However, as a high-ranking member of the legal department, she was also acutely aware of the family’s gains and losses. Despite her anger, she still maintained a sliver of clarity, knowing that this was not the time to start a war.
The two, one resolute and the other calm, one angry and the other composed, led a force of 20,000 law enforcers. They appeared filled with murderous intent, but in reality, they were waiting—waiting for Xuanqiu to retreat, waiting for a dignified exit, and waiting for an end that would not cause fundamental damage.
On the other hand, Xuanqiu’s camp was also in a dilemma, facing various difficulties and complexities.
The garrison commander, Xuan Zhe, wore black iron armor stained with mineral dust. His beard and hair flew wildly, his eyes emitted a ferocious glint, and he held a hundred-fold golden spear in his hand. The anger in his chest was almost burning his internal organs.
He had been stationed in the Wanyan Mine for tens of thousands of years, and his family had been exploited and oppressed by the law for generations, and forced to hand over high-grade black iron and divine weapons every year without compensation.
Any attempt to shirk responsibility would result in the law enforcement team accusing them of “defying Heaven’s will and ignoring order,” with penalties ranging from confiscation of resources to the detention of clan members and accountability for the elders.
Today, they had suffered an undeserved calamity, falsely accused of “conspiring with traitors, harboring David, and plotting rebellion against Heaven,” a crime punishable by the annihilation of their clan. The pious Xuanqiu people would never swallow their anger.
The mining guard cultivators under Xuanzhe’s command all had anger in their eyes and a burning fighting spirit. They held their weapons tightly and filled their bodies with the spiritual power of earth and metal elements.
The mountain protection formation was operating at full capacity. As soon as the commander gave the order, they would immediately charge and fight to the death with Si Lu’s army.
But everyone knew that passion was just passion, and reality was just reality.
Xuanqiu excelled at weapon forging, held advantageous terrain, and was formidable in prolonged warfare, but he was not adept at maneuvering under Heaven’s rules or balancing public opinion across the cosmos.
The Bureau of Justice held the orthodox punitive authority of the Twenty-Five Heavens, possessed divine judgment power, and occupied a high moral ground.
Once Xuanqiu initiated war, it would solidify the crime of “rebelling against Heaven.” To protect themselves, maintain alliances, and gain the remaining Heavenly Dao merits of Si Lu, the other five families would inevitably side with Si Lu, and the six families would join forces to besiege Xuanqiu.
Even with Xuanqiu’s inexhaustible mines and countless divine weapons, one person trying to fight against six major families would ultimately face the extinction of their clan, the severance of their lineage, and the utter destruction of their foundation.
The soldiers on the front lines were filled with fighting spirit, while the family leaders in the rear were burdened with numerous worries. This intense tug-of-war between these two emotions made Xuanqiu’s camp appear tough on the surface, but in reality, they were tough on the outside but weak on the inside and dared not truly fight.
It was precisely because he realized the precariousness of the situation that the Xuanqiu patriarch immediately sent a message to the clan’s Supreme Elder, Xuan Shen, ordering him to rush to the battlefield, take over negotiations, stabilize the situation, prevent a deadly battle, and preserve the clan’s foundation.
When Xuan Shen arrived at the front lines, it marked the first turning point in the entire stalemate.
The old man, with shoulder-length white hair and a calm expression, wore a plain robe with mineral patterns. He was simple and unobtrusive, yet possessed a serene aura that had witnessed many joys and sorrows throughout history.
He did not tread the path of menghabisi and warfare, but specialized in interpersonal negotiations, interpreting alliances, and weighing pros and cons. Throughout his life, he had resolved countless family boundary conflicts and power struggles. He was exceptionally skilled at finding opportunities for survival in desperate situations and discovering exits in life-threatening predicaments.
Xuan Shen stepped out of the formation slowly, without releasing any menghabisi energy. His posture was humble yet not submissive. He stood calmly in the void between the two armies, separating them from their overwhelming intent to menghabisi.
He first raised his hand to signal the agitated Xuanqiu soldiers behind him to calm down and resume their upright stance.
No one was allowed to use weapons or commit violence without authorization; all actions that could potentially trigger conflict were to be strictly prohibited.
Then, he calmly gazed at the two Immortal Sovereigns, Si Lu and Si Lu, before him. His voice was deep and resonant, clearly audible throughout the hundred-mile mining area. Each word was distinct and well-organized, without the slightest trace of emotional bias. He persuaded with reason and maneuvered with might.
“Two Immortal Law Sovereigns, today our two armies confront each other with the intent to menghabisi. All cultivators in the heavens believe that our alliance has been shattered and a bloody battle is imminent.”
However, after reviewing the entire situation and examining the overall predicament, I realized that this matter was filled with strange twists and turns, and was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
Xuan Shen set the tone from the outset: avoid direct confrontation, avoid debate, and avoid escalation of conflict. Instead, he first drew the situation back from “punishment and execution” to “investigating doubts and resolving grievances.”
Then, he began to analyze the case slowly, each sentence hitting the mark, dismantling the legal logic of the verdict layer by layer, yet he remained restrained in every sentence, never offending the judicial authority.
“First, David is a new genius who defied the Dao. He menghabisi Si Yanchen, a first-rank Immortal God, shaking the very foundation of the Twenty-Five Heavens’ order. He is currently the number one criminal wanted by the Heavenly Dao and pursued by the entire heavens.”
His movements were mysterious and his Taoist aura was unique. Wherever he went, malevolent energy surged and rules collapsed, making it impossible to hide.
The Wanyan Mine was Xuanqiu’s core territory, heavily guarded, with numerous hidden sentries and array patterns that locked down the sky. For thousands of years, no serious outsider had managed to sneak in here unnoticed.
If I, Xuanqiu, truly intended to protect this person, it would be tantamount to destroying my own foundation and cutting off my own escape route. No one in my clan would commit such a foolish act.
FAQ Novel
Q: What is the current situation at Wanyan Mineral Vein?
A: A tense and silent standoff is occurring between two elite forces, Si Lu and Xuan Qiu, with neither side initiating conflict.
Q: Who is leading the law enforcement team?
A: The team is led by Two Immortal Lords, Second-Tier Elders Si Hong and Si Li, veteran members of the Si Lu family.
Please leave a comment below.