I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

"Guanhua Gate?"

The three words echoed in the empty hall, their lingering sound fading into the distance.

A sense of bewilderment flashed through Yu Zhang and Yuan Lian's hearts.

All the immortals with names in the Immortal Deer Plain are on my mind.

Such names and titles are very similar to those of secular Taoist temples, which Erxiu has never heard of before.

"speak."

Yu Zhang raised his cup to sip tea, his eyelids drooping slightly.

Yan Song lay prostrate on the gold brick, his trembling tongue recounting all of Guanhuamen's so-called "great achievements" in recent years—the incorporation of villages, the mobilization of the entire population into the army, and the gradual encroachment on the surrounding areas.

"Oh."

Before Yu Zhang could speak, Yuan Lian sneered.

"A Qi Refining stage sect leader? So-called elites are nothing more than commoners wielding ordinary iron weapons? Is this all that's worth you traveling thousands of miles to come and mourn at our door?"

Yan Song kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Excellency, please understand! It is not that I am cowardly, but rather that the rules of the Guanhua Sect are treacherous. If they are left unchecked, the territory of our Immortal Sect may be tainted!"

"Noisy."

Yu Zhang, impatient, waved his sleeve and tossed Yan Song to a secluded corner outside the hall.

A peaceful and quiet environment.

He pondered softly, tapping his fingers on the chessboard with a crisp, pleasant sound.

"If we don't eat the meat that's right in front of us, it would make our Imperial Sword Sect seem heartless."

A wisp of divine thought drifted out of the hall and went straight into the inner gate.

A few breaths later.

A fleeting white figure streaked through the air and arrived.

The newcomer was in his early twenties, with sword-like eyebrows reaching his temples, and his aura was as refined as water, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.

"Grandson Xianyun pays respects to his grandfather and to his grand-uncle Yuanlian."

Wen Xianyun bowed deeply, his demeanor composed and dignified.

"rise."

Yu Zhang gazed at his only son, a hint of kindness appearing on his usually indifferent old face.

Without saying much, he lightly tapped the void with his withered fingertips.

A jade seal, about the size of a square inch and surrounded by a golden-white aura, appeared.

"The Dao Seal of Dui Ze?"

Yuan Lian was quite surprised.

As the foundation-building spiritual weapon that Yu Zhang made famous in the past, it combines offense and defense and is extremely powerful in killing.

The next moment, it obediently tied itself around Wen Xianyun's waist.

Meanwhile, Yan Song, who was already terrified, was brought back into the palace.

"Yun'er".

Yu Zhang spoke slowly, his tone low, yet his authority was undeniable:

"Take this person and head east."

Wen Xianyun glanced at Yan Song's miserable state out of the corner of his eye, then touched the spiritually powerful seal at his waist. He was quick-witted and immediately understood.

"Grandson obeys!"

Wen Xianyun bowed again, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

A gentle breeze swept by.

Wen Xianyun grabbed Yan Song, and they both vanished into the sky.

After the person had left, Yuan Lian clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Wonderful!"

"Even a lion and an elephant need to exert their full strength to fight a rabbit. Xianyun has the reputation of being a full-fledged trainee and also has a treasure seal on his body. Even if Guanhua Sect really has a Foundation Establishment old monster hidden in it, with the power of Duize Seal, he can hold out for a while and hold out until we arrive."

"If there is no danger, it will be a windfall."

"but......"

Yuan Lian changed the subject, his gaze turning to the east of the palace gate, his expression growing solemn:

"Did Senior Brother send Xianyun there to use him as bait to test that 'stagnant water'?"

Yu Zhang stood up, hands behind his back, before the golden steps.

"More than a decade ago, my former sect leader wanted to lead his troops eastward to occupy Qinglu and turn it into an outer sect compound."

"At that time, I set up an altar and used the 'Small Six Ren Divination Technique' to divine the outcome. What was the result?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Lian's face hardened:

"How can I not remember? The hexagram is 'Great Emptiness,' a state of chaos and imperceptibility, with tangled and chaotic thoughts, and even hinting at bloodshed and disaster."

More than ten years ago, the Imperial Sword Sect was at its peak and aspired to unify the surrounding area.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly barren Qinglu was like a bottomless black well.

Yu Zhang nodded, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.

"It was because of this divination that the sect leader made a decisive decision to halt the military advance and instead set up markets for trade, which would only be used for profiting from commerce, and would never be used to garrison troops, so as to avoid getting involved in the treacherous karma."

"Now, Xianyun is blessed with good fortune and has brought my precious treasure with him. He has entered the game himself. Even if the water is murky, he can still stir up some waves."

"Once the winds and waves rise, it will be clear whether a dragon or a snake is hidden beneath."

"Excellent."

......

Qinglu Mountain.

Guanhua Hall.

Hua Yangzi sat upright in the head chair, sipping tea with his eyes closed.

Below the main hall.

The once arrogant Fu Yunzi now feels like he's sitting on pins and needles.

Two years.

For Fuyunzi, it was undoubtedly a nightmare.

Their own protective mountain array, which they were so proud of, was always damaged at its key nodes during thunderstorms.

His disciples were often ambushed and robbed, leaving them naked when they returned to the sect.

"Brother Huayang."

Fu Yunzi's tone was ingratiating: "Let's not beat around the bush. After years of fighting, the Crimson Cloud Sect admits defeat. The Danxia Mine will be split 50/50, how about that?"

His words were sincere.

In the past, Hua Yangzi would probably have been so happy he'd lost all sense of direction.

Now?

The old Taoist priest only focused on serving tea, skimming off the foam, and gently blowing on the hot tea leaves, refusing to engage in conversation.

