Ten miles east of Longli Lake, there is a county town called Dongzhao, with a population of over 100,000, more than half of whom have the surname Zhao.
This county town has a history of nearly three hundred years and is the main settlement of the secular relatives of the Zhao family of Longli Lake.
The atmosphere in Dongzhao City had been unusually heavy recently, as if the sky was about to fall. Every member of the Zhao clan had a heavy expression on their faces and was filled with anxiety.
A month ago, a message suddenly came from Tongxin Hall, saying that Ziyang Sect would take back Longli Lake in a year and asked the Zhao family to move out of Longli Lake after the expiration of the period.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, instantly destroying the last hope of the 50,000 members of the Zhao family.
After three hundred years of a life of luxury and comfort, the Zhao clan has long regarded Longli Lake as their ancestral homeland.
Now I was suddenly told to move away from my hometown.
No one can accept this cruel fact.
For a time, the entire Zhao family was in a state of panic.
However, in recent days, a rumor has been spreading rapidly among the Zhao family members, and things seem to have taken a turn for the better.
In a house somewhere in Dongzhao City, people were talking.
"Going to the Broken Star Sea?"
"Alas, I have to go! After all, my great-grandfather's brother's son is an immortal cultivator. My whole family is within the five generations of mourning, so I have no choice but to go!"
"I heard that the Shattered Star Sea is beyond Central Continent, thousands of miles away from us. If you go there, you'll never come back."
"If you can't come back, then don't come back! Anyway, if the sky falls, there are cultivators in the family to hold it up.
Besides, without the protection of immortal cultivators, I don't know what will happen to the Zhao family in Dongzhao City in the future. I advise you to join everyone and go to the Broken Star Sea."
"Alas, it's hard to leave one's hometown. Besides, I have a lot of family property that I don't know what to do with. Forget it, I won't leave. Anyway, my family has long been outside the fifth degree of mourning."
…
In a meeting hall at the Zhao family's residence, several leaders of the Zhao family's main branch gathered together with worried faces, unable to come up with any good solutions.
After a long moment, Zhao Jinpeng suddenly broke the silence: "Second brother, is the Ziyang Sect really determined to take back Longli Lake?"
Zhao Jinding said helplessly, "The relocation order has already been issued. Could this be fake?"
"But we can't move to the Broken Star Sea! I heard that the Broken Star Sea is very dangerous. I think the people in the Second House are really confused. Why did they believe Chen Zichuan's nonsense and want to move to the Broken Star Sea?"
Zhao Jinpeng retorted, "The Ziyang Sect has just opened a branch in the Broken Star Sea and is currently short of people. Our Zhao family has the misfortune of running into this very moment. If we really don't go to the Broken Star Sea, will we end up being wandering cultivators? You've seen the plight of wandering cultivators before. Besides, with tens of thousands of people in our Zhao family, we have to find a place to settle down."
"Chonghe is really something. He actually disappeared at such a critical moment. If he were here, he might be able to come up with some good ideas."
When Zhao Jinding heard someone complaining, his expression became very complicated and the wrinkles on his face deepened.
The Zhao family's move out of Longli Lake is a foregone conclusion.
Faced with this unsolvable situation, Zhao Jinding felt that he had no way out.
His only hope now lies in Zhao Chonghe, no, it should be said that it lies in Zhao Jinjian.
Unfortunately, half a month ago, when he went to Dongtian City to discuss countermeasures with them, he came up empty-handed.
Even Zhao Yongwu couldn't explain where the two had gone. He only knew that after the Fourth Ancestor came out of seclusion, he and his grandfather immediately left Dongtian City.
Zhao Jinjian has emerged from seclusion? Did he advance to the Foundation Establishment stage?
With this question in mind, Zhao Jinding returned to Longli Lake with a certain expectation in his heart.
After discussing for a long time, everyone still had no clue.
Seeing this, Zhao Jinpeng shouted: "If we continue to delay like this. The Zhao family members were persuaded by the people of the second branch.
I heard that quite a few people in our eldest family have been persuaded and want to make a name for themselves in the Broken Star Sea. If not, why don't we go together? We have nowhere else to go after all."
After hearing what he said, some people were secretly moved, but some people scoffed at it.
Just then, Zhao Chongwei suddenly burst in, panting and shouting, "The people from the Second House have suddenly requested a family meeting. They've already gone to Tongxin Hall. They said the meeting will officially begin in an hour, and no one will be allowed after that."
"What?"
"How outrageous! The Second Branch convened a family meeting without consulting us. Do they have any respect for our ancestors' rules?"
"Let's go, let's go to Tongxin Hall."
At this moment, Zhao Jinding suddenly slammed the table and stood up, his face stern, saying: "Go to Tongxin Hall! I want to see what tricks Zhao Jingang has up his sleeve!"
…
An hour later, at Tongxin Hall on Yanyue Island.
