The strategy is to delay; the leeks must be harvested slowly!

Xiong Kaishan, with his fan-like large hand, casually grabbed a chair and sat down with a powerful posture. He scanned the surroundings, his gaze lingering briefly on Old Ancestor Xuan Yin and Situ Piaomiao, then he grinned, his voice booming like a bell, making people's eardrums buzz.

"What, there's such a good thing, and you're not including our Hundred Beasts Mountain and Xuanfu Sect? Your calculations are a bit too shrewd."

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin didn't even lift his eyelids, leisurely sipping his spirit tea.

"Fellow Daoist Xiong, you jest. I was just about to send someone to invite you, but I didn't expect you to find your way here yourself."

"Heh heh, Old Monster Xuanyin still knows how to talk." Murong Yue, who was beside him, smiled gracefully, then suddenly changed the topic.

"Let's get straight to the point. Our Xuanfu Sect and Hundred Beasts Mountain also want a share of this Blood River Spirit Mine."

Situ Piaomiao finally put down her teacup, her cold gaze falling upon her.

"Fellow Daoist Murong, how much do you want?"

"Not much."

Xiong Kaishan held up four fingers, thicker than carrots, and wiggled them in front of everyone.

"Forty percent."

As soon as these words were spoken, Empress Yan Yang, Ji Wushuang's eyes suddenly turned cold.

"Xiong Kaishan, your appetite is even bigger than the Sky-Devouring Beast of your Hundred Beasts Mountain."

Situ Piaomiao even scoffed directly.

"Daydreaming."

Facing the pressure from the four Nascent Soul magnates, Xiong Kaishan remained fearless, instead laughing even more wildly.

"A joke? I never joke!"

He slammed his hand down on the table, and the iron-hard tabletop instantly cracked like a spiderweb!

"I know there are many of you, but what if there are four Nascent Souls?"

"Before I came, I already consulted Senior Feng!"

"We, Hundred Beasts Mountain, will take these forty percent!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the hall plummeted!

The Six Sects of the Eastern Domain seemed to be on equal footing and of similar strength, but Hundred Beasts Mountain was definitely a special existence.

This was because Hundred Beasts Mountain had a Sect-protecting Spirit Beast, an Ice Phoenix that had lived for nearly ten thousand years! Although it had never been able to step into the Soul Transformation Stage due to the incomplete Laws of this world, its strength had already reached the Perfection of the Nascent Soul Stage!

It wasn't that there were no Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in the entire Eastern Domain; there were, but also not. For example, the previous Sect Leader of the Five Poisons Sect entered a death seclusion to break through to Soul Transformation a hundred years ago, and no one knew whether he was dead or alive to this day.

And the Ice Phoenix, Phoenix Nine Songs of Hundred Beasts Mountain, usually just slept within the Sect, never bothering with external disputes. Over time, everyone almost forgot about this terrifying existence.

Who would have thought that Xiong Kaishan would actually be able to invite her this time!

If this Ice Phoenix, comparable to a Nascent Soul Perfection expert, truly made a move, taking these forty percent would not be impossible!

"Elder Xiong, anyone can make empty boasts." Situ Piaomiao's voice was icy. "Fellow Daoist Feng has lived in seclusion for hundreds of years, why would she come out for such a small matter of yours?"

"Heh heh."

Xiong Kaishan triumphantly pulled something out from his bosom.

It was a crystal clear, spirit-light shimmering, snow-white feather.

The moment the feather appeared, an extreme, terrifying cold might, originating from a life-level suppression, swept through the entire hall!

Situ Piaomiao's expression completely darkened.

Even in Ji Wushuang's phoenix eyes, which usually looked down on all beings, an undisguised wariness finally appeared.

"How about it?"

Xiong Kaishan watched everyone's discomfited expressions, crossed his legs, and was extremely arrogant.

"Hmph! This matter requires careful consideration!"

Situ Piaomiao suddenly stood up, flicked her white sleeve, and transformed into a streak of light, leaving in a huff.

"I also believe this should be discussed at length."

Ji Wushuang snorted coldly, her dragon robes billowing, and her figure disappeared from the hall.

The negotiations completely broke down.

Outside the hall, Ye Youmeng's figure appeared like a ghost, blocking Old Ancestor Xuan Yin and Gu Zheng's path.

The coldness on her face dissipated, returning to her naturally charming appearance, and her peach blossom eyes gazed at Gu Zheng, brimming with moisture.

"Little sister is truly curious, what kind of immense Luck did your Yin Corpse Sect encounter? These Nascent Souls, they're like laying eggs, one after another?"

