Those words were like a sheet of ice, freezing the grand hall into utter silence. No one spoke. Eyes met in the air, clashing in an invisible struggle.
In the end, it was the Ning Patriarch who broke the stillness. He stopped pretending altogether, stood, and stepped into the center. His gaze locked squarely on Song Qingyun. The Divine Transformation cultivators standing behind him were his backing. So what if Song Qingyun's cultivation was higher?
"Patriarch Song, if I were you, I'd learn to be sensible, not walk in here only to provoke us. If the Song Clan wants to survive among the top families, you should keep your edge sheathed, follow quietly behind us, and do as you're told. Otherwise…"
A sinister smile crept across his face.
"The way the Song Clan climbed up… will be the same way it gets kicked back down."
The moment his words fell, nearly everyone in the hall stood up. To protect their own interests, they had to stand united in this moment.
The atmosphere plunged to a freezing point. Aside from Feng Youming, every pair of eyes glared at the Song Clan like hungry predators.
Song Qingyun's expression darkened. He rose to his feet at the same time as Mu Yuan. Only Song Wanníng remained lounging lazily in her seat.
"You're threatening us?"
Murderous intent surged from Song Qingyun. Since they were already tearing the facade apart, there was nothing to fear. If it came to a fight, they'd fight. Even if both sides suffered. If the other dared to pull in more Divine Transformation cultivators, the other families would join in as well.
After all, every family hoped to reach the top one day. If these three clans were going to cut that path off entirely, the rest would never agree.
That was the Song Clan's fearlessness.
Only, the three clans were even more shameless than he had imagined.
"Since you know this is a threat, you should just obey."
The Sui Patriarch gave a light, mocking laugh. The corner of her eye tilted upward with open disdain. "After all, not every time will you be lucky enough to pick up a monster beast's inner core, isn't that so?"
If not for that inner core, what right would Song Qingyun have to stand here and talk back?
A poor man who comes into sudden wealth always grows arrogant—that was them to a tee.
Her gaze slid to Song Wanníng, a flicker of dislike in her eyes.
"Surely you wouldn't want to see your family's future completely destroyed, would you?"
Her meaning was blatant. If they truly angered her side, she would go after their most precious daughter.
At that moment, the three Divine Transformation Ancestors behind her released their auras in unison, a crushing wave pressing down on the Song trio like a mountain.
They especially targeted Mu Yuan, whose cultivation appeared to be only at the Nascent Soul stage, forcing half the pressure onto her.
They thought she was the easy one to bully.
Mu Yuan's face sank slightly.
Then, Song Wanníng slowly rose to her feet, her eyes suddenly sharpening.
Mu Yuan and Song Qingyun caught the signal. All three of them unleashed their full auras at once.
One early Divine Transformation. Two mid-stage Divine Transformations.
And that was without mentioning Song Wanníng's reborn and vastly strengthened Primordial Soul. The massive spiritual pressure crashed head-on against the other side.
In an instant, much of the enemy's oppressive force was wiped away. What remained in their eyes was pure shock.
"You… you…"
"When did he advance to the Divine Transformation stage?"
"And you two—both at the mid-stage?"
The same questions exploded in every Divine Transformation cultivator's mind. Their eyes were wide with disbelief, tinged with urgency.
How had they managed this?
The three clan heads behind them were stunned for a breath, then their pupils contracted sharply. They stared at the Song trio as though they were looking at monsters.
"Ancestors… are you saying they're all Divine Transformation cultivators?"
Mu Yuan had concealed her aura, so with their lower cultivation, they hadn't seen through her.
Now, hearing their Ancestors' words, they realized Mu Yuan's presence was far from ordinary. And with confirmation that both Song Wanníng and Song Qingyun were mid-stage Divine Transformation, the blows kept piling up until it was almost too much to accept.
Were Divine Transformation cultivators supposed to be as common as cabbages?
Not only had the Song Clan suddenly produced three of them, but within mere days, Song Qingyun and Song Wanníng had each advanced a full stage…
The same thought rippled through everyone's mind.
What kind of heaven-defying stroke of fortune had the Song Clan stumbled upon?
As the others' thoughts churned, Song Qingyun's expression remained calm. A faint smile curved his lips.
"All right, all right. No need for jokes. Let's all sit down and talk slowly."
Playing the part of peacemaker, he cheerfully led his wife and daughter back to their seats. The others froze for a heartbeat. Their stares were sharp enough to bore holes through the Song trio, but after grinding their teeth, they could only sit down again.
Among the three great families, only the Ning Clan had four Divine Transformation cultivators. This matter with the Song Clan was no longer something they could decide in a few casual words. Faces dark, everyone returned to their seats. The Sui Patriarch's face flushed crimson, her chest tight with unspent fury. A moment ago, she'd been full of bold words. Now, she'd been slapped across the face in front of everyone.
The hall fell into another strange silence.
"Now, can we properly discuss how to divide things?"
Song Qingyun's voice cut through their brooding. If you had the strength, you should be assertive. Even if the Song Clan played nice, these families would never truly show them respect. Deep down, they had always looked down on the Song Clan.
"Heh…"
The Ning Patriarch's smile was cold and false, his eyes still holding dissatisfaction.
"The Song Clan producing so many Divine Transformation cultivators is impressive, but the foundations of our three clans are far beyond what you can compare to. Patriarch Song, are you sure you want to tear off the mask?"
Even now, they had no intention of sharing what they held. Losing it would be more painful than cutting flesh from their own bodies.
"Yes, even if the Song Clan makes it into the top families, that doesn't mean the others will recognize you. You might even need our help one day—don't come running to cry to us then."
The Sui Patriarch seized the moment to speak again, her tone still dripping arrogance. From start to finish, she'd looked at them as though passing judgment, no matter that their cultivation now surpassed hers.
Song Wanníng's gaze was cool as she looked straight at her. A thousand years of sitting high above had made these three clans prideful to the bone. They looked down on everyone.
That arrogance irritated her, but she knew impulse would solve nothing. Only when the Song Clan grew so strong these people could not even reach them would they finally feel true fear.
So she stayed silent, letting her father handle things.
"Heh… heh heh…"
Song Qingyun actually laughed from sheer exasperation at their shamelessness. Even now, they thought the Song Clan was easy prey. Clearly, he had been too gentle with them. His smile faded.
"So. You want to fight? If that's what you want, we'll be more than happy to oblige."
"Just don't make the mistake of thinking…"