Situ Xing sat upright in the main seat, his head bowed and brows furrowed, lost in deep thought.

Yan Linglong’s words had touched him to his very core.

Long before Ning Zhuo’s public actions, his acquisition of the stone tablet, and his sudden rise to fame after answering the three questions in the Zhu Xie Hall, Situ Xing had felt like a thorn in his side, a bone in his throat.

He was a prominent scion of the Situ family, groomed for succession from a young age after his talent was discovered.

Therefore, he possessed not only formidable combat prowess and cultivation but also considerable political acumen.

Ning Zhuo’s high-profile actions immediately made Situ Xing feel that his own power and position were under immense threat.

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong, both without exceptional talent, had been known to him for a long time, so he understood their backgrounds well. For Situ Xing, aligning with them was relatively safe.

Ning Zhuo was different.

He was a complete stranger; even now, Situ Xing had never had a truly in-depth conversation with Ning Zhuo.

Situ Xing recalled the process of “getting to know” Ning Zhuo. Initially, he had heard about him from Shen Xi.

“This person initially kept a low profile, clearly biding his time.”

“To be so patient, his ambitions must be vast!”

“Once he observed the situation thoroughly and saw an opportunity, he seized it fiercely, astonishing everyone and revealing his prowess.”

“Such an ambitious individual must never be underestimated or lightly regarded!”

“Perhaps his initial purpose in joining our small group was mainly to test the waters. But now that he understands the intricacies and rules of the Xingyun Small Test and the Feiyun Grand Assembly, might he be thinking of snatching my leadership position?”

Situ Xing felt a tremendous threat from Ning Zhuo.

He was very worried that Ning Zhuo, fueled by ambition, would secretly act against him, eventually usurp his position, and overthrow him. That would be utterly humiliating.

In the righteous path, losing face was a major issue!

Reputation was exceptionally important.

Situ Xing, being groomed as one of the successors, was acutely aware of the significance of reputation. From the beginning of his cultivation, every major action he took had a deeper meaning, all contributing to building his prestige!

Even if he failed to win the family head position in the future, he could still secure other important family roles based on this reputation.

However, if, in this current situation, he were to be pulled down from his top position by Ning Zhuo, such a defeat would undoubtedly add a massive weakness to his future bid for family head.

His rivals would surely seize upon this point to deliver a painful blow: “Situ Xing, you couldn’t even maintain leadership of a small group; how can you lead the entire Situ family?”

How would Situ Xing refute that then?

“Power, ah, power—” Situ Xing sighed inwardly.

He craved power and pursued it.

Because with power, he could leverage the entire Situ family to help him acquire various resources for cultivation.

This was a golden age of cultivation, with abundant spiritual energy and ample resources of all kinds. But when it came to competition among cultivators, resources became a critical factor.

A cultivator with superior talent, if only given inferior resources, would naturally see their cultivation progress hampered.

Situ Xing was arrogant and ambitious; for him, the pursuit was always for more and better resources.

Therefore, forming a small faction and successfully passing the Feiyun Grand Assembly was his most important current plan. By performing step-by-step, leading elites as their leader, and achieving such success, he could prove his personal combat strength and demonstrate his leadership abilities. These were Situ Xing’s true goals.

Joining the Wanxiang Sect was absolutely assured for a genius cultivator like him.

His cultivation talent alone was enough for the Wanxiang Sect to actively recruit him.

Situ Xing wanted more!

And Ning Zhuo had become a threat, even though he had never been active within this small faction. But his mere existence was enough to put Situ Xing completely on alert.

“Ning Zhuo’s current inactivity doesn’t mean he won’t be active in the future. Perhaps he has no thoughts about my position now, but what about later?”

Furthermore, Ning Zhuo’s casual style of conduct was greatly interfering with Situ Xing’s control over this small faction.

As long as Ning Zhuo existed, it was clear to everyone that someone in this small group could rival Situ Xing and didn’t have to abide by Situ Xing’s rules.

There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two masters among men.

Ning Zhuo’s existence was simultaneously eroding Situ Xing’s power!

This was the rule of the power game: ruthless, suspicious, allowing no compromise.

“In the future, if I make even a slight mistake, and Ning Zhuo makes a call, I fear some will rally behind him, creating a wave to overthrow me.”

Situ Xing had long understood that the dilemma before him had only one path.

He must “deal with” Ning Zhuo!

Yan Linglong’s persuasion had only resonated with his inner thoughts. It also made him ponder a question: Was now the right time to address this problem?

After much deliberation, Situ Xing felt it was very appropriate.

To be precise, he was more worried about the future.

“Ning Zhuo is from another land. Even with a few attendants, he is essentially alone.”

“If I don’t act while his footing is unstable, wouldn’t it be even worse if I wait until his foundation is solid?”

Had it been other first-rate geniuses on par with Situ Xing, he wouldn’t be so worried. The problem was that Ning Zhuo’s rise was highly unusual.

Being the top scorer in both of the Confucian cultivation small tests was one thing, but Ning Zhuo’s performance in the Zhu Xie Hall’s three questions of conscience was simply too astounding!

