I only want immortality.

"Xianyu Qiong?"

Deep in the stone forest, Li Pinghe, sitting cross-legged on the back of a black water buffalo, suddenly felt something and unfolded the sheepskin.

On the piece of sheepskin that had been burned, there was a new line of writing, which came from Han Xianghe's side.

The message was brief, yet it made Li Pinghe raise an eyebrow.

Part of it was to inform them of the situation at the Jiuyang Sect, and part of it was to apologize to Li Pinghe for concealing the fact that Xianyu Qiong was still alive.

Li Pinghe's face showed little surprise.

"He is still here after all. It seems that the Nine Yang Sect's spiritual cave has not completely declined."

Xianyu Qiong was Han Xianghe's teacher and had also known Li Pinghe for many years, only much older than him.

He is a deep and patient person, with talent and profound knowledge. More importantly, his original cultivation of the Pure One Sword Qi was improved by Li Pinghe.

When Li Pinghe heard that Lü Kong had forced back the Qinghe Sect cultivators with his pure sword aura that day, he already had some guesses in his mind.

Those who can discern the Dao Foundation Treasure must either have extremely rich experience and profound knowledge, or they themselves must be at the Dao Foundation realm. Although Lü Kong is talented, he does not possess either of these qualities.

Only Xianyu Qiong, who is at the Dao Foundation Realm, is familiar with the Pure One Sword Qi technique and has sufficient insight to guide his disciples, using skill to overcome clumsiness and easily defeating them with Pure One Sword Qi.

Previously, when Han Xiang and Yan Jiuyang Sect still had some Dao Foundation Magic Treasures remaining, he had doubted his own judgment for a time, but in the end, he still chose to believe in himself.

This is one of the reasons why he came here on his own initiative.

"Wen Yao has already made his move; now it's up to Xianyu Qiong to deal with it."

"I hope that Lü Kong and the other two will not disappoint me."

Li Pinghe put away the sheepskin, sat up straight, and continued to close his eyes to rest.

……

Baiyun Valley bottom.

The pines rustle in the wind, and the bamboo groves sway gently.

An elderly man in ochre robes slowly floated through the air.

His beard and hair were gray, his eyebrows were thick and bushy, and his eyes, like a deep, unfathomable pool, were unfathomable.

Upon seeing the old man, the more experienced cultivators of the Nine Suns Sect were all surprised, suspicious, and delighted.

"Yes, it's Grandmaster!"

"Sect Leader Xianyu!"

"Isn't he already...?"

"Cultivation Foundation! Did I hear that right? Sect Leader Xianyu is also at the Foundation stage?!"

The cultivators were utterly astonished, almost wondering if they were dreaming.

Wen Yao stood with his hands behind his back in front of the guesthouse halfway up the mountain. Upon seeing the newcomer, he looked surprised.

"Xianyu Qiong? The previous leader of the Nine Yang Sect?"

He spearheaded the campaign against the Song Kingdom and had some knowledge of the Seven Sects. Naturally, he knew the name of the previous leader of the Nine Yang Sect, but it was rumored that he had already passed away. However, he did not expect that it was just a fake death.

With a quick thought, he understood everything and chuckled softly:

"It seems your sect doesn't want the upper sect, Penglai Pavilion, to know that there is still a second-grade spiritual cave here."

Xianyu Qiong appeared from afar, landing in front of Wen Yao. Upon hearing this, his expression remained largely unchanged, and he merely sighed, "We, a minor clan, are merely trying to survive in this chaotic world. Why must your clan be so aggressive?"

Wenyao, however, disagreed:

"In such chaotic times, Fellow Daoist Xianyu should know that wishing to remain uninvolved is nothing but a fool's dream!"

His tone softened slightly, then he let out a soft sigh:

"Our Qinghe Sect also did not want to take risks, but fate had other plans. The alchemists in Hanzhong were vicious, and the Southern Commandery was unwilling to stand up for Wuling, allowing them to cross the border and plunder. In order to protect ourselves, we had no choice but to do this."

"Our sect's past is like the present of Jiuyang. Fellow Daoist Xianyu should be able to understand our predicament."

Xianyu Qiong lowered his eyelids and said in a deep voice:

"To protect ourselves, there is more than one way: to march south and annex other states. It would be better to form alliances with various kingdoms and clans. Although Han China is powerful, how dare we offend the wrath of the masses?"

