A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 285 Ceding Yue Kingdom and Zijin

"Zhiyang, your battle with Tianhen back then was because Tianhen and his people had their eyes on a small country occupied by the Taizhen Sect, right?"

The Old Demon of Hehuan asked in a telepathic voice.

Master Zhiyang did not respond directly, but remained silent.

Seeing this, the old demon transmitted his voice again:
"Then, congratulations to your Tai Zhen Sect for taking advantage of my He Huan Sect's severe injuries to secure the position of the second largest sect in Tiannan!"

"Fellow Daoist Yi, what do you mean?"

Master Zhiyang frowned slightly.

The burly man gave a soft snort:
“My Hehuan Sect is now severely weakened and will definitely have to give back some of what it has taken before in order to shrink its power and better protect its core interests. In that case, it will naturally be unable to compete with your Taizhen Sect.”

"That guy surnamed Han seems to get along quite well with Old Monster Tianhen. They might have reached some kind of consensus and joined forces to form a new, powerful force. If those guys, based in the far west, gather a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators to form a group…"

"Tsk, no matter how you look at it, it's the best in the south."

"Even your Taizhen Sect is inferior."

"If this person had no ambition and simply stayed in the far west, that would be fine. But this person is clearly not one to stay put..."

"Zhiyang, have you figured out how to make me, the Demonic Path cultivator, cut off my own flesh to satisfy his appetite?"

The old demon Hehuan's words were truly ruthless.

Being open about it is a calculated move.

Tell Master Zhiyang and the major sects of the righteous path that the demonic path is suffering this time, and what can the righteous path gain?
Helping Han Li might lead to the emergence of a brand new super-powerful force, which would then compete with the Tai Zhen Sect and even the major sects of the righteous path for market share.

In short: think carefully about whether to help the demonic path or Han Li.

"Fellow Daoist Yi, my Tai Zhen Sect has never even considered vying for the title of the number one sect in Tiannan. You're overthinking it..."

They may say one thing but mean another, but who knows what they're really thinking?
"Ah."

The Old Demon of Hehuan sneered and said no more.

It is common knowledge that there is a contradiction between Heavenly Hatred and Supreme Yang.

In his view, Han Li's choice to befriend rogue cultivators like Tianhen, while ignoring Zhiyang's feelings, was truly a case of picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon.

Master Zhiyang already harbored resentment towards Tianhen's grandson because of Han Li and the other two's attitude towards him. This time, the Iron Triangle's treatment of Tianhen only made him secretly unhappy.

And so, he has already fallen into deep thought.

...

but.

What the Old Demon of Hehuan didn't expect was that Han Li had actually anticipated this.

I was mentally prepared.

Because this is the result of weighing the pros and cons.

Master Zhiyang has his own sect and shares the same stance as the Taizhen Sect. He can only be superficially friends with the rest of the trio; they will never truly become his own.

The Heavenly Hatred Old Monster is different.

Whether it's the pursuit of benefits in cultivation or the bond between "Barbarian Beard Disciple" and "Heavenly Hatred Grandson," both sides are more likely to become half-one of their own.

Befriending someone can lead to eternal hatred...

The worst-case scenario is that you only befriend Tianhen, but offend Zhiyang Shangren and Taizhen Sect.

A slightly better scenario is to befriend the Tianhen clique, led by Tianhen, so that everyone can support and look after each other in the future.

In an even better scenario, one could directly recruit Tianhen Laoguai into one's own camp, gradually assimilating him from "half an ally" into "a complete ally."

The best-case scenario, of course, is that Tianhen not only brings his own investment to the group, but also his several Nascent Soul stage brothers who are nearing the end of their lifespans bring their own investment to join.

It's not hard to imagine what a formidable Nascent Soul level force they would form once the two sides converge and unite as one.

"Sect Master, you seem to have a good impression of this Fellow Daoist Tianhen?"

On the Iron Triangle side, Qingyi Jushi sent a telepathic inquiry.

Some guessed Han Li's intentions.

"Hmm, I do have a good impression of him. Second Elder, don't you think Fellow Daoist Tianhen is quite similar to the First Elder in some ways?"

Han Lidao.

"like me?"

Barbarian Beard raised an eyebrow.

