Banshee Family Training Record

Page 362

With that thought in mind, he then sat down on the nearby meditation cushion to prepare for battle.

Not far away, Yun Chu'an had absolutely no interest in this kind of martial arts competition. If it were a battle between Nascent Soul cultivators, it would be worth watching. After all, he could only defeat, not kill, enemies at the early stage of Nascent Soul. Watching them fight would also help him accumulate experience, making it easier for him to kill them on the spot in the future.

But late-stage Golden Core... Lin, where are you? Do you want to play Yongyongkong? Are you even here yet...?

He truly felt no interest in cultivators whom he could easily defeat.

Rather than these things, it would be better to have a proper discussion with the cultivators from other countries to see how to dump our products and make money.

"The 'Diamond Talisman' should still be quite useful, right? Hehe, I haven't been idle this year either. I've been busy preparing talismans, magical artifacts, medicine powders, and armor, all for the next battle against Qin."

"Alright, alright, Fellow Daoist Yun, I'm relieved to hear you say that. Then let's stick to the old rules and the old profit-sharing method?"

“That’s feasible, but I have another suggestion: I have a batch of Spirit Gathering Pills, Qi Gathering Pills, and Foundation Establishment Pills here. I wonder if your country needs them now? War is about to break out, and the prices of these things will definitely skyrocket. Buying some, even if it’s just for rewards later, can help win people’s hearts.”

"Hmm...that's right. If the price is right, I should be able to buy a thousand pills directly. Fellow Daoist Yun, how many do you have in stock right now?"

"One hundred thousand."

Chapter 720 The Mummified Corpse on the Golden Throne?

During their casual conversation, business deals were quickly finalized. Although these were only verbal agreements, everyone involved was a respectable person with official positions and titles, and they would never do anything to break their promises.

The plan was progressing smoothly, and he was quite satisfied. After all, everyone knew that the second great battle with the King of Qin was about to begin, and this time, it would be led by the Zhou Emperor himself.

In such a great battle, everyone needs various talismans, elixirs, armor, and magical treasures to survive. No matter how many rewards the emperor intends to bestow this time, they all need to be alive to enjoy them.

Therefore, the conversation went quite smoothly, and Yun Chu'an was satisfied.

Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard a loud "clang" on the arena. He turned his head and saw that, at some point, the duel between Sima Lixin and Jiang Ren had already begun. At that moment, Sima Lixin transformed into a stone ape, his entire body covered with Vajra Talismans, and instantly deflected the latter's attack.

Jiang Ren staggered, his arm went numb and his spiritual energy became disordered, making it difficult for him to even hold his sword. Sima Lixin seized this fleeting opportunity, stepped forward, and with a whip, sent him flying!

"what--"

Jiang Ren, who had been knocked away, let out a miserable cry and landed heavily outside the arena before getting up. Sima Lixin simply bowed slightly and said in a deep voice, "You flatter me."

He then turned and stepped off the stage.

On the ground, Jiang Ren stared at Sima Lixin's retreating figure, his eyes filled with anger, making him grit his teeth, yet he was utterly helpless.

"Humph!"

Finally, he could only snort in resentment, then got up, turned around, and left.

He had lost, and without making any excuses, he had no choice but to leave.

Meanwhile, Sima Lixin returned to meditation, preparing to face his next opponent. He quickly recovered, opened his eyes, and looked into the distance, only to find that no new enemy was approaching.

He then got up, returned to Yun Chu'an's side, bowed his head, and whispered, "My lord, everything is alright now."

Yun Chu'an nodded and gave him an approving look: "Thank you for your hard work."

He reached out and gently patted his shoulder, saying, "Let's go back. By now, the Emperor should have already finished his meeting, and the princess and the others should have returned by now."

Sima Lixin lowered his head slightly, concealing the emotions in his eyes: "Hmm."

The two then led the rest of the Jin delegation back to the embassy's residence. They waited there for a short while before Sheng Linglong and her entourage also returned to the embassy.

Her expression wasn't very relaxed. As soon as she arrived, everyone gathered around her, waiting for her to tell her story.

Sheng Linglong was not in a hurry. She sat down at the tea table, drank a cup of tea, and then said with a worried expression, "The Emperor is in very bad condition. When I went to court today, I saw the Emperor sitting on his golden throne, almost unable to move at all."

