Jade Capital City: Hua Qingzhu Acknowledges a Master, the Fox Clan Joins

After taking a simple stroll around Jade Capital City, Yang Zhengshan brought Su Mei and Su Qingfu to the Immortal Palace.

Upon entering the Immortal Palace, Su Mei and Su Qingfu were even more stunned.

"This is the real White Jade Capital!"

After passing through Nine Heavens Gate, they continued deeper along the long, broad white-jade road. Pavilions stood on both sides of the road, and several newly built pavilions could be seen in the distance.

As they went deeper, they soon saw Longevity Lake. The entire lake was lush green and filled with lotuses. These lotuses all originated from the Great Void Twelve Golden Crystal Lotus. They were all Dao Intent Sacred Lotuses, just like those on Spiritual Spring Mountain Plateau, and possessed the effects of improving comprehension and affinity with nature.

Su Mei and Su Qingfu arrived before Longevity Palace in astonishment. Just then, Yu Qingyi walked out of the palace.

"Husband!" Yu Qingyi's smile bloomed like a flower when she saw Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan was delighted as well. He noticed that Yu Qingyi's aura had stabilized, clearly indicating that she had consolidated her cultivation.

Only now had Yu Qingyi truly set foot upon the Golden Core Great Dao.

"Madam has emerged from seclusion! Hahaha~~"

Yu Qingyi looked at Su Mei and Su Qingfu and blinked. "And these two are?"

Two beautiful women had followed Yang Zhengshan, and Yu Qingyi could not help feeling a little puzzled.

Of course, she did not suspect that Yang Zhengshan had found a new lover.

If Yang Zhengshan had been the kind of man who indulged in beauty, after all these years, who knew how many beauties would have already been at his side?

"This is Fellow Daoist Su Mei, Qingyuan Fox Venerable. This is Fellow Daoist Su Qingfu of the Qingyuan Fox Clan!"

"This is my wife, Yu Qingyi!"

Yang Zhengshan introduced them.

"Greetings, two Seniors!"

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yu!"

After the three women exchanged greetings, Yu Qingyi warmly invited them into Longevity Palace.

In no time, the atmosphere between the three women grew lively. They began addressing each other as sisters, leaving Yang Zhengshan out in the cold.

Yang Zhengshan did not mind. On the contrary, he was happy to have some peace.

Whenever he was with women, he always had to restrain himself. Especially when he was with beautiful women of high cultivation, he could not behave too casually.

It was not because he would feel embarrassed, but because he feared they might misunderstand his intentions.

Just as the four of them entered Longevity Palace, before they had even found a place to sit, a streak of light suddenly flew out from Yang Zhengshan's bosom.

"Master!"

A Little Person appeared before Yu Qingyi, and Yu Qingyi froze at once.

What was this thing?

Before Yu Qingyi could react, Yang Zhengshan's hand had already pressed down on the little thing.

"Little thing, behave yourself!"

"She's my new master!" Hua Qingzhu struggled and gazed at Yu Qingyi pitifully.

Yu Qingyi looked at Yang Zhengshan in confusion. Left with no choice, Yang Zhengshan could only explain, "This is Hua Qingzhu. She should be the Spirit Treasure of the Wanhua Demon Emperor. She wants to acknowledge you as her master!"

Originally, Yang Zhengshan had intended to secretly hand Hua Qingzhu over to Yu Qingyi. A Spirit Treasure was not a Spirit Artifact, and it possessed a fatal allure for Golden Core cultivators.

With Su Mei and Su Qingfu present, Yang Zhengshan could not guarantee that they might not harbor other thoughts.

But this fellow was far too eager, practically desperate to throw herself into Yu Qingyi's arms.

Yang Zhengshan's failure to explain might have been better. After he did, Su Mei and Su Qingfu's bright eyes widened considerably.

Yu Qingyi, however, did not think too much of it. She knew little about the Wanhua Demon Emperor and was merely curious about the little thing before her.

"Hua Qingzhu, why does it want to acknowledge me as its master?"

