"That's right..."

The elderly man continued looking out at the snowy scene. "Is there any further news about the person who ambushed Li Qingfeng?"

The middle-aged man replied, "No. This person is extremely mysterious, with high levels of Cultivation Strength. We're struggling to ascertain their identity and whereabouts."

The Celestial Master Mansion's third internal strife began with Tang Xiaotang and Li Hongyu both breaking through to the Eighth Heavenly Layer. During the internal battle, there were two crucial turning points.

The first was when the Celestial Master's Sword automatically returned within the bounds of Dragon Tiger Mountain and fell into Tang Xiaotang's hands. Otherwise, the outcome of this battle would still be uncertain.

Then, the mysterious person who had ambushed Li Qingfeng years ago, leading to his death above the Grand River, reappeared. He not only directly caused Li Hongyu's death but also further changed the situation.

Otherwise, in the grand battle of Li Wai, Li Hongyu, even at her worst, might have relinquished the Celestial Master Robe. This would have given her a significant chance to escape from Tang Xiaotang and flee Dragon Tiger Mountain. With Tang Xiaotang's attention on her and the Celestial Master Robe, Li Song might have escaped. Even Li Ziyang's fate might have been different.

Even if Li Ziyang and Li Zhengxuan had still fallen because of Qi Shuo, Cao Chu, Zhao Zongjie, and Lin Yuwei, the Li Clan would still have had Li Hongyu and Li Song to preside over the situation. Then, the circumstances would have been entirely different.

The Daoist Talisman Sect would have split into three factions. For the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, this would also have been a favorable result.

Regrettably...

"With that level of Cultivation Strength, there aren't many people to consider. I already have some guesses in mind," the elderly man said. "There's still a possibility that a new master might suddenly emerge from the Southern Wilderness. But if it's from within the Great Tang of the Central Plains, the suspects are limited."

He looked up slightly. "Still, what is their true motive? And do they have other plans?"

The middle-aged man spoke softly, "A certain faction within the Yellow Sky Sect appears to be connected with that mysterious person. However, our people within the Yellow Sky Sect are not high enough in rank, so no more conclusive news has been sent back."

The elderly man calmly said, "Continue the investigation. Don't relax."

The middle-aged man replied, "Yes, Father."

After his response, he did not leave immediately but hesitated, as if he wanted to say something.

The elderly man said, "If you have something to say, just say it."

The middle-aged man began, "Father, if the Celestial Master Mansion truly shows signs of an old tree sprouting new shoots, then now is the best time to eliminate it—while the old tree has withered and the new shoots are still tender. If we wait any longer, it will only give the new shoots a chance to grow. If you would be willing to personally head south, the overall situation could be settled. Xu Yuanzhen's disappearance is indeed a hidden danger, but if this continues, similar risks are likely to increase..."

If Tang Xiaotang's growth hadn't been so rapid, shattering the Li Clan's sense of security, and if they weren't concerned about Xu Yuanzhen's unpredictable return, the Li Clan might not have resolved to engage in open hostility.

It is said that you can run from the monk, but not from the temple. But if there's no temple to speak of, then naturally, it's a different matter. An Eightfold Heavenly Layer master with no attachments is an alarming threat.

Of course, everything depends on weighing the pros and cons. The strength of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou is certainly not comparable to that of the Li Clan in Xinzhou.

"No matter whether your points are valid or not, it's too late," the old man said, finally withdrawing his gaze from the window again. "I just received news that the unrest in the Land of Wu and Yue has been quelled. Prince Wu is dead, and the turmoil of the East Sea demons is about to be resolved."

The middle-aged man fell silent upon hearing this.

The turmoil in the Land of Wu and Yue had died down, and even the threat of the East Sea demon chaos was temporarily removed. The Tang Imperial Court could once again free up its hands. Now that the Bodhi Temple had been uprooted, Her Majesty the Empress of Great Tang would not allow the Celestial Master Mansion to fall so soon afterward.

Although the Li Clan had previously supported the Tang Imperial Court, for Her Majesty the Empress, the outcome of the Li Wai struggle on Dragon Tiger Mountain—a victory for an outsider and the defeat of the Li name—was likely a result she preferred to see...

As the old man said, it was already too late.

"The current sovereign..." the middle-aged man said solemnly.

"Let's continue to observe for now," the old man stated. "Based on what we know so far, she is vastly different from the previous emperor, even though they are siblings born of the same mother."

"Understood." The middle-aged man took his leave.

The old man slowly paced and then settled back into his seat.

The large room quieted down.

...

On Dragon Tiger Mountain, the most intense phase of the battle had concluded; the overall situation was settled. What remained was some clean-up work.

After openly turning against each other, combat also erupted between some Li Clan members and the True Inheritance Disciples from outside the Li Clan within the Celestial Master Mansion, at the levels of the Middle Three Heavens and Lower Three Heavens. Under the leadership of their respective Elders, these battles were not as fierce as the one fought by the High Merit Elders high above, but they were just as bloody.

The scenes of continuous internal strife within the Celestial Master Mansion from over a hundred years ago were replaying today, resulting in numerous casualties.

However, as the battle between the High Merit Elders concluded, the situation in other parts of the mountain became clear. The Li Clan's morale plummeted. Few were willing to fight to the death; most attempted to flee the mountain.

Yuan Mobai and other High Merit Elders did not pursue them. Instead, they instructed the other disciples not of the Li surname to avoid chasing beyond a certain range and to return to the mountain swiftly. This was mainly for safety reasons. Although the experts from the Yellow Sky Sect, Golden City Stronghold, and Yintuo Mountain had retreated, caution was still necessary.

The Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion could be said to be at its lowest point in recent years. This was the inevitable price to pay after repeated chaos. Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were indeed highly skilled. However, for one thing, they could not yet be said to dominate the world; for another, as the old saying goes, the dead cannot be resurrected.

With the Heirs of the Celestial Master Mansion dead or wounded, even if their fellow disciples could help avenge them, it would not change the fate of the deceased. For them, it was ultimately just a handful of yellow earth.

Therefore, Lei Jun and the others returned to the mountain one after another.

Today's great turmoil was now entering its concluding phase.

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