The Scale of the Sandstone Ore Vein
Meanwhile, on the other side...
At the summit of Level Cloud Mountain Yang Clan Mountain, in the Council Hall.
The four Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Yang Clan all gathered here.
Once everyone had arrived, Yang Mingtian, the patriarch of the Yang Clan Head, informed the other three about the discovery of a small, unclaimed Sand Soil Mine in a desolate area of Huai River County.
He then turned his head and looked at Yang Changxing, the Supreme Elder of the Yang Clan, who was the most senior member and had a cultivation level of Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer, and asked him.
"Fifth Uncle, should our Yang Clan go and seize that unclaimed Sand Soil Mine in Huai River County?"
Upon hearing this question, Yang Changxing felt a mix of emotions.
He understood the value of a small Sand Soil Mine, and that if his Lineage could acquire it, it would be a great asset.
But the mine was located within the Huai River County, not within the Cloudwater County where the Yang Clan lived.
If the Yang Clan crosses the border and seizes the Spirit Vein that rightfully belongs to Huai River County, it will likely provoke dissatisfaction from the five major Foundation Establishment Family of Huai River County, leading to a situation where the five families join forces to stop the Yang Clan.
Although the Yang Clan is strong now, it does not have the strength to fight the five major Foundation Establishment Family alone.
"That Sand Soil Mine is not something my Yang Clan can touch. Besides, my Yang Clan mainly focuses on Pill Refining, and our family is not strong in weapon crafting. Even if we get that Sand Soil Mine, it won't be of much use in the short term."
"Disperse, everyone. Focus on your cultivation and improve your level as soon as possible to prepare for the annihilation of the remaining three Foundation Establishment Family in Cloudwater County." With a thousand thoughts in his mind, Yang Changxing said in a deep voice.
The other three Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Council Hall understood the reason behind this, and they did not stay in the Council Hall any longer, leaving one after another.
Seven days later.
A large Immortal Crane landed outside the Rock Scale Snake Den.
From that moment on, a hunched old man with a deathly pallor jumped down from the Immortal Crane.
This hunched old man was none other than Ling Ruxian, the Ling Ruxian generation's Great Elder of the Ling Clan, whose lifespan was about to run out.
"Peng Yun, come out and see me. I have something important to discuss with you."
Ling Pengyun, who was stationed at the Rock Scale Snake Den, heard the familiar voice coming from outside the Snake Cave and immediately came out of the Snake Cave.
"Eleventh Great Grandfather, what brings you here?" Ling Pengyun asked, puzzled by Ling Ruxian.
Ling Ruxian didn't delay and informed Ling Pengyun that a Sand Soil Mine had been discovered in a desolate and unclaimed area between the Falling Dusk Luo Clan and the Tiger's Roar Liu Clan, and that his Lineage had sent clansmen to seize the Sand Soil Mine.
He also informed Ling Pengyun to take the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was stationed with him in the Snake Cave, to the location of the Sand Soil Mine to support Ling Yunhong and the others.
Incidentally, he also handed Ling Pengyun a map showing the location of the Sand Soil Mine.
"Alright, Eleventh Great Grandfather, I'll go right away. I'll leave this place to you."
"This token was given to you by Senior Zhang Yan, the deputy Hall Master of the Affairs Hall of the Hundred Spirits Sect, who has the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Completion. If you encounter any accidents while guarding this place, crush this token immediately."
"At that time, Senior Zhang Yan should come to provide support immediately." Ling Pengyun took out a series of tokens from his pocket, handed them to Ling Ruxian, and then immediately called the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was stationed with him in the Rock Scale Snake Den, and Wind Shadow Peng to leave the place.
Ling Ruxian stared at the token given to him by Ling Pengyun in his hand, lost in thought.
Three days later.
