Chapter 617: No Room for Negotiation

Bai Zichen dusted off his sleeves, his tone as casual as if he were addressing a fellow sect disciple.

Shi Chengdong was furious and his expression was about to twist in anger, but then he recalled a letter from a friend in the Central Domain.

His friend’s Sect was a Nascent Soul Sect that relied on him as its sole pillar of support. During the war between the two races, hundreds of its disciples had been conscripted.

A few years later, they had lost a Core Formation disciple and dozens at Foundation Establishment.

They hadn’t yet forced him to fight personally, but any Nascent Soul True Monarch who didn’t report to the Jishui Camp was required to hand over one Top-Grade Spirit Stone every five years, or provide an item of equal value.

This was a decree issued by the Moral Sect and all the other Super Sects to subsidize the True Monarchs fighting on the front lines.

This Nascent Soul cultivator felt that life in the Central Domain was about to get even harder, so he had written to Shi Chengdong for advice, hoping to prepare a path of retreat in advance.

At the end of the letter, he had casually mentioned that a powerhouse had emerged in the Northern Domain, a man who had defeated a Great True Monarch with his sword.

But there was no news after that, so he didn’t know if the man was just a flash in the pan or if the Five Phoenix Sword Sect was simply orchestrating his fame.

The name of the Northern Domain Sword Cultivator his old friend had mentioned was none other than Bai Zichen.

As Bai Zichen’s gaze fell upon him, Shi Chengdong felt a gentle, faint warmth, like a spring breeze. Yet, hidden within it was a subtle, almost imperceptible pressure that set off alarm bells in his mind.

“I have already sent word to Zheng’er. He will arrive at Qii Mountain next month… With the two of us joining forces, Qu Yang will be of no concern.”

‘Thoughts raced through Shi Chengdong’s mind. He quickly changed his tune, adopting a more conciliatory stance.’

“The Holy Lotus Sect has long since lost the people’s support. Once we act, the entire Qii Mountain region can be pacified with a single proclamation. It won’t take more than a year or so for normal life to resume.”

“Le Zheng has already passed his Celestial Tribulation?”

‘To be of any use in a situation like this, one had to be a Nascent Soul True Monarch.’ Bai Zichen quickly grasped the crucial point.

“That’s right. Three years ago, he borrowed a domain in Zengguang Immortal City to become a True Monarch, manifesting three great Nascent Soul Phenomena: Heaven-Sent Dew, the Spanning Rainbow Bridge, and a Loyal Crimson Heart.”

Many people witnessed Le Zheng’s Tribulation Crossing, so this information wasn’t hard to come by. Shi Chengdong shared it freely, intending it as a deterrent.

‘Your Qingfeng Sect may have two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, but our Celestial Principle Sect is not lacking either.’

This good news put him completely at ease. Even if he were to pass away, the Sect’s legacy in the Northern Domain would be secure.

At Le Zheng’s age, he had immense potential. With the Celestial Principle Sect in his hands, it would only flourish.

“Congratulations. You have a worthy successor, Fellow Daoist. Your lineage is secure.”

Bai Zichen wasn’t surprised. Back then, Le Zheng’s Realm had been comparable to his own, and he was rumored to possess the Vast Holy Body, which was perfectly suited for the Confucian Sect’s Cultivation Techniques. It would have been more surprising if he had failed his Nascent Soul Tribulation.

“But that is still too slow. We both know Qu Yang’s state. Relying on the geographical advantage of the mountain, are you truly confident in a swift victory? Qii Mountain is connected to the Earth Veins of the Twelve Prefectures of the Central Province. A cataclysmic battle could affect hundreds of millions of lives.”

This was a slight exaggeration, but not entirely without merit.

The Qii Mountain Spirit Vein ran through hundreds of peaks, and the origins of many Spirit Lands within the Twelve Prefectures could be traced back to this very mountain range.

Years of incessant warfare had caused the Spirit Vein to tremble nonstop. The resulting chain reaction led to a drop in the surrounding Spiritual Energy Concentration and a sharp decline in food production.

At the same time, earthquakes, months-long droughts followed by torrential downpours, and other unnatural disasters became frequent occurrences.

The Central Province was once known as the most prosperous region in all of Liang Country, a place where no one starved in the streets and where the old and young were always cared for.

One could simply clear a patch of wasteland, plant the seeds bestowed by the Immortals, and with very little tending, reap an incredibly bountiful harvest.

It was for this very reason that the Holy Lotus Sect could pick the cream of the crop, selecting more than enough Immortal Seedlings every year.

But now, all of that had changed.

The Holy Lotus Sect, its branch Sects, the Cultivation Families—this entire top-down system had been shattered.

Coupled with the frequent natural disasters and the rise of Tribulation Cultivators as common as blades of grass, this land of abundance had become a barren wasteland.

Life was hard for Cultivators, let alone the mortals under their purview. Homes were destroyed, and people were left displaced and homeless.

In the worst-hit areas, nine out of ten homes stood empty. Apocalyptic scenes emerged, with people resorting to trading their children to eat them.

As Bai Zichen arrived via Sword Control, he was horrified by the sight from above: piles upon piles of White Bones, and vultures pecking at rotting corpses.

Even in Black Mountain’s darkest days, they had never allowed their people to fall into such a desperate state.

Even if he didn’t intend to occupy the auspicious Spirit Land of Qii Mountain for his own cultivation grounds and to grow Cyan Dragon Spirit Rice, he knew he had to intervene and end this war.

“Qu Yang is merely relying on that Snow Lotus; his true Cultivation hasn’t even reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Such external power is not sustainable. This time, I have decided to sacrifice the Scroll of the Ancestors to finish him for good.”

Shi Chengdong gestured toward a Scroll within the Celestial Principle Sect’s formation that was emitting a milky white light, but he chose his words carefully, still stopping short of an absolute guarantee.

Over the years, he had fought Qu Yang no fewer than five times, and each encounter had ended in a stalemate.

As long as Qu Yang was on the Qii Mountain Peak, he could draw upon an inexhaustible supply of Primordial Power. In terms of sheer quantity, it surpassed even what he, a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, could command.

Furthermore, Qii Mountain had been the Holy Lotus Sect’s stronghold for ten thousand years. If they were to truly fight their way into its heart, there was no telling how many Forbidden Secret Techniques lay in wait. The danger would be immense.

Even with an extra ally, Le Zheng had only achieved his Nascent Soul a few years ago. He had just finished consolidating his foundation and was still familiarizing himself with the Nascent Soul Realm.

He certainly wouldn’t have had time to master any powerful Divine Techniques.

Fortunately, Le Zheng was different. He possessed thirty-six strands of Innate Vast Energy. To break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, he had used twelve of those strands at once.

Factoring in what he had used previously, he still had eighteen strands left.

If he were willing to burn a single strand of Innate Vast Energy, Le Zheng could take a Confucian Sect Divine Technique he had barely started learning and instantly master it to the Perfect Realm.

Even if the effect only lasted for a short time, it would be enough to reverse the course of the entire battle.

‘This was precisely Shi Chengdong’s plan. If the situation became truly desperate, he would have no choice but to squander such a precious resource.’

‘It would be far better to save all the Innate Vast Energy and use it only for Cultivation and for Breaking through to new Realms.’