Wu Guang's hopeful thought was crushed less than a few breaths after he muttered it.

He jerked and suddenly stood up, with his head turned towards the south, towards the location of the Sect grounds. On Lady Xian's initiative, he was connected and controlled part of the defensive formation. And even though he was far away and could not interact with it, this connection still allowed him to sense that the formation was activated.

This did not affect Wu Guang or his team, but the fact that the Eagle Kingdom took less than two days, only six since their landing, to arrive in front of the Sect walls was indeed frightening.

He produced a message glyph from his storage ring and recorded a short message before sending it to Lang Zheng. He could not talk about formations, neither the sect one nor the one hidden in the northern city wall. Still, it was time for them to recall the guards and destroy the last access. And so Wu Guang omitted the how simply stating that he found out via a treasure that the Eagle Kingdom army had just reached the sect.

Minutes passed slowly, but the eventual answer reached Wu Guang far quicker than he could have expected

"We sent several glyphs to the sect, but no answer has reached us yet. But my brother agrees with you that it's time to close the side gate"

Before Wu Guang could even think why someone like Lang Mo, a bonafide Sage realm expert was so quick to take on his words, a second glyph reached him

"The formation of the Boundary Hill City North Wall will be activated in an hour. Chen Guang, Concentrate on your mission, the Eagles will definitively not miss the opportunity to get some of the Death Rain. After all, it's their only real mean to destroy a formation" The contents were shocking at least, but the sender was equally shocking... Old Rui!

Old Rui was supposed to be a mortal, at least that was how everyone had treated him, and even Wu Guang had not sensed anything strange about the old man. Still, the glyph carried a slight strand of presence, and... It was at least one that had already surpassed the Soul realm!

Again, Wu Guang was not given time to think why Old Rui, if it was even the correct manner to call him was a cultivator. Or why he had hidden it so well. Or why he knew about the formations. Or for the heavens why he had called Wu Guang's 'true' name.

Another message glyph had reached him, bringing to reality one of his most feared incidents.

"Several clansmen corpses were found, and everything indicates that the culprits are from our camp. Assembly cultivators are gathering around, I expect hostilities. Little brother is trying to get City Lord Wei to intervene" Kuang Xiaolan's message was short, but if she was forced to send one it was enough for Wu Guang to feel that the situation was bad.

"Even if I go there I may be more of a troublemaker than a pacifier... Then there is no other way" Wu Guang muttered while considering his status and strength before producing a glyph and asking Lang Juan to go towards the assembly. Leaving one of the biggest camps without eyes wasn't ideal, but at least she should have enough clout to make her a good spokesperson. And she was rational enough to understand that no way the refugees simply killed clansmen.

As Wu Guang waited for Lang Juan's answer, he was greeted by some good, even great news. Lan Yanzhi had finished her breakthrough successfully, and now her aura flared wildly behind him. She would require a few days to familiarize herself with her new strength, but she will be far more than capable to deal with the small fry.

"Congratulations" Wu Guang said while turning towards her.

"Thank you... Wu Guang" And for the first time, Lan Yanzhi did not call him Young Master or something of the kind without being asked to.

"I would love to say that you can take it easy for a while, but I doubt that will be true"

"Is it so bad?" Lan Yanzhi had no idea of what had happened during the more than four full days it took her to awaken her soul.

"Not to the point of freaking me out, but we have already forced to spill blood" Wu Guang intended to say something else, but at this moment Lang Juan's answer arrived and so he motioned for Lan Yanzhi to wait.

"Will do. One of my family relatives is currently present in the Assembly City, I will request his assistance to gather up at least something before I arrive. I noticed some strange groups roaming in the camp, but they were doing nothing of the shady sort. Still, I would recommend you to send someone" Lang Juan's message read.

"Mmm, I see. I wonder if I should go myself?" As Wu Guang silently mulled this thought, he sent a message to update Kuang Xiaolan as well to return her the, now again, tracking glyph.

"Young Master?"

"Hmm? We have discussed that you should not address me like that but well... What do you want to ask?" Wu Guang sighed, feeling that he would never get why Lan Yanzhi was so adamant about calling him like that.

"I wonder if I can ask..?"

"Just ask" As she was visibly fidgeting, Wu Guang decided to give her a nudge.

"What is your real identity? And strength?"