Wen Yao retorted, "With differing hearts and minds, we are nothing but a disorganized mob. How can we possibly stand against a powerful nation?"

Upon hearing this, Xianyu Qiong stopped arguing, only sighed, and asked in return, "So, Fellow Daoist Wen, you've made up your mind to fight against all the sects of my Song Kingdom?"

"hehe."

Wen Yao chuckled softly, his tone calm and resolute:

"The conquest of Song by Qinghe is imperative, but now that we know you are here, we can discuss this further... I know that Song has a great river called the Chenjiang River, which runs from west to east. Why not divide the country along the river and govern it separately, so that our two sects can each control the north and south? This would also fulfill your strategy of forming an alliance."

Upon hearing this, Xianyu Qiong slowly replied:

"Oh, then what should be done with this spiritual cave?"

Wen Yao glanced at Baiyun Mountain. He still couldn't figure out how the other party had concealed the spiritual energy of this place, making it impossible for him to sense the details of the spiritual cave. However, he still smiled slightly and revealed his long-held plan:

"This spiritual cave naturally belongs to my Qinghe Sect. South of Chenjiang, Chun Jun Sect, Chenjiang Sword Sect, and Lotus Valley can all belong to you, fellow Daoist."

Xianyu Qiong wasn't annoyed, he just chuckled and said, "Why do you occupy the land of four families, but only give me, the Nine Yang Sect, three families? Besides, none of the three sects in Jiangnan have a second-grade spiritual cave to provide a foundation for your Dao."

"The Qinghe Sect's southward journey is not for expansion, but only for self-preservation. Once Wuling falls completely and the spiritual caves are lost, the three of us with Dao Foundations will naturally need spiritual caves of sufficient grade to supply us. The spiritual caves of the four families in the north combined are barely enough. As for the lack of second-grade spiritual caves in the south... that's a simple matter."

Wen Yao already had a plan in mind, and smiled:

"As long as you, fellow Daoist, sign a contract with me, guaranteeing the relocation of your entire clan to the south, I can teach you a method. This method can find the dragon veins, seize scattered spiritual sites, and gather them into one place to achieve the second rank."

"Oh?" Xianyu Qiongyu asked in surprise, "You actually have such methods? Then why didn't your sect swallow up the Xiye Sect and the Tianzi Sect before, but only now..."

Wen Yao sighed and said, "As I just said, our sect has no ambition to dominate, only to protect ourselves. Moreover... this method was once considered taboo. If it were used in the past, it would have made us the target of everyone's criticism. Now that the world is in chaos, no one has the mind to investigate it."

"Furthermore, fellow Daoist, you may not be surprised that while the spiritual caves of the Song Kingdom have declined, the spiritual caves of Wuling can still sustain Dao Foundation cultivators?"

Xianyu Qiong was taken aback, then a startling guess suddenly arose in his mind, and he said in disbelief:

"Could it be that the sacred site of the Song Kingdom has been intercepted?"

Wen Yao nodded and said with emotion, "That's right. When I traveled north in the past, I visited the site of the Grand Historian of the Great Xia Dynasty and read the historical records. I learned that our country was just a number of counties under the thirteen provinces in ancient times. The Great Ancestor of Xia built a tripod to sort out the spiritual sites in the world and govern them separately. At that time, although the spiritual sites in different places had differences in the five elements and yin and yang, their grades were roughly similar."

"Until the successive Xia emperors used the Great Xia Cauldron to collect spiritual caves in various prefectures and counties to secure the stability of the central region, spiritual caves in various places were exploited. The various sects dared to be angry but dared not speak out. By the time of the last Xia emperor, his tyrannical heart grew increasingly arrogant and he wanted to collect all the spiritual caves in the world into the Great Xia Cauldron, assign them to the officials, and have the power of life and death over them. He wanted to be the most respected person in the world! Once this was done, there would be no place for us cultivators to live in the world. Thus, the saying 'When cultivators cry out, sects rise up' came into being."

"After the Great Xia Dynasty collapsed, various sects established their own independent systems. However, this method of finding and seizing dragon veins was still passed down, even though it was despised by all sects. They also established the 'White Dragon Pact,' stipulating that anyone who dared to seize a spiritual vein would be attacked by the entire world!"