"Because you cultivated the Path of Spirit Bestowal! This fellow followed the Path of Spirit Bestowal here!"

"Master! Please take me in. I have nowhere else to go!" Hua Qingzhu looked at Yu Qingyi imploringly.

She truly had it wretched. Her former master's death was one thing—in any case, she had never particularly liked him. That fellow had always restrained her and refused to let her go out.

She had thought that after gaining a new master, she could live a more carefree life. She had never expected to be caught by Yang Zhengshan again.

During this period, Yang Zhengshan had kept her by his side and used Dao Intent to suppress her, making her suffer terribly.

If she had not possessed some ability, she would not even have been able to break free from Yang Zhengshan's Dao Intent suppression.

Yu Qingyi looked at Yang Zhengshan questioningly. Yang Zhengshan gave a slight nod, indicating that she could accept this fellow.

With Yang Zhengshan's approval, Yu Qingyi's face immediately filled with a gentle smile.

"Since you wish to acknowledge me as your master, I naturally won't refuse. I should thank you for recognizing me!"

As she spoke, she reached out and held Hua Qingzhu in her palm.

Yang Zhengshan still warned her, "Behave yourself. If you dare to act recklessly, I'll make sure you learn the consequences!"

Hua Qingzhu glanced at Yang Zhengshan and pursed her lips in displeasure, but then she happily burrowed into Yu Qingyi's body.

The tiny pearl flashed with a streak of azure light and seemed to merge into Yu Qingyi's Dantian. Yu Qingyi focused her mind and inspected it, discovering that it was obediently staying beside her Golden Core. At the same time, she noticed another azure streak of light in her Sea of Consciousness.

A stream of information entered her mind, immediately informing her of Hua Qingzhu's function.

Hua Qingzhu was not a complicated Spirit Treasure. It had advanced from a Spirit Artifact and should be considered a relatively low-grade existence among Spirit Treasures. Of course, no matter how low its grade, it was still a Spirit Treasure.

Hua Qingzhu's greatest function was nurturing living beings. This was somewhat similar to Green Ox's Planting Ball, but Green Ox's Planting Ball was a Magic Treasure with a smaller internal space, specifically designed for certain Spirit Plants.

Hua Qingzhu could nurture all living beings, and this nurturing also included the soul and spirituality.

Simply put, its greatest ability was to assist its master in cultivating Spirit-Bestowed creations possessing spirituality, such as Flower Soldiers and Treants.

The Wanhua Demon Emperor had been able to possess hundreds of millions of Flower Soldiers and Treants precisely because of Hua Qingzhu's assistance. Otherwise, relying on himself alone, he would not have been able to cultivate so many Flower Soldiers and Treants even if he had been given ten thousand years.

Hua Qingzhu was the Demon Ruins Land—in other words, it was a Spirit Treasure with an innate Grotto-Heaven.

In this aspect, it was very similar to the Life Realm Immortal Palace, though Hua Qingzhu was far inferior to the Life Realm Immortal Palace.

The Life Realm Immortal Palace was a supreme treasure of the Great Void, a peak existence among Spirit Treasures.

Hua Qingzhu, on the other hand, had only barely crossed the threshold of Spirit Treasures.

After obtaining Hua Qingzhu and learning that it also possessed a Grotto-Heaven, Yu Qingyi was extremely happy. Her eyes curved into crescents, and her face was full of irrepressible delight.

"That really is the Spirit Treasure of the Wanhua Demon Emperor!" Su Mei recovered from her shock and asked.

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly. "It said so itself, and it should not be false. Moreover, I also received word that Chang Buzai once appeared in the Wanhua Mountain Range and fought the Wanhua Demon Emperor. The Wanhua Demon Emperor has not shown himself since then, so he has very likely fallen!"

The news had come from Xuan Ling of the Wandering White Crane Clan. Xuan Ling had been rather fortunate. At the time, Chang Buzai had not cared much about him and had allowed him to escape.

