Tears welled in Song Changsheng’s eyes as he hastily shook his head. "I don’t blame you, Grandfather."

"Good boy. I had no other choice. Chang Wudao’s cultivation is advancing rapidly. I fought a duel with him, and although I managed to win by a single move thanks to a Little Divine Technique, the strain on my body reached its limit.

I had to get rid of him quickly, or I would have shown my weakness. Things would have become troublesome then," Song Xianming said weakly, reaching out to wipe the tears from the corners of Song Changsheng’s eyes.

Song Changsheng suppressed his emotions and forced a smile. "It’s just an arena match, isn’t it? As long as they don’t send out a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, I’ll beat every single one of them to a pulp."

"Hahaha, good! That’s my, Song Xianming’s, grandson! Go and properly crush their arrogance. Let everyone in Ling Province witness the magnificent spirit of the Song Clan’s sons!"

A gratified smile appeared on Song Xianming’s face. The image in his memory was growing more and more like Song Changsheng...

Meanwhile, Song Xianyun had arrived outside the Clan Treasure Vault. He slowed his pace as much as possible to make himself seem less anxious.

Just as he was about to reach his destination, a stooped old man approached with a chuckle, cupping his hands in salute. "Twenty-First Brother, what brings you here? Didn’t I hear the Earth Fire Sect was here causing trouble?"

Song Xianyun was anxious, but he put on a calm front. "That’s right. I’m just here to grab something from the Treasure Vault."

"Oh, so that’s how it is. That’s good then. Ai, these old bones of mine are really useless now," the old man said, sighing as he held his lower back.

"My dear clan brother, you have toiled for the clan for many years. You’ve long reached the age to enjoy a peaceful retirement. Why say such things?" Though his heart was burning with anxiety, Song Xianyun did his best not to show any weakness.

After all, the matter was too significant. If word got out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Hai, I’ve only ever done what I could. I remember back when..."

Seeing the old man start to ramble, Song Xianyun quickly cut him off. "I need to go get something from the Treasure Vault first. We can catch up another day."

The old man seemed to snap out of a daze and nodded quickly, mocking himself. "Ai, once you get old, you talk too much. Older Brother, you should get back to your important business."

Song Xianyun finally managed to get away and entered the Treasure Vault.

Staring in the direction of the Treasure Vault, the old man’s stooped back slowly straightened. He stroked his long beard and thought, ’Coming to the Treasure Vault at a time like this, and looking so anxious... Did something happen? Could it be...’

The old man’s mind was sharp, and a guess quickly formed. To verify his theory, his eyes darted about for a moment before he hurried away.

After retrieving the Pill, Song Xianyun saw that no one was around and breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly flew on his sword toward Ruyun Hall.

He had no idea that the old man had been watching everything clearly from a distance. Seeing him head toward Ruyun Hall, a cold smirk touched the old man’s lips, and he departed stealthily...

Song Xianyun had Song Xianming consume the Pill, then transferred a large amount of Spiritual Power to help him refine its medicinal energy. After more than two agonizing hours of waiting, Song Xianming’s aura finally stabilized.

"Big Brother, that was the last Pill. You can’t force yourself into a fight with someone again, or else..." Song Xianyun trailed off, but everyone present knew what he meant. The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

After a long moment, Song Xianming smiled serenely. "For this broken body of mine to still be able to serve the clan a few more times is already a great blessing. How could I dare to hope for more?"

His tone was carefree, but Song Changsheng only felt his eyes sting. This old man had truly dedicated his entire being to the clan.

"Alright, you two don’t need to stay here and keep an old man company. Xianyun, if you don’t show your face outside soon, the others will start getting suspicious.

And Sheng’er, you need to go down and prepare to meet the challenge. Remember, you absolutely cannot lose this fight. This is your chance to make a name for yourself in Ling Province." Song Xianming patted both their hands and spoke calmly.

"Yes, sir."

The two of them withdrew from Ruyun Hall together. Song Xianyun clapped Song Changsheng on the shoulder and said, "Don’t overthink it. This battle was bound to happen sooner or later. Chang Tianhua’s death just sped up the process."

Song Changsheng nodded silently and returned to his courtyard...

「Three days later.」

A massive arena stage had been erected at the foot of Vast Mist Peak.

The news drew everyone’s attention, becoming the hottest topic of discussion lately. Countless people, drawn by the reputation of those involved, came to watch the battle.

A little fatty in brocade robes also followed the stream of people to the foot of Vast Mist Peak. Looking at the sea of faces, the little fatty grinned and said:

"That guy, he just can’t stay out of trouble, can he? But that old master from the Song Clan really lives up to his name. He even successfully cultivated a Little Divine Technique. I wonder if my old man can do that."

"Hey, the Qiu Clan, the Earth Fire Sect, and the Yu Clan are all here."

"Isn’t that Qiu Wenwu? One of the renowned Qiu Brothers. Even he’s here. Looks like they’re determined to win this fight," someone said in surprise.

"That’s nothing. See that great beauty over there? That’s the number one expert of the Yu Clan’s current generation, Yu Xueqian. She condensed her Dao Foundation before she was even thirty. She’s no weaker than that Qiu Wenwu."

"They’re both elites of their clans. But why are the ones from the Earth Fire Sect so old? Isn’t this a case of the old bullying the young?" a Cultivator said disdainfully.

"I heard that the Young Sect Leader and the Eldest Senior Brother of the Earth Fire Sect were both killed by that guy from the Song Clan. The younger generation has no one left worth mentioning, so of course they have to send in the old-timers. As long as they’re Qi Cultivators, it’s not against the rules."

"That’s just shameless. It’s no glorious victory even if they win. I remember that guy from the Song Clan is only in his early twenties," the little fatty suddenly interjected.

"Only his early twenties? Good heavens, that’s insane! Could he have the legendary Celestial Spirit Root?" The group of Loose Cultivators gasped. Condensing a Dao Foundation at twenty years old was something they couldn’t even dream of.

The waves of discussion grew louder, and the expressions of the people from the Earth Fire Sect and the Qiu Clan grew increasingly grim.

Finally, Qu Jinsheng couldn’t hold back any longer. He roared toward the mountain, "Where’s the little brat from the Song Clan? Get your ass out here and die! Don’t tell me you’re cowering like a turtle in its shell!"

"Why is a dog barking so early in the morning? I don’t recall us raising any," Song Luzhou said, leisurely walking down the mountain with Song Changsheng.

"You..." Qu Jinsheng’s face flushed crimson. He pointed furiously at Song Changsheng and roared, "Enough with the clever remarks! Get down here and fight!"

Song Changsheng rubbed his nose. ’I’m not the one who said it. Why is he pointing at me?’

He said to Song Luzhou, "Fifth Uncle, I’ll be going ahead."

With a light tap of his feet, he floated gracefully onto the arena stage. He scanned the crowd and declared in a resonant voice, "I, Song Changsheng, am here! Who will face me in battle?"

His powerful voice echoed all around, instantly igniting the atmosphere. Many people cheered and encouraged Song Changsheng, which just went to show how unpopular the Earth Fire Sect usually was.

Song Changsheng had issued a challenge, but strangely, the Earth Fire Sect made no move. Instead, a figure emerged from the Yu Clan’s camp. A clear, cold voice rang out, "Yu Xueqian, of the Yu Clan. I ask for your guidance!"

...