After bidding farewell to Candle Dragon, who had promised to "repay him handsomely in the future," Di Jiang left the East Sea. The gloom he felt at returning empty-handed was soon replaced by a more urgent thought.
Standing above the clouds, Di Jiang gazed down at the vast land as his thoughts raced.
"The Dragon Clan is out of reach for now. The only other clans with substantial resources left are the reclusive Kirin Clan and the Phoenix Clan."
At once, he recalled a place he had faintly sensed with his divine consciousness while passing Mount Kunlun earlier: Qilin Cliff! Its clear energy swirled with a trace of the earth's deep, tranquil aura. It was undoubtedly the Kirin Clan's secluded refuge!
"Visiting the Kirin Clan isn't just about asking them for Spiritual Treasures. More importantly, it's about their Earthly Fortune!"
He remembered the saying from his previous life: "Heavenly Demons and Earthly Witches." In this Tribulation Cycle, the Witch Clan ruled the land and ought to have held the Earthly Fortune in check! Yet during the ancient Tribulation of Longhan, it was the Kirin Clan that had ruled the land and held the Earthly Fortune in check!
Though the Kirin Clan's strength had dwindled to a fraction of what it once was, and it had long since lost the right and ability to hold the Earthly Fortune in check, forcing it into seclusion, the clan still retained its claim as the "rightful rulers of the land"—a legacy dating back to the creation of the world—and the source of fortune that came with it. That legacy had not entirely faded. If the Kirin Clan rose again, the Earthly Fortune would surely return to it!
Earlier, Di Jiang had advised Candle Dragon to unite the myriad clans and establish the Demon Clan. If that succeeded, the Demon Clan's Fortune would surely soar.
"If that old rascal Candle Dragon persuades or forcibly subdues the Kirin Clan, and brings it into the Demon Clan with its remaining claim to the Earthly Fortune, then the Kirin Clan could rise with the Demon Clan's Fortune. The authority over the Earthly Fortune that should belong to my Witch Clan's Mount Buzhou lineage would fall into the Demon Clan's hands! The balance would shift against us, leaving endless trouble down the road!"
That potential threat instantly put Di Jiang on guard. He would never let something that rightfully belonged to the Witch Clan end up in the hands of a future rival.
"I must act now, while the Three Pure Ones are away from Kunlun and the Kirin Clan is weakened. I'll get ahead of them, sever its remaining claim to the Earthly Fortune and its blessing of fortune, and transfer them to myself!"
The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, giving him a new goal—and a new sense of urgency. Spiritual Treasures were important, of course, but the authority over the Earthly Fortune, tied to the very foundation of his fortune, was even more crucial!
"There's no time to lose! I have to settle this before Candle Dragon approaches the Kirin Clan!"
Di Jiang turned into a streak of golden light that tore through space and raced toward Mount Kunlun even faster than before!
Having learned his lesson at the Dragon Palace, Di Jiang wasted no time this time. His goal was clear: subdue the Kirin Clan and eliminate the threat to the Earthly Fortune! Though this once-dominant clan had weakened, its latent influence and remaining authority could not be underestimated. If it joined the future Demon Clan, it would become a serious threat.
With a flicker, Di Jiang arrived deep in Mount Kunlun, before Qilin Cliff—a place shrouded in auspicious clouds and radiating the deep, tranquil aura of the earth.
This cliff was no ordinary blessed land. Before the ancient overlord First Qilin died, he had used his supreme divine powers and essence to create a small world, the Kirin Clan's last secluded refuge.
The small world blended seamlessly with Qilin Cliff itself. It was incredibly sturdy, with laws of its own. Even with his cultivation as a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal, breaking in by force would take some effort—and make enough of a commotion to alert the surrounding powers.
"Courtesy first, force if necessary." Di Jiang settled on his approach at once.
He stood outside Qilin Cliff without releasing any pressure and called out in a clear voice:
"I am Di Jiang, Lord of Mount Buzhou. I have come to visit the Kirin Clan. Please come out and meet me!"
Di Jiang had deliberately emphasized Mount Buzhou. He was certain it held extraordinary significance for the Kirin Clan. It was Pangu's backbone, the center of the Primordial World, and a symbol of the Kirin Clan's ancient glory and former ancestral home! That identity alone was enough to command the clan's utmost attention.
Sure enough, moments after Di Jiang finished speaking, ripples spread across the space outside Qilin Cliff, and an entrance opened in the sturdy barrier of the small world.
A torrent of blazing, pure blood energy surged out, suffused with an auspicious aura. A burly, stern-faced middle-aged man in crimson immortal robes strode out, flames flickering around him, followed by a group of Kirin Clan members of varying strength.
The crimson-robed man at their head was a mid-stage Golden Immortal—the undisputed strongest member of the Kirin Clan and its current leader, Fire Qilin! The others were all Grand Unity Golden Immortals. It seemed the clan now had only one Golden Immortal.
As soon as Fire Qilin emerged, he fixed his gaze on Di Jiang. He could not discern Di Jiang's exact cultivation, but the unfathomable Dao aura that seemed to merge with the world around him—and the faint aura of Mount Buzhou that stirred both a hint of unease and familiarity in Fire Qilin's blood—filled him with apprehension.
Daring not to show the slightest neglect, Fire Qilin stepped forward and respectfully saluted Di Jiang.
The clan leader of the Kirin Clan, Huoyun, led the clan elders in welcoming the Lord of Mount Buzhou! Senior, your presence brings splendor to Qilin Cliff!
He addressed Di Jiang as "Senior" and adopted a deeply deferential posture. It was not only because Di Jiang's cultivation was unfathomable; his title as Lord of Mount Buzhou held special meaning for the Kirin Clan.
Seeing how sensible Fire Qilin was, Di Jiang nodded in satisfaction. "There's no need for formalities, Clan Leader Fire Qilin. I've come today to discuss an important matter with your clan."
"Please, Senior!"
Fire Qilin stepped aside and respectfully ushered Di Jiang into the small world of Qilin Cliff, the Kirin Clan's final refuge, transformed from First Qilin's body.
The small world was rich in spiritual energy and bathed in auspicious light. Exotic flowers and plants covered the land, and young auspicious qilin beasts frolicked among them. It was a peaceful scene, though the world still bore the stagnant air of a place cut off from the outside.
Di Jiang had no mind to admire the scenery, nor any desire for pointless pleasantries. After he and Fire Qilin took their seats in the main hall and the attendants served spiritual fruits and immortal wine, Di Jiang got straight to the point. His gaze was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority as he looked at Fire Qilin.
"Clan Leader Huoyun, my time is precious, so I'll be direct. I can use my divine powers to move Qilin Cliff and the entire small world back to Mount Buzhou, allowing the Kirin Clan to return to its ancestral home. Under my protection, you'll be spared all the disturbances and potential threats of the outside world."
"But in exchange, the Kirin Clan must surrender its authority over the Earthly Fortune!"
His words landed like a thunderclap. The faces of the Kirin Clan elders standing nearby changed at once. The Earthly Fortune was a symbol of their clan's former glory—and the last thing they still clung to!
Yet Fire Qilin, despite his own shock, showed little panic. He was, after all, a veteran Golden Immortal who had survived the ancient Tribulation in a sea of corpses and blood!
His knowledge and composure far surpassed those of ordinary cultivators. The Kirin Clan was now weak, and its remaining claim to the Earthly Fortune was like a child carrying gold through a marketplace. Sooner or later, it would attract greedy eyes. He simply hadn't expected the first to come knocking to be such a powerful figure as the Lord of Mount Buzhou.
Huoyun fell silent for a moment, rapidly weighing his options. Di Jiang's proposal seemed overbearing, but it also offered the Kirin Clan a way to survive. Returning to Mount Buzhou was a long-held desire of the clan, after all. It was their homeland!
His protection would also ease the Kirin Clan's current struggle to survive, at the very least sparing them the constant fear of being swallowed up or purged by other powers.
There was no way the clan could hold on to the Earthly Fortune. Rather than let a potentially more ruthless foe seize it by force in the future, they might as well do Di Jiang a favor now in exchange for a relatively safe place to live and a powerful patron.
"Please understand our situation, Senior!" Huoyun rose and clasped his hands, speaking unhurriedly.
"In its current state, the Kirin Clan is no longer worthy of bearing the weight of the Earthly Fortune. For you to offer us protection in exchange for it is already a kindness."
"However, the source of the Earthly Fortune is no intangible thing. In the past, the Great Ancestor Qilin refined the authority over the Primordial World's Earthly Fortune into our clan's treasure, the Qilin Seal. This seal is its vessel."
As he spoke, Fire Qilin felt a pang in his heart. The Qilin Seal was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure! First Qilin had reforged it with his own fortune and divine powers, making it a peerless treasure that guarded the clan. It was both powerful and deeply significant. How could Fire Qilin not feel the pain of surrendering it with his own hands?
But he looked up at Di Jiang's unfathomable eyes, felt the heavy pressure radiating from him like Mount Buzhou, and recalled the many tales of the Lord of Mount Buzhou's mysterious strength.
He knew he had no leverage to bargain. If he offended Di Jiang, the Kirin Clan might lose even this last refuge.
Enough. No matter how precious a treasure is, there's no use having it if you're dead. Securing the clan's survival under the protection of such a powerful figure may not be a bad thing after all! Fire Qilin lamented inwardly, then made up his mind.
Huoyun bowed deeply to Di Jiang. "Since you need it, the Kirin Clan is willing to offer you the Qilin Seal. We only ask that you honor your promise and protect our clan!"
With that, a light flashed in Fire Qilin's hand, and a heavy, ancient seal slowly appeared, radiating the immense aura of the earth and auspicious light. A qilin crouched atop it, and Dao patterns covered its surface. It was the Qilin Seal, a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure that carried a portion of the Primordial World's Earthly Fortune!
Di Jiang looked at the seal, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. Fire Qilin knew how to read the situation.
"Good!" Di Jiang accepted the Qilin Seal, felt the vast power of the earth's veins and its unique authority over fortune, and nodded.
"I always keep my word. I'll cast the spell at once and help you return to Mount Buzhou!"
Before you continue