Capítulo 1076: Chapter 399: Eight Peaks Council_2
“He is not just a Confucian cultivator, but also a flag, a link connecting Huazhang Country! Offending this elder not only shakes the Confucian spirit within the sect, but could also alter the attitude of Huazhang Country…”
Meng Wuyan’s words rendered the crowd silent for a moment.
They all realized that dealing with Confucian cultivators must be done with caution, especially with someone like Duanmu Zhang, a great Confucian. Any misstep could lead to tremendous losses and negatively impact the overall situation of the Myriad Images Sect.
In this tense situation, the current Sword Cry Peak Master, Ling Juejian, suddenly spoke: “Although the Confucian cultivators in our sect are united tightly, they are not entirely flaw-proof.”
“Have you forgotten…deep within the Cloud Prison, there is a prisoner named Qin De.”
“This person has long been nailed to the Pillar of Shame of the Confucian Sect. Manipulating this rogue is to grasp the most painful nerve of Duanmu Zhang and the entire group of Confucian cultivators!”
“Using Qin De to manipulate the sect’s Confucian cultivators and curb their arrogance is highly feasible. There’s even a possibility of making Duanmu Zhang bow and cooperate with us.”
Ling Juejian, a middle-aged man, had a slender figure akin to a sword. Even while seated, his straight spine seemed to pierce the sky.
His cheekbones were high, eyes sunken, and they burned with ambition and scrutiny like cold stars forged in flames. His thin lips pressed tightly into a single line, appearing cold and harsh.
As a Sword Cultivator, his words were aligned with his conduct. When solving problems, he opted for unconventional methods, striking directly at the opponent’s weakness, sharp and incisive.
Meng Wuyan fell into contemplation, while Tuoba Huang shouted angrily: “Enough, enough.”
“Twisted talk! Nagging! It’s giving me a headache!”
He waved his large hand, as if to dispel all the schemes before him, an agitated aura erupted forth: “Solve Wen Ruanyu? Solve a bunch of bookish Confucians? Still need to fish out a rotten Demon Confucian from the Cloud Prison as a bargaining chip? When have I, Tuoba Huang, ever been so nagging in my dealings?”
“How long will this take?”
“Let me be frank with you all, my family’s ancestor’s grand birthday is imminent! White Paper Immortal City is perfect as a gift for the birthday, and I, Tuoba Huang, must seize this immortal city before the end of the Feiyun Conference.”
He deliberately paused, his massive head lifted, his face full of flesh, surveying his surroundings: “Who opposes?”
Once more, everyone fell silent.
Tuoba Ancestor is one of the foundations within Myriad Images Sect, a Transforming Spirit Level expert. His sheer individual combat power alone can impact a Cultivation Kingdom.
Clap, clap, clap.
A series of clear clapping sounds broke the stifling silence.
Danxia Peak Master Wang Yu’s Cloud Body Clone sat atop a cloud, clapping and praising: “Master Tuoba’s actions are swift and decisive, capable of swallowing rivers and mountains! Tuoba Ancestor is the Jade Pillar of support for our sect. Such a grand celebration of his birthday should be complemented with a significant gift like White Paper Immortal City to truly display the majestic prestige of our sect!”
“Moreover, leveraging the Feiyun Conference, an event that attracts worldwide attention, to bring this city under our command is killing two birds with one stone, spreading our sect’s name across the land and beyond! Such a grand vision and plan, my Danxia Peak will certainly offer our full support!”
With such praise, Tuoba Huang’s angry expression vanished. His bushy beard slightly raised, his red eyes full of satisfaction, he couldn’t help but nod slightly towards Wang Yu.
Wang Yu’s smile remained, yet his tone shifted as if the Pill Furnace opened and closed, introducing a new opportunity: “However——”
“White Paper Immortal City is located in the Yin Tide Black Swamp, caught between the watchful eyes of North Wind and Feiyun Countries. It serves as a tacit buffer between the two countries, balancing delicately.”
“If our sect flaunts our might and forcibly seizes it, recklessly destroying the tacit understanding… North Wind Country’s formidable Wolf Master could promptly raise the banner of ‘Defending the Way and Honoring Names,’ with hundred thousand Xuan Armor tramping the swamp! By then, what our sect faces will be an entire country’s wrath!”
“Even if North Wind restrains its forces, what face does Feiyun Royal Family have? Criticism, sanctions, even blockage of our sect’s commercial routes, possibly even spirit veins…”
Wang Yu looked at Tuoba Huang, whose expression had already turned ashen.
Wang Yu’s voice was gentle yet weighed with significance: “The ancestor’s birthday is not an auspicious time for bloodshed and warfare, nor an ideal moment to make enemies of the whole world.”
Wang Yu, truly deserving of being Danxia Peak’s Peak Master!
While Tuoba Huang used his Transforming Spirit ancestor to apply pressure earlier, now Wang Yu, with his words, instead leveraged Tuoba Ancestor against Tuoba Huang.
