Chapter 219: Alliance Discussions (For Yuzuru Joshi Silver Alliance Leader! )
Chapter 219: Alliance Discussions (For Yuzuru Joshi Silver Alliance Leader! )
Regarding the matters of Spirit Sky Island, Fang Xi could only tell Yan Hong Xiu to calm down, then he wrote several letters, notifying Yan Chang Kong and Ruan Xing Ling separately, and also inquiring about the situation with Liu San Qi.
After all, these were matters of the Yan family; naturally, the Yan family members had to deal with them themselves!
A month later.
Fang Xi received Ruan Xing Ling's reply, inviting the current Foundation Establishment cultivators of Myriad Islands Lake for a small gathering.
He sent a direct message, stating that unless the location was set on Dragon Fish Island, he would definitely not go or would only send a representative.
Ruan Xing Ling then communicated with Liu San Qi and Li Lei, and finally, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered on Dragon Fish Island.
...
In the air above Evergreen Pavilion, a Green Corner Fish Dragon several zhang long circled the structure, its enormous body wreathed in mist, making the pavilion seem like a scene from an immortal realm.
Li Lei laughed heartily.
He was a powerful-looking middle-aged cultivator, dressed in a purple dharma robe, with two Qi Refinement attendants standing behind him.
One of them, old and frail, with a head full of white hair, and sickly, was surprisingly Yan Old Seven!
Although Li Lei appeared to command great presence, he was actually the latest among them to achieve Foundation Establishment, and his strength remained at the early-stage Foundation Establishment realm.
"Just a spirit beast I've been raising; it advanced by chance later on. . ."
Fang Xi waved his hand, ignoring Li Lei's greed and probing, and spoke directly: "Immortaless Ruan has gathered us today, surely there's something you wish to instruct!"
"Since the turmoil in White Peace Immortal City, the number of foreign cultivators in Myriad Islands Lake has increased significantly, and incidents of murder and treasure-snatching have become rampant. This trend must not be allowed to grow!"
Ruan Xing Ling glanced at Fang Xi, then got to the point: "Today, this humble one has invited you all for a small gathering. The first matter is that we, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators, must establish rules!"
"Naturally!"
Li Lei laughed heartily: "What I detest most are those bandit cultivators!"
He casually pointed at Yan Old Seven beside him: "Yan Family Patriarch, wouldn't you agree?"
"Cough, cough. . . Precisely so. . . Cough, cough. . ."
Yan Old Seven seemed to be on his last legs, coughing as he spoke: "Senior Li saved our family's Yan Hong Ye from dire straits and took her as his concubine. She can now be considered part of our Yan family. The second-order spirit vein on Spirit Sky Island was voluntarily leased by this old man to Fellow Daoist Li and his subordinates. As for the Yan family? We still have a first-order spirit vein on the island, which is sufficient for cultivation. . . Cough, cough. . ."
Yan Hong Ye was Yan Hong Xiu's youngest sister, the one who was married off as a concubine to the Dragon Snake Island Master for resources back then.
"Uh. . . I wonder what became of the Dragon Snake Island Master?"
Although Fang Xi knew that Li Lei dared not annihilate the Yan family, but instead employed roundabout tactics, likely out of consideration for Yan Chang Kong's standing in the Black Heaven Sect, he still couldn't help but ask.
"Hmph. . . This one has always detested those who use 'siphon and nourish' techniques. I casually killed him! " Li Lei snorted coldly, answering with an air of righteous indignation.
"Yan Old Seven. . . Is that truly the case?"
Fang Xi looked at the Yan Family Patriarch. The man had been gravely ill before, and now, he truly seemed to be on his last legs.
"Cough, cough. . . Precisely!"
Yan Old Seven swallowed his broken teeth and blood, answering through gritted teeth.
In his heart, there was only bleak despair.
Spirit Sky Island had fallen to such a state, and indeed, he had long ago sought help from Yan Chang Kong of the Black Heaven Sect through secret channels.
Yet, Yan Chang Kong never came!
The coldness of his heart had reached such an extent!
This left Yan Old Seven with no drive left; he was like a withered tree, his heart turned to ashes. . .
"Then this matter is settled. . ."
