Trade, Envy, and Pregnancy

Underwater, the grottoes stretch for hundreds of miles, inhabited by numerous aquatic creatures. In the very center of one of the grottoes, a massive Water-Fire Spirit Ape lies sprawled on the ground, fast asleep.

A rich aquatic Spiritual Qi danced around his body, making him appear like an elf. His long, blue fur swayed like seaweed, and schools of colorful little fish darted and frolicked among it.

Yang Tianyou remained hidden in the shadows, watching the Water-Fire Spirit Ape.

Its cultivation level is at the Body Integration Early Stage, and its bloodline aura is still quite pure, making it perfect for turning into Puppet.

"Zhiming, Detection out the surrounding area to see if there are any overly powerful Water-Fire Spirit Apes," Yang Tianyou said, bowing his head. Thorough reconnaissance was essential before taking action; it would be embarrassing if they were caught red-handed by a Tribulation Transcendence Water-Fire Spirit Apes.

Upon hearing this, Zhiming's Nine Ears twitched slowly, and an invisible wave spread out, sweeping across a small part of the Kuanglong River in an instant.

After Yang Tianyou advanced, Zhiming's cultivation also increased significantly. His Detection ability became more outstanding and more concealed. He could even Detection the thoughts of some Body Integration Cultivators when they were close by. Mind-Reading Zhiming Buddhist Sect Great Achievement.

After a moment, Zhiming tilted his head slightly, looked at Yang Tianyou, and said, "Master, there aren't any particularly powerful Water-Fire Spirit Apes nearby. As long as we move quickly enough, we'll be fine."

"That's good!" Yang Tianyou's eyes flashed, and then with a wave of his hand, a small and exquisite Formation Disc flew out of his hand. Immediately afterwards, faint silver Array Mark with Spatial Fluctuations emerged from the void, and as they condensed and wriggled, they formed a shield-type Spatial Formation, the "Shadowless Voidless Formation," which was ranked as a mid-grade Eighth Tier array and was a treasure obtained from the treasury of Jinyun Temple.

As the Formation was set up, the surface of the entire grotto complex first rippled with Spatial Fluctuations, then became somewhat illusory, as if it had transformed from a physical entity into a mirage, Void illusion.

Spatial Fluctuations accompanied by the writhing of Array Mark directly awakened the Water-Fire Spirit Ape that was fast asleep. Its pair of fiery red pupils, like flame crystals, suddenly opened, emitting two blazing beams of light that caused ripples to spread across the Formation barrier.

"Who dares to plot against me?" The Water-Fire Spirit Ape roared as it tried to stand up from the ground.

Just then, a three-legged flaming furnace fell from the sky, gently swayed, and writhing fire dragons roared out, their power fierce and their momentum immense.

Faced with such an attack, the Water-Fire Spirit Ape was greatly alarmed and cried out, "High-Grade Spirit Treasure?"

Those who can use High-Grade Spirit Treasures are usually Bandit Cultivator. Upon realizing this, a sense of despair arose in the heart of the Water-Fire Spirit Ape, and even its resistance weakened. In this way, the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace successfully trapped the Water-Fire Spirit Ape.

With his calculated strategy and overwhelming advantage in strength, Yang Tianyou's successful capture of the Water-Fire Spirit Ape was not entirely unexpected.

Keeping the Formation active, Yang Tianyou moved and entered the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace. Above the furnace, flames roared, and a blue-haired ape curled up, its eyes filled with wariness and fear. It didn't know why it had been ambushed by this Tribulation Transcending Bandit Cultivator, but now that things had come to this, its life was in the other's hands. The Water-Fire Spirit Ape planned to remain humble when it met this senior.

As thoughts raced through his mind, a vortex of flames appeared above him, and a young Human Race man dressed in a dark Purple Robes descended. Yang Tianyou made no attempt to conceal his aura, revealing himself to be at the Body Integration Early Stage Realm.

This puzzled the Water-Fire Spirit Ape, who thought Yang Tianyou was merely the offspring of this Tribulation Transcendence senior.

Just as the Water-Fire Spirit Ape was about to speak, Yang Tianyou, pressed for time, wouldn't waste any more energy on him. Without uttering a single word, he unleashed a slash.

The dazzling and domineering blade light startled the Water-Fire Spirit Ape, who instinctively activated his defensive Divine Ability to block it. To his astonishment, his proud and powerful Fleshly Body, as well as his defensive Divine Ability, proved incredibly fragile under this single strike, tearing open a gaping, bloody gash.

With his body injured, the Water-Fire Spirit Ape's ferocity as Demon Race was fully unleashed. He bared his teeth and prepared to retaliate, but one after another, sword lights, like the Milky Way from the heavens, cascaded down, shattering all his preparations. In the end, he lay dying at the bottom of the furnace.

