Not long after, the Ji family head, the Tianji Holy Land holy master, the Ying family head, the Jiang family great elder, and martial saint elders from various forces arrived one after another upon hearing the news.
“Hong family head, what has happened?”
The Ying family head asked immediately.
“Lin Xiao and his three companions have appeared in Youzhou and destroyed twenty-eight branches of my Hong family.”
The Hong family head said.
“What?”
Everyone was shocked, almost stunned by this news.
Lin Xiao’s group was actually not on Spirit Pool Island but had appeared in Youzhou and wiped out twenty-eight Hong family branches?
The information they had was that Lin Xiao’s group had come to Spirit Pool Island and then vanished.
Could Spirit Pool Island have deliberately sent them away early?
“Ximen Haoyue, you old fox!”
The Tianji Holy Land holy master said through gritted teeth.
“Everyone, Lin Xiao’s group must still be in Youzhou at this moment. I hope you will all go together and kill them in one strike.”
The Hong family head said urgently.
“No time to delay. We set off for Youzhou immediately.”
The Ji family head also said.
Youzhou was an unknown distance from the Ji family, and after their supreme elder appeared, he had scared off Lin Xiao’s group.
Lin Xiao’s group would never fight back there.
Moreover, the Ji family great elder had attacked the Kunxu mountain bandits but was forced back by the Wang family on grounds of trespassing.
Afterwards, the great elder announced all Ji family branches withdraw to headquarters. He had only recently arrived in Yangzhou, met up with him, and reported the news.
Thus, the Ji family faced no danger and was the first to propose going to Youzhou to attack Lin Xiao’s group.
Of course, their supreme elder was also here, hidden in the shadows without showing himself.
“It takes at least half a month with maximum resources to reach Youzhou from here. By the time we go and return, Lin Xiao’s group will probably have fled Youzhou long ago. Going now would be too late.”
The Ying family head frowned deeply and said, “He struck the Hong family, so he will surely strike our Ying family next. The four of them are probably already heading to Xuanzhou to attack us. Everyone, we must go to Xuanzhou immediately, or we cannot catch them.”
At these words, the Jiang family great elder’s expression changed. “Youzhou borders our Haozhou. Our Jiang family head is gravely injured. It is very likely Lin Xiao’s group will attack us.”
In truth, the Jiang family great elder was more worried that not only was their head injured, but they had lost their heavy weapon.
However, he could not say this openly.
Hearing the two speak thus, the group could not decide.
They were all family head-level figures, naturally wise.
Whether the Hong family head, Ying family head, or Jiang family great elder, all wanted the others to come to their territories. First, to deal with Lin Xiao’s group.
Second, to relieve the threat and save their clansmen.
The Ji family head and Tianji Holy Land holy master naturally wanted to go together to intercept and kill Lin Xiao’s group.
But they were unsure where Lin Xiao’s group would head.
South of Youzhou was Haozhou, east was Xuanzhou. Both possible.
They might even head southeast to Shengzhou and attack Tianji Holy Land.
However, Tianji Holy Land differed from the families. It had no branches or many people.
Tianji Holy Land’s defences were extremely strong. Since Lin Xiao’s group had not attacked the Hong family headquarters, they surely had scruples about headquarters of major forces.
Thus, the holy master and elders of Tianji Holy Land were not too worried about an attack on Tianji Holy Land.
“Everyone, no matter which direction we go, we cannot be sure where Lin Xiao’s group will appear.”
The Tianji Holy Land holy master said, “Why not split into two groups, heading to Xuanzhou and Haozhou to capture and kill Lin Xiao’s group.”
“No. Lin Xiao struck in Youzhou, so he surely has not gone far. My Hong family’s crisis is not resolved. We must go to Youzhou.”
The Hong family head said.
Lin Xiao had appeared in their Youzhou, killing over twenty thousand clansmen. If they did not go to Youzhou but elsewhere, the Hong family would never agree.
