"It seems he went to hunt down True Lord Withered Glory of Heavenly Azure Prefecture. I haven't seen him for a while either."
"It looks like you've also suffered heavy injuries." Qi Tianxiong patted his storage pouch. A high-grade tier-three wound-healing pill flew out and landed in True Lord Heavenly Wolf's palm.
"Thank you, Sect Master," True Lord Heavenly Wolf said, clasping his hands in gratitude.
"How was the person you fought?"
"The Ice Flame Divine Ability he practices is incredibly overbearing, and he also wields a high-grade magic treasure. This subordinate was slightly inferior to him."
"To think that someone like that could emerge from the Heavenly Azure Sect at a time like this. The foundation of a Nascent Soul sect with thousands of years of history truly cannot be underestimated."
"When True Lord Canglang returns, have him infiltrate Heavenly Azure Prefecture. Tell him to secretly contact the various Golden Core factions. The more we can instigate to rebel, the less resistance we will face when we go to all-out war with the Heavenly Azure Sect in a few years, and the fewer losses we'll suffer."
"Understood."
Even in a massive war between two prefectures, the primary goal was to annihilate the opposing ruling faction, not to eradicate every single Foundation Establishment and Golden Core aristocratic family.
At that point, even the Profound Moon Sect would be forced to intervene.
Following that discussion, Qi Tianxiong returned to the sect to heal his injuries.
True Lord Heavenly Wolf was left in charge of handling the aftermath of the battle.
However, about fifteen minutes later, a disciple rushed in to report that True Lord Canglang's life lamp had been extinguished.
True Lord Heavenly Wolf's body trembled violently, his expression filled with utter disbelief.
"How is that possible!"
"The Xu family! True Lord Withered Glory!"
Boundless killing intent surged in True Lord Heavenly Wolf's heart.
At this moment, he made a vow. The other Golden Core factions of Heavenly Azure Prefecture might be allowed to live, but the Xu family had to be eradicated!
In the distance, Xu Chuan cast a long glance at the battlefield. He silently collected a substantial amount of qi and blood energy, along with remnant souls, before turning and walking away.
As True Lord Heavenly Wolf watched that retreating figure, he found it unfamiliar and couldn't help but ask, "Who is that white-haired elder? A rogue cultivator from our Greedy Wolf Prefecture?"
Many Golden Core cultivators were also surprised upon hearing the question, but they all shook their heads.
Perfected Person Cangshan stroked his beard and explained, "He is called the White-Browed Daoist. He's a rogue cultivator who recently wandered into our Greedy Wolf Prefecture.
"Although he is only at the early-stage Golden Core realm, his divine abilities and methods are quite formidable.
"Daoist Friend Shao tested him earlier, but ended up suffering a significant loss."
Shao Wuping spoke up, "True Lord Heavenly Wolf, Daoist Friend White-Brow is undoubtedly a rogue cultivator. Although he doesn't practice demonic cultivation methods, he operates without any taboos. He also acquired a corpse-refining secret art and forged several tier-three blood corpses.
"As for what magic treasures he possesses, I'm not entirely sure. We only exchanged a few brief blows.
"If not for his relatively low cultivation realm, I fear he would be another figure on par with Daoist Friend Blood Robe."
"Is that so?" True Lord Heavenly Wolf mused. "In that case, we should rope him in if possible. Having another Golden Core helper like him will be a good thing for our future war against Heavenly Azure Prefecture."
"This old man invited him previously, but he was incredibly cautious. It seemed he didn't want to get involved in the chaos between the two prefectures."
"There's no rogue cultivator who doesn't chase after benefits. He looks to be quite advanced in age yet remains trapped at the bottleneck of the mid-stage.
"If any of you encounter him again, you may make a promise on behalf of my sect: we will offer him a tier-three pill to break through his bottleneck, as well as a bottle of pills to refine his mana."
The rest of the Greedy Wolf Prefecture Golden Core cultivators nodded in agreement.
Soon after, they all dispersed.
True Lord Heavenly Wolf reported the news of True Lord Canglang's death to Qi Tianxiong, which sent Qi Tianxiong into a furious rage.
Any True Lord-level expert was a crucial combat asset for the sect!
"What a bold Xu family! What an audacious True Lord Withered Glory! He's only at the early-stage Golden Core realm, isn't he? To think he actually had the capability to kill Canglang. If we cannot recruit him, then we must eliminate him as soon as possible!"
