The peaks rose sheer into the clouds. Above a broad platform like white jade hung a relief of Nanyang.

There were seven places like it, tucked away in one corner of Nanhong.

Cultivators hurried back and forth. Compared with before, they looked less at ease and more grave.

By now everyone could feel the mood had changed, yet the South Dragon Palace still hadn't clashed openly with the Seven.

Still, the dependent powers outside the immortal sects—whatever they made their living by—could all feel times getting harder. The Dragon Palace's demon soldiers under the water were harder and harder to buy off, and their people met with "accidents" more and more often.

Clearly the South Dragon Palace meant not only to cut off the Seven's supplies but to leave these immortal sects blind and deaf.

To drive the seven sects of Nanhong truly back into their corner once more!

The news the Dao-sons had brought home wasn't good. They had gained something, but they still hadn't recruited anyone from Xihong strong enough to decide how things went. If anything, the trip had only made the West Dragon Palace's attitude plain.

Word was that those Jade-Horned Silver Dragons in the west had actually dared to collude with the Ten Thousand Forms Pavilion and lay an ambush for the Nanhong Dao-sons—a fight to the death, and no mistaking it.

If the two Dragon Palaces joined forces and came at them, even just holding one place, the Nanhong Seven would pay a terrible price.

The South Dragon Palace was boiling the frog slowly, carving flesh with a dull knife. Even ordinary elders and disciples could see it. How could the Sect Masters and Dao-sons not?

A fight was coming, no question. They were only waiting for the right moment.

Waiting for—

Many cultivators looked up. They saw the Clear-Moon Sect Master's treasure ship sweeping in from the sky, two figures standing side by side at its prow.

Besides the Clear-Moon Sect Master, there was one more: the Nanyang Sect Master, who had somehow won over so many of the Dao-sons.

“They're back!”

All…