Longzang

Chapter 1158 The Immortals Arrive... Part 1

The Azure Nether Army launched another attack on the ancestral land of the Lü family, shocking all the nations.

At this point, the Lü family had lost nine of the ten prefectures, leaving only the ancestral prefecture struggling to survive.

But this was the final line between life and death, and the Lü clan members displayed an unusual will to survive. One by one, scions of noble families and groups of servants donned their armor and went to the battlefield. With the continuous aid from other noble families, they miraculously managed to keep the Azure Nether army at bay outside their ancestral land.

After several of Qingming's vanguard legions launched probing attacks, they discovered that the Lü family's garrison was not only not defeated, but was fighting with all their might, with many charging forward with a do-or-die spirit.

The generals of Qingming, all veterans of countless battles, immediately responded fiercely. However, the Lü family fought to the death this time, and one of Qingming's Golden Core cultivators, in a moment of carelessness, charged too far forward. As a result, a Lü family Dao Foundation cultivator, carrying a self-destructing magic weapon, risked his life to get close and grab him tightly. Both were blown to pieces.

The first wave of heavily armored warriors suffered heavy losses, while the tanks were relentlessly approached by the enemy's powerful Dao bases, who forcibly cleaved open the outer shells and then pulled out and crushed the driving Dao bases inside one by one.

On the first day of the bloody battle alone, Qingming suffered thousands of casualties, an unprecedented occurrence since they invaded the Lü family's territory.

The frontline commanders immediately halted the infantry offensive and instead called for reinforcements of ammunition and heavy artillery, significantly increasing the number of heavy artillery pieces on the front lines. They bombarded the ground with shells every day, exchanging steel and explosives for the lives of the Lü family's sons.

While the Lu family's war was at a stalemate, Xiao Yu was thriving in the Eastern Jin. The hundred floating ships originally assigned to him were far from enough, and even after increasing it to five hundred, it still wasn't enough. In the end, Wei Yuan gritted his teeth and mobilized all the strategic reserves, allocating a total of eight hundred ships to him, which was finally sufficient.

Holding a sharp weapon, Xiao Yu's murderous intent arose spontaneously. While writing letters to Wei Yuan recounting what he saw and heard each day, he launched a full-scale sweep of the Eastern Jin border, sparing not even the people in small towns. Wherever his army passed, they were all captured and transported back to Qingming.

Wei Yuan kept a close eye on the war's progress daily, and spent his spare time with the old Taoist priest Chu He discussing how to rearrange the boundary stones of the Western Jin Dynasty. This move would cause immediate harm but benefit future generations, completely improving the environment of half of the Western Jin Dynasty and saving countless lives.

However, many of the boundary stones have been planted for a long time and have already reached their peak of nurturing. If they are moved rashly, most of their nurturing will likely be lost, and in the short term, it may cause various natural and man-made disasters.

The area to be moved this time is too large, and the resulting karma is also extraordinary. Although the old Taoist Chuhe has achieved sainthood through merit, Wei Yuan is worried that he will not be able to bear it. He has been struggling with this matter and weighing the consequences repeatedly.

In the midst of his busy work, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, sensing that someone was calling him from outside the realm.

He then called Xu Henshui, left the Immortal City, and flew out of the Azure Sky together. There they saw Xu Youyi walk out of the void, her face frosty and her coldness intimidating.

Upon seeing Wei Yuan, she immediately said in an annoyed tone, "Wei Yuan! Don't go too far. I only grabbed an old man's leg, is it really necessary to be like this? You've already plundered more than thirty cities on our border and kidnapped nearly ten million people! What more do you want?"

Wei Yuan smiled slightly and said, "Whether it's ten million or a hundred million, do these people matter?"

Xu Youyi was momentarily speechless. This was a question Wei Yuan had asked without her ever having to think about it before. Mortals were merely a burden; let them fend for themselves. Too many people would naturally starve, and even if many died, the population would be replenished in a few decades.

However, with the rise of Qingming and Wei Yuan's use of human power to slay immortals, this common sense has long been overturned. Clearly, mortals are useful; it's just that people don't know how to use them.

