Yunmeng Immortal Clan

The Mu Clan has lost its cultivation resource points, Fire Toad Pool and Cold Mist Valley, leaving them with only Shouyang Mountain as their remaining resource point.

Besides Qingzhi Ridge, the ancestral home of the Mu clan, Shouyang Mountain is of paramount importance to the Mu clan. Shouyang Mountain has a long history of cultivating spirit beasts and is an important source of spirit stones for the Qingzhi Mu clan.

However, the two Foundation Establishment cultivation families, the Wang and Gu families, did not continue to send troops to attack Shouyang Mountain.

One reason is that the two Foundation Establishment cultivation families have dispersed their military resources, and some family cultivators have to guard their own families.

Secondly, the Qingzhimu clan lost two resource points in succession, and Shouyang Mountain gathered almost all of the Qingzhimu clan's elite forces.

The combined strength of these two major cultivation families, individually, is comparable to that of the Mu Clan before the Battle of Qingzhi Ridge.

However, the Wang and Gu families did not want to completely break with the Mu family. After all, the Qingzhi Mu family might have some hidden strength. If they fought to the death and lost a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be extremely bad for the development of their two families.

At this very moment, the entire Qingzhimu clan has gathered at Shouyang Mountain.

Mu Ziheng gathered all the cultivators of his family around a precious long table made of sandalwood, where they discussed something.

The head of the family, Mu Ziheng, who was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, frowned deeply.

"What a Gu family, what a Wang family! They actually dared to raid two of our clan's resource points. The reason I invited you all here today is to discuss our clan's next course of action."

At the Mu clan meeting, the remaining cultivators of the Mu clan discussed two major strategies: one was to maintain the status quo by holding onto Shouyang Mountain, and the other was to become a vassal family of the Song clan of Qinglian Island, gradually grow stronger with the help of the Song clan of Qinglian Island, and then slowly plot to seize the lost territory occupied by the Wang and Gu clans.

As for the first countermeasure, it was quickly rejected by the Mu clan cultivators. After all, the Wang and Gu clans had swallowed up two places and were now holding back their troops in these two places. It was estimated that they were planning to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out and recuperate. If the two great immortal clans truly established themselves in these two places, they might directly attack Shouyang Mountain.

"It seems you have all chosen to become vassal families of the Qinglian Song Clan. That Song Clan head, Song Zhichu, is also a wolf in sheep's clothing. I never expected that the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in this clan had been dead for so many years, yet he managed to hide it so well. And then, within a year, the clan produced two new early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. This man is truly cunning!"

"We have completely pledged allegiance to the Song family of Qinglian Island, and we need to be constantly wary of this person. Furthermore, our Mu family is currently weak and must bide our time and refer to ourselves as a subordinate clan of the Song family. The cultivators within the clan must not rely on our previous alliance with the Song family and act recklessly. After all, in this world of cultivation, there are never any permanent friends, only interests..."

"Pass down the order: offer thirty percent of the clan's treasures to the Qinglian Song Clan to congratulate them on the advancement of two new Foundation Establishment Immortals, and also express the Qingzhimu Clan's determination to submit to them!"

"Yes!" A member of the Mu clan bowed to Mu Ziheng.

Soon, the Qingzhimu clan sent cultivators to Qinglian Island to pay their respects to Song Zhichu, the head of the Song family.

Upon hearing this, Song Zhichu frowned slightly: "The Mu Clan has certainly made a clever plan. However, this is also a good thing for our Qinglian Song Clan as a whole. But the specifics still need to be discussed at the clan meeting!"

Song Zhichu summoned the clan elders for a clan meeting. The long table in the center, which originally belonged to the Foundation Establishment elders, now only had five chairs, including the clan head Song Zhichu.

But now there are two brand new tables and chairs, which are the elders' seats reserved for Song Daoxuan and his son Song Honghu.

Song Daoxuan was promoted, becoming a Foundation Establishment Elder directly based on his Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Song Honghu was transferred laterally, merely transitioning from an ordinary elder to a Foundation Establishment elder.

According to custom, newly promoted cultivators in the clan are required to tour the entire territory under the jurisdiction of the Song clan on Qinglian Island for three years before clan affairs can be assigned.

Having already experienced this, Song Honghu was given some tasks by his family at the conference.

As for Song Daoxuan, he still needs three years of training before he can truly take over a portion of the clan affairs.

To put it simply, this experience is a transition to familiarize oneself with the home environment and smoothly take over family affairs.

After all, the Song family on Qinglian Island is a large and powerful family with a history of hundreds of years and a population of over one million, so managing them well would be quite challenging.

Throughout the history of the Song family on Qinglian Island, there have been instances of newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivators being hastily assigned family affairs, resulting in widespread resentment among the people due to their unfamiliarity with the family.

However, this was not the main event of the entire conference. Afterwards, the head of the family, Song Zhichu, told the Song family of Qinglian Island about the Qingzhimu clan's defection.

"The Qingzhimu clan is willing to pledge allegiance to my Qinglian Song clan, and as long as my Qinglian Island protects them, the Qingzhimu clan is willing to hand over 30% of their annual spirit stone income as tribute to our clan!"

Immediately, a heated discussion erupted throughout Tian Shu Peak.

"This is indeed a great thing for my Qinglian Song Clan. However, my Qinglian Song Clan is currently at its zenith in the entire Yunmeng Immortal Continent, while the Mu Clan is in a state of decline. As an ally of equal status to the Song Clan, the Qingzhi Mu Clan is no longer qualified. However, this is the only path they can take!" The old man, Song Zhimo, narrowed his eyes and said calmly.

"The Mu clan can submit to us, and they can also seek the protection of the Foundation Establishment cultivators of my Qinglian Song clan. However, is it too little profit to only put 30% of the clan's annual spirit stone income into our clan treasury? I also propose that 50% of the Mu clan's spirit stone income be put into our clan to test the Mu clan's attitude!" Second Uncle Song Hongdong said coldly.

The conference was nearing its end, and the families then held a vote before the cultivators dispersed.

Immediately after receiving the letter from the Song family of Qinglian Island, Mu Ziheng, the head of the Qingzhi Mu family, was so angry that he slammed his fist on the long table.

"These Qinglian Song clan members are all insatiably greedy. They've already taken 30% of my clan's annual spirit stone income, which is a huge loss for the clan. Yet they're making outrageous demands, wanting a full 50% of my clan's annual spirit stone income. Do they really think earning spirit stones is so easy for my clan...?"

"Forty-five percent, otherwise forget it. My Qingzhi Ridge has no need to pledge allegiance to Qinglian Island!"

After several exchanges between Qinglian Island and Qingzhi Ridge, it was finally decided that the Mu family of Qingzhi Ridge would offer 45% of their annual spirit stone income to the main family, the Song family of Qinglian.

As Qingzhi Ridge is a subordinate family of the Qinglian Song Clan, the Qinglian Island Song Clan must send Foundation Establishment cultivators from its family to assist Qingzhi Ridge should it request help.

Once the news spread, it caused quite a stir in the cultivation world of Yunmeng Immortal Continent.