The journey back to the Fang family was smooth. Escorted by an ancestor at the Tribulation Crossing stage, no one dared to attack Wan Lei.
Upon returning to the Fang family, Fang Hui turned to leave. Wan Lei quickly called out to him.
"Ancestor, this is the spirit stones I earned this time. Although it's not much, it's a token of my gratitude. Please take it."
Wan Lei presented a storage bag.
"Why would I want a junior's money? Liu Naiweng, that old scoundrel, owes me money, not you."
"No, I couldn't let Senior make this trip for nothing. I can't do things that involve only effort and no reward. It's just a small token, please accept it."
A flicker of emotion crossed Fang Hui's "dead fish" face. The corners of his mouth seemed to turn upwards.
Previously, whether it was outsiders or members of the Fang family, they kept a respectful distance from his unapproachable demeanor and his formidable strength. While he occasionally bestowed gifts upon juniors, this was the first time a junior had offered him money.
This young man was rather interesting.
"Still, I can't let you make this trip for nothing. I didn't even exert myself. I feel guilty taking this money, so you keep it."
With that, he turned and departed.
Wan Lei chuckled and put away the storage bag.
Even though the other party didn't accept it, he had at least left a good impression.
After a brief report to Fang Huifeng, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu returned to their own residence.
At this moment, Wan Lei's smile had vanished.
He sat by the lake, not fishing, his expression grave, his eyes vacant as he gazed at the water, his mind churning with thoughts.
"What are you thinking about? Is something wrong?"
Wan Lei looked up at Fang Xiaoyu, who was looking at him with concern. He waved his hand and set up a sound-isolation formation.
"Something big has happened."
Seeing Wan Lei's serious expression, Fang Xiaoyu's heart sank. She quickly sat down.
"What's going on?"
Wan Lei recounted everything he had discovered and what he had done to Fang Xiaoyu. After listening, Fang Xiaoyu's anger surged.
"This Liu family actually colluded with the demon race, intending to subvert our Lei Feng Realm. This cannot be tolerated. Why did you help them set up the formation back then? You should have destroyed that formation and exposed the Liu family's treachery."
"And then?"
"Then what?"
"Then it's war?"
Wan Lei let out a cold laugh.
"It's not that simple. First of all, if I had destroyed the formation, Liu Naiweng would have been furious and tried to kill us. We would have faced an attack from him and hundreds of Liu family members surrounding us.
Granted, we could handle those family members, and Ancestor Fang could deal with Liu Naiweng. But if the fight ensued, Liu Naiweng would certainly not let it go. To silence us, he would have released the Demon Commander Qiong Shen.
At that time, two peak Tribulation Crossing stage powerhouses would be enough to annihilate all of us."
Wan Lei had matured significantly after the Hu family's massacre of mortals and its discovery by the Yin Yang Sect. He had always kept in mind what Sect Master Ji had said.
"But we can't just stand by and do nothing."
"Even if we managed to escape and publicized the matter, who would believe us? We have no evidence.
I suspect that at least the Kai Tian Sword Sect has colluded with the Liu family. I saw Jian Xunhuan using demonic energy in the Water Immortal Secret Realm, and the other families also have good relationships with the Liu family.
Without evidence, no one will believe us. No one will believe that the two most powerful forces in the Lei Feng Realm would collude with external races and destroy their own foundations.
If the six families unite, and the Yin Yang Sect and Kui Lian Sect stand by idly, can your Fang family withstand their counter-accusations?"
"Then... then what should we do?"
"We wait for the demon race to descend."
A cold smile played on Wan Lei's lips.
"Why?"
"I've tampered with the formation. When the time comes, only a small number of the demon race will be able to descend, and these demons will serve as evidence to accuse the Liu family.
By then, we will unite the other forces and rogue cultivators of the Lei Feng Realm...
It will be time to annihilate the Liu family."
Looking at the cruel smile on Wan Lei's lips, Fang Xiaoyu suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"To destroy the Liu family, you're willing to let the demon race in? You've learned to play with schemes too?"
"Do you have a better solution? Anyone can be brave, but I don't want to see us destroyed and the demon race then occupy the Lei Feng Realm."
"You... you're right."
Fang Xiaoyu sighed, her brows furrowed.
"But why would the Liu family collude with the demon race?"
"Liu Naiweng is nearly ten thousand years old, his lifespan is nearing its end, and he's at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage..."
"So?"
"He wants to... ascend to immortality."
"Ascend to immortality?"
Fang Xiaoyu's heart gave a jolt.
These two words were the lifelong dream of countless cultivators in the Lei Feng Realm, and an insurmountable chasm.
In the history of the Lei Feng Realm, there were only a handful of ascendants to immortality. The historical records from ancient times were not very detailed. The most recent great being to ascend to immortality was the Lei Emperor.
But that was fifty thousand years ago. In the subsequent fifty thousand years, not a single person had managed to ascend.
Even the ancestors of the six great families, disciples of the Lei Emperor himself, ultimately met their end through natural causes.
Humans do not ascend, and their years do not exceed ten thousand.
This was a rule of the Heavenly Dao, which no one could change.
Liu Naiweng's actions were easy to understand. Whether it was for his own ambitions, to dominate, or simply to survive, he had to become an immortal.
"Yes, to ascend to immortality. He has reached the end of the path of cultivation. After nearly ten thousand years of attempts, he still couldn't achieve immortality, so he must be disheartened.
With no other options, he had to choose another path, and the descent of the demon race happened to fulfill his needs.
The Liu family has already begun researching demonic energy. If spiritual energy doesn't work, then let's try demonic energy."
"Is he so sure that the demon race will help him ascend to immortality? Besides, is the immortality of the demon race still true immortality?"
"Who knows? He's gone mad. Even if there's only a sliver of hope, even if the demon race might be deceiving him, he's willing to gamble.
To gamble that the demon lord who descends can help him ascend."
"He's gambling with the lives of countless beings in the Lei Feng Realm."
"Yes, so we must stop this. I believe my plan is still feasible.
We helped them build the teleportation array. I've tampered with the array so it can't withstand too much pressure.
If weak demons descend, we can handle them. If demon lords or commanders descend, the teleportation array will collapse due to the pressure.
We'll let in small groups of demons first, using them as evidence to accuse the Liu family of colluding with demons. Then the teleportation array will collapse, preventing more demons from entering. We can then eliminate both the incoming demons and the Liu family, this parasite."
"There's still a risk."
"Of course, there's risk, and it's quite significant. There are too many uncontrollable factors. But it's still better than our complete annihilation and the demon race taking over this place."
"Such a huge matter, and we two children are deciding it just like this? Shouldn't we discuss it with Old Fang and the others?"
Fang Xiaoyu narrowed her large eyes slightly, filled with worry.