The Daxia Sword Sect had no shortage of sects now wishing to merge into it.

The reason was simple enough. These sects had suffered devastating casualties, everything they had built razed by the Abyssal Demons. Many things could not be resolved by rebuilding alone, not when their foundations had been shattered and their vitality sapped.

Rather than struggle on the brink of collapse, it was wiser to join the Daxia Sword Sect and take shelter beneath a strong tree.

Yet Li Guanqi and Lu Kangnian refused every such request.

Qin Xian couldn’t hide his frustration. “Sect Master! This is a tremendous opportunity. With so many cultivators folding into the sect, our strength would only grow, not to mention the resources they’d bring as tribute.”

The elderly Gong Ze, who had been quietly listening from the side, smacked him firmly on the back of the head. “Did cultivation knock the brains right out of your head?”

Seeing the blank look on Qin Xian’s face, Gong Ze sighed and explained, pointing at Li Guanqi and the others. “Do you think the Daxia Sword Sect needs these battered, bloodied remnant sects right now?”

He continued, “Forget whether we even have the resources to feed all those mouths. Most of the people coming in would only be here because disaster struck and they want someone stronger to stand in front of them. Pay a token price and get shelter in return. Why wouldn’t they?”

Qin Xian blinked, and it suddenly clicked.

Lu Kangnian chuckled. “Old Qin really isn’t cut out for thinking.”

Qin Xian laughed along without a trace of offense. Since he was the disciplinarian, he only needed to be fair and impartial; strategic analysis had never been his strong suit.

Lu Kangnian spoke again. “We’ll proceed as Guanqi and I decided. In three days, we will see all outsiders off. Where they rebuild is their business, but they must stay at least a thousand li away from Daxia Sword Sect’s territory.”

Everyone nodded.

Cao Yan and Xiao Chen were both present. Cao Yan paid it little mind, while Xiao Chen, attending a high-level sect meeting for the first time, was quietly buzzing with excitement.

Ye Feng’s condition had stabilized, and his aura was surging steadily. There was nothing more to worry about.

Ji Yuchuan, now the peak master of Guanyun Peak, was naturally present too.

Lu Kangnian looked at Ji Yuchuan and gestured toward him with an easy smile. “Fellow Daoist Ji, have you picked up any news lately? Why not share it with the rest of us?”

Ji Yuchuan glanced at Li Guanqi gravely, then rose to his feet. After a moment of thought, he spoke. “Most of you already know the state of things across the Six Territories, but let me give a brief summary. The number of ancient clans hidden throughout the Six Territories is far greater than any of us imagined. There are at least tens of thousands of them! Their intervention has driven the Abyssal Demons’ rampage close to an end. The six territory lords have coordinated with the ancient clans to reinforce the seals, and in the short term, things should remain stable.

Ji Yuchuan continued, “According to what we’ve gathered, the source of this entire upheaval seems to lie in the Dungeon Abyss of the Taiqing Territory.”

Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed. As expected, the issue really had started there. Could the Dungeon Abyss be connected to all the Abyssal-Sealing Lands throughout the Six Territories? It seems possible. Pity that Second Brother isn’t here. I’d like to ask him what’s really at the bottom of that place...

Li Guanqi’s suspicion wasn’t unfounded. The peculiar awl he’d obtained from the massive Abyssal Demon, a magical item, had ties to the Dungeon Abyss.

Ji Yuchuan pressed on. “But according to the Guanyun Pavilion’s intelligence, the ancient clans now appear to be secretly mobilizing for something. The closer we get to the end of the demon suppression, the more conspicuous their movements become. What’s more, they appear to be sending scouts to every sect powerful enough to have suppressed the Abyssal Demons on their own!”

His sharp gaze swept the room. “I suspect the ancient clans are about to move against the strongest sects. That includes us!”

The moment the words landed, the atmosphere in the study grew tense.

Everyone had a rough sense of what the ancient clans were capable of.

Their accumulated foundations were beyond comparison. If it truly came to open conflict, outside sects would almost certainly be at a disadvantage.

Lu Kangnian’s eyes glinted. No matter what, he would never let the Daxia Sword Sect fall into the hands of any ancient clan. The sect held far too many secrets to give up.

He opened his mouth to speak.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure crashed down across the entire Daxia Sword Sect. Li Guanqi and Ji Yuchuan locked eyes for an instant, then everyone burst out of the room and soared into the sky above the sect.

Lu Tao stood atop the Daxia Sword Sect’s formation barrier, clad in a subdued violet-gold robe, one hand behind his back. The moment he saw Li Guanqi and the others emerge, his mouth curved into a smile, and he stamped his foot down.

Boom! Crack!

The sect's defensive formation shattered on the spot.

Countless Daxia Sword Sect disciples surged into the air, glaring at him.

They were just about to curse when they caught sight of Li Guanqi’s raised hand. The sky above the sect, dense with thousands of cultivators, fell utterly silent.

Even Lu Tao couldn’t help but think more highly of him after seeing the influence he carried. “My apologies, I didn’t realize your formation was this fragile. One step and it was over.”

Lu Kangnian stepped forward deliberately. As the sect master, he couldn’t have Li Guanqi speaking first. His Illusory Refinement Realm pressure spread outward. It barely enveloped the sect, but it was enough to preserve his dignity.

Lu Tao hadn’t expected it. Lu Kangnian’s pressure was surprisingly formidable.

“The Daxia Sword Sect never stops offering surprises...”

Lu Kangnian’s expression was stony. “Who are you, and what is your business here?”

Ling Daoyan was conspicuously absent.

Lu Tao smiled and flicked his wrist, sending a pale-green calling card flying directly at Lu Kangnian.

Lu Kangnian’s pupils dilated. That throw...

Swish!

As Lu Kangnian gathered all his strength to brace himself, Li Guanqi slowly raised two fingers, catching the green calling card between them. Then, standing beside Lu Kangnian, he held the card with both hands and respectfully presented it to Lu Kangnian.

Lu Tao’s eyes widened a fraction. He turned to leave. “Since the calling card has been delivered, we’ll meet again in seven days. Hopefully by then, the Daxia Sword Sect will have made peace with handing everything over. Hahahaha!”

Lu Kangnian hadn’t yet opened the card. His tone was icy. “You think you can come and go as you please? Just what do you take my Daxia Sword Sect for?”

Li Guanqi suddenly snapped his head toward the back of the sect. He swallowed and muttered, “The Demon-Slaying Crossbow?”