After a moment of contemplation, Qi Tianxiong looked at True Lord Heavenly Wolf. "With Canglang dead, you will take over the task I previously assigned to him. You have full authority to act on behalf of the sect regarding any conditions proposed by the aristocratic families of Heavenly Azure Prefecture.
"Heavenly Wolf, do not disappoint me!"
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Mo Wentian rested for half a day, recovering a significant amount of his strength. After sweeping his divine sense across the area, he discovered that Xu Chuan, Xu Deling, and True Lord Fierce Sun were entirely missing from the Xu family's magic skiff. His figure immediately blurred as he landed on the vessel.
"Xu Mingxian, where is your father? And why are Fairy Feng Ling and True Lord Fierce Sun missing as well?"
"I don't know. My father lured True Lord Canglang away earlier and hasn't returned since."
"Can you contact him?"
"He's too far away; I can't reach him."
"Could something have happened?" Mo Wentian muttered to himself, his brow furrowing deeply.
Xu Mingxian replied, "Don't worry, Senior Mo. I have a divine sense jade pendant left by my father. It hasn't shattered, which means he isn't in any immediate danger.
"It's not just my father. Over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators from our Cloudstream Town have also lost contact."
"Daoist Friend Withered Glory possesses extraordinary talent, strength, and temperament. His methods are not weak either. He shouldn't have fallen at the hands of True Lord Canglang.
"He was likely chased far away from the battlefield and is simply unaware that the fighting has ended.
"Once he finds out, he will naturally find a way to return to the Xu family.
"When he gets back, send someone to the Mo family to notify me."
"Understood, Senior," Xu Mingxian said with a respectful clasp of his hands.
"And what about Fairy Feng Ling and the others?"
"True Lord Fierce Sun seemed to have some urgent business and left with her. This junior has no idea where they went either."
Mo Wentian fell silent upon hearing this, thinking to himself, 'Could it be that he felt Heavenly Azure Prefecture's situation was hopeless and took her back to the Heavenly Foundry Sect?'
'Perhaps that's the case. If my Mo family had such a prodigy, I certainly wouldn't leave them in such a dangerous place either. If the enemy truly begins a purge, the greatest geniuses will likely be the first ones targeted.'
"Never mind, missing one or two people won't make a difference."
Mo Wentian let out a soft sigh and said no more, immediately returning to the Mo family's magic skiff.
Thousands of miles away from the Heavenly Azure Prefecture's forces, a young Foundation Establishment cultivator was cautiously hurrying forward with a miserable expression.
"I just slacked off and stayed a bit far from the battlefield! How long has it even been? Why did they already retreat!" the young man grumbled bitterly. "I didn't even get on the ship yet!"
"What kind of nonsense is this? They didn't even bother searching for missing comrades!"
"What do I do now? Can I even make it back?"
This person was none other than Mei Yun.
"No, I finally managed to find a place like the Xu family where I can just lie back and coast through life! I have to go back!"
"No matter what, I have to get back!"
Meanwhile, True Lord Fierce Sun and Xu Deling were flying toward the border between Greedy Wolf Prefecture and Profound Moon Prefecture.
The traversable area between these two prefectures was much larger. Furthermore, although the Greedy Wolf Sect was highly ambitious, they did not yet dare to bare their fangs at the Profound Moon Sect.
Even if the Greedy Wolf Sect wanted to, the aristocratic families and sects within Greedy Wolf Prefecture wouldn't follow them into such a conflict.
"Junior Sister Feng Ling, since we're heading to Profound Moon Prefecture, we might as well take a trip back to the Heavenly Foundry Sect. The war between Greedy Wolf Prefecture and Heavenly Azure Prefecture has already exceeded my expectations.
"It's best if we let the martial uncles decide our next course of action."
"Senior Brother, are you worried about that Greedy Wolf Sect elder named Tianluo?"
"Indeed. Even in the Azure Cloud Sect, the strongest sect in our southern region, I have never heard of such a terrifying figure emerging.
"If he is allowed to mature, he has an incredibly high chance of becoming a Grand Cultivator in the future—and a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator with terrifying strength at that!"
True Lord Fierce Sun's brow was clouded with deep worry.
"Then I will follow your advice, Senior Brother. In any case, based on the current situation, until Tianluo achieves Nascent Soul Formation, Greedy Wolf Prefecture likely won't launch a full-scale assault on Heavenly Azure Prefecture.
"It won't be too late to return when the final battle approaches."
Hearing this, True Lord Fierce Sun's eyes went wide.
'What in the world!'
'You still want to come back?!'
'Shouldn't you be staying as far away as possible?!'
