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

On a solitary peak somewhere in the Broken Cloud Mountains.

The entire Western Wilderness cultivation world knew that a major fight had broken out, yet the two sect elders, who had a blood feud, sat here in harmony.

Li Chenyuan clapped his hands and smiled sincerely.

"Fellow Daoist Gu."

"Your skill is truly admirable."

Gu Changjin sat across the stone table, holding a cup of Crimson Cloud Wine, his expression calm.

"No, no."

"It's just a minor skill, not worthy of serious consideration."

Li Chenyuan shook his head.

"A side path?"

"You made those old fogies from the Xuan Yang Sect willingly open their treasure vault, and they still think you're the backbone of the sect."

"If this is a minor skill, then I have truly wasted all these years."

He chuckled again as he said this.

"It seems I'll have to learn from you, fellow Daoist."

"It's time to let the sect know just how hard I've worked to guard the front lines for the Crimson Cloud Sect all these years."

Gu Changjin smiled slightly.

"That's natural."

"If we don't show our skills, how will the sect know how hard we've worked?"

"If you can only do things but never complain, that's called stupid."

Li Chenyuan's eyes lit up, and he murmured it again.

"What a fool you are, someone who only knows how to do things but never complains."

"Fellow Daoist Gu, I'd like to offer you a toast."

The two raised their glasses, and the aroma of the wine spread through the mist.

If one didn't know that the disciples of the two sects were still fighting to the death, just looking at this scene, one would really think that they were old friends discussing the Dao and drinking together.

Gu Changjin put down his wine glass and suddenly coughed.

"However, as previously agreed."

"Next, it's Fellow Daoist Li's turn to perform."

Li Chenyuan nodded with a smile.

"That's natural. Your Xuan Yang Sect has already won a great victory, crushing several of my Chi Xiao Sect's affiliated forces, and your morale has been boosted."

"From now on, it will be time for my Crimson Cloud Sect to regain some face, otherwise it will be difficult to explain to the sect and its disciples."

He spoke as if it were perfectly natural.

Gu Changjin nodded.

"We really have to give them face."

"only……"

He glanced at Li Chenyuan, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"As previously agreed, after conquering those three affiliated sects, the resources obtained should indeed be shared equally with Fellow Daoist Li."

"But it seems that Fellow Daoist Li has already taken half of it ahead of time."

Li Chenyuan paused slightly in his hand holding the wine cup, then asked with a blank and innocent expression.

"Is that so?"

Gu Changjin didn't say anything, he just looked at him, almost laughing inside.

We are truly kindred spirits.

They acted so quickly!

After leading the Xuan Yang Sect army to conquer Black Rock Gate, Fire Crow Village, and Red Sand Valley, he immediately sent people to take control of the three treasure vaults.

When I went inside, I saw...

Good guy!

At least half of the treasure in the vault is missing.

Moreover, they are very few and extremely professional.

It's all spirit stones, but high-grade pills and precious spiritual materials are scarce.

The rest are all things that look good on paper but are actually hard to monetize immediately.

If you say there wasn't a mole inside, even a dog wouldn't believe it.

Even more outrageous is the Black Rock Gate.

The protective formation of the Black Rock Sect was said to have been obtained from the Crimson Cloud Sect through years of merit and a large amount of resources.

It is said to be able to withstand a Nascent Soul for forty-nine days.

If Gu Changjin is truly just an ordinary newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, it might not be so easy to defeat him in a short time.

The night before the battle, Li Chenyuan had someone deliver an identical protective array plate.

Gu Changjin took the magic disc and directly manipulated the Black Rock Sect's protective formation on the spot.

The leader of the Black Rock Sect was stunned.

No? This is a sect-protecting formation that I bought from the upper sect at a high price. Why can the other party control it directly?

When Li Chenyuan heard Gu Changjin mention these things, he didn't blush or skip a beat.

"I don't understand what Fellow Daoist Gu is saying."

"I just happen to know a few flaws in the Black Rock Sect's protective formation."

"As for the treasure vault being missing something..."

He sighed, his face full of helplessness.

"It's inevitable that subordinates will have dirty hands and feet, no matter where they are."

Gu Changjin smiled, continued drinking, and remained silent.

After a moment of eye contact, Li Chenyuan smiled first.

"Never mind, never mind."

"We're all sensible people, why pretend to be confused?"

Gu Changjin casually tossed out a storage bag.

The storage bag landed on the stone table.

Li Chenyuan swept his divine sense across the area, and his smile deepened.

There are indeed a lot of resources inside, but it's definitely not a 50/50 split.

Sanqi is about the same.

Li Chenyuan didn't take it to heart.

After all, what he did was really unethical.

We agreed to split the profits.

As a result, he cut off half of the fat meat of his own affiliated sect ahead of time.

Although it was the subordinates who died and the affiliated sects that suffered losses, the benefits actually went into their own pockets.

He put the storage bag away with satisfaction.

"Fellow Daoist Gu is truly admirable."

Gu Changjin said calmly, "Next time something like this happens, Fellow Daoist Li, please let me know in advance."

"So that if I lead my men in and find the treasure vault empty, I won't have to cover for you."

Li Chenyuan laughed loudly.

"Of course, of course."

Gu Changjin silently made a mental note of it.

I learned something.

Affiliated sects usually seem like they're part of the same group.