Ruan Xing Ling shook her head. Only when one helps oneself will others help. Given the Yan family's current situation, she didn't want to say much more: "Since all fellow Daoists have their own cultivation grounds and reliance for daily cultivation, that is excellent. . ."
Just then, a glint flashed in Li Lei's eyes, and he said: "We Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally bear the responsibility of maintaining peace in Myriad Islands Lake. I think we could conduct regular patrols. . . Furthermore, the four of us could sign an offensive and defensive alliance, agreeing to assist each other in the future. How about it?"
The other three cultivators: Liu San Qi was at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, Ruan Xing Ling was renowned for her prowess during the beast tide, and even Fang Xi had a circulating tale of slaying a mid-grade second-order demonic beast. He truly dared not offend them all at once; rather, he wished to form an alliance to contend with future arrivals!
'The situation. . . has truly deteriorated to this extent? '
Fang Xi and Ruan Xing Ling exchanged a look, both somewhat surprised.
Li Lei's proposal clearly anticipated that even more Foundation Establishment cultivators would seek refuge in Myriad Islands Lake in the future!
Perhaps even groups of bandit cultivators possessing Foundation Establishment combat strength!
"This. . ."
Fang Xi shook his head, refusing flatly: "I only wish to guard my own small patch of land on Dragon Fish Island. As for patrolling the lake region and offensive-defensive alliances, there's no need for them. . ."
He was currently unable to leave the island, and while on the island, he was unafraid of most dangers. Wouldn't signing this alliance just invite trouble upon himself?
Were he to be obligated to rescue other allies when they encountered danger?
It would simply be a joke.
Li Lei's expression subtly changed: "Brother Liu, Immortaless Ruan. . . What do you two think?"
"An alliance, without actual constraints, is indeed quite unnecessary. . ."
Ruan Xing Ling swept a glance at Fang Xi, and said faintly: "As for future matters, let's judge by actions, not by intentions. . . I only ask that you all try not to involve the low-stage cultivators of Myriad Islands Lake. . ."
...
The gathering naturally ended on an unpleasant note.
Ruan Xing Ling specifically stayed behind, looking at Fang Xi, a half-smile playing on her lips as she said: "Now that White Peace Immortal City is in turmoil, the original Pill Artifact Pavilion will have its prices drop again. It seems our decision to sell it back then was indeed wise, showing that Fellow Daoist possesses quite the talent in this regard. . ."
Fang Xi was unwilling to leave Dragon Fish Island. Ruan Xing Ling, being exceptionally intelligent and possessing a Core Formation secret technique, might have guessed something.
But she said nothing, though she harbored some doubt about her own judgment.
After all, even if Fang Xi had found a third-order spiritual root, Dragon Fish Island's spirit vein was only at the second-order level, making it fundamentally impossible to cultivate the Longevity Art there.
Even with methods like 'Spirit Gathering Arrays,' the consumption would be too great, making it a loss rather than a gain. Rogue cultivators, in particular, couldn't afford the large sum of spirit stones required annually.
"That's natural, but it also relates to our status. As Foundation Establishment cultivators, any temporary wealth, regardless of profit or loss, can be patiently waited upon, extending the time to find the best opportunity to act. If one is merely at Qi Refinement, with limited lifespan, one might only be able to pursue quick gains, like the foolish Dongmen Ying. . ."
Fang Xi didn't care whether Ruan Xing Ling had guessed or not. After all, his foundation was now established; as long as the tiger didn't leave its cave, he feared nothing. He replied with a smile: "In any case, it's just a bit of external wealth. Whether we profited or lost back then is irrelevant. . . However, with the Immortal City in turmoil, rogue cultivators are emerging everywhere, and many bandit cultivators are seizing the opportunity to act. There might well be some ruthless characters among them. If you encounter any, you can take temporary refuge on Dragon Fish Island. . ."
"Many thanks!"
Ruan Xing Ling bowed solemnly.
Although she and Fang Xi were fated but not meant to be, they remained excellent friends.
To have such a friendship in life was indeed a great blessing.
...
"Brother Liu. . ."
Two streaks of escape light, one after another, flew out of Dragon Fish Island in an instant.
Li Lei piloted a purple wooden shuttle, catching up to Liu San Qi: "Brother Liu, you're quite fast. . . Haha, back then, several brothers from my Threefold Hall were injured by a 'Poison Branding Python' in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Thanks to Brother Liu's miraculous healing, they were saved from having their souls scattered. . . I still haven't properly thanked Brother Liu. Come, let's go to Spirit Sky Island and have a good few drinks!"