The floating cloud seeds were left to cool for the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea.

"A 50/50 split?"

"Floating Cloud, you're not young anymore, how can you be so muddle-headed when it comes to accounts?"

"Since Guanhua has occupied this land, it belongs to our sect."

Hua Yangzi put down his cup, then abruptly changed the subject:

"I've been short-handed lately. I've heard that your sect's disciples are skilled at manipulating earth fire? That just so happens, the newly opened smelting workshop in the back mountain is in need of laborers."

"Borrowing a hundred disciples to work for our sect for three years without pay, with food and lodging provided, isn't that fair?"

"Hua Yangzi!!!"

Fu Yunzi immediately bristled.

"This is outrageous! Don't push your luck..."

Clang!

Before two words were uttered, a metallic clang rang out.

Fu Yunzi felt a blur before his eyes.

A dark, heavy sword had somehow appeared and was now resting on his neck.

"Try moving it."

Chai Wu leaned forward, his eyes bloodshot and menacing.

He has practiced the "Mount Sumeru King View" for many years and has an exceptional talent. His physical strength has long surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

Fu Yunzi's mind went blank for no reason, and he was so shocked that he forgot to mobilize his spiritual energy to resist.

"Strange, why is my killing intent coordinating with my junior sister's even more smoothly?"

Chai Wu muttered to himself.

"Gulp."

Fu Yunzi swallowed with difficulty.

Anyone who dares to move a fingertip will have their head severed.

Before three breaths had passed, he was sweating profusely.

As for the two true disciples of Crimson Cloud behind him, their faces were already deathly pale, their legs trembling, unable to draw their swords.

"Ahem, Chai Wu, don't be rude."

Hua Yangzi spoke at the opportune moment, his tone light and airy.

"oh."

Chai Wu obediently withdrew his sword and even scratched his buttocks.

With the pressure gone, Fuyunzi slumped back into his chair.

He lost all his spirit.

With a bitter laugh, he slowly rose, straightened his disheveled robes, and bowed deeply to the old Taoist priest above.

"Red Clouds Floating in the Clouds..."

"I am willing to serve as the master of Guanhua Sect, and one hundred disciples... will be sent here in three days."

After speaking, he made a solemn oath to Heaven in front of everyone.

The oath is fulfilled, the outcome is decided.

"Oh dear! Brother Fuyun! What do you mean by this!"

Hua Yangzi's ability to change his expression was as fast as turning the pages of a book.

He rushed down the mountain in two strides, grabbed Fuyunzi's arm, and beamed with joy:

"We've been neighbors for decades, we're all one family! Please sit down, please sit down! Someone, bring some better tea!"

Witnessing the old fox's hypocritical face, Fuyunzi felt a chill run down his spine.

With Hua Yangzi at the helm, and a fearless beast like Chai Wu charging forward, plus a strict and unyielding family structure, the family is well-established.

It is time for it to flourish!

Fine, if we can't win, we'll join in.

"Now that things have come to this, I must return to my sect to make arrangements, and will not trouble you any further."

Fu Yunzi knew there was no time to lose, so he led his men away in a sorry state.

The hall is empty and quiet.

A figure in plain clothes emerged from behind the screen.

"With the Crimson Cloud Sect bowing its head, the remaining two sects are like cicadas in autumn, barely able to hop for a few more days."

Hua Yangzi stroked his beard, grinning from ear to ear: "Absolutely right! Yan'er's strategy of winning hearts and minds is the best approach. Not only does it avoid conflict, but it also provides a large workforce for free!"

Just as he was enjoying himself, he seemed to sense something and looked at Shu Yan.

"Yan'er, what level of Qi Refining have you reached?"

"Master, Yan'er was lucky; she broke through to the sixth level just the day before yesterday."

"Six floors?!"

Hua Yangzi's face, which had been full of joy, turned into intense frustration.

"What a disaster! It's all my fault! If I had found the Foundation Establishment technique earlier, with your talent, you would probably have already reached perfection, or even just attempted to break through to Foundation Establishment!"

A talented and beautiful piece of writing, yet it was ruined by incomplete and fragmented work; the old Taoist priest felt nothing but resentment.

"Yes, junior sister, how about I go to Blackwater City again? Even if I have to rob, I'll get you a good one!"

Chai Wu chimed in quietly from the side.

Shu Yan shook her head helplessly, but instead comforted the two of them:

"Master, senior brother, cultivation is a matter of fate and opportunity, but when the time is right, the cultivation method will come naturally."

"Besides..."

"Is there good news underground?"

"Um?"

"The altar for the ritual has been completed."

"From now on, the connection between the Sacred Furnace and the sect will no longer be limited, and the guidance for the future will become increasingly detailed..."

The voice just fell.

Shu Yan suddenly raised her head, her gaze piercing the western horizon.

"What happened?"

Hua Yangzi's heart tightened upon seeing this.

"Someone's coming."

Shu Yan's voice was ethereal as she disappeared into the depths of the main hall.

"They came from the west, and while their cultivation hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage, it's not far off."

"And...they don't seem to have good intentions."

West?

Imperial Sword Sect?

Hua Yangzi and the others' expressions changed drastically.

Just as good times were beginning, a jinx appeared at the door?

Hua Yangzi's hand was already damp with sweat as he gripped the sect leader's jade token.

Chai Wu then grinned maliciously, took down his heavy sword, and used his large, golden saber to block the entrance to the palace.

Who cares who comes?

"Dare to trespass through Guanhua Gate? First, ask the iron plate in my hand if it will allow it!"