When it comes to a real war, they'll just be a piece of meat on the table.

Then he thought of the several sects that would subsequently become affiliated with the Xuan Yang Sect.

These small and medium-sized sects certainly can't defend their sect treasure troves on their own, so they naturally need the help of cultivators from higher sects to protect them.

The two then discussed the next round of "battle" in detail.

The Xuan Yang Sect should retreat, while the Chi Xiao Sect should engage in combat.

It would be best if the battle were thrilling, and a few of the more disobedient subordinate forces were killed.

Then both sides can submit a respectable battle report to their respective sects.

As for the disciples below shouting murderous cries that shook the heavens, causing the blood feud to deepen?

That's a matter for the disciples below.

As the supreme leader of a sect, one must consider the big picture and prioritize the overall situation above all else!

Half an hour later, the clouds and mist dispersed.

Li Chenyuan stood up and said with a smile, "Then it's settled."

"Next, it's time for me to show the Crimson Cloud Sect what it means to single-handedly stand up for a crisis."

Gu Changjin cupped his hands in greeting.

"Take care, Brother Li."

"If the injuries don't look realistic enough, you can come and ask me for some advice."

Li Chenyuan's lips twitched, then he laughed and cursed.

"Brother Gu, in this respect, I truly concede defeat."

The two transformed into streaks of light and left the solitary peak.

Gu Changjin returned to the Xuan Yang Sect's front-line camp in just three or four breaths.

Inside the camp, Yue Mingchuan and his men were already waiting.

Gu Changjin didn't explain much, but simply ordered several Golden Core cultivators who had recently become particularly close to him to enter the main tent.

These Golden Core cultivators are all people who are willing to follow him "for the glory of the sect and for common progress".

To put it bluntly, they're willing to be my dog.

Inside the main tent, Gu Changjin sat at the head of the table.

Yue Mingchuan, Zhao Jingyan, Han Zhao, and several other Golden Core cultivators bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Gu Changjin said calmly, "From today onwards, all affiliated sects under the Xuan Yang Sect must send people to garrison here."

"Especially the treasure vault, spirit mine, medicine garden, and skill transmission pavilion."

"Each team should send one Golden Core cultivator to lead it."

"Nominally, it's to guard against a surprise attack from the Crimson Cloud Sect."

"In fact, we must also guard against them being indecisive at the last minute and hoarding resources."

Yue Mingchuan immediately understood.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will make the arrangements."

Gu Changjin glanced at him.

"It wasn't arranged properly."

"It must be done properly."

"During the war, all resources were allocated in a unified manner."

"Anyone who dares to hide is undermining morale."

Several Golden Core cultivators felt a chill run down their spines.

"yes!"

Gu Changjin waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

After the main tent quieted down, he raised his hand and set up several layers of formations.

Then take out the small pot.

During this period, he gained a lot.

Among the frontline supplies that the sect asked him to bring, some top-grade spirit stones couldn't be distributed in time because the battle situation changed too quickly.

Since there's no time to distribute them, we can only feed the small pot first.

Otherwise, what if the Crimson Cloud Sect accidentally steals it?

All of this is for the sake of the sect's resources!

The Crimson Cloud Sect gave us 5,000 top-grade spirit stones.

The three affiliated sects seized a share of the spirit stones they had acquired.

In addition, there are the remaining high-grade spiritual materials after Li Chenyuan took away a portion of them.

Gu Changjin threw everything into the small pot.

The pot vibrated gently, and drops of emerald green spiritual liquid slowly condensed out, its rich vitality almost filling the entire main tent.

Gu Changjin took out the remnant root of the Innate Thunder Spirit Wood.

This remnant root is no longer the charred and dried-out thing it once was.

A significant amount of the charred crust had fallen off the surface, and the silver-purple thunder pattern inside flickered intermittently.

Even at one end of the remaining root, a tiny new bud has sprouted.

Gu Changjin dripped the spiritual liquid onto it little by little.

The Thunder Spirit Tree trembled slightly, and the new buds grew a little longer.

The innate energy continuously overflowed, and was slowly swallowed up by the Dao Fruit deep within the soul.

Much later.

Dao Guo trembled slightly.

Gu Changjin closed his eyes to sense it.

The amount of Guiyi Daoyuan has increased.

This time, there were a full thirty more strands.

Adding the remaining thirteen strands.

He now possesses forty-three strands of the Returning to One Dao Yuan.

Forty-three strands.

Gu Changjin opened his eyes, a hint of satisfaction flashing in them.

How long has it been?

If I were to rely solely on him to restore my Dao traces to their original positions, I don't know how long it would take to accumulate to this level.

But now, as long as there are resources and innate spiritual objects, he can continue to nurture and refine them.

War is indeed the fastest way to get rich.

Of course, the premise is that you don't get yourself involved.

Gu Changjin put away the small pot and the Thunder Spirit Wood.

very good mood.

However, he soon remembered the message that Li Chenyuan had mentioned before leaving.

Ling Shuang Sword Sect, Gu Qingxiao, the direct descendant of the Gu family who was expelled.

There's also Gu Xiaolou, who killed Pei Xuandu, a famous rogue cultivator from the Western Wilderness.

"Gu Qingxiao..."

He suddenly laughed.

"This outstanding descendant of mine is more troublesome than I imagined."