She seemed to be chatting idly, but in reality, every word was a poisoned probe.

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's internal alarm bells rang loudly, but he chuckled on the surface, looking profound and unfathomable.

"Fellow Daoist is right, it's just Luck."

"Our Yin Corpse Sect has always enjoyed flourishing Luck!"

Seeing that she couldn't get any answers, Ye Youmeng rolled her eyes at this old fox, but she already had a plan in mind. She then turned and gracefully departed.

Watching her retreating figure, Old Ancestor Xuan Yin's expression completely darkened.

"Grandpa, Lin Yuan's existence probably can't be kept a secret anymore." Gu Zheng's cold phoenix eyes were filled with solemnity.

"More than just suspicion."

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin sighed heavily, "A Divine Being of Alchemy who can refine Soul Breaking Pills... if this news gets out, the entire Eastern Domain will go crazy!"

Returning to Tingfeng Courtyard.

Gu Zheng recounted everything that happened at the negotiating table in detail.

When he heard that Xiong Kaishan had brought out the Ice Phoenix and demanded forty percent of the profits, Lin Yuan's eyebrows also raised.

"There's such an existence in the Eastern Domain?"

Gu Zheng nodded: "Actually, it can no longer be simply called a Yao Beast. By the Nascent Soul Stage, most Yao Beasts can transform into human form. This Phoenix Nine Songs shed her beast body long ago, and it's said her appearance is so beautiful it's not of this mortal world."

Lin Yuan stroked his chin, his eyes not showing any apprehension, but rather a glimmer of 'calculation'.

"If we could... cough cough, if we could get on good terms with her, wouldn't we be able to walk sideways in the Eastern Domain from now on?"

His 'old driver' way of thinking instantly took a peculiar turn.

Gu Zheng was taken aback by his sudden suggestive remark, then both annoyed and amused, she punched him lightly on the chest.

"What time is it, and you're still thinking about these things!" she chided. "Now the allocation of the spirit mine is in a deadlock, what should we do?"

"What to do? Nothing." Lin Yuan spread his hands indifferently.

"Huh?"

"What's the rush?" Lin Yuan pulled her to sit on the stone stool, poured her a cup of tea, and then slowly analyzed, "This Blood River Spirit Mine is a hot potato, but it's also a peerless piece of fatty meat that no one is willing to let go of."

"As for that Phoenix Nine Songs..." Lin Yuan's lips curved into a playful arc, "She wants forty percent, but can she really get forty percent? She didn't even come herself, does she think she can scare people with just a broken feather? Do they really think we were raised to be easily frightened?"

"You mean?" Gu Zheng's phoenix eyes lit up.

"Delay." Lin Yuan uttered one word.

"Just keep delaying them. On the surface, agree to joint mining, but as for the specific shares, just slowly grind them down. Today you're unwell, tomorrow my Sect has matters, the day after tomorrow the weather is bad... anyway, just delay!"

"What's the use of just delaying?" Gu Zheng didn't understand.

Lin Yuan said: "They're here!"

"Who's here?"

Immediately, Gu Zheng discovered that outside Tingfeng Courtyard, seven or eight Late Core Formation Stage Elders, without exception, had all arrived. Especially Elder Wei, who was followed by a pair of identical, pretty and delicate young girls whose Cultivation wasn't high.

Their faces were all filled with anxiety and fanaticism.

"This..." Gu Zheng's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"Didn't you say last time that you wanted to take over the Yin Corpse Sect, but the people below were fighting among themselves and not united?" Lin Yuan's voice sounded in her ear.

"Our Yin Corpse Sect has seventy-two peaks, and seventy-two peak masters. On the surface, they are united, but secretly, each has their own agenda. The entire Sect is a loose sand!"

"Now, you and Meiniang have successively formed Nascent Souls, and these old fellows with not much Lifespan left are all practically going crazy with desire!"

"Before, you couldn't control them. But now, it's different."

Lin Yuan's eyes gleamed with insight into human hearts: "They have something to ask of me, and I am your person. I have created this 'momentum' for you. Now, how to use this 'momentum' to subdue them, make them obey only your commands from now on, and unite the entire Yin Corpse Sect into one rope, will depend on your own methods."

"This is your game of power, and your first lesson in becoming a qualified Sect Master."

"Besides, once all these people step into the Nascent Soul Stage, our Yin Corpse Sect will suddenly have seven or eight more Nascent Soul combat powers. Even if that Ice Phoenix, Phoenix Nine Songs, comes in person, would we still be afraid of her? Even a Late Nascent Soul Stage expert would have to carefully consider it, wouldn't they?"

She instantly understood all of Lin Yuan's intentions.