I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

The door to the cultivation room slowly opened.

A heavy, imposing aura emanated from inside the door, neither ostentatious nor fierce, yet it caused Fang Wushuang outside to involuntarily straighten her back.

Fang Zhenshan, a man of imposing stature, walked out slowly, his steps steady and unhurried. Each step he took was firm and resonant, the soles of his boots making a dull sound as they touched the bluestone ground, exuding a composure and authority that only a person long accustomed to a high position could possess.

His face was square, his beard and hair were gray, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, like the coldest stars in the night sky.

The restrained yet powerful aura of a fully formed Nascent Soul cultivator surrounding him demonstrated his strength as the commander of the Zhennan Army.

Fang Wushuang clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, saying, "Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the beast tide has arrived ahead of schedule."

The main gate of Burning Bone Pass was attacked by a beast tide. The scattered cultivators gathered in front of the pass and caused a riot. The Suppressing Evil Secret Realm was destroyed. A large number of remnant souls are about to wreak havoc on Burning Bone Pass. I have notified Burning Bone City to immediately mobilize the garrison and summon scattered cultivators for support.

At the same time, I dispatched the White Tiger Battalion to reinforce Burning Bone Pass, the Azure Dragon Battalion to take over the defenses of Burning Bone City, and the Vermilion Bird Battalion to conduct reconnaissance and provide support for any emergencies on all fronts.

After listening to Fang Wushuang's report, Fang Zhenshan nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Wushuang, you did a good job. My position now has a worthy successor!"

"Commander-in-chief is too kind. I am still far from being good enough." Fang Wushuang's expression remained unchanged, and he continued to bow.

"Haha, no need to be modest." Fang Zhenshan waved his hand, a rare smile appearing on his square face. "You are the unicorn of my Fang family, and your ability to command troops is no less than mine. I am very relieved to entrust the Zhennan Army to you. After this beast tide, I can finally return to my family to cultivate in peace."

With a wave of his hand, a domineering black battle armor covered Fang Zhenshan's entire body.

The armor was jet black, with dark gold patterns flowing across its surface. Ferocious beast heads were cast on the shoulder armor, and the breastplate was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the spirit lamps in the corridor.

The entire suit of armor exuded a chilling sense of oppression, the killing aura of someone who had survived countless battles, the iron-blooded pressure that had settled from countless life-and-death struggles.

"Leave the Zhennan Camp to me. You will personally go to Burning Bone City to take charge of the overall situation!"

"Yes, I accept the order!" Fang Wushuang clasped his hands in acceptance, turned around and strode away, his silver-white general's robe fluttering in the corridor, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

……

At the same time, the Lin family also received a military report from Zhihei.

The intelligence report clearly described the scene that occurred in front of the main gate of Burning Bone Pass.

The gray-robed elder destroyed the formation, the rogue cultivators caused chaos, a beast tide appeared, and the Zhen Sha Secret Realm collapsed. Each scene was described clearly, even the shape of the black wedge-shaped magic artifact and the direction of the formation patterns were described in detail.

Lin Xuanqi immediately sent a copy of the intelligence to his father.

Having received an invitation from the City Lord's Mansion, my father has already gone to participate in discussions regarding the defense of Chuyang City.

Lin Xinqing sat at the long table in the council hall, flipping through the intelligence sent by Zhihei, her brows furrowed slightly.

His fingers glided slowly across the paper, his gaze lingering on the key words, pondering and scrutinizing them repeatedly.

"Something's not right," he said in a low voice, which made the air in the council chamber suddenly quiet.

He continued flipping through the pages and saw the personal assessment that Zhihei had attached at the end of the intelligence report.

As expected, the black player shared the same judgment.

The farce in front of the main gate of Fen Gu Guan is problematic.

The timing of the gray-robed old man's attack, his chosen target, and the method of destruction were all eerie.

The opponent's goal did not seem to be to destroy the formation of Burning Bone Pass, but rather to create chaos.

If the gray-robed old man wanted to destroy the formation, he could have sneaked into the pass before the beast tide started and acted without anyone noticing. Why did he choose to do it when the city gates were wide open and everyone was watching?

Moreover, the enemy destroyed the detection array, not the defensive array covering the fortress.

Destroying the former only prevents the defenders from "seeing" the monsters;

Only by destroying the latter can the monster be allowed to "come in".

As long as the defensive array remains intact, the beast tide can only stand by and watch helplessly from the outside.

Destroying the detection array is clearly less effective than destroying the defense array.

Furthermore, the Demon-Suppressing Secret Realm was destroyed.

This incident itself did not surprise him.

Based on existing intelligence, the Lin family has deduced that the Demon Palace of Rebellion intends to destroy the Suppressing Evil Secret Realm, and has even been discussing countermeasures for several months.

The timing for destroying the evil-suppressing secret realm is wrong.

If it were him, he would definitely choose a time when the two sides are locked in fierce battle and the situation is deadlocked to release those dead souls.

