The old woman looked at Yun Jin. "Sect Master Yun, fifty years ago, my unfilial daughter was already at late Mahayana. Over these years, she's practiced evil arts, and I've no idea how strong she's become now. Tell me, Sect Master Yun, if you face her head-on, do you have confidence in victory?"
Before Yun Jin could reply, Yu Songnian said, "Grandmother, there's no need to worry about that. Even if you gathered everyone in the entire Nanlan Continent, they still wouldn't be enough for Sect Master to fight seriously."
Yun Jin shot him a glare.
Wasn't he supposed to be the quiet type? Ever since they'd reunited, this third senior brother of hers had become way too talkative. And that kind of bragging line was supposed to be her job!
A flicker of surprise flashed in the old woman's eyes, her expression turning more solemn. So this woman was really that terrifying of a powerhouse?
Yun Jin smiled faintly and said humbly, "I'd say I've got a solid ten out of ten chance."
The old woman was speechless.
She steadied herself, then continued, "From what I've observed, every time she forces someone to feed me spirit medicine in large doses, it means the grand ceremony is near. After that ceremony, she'll come to absorb my bloodline."
"That's right," Yun Jin nodded. "In a few days, it'll be the day of the celebration. And she won't just come for you, Senior. She'll absorb the bloodlines of many rare races as well."
The old woman's face darkened. "I shouldn't have shown mercy back then."
But even regret was pointless now. As a ruler of her generation, she quickly calmed herself.
"The Shi Tribe's Grand Ceremony is held every five years to give thanks for the spirit stones' blessings. It's our most important festival. Every time, envoys from other races attend. As long as I appear during the ceremony and expose that unfilial daughter's true face before all the envoys, her reign will end right there. I can convince others to support me, but she has a group of personal guards who only obey her. If Sect Master can restrain her and those guards, I can suppress the other nobles. Once that's done, the Shi Tribe will stabilize again."
For the first time, she showed the bearing of a true queen.
Yun Jin nodded. "That's simple."
Hearing that, the old woman finally let out a long breath. "Then, to avoid alerting the enemy, there's no need to remove these chains for now. I'll appear personally on the day of the ceremony and give that unfilial daughter a surprise she'll never forget."
Yun Jin nodded again, thought for a moment, then handed her a pill and a talisman.
"This pill will restore part of your spiritual power. As for this talisman, it contains a strand of sword qi. Once released, it can cut through the chains, break barriers, and destroy formations.
I'll also leave a spiritual mark here. When the time comes, I'll contact you through it."
The old woman accepted them, her expression shaken.
Just one strand of sword qi that could shatter all those formations? What kind of terrifying figure was this Sect Master of the Wushuang Sect?
"Thank you, Sect Master Yun. Whether we succeed or not, the Shi Tribe owes you a great debt. If you ever need me in the future, I'll never refuse." Her tone was firm.
Yun Jin didn't think much of it. She just nodded casually and left with Yu Songnian.
The old woman held the talisman tightly, her gaze steady. That one moment of mercy had caused a catastrophe. mIf she'd noticed Zhi Yue's jealousy earlier, Zhi Yin wouldn't have suffered.
This time, whether for the Shi Tribe's future or to clear the path for Yu Songnian's succession, Zhi Yue had to die. She sat quietly for a while. Pain flickered in her eyes, then faded into calm resolve.
The Shi Tribe's once-in-five-years Spirit Stone Festival was about to begin.
Over the next few days, caravans from all races arrived one after another in the capital of Stone City. As one of the ten great races, the Shi Tribe might have weakened, but a fallen camel was still bigger than a horse. Their strength was nothing to scoff at.
The other nine races all sent envoys, and countless smaller clans followed.
Within the Yu (Feather) Tribe's delegation, Yu Shiyi traveled with the group, his eyes glinting with intrigue.
They weren't here just to watch the show. The Shi Tribe's current queen had ruled for fifty years and driven her people to despair. Discontent had spread through the nation, and many nobles were eager to seize the chance to topple her.
Without the King's Stone, what difference was there between the royal family and any other noble? They'd worn that crown long enough—now it was someone else's turn.
But the royal family had deep roots and immense power. Even if the nobles joined forces, they couldn't be sure of victory. So they turned to the other races for help.
The Yu Tribe had sent over a hundred elites this time, all top-tier experts, to cooperate with those rebellious nobles. In exchange, they were promised several Shi Tribe cities near the Yu Tribe's territory once everything was over.
That was a solid deal. Naturally, the Yu Tribe had no reason to refuse.
Yu Shiyi also knew those nobles hadn't only reached out to them. Other races must've been contacted as well. He didn't care. As long as the Yu Tribe got their share of benefits, he'd do his part.
Thinking about the Shi Tribe's situation, Yu Shiyi couldn't help but sneer. The Shi Tribe had been rotting from within ever since the previous queen disappeared. The current one thought she'd hidden everything well, but everyone already suspected she was cultivating some kind of evil art.
The other races didn't move against her yet because they were waiting for the perfect time. And those nobles weren't any better. For the sake of power, they'd already promised away half their cities to foreign clans.
Still, the more corrupt the Shi Tribe became, the better it was for them.
Beside him, Yu Wusan chuckled. "Shiyi, look at those Shi Tribe people out there, all smiles and laughter waiting for their festival. Too bad that once the celebration starts, none of them will have a reason to laugh."
Those nobles thought they'd rule once the king fell. What they didn't realize was that to the other races, taking a few cities was nice—but swallowing the whole Shi Tribe was even better. Once this festival ended, the Nanlan Continent might have only nine great races left.
More and more people gathered in the capital. Beneath the cheerful facade, dark currents were already surging.
Inside the royal palace, in a grand hall glittering with gold and jade, a woman sat cross-legged in silence.
Suddenly, the veins across her body bulged and pulsed, pain twisting her face. She forced herself to cultivate, enduring it until the bloodlines finally calmed.
When she opened her eyes, a ruthless glint flashed within.
Did those nobles really think she didn't know what they were plotting? Did they think all her pain and disgrace were for nothing?
Her lips curved into a sinister smile.
All these years, she'd restrained herself from absorbing the bloodlines of the other nine great races. But now, since they'd all come knocking on her door…
Then none of them would be leaving.