Did not see it.

"This person seems to have an eccentric temperament and doesn't have a good reputation in either the righteous or demonic paths, nor in the Nine Kingdoms Alliance. He seems to be a very unsociable person, right?"

"indeed."

Qingyi and Manhuzi nodded in unison.

More than ten years have passed.

They had a fairly good understanding of the situation in Tiannan. Although they hadn't had much interaction with Tianhen the Old Monster, they could sense that this top rogue cultivator in Tiannan was a very proud cultivator.

"Others say Fellow Daoist Tianhen has an eccentric personality and isn't well-liked, but in my opinion, it's because he's straightforward and never plays games with those from various powerful factions. If he doesn't like you, he doesn't like you; if he sees you as a hypocrite, then you're a hypocrite. He simply doesn't associate with people whose values ​​clash with his own. Over time, this has damaged his reputation and led to his isolation. But Fellow Daoist Tianhen isn't the kind of weakling who would try to prove himself for the sake of a reputation. He has his own pride and always disdains rumors. Some so-called gentlemen have taken advantage of this pride inherent in Fellow Daoist Tianhen..."

"In this respect, how similar is he to the Grand Elder?"

"Our Grand Elder always takes outsiders' opinions lightly and doesn't care."

Barbarian Beard has a terrible reputation in the Chaotic Star Sea.

They are also labeled as aloof, arrogant, and eccentric.

"Speaking of which, if we hadn't fought alongside the Grand Elder during our time at the Void Heaven Palace, how would we have known about his integrity and reliability?"

Han Li smiled and transmitted his voice.

They were almost embarrassed by the praise they received.

"What the sect leader said makes sense. Rumors shouldn't be taken at face value. Fellow Daoist Tianhen is highly regarded by many Nascent Soul cultivators among the rogue cultivators of Tiannan, and even has several Nascent Soul elders following him to the death. Isn't this a testament to his personal charisma?"

Qingyi stroked his beard.

Having risen from humble beginnings as a wandering cultivator, he understood all too well the hardships involved.

"Actually, whether it will work out in the end is still uncertain. Tianhen's side is a small group after all, and those people are not familiar with us, so they may not be willing to join us. I'm befriending him just to have more reliable and powerful external support."

Han Li shook his head.

The best outcome would be for both sides to merge, as that would make them the largest group of Nascent Soul cultivators in the southern region.

However, the other side is a small group of people, and they all have different considerations.

It's fine to admire them.

But they may not be willing to unite completely.

"Sect Master, please go ahead and do it. The Grand Elder and I will give you our full support."

Qingyi looked solemn.

Barbarian Beard nodded seriously.

One of them, who used to be a rogue cultivator, can empathize with others and consider things from their perspective, thus creating a certain resonance.

The other one even took Tianhen's grandson as a disciple, and has diligently taught him over the years without any mistreatment. The two have known each other for a long time through certain channels. While not exactly mutually admiring, they certainly respect each other.

And that is enough.

This is what Han Li wants.

...

Just when the situation became increasingly unpredictable.

The main hall of the Hehuan Sect's mountain gate was finally unable to withstand the endless tribulation lightning.

Even with a large supply of spirit stones, the small forbidden array, which was several hundred feet long, still suffered damage due to its high-intensity continuous operation.

"Crack..."

A slight cracking sound was heard near the main hall of the Hehuan Sect.

Those disciples of lower and middle ranks did not notice.

To low- to mid-level cultivators, all they could hear at this moment was the heavy breathing around them and their own heartbeats.

However, several Core Formation stage cultivators, with their keen senses, noticed the unusual cracking sound.

So they looked in the direction of the sound, and the next moment, the two women in the Core Formation stage turned pale, and several male cultivators also changed color.

"Array, array base..."

Array base?

Everyone focused their attention on it, and their faces immediately turned pale.

"The array base is damaged?"

"No!"

Everyone knew all too well what the damage to the array base meant.

Once tens of thousands of people lose the protection of the forbidden array set up around the main hall, they will be burned to ashes by the tribulation lightning in no time.

"Quickly, repair the formation... Where is the sect's formation master?"

As long as the damage to the array base can be repaired in time, they can hold out for a while longer with the help of the large array.

