Wang Haochang recalled the dagger and sent a voice transmission summoning the other three Foundation Establishment cultivators of his clan to gather.
On the other side, the Lu Household's three Foundation Establishment cultivators also gathered together.
Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming looked at Lu Changfeng, their brows tightly knitted and their faces grave.
The two knew their clan leader's capabilities better than anyone.
Though his cultivation aptitude was ordinary, his comprehension was monstrous, and his forbearance was even more extraordinary.
To embark on that road to the heavens that would allow him to protect his Lineage, he had refrained from fighting for a hundred years, keeping his blade hidden in its sheath.
Today, he had finally unleashed his strength and indeed succeeded.
Yet he had nearly died.
This was something they had not anticipated.
Just what was that dagger in the Wang Household head's hand?
Why did it possess such strange and formidable power?
Even a sword immortal, universally acknowledged as invincible within his realm and capable of easily fighting above it, had struggled to withstand it.
"I never expected you to become a sword immortal."
"I admit I'm no match for you, but if you push me into using a Secret Method to fight until the fish dies and the net breaks, neither of us will come out ahead!" Wang Haochang spoke first, his concession plain to see.
That dagger was immensely powerful.
Using it to slay an enemy was equally costly.
To unleash that killing blow again, he would have to use the Blood-Burning Secret Method just as Wang Haocheng had.
But Wang Haochang still wanted to live, to pursue the Golