The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

Ye Xiaolin and Lin Tiansheng refrained from making any rash moves against the Seven Clans' heirs. Although Lu Shanglin appeared eager to fight, he dared not act without the support of the other two families.

"Step aside. Let the Seven Clans pass," Ye Xiaolin finally ordered, after carefully weighing the situation.

"Many thanks, Brother Xiaolin," Xia Changqing said with a faint, insincere smile as he cupped his hands.

Under the cold, watchful gazes of the Three Great Families, Wang Liyuan and the Seven Clans' heirs strode out of the Dan Ding Sect ruins without hindrance.

"Why, Brother Xiaolin?"

Lu Shanglin's frustration was palpable. He had expected Ye Xiaolin to lead them into battle against the Seven Clans, seizing the opportunity to kill Wang Liyuan. Instead, Ye Xiaolin had let them leave unchallenged.

"If the Three Great Families were to fight the Seven Clans, we could win—but it would be a narrow victory. Do you understand?" Ye Xiaolin replied evenly.

Lu Shanglin paused, falling silent.

"Our goal was always to kill Wang Liyuan, not to wage war against the Seven Clans. I had hoped that the other six clans would turn against Wang Liyuan, giving us the chance to strike from the shadows.

But Wang Liyuan must have used some trick to make them willingly escort him to safety. This shows how cunning he is—perhaps his fate isn't meant to end here," Ye Xiaolin said gravely.

"To obtain a treasure as rare as the Myriad Pill Furnace is proof enough of Wang Liyuan's extraordinary fortune. Killing him won't be easy," Lin Tiansheng added with a nod.

"To think we spent all these days hunting him, only to watch the Six Clans escort him out of here. It's infuriating!" Lu Shanglin growled, clenching his fists.

"Killing Wang Liyuan isn't something that must be rushed. There will be opportunities later," Ye Xiaolin said, patting Lu Shanglin on the shoulder, knowing his frustration.

"I understand, Brother Xiaolin," Lu Shanglin replied grudgingly.

"Let's go. The formation will soon close," Ye Xiaolin ordered, leading the Three Great Families' heirs and rogue cultivators away from the ruins.

Outside the Dan Ding Sect ruins, Xia Changqing suddenly stopped, turning to face Wang Liyuan.

"We've fulfilled our part of the bargain and escorted you out of the ruins safely. Now, isn't it time to hand over the Myriad Pill Furnace?"

"If I hand it over now, the Six Clans will undoubtedly kill the three of us," Wang Liyuan replied coolly.

"Do you think you can trick us?" Xia Changqing's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

"Not at all. I'm merely asking you to escort us to a safer location—specifically, my family's territory," Wang Liyuan said with a faint smile.

"Hah! Wang Liyuan, do you take us for fools? If we go to your family's territory, our lives would be at your mercy," Xia Changqing said coldly.

The heirs of the other clans, including Wen Ruli, wore equally stern expressions, their eyes filled with distrust.

"The choice is yours. As long as I hold the Myriad Pill Furnace, its fate is mine to decide," Wang Liyuan said, his tone casual but firm.

After a moment of tense silence, Xia Changqing and the other heirs exchanged glances, finally nodding in agreement.

"Very well. We'll escort you to the Wang family's territory. I doubt your family's ancestors would dare harm us. Doing so would mean severing ties with the Six Clans entirely, and that would bring no benefit to your family," Xia Changqing said.

Several days later:

"Master!"

Yun Yanshuang hopped down from a carriage and walked toward a large willow tree outside a manor, where an old blind Daoist sat serenely. She bowed respectfully.

"Haha! Where have you been?" the old Daoist asked with a chuckle.

"We went to the Dan Ding Sect ruins," she replied sweetly.

"Did you find anything?"

"Of course! We made a modest gain," Yun Yanshuang said, smiling brightly.

While she and Yun Yantian hadn't obtained any monumental fortune, they had collected enough treasures to support their family's current needs. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"As long as you've gained something, that's good. Where's Yantian?"

"Master, I'm here."

Yun Yantian stepped forward quickly, bowing with cupped hands.

"It's a blessing that both of you returned safely."

"Master, while we were in the ruins, we came across some treasures. We brought a gift for you," Yun Yanshuang said, smiling as she took several jars of spiritual wine from her storage pouch and set them on the table before the old Daoist.

"These wines were brewed by the Dan Ding Sect long ago. They're well-preserved and still drinkable. I thought you might like them, Master."

"Haha! You're so thoughtful, Shuang'er," the old Daoist said, his face lighting up with joy.

