Immortality Starts From Making Money.-Chapter 326: Target: Southern Region.

Central Region.

Imperial Capital.

From a bird's-eye view of the imperial capital, one could see the inner court shrinking while the outer court expanded.

The sight carried a paradox: a somewhat peace coexisting with growing danger.

Evil energy thickened over the outer court with every passing moment.

Miserable cries echoed through the sky as evil cultivators and vengeful spirits spread in scattered pockets.

No one would believe this was the continent's most prosperous region.

It had become a land drenched in extreme Yin, where light had all but vanished.

Inside the highest building, a circle of old men and women sat with grave expressions.

"How is this possible?" An old man slammed his palm against the round wooden table, leaving a palm print in black ink. From the print, sinister smoke wafted upward.

Yet, for the people in the room, the palm print and the eerie smoke were nothing but minor distractions.

"Could there be a powerhouse hiding in the Southern Region?" an ugly old woman asked, her voice a grating rasp.

Half of her face bore a fearsome scar, with maggots feasting on the wound. Looking at her face could unsettle even the bravest cultivator.

"I don't think so," retorted an old man with a bald head and a black-and-white beard. He sat on the main chair, his expression unreadable.

"If a Nascent powerhouse is in the Southern Region, they won't escape my Soul Sense. Besides, when they attack, I'll sense them. So, it can't be." He shook his head as he spoke.

"Then how did our men die? We all know the strongest in this region were ants at Early Golden Core Realm," a seductive middle-aged woman said.

She wore scanty clothing with half her bosom exposed her body moving with the sinuous grace of a serpent.

Her lips were painted red, and her movements could tempt any man.

The old men around the table did not change their expressions.

"We can't keep debating like this. We need a solution," a bony old man declared in a grave voice.

"I've received news that trouble is brewing in the northern region, and our people are losing ground."

"Hmm?" Most of them were unfazed by the news; a few looked surprised.

The bony old man continued. "According to the intel, the uprising in the north is tied to the southern region."

"How is that possible?" the scarred old woman asked, shaking her head, a few maggots dropping onto the table. She picked them up and swallowed them as if they were the finest snacks.

"I don't know," the bony old man admitted. "We should all know that the Southern Region has become a major risk to our plans. We must resolve this immediately."

"To me, they pose an even greater threat than the imperial capital," another old man agreed.

"Agreed," nodded another. "It is only a matter of time before we defeat those arrogant rats. But the South has become an anomaly—a thorn in our flesh."

"I suggest two powerhouses visit the region to see what is going on. If they can handle the problem, they should remove the nuisance once and for all," the seductive middle-aged woman said calmly.

"That is our only option. The longer we delay, the more things get out of hand," the bony man said, nodding in agreement.

The bald man who appeared to be their leader surveyed the room and asked, "Who among us is willing to go to the South?"

The room fell into deadly silence.

Finally, the scarred old woman broke the silence. "I'm willing to go. This place has become boring. I need fresh blood to feed my children."

"I'll go as well," announced the old man with the deadly palmprint. "I've hit a bottleneck in my technique; I need fresh blood to break through."

"Very well." The bald old man nodded with a pleased expression. "With you two, I can already see the region falling into our hands."

"Please depart immediately. We can't delay the sacrifice any longer," the scarred old woman said. The two rose and vanished from the room.

Left behind, the bald old man surveyed the others and asked, "For our next attack, which of the ancient clans should we target?"

….

Inside the ancient Qiu Clan's grand estate, the old female ancestor had already returned and was deep in solemn conversation with the First Ancestor.

"Senior brother, can you imagine the Southern Region is free from the evil sect attack?" she asked, her voice thick with disbelief. "It's as if the region is not part of our continent."

The First Ancestor listened without interrupting, letting her speak her thoughts aloud.

"Look at the armor they wear. They've outwitted the evil cultivators with this armor." She produced the Stoneheart Armor from her storage pouch.

The First Ancestor received the armor and examined the intricate runes etched into it, a sense of awe settling in his chest.

"He gave you this?" his voice whispered with disbelief.

With his many years, this was the most complicated armor he had ever seen.

"Yes, and there's more. He also gave me this," she said, presenting an elemental weapon. "According to him, it can cut through any artifact below Tier 2."

"The armor, Stoneheart Armor, can increase a cultivator's strength by three stages. For the Golden Core Realm, it can raise their power by at least one stage."

Huh!

The First Ancestor drew in a cold breath and widened his eyes in disbelief.

How could such heaven-defying artifacts exist on their continent?

He doubted it until his junior sister demonstrated them.

He studied the two artifacts for a moment and sighed deeply. "What did he ask in return?"

"Resources and support from all the ancient clans for his chamber once this is over," she said calmly.

"That's understandable," the First Ancestor mused, stroking his long beard.

"Let's test the weapon. If it performs as he said, I'll gather the others and have them agree to his terms before we distribute the artifacts."

"Good. I'll have the kid arrange the test immediately."