The Ancient Clan is currently the strongest among the Six Ancient Clans, and no one questions their prowess. As for the Spirit Clan, if one were to speak of the lineage of the Eight Ancient Clans, it might well be considered the most enduring. The Spirit Clan has existed since ancient times, and has always been enigmatic—how strong they truly are, even other clans may not claim to fully understand. Though in past great conflicts, the Spirit Clan did not always emerge as the most dominant, attentive observers would notice that they have never been defeated. They have always remained even-keeled—never losing, never prevailing. In this sense, such a consistent balance of neither victory nor defeat is itself a formidable achievement. Thus, even the Ancient Clan, despite its strength, holds a deep sense of respect and caution toward this mysterious ancient lineage. These two ancient races nearly embody the most powerful forces on the current Qi Continent. To silently eliminate the entire Ling clan without anyone noticing—save for these two—seems impossible for any other power. Therefore, the Ling clan's recent upheaval points most strongly to the Gu and Hún clans as suspects. Although the other four clans lack definitive evidence naming a specific perpetrator, it is clear that following this incident, they will remain highly vigilant toward both the Hún and Gu clans. Should the attackers truly be after the Doshé Ancient Emperor's Jade, they will certainly not stop their pursuit. And with the other four clans each possessing one of the remaining five ancient jades, they will inevitably become the next targets. Yet regarding this sudden suspicion, the ancient clan appeared quite troubled. Still, they were well aware of the seriousness of the situation—any action taken at this moment might only invite unwarranted speculations. Thus, they chose to remain silent. Meanwhile, the spirit clan continued to uphold their usual demeanor, paying no attention, going about their business as always. After all, the spirit clan didn't need allies; regardless of what others thought, they simply didn't care. Thus, beneath the mutual silence maintained by both parties, the unfolding of the Lin Clan's transformation gradually faded into the background. The ancient six clans did not escalate into war over this matter, and as time passed, the incident seemed to be entirely forgotten by all—though only each clan's own members knew that today's ancient six clans were now increasingly strained, each maintaining mutual vigilance and caution. Over the course of two years, the deep mountain where Xiao Yan had gone into seclusion remained utterly still, with wild grasses spreading wildly, almost completely concealing the massive stone gate. Over those two years, the younger disciples once recruited by Xingyun Pavilion had gradually grown into the senior ranks, while a new generation of fresh recruits continued to pour into the pavilion, providing a steady stream of vitality to this emerging force. Even among the guest senior elders, a growing sense of pessimism had begun to take hold as Xiao Yan's prolonged silence persisted. The mountain had grown profoundly quiet—typically, a breakthrough to the rank of Half-Emperor would be a momentous event, accompanied by extraordinary celestial phenomena. Yet since Xiao Yan's seclusion, the sky above the mountain had shown no such anomalies at all. With his sharp, seasoned insight, the Elder Pharm could easily perceive the thoughts swirling within the hearts of these elders. Yet he said nothing. He had always placed his greatest trust in Xiao Yan. When the Soul Palace had captured him, it was Xiao Yan who, relying solely on his own strength, gradually made his way through the Central Region, ultimately rescuing him from the Soul Palace's grasp. At that time, Xiao Yan had no one to rely on—his only strength was his own. Since then, the Elder Pharm had come to realize that the fledgling bird, once constantly sheltered beneath his wings, had now truly taken to the skies and soared across the nine heavens. He had always firmly believed that this continent, continuously blooming with wonders and miracles, was ultimately his stage. As the elderly physician sighed lightly, a streak of light suddenly surged from afar and materialized behind him. There, in her graceful, elegant form, stood Cailei—her figure unmistakable. Over the past two years, Cailei had spent most of her time at the Starfall Pavilion, while the physician had tirelessly crafted various pills beneficial to her and mobilized the Pavilion to gather rare herbs and precious materials. As a result, Cailei had risen from a Five-Star Battle Sovereign to the peak of Battle Sovereign status within just two years. This level of progress was indeed swift. As a seven-colored, sky-consuming python, Cailei's physical strength was no weaker than Xiao Yan's—indeed, only slightly superior. With sufficient energy, her growth naturally remained steady. In ancient times, the seven-colored sky-consuming python had already been a powerfully formidable being. Compared to Xiao Yan's rigorous cultivation, Cailei undoubtedly held significant inherent advantages. "What's wrong?" Upon seeing Cailei