Chapter Forty-Eight: Conditions

The patriarch furrowed his brow; the news was not good. Though the third son had reached the eighth tier, his legs were weak, greatly diminishing his strength. It was uncertain whether their top combatants could rival the Gu family. Now that the Chen family was seeking an alliance, there was a chance to turn the situation to their advantage.

Thinking of this, he spoke, “Old Chen, how do you know our Yun clan can really stand against them?”

Chen Fengli gave a bitter laugh. “Feiyun, don’t tease me. The moment I entered your estate, I received a warning. Otherwise, it would not have taken me this long to arrive—a matter of a few breaths, not a cup of tea.”

“Hm?” Yun Feiyun, ever shrewd, though not fully aware, followed Chen Fengli’s words. “The Gu family’s ambitions are no secret—we’ve been waiting for the right moment. We absolutely cannot let them dominate the mountain, or both the Chen and Yun clans will be in danger.”

“Feiyun, I’ll be blunt. The Gu family is approaching aggressively. Whether the Chen clan joins with Yun or with another, it’s like bargaining with a tiger. Am I right, or not?”

Yun Feiyun coughed, his face flushing slightly. Everyone knew the three clans had always competed, each wanting to become the mountain’s master, but none could break the stalemate.

“Old Chen, our Yun clan is the most honorable—you know this, or you wouldn’t be here speaking with me. Since you’ve chosen to trust us, you must continue to do so. The Gu family, with their four sons, aims to seize the mountain. There will be a bitter battle. What are your thoughts?”

“We’ve come this far; I won’t hide anything. The problem is the four sons of the Gu family. If no one restrains them, nothing else can be discussed.”

Yun Feiyun looked at Chen Fengli with a half-smile. “It’s not difficult to restrain the four sons of the Gu family, but...”

Chen Fengli’s eyes flickered with deep helplessness. He knew he needed to make a promise—without genuine sincerity, he could not gain the Yun clan’s support. Family interests outweighed personal grudges.

Frowning, Chen Fengli sat quietly, his aura swirling, showing his inner turmoil. From the moment he entered the Yun estate, he understood the Yun clan could contend with the Gu family’s four sons. Now, the key was to win their support at the lowest cost.

“We, the Chen clan, will follow your lead!” Chen Fengli gritted his teeth.

Yun Feiyun smiled, then shook his head.

“Feiyun, that is my bottom line. If you are still unsatisfied, I can do nothing more.”

“I need something tangible—perhaps your sales network, or a mine. What do you think, Old Chen?”

Chen Fengli shook his head. “That would be indirect annexation, Feiyun. If I did that, I’d be ashamed before my ancestors. Surely you understand.”

“Old Chen, that’s not what I meant. I simply want you to use your network to handle some matters for me. I will only deal with you or a designated person; your subordinates won’t know the details. How about that?”

“That I can agree to on behalf of the clan.”

Yun Feiyun nodded. “That’s still intangible. Now, let’s talk specifics. You have two iron mines—could you part with one? I only want one.” He raised a single finger, finally making his demand plain.

Chen Fengli’s brows drew together in frustration—never had he felt so aggrieved.

“I hope this is your final condition. Otherwise, I’d rather leave behind everything, cross the mountain’s gap, and seek another land. If you cannot defeat the Gu family, neither can the Yun clan. I stand by my judgment.” Chen Fengli was furious, a murderous intent in his eyes. One who reached the seventh tier had climbed from a mountain of corpses, accustomed to life and death. Were it not for his clan, he would not be speaking so calmly.

As Chen Fengli struggled to suppress his anger, a cold snort came from behind the curtain. An ancient voice, accompanied by a surge of mental energy, pressed down on Chen Fengli, shaking his spiritual sea.

He grunted, his spiritual sea invaded, his consciousness transported to a foreign realm—mountain peaks like swords, forests like oceans.

In an instant, the mental pressure receded like a tide. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, his back soaked through. He felt as though he had lived a thousand years; if attacked just then, he would have had no power to resist. Wiping his brow, his eyes revealed deep astonishment and fear—for he realized the two waves of mental energy came from different people.

“My god!” Chen Fengli rubbed his temples. The Yun clan had two eighth-tier emperors; such strength could break through the mountain, leave Liuyang City, even reach the ancient capital of Changsha.

Yun Feiyun said nothing, giving Chen Fengli time to think.

“There’s no problem with the mine. But I hope the Yun clan leaves the Chen clan some room.” Chen Fengli had to fully humble himself; the two sides were not on equal footing and he could not seize the initiative.

