He Dongxing hurried to the Nangu Valley Plain to rendezvous with his fellow sect members, Jiang Dongyu and his disciple Yang Chengjun. He managed to meet them, but they also encountered serious trouble.
The Tang Imperial Court, the Celestial Master Mansion, and high-level practitioners from Mount Shu had joined forces to head south. They destroyed several strongholds of the Sui Dynasty remnants in the Southern Wilderness, as well as the entrance to the Jiuli secret realm, causing chaos for both the Sui remnants and the Blood River Sect.
Although the Blood River Sect was contending with other masters from the Witchcraft Sects, and despite some hidden discord between Wei Ancheng and Sheng Kang's direct lineage, they still had to divert their attention. They needed to join the Sui remnants to secure their rear.
In addition to Tu Dong and others, Xiong Gang, a Blood River Sect Elder at the Eightfold Heaven Realm, was forced to return.
