For the past two years, every move they made had been extremely cautious. The people in charge of transporting spirit stones were handpicked from countless candidates, and every single step had to be cleared with the family before the next could be taken.
All of this was to buy time, to keep the spirit vein from being discovered for as long as possible.
With a vein of this size, if word ever got out, the Song family would never be able to protect it.
Mu Yuan's words made Song Wanníng frown. For some reason, an uneasy feeling rose in her chest.
"Mother, let the Fifth Elder handle the vein for now. You should find a place to cultivate and prepare for your tribulation."
A tribulation would draw attention, so they needed to choose somewhere far away.
The spirit vein might not stay hidden forever. The stronger the Song family became, the more leverage they would have when that day came.
"Alright, I'll do as you say."
Mu Yuan couldn't bear to see her daughter frown. She reached out to smooth the crease between her brows, then immediately passed the matter to the Fifth Elder.
After making a few more arrangements, mother and daughter sped off into the distance.
Once outside the barriers, Mu Yuan took out a spirit boat. After a day and a night of travel, they arrived in a remote valley.
They chose a concealed cave. Mu Yuan sat down, swallowed the Seven-Star Lotus Flower, and began to charge toward Divine Transformation.
Just thinking about reaching the highest cultivation level possible in the lower realm made her heart race.
The Seven-Star Lotus Flower was too precious to waste.
Mu Yuan shut her eyes and sank deep into cultivation.
Song Wanníng stood guard outside, taking the role of protector. She would let nothing and no one disturb her mother.
...
Fengling Domain, Feng Clan.
In the central seat, the Feng Clan Patriarch wore a black robe and toyed idly with a small arrow in his hand.
Several figures sat below, their auras unfathomable. The weakest among them was at the early stage of Divine Transformation.
"Patriarch, why have you called us here?" one of them asked.
The patriarch raised his head, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face, almost impossible to tell if male or female. A single glance could make the world lose its color.
When he spoke, his voice was steady but carried a slight rasp. "The He family sent word. Power among the human clans is about to shift. The Song family suddenly has two more Divine Transformation cultivators."
"Song family? The same one we planned to annex?"
Feng Youming's face darkened. "Wasn't there only one Divine Transformation cultivator in the Song family?"
"Hmph. Just a bunch of ants. If their territory wasn't sitting right on top of a top-grade dragon vein, no one would care about a small clan like that."
"Exactly. We chose them as our foothold among the humans. That's their good fortune. Even if someone advanced, they'll still have to hand over the land honestly."
Others quickly echoed Feng Youming's words, their tone dripping with disdain toward the Song family and the human race as a whole.
The patriarch gave a quiet, mocking laugh, a glint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"The seal's unraveling is imminent. Soon, we'll be able to leave... and the Song family will be nothing more than a prize in the Feng Clan's pocket."
"Feng Youming, you will go this time and see the truth for yourself."
His gaze dropped to the arrow, a faint killing intent hidden behind his calm expression.
"Do not take everything the He family says at face value. Understand?"
Even though the He family was their loyal dog, who could guarantee a dog would never bite its master? And they were not fools. The He family had rushed to deliver this news because they wanted the Feng Clan to deal with the Song family for them.
They wanted the Feng Clan to be their blade.
Heh.
"Yes!"
Feng Youming rose respectfully and accepted the mission.
He had been itching to get out for a while now. This would be the perfect chance to see what those humans were really like.
Stepping forward, he picked up the key to the outside world and strode toward the exit.
...
"Hahaha! He Xiao, the Song family is finished!"
The He Patriarch was grinning from ear to ear after receiving a reply, his eyes bright with excitement.
He clapped He Xiao on the shoulder. "All the humiliation you've suffered can be repaid now! Once they make a move, forget the Song family— even those three top clans won't be able to stand against them!"
The He Patriarch was in excellent spirits, his simmering anger finally gone.
Since the Song family's rise, he had been unable to sleep well, constantly brooding over the matter.
But now, someone else would crush them.
He Xiao's face was dark, full of humiliation. He showed no joy at the news.
Two days ago, he had led his sect disciples to recruit new members, only to suffer the most humiliating day of his life. Fellow sect members had spoken to him with veiled mockery, their sarcastic words stabbing like knives.
The prestige he once had was gone. Now he was someone everyone could trample, and he couldn't even find words to fight back.
In the end, he had lost his temper and fought with a Nascent Soul cultivator, only to be scolded and criticized by Wu Ying upon returning. The other elders had berated him for being impulsive and not considering the bigger picture. He had been furious.
Now, He Xiao had completely lost interest in returning to Wentian Sect anytime soon. He would stay in the He family and wait for Song Wanníng's downfall. And as for those snobbish people in Wentian Sect— they would one day beg him to return.
He Xiao's eyes were heavy with gloom as he asked, "Brother, are you sure they'll be destroyed this time? I don't want to be happy for nothing again..."
Between him and Song Wanníng, it could only be to the death.
"Don't worry. Over there, we have—"
The He Patriarch stopped mid-sentence and smiled mysteriously.
"Just wait. The Song family is about to suffer. And our He family... will soon stand among the top clans. Those who oppose us will have only one fate—death." He burst into hearty laughter, full of confidence.
The crease in He Xiao's brow slowly eased. His brother might not say it outright, but he could already guess. His mind was brimming with malice.
Song Wanníng... just wait for death.
...
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
From the cave behind her, an endless tide of spiritual power surged forth, flooding the entire valley.
Standing at the cave entrance, Song Wanníng's expression was grave. Only when dark tribulation clouds began to gather on the horizon did she finally let out a slow breath.
Still, she remained vigilant, releasing her spiritual sense to check the surroundings.
Thankfully, they had chosen a remote location. There was no trace of humans nearby, only the occasional demon beast.
Once the beasts sensed the incoming tribulation, they quickly fled, leaving the area clear.
Mu Yuan emerged from the cave, giving Song Wanníng a reassuring look before soaring into the sky.
Song Wanníng knew tribulations better than anyone. She stood ready, eyes locked on the descending bolts of lightning, their light reflected in her gaze.
This time, when negotiations came, the Song family would secure what they were owed. Only by gaining those resources and the rights to the secret realms could the Song family continue to flourish.
===
If you're curious and want to dive deeper into Dragon veins or Veins in general, feel free to check out my glossary on Webnovel. Just head over to my profile and look for the book titled The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and Beyond. You'll find it covered in Chapter 28: Earth Veins (地脉, Dìmài).
I recommend adding it to your library—it'll save you the trouble of searching for it later, and you'll always have it on hand whenever you need a quick reference.