Hanling River.

The bloodied Ping Clan Leader soared up from the river, and, casting a frenzied glance behind, he saw that Muraaki Sayo and Nagano Kei were no longer pursuing. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He had narrowly escaped death from the two Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Niuteng Tribe.

Although he had sent Fifth Brother ahead, he still couldn't help but worry, muttering to himself:

"Fifth Brother should have already reached the clan by now."

The Ping Clan Leader circulated his mana, but with a muffled groan, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

This great battle.

Had triggered the old wounds sustained in the Demon Cave, the two injuries overlapping. Even with excellent spirit pills, for the next twenty years, he wouldn't be able to engage in dharma combat, akin to a living corpse.

Therefore.

Fifth Brother must be okay.

Otherwise.

The Ping Family is in peril!

Disregarding his injuries, the Ping Clan Leader forcibly activated a Rapid Movement Talisman, rushing back to the Clan Mountain with incredible speed. By the time he reached the mountain gate, his face was as pale as death without a trace of blood.

The clansmen guarding the gate were alarmed and rushed forward:

"Patriarch, what happened to you?"

Their voices were tinged with sobs.

The Patriarch was the Ping Family's pillar. Should anything happen to him, the Ping Family would collapse.

The Ping Clan Leader felt waves of dizziness, on the verge of passing out, but he held on, urgently asking:

"Has the Fifth Elder returned?"

Fifth Elder?

The gatekeeping clansmen blinked.

Feeling a pang of panic.

Instinctively sensing something, but still shaking their heads:

"Reporting to the Patriarch, we haven't seen the Fifth Elder enter or leave the mountain gate for over a month. Patriarch, has something happened?"

At these words.

The Ping Clan Leader felt a bitter taste in his throat.

Fifth Brother hasn't returned?

How could this be?

Fifth Brother was using a Flying Talisman, traveling many times faster than his injured self, so why hasn't he returned to the mountain gate by now?

What... has gone wrong? Could it be that the Cloud Soaring Tribe has made alliances with other tribes to ambush elsewhere?

Suppressing the fear in his heart, the Ping Clan Leader said coldly:

"What I tell you today, what you see, must not be mentioned to anyone, or you will be treated as a traitor to the clan, understood?"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

The clansmen's voices trembled.

The clan indeed had encountered a significant crisis.

First the Second Elder, then the Third and Fourth Elders, and now even the Fifth Elder seems to be in trouble; is the sky falling on the Ping Family?!

The Ping Clan Leader sped swiftly back to the main peak.

Almost without thinking, he rushed into the Soul Hall. Just as he entered the Soul Hall, he saw the newly established Foundation Establishment Ping Xinghai pacing anxiously. Upon seeing the Ping Clan Leader return, he immediately said:

"Patriarch, something terrible has happened, Fifth Brother's Life Soul Lamp has gone out!"

The Ping Clan Leader stumbled, the mental strength that had been supporting him all dissipated, and his internal injuries erupted uncontrollably:

"Poof!"

A spray of blood mist splattered across the densely packed divine talismans on the altar.

Bang!

His vision went black as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious:

"Patriarch!"

Ping Xinghai was startled.

Now the family only had the two of them at Foundation Establishment; if anything happened to the Patriarch, how could a newly established Junior Cultivator like him bear the heavy burden of the entire family?

Ping Xinghai hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

Using his divine sense to examine the internal injuries.

His face turned pale at once.

The Patriarch's injuries were too severe; even with spirit pills, he would not be able to engage in dharma combat within the next ten to twenty years, barely able to sit like a living corpse:

"It's over, it's over, the Ping Family is finished!"

Ping Xinghai, born when the Ping Family was at its peak, had never seen the family decline to this extent. However, he knew that now, only by standing firm could he protect the family. Suppressing the anxiety and unease in his heart, he quickly took out a Healing Holy Pill for the Patriarch to consume, assisting in refining the medicinal power.

After an unknown period.

The Ping Clan Leader gradually opened his eyes.

He suddenly grabbed Ping Xinghai's arm, his tone eerily calm:

"Xinghai, activate the family Mountain Protection Array at full power. From today onwards, no one is allowed in or out of the Clan Mountain!"

Ping Xinghai hesitated a bit.

Once the Mountain Protection Array is completely closed, it wouldn't open for another twenty years, meaning the Ping Family would be isolated from the world for twenty years.

Besides.

Their businesses outside couldn't be managed.

The losses would be enormous.

Ping Xinghai tried to persuade:

"Patriarch, I have a method that might help us survive this catastrophe."

The Ping Clan Leader initially didn't want to listen; the only way the Ping Family could be preserved was to close off the mountain. What good plan could there be? Nonetheless, realizing that Ping Xinghai would be managing the household for twenty years, he said:

"Explain in detail."

Ping Xinghai organized his thoughts.

Slowly said:

"Patriarch, earlier I had Yuntian observe the Fu Family. Half a year ago, Yuntian sent word that the Fu Family had been frequenting Wangniu Mountain across Hanling River. I thought you were busy with major events, so I didn't report it. But after half a year passed, Yuntian disappeared as if vanish, but his Life Soul Lamp remained lit. Thinking it was suspicious, I personally investigated Hanling River, discovering that the Fu Family had set up a Tier Two Array on Wangniu Mountain. Additionally, the Fu Family has been selling large quantities of Profound Iron Stone over the past half-year. If my guess is correct, there is likely a Profound Iron Ore Vein on Wangniu Mountain, and it appears to be of considerable scale!"

"If we provide this information about the ore vein to the Eighth-Grade Hongg Family, in exchange for their protection, we wouldn't have to seal ourselves off!"

Ping Xinghai believed he had come up with an ingenious plan.

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