The Hong family head was inwardly furious. Why had Lin Xiao targeted their Hong family and not others?
To let them see what it felt like to lose over twenty thousand clansmen, and it would greatly affect future competition among the families.
The Hong family had suffered heavy losses.
These clansmen were the source of their experts and wealth collectors. The total Hong family population was under one hundred thousand. Losing a fraction at once felt like a knife to the heart.
“The four are not fools. They would not stay in place. They are cunning and will surely head elsewhere. Our Xuanzhou Ying family is one of their best targets.”
The Ying family head said.
“With our Jiang family head injured, the chance they attack Jiang family is higher!”
The Jiang family great elder said.
The group argued endlessly.
Finally, the Tianji Holy Land holy master said, “Our Tianji Holy Land decides to go to Xuanzhou.”
“Our Ji family to Haozhou!”
The Ji family head said.
“We return to Youzhou ourselves!”
The Hong family head said angrily in the end.
When family fortunes were at stake, who would yield?
In the end, the five major forces split into three paths, heading to the three states.
Xuanzhou and Haozhou each had two forces’ martial saints going.
Youzhou only had the Hong family head and others returning.
The news of Lin Xiao destroying twenty-eight Hong family branches soon exploded around Spirit Pool Island, spreading in all directions.
“My god, Lin Xiao’s group actually went to Youzhou and wiped out twenty-eight Hong family branches?
That is over twenty thousand people. Lin Xiao’s group is too brutal!”
“More than brutal. Martial saints striking non-martial saints is simply slaughter.”
“This guy is ruthless. Truly not to be provoked. This time, the major forces have stumbled hard.”
“Like when the Ji family great elder ambushed Lin Xiao. He waited at Spirit Pool Island, but his own backyard was burned.”
“Heh, if you want to kill, be prepared to be killed. The five major forces have met a real tough opponent. They can join forces to hunt, but their clansmen cannot all be protected.”
“The five major forces are in big trouble now!”
“With forces contracting, powers in several states will surely nibble away at the original interests of the major forces. The troubles and losses for the five major forces are truly enormous.”
The news shocked and raged in all directions. The area around Spirit Pool Island boiled with it.
And the news continued spreading rapidly outward.
Half a month later.
Northwest Youzhou. The Hong family head and Hong Ping hurried back at maximum speed.
The moment they arrived at the Youzhou Hong family teleportation array, a Hong family elder immediately reported urgently to the family head. “Family head, the Nine Nether Zhi clan has declared war on our Hong family. While our clansmen withdrew to headquarters, they killed many of us.”
“Elder Hong Sheng went to search for Lin Xiao’s group and was nearly killed by the Nine Nether Zhi’s holy beast.”
“What?”
The Hong family head was shocked, fury exploding. “Those detestable Nine Bald Zhi dare take advantage of our weakness to attack our Hong family?”
Hong Ping was also enraged.
The Nine Nether Zhi was one of the six great beast clans, also in Youzhou. They had always clashed with the Hong family but restrained each other, rarely engaging in large-scale conflict.
Unexpectedly, after twenty-eight branches were destroyed, the Nine Nether Zhi clan had mobilised.
“Urgent reports also say the Tianluo Spirit Snail clan and Bimmu clan have joined to attack the Jiang family. The Winged Ox clan attacks the Ying family.”
The elder reported again.
The Hong family head and his companion were shocked once more.
Not only their Hong family, but the neighbouring Jiang and Ying families were also attacked by the other three great spirit beast clans?
“Why have all these spirit beast clans suddenly risen up?”
Hong Ping asked in confusion. “Could it be because Lin Xiao’s group talked to them?”
“It must be because Lin Xiao’s group acted, human martial saints fell, and our prestige is lost. These beast clans have started rebelling.”
The Hong family head said.
He then snorted coldly. “They truly underestimate our human major forces. Do they think they can replace us as overlords?”
