Chapter 128: Conflict of Interests

How could I know that? But listening to Lu Ziying talking with your sister-in-law, she mentioned it inadvertently once. She said the ancestor of the Great Sect seems to be a Qi Refinement Perfection stage cultivator, who can ride the wind, and a flying sword released can take the head of an enemy ten zhang away.

Tsk tsk, riding the wind, taking a head from across the air with a flying sword—that is truly a figure among gods. We mortals can only look up to them and have no power to contend." Lu Ye said, and as he spoke, a look of awe involuntarily appeared in his eyes.

It was a kind of awe similar to that of mortals toward gods, coming from the depths of the soul.

"Does the Lu family not have Foundation Establishment stage cultivators?" Xia Daoming was slightly stunned after hearing this and asked out loud.

"What Foundation Establishment stage?" Lu Ye was stunned, looking at Xia Daoming with some suspicion.

"After the Qi Refinement stage, it is the Foundation Establishment stage. The Qi Refinement stage actually cannot be considered transcendent; it is equivalent to Great Martial Masters and Grandmasters among martial artists. Their lifespan, relatively speaking, is only a bit longer than ordinary people.

Once reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, it should be considered somewhat transcendent. It is estimated that ordinary Grandmasters cannot resist them, and their lifespan is also greatly increased." Xia Daoming replied.

"I really couldn't tell, you kid actually know so much!" Lu Ye was greatly surprised.

Xia Daoming smiled noncommittally.

What did these count for? He had already killed two Qi Refinement stage cultivators.

Not only that, if what Lu Ye said was true, relying solely on martial arts, he should still have some certainty of defeating that Lu family ancestor.

What's more, he now had a powerful trump card.

——

Northern part of Muzhou.

There is a place where strange peaks rise from the ground, countless in number, truly a forest of peaks.

The peak forest is as magnificent as thousands of troops and horses, as strange as ocean waves, and as beautiful as an ink painting. Many of the mountain peaks are shaped like field snails, sharp at the bottom and flat at the top, with majestic momentum and unique scenery.

Hence it is named Ten Thousand Spiral Mountain.

Ten Thousand Spiral Mountain has many clouds and mists, many lakes and marshes in the mountains, deep valleys, and steep terrain. There are also tigers, leopards, jackals, wolves, and large poisonous snakes. Ordinary people cannot enter, and those who do, eight or nine times out of ten, never return.

Occasionally, those who return are still terrified, some saying they saw immortals, others saying they saw monsters.

Over time, the rumor spread that Ten Thousand Spiral Mountain is a gathering place for immortals and monsters. Mortals cannot step into it easily, otherwise, if they disturb them, they will surely die.

Therefore, Ten Thousand Spiral Mountain is also known as Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan.

Jin Guifeng is a mountain peak on the north side of Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan.

This mountain grows golden osmanthus flowers all year round, with a rich fragrance. Whenever the autumn wind blows, golden osmanthus rain and fragrance drift together in the mountains, making people intoxicated.

There is a deep valley at the foot of Jin Guifeng.

In the valley, there are emerald green fields, winding rivers, and simple village settlements.

One can see many people entering and leaving the village settlements in the deep valley and working in the fields.

There is also a person facing a field, pinching a spell, dancing with a wooden sword, summoning clouds and rain.

Halfway up Jin Guifeng, one can vaguely see a group of buildings built in a dangerous place, with clouds and mist swirling like silk. That group of buildings is visible and invisible, like a place where immortals live.

A mountain road winds up from the valley and disappears into the clouds and mist swirling halfway up the mountain, leading to that group of buildings.

At this time, in the council hall of a large mansion among the buildings on Jin Guifeng.

An old man in brocade clothes with hair like silk, a round face, and a smile that always seemed to be on his face, sat high in the seat of honor.

On his left and right sides below, there were five men and two women sitting respectively.

"Ancestor, yesterday there was another conflict at Hanxing Ridge. Our Lu family had a Qi Refinement disciple injured and two Great Martial Masters killed. If this continues, I'm afraid we and the Yan family will have a major conflict sooner or later." A woman with silver hair, who should be quite old but whose skin was well-maintained with few wrinkles, said with a trace of worry on her face.