"He was emaciated and exhausted, and looked no longer like a living person, but more like... a dried corpse."

She said this, her voice trembling, clearly indicating that the emperor was nearing his end.

Yun Chu'an felt a heavy weight in his heart, but it was common knowledge that the emperor's lifespan of ten thousand years was coming to an end. He suppressed his surging emotions and asked, "How are the discussions about resisting Qin going?"

Sheng Linglong quickly composed herself and said, "Things are progressing smoothly. The Emperor has already devised a plan to confront the King of Qin, which is to gather the strength of all the states, march all the way into the former capital of Zhao, force the King of Qin out of seclusion, and absolutely prevent him from breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

"But at present, the details of how many people each country should send and how much military funding the emperor should give them are still being debated. Moreover, it will take time for each country to mobilize and deploy its cultivators. Optimistically, the general offensive should be able to be launched next spring."

Yun Chu'an counted on his fingers, estimated the time, and couldn't help but facepalm: "It's going to take that long?"

He was somewhat annoyed. The King of Qin had clearly already begun his seclusion, but who knew how far he was progressing? This guy could break through to the Nascent Soul stage at any moment, and once he did, the various warlords of the Central Plains would basically have no chance of turning the tide.

Are all the feudal lords really so calm and collected?

He was unsure, and his face showed considerable resentment. Seeing his expression, Sheng Linglong sighed softly: "Actually, the feudal lords of various countries are not that concerned about whether the King of Qin will ascend to the Divine Transformation Realm or whether the Great Qin will replace the Great Zhou."

"Because, historically speaking, even if the King of Qin had truly obtained the highest power in the Central Plains, it would have only been... driving the Zhou emperor off the throne and taking the throne himself."

"As for the various vassal states, he also needs to win one faction over another. After all, even if he is a Nascent Soul cultivator, it is impossible for him to personally govern the vast land of the Central Plains, which spans hundreds of thousands of miles. He still needs the vassal kings to help him rule."

Sheng Linglong spoke softly, revealing the cruelest truth: "Therefore, for the various feudal lords, they do not face a serious life-or-death crisis. If they win, they can make a profit; if they lose, as long as they betray their allies in time, they can at least keep a small piece of land. Their families are not incapable of making a comeback in the future."

"The one most anxious about this matter is still the Zhou emperor. After all, if the Great Zhou is destroyed, the royal family will most likely be purged. So now, they are more focused on taking advantage of the emperor's psychology to extract more benefits from him."

Yun Chu'an lowered his head, not entirely agreeing. Would someone really entrust the future of their country and family to their current enemy after they seize power, and thus abide by the rules and spare their life?

He didn't think it was a wise move, but it seemed that all the feudal lords thought the same way, treating this struggle for the world as a game of musical chairs.

He was dissatisfied, but he didn't say much. All the feudal lords had their own ideas, and they would never listen to his advice.

Thinking this through, he continued, "What about during this period? The main forces of various countries haven't been assembled yet. Before that, we can't just do nothing and wait, can we?"

The subtext is, during this time, is there any way they can do something to resist the Qin Dynasty and extract some spirit stones from the emperor? You Lin, are you thinking of writing about plum blossoms but haven't...?

To this, Sheng Linglong immediately shook her head: "Definitely not, of course it is. Hmm..."

She pursed her lower lip slightly: "Chu'an, do you plan to go deep into the Qin territory to sabotage their arsenal that manufactures terracotta warriors?"

Yun Chu'an didn't understand at first and let out a soft "Ah." Just then, a knocking sound came from the main gate outside the courtyard: Knock knock knock—!

Distinguished guests have arrived.

Immediately, everyone stopped their discussion, their expressions turning wary. Sheng Linglong remained silent, but a member of the delegation in official robes beside her spoke up, calling out, "Who is it?"

The response came almost immediately: "Jiang Qingke, envoy of Yan, requests an audience with Princess Sheng Linglong of Jin."

Jiang Qingke?

A Nascent Soul stage Pillar of State cultivator from the Yan Kingdom?

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions, exchanged glances, and their eyes were filled with vigilance.

Why would a Nascent Soul cultivator personally come to our door at this time?

Sheng Linglong was unsure for a moment, but she turned to look at Yun Chuan, who nodded slightly, indicating that it was feasible.