If it were Situ Xing himself, he would never have performed so brilliantly.

The reason was obvious: Situ Xing was not such a “righteous” person.

“What kind of personality does the current Zhu Xie Hall Master have? It’s certain he must admire Ning Zhuo greatly!”

“If I procrastinate and act later, it might be too late.”

Thinking this, Situ Xing finally made up his mind and summoned Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong.

He spoke to them with a solemn expression and elaborate words.

“Daoist Friend Shen, Daoist Friend Lin! We have formed a society, with you and I as the three legs of a tripod. We have long since forged a bond, a heart of gold and stone. Now, gathered at Yuntai, we strive together for the Feiyun Grand Assembly, aiming to soar high. Since its inception, each of you has displayed outstanding sharpness, and it is especially precious that we are united as one, like arms directing fingers.”

“By heaven’s grace, Daoist Friend Shen recommended a wise man, acquiring Ning Zhuo, a talent of unparalleled generation whose abilities rival mine. The brilliance of a Qilin and Fenghuang shining forth is indeed our great fortune!”

“However, I observe that Ning Zhuo’s position is not yet settled, which is a great mistake! If rumors were to spread far and wide, saying that we disregard those worthy, acting arrogantly and disrespecting the virtuous, would it not stain our pure sect?”

“My decision is made. On an auspicious day, I shall compete with Ning Zhuo on the Starfall Arena. If I am defeated, I shall yield my seat and honor Ning Sheng as the leader—with sincere admiration, witnessed by heaven and earth!”

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong fell silent for a moment.

Having known Situ Xing for a long time, how could they not understand his true intentions?

What, if he lost, he would let Ning Zhuo take the top seat? Such pleasantries, heh, just listen to them!

A cold glint flashed in Shen Xi’s eyes, and he automatically translated: Situ Xing is worried that this brat Ning Zhuo will seize power, so he must deal with him first!

I need to fight him, try to knock him down, and remain the boss. Look, what kind of friendship do the three of us have? You guys have to support me.

Lin Jinglong, also groomed by his family since childhood, naturally understood Situ Xing’s real intentions.

He found it somewhat amusing: “Situ Xing rarely speaks in such flowery, verbose language. This shows that Ning Zhuo has put a lot of pressure on him, making him resort to such polite words even with us two!”

“Hmm, that’s true. Both Shen Xi and I have interacted with Ning Zhuo; I even fought him once.”

“And Ning Zhuo was personally recommended by Shen Xi.”

Before a fight, actively recruiting people, establishing allies, and creating a numerical advantage is a conventional opening move for the righteous path, and Situ Xing, this rising star of the righteous path, is doing just that!

Situ Xing stared at Shen Xi, pressing him to declare his stance.

Shen Xi mused, “A snake without a head cannot move; this is the way of heaven. Since the formation of our society, I have worked tirelessly day and night, always following Senior Brother Situ’s lead. How can an outsider covet the esteemed position of leader?”

“Although Ning Zhuo was recommended by me, our acquaintance is like meeting in passing; how can it compare to the friendship between Senior Brother Situ and me?”

“Today, I shall personally write a letter to Ning Zhuo, proposing: First, the banner of leadership belongs to Daoist Friend Situ; this is a public consensus and cannot be shaken. Second, I am willing to relinquish the fourth seat, yielding the second seat to Ning Zhuo.”

“Thus, with the phoenixes each finding their place, would this not be a great fortune for our faction?”

“To be an unshakable pillar, I am willing to serve diligently. As long as the banner points, and we are united in strength, why fear that our great endeavor will not succeed!”

Seeing Shen Xi willing to support him, Situ Xing’s stern gaze softened.

“Ning Zhuo was recommended by him and joined. If Ning Zhuo and I clash, Shen Xi, sitting in the second seat, can completely watch the tigers fight from the mountain. Even if Ning Zhuo wins, his position won’t be shaken.”

Situ Xing was satisfied with Shen Xi’s declaration.

However, he was not satisfied with Shen Xi’s suggestion.

Writing a letter, back and forth, would be too slow. It would also give Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo time to communicate and react, potentially leading to unforeseen complications!

Situ Xing was well aware that one of his intentions in urgently summoning the two was to launch a surprise attack, catching the opponent off guard.

Situ Xing had never fully trusted Shen Xi.

He had suffered a loss in Shen Xi’s formation before.

This time, in forming the faction, he had even deliberately “troubled” Shen Xi a bit, only relaxing after confirming that the latter was content with a subordinate position.

“What if Shen Xi is just stalling for time, and is actually using Ning Zhuo to wear me down, allowing him to seize power himself? It’s not impossible.”

Situ Xing shifted his gaze to Lin Jinglong.

Lin Jinglong’s attitude was resolute.

He explicitly expressed his concern: the duels in the Yanwu Hall are not life-or-death affairs, but if something were to happen, how would the Situ family and the Ning family react? Such a result would be very bad and troublesome.

Even if no one died, a serious injury that caused them to miss the Feiyun Grand Assembly would undoubtedly invite ridicule from outsiders.

