In reality, Chen Yaozu, also known as Long Yaozu, was not dead at all. He had merely staged a clever escape, quietly returning to the Long family and the Hidden Dragon Valley.
Immediately after, he began to take charge of the construction of the spirit-gathering formation.
At the time, many people questioned the Long family patriarch, Long Yaotian, believing it was a joke to entrust such a crucial project to an outsider.
This was because building such a formation would require exposing the entire terrain, geography, and various structures of the Hidden Dragon Valley to Chen Yaozu.
Furthermore, Chen Yaozu would even improve the natural spirit-gathering formation within the Hidden Dragon Valley. A slight misstep could potentially disrupt the valley's feng shui.
However, Long Yaotian ultimately used his authority within the Long family to suppress all objections and push the project forward.
Today, with the construction of the spirit-gathering formation complete and its use commencing, everyone immediately felt the immense value of this grand array.
It was on this occasion that Long Yaotian reinstated Long Yaozu's identity. The masses then realized that this entire endeavor was orchestrated by the Long family, a plan meticulously laid out over sixty years, or even longer!
In truth, countless martial arts sects had been infiltrated by Long family disciples over the centuries, only to be systematically stripped of their ultimate techniques.
This was also a significant reason for the Long family's current status and power!
Everyone offered their congratulations to Long Yaozu, stepping forward to greet him. After a considerable amount of time, the crowd dispersed, returning to their respective homes. Most of the Long family disciples chose this moment to enter seclusion, aiming to break through difficult bottlenecks.
Long Yaotian, along with the senior members of the Long family, entered the council hall within the ancestral shrine.
Upon entering the council hall, everyone was even more astonished. They discovered that Long Yaozu's seat was arranged right beside the patriarch, Long Yaotian, a gesture of immense honor.
The senior members of the Long family were also extremely excited. The Long family had schemed for a century to build this spirit-gathering formation, and today, their efforts had finally yielded results. Moreover, these results were of paramount importance to the Long family.
With such a blessed land, and with a hundred years of diligent practice and cultivation, it seemed not impossible for the Long family to surpass great clans like the Xuanyuan family in the future!
At this very moment, Long Yaotian keenly noticed that within the council hall, the only junior present, his own son Long Xiao, had a very grim expression, as if he had lost his father.
Long Xiao was permitted to enter the council hall because he was the eldest son of the Long family patriarch, Long Yaotian, and his designated heir.
Currently, the daily affairs of the entire Hidden Dragon Valley were managed by Long Xiao.
It was evident that Long Xiao's demeanor today was far from normal!
"Long Xiao, what is wrong with you? Today is a joyous occasion, yet you are so troubled. By the way, where is that girl Lingxin? Why don't I see her? Now that our Long family's spirit-gathering formation is complete, quickly have this girl return so she can cultivate properly and achieve greater breakthroughs!"
"Father, Lingxin is in trouble. Just the day before yesterday, she was out having dinner with friends when someone splashed scalding hot pot oil onto her face. Lingxin suffered extensive severe burns to her face, and her eyeball ruptured and was removed. She is currently in the ICU fighting for her life!"
"What? How could this happen? Who did this!"
Long family patriarch Long Yaotian was instantly enraged, the joy brought by the completion of the spirit-gathering formation vanishing instantly.
Long Lingxin was Long Xiao's daughter and Long family patriarch Long Yaotian's most beloved granddaughter.
The younger generation of the Long family had many male descendants, but very few females. Therefore, the clever and endearing Long Lingxin was deeply favored by Long Yaotian. Hearing the sudden dire news about his granddaughter, Long Yaotian could not bear it.
"Who did this? Who is responsible for this! We must find the culprit, and then, wipe out their entire clan!" Long Yaotian's voice was filled with murderous intent.
"Long Ming is in the capital city, fully investigating. There is no result yet! Additionally, we have already begun assembling the best burn specialists, plastic surgeons, and ophthalmologists to treat Long Lingxin..."
"Long Ming, you incompetent fool! You can't even look after a girl properly. Go tell Long Ming that if he cannot find the perpetrator, he should not return, and never set foot in the Hidden Dragon Valley again!"
"Yes, Father!"
Long Yaotian's sudden fury silenced everyone present. After a while, Long Xiao spoke again, "Father, there is another matter..."
"If you have something to say, say it! Can't you just say everything at once!"
Long Xiao's hesitant demeanor made Long Yaotian even more furious. He felt his son was truly useless.
"Reporting to Father, in the past few days, several disciples who went into the mountains for training and herb gathering have all gone missing! They have neither returned nor contacted their families! I sent a few people to search for them, but the ones I sent also went missing and have not been heard from since..."
"What! Why didn't you say so earlier!" Long Yaotian, in his anger, raised his hand and slapped his son, completely disregarding his composure as patriarch.
"At first, I thought it was a minor issue. I didn't think Father needed to worry about such things, but I didn't expect..."
"Tomorrow, immediately organize patrol teams. Conduct a comprehensive search for the whereabouts of those people. Find all the lurking scoundrels around the Hidden Dragon Valley! Our Long family's spirit-gathering formation has just been completed, and it might attract the covetous eyes of those with ill intentions! I will absolutely not allow the spirit-gathering formation to be compromised!"
"Yes, Father, I will arrange this matter immediately!"
...
Outside the Hidden Dragon Valley, about ten kilometers away, Ling Tian's second master, Monk Jie Nu, dug a pit. His first master, Immortal Master Dao Yuan, personally placed a circular jade brick into the pit.
The third master, Gong Hemming, was responsible for backfilling the soil and stones, and then covering the area with transplanted vegetation, making it impossible for anyone to tell that the ground had been dug up.
Just then, Ling Tian appeared beside the three of them.
"Masters, the formation is almost complete. Only the final core component remains to be placed. Tonight, I plan to proceed. I ask the three of you to work hard and leave quickly, as far away from here as possible!"
Monk Jie Nu glared, "What do you mean, boy? Are you looking down on us old folks? Or do you think we are not capable enough and will only drag you down if we stay!"
Immortal Master Dao Yuan angrily said, "I say, you bald rogue, how can you speak like that? Ling Tian is doing this for our own good!"
"Exactly, Ling Tian's good intentions might have been fed to a teddy bear!" Third Master Gong Hemming chimed in.
"Masters, the reason I ask you to leave is for your own safety!"