However, knowing is one thing, and doing is another. In ancient times, the first immortal was also the human emperor, and the use of human fortune on the path to immortality was already known. In the long history that followed, several human kings emerged, all relying on the blessing of human fortune, possessing unparalleled combat power, and expanding the territory of humankind.

However, accumulating human fortune is difficult, and a small amount is of little use. For it to be useful to immortals, the sheer volume of human fortune required is beyond the capacity of ordinary immortals to accumulate. Moreover, human fortune is unpredictable, capable of gathering and dispersing at will. Perhaps a natural disaster or a minor official who acts recklessly can wipe out most of the human fortune accumulated through hard work.

Therefore, despite the example of Qingming, the immortals still don't pay much attention to mortals. In history, only the rulers of dynasties and emperors throughout the ages have been able to advance further by relying on human fortune.

Since they can't accumulate enough good fortune, and raising mortals is extremely time-consuming and laborious, most immortals simply don't bother with it. Take Xu Youyi, for example; even when natural disasters killed tens of millions, she remained unmoved.

Therefore, Xu Youyi was unable to answer Wei Yuan's question.

She was quite frank, saying, "It's not important, but people still need to live on the border, and cities need to be guarded. If you take these people away, I'll have to replace them with just as many. The problem is, who's willing to go to the harsh, cold north? That's another huge expense."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "This money was paid by the Eastern Jin court, not the Xu family. Why are you in such a hurry, senior?"

Xu Youyi narrowed her eyes and said, "Now, a large part of the Eastern Jin Dynasty belongs to my Xu family. The government is corrupt and the national treasury is empty. Where will we get the money to relocate the refugees? In the end, won't it be my Xu family that has to pay for it?"

At this moment, Xu Henshui coughed lightly.

Xu Youyi raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "What, you have something to say?"

Wei Yuan pulled Xu Henshui aside and said, "This is the future abbot of the Creation Temple of the Taichu Palace. Please show him some respect, senior."

Xu Youyi coldly replied, "So what?"

Xu Henshui looked helpless and said, "Immortal Ancestor, Wei Yuan is not one of the other aristocratic immortals who admired you back then, and our Xu family has no past relationship with the Taichu Palace. Therefore, he will not tolerate you. If you continue to speak like this, then war will be the only option."

Xu Youyi was furious: "Hit me if you want! I..."

That sentence suddenly ended there. She was just saying it out of habit, not because she was truly stupid. Besides, what immortal is stupid?

Wei Yuan waited quietly for what was to come. Since Xu Youyi was able to ascend to immortality, she must be quite cunning and resourceful. Just look at how she made the first move, grabbing only a celestial leg and leaving, and was able to escape unscathed. That alone shows her skill.

Xu Youyi suddenly calmed down, as if she had become a different person. She was indifferent and cold, and said, "I don't want to get involved in the Lü family's mess, so I've only been putting on a show all this time. Now I just want to protect the Xu family of Jinqi. What do I need to give in return for this request?"

This is a true immortal, high above, indifferent and aloof, detached from human life and death, without joy or sorrow, only making moves and strategizing. Wei Yuan praised him in his heart and said, "Give me passage, I want to attack the Xu family of Northern Qi, destroy their ancestral land, and demolish the secret realm."

Xu Youyi frowned and said, "You want to demolish the ancestral lands of two families? That's probably impossible. If you do that, someone will immediately take action."

Wei Yuan smiled slightly and said, "Didn't they already make a move? Was it effective? Since their efforts were fruitless, it's time for them to pay the price."

Xu Youyi said, "What if I don't agree?"

Wei Yuan said calmly, "Then let's demolish the ancestral lands of Jin and Xu first, then demolish Qi and Xu, turning the demolition of two families into the demolition of three."

Xu Youyi asked calmly, "Can you do it?"

"I may not be able to slay an immortal, but I certainly won't let you off easy, senior. If you don't believe me, you can ask Cui Wantong."

Xu Youyi said, "Don't make unrealistic demands, say something practical."

