It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

In the Lan Clan Ancestral Land, there was a slight commotion.

The two great Ancient Families and even the Clear Moon Holy Land, which had just launched a surprise attack on the Lan Clan, were now somewhat stunned.

After all, the information they had received should definitely not have been wrong.

But so what?

Now that the Spirit Dragon had appeared from the Ancestral Land, even if the Lan Clan truly harbored demonic cultivators, could they possibly question the Spirit Dragon’s identity?

In the vast Eastern Continent, probably no one dared to do so.

After all, she was a Spirit Dragon, a creation favored by the heavens; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was a creature born of the Great Dao.

The Great Dao transcends all things in the universe; it could be called the origin of the universe, for the universe exists because of it.

In the entire Nine Provinces, only the Spirit Dragon resonates with the Great Dao.

With the appearance of the Spirit Dragon, this ‘farce’ in the Lan Clan Ancestral Land finally came to an end.

Lan Pingzhi and the others, who had been passive just moments ago, were now preparing to settle scores with these ill-intentioned enemies.

The Great Elder of the Lan Clan watched this scene, his aged brows furrowing slightly, and turned, intending to leave secretly.

Not far away, Lan Feiying, watching Mu Zhian who had already left, quickly tugged gently at her sister’s sleeve and transmitted her voice: “Sister, look, where does the Great Elder seem to be going?”

Lan Mulian glanced sideways. In her vision, an old man in a gray robe was slowly walking towards the outside of the Ancestral Land, looking somewhat flustered.

“Where does the Great Elder intend to go?”

Lan Mulian spoke calmly, her clear autumn-water eyes gazing at the gray-robed old man not far away.

The Lan Clan Great Elder ignored her, instead quickening his pace, intending to leave this place.

The Lan Clan’s greatest secret had been leaked for no reason. Even a fool could guess there must have been an internal traitor who revealed it. Staying here now, it would sooner or later be traced back to him.

Lan Pingzhi glanced sideways slightly, saying darkly, “Where is the Great Elder going?”

“The Lan Clan believes it has treated you well. Why would you commit such an act of betraying the clan?!”

As soon as Lan Pingzhi said this, it was like a stone causing a thousand ripples. Instantly, the entire Lan Clan was in an uproar, looking incredulously at this Great Elder who held high status and power within the clan.

Not far behind Lan Pingzhi, his principal wife was also stunned, staring intently at her grandfather.

“What did you just say? The Great Elder did this?” A Lan Clan elder beside him looked at Lan Pingzhi in disbelief.

“At first, I didn’t believe it either. But from his various actions before, and later his strong desire for Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying to join the Lan Clan, I became suspicious,” Lan Pingzhi said indifferently.

“Lan Cao, the Lan Clan believes it has treated you well. Why did you do this?” The First Generation Elder looked up, a trace of sorrow in his aged eyes.

It was clear that today’s events happened because someone leaked the information to outsiders; otherwise, the Clear Moon Holy Land wouldn’t have brought the other two great Ancient Families to denounce the Lan Clan.

He just hadn’t expected that the person who leaked the Lan Clan’s secret was actually the Lan Clan’s Great Elder, Lan Cao.

One must know, the Lan Clan Great Elder’s position in the Lan Clan could be said to be second only to one person. The Great Elder’s influence in the Lan Clan was also the most extensive. If not for the Great Elder having no son, the position of Clan Leader would never have fallen to Lan Pingzhi.

However, unexpectedly, after a brief moment of panic, a sinister smile appeared on Lan Cao’s withered face. He sneered, “Treated this old man well?”

His gaze fell on Lan Pingzhi, and he sneered, “If you truly treated this old man well, then over these years, you wouldn’t have, out of fear of this old man and the power behind me, secretly used those despicable means in the medicinal pills your wife took, secretly preventing her from getting pregnant.”

Lan Pingzhi’s pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with shock, but his face remained expressionless.

