125: Chapter 125 The Zhao and Sun families are embroiled in a jealous rivalry!

...

A few days later.

Deep within the Qingfeng Mountains, a giant sinkhole spanning ten miles lay across the earth.

The surrounding soil was overturned, and the traces of fractured rock layers were shocking to behold.

Residual lightning Aura raged in the air, with tiny purple arcs of electricity jumping occasionally within the scorched soil.

Several Loose Cultivators who made a living here stood at the edge of the pit, dumbfounded.

"Where is the Stone Forest? Where did that massive lightning-struck Stone Forest go?" A grey-robed Loose Cultivator swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"I heard that Ancestor Shi from White Cloud Temple pulled it out by the roots and moved it back to the Yunjian Mountain Range." The other person said, their Face full of awe.

"Pulled up by the roots? What kind of immense power is that..."

The news grew wings and quickly spread throughout Baiyun Prefecture and Qingzhou County.

The Golden Core great demon's ability to move mountains and fill seas completely intimidated the low-level powers of the two counties. The families and Loose Cultivators who had originally felt some resistance toward White Cloud Temple's integration of the mountains all shut their mouths now.

In the Face of absolute power, any schemes seemed laughable.

Qingzhou County, Qingguang Sect's Main Peak.

Inside the Guest Welcoming Hall, sandalwood incense curled in the air.

Zhao Yanshan sat in the guest seat. Three cups of tea had already been served, yet his expression remained calm and his back was straight as a rod. With a backer behind him, it was hard to bend his waist; he was practically becoming a Steelback Beast.

The Sect Head of Qingguang Sect, Qing Xuan, sat in the main seat and said politely:

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, the merger of the Dafeng Mountains and the Qingfeng Mountains involves many things."

"In this eight-hundred-mile territory, there are many Loose Cultivators. Forcibly evicting them might cause public outrage. The deployment of manpower and the consumption of resources are also a messy account."

"How about we do this..."

He was haggling.

Although White Cloud Temple was powerful now, Qingguang Sect was no pushover either. Qing Xuan naturally wanted to carve out a larger piece of the cake for his Sect in this merger.

Zhao Yanshan set down his teacup and looked directly at Qing Xuan:

"Sect Head Qing Xuan, if Loose Cultivators gather to cause trouble, simply kill them."

"As for the consumption, a short pain is better than a long one."

"Once the eight-hundred-mile Mushou Mountain is formed, Qingguang Sect will hold the exclusive right to purchase Spirit Medicine. The Sect Head should be able to calculate this account better than me."

Qing Xuan gave a dry laugh. "That may be true, but..."

Before he could finish, a streak of green light suddenly swept in from the direction of the back mountain, landing directly in the hall and transforming into a sound transmission jade talisman.

The voice of Perfected Qing Shan then resonated within the hall:

"Do as this young friend Zhao says. Everyone in Qingguang Sect must cooperate fully. There must be no mistakes; do not ruin things."

Qing Xuan's movements stiffened, and the jade talisman nearly slipped from his hand.

The Old Ancestor had spoken; there was no room for negotiation.

Zhao Yanshan straightened his sleeves and stood up.

He knew some inside information. Perfected Qing Shan had an agreement with the Temple Master and Ancestor Shi. Combined with the trade of the Longevity Birthday Pill, Qingguang Sect would never turn hostile at this time.

"Sect Head Qing Xuan, since Ancestor Qing Shan has set the tone, let's discuss the specifics of clearing the area and the connection of the earth veins."

Zhao Yanshan's tone was calm, neither submissive nor overbearing, and his Aura was steady:

"This must be done quickly. White Cloud Temple's Formation Masters are already packed and ready to go."

Qing Xuan sighed. Since the Old Ancestor had spoken, what else could he do? He could only nod repeatedly in response:

"Naturally, naturally."

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is swift and decisive. I truly admire you!"

Although he was speaking words of flattery, Zhao Yanshan knew in his heart that this Face wasn't his; it was given by the one on Zixiao Peak.

What he had to do was turn this Face into tangible benefits and bring them back in full to prove the value of the Zhao Clan.

...

Two days later, the clearing began.

White Cloud Temple and Qingguang Sect joined forces, with over a thousand Disciples forming dozens of enforcement teams that marched grandly into the Qingfeng Mountains.

"By the decree of the Shangqing Sect, this land is designated as Mushou Mountain!"