Wei Yuan praised, "As expected of a senior! Very well, it's fine if we don't demolish the ancestral land, but the Xu family of Northern Qi will compensate us with 200 million Qing Yuan, which can be paid in full within five years, or we can use rare and precious materials as collateral. Secondly, the Xu family of Northern Qi must hand over a direct descendant of an immortal seed. I don't care which one it is, but it must be handed over. This is the bottom line, and there is no room for negotiation."

Xu Youyi asked, "What benefits would I get?"

Wei Yuan was taken aback and said, "Of the compensation from the Xu family of Northern Qi, I can give 20 million to you, senior."

"Fifty million!"

"Forty million."

"make a deal."

After Xu Youyi left, Xu Henshui looked complicated and said, "What... what's going on here?"

Wei Yuan laughed and patted his shoulder, saying, "Your immortal ancestor temporarily stood on my side in exchange for that immortal leg, forty million green coins, and the temporary safety of the Eastern Jin Dynasty."

"Temporary, temporary?" Xu Henshui keenly caught the two words.

Wei Yuan chuckled and offered no comment.

"Why must we fight Qi and Xu? It's a thankless and arduous task."

Wei Yuan's expression turned solemn. He said, "I'm letting the whole world know what the price is for being my enemy. No one should think they can get away with it! Since Xu Shuhe wants to take risks, I'll cut off his supplies first and then dig up his seed of immortality! I want to see how the Xu family of Northern Qi plans to turn things around!"

Xu Henshui shook his head. If the Xu family of Northern Qi didn't respond well to Wei Yuan's attack, they might be removed from the Thirteen Families.

The movements of immortals naturally attract attention. No sooner had Xu Youyi left than Wei Yuan received several calls. So Wei Yuan said to Xu Henshui, "You go about your business; I still have several immortals to receive."

Several immortals? Xu Henshui gave Wei Yuan a deep look before returning to the Creation Pill Workshop.

Wei Yuan then teleported back to Qingming, and a moment later flew out with Bao Yun, arriving together above Qingming. Old Madam Bao was already waiting there.

Bao Yun bowed gracefully and said, "Greetings, Ancestor."

Madam Bao looked her up and down, her expression clearly complicated, and said slowly, "Over the years, you haven't received much support from the clan. It's not that my Bao family hasn't, but the children below are mindful of my preferences and dare not give you too much. The whole mountain, the Treasure Trees are all like this; they have already done their best to help, so don't have any ideas about them."

Bao Yun said, "This junior has never harbored any resentment."

Madam Bao sighed softly and said, "One of your ancestors colluded with certain people in the Sword Palace in pursuit of the Dao, which led to the death of the fourth Palace Master of the Tai Chu Palace, indirectly causing the death of Kong Qing. After Kong Qing's death, I was furious and went to the Sword Palace to demand an explanation, but the two Palace Masters of the Sword Palace at that time were both highly skilled, while I was slightly inferior, so I had to retreat."

Knowing I was powerless to seek justice, I harbored resentment towards your ancestor. Realizing the situation was dire, he fled the ancestral land long ago, his whereabouts unknown. I then took my anger out on the entire family. The descendants, understanding my intentions, resorted to various acts of suppression.

Bao Yun was also learning about this past event for the first time. After a moment, she said, "I have already received a lot of resources from my family, and I did quite well when I was young. Other geniuses in the clan did not receive much more than me, so I have no complaints."

Madam Bao nodded and said to Wei Yuan, "That little dragon is unruly by nature. It will take some effort and patience for you to subdue it. But once you can subdue it, it will be a great help to you. This dragon species has the supernatural power of endless life, and its recovery ability and lifespan far exceed those of other divine creatures."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior." Wei Yuan said, but did not mention that the Azure Dragon had already merged with the Green Dragon.

The Azure Dragon, born from the Heavenly Tribulation, was clearly stronger than the Green Dragon. After merging, the Azure Dragon became the dominant force. The Green Dragon, on the other hand, was formed from the remnants of the spirit that Xihe had slain, retaining only a few instincts and little intelligence.

After Madam Bao left, Wei Yuan took a Qi-replenishing pill to adjust his condition to its best before going to greet the next immortal in line.

(End of this chapter)