Backing Down and an Envoy from the Zhao Kingdom

After the Golden Sword Sect envoy returned to the sect, he immediately reported Yang Tianyou's attitude.

Inside the magnificent hall, there were not only high-ranking members of the Golden Sword Sect, but also some unfamiliar faces. They were representatives from forces such as the Sound of Heaven Sect and the Wei Household, who were responsible for discussing plans against the Yang Household family with the Golden Sword Sect.

"It seems our fellow Daoist Taibai is a tough nut to crack; he's not going to give in!" Tian Jianzi sneered.

"Hehe, in the Cultivation World, strength is paramount. He has no choice but to submit!" The Body Integration Cultivator from the Wei Household stroked his beard and smiled calmly. In his opinion, the Yang Household's actions were very irrational. Since they were weak, they should be prepared to be beaten. Facing a force so much stronger than themselves, yielding and going along with the crowd was the best outcome.

"Then let's get started. According to the established plan, let the Yang Household see our methods. They will naturally put down their arrogant attitude and come begging to us, offering up this piece of fat meat!" said the representative of the Sound of Heaven Sect.

Upon hearing this, the other cultivators in the hall exchanged glances, and then unanimously revealed confident smiles.

Then, the Body Integration forces of the three prefectures began their operations against the Purple Moon Yang Household.

Their plan was actually not complicated, mainly consisting of three parts.

First, block the southward passage of the Yang Household trade route and send people to intercept it.

Secondly, they secretly contacted Jinyun Temple, providing it with a certain amount of resources and manpower to disrupt the normal operation of the Yang Household within the Blackstone Prefecture.

Third, they would use business tactics to bring down the major Chamber of Commerce controlled by the Yang Household.

With a three-pronged approach, these High-Rank Cultivators could almost foresee the Yang Household yielding.

Meanwhile, at Nine Refinement Mountain in Blackstone Prefecture, Yang Tianyou had already grasped the plans of these forces. After a cold smile, he muttered to himself, "Let's see who the prey really is!"

In Yulin Prefecture, a massive Flying Boat swept overhead, its bow adorned with flags and badges indicating its affiliation to the Purple Moon Yang Household.

The Flying Boat was moving at full speed, and in a valley about three hundred miles away in the direction Flying Boat was heading, a group of cultivators had already laid an ambush.

"Tianyun, are you sure the Yuanlong Trade Association's transport Flying Boat will pass through here?" A thin, Middle-aged Cultivator with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face asked the cultivator next to him in a high-pitched voice.

This man had a square head and large ears, a pale golden complexion, a thick beard, and was extremely tall, over ten feet, clearly possessing a special bloodline.

Tianyun Rogue Person glanced at the man and said calmly, "The information is absolutely true. You just need to follow my instructions, and this time, you'll definitely make a fortune."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators behind him reacted in various ways; some beamed with joy, while others looked hesitant.

"Tianyun, the Yuanlong Trade Association of Commerce is backed by the Purple Moon Yang Household, a powerful force at the Body Integration Level. That Daoist Great White is a true hero; even before breaking through to the Void Refinement realm, he was able to fight against Body Integration Cultivator. The Yang Household has over fifty Void Refinement cultivators. What should we do if the Yang Household investigates?"

"Yes, we are just Rogue Cultivators. Is it perhaps inappropriate for us to rashly provoke such a powerful force...?"

The cultivators behind Tianyunzi were discussing amongst themselves, their gazes frequently drifting towards Tianyunzi.

Tianyunzi sneered, knowing that these cunning and treacherous fellows didn't really want to withdraw, but rather wanted to find out about the forces behind him and understand the cause and effect so that they could deal with things later. In the Cultivation World, fools of this caliber had long since died out.

Otherwise, why didn't they just refuse from the beginning? Instead, they adopted this stance when a major battle was about to break out, simply trying to force themselves into a corner.

However, Tianyunzi himself had no intention of hiding it.

The Body Integration forces of the three prefectures number over twenty Nascent Body Integration Cultivators. How many Body Integration Soul cultivators does the Yang Household have? A mere two. How can they possibly resist?

"Hmph, that Daoist Great White is really out of his mind. Faced with such a situation, he actually thinks of putting up a stubborn resistance. As expected of someone from a small place in the lower realm, he doesn't know the vastness of the world, he's short-sighted, and arrogant!" Tianyunzi sneered inwardly, and then revealed some of the information he had gathered.

When they learned that this was Body Integration effort by all three prefectures to besiege the Yang Household, these Rogue Cultivators lowered their guard and vigilance, revealing greedy expressions. In their eyes, this was a golden opportunity to reap the benefits.

