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Chapter 717: Chapter 723: Revenge
Just as the Li family was preparing their caravan and pondering how to explore the market and secure a foothold, the Sanding Sect, the instigators of this affair, were plotting a significant event within.
"Fellow senior and junior brothers, Xuanfa Pavilion has fallen into the trap! Just wait a little longer! I will avenge you and make them pay!"
A middle-aged man muttered to himself in a deep voice, his hatred almost tangible, causing those who heard it to shudder.
The two Nascent Soul Loose Cultivators sitting next to him, however, had vacant eyes and showed no reaction to his words, like two puppets.
In fact, these two had indeed been turned into puppets by Song Yalong!
This meant that the three Nascent Soul Loose Cultivators rumored in the outside world were actually only one, and he was not a Loose Cultivator, but a disciple of the Qing Xuan Sect who was out experiencing the world and seeking a chance for Divine Transformation when the sect was destroyed!
As for the two puppets beside him, they were also Nascent Soul cultivators of the Qing Xuan Sect, but unlike Song Yalong, they were unwilling to seek revenge for the Qing Xuan Sect and were thus refined into puppets by him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to gather more fellow sect members to help; at the time Song Yalong learned of the sect’s destruction, he could only contact these two Nascent Soul cultivators. The rest were Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators, who couldn’t help much.
He also considered that whether his quest for revenge for the sect was successful or not, his fate would likely be death. The legacy, however, needed to be passed on.
Therefore, among these people, he selected a few with good aptitude and a deep affinity for the Qing Xuan Sect, entrusted them with the sect’s legacy, and then sent them away from the Eastern Domain to the Southern Domain to reestablish the Qing Xuan Sect and restore its former glory!
Song Yalong established the Sanding Sect with a two-fold purpose, firstly to get close to Xuanfa Pavilion for easier revenge, and secondly to gather resources for eventually rebuilding the sect.
Most importantly, he aimed to bolster his own power!
While out gaining experience, Song Yalong had acquired a sinister method that allowed him to refine cultivators into puppets, preserving their strength from when they were alive!
Moreover, if he did not activate the method, the puppets were indistinguishable from regular cultivators! Unless you inspected their Spiritual Soul, but which cultivator would inspect another’s Spiritual Soul without reason?
It was this sinister method that gave him the courage to even contemplate revenge; with just three Nascent Soul cultivators, how could they possibly exact vengeance?
Song Yalong’s policy of recruiting disciples without any conditions was actually to use them as material for making puppets. When the time came to act against Xuanfa Pavilion, these human bombs would cause them great trouble!
However, since it was a sinister method, the cultivation process was extraordinary. Every time a puppet was created, it required a drop of his essence blood as the price!
A cultivator’s essence blood is limited. Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he had only a few hundred drops in total, and perhaps a Body Cultivator might have more, but still only a thousand drops at most.
Facing Xuanfa Pavilion, a thousand lower-ranking cultivator puppets would only cause limited damage and certainly not achieve his aim of inflicting heavy blows on the enemy.
It is indeed a sad reflection that Song Yalong, even burdened with the revenge for the destruction of his sect, did not dare to dream of annihilating Xuanfa Pavilion, only hoping to inflict serious damage.
If a thousand puppets were not enough, then two thousand! If that was still insufficient, then three thousand! No matter what, he had to avenge his fallen fellow sect members!
But refining puppets took time, and after all, Song Yalong could not recover all of his essence blood overnight. Therefore, he had to suppress the surging hatred within him and even actively sought cooperation with Xuanfa Pavilion.
By luring Xuanfa Pavilion into the Sanding Sect, Song Yalong aimed to dispel their concerns, gain their trust, and thus facilitate his closer approach to the core areas of Xuanfa Pavilion to launch his attack.
The reason he gave was the desire to find a powerful backer, hoping Xuanfa Pavilion would help complete some of the legacy and provide a large quantity of low-grade Spiritual Objects in the early stages. In return, the Sanding Sect could become a source of materials for Xuanfa Pavilion, obeying their orders.
How could Xuanfa Pavilion possibly refuse such terms? The legacies might be precious to the outside world, but Xuanfa Pavilion could replicate them at will.
A large number of Spiritual Objects would indeed be worth some Spirit Stones, but compared to the gains to come in the future, this investment was negligible.
Thus, Xuanfa Pavilion happily agreed, never suspecting that the other party had malign intentions.
——
"Is everything ready?"
When Li Zhirui arrived, he just caught Li Wenli’s question.
The Li family had discussed at length and finally determined the scale of the caravan and the personnel, as well as the various Spiritual Objects and resources to be carried on the trade journey.
This time, the goal was more to accumulate experience, so instead of going to Cang Hai Province, they chose Profound Ice State.
"You’ve all worked hard!"
Li Zhirui admonished, "If you encounter dangers that you can’t resist, you must prioritize your lives. You can scatter the Spiritual Objects to buy time for escape, rather than clinging to them to the death."
The Cultivation World was not peaceful. It was only because Wanxian Island was secluded and had cut off contact with the outside world that many clan members were quite naive and hadn’t experienced much of the world.
He feared that they might be too stubborn when faced with danger, intent on protecting the clan’s property and finding themselves in real peril.
"Exactly! These Spiritual Objects are just belongings; if lost, they can be recreated. But your lives are not the same. You have only one life and must cherish it dearly!" Li Wenli quickly echoed.
It was their concern that clouded their judgment. Wanxian Island was not very far from Profound Ice State, just a few thousand li away. With the speed of a third-tier Spirit Boat, if hurried, they could make a round trip in a day.
Moreover, the Li family often cleared this sea area, so it was unlikely that a powerful Sea Devil lurked there. The Taixu Devil Race rarely ventured into the Boundless Sea, seemingly due to some accord between terrestrial and marine devils.
Overall, it was relatively safe.
On the other hand, the next venture, to Cang Hai Province, would be more dangerous. The journey was long and they could easily attract the attention of Robbing Cultivators.
Since it was the first trade with Profound Ice Sect, they specifically arranged for an Elder to go. With many clan members watching, the Spirit Boat soared into the sky and turned into a beam of Spirit Light, flying away swiftly.
Less than half a day later, the group arrived in front of the mountain gate of Profound Ice Sect.
"The external affairs elder of the Li Clan from Wanxian Island requests an audience."
"The Li family? What are they here for?" The Sect Leader frowned. Unable to think of a reason, he decided to bring the visitors in and ask them directly.
"Elder Li, for what purpose have you come here this time?"
"I’ve come to trade with your esteemed sect."
"Oh?" A glint of understanding flashed in the Sect Leader’s eyes as he vaguely guessed the visitor’s purpose.
The two sides were not far apart, and some news traveled easily.
"As you know, my Li Clan has a large quantity of lower-tier Spiritual Objects for sale that is highly sought after by Loose Cultivators; thus, we thought of coming over to benefit the local Loose Cultivators. We’re just unsure about your sect’s stance on this," the external affairs elder said cheerfully.
