Martial Immortal

Yun Long lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, producing faint knocking sounds that rang especially clear through the silent hall.

His gaze was calm, but his thoughts had already turned a thousand times.

Cooperation was not impossible.

The secrets of the Cultivation World that had once been so difficult to investigate, the information from Classics he had long sought without success—perhaps the Ning Family could provide a breakthrough.

If the Yun Clan wished to put down roots in Wanfang Lake, relying solely on its own exploration would be far too difficult.

Yun Long raised his eyes toward Ning Yongrui, his voice steady. "What exactly does Commander Ning have in mind? Please speak plainly. My Yun Clan has only just arrived, and we know very little about the distribution of powers and resources around Wanfang Lake."

At those words, a knowing smile appeared in Ning Yongrui's eyes.

He knew that Yun Long had agreed.

Able to bend and stretch, capable of judging the times and assessing the situation—this young Yun Family Head was indeed no simple figure.

"Yun Family Head, you speak forthrightly." Ning Yongrui nodded slightly. "Though Wanfang Lake Town is small, it can accommodate four Cultivation Families besides the Yun Clan for a reason. It is because Wanfang Lake possesses Three Treasures."

He paused, whetting their appetites before continuing.

"The first is the spirit fish within Wanfang Lake. Of them, the most precious is a first-rank spirit fish known as the Dragon Whisker Golden Tail Fish. This fish has miraculous effects for pregnant women. If eaten regularly, it can not only increase the chance of a child being born with a Spiritual Root, but also raise the quality of that Spiritual Root."

Yun Long's heart stirred. Spiritual Roots! This was precisely what the Yun Clan desired most at present. His wife, Li Lingyue, was only three months pregnant; if he could obtain it, it would be perfect for her.

"The second is the Heart Calming Lotus," Ning Yongrui continued. "Its lotus seeds can help Qi Refining Stage cultivators speed up their cultivation. They can also calm the mind and settle the spirit, preventing the danger of cultivation deviation. Even its withered lotus leaves are excellent materials for refining Qi Augmentation Pills used by martial artists."

"The third is the Earth's Core Ice Crystal. It is a first-rank ice-attributed refining material, quite rare."

Once Ning Yongrui finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a time.

Yun Long lightly tapped the tabletop, saying nothing for a long while.

These Three Treasures could be produced continuously. They were the foundation for a family's stable development.

"How are these Three Treasures currently distributed?" Yun Long asked.

"Wanfang Lake's waters are vast. Most of the spirit fish in the lake are controlled by the Li Family, who have made their living from fishing for generations." Ning Yongrui's expression did not change. "On the southern shore of Wanfang Lake lies a strange marshland, rich in Heart Calming Lotuses, which the Lu Family firmly controls."

"As for Donghu City, it lies within the Mo Family's sphere of influence. The Earth's Core Ice Crystals are produced deep beneath Donghu City."

Ning Yongrui lifted his teacup and took a small sip, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"My Ning Family has guarded this place under imperial orders for only forty years. Our foundation remains shallow, and we have yet to receive even a share of these Three Treasures."

He spoke lightly, but Yun Long heard the unwillingness and scheming beneath his words.

Ning Yongrui set down his teacup, took a warm-colored jade slip from his sleeve, and gently pushed it before Yun Long.

"Inside are more detailed records concerning the various forces around Wanfang Lake and the Three Treasures."

Yun Long picked up the jade slip. It felt faintly cool in his hand.

The intelligence he had exhausted every means to uncover was now being delivered to his doorstep.

Ning Yongrui listened to Yun Long's words, and appreciation flashed through his eyes. This young Yun Family Head was indeed as perceptive as the rumors claimed.

"Yun Family Head sees clearly." Ning Yongrui no longer beat around the bush.

He returned the teacup to the table with a faint sound.

"The Three Treasures of Wanfang Lake are each held by one of three families: the Li Family, the Lu Family, and the Mo Family. For decades, these three families have had undercurrents surging beneath the surface, their frictions unceasing as they fought over resources."

He lowered his voice slightly, his tone carrying a trace of anticipation. "As far as I know, the conflict between them has accumulated to its limit. A major clash is already an arrow set upon the bowstring."

"When that time comes, it will be the moment for our two families to enter the fray." Ning Yongrui looked at Yun Long, light gleaming in his eyes.