After escaping, Xuan Ling no longer dared to remain in the Wanhua Mountain Range. The next day, he led the Wandering White Crane Clan away from the Wanhua Mountain Range and went to the Hengshan Mountain Range.

Because of this, news of the Wanhua Demon Court's destruction had spread from his lips.

Su Mei drew a deep breath. "I never expected the Demon Emperor to meet such an end."

Yang Zhengshan smiled but said nothing.

He did not care what had happened to the Wanhua Demon Emperor. He had never interacted with him and held no fondness for him. In fact, he was even pleased to see the Wanhua Demon Emperor fall.

After all, with the Wanhua Demon Emperor dead, Jade Capital City had a chance to enter the Wanhua Mountain Range, and Yu Qingyi had even picked up a Spirit Treasure.

Afterward, the group took their seats in the Tea Room of Longevity Palace. With Yu Qingyi present, the atmosphere became much more harmonious and lively.

The three women gathered together and chatted for a long time, mainly exchanging Cultivation Experience.

Su Mei and Su Qingfu were Demon Kings. They could not offer Yu Qingyi much guidance in cultivation, but they were qualified to guide her in Dao Intent comprehension and combat.

After more than half an hour passed, Su Mei finally could not help looking at Yang Zhengshan and asking, "Fellow Daoist Yang, what are your plans going forward?"

"Plans?" Yang Zhengshan considered for a moment before saying, "Drive away the Wuchang Ghost Sect and occupy the Wanhua Mountain Range?"

Su Mei was startled. "Fellow Daoist Yang, you also wish to contend for the Position of Authority?"

"No! I only want to secure a piece of territory for White Jade Capital. Therefore, I don't need the entire Wanhua Mountain Range. I only need the Central Region of the Wanhua Mountain Range!" Yang Zhengshan said.

There were an enormous number of Spirit Veins within the Wanhua Mountain Range. There were over a thousand first-grade Spirit Veins, more than a hundred second-grade Spirit Veins, and even dozens of third-grade Spirit Veins.

Most of the third-grade Spirit Veins were located in the Central Region of the Wanhua Mountain Range. This was also why most of the Demon Race within the Wanhua Demon Court had lived in the central region.

The Spirit Veins possessed by the Spirit Source Land could satisfy the cultivation needs of several million people. However, the spiritual energy of the Spirit Source Land was not infinite. White Jade Capital had to continuously acquire resources and spiritual energy from outside to replenish the spiritual energy and resources consumed by the Spirit Source Land.

To put it simply, Yang Zhengshan's greatest purpose in occupying the Wanhua Mountain Range was to plunder resources and spiritual energy from it.

Of course, he also wanted to contend for the Position of Authority, but that was not his primary objective.

In Su Mei's eyes, however, Yang Zhengshan was clearly heading straight for the Position of Authority.

Su Mei lowered her head and sank into thought.

Originally, she had wanted to ease her relationship with Yang Zhengshan and mend the rift that had appeared between them. But after seeing the strength of Yang Zhengshan and White Jade Capital, she now had some other thoughts.

At present, White Jade Capital's strength was not actually that formidable. It was even inferior to the Wanhua Demon Court of the past.

The Wanhua Demon Court had once possessed Three Venerables and Eight Elders. Of the Three Venerables, the Demon Emperor had been a Half-step Entering Dao expert, while she and Chi Huang had been at the Demon King Peak. The Eight Elders of the Demon Court had all been Golden Core Late Stage cultivators.

In addition, the Wanhua Demon Court had more than forty Demon Kings who were nominally under its rule.

It was only because the Wanhua Demon Court's management was relatively lax that it had appeared so vulnerable.

If the Wanhua Demon Court had been a tightly organized force, its strength and influence would not have been much weaker than those of the Wuchang Ghost Sect. It could have rivaled powerful sects such as the Wanbao Sect and the Hengshan Sect.

Unfortunately, the Wanhua Demon Emperor had not trusted the other members of the Demon Race. He had trusted only himself and cared only about himself. Thus, he had lost everything.