Seeing his expression, Xu Deling covered her mouth and giggled. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. No matter what, I'm not foolish enough to throw my life away. Besides, it's still uncertain how things will ultimately play out."
"Junior Sister Feng Ling, I always thought you were entirely devoted to the Dao of Artifacts. Who knew you were also skilled in such schemes?
"Just don't end up like me, with your artifact forging attainments permanently stuck right before the threshold of a peak tier-three blacksmith."
Xu Deling wasn't the least bit worried about that.
Even if her artifact forging attainments did hit a bottleneck one day, her grandfather would definitely find a way to help her break through.
Perhaps by stacking another Artifact Forging Talent on top of her current one?
"Senior Brother, I can already forge mid-grade magic treasures now, and my cultivation realm has reached the third level of the Golden Core stage. My progress isn't exactly slow, is it?"
"It's not slow at all. Even compared to the top ten prodigies of the previous generation, you're still in the highest tier!" True Lord Fierce Sun cautioned. "But you absolutely must not become arrogant or complacent.
"The martial uncles expect far more from you than just forming a Nascent Soul."
"I understand, Senior Brother. I won't disappoint the Honored Masters." Xu Deling continued, "Before we return to Heavenly Foundry Sect, let's stop by Profound Moon City. I plan to buy some materials to forge a couple of magic treasures."
"You can't just forge them when we get back to the sect?"
"Senior Brother, these are gifts for Honored Master. Naturally, I must prepare them in advance."
"You people from the Xu family certainly know how to conduct yourselves!" True Lord Fierce Sun shook his head, offering a wry smile.
Several days later.
The forces of Heavenly Azure Prefecture arrived back in their territory.
The various factions dispersed, returning to their respective bases.
When the Xu family's magic skiff arrived back at Cloudstream Town, Perfected Person Fire Cloud immediately sought out Xu Mingxian to inquire about Xu Deling.
As her very first master, even though both his combat strength and artifact forging skills had been surpassed by hers, his care and concern for her remained undiminished.
"Senior Fire Cloud, considering your relationship with Deling, I can tell you. But you must swear an oath never to reveal it to outsiders."
Perfected Person Fire Cloud didn't hesitate for a second and immediately swore the oath.
Seeing this, Xu Mingxian finally said, "She has temporarily left Heavenly Azure Prefecture."
"My father speculated that this war wouldn't yield any decisive results, and that after this battle, the Greedy Wolf Sect might completely blockade the routes into and out of Heavenly Azure Prefecture. If she waited until then, leaving would be incredibly difficult."
"Could it be that the Family Head arranged for her to go to the Heavenly Foundry Sect to request reinforcements?"
Xu Mingxian smiled faintly. "Senior Fire Cloud, you could certainly interpret it that way."
"This old man understands. Deling's talent is outstanding; the further away she is from this danger, the better!"
His heart set at ease, Fire Cloud departed and returned to the Artifact Refining Hall.
Not long after.
Xu Chongfei came running into the main hall, brimming with excitement. "Grandfather! Ancestor Moyue brought back three descendants! They're in the pond over at Great-Grandfather's place!"
"Moyue has descendants?!"
Xu Mingxian's face lit up with joy. He immediately ordered, "Go tell your parents as well. We'll gather at your Great-Grandfather's place."
"Yes, Grandfather."
A short while later.
At the pond beside Xu Chuan's medicine garden.
Moyue had transformed into a form about three meters long and was lounging on the bank, resting. Inside the pond, two young black flood dragons and a single white snake were happily splashing and playing.
"Where's Xu Chuan? Why didn't he come back with you?"
Moyue asked in surprise, unable to sense Xu Chuan's aura.
"Father stayed behind in Greedy Wolf Prefecture."
"He went off to have fun and actually didn't bring me!" Moyue clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"Forget it, never mind him. With his current strength, it doesn't make much difference whether I'm by his side or not anyway."
Xu Mingxian asked, "Uncle Moyue, these are your descendants? Why are there only the little ones? Where is their mother?"
"That broad despises humans and refused to come back with me, so I just brought the little ones along."
The two black flood dragon hatchlings and the white snake all radiated late-stage tier-one auras. Possessing considerable intelligence, they raised their heads and curiously peered at Xu Mingxian and the others upon hearing their father conversing with them.
"What cultivation level is their mother?"
"She's an early-stage tier-three Heavenly Frost Snake. She's got a set of crystal-clear white scales and is quite a beauty, but she's far too stubborn."
'Isn't that just a carbon copy of how you used to be!' Xu Mingxian roasted him internally.