Just when the Water-Fire Spirit Ape thought it was going to die, a pure white light shone down, crystal clear, completely enveloping its body. A wave of dizziness surged through its body, and the next moment the Water-Fire Spirit Ape lost all consciousness.

When he woke up again, the ferocity and cruelty in his eyes had completely transformed into gentleness and tenderness, and his injuries had been completely healed at some point.

With the unsealing of the Jade Register Heavenly Book, Yang Tianyou's control over this treasure has become stronger and stronger. He is now able to successfully mobilize the Power of Principle laws of life to heal the injuries of the Water-Fire Spirit Ape, at the cost of consuming a certain amount of Primordial Power.

"Sun Qi greets his master!" The Water-Fire Spirit Ape bowed respectfully, its eyes filled with absolute fanaticism. This was the terrifying aspect of a soul servant—completely losing its own self and utterly obeying its master.

"Hmm!" Yang Tianyou nodded slightly, and then began to peruse the guy's memories.

Scenes from the past flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

As he continued browsing, Yang Tianyou's eyes gradually brightened. He looked at Sun Qi, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"Are you good friends with the Ninth Crown Prince of the Flood Dragon Clan?"

Sun Qi bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, Master! I met the Ninth Crown Prince at a gathering of the Water Tribe, and we later adventured together, forging a deep friendship."

"Are you confident you can get her to come out?" Yang Tianyou asked expectantly. Good brothers should all be together; not one of them can be left out.

"Reporting to my master, I am confident that I can lure Ao Qiu out." Sun Qi appeared very confident and somewhat excited. Being able to lead his good brothers to abandon the darkness and become his master's subordinates was, in Sun Qi's eyes, an unparalleled honor. He was not opposed to it at all, and was even eager to try.

"That's good. Then invite him to this group of grottoes. Leave the rest to me!" Yang Tianyou instructed.

Sun Qi nodded slightly. After Yang Tianyou released him from the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace, he transformed into a stream of water and disappeared into the grottoes.

The rest was a matter of course. Faced with his good brother's invitation, and on his own turf, Ninth Crown Prince Ao Qiu had no guard up at all. He was even more vulnerable than Sun Qi and was caught red-handed, turning into a Mirror Spirit Puppet.

Sun Qi's status in the Water-Fire Spirit Ape Clan is not low, but it's not particularly high either. However, Ao Qiu, the Crown Prince of the Flood Dragon Clan, is different. He is the biological son of the current Flood Dragon Emperor, holding a high position and wielding great power.

With the help of these two channels, the trade between the Yang Household and the Water Tribe was thus secured.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Sun Qi and Ao Qiu once again traveled together, ostensibly to tour the Great Zhou. It would be quite reasonable for them to form a sworn brotherhood with the head of the Purple Moon Yang Household during this journey, wouldn't it?

And so, ten years later, the trade between the Yang Household and the Water Tribe officially began.

Various Spirit Items from the Water Tribes were continuously transported to Nine Refinement Mountain, while the Yang Household had little to sell to the Water Tribes.

The Lineage had only been rebuilt for a short time, and cultivators specializing in Pill, Formation, Artifact, and Talisman had not yet been trained. Therefore, they could not produce Lineage- specific products and could only sell raw materials. However, the Water Tribe was in a saturated market for raw materials and held an absolute advantage. The best outcome of selling raw materials there was to break even. Therefore, the initial cooperation between the Yang Household and the Water Tribe ended with the Yang Household becoming an agent or intermediary.

Yang Tianyou still entrusted Yang Tianjiu with these business affairs. He established several Chamber of Commerce of commerce, targeting cultivators in different regions to sell Water Tribe Spirit Items, and quickly made these Chamber of Commerce famous.

Profits came rolling in, but so did the problems.

The surrounding prefectures of Blackstone Prefecture are Yulin Prefecture, Longquan Prefecture, and Tianyin Prefecture.

The overall strength of these prefectures surpasses that of Blackstone Prefecture, especially Yulin Prefecture, where the Golden Sword Sect holds absolute dominance. The Golden Sword Old Ancestor is a powerful cultivator in the Body Integration Late Stage, and has killed more than ten Body Integration Realm cultivators with his sword, earning him a formidable reputation.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Golden Sword Sect, the elders are holding a meeting.

The core of the discussion was the Purple Moon Yang Household.

"The Yang Household's appetite is too big. They actually want to monopolize such a lucrative business Water Tribe Trade. Aren't they afraid of choking on it?!" The Fifth Elder of the Golden Sword Sect said in a low voice with a cold expression. A hazy Sword Sha appeared around him, and his killing intent was extremely fierce.

"Hmph, they have the favor of the Ninth Crown Prince of the Flood Dragon Clan, of course they have the confidence. Do you have a way to make the Ninth Crown Prince change his mind and stop doing business with the Yang Household and instead cooperate with us?" The speaker was an old man with a white beard, wearing a golden Daoist robe with sword patterns on it, and standing straight like a drawn sword.

