My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

Clearly, they greatly admired their teacher's methods. In a short period, the sect grounds of Lanyan Royal School in the Snow Clan's ruins had already been intricately arranged, all thanks to the relentless efforts of the masters from the Immortal and Demon Realms.

Even though the formations around the sect seemed excessive to them, those formations weren't meant to deal with them, so it wasn't their concern. The formation masters appeared almost obsessed, each array they set up more outrageous than the last.

Not long ago, a spy from another sect mistakenly entered one of the formations. It was merely the simplest illusion array, yet the cultivator at the Imperial Realm level emerged from the illusion with his heart shattered, losing his mind, bleeding from all seven orifices, and ultimately dying.

The array wasn't just an illusion but also a poison array, containing various toxins that induced hallucinations. The poison could even penetrate the protective qi of cultivators.

This was why an Imperial Realm expert met such a tragic end. With this as an example, fewer people dared to target Lanyan Royal School.

People may die for wealth, just as birds die for food, but only if there's hope. With the terrifying formations set up by Lanyan Royal School, most would die before gaining any benefits. As a result, the area around the Snow Clan's ruins returned to peace for the time being.

---

In the Immortal Realm's Fifth Heaven, in the Cuitian World, where Thunder Clan was based:

"Useless!"

"To lose to Lanyan Royal School in the Great Competition of All Clans is one thing, but to also lose a Holy Son and your own avatar? You've utterly disappointed me! How are you still qualified to be an elder of Thunder Clan?"

In a grand palace, the Thunder Clan Patriarch sat on a stone throne, scolding one of the clan's elders below. The other elders around them kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact, pretending not to hear anything.

This Thunder Clan elder had just entered the Divine Realm not long ago, and it was a big deal when he became an elder, even serving as the escorting elder for the Great Competition of All Clans. There was also a rumor within Thunder Clan that this elder was the Thunder Clan Patriarch's son, though no one openly admitted it, yet everyone understood the truth.

At this moment, no one dared to speak up, for it would only bring trouble upon themselves. Although they were all Divine Realm powerhouses, there were still vast differences in strength between them.

If it weren't for Thunder Clan's recent decision to seal off their mountain and gather everyone together, getting all these elders in one place would have been a challenging task.

"No matter your intentions, the damage caused to Thunder Clan is undeniable, and you must face punishment."

"I order you to reclaim all the destiny lost to Lanyan Royal School within the next century, and perhaps this will redeem your sins. Can you do it?"

The Thunder Clan Patriarch asked sternly, and the elder hurriedly agreed.

"Very well, you may leave."

"Wait!"

"Don't act against Lanyan Royal School too hastily. With Bright Clan locking down their territory and the other clans turning into turtles hiding in their shells, Thunder Clan must not stand out at this time. For the next ten years, you are not allowed to leave Thunder Clan."

"If you must lay groundwork, do so through others, without involving Thunder Clan's name. Understand?"

Though the elder felt discontent, he dared not show his true emotions in front of so many other elders.

"I understand," he replied before leaving the palace.

Once the elder had left, the other elders began reporting the various affairs of Thunder Clan over the years, as well as the growth of different factions under their influence. Eventually, they turned to the topic of Bright Clan, particularly the news of the Bright Clan Divine Son breaking through to the God Realm.

Regardless of whether the news was true or false, Thunder Clan had to treat it as fact. If the Bright Clan Divine Son truly stepped into the God Realm, Bright Clan would instantly widen the gap between themselves and the other six clans.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, being weak is a sin. Thunder Clan had long been at odds with Bright Clan, and now they feared retaliation more than ever. Though Thunder Clan had ways to contend with those in the God Realm, they lacked a true Divine Lord, making them inferior to the Bright Clan Divine Son, who had now entered the God Realm.

"The situation is dire. We've received word from Fire Clan; they are prepared to form an alliance with Thunder Clan."

"If Bright Clan makes a move, our two clans must stand together. What are your thoughts?"

The elders exchanged glances and, with a tacit understanding, said, "We leave it to the Patriarch to decide."

"Good!" The Thunder Clan Patriarch nodded in satisfaction.

Soon, the news of an alliance between Fire Clan and Thunder Clan spread. At the same time, word of an alliance between Ghost Clan and Beast Clan also swept across the Immortal Realm.

The Immortal Realm's seven great houses already had agreements in place, but now, as each formed new alliances and spread the news so quickly, it was clear these actions were deliberate. Seeing this, other major factions began forming their own alliances, as if not doing so would leave them isolated.

While the various clans formed alliances, there was no news from Cloud Clan, which seemed odd. However, in the flood of information, Cloud Clan didn't seem particularly significant, and few paid attention to them.

Similarly, there was a rising faction called God-Slay Palace, which had recently placed in the top 100 of the Great Competition of All Clans. God-Slay Palace was previously known by another name, but after acquiring the ruins of Yin God Palace, they changed it.

God-Slay Palace had made some major moves lately, including wiping out the forces that had previously occupied Yin God Palace. There were rumors that many of the powerful figures within God-Slay Palace were connected to the old Yin God Palace, and it was even said that the current leader of God-Slay Palace was a descendant of Yin God Palace.

It was well-known that Bright Clan had played a significant role in the downfall of Yin God Palace back then. Now, with the resurgence of God-Slay Palace, it seemed a revenge plot was brewing, and many factions were eager to watch the drama unfold.

In any other situation, such explosive news would have spread like wildfire, but in the face of the alliances formed by the seven great houses of the Immortal Realm, it didn't seem as important.

With all these events unfolding, the Great Dao Ceremony being held by a small faction in the Earthly Realm drew no attention. The once highly anticipated Lanyan Royal School seemed to have lost its momentum, and that was exactly what Gu Lan wanted.

Through his avatar, Gu Lan was aware of the recent events in the Immortal Realm. The Bright Clan Divine Son's breakthrough was bad news, but also good news. After all, reaching the God Realm would require time to stabilize one's cultivation. Moreover, with the Divine Son having to undergo a sacred inheritance, it was likely he wouldn't emerge for hundreds of years.