Outside Artifact Talisman City, a group of over a hundred Cultivators was relentlessly attacking a mountain gate. The multi-colored sheen of several hundred spells and Talismans struck the Mountain Protection Array, creating ripples that were surprisingly beautiful to behold.

The few Cultivators in the lead were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage. As they attacked, they shouted threats:

"Listen up in there! The brothers are only here for your wealth this time, not to hurt anyone. If you know what’s good for you, disable the great Array and hand over your Spirit Stones and valuables. Otherwise, once we break through this Array, we’ll slaughter every last one of you!"

Inside the mountain gate, another group of Cultivators struggled to hold on. They stood at their posts, feeding one Spirit Stone after another into the Array Talisman Discs. From time to time, they would cast spells that shot through the Array, blasting toward the Cultivators outside.

But compared to the more than one hundred attackers outside, there were barely twenty Cultivators inside the mountain gate who could fight, and several of them were young men and women still in their teens.

"My lord, we’re not going to be able to hold on, are we? What will happen to Chen’Er and the others?"

The speaker was a beautiful middle-aged woman. Her voice trembled on the verge of tears, and she kept glancing toward a child in the back who was not yet ten years old.

The Cultivator addressed as "my lord" was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but he was exhausted. Though the Array protected them and the mountain gate was currently safe, he knew it wouldn’t last much longer.

There were no fewer than ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators outside, along with nearly a hundred Qi Cultivation Cultivators. If reinforcements didn’t arrive soon, the mountain gate’s fall was only a matter of time.

"Maybe we should just listen to them. Open the gate and trade our wealth for our lives."

"A woman’s shortsightedness! What do you know? This is a psychological tactic to trick us into not resisting. You think a few Spirit Stones will make them leave? If we open the Array, we’ll die even faster."

The Foundation Establishment Family Master’s roar frightened the woman into silence, but the slight tremor in his hand betrayed his own unease.

This band of Tribulation Cultivators was composed of those who had participated in the latter stages of the expansion war. As soon as the Great Zhou Academy left, they set their sights on the wealth of the small families and sects of White Mountain.

In other lands, however, the established powers were strong. They didn’t dare to act rashly against sects within the spheres of influence of factions like the Pill Alliance and the Five Elements Alliance. Normally, as time went on, they would have either dispersed or gathered to pull off one big heist.

But now, before they had scattered or reached a consensus, a new development occurred in Artifact Talisman City. And so, this swarm of Cultivators descended like flies drawn to a foul stench.

The other powers were naturally happy to see this happen. ’Better you die than me.’ With the trouble diverted to the Artifact Talisman City’s lands, they welcomed it with open arms.

As for the three families of the Spirit Wood Alliance, they had no spare energy to deal with this matter. Annexing Artifact Talisman City was one thing, but dealing with the trouble stirred up by Gao Guangsheng’s descendants and cooperating with the Qi Yun Sect’s high-level investigation to clear their own names was the top priority. As for these small Foundation Establishment families and sects, if they died, they died. It might even free up some Spiritual Land, allowing them to replace the old with the new.

Thus, the original small families and sects of Artifact Talisman City were now facing a catastrophe.

As time passed, the once-sturdy Mountain Protection Array grew visibly thin. Through the shimmering barrier, both sides could even make out each other’s expressions.

One side was filled with despair, the other with wild joy. Just at this critical moment, a massive hump-backed ray flew lazily into view from the distant sky.

Faced with the approaching ray of unknown intent, a small commotion broke out among the Tribulation Cultivators. With guilty consciences, they feared it was some major power coming to get to the bottom of things.

Three Foundation Establishment Cultivators split off from the group and cautiously approached.

Atop the hump-backed ray, Fang Qingyuan watched the three furtive figures and was the first to speak:

"Greetings, everyone. I am the Sect Leader of the Qingyuan Sect. I’ve come here specifically to make a deal with you."

The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators immediately stopped. Their leader said:

"Qingyuan Sect? Never heard of it. Why are you meddling in these muddy waters? Don’t tell me you want a piece of the pie too?"

Fang Qingyuan smiled faintly and gestured for Mao Cheng to raise the Qingyuan Sect’s banner higher before explaining:

"We are a sect newly enfeoffed by the Great Zhou Academy and are not involved in this matter. However, heaven has a virtue for life. We’ve come hoping to reduce the slaughter."

"You think you can stop us? So what if you’re a newly enfeoffed sect? If you make the first move, we’ll have reason enough to kill you."

Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan fell silent. ’It’s true that the Qingyuan Sect is protected by the three-generation enfeoffment rule,’ he thought. ’But if we proactively attack another power and they obtain concrete evidence, they could retaliate against the Qingyuan Sect in the name of a grudge. The three-generation rule isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, much less a Panacea.’