“If you hadn’t acted secretly back then, the one inheriting the position of Lan Clan Young Master now wouldn’t be Lan Wu, but this old man’s grandchild,” Lan Cao slowly spoke, revealing an unknown secret.

“If you hadn’t harbored rebellious intentions early on, why would I have resorted to this?” Lan Pingzhi was expressionless.

This matter needed to be traced back to when Lan Pingzhi inherited the position of Clan Leader.

Clearly, there was a hidden story behind Lan Pingzhi inheriting the Clan Leader position back then. Lan Pingzhi was also aware of some of the Great Elder’s secret activities, which is why he desperately prevented his wife from getting pregnant.

Because, in those years, the power of Lan Cao’s faction was too immense. Once Lan Cao’s granddaughter became pregnant and gave birth to an heir, there would sooner or later be a day of ‘forcing the abdication’.

At that time, Lan Pingzhi was only at the Nascent Soul Realm, weak and isolated, unable to stand alone.

Once Lan Cao took control of the Lan Clan, the already disloyal Lan Cao would likely sooner or later do things harmful to the Lan Clan.

Lan Cao didn’t argue, merely revealing a grim smile: “So, you think you can stop this old man from leaving?”

The Lan Clan Great Elder should now be at the half-step Soul Transformation Realm. These words naturally provoked the anger of several Lan Clan elders.

Did his words mean he was confident he could defeat everyone present?

An immense surge of Spiritual Energy erupted from Lan Pingzhi’s body. He struck out with a palm towards Lan Cao, the shockwave causing many cultivators’ expressions to change slightly. Although they knew the Lan Clan Leader was powerful, they hadn’t expected Lan Pingzhi’s Spiritual Energy to be so close to the Soul Transformation Realm.

After the rules of heaven and earth were rewritten, Lan Pingzhi might be the first cultivator to step into the Soul Transformation Realm!

Just as countless people thought Lan Cao was about to suffer a great loss, they saw Lan Cao also strike out with a palm. Beneath his feet, a black, viscous liquid appeared, overwhelmingly engulfing and consuming the giant palm strike from Lan Pingzhi.

“Is this the confidence with which you attack me? Do you really think the Soul Transformation Realm is invincible in the Eastern Continent?”

Lan Cao stood with his hands behind his back, a sharp glint flashing in his murky eyes. He raised his hand again, striking out with a palm that transformed into a large black seal.

Brilliant radiance filled the large seal as it crashed down towards Lan Pingzhi!

Lan Pingzhi’s pupils contracted. He raised his hand again and struck out with another palm. The two divine abilities clashed, causing the mountain peaks to tremble violently and countless cracks to appear on the ground.

Pu!

Lan Pingzhi spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbled back several steps, clutching his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He abruptly raised his head, staring incredulously at the Lan Clan’s Great Elder, horrified: “Dao Integration Realm?”

“No, there’s something in your body, not bound by the rules of heaven and earth!”

Lan Cao said with a smile, “Clan Leader has sharp eyes.”

“A few days ago, a projection clone of the Sabbath’s(Rest Day) Divine Envoy bestowed some things upon this old man.”

“You all must abide by the rules of heaven and earth, but this old man can freely use Spiritual Energy that does not belong to this world.”

Lan Cao revealed an unknown secret: the ‘Sabbath’ that had once swept across the entire Nine Provinces was about to descend. A Divine Envoy had arrived some days ago, and he was one of that Divine Envoy’s servants.

The Sabbath, that was a ‘Heavenly Punishment’ that would purge cultivators above the Nascent Soul Realm. The Nine Provinces had experienced the Sabbath more than three times before, and each time, the major powers of the Nine Provinces were reshuffled.

Except for the three giants of the Eastern Continent, all cultivators present paled upon hearing ‘Sabbath’.

Just the things ‘bestowed’ by that Divine Envoy allowed the Lan Clan Great Elder to defeat Lan Pingzhi so easily. Watching this scene, everyone was deeply shocked.

