Giant Wood Peak stood as the stronghold of the Si Family. Towering over three thousand feet and spanning thirty miles across, the mountain sat atop a Second-Grade Mid-Grade spiritual vein. While not massive, the vein was potent enough to nurture a rich ecosystem of resources.

Lei Liheng, fresh from his victory over the Gu Family and brimming with high spirits, led a force of over thirty cultivators in an assault on the peak.

In his hand, a flying wheel Magical Artifact spun rapidly. With a thought, it split—one became two, two became four. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of razor-sharp wheels filled the sky, emitting a terrifying hum.

“Shatter!”

At Lei Liheng’s command, the swarm of wheels surged forward, slamming into the defensive formation barrier like a school of silver piranhas.

Around him, the other cultivators unleashed their own techniques. Multicolor spell lights illuminated the mountainside, and the thunderous boom of explosions echoed without pause.

The formation, already unmanned by the main force, could not hold. With a final groan of distorted light, it shattered.

Lei Liheng scanned the peak below. He saw only a handful of panicked Qi Refining juniors from the Si Family scrambling for cover. He let out a contemptuous laugh. “Just as I thought. The old ghosts of the Si Family have gone to Double Dragon Mountain.”

With a casual wave of his hand, he fired off several spells, cutting down the fleeing disciples before they could reach the treeline.

He turned to the coalition behind him. “Fellow Daoist Zhao, take your men to the Spirit Fields. Dig up every herb the Si Family has planted. Fellow Daoist Cheng, locate their main treasury and strip it bare. This old man will pay a visit to their Scripture Pavilion!”

Lei Liheng was a veteran cultivator of one hundred and eighty years. He was deep-scheming and naturally cautious. Even though he was certain the Si Family’s main force was absent, he kept his Divine Consciousness expanded, sweeping the shadows for any hidden threats.

Only after seeing the Zhao and Cheng families descend safely did he signal his own clansmen to land on the summit.

Standing before the three-story Scripture Pavilion, Lei Liheng smiled with satisfaction. “Go. Empty the shelves. Leave nothing behind.”

“Yes, Patriarch!” Another Foundation Establishment elder from the Lei Family led a team toward the entrance.

But the moment they stepped across the threshold, the air twisted.

A violent ripple distorted the sky. Above them, a blue light screen snapped into existence, resealing the peak. Outside the barrier, a massive flying boat slowly emerged from the cloud cover like a predatory leviathan.

Standing at the prow were two Foundation Establishment cultivators. One was a purple-robed old man with a gloomy expression, gripping a black array disk. Behind him stood thirty elite Si Family cultivators, their faces twisted with killing intent.

“You dare attack my Si Family? Kill them all!”

“Yes, Patriarch!”

The thirty Si cultivators were the cream of the crop, almost all in the late stages of Qi Refining. They unleashed a coordinated barrage immediately, slaughtering several unprepared coalition members before they could even raise their shields.

The purple-robed old man manipulated the array disk. As he injected a spell into the device, the wind and clouds above Giant Wood Peak roiled. Fireballs the size of millstones began to rain down from the heavens, bombarding the invaders trapped within the barrier.

Lei Liheng’s expression turned hideous.

An ambush? In their own headquarters?

He couldn’t understand it. Even if the Si Family won this battle, the collateral damage to Giant Wood Peak would be catastrophic. Was it worth destroying their own home just to trap them?

What Lei Liheng didn’t know was that Si Zhijie, the Si Family Patriarch, had already made his choice. The Si Family intended to abandon this place. Their goal was to seize a better Spirit Mountain within the Green Bull Market’s territory. Without a Second-Grade High-Grade mountain, their family’s growth had stalled.

Si Zhijie knew he couldn’t keep everyone here—it was six Foundation Establishment experts against two. Even with the array, a total victory was impossible. His plan was ruthless and precise: kill one or two of the enemy’s leaders to weaken the Green Bull coalition, then retreat. This blood debt would give the Si Family leverage when it came time to carve up new territory.

“Focus fire!” Si Zhijie commanded mentally. “Target the early-stage cultivator from the Lei Family! Trap the rest!”

“Full power! Attack the formation!” Lei Liheng roared, deflecting a falling fireball with a sweep of his sleeve.

He knew the stakes. Every second they wasted here meant more dead clansmen.

Lei Liheng stared coldly at the blue barrier above. The spinning disk in his hand suddenly accelerated, emitting a high-pitched, metallic shriek that pierced the eardrums of everyone nearby. A terrifying spiritual pressure radiated from the artifact.