Can…

"The array masters have all been dispatched and haven't returned at all..."

"Someone said in despair. When Han Li came to Tianluo Kingdom to demand an explanation, those array masters who had returned from Dongyu Kingdom didn't even have time to get back to their mountain. Later, the mountain gate was continuously covered by endless lightning strikes, so they had no chance to return to their sect."

"Ancestor, Ancestor, quickly set up a new formation."

A monk spoke up to remind them.

In response, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Hehuan Sect trapped here, as well as the old monsters of the five demonic sects trapped here, all showed a bitter smile.

Wang Tiangu stated that he was a master of formations. However, the problem was that he had never studied the small forbidden formation previously presented by the Nascent Soul stage cultivator of the Hehuan Sect. Now, even if he wanted to quickly refine his skills, he wouldn't know where to begin.

The Nascent Soul cultivator who produced the formation explained that it wasn't a formation he had researched himself, but rather one developed by the formation masters of his sect. He claimed he only knew how to set it up, but "knew how it worked, not why it worked."

Lack of preparation cannot be remedied.

"Boom boom boom..."

The Thunder Whale Cannon continuously unleashed massive bolts of lightning that rained down.

After days of relentless bombardment, the many thousand-foot peaks of the Hehuan Sect were no longer the same as they once were. Some were scorched red, their peaks turned into flowing lava, while others were destroyed and erased by the continuous bombardment, becoming part of the lava lake below.

Even the main peak, protected by layers of formations, this last piece of pure land, has long been unrecognizable and a pitiful sight.

For miles around, the area was filled with scalding lava.

The magma bubbled and gurgled, unable to cool down.

"Quickly send a message to the Grand Elder, we can't hold on any longer!"

...

After receiving the news, the Old Demon of Hehuan took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily.

They couldn't wait for Wei Wuyai to arrive.

If peace is not reached and conditions are not discussed, the Hehuan Sect's millennia-old foundation will be destroyed in an instant. This battle will surely leave it severely weakened.

It's not that the spiritual veins and precious lands were destroyed, damaging the foundation, but rather that tens of thousands of cultivators and many Nascent Soul stage cultivators were lost in succession.

This is a loss that the Hehuan Sect cannot afford.

While Yi Laomo might disregard the feelings of those in the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation stages within the sect, he couldn't help but consider the feelings of the Nascent Soul elders. Within the Hehuan Sect, his voice was undoubtedly the loudest, but that didn't mean he was the only one with that voice.

The other Nascent Soul cultivators can also exert some influence to varying degrees.

Also.

Many of the old monsters from the Heavenly Dao Alliance have broken into the Heavenly Luo Kingdom.

Three or five people from the Luoyun Sect, along with a burly man surnamed You and an elderly man surnamed Chen with a bulbous nose, were the first to arrive.

There were also some heavyweights who rushed over to join in the fun as soon as they received the news: the couple Long Han and Feng Bing.

Moreover, the Qi family of Flower Rain Kingdom invited their Nascent Soul stage friends from Hundred Flowers Valley to come.

Some friends from the Caixia Sect were also invited to accompany them.

The Nascent Soul stage expert from the Chaoyang Sect was also present.

These families are in the same situation as Tianhen; their members have joined the Manhuzi clan and inherited their mantle, so these people can be considered as half allies in terms of their stance.

Besides these people, there were more than twenty other Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

Everyone is here to support Han Li and his group.

If this drags on any longer, the Hehuan Sect will not strengthen itself much further. On the contrary, Han Li will have more and more Nascent Soul stage monsters around him and will receive more support and assistance from the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

Indeed, the Heavenly Alliance has suffered under the combined pressures of the righteous and demonic paths for far too long!

I've long wanted to kick both the righteous and the demonic paths!

Now that an opportunity has presented itself—an opportunity to kick the Hehuan Sect, the leader of the demonic path—these old monsters will definitely not hold back. Since they aren't leading the charge, they still have the courage to lend a hand. Especially those Nascent Soul level lineages like Yuanwu Kingdom and Tianlu Kingdom, whose ancestral foundations have been seized by the demonic path.

The attacks on the six sects of the demonic path by others who took advantage of the situation might just be for show.