“Heh, Old Chen, as long as we work together, the Gu family will become history. Your Chen clan will remain on the mountain—this is your root, as it is ours.”

“Thank you! I hope the Yun clan keeps its promise.”

“Of course. If we act, we act as tigers, never as wolves.” Yun Feiyun’s words rang with resolve, revealing the Yun clan’s ambition.

“Then, I take my leave.” Chen Fengli cupped his hands and turned away, vanishing swiftly into the darkness.

In the scripture hall, three men sat on the floor, each with a cup of wine before him, the fragrance filling the room.

“Third Brother, what do you think of the Gu family’s four sons?” Yun Feiyun asked.

Yun Feiyan lowered his head, sipping tea, a hint of confusion on his brow. “Years ago, I gravely wounded the four sons of the Gu family; most of their meridians were severed. How could they have cultivated to the eighth tier?”

“Perhaps some miraculous encounter. The world is vast and full of wonders.” Yun Yufeng smiled. He himself had survived, so nothing was impossible.

“Never mind, that’s not the point. Now that the Chen clan has come, we must take the initiative. Against the Gu family, we must strike to kill; if an eighth-tier escapes, trouble will follow. If I hadn’t wounded the four sons back then, I’d be confident. Now, not only have they recovered, but advanced to emperor—such fortune is unpredictable.” Yun Feiyan shook his head. He knew his own limitations—his leg injury was a major handicap.

“Grandfather, unless we ambush them, we have no chance. A fifty-fifty fight would only waste our strength, to no benefit.”

Yun Feiyan shook his head. “It’s useless. If emperors could be ambushed so easily, they wouldn’t be emperors. If an emperor wishes to flee, none can stop him—not even if my legs were whole. Without two emperors, it’s impossible.”

Yun Yufeng nodded. Though he could not reach the emperor’s level, from his grandfather’s words he sensed deep confidence—the pride of one who reigns supreme.

“It seems intimidation is our only path—make the Gu family fear to act, keep them from seizing power on the mountain. Can’t we extend our influence outward?” Yun Feiyun laughed.

“The four sons did not come in anger; their actions show it. When we fought, there was mutual respect. He lost by one move, his meridians nearly destroyed. Perhaps I’ll visit him, reminisce.”

“Oh, right, Chen Fengli said he was warned upon entering the estate. Was it you, Third Brother?”

Yun Yufeng exchanged a glance with his grandfather, sipped his wine, eyes lowered.

Yun Feiyan smiled and shook his head—this child was too mischievous, even hiding things from the patriarch.

But to Yun Feiyun, it meant something else. It wasn’t Third Brother after all, which explained why Chen Fengli had been so frightened when Third Brother imposed his pressure—he believed the Yun clan had two emperors. Interesting! No wonder Old Chen tolerated so much. But who had the power to warn Chen Fengli?

Leaving the scripture hall, Yun Yufeng did not return to the estate, but traversed the path to the mountain’s summit. He needed strength now. The Godslayer Ancient Tower contained many secret techniques inscribed on its walls, but lacking power, these secrets appeared hazy and unreadable.

Without reaching the fifth tier, not even a single secret technique could be mastered. Now, with the world in turmoil outside, he felt tremendous pressure—he urgently needed to unlock his potential.

Yun Yufeng knew his mental power was strong, but lacked a way to develop it. His spirit was limited by his body, unable to unleash its full force. Spirit-mages harnessed mental power to drive elemental energy, but Yun Yufeng had no guidance, always following the path of the warrior. The Yun clan, for generations, had never produced a spirit-mage—it was a clan that revered martial strength.

He disliked the frailty of spirit-mages, but since he had that talent, he could only pin his hopes on the Godslayer Ancient Tower. There, his path would be smooth, if he could break through to the fifth tier.

He swallowed a pill; its immense power coursed through his meridians, violet energy rising from his crown. The Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique operated at full force, drawing in the world’s energies, including elemental forces, which poured violently into his meridians. The forge in his dantian blazed, burning and refining, purging all impurities as unwanted elemental energies were expelled during the process.

Violet mist swirled around him; the expelled elemental energies gathered, glowing softly in the darkness—azure for wind, green for wood, yellow for earth—a dazzling array of colors.

From afar, Yun Feiyan sighed softly. He could not rest easy with Yun Yufeng training alone at the summit, so he followed quietly, guarding him in secret. Watching the luminous, swirling mist, Yun Feiyan felt a pang of emotion—such extraordinary talent was the envy of many, but the path would not be easy. The greater the achievement, the heavier the burden. Yet, what true man would willingly settle for mediocrity?

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