Chapter 254: Gan Ruifeng and Cai Xueqing Take the Stage

"Indeed!"

"From this day forth, Three Mountains Island will be our joint dominion."

Another portly cultivator in resplendent purple robes appeared, his face devoid of emotion as his gaze fixed on You Haiyin, sizing him up as though he was a man on borrowed time.

"Gan Ruifeng!"

"Cai Xueqing!"

"I had a feeling you wouldn't let this chance slip by!"

You Haiyin's eyes reduced to slits as he surveyed the assembly of experts from the Gan and Cai Clans, his fists subtly quaking.

At this juncture, the You Clan and the Heavenly Gu Society had just endured a bitter conflict, suffering heavy losses.

Two cultivators of the Inquiring Journey realm had been directly eliminated, leaving them incapable of maintaining a balanced triad with the Gan and Cai Clans.

"Indeed!"

"Where else could such a once-in-a-millennium opportunity surface?"

"You Haiyin, if you're wise, evacuate your people from Three Mountains Island. We'll ensure a respectful departure."

"Should you resist, don't expect us to be merciful."

Gan Ruifeng's smirk deepened, giving the impression that he had You Haiyin entirely within his grasp.

"Out of the question!"

"Three Mountains Island is the ancestral land of my You Clan!"

"Your Gan and Cai Clan forebears are nothing but outsiders."

"Keep dreaming if you believe I'll let the You Clan abandon Three Mountains Island!"

"So, you wish to exploit our weakened state? Very well, bring it on!"

"Even if I, You Haiyin, meet my end here, I will ensure you pay dearly!"

You Haiyin glared at Gan Ruifeng and Cai Xueqing, his eyes aflame with wrath.

A palpable wave of murderous intent radiated from him, epitomizing a spirit of desperate resistance.

He was all too aware.

The Gan and Cai Clans would never give the You Clan an easy pass.

They were bent on eradicating them entirely!

Should they surrender now, the You Clan would truly be devoid of any hope.

"You Haiyin, are you certain?"

Cai Xueqing's eyes narrowed to slits, a perilous gleam in them, "Don't wait until we've obliterated your You Clan before expressing regret!"

"Hahaha!"

"Where are the men of the You Clan?"

You Haiyin let out a wild, resonant laugh, echoing across the expanse, "Are you ready to surrender Three Mountains Island and become homeless curs?"

"We, the You Clan, reject that fate!"

One after another, the You Clan cultivators were stirred by the fervor, voicing their defiance in unison.

Many had eyes rimmed with red, aflame with the spirit of battle.

They too were acutely aware of the looming fate of the You Clan.

At this point, only combat could potentially turn the tides.

Yielding now would only render them helpless prey, accelerating their demise.

"Excellent!"

"Today, I, You Haiyin, will stand and fight with you until the bitter end!"

"If the Gan and Cai Clans intend to usurp our land, we, the You Clan, will ensure they choke on their ambitions for a thousand years, vanishing under the onslaught of other powers in the blink of an eye!"

You Haiyin's roar reverberated through the air, his body surging with potent energy, causing a palpable shift in the wind and clouds.

At this moment, the atmosphere was taut to the breaking point, as if the very air itself had coalesced into solid form.

"Well then!"

"If you are so resolute in your desire for death, I shall oblige!"

"Where stand the descendants of the Gan Clan?"

Gan Ruifeng's countenance was icy, a ruthless light gleaming in his eyes.

"The descendants of the Gan Clan are present!"

The Gan Clan's cultivators echoed in unison, their booming voices reverberating through the heavens.

"Where stand the descendants of the Cai Clan?"

Cai Xueqing's face remained stoic as he issued the command in a low, steady tone.

"The descendants of the Cai Clan are present!"

The cultivators of the Cai Clan responded one by one.

The majority of them were as impassive as Cai Xueqing, exuding a sense of detached indifference, akin to war automatons.

"Attack!!"

Both Gan Ruifeng and Cai Xueqing gestured in unison.

"Attack!!"

Over a hundred warriors, each beyond the Heavenly Origin realm, surged towards the cultivators of the You Clan without hesitation.

"Men of the You Clan, stand with me!"

You Haiyin gritted his teeth, brandishing his weapon, and charged headlong at Gan Ruifeng and Cai Xueqing.

And thus, a mighty clash was ignited anew!

Boom, boom, boom!

The convergence of fearsome energy from these potent fighters, their spells and weaponry bathed in menacing light, rapidly consumed the battlefield.

The already scarred land was once more beset with colossal craters and fissures, with vast sections appearing to break away from the Three Mountains Island itself.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen remained hidden aloft, observing the unfolding grand-scale conflict on Three Mountains Island.

In his mind, the persistent echo of the system notifications was still resounding.

[Ding! You have successfully altered the plot. The protagonist Gu Ran's Heavenly Fate Value has diminished by 2000 points!]

[Ding! You have accrued 4000 Villain Value points!]

'Another 2000 points off the Heavenly Fate Value.'

'My meticulous planning and execution have not been in vain.'

A gratified smirk tugged at the corners of Jiang Chen's lips.

Shortly thereafter, he shifted his gaze towards Liu Xiong.

He noticed Liu Xiong and a cohort of death warriors positioned over a hundred kilometers away from Three Mountains Island, neatly outside the divine sense scanning range of the Inquiring Journey realm cultivators.

Gu Ran was there too.

He hadn't departed, choosing instead to decipher the true nature of the 'Heavenly Gu Society', even if he could only glean the faintest hint.

Aboard a massive seafaring vessel, Liu Xiong and his cadre of death warrior elites were resting alongside Gu Ran.

"Who are you, truly?"

"What is the Heavenly Gu Society, and how do I fit into its scheme? What is your intent on Three Mountains Island?"

Gu Ran directed his icy query at Liu Xiong.

"Young Master Gu, please, temper your ire."

"The Heavenly Gu Society is an entity that was founded in an age long past and has persevered until now, biding time for your arrival."

"The rationale behind the name 'Heavenly Gu Society' is that we are, in essence, your guardians."

"You have been blessed with an extraordinary gift and an unparalleled talent for cultivation, but the path of growth is riddled with peril."

"..."

Guided by Jiang Chen's directive, Liu Xiong began weaving a deceptive narrative for Gu Ran.

Though he himself was unsure of the reasons behind his words and treatment towards Gu Ran, he complied without question, as it was an order from Jiang Chen.

"My guardians?"

"A force set in place from time immemorial?"

A baffled look crossed Gu Ran's face.

As he inwardly scoffed at the proposition, a sense of caution also began to surface.

The Heavenly Gu Society had indeed demonstrated an intent to protect him.

However, his exceptionally keen intuition indicated that they had a hidden agenda.

They asserted that the Heavenly Gu Society had been established ages ago, merely awaiting his emergence.

This point struck a chord with Gu Ran.

That's because, sporadically, fragmented memory flashes would surface in his mind.

These were memories hailing from countless epochs past, etched into his very bloodline.

Gu Ran even began to harbor suspicions that the Heavenly Gu Society might have been founded during that distant era, monitoring the 'Endless Dark Blood Moon' bloodline ever since.

Considering the two potent and mutually inhibiting bloodlines he inherently carried, numerous suspicions bubbled up within Gu Ran.

However, without tangible evidence, he could only shelf these doubts for the time being.

Nonetheless, Gu Ran was certain that the truth would eventually unravel itself.

The more he engaged in battle, the more the 'Endless Dark Blood Moon' bloodline was stirred, prompting an increased frequency and clarity of the hazy memory flashes.

Once he gathered enough memory fragments to piece together, the truth would gradually come to light.

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