"Hmph, if it breaks out, let it break out. Could it be that our Lu family is afraid of their Yan family?" A middle-aged man with a strong physique and a voice like a bell said with a murderous look in his eyes.

"That's right, Hanxing Ridge is located exactly at the boundary between our Lu family and the Yan family's territory.

If it only hid a vein of dark ice stone, splitting it equally with the Yan family would be fine.

Now that it has been discovered that the dark ice stone mine is accompanied by a dark dark ice stone mine, it depends on luck to mine it. Let alone the Yan family, even if our Lu family's disciples really mined dark dark ice stone, would they be willing to hand it over and split it equally with the Yan family?" A thin-faced old man said coldly.

"That is naturally impossible. Dark dark ice stone is a precious material for refining high-tier magic treasures. How could it be split equally with the Yan family!" Another woman in the council hall said without hesitation.

"Dark dark ice stone is of great importance. If we can mine enough, maybe it can be exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill for me! I am not far from my limit.

If I can successfully establish the foundation with the Foundation Establishment Pill, I can protect the Lu family for another hundred years, and the Lu family will leap to become a Foundation Establishment family. The future development pattern will also be completely different.

If I cannot establish the foundation, once I leave, relying on you all, I'm afraid you will be annexed by the Yan family sooner or later, or driven out of this area, or even fall into the secular world." The round-faced old man in brocade clothes spoke.

The words of the old man in brocade clothes echoed in the council hall, and everyone's breathing became heavy.

Not only because the old man's words had set the tone for the dispute over the Hanxing Ridge mine, but also because of the limit problem he mentioned.

In recent years, the neighboring Yan family has produced several good seedlings one after another, with successors, while the Lu family is showing signs of a gap in generations. If the old man in brocade clothes leaves, the Lu family's situation will be very bad.

"How is the gathering of branch personnel from all over Muzhou going?" The old man in brocade clothes spoke again.

"They have all arrived one after another, and I have already arranged for them." The silver-haired old woman who was well-maintained replied.

"Most of the personnel gathered from all over this time are to be sent to Hanxing Ridge to take on heavy responsibilities, which carries great danger. So if there are good seedlings, they must be kept back and cultivated in every possible way. Do not send them to Hanxing Ridge." The old man in brocade clothes said.

"Does the ancestor mean to cultivate them like the core disciples of our Great Sect's main branch? Will this risk the subordinates becoming stronger than the masters?" A man in green clothes with an elegant temperament frowned and said.

"As long as they are our Lu family, whether it is the Great Sect or the small sect, the main branch or the side branch, they are ultimately one family, prospering together and suffering together. But if the Lu family is defeated and driven out of Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan, or even exterminated, then what is there to talk about subordinates becoming stronger than masters!" The old man in brocade clothes said.

"Ancestor is far-sighted!" Everyone said respectfully.

"Suyun, go to the medicine garden later and dig up a four-hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng to send to Elder Luo of the Spirit Ba Dao Men." The old man in brocade clothes said.

"Ancestor, do we really have to send out the four-hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng?" Lu Suyun, the silver-haired woman who was well-maintained, showed reluctance on her face.

"The Yan family has close ties with the Xie family of Hidden Mist Valley. Other families in the north of Ten Thousand Spiral Mountain dare not easily interfere in our dispute with the Yan family to avoid getting into trouble, but the Xie family has Foundation Establishment cultivators sitting in town and will not have this concern.

Our Lu family has always been close to the Spirit Ba Dao Men, and every year we have to give them offerings, but now is a special period. If we want them to help us stand up, we definitely have to bleed. Fortunately, there is still one in the medicine garden!" The old man in brocade clothes smiled bitterly.

A four-hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng can nourish vitality and increase cultivation just by taking it directly.

Originally, the old man in brocade clothes was prepared to keep it to take together when he took the Foundation Establishment Pill to increase the success rate of foundation establishment, but now he had to endure the pain of parting with one.

——

Ten days later.

"This is Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan. It is indeed magnificent!" Riding on the He He Wuyun Wuyun Wuyun Taxue, looking at the forest of peaks, the magnificent momentum, yet surrounded by clouds and mist, like a fairyland on earth, Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan, feeling the faint spiritual energy fluctuations in the air, Xia Daoming couldn't help but marvel, feeling like his horizons had been greatly broadened.