Riding the Immortal Spirit Crane King, Ling Pengyun flew day and night for 60,000 to 70,000 miles, following the map of the mineral vein provided by Ling Ruxian. He finally arrived at the desolate place between the Falling Dusk Luo Clan and the Tiger's Roar Liu Clan and found the vicinity of the Sand Soil Mine.
The Sand Soil Mine is located inside a mountain that is tens of feet high. Around the mountain, five groups of cultivators are stationed.
Each group of cultivators was stationed far apart, and each had a long flag depicting the emblems of the Five Great Clans of Huai River County.
Ling Pengyun glanced around and quickly found a long banner depicting the three Jade Series of Spirit Rice patterns that were the foundation of the Ling Clan's past.
Those three Jade Series Spirit Rice patterns are the symbol of the Ling Clan.
Having found the place where his Lineage were stationed, Ling Pengyun quickly rode the Immortal Spirit Crane King and landed there.
As he leaped from the back of the Immortal Spirit Crane King onto the ground, the twenty-odd Ling Clan clan members stationed there heard the commotion and came out of their respective wooden houses to surround him.
Ling Yunhong Ling Clan, another Foundation Establishment Cultivator Clan Head Ling Pengxing, the Supreme Elder, were also among this group.
Ling Yunhong, whose cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, subtly sensed that Ling Pengyun's aura was several times stronger than it had been a year ago, reaching the strength of the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment. A look of surprise flashed between his brows.
After thinking it over, he was suddenly startled, his face lit up with joy, and his eyes shone with anticipation as he excitedly asked.
"Peng Yun, was your entry into the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment due to the spiritual energy feedback triggered by your Natal Spirit Plant, the Thorn Vine, entering the second stage?"
He knew very well about Ling Pengyun's situation, and he also knew the approximate amount of spiritual water Ling Pengyun possessed.
The spiritual water in Ling Pengyun's possession alone is not enough to support Ling Pengyun in breaking through from the second level of Foundation Establishment to the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment.
"That's right." Ling Pengyun didn't try to hide anything, after all, Ling Yunhong had already seen through his cultivation level.
He first bowed to the more than twenty members of the Ling Clan clan present to express his greetings, and then replied.
After receiving the reply, Ling Yunhong's smile became even brighter, and he said with a smile.
"This is great news. With you as a second-tier Spirit Planter, the Ling Clan Lineage will also benefit more from the Spirit Plant you cultivate in the Rock Scale Snake Den."
"Furthermore, your ability to reach the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment will be of great help to the Lineage in Martial Duel martial arts competition for the share of that mine. Perhaps the Ling Clan will even have a chance to compete with the Falling Dusk Luo Clan the top spot in the Martial Duel competition."
Upon hearing this, Ling Pengxing, who was standing next to Ling Yunhong, felt a surge of envy and frustration.
During his Qi Training Stage, he was always the fastest cultivator among the Peng Generation.
But now, his cultivation level has been surpassed by his cousin, whom he has always suppressed.
With a soft sigh, Ling Pengxing once again had the idea of earning a large sum of Spirit Stone by slaying Demon Beast, so as to purchase Cultivation Resources that were even better than the Spirit Gathering Pill distributed by his Lineage, and thus accelerate his cultivation progress.
His thoughts returned to normal, and he congratulated Ling Pengyun.
He and Ling Pengyun were from the same clan, and Ling Pengyun's increased combat power could be seen as giving him more confidence.
If he encounters difficulties in the future due to insufficient strength, he can seek help from his cousin Ling Pengyun.
"Third Grandfather, what Martial Duel?" At this moment, Ling Pengyun was puzzled when he heard the word "Martial Duel" from Ling Yunhong and asked.
"More than ten days ago, the five major Foundation Establishment Family of Huai River County gathered here. No one was willing to give up that unclaimed and valuable Sand Soil Mine to the other. No one wanted to take less of it and wanted to take more of it."
"In the following days, the five of us had several minor conflicts with each other."