"I'll leave these little ones for your Xu family to take care of. It's a pity Xu Chuan isn't here, otherwise he could forge some Demonic Spirit Pills to help them rapidly improve."
"Rest assured, Uncle Moyue, we will definitely take good care of them."
"Xiao Bai possesses the extreme cold attribute. Xu Deyue, go ahead and sign a Spirit Beast Contract with her. Cultivating by your side will be immensely beneficial to her."
Xu Deyue looked at the white snake in the pond and gave a slight nod.
Under the tyrannical pressure of her father, Moyue, Xiao Bai didn't dare refuse and obediently became Xu Deyue's spirit pet.
Soon, the snake realized that the aura radiating from Xu Deyue was incredibly soothing and highly beneficial to her growth, causing much of her initial resistance to fade away.
Aside from that, Moyue firmly warned the two black flood dragon hatchlings, ordering them to behave themselves and strictly forbidding them from harming anyone!
"Oh, right. There's another matter that I might need your help with, Mingxian."
"What is it?"
"According to my woman, there's a six-thousand-year-old Dragon Blood Tree located somewhere in the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range, but someone has set up formations around it.
"Come with me in a few days to check it out. Let's see if we can find it and break through the array.
"The Dragon Blood Fruit is of massive use to me. It might very well be the opportunity I need to break through to the tier-four Shapeshifting Stage.
"From what she said, those Dragon Blood Fruits might ripen in just a few months."
An opportunity for Moyue to reach tier four?
This was a massive event!
Xu Mingxian pondered for a moment before replying, "If there are formations placed around it, that means it already has an owner. If my guess is correct, it likely belongs to the Heavenly Azure Sect.
"However, it wouldn't hurt to go and inspect the state of the formations first.
"If we can't take it by force, we'll just have to outsmart them. Since this concerns your opportunity for shapeshifting, Uncle Moyue, our Xu family will certainly honor our agreement and go all out to help."
Three days later.
Xu Chuan pulled Xu Mingxian and the others into the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven to inquire about the current situation.
Xu Deling reported, "Grandfather, I am currently on my way to Profound Moon City. After I finish preparing the gifts for my Honored Master, I will likely stay at the Heavenly Foundry Sect for a while."
"Father, we have already returned to Cloudstream Town," Xu Mingxian added. "I have some good news for you: Uncle Moyue brought back three of his descendants.
"There are two little black flood dragons and one white snake. Because the white snake possesses the extreme cold attribute, she signed a Spirit Beast Contract with Deyue.
"Since they are all descendants of tier-three demonic beasts, their potential is outstanding. They should all be capable of becoming tier-three demonic beasts in the future."
"I had a feeling this would happen, but I didn't expect him to produce offspring this quickly." Xu Chuan chuckled.
"Also, Father, Uncle Moyue received news about a six-thousand-year-old Dragon Blood Tree. It could provide him with the opportunity he needs to break through to shapeshifting.
"However, this spirit tree is located deep in the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range. From what he told us, it seems to already have an owner and is guarded by several powerful grand arrays.
"I plan to accompany him tomorrow to investigate the condition of those arrays."
"That tree might privately belong to the Cang family, or perhaps the Heavenly Azure Sect. You can subtly inquire about it with that cheap master of yours later.
"If it belongs to the Heavenly Azure Sect, leak the information to Mo Wentian. Use one of his owed favors as the price and have him secure three Dragon Blood Fruits for our Xu family."
"Understood, Father."
The next day.
Deep within the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range, dark, imposing peaks pierced the sky, surrounded by swirling miasma.
Half a day later, a figure arrived riding a streak of light, landing securely at the edge of a vast, open valley.
This person was none other than Xu Mingxian.
He flicked his sleeve.
A flash of blue light shot out, instantly transforming into a flood dragon over a dozen meters in size.
Moyue had previously shrunk to a pocket-sized form, hiding in Xu Mingxian's sleeve for the journey here.
Along the way, he subtly released the suppressive might of a peak tier-three flood dragon to ensure no random tier-three demonic beasts dared to disturb them.
At the valley's entrance, an impossibly dense patch of white fog surged like a rolling tide. The vast blanket of white blotted out the sky and sun, completely obscuring anything beyond a few feet away.
This fog was no ordinary mountain mist. It was bone-chilling to the touch, and breathing in even the slightest wisp caused one's sea of consciousness to feel sluggish, a clear sign that it contained an extremely potent hallucinogenic power.
