Pay to Cultivate Immortality? My Sect is Completely Free - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: The Stir of Various Forces

Inside the Great Hall, there was absolute silence, so quiet that one could clearly hear a pin drop. The news of the Spirit Spring was just too explosive! Everyone was absorbed in this information, afraid to breathe loudly.

A Lower Grade Spirit Vein could produce around thirty thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones in a year, plus several hundred Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones. In contrast, a Middle Grade Spirit Vein could generate about thirty thousand Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones annually and several hundred High Grade Spirit Stones! The disparity in value among the different grades of Spirit Stones was staggering—a hundredfold difference!

Considering the rarity of High Grade Spirit Stones, their worth would be even further enhanced. For the Nascent Soul powers—even for the Divine Transformation powers—this was enough to drive them mad. Many Divine Transformation powers might not even possess a Middle Grade Spirit Vein! The allure for Nascent Soul powers could reach an unparalleled level.

Even if they had to surrender half of their income to the Immortal Alliance, and then pay another portion as protection fees, the remaining amount would still be enormous. Such a large number of Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones could allow a Nascent Soul Sect to rapidly cultivate who knows how many Golden Core experts within a hundred years, greatly enhancing their strength!

With more Golden Cores, even if reaching the Nascent Soul stage is challenging, there will always be someone who can step into the Nascent Soul realm! Furthermore, a High Grade Spirit Vein would accelerate the cultivation speed of Nascent Soul experts and significantly strengthen their foundation.

The Lingxiao Sect, Yuntian Sect, and the Empire’s royal family would all fight desperately to compete for it! A single thread pulled would move the entire fabric, and the century-long tranquility of the Empire would be utterly shattered.

A great war would once again spread across this land!

“Senior, if the Heavenly Dao Sect takes action, the entire Yellow Lion Sect with over a thousand disciples and elders will fight for the Heavenly Dao Sect!”

Daoist Yellow Lion gritted his teeth and spoke in a deep voice. Once the war began, the first to be affected would be the four major sects of Qingzhou, and the Yellow Lion Sect could not escape unharmed either. Even if everyone in the sect withdrew, what would happen to the foundation built over hundreds of years in Qingzhou? Unless it was absolutely necessary, who would be willing to leave their homeland? Moreover, in this upcoming war, the Yellow Lion Sect would be at the forefront and could not possibly remain unscathed!

“Master, I am willing to volunteer as the vanguard!” Zhuge Feng suddenly spoke, his tone firm and without hesitation.

Su Bai finally made a move; he slowly stood up and surveyed the people in the Great Hall. There was no way he could give up on the Spirit Vein—he had to compete for it! He declared loudly, “The Heavenly Dao Sect is willing to accept the Yellow Lion Sect’s allegiance.”

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yellow Lion let out a sigh of relief; he was worried that Su Bai wouldn’t accept them. “Thank you, senior!” He then bowed deeply to Su Bai.

“We pay our respects to the Sect Master!” The several Foundation Establishment Elders from the Yellow Lion Sect immediately knelt down, expressing their respect.

Su Bai nodded and then looked towards Zhuge Feng. “Where is Zhuge Feng?”

Zhuge Feng quickly stepped forward and said loudly, “Disciple is here!”

“Gather all the Qi Refining disciples who remain in the sect!” Su Bai instructed.

“Disciple is at your command!” Zhuge Feng responded loudly, respectfully exiting the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away.

Lingxiao Mountain, Lingxiao Sect, Lingxiao Great Hall!

A group of people knelt respectfully within the Great Hall, just like the Yellow Lion Sect, reporting the news to the Old Ancestor of the Lingxiao Sect.

“What? A Spirit Spring!”

The Nascent Soul Old Ancestor of the Lingxiao Sect, an old man with white hair and a youthful appearance, suddenly opened his eyes, two sharp beams of light shooting forth from his gaze.

“Are you sure there really is a Spirit Spring in Qingzhou?” The old man fixed his intense stare on the group kneeling in the Great Hall and questioned sternly.