Having learned the whole story, the cultivators stopped causing trouble and quietly lay dormant under the Concealment Array, waiting for the transport Flying Boat to arrive.

At this moment, several Void Refinement cultivators from the Yang Household stood facing the wind aboard the Flying Boat.

The leading cultivator was none other than Yang Tiankang.

Yang Yuqi, Yang Yujin, and Yang Xuanli followed behind him.

"How far are we from the ambush site?" Yang Tiankang asked calmly, his hands behind his back, a sharp glint of Sword Dao flashing in his eyes, as if he could cleave through the void.

"About two hundred and thirty li! That distance is enough for the Void Refinement cultivators to launch an attack," Yang Yujin replied. As a commanding general, he was most familiar with Battle Formations. After explaining the situation, he offered his own opinion. "The best course of action now is to immediately begin attacking the Formation to build up its power, catching them completely off guard. Then, a few of us can move in and wipe out all these scoundrels!"

"Alright, let's do it your way!" Yang Tiankang nodded slightly, then stretched out his right hand, drew the long sword from his back, and poured his Law Power into the sword like a surging flood.

At the same time, the cultivators on the Flying Boat poured a large number of Spirit Stones they had prepared into the Formation Furnace. The Formation was fully activated, but it was in a state of readiness but not yet unleashed.

Once they were close enough, Yang Yujin coldly ordered, "Attack!!"

On the Flying Boat, countless Array Mark writhed and transformed into a giant crossbow. The tip of the crossbow bolt gleamed with a chilling golden light, radiating brilliance that illuminated all directions before piercing through space and shooting out.

A hundred miles away, Tianyunzi and the others were also poised to act, their Spirit Treasure Divine Abilities all ready. However, at that moment, a golden light descended from the sky and then suddenly split into countless small arrows.

This golden light was formed by a Seventh Tier top-quality Formation. Due to the sufficient charging time, its power reached its maximum level, no weaker than the full-force attack of Body Integration Cultivator. Several Void Refinement Rogue Cultivators were directly annihilated, and even a Late Stage Void Refinement expert like Tianyunzi was severely injured, his protective spiritual Spirit Treasures becoming tattered.

"What happened? How did this Flying Boat know our ambush location? Could there be a traitor among us?" A cultivator asked, clutching his pierced chest, his face pale.

Another cultivator looked on with surprise and uncertainty. "Isn't this a transport Flying Boat? How come it's equipped with such a powerful attack Formation?"

"Heh, a bunch of clowns!" Just then, a detached voice Dang Kai, followed by a sharp sword light. Under the sword light, a lifelike miniature world appeared, complete with birds, beasts, insects, fish, mountains, rivers, plants, and even a Human Race city, bustling with activity.

This is the Heaven-Opening Sword!

Yang Tiankang's Sword Dao was undoubtedly much higher, and he was even close to condensing the Power of Principle the Sword Dao law. With a single sword strike, his light was cold for 100,000 miles, carrying the spirit of creating the world. With lightning speed, he instantly split the three Void Refinement cultivators, including Tianyunzi, in two, displaying overwhelming power.

Seeing this, the other cultivators had no will to resist and hurriedly tried to escape in their Escape Lights. Some were even more decisive, kneeling on the ground and throwing out their Storage Rings and treasured Law Treasure, choosing to surrender.

Yulin Prefecture, a Market under the Golden Sword Sect, is bustling with people and makes a fortune every day; it is a veritable money tree.

Using the abilities of the Formless Insect and the Void Worm, Yang Tianyou hid in the shadows, quietly observing the Market. Zhiming lay in his arms, his ears twitching as Detection the Market's details.

After a moment, Zhiming raised his head slightly and said, "Master, we have Detection thoroughly. There is only one Body Integration Cultivator defending the area. The Formation is at the lower level of the Eighth Tier and is not fully activated. It cannot stop the Spatial Exchange of the Void Worm."

"In that case, let's proceed according to the established plan!" Yang Tianyou smiled faintly, and then the two tentacles on the forehead of the Void Worm trembled slightly, radiating Spatial Fluctuations, and teleported Yang Tianyou directly into the Formation.

The Formless Insects perfectly concealed the fluctuations, and none of the Golden Sword Sect disciples noticed that a deadly threat had already infiltrated the Market.

At the same time, several Spirit Beasts, including Fengling, along with some Talisman Soldiers crafted by Yang Tianyou, launched an operation, frantically intercepting and killing Golden Sword Sect disciples outside the Market. For a time, the Market was filled with panic and fear.

The Golden Sword Sect Body Integration Cultivator stationed here is Mengyun True Person, a middle-aged man with a cautious nature.