As a result, some minor casualties occurred among the Qi Refining cultivators of each family.
"To avoid excessive casualties among the Qi Training Stage clansmen brought by each family due to the conflict over the Sand Soil Mine, which would greatly reduce the strength of each family."
"Furthermore, we later discovered the mineral content of the Sand Soil Mine in this area, and learned that the Sand Soil Mine in this area is extremely large, and it would be difficult for any single clan in Huai River County to occupy it alone."
"The Clan Head of our five families then discussed and decided that each family would send three cultivators to divide this small, unclaimed Sand Soil Mine in a best-of-three Martial Duel competition."
"The winner of this Martial Duel will receive 25% of the mineral vein, while the next four will receive 20%, 10%, 10%, and 5% respectively."
"The remaining 30% of the mine is intended to be sold to the Hundred Spirits Sect by the five Lineage heads in exchange for Spirit Stone. This will allow the Hundred Spirits Sect to participate in the mine, deterring troublemakers and avoiding displeasure from the Hundred Spirits Sect."
"As for the Spirit Stone obtained from the 30% share of Sand Soil Ore sold to the Hundred Spirits Sect, they will be divided equally among the five families of Huai River County."
Ling Yunhong explained in detail.
The Hundred Spirits Sect now primarily focuses on weapon crafting, thus requiring a large quantity of ore.
It is precisely for this reason that all the major forces in the Hundred Spirits Sect territory, no matter what mineral vein they discover, will generally offer a share of the mineral vein to the Hundred Spirits Sect, so as not to displease the Hundred Spirits Sect.
Of course, the Hundred Spirits Sect will not treat the forces that pay tribute with a share of the mineral veins unfairly; they will acquire those mineral vein shares at market price.
After hearing the explanation, Ling Pengyun quite agreed with the idea of a Martial Duel.
In the Cultivation World, the principle of "might makes right" has always been upheld.
This approach is indeed very appropriate when applied to the division of profits from unclaimed mineral veins.
After thinking it over, Ling Pengyun looked at the twenty-odd Qi Training Stage clansmen around him and saw that several of them were indeed weak and pale, showing signs of injury.
Ling Pengyun immediately felt worried and asked Ling Yunhong.
"Third Grandfather, in the conflict between our clansmen at the Qi Training Stage and cultivators from four other families some time ago, were there any deaths among our clansmen?"
"No, it was just a minor skirmish between Qi Refining cultivators from the other Lineage. No one was killed. When our clansmen were in danger, Peng Xing and I rescued them. The injured recovered quickly thanks to the Healing Pill given to us by the Lineage before the expedition," Ling Yunhong said.
Ling Pengyun was relieved to hear this.
Every member of the Lineage is a treasure of the Lineage.
The loss of even a few clansmen would be extremely serious for the Ling Clan, whose number of cultivators is already small.
This will further hinder the development of the Ling Clan.
Once this worry dissipated, Ling Pengyun couldn't help but feel curious about Ling Yunhong's earlier statement that "the mineral veins here are too large for any single clan in Huai River County to occupy."
He was immediately curious and asked.
"Third Grandfather, how large is that Sand Soil Mine here?"
Ling Yunhong did not speak immediately. Instead, he dismissed the twenty-odd Ling Clan clan members who had gathered around him at the Qi Training Middle Stage and set up a Soundproof Restriction around the area before speaking.
"The scale of the Sand Soil Mine here is much larger than the small First Rank Middle Grade Mystic Water Iron Mine our Ling Clan discovered back then. It stretches for more than 580 zhang and contains at least 120,000 jin of Sand Soil Ore."
"It is precisely because that vein contains a large amount of ore that the Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the five families in Huai River County have agreed to not tell their Lineage about this matter since they discovered the amount of ore in that Sand Soil Mine, so as not to arouse the greed of the Foundation Establishment Family in other counties."
Upon hearing the scale of the mine, Ling Pengyun's heart trembled.