Even more bizarre was the fact that the fog never dispersed, no matter the season. Even when fierce astral winds howled through the mountains, they couldn't blow away a single wisp of it. Instead, the winds only caused the fog to churn even more violently.
"Well? How is it?" Moyue asked.
Xu Mingxian observed it closely before replying a moment later, "It's a mid-grade tier-three Bewildering Tracks Array. Even a typical Golden Core Perfection immortal cultivator would find it exceedingly difficult to locate the correct path inside."
"You're a mid-grade tier-three array master yourself. It shouldn't stump you, right?"
Xu Mingxian grinned confidently. "Of course. Uncle Moyue, shrink down to about a foot long and rest on my shoulder.
"This array is highly complex. Finding the correct route into the valley won't be easy and will take some time."
"Alright."
Moyue shook his body, instantly reverting to a miniature, one-foot-long form before settling onto Xu Mingxian's shoulder.
Without an ounce of hesitation, Xu Mingxian stepped directly into the Bewildering Tracks Array.
As he walked, he spread his divine sense outward, actively calculating and deducing the array's nodal patterns.
These nodes were the hidden backdoors left by whoever set up the formation, likely designed to react to a specific token to guide the way.
Lacking such a token, Xu Mingxian had to rely entirely on his own deductions to chart a path.
"Why does it feel like we're just walking in circles? Are you sure we're going the right way?"
"The Bewildering Tracks Array completely warps an intruder's spatial perception. You might feel like you're walking perfectly straight, but in reality, you could have already made several turns and ended up right back where you started."
"What a pain!" Moyue grumbled, curling his lip.
"If a killing array were integrated into this, that would be a real pain! A single misstep would trigger a barrage of deadly traps!" Xu Mingxian said with a light chuckle. "However, actually deducing and replicating a formation like this would require at least high-grade tier-three attainments."
"Whatever, I'm just relying on you to handle it."
The Xu family was practically an omnipotent clan; they possessed outstandingly talented individuals in almost every single cultivation discipline.
Because of this, even Moyue was developing a tendency to just coast through life and let them handle everything.
A few hours later.
The dense fog ahead finally parted like a receding tide, revealing a stream of warm sunlight cascading down from above. The view before the man and the beast instantly widened.
Beyond the fog lay a valley spanning only a couple of miles in radius. It looked like an untouched paradise entirely forgotten by the mortal world.
Lush green grass blanketed the valley floor, dotted with bizarre, vividly colored wildflowers. Several crystal-clear streams crisscrossed the landscape, their waters flowing with a gentle, melodic bubbling sound.
Beneath the water's surface, one could faintly spot translucent, snow-white spirit fish lazily swimming about, passively absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.
Right in the center of the valley, a majestic Dragon Blood Tree stood proudly, holding up the sky like a heaven-supporting pillar.
The ancient tree stretched over thirty meters into the air, its trunk so massive that it would take five or six men linking arms to encircle it. Its deep brown bark was heavily grooved and textured, resembling the interlocking scales of a giant dragon. If one touched it, they would find it as hard as solid iron.
Several thick main branches extended upwards from the trunk, continuously splintering off into smaller branches in a staggered, orderly arrangement. Together, they formed an enormous, mushroom-shaped canopy that cast a shadow over an acre of land below like a gigantic overturned umbrella.
Countless sword-shaped leaves clustered at the ends of the branches. The deep green, glossy leaves were roughly five feet long, with edges as sharp as razor blades that gave off a faint metallic sheen.
A dark red sap could faintly be seen flowing through the veins of the massive trunk, looking exactly like the blood of a mighty dragon.
Nestled among the dense canopy were twelve orange-red, spherical berries. These were none other than the coveted Dragon Blood Fruits.
The surfaces of the fruits were perfectly smooth, radiating a warm, gentle crimson glow. Faint fluctuations of spirit power rippled from them, a clear sign that they were rapidly approaching maturity.
"They really are Dragon Blood Fruits! Legends say that Dragon Blood Trees can only grow in incredibly unique terrains, or in places where a true dragon once bled.
"To demonic beasts harboring even a trace of true dragon bloodline, Dragon Blood Fruits are heavenly treasures of unimaginable value.
"If they were ten-thousand-year-old Dragon Blood Fruits, even transformed flood dragons would go completely crazy trying to get their hands on them."
Xu Mingxian nodded in agreement. "I've heard my father mention them before. Dragon Blood Fruits aren't actually that useful to ordinary immortal cultivators. Their primary use is to be paired with flood dragon essence blood to concoct precious pills that strengthen one's physical body and skeletal foundation.
