Cultivating immortality in the seas, I created an immortal island of eternal life.

Three hundred feet above Yunjinfang.

At this altitude, the sea breeze has lost its salty and fishy smell, leaving only dry cold.

Wang Yao stood at the edge of the clouds, letting the wind blow her few stray strands of hair into disarray.

She didn't seem to care at all, simply twirling a strand of hair around her fingertip as if passing the time.

Today, Wang Yao wore a dark blue cross-collar long dress. The fabric looked plain, but the cut was very well-fitting, highlighting her figure, which was not particularly tall but had excellent proportions.

Her face was unadorned, yet her lips were naturally a deep crimson, making her already alluring face even more captivating.

But if Gao Yao were here, he would probably be stunned.

The allure of the past was gone from Wang Yao's eyes, replaced by a murderous glint.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ming, the third prince of Yun Kingdom, who was opposite Wang Yao, had obviously noticed the murderous intent in her eyes, but he didn't know how he had offended this crazy woman.

Jiang Ming stood on a platform formed from a cloud of mist, dressed in a red dragon robe, with a jade belt around his waist and cloud-patterned shoes. He was not bad-looking, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose bridge, but his cheekbones were a little too high, giving his face a somewhat sinister look.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze passing over Wang Yao and landing on the distant sea shrouded in a thin mist, which was the entrance to the blessed land.

"Wang Yao," Jiang Ming spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying a hint of arrogance, "the Yunxiang Sect's reach is a bit too far."

"This blessed land originally belonged to the Yun Kingdom. You insist on interfering from a distance of thousands of miles. Don't you think your behavior is too disgraceful?"

"Prince Jiang, what are you saying?" Wang Yao glanced at Jiang Ming sideways. "Blessed lands have always been occupied by the capable, based on merit."

"Since it belongs to your Yun Kingdom, why don't you go in? How come you haven't even figured out where it is yet?"

Jiang Ming's face darkened.

"Don't be so unconvinced." Wang Yao didn't give him a chance to speak, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Of the groups of people you sent in, did any of them come out alive?"

"To put it bluntly, what difference is there between this blessed land being located within your Yun Kingdom and being in the middle of nowhere? You can't get in anyway."

"Wang Yao!" Jiang Ming's voice finally carried anger, and his spiritual pressure suddenly surged outward, causing the cloud beneath his feet to transform into countless fine streams of air that scattered and flew in all directions.

Wang Yao didn't even lift her eyelids, but simply clenched her right hand into a fist.

But with such a slight movement, Jiang Ming's released spiritual pressure seemed to hit a city wall and was forcefully pushed back.

The cloud once again coalesced, as if it had never changed.

Jiang Ming's expression turned even uglier.

He had long known that Wang Yao was not someone to be trifled with; this woman's strength had always been a mystery among her peers.

The four realms of foundation building are: Jade Liquid, Concentration of Spirit, Foundation of the Dao, and Enlightenment of the Law.

Some say she has long since reached the Mingfa realm, while others say she is only one step away from becoming a Zifu outsider.

Regardless of the explanation, they all point to the same conclusion: they can't win.

"The blessed land is about to open," Jiang Ming suppressed his anger, his tone regaining its arrogant calm, "If we stand here, it will only allow others to benefit. Rather than a stalemate, we should each take a step back."

"Each taking a step back?" Wang Yao seemed to have heard something interesting, turning her head to look at him. "Tell me, how would you mean taking a step back?"

"Each relies on their own abilities."

"Each relying on their own abilities?" Wang Yao repeated, a mischievous glint in her eyes almost overflowing. "Do you hypocrites even have any real ability?"

"you!"

"Alright, alright," a smooth voice interrupted from the side.

Feng Yi floated slowly down from behind the two of them, riding on a cloud.

Today he changed into an ochre-red silk robe, the material of which was even better than the one he wore at the Hongyun Trading Company last time, but the cut was still loose.

He still wore that commoner's smile, his eyes narrowed into slits, looking like a wealthy old man who had just come from a banquet, completely out of place in this tense scene.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen, and let me say a word." Feng Yi cupped his hands and bowed to each of them. "We are all fellow cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, so why be so formal? Let's sit down and talk things over."

"Manager Feng, you certainly know how to pick your timing." Wang Yao glanced at him sideways. "Why were you hiding so far away when I was talking to Jiang Ming? Were you afraid of getting splattered with blood?"

Feng Yi's smile remained unchanged, as if he was already used to this level of sarcasm.

"Miss Wang is too kind. I was just looking for something." He took out a yellowed silk scroll from his sleeve, weighed it in his hand, and handed it over with a smile.

"What is this?" Wang Yao didn't answer.

Land title deed.

Feng Yi unfolded the silk scroll, which was covered with dense writing and had several blurred vermilion seals stamped on the bottom.

"Miss Wang, please look. This Yunjinfang, which is the land we are standing on, has belonged to Hongyun Trading Company since thirty-seven years ago."

"The contract was signed by the previous head of the workshop, and witnessed by three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Ping Sha Hai. It's written in black and white, and there's no way to fake it."

Wang Yao took the silk scroll, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Jiang Ming also came over to take a look, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Feng Yi put away the silk scroll, still smiling, and said unhurriedly, "It's none of my business if the two of you want to compete for the blessed land."

"But Yunjinfang is the territory of my Hongyun Trading Company. If you two want to make a move on my turf, shouldn't you at least inform the master first?"

Wang Yao stared at Feng Yi for a long time.

To be honest, she didn't believe a single word Feng Yi said.

What land deed, what thirty-seven years? It's all just a pre-arranged scheme.

Hongyun Trading Company is a place where no one gets up early without making a profit. Feng Yi, this fat man, looks amiable, but he's shrewder than anyone else.

