From Dong Ziming's words, Xiang Shaoyun had a rough idea of what was going on with the Dong Clan and Dong Ziwan. The Dong Clan was under assault by the Tai and Xing Clans, but they were still capable of fighting back. However, completely destroying the two clans proved quite impossible for them as well.
The two clans had always been their two strongest subordinate clans, and they occupied two of the most important cities of the Five Denseforest Cities. With the two working together, the Dong Clan now only had the remaining three cities under their control.
If the Dong Clan ancestor was still alive, the two clans would never dare to revolt. Unfortunately, the ancestor was dead, causing the two clans to break free and betray them. As for the Illusionary Palm Society, it was also a tier-5 organization. The Dong Clan was planning to form an alliance with the Illusionary Palm Society through marriage to solve their crisis, but Dong Ziwan had disobeyed the clan and had run away from home.
Dong Wu had been ordered to search for her and bring her back, but Dong Ziming had insisted on tagging along. Unfortunately for them, the Tai Clan's Emperors had found out and went after them, thus leading to their meeting with Xiang Shaoyun's group.
"Where is your sister?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
He did not care about the Dong Clan and was only worried about Dong Ziwan's well-being. After all, they were companions who had gone through a dangerous situation together. He would not watch on if she was in trouble.
"From what the Tai Clan people were saying earlier, things are not looking very well for her either. She is probably at the Cleargrace Ridge not far from here. The Tai and Xing Clans have already sent their Kings over to capture her," replied Dong Ziming. From the tone of his voice and how he was addressing his elder sister by name, it was quite obvious he did not have a good opinion of her.
"Where is this Cleargrace Ridge?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Go in that direction for half a day, and you will be there," said Dong Ziming without hesitation as he pointed in a certain direction.
Xiang Shaoyun then flew up and called out to Jin Wo, "Jin Wo, come with me. Devouring Ghost and Big Brother Du, stay behind to watch over them."
Jin Wo then transformed back into his beast form and started flying toward the ridge with Xiang Shaoyun on his back. Devouring Ghost was worried to let Xiang Shaoyun go without him, but after a slight hesitation, he had still decided to stay behind.
He had already killed three Emperors. It was unlikely that the enemy had sent out more Emperors to deal with a few youngsters. After all, Emperors were considered trump cards for tier-4 and tier-5 organizations and would not be casually mobilized. Thus, having Jin Wo alone by Xiang Shaoyun's side should be enough for now.
But he was still worried, so he told Du Xuanhao, "Follow them and protect the young master secretly."
Du Xuanhao did not wait and left directly.
...
At the Cleargrace Ridge was a secluded and beautiful valley where flowers bloomed abundantly. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds. Butterflies were fluttering about, and rabbits were hopping around on the ground. A young lady's melodious singing voice was ringing in the air; everything was like a scene out of a painting.
The Cleargrace Ridge was well-known for its exceptionally beautiful scenery with a lot of cities nearby. There were also very few demonic beasts, and one could say that it was a serene and peaceful place.
A graceful young lady was strolling amid the flowers, shutting her eyes occasionally to smell the fragrance in the air. From time to time, she leaned down to get a closer look of the beautiful flowers, her every move radiating boundless charm.
Her long hair swayed about as she walked barefoot, her skin as exquisite as ivory, her beauty irresistible. This young lady was none other than Dong Ziwan. She had appeared within the territory of Cloud Margin City back then because of her ancestor's death. The ancestor had always doted upon her, and in her sorrow, she took a trip to take her mind off the pain when he had passed away. That was how she had come to know Xiang Shaoyun.
"I wonder how that scoundrel is doing now," Dong Ziwan wondered as the image of a handsome face surfaced in her mind.
Back then, both of them had explored the zombie cave together. He had saved her, and had also taken advantage of her. Since then, she had never been able to erase him from her mind, which was why she had refused the arranged marriage with the Illusionary Palm Society. She already had someone in her heart.
Suddenly, a shout rang out in the air, "Young lady, leave! The people from the Tai and Xing Clans are here!"
An injured person could be seen flying over at a rapid speed. This was the same guardian elder from back then, Wu Lai. He was currently covered in blood, looking battered and exhausted. It was obvious he had just gone through an intense battle. Right after he arrived, about seven or eight figures appeared behind him. Mounted on powerful demonic beasts, they hovered in the sky above them.
"Haha, Dong Ziwan is indeed here!" shouted someone who was howling in laughter.
This person was a young man whose body was so sturdy he looked more like a beast than a man. He was about 27 or 28 years old, and his cultivation level was at the Skysoar Realm. He was mounted on a Demon King bluescale ox.
His name was Tai Kang, one of the top figures among the Tai Clan's younger generation. Behind him were three Tai Clan experts. As for the other four people in the group, they were from the Xing Clan. All of them were in the Skysoar Realm, with three of them being late-stage Skysoar Realm cultivators.
Dong Ziwan raised her head with an anxious look in her eyes and asked, "Tai Kang, Xing Mo, what is this? Are you rebelling?"
Dong Ziwan was unaware of what the two clans were planning back when she had fled home. If she had known, she wouldn't have put herself at risk like this.
"Haha, Dong Ziwan, looks like you are still clueless. The Tai Clan and Xing Clan are no longer the Dong Clan's subordinates. Be a good girl and hand yourself over," said the young man beside Tai Kang.
This young man was Xing Mo from the Xing Clan, a Skysoar Realm cultivator.
Wu Lai stood before Dong Ziwan and said, "Young lady, leave. I'll stop them!"
"It's too late," said Dong Ziwan. She was no idiot and could clearly see their situation. Although she was also a Skysoar Realm cultivator, it was unlikely that she would be able to escape so many Skysoar Realm cultivators.
"Smart girl. Since you are the number one beauty of the Five Denseforest Cities, I will let you come with us obediently. Disobey and you will suffer," said Tai Kang with a perverse look in his eyes. Dong Ziwan was genuinely the number one beauty of the Five Denseforest Cities. She had countless admirers, including Tai Kang.
"You are trying to threaten my father with me? I won't allow that," said Dong Ziwan, showing no fear whatsoever. A sharp dagger instantly appeared in her hand. She swiped the dagger at her own neck.
"Young lady, no!" Wu Lai cried out in alarm.
Unfortunately, his speed was greatly slowed due to his injuries, and he wouldn't be able to stop Dong Ziwan in time. The people in the sky were also astonished, clearly never expecting Dong Ziwan to be so resolute.
It's a pity, Tai Kang sighed inwardly. He had been planning to turn Dong Ziwan into his personal plaything after capturing her.
A monstrously powerful demonic aura suddenly surged out from somewhere, enveloping an area of several kilometers. The aura caused everyone's movement to turn sluggish.
A voice rang out, "Hey, cross-dresser chick, what troubles you so much for you to commit suicide?"