By then, the defenders' energy had been exhausted by the beast tide, the formation's energy had been weakened by the impact, and the defenders' morale had become low during the long tug-of-war.

Only by releasing the souls of the dead can a fatal blow be dealt to the defending forces.

But this trump card was revealed immediately.

Tens of thousands of demonic beasts, appearing before the main gate of Burning Bone Pass by unknown means, along with tens of thousands of remnant souls, may be a lot for Chuyang City, but they do not necessarily give Burning Bone Pass an overwhelming advantage.

Burning Bone Pass was built to take advantage of its location, with a cliff in front that could slow down and block the attack of monsters. Inside the pass, there were also layers of defensive formations.

Although the permanent garrison is only 10,000, Burning Bone City also has 20,000 garrison troops and hundreds of thousands of independent cultivators.

Under the contribution system established by the Fang family, they will definitely rush to defend Burning Bone Pass.

So this surprise attack, though seemingly grand, is full of flaws upon closer inspection.

After sending the intelligence, Lin Xuanqi read Zhihei's annotations and had the same thought.

"However, the situation at Burning Bone Pass is beyond our control." His voice was steady as his gaze swept over everyone present. "Our current task is to defend Chuyang City. Have the Xinqing scouts been deployed?"

Lin Xinqing nodded, her voice crisp and clear: "They have quickly arrived at their designated locations. Two hundred miles south of the defensive line, as soon as the demonic beasts set foot there, we can track the movements of any demonic beast legion!"

"good!"

………………

Meanwhile, in the conference room of the City Lord's Mansion in Chuyang City.

A pale yellow tablecloth covered the long conference table, and several lamps were placed on the table, their soft light illuminating the entire room.

Key officials from various departments and influential Foundation Establishment families were all present, filling both sides of the long table.

Some people were talking in hushed tones, some were flipping through documents in their hands, some were resting with their eyes closed, and some were looking around, glancing at the door from time to time.

"Master Lin has arrived!"

With this announcement, the conference room door was pushed open.

Lin Che, dressed in a blue robe, walked in with his hands behind his back, his steps calm and unhurried.

Everyone present stood up and bowed respectfully.

Even the city lord, Yan Shuming, rose to greet him, his face beaming with smiles and his tone as warm as if he were speaking to an old friend: "Master Lin, please have a seat!"

He reached out his hand towards the first seat on the left side of the conference table, the seat he had reserved for Lin Che, right next to the head seat, a seat reserved for the second most important person in Chuyang City.

Although Lin Che arrived the latest, no one present complained, and even the city lord Yan Shuming greeted him with a smile.

This scene was a world apart from when Lin Che had just established his foundation and first came to the City Lord's Mansion for a meeting, where he was met with indifferent eyes, perfunctory pleasantries, and was relegated to a corner.

This is the change brought about by the power of the Lin family and Lin Che's own cultivation.

Lin Che smiled and pulled out a seat, sitting down casually, his tone relaxed: "You're too kind, City Lord. Let's begin the meeting."

But the place he sat down surprised everyone present.

It wasn't the first seat reserved for Master Lin on the left side of the city lord at the conference table, but the last seat on the left side of the conference table.

The people seated on the left were all the heads of various families, arranged according to the family's power. Lin Che was seated right next to Liu Yunzhou.

Liu Yunzhou today is no longer the naive young man he once was.

His face was serious, his brows were slightly furrowed, and he exuded the aura of someone who had long held a high position. His back was straight, and his gaze was as steady as iron.

But when Lin Che sat down next to him, Liu Yunzhou's imposing aura vanished. He quickly turned to the side, bowed his head respectfully, and his voice carried a hint of excitement at a long-awaited reunion.

"Yunzhou, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Thanks to the patriarch's help, the Liu family is developing smoothly and everything is fine." Liu Yunzhou's voice was very low, so low that only Lin Che could hear it.

"That's good." Lin Che patted him on the shoulder. "We'll talk again later."

Seeing Lin Che take a seat in the lower position, Yan Shuming's expression darkened, as if he had swallowed a fly.

His smile froze, neither here nor there, as if he had been slapped but still had to keep smiling.

This is clearly disrespectful to him.

He personally got up to greet them and reserved the best seat for them, but they ended up sitting in the lowest seat. Isn't that a slap in the face for him?

But what could he say?

Sitting there was Lin Zhenren's brother-in-law, Liu Yunzhou, who was sitting next to an acquaintance, which was not unreasonable.

Furthermore, since the Lin family still needed to defend Chuyang City, he couldn't say much.

He took a deep breath, swallowed his anger, and a smile returned to his face.

The people who have managed to maintain their current power and sit at this table are all shrewd and capable individuals.

They glanced at Yan Shuming's expression, then at Lin Che's position, and instantly understood what Master Lin meant.

The meeting began.

All matters concerning the defense of Chuyang City were laid out before everyone.