It was a Pseudo-Magic Treasure.

“Break!”

A torrent of flying wheels poured from Lei Liheng’s hands, expanding in mid-air until they were the size of carriage wheels. They smashed into the formation barrier with the force of a landslide.

“A Pseudo-Magic Treasure?” Si Zhijie’s face darkened.

The ambush array was only Second-Grade Mid-Grade. Even with him controlling it, it couldn’t withstand the raw power of a Pseudo-Magic Treasure for long.

He made a split-second calculation. Gritting his teeth, he barked an order to his men. “Forget the rest! Pour everything into killing that one Foundation Establishment Elder! Once he falls, we retreat immediately!”

Dozens of spells and artifacts changed trajectory, converging on the unfortunate Lei Family elder.

Meanwhile, at Double Dragon Mountain.

The gathering point for the Maple Leaf Market coalition was lively. Cultivators from various families mingled, and the atmosphere was almost festive. On the mountainside martial arts field, a tournament was underway.

The family heads, bored with waiting, had decided to let their juniors spar. It was a way to keep the troops sharp and, more importantly, to subtly establish a pecking order. The family whose disciples took first place would naturally command more respect in the coming war council.

Ji Shuguang sat on a high platform, looking relaxed. He sipped a cup of spirit wine, his eyes narrowed as he watched the matches below. After a while, his interest waned. Compared to the cutthroat competition within the Sects, these family disciples were mediocre at best.

He glanced at an empty seat nearby. “Why hasn’t Si Zhijie arrived? Does the Si Family intend to sit this war out?”

Gu Lizhan spoke up quickly. “The Si Patriarch sent word a few days ago. He sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough and is currently in seclusion. However, he promised to arrive before the main offensive begins.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Ji Shuguang swirled his wine. “Cultivation is important, and this Elder is not unreasonable. As long as the Si Family shows up this month, I will overlook it. But if they don’t…” His eyes turned cold. “I will make sure he understands the consequences.”

“Si Zhijie knows what is at stake,” Ye Jingshan added, putting in a good word for the absent ally. “He is already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Giant Wood Peak is too small for his ambitions. Unless he has gone senile, he will fight harder than anyone to secure a better mountain in Green Bull Market.”

The leaders nodded, satisfied with the logic. Unity was paramount right now.

Down in the arena, two Ninth-Layer Qi Refining youths were locked in a fierce duel. Suddenly, a black dot appeared on the horizon, accompanied by the desperate whistle of a cultivator flying at maximum speed.

“Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Double Dragon Mountain!”

Ye Jingshan, who had been enjoying the match from the seat of honor, stood up in a rage. With so many eyes watching, a reckless intruder was a direct slap to the Ye Family’s face.

“Brother Ye, hold your anger! That is a member of my Gu Family!” Gu Lizhan recognized the figure and quickly bowed in apology. “It must be an urgent family matter. Please forgive the offense; I will discipline him severely later.”

“Hmph.” Ye Jingshan sat back down, his expression sour. “My Ye Family has opened its doors for the greater good, but I expect guests to follow the rules. Tell your people not to run around like headless chickens.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Brother Ye is right.” Gu Lizhan forced a smile, swallowing his pride. Although the Gu Family was slightly stronger than the Ye Family, they were currently relying on the Ye Family’s territory for logistics. Now was not the time to make enemies.

As the figure drew closer, however, Ye Jingshan frowned. The newcomer’s robes were soaked in blood, and his face was battered. Sensing something was wrong, Ye Jingshan swallowed his complaints.

Gu Lizhan’s heart skipped a beat.

The intruder was his cousin, Gu Liyong. The man crashed onto the platform, stumbling toward Gu Lizhan before collapsing to his knees.

“Big Brother! Disaster!”

Gu Lizhan moved to silence him, wary of discussing sensitive matters in front of the entire alliance.

But Gu Liyong was past the point of subtlety. Gasping for air, he screamed the news for everyone to hear.

“The Green Bull Market… The Lei, Zhao, and Cheng families… They joined forces and attacked Red Maple Lake!”

The noise of the tournament seemed to vanish.

“Our clansmen… countless dead… The lake is lost!”

“What?!”

Gu Lizhan’s face drained of color. Propriety and politics were instantly forgotten. He leaped from the high platform, grabbing Gu Liyong by the shoulders and shaking him.

“Speak clearly! What happened to Red Maple Lake?!”