"Are you really going to surrender?" Jia Tianlong was somewhat surprised. "Surrender is surrender—though as to whom exactly will surrender, that's still very much up in the air!" Wang the Master narrowed his eyes slightly, casually resting his hand on the hilt of his sword and speaking slowly. "What exactly do you mean?" Jia Tianlong's expression darkened. He then waved his hand, making a gesture of encirclement. Instantly, the iron guards behind him surged forward, forming a half-circle to encircle Wang Juechu and simultaneously drawing crossbows from behind, their arrowheads gleaming with a clear light aimed directly at him. It seemed that as soon as Jia Tianlong gave the order, they would immediately unleash a barrage of arrows, instantly killing Wang Juechu on the spot. "Do you think that after we moved our main hall to Luoyi Peak, we've never considered the possibility of an external invasion that we simply cannot withstand?" Wang the Master spoke calmly, yet with a distinctly threatening and somber tone, ignoring the crossbows entirely. Hearing this, Jia Tianlong felt a slight weight settle in his heart, with an unwelcome foreboding forming in his mind. He did not interrupt the speaker, merely maintaining his gloomy expression, eager to hear what came next. "The seventh-generation master, Li Master, was responsible for relocating our sect to this location. He not only possessed outstanding strategic vision but also excelled in civil engineering and mechanical arts, truly a rare talent of his generation." At this point, Wang Master paused slightly, his face revealing genuine admiration. Then he continued: "Li Master chose Luoyu Peak as the main hall of our sect for two reasons: first, the peak's rugged terrain makes it easy to defend and difficult to attack, thus serving as an ideal stronghold; second, within the mountain's core lies a remarkable natural cavern—a massive stone stalactite cave formed by nature—which is astonishingly large, occupying nearly two-thirds of the entire interior of Luoyu Peak." Witnessing this marvel, Master Li conceived a plan. Drawing upon his expertise in civil engineering and leveraging the natural topography of the stone-milk cave, he transformed the entire mountain peak into a massive, natural sinkhole. Now, all that remains is to activate the pre-set mechanisms—upon which the entire mountain will instantly collapse, burying everyone atop it. After delivering these words, Master Wang remained silent, fixing a cold, lifeless gaze—like that of someone viewing the dead—upon the dense crowd before him. Jia Tianlong quickly regained his composure. Upon seeing his own people—actually disordered merely based on the other side's account—he couldn't help but grow irritated. He knew that if he didn't intervene immediately, the situation would quickly spiral out of control. Without hesitation, he issued a firm and decisive command. His trusted subordinates executed his orders flawlessly. After swiftly cutting off several timid individuals who had attempted to flee, everyone else was thoroughly intimidated, and the commotion settled down. Yet Jia Tianlong was well aware that this calmness was only superficial and temporary. If he couldn't soon verify that the other side's claims were false, neither his own people nor those from other factions would feel secure staying put. Any minor disturbance might prompt them all to abandon the scene. "You won't simply rely on your words to convince us," he said. Jia Tianlong suppressed his anger and prepared to personally expose the falsehoods of the other. "Of course not. I have ample evidence that will allow you all to witness firsthand. However, listen carefully—should anyone who has seen my proof attempt to flee or continue launching attacks, I will have all the mechanisms activated, and we will all perish together." The tone of Wang Juechu's words was filled with deadly intensity, clearly conveying a firm threat. Jia Tianlong carefully observed the other's expression, striving to detect any signs of weakness or inconsistency. Yet the person across from him remained as cold and composed as ever, showing no visible signs of unease or hesitation. This made Jia Tianlong begin to question whether the statements were indeed fabricated, or if, in fact, such a decisive strategy—this so-called 'cutting off the family's roots' plan—was genuine. "Activate the second mechanism!" Wang Juechu suddenly turned back, issuing a loud command to the main hall. Then he turned his head aside and began focusing intently on a smaller stone pavilion, no longer paying any attention to Jia Tianlong. Seeing that his counterpart treated him with such contempt, Jia Tianlong grew furious. Though he suppressed his anger, he silently resolved that if the evidence presented by the other party failed to satisfy him, he would immediately order the Wang Gate Master shot right there, turning him into a human-looking thistle. "I've come here several times before—how have I never noticed anything amiss?" "Could it be that Master Wang is deceiving them, trying to delay things?" "Or perhaps..." One young man launched a continuous stream of words at the other, who remained silent, clearly eager to have the latter clarify his doubts. These two were none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, who had originally set out for the abode of Elder Li.