arrive, the physician turned his head, noticing the slightly serious expression on her face, and asked in surprise. The colorful scales of her eyes first swept over the distant stone gate, their luster dimming slightly before she withdrew a crimson scroll from her jade talisman, saying, "This was sent by the Yinhe Alliance." "What is this?" the elderly pharmacist frowned, taking the scroll and spreading it out—three bold, deep red characters immediately caught her eye. "A declaration of war?" At this, a cold smile played on the pharmacist's face as her gaze shifted downward. "In fifteen days, our strongest warriors from the Yinhe Alliance will gather at the Starfall Pavilion. There, we shall settle matters—victor shall be king, vanquished shall be the foe!" "It's quite bold of them to come to our Starfall Pavilion of their own accord. Truly ambitious. It seems Master Tianming the ancient beast can no longer contain her desire to act." The pharmacist narrowed her eyes, chuckling coldly. "The Yinhe Alliance has remained quiet for over a year. Now, daring to issue a formal war notice and come to our Starfall Pavilion—this clearly indicates confidence. They must have a solid reason for such boldness. We cannot afford to overlook this." The colorful scales沉吟, pondering. Yao Lao nodded slightly. Since the clash between Xingyin Pavilion and "Minghe Meng" a year ago, the latter had not launched any significant actions against Xingyin Pavilion. He knew well that they weren't unwilling—they simply dared not press Xingyin Pavilion too hard. After all, his half-Saint status wasn't merely symbolic; to topple Xingyin Pavilion, one would first have to defeat him, Yao Chen. To defeat a half-Saint, especially an advanced half-Saint, Minghe Alliance would need to field two advanced half-Saints—only then would it stand a chance of succeeding. Yet, to present two half-saints at once—this even for the Tianming Sect's strength is beyond reach. Within the sect, only one Senior Master has reached the level of advanced half-saint. However, this battle-saint elder has not appeared on the scene for many years. Beyond him, the Minghe Alliance boasts no other battle-saints. Though the alliance comprises numerous sects, none of them match the strength of the Tianming Sect, making it impossible for them to possess battle-saint-level cultivators. As for the Binghe Valley, clearly, they cannot offer any either. Thus, relying solely on one Senior Master from the Tianming Sect, they can only hold their own against the Yao Elder, and achieving a decisive victory over him remains impossible. Precisely because of this, although the Minghe Alliance has long desired to relocate to the Xingyin Pavilion, during this year, they have only managed to generate minor disputes and gain small advantages, unable to interfere with any more substantial interests. But this time, they truly had the courage to issue an official challenge, and they were setting their home base right at the headquarters of the Starfall Pavilion—should there be no major issues, few would have believed it. "Send word to summon all the elders who are currently scattered abroad and who do not have particularly pressing duties, and instruct the elders guarding the key cities to remain vigilant and prepared, guarding against a possible sudden assault by the Yinhe Alliance." The elderly physician gently rubbed his dry hands over the scroll, speaking in a steady tone. "Also, dispatch spies to gather intelligence on the internal affairs of the Yinhe Alliance. We must understand—why have these people suddenly gained such boldness?" "Hmm." "Ci Lin nodded slightly. When she first received the war summons, she had already issued several orders. Over the past two years, her standing within the Xingyin Pavilion has grown strong—everyone knows her identity, and Xiao Yan is precisely the one that Yao Lao has designated as the next Pavilion Master. Thus, Ci Lin can be considered half the de facto mistress of the Pavilion. Her orders are even heeded by some of the senior elders. Moreover, through these years of military campaigns, others have come to realize that she is far from being merely a figurehead—her decisiveness and strength in action surpass even that of many men." "Throughout the Star Realm, we've raised our vigilance to the highest level," Yao Lao said with a cold smile. "I'm eager to see what kind of move Ming Lao will make this time!" Ci Lin nodded again, her beautiful eyes fixed on the distant, closed stone gate, murmuring softly, "Has he still not moved?" The old physician paused slightly, then gently nodded, gazing at Cailei's somewhat dimmed eyes and smiling, "Don't worry, the young man won't have any trouble. Based on my assessment, he should be able to emerge unscathed in no time—perhaps not much longer than that." Cailei chuckled, for over the past two years, she had heard this very remark countless times. "Come, there's still much to prepare. This time, the Minghe Alliance isn't exactly friendly." The old physician waved his hand and then turned, slowly walking away. Cailei watched the stone gate with her beautiful eyes, and after a while, sighed softly, then turned and followed after the old physician.