Tuoba Huang’s throat rolled, his body churning with fiery air, yet he was speechless, leaving only a stifled heavy hum echoing in the sky, causing ripples in the air.
Wang Yu’s face remained warm with a gentle smile, scanning left and right: “To seize White Paper, bypassing the city and breaking through the walls would be less effective than knocking directly at the middle gate.”
His voice rang clear, like a spring breeze dissipating the clouds, explaining his viewpoint: “The real crux of this strategy is not Wen Ruanyu’s stubborn resistance, but—Evil Extermination Hall Master Zhong Dao!”
“Zhong Dao?” The crowd questioned in confusion.
The first to react was Meng Wuyan, his arcane violet eyes suddenly flashing with a perceptive brilliance, akin to dark night lightning illuminating from within!
“Wen Ruanyu’s resilience is bound by Duanmu Zhang’s power; Qin De’s body is imprisoned in Cloud Prison! These two lines intersect, and the hub lies within Evil Slaying Hall!” Wang Yu’s speech quickened, clear and organized like pearls dropping on a jade plate.
“At this moment, Yang Sanyan replaces Wen Ruanyu at White Paper Immortal City. Convince Zhong Dao, and Yang Sanyan, being a key member of Evil Slaying Hall, can immediately lead the charge for our sect, interceding in the city’s affairs!”
“Qin De, this ‘Shame of the Confucian Sect,’ can also become a sharp blade in our hand, hanging over the heads of Duanmu Zhang and other Confucian cultivators, causing them countless worries. How could Wen Ruanyu not bow down?!”
Wang Yu finalized: “Gaining Zhong Dao means we have Yang Sanyan as a blade and Wen Ruanyu as a driver. The matter of White Paper Immortal City could indeed be settled.”
With that, he slightly cupped his hands, the cyan cloud robe flowing like Danxia Peak’s aura, projecting an air of calm composure and revealing his insight and strategy as a master of the peak.
Silence flowed between the clouds.
Though Wang Yu relied on the groundwork of his predecessors and took it further, this strategy was indeed like a clear breeze sweeping away the fog, even Ling Juejian’s frosty eyes flashed with a slight, hardly noticeable glint of approval.
Wei Ji sat at the foremost seat, steady as a mountain under his coarse hemp robe. He turned his pure black pupil towards Wang Yu, his voice still calm and unperturbed: “Peak Master Wang’s strategy is mature and prudent, planning before acting. Fellow Peak Masters, any objections?”
The words cast ripples like a stone thrown into a deep pond.
“Seconded,” Ling Juejian spoke first, his voice still cold and sharp.
Tuoba Huang’s expression fluctuated uncertainly, finally snorting heavily from his nostrils with a hot breath: “Hmph!”
Despite the unwillingness, he knew Wang Yu’s words hit the mark, and considering the importance of the ancestor’s birthday, he could only respond in a rusty voice: “Let’s proceed with this plan, swiftly!”
He stared intensely at Wang Yu, the meaning clear without words—if this plan succeeds, the credit is yours; if it fails, Danxia Peak cannot shirk the blame!
Wang Yu nodded with a smile, appearing calm and unruffled, oblivious to the threat in Tuoba Huang’s gaze.
The crowd’s eyes shifted, choosing to overlook Meng Wuyan.
The Deputy Peak Master of Purple Thunder Peak, with roots as a Demon Cultivator, faced disdain from everyone present.
They turned to Fuyao Peak Master Lu Zhenshu, whose eyes were lowered, holding a jade slip in one hand, supporting his head with the other, seeming half asleep, half awake, lost in thought.
“Peak Master Lu?” Wei Ji’s voice had a subtle hint of exasperation, “Stop reading.”
“Hmm?” Lu Zhenshu awoke as if from a dream, looking up blankly, “Have you all decided?”
Wei Ji explained the situation, Lu Zhenshu waved his hand, displaying an unrestrained and carefree demeanor: “Very well, very well, proceed with the prescribed medicine.”
Seeing him agree, the crowd gathered their focus on another person.
This female cultivator was Hundred Herbs Peak Master Heng Zifang, involved throughout but remaining silent.
She appeared serene and detached, her eyebrows lowered, lips pale like early cherry blossoms. Her peculiar eyes—left eye deep green like ancient pond leaves, right eye glimmering with amber honey light.
Feeling the gaze upon her, she finally lifted her eyes, her voice clear and ethereal like mountain stream waters: “Hundred Herbs Peak only concerns itself with the Spirit Plant’s prosperity, not the affairs of Immortal City. Fellow Peak Masters, please proceed.”
Wei Ji’s gaze swept over the crowd, which held no further objections, tapped lightly on the virtual jade ruler, issuing a deep decisive sound: “Since it’s settled, rely on Peak Master Wang’s strategy, focusing on Zhong Dao. Summon—Evil Extermination Hall Master, into the discussion.”
Just as his voice finished, someone suddenly interrupted: “Hold on!”