"Within three days, all Loose Cultivators and Cultivators from various families must evacuate the mountains. Those who disobey or resist will be executed without mercy!"

The cold announcement echoed throughout the mountains.

A few Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators, confident in their not-so-weak cultivation, wanted to lead a disturbance and tried to unite everyone against the decree.

What awaited them was the ruthless enforcement of the two Sects' Foundation Establishment Elders!

Three Foundation Establishment heads rolled, and their bodies were hung along the essential paths into the mountains, blood staining the rocks red...

Using violence to curb violence, making an example out of them!

Under the bloody suppression, thousands of Loose Cultivators took their families and began to migrate away from the surroundings of the Qingshan Mountains to escape the disaster...

The cruelty of the cultivation world was fully displayed at this moment. Low-level Cultivators without backers didn't even have the qualification to be used as fodder in this feast of reallocating interests.

Immediately after, the Formation Masters of the two Sects entered the scene.

Dozens of Formation Masters, holding various Formation Flags, worked together to channel the earth veins.

Filling ravines, transplanting spirit trees, and forcibly connecting the earth qi of the two mountain ranges—the entire process was massive...

It would be difficult to see results in a short time.

But once completed, a vast mountain range stretching eight hundred miles, dedicated to the Upper Sect's beast taming, would produce staggering profits!

The profits generated from this, the mining of various spirit ores, the allocation of Spirit Medicine, and the resources from the Yao Beasts during periodic mountain clearings...

...were all coordinated by Zhao Yanshan.

He handled every detail with a smooth yet firm hand, forcibly securing the largest share for White Cloud Temple.

The matter was handled beautifully.

The remaining factor was time. Connecting and merging two mountain ranges was no easy task; it would take at least several years of work.

After all, Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment could never compare to the mountain-moving and sea-filling abilities of a Golden Core.

...

The Yunjian Mountain Range, Boan Peak.

In the secret meeting room, the atmosphere was suppressed to the extreme.

Sun Mao slammed his palm onto the stone table, making the teacups jump.

"Zhao Yanshan!"

"That lowlife! To think he'd dare to seduce the Old Ancestor!"

Sun Mao gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. He felt as if his head were covered in green, never expecting someone would dare to poach his Old Ancestor's favor!

Sun Lin sat to the side and let out a long sigh:

"Big brother, the matter has been investigated thoroughly."

"Zhao Yanshan went up Zixiao Peak a few days ago and received the Old Ancestor's decree to take full charge of the mountain merger."

"Even Perfected Qing Shan from Qingguang Sect spoke up to cooperate."

"Now that things are progressing smoothly, the reputation of the Zhao Clan within the Sect has risen significantly, causing unrest among those below."

"He bypassed us and pledged his loyalty directly to the Old Ancestor!"

Sun Mao's breathing was heavy. He wasn't just jealous of Zhao Yanshan; he was afraid.

The Old Ancestor giving such a big task to the Zhao Clan—what did that mean? It meant the Sun Clan was no longer the only useful blade in the Old Ancestor's hand.

And they were no longer the most obedient darling in the Old Ancestor's heart!

"We've been too complacent lately."

Sun Mao paced back and forth in the secret room, his steps hurried:

"What the Old Ancestor needs are people who can expand territory and handle major affairs."

"Zhao Yanshan seized the opportunity and showed his Face before the Old Ancestor. If we just keep guarding Boan Peak and farming, we'll eventually be marginalized."

Hearing this, Sun Lin nodded in agreement:

"The Zhao Clan's foundation is still there, and Zhao Yanshan's methods are slick."

"He handled things flawlessly this time, so the Old Ancestor will surely reward him. Meanwhile, our Sun Clan is sparsely populated, so we are indeed at a disadvantage."

Sun Mao stopped in his tracks, his eyes fierce.

"We can't let him take all the glory! The Sun Clan's status was earned by Grandpa Clan Chief with his life. We must not lose it in our hands!"

He suddenly turned to look at Sun Lin. "Pass down the order: squeeze out another twenty percent of all the clan's resources and pour them all into Chengzu!"

"I want him to reach Foundation Establishment within three years!"

"The Old Ancestor wants to see value? Then we will present the Sun Clan's greatest value for him to see!"

"A Sword Cultivator seed with Dual Spiritual Root is the very foundation of our Sun Clan!"

At this moment, the fires of intense competition were fully ignited on Boan Peak.

Sun Mao was determined to reclaim the Old Ancestor's exclusive favor!

...