The Land Realm of the Artifact Talisman Alliance had now become a carnival of slaughter. Some of the more powerful sects were managing. After signing offensive and defensive pacts and mutual protection agreements, they could hold their own when small groups of Tribulation Cultivators attacked their sect gates.

But those sects that were already weak now faced a great calamity.

At one sect gate, the Tribulation Cultivators outside attacked without cease, and the people inside lived in constant fear. When the assault finally let up for a moment, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Sect Leader, we’re running low on reserve Spirit Talismans! And Top-grade Water Spirit Stones... we have less than twenty left. If the attacks continue for a few more days, our array won’t be able to hold. What do we do?"

"We have to hold on, even if it feels like we can’t. If we don’t, we die. We just have to wait for our superiors to free up their hands. They will come save us."

"We’ve been sending out signal flares for days, but we haven’t seen a single person come to our aid. Instead of pinning our hopes on our superiors, we’d be better off fighting our way out to carve a path to survival. Let them have the sect’s Spirit Fields, the Scripture Pavilion, and all the spirit materials in the great storehouse! What if we use that as a distraction to make our escape?"

Hearing his junior brother’s suggestion, the Sect Leader of the Vast Forest Sect was tempted. But as he looked at the many mortals and Low-tier Cultivators within the sect gates, and at the land where he had lived his entire life, he ultimately shook his head and said:

"The blood, sweat, and accumulation of five generations cannot end with me. Besides, if we choose to break out, only the few of us with high cultivation levels would likely survive. All these disciples and our kin would perish here. I cannot do such a thing. If you want to leave, then go. I would rather die here with the ancestral tablets of the Vast Forest Sect."

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother, ’where there’s life, there’s hope.’ Preserving the foundation of the sect is what’s most important. As long as our people live, the Vast Forest Sect will not perish."

"My mind is made up. Don’t try to persuade me further. If you say another word, I’ll have you punished for disrupting morale!"

Arguments continued within the sect gates, and it was the same outside. A dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivators were gathered in a circle, arguing about what to do next.

"We’ve been at this for half a month! This Vast Forest Sect is like a damn turtle in its shell. How is it so tough that we still can’t crack it? The other groups are already feasting on the spoils, and we haven’t even had a sip of the broth!"

"The Vast Forest Sect has been passed down for five generations, and their ancestors were once quite wealthy. Their founding Grandmaster was only one step away from becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator, so naturally, their foundations are deep. It’s not surprising we haven’t broken through in half a month. We just need to put in more effort. The rougher the waves, the more valuable the fish, right?"

"Easy for you to say. We don’t know when the people from the Spirit Wood Alliance will get involved. The moment they do, we’re all dead meat. I don’t have time to waste here. From now on, everyone better start using whatever trump cards they have. No more holding back."

These Foundation Establishment Cultivators had gathered in small, disparate groups, and most of them didn’t know each other. Faced with a tough nut to crack like the Vast Forest Sect, they all naturally wanted to slack off and let someone else do the dirty work.

But none of them were bigger fools than the next. This was why, after half a month, the Vast Forest Sect’s array had yet to be broken. Of course, another reason was the Vast Forest Sect’s deep pockets; their grand array was a Third-rank top-quality array.

Unfortunately, for nearly a thousand years, ever since their first and second generation Golden Core Sect Leaders had passed away, the array could not be brought to its full power in the hands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Furthermore, after a millennium, the array was severely damaged and was a far cry from its former glory.

Otherwise, facing a fully powered Third-Order Top-grade Array, these Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be killed off one by one and would never have dared to be so audacious.

After a bout of arguing, the leading Foundation Establishment Cultivators outside gradually reached a consensus. Just as they were about to act, a giant Flying Manta Ray appeared before them, cruising along leisurely.

"I am the Sect Leader of the Qingyuan Sect, here to visit a friend. Would you fellow Daoists please be so kind as to make way?"

Atop Silver Treasure’s back, Fang Qingyuan spoke with an amiable expression. As soon as the words left his mouth, most of the opposing cultivators were left speechless and astonished.

’For the love of the Celestial Venerables, there’s a war going on, and you’re here to "visit a friend"? Are you out of your mind?’

A few breaths later, a clamor arose. Many of them fixed Fang Qingyuan with malicious stares, looking eager to make a move.

Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan’s expression remained unchanged. He maintained his gentle smile and motioned for Mao Cheng behind him to raise the Qingyuan Sect’s banner higher.

"The Qingyuan Sect is under the protection of a three-generation enfeoffment from the Great Zhou Academy. If you all wish to move against us, are you prepared to face the wrath of the Great Zhou Academy?"

As Fang Qingyuan’s voice fell, the scene fell silent. Then, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator stammered:

"Y-y-y-you... you say you’re a sect enfeoffed by the Great Zhou Academy? Do you have any proof?"

Fang Qingyuan glanced at him and pointed to the large banner Mao Cheng was holding.

"Can’t you see the massive golden characters? Isn’t it written perfectly clearly up there?"

On the Qingyuan Sect banner that Mao Cheng held, aside from the name ’Qingyuan Sect’, the most conspicuous part was the six large words: ’Great Zhou Academy, Three-Generation Enfeoffment!’

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s face flushed red, and he retreated. Then, another one raised a doubt:

"Who knows if that’s real or fake? What’s to stop you from just embroidering that on there to fool us?"

Fang Qingyuan sighed and stared at the man as if he were an idiot.

"Impersonating something like this is punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan. Would you dare to parade around with such a blatant forgery?"

With that one sentence, another Foundation Establishment Cultivator was defeated, and the atmosphere grew tense. But a few breaths later, a voice from an unknown location in the crowd called out:

"There’s safety in numbers! There are so many of us. If we all rush them at once and take them out, no one will be the wiser. Then we can all go our separate ways. I refuse to believe the Great Zhou Academy would hunt every last one of us down."

The moment these words were spoken, nearly half of the two to three hundred cultivators opposite them began to stir restlessly. ’He’s right,’ they thought. ’If we strike now amidst the chaos, who would ever know who did it?’

However, there were still many clear-headed cultivators who simply watched the situation unfold with cold detachment.

Faced with this situation, Fang Qingyuan sighed again. He took out a token-like Magical Artifact, held it high, and channeled his Spiritual Power to make his voice boom across the entire area:

"This is a Heaven-Reaching Order! I’d like to see who dares! The moment I activate this Heaven-Reaching Order, a Nascent Soul Level Inspector Envoy from the Great Zhou Academy will arrive within ten breaths. If none of you are afraid of having your clans annihilated, by all means, give it a try!"

Seeing the object in Fang Qingyuan’s hand, the opposing cultivators erupted in an uproar.

"He has a Heaven-Reaching Order? My apologies, everyone, but I suddenly have urgent business to attend to. I’ll be taking my leave."

"A Heaven-Reaching Order costs 200,000 merit points! Someone actually exchanged for one? I always thought it was just a scam the Great Zhou Academy used to drain people of their points. You learn something new every day."

"He wouldn’t dare use it! Don’t leave, everyone, let’s attack together! Hey, hey, why are you pulling me?"

Watching the chaotic scene unfold, Fang Qingyuan breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’If they hadn’t believed me, I’d probably have ordered Silver Treasure to turn tail and flee by now. They’re just a disorganized mob, after all. A little scare and they completely fall apart.’

In truth, he didn’t have a Heaven-Reaching Order at all. The token he pulled out was just something he grabbed at random. Although it looked very similar in style to the Great Zhou Academy’s Heaven-Reaching Token, it was actually the keepsake Token of the Qingyuan Sect.

’A Heaven-Reaching Order for 200,000 merit points? How could I possibly afford to exchange for one? Even if I wanted to, I don’t have enough merit points from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect.’

’Impersonating a sect with a three-generation enfeoffment from the Great Zhou Academy is a major crime. But claiming to have a Heaven-Reaching Order? That’s just bragging. If you believe me, that’s on you. After all, bragging isn’t against the laws of the Great Zhou!’

The opposing crowd was in turmoil for quite some time. Several dozen cultivators left on the spot. The ones who remained no longer dared to call his bluff.

So, Fang Qingyuan put away his "Heaven-Reaching Token," took a slight detour to another side of the Vast Forest Sect’s perimeter, and shouted to the people inside:

"Fang Qingyuan, Sect Leader of the Great Zhou-enfeoffed Qingyuan Sect, has come to pay a visit to your esteemed sect! I ask that your Sect Leader open a path and allow us entry."

Inside the array, the leaders of the Vast Forest Sect held an urgent discussion. The sudden appearance of the Qingyuan Sect filled them with both pleasant surprise and deep anxiety.

