Visitors from the Yunwu Wen Clan

"Thank you very much for your help, Thirteenth Grandfather," Ling Pengyun said gratefully.

"No need for thanks. Judging from the situation just now, even if I hadn't come, you probably would have killed that Black Flame Leopard soon enough. Quickly collect the Black Flame Leopard's corpse and return to Xia Zhi Mountain to avoid any further trouble." Ling Ruda waved his hand, said a few words, and then added a sentence.

"Although I was involved in the killing of the Black Flame Leopard, I didn't contribute much. The Black Flame Leopard's corpse is entirely yours."

Ling Pengyun nodded slightly, without saying anything more, and rode the Wind Shadow Peng to the ground next to the corpse of the Black Flame Leopard.

After waving his hand to put the leopard demon's corpse into his waist Storage Bag, he rode the Wind Shadow Peng and returned to Xia Zhi Mountain with Ling Ruda, who was riding the Immortal Spirit Crane.

Upon Xia Zhi Mountain, Ling Pengyun and Ling Ruda learned from Ling Yunxi that Ling Ruxian led his clansmen out of Xia Zhi Mountain to hunt down Qi Training Demon Beast.

The two of them left Xia Zhi Mountain together again, following the direction in which Ling Ruxian and the others had left, to help Ling Ruxian clansmen hunt down the hundred or so Qi Training Stage Demon Beast that had escaped Battle to Defend the Mountain.

For the next ten days, Ling Pengyun and the others searched for the whereabouts of the hundred or so Qi Training Demon Beast that had escaped within the territory of An Yang County.

However, after thoroughly searching the entire An Yang County, they only found about seventy or eighty Qi Training Stage Demon Beast, which they then killed.

There are also twenty or thirty other Demon Beast at the Qi Training Middle Stage whose whereabouts are unknown.

According to Ling Pengyun and the others' guesses, this group of Demon Beast may have directly escaped from An Yang County and wandered into the territories of other Lineage in the surrounding area, or they may have hidden in a very secluded place and were not found by everyone.

At this point, the small team that had been chasing down the more than one hundred Qi Training Demon Beast that had escaped returned to Xia Zhi Mountain.

As soon as everyone returned to Xia Zhi Mountain, the Fifth Elder, Ling Yunxi, handed a book to Ling Pengyun, the Supreme Elder of the Ling Clan.

The ancient texts record the number of Demon Beast killed by the numerous Ling Clan clan members who were stationed at Xia Zhi Mountain a few days prior.

Ling Pengyun carefully examined the documents and then gathered more than ten members of the Ling Clan clan who were in Xia Zhi Mountain together.

Once everyone had arrived, he addressed them.

"Fellow clansmen, ten days ago, in the battle at Xia Zhi Mountain, a total of 531 Qi Training Stage Demon Beast were killed. Among them, there were 320 Qi Refining beginner, 103 Qi Refining intermediate, 81 Qi Refining advanced, and 27 Qi Refining perfected Demon Beast."

"Among these Demon Beast, the Eleventh Great Grandfather killed a total of ten Early-Stage Qi Training Demon Beast, twenty Qi Training Middle Stage Demon Beast, fifteen Qi Training Late Stage Demon Beast, and five Qi Training Completion Demon Beast."

"Thirteenth Grandfather were killed in total..."

"..."

"I have finished reporting the number of Demon Beast each of you killed in the battle to defend Xia Zhi Mountain. You can check the number of Demon Beast you killed. If the number is less than expected, please let me know."

Ling Pengyun glanced around and, seeing that no one had spoken and that the number of Demon Beast he had killed had decreased, spoke again.

"In the battle to defend Xia Zhi Mountain, Fifteenth Grand-Aunt played a crucial role. She enhanced the power of the mountain's formations with a Secret Method. It was precisely by relying on that Defense Array in the mountain that we were able to withstand the attack of the Demon Beast horde."

"However, Fifteenth Grand-Aunt also failed to gain anything in the Battle to Defend the Mountain because she was focused on amplifying the power of the mountain's formation."

"I propose that everyone give one-twentieth of their spoils to Fifteenth Grand-Aunt."

"Would you all be willing?"

"I agree with this. Without Yunxi, the Array Formation Master, amplifying the array in the mountain, we would never have been able to defend Xia Zhi Mountain, and we would never have gained such a harvest," Ling Ruxian.

The rest of the clansmen were reasonable people and immediately agreed to the matter.

After all, taking one-twentieth of each person's share isn't much.

Seeing that his clansmen agreed, Ling Pengyun was quite satisfied.

He continued, "Fellow clansmen, we are currently in a time of Demon Beast Uprising. Our clansmen have an enormous need for spiritual items such as Spirit Talisman Cave. Fortunately, Demon Beast hides can be used to make these Spirit Talisman Cave."