He did not go out to provide support immediately, but first called for reinforcements from his sect and confirmed the situation several times before setting off.

After he left, Yang Tianyou directly broke through the core of the Formation and, following Zhiming's guidance, looted the Market, emptying all the treasure vaults and material storage warehouses.

Throughout this process, he left not a single clue, and the whole thing was shrouded in mystery, so even if it ended up in Court, it wouldn't be his problem.

Then, Yang Tianyou teleported and disappeared without a trace.

He did not choose to kill Mengyun True Person, as while it would have been satisfying in the short term, it would have inevitably created a deadly feud with the Golden Sword Sect, which was not worthwhile.

Yang Tianyou was certainly not afraid of the Golden Sword Sect, but as he said before, it wasn't worth it.

It's not worth exposing your strength for a mere Golden Sword Sect.

More importantly, he had no intention of falling out with the Body Integration forces of the three nearby prefectures.

If Water Tribe products are to be sold within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, they must pass through the territory of the Three Prefectures.

The Yang Household could certainly wipe out these forces, but what good would it do? It would only invite questioning from the Court and incur countless unnecessary risks.

As I said before, it's only worth taking a gamble when the risks and rewards are equal.

The immediate gains in trade are negligible compared to the grander future plans.

Yang Tianyou's plan was more about demonstrating his own strength, making the Body Integration forces of the three prefectures not dare to underestimate him, and then giving them a way out by sharing some of the profits. Afterward, he would use the connections and trade channels that these forces had cultivated for thousands of years to expand the scope of his business.

During this process, Yang Tianyou will also use the power of the Karma Chains to continuously influence some of the higher-ups in these forces, gradually achieving the goal of secretly undermining them.

Since we'll all be on the same side from now on, there's nothing wrong with being generous!

Thus began a hidden, epic, and unpredictable game of strategy that lasted for a full sixty years. Due to the immense losses incurred, and the fact that it didn't significantly harm the Yang Household, coupled with the Yang Household's ability to repeatedly discern their intentions, the high-ranking members, including Heavenly Sword Zi, went from initial disdain to surprise, then anger, shock, and finally, fear...

Ultimately, when the Yang Household extended a signal of reconciliation, these forces agreed without hesitation.

At the Yang Household's Discussion Hall on Nine Refinement Mountain, it was the same envoy, but this time his attitude was unusually humble, even obsequious.

"Brother Great White's divine power is unparalleled; he is truly a role model for us all!"

"Oh? Didn't you say before that I, Yang, didn't know what was good for me?" Yang Tianyou said with a half-smile.

"Wouldn't that be a sign of being bewitched? Someone as outstanding as you certainly wouldn't care about my previous rash actions!"

"Hehe..." Yang Tianyou shook his head, no longer bothering to argue with such a person, and simply stated his terms directly.

"My Yang Household will relinquish a portion of the Water Tribe Trade, but you must also demonstrate sufficient sincerity. Yang Household welcome all offers of connections, channels, trade routes, and so on. For specific details, you can discuss them with our Yang Household's chief steward!" Yang Tianyou pointed to his ninth brother, Yang Tianjiu, beside him, and then vanished from the main hall.

Yang Tianjiu, dressed in a festive gold and red robe, with a large belly and a prosperous appearance, exuded a friendly and approachable smile that instantly won people's favor.

However, when the envoy saw him, he wore a bitter expression. He had dealt with this fat man before and had almost been tricked out of his most prized Law Treasure. He really didn't want to run into him again.

However, Yang Tianyou was determined to entrust this matter to Yang Tianjiu. The Golden Sword Sect and other forces were in a weak position at the moment, so it was already good enough that they were willing to give him a way out. If he didn't accept it, he would only slap himself in the face.

Over the years, the Golden Sword Old Ancestor had made several trips to Nine Refinement Mountain, hoping to scare the Purple Moon Yang Household, but he ended up getting beaten up and never knew who had done it.

Not many people knew about this, it was limited to the circle of Body Integration Cultivators. From then on, no force dared to underestimate the Purple Moon Yang Household, Lineage that had only recently risen to prominence.

"Daoist Friends, shall we take our leave now?" Yang Tianjiu smiled kindly, and a golden abacus appeared in his hand.

Seeing this, the envoy's legs went weak, and he stammered, "Please, Daoist Friends, have mercy on me!"

"Hehe, definitely, definitely!"

After leaving the Discussion Hall, Yang Tianyou went straight to the reception room of Nine Refinement Mountain.

Today, the Purple Moon Yang Household received an expected guest: a cultivator from the Fengmu Prefecture of the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty, who was essentially a spy.