"If a child is nurtured with those pills from a young age, their physical aptitude will become exceptionally outstanding."
Moyue's dark golden dragon pupils burned with intense desire. Without warning, he lunged straight toward the Dragon Blood Tree, covering nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
But in the very next moment...
Bang!
A deafening crash violently erupted through the valley!
Moyue's vision abruptly blurred as if he had slammed face-first into an invisible wall of solid steel. A majestic, overwhelming force rebounded from the point of impact, sending his body rocketing backward like a kite with a snapped string. He violently tumbled through the air several times before finally managing to stabilize himself.
At the precise spot he had struck, the previously invisible space suddenly flared with layers of pale azure spiritual light, rippling outward like waves on a pond.
The light screen formed a massive dome enveloping the entire Dragon Blood Tree, boasting a radius of over three hundred feet.
As the spiritual light swirled, one could faintly make out countless intricately woven formation runes interlaced on the inner surface of the screen, packed together as densely as a spider's web.
"Uncle Moyue, you were far too careless," Xu Mingxian chuckled. "How could such a rare and precious spirit tree possibly lack a defensive grand array?"
"Damn it! You brat, you didn't even bother to warn me!"
Moyue flew back to Xu Mingxian's shoulder, furiously pointing a scaly claw right at his face.
"It's obviously your own fault for being too greedy, Uncle Moyue."
Moyue let out a long breath of frigid air and waved a claw dismissively. "I won't lower myself to argue with you. Take a look and tell me what grade this grand array is."
Xu Mingxian flew up to the pale azure light screen. By keeping his hand pressed against it to force the barrier to remain visible, he circled the entire perimeter of the formation.
"It's a high-grade tier-three array. Below the Nascent Soul realm, there is almost no Golden Core cultivator capable of forcibly breaking it."
"But you're an array master, aren't you?"
"I could unravel it, but it would take me nearly half a month. Since the Dragon Blood Tree is getting close to maturity, its owner is bound to send someone to inspect it soon.
"If we were discovered in the middle of breaking the array, the situation would become incredibly messy."
"So what if we're discovered? I'll just kill whoever shows up."
"Absolutely not. The current situation in Heavenly Azure Prefecture is far too delicate. If the Dragon Blood Tree belongs to the Heavenly Azure Sect, killing their people would forge a bitter blood feud. The absolute best approach is to ensure our Xu family remains completely out of the picture."
"Out of the picture?"
"The Mo family ancestor still owes my father two favors. Safely escorting us back last time basically counted as burning one favor for free, so we absolutely must make proper use of this remaining favor."
"Alright then, we'll do it your way."
Relying purely on his own abilities, Moyue possessed absolutely zero chance of breaching the grand array.
"The Dragon Blood Fruits will begin to ripen sequentially in a little over a month. As long as we time it perfectly, we can maximize our gains."
Xu Mingxian stared intently at the clustering Dragon Blood Fruits, his eyes shimmering slightly.
"How many do you think is an appropriate amount to ask for?"
"The Mo family ancestor is a Nascent Soul expert. Given the extreme tension currently existing between Greedy Wolf Prefecture and Heavenly Azure Prefecture, the Heavenly Azure Sect definitely won't risk alienating the Mo family.
"If he personally requests four to six of them, the Heavenly Azure Sect will almost certainly agree.
"Furthermore, these spirit fruits are only massively beneficial to demonic beasts with a flood dragon bloodline.
"Trading one favor for three fruits is an exchange the Mo family ancestor is guaranteed to accept."
"Well, the situation here is clear. Let's head back, Uncle Moyue."
Xu Mingxian brought Moyue back to Cloudstream Town.
Xu Chongfei was put in charge of taking care of the two little black flood dragons.
Xu Chuan had left behind a sizable stash of high-grade Spirit Beast Pills, which both of the young black dragons absolutely loved.
Gradually, they came to accept and acknowledge Xu Chongfei, happily playing and even gently sparring with him.
A month and a half flew by in the blink of an eye.
Seeing that the timing was just about right, Xu Mingxian immediately called upon Perfected Person Fire Cloud to accompany him to the Jade Bamboo Sea.
Upon hearing that members of the Xu family had come to visit their Ancestor, the Mo family's patrolling disciples immediately sent word. It wasn't long before a Golden Core cultivator arrived to personally guide them in.
"May I ask what business you have with our Ancestor, young friend?" the Mo family's Golden Core Perfected Being inquired.
"This is a matter that must be discussed directly with Ancestor Mo. Senior, please convey my request. If the Ancestor is unwilling to see us, this junior will take his leave right away."