The atmosphere in Tongxin Hall was tense, with the two branches of the Zhao family glaring at each other, and the situation was tense.
Looking around, I saw that not only were all 27 cultivators of the Zhao family present in the hall, but there were also more than a dozen respected elders from the secular family.
On the other hand, on the side of the second branch, Chen Zichuan, a foundation-building cultivator of Ziyang Sect, was also present. At this moment, he was chatting happily with Zhao Keqin, without any restraint at all.
Seeing that everyone was present, Zhao Jingang suddenly coughed twice, then hunched over as he walked through the crowd of people from the second room to the center of the hall. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Everyone is here. I have something important to announce."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Keqiang, who was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, suddenly jumped out and shouted, "Wait! Zhao Jingang, you haven't discussed this with our eldest branch yet, so how can you be qualified to convene a family meeting?"
"How dare you! How can a junior like you call me by my name?" Zhao Jingang was furious. His eyes were like those of a wolf, emitting a cold light.
At this time, Zhao Jinding walked across from him and said solemnly, "Zhao Laosan, don't avoid the important issues. What is your purpose in calling a family meeting today? If you want to persuade everyone to move to the Broken Star Sea, then there's no need to say it. On behalf of the eldest branch, I absolutely will not agree."
"Haha, Zhao Jinding, you said you can represent the first wife? Have you asked everyone? As for whether to go to the Broken Star Sea or not, your decision alone has no say.
In addition, I will simply tell you that I have already accepted the immigration decree on behalf of the Zhao family."
When these words were spoken, Zhao Jinding and some of the Zhao family members who were still in the dark were all stunned with shock.
The Immigrant Edict was the most recent edict issued by the Ziyang Sect, representing the sect's majesty and credibility.
Once you accept it, you can never regret it. Otherwise, you will be struck by the thunder of Ziyang Sect, and the destruction of your family and clan is the inevitable outcome.
"You...you." Zhao Jinding's face flushed, and he pointed at Zhao Jingang with trembling fingers, his lips trembling with anger.
"Zhao Jingang! How have we, the Zhao family, wronged you? You are determined to bring our family to a dead end."
Zhao Jingang sneered and said, "Zhao Jinding, please stop slandering me. I'm doing this for the Zhao family, and the Shattered Star Sea is the Zhao family's future."
"Nonsense!"
"Humph, am I talking nonsense? Zhao Jinding, your vision and perspective are too narrow. I am truly ashamed to be a fellow Zhao clan elder."
After a few sarcastic remarks, Zhao Jingang opened fire again, demanding: "After the Ziyang Sect took back Longli Lake, did you just sit there and watch the entire Zhao family fall apart, and the clansmen become independent cultivators? What good solutions can you come up with? What good ideas do you have? Are you just going to bark like a mad dog?"
Zhao Jinding was speechless for a moment when asked, his face turned pale and his expression was extremely embarrassed.
Every word Zhao Jingang said was heartbreaking. If he really had a way, he would never let the second branch be so rampant.
At this moment, Zhao Jinpeng suddenly jumped out and said loudly: "To be fair, what the Zhao clan elder said is absolutely correct. For now, going to the Broken Star Sea is our Zhao family's only way out. And we must leave as soon as possible. Be the first to choose a treasure island. If we go too late, we will only be able to pick what others have left."
"That's right! The first one to go will get it, and the last one to go will suffer! Sixth Master is right." A cultivator from the second house immediately echoed.
"Are we really going to the Broken Star Sea?"
First, he saw the clan elder Zhao Jinding easily defeated, and then he listened to Zhao Jinpeng's instigation.
The Zhao clan members in the hall suddenly had the same thought in their minds.
At this time, Zhao Jingang saw that everyone's expressions changed, as if they had been moved by his words.
Seeing this, he couldn't help but reveal a smug smile.
I want to ask Zhao Jingang if he really wants the Zhao family to move to Shattered Star Sea?
The answer is that he himself doesn't know.
But he knew that he could not turn back, because he had paid extremely high sunk costs in the past seven or eight years to renew the lease of Longli Lake.
From the day he heard Chen Zichuan propose that the Zhao family move to the Broken Star Sea, Zhao Jingang realized that he had fallen into someone else's trap.
However, what is even more terrifying is that he is already stuck in the mud and cannot escape, and there is only one way to go.
Fortunately, in his opinion, moving to the Broken Star Sea is not a dead end, but is very likely to be the Zhao family's hope for rebirth.
The world of immortal cultivation in Zhongzhou is lifeless and class-stratified, but the Broken Star Sea is a brand new world. Without the heavy shackles, the Zhao family will have more room for development.
What's more...
Just as Zhao Jingang was lost in his reverie, the door of Tongxin Hall was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
With the sound of footsteps, the figures of Zhao Sheng and Zhao Jinjian appeared in front of everyone.
Facing faces with different expressions such as surprise, shock, disgust, etc., Zhao Sheng walked into Tongxin Hall calmly.