The elder of the Yan family, upon hearing the key points raised by the scholar, could not help but display admiration, and responded in turn: "Blood Spirit Technique—though our ancestors of the Yan family did not pass this method down, they held it in the highest regard, calling it the first 'magical' technique in the *Classic of Ten Immortal Energetics*, capable of establishing dominance among the six major magical sects once mastered. However, this technique is notably demanding and prone to counter-effects; thus, to prevent such backlash, it must be practiced through dual cultivation by both a man and a woman. The quality of their spiritual roots is crucial to determining how far they can progress. If the roots are subpar, the practitioner may only achieve a few layers before the technique reaches its end—rendering it a mere 'useless' addition. Therefore, like Yan Yan's celestial root, which is undoubtedly the ideal dual-cultivation partner that the other party has long sought, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect himself possesses an exceptionally rare 'subtle' root, making him equally well-suited for the cultivation of the Blood Spirit Technique." With the exceptional talents of the two, if they truly practiced the Blood Spirit cultivation together, they would surely master this secret technique to the deepest level and could certainly achieve dominance over the six monasteries. That is precisely why the Gui Ling Sect has been so willing to invest heavily in attracting us, even risking the revelation of their news that the six monasteries are about to invade the Yue Kingdom—specifically to secure an opportunity for the Gui Ling Sect to dominate the southern region. As for how the other side learned of our Yan family's origins, that is even easier to explain. When our ancestor passed away, he had sent envoys to establish contact with the Gui Ling Sect. From that point on, our Yan family has been under their watchful attention. The matter of Ru Yan, likely, has been carefully planned by them for a long time. Thus, they have now seized this favorable opportunity to apply both soft and firm pressure, aiming to secure our family's agreement. The elder of the Yan family smiled slightly as he spoke, clearly expressing his own sense of resignation regarding the unexpected initiative taken by their ancestor to engage with the Gui Ling Sect. "The matter of the Six Sects of the Magic Path preparing to launch an invasion was indeed conveyed by the other party. However, regarding the fact that the Kingdom of Jiang and the Kingdom of Cheqi have already fallen under their control, beyond what the other party has informed us, our Yan family had actually noticed something amiss several days ago. The personnel we had stationed in both kingdoms should have sent routine reports according to protocol, yet they remain completely silent to this day. It appears the other party's account is accurate. As for how they managed to swiftly secure both kingdoms, according to their explanation, several sects within each kingdom had already been secretly bought over by the Six Sects' agents prior. Thus, under the combined pressure of a powerful surprise assault and internal defections, the two kingdoms were swiftly subdued. Therefore, at present, the Six Sects are likely engaged in clearing out the remaining loyal practitioners in both kingdoms who have not yet submitted, and also conducting final preparations before launching their invasion of the Yue Kingdom, since they have sustained certain losses. As for the Dao Alliance of Fengdu Kingdom, you should no longer count on them." Not long before the meeting, I received word that the Zhengdao Alliance had also launched an invasion against a neighboring medium-sized nation and had nearly secured it. It seems clear that these two major powers must have made some secret arrangement, prompting them to initiate large-scale expansion efforts simultaneously." The elder of the Yan family delivered this in a clear, well-organized manner, leaving the listeners below utterly astonished and stunned. "Both the Magi and the Zhengdao powers expanding at the same time? Hm, that truly is interesting!" After hearing the elder of the Yan family's account, the scholar smiled gently and offered a thought-provoking remark. "What do you mean by that, Xuanye?" asked an elderly man with a pale face, seated across from the scholar, growing increasingly impatient. "Uncle! Nothing significant—just a minor speculation of mine. It has no bearing on our Yan family at this point. Let's first discuss our current situation with the Yan family!" The scholar waved his hand casually, speaking with ease and indifference. "Hmph!" "The elder bumped into a soft rejection, glared at the scholar with some annoyance, but still had to sit down reluctantly in front of the Yan family's patriarch. 'Oh! Then after the meeting, may I hear your little speculation?' the patriarch showed clear interest. 'If the patriarch wishes to hear it, the scholar will certainly not withhold anything,' the scholar quickly bowed, speaking respectfully. 'Very well! But first, let's discuss the matter at hand. This time, our Yan family made a wrong choice—either we ended up being absorbed and absorbed by others, or we offended them, and then they used the combined strength of the Six Sects to completely wipe out our family.' The red-haired elder's voice carried a hint of resignation. After all, the Yan family's strength was still rather weak—even when counting in their hidden forces, they simply lacked the courage to mount a firm resistance. 'Indeed!' the patriarch agreed. 