"But, human nature is inherently greedy; who wouldn't want to ascend to a higher level and achieve longevity?"

"We Earth Immortal cultivators do not entirely rely on spiritual caves for advancement, but with the help of spiritual caves, it is much easier to break through. Naturally, some people will take the risk. Moreover, they need to plan for their beloved disciples and blood relatives. So, naturally, they have their eyes on the spiritual caves on the border."

Xianyu Qiong suddenly realized, and couldn't help but feel indignant: "So, the decline of Jiaozhou in the south, losing its vitality, is due to this reason?"

"Is this also the reason why the foundations of our Song Dynasty's roads have vanished?"

"Fellow Daoist Xianyu, please don't be angry with me. Aren't my Qinghe Sect also a victim?"

Wen Yao sighed, "Wuling was once known as the 'Peach Blossom Spring,' a blessed land that speaks volumes about its wondrous cultivation environment. Yet today, this vast land can only support seven Dao Foundation cultivators. As a result, the most outstanding disciples of each generation regard their peers as enemies. It is a land stained with blood and tears. What can be done?"

"It's nothing more than harming us while enriching the maggots."

"What can we do when we lack deep roots and powerful connections?"

At this point, Wenyao became even more earnest and sincere:

"Fellow Daoist Xianyu, our two sects are in the same boat and understand that we have no other choice but to fight to the death, or we will become meat on someone else's chopping block and food on someone else's plate."

"You should also understand that neither of our sects has a way out. Only by understanding each other and even supporting each other can our sects have a future."

Upon hearing this, Xianyu Qiong couldn't help but show a hint of interest, but after deliberating for a long time, he finally sighed and said:

"Our founder fled to Qingzhou and established his sect here precisely because he did not wish to contend for power. How could I possibly turn against my fellow practitioners today, in order to protect the entire sect?"

"Fellow Daoist Wen, please forgive me for being unable to fulfill your sect's wish. Please return."

Wen Yao frowned slightly, thinking that the other party had not understood what he meant, and then said:

"If you, fellow Daoist, are unwilling to take action against the Chenjiang Sword Sect and Lotus Valley, I, Wen, can do it on your behalf. However, the Chun Jun Sect is a bit troublesome, but it's not a big deal. We'll just have to wait a few more years until Li Canglang passes away, and the Chun Jun Sect will naturally submit to us."

Li Canglang is a troublesome matter. His reputation is too high and not limited to the Song Kingdom. If he dies quietly of old age, that's fine. But if something happens to him, some people might take action for him to ensure the stability of their Dao heart. Considering these factors, he is unwilling to offend him easily.

Xianyu Qiong offered little explanation, only saying:

"Fellow Daoist, please return. As long as the Nine Yang Sect exists, it cannot tolerate your sect's actions."

Wen Yao's expression immediately darkened, but he forced himself to remain calm, even smiling, and said, "Fellow Daoist Xianyu, do you truly have no consideration for the Nine Yang Sect?"

His words were calm, yet the sky behind him suddenly darkened rapidly!

The cultivators on Baiyun Mountain felt as if the sky was about to fall, and they were all terrified!

Xianyu Qiong kept his eyes lowered and said slowly:

"Fellow Daoist Wen, are you proposing a duel with me?"

Before he finished speaking, flames flickered and flared at the bottom of Baiyun Valley behind him, illuminating half the sky and making him look like a fairy in the fire.

Wen Yao stared at Xianyu Qiong without saying a word, his smile gradually fading until his face was ashen and his eyes were like an abyss.

Xianyu Qiong raised his eyes and looked at him calmly.

Neither of them made any move, yet the sky above was already half red with clouds and half black with clouds.

The sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, while dark clouds loomed over the city.

They can neither retreat nor advance.

Just as the cultivators below almost mistook this moment for an eternity, Wen Yao finally spoke, his voice like a torrent of water crashing down, echoing and roaring beneath the heavens:

"The Baoxia Sect should no longer exist."

"Fellow Daoist Xianyu, the situation is such that you can't stop it for long."

Xianyu Qiong's gaze darkened, but his expression was calmer than Wen Yao had expected, causing him to feel a chill in his heart and vaguely realize that he might have miscalculated something.

……

Panlaoshan Market.

Separated by a great array, Lü Kong and the other two exchanged glances, each seeing weariness and worry in the other's eyes.