Yun Long lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, but inwardly he disagreed.

Entering only at the end would mean getting nothing but scraps from the table.

The Ning Family would absolutely not be the last to enter.

Yet his expression remained unchanged. Given the Yun Clan's current scale and foundation, those resources were not urgently needed. In fact, holding them might make them a hot potato, likely affecting the Yun Clan's development.

Strength was the hard truth. What the Yun Clan needed most was time.

Then I'll play along with the Ning Family for a while.

His heart eased somewhat.

Cooperating with the Ning Family would at least provide the Yun Clan with a buffer and an opportunity to familiarize itself with its surroundings.

Once the serious business was done, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed somewhat.

The few of them casually chatted about the customs and scenery of Wanfang Lake, as though this were merely an ordinary visit.

Ning Yongrui's gaze imperceptibly flicked toward the training ground outside. He brought up what he had seen earlier.

"Yun Family Head, when I passed the training ground earlier, I saw your disciple Shi Chen practicing his swordsmanship. That child possesses extraordinary bones, and spiritual radiance has already emerged. He clearly possesses a Spiritual Root." Ning Yongrui's tone held several traces of confusion, along with probing intent.

"Since he has such talent, why not let him begin Qi Refining cultivation at once? No matter how strong the Martial Dao may be, it ultimately has its limits. Though the early stages of Qi Refining are weak, they are the threshold leading to the Great Dao. Would delaying not waste his precious cultivation time?"

There was more beneath his words.

Shi Chen was not truly a member of the Yun Clan. With such outstanding talent, he remained in the Yun Clan, and they were not even in a hurry to lead him onto the Immortal Dao.

In the eyes of Cultivation Families, this was an extremely dangerous matter. A powerful outsider would often become a tremendous hidden danger to a family.

Yun Long's gaze fell upon Ning Yongrui's face, calm and undisturbed.

He recalled the scattered fragments he had obtained over the years through indirect inquiries regarding "Entering Immortality through Martial Arts." A bold guess gradually took shape in his heart. Perhaps it was time to verify it.

He slowly opened his mouth. His voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable air of confidence. "Little Chen is my disciple."

He paused, then continued beneath the increasingly bewildered gazes of Ning Yongrui and his son. "How I cultivate is naturally how he will cultivate."

"Even without a Spiritual Root, he will be no weaker than anyone."

Those words were like thunder exploding from level ground, blasting beside the ears of Ning Yongrui and his son.

Ning Shaojie jolted and shot to his feet, crying out in disbelief, "Impossible! That's impossible!"

His face turned ashen, his eyes filled with incredulity. "How could someone truly Enter Immortality through Martial Arts!"

Within the limits of his knowledge, "Entering Immortality through Martial Arts" was merely a distant legend, something only the handful of people who had ascended from the Lower Realm and shattered the shackles of heaven and earth could accomplish.

Such people were like myths. How could one possibly appear before him—and be this absurdly young Yun Family Head?

Ning Shaojie collapsed back into his chair in a daze, his mind buzzing.

He had thought himself a favored child of heaven, that the early Qi Refining Stage was the beginning of the road to the Great Dao. But now, Yun Long's words had utterly shattered everything he had taken pride in.

Ning Yongrui was equally shocked beyond measure. He stared fixedly at Yun Long, as if seeing him for the first time.

He could sense that utterly restrained aura around Yun Long, deep and unfathomable. Sixth Level of Qi Refining? He laughed bitterly within his heart.

If Yun Long's words—"Even without a Spiritual Root, he will be no weaker than anyone"—were true, if he truly walked that legendary path of entering immortality through the Martial Dao, then his current strength was likely far more than simply the Sixth Level of Qi Refining.

Kill Yun Long? That was simply a fantasy spun from the sky!

In an instant, he understood why the Yun Clan's Xiantian realm martial artists were so much stronger than their peers, able to fight three or even five opponents alone.

It was clearly because they had a Martial Arts Grandmaster guiding them!

Ning Yongrui felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart and spread through his entire body in an instant. He knew that he had to immediately change his strategy toward the Yun Clan.

This was not some "reserve hand" he could casually manipulate and exploit, but a presence unfathomably deep—perhaps even more powerful than his Ning Family!

He had just been smug, thinking he held the initiative. Now it seemed it was all a joke. Bitterness filled Ning Yongrui's heart.