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Chapter 1109: Chapter 1023: Join Forces_2
As the Daoist Scroll contains a clause obligating Qingzhu Sect to dispatch a portion of cultivators, accompanying Li Xianxun and others secretly into Wanxianfang City to lie in ambush. Once the Zhang Family takes action, they are to attack immediately, capturing those cultivators from Zhang Family, thereby significantly weakening the Zhang Family’s power!
Moreover, the covenant in the Daoist Scroll isn’t extensive. Aside from the aforementioned point, there is only an oath proving the Li family’s sincerity and a promise not to align with the Zhang Family against Qingzhu Sect.
That is to say, the Li family has no interest in further involvement in the conflict with the Zhang Family; they merely wish to protect their heritage and safety.
"When do you think the Zhang Family will make their move?" the Sect Leader, casually setting aside the Daoist Scroll, asked seemingly at random.
"Within ten years! Possibly even sooner," Li Xianxun stated, based on the numerous intelligence reports collected by his family.
"That means the Zhang Family has regained their strength," the Sect Leader mused to himself, eyes slightly narrowed, absorbed in his thoughts.
After a while, he slowly began, "Qingzhu Sect can sign the Daoist Scroll and assist the Li family in ambushing the Zhang Family, but during their stay in the city you mentioned, the Li family needs to provide sufficient cultivation resources for them."
Li Xianxun furrowed his brows slightly. When they set out, his family had granted them a certain level of authority, but...
"The Sect Leader also knows that the Li family is a newly risen Integration Family with limited resources. In fact, it’s fair to say we don’t have Seventh Rank Spiritual Objects and may not satisfy the condition, only able to offer some top-grade Sixth Rank Precious Pills."
Li Xianxun did not ask how many cultivators Qingzhu Sect would send to lie in ambush, as it was destined to be not too many since Qingzhu Sect also had their plans to execute.
"Top-grade Sixth Rank Precious Pills?"
The Sect Leader quickly regained his composure, asking, "Is Zhirui a fellow Daoist also an Alchemist?"
Why hasn’t our Sect gathered this intelligence?
It’s not their fault, indeed, because the Precious Pills crafted by Zhirui had not been sold for many years, and even within the family, they rarely saw the pills he made.
Firstly, over the years, Zhirui was either traveling around or in secluded cultivation, leaving him little time for alchemy, only occasionally crafting for himself, Da Qing, or Li Chengsheng when he found spare time.
Secondly, the family’s development had been positive over the years, possessing many skilled alchemists. They not only satisfied the internal needs of the family but also sold externally.
Hence, it’s natural that Qingzhu Sect had not heard that Zhirui was still a Sixth Rank Alchemist.
"Yes, of course. However, the quantity won’t be too much, after all, the breakthrough of Ancestor Rui into Integration, coupled with significant improvement in cultivation, enabled the occasional creation of top-grade Sixth Rank Precious Pills," Li Xianxun slightly obscured the truth.
"Still, that’s not bad." The Sect Leader’s interest dropped significantly, as Qingzhu Sect also had several Seventh Rank Alchemy Masters.
If Zhirui’s talent in the Alchemy Dao were high enough, maybe the Sect Leader would look more favorably upon him, but given what Li Xianxun had said, the Sect Leader could tell his talent was above average. Even if he might become a Seventh Rank Alchemy Master in the future, who knows how many years that would be, considering the Li family lacked abundant Seventh Rank Spiritual Objects for practice.
"In this regard, Qingzhu Sect will comply. Please wait a few days, then we will visit the Li family together," the Sect Leader took out a seven-colored Spirit Bamboo, tapped the Daoist Scroll with it, and saw the scroll split in two, landing in both parties’ hands.
The final requirement mentioned by the Sect Leader wasn’t included in the Daoist Scroll.
"Good! Thank you very much for this time, Sect Leader!"
With that, Li Xianxun took his clan members and bid their leave.
Qingzhu Sect, a power that had conflicts with the Li family, agreed, and after some deliberations, the He Family and Huoyang Sect also consented.
After all, the Li family’s plan seemed highly feasible and was backed by the Daoist Scroll, lending it credibility. Unless the Li family sought to be forsaken by the Heavenly Dao.
A few days later, three beams of Spirit Light rose from the residences of the three families and swiftly disappeared from view.
After a long journey lasting about a month, they eventually entered the market city.
The protracted time was naturally to avoid other powers’ gaze and minimize risk exposure as much as possible.