He held onto Yunjinfang simply to gain a dominant position in this struggle, so that anyone who wanted to use this land would have to go through him first.

But Feng Yi is right about one thing.

The three parties are deadlocked, with no one able to gain the upper hand, and this stalemate is not beneficial to anyone.

"Alright." Wang Yao tossed the land deed back to Feng Yi, clapped her hands as if brushing away something unclean, and said, "Since Manager Feng has produced the land deed, I'll give him face."

"Tell me, what are the terms?"

Feng Yi carefully folded the land deed and tucked it back into his sleeve before slowly speaking: "Both of you are sensible people, so I will be frank. When a Foundation Establishment cultivator takes action, the commotion is too great. If it affects the restrictions of the blessed land itself, no one will benefit."

"In my opinion, it would be better for both sides to compromise and remain on the ground without withdrawing from the competition."

"Only disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage will be sent in. What they get depends on their own abilities."

Wang Yao didn't reply, her gaze lingering on Feng Yi's face.

Jiang Ming was silent for a moment, then nodded first: "Okay."

Wang Yao glanced at Feng Yi again and suddenly laughed: "Manager Feng, I heard your scheme all the way back in Luofu Sea."

Feng Yi cupped his hands in greeting, smiling amiably: "Miss Wang, you flatter me. I'm just a small-time trader trying to make a living."

Wang Yao didn't say anything more, turned around and stepped into the air.

Above the clouds, only Feng Yi and Jiang Ming remained. The sea breeze swept in from the east, billowing Feng Yi's ochre-red silk robe. He straightened his clothes, watched the streak of light disappear into the horizon, and then slowly turned around.

"Your Highness," Feng Yi's smile became more sincere, or rather, more ingratiating, "You've made a brilliant move."

Jiang Ming stood with his hands behind his back, without replying.

Feng Yi didn't care and continued, "As soon as the news of the blessed land was released, Yunxiang Sect indeed took the bait."

"With that woman Wang Yao bringing so many people over, the Yunxiang Sect's main defenses are naturally exposed."

"Your people are probably already on their way, right?"

Jiang Ming then turned his head and glanced at Feng Yi, his eyes devoid of warmth.

Feng Yi felt a little uneasy under his gaze, but the smile on his face didn't falter.

Having been in business for so many years, he knew all too well that it was precisely in times like these that one must not show weakness.

If you show weakness, it will be difficult to negotiate the price.

"Manager Feng," Jiang Ming finally spoke, "your information network is quite impressive."

"Your Highness flatters me." Feng Yi cupped his hands in greeting. "I'm just a small-time trader, so it's only natural that I'm well-informed."

"Otherwise, how can we share His Highness's burdens?"

"Share the burden?" Jiang Ming repeated the word. "Manager Feng, that's a very nice thing to say."

"But I heard that you used the same excuse when you were sharing Yun Xiangzong's burdens?"

Feng Yi's smile froze for a moment.

"Third Prince, what you're saying..."

"I didn't mean anything by it." Jiang Ming raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone still unhurried. "Manager Feng is in business, I know that."

"As business people, it's only right that whoever pays you does your bidding. But there's one thing you'd better keep in mind, Manager Feng."

He turned around and faced Feng Yi.

"A weather vane is a plant that bends whichever way the wind blows. It seems clever, but when the wind gets strong, it's the first one to break."

"Manager Feng is a smart man; I don't need to explain that to him."

Feng Yi bowed deeply and nodded repeatedly: "Your Highness is right to teach me a lesson. I will remember it."

Jiang Ming stared at him for two seconds, then turned and flew away without saying anything more.

Finally, only Feng Yi remained on the cloud.

He straightened up, let out a long breath, and wiped his forehead; his palm was wet.

"This job is getting harder and harder," Feng Yi muttered to himself, his voice carried away by the wind.

To be honest, he knew it perfectly well.

Jiang Ming's words weren't a reprimand, but a warning: now that he'd wade into the muddy waters of Yun Kingdom, he shouldn't be thinking of pleasing both sides.

Jiang Ming is not Wang Yao. Although Wang Yao is shrewd, at least she still has some sense of propriety.

Jiang Ming is different. This Third Prince is a ruthless and ambitious man at heart, and he can turn on you faster than flipping through a book.

But did Feng Yi have a choice?

The Yun Kingdom cannot be offended, nor can the Yun Xiangzong.

Caught between two large ships, all he could do was try his best not to let either side feel that he had favored one side.

But this time it's different; the Yun Kingdom is serious.

He was the one who spread the news about Fudi, he was the one who brought Wang Yao here, and he had already secured the Yunjinfang land in advance.

Every step was instructed by Jiang Ming, and every step was planned.

With the main force of the Yunxiang Sect tied up in the blessed land, the sect was left vulnerable, allowing the forces from the Yun Kingdom to take advantage of the situation.

At first glance, this strategy seems fine.

But Jiang Ming overlooked one thing: Wang Yao was much more shrewd than he had imagined.

The Yun Kingdom wanted to take advantage of the Yunxiang Sect's weak defenses and launch a surprise attack from the flank. Jiang Ming thought this plan was secret, but Wang Yao probably already had a hunch about it.

Why not point it out?

Of course, it's because she doesn't care at all.

What does it matter to Wang Yao whether Yun Kingdom attacks Yun Xiangzong or not?

She only cared about the seed, and whether it could sprout and bear fruit.

As for the fate of the other Yunxiang Sect members, Wang Yao probably never even considered it.

Feng Yi looked down.

From this height, Yunjinfang looks as small as a broken piece of wood casually thrown onto the sea.

Stone buildings, shacks, shallow waters...

His gaze swept over a small window on the second floor of the stone building.

Gao Yao was standing by the window, looking up at something.

Feng Yi looked at the young figure and shook his head.

......