'You're right—the current Yan family truly finds itself in a precarious position, afraid of both sides!' "By agreeing, we might find ourselves absorbed by them; by refusing, their strength appears overwhelming, and we'd face endless troubles!" A thoughtful gleam passed through the scholar's eyes. "Yet my final decision is to accept their terms and join the Gui Ling Sect!" The scholar declared firmly, without waiting for any objections from the Yan family members. "We've always been concerned about what dire consequences might arise if we refuse their conditions. But have we ever considered whether, by refusing, we could secure sufficient benefits from among the seven sects? As I understand, the seven sects currently maintain a friendly relationship with us publicly, yet privately they fear our growing strength and the potential threat it poses to their own interests. Consequently, over the past few years, they have been gradually exerting pressure on us in various ways—subtle yet persistent." Even if we refuse Ghost Spirit Sect's terms, or even reveal the magian invasion to the seven clans, we won't secure much in return, for the interests of Yue State have already been fully divided among the seven clans. How could they possibly offer us, the Yan family, anything they've previously held in their own hands? Moreover, with the six sects launching a joint invasion of Yue State, even if the seven clans enlist practitioners from other nations to resist the magian forces, I still believe their chances of victory are not particularly strong. To survive, the Yan family must align itself with the victors—once on the losing side, no matter how favorable the initial promises, they will inevitably fall short of fulfilling them. Of course, we must also remain vigilant—not let the Ghost Spirit Sect treat us merely as mere sword-and-spear wielders, wasting our manpower in the process. Once our Yan family grows strong enough to stand on equal footing with them, they will naturally be unable to absorb us. And if, by then, our strength surpasses theirs, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if we even have the Ghost Spirit Sect’s own name become Yan!” The scholar spoke at length, painting a vivid picture of a promising future that energized many of the listeners. Of course, some of the older residents of the city remained deeply concerned. After all, how could the Ghost Spirit Sect possibly be so generous as to give them time and space to grow steadily? Yet the scholar’s next words reassured them. “Certainly, we cannot simply go along with this and pass through life without any means of constraint against them!” If the other party truly intends for our Yan family to submit, then let the young master and the two other Dan-stage cultivators who have come with him exchange life-and-death seals with Yan Er and our two uncles. In this way, the other party will be unable to harm our Yan family for at least two or three centuries—precisely the time we need to strengthen and grow. Should the Ghost Spirit Sect refuse to make even this modest sacrifice, then we shall have no intention of considering an alliance with them. This clearly reveals that all the prior discussions were merely a carefully laid trap designed for our Yan family. The scholar then proposed a concrete measure to verify the other party's sincerity, and both the elder of the Yan family and the assembled guests nodded in agreement, finding the method highly reliable. "Yan Yan, Yan Wen, and Yan Qi—go and sign the life-and-death seals with the guests still in the sitting hall. If they refuse, immediately activate the large array within the hall and seal them here." After closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, the elder of the Yan family opened them and issued the command. "Understood, Elder!" After the beautiful young lady by the elder of the Yan family smiled gracefully, she lightly walked to the hall to receive her assignment, accompanied by two middle-aged men. "Yan'er, be careful. If anything goes wrong, just make your escape first. I'll send someone else to meet you outside!" The elder clearly adored this young Yan family member, her face filled with concern. "Don't worry, Elder! I'm protected by the Ziyun Banner—my escape is well within reach!" The young lady reassured her kindly and then stepped out of the hall with the two middle-aged men. The red-haired elder watched his most beloved granddaughter depart, still feeling a bit worried. Without hesitation, he issued a series of orders, setting up a comprehensive network of defenses around the living room to support Yan Ruyan and to prevent her from breaking through and escaping. For the following period, the meeting hall remained quiet, everyone anxiously awaiting the responses from Yan Ruyan and the two accompanying men. After a while, a transmission scroll suddenly flew in from outside the council hall and landed directly into the hands of the elder of the Yan family. The elder gently pressed the scroll, and immediately, Yan Ruxian's sweet voice echoed out. "Elder, everything has been arranged. As soon as I and my two senior teachers made our request, they agreed on the spot. The life-and-death spell was also executed smoothly. Now I'm accompanying them toward the main hall, since they mentioned they have something important to discuss with you and would like you to prepare in advance." Upon hearing that the life-and-death spell had been successfully cast, all the members of the Yan family, including the elder, breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, when they learned that the other party intended to come to the council hall, everyone grew momentarily stunned. "Everyone else, disperse immediately. Only Xuan Ye shall remain with me!" the elder decided firmly after a brief pause. At once, the numerous elders and officials in the hall began to scatter in a flurry.