Mount Wanxian.
"Well done, thank you for your hard work," Zhirui quickly ended his cultivation upon receiving the Communication Talismans from Li Xianxun and a few others.
"How strong are they?"
"Qingzhu Sect dispatched two Integration cultivators and ten Lianxu, while the He Family and Huoyang Sect each sent one Integration cultivator. However, they have more Lianxu cultivators, being twenty and thirty respectively."
Li Zhirui calculated in his mind, nodded, and said, "Zhang Family can send up to five Integration cultivators and a hundred Lianxu to attack Mount Wanxian. With the forces of these three families, we can inflict heavy losses on them."
"However, we should restrain a bit and not overdo it; otherwise, if Zhang Family is crippled by the joint forces of the three families, their family won’t have an easy time in the future."
From beginning to end, the Li family has always acted for their own interests!
And does the Qingzhu Sect not know the Li family’s little schemings? Of course, they do!
But they don’t care because they are also self-aware, knowing that they can snatch some territory from Zhang Family, but it’s not possible to eliminate Zhang Family entirely.
"Ancestor Rui, Qingzhu Sect has made a request that we provide cultivation resources to cultivators lying in wait in the marketplace." Li Xianxun felt somewhat embarrassed because the other two did not have additional conditions.
But since Qingzhu Sect has made a request, the other two families naturally cannot have less; otherwise, the cultivators from the other two families would feel resentful, and if they then lack motivation to work, it is the Li family that would suffer the consequences.
"It doesn’t matter, granting some resources is not a big deal compared to the safety and security of our family." Li Zhirui didn’t care much about it, so long as the Li family gets through this predicament, the Li family can then develop peacefully!
Once Li Chengshuo, Yue, and Howling Moon make a breakthrough in Integration, the Li family will have the power to protect themselves, enough to safeguard their own stretch of land.
The other nearby Integration forces would also be wary of causing harm and would not act against the Li family recklessly like Zhang Family did.
"Be prepared, unless it’s necessary, refrain from going into closed-door cultivation during these years."
After saying that, Li Zhirui rewarded Li Xianxun and the others generously, then sent them away.
——
The Li family acts as if they are unaware of being targeted by Zhang Family, continuing as usual, cultivating Spirit Veins, opening up Spirit Fields, and planting various Spiritual Objects in the Shanhai Plains.
The Shanhai Plains stretch from Mount Wanxian to the East Sea covering thousands of miles, spot originally consisting mostly of hills. However, with the deployment of numerous cultivators, it took the Li family more than a decade to level them.
As for the extra mountain rocks and soil, they were dumped by the Li family into the nearby sea, expanding their land by hundreds of miles.
Seeing the vast manpower and resources expended by the Li family to flatten the Shanhai Plains, Zhang Family decided to make their move, with no intentions of concealment!
After all, in Zhang Family’s view, the power of the Li family is mediocre, barely worth mentioning!
They hadn’t acted previously for two reasons: one was to wait for the Li family to help develop the Spirit Land to reap the benefits easily; and secondly, Zhang Family themselves had suffered considerable losses and needed time to recover.
With a disdainful attitude towards the Li family, Zhang Family prepared only for seven days and then deployed a large army of cultivators, directly targeting Mount Wanxian.
"Li family brats, just surrender obediently, and we might spare your lives!" A Zhang Family Integration cultivator stood in mid-air, brazenly shouted.
Li Zhirui, who was contemplating a Pill Recipe, immediately rushed out upon receiving the notification via a Communication Talisman.
Alongside him were Da Qing, Xiaoqing, Li Chengsheng, and several other Lianxu clansmen.
Jiang Fengwu also flew into the Array Eye at the first opportunity, leading a group of Array Masters to oversee the Mountain Protection Array.
Apart from a few clan members in seclusion for breakthroughs, all other cultivators appeared in the open space.
If observing carefully, one would notice that the expressions of the majority of the clan members conveyed panic, anxiety, and even despair.
Because in order to keep it secret, Li Zhirui didn’t publicize the news about the alliance with the three Integration forces of the Qingzhu Sect, so when these clan members saw Zhang Family’s cultivators, whose power far exceeded that of their family, they naturally felt fearful.
It must be said, Zhang Family truly underestimated the Li family’s strength, having dispatched only four Integration cultivators, a few dozen Lianxu, and though there were numerous Divine Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators, their effectiveness was limited.