The garrison's troop deployment, the city wall reinforcement plan, the formation maintenance cycle, the logistics supply allocation routes, and the recruitment plan for independent cultivators—each item had a detailed plan and budget.

Officials from each department took turns standing up to give their reports.

But after each report, everyone's gaze turned in unison not to Yan Shuming in the main seat, but to where Lin Che was sitting.

They are waiting.

Wait for Lin Che to speak first, wait for Lin Che to nod, wait for Lin Che to say "okay".

No one looked at Yan Shuming's expression, and no one asked for his opinion.

Yan Shuming sat in the main seat with a cup of tea in front of him. The tea had already stopped steaming, but he didn't drink a drop. The expression on his face gradually stiffened.

Lin Che's prestige was on full display at this moment.

It could be said that wherever he sits, that is the seat of honor.

The city lord Yan Shuming has essentially been sidelined.

He has the title but not the substance, he holds the position but has no power.

In Chuyang City today, Lin Che is the one in charge.

The meeting discussed the defensive deployment of the Chuyang City garrison, which family would be responsible for which section of the city wall, which brigade would be stationed in which direction, and who would be on duty at which outpost. All these issues were finalized one by one.

The number of people each faction will send to support the front lines, the number of cultivators each Foundation Establishment family and Qi Refining family will send, and how the Loose Cultivator Alliance will be organized—all these details will be determined.

In terms of logistics and supplies, the source of elixirs, the transportation of spiritual materials, the repair of magical artifacts, and the destination of the wounded were all taken into account.

Every resolution was passed with Lin Che's nod.

Just then, there was a knock on the conference room door.

"Enter!"

"Lord City Lord, urgent military intelligence has arrived from Burning Bone Pass." The messenger strode in, knelt on one knee, and presented a jade slip with both hands.

Yan Shuming, his face somewhat embarrassed, frowned and his voice turned cold: "Speak!"

The messenger took a deep breath, his voice echoing in the conference room: "The main gate of Burning Bone Pass has been attacked by demonic beasts, the Suppressing Fiend Secret Realm has been destroyed, and a large number of demonic beast remnants have scattered."

"What! How did the monsters learn to launch surprise attacks?" The head of an old family slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with shock.

"The Demon-Suppressing Secret Realm? How did that thing malfunction?!" The other person's voice was full of shock.

"Not only did the beast tide arrive early, but it's also become so different?" Someone's voice was trembling, and cold sweat streamed down their face.

Instantly, everyone panicked.

Whispers and discussions abounded; some were pale-faced, some were at a loss, and some were already considering whether to flee with their families.

It was Lin Che who spoke up and interrupted everyone's panic.

"Gentlemen," he paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, "this is not a threat to Chuyang City, but rather good news."

The discussion abruptly stopped, and everyone's eyes turned to him.

Lin Che learned the news earlier than them and had been thinking about the ins and outs of the matter on his way here, and had already made some guesses in his mind.

However, those matters are not within the Lin family's control for the time being.

The problem at the main pass of the Burning Bone Pass is related to Chuyang City.

"Judging from the current situation, the main objective of the monsters is to secure the main pass."

Our Chuyang City is located outside Tingfeng Pass in the east, separated from the main battlefield by Zhanyao Pass.

Being far from the main battlefield means we won't suffer a direct assault from the demonic beast army, and we're also unlikely to encounter high-level demonic beasts. This is good news for us.

Some nodded, some seemed thoughtful, and some gradually relaxed their brows.

"What we need to do now is to quickly take up positions, improve the defenses, and ensure that there are no problems with the logistics, such as the supply of pills and the repair of magical artifacts. If we do all this well, then Chuyang City will have the foundation to be defended."

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and swept his gaze over everyone present, raising his voice a few decibels.

"Chuyang City is our home. I believe none of you here want to be displaced. Let's work together to protect our Chuyang City!"

"Okay!" Everyone responded in unison, their voices booming so loudly that the conference room windows rattled.

"Then..." Lin Che was about to say "meeting adjourned" when he saw the city lord Yan Shuming's somewhat dark face.

He laughed and said, "I spoke too quickly. Does the city lord have anything to add?"

Yan Shuming was almost laughing in exasperation.

You've said everything, what else can I say?

But he couldn't get angry.

Chuyang City needs the Lin family to defend it; the garrison is led by the Lin family, and the formation masters are also from the Lin family.

He could only suppress his frustration, forcing a smile, and said in a dry voice, "Master Lin is absolutely right. I have nothing more to add. Meeting adjourned, everyone go back to your work!"

The crowd filed out, and the sounds of footsteps and conversations gradually faded into the distance.

Lin Che walked at the back, side by side with Liu Yunzhou.

As he reached the door, he stopped and glanced back at the empty conference table and the still motionless figure sitting at the head of the table.

Yan Shuming sat there, gazing at the sky outside the window, lost in thought.

Lin Che withdrew his gaze and strode out of the conference room.