"There's no need for such trouble."
The Mo family's Golden Core Perfected Being burst into laughter. "The Ancestor left explicit orders. If anyone from the Xu family comes to visit, they are to be brought directly to his private cultivation sanctuary.
"However, Daoist Friend Fire Cloud, I must trouble you to wait here for the time being."
Perfected Person Fire Cloud looked over at Xu Mingxian. Upon seeing Xu Mingxian give a confirming nod, Fire Cloud replied, "This old man understands."
Xu Mingxian followed the man deep into the Ink Jade Bamboo Forest, where he met with Mo Wentian.
"This junior, Xu Mingxian, pays his respects to Ancestor Mo."
"Has your father returned?"
Xu Mingxian shook his head. "I have come to ask the Ancestor for a favor, using one of our owed favors as the price."
"Oh?" Mo Wentian's eyes lit up slightly. "Let's hear it."
"Members of my Xu family accidentally discovered a Dragon Blood Tree in the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range. Our Xu family would like to ask Senior to help us obtain three Dragon Blood Fruits."
"A Dragon Blood Tree? To think that such a wondrous tree actually exists in the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range?"
Mo Wentian let out a soft sound of surprise, though he didn't show much emotional fluctuation. "Is it guarded by a peak tier-three demonic beast?"
"But why not wait for Daoist Friend Withered Glory to return? With his strength, even if he faced a peak tier-three demonic beast and couldn't kill it outright, he should still be perfectly capable of snatching the Dragon Blood Fruits from under its nose."
"It's not guarded by a demonic beast. It's protected by a grand array."
"So it has an owner? Does it belong to the Heavenly Azure Sect?"
"I'm not certain," Xu Mingxian replied diplomatically. "Three Dragon Blood Fruits in exchange for one of the favors the Ancestor promised us. Will that be acceptable?"
Mo Wentian fell silent in thought.
Seeing his hesitation, Xu Mingxian smoothly added, "If the Ancestor is unwilling, this junior will just have to attempt a trade with the Cang family or True Lord Green Wood instead. Perhaps they will be willing to trade three of them to our Xu family on account of my father's reputation."
'That's highly likely!'
Mo Wentian thought to himself. Given Xu Chuan's overwhelming strength and limitless potential—especially during such a critical juncture—the Heavenly Azure Sect would absolutely try their hardest to rope the Xu family in.
Besides, although Dragon Blood Fruits were incredibly rare, unless they were consumed by a demonic beast or an immortal cultivator possessing a flood dragon bloodline, their practical utility wasn't actually all that great.
At most, they could be used to concoct Dragon Blood Precious Pills to strengthen the meridians and bones of young children.
Given the high grade of the fruit, using it to refine such a foundational pill was frankly a massive waste.
If one possessed a Dragon Blood Fruit of sufficient age, they could even trade it with a tier-four shapeshifting grand demon for something as priceless as the Heart of the Spirit-Awakening Tree without any issue at all.
"Don't be so hasty, Nephew Xu. This old man never said he was unwilling to help."
"When do we set out?"
"Right now is fine."
Mo Wentian blanked for a second before nodding. "Alright. Lead the way."
"Thank you, Ancestor Mo."
Xu Mingxian sent a quick voice transmission to Perfected Person Fire Cloud, telling him to head back to Cloudstream Town on his own.
Without much hesitation, Perfected Person Fire Cloud departed the Mo family's territory.
Meanwhile, Mo Wentian grabbed hold of Xu Mingxian and unleashed an evasion art, hurtling toward the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range at breakneck speeds.
Half a day later.
Under Xu Mingxian's guidance, the two arrived right outside the valley. "This is the place. How does Senior intend to harvest the fruit? Will you forcibly break the array?"
"That wouldn't be proper. Since this place already has an owner, I will simply wait for them to arrive and negotiate a fair exchange."
"In that case, this junior will take his leave first. Once Senior obtains the Dragon Blood Fruits, simply send someone to deliver three of them to my Xu family."
Mo Wentian nodded in agreement.
Xu Mingxian departed immediately.
Mo Wentian sat cross-legged in the void, watching Xu Mingxian's retreating back. "The members of the Xu family are truly something else," he muttered to himself. "Having this old man step forward to do the heavy lifting while they wash their hands completely clean of the matter.
"Still, repaying this favor will be quite easy."
Even if this Dragon Blood Tree did indeed belong to the Heavenly Azure Sect, under the current circumstances, the Heavenly Azure Sect would happily hand over the fruit regardless of whether it was Xu Chuan asking for a trade or the Mo family making a request.