But Fang Qingyuan’s purpose on this trip wasn’t to save these sects from peril. He just wanted to take this opportunity to recruit a few disciples. Otherwise, the Qingyuan Sect’s dozen or so Qi Cultivation Cultivators were simply not enough to make a respectable showing.

"Fellow Daoist, you’ve misunderstood. As I said, the Qingyuan Sect will not participate in this matter. We merely wish to reach an agreement with you. For example, for the sake of some Spirit Stones, might you let me take a few of the youths? After all, these children are useless in your hands."

Hearing this, the other party hesitated. If they broke through the mountain gate, they would just kill these Cultivating Children with a single sword strike anyway. Since someone was willing to spend Spirit Stones to save their lives, it didn’t sound like a bad deal.

As for the possibility of these children growing up and seeking revenge, these men didn’t even consider it. Compared to a vague possibility decades or even a century in the future, the Spirit Stones in front of them were real.

So the three men returned to their group and began a heated debate. A moment later, the crowd gestured for Fang Qingyuan to come closer.

Seeing their signal, Fang Qingyuan urged Yinbao forward, completely unafraid of a potential ambush. Just moments ago, his powerful divine soul had already overheard their entire argument.

’It seems the Great Zhou Academy’s authority still holds,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’These people dare to plunder a mountain gate, but they don’t dare to proactively attack an enfeoffed sect.’

The nature of the two acts was different. Plundering a sect was a matter of private grudges and feuds, but attacking an enfeoffed sect would provoke the Great Zhou Academy to intervene personally.

As he drew near, the leader stepped forward and said:

"Ten Top-grade Spirit Stones per person. Take it or leave it. If you don’t accept, I’ll just kill them now."

At this price, Fang Qingyuan’s expression turned cold. He wanted to recruit Cultivating Children, but a price of ten Top-grade Spirit Stones was pure extortion.

So, Fang Qingyuan began to haggle:

"Ten is out of the question. That’s too expensive. You should know, you’re not the only group in this Land Realm. I can easily try my luck elsewhere. If I leave, you won’t get a single stone."

The other man was stubborn:

"Too little isn’t worth it either. What if these children grow up and come looking for revenge? We’re taking a risk here."

"You’re all hiding your faces and identities. Who the hell knows where you’re from? The Cultivation Realm is vast; where would they even go to find you? Stop using that as an excuse to raise the price."

Fang Qingyuan argued back and forth with the man for a while, and they finally reached a consensus: three Top-grade Spirit Stones per person.

Three Top-grade Spirit Stones was very expensive, but in exchange, he was getting Cultivation Immortal Seedlings with at least Middle Grade Spirit Root Talent. That was worth the price. Fang Qingyuan believed that in the future, these Immortal Seedlings would surely bring him returns far exceeding the value of three Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Having settled things with the attackers, Fang Qingyuan gestured for them to back away. He approached the Array and explained the entire situation to those inside.

Inside the Array, the old Foundation Establishment Cultivator and the beautiful woman thanked Fang Qingyuan profusely. Compared to the complete annihilation of their family, having a sect with a three-generation enfeoffment willing to take them in was a blessing they must have earned in a past life.

They didn’t dare hope for anything more, like asking Fang Qingyuan to help them fight. So, the old Foundation Establishment Cultivator simply knocked the four youths unconscious and sent them out of the Array.

Fang Qingyuan took the youths, placed them on Yinbao’s back, went before the group of Tribulation Cultivators, paid the agreed-upon Spirit Stones, and then departed leisurely.

After he left, the battle once again erupted.

And this same scene was playing out all across the hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the Artifact Talisman City’s Land Realm.

「Half a month later.」

Fang Qingyuan had gathered nearly twenty youths. Deciding this was enough for now, he hurried back to the Qingyuan Sect, left them all in the care of Chen Huicheng, then took his men and rushed to Nine Stars Square without stopping to begin a massive purchase of various Talismans and War Artifacts.

As soon as the expansion war ended, the prices of these items had plummeted. With Fang Qingyuan buying them up now, he had no competition.

Puzzled by Fang Qingyuan’s actions, Mao Cheng asked:

"Sect Leader, we’re not going to war. Why are you buying all these War Artifacts?"

Fang Qingyuan gave a self-satisfied smile.

"We may not need them, but someone will. At a critical moment, a Five Thunders Talisman that costs one Middle-grade Spirit Stone can sell for the price of a Top-grade Spirit Stone. This time, I’m going to lead you all to a massive windfall."

Leaving Mao Cheng with a bewildered look, Fang Qingyuan took the pile of supplies, changed direction again, and headed for the territory of the Artifact Talisman Alliance.