"My lord! A massive gathering of powerhouses has been detected at the formation hub to the southwest. From the formation's configuration, it appears they're preparing a full-scale assault. Requesting reinforcements!"
"My lord! To the northwest, large numbers of experts from the Beigong and Feng families have begun attacking the formation hub. The scale of the assault is unprecedented!"
"My lord! To the northeast..."
In an instant, bad news poured in from every direction.
The entire Xiahou family headquarters—including the Yun Lang Sect Master and the Tian family head—were all consumed by a bone-deep sense of despair.
A deeply ominous premonition gripped them all: this coordinated offensive was surely the beginning of the Sacred Land's full counterattack, the most ferocious retaliation the Sacred Land had ever launched against the Xiahou family, and it had officially begun.
If even a single formation hub was breached, the entire formation would be destabilized, sending shockwaves through the Xiahou family's fortress.
It was a situation where pulling a single thread would move the whole body.
With every hub under simultaneous attack, the Xiahou family was genuinely stretched thin on manpower. Even with the Tian family and Yun Lang Sect's forces, their numbers were barely sufficient to hold the line.
The Carefree Marquis was at his wit's end.
Just then, a cultivator tasked with guarding the communication formation came rushing over, his face etched with urgency.
"My lord, my lord! The family's Grand Ancestor has just sent word asking about our current situation! He has already become aware of the family's plight. He has left the sealing formation and is on his way back. He urges us to hold firm and defend the family's foundation until he arrives!"
"The Grand Ancestor is returning?" The Carefree Marquis's eyes lit up immediately. "What about the Imperial Grand Ancestor? Is he coming back as well?"
The cultivator shook his head blankly. "The Grand Ancestor made no mention of the Imperial Grand Ancestor. It's possible he's returning alone? Perhaps the Imperial Grand Ancestor is staying behind to guard the sealing formation?"
That explanation did make sense.
But right now, the Carefree Marquis cared about only one thing—his own family's Grand Ancestor.
"Good, good! The Divine Dao Grand Ancestor is returning to the family! Everyone, what is there left to worry about? No matter how dire things seem now, once the Grand Ancestor returns, he will absolutely turn the tide!" The Carefree Marquis was overjoyed.
"My two worthy brothers, you have remained loyal and steadfast alongside our Xiahou family through it all. Now that the Grand Ancestor is about to return, our Xiahou family will surely be able to turn the tables once more."
"The Grand Ancestor is returning? Wonderful news!" The Yun Lang Sect Master let out a long, relieved breath.
If the Xiahou family's Grand Ancestor had remained away much longer, even the Yun Lang Sect Master himself could not have been certain how much longer he could hold on.
Was he truly meant to die alongside the Xiahou family?
That was obviously not something he wished to see. He did not want to betray the Xiahou family, but neither did he want to follow them to their graves.
Hearing that the Grand Ancestor was about to return, his relief was genuine.
The Divine Dao Grand Ancestor was, after all, the most compelling presence in the entire divine kingdom. The reason these various factions had been fighting back and forth, the reason the situation had shifted—was that not all because a single Vermilion Bird divine beast with power rivaling the Divine Dao had appeared?
Now, with the Xiahou family's Divine Dao Grand Ancestor returning, could the situation not be reversed once again?
Anything was possible!
News of the Xiahou family Grand Ancestor's imminent return spread swiftly through the entire family, reaching every last corner.
At a time like this, even a single piece of news was a powerful tonic—an injection of morale that seemed to grant every person unconditional strength and fighting spirit.
Those who had been faltering, their will to fight wavering, experienced an immediate transformation.
Before, everyone had felt there was no hope, which was why their spirits had been so low. Now, hearing that the Grand Ancestor was about to return was like finding salvation at the edge of despair.
In light of this, the revival of their fighting spirit was hardly surprising.
The Eternal Sacred Land naturally had its own informants and moles within the Xiahou family. Before long, this news reached the Sacred Land as well.
The Great Holy Lord was greatly alarmed upon receiving the intelligence.
"The Xiahou family's Divine Dao Grand Ancestor is about to return?"
"What's going on? Wasn't the Xiahou family's Divine Dao Grand Ancestor locked in a stalemate with the Sacred Land Ancestor? How could he be returning early? Has he already learned that the Xiahou family is on its last legs, and is coming back to turn the tide?"
"This is going to be troublesome. A Divine Dao powerhouse—if there is no corresponding opponent to contend with them, those of us at the Heavenly realm will find it nearly impossible to match them."
The shock this news delivered left the Sacred Land's side feeling deeply troubled. The situation that had been so favorable moments ago was now shrouded in a layer of shadow.
Could it be that the tug-of-war between the Sacred Land and the Xiahou family would not end as quickly as they had hoped—that it would drag on in a prolonged stalemate?
Zi Che Min's gaze drifted involuntarily toward Jiang Chen. By now, Zi Che Min had developed something of an instinctive pattern of thought.
Whenever they encountered a thorny problem and could find no good solution, perhaps seeking out Shao Yuan was the best course of action after all.