After all, following the recent intense battle, the confidence of numerous aristocratic families in Heavenly Azure Prefecture's eventual victory had already been severely shaken.
Mo Wentian patiently waited in the area for five whole days before an elder from the Heavenly Azure Sect finally arrived.
This person was none other than Cang Yuyang.
When he saw Mo Wentian casually sitting there, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Once he confirmed it wasn't an illusion, Cang Yuyang immediately rushed forward, bowing respectfully with clasped hands. "This junior, Cang Yuyang, pays his respects to Senior Mo."
"May I ask why Senior Mo is here?"
Mo Wentian smiled faintly. "Naturally, I am here for the Dragon Blood Fruits growing in this valley."
As the Dragon Blood Fruits ripened, they released a completely unique fragrance that had attracted every single demonic beast possessing a trace of dragon bloodline within a five-hundred-kilometer radius.
However, the existence of the Bewildering Tracks Array made it utterly impossible for any of them to actually enter the valley.
Even if one of them miraculously managed to stumble its way inside by sheer dumb luck, they would still have to contend with the high-grade tier-three defensive grand array guarding the Dragon Blood Tree itself.
Hearing this, Cang Yuyang's heart sank heavily in his chest.
"There are twelve Dragon Blood Fruits in total. This old man won't be greedy. I only want five of them."
"This..." Cang Yuyang's expression contorted in deep conflict.
"If this old man hadn't deduced that this Dragon Blood Tree likely belonged to the Heavenly Azure Sect, I would have completely shattered the grand array, taken every single last fruit, and left days ago.
"The only reason I waited here was to properly negotiate. Surely, the Heavenly Azure Sect won't deny this old man even this tiny bit of face, right?"
"This junior will immediately send a transmission back to ask the sect for instructions."
Upon receiving Cang Yuyang's transmission, True Lord Green Wood furrowed his brow and muttered, "We hid it so flawlessly. How on earth did the Mo family ancestor manage to discover it?"
"Elder Yuheng, your Cang family also has a stake in these Dragon Blood Fruits. Now that the Mo family has discovered them and wants a slice of the pie, what do you think we should do?"
"If the Mo family ancestor wanted to forcefully take them, he could have easily done so. By waiting to negotiate, he has already given the Heavenly Azure Sect ample face. I fear we have no choice but to hand over five of them.
"However, my Cang family went through a great deal of trouble setting up those grand arrays. Our hard work must be recognized. Two fruits is the absolute lowest we can accept."
True Lord Green Wood looked at Cang Yuheng, his gaze narrowing slightly.
In the past, he might have firmly pressured the Cang family into giving up their share of the profits. But right now was a time when they desperately needed complete unity. He absolutely could not afford to sour their relationship over a few Dragon Blood Fruits.
Besides, their only real use was to cultivate the young children of the Xi family and strengthen their root foundations.
If this had involved a profound opportunity capable of aiding Nascent Soul Formation, he would absolutely never yield an inch.
"Elder Yuheng's words make perfect sense. Then for this batch of Dragon Blood Fruits, the Cang family will take two, my Xi family will take five, and the Mo family will get five."
"True Lord Green Wood is truly righteous."
Back at the valley, Cang Yuyang finally received a reply. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and smiled. "Senior, the sect has replied. They have agreed to your terms."
"Please, follow me into the valley, Senior."
When the two of them entered, they found that exactly seven of the Dragon Blood Fruits had fully ripened.
Mo Wentian took five of them and immediately took his leave.
Two days later.
The Mo family dispatched someone to deliver three of the Dragon Blood Fruits straight to the Xu family.
Xu Mingxian sealed the wooden casket tightly with restrictions to prevent any of the spiritual qi from leaking out.
Moyue was practically drooling with greed, but even he knew that now was not the optimal time to consume them. It wouldn't be too late to eat them once Xu Chuan returned and made all the necessary preparations to help him transcend his shapeshifting tribulation.
Several days later.
Xu Chuan once again called a meeting inside the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven to get an update on everyone's situation.
Hearing that the three Dragon Blood Fruits were safely in their hands, Xu Chuan was incredibly satisfied. He then turned to Xu Deling and said, "Deling, acting on behalf of the Xu family, I want you to use one of the Dragon Blood Fruits to make a trade with the Heavenly Foundry Sect.
"Have your master, Zhen Yangzi, forge a top-tier defensive magic treasure with at least eight inscriptions for us."