Everyone In The Wenjian Sect Was In An Uproar! The Army Arrived At The Wenjian Sect!

Shortly after, Ling Yunfeng arrived with a dozen or so half-saint elders. The sight of the shattered life cards scattered across the ground left everyone in shock.

"What... what happened? The Great Elder's life card... all of them are shattered!"

"And those whose life cards are broken were all above the martial arts level!"

The gasps from everyone filled the air. Losing so many powerful individuals at once would be a devastating blow to the vitality of the Wenjian Sect, even with its deep roots.

Some of the observing disciples stole glances at Ling Yunfeng. His face was dark and stormy, as if water could drip from his expression.

As the silence stretched, Ling Yunfeng spoke first, his tone heavy:

"Before this happened, I communicated with the Great Elder and the others. They reported encountering Orion's army. Then, the communication was abruptly cut off."

"No matter how many times I tried to reach them, there was no response."

The surrounding elders listened intently to Ling Yunfeng's words, and soon murmurs began to ripple through the group.

"If they encountered Orion's army before losing contact, then this must be Orion's doing!"

"But would Orion's army really have the strength to wipe out our strongest? It's difficult to fathom."

"Still, it's strange that the Great Elder and the others didn't even have time to send back any news..."

Confusion spread among them. The Great Elder and his group were formidable, well beyond hundreds of martial sects in strength. Who could have quietly annihilated such a powerful force, unless a martial saint personally intervened?

However, according to the information they had, Orion's army was led by semi-saints at best. How could they be responsible for this? Was it possible they encountered some unexpected disaster?

Ling Yunfeng's voice cut through the discussions, his face grim:

"Regardless of what happened to the Great Elder and his group, we have a more pressing issue. Orion's army is advancing toward our Lingyun Sect."

"What's certain is that he intends to lead his troops to attack our Wenjian Sect!"

"And given our proximity to Beiyang City, Orion's army will likely arrive soon!"

Ling Yunfeng's words sent a shockwave through the crowd. Disbelief quickly turned into anger among the disciples.

"What? That worthless Orion dares to attack our Wenjian Sect? Has he lost his mind?"

"Is Orion insane? Does he really think he can go up against us?"

"Hmph! If Orion dares to come, I'll just twist his head off!"

The disciples' outrage was palpable. Many still viewed Orion through the lens of old rumors that painted him as a useless prince. The idea that he would dare attack the largest sect in the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed laughable.

However, the elders, who were more aware of Orion's recent accomplishments, wore solemn expressions. They knew the situation was far more serious. Despite their strength and numbers, they realized that any confrontation with Orion's army could lead to significant losses.

"Sect Master..."

Many of the elders turned to Ling Yunfeng, their concern evident.

Ling Yunfeng, anticipating their worries, had already instructed the Great Elder and others to return to Wenjian Sect as soon as possible.

"Don't worry. When the time comes, I will take action myself," Ling Yunfeng assured them with a sigh.

In order to avoid a devastating confrontation, he, the leader of the Martial Saint Sect, would have to personally intervene. Though he alone might not be able to defeat Orion's army, he wasn't without allies. Wenjian Sect boasted 100,000 disciples and more than a dozen semi-saint-level elders.

Upon hearing Ling Yunfeng's promise, the elders' doubts eased. With their Holy Realm Sect Leader stepping in, they believed the threat could be contained.

...

"It's not good, Sect Master, elders!"

A disciple suddenly burst in, panic evident on his face.

"A large army has appeared at our sect! They claim to be under the command of Zhenbei King Orion and have come to attack us!"

Ling Yunfeng's eyes narrowed. "It seems Orion wasted no time."

His voice was cold as he continued, "Put aside the matter of the Great Elder's shattered life cards for now. We will investigate that thoroughly later. For now, order all deacons to summon the disciples and prepare for battle."

"The elders will accompany me down the mountain to greet Orion!"

"Yes!" The hall erupted into action as everyone scrambled to follow Ling Yunfeng's orders.

"Sect Master... Should we wake the ancestors?" one elder hesitantly asked, clearly shaken by Orion's boldness.

Ling Yunfeng fixed the elder with a piercing stare.

"The ancestor reached the limit of martial arts three hundred years ago and has been in seclusion since, seeking to break through."

"Three hundred years have passed without any sign of success. No one knows if the ancestor has succeeded or not. If we disturb him for something trivial, and disrupt his opportunity to break through, we will be remembered as the eternal sinners of the Wenjian Sect!"

The elder's face drained of color under Ling Yunfeng's fierce gaze. "Y-yes... I spoke out of turn."

Ling Yunfeng's message was clear: unless absolutely necessary, the ancestor in seclusion would not be disturbed. After all, every great sect had its dormant ancestors, but to wake one without cause was a grave mistake.

...

Wenjian Sect was nestled in a mountain range in the northwest of Liangzhou, built into the very rock of the range.

At that moment, Orion had already led his dragon cavalry to the foot of the mountain where Wenjian Sect was located.

"You... You wait! Our leader will be here soon!" The two disciples guarding the entrance warned Orion, their voices trembling as they pointed their swords at him.

Their shaking hands made it clear they posed no real threat.

"My lord, why don't we attack now?" Xu Chu and the others, eager for action, had already drawn their weapons, ready to strike. The two trembling disciples didn't even register as threats to them.

Orion shook his head. "Every sect of this level has a protective formation. If we charge in blindly, we'll only make things harder for ourselves."

"Let's wait here at the foot of the mountain until their leaders arrive. We'll deal with them first. Once they're out of the way, entering the sect will be easy."

"And even if they try to activate the formation again without their leaders, it'll be much weaker. There's nothing to fear."

Orion had already gathered intelligence on the Wenjian Sect, so he was prepared for every eventuality.