Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 198: Annihilating the Tang Family

“Agreed. If we are going to do this, we do it thoroughly,” Wang Yanzhao declared, his voice hard. “We move immediately. Every member of the Tang family who knows about the mine must be silenced. If we delay, the Tang clan will notice the lack of communication from the mine and send investigators.”

The three leaders of the Wang Clan were not indecisive men. Once the course was set, they acted with ruthless efficiency.

Wang Yanzhao summoned Wang Yanzhi to guard the family estate. The Tang Clan was weak, so a small elite force would suffice. Wang Yanzhao assembled 30 mid-to-late stage Qi Refining cultivators.

The strike team flew swiftly to Mount Ruojun, picking up Wang Wenyuan along the way. Now boasting four Foundation Establishment experts and 30 elites, they sped toward Zhongtiao Ridge, the seat of the Tang Clan.

Everyone had changed into nondescript black robes. Although the region had been peaceful for five years, chaos still lurked in the shadows. The Wang Clan would disguise themselves as Evil Cultivators for this operation.

In truth, their actions were indistinguishable from those of Evil Cultivators. But in the cultivation world, the line between righteous and evil was often drawn in blood, not morality.

Zhongtiao Ridge.

At the highest peak grew a Cloud Mist Tea Tree, a precious Tier 2 High-Grade spiritual plant. It produced only two jin of leaves a year, but each ounce sold for 500 Spirit Stones. The tea could clear a cultivator’s mind and temporarily boost comprehension, making it a highly sought-after luxury.

To protect this treasure, the Tang Patriarch had built his cave dwelling right next to it, using the tea’s fragrance to aid his own cultivation.

The current patriarch, Tang Changyi, was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator at the seventh layer. Under his rule, the Tang family had been rising—until the war. They lost half their members and a newly ascended Foundation Establishment elder.

However, Heaven never sealed all exits. By sheer luck, they had discovered the Spirit Stone vein in Falling Phoenix Valley. For years, they had secretly mined it, earning 5,000 Spirit Stones annually. This secret wealth was the reason they could abandon their land during the invasion and bounce back so quickly afterward.

With improved efficiency, they expected to earn 10,000 stones this year. In a few decades, the Tang Clan would be a powerhouse.

Rumble.

The mountain shook.

Inside his cave, Tang Changyi snapped his eyes open.

Before he could react, a second, more violent explosion tore through the silence.

BOOM!

Tang Changyi’s heart went cold. This wasn’t an accident. Someone was attacking the Grand Formation.

He flew out of his cave, hovering above the ridge.

The scene below was a nightmare. A massive breach had been blown in the clan’s defensive array. Through the smoke, dozens of masked cultivators in black robes poured in, slaughtering the Tang disciples at the foot of the mountain.

“Who dares invade my Tang Family!” Tang Changyi roared, his voice shaking with rage.

His answer was four lethal artifacts whistling through the air.

Tang Changyi’s face drained of color. Two of the artifacts radiated the aura of Tier 2 High-Grade items.

Four Foundation Establishment enemies?

His will to fight evaporated instantly. He summoned an orange defensive bracelet and immediately retreated, intent on fleeing.

Quack! Roar!

A giant black duck, ridden by a white tiger, intercepted his escape route.

Yaya and Xiaobai unleashed beams of spiritual energy, blocking his path. They weren’t strong enough to kill him, but they bought precious seconds.

Wang Hao and the other three elders closed the net, surrounding him completely.

“You dare kill my people?” Tang Changyi shouted, desperate to stall. “Aren’t you afraid of the Qingyuan Sect’s punishment?”

Wang Hao didn’t waste breath on words. His sword hummed with lethal intent.

Attacked by four cultivators and two beasts, Tang Changyi, despite being in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, was overwhelmed. He could only parry, not fight back.

In his panic, he missed a beat. A beam of light from Wang Hao’s Illusion Moon Butterfly struck him, freezing his movements for a split second.

Thwip.

Wang Hao’s sword ended his life.

The raid was swift and brutal, like a sudden storm. The power disparity was too great. The Tang Clan’s formation, breached by a Self-Destruct Artifact Wang Hao had received from Lei Liheng years ago, had offered no protection.

With the cultivators dead, the Wang Clan swept through the estate, looting everything of value to maintain the guise of bandits.

The Tang family’s Spirit Mountain was excellent, but occupying it was impossible—it would be a confession of guilt to the Qingyuan Sect. Even the precious Cloud Mist Tea Tree had to be left behind, though Wang Hao stripped it of every leaf and took cuttings.

“Let’s go,” Wang Yanzhao said, wiping blood from his blade. “To the mine.”

He ordered Wang Wenyuan to lead the spoils and the juniors back home quietly. Then, accompanied by Wang Longyou and Wang Hao, he flew to the Falling Phoenix Valley.

Wang Hao led the elders to the hidden cave entrance where they had killed the scorpion. He summoned Wang Wenjiang’s team and, confirming no one else had approached, opened the sealed tunnel.

A wave of pure, dense Spiritual Qi washed over them as the formation dissolved.

“Heavens…” Wang Longyou breathed, his eyes widening. “There must be a Tier 3 Spirit Vein down here!”

The density of the Qi was far superior to that of Wang Family Ridge. Only a Tier 3 source could produce such an atmosphere.

“Spirit Stone mines usually form over deep, inaccessible veins,” Wang Hao noted. “Extracting the vein itself is too difficult. Better to let it nourish the ore and generate more stones.”

“The mine is deeper. Follow me.”

They ventured into the heart of the mine.

Seeing the colorful, raw Spirit Stone ore studding the walls, Wang Yanzhao and Wang Longyou were like children in a candy store. Even knowing it was theirs, the reality felt dreamlike.

They reached the main excavation chamber. The Qi here was thick enough to chew on.

“Definitely Tier 3,” Wang Longyou confirmed, his voice trembling with excitement. “If the family could cultivate here…”

It was a beautiful dream, but impossible. Without a Golden Core protector, occupying a Tier 3 vein openly in the Falling Phoenix jurisdiction would invite destruction from the Qingyuan Sect. Secret mining was their only option.

Wang Yanzhao, overcome with greed, stepped forward and summoned a Spirit Weapon, ready to smash a chunk of ore from the wall.

“Stop!” Wang Longyou grabbed his arm. “Yanzhao, don’t be reckless! Spirit Stones are hard, but a Spirit Weapon will shatter them into dust!”

“Ah… right,” Wang Yanzhao laughed sheepishly, lowering his weapon. “I lost my head for a moment. To think all this belongs to us…”

Wang Longyou nodded. He stepped up to the wall, channeling Qi into his hands. With a slow, grinding pressure, he pried a raw stone loose without damaging it.

“Years ago, when I was just a Qi Refining disciple, I worked as a miner for the Qingyuan Sect,” he chuckled, holding up the glowing rock. “Who knew that skill would be useful today?”