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Chapter 1189: Chapter 1063: Relocation_2
"Clan Leader, if it truly becomes impossible to hold on, we should temporarily withdraw from this place to preserve the lives of our clan members, in the hope of future opportunities." A certain elder could no longer hold back and spoke up.
"You!"
Patriarch Zhang opened his mouth, ready to lash out in anger, but his gaze landed on several elders whose faces showed approval of the suggestion. In that instant, his words dissolved into thin air.
Was there anything wrong with this idea? No, there wasn’t!
The Zhang Family was declining, the Li Family was thriving, and the other three forces were steadily growing stronger. If nothing changed over time, the inevitable outcome would be the Zhang Family’s extinction amidst the rise of others.
Rather than staying on the Boundless Plains awaiting death, preserving the family’s strength might lead to unexpected developments.
Someday, when the Zhang Family becomes strong again, reclaiming their ancestral land is always an option.
Furthermore, retreating from the Boundless Plains now might create opportunities to incite conflict between the Li Family and the other three factions, causing them to fight over this land and exhaust their resources.
Though Patriarch Zhang was filled with anger, once he calmed down, he quickly considered the numerous ’benefits’ of this approach.
"Is this what all of you think as well?"
"Clan Leader, there’s nothing wrong with it. As long as our people survive, the capital for resurgence remains!"
"Indeed."
Several elders voiced their agreement, hoping the Clan Leader would not reject this chance for survival.
"Relocating the family is no trivial matter, especially taking secrecy into account. If other forces get wind of it, they will likely intercept us along the way!"
When the clan leader said this, everyone understood his intent—he was clearly agreeing with the proposal to migrate the family. Many elders immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
At the very least, their lives would be preserved!
Because relocating a family involves numerous tasks, especially ensuring confidentiality, the Zhang Family cultivators plunged into a busy spell in the days to come.
——
"Clan Leader! Moments ago, news arrived that the Zhang Family has shut down all marketplaces and Immortal Cities and driven out all loose cultivators. Their subsequent plans are unknown."
One day, Li Taiyao received a report from the Dark Department elder.
Upon hearing the news, Li Taiyao’s first reaction was to urgently ask, "Does the Zhang Family have an Old Undead preparing for closed cultivation to break through to Mahayana?"
She feared whether some old monster from the Zhang Family, with life years running out, was making such a desperate leap.
If the Zhang Family successfully nurtures a Great Vehicle Cultivator, it would spell trouble for her family!
"Based on information collected thus far, there isn’t any, but such highly classified matters are difficult to confirm accurately."
Li Taiyao frowned slightly. Indeed, old monsters like these, being the ultimate trump card of any force, would surely keep secrets tightly guarded.
Of course, the Li Family had no such trump card, as their most cultivated member, Li Zhirui, was still relatively young.
"Since we don’t know what the Zhang Family is planning, keep a close watch on them. Their actions will eventually reveal themselves. Provide those assigned to this matter with a Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Talisman. The moment they uncover the Zhang Family’s intentions, relay the information back to the family immediately!" After pondering, Li Taiyao instructed decisively.
There was no other option; she could only deploy more people to closely monitor the Zhang Family’s movements.
"Understood!" The Dark Department elder acknowledged and vanished directly within the grand hall.
"I wonder what the Zhang Family is planning and whether it will affect our family." Li Taiyao’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She now hoped for peace, to buy more time for her family’s development.
Due to this matter, Li Taiyao frequently inquired about updates on the Zhang Family. However, just like their abrupt closure of marketplaces and Immortal Cities, followed by driving out loose cultivators, the Zhang Family remained eerily quiet for the next several months.
But there appeared to be an unusual phenomenon—the Zhang Family cultivators seemed to vanish, their presence in the outside world entirely absent.
This anomaly weighed heavily on Li Taiyao’s mind and left her unable to relax!
Moreover, the Qingzhu Sect and other three forces also took notice of this development and even utilized a Transmission Talisman Array to inquire whether the Li Family had uncovered the Zhang Family’s reasoning behind their actions.
