They had to retain as much strength and connections as possible. Even if they were truly forced to withdraw from Dragon Tiger Mountain today, they would need to make a comeback and recapture their Ancestral Court, so it was crucial to minimize obstacles.

Ye Qi could easily grasp these considerations but chose not to voice them. He asked, "Taoist Li, whose exact whereabouts do you currently know?"

Li Xuan replied, "I have verified the tracks of a few individuals at the Talisman Bureau. We will take action as soon as possible." His face showed a hint of displeasure. "Unfortunately, Lei Jun's whereabouts are too elusive to pinpoint. I only know he is currently near Dragon Tiger Mountain, but his exact location is unclear."

If they could get help from the Altar of Wanfa Sect, perhaps they would have more clues. But with the current state of the Altar of Wanfa Sect, they certainly couldn't count on it.

"Delays invite complications; time waits for no one. We should select a secondary target and make our move."

Ye Qi said, "As for Lei Jun, Taoist Li, please continue your search."

"Of course," Li Xuan affirmed.

After a few more words with the Ye Clan members, Li Xuan left with several Li Clan disciples, heading downstream along Golden Palace Creek.

Ye Qi watched Li Xuan and the others disappear into the distance, then casually handed the list to a clan relative by his side.

The relative took it and asked softly, "Uncle Seven, shall we follow this list exactly?"

"Add one more person," Ye Qi stated. "Fang Jian."

The Ye Clan disciple beside him looked surprised. "Fang..."

Ye Qi explained, "I've heard from the Jingxiang Fang Clan about this child. He's focused on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Since our paths differ, we cannot make plans together. With the current chaos, a death or two wouldn't be thoroughly investigated by Jingxiang; they could only blame the Celestial Master Mansion and the Li Clan." He sighed. "Regrettably, our clan's current strength is mainly concentrated in the North. I've repeatedly made suggestions to my uncles, but they have not been accepted. The Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion... what a great opportunity this is, yet we have to miss it."

The Ye Clan disciples beside him nodded in agreement. "Uncle Seven is right."

The mortal world is too vast. The Cultivation World is too small. If possible, it would be best if only the Ye Clan bloodline could engage in Cultivation, with scholarly classics passed down within the family. All other beings would just be the common masses, aware of immortals but unaware of the Tao. Failing that, a consensus among a few major families to mind their own business would be reluctantly acceptable. The worst scenario is the existence of places like the Celestial Master Mansion and Bodhi Temple, which indiscriminately accept disciples and establish their own schools. It's one thing for carp to leap over the Dragon Gate. But it's quite another when every loach and shrimp also develops delusions of grandeur—and in large numbers, at that! It makes the Cultivation World too crowded! Fortunately, they're currently dealing with Bodhi Temple. Hopefully, in the future, they can continue to deal with other places like the Celestial Master Mansion...

"Let's go. Act swiftly," Ye Qi instructed.

Just as he was about to move, he suddenly tensed, a premonition of danger surging within him.

Among the cultivation methods of the Three Veins of Confucianism, Cultivators of the Chanting Sect seldom focused on their physical bodies, but their Spiritual Souls and thoughts were incredibly agile. Therefore, their perceptive abilities were also extremely sharp.

Ye Qi, who cultivated the classics of the Chanting Sect of Confucian Studies, suddenly felt his soul tremble, as if it were about to be frozen by an intense chill. That chill originated from killing intent!

Just as Ye Qi was about to turn his head, a faintly gleaming staff silently appeared from the trees beside him, aimed straight at the Ye Clan elder's head.

Although Ye Qi detected it in time, they were already within arm's reach. He couldn't dodge on his own.

Luckily, Ye Qi was well aware of his own weaknesses and had always taken precautions. A protective Ink Treasure he had prepared long ago automatically activated.

Before Ye Qi could speak, characters automatically materialized on the surface of his pristine white Confucian robe, and the sound of Chanting emerged. The characters automatically condensed into a manuscript that floated in mid-air like a protective shield, helping Ye Qi block the sudden staff strike.

Under the staff's assault, the numerous characters floating in mid-air were instantly shattered by the blow.

But Ye Qi had already used this opportunity to retreat.

Only then did he clearly see the person before him: a young Taoist, more than half a head taller than himself, with a tall, straight build, a handsome face, and clad in a dark red Taoist Robe.

It was indeed Lei Jun, whom everyone had been trying to find.

Lei Jun shattered Ye Qi's protective Ink Treasure with a single strike and, in the next step, was before Ye Qi again. His speed was so immense that he gave his opponent no chance to retreat.

However, in the already frigid winter, ice and snow suddenly materialized in the mountain forest. It originated from Ye Qi's Confucian School of Dharma. His Cultivation was profound; by silently reciting poetry in his mind, he could quickly connect with the Global Spiritual Qi, manifesting a phenomenon of ice and snow to create a barrier between himself and Lei Jun.

But Ye Qi dared not be the slightest bit careless. Silent recitation meant the poem's power was less effective than reciting it aloud. This first move was purely to buy time. He didn't dare hope it could truly stop Lei Jun.

After the first poem bought him some time, Ye Qi switched to formally Chanting the second one.

But before he could utter a sound, the ice and snow before him suddenly shattered. A tiny, faint spark, like a candle flame, erupted and expanded, instantly sweeping away all the ice and snow.

Lei Jun gave Ye Qi no chance to retaliate. He immediately followed with another staff strike, hitting him squarely in the face!

Instantly, the poem Ye Qi had been about to recite was violently smashed back down his throat, along with his teeth.

Blood splattered across the face of the Great Scholar from Jinzhou. He couldn't even utter a scream of agony before toppling backward, face up.

Lei Jun's sudden sneak attack was devastating. Within three moves, he had struck down Ye Qi.

The surrounding Ye Clan members had no idea how their opponent had managed to sneak into their midst and leave their Uncle Seven's face a bloody mess.

By the time they regained their senses and surrounded the area from all directions, Ye Qi was already lying supine on the ground.

At that moment, a large amount of viscous, ink-black thunder water began to spread out from Lei Jun, assaulting the surrounding Ye Clan members.

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