet, the air bending in her wake. She became a red streak across the sky with nothing to slow her momentum.

She stood above a humble home within the Song Clan grounds in less than fifteen breaths. The only hint of luxury in the house was the well-built walls surrounding the residence. There was also a small pond in the yard, with a tree next to it.

Xing Ju landed silently on the grassy ground.

A dark-cloaked figure with a marble mask appeared before she could even breathe. The man was a five-star Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, his cultivation was hidden—masked by the enigmatic technique used by the Sect Leader's secret division.

"I'm here to meet Song San. Call him out," she said to the masked guard.

Liu Feng seemed sharp for his age, but that was all.

There were many clever people in the world, yet their intelligence often amounted to nothing if they lacked talent. They still died, and all their brilliance was wasted.

"Do you know the technique the Sect Leader's secret squad uses?" Song San asked rhetorically. "The one that's been around since the founding of the Blazing Sun Sect, once used by the Blazing Sun Immortal himself? It might not be a Sky Grade technique, but it's one of the finest Earth Grade techniques."

"So?" Xing Ju was confused by the sudden tangent.

What did this have to do with anything?

"Liu Feng saw through that technique," Song San stated plainly.

"And?" Xing Ju's confusion deepened.

Sure, the technique was excellent for concealment. Still, if it were truly flawless, every Core Elder would have mastered it by now and become invincible. Like all techniques, it had its limitations.

"Ten Thousand Steps of Invisibility may be an Earth Grade technique, but it was created by an immortal and refined over millennia by the sect's stealth division," Song San explained, his eyes narrowing. "Yet, some unwashed farmer from the middle of fuck nowhere cracked it and sensed me. Do you understand? It hasn't even been two years since Liu Feng entered the Blazing Sun Sect. The only reason we aren't dealing with another Song Song is because Liu Feng has garbage talent."

"When did you start getting intimidated by every shadow on the wall?" Xing Ju frowned.

She might not be particularly close to her grandchildren, but the idea of them fearing some nobody was ridiculous.

Also, the notion that Liu Feng could defeat someone like Ye An was absurd. Ye An was not only a Foundation Establishment cultivator but could fight well beyond her level.

However, she wasn't about to call her grandson stupid in front of his face. Not when she had come here with intentions to invite him. Perhaps changing the conversation would be better.

"Anyway, now that Ye An is missing, some people are looking for a new figurehead to lead my faction—someone from the next generation." Xing Ju's voice softened, attempting to sweeten the offer for Song San, though she knew the reality of the role she was suggesting.

What she received in response was a mocking smile. "Yeah, sure. Give me half a million spirit stones and access to your treasuries. I'm sure there are some nice things you old folks have hoarded in your long, mediocre lives."

It was as Xing Ju feared. Song San made demands, offered a half-hearted promise, and left her with no real assurances.

She nodded, though she knew he was an unreliable ally, and this was not a deal she could accept. Song San couldn't be controlled. They'd be nothing more than dogs with him holding the leash if he were in charge.

It was perhaps better than being brutally killed by Song Song—but not by much.

Xing Ju felt like a cornered animal, with the younger generation advancing so fast and taking their positions of power. This generation had an extra number of monsters. Xing Ju felt like her generation would soon be unneeded and become playthings of this new generation of monsters.

As Xing Ju thought of what she could do next, an unorthodox idea came to mind. This generation was lost, but perhaps the next one... but this one needed to be out of the way...

It may be time to eliminate these arrogant youngsters altogether.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like this was the perfect time—the sect was heading toward another calamity, and the Sect Leader and Song Clan Head would be too preoccupied to notice the smaller pieces.

Xing Ju hadn't come here with murderous intent, but now, after being treated like a nuisance by Song Song and mocked by her brother, she was reconsidering.

Since when did the powerful allow themselves to be mocked by the weak? It was about time these foolish descendants of hers learned a lesson.

After a lengthy exchange of false pleasantries, Xing Ju walked away, irritation gnawing at her. She was tired of being treated like a nobody by a pack of useless bastards.