Unfortunately, the Li Family was just as baffled.
Nevertheless, the Zhang Family’s strange behavior caused rising tension among groups like the Li Family, who felt compelled to monitor their movements constantly.
Meanwhile, the original Shanyuan State fell into a peculiar state of peace.
Time flew by, and several months quickly passed.
During this period, the Zhang Family began dispatching their people again to manage various marketplaces and Immortal Cities, as though everything had returned to normal.
"Could it be that one of the Zhang Family’s Old Undead passed away before triggering their Thunder Tribulation, silently perishing and fading from existence?" Li Taiyao frowned deeply, as this was the only explanation she could think of.
After monitoring Zhang Family for half a year without gaining any intelligence, and with them seemingly returning to normal, interest in their affairs from other forces gradually waned.
Unexpectedly, in the dead of night, following months of preparation, the Zhang Family executed their migration.
A fleet of Spirit Boats silently departed from Spirit Mountain, the birthplace of the Zhang Family and home to them for millennia.
The Spirit Boats blotted out the sky, their numbers a testament to their scale.
Of course, aboard the vessels were not only cultivators but also tens of thousands of Zhang Family commoners.
The rise of any cultivation family relies on its commoners, so even amidst overwhelming danger, they could not abandon their people.
That night, the Spirit Boats never stopped, maintaining their fastest velocity, swiftly distancing themselves from their ancestral territory.
Many cultivators were teary-eyed, knowing that they might never see their homeland again.
The day following Zhang Family’s departure, neighboring factions began receiving news of their exodus.
"How is this possible? Why would the Zhang Family leave so abruptly?"
Not only was Li Taiyao shocked, but so were other factions, unable to fathom their motivations.
Yet in hindsight, their earlier actions—closing marketplaces and Immortal Cities, isolating their people—suddenly made sense.
"Based on various intelligence gathered over the years, it’s likely the Zhang Family realized they don’t have promising younger generations while other families and factions are growing stronger. Concerned for their future safety, they might have chosen this course of action."
The Dark Department elder, having recently reviewed records about the Zhang Family, recalled these details vividly.
"Indeed, what kind of internal crisis must the Zhang Family be grappling with to lose confidence this much, moving away so prematurely?" Li Taiyao found it difficult to comprehend.
"Perhaps another reason is their strategy—to use the Boundless Plains as a way to stir conflict among our family and the other factions, letting us consume each other’s strength." Another elder interjected.
"That’s possible too. So, elders, what do you think of the idea of competing for that rich spiritual land Zhang Family left behind? Should our family make a move?" Li Taiyao asked directly.
Though many elders longed for their family to claim the land, they maintained caution and said, "I believe the family should stay out of this matter—keep our doors closed and avoid interference in external affairs."
After all, the Li Family’s current strength couldn’t rival the other three factions. In circumstances where major events seemed inevitable, the Li Family chose to withdraw.
"Very well. If no one has alternative suggestions or better ideas, then proceed with this plan." Li Taiyao paused briefly, and seeing no dissent, began issuing orders.
First was recalling all personnel stationed in the Boundless Plains, as imminent conflict rendered their continued presence unnecessary without the Zhang Family as a target.
Next, border defenses were strengthened to prevent cultivators from Qingzhu Sect and other forces from invading Li Family territory.
Finally, Qingzhu Sect was directly informed that the Li Family sought only to protect itself and would not partake in competing for the Boundless Plains.
Whether they believed this or not would become evident through Li Family’s subsequent actions.
"Heh! The Li Family seems to have a sense of their limits." Qingzhu Sect’s Sect Leader chuckled when receiving the message.
He said no more, nor did he dwell on the matter.
After all, compared to the Li Family, the vacated Zhang Family territory held far greater significance!
It wasn’t just about fertile Spirit Land but also luck itself!
Part of Zhang Family’s continuous decline was tied to lost territory and dwindling luck.