Ten kilograms of Sand Soil Ore can be refined into one kilogram of First-Tier Superior-Grade sandy soil.
A pound of sand is worth as much as ten Spirit Stone on the market.
This vein, containing 120,000 jin of First-Tier Superior-Grade Sand Soil Ore, is worth at least 120,000 Spirit Stone.
"It's so vast! Are the cultivators in the Hundred Spirits Sect aware of this?" Ling Pengyun exclaimed in surprise, but a hint of unease lingered in his voice.
Such a large mineral vein is not all good.
Without sufficient strength, that mine could become a death sentence.
"As early as nearly a month ago, when the Luo Clan discovered the Sand Soil Mine in this area on their own, Luo Clan planned to play a trick and informed the Hundred Spirits Sect in advance."
"Therefore, the five families in Huai River County planned to use Martial Duel to jointly develop the mineral veins here. However, just two days later, Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Hundred Spirits Sect came here to investigate the mineral content of the veins."
"After learning about the mineral content of this mine, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Hundred Spirits Sect who came here only stated that the five families of Huai River County must pay 30% of the mine's value to the Hundred Spirits Sect. The Hundred Spirits Sect would not concern itself with anything else."
After expressing this intention, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Hundred Spirits Sect left the place and returned to his sect to invite Second Rank Array Formation Master to set up an array to protect the mineral vein.
"As for why the Hundred Spirits Sect is like this, it should be because they are wary of our Foundation Establishment Family who have gathered here."
"After all, the Hundred Spirits Sect territory is not only home to our Five Great Clans of Huai River County, but also to dozens of the Foundation Establishment Family."
"If the Hundred Spirits Sect forcibly seizes this mineral vein, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the other Foundation Establishment Family, leading to the breakdown of the relationship between the other Foundation Establishment Family and the Hundred Spirits Sect."
Ling Yunhong understood Ling Pengyun's concerns and offered an explanation.
"That's good." Ling Pengyun said, relieved.
Afterwards, Ling Pengyun discussed with Ling Yunhong and Ling Pengxing the order of their Martial Duel battles with the other Lineage five days later, as well as their respective opponents. Only then did he bid farewell to the two of them and build a small wooden house using Wood Element Law Technique Free-and-Easy Teahouse the area where the Ling Clan clan members gathered. He then entered the house to cultivate quietly and wait for the competition to begin in five days.
Five days passed quickly, and the day of the Martial Duel arrived in the blink of an eye.
It was noon.
The members of the five Foundation Establishment Family of Huai River County gathered on a newly developed flat area.
At this moment, the selection of cultivators from the other four Foundation Establishment Family to participate in this Martial Duel competition was also clear.
The three cultivators from the Falling Dusk Luo Clan participating in the Martial Duel were Luo Minghui, the strongest cultivator in Huai River County with Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivation, his Daoist partner Li Xia with Foundation Establishment Third Layer cultivation, and their son Luo Qiuming with a Foundation Establishment Third Layer cultivation.
The other three Lineage did not have more than three Foundation Establishment Cultivator, with only the Tiger's Roar Liu Clan having decent strength.
The participants were Liu Daozhou, the patriarch of the Liu Clan Head who Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment, the Liu Clan Guardian Spirit Beast Flame Cloud Tiger, who Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment, and an elder of the Liu Clan reached the Qi Training Completion stage.
The three cultivators from the Azure Bamboo Wang Clan and the Cloud Mist Wen Clan who participated in this Martial Duel battle, apart from their Lineage, were all Qi Training Completion cultivators, used to make up the numbers.
With all Five Great Clans present, the Martial Duel officially began.
Ling Yunhong, the Clan Head of the Ling Clan, had the idea of competing with the Falling Dusk Luo Clan for the top spot because Ling Pengyun had entered the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment. So, when the Martial Duel competition started, he took the lead and left his own group of cultivators.
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