Just as Xia Daoming was marveling secretly, the carriage curtain was rolled up, and a young woman with a square face and a figure comparable to Lu Huiyun stepped down.

Seeing this woman step down, the people who were marveling and discussing Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan, full of excitement, all tightened their expressions and cast their eyes on her.

Body, carrying a trace of awe.

Only Xia Daoming looked at her very casually.

Perhaps because immortal cultivators have particularly keen senses, the burly woman seemed to notice something and specifically glanced at Xia Daoming.

This burly woman was none other than Lu Ziying.

When he first saw Lu Ziying, Xia Daoming was startled by her square face and tall, tower-like figure. All the beautiful images of fairy-like, graceful, and outstanding beauties in his heart were shattered.

Now he was used to it, and even had a bit of a good impression.

Because along the way, Lu Ziying didn't put on much of a high-and-mighty fairy attitude. At least she didn't put on any airs toward Lu Huiyun and her son. During breaks along the way, she even got out of the carriage and affectionately hugged Lu Yunjin.

"From now on, you will follow me into the mountain. I don't think I need to say more about what kind of people live in Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan. So, after entering the mountain, don't look around randomly. If you see something amazing, don't shout, and you are not allowed to contend with others, otherwise, if you really bring about a fatal disaster, I won't be able to protect you." Lu Ziying mounted a fine horse and said in a deep voice. Her voice was rough; if one only looked at her back and listened to her voice, one would think she was a bearded man.

"Yes, Miss!" Everyone responded in unison.

The mountain road was rugged and steep in many places. After walking for a while, some horses lost their footing and fell off the cliff.

Only Xia Daoming's He He Wuyun Wuyun Wuyun Taxue walked on the mountain road as if it were flat ground, which surprised and envied many people.

Xia Daoming didn't expect the mountain road of Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan to be so steep and difficult to walk. After walking for a while, he turned over and dismounted, saying to Lu Huiyun, who was riding a horse with her son: "Sister-in-law, my horse is clever and agile, and has good footwork. You and Jin Er should switch to riding mine."

"No rules! Such a good horse should naturally be given to Miss to ride!" A seventh-rank Great Wu Shi scolded Xia Daoming.

"That's right, Lu Ye, what's wrong with your Xia Shidi!" A sixth-rank Great Wu Shi on the side followed up.

These two, one named Lu Zhengqin and the other Lu Chengwei, were exactly the two who had mocked Lu Ye for having his leg broken by Lu Cheng Tian at the beginning.

Along the way, these two didn't miss any opportunity to mock Lu Ye and Xia Daoming.

Xia Daoming was secretly a master, so he didn't care, just treating them as two dogs barking at him. If they really annoyed him, he would just slap them away.

But Lu Ye felt that these two guys had made him lose face in front of his Xia Shidi, and he was very annoyed.

However, the side branch where these two belonged had many people and great influence in Jinxiu Valley, far from what Lu Huiyun, who had few family members, could compare to.

Moreover, these two were able to follow Lu Ziying to Ten Thousand Spiral Xianshan this time, so their strength was naturally very strong, not something he could contend with.

Background and status could not be compared, and strength could not be compared. If they really made a scene, Lu Ye would definitely only be asking for humiliation, so he could only endure it.

"Enough, Huiyun needs to take care of the child, so give her the horse!" Lu Ziying said.

Immortals and mortals are different. After Lu Ziying became an immortal cultivator, she would privately call Lu Huiyun 'Little Aunt', but in front of the clansmen, she needed to maintain the prestige of an immortal cultivator. Except for direct blood relatives or important figures in the clan, she basically called them by their names directly.

"I'm fine. Miss's status is noble, so Miss should ride this horse!" Lu Huiyun said hurriedly, and specifically gave Xia Daoming a wink.

Damn, it's clearly my horse, and I can't even make the decision! Xia Daoming secretly curled his lips in his heart, but on the surface, he still handed the reins to Lu Ziying, saying: "Miss, please."

Lu Ziying looked at Xia Daoming deeply, making his heart crawl. He was really afraid that her "slender fingers" would lightly hook his palm.

Then he would really have to apologize to his Senior Xia Shidi and Sister-in-law and run away directly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 129 =====