Chapter 256 - 253: Hostility
This mountain Spirit Realm,
for the two hundred years since its discovery, had always been under the control of five powers.
These five powers were the Song Family, the Bai Family, Wasp Valley, Jinfeng Stockade, and the Black Sword Sect.
Although for the past two hundred years, the five Soul-Departing Influences had a tacit understanding to watch over one another, united against the covetous gazes from the outside world, all of whom desired the mountain Spirit Realm.
However, the internal competition and conflict between them were by no means insignificant.
Some years ago,
the Song Family’s power was severely diminished due to the chaos caused by Demon Cultivators.
Even the Song Family Ancestor was grievously injured as a result.
This led to a generational gap among the family’s talented descendants; for a time, they couldn’t find a single Cultivator at the Qi Introduction Ninth Layer Late Stage or higher.
Therefore, after some deliberation,
the Song Family simply decided to go with the flow and give their designated spot to Shen Tingchu, to whom they owed a great debt, as repayment for his past assistance.
It also helped that the Tian Nan Shen Clan was a major clan, and Shen Tingchu, with whom they had interacted before, was no petty individual.
Befriending the Shen Family
would give the now-weakened Song Family a bit more confidence and backing.
The other four powers were aware of this matter.
It caused a considerable uproar in their internal meetings.
After two hundred years of open and secret struggles between the great powers, seeing one of their rivals in a weakened state, they naturally wouldn’t hesitate to kick them while they were down.
More importantly, the other powers worried that this was a case of letting the wolf into the house, inviting in the great behemoth that was the Tian Nan Shen Clan.
To them, the Tian Nan Shen Clan was indeed a behemoth. One had to understand that among all their powers combined, they had fewer than ten Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators.
Furthermore, their Cultivation Realms were all around the Early or Middle Stage.
Compared to the Tian Nan Shen Clan—which was presided over by a Divine Travel Realm expert, boasted dozens of Soul Emergence members, and had no shortage of those at the Peak of the Soul Emergence Realm—the disparity was simply immense.
If the Shen Family took a liking to the Dream Traveling Immortal in the Spirit Realm and decided to seize it, the other families feared they would be completely powerless to resist.
At that point, the Song Family, being the ones who brought them in, might even get some compensation.
The rest of them, however, would likely lose everything!
This led to intense arguments and conflicts during the meeting between the family ancestors.
However, given the Song Family Ancestor’s unyielding stance,
and the fact that the other four powers were unwilling to openly oppose the Tian Nan Shen Clan,
the decision to transfer the spot to Shen Tingchu was reluctantly passed.
The Song Family Ancestor had initially breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought that after weathering the obstruction from the other powers, he could simply wait for Shen Tingchu to arrive and fulfill his promise.
But no one could have ever expected it.
A widely renowned genius from the Nanyang Sect, who was traveling through the area, heard about the Dream Traveling Immortal in the Spirit Realm. He came to them and demanded a spot for enlightenment with the Dream Traveling Immortal when the realm next opened.
Although the Nanyang Sect was from the Heisei Domain, right next to the Tian Nan Domain,
it was a Major Sect presided over by three Divine Travel Realm experts!
Moreover, it was a subordinate sect of the Yuqing Immortal Sect and maintained extremely deep ties with them!
How could their few, minor Soul-Departing Influences possibly have the right to refuse a prodigy from such a sect?
And so, an internal meeting of the five powers was urgently convened.
The final result of their deliberations was
that the Song Family would have to give up its spot.
Despite the Song Family Ancestor’s strenuous objections,
where he argued that their spot had long been promised to the Tian Nan Shen Clan,
the other four families,
regardless,
tyrannically forced the resolution through.
Perhaps their plan
was to redirect the disaster, to let the Nanyang Sect and the Tian Nan Shen Clan fight it out amongst themselves.
As for what might happen
to the Song Family in the process?
They couldn’t have cared less.
"Sigh... what a mess."
"Younger Brother Shen, I am truly sorry. This is my fault, but I was left with no other choice."
A bitter expression was etched on the Song Family Ancestor’s face.
He knew full well how despised those who go back on their word are.
In fact, it was little different from actively making an enemy.
’But what else could I have done?’
’I can only brace myself and tell him, and hope we can negotiate a peaceful resolution.’
’Sigh, too clever by half, as they say...’
’I thought that since the younger generation had suffered such heavy losses, the family’s resources had to be preserved to cultivate the next generation and help them grow. Those resources couldn’t be touched... On top of that, with no Ninth Layer Realm descendant in the family having the potential to break through to Soul Emergence, the spot was useless to us. So, I decided to give it away, hoping to befriend a promising young member of the Shen Clan in the process...’
’I never imagined it would come to this... Sigh. When you scheme too much, you are destined to be out-schemed by fate...’
A profound sense of helplessness rose in the Song Family Ancestor’s heart.
At this point, forget about making friends;
he would be lucky if they didn’t become mortal enemies!
But there was nothing to be done.
With the four powers joining forces to pressure them, the current Song Family was in no position to resist.
The Nanyang Sect had three Divine Travel Realm experts presiding over it,
while the Shen Family only had one.
Furthermore, that prodigy from the Nanyang Sect was a renowned figure.
A few years ago, he publicly fought a Cultivator who had just advanced to the Soul Emergence Realm to a draw!
A Soul Emergence Realm being!
Even a newly advanced one was on a completely different level from a mere Qi Introduction Realm Cultivator.
A prodigy of that caliber is an absolute demon, a peerless talent seen only once in a century!
Without a doubt,
that person was destined to become a core figure in the next generation of the Nanyang Sect!
In contrast,
the Shen Family only had one Divine Travel Realm Cultivator.
And though Shen Tingchu was also at Soul Emergence,
well...
The Song Family’s choice became self-evident.
"So, are you saying the spot we agreed upon is being given to that prodigy from the Nanyang Sect?"
The smile on Shen Tingchu’s face vanished,
his expression turning cold and indifferent as he spoke.
He no longer used the familial term ’brother,’ instead opting for a formal address.
This action felt like a slap across the face,
and it was unlikely anyone in his shoes would have a pleasant expression.
"This... Brother Shen, please understand!"
It couldn’t be helped.
The Song Family Ancestor could only force himself to continue.
"My Song Family handled this poorly. We can offer compensation."
"Heh."
Shen Tingchu let out a cold sneer.
"Are you saying that the Southern Ocean Sect is difficult to offend, but my Tian Nan Shen Clan is an easy target?"
’Never mind the compensation,’
’I couldn’t accept it, no matter how great.’
’Because right now,’
’in the eyes of the world, it is the Shen Clan that is losing face.’
"No! I never thought that for a moment!"
The Song Family Ancestor’s face paled as he hurriedly tried to explain and plead.
"I have never looked down upon the Tian Nan Shen Clan! This was all simply unavoidable..."
Just then,
Shen Changchuan, who was seated below Shen Tingchu, finally spoke.
"Most disputes are ultimately settled by force."
"Since two parties are now fighting for a single spot, why don’t you have that person and me fight it out? The winner stays, the loser forfeits. How does that sound?"
"I presume a prodigy from a major sect wouldn’t be afraid, would he?"