Currently, our faction is very lucky to have two top-tier geniuses like you, Situ Xing and Ning Zhuo. This is a rare situation and an opportunity that should be cherished and seized.

In my opinion, Ning Zhuo not taking any specific seat indicates he has no interest in this aspect. We should simply treat him as a guest elder.

From beginning to end, he has not participated in any decision-making of this faction.

Moreover, if the two of you were to clash, you would undoubtedly spend time preparing for battle, right? It would consume too much energy and time. Not to mention the Feiyun Grand Assembly, even the current Xingyun Small Tests would mean missing many opportunities!

A sharp glint flashed in Situ Xing’s eyes.

Lin Jinglong was actually the one who sternly refused!

This once again exceeded Situ Xing’s expectations.

He had originally thought Lin Jinglong would support him more than Shen Xi. As the third-in-command, Lin Jinglong’s support for him should be purer.

“Lin Jinglong keeps speaking from the perspective of the bigger picture, worrying that Ning Zhuo and I will both suffer—”

“He once fought Ning Zhuo. Does his current attitude also prove that Ning Zhuo’s combat power is very strong?”

“Based on cultivation, Ning Zhuo is only in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Lin Jinglong values him so highly?”

Situ Xing’s expression turned cold.

He wanted the support of both of them. Shen Xi clearly expressed support, but Situ Xing was not at ease. Lin Jinglong, on the other hand, expressed opposition, not supporting either side at all.

This was all because Ning Zhuo’s existence did not threaten their interests!

Situ Xing slowly shook his head, his voice low: “Brother Jinglong, you worry too much! I have my own plans; how could I lose even a tiny bit? Ning Zhuo’s uniqueness truly intrigues me. To make friends through battle, one can truly understand their character. Are you two truly uninterested?”

Seeing Situ Xing’s stance, Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong ceased their objections and were willing to follow his arrangements.

“Since that’s the case, might I ask Brother Shen to deliver this challenge letter on my behalf?” Situ Xing handed the already prepared challenge letter to Shen Xi.

Shen Xi accepted the letter with quite a decisive movement.

When he and Lin Jinglong bid farewell to Situ Xing and walked back together,

Lin Jinglong transmitted his thoughts, expressing his disagreement to Shen Xi: Situ Xing and Ning Zhuo are both first-rate geniuses; if they can work together wholeheartedly, I believe we will achieve astonishing results at the Feiyun Grand Assembly.

When two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured. The Wanxiang Sect doesn’t forbid deathmatches, and you and I know Situ Xing’s temperament, while Ning Zhuo’s true nature is unfathomable. If someone ends up dead, our current excellent situation will be ruined.

Shen Xi, how could you be so foolish as to agree so readily?

Shen Xi smiled faintly and transmitted his thoughts to Lin Jinglong: You suffered a loss at Ning Zhuo’s hands. Why don’t you want to explore Ning Zhuo’s true nature?

We know Situ Xing through and through, but our acquaintance with Ning Zhuo is quite short. By taking such a stance, you are essentially protecting an outsider.

Lin Jinglong chuckled: “Shen Xi, don’t try to test me. I was indeed wary of Ning Zhuo before, but now, look at his experiences. The Confucian scholars favor him, giving him top honors twice consecutively, and he answered the three questions in the Zhu Xie Hall with resounding conviction!”

“Ning Zhuo is a righteous person! He is a man of principle! He will be our most reliable comrade in arms.”

“At least when fighting side by side, I don’t worry about him double-crossing us. But Situ Xing is full of arrogance and likes to control everything himself—if it involves huge benefits, wouldn’t it be normal for him to draw his sword against you and me?”

Upon receiving Lin Jinglong’s reply, Shen Xi was relieved and immediately said, “Since you think so, I’ll tell you.”

“Situ Xing’s mind is made up. If I were him, I would also act at this time.”

“Situ Xing’s mind is made up. If I were him, I would also act at this time.”

“Even if we explicitly object, we can’t stop him.”

“And it’s not convenient for us to stop him; there are plenty of cultivators in this world who can stop him.”

Lin Jinglong’s heart stirred: “You mean—”

Shen Xi smiled meaningfully: “My Shen family has a sworn enemy, the Pi family; doesn’t the Situ family have one too?”

Lin Jinglong: “The Situ family has many enemies, but who is the most suitable?”

Just as Shen Xi was about to offer his insights, a cultivator unleashed a fierce aura, descending from the air, shouting: “I bear Miss Zhu Funxiang’s challenge letter here. Where is Situ Xing? Do you dare accept the letter!?”

Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi exchanged glances for a moment.

Lin Jinglong transmitted his thoughts, exclaiming: “The Zhu family and the Situ family are indeed sworn enemies. This challenge letter concerns the family’s honor; Situ Xing will undoubtedly accept it. This saves us a lot of trouble. Our luck is good, and Ning Zhuo’s luck is also very good, haha.”

Shen Xi fell silent, and Ning Zhuo’s smiling face appeared in his mind.

“Is it really—just luck?”