Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

The Xuan Yang Sect was unusually lively today.

As dawn broke, streaks of spiritual light pierced through the air outside the mountain gate.

Some can fly on swords.

Some people travel by boat.

Some people ride on gourds or mythical beasts.

Golden Core cultivators, rarely seen on ordinary days, seemed to have flocked to the Xuan Yang Sect's Welcoming Peak today.

Almost every sect in the entire Western Wilderness that could be called a name sent people.

There were also some lone, renowned rogue cultivators present.

It's not that they're idle.

Rather, it was the fierce battle between the Xuan Yang Sect and the Chi Xiao Sect that caused such a stir.

Two factions are vying for control of the Cold Marrow mineral vein.

Each of them contributed one Golden Core cultivator.

Life and death are irrelevant.

The winner takes the ore.

If there are only two incidents that I witnessed, then I can say whatever I want after the fight.

What if you lose and refuse to admit it?

What if they take action in secret?

What to do if the contract is breached?

Therefore, we must invite outsiders to come.

With these sect elders and renowned rogue cultivators present, anyone who dares to break the rules will be banned from the Western Wilderness in the future.

On Yingke Peak, a group of Xuan Yang Sect disciples watched the Golden Core cultivators from afar, their eyes filled with both awe and excitement.

Such a scene is rarely seen on ordinary days.

"I heard that Elder Gu is the one fighting today?"

"Who else could it be? They've already signed a death contract."

"Sigh, Elder Gu was quite a prominent figure in our Xuan Yang Sect when he was young, wasn't he? My master told me that he used the Jin Yang Sword Qi to kill many demonic cultivators on the western border."

"So what? No matter how powerful they are, they're old now. I heard their lifespan is almost over."

"That's a real shame."

Someone sighed.

But someone immediately chimed in.

"What's there to regret? To die for the sect is a worthy death. The Cold Marrow Mine is crucial to the sect's foundation for centuries. If I were to reach Elder Gu's age, I would also be willing to do my last bit of effort for the sect."

These words were spoken with great force and conviction.

Several disciples around him glanced at him.

The man had a rather upright expression on his face.

I just silently added a sentence in my mind.

Of course, if it were my turn, I'd rather not.

Isn't it good to be alive?

On the other hand, some disciples from smaller families were discussing more practical matters.

"I heard that the sect leader has granted the Gu family a chance to be a candidate for Foundation Establishment Pills for thirty years."

"Really?"

"How could it be fake? I heard that the quotas for true disciples, inner disciples, spirit fields, and side courtyards of spirit veins have all been allocated to the Gu family."

"Wow, wouldn't the Gu family have hit the jackpot?"

"It's more than just a huge profit. Trading an ancestor nearing the end of his lifespan for the Gu family's century-old foundation. If my family had such an ancestor..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

We can't continue saying that.

That's a bit unethical.

But everyone knew the truth.

The Gu family's deal was definitely a sure thing.

Even more ruthless, rumors circulated that Elder Gu originally intended to exchange the resources bestowed upon him by the sect leader for longevity pills, preparing for one last desperate gamble before the final battle.

As a result, the head of the Gu family led his clansmen to the door to plead for their lives, crying and kneeling, saying that the Gu family could not be without a foundation and that the younger generation could not be without a future.

In the end, Elder Gu softened his heart and kept only a small portion of the life-extending items, exchanging the rest of the rewards for quotas and resources for the Gu family.

After this news spread, the Gu family's reputation suffered a bit.

Some people criticize them for being powerful because of their filial piety.

Some people say they have an unseemly table manners.

Some people think Gu Changjin is stupid.

He's already a Golden Core cultivator, how can he still be so easily manipulated by his family?

But as soon as these words are spoken, people quickly shake their heads.

傻？

Who among those who can cultivate to the Golden Core stage is truly foolish?

Perhaps they simply understood the meaning of life and death and wanted to leave something for their descendants.

Of course, these people didn't know.

The news was spread by someone sent by Gu Changjin.

Did Gu Jia get it or not?

I didn't receive it.

Where are the resources?

Everything is in Gu Changjin's hands.

But reputation comes first.

When the Gu family realizes they haven't gotten any benefits but have instead been burdened with infamy, their expressions will be quite interesting.

Just as everyone was discussing this, a bell suddenly rang out from outside the mountain gate.

clang--

Crimson rays of light surged from the horizon.

The people from the Crimson Cloud Sect have arrived.

The leader was dressed in a crimson robe, with a cold and stern look in his eyes, and slightly graying temples. The fiery aura emanating from him caused the surrounding spiritual clouds to distort slightly.

The leader of Chixiao Sect, Li Fenshan.

Late stage of Golden Core.

He was followed by several elders of the Crimson Cloud Sect, as well as a tall, middle-aged cultivator.