"Therefore, I plan to purchase all the Demon Beast you have killed this time based on your Lineage Contribution Points."

"Of course, the Lineage will not treat you unfairly. The Lineage can purchase the corpses of Early-Stage Qi Training Demon Beast for five Contribution Points, Qi Training Middle Stage Demon Beast Demon Beast for ten Contribution Points, Qi Training Late Stage Refining demon beasts for fifteen Contribution Points, Qi Training Completion Demon Beast beasts for twenty Contribution Points."

"I wonder if everyone is satisfied with this price."

"Of course, if any of you are unwilling to sell the Demon Beast corpses you have obtained to your Lineage, you may take them yourself."

The price offered by Ling Pengyun was extremely reasonable.

In addition, the current period is Demon Beast Uprising, and Demon Beast that are usually hard to find are now extremely common.

Everyone wasn't stupid; they all understood that the price of Demon Beast materials on the market would definitely drop soon.

Under such circumstances, everyone naturally prioritized selling the Demon Beast corpses they had obtained to their respective Lineage.

Once this matter was settled, Ling Pengyun gave his instructions.

"Ninety-nine percent of the Demon Beast that entered the Lineage's territory were killed by us, so there's no need for so many people to be stationed in Xia Zhi Mountain. Everyone can return to their posts, and everything will return to normal."

Everyone agreed.

Subsequently, Ling Pengyun took the lead and brought Ling Yunxi and more than ten other clansmen who had come from the Clan Mountain to support Xia Zhi Mountain back to the Lineage.

Ling Ruda, Ling Pengjing, Ling Pengtao each returned to the places where they were to guard the Spirit Vein.

Ling Ruxian Great Elder, continued to oversee Xia Zhi Mountain.

As for the more than 20,000 mortals who had fled from Xia Zhi Town to Xia Zhi Mountain to escape the attack of a large number of Demon Beast Demon Beast, they had already been arranged by Ling Yunxi to return to Xia Zhi Town Xia Zhi Mountain during the ten days that Ling Pengyun and others were searching for Qi Training Demon Beast in An Yang County.

Several days later.

It was early morning that day.

An elderly man with white hair, looking anxious, rode a huge roc and arrived outside Lingxiao Mountain.

Upon arriving at this place, the white-haired old man used Sound Amplification Technique to shout loudly towards Lingxiao Mountain.

"Wen Ruofei of the Cloud Mist Wen Clan requests an audience with the Supreme Elder of the Ling Clan, Senior Ling Pengyun."

The sound echoed throughout the entire Lingxiao Mountain, alarming most of the cultivators Lingxiao Mountain.

A small number of cultivators were cultivating and had set up Soundproof Restriction around themselves, so they were not disturbed by this sound.

Ling Pengyun is one of them.

Halfway up Lingxiao Mountain, in the Affairs Hall.

Upon hearing the commotion outside the mountain, Ling Pengliang, the current Great Elder of the Ling Clan, immediately stepped out of the Affairs Hall.

Seeing that Ling Pengyun had not yet come out of the mountain to meet Wen Ruofei, who was seeking an audience outside the mountain, he frowned and quickly walked towards the cave abode where Ling Pengyun was currently located.

Before long, Ling Pengliang reached the top of the mountain and walked to the gate of the only Cultivation Abode on the mountaintop.

He reached out and knocked on the cave abode door, triggering the protective array that guarded the cave abode.

Before long, Ling Pengyun, the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Lineage currently stationed in the Ling Clan clan, emerged from this cave abode.

"Sixteenth Brother, is there something you need?" Ling Pengyun asked upon seeing Ling Pengliang arrive.

Ling Pengliang nodded slightly and told Ling Pengyun in detail about Wen Ruofei Great Elder of the Cloud Mist Wen Clan Wen Ruofei, coming to find him.

Upon hearing Ling Pengyun Ling Pengliang's words, Ling Pengyun frowned and said...

"I have never met Wen Ruofei before, so there's something fishy about why she specifically asked me to come here."

"I just didn't expect that the news of my entry into the Foundation Establishment had already reached the mouths of the Cloud Mist Wen Clan members in just over three months after I told the other cultivators in the clan."

"During the Demon Beast Uprising, few clansmen living in the Clan Mountain went out into the outside world. This news was probably spread by those clansmen who were stationed in the Low-Order Spirit Vein throughout the Lineage territory."

"Sixteenth Brother, after the Demon Beast Uprising, I would like to trouble you to thoroughly investigate those clansmen currently stationed in the Low-Order Spirit Vein within the territory. If you find anyone who has any vested interests with other Lineage, interrogate them properly."

"I understand, Eighth Brother." Ling Pengliang nodded knowingly.

Afterwards, Ling Pengyun rode a Flying Magical Item alone out of Lingxiao Mountain and met Wen Ruofei outside the mountain.

