Chapter 992: Chapter 986: Half-Step Body Integration
Highsun City, Deston Prefecture.
At Silver Wolf Lake, Yun Manlou stood solitarily above his clan’s garrison.
In the past, many factions, big and small, from the Shadowfell Prefecture had followed him here to stage a comeback, bringing a period of prosperity to the entire Silver Wolf Lake.
In just two short years, tall buildings had sprung up everywhere here, gradually forming a bustling market, becoming an indispensable part of Highsun City.
Even Ba Siyu of the Imperial Protectors Guard looked at him with newfound respect.
But with the arrival of the people from the Azure Cloud Li Clan, everything changed.
The Li Clan’s retainer, Dongfang Xuan, used painting as her Dao.
Above Silver Wolf Lake, she drew the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into her paintings, methodically stripping away the strength of the various factions that had come from the Shadowfell Prefecture.
And from that day on, the geniuses of Silver Wolf Lake, as well as the experts at the Divinity Transformation realm and below, began to disappear silently.
No matter how they searched, no trace could be found.
In just a few short years, Silver Wolf Lake, which had prospered for two years, headed toward decline.
The people of the Shadowfell Prefecture, who had sworn to return to their homeland even if it took thousands or tens of thousands of years, left one by one to seek their own survival.
Let alone outsiders, of the thousand-plus people in the Yun Clan’s main branch, only thirty percent remained, and only two or three branches were left.
As for those from the Yun Clan’s main branch who fled… within two or three days, their Life Tablets shattered.
The abandoned buildings were covered in spiderwebs, with only a scarce few people coming and going.
At the slightest noise, they would cower in terror inside their prepared array formations, terrified of being snatched away by the “man-eating demon.”
The mist blanketing Silver Wolf Lake was like a net, ready to capture the people of the Yun Clan at any moment.
“Beasts.”
Yun Manlou looked numbly at all of this.
After a few years had passed, he had grown used to it.
Ever since Li Xinnian said those words to him, he could only watch Silver Wolf Lake decline day by day.
From his initial anger to his current indifference, only coldness remained in his eyes.
“That woman is not here today.”
Raising his head, he saw that Dongfang Xuan had already left the cloudy sky.
Two figures flew into Silver Wolf Lake.
One of them, having arrived while concealing his tracks, slowly lowered his hood, revealing a majestic yet weather-beaten face.
Bi Shihu frowned as he surveyed the dilapidated Silver Wolf Lake and Yun Manlou, who had been waiting for a long time.
Towards this Yun Manlou, Bi Shihu held much disdain.
The Yun Clan produced no talents and only relied on a dying old thing to hold it up.
During the battle at the Shadowfell Prefecture, the Yun Clan had long prepared to flee, abandoning the army.
If it weren’t for Jiang Chenghuan exhausting all his schemes and mediating everywhere over the past few years, leaving his three armies like stray dogs with no place to settle, why would he personally come looking for the Yun Clan?
Before long.
Bi Shihu and Yun Manlou met.
The two bowed in greeting to each other.
Regardless of how they secretly criticized each other in their hearts, the two could be said to be fellow sufferers sympathizing with each other.
Under the Li Clan’s retaliation, they could only huddle together for warmth to seek a sliver of survival.
Soon after, the two looked toward the other arrival.
This was an old man who wore a constant faint smile on his face, looking kind and wise.
“Greetings, Mr. Zhou.”
Zhou Chengli.
The two were highly respectful to this “Mr. Zhou,” yet there was a hint of disdain as they lowered their heads and bowed.
Ba Siyu of the Imperial Protectors Guard had many experts under his command, and Zhou Chengli was one of them.
This person enjoyed a long lifespan and had managed logistics for Ba Siyu for twenty thousand years, being known for his uprightness and incorruptibility.
But where was the uprightness and incorruptibility?
When this Mr. Zhou arrived in Deston Prefecture, his greed was incredibly ugly.
But both Bi Shihu and Yun Manlou knew that the uglier the surnamed Zhou’s greed was, the more he could… save their lives!
…….
The three gathered at the Yun Clan, and after a round of superficial and perfunctory negotiations…
Yun Manlou said in a deep voice,
“Mr. Zhou, the Azure Cloud Li Clan has gone too far.
The battle at Shadowfell Prefecture was destined to be lost.
After coming to Deston Prefecture, we bore the infamy of being ‘deserters.’
Yet, we have made every effort to govern effectively and have contributed greatly to Deston Prefecture, all to wash away the unjust charges placed upon us by the narrow-minded people of the world.