The middle-aged cultivator had a calm expression and carried a long bronze sword on his back. His aura was clearly that of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

This person's name is Zhou Lieyang.

The most famous genius of this generation in the Crimson Cloud Sect.

Of course, this genius is not a child prodigy.

Who among those who have cultivated to the Golden Core stage is truly young?

Zhou Lieyang is over two hundred years old this year.

However, among Golden Core cultivators, being over two hundred years old can indeed be considered middle-aged.

A middle-aged prodigy is still a prodigy.

As soon as Zhou Lieyang landed, his gaze swept over the Xuan Yang Sect members, his eyes revealing an undisguised fighting spirit.

The disciples of the Crimson Cloud Sect all had cold and hard expressions.

This time, the one who died was a direct disciple of the sect leader.

They weren't just there for show.

On the Xuan Yang Sect's side, Yun Qingli also appeared with several elders.

She was dressed in white, with a cool and aloof expression, and stood before the main seat with an extremely composed demeanor.

However, the expressions of the older generation of elders behind her were not very pleasant.

Li Fenshan saw Yun Qingli and sneered.

"Sect Master Yun, what a grand occasion!"

"You even managed to make such a spectacle of sending an elderly sword cultivator nearing the end of his life to die in place of your Xuan Yang Sect."

Upon hearing this, many elders of the Xuan Yang Sect turned pale.

This isn't just happening in Ci Yun Qing Li.

It was also a dig at their Xuan Yang Sect.

Yun Qingli coldly said, "Sect Leader Li, please be careful with your words."

"Elder Gu is an elder of my Xuan Yang Sect. He is fighting for the sect in this battle. How can you say he is going to his death?"

Li Fenshan sneered.

"That sounds nice."

"If it truly is for the sect's mineral veins, I will respect him to some extent."

"But you and I both know exactly why this deadly battle started."

He took a step forward, his voice suddenly rising.

"If it weren't for your precious junior brother Lu Huaizhen killing my personal disciple and seizing my Crimson Jade Token, would things have come to this?"

"Now you're putting on airs and bringing the dispute over the mineral veins into the open."

"What? Does Sect Leader Yun think that the fellow Daoists of the Western Wilderness are all so easy to fool?"

These words immediately caused an uproar throughout Yingke Peak.

"What?"

"Isn't the deadly duel because of the Frost Marrow mineral vein?"

"Lu Huaizhen? That's the junior brother of Sect Master Yun?"

"The Crimson Jade Token? No wonder the Crimson Cloud Sect is so determined to keep it."

The sect elders watching the battle all wore meaningful expressions.

They had only heard of two disputes over mining rights before.

I never expected there was another floor inside.

The sect leader of the Crimson Cloud Sect clearly pointed this out in public on purpose.

This made the Xuan Yang Sect lose face.

Yun Qingli's face turned pale and then flushed.

She felt anger, but also a moment of panic.

But soon, that panic was suppressed again.

Huaizhen would never do such a thing.

Even if there was some misunderstanding, it must have been the disciples of the Crimson Cloud Sect who pressured him first.

She looked at Li Fenshan, her voice turning colder.

"Sect Leader Li, do you really think my Xuan Yang Sect has no one to slander us with mere words?"

Li Fenshan's eyes sharpened.

"Stain?"

"The Crimson Jade Token is in his hands. My own disciple died at his hands. How dare you accuse me of slander?"

Yun Qingli moved her sleeve.

The atmosphere between the two parties instantly became tense.

Just then, a terrifying pressure rose from the back mountain of the Xuan Yang Sect.

boom--

The sky and earth seemed to sink all at once.

All the Golden Core cultivators present felt a sudden tightness in their hearts.

Nascent Soul Intimidation!

The lower-ranking disciples on Welcoming Peak turned pale, and some almost lost their footing.

Li Fenshan's expression also changed, and he swallowed back what he was about to say.

Damn.

Those elders of the Xuan Yang Sect are spoiling Yun Qingli way too much, aren't they?

The younger generation is arguing a bit, and the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator is already being released?

Is this even reasonable?

But in the next instant, a crimson aura also shot into the sky from behind the Crimson Cloud Sect's ranks.

That aura erupted like a volcano, directly pushing back the pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivator of the Xuan Yang Sect.

Everyone in the room finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Above the clouds, someone chuckled softly.

"Fellow Daoist Wen Yue, today the younger generation is fighting to the death, so let's not frighten people down here."

From the back mountain of Xuan Yang Sect, that aged voice rang out softly.

"Since Fellow Daoist Chi Yan has come, why hide?"

"Let the other fellow Daoists come out as well."

"Let's have a discussion online and leave the stage to the younger generation."

The words fell.

Above the sky, a sea of ​​clouds surged.

One after another, wisps of Nascent Soul aura appeared.