I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Upon returning, Zhihei made no small talk, took a seat, and then took out two jade slips from his sleeve, gently placing them on the table.

The jade slips were of different textures, one blue and one black. The blue slip had a very faint layer of spiritual light slowly flowing on its surface, while the black slip maintained a matte texture.

"The Fang family has already advanced into Medicine King Valley, one of the heartlands of Hundred Herbs Valley." Zhihei's voice came from behind the mask. "Their progress is faster than I expected. They have already captured three major spirit mine production areas on the outskirts of Hundred Herbs Valley and are currently advancing towards the core area of ​​Hundred Herbs Valley. The remaining forces of Hundred Herbs Valley have retreated into the Medicine King Valley. Relying on the terrain and the defensive arrays set up in advance, they have managed to stabilize the situation. However, the situation on the other front is not optimistic."

He picked up the cyan jade slip, gently pressing his fingertip against the spiritual light layer. The light on the surface of the jade slip contracted slightly: "The main force of the beast tide from the Iron Spine Mountains and the Fallen Soul Mountains has merged and is surging into the territory of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect from multiple directions. Several cities that they had previously recaptured have fallen again. If the beast tide does not recede and this trend continues, the core area of ​​the Azure Cloud Sword Sect may be directly threatened within three years." He pushed the jade slip in front of Lin Che and Lin Xuanqi, then withdrew his hand.

Upon hearing this detailed intelligence report on the southern war situation, Lin Che looked out the window into the distance.

"As I suspected, the situation in the Southern Region is very chaotic, and it's heading in an increasingly unpredictable direction." His gaze didn't leave the window, but his voice clearly reached every corner of the council hall.

"The Fang family wants to take this opportunity to annex Baicao Valley and Qingyun Sword Sect, while the demon beasts seem to be cooperating with them, gradually encroaching on the Qingyun Sword Sect's territory on the western front, so that it has no time to spare manpower to support Baicao Valley. But is the new faction of demon beast lords who are pushing this beast tide really just trying to expand their gains?"

I believe the beast tide, which has been deadlocked for nearly a thousand years, will soon launch a final offensive. The Southern Region may be completely reshuffled; either the Fang family will unify the Southern Region, or the human race will be completely driven out of it!

Hearing Lin Che's analysis, Zhi Hei remained expressionless: "I agree with this view. If the war continues to develop, it is very likely to turn into a final battle between the Fang family and the monsters of the Southern Region."

This is undoubtedly the last thing the Lin family wanted to see happen.

The Lin family now controls a large undeveloped area and has a new spirit beast breeding base. If given more time to develop, the Lin family's foundation will be truly strengthened.

But the situation is developing too fast now.

In less than a year, the Spirit Herb Valley had already been driven into the heart of the Fang family's army, and the Azure Cloud Sword Sect was also suppressed by the beast tide and could only retreat. If this continued, the Lin family would not be able to have the strength to influence the outcome of the battle before the possible decisive battle began.

Looking out the window in silence for a moment, Lin Che continued, "How's the Rebellious Demon Palace doing?"

Zhihei shook his head: "There's no movement at all. They haven't made any statement or sent any troops. They've just been hiding on Black Wind Ridge. The demonic beasts within the Burning Bone City area have entered the heart of the Southern Region through the opening they deliberately made."

The Fang family reacted very quickly, with cultivators from their various factions immediately filling the gaps, thus intercepting the beast tide at Green Water Gorge in front of the Southern Plains. Currently, the two sides are in a stalemate.

"No wonder all sides have sent people at this critical juncture." Lin Xuanqi, who was listening from the side, couldn't help but speak up. "With Baicao Valley and Qingyun Sword Sect on the verge of collapse, the importance of our Lin family is now becoming apparent."

Lin Che nodded in agreement: "The Demon Palace of Rebellion clearly has the same idea as us: to stall and give themselves time to develop. Qin Wudao is obviously buying time for himself to condense his Dharma body, so he is just hiding on Black Wind Ridge and letting the beast tide pass through his territory."

After a pause, Lin Che's gaze turned serious: "We need to create a new situation. The Fang family is advancing too fast. We must buy ourselves some time to develop."

Zhihei's gaze fell on the sand table that had not been removed since the start of the war.

On the sand table were small flags representing various forces, marking the latest changes in defense lines and strongholds.

The territory of Baicaogu has been compressed to only one-third of its original size. The Fang family's banner has been advancing northward along the southern mountain range, and has already crossed the original outer defense line of Baicaogu.

