Chapter 537 - 178: Devious Gongsun Ziwei, Awaiting the Fisherman’s Profit

A bitter taste filled Gongsun Long’s mouth, and his vision had grown dim. His trembling hand tried to rise, but after a brief effort, it fell limply back down.

In the great hall, a graceful figure in a floor-length purple dress and a light veil stood quietly. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, reaching her waist.

Her eyes were dazzlingly bright, like stars, and her skin was as fair and delicate as snow. Her slender, jade-like hands were crossed over her abdomen. She was like a reclusive orchid in a desolate valley, fresh and refined, yet she also possessed an air of supreme nobility that made her seem immeasurably regal.

This was none other than the Gongsun Family’s other Ancestor Level figure, Gongsun Ziwei. However, compared to Gongsun Long and the others, her seniority was much lower.

"The Helian Family’s wolfish ambitions are nothing new. On the day Ancestor Gongsun He passed away, I sensed someone trying to spy on us. From that day forward, I suspected what the Helian Family was planning..."

Gongsun Ziwei looked at the dying Gongsun Long and sighed, her breath heavy with helplessness.

The three great Guardian Families did not share the same philosophy. The Tantai Family seeks stability, the Helian Family is aggressive and domineering, while the Gongsun Family represents the middle path.

These differences were long destined to sow the seeds of future disaster.

"The Helian Family moved against me... they must have already known about Gongsun He’s passing. If something happens to me, you alone won’t be able to fend them off when they attack."

Gongsun Long was filled with immense regret and self-blame. Now that he saw through the Helian Family’s ambitions, he understood just how reckless his actions had been.

If something happened to the Gongsun Family, he would be its greatest sinner.

Gongsun Ziwei was silent for a moment. Looking at the grieving and furious clan members before her, she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

In the past, she had always been in seclusion deep within the family lands, focused solely on her cultivation. She almost never involved herself in the family’s affairs and had never imagined that one day, she would encounter such a situation.

Once Gongsun Long died, the family’s hopes would rest entirely on her.

Without an Ancestor Level figure to hold the fort, once the foundation of a Saint’s Noble Family was exhausted, they would be like fish on a cutting board, left to the mercy of others.

"For now, all we can do is hold on," said Gongsun Ziwei. "Once the Tantai Family can free themselves, they certainly won’t let the Helian Family do as they please."

The Little World was their safest barrier. It would take the Helian Family some time to break through it.

The chaos on Immortal Ascension Island would definitely attract the attention of many Daoist Inheritance Immortal Sects in the Nine Provinces Land. As long as someone came to their aid, they still had hope.

Soon, a series of orders were issued, and the Gongsun Family began their preparations.

All the clan members had learned that the Helian Family had colluded with the Demon Race and was about to attack. Even the young clan members who had just come of age brought out their Magical Artifacts and stood ready for battle.

A tense and oppressive atmosphere, like the calm before a storm, settled over the entire family.

...

At that very moment, deep within the Demon Abyss, a hazy radiance flickered. Amidst ruins piled with sand and gravel, the figures of Jiang Lan and Huangfu Hao appeared.

At Jiang Lan’s feet, an ancient Teleportation Array was emitting a faint glow, which then slowly faded away.

Above their heads, a gloomy, mist-like substance flowed. But upon closer inspection, one could still see some dim light shining down through drifting seawater, which was mixed with fragments of broken weapons.

’Deep in the Demon Abyss... We’ve reached the bottom of the sea. But further down from here is the location of the Array that the Three Saints once sealed...’

Jiang Lan looked over and saw a bottomless oceanic trench. Although it was dark and profound, it did not obstruct a Cultivator’s vision. It was just that the deeper one looked, the more intense the darkness felt.

Wisps of Demonic Qi curled up from the trench, forming a seaweed-like substance overhead. Many living beings, upon being tainted by this aura, would transform into Demons.

Over the long eons, who knows how many Demons had been formed in this place. The Demons currently on Immortal Ascension Island had surged up from here.

However, within this deep oceanic trench, there was clearly some kind of terrifying power that made even those Demons afraid to approach.

After arriving here, Huangfu Hao said nothing more.

With the God-Binding Rope restraining him, his clone was useless. Moreover, he couldn’t inform his true body of what was happening to it.

Jiang Lan frowned slightly. ’The seal the Three Saints laid down back then should be here. But something feels off about the depths of this oceanic trench.’

Huangfu Hao’s true body had never appeared from start to finish, but Jiang Lan knew that given his cunning, he had to be hiding in some secret place within the Demon Abyss.

With the clone in hand, he wasn’t worried about being unable to draw out the real Huangfu Hao. However, the most important thing at the moment was the Free Ancient Talisman he needed.

’Because of the resistance from the dimensional plane and the seal on the Demon Abyss, the Wushang Demon God can’t descend here. He can only use the Demon Abyss as a coordinate to transmit his thoughts and make a deal with Huangfu Hao...’

’Whether it’s the Wushang Demon God or Huangfu Hao, their ultimate goal is that Free Ancient Talisman.’

’Huangfu Hao won’t let the Wushang Demon God get the Free Ancient Talisman easily. The two of them are plotting against each other.’

With a flicker of thought, Jiang Lan secretly activated the Great Destiny Skill. He extracted a thread of Cause and Effect from the clone before him, then used that thread to trace back and search for the location of Huangfu Hao’s true body.

Just as he expected, the feedback from the thread of Cause and Effect confirmed that Huangfu Hao’s true body was indeed in the depths of the oceanic trench—right where the Array’s Barrier was located.