By comparison, Yang Zhengshan possessed an air that made people submit willingly.

Although Yang Zhengshan sometimes appeared somewhat lacking in principles, he truly treated his own people well and was willing to secure every resource possible for his subordinates.

Moreover, White Jade Capital did not reject the Demon Race. She already knew that the Spirit Deer Clan had joined White Jade Capital.

Su Mei understood Yang Zhengshan's temperament, and therefore hesitated over whether to have the Fox Clan join White Jade Capital.

Joining another powerful force would bring both benefits and drawbacks to the Fox Clan.

The benefit was that with the protection of a powerful force, the safety of the Qingyuan Fox Clan would have another layer of assurance.

That was also the drawback. A powerful force brought not only protection but also danger.

At present, all the great forces in the Myriad Flower Domain had been drawn into the Struggle for Authority, and Yang Zhengshan also intended to participate in the Struggle for Authority. If the Fox Clan joined White Jade Capital, it would inevitably be drawn into it as well.

If the Fox Clan only wanted to protect itself, then naturally there was no need to join White Jade Capital.

But danger also represented opportunity.

The Lord of Authority represented supreme status for ten thousand years. When one person attained the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascended to Heaven. If the Fox Clan could help Yang Zhengshan win the Position of Authority, it would gain Merit from Following the Dragon and at the very least obtain Ten Thousand Years of Prosperity.

Should they hide away and seek temporary stability, or take the risk to strive for Ten Thousand Years of Prosperity? Su Mei fell into hesitation.

Yang Zhengshan did not know what she was thinking and continued leisurely sipping his tea.

Yu Qingyi, however, had been observing Su Mei's unusual expression all along. She raised her head and glanced at Yang Zhengshan. Yang Zhengshan smiled at her, then gave a slight shake of his head.

Actually, whatever Su Mei was thinking, Yang Zhengshan did not care much.

Although the Fox Clan's strength was not weak, it was not powerful enough to change the situation.

To put it this way, even if the Fox Clan did not join White Jade Capital, White Jade Capital would still oppose the Wuchang Ghost Sect. And even if the Fox Clan joined White Jade Capital, it could not change the fact that White Jade Capital was weaker than the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

The key to opposing the Wuchang Ghost Sect did not lie in how many Golden Core cultivators and Demon Kings White Jade Capital possessed, but in whether Yang Zhengshan could contend with Chang Buzai.

After hesitating for a long time, Su Mei suddenly raised her head and looked at Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan was still holding his tea and savoring it lightly. His expression was calm, and his bearing was leisurely. Seeing this, Su Mei's heart trembled.

Of course, she did not harbor any improper thoughts toward Yang Zhengshan. She had merely thought of a crucial question.

Since Yang Zhengshan was so calm, that meant he was confident in opposing the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

"I want to lead the Fox Clan in joining White Jade Capital. Would that be acceptable?" Su Mei finally made her decision.

Yang Zhengshan raised his head and looked at her. "Joining White Jade Capital is fine. But after joining White Jade Capital, you must honor me as your Venerable!"

"That is only natural! From now on, you are the Supreme Venerable of the Fox Clan!" Su Mei said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingfu raised her head and secretly glanced at Yang Zhengshan, not daring to say a word.

She was still terrified by Yang Zhengshan's warning from earlier.

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and thought for a moment. "I can represent White Jade Capital in accepting you, but I hope there are no objections within your Fox Clan!"

"I will arrange matters within the Fox Clan properly and certainly won't cause trouble for you, Venerable!" Su Mei said.

"Hahaha, since that is the case, on behalf of White Jade Capital, I welcome the Fox Clan's joining!" Yang Zhengshan laughed heartily, acting extremely enthusiastic.

Although whether the Fox Clan joined White Jade Capital would not affect the overall situation much, its joining still increased White Jade Capital's strength. That was unquestionably a good thing for White Jade Capital.

As for their previous grievances, Su Mei was willing to submit. What more dissatisfaction could Yang Zhengshan have?