Chapter 713 470: Analysis and an Invitation to Battle

"Go and inform him, Qiqi. If I hadn't run into trouble, I wouldn't have come to disturb Brother Xiong's peaceful cultivation."

Seeing Fang Qingyuan's anxious expression, Qiqi's little face scrunched up. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed and went to find Bear Wind.

A moment later, the gate to Bear Wind's Cave Mansion opened, and Qiqi gestured for Fang Qingyuan to enter.

"Thank you, Qiqi."

At Fang Qingyuan's praise, Qiqi blushed slightly. She gave a small nod, then turned and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Inside the cave mansion, Bear Wind was meditating. Judging by the surroundings, he had likely been holding this position for a very long time.

"What brings you here? Has Jinbao woken up?"

Bear Wind immediately asked about Jinbao, showing his great concern. But Jinbao was still in a deep slumber, not yet awake.

"Not yet. Jinbao is still in a deep sleep, but he's stable. There's nothing wrong."

"Strange. It's been five years. Why is Jinbao still asleep? Logically, two years should have been more than enough for him to digest the resources you gave him. Could it be that the Divine Techniques he's awakening this time are simply too powerful?"

Bear Wind voiced his doubt, but Fang Qingyuan couldn't explain it either. Jinbao had indeed been asleep for far too long. Yinbao had woken up after two years; logically, Jinbao should have been even faster. It made no sense for him to sleep this long.

"Could it be related to the inheritance from his father? Back then, when Jinbao's father passed it on from afar, a large portion of it lay dormant in Jinbao's body. Perhaps he's using this evolutionary slumber as an opportunity to digest all of it, which is why it's taking so much longer."

Fang Qingyuan recalled the abilities of Jinbao's father. The inheritance of a Divinity Transformation Bear Beast was certainly not something easily digested. With no other explanation, this was the most plausible theory.

"I can't say for sure. So, what did you come to see me about today?"

Bear Wind shook his head, indicating he didn't know either, then asked Fang Qingyuan the purpose of his visit.

Fang Qingyuan's expression turned solemn as he laid out Tu Wuzhao's intentions. For a matter of such importance, Bear Wind was the only one he could discuss it with at the moment.

"So that's what this is about. But what on earth does this Black Heaven Bodhisattva see in you? Why insist that you go in her stead? She has Nascent Soul Cultivators in Black Wind Valley, yet she seeks you out, a mere Golden Core?"

"Black Wind Valley has always been at odds with the Great Zhou Academy's Confucian Family. They're practically in a constant state of war. If Tu Wuzhao sent a Nascent Soul Cultivator and they were discovered, they'd likely be ganged up on and eliminated by several other powers."

Bear Wind gave a wry smile.

"How did Black Wind Valley manage to offend so many powers? More than half the Cultivation Realm considers them an enemy. Only the Beast Taming Sect could be considered even a partial ally."

"That's not for us to question. Tu Wuzhao probably values my identity. I'm a Divine Sect Leader enfeoffed by the Great Zhou Academy, I have roots in the Beast Taming Sect, and I even have some friendly history with Gui Gu. A background like that is much more convenient than being from Black Wind Valley."

"Even so, it's not enough to send you, a Golden Core Cultivator, to handle it. The difference in strength is just too vast. For a lone Golden Core to try and make waves under the noses of so many Nascent Soul Cultivators... it's beyond difficult. Unless..."

Fang Qingyuan's eyes lit up as well.

"Unless the power ceiling in that small world is the Golden Core Perfect Realm. That's the only thing that would explain why the strongest cultivator to emerge from it so far, Gui You, was only at Golden Core Perfection."

"Haha, that has to be it. Otherwise, given the chance to escape, if there were any Nascent Soul Cultivators in that small world, they certainly wouldn't have let the Golden Core Cultivators be the first ones out. Based on the current intel, the small world has a sizable population, making it worth fighting over. I just wonder what Tu Wuzhao's objective is. Territory? It's not her turn to claim any."

As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. Through their discussion, Fang Qingyuan and Bear Wind managed to piece together some of the hidden details.

"Following that logic, if a Nascent Soul Cultivator were to enter, their realm would be suppressed. They'd still be stronger than a Golden Core Cultivator, but the gap wouldn't be insurmountable. And considering your track record of being unmatched among Golden Cores, Tu Wuzhao would rather not risk her Nascent Soul Cultivators and is pinning her hopes on you instead."

Listening to Bear Wind's analysis, Fang Qingyuan added another piece to the puzzle.