"Hmm? I thought my identity and cultivation were of no secret"

"Yes, but... How to say it... You can recharge glyphs, and you somehow produced a dozen concealing treasures. Not to mention the number of other things you have been taking out with no issue at all. Plus, it may be my imagination, but people like the Elders from the Sect and even that Stone Wolf Expert, Lang Zheng have been treating or speaking about you almost deferentially"

"I am unable to answer most of that for now" As Wu Guang said this he pointed to the heavens, and Lan Yanzhi nodded in understanding.

"Still, I can more-or-less explain a few things. The last part is easy - I am related to the backers of the Sect, something that I have discovered only recently. As for my strength... It's not much higher than the one I have revealed, but I do have a few special talents. Like having a better consciousness control than others"

"I see, well, I certainly hope that some of that talents include an idea of how to make all of us survive and live long after" Lan Yanzhi smiled in response. Her questions remained mostly unanswered, but Wu Guang did not lie to her.

"And the..." Wu Guang's words were interrupted by the arrival of another glyph.

And one that was far more alarming. Especially as it was about something that would definitively affect him directly.

"Three rowing boats approaching the beach. No ship in sight. People inside look like cultivators, armored and armed. At least one has released aura. Withdrawing to a vantage point" Short and cut as Yuan Taotu normal speech, it still allowed one to fully grasp the situation.

"Shit!" Wu Guang could only exclaim before throwing a map to Lan Yanzhi and asking her to do whatever she had to prevent bloodshed at the Camp near the Wolf Clan. Or at least prevent one between Clansmen and Refugees.

"And you?" Lan Yanzhi did not know what she would have to do yet, but she felt that if Wu Guang was running off, it meant that his share of problems was far higher... and far more dangerous.

"The Eagles seem to have decided to visit us. I should be able to take care of them, if not... Remember the emergency signal stone I gave everyone before?"

"Yes"

"If I need the others, and your help, I will activate it and you all will get the coordinates"

"Understood"

________________________________________________________________________

There were about 150 miles between his and Yuan Taotu's positions. And so he rushed with utmost speed, not only activating 'Counting Steps to Heaven and Hell', but also overexerting the technique as to squeeze out more speed.

And so, he reached the coast in under one hour. Such a speed was worthy of admiration, but neither there was anyone to admire it, nor did Wu Guang had the time to congratulate himself.

The small beach, practically without sand and in place covered with the same grass as the wildlands was less than a quarter of a mile wide. The water around it was also very shallow, but seemingly the Eagles had known it. After all, why would they have used rowboats? Speaking of the latter, Wu Guang could see the three which Yuan Taoutu mentioned. They were empty, and as they were never properly moored, had already started drifting towards the open ocean.

Wu Guang began expanding his aura and senses, and so slowly and carefully he covered more than one mile to each side.

He could not sense any living being, but the faint signs of presence were enough for him to deduce numbers, and who went where.

"Hmm, the group consists of 14 people. 3 Soul realm, 10 Spirit realm, and one unknown realm cultivator. They broke into... four groups" The latter was surprising, as whatever they were meant to do in the wildlands, would it not be better to at least find a suitable spot before parting ways? In any case, Wu Guang also found traces of Yuan Taotu. The latter had decided to follow the weaker but numerous group that consisted of 7 Spirit realm cultivators.

"Not the worst choice, as even if he can not win against them, they will be unable to take him out immediately" Wu Guang agreed with the decision, but at the same time wished to know why and where everyone of this Eagle Kingdom, if it was them, cultivators were going to.

The other three teams consisted of two pairs, one Spirit and one Soul cultivator each, as well one made up from the remains which translated into a Spirit, a Soul, and the unknown realm cultivator.

The team that Yuan Taotu decided to follow would most probably target mortals, as there were enough low-level cultivators around to gang upon and defeat them even if the 7 of them were on the peak of the realm.

The pairs would have some more targetted mission, with the Spirit realm serving as a distraction and the Soul realm, who would be able to match most of the cultivators around as the main actor.

Their destinations also seemed to go along with Wu Guang's thoughts, as the most numerous, and the weaker team was moving towards the camps, while the two pairs were more-or-less headed towards the pass, albeit taking slightly different routes.

That left Wu Guang with only one team which objective he could not deduce. Not only one of the members was concealing, and very well to say, his or her cultivation, but the trio was also following a strange direction. Why strange? Because it would lead them directly towards the Assembly.

With the situation being as such, Wu Guang took the only approach that seemed sensible. He used his remaining message glyph to transmit the routes of the pairs to Lang Zheng. While beginning to follow the trail of the three-person group...