He was quite confident. What did it matter if it was a Nascent Soul cultivator? He wasn't without the ability to fight against a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Moreover, this is Luoyi, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, right under the emperor's nose, not the capital of the Zhao Kingdom tens of thousands of miles away, a place that the Zhou emperor could hardly reach.

If the other party harbors any improper intentions here, they will inevitably transgress the established rules. At that time, the emperor, who has reached the Nascent Soul stage, will naturally deal with them personally.

Therefore, he was not flustered at all.

Seeing her man's confident demeanor, Sheng Linglong felt slightly relieved. Then, she nodded slightly to the person next to her, signaling him to go and open the door.

A member of the delegation dressed in official robes went to open the door, and immediately, a young man with thick black hair and an imposing presence appeared at the door.

Chapter 721 Jiang Qingke of Yan State

Sheng Linglong recognized him; this man was Jiang Qingke, the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the Yan Kingdom's delegation to Luoyi.

The delegation members bowed to each other, and Jiang Qingke returned the bow slightly. Then, guided by the delegation members, he entered the hall and symbolically bowed to Sheng Linglong: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Sheng Linglong said, "No need for formalities, please sit down." She felt awkward. The other party was superior to her in both age and cultivation, but because of the Zhou etiquette, the other party was now forced to bow to her.

After exchanging pleasantries, she took a small half-step back, giving up the main position so that Yun Chu'an could stand at the front.

This single gesture silently implied to the other party that, within the team, only Yun Chu'an was qualified to engage in a direct dialogue with them.

Jiang Qingke straightened up, turned his head to look at Yun Chuan, and upon closer inspection, he discovered that Yun Chuan was not only much younger than he had imagined, but also had vigorous blood and qi as surging as the sea, solid and crystalline spiritual power, and the golden divine lightning was terrifyingly destructive yet restrained and quiet. Clearly, his control over his power had reached a superb and unparalleled level.

He is practically the perfect template for a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

He secretly praised Yun Chuanyuan, realizing that Yun Chuanyuan was far superior to himself when he was in the late stage of the Golden Core realm, and couldn't help but want to test him.

He didn't say much, but simply concentrated his spiritual power, forming an invisible aura that pressed forward.

Faced with this imposing aura, Sima Lixin, standing beside Yun Chuan'an, suddenly changed color. He felt an immense spiritual pressure rushing towards him. He had just easily defeated two prodigies of the same realm that day and was full of confidence, but now his mind went blank and he involuntarily took half a step back.

He was terrified of being oppressed.

Even though he only suffered a little bit of the aftermath, Yun Chuan, who was Jiang Qingke's main target and was bearing all of his pressure head-on, remained calm and composed.

Just kidding, are we comparing character traits?

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the Bodhi Mirror Platform had already quietly begun to operate, not only perfectly accepting all the psychological pressure that Jiang Qingke had exerted on him, but also being able to return all of that pressure at any time if he wished.

However, he did not do that. Instead, he maintained a calm and composed expression, facing the other party's probing as if he were a reef in the ocean waves, able to stand still no matter how much noise the other party made.

Seeing his composed demeanor, Jiang Qingke's eyes showed even greater appreciation: "Good!"

He exclaimed in admiration, then composed himself and said, "This one is none other than Fellow Daoist Yun Chu'an, who shone brightly on the Qin-Zhao battlefield and slew several Qin Golden Core cultivators, right?"

Yun Chu'an breathed a slight sigh of relief and cupped his hands, saying, "This junior's cultivation is too low to dare to address you as 'fellow Daoist'."

Jiang Qingke said, "Not at all. I'm just a few years older than you, and my cultivation is temporarily higher. As for your talent..."

As he spoke, his tone was full of undisguised admiration: "Surpassing me is only a matter of time."

Yun Chu'an repeatedly said "I dare not," and after exchanging pleasantries, the two took their seats. A waiter poured tea, and at this moment, Jiang Qingke finally got to the point: "During the conference, I noticed that Her Highness the Princess seemed very interested in entering Qin's rear and disrupting their arsenal production?"

He mentioned Sheng Linglong's identity, but his eyes kept wandering over Yun Chu'an, clearly mistaking the matter for his idea.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Linglong looked anxious. They had just been about to discuss this matter, but before they could reach any conclusion, Jiang Qingke arrived.

She was unaware of Yun Chu'an's thoughts at the moment, and kept glancing in his direction, trying to see through his mind.