"Black Wind Valley follows the Divine Dao, which relies on borrowing power from Divine Spirits. Inside a small world, they wouldn't be able to connect with the spirits they worship in the Valley. So, if Black Wind Valley's Golden Core Cultivators went to a place like that, their combat strength would plummet. They'd just be lambs to the slaughter."

Bear Wind paid no mind to Fang Qingyuan's strange turn of phrase. He asked gravely,

"What are your thoughts, then? Will you go, or not?"

In the face of Bear Wind's concern, Fang Qingyuan finally revealed his true thoughts.

"That depends on Tu Wuzhao's intentions. If she really forces my hand, I can't resist. What I said to Tu Dai'er earlier was just a bargaining tactic. We can't afford to make an enemy of Black Wind Valley right now, and we definitely can't have Tu Wuzhao holding a grudge against us."

"Sigh... Our fate is not our own. The Master of White Mountain is completely hands-off. Without a Divinity Transformation powerhouse of our own to back us, anyone feels they can come to White Mountain and interfere."

For a time, the man and the beast fell silent. Fang Qingyuan had put on a tough front when he chewed out Xiong Dai'er, but if Tu Wuzhao herself were to descend in her true form, he wouldn't be able to maintain that bravado.

'Does anyone really think the Great Zhou Academy's three-generation enfeoffment rule can intimidate a Divinity Transformation cultivator?'

If that were the case, would Black Wind Valley dare to kill so many cultivators from the Confucian Family's forces? On the front lines, it's a common occurrence for a Nascent Soul Cultivator to die every ten or twenty years, and most of those cultivators held the great honor of having been enfeoffed.

"But with our connection to Jinbao's father, Tu Wuzhao probably won't push things to the absolute limit. It's a shame we can't contact him. If we could get him to put in a good word for me, I'm sure Tu Wuzhao's attitude would be much more amicable."

Fang Qingyuan sighed with regret. 'Such a great connection, and no way to use it.'

"Should we send someone to Kurong Temple to inquire?"

Bear Wind offered his suggestion, but Fang Qingyuan immediately shook his head.

"The situation is too uncertain, and we don't know Monk Ku Rong's stance. We shouldn't create more complications. If we manage to infuriate Tu Wuzhao, we'll be well and truly finished. Let's just maintain the status quo for now.

In the days to come, if I'm truly gone... I'll have to ask you, Brother Xiong, to look after the Qingyuan Sect. If I don't return within three years, please secretly seek out my master, Lechuan, and align with him. Can you promise me this, Brother Xiong?"

Years ago, Lechuan had cast Bear Wind aside, a move that earned Bear Wind's deep resentment. But times had changed, and so had people. Faced with the current crisis, old disagreements gave way to new perspectives.

"Fine. I promise you. If you're gone, I won't be able to protect the entire Qingyuan Sect on my own. When it comes to cultivation level, I fear no one, but I'm no match for all these schemes and plots."

Bear Wind agreed without hesitation. For the sake of those bear cubs and for the Qingyuan Sect, his personal grievances paled in comparison. Besides, his resentment toward Lechuan wasn't even that strong anymore.

'Everyone has their own position. From Lechuan's perspective at the time, sacrificing something he knew he couldn't protect in exchange for a tangible benefit was the logical move.'

'Lechuan just didn't know that Fang Qingyuan could get in contact with Tu Wuzhao and persuade Yue'e. If he had known that, why would he have resorted to such a poor tactic?'

Having laid his cards on the table and received Bear Wind's clear agreement, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of relief. He saw a chance to mend the relationship between Bear Wind and Lechuan. If Lechuan, Bear Wind, and his own Qingyuan Sect were to unite, their standing in White Mountain would surely rise several ranks.

"Brother Xiong, I know I'm not your equal, but on this fine day, I'd like to ask for a few pointers. What do you say?"

Having obtained the Xuanli Sword and learned the Mirage Dragon Sword Scripture, Fang Qingyuan's combat strength was far greater than before. He could now barely wield the Xuanli Sword, and his cultivation of the Mirage Dragon Sword Scripture had reached the fifth level. He was eager to test if his old theory would actually work.

At Fang Qingyuan's challenge, a smile played on Bear Wind's lips.

"Alright. All this meditation has been making me antsy. It's the perfect time to stretch my legs. Let's go have a spar."

Hand resting on his Xuanli Sword, Fang Qingyuan stepped out of Bear Wind's Cave Mansion and shot up into the sky.

"Then please don't hold back, Brother Xiong. To battle!"