Chapter 4876: Dark Current

The Tianfu Immortal Realm is a Great Immortal Realm, encompassing the Tianfu Archipelago and Tianfu Immortal Island. The island is covered in lush vegetation and boasts beautiful, competing mountain ranges. Many cultivators with bat wings on their backs can be seen; these are all members of the Tianfu Clan.

In Tianfu Garden, a corpulent elderly man in a purple robe and a full-figured woman in a gold dress sat in a green stone pavilion, discussing something.

"The Immortal Realm! The Wang family comes from the Immortal Realm!"

The elderly man in the purple robe looked puzzled; it was the first time he had heard of this place. Fu Ye, a mid-Dao Sovereign, was the Grand Elder of the Tianfu Clan.

"The end of the Guixu Sea is actually the Immortal Realm," the woman in the gold dress said. "There are many races there, with the highest cultivation being Dao Ancestors. The Wang family is the most powerful force. The Immortal Realm has trillions of living beings, which would definitely enhance the power of the Blood Bat Saber if used for its refinement." Fu Li was also a mid-Dao Sovereign.

The Tianfu Clan had over forty Dao Sovereigns, and Fu Ye mastered two Supreme Daos. The overall strength of the Tianfu Clan was slightly inferior to that of the Tiankui Clan. The Blood Bat Saber was the Tianfu Clan's most treasured artifact. Its power grew stronger with each creature killed. When the saber was first forged, the Tianfu Clan annihilated ten races, sacrificing billions of beings to refine it.

"The Wang family might not agree to us using the Blood Bat Saber on them," Fu Li said, frowning. "The Azure Lotus Immortals are formidable; I hear they both master two Supreme Daos."

"Our Tianfu Clan's strength alone might be insufficient," Fu Ye said, a murderous glint in his eyes. "But if we join forces with the Tiankui Clan, it will be stable." He wasn't interested in the trillions of beings in the Immortal Realm itself, but rather that the Wang family's rise threatened the Tianfu Clan.

With the rise of the Wang family, the human race's influence also greatly increased. Historically, the Tianfu Clan had frequently annihilated humans, and Fu Ye didn't believe the Wang family would spare them after their rise. The Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen were prime examples. Furthermore, Dao Sovereign Taihao was proficient in artifact refining, and Dao Sovereign Tianqin excelled in talismaking. Many Dao Sovereigns sought their assistance with crafting artifacts and talismans, which significantly impacted the Tianfu Clan's interests.

"We shouldn't delay," Fu Li suggested. "Two Dao Ancestors of the Wang family self-destructed, and the Wang family must know about it. They might trace it back to us any day. If we join forces with the Tiankui Clan, we can eliminate the Wang family as quickly as possible and avoid further complications."

Fu Ye nodded, took out a small, golden-glowing mirror, and cast a spell into it. Soon, a robust elderly man in a silver robe appeared on the mirror's surface.

"Fellow Daoist Huai, long time no see," Fu Ye greeted him. The elderly man in the silver robe was Huai Sheng, the Grand Elder of the Tiankui Clan, who had a good personal relationship with Fu Ye.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, speak your mind," Huai Sheng said.

"The Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen were annihilated. Is your Tiankui Clan just going to let it go?" Fu Ye went straight to the point. "Don't you plan to deal with the Wang family? Our Tianfu Clan is willing to assist you."

"Assist us? Speak plainly what your true intentions are," Huai Sheng replied. "I don't believe you're so kind as to voluntarily help us deal with the Wang family. The Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen have already been destroyed. Without significant benefits, I have no interest in confronting the Wang family. I'm not confident in my ability to eliminate Dao Sovereign Taihao." Without substantial gains, he would not fight to the death with Dao Sovereign Taihao over the Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen; there was no need. As for prestige, strength itself was prestige.

"The Wang family comes from the Immortal Realm, which is at the end of the Guixu Sea, with trillions of living beings," Fu Ye said gravely. "Furthermore, the Wang family is rising so rapidly. If you don't eliminate them, do you think they won't destroy your Tiankui Clan once they become powerful? The Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen serve as a clear warning. You can choose not to confront the Wang family, but if they move against your Tiankui Clan in the future, we will be powerless to help."