The blind Daoist chuckled heartily and, with a wave of his sleeve, collected the jars of spiritual wine.

Although the wine had little practical use for him, it was a heartfelt gift from his beloved disciples—one they had obtained through their hard work in the Dan Ding Sect ruins. That alone made it precious.

"Master, Shuang'er and I will return to the family first to report to Uncle and the elders. Afterward, we'll come back to continue our cultivation with you," Yun Yanshuang said with a respectful bow.

"Go on, go on! I was just about to take a nice afternoon nap. This heat is getting worse by the day," the blind Daoist replied, waving his hand with a smile.

Bidding their master farewell, Yun Yanshuang and Yun Yantian returned to their family's estate, where they were warmly greeted by their uncle and the other elders.

"Uncle, Brother Yantian and I have returned," Yun Yanshuang announced as they entered the ancestral hall, her voice cheerful.

Inside, Yun Yunyang, along with the other family elders, was in the middle of discussing clan affairs. He looked up and smiled warmly at his niece.

"Good, good! Your father, your uncles, and I have been worried about you two," Yun Yunyang said with a hearty laugh.

"Now that you've returned safely, it must be thanks to the blessings of our ancestors!"

The other elders—Yun Yunyue, Yun Yunfeng, and Yun Yunshan—stood to greet them, visibly relieved. For days, they had been deeply concerned about the siblings' safety.

"Shuang'er, did you gain anything from your trip to the Dan Ding Sect ruins?" Yun Yunshan asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yes, Father!" Yun Yanshuang replied with a bright smile, removing several storage pouches from her belt.

Yun Yantian followed suit, taking out his own storage pouches.

"I have to say, the Dan Ding Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a great sect of centuries past. Brother Yantian and I only explored the outskirts of the ruins, yet we found many valuable items," Yun Yanshuang said, her tone tinged with pride.

She began unpacking the contents of the pouches, listing the treasures as she went.

"Here we have spirit talismans. Although their spiritual energy has faded somewhat, they're still usable and can be sold to rogue cultivators in the market through Sister Ling'er and her team.

We also found some spiritual pills and a decent amount of fragmented spirit stones.

As for spiritual seeds, I've handed them over to Brother Yantian. He'll oversee planting them with Wen Yu, Wen Run, and the others to cultivate spiritual plants for the family.

Additionally, we found several incomplete cultivation techniques and Daoist arts. Uncle Yunrui can store these in the family's library.

Lastly, there are some spiritual weapons ranging from the first to the third rank of the Yellow Grade. Although they've lost some of their potency, Uncle Yunrui can either add them to the family's treasure vault or give them to Sister Ling'er to sell for spirit stones."

As she spoke, Yun Yanshuang carefully sorted the items, her tone light and playful.

The elders, watching the bounty pile up, couldn't hide their delight.

Though these items weren't considered rare or valuable by the standards of the Three Great Families or the Seven Clans, they were treasures for the Yun family. Anything that could be sold for spirit stones was a boon.

"Shuang'er, you've done me proud—and you too, Yantian!" Yun Yunshan said, laughing heartily.

The praise from her elders made Yun Yanshuang beam with happiness, her confidence soaring.

Her bright eyes turned to Yun Yunxun. "Uncle Yunxun, Brother Yantian and I also found some alchemical recipes in the ruins. Among them, the recipe for Gu Yuan Pills is fully intact, though the others are incomplete. Could you see if your expertise can help restore them?

As for the Gu Yuan Pills, I plan to see if the family has the necessary ingredients to try making them."

"Wonderful!" Yun Yunxun's eyes lit up as he eagerly accepted the recipes.

"Speaking of alchemy," Yun Yunyang interjected with a smile, "I'll need you to guide Wen Xuan as well, Shuang'er."

"Oh? Why is that?" Yun Yanshuang asked curiously.

"You may not know this, but Wen Xuan has been dabbling in alchemy and crafting in secret. He's shown some promise, so I hope you can help cultivate his skills and make him into a proper alchemist and craftsman for our family."

"Of course, Uncle. I'll teach him everything I can," Yun Yanshuang replied, grinning.

"And Yantian, I'll also need you to look after Wen Yu and Wen Run," Yun Yunyang added.

"Understood, Uncle," Yun Yantian replied firmly.

"You two have worked hard. Go and rest for now. The family's spiritual fields, crafting, and alchemy will need your attention soon enough," Yun Yunyang said warmly.

"Thank you, Uncle," the siblings said in unison, bowing respectfully before taking their leave.