Despite being restrained by a large formation, the three of them repeatedly went in and out to counterattack Zhu and Lan. Even though they took pills to restore their mana in time, the mental and physical exhaustion was difficult to replenish.

"This can't go on any longer."

Lu Kong said in a deep voice, "They want to restrain us, but we must not do as they wish."

Upon hearing this, He Riyuan gritted his teeth: "The foundational magic treasures we possess are all empty shells, so what can we do?"

Wang Feng's expression was cold and hard; he simply said, "I'll go and kill them."

"Pooh!"

He Riyuan's injuries worsened, and he could no longer contain himself. Finally, he blurted out, "If you could kill them, why didn't you do it before!"

Wang Feng's gaze turned cold: "Do you also want to test the sharpness of my Zhaodan Sword?"

"you!"

When will he be furious?

"Alright!"

Lu Kong frowned and shouted, stopping the two who were acting inconsiderately. He said in a deep voice, "We are exhausted, and Zhu and Lan must be too. Now it's just a matter of who can outlast whom, or who has other tricks up their sleeve."

"Other methods?"

He Riyuan and Wang Feng both seemed to be deep in thought.

Wang Feng suddenly said, "I have a sword that can move mountains and sever..."

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

He Riyuan angrily shouted, "Speak like a human being!"

Wang Feng narrowed his eyes, and surprisingly honestly:

"After this sword strike, I'll be out of magic power."

"Oh?"

Lü Kong asked with concern, "How powerful is it?"

"That yellow flag can be broken."

After Wang Feng finished speaking, he added, "Then a real water vessel should also work."

"It possesses such power!"

Both Lü Kong and He Riyuan felt a chill run down their spines.

But they had no time to be amazed at the moment. Based on their experience of fighting Zhu and Lan together, they did not doubt Wang Feng's words and exchanged glances:

"Let's do it!"

When it comes to making a decision, all three are decisive individuals. They quickly devised a strategy, summoned the shop owner for instructions, and then seized the opportunity to break out of the formation once again.

Zhu Yu and Lan Jusuo, however, calmly approached. Now that Panlaoshan Market was proving difficult to conquer, their mission had shifted from the main attack to containment, so naturally, the less effort they had to put in, the better.

Therefore, when they saw the three attacking, they simply used their magical weapons to restrain the three and prevent anyone from escaping.

At that very moment, while Lü and He were entangled with Zhu Yu, Lü Kong suddenly sprang up, unleashing a sword aura that slashed directly at Lan Jusuo.

Zhu Yu and Lan Jusuo were both taken aback. How come this is different from before?

With a flash of light, the True Water Bowl blocked the sword energy. But in that brief moment of hesitation, He Riyuan had already thrown out the Seven-Colored Smoke Silk Handkerchief and was about to fly away.

Zhu Yu and Lan Jusuo then realized that they couldn't let him escape.

Lan Jusuo snorted coldly, blocking Lü Kong and Wang Feng. He activated the True Water Bowl, which stuck to Lü Kong and Wang Feng like a plaster, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't break through it.

Zhu Yu then broke free and waved the Earthly Fiend Yellow Dragon Flag. Immediately, a yellow wind blew up, and He Riyuan, who had already flown away, was uncontrollably flipped back upside down!

Just as Zhu and Lan were sneering and feeling smug, Wang Feng finally broke out!

hum!

A clear, flowing light streaked across the scene, dreamlike and unparalleled in its beauty, stunning the entire market!

Zhu Yu stared in astonishment at Lan Jusuo not far away. The True Water Vessel, which had condensed on the water shield, suddenly had a tiny crack.

No, it wasn't just the water cover; even the surface of the real water container had an almost imperceptible crack!

The water stops here, as if there were an endless chasm.

Deep within the water-covered area, the Zhaodan Sword pierced Lan Jusuo's left eye, buzzing incessantly. Cracks appeared on the blade, hindered by the water flow, preventing it from advancing any further.

"ah--"

Lan Jusuo covered his eyes and howled wildly towards the sky.

On the true water vessel, countless streams of water seeped into his left eye, attempting to block the illuminating sword, but they could not squeeze it out.

"I possess a sword capable of damming rivers and stopping their flow!"

Wang Feng was already exhausted, but he still laughed loudly, revealing the madness beneath his cold and hard exterior. His body fell into the formation below, but was pulled back in time by the sect leader.