The Qingyun Sword Sect's banner domain narrowed into a long, narrow strip in the western direction, appearing fragile and on the verge of breaking at any moment in front of the beast tide's arrowhead.

The area where the Demon Palace of Rebellion is located remains a stable blank space, neither expanding nor shrinking.

"It is clear that Baicao Valley and Qingyun Sword Sect want our support, and the best support is for us to become enemies with the Fang family, thereby delaying their progress and allowing them to catch their breath and seek a breakthrough in the war."

The black fingertip lightly touched the edge of the sand table, specifically the side and back of the small "Fang Family" flag.

"The Fang family came here to appease us, and as for the Reverse Fate Demon Palace... I think they are the most likely partners to achieve our goals."

…………

Three days later.

When the Fang family's flying boat arrived, it was just past noon.

The sunlight shone directly down from above, illuminating every engraved line on the surface of the airship with crystal clarity.

The boat was about six zhang long, and its body was silver-gray with a narrow gold trim around the edge. The gold was not paint, but rather a kind of spiritual mineral embedded in it that slowly flowed in the light.

The array patterns on the surface of the airship lit up one by one during the descent, starting from the pointed tip of the bow and extending backward along the arcs on both sides, like two fuses being lit, slowly tracing across the hull.

After the airship stopped, the array patterns did not immediately dim, but gradually went out in sections, like a lamp being dimmed.

The hatch opened directly towards the exit of the docking area. When the elder of the Fang family, dressed in a dark gray robe, stepped down the gangway, the sound of his boots hitting the metal steps was very soft, without any unnecessary dragging or pauses due to unfamiliarity with the landing spot.

The person in charge of the spirit boat docking point in Chuyang City had been notified in advance. After confirming the identity of the flying boat, they did not ask any further questions and directly sent two cultivators in blue uniforms to guide them into the city.

Fang Yuandao walked behind the two guiding cultivators, deliberately slowing his pace to observe the layout of the streets along the way.

It seemed that observing Chuyang City was his main task this time.

……

Inside the City Lord's mansion's reception room, Lin Che had already taken his seat in the main seat.

Two cups of spiritual tea were already poured on the table. The tea was kept at a temperature just right for drinking. The steam from the surface of the tea rose slowly in thin white lines, gradually spreading and thinning in the air, and completely dissipating when it reached a height of about one foot above the rim of the cup.

The surface of the tea soup remained still about a finger's width below the rim of the cup, without any visible sloshing caused by moving the cup.

Lin Che held a book in his hand, the pages of which had been turned many times. His gaze was fixed on the pages, but he could already sense footsteps at the door out of the corner of his eye.

Fang Yuandao did not speak immediately upon entering the reception room.

His gaze swept around the room, passing in turn over the floor lamp stand in the corner, the brass latch on the window sill, and the direction of the seams in the stone slabs on the floor.

His observation of the details lasted for less than two breaths before he withdrew his gaze and bowed slightly towards the main seat: "Fang Yuandao, elder of the Fang family's Foreign Affairs Hall, has come to pay his respects to Lin Zhenjun on the orders of the family head." His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, maintaining a just-right sense of propriety formed after experiencing many similar occasions, neither appearing distant nor deliberately trying to close the distance.

Lin Che put down his book, stood up to return the greeting, and gestured for him to sit in the guest seat: "Elder Fang, you have come from afar, you must be tired from your journey."

Fang Yuandao sat down in the guest seat, smoothed out the hem of his robe, and then took out a letter sealed with silver wax from his sleeve and placed it on the table in front of him: "Lord Lin, you are too kind. I am not here to negotiate, but to convey a few words from the patriarch."

Lin Che narrowed his eyes slightly: "I am all ears."

"The patriarch said that the Fang family has been operating in the Southern Region for hundreds of years, always putting the responsibility of defending against the beast tide first.

However, the greed of the Demon Palace of Rebellion led to the fall of the Burning Bone Pass, causing a large number of cultivators to be displaced. The Fang family was deeply saddened, but now that the Burning Bone Pass had been breached, there was no use in saying anything. The Fang family was willing to retake it, but unfortunately, they simply did not have the manpower to do so.

Fang Yuandao maintained the same steady rhythm as before.

"Therefore, the Fang family earnestly requests the Lin family to step forward and retake the Burning Bone Pass defense line. The family head promises that the Fang family will cover all expenses, and these areas can be handed over to the Lin family for management after the retake.

Lin Che and Lin Xuanqi, who was sitting below him, exchanged a glance, both of them clearly understanding how clever the Fang family's move was.