"Elder Wen, what brings you to my Ling Clan Mountain to seek me out?" Ling Pengyun asked Wen Ruofei.

"But I have a request. More than ten days ago, several hundred Qi Training Demon Beast and one Foundation Establishment Demon Beast poured into the territory of my Cloud Mist Wen Clan."

"These Demon Beast are wreaking havoc within the territory of my Wen Clan. My Cloud Mist Wen Clan is weak and powerless, and without Foundation Establishment Cultivator to guard it, it is impossible for us to deal with these Demon Beast."

"I have come to seek your help, Senior Ling Senior Ling."

"If you, Senior, do not act in time, those Demon Beast will continue to devour mortals and even cultivators in my Wen Clan's territory, and their strength will likely increase."

"At that time, there will be no one left to eat in my Wen Clan's territory, and those Demon Beast, whose strength has increased by several times, will probably set their sights on the Ling Clan where you are, senior."

"Even if those Demon Beast didn't target your Ling Clan, my Wen Clan will definitely drag your Ling Clan down with us."

"After all, our two races are located on the border."

"At that time, even with you, senior, in charge of the Ling Clan, I'm afraid there will be a large-scale death among the mortals of the Ling Clan."

Upon hearing this slightly threatening remark, Ling Pengyun felt a surge of anger.

However, he did not react; instead, he frowned and asked a question.

"What is the Foundation Establishment Demon Beast?"

Upon hearing this question, Wen Ruofei was overjoyed and quickly replied, "It's probably at the first level of Foundation Establishment. Several of my Wen Clan's Qi Training Completion cultivators, with a First-Tier Superior-Grade killing array, can fight it for a hundred breaths. Otherwise, the Demon Beast horde led by that Foundation Establishment Demon Beast would have already wiped out my Wen Clan."

"If Senior Ling can help my Wen Clan kill that Foundation Establishment Level 1 Demon Beast, after the matter is accomplished, my Wen Clan will give you five hundred Spirit Stone, and the corpse of the Foundation Establishment Demon Beast that you kill will also belong to you."

Ling Pengyun was tempted; five hundred Spirit Stone wasn't much, but enough to buy two Spirit Gathering Pill.

He had also considered taking advantage of the fact that a group of powerful Demon Beast had broken into the Wen Clan's territory to destroy the Wen Clan.

While it may be easy to destroy the Wen Clan this time, the consequences of doing Wen Clan will be enormous.

Firstly, it would incur the hatred of the other three major Lineage in Huai River County.

After all, who knows if the Ling Clan, which destroyed the Wen Clan, will target the three families again?

Secondly, they would have to bear the blame from the Hundred Spirits Sect. The Hundred Spirits Sect strictly forbids internal strife during the period of Demon Beast Uprising. If such an incident occurs, even if the Ling Clan can rely on the Yang Clan, they will find it difficult to escape punishment.

After all, if Lineage were to be wiped out at this time, how could the Foundation Establishment Cultivator of those Lineage stationed in West Yang Market Town feel at ease?

Thirdly, there is the issue of manpower. Although the Ling Clan currently has four Foundation Establishment warriors, it only has a little over a hundred Qi Refining clansmen under its command.

With such skilled hands, even taking care of the Spirit Vein in their own territory would be a bit of a stretch.

Occupying the territory of the Wen Clan would only bring them trouble and guilt, as no one would take care of them.

Fourthly, there is the Falling Dusk Luo Clan, currently the strongest in Huai River County. The Luo Clan will not stand by and watch the Ling Clan annex the Wen Clan and thus increase its strength.

Once the Wen Clan is destroyed, the Luo Clan will surely send people to stop them, or even help the Wen Clan to resist the Ling Clan's attack, and instead attack the Ling Clan.

In this era of Demon Beast Uprising, the Luo Clan clan has two Foundation Establishment stationed there.

Rather than that, it would be better to be on good terms with the Wen Clan. It would be bad to let others know about the Ling Clan's ambitions in advance.

After a moment's thought, Ling Pengyun spoke up. "Alright, but let me make this clear beforehand: if any unforeseen circumstances arise, I can leave at any time. Furthermore, I only have three days. Within those three days, regardless of whether this matter succeeds or fails, I must leave and return to my Ling Clan Territory."

"Of course," Wen Ruofei replied with a smile.

"Wait a moment."

Ling Pengyun said a few words and returned to Lingxiao Mountain.

Upon entering the mountains, he first sought out Ling Pengliang and told him about agreeing to the Wen Clan's request for assistance. Then, he found Wind Shadow Peng, who was sleeping and cultivating in the mountains, and rode the peng away from the mountains, following Wen Ruofei, who was riding a peng outside the mountains, as they flew into the distance.