“Does anyone else wish to keep this old man here?” Lan Cao’s gaze swept over the several equally stern Lan Clan elders present, a cold sneer on his face.

Originally, Lan Cao’s faction was the strongest force in the Lan Clan. But over the years, Lan Pingzhi seemed to have seen through Lan Cao’s disloyalty and taken precautions, weakening Lan Cao’s power several times.

But now, none of that mattered anymore. After all, when the Sabbath Divine Envoy’s vessel descended upon the Nine Provinces, the Lan Clan… no, most of the Holy Lands and Ancient Families in the Eastern Continent would likely be reshuffled.

At that time, he could create a power even stronger than the Lan Clan.

The elders were all furious, but helpless at the moment.

Before a cultivator whose strength was suspected to be at the quasi-Soul Transformation Realm, any means would seem weak and powerless.

Looking at the indignant expressions of the Lan Clan elders, the smile on Lan Cao’s face grew wider, laughing at these people who overestimated themselves and tried to obstruct him.

“In a few days, this old man will personally visit the Lan Clan to settle the scores from these years. You all just wait.”

With that said, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

However, just then, Lan Cao vaguely sensed countless strange gazes behind him, looking at him incredulously.

More accurately, they were looking behind him.

Lan Cao’s heart suddenly chilled; he vaguely felt a bone-chilling coldness from behind.

He whipped his head around.

Unbeknownst to him, an ethereal figure had faintly appeared ahead. She seemed to walk from the Heavenly Court to the mortal world. Beautiful, yes, but her imposing aura was even more astonishing.

The night wind brushed her beautiful hair, stirring her black and white interwoven dress, like a banished immortal descending to the world.

Like a woman from the highest heavens, walking step by step into the mortal realm.

Such a peerlessly beautiful woman, never seen before… This thought flashed through the minds of countless cultivators present.

“Who are you?” Lan Cao demanded.

He sensed the killing intent from this person. His withered hand hidden in his sleeve quietly clenched into a fist. He abruptly raised his hand, runes flashing in his palm, intending to strike first.

Weng!

What followed was the hum of a sword. He suddenly felt the woman’s figure blur before his eyes. The next moment, Lan Cao’s lips moved, and he turned his head in horror to look behind him. Unknowingly, a five-pointed star rune had appeared on his back.

Gong Lianyue sheathed the Bronze Sword back into the scabbard on her chest.

Boom!

A roar sounded, and a deafening noise echoed throughout the Ancestral Land. Immense Spiritual Energy rippled outwards rapidly like waves.

“The Sabbath’s Divine Envoys haven’t even arrived, and they’re already recruiting subordinates with such fanfare?”

The cold, crisp, and calm voice of the woman dressed in a black and white palace dress dotted with plum blossoms sounded, making many present feel a chill in their hearts.

The expressions of all cultivators changed as they looked at the woman in the palace dress in astonishment.

One must know, just moments ago, even Lan Pingzhi couldn’t defeat the Lan Clan Great Elder, yet now he was slain by this mysterious woman with a single sword strike?

“Dao Integration Realm?!”

“There’s no mistake… It’s the Dao Integration Realm! Wielding the Bronze Sword, she is the Sword Palace Master!”

“Unexpectedly, two Dao Integration Realm experts came to the Lan Clan Ancestral Land…”

Lan Pingzhi and the several Lan Clan elders exchanged glances, equally horrified and finding it hard to believe.

Under normal circumstances, letting Lan Cao leave today would likely bring huge trouble to the Lan Clan in the future.

But who would have thought that one of the people chosen by the Sabbath’s Divine Envoy would be slain so easily.

Lan Pingzhi quickly reacted, took two steps forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said respectfully, “I was unaware of the Palace Master’s arrival today. Please forgive me, Palace Master.”

“You should still have many matters to handle in your Ancestral Land. Pay no mind to this Palace Master; handle your own affairs.”

Gong Lianyue said calmly.

“This…”