"Third Elder, you are mistaken. If the Yang Household's Chamber of Commerce wants to transport goods to other regions, it must pass through our Yulin Prefecture and the other two prefectures. Is it too much to charge a toll?" the Second Elder said calmly. Judging from his tone, he seemed to be on the same side as the Fifth Elder and not on good terms with the Third Elder.

"Alright, stop arguing. The most urgent thing now is to come up with a way to get the Yang Household to willingly cede some profits to us. Only in this way can we get a share of the profits in the Water Tribe Trade." Heavenly Sword Zi, the sect leader of the Golden Sword Sect, patted the armrest, his sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed, and said with dissatisfaction.

As soon as he finished speaking, the elders below stopped arguing, which showed the weight this Heavenly Sword Zi Master Tianjianzi held in the Golden Sword Sect.

"In my opinion, it's best to join forces with other Body Integration factions at this time. I've heard that Daoist Great White Yang Tianyou, the head of the Purple Moon Yang Household, is on good terms with Muyunzi. Muyunzi is currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Long'an Circuit Army. Although he doesn't have jurisdiction over our Longteng Circuit, if war breaks out again, we might end up under his control. It's better to leave some room for maneuver in the future. Let's be on the safe side and get a few more helpers. If something goes wrong, they can share the burden." The speaker was Elder Rising Sun, the Grand Elder of the Golden Sword Sect, who held a high position and was highly respected within the Golden Sword Sect.

After listening to his words, Heavenly Sword Zi lowered his head slightly and pondered for a moment before his gaze hardened. He then said, "Then let's do it this way. Send people to invite the Sound of Heaven Sect, the Wu Household of Longquan Prefecture, the Wei Household, and other forces to discuss our important plans."

The decision reached by the various factions was to first negotiate with the Yang Household, and if the Yang Household did not cooperate, they would jointly block the Yang Household's trade routes.

If the Yang Household wanted to transport the goods they obtained from the Water Tribes into the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, these three prefectures were the only way through.

Unless the Yang Household decides to head north and do business with the Zhao Kingdom.

But that's practically impossible.

Therefore, high-ranking cultivators, including Heavenly Sword Zi, the sect leader of the Golden Sword Sect, and the Old Ancestor of the Wei Household, all felt that as long as the Yang Household wasn't foolish, they would give up some of their interests, and everyone would be happy.

Otherwise, the Yang Household would not only gain nothing, but would also become the target of public criticism.

During the current period of the Ceasefire Decree, while forces like the Golden Sword Sect cannot openly attack the Yang Household, their covert methods are still disgusting enough. Moreover, the Ceasefire Decree is only valid for five hundred years. Once that time is up, the mere Purple Moon Yang Household will be at their mercy.

In the main hall of the Lineage academy on Nine Refinement Mountain, Yang Tianyou coldly looked down at the arrogant Golden Sword Sect envoy, almost laughing in anger. "What did you just say?"

"I said, to avoid damaging our harmony, I would like the Yang Household to relinquish a portion of the profits from the Water Tribe Trade. This is something your Yang Household alone cannot protect."

"Hehe, how much reward does your esteemed sect intend to give to my Yang Household?" Yang Tianyou asked with a half-smile.

The envoy raised his head arrogantly and said, "The Yang Household has gained the friendship of several major Body Integration forces, including our Golden Sword Sect and the Wei Household. From now on, the Yang Household's goods can freely enter and leave the Three Prefectures. What do you say?"

"How about it?" Yang Tianyou flicked his sleeve, his eyes sharp as ice, his voice icy. "Heh heh, let's see who has the last laugh!"

"Yang Household has great ambition, but... this is the Cultivation World. To accomplish great things, ambition alone is far from enough!" the envoy said meaningfully before leaving Nine Refinement Mountain.

After he left, Yunhua slowly walked out, her face beaming with a maternal smile. In her still flat belly, a life was growing.

Yang Tianyou carefully stepped forward to help her up, knowing full well that with Yunhua's strength, getting pregnant was nothing, but he still couldn't help himself.

"Sigh, it's been five years already, why isn't her belly showing yet? At this rate of growth, how long will it take for our child to be born?" Yang Tianyou said with a bitter face. After the restriction on Yunhua's body was broken, the two of them worked very hard to have a child. Finally, five years ago, Yunhua successfully became pregnant, but the child is growing too slowly. They don't know how long it will take for the child to be born.

Yunhua glared at her husband and said irritably, "Other people hope the baby will take longer to develop, but you can't wait to be born!"

"Isn't it because we want to see our child as soon as possible?" Yang Tianyou said with a forced smile.

"Don't worry, I've already calculated it. My child will be born within five hundred years!"

A mysterious glint flashed in Yunhua's eyes.