But the Li Clan is no different from mad dogs, blaming the Yun Clan and General Bi for Li Tianyue’s death.”
“Comparing the Li Clan to mad dogs is an incorrect statement.”
Zhou Chengli maintained a faint smile the entire time, looking as if the matter had nothing to do with him as he slowly sipped his tea.
“With the Li Clan presiding over Azure Cloud, it is united like a fortress of iron.
Daoist Pu Ci is notoriously wishy-washy and wouldn’t dare harbor any sinister intentions.
The Li Clan possesses numerous talents:
Li Xinghuo, Commander of the Asura Army in the Northern Border;
Li Yuanshang of the Imperial Capital Chamber of Commerce;
Li Yaoqing, the Holy Maiden;
Li Yaotie, the Spirit Puppet Ancestral Master…
The famous figures of their entire family will sooner or later step onto the grand stage.”
How could Bi Shihu not hear that Zhou Chengli was haggling?
He immediately said in a deep voice,
“Mr. Zhou, this is Deston Prefecture! Even if the Li Clan has numerous talents, they are ultimately not at the Void Refinement realm.
Currently, it is only Li Yunlin holding things up.
They rely on the power beneath the position of Prefecture Lord and their numerous expert retainers. External power is, after all, just external power.”
“Behind them are the State Preceptor, the Immortal Suppression Department, and the Grand Tutor.” Zhou Chengli remained as steady as an old god.
“Let alone me, even Lord Ba has to handle the Li Clan carefully.
The reason these great figures value the Li Clan so much boils down to one thing: potential.
Potential protected by external power will one day soar into the sky.”
Everyone present was a shrewd person.
Yun Manlou took a deep breath.
“Mr. Zhou, you are a shrewd person. My Yun Clan and Marshal Bi no longer have a way out. Whatever you want, we will give it to you.
My Yun Clan investigated this trip; aside from Li Yunlin, Dongfang Xuan, and Jiang Chenghuan, the Li Clan is hiding at most two other Void Refinement experts.
General Bi and I are completely confident in keeping them in Deston Prefecture forever.”
“Hahaha, Patriarch Yun is quite confident.” Zhou Chengli let out a loud laugh.
There were disparities within the Void Refinement realm, but to truly keep all the Li Clan’s Void Refinement cultivators in Deston Prefecture, how could it be so easy?
Even Bi Shihu narrowed his eyes and had already shifted his feet, preparing to leave.
But right at this moment, Yun Manlou let out a long breath and softly called out, “Old Ancestor.”
In an instant, the expressions of Bi Shihu and Zhou Chengli changed, and they sat up in shock.
They saw a fluctuation formed by spiritual energy rippling outward from around them.
The two looked in terror at the Spiritual power of heaven and earth that was still rippling out in all directions.
That represented a Heavenly Dao Law, a Heavenly Dao Law that was about to break through!
The Yun Clan’s Old Ancestor was preparing to break through to the Body Integration Dao realm!
“Half-step Body Integration!”
Highsun City.
Zhou Chengli hurried back from Silver Wolf Lake, his mind weighed down with heavy thoughts.
Originally invited to Silver Wolf Lake on this trip, according to his usual style of doing things, he would have also made a trip to the Azure Cloud Li Clan to weigh which side offered a higher price.
But now, he had to reconsider carefully.
Frowning all the way, he arrived at Ba Siyu’s estate. Before long, a pale-faced Ba Siyu returned.
In this war in Deston Prefecture, even Body Integration’s mighty figures had to be careful and cautious.
“That damn Wu tribe Sage Elder, two of them kept their eyes on me for three years. If Gu Fenghua hadn’t helped, I probably would have suffered a huge, silent loss at their hands!”
After finishing his words, Ba Siyu sat back in his seat and looked at Zhou Chengli, who had been waiting for a long time.
“Old Zhou, even when I get ambushed outside, my face isn’t as bitter as yours. What the hell happened? Spit it out!”
“It’s the matter regarding those three families,” Zhou Chengli smiled bitterly.
Just hearing this, Ba Siyu already knew which three families it was.
Over these past few years, the Azure Cloud Li Clan simply couldn’t let go of the matter at the Shadowfell Prefecture, practically playing the Yun Clan and Bi Shihu to death.
Ba Siyu said casually,
“The Yun Clan and Bi Shihu sought you out? Heh, two families of rats and snakes.
As long as they don’t break my rules, everything is negotiable. Since you’re about to make a fortune and get some good things, share some with me.”