Huai Sheng remained silent; Fu Ye was speaking the truth. Since the Wang family had annihilated the Jinghuo Clan and the Beastmen, they would eventually confront the Tiankui Clan. If the Wang family hadn't moved against the Tiankui Clan yet, it was likely due to a lack of confidence. If the Tiankui Clan struck first, they could still hold an advantage. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for the Tiankui Clan.

"Why do you suddenly want to join forces with us to eliminate the Wang family?" Huai Sheng frowned. "What were you doing before?"

"I was in secluded cultivation before," Fu Ye explained slowly. "Not long ago, my clansmen killed a Dao Ancestor from the Wang family and captured the nascent soul of another. Using a treasure to perform a soul search, we learned of their origins. That's not the main point. The main point is that the Wang family already has over fifty Dao Sovereigns, with many in the mid-Dao Sovereign stage. They use Heavenly Dao divine artifacts, Dao talismans, Dao elixirs, Dao formations, and other resources to exchange for Dao origins. Both the Azure Lotus Immortals master two Supreme Daos. I suspect they have an Enlightenment Grand Formation, and possibly even an Enlightenment Stele. Xing Shen fled into the Guixu Sea, and the Wang family also travels through the Guixu Sea to and from the Immortal Realm."

"You're saying the Wang family has an Enlightenment Stele!" Huai Sheng's eyes gleamed with a cold light.

"The timeline matches perfectly," Fu Ye stated his conjecture. "Xing Shen fled into the Guixu Sea, and before that, the Wang family was not prominent. I speculate that Xing Shen was found by the Azure Lotus Immortals and killed by them. Dao Sovereign Taihao then used the Dao Stone to refine the Enlightenment Stele and comprehend Supreme Daos." He had no concrete evidence; these were all speculations. However, the Wang family's rise indeed threatened them. Whether for their clan's status or for the potentially existing Enlightenment Stele, they could not let the Wang family go.

"We must prepare for the worst-case scenario," Huai Sheng's voice was heavy. "If they truly possess an Enlightenment Stele, then after so many years, the Azure Lotus Immortals might master not just two Supreme Daos, but three, or even more. There are fewer than twenty such Enlightenment Steles in the entire Chaos Realm; only top-tier forces can possess them."

"Are you suggesting we involve other races?" Fu Ye asked, confused.

"More people don't necessarily mean greater strength," Huai Sheng clarified. "The safest approach is to invite powerful individuals who master three Supreme Daos to deal with the Azure Lotus Immortals together."

"Powerful individuals who master three Supreme Daos?" Fu Ye said, somewhat worriedly. "Can they be invited? At the Dao Sovereign realm, ordinary resources hold no appeal."

"With a bit more cost, they can still be persuaded," Huai Sheng responded. "I originally wanted to invite someone who mastered four Supreme Daos, but I simply couldn't offer anything that would interest them."

"Alright then! It's settled," Fu Ye agreed. "We'll each contact other fellow Daoists and join forces to eliminate the Wang family."

"It's a deal!" Huai Sheng confirmed.

***

In the Tianyue Immortal Realm, on Azure Lotus Immortal Island.

Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, Wang Qingshan, Wang Qingling, Wang Qiulin, Wang Qingbai, and others sat in a green stone pavilion, while Wang Chuanming was reporting to them.

"I've investigated," Wang Chuanming stated slowly. "They were on their way to purchase cultivation resources when they were killed. Given their strength, even if they couldn't win, they should have been able to scatter and at least one escape. A total wipeout suggests the enemy was very likely a Dao Sovereign. I traced their path and found traces of a battle in a certain sea area. Searching the surrounding waters, I found fragments of two clan members' innate Dao artifacts. Based on the extent of the artifacts' damage, the opponent was definitely a Dao Sovereign. This was a premeditated murder, specifically targeting us."

"Still no clues about the perpetrator?" Wang Qingshan asked, frowning.

"None," Wang Chuanming replied. "Many cultivators passed through that sea area, and the people there were a mixed bag. There were no other eyewitnesses. If it were me, planning to eliminate Dao Sovereigns, I would certainly leave no witnesses."

Wang Chuanming took out a golden-glowing magic disk, cast a spell into it, and his brow furrowed.

"More clan members have been killed," Wang Chuanming announced. "This time, it was a Dao Ancestor from the Tiankui Clan."

"What a coincidence!" Wang Changsheng questioned. "Are you sure it was someone from the Tiankui Clan?"