But sects like the Heavenly Star Sect and the Divine Weapon Sect would absolutely go to extremes to destroy the six demonic sects.

"Yunlu, you go and discuss the follow-up matters on my behalf."

"I?"

The handsome Yunlu Zhenren was stunned for a moment, then pointed to himself.

"Senior Brother Gu, it is indeed more appropriate for you to negotiate the terms."

The female cultivator surnamed Gou forced a smile, her face looking grim.

The Hehuan Sect only has these three people to offer. The Grand Elder needs to maintain his dignity and it is not appropriate for him to show his face. Senior Brother Yunlu has some connection with the man surnamed Han, so maybe it will be easier to talk to him.
In short, someone else is more suitable to be this mouthpiece.

"How do we negotiate? What are our bottom lines?"

"Give up half of the Yue Kingdom, bounded by the Grand Canal of Xianglu, and compensate with one million mid-grade spirit stones over ten years..."

only.

Bottom lines are meant to be broken.

"What about half of Yue? I, Han, want the entire Yue as my foothold, and the compensation in spirit stones must be doubled. Furthermore, I request that no one from the Tian family for nineteen generations be spared. Otherwise, let's continue this stalemate..."

Han Li's attitude was very firm.

He didn't like leaving future generations with potentially fatal hidden dangers.

He wanted the Yue Kingdom intact.

For the Tian family, it's better to die cleanly.

"By the way, to prevent your sect from cheating, at least twenty Core Formation stage cultivators need to swear an oath against their inner demons..."

"... "

"As for the other sects of the demonic path? We request that they relinquish the Purple Gold Kingdom..."

Once the deal is finalized, he will temporarily lease the Zijin Kingdom to Tianhen's small group for management.

He needs Tianhen and others to share the burden.

As for how much of the resources Tianhen and others would need to share after establishing their sect in the Zijin Kingdom, and how long that sharing would last, that's another matter entirely…

The negotiations lasted for several days, and there were many details involved.

I won't go into detail here.

Tianhen and his group, who had nowhere else to go, were both surprised and delighted by this.

...

On the demonic path, seeing that the Old Demon of the Joyful Union was willing to compromise and back down, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, it's finally over."

They were unwilling to continue the stalemate and cause their own Nascent Soul cultivators to perish here.

Previously, they saw an opportunity to profit from the Hehuan Sect and were thus lured in by the Hehuan Old Demon's enticing offers. Only when they actually faced Han Li did they realize they had gotten themselves into serious trouble.

He was also annoyed and regretful.

After discussing it among the various parties, although it was painful to cede the Purple Gold Kingdom, the best outcome would be to settle the matter peacefully.

"Trying to steal a chicken only resulted in losing the rice instead."

...

If we're talking about the only faction that we feel regret and pity for, it's probably the righteous path.

The righteous sects are eager for Han Li to fight the six demonic sects to the death, so that they can reap the benefits.

Unfortunately, the demonic path failed them this time.

In the past, when facing those on the righteous path, they were quite assertive. But this time, they've been incredibly soft.

of course.

They understand too.

No one wants to provoke Han Li, who possesses the true power to destroy sects.

This guy is a complete freak.

Not to be offended.

A reluctant yet willing transaction was reached under the witness of various forces and through a vow made by inner demons.

"Alright, everyone, step back a little. My spirit beast needs to get through the final tribulation of transformation."

Even after receiving the Thunder Whale Cannon, Han Li remained cautious.

There is nothing wrong with everyone.

Upon noticing the people from the Yuling Sect, he smiled at them.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators from the Yuling Sect looked at Han Li with shining eyes.

It was only then that some people suddenly realized how precious Han Li's method of significantly delaying the adaptation of spirit beasts to the tribulation of transformation was.

Moreover, this ability is even more precious to the Spirit Control Sect, which has inherited a large number of pets.

The problem is coming.

Will Han Li's Ice-Fire Wolf be able to successfully overcome its tribulation?
If successful, it would be the best endorsement.

If it fails, the advertising effect will be reduced by more than half.

All the heroes eagerly awaited this outcome:
"coming…"

The "final wave" of tribulation lightning.

　I skipped this part as quickly as possible; it felt a bit too long.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)