Lan Jusuo wrapped his hands around the flowing water, raised his head and roared angrily. Suddenly, he reached out and tightly grabbed the Zhaodan sword, pulling it out with all his might, blood splattering everywhere!

A bead of flesh still clung to the tip of the sword.

His face was covered in blood and contorted in a hideous grimace!

"I swear I will kill you!"

"You'll talk about this after you've survived today."

"Be careful!"

Suddenly, a cold voice and Zhu Yu's warning came from behind him. He turned around blankly, only to see He Riyuan, who had just been dragged back in a disheveled state, standing coldly behind him. He had somehow acquired a large mace in his hand and was swinging it down at him!

"They even have a Dao Foundation-level magic weapon?!"

He only had time to have that thought.

The mountain lord roars!

It is the treasure of the patriarch of the Baoxia Sect, the Tiger-Chasing Mace!

Like a jade pillar collapsing and a golden mountain cracking, it crashes down with a deafening roar.

Click!

The water shield, which already had a flaw, immediately collapsed!

The immense force pierced through, the Zhaodan Sword flew away, and the attached arm was broken off, then shattered into a pool of flesh.

Despite losing an arm, Lan Jusuo was swept away by sheer luck and managed to stay upright only because the True Water Bowl protected his body in time.

However, even a Dao-foundation magic treasure like the True Water Bowl could not withstand the repeated heavy blows, and the cracks on it expanded rapidly and became clearly visible.

"court death!"

Overwhelmed by the series of unexpected events, Zhu Yu finally awoke in a rage. With a wave of his Earthly Fiend Yellow Dragon Banner, a fierce wind swept out, pushing Lü Kong and He Riyuan away.

Despite his severe injury, Lan Jusuo finally regained consciousness. Looking down, he saw the water vessel in his hand was cracked and his other arm was severed. Terrified, he dared not linger any longer and cried out urgently:

"Senior Brother Zhu, I'll go first! Don't linger!"

After saying this, he turned his head and fled to the branch altar of the Qinghe Sect without looking back.

Zhu Yu had no words to express his suffering. The Earthly Fiend Yellow Dragon Flag was quite energy-consuming and could not withstand a prolonged battle. Previously, he had only been able to advance and retreat at his own pace thanks to Lan Jusuo and Zhen Shui Yu's restraint. Now that Lan Jusuo had escaped, he immediately lost the will to continue. He then waved the flag to force Lu and He back, grabbed his fellow disciples, and fled in another direction.

Lu Kong and He Riyuan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not pursue. They were both exhausted and if they did not turn back to recuperate, they would be drained of their life force by the magic weapon before they could even injure the enemy.

They immediately returned to the market formation.

On the mountain peak outside the market, Lu Mingchen and Yang Xingkong watched the whole thing unfold. They couldn't help but exchange a glance, both seeing the surprise and delight in each other's eyes.

Lan Jusuo is finished!

It went even more smoothly than expected.

"Let's go find Lan Jusuo!"

Lu Mingchen narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing within them.

Upon seeing this, Yang Xingkong couldn't help but smile slightly.

……

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

A figure with a severed arm staggered across the sky above the mountains, its eyes filled with extreme pain, anger, and resentment.

It was Lan Jusuo.

After escaping from Panlaoshan Market, he dared not linger for a moment and sped straight toward the Qinghe Sect branch altar.

Not only were they afraid of those Song Kingdom cultivators, but these people also possessed more Dao Foundation Magic Treasures than they had expected.

What he feared most were his fellow disciples!

The position of Dao Foundation is simply too attractive.

When he was at his peak, he never worried that any fellow disciples would dare to target him. However, now that his body is broken and his mind is collapsing, his condition is extremely poor. In particular, with the True Water Vessel severely damaged, he really dares not take the risk.

The most troublesome thing is, after returning to the sect, how will he face his furious master...?

Amidst shock, anger, and fear, and in his confused state, he didn't even notice that he had crashed headfirst into a canyon.

After traveling for a long time, still in a place where mountains and valleys intersect, he suddenly realized what was happening and looked around in alarm:

"An illusion array?"

"Who is it! Who is it?!"

But then he heard a clattering sound. He quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in green riding an ox. His expression was gentle, and he said leisurely:

"I am Li Pinghe, and I have been waiting for you for a long time, young friend."