Instead of directly offering large sums of money to win them over, they adopted a more moderate approach.

They handed over the Burning Bone Pass directly to the Lin family, and they even paid for all the expenses incurred in its recapture.

Isn't the Lin family in charge of all the spending?

In other words, Lin family, you just need to give us a list, and we can fulfill it for you.

That's the key point in what the other person said.

These conditions truly jeopardized the Lin family's very survival.

The resources and spirit stones needed for the Lin family's further expansion and development are an astronomical figure, and the conditions offered by the other party are indeed very tempting.

Moreover, this proposal would not draw the Lin family into the main battlefield at all, and what the Fang family really needs is for the Lin family to remain neutral.

Lin Che exchanged another glance with Lin Xuanqi before turning his gaze back to Fang Yuandao: "I understand the Fang family's meaning, but we need to consider it further. It will probably take some time before we can give Elder Fang an answer."

Fang Yuandao showed no disappointment or surprise. He simply pushed the silver-sealed letter forward less than an inch, then stood up and said, "It's alright. I'll stay a few more days. I'll trouble Lord Lin to arrange a place for us to stay."

…………

Two days later, the messenger from Baicao Valley arrived, but there was only one person.

The monk in the dark green robe entered the reception room with a much more excited gait than the Fang family's envoy.

His tired face, the dark circles under his eyes, and the slight hollows in his cheekbones all indicated that he had been under a lot of pressure lately.

After entering the room, he looked around to confirm Lin Che's location before quickly taking a few steps forward.

"Elder Gu Beiwang of Baicaogu greets True Lord Lin."

His tone was more direct than the previous Fang family envoy. After taking his seat, he cut to the chase without much preamble: "True Lord Lin, our Hundred Herbs Valley needs the Lin family's help. If the Lin family is willing to send troops to relieve the pressure on our Hundred Herbs Valley, we can provide the Lin family with one hundred Golden Core Pills and five Nascent Soul Pills!"

He spoke slowly but in a tight rhythm, without any unnecessary embellishment. His gaze remained fixed on Lin Che's face the entire time, as if waiting for a definite answer.

One hundred Golden Core Pills and five Nascent Soul Pills are truly a generous gift, and this is only what the Lin family gave them after agreeing to send troops; obviously, the subsequent price can be negotiated further.

Lin Che was not blinded by the readily available benefits. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "I have seen Elder Gu's sincerity. With the strength of our Lin family, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot if we were to take action against the Fang family. It would be overestimating our abilities." He put down his teacup. "However, I have seen the sincerity of Baicao Valley. Elder Gu can rest in the city for a few days. I will give you an answer after careful consideration." His tone was not too harsh, leaving some room for maneuver.

Three days later, the envoy from the Qingyun Sword Sect arrived a day later than expected, but the identity of the person who came also exceeded expectations.

As the elderly man in the gray-blue Taoist robe entered the reception room, the lamp by the door swayed slightly as he passed by.

His face was thin, and his eyes had a sharpness that came from years of being immersed in sword intent. It was a sharpness that grew from his bones, and even when he tried to restrain himself, it still revealed a sharpness that could only be understood intuitively.

Unlike the previous two messengers, the newcomer was a genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"Qi Changfeng, Elder of Qingyun Peak of Qingyun Sword Sect, greets True Lord Lin. I believe True Lord Lin already knows the purpose of my visit, so I will not waste any more words. As long as the Lin family is willing to take action and start a war on the eastern front, my Qingyun Sword Sect can offer one hundred Sword Intent Inheritance Beads. These can allow cultivators to comprehend sword intent in a short period of time, as well as one hundred high-grade spirit swords."

The difference between a sword cultivator with sword intent and one without is like heaven and earth. This Sword Intent Inheritance Bead is indeed a rare treasure that can truly increase a cultivator's strength.

Lin Che still gave the other party an evasive answer: "I appreciate Elder Qi's kindness, but the situation on the eastern front is too complicated, and the Lin family's strength is limited. I need to discuss it with the clan before giving your clan a reply."

After seeing off the envoy from the Qingyun Sword Sect, Lin Che stood at the entrance of the reception hall, looking at the darkening sky at the end of the corridor.

"Baicao Valley wants us to intervene in the Fang family's war, Qingyun Sword Sect wants us to restrain the Fang family's main force, and the Fang family wants us to remain neutral. Each of them has its own agenda, and each of their conditions is right on the borderline between 'worth considering' and 'not worth the risk'."

"Next, it all depends on the Fate Reversal Palace. They are the key if we want to achieve the situation we envision."