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother, we cannot open the array! This must be an enemy plot. If we let them in, we’ll be signing our own death warrants!"

"It’s definitely a ruse where they pretend to be our saviors! This whole affair is suspicious. Sect Leader, Senior Brother, you must not act rashly."

Faced with the admonitions of his junior brothers, the Vast Forest Sect’s Leader closed his eyes in anguish, thinking for several breaths. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:

"Open the array. Let them in. A Flying Manta Ray that large is not something those ragtag cultivators outside could possibly possess. At this point, our only choice is to take the gamble."

....

Fang Qingyuan waited outside for a moment. Seeing that there was still no movement from within, he remained calm on the surface but was growing impatient. ’I’m giving you a golden opportunity and you’re not taking it. You’re useless, Vast Forest Sect.’

’I’ll wait ten more breaths. If they still don’t open the array, I’m turning around and leaving.’

As it turned out, in less than three breaths, a large opening appeared in the array before Fang Qingyuan. Judging by its size, it was just large enough for Silver Treasure to pass through.

Seeing the grand array open, the Tribulation Cultivators outside caused a commotion, but none of them dared to be the first to act.

The opportunity was fleeting. Fang Qingyuan quickly signaled for Silver Treasure to fly inside. With a flash of its massive, bat-like wings, Silver Treasure shot through the opening.

Once the grand array closed again, the Tribulation Cultivators outside cried out in regret. Even so, none of them took the chance to press their attack.

Half a day later, the grand array opened once more. Fang Qingyuan appeared on Silver Treasure’s back, a broad smile on his face. He flew outside and addressed the crowd of Tribulation Cultivators:

"I won’t disturb you all any longer. We’ll be on our way now. Please, continue."

Long after Fang Qingyuan and his party had departed, the Tribulation Cultivators on the scene could only stare at each other in helpless frustration. Later, when the fighting resumed, they made a bitter discovery. The Mountain Protection Array, which had been as feeble as an eighty-year-old woman before, was now like a prostitute high on aphrodisiacs—utterly unstoppable.

Silver Treasure sped away from the Vast Forest Sect. Along the way, Fang Qingyuan thought back on the deal he’d just made, and he couldn’t help but smile. After so many years in the Outer Sea, he had an abundance of top-grade water-attribute Spirit Stones, which was precisely what the Vast Forest Sect needed most.

Furthermore, all the War Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Healing Elixirs, and other supplies he had purchased back at Nine Stars Square—he had sold every last one of them for more than ten times what he paid.

And even after all that, the Vast Forest Sect’s Leader had been teary-eyed, so moved that he nearly performed a grand salute to Fang Qingyuan.

Since the Vast Forest Sect lacked the Spirit Stones to pay for the transaction, they paid with the spirit materials accumulated in their great storehouse, various Spirit Grasses from their herb garden, the Magical Artifacts in their collection, all sorts of elixir pill recipes, and even the various classic texts from their Scripture Pavilion.

A Golden Core Root Sect with a five-generation legacy, even a dilapidated one, still possessed incredibly deep foundations. These items were worth at least two or three thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones. Even if Fang Qingyuan didn’t use them himself, he could slowly resell them and make a huge profit.

However, Fang Qingyuan wasn’t short on Spirit Stones at the moment. He planned to take everything back to the Qingyuan Sect to bolster its own foundations.

Just as Fang Qingyuan was calculating how much profit he had made, his spiritual sense suddenly twitched. He detected a Golden Core Cultivator in the distance, rapidly approaching his position.

Instantly, Fang Qingyuan’s expression changed. He signaled for Silver Treasure to fly quickly in a specific direction—toward the location where Ji Xinlong of the Great Zhou Academy was stationed.

But the speed of a Golden Core Cultivator was immense. Even with Silver Treasure flying for all it was worth, its speed barely surpassing that of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was overtaken in just a short while.

Seeing that the newcomer clearly had ill intentions, Fang Qingyuan chose to face him directly. He motioned for Silver Treasure to continue on its course, then turned around and called out:

"Senior! Might I, Fang Qingyuan, be of any service? I am the Sect Leader of a sect enfeoffed by the Great Zhou, the Direct Disciple of Lechuan of the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, and a dear young friend to Patriarch Chu Duo of the Nanchu Sect!"