Both he and Liu San Qi were outsiders, not comparable to Fang Xi and Ruan Xing Ling, but they were natural allies.
"Fellow Daoist Li. . ."
Liu San Qi, however, let out a long sigh and shook his head: "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be going to Spirit Sky Island. . . We are all rogue cultivators from the Immortal City who have achieved Foundation Establishment; we can always discuss things properly, and there's no need to fall out. . ."
Having spoken, he didn't wait for Li Lei's reply, but transformed into a streak of green light and flew away, clearly unwilling to wade into these murky waters any further.
Li Lei watched Liu San Qi's departing back, his face gradually becoming expressionless.
"It seems this person is unwilling to get involved. . . Truly strange. That Ruan Xing Ling and Fang Xi are only at early-stage Foundation Establishment. Although their combat records are decent, how could they compare to a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert?"
A faint divine consciousness transmission suddenly sounded nearby.
Whoosh!
The lake water parted, revealing a black-clad figure.
He was clearly a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He had been lurking here earlier, and Liu San Qi had actually not discovered him!
"It's normal for Liu San Qi, being someone who has always been kind to others, not to want to participate in our schemes. . . Today, I proposed an alliance, but Fang Xi refused outright. He's clearly deeply cautious. If he cannot be an ally, then he is an enemy!"
Li Lei stroked his sideburns: "On Myriad Islands Lake, the two most precious superior-grade second-order spirit vein islands are occupied by that pair of 'dog and bitch. ' And who knows how long the chaos in White Peace Immortal City will last? We need to find a good place to cultivate. . ."
Although Spirit Sky Island has a second-order spirit vein, it is merely a low-grade second-order one, barely enough for early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to train.
However, after getting used to the abundant spiritual energy of White Peace Immortal City, any cultivator wishing to make progress on their Dao path would set their sights on higher-grade spirit veins.
". . . One of them is an alchemist and talisman master, the other is an artifact refiner. . . They are indeed wealthy."
The black-clad figure chuckled eerily.
"Not only that, I've already made inquiries. On Dragon Fish Island, it's been over forty years since the last collection from that Earthly Baleful Lake. . ."
Li Lei's eyes were dim: "And that Green Corner Fish Dragon. . . There's a 30 to 40% chance it has awakened its flood dragon bloodline and developed an inner core! Those are two Foundation Establishment spiritual items! Enough to make some old fellows worried about their descendants' and disciples' Foundation Establishment breakthroughs covet them. . ."
"It seems your primary target is Dragon Fish Island?"
The black-clad figure fell into thought.
"Dragon Fish Island's spiritual energy and resources are better than Maple Leaf Island's. Moreover, Immortaless Peach Bell's combat techniques are formidable; she was famous throughout White Peace Immortal City, even surpassing Fang Xi back then. . . Naturally, one should choose the weaker opponent."
Li Lei's gaze was dark: "Although Fang Xi surely has hidden trump cards, we can spend several years planning. . . It takes several years to plot against a Foundation Establishment cultivator. By then, we can let bandit cultivators break through Dragon Fish Island, and then we'll recover it. . . Won't the spirit vein and resources then be ours? Haha. . . Haha. . ."
He let out a low chuckle, evidently quite accustomed to such matters.
Rogue cultivators who could survive in White Peace Immortal City and reach Foundation Establishment clearly had a few tricks up their sleeves.
This Li Lei, in fact, was secretly a bandit cultivator!
"Indeed. . . quite profitable then."
The black-clad figure also nodded, seemingly not opposing the matter: "It's just that the island is guarded by a second-order grand array, which is troublesome. . . A Foundation Establishment cultivator defending a second-order array is difficult to break through, even for a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. . ."
"That's simple. . . Look at this item!"
Li Lei took out a wooden box from his storage bag, carefully opening it to reveal a silver light.
"It's actually this kind of talisman!"
The black-clad figure drew a sharp breath: "It's quite something that you managed to get your hands on that. . ."
"Haha. . . After all these years of scrambling in White Peace Immortal City, one is bound to come across some opportunities. " Li Lei smiled triumphantly.
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