“It’s not that, my Lord.”
Zhou Chengli shook his head helplessly.
“That old thing from the Yun Clan is at the half-step Body Integration realm, only lacking the final kick to cross the threshold.”
Hearing this, Ba Siyu fell silent for a moment.
“That old thing from the Yun Clan cultivates the Dao of Heavenly Spiritual Methods. Having immersed himself in the extreme limits of the Void Refinement realm for many years, what he seeks to Glimpse is the easiest ‘Spiritual Energy’ Dao path.
As long as he has enough natural treasures and sufficient time, he can break through to the Glimpsing the Dao stage.
Thus, over the past ten or twenty thousand years, that old thing from the Yun Clan has monopolized all the Yun Clan’s natural treasures, which is why the Yun Clan hasn’t produced any more talents.”
“If he wants to Glimpse the Dao, he needs a massive amount of resources containing spiritual energy to complement his Daoist Spirit power.
Where did his natural treasures come from?”
As he spoke, Ba Siyu’s face had already turned gloomy.
Zhou Chengli had already made some guesses.
“The Yun Clan is no longer hiding it. The matter of the Shadowfell Prefecture is a foregone conclusion; bringing it up again is useless.
Now that the old thing from the Yun Clan is half a step away from Glimpsing the Dao, since they dared to bring it up, they must be prepared. That remaining half-step of opportunity…”
“Is with the Li Clan!”
Zhou Chengli said solemnly,
“The Yun Clan’s natural treasures should be exhausted.
To break through to the Dao realm, he must have a massive amount of resources to push through in one vigorous effort.
The Li Clan’s Golden Toad Divine Palace houses troops and has plundered a massive amount of spoils over the years.
The Li Clan’s Chamber of Commerce has also reaped abundant harvests in this great war.
With the Li Clan’s experts gathered, a massive amount of wealth from the Azure Cloud Prefecture has converged in Deston Prefecture.”
“The old thing from the Yun Clan has already decided to make a desperate last stand. If he succeeds, he reaches Body Integration. If he fails…”
Ba Siyu slightly narrowed his eyes.
“If he fails, it’s no big deal to him either. His lifespan is nearing its end; this is his final gamble. In his eyes, the Yun Clan members are just distant blood relatives; they mean nothing.”
“He has handed this difficult problem to you, my Lord.” Zhou Chengli let out a long breath.
“If the old thing from the Yun Clan succeeds, our Deston Prefecture will gain another Body Integration mighty figure.
He is already close to death; even if you kill him, he has no regrets. Instead, it would only waste your methods.”
“As for the Li Clan, no matter how extraordinary their potential is, they haven’t grown up yet.
Even with Li Yunlin’s extraordinary aptitude, it will take hundreds of years to break through to the peak of the Void Refinement realm.”
Seeing Ba Siyu’s eyes darting around and his right leg constantly twitching slightly, Zhou Chengli could already see that Ba Siyu was weighing the pros and cons.
Zhou Chengli said in a deep voice,
“My Lord, we have a choice. Everything must prioritize the overall situation.
If you don’t want to be tainted by the karma of the many major factions behind the Azure Cloud Li Clan, you can simply pretend not to know.
Sooner or later, there will be a great battle between Deston Prefecture and the Wu tribe.
During a great battle, anything can happen. I only need to provide some convenience to the Yun Clan and Bi Shihu.”
“It’s only human nature for us to stay out of it. When the time comes…”
“Offer Bi Shihu’s head to the Azure Cloud Li Clan, and you, my Lord, will have done them a favor.
As for that old thing from the Yun Clan, a Body Integration mighty figure, you might as well send him to serve under the Spear Saint.
The one tainted by karma will be the Spear Saint, and our Deston Prefecture will gain a Body Integration mighty figure who can fend off the Wu tribe for our human race.
Even if the latecomers of the Azure Cloud Li Clan surpass him in the future, it will have nothing to do with you, my Lord.”
Hearing this, Ba Siyu’s right leg stopped twitching.
He looked thoughtfully at Zhou Chengli. “And if I hand you over too, my hands will be completely clean.”
“My Lord…” Zhou Chengli’s expression changed drastically.
Ba Siyu waved his hand playfully.
“Don’t be afraid. You made a good point, and I also need you to scheme for me.
Ultimately, strength is revered.
The Azure Cloud Li Clan is fiercely loyal, but it’s a pity… A Body Integration expert on this Deston Prefecture battlefield can change the overall situation; the Li Clan… cannot.”
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