A powerful aura enveloped the entire hall, causing everyone present to tremble in fear and refrain from speaking.

At the forefront of those kneeling was a burly man, who at that moment was sweating profusely. He whispered, “I would not dare deceive the Old Ancestor; I have personally seen the Spirit Spring in Qingzhou, it is absolutely true!”

“Hmm—” The old man’s pupils constricted suddenly, and he gasped in shock, trembling violently, his gaze flickering as if lost in thought.

“Hahaha!”

“Good! Good! Who would have thought that this insignificant little place would possess such a treasure as a Spirit Spring!”

The old man burst into laughter, clearly extremely excited, and then his gaze shifted to the elders below.

“Elders, heed my command!”

“Yes, your subordinate is here!”The elders of the Lingxiao Sect all raised their heads in unison, their eyes bright and filled with fervor and anticipation. Securing the Intermediate Grade Spirit Vein would yield such a significant number of Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones in that year that these Golden Core elders would finally have a share of the spoils!

“Convey my order! Summon all the elders, deacons, and Qi Refining disciples from within the Sect, as well as all the affiliated forces, to embark on a campaign together to seize the Spirit Spring!”

“This battle is of utmost importance. Anyone who dares to outwardly comply while secretly undermining our efforts and jeopardizing the opportunity will be executed without mercy!”

Boom!

As soon as these words were uttered, the elders in the Great Hall erupted in excitement.

“The Old Ancestor is wise!”

“We shall strictly obey the Old Ancestor’s commands!”

Their faces were flushed, and their eyes revealed a deep greed!

“Lingxiao, this time I will personally lead the expedition. You will remain behind to guard the Sect!” The Old Ancestor of the Lingxiao Sect then turned to Lingxiao beside him.

“Master! The Sect has a grand formation in place, and the Grand Elder is in seclusion. No one would dare to invade our Lingxiao Sect.”

“Disciple’s sword has not tasted battle blood for a hundred years; please allow me to fight!” Lingxiao’s eyes glimmered with a hint of bloodthirst.

Not long ago, he had been crushed by Gao Kepan, and the resentment in his heart remained unresolved. This time, anyone who dared to stand in his way would understand the strength of Great Zhao’s foremost Golden Core cultivator!

…………

In the Imperial Palace, within the Great Hall.

“Spirit Spring?”

At the head of the Great Hall sat an old man dressed in a golden dragon robe. At this moment, the old man’s brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes carried a hint of seriousness.

“Esteemed ministers, what are your thoughts?” he asked.

“Your Majesty, Spirit Stones are what countless cultivators dream of for their cultivation!” A middle-aged man stepped forward and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. “Once we obtain the Spirit Vein beneath this Spirit Spring, our Empire will undoubtedly give birth to countless Golden Core experts, and even a few exceptional masters in the Nascent Soul Realm!”

Another person stepped forward to voice opposition: “It’s easy to say. How difficult is it to seize the Spirit Vein? Not to mention the newly emerged Heavenly Dao Sect; even the Yuntian Sect and the Lingxiao Sect—who among them can we, the royal family, resist?”

In an instant, the entire hall divided into two factions, arguing heatedly, creating a cacophony of voices!

Seeing that no consensus was being reached, the Great Zhao Emperor rubbed his forehead.

Finally, his gaze fell upon an old man who had remained silent all along: “National Teacher, what do you think?”

The old man slightly closed his eyes and only opened them upon being addressed. He replied, “This battle is unavoidable.”

“Oh? What insights do you have, National Teacher?” the Great Zhao Emperor pressed.

The National Teacher remained silent for a long time, then sighed and spoke slowly: “Whether it’s the Yuntian Sect or the Lingxiao Sect that acquires this Spirit Vein, their strength will significantly increase. Our royal family, already weak, will be ruthlessly devoured.”

The corner of the Great Zhao Emperor’s eye twitched, but he had no words to counter.

In the end, he pondered for a moment and came to a decision in his heart.

“Gather the Ten Great Families, summon the Imperial Guard, and assemble as quickly as possible. Prepare to head to Qingzhou!”