However, Yun Chu'an pondered for a moment, thinking that this was probably the only way he could quickly obtain high-grade spirit stones, apart from the West Sea Dragon King's order.

Although he did not yet know how much the Zhou emperor intended to give, he nodded slightly and said, "I have this intention. After all, everyone is aware of the current situation. Although the various feudal lords have reached a consensus, they have not yet reached an agreement on many specific details."

"This will take time, and during this time, we can't just watch the Qin army grow stronger day by day without doing anything. We have to do something to restrain them." (The last part, "你林呢想咏你空你林在在没呢," is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly. It's likely a result of OCR errors.)

His words were all reasonable, which softened Jiang Qingke's expression even more: "I think so too, but..."

As he spoke, he gave a wry smile and shook his head slightly: "But to do this, everyone needs the support of the Emperor's high-grade spirit stones. You are currently in the late stage of the Golden Core realm and are eager to break through, so you must also need this item, right?"

"But how many will be approved is unknown."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chu'an couldn't help but feel uneasy. Looking at the imposing Nascent Soul cultivator in front of him, he thought to himself, "Your true thoughts are probably something like, 'I may not have the guts to venture deep into the Qin Kingdom's rear, but I certainly have the guts to ask the Emperor for spirit stones under the guise of sabotage,' right?"

The idea crossed his mind, but then he heard Jiang Qingke say, "I understand your needs, Fellow Daoist Yun, but our steps to resist Qin cannot be stopped because of the endless bickering in the court."

“Fellow Daoist Yun, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, I am too conspicuous. Every move I make is watched by countless people. Although you have become famous at a young age, you are not a true Nascent Soul cultivator after all. It is much easier for you to act than for me.”

As he spoke, he suddenly took out a bag of spirit stones and said, "Before the real grand strategy is determined, it is inconvenient for me to take action personally. Therefore, the task of disrupting the rear of the Qin Kingdom will probably fall on your shoulders."

"This is just a small gift, nothing more. I hope Fellow Daoist Yun will consider the etiquette of the Great Zhou Dynasty and fulfill this mission as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he placed the bag of spirit stones in front of Yun Chu'an. Yun Chu'an was taken aback, immediately realizing that he had been judging Yun Chu'an by his own petty standards and had misunderstood his meaning.

Feeling ashamed, he quickly stood up and bowed to the Nascent Soul cultivator before him: "Senior, why go to such lengths! I understand the urgency of the situation. Even without these, I would still do my utmost to fight against the tyrannical Qin!"

Upon hearing his solemn promise, Jiang Qingke's lips twitched slightly, as if he were about to smile.

But in the end, his smile faded, and he forcefully tried to shove the spirit stone bag into his hand: "Don't say such things. If you're going to do these things, you should get these things first."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If you really feel bad about it, just consider it a loan and use it for now. You can pay me back after the wrangling in the court is over and the high-grade spirit stones are distributed."

He said this, shutting down any excuses Yun Chu'an hadn't yet uttered. Yun Chu'an froze for a moment, and taking advantage of that opening, Jiang Qingke forcefully shoved the bag into his hand, then turned and left: "I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave now, goodbye!"

He didn't even bow to Sheng Linglong again, rushing out of the room and leaving the courtyard. Yun Chu'an and the others got up to see him off, and soon, Jiang Qingke's figure disappeared into the darkness, never to be seen again.

After seeing him off, the group looked at each other in the courtyard, completely bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

Sheng Linglong looked at Yun Chuan beside her, swallowed hard, and finally couldn't hold back her complicated and subtle feelings, so she asked, "Then, what do we do?"

Yun Chu'an sighed softly, "What else can we do? They've already taken the spirit stones. That's perfect. Something we might have hesitated about before, we now have a reason to do it, hmm..."

He sparsed a wisp of his divine sense and entered the spirit stone bag to investigate briefly. The result he obtained made him gasp in shock.

hiss……

This senior Jiang is really generous!

One hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones should not be a small amount for a Nascent Soul cultivator like him, right?

After all, back then, when the Guan Clan Merchant Guild wanted to buy their weapons, they were incredibly stingy with their prices. Although the West Sea Dragon King was generous, he was the lord of a sea and a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator.

Chapter 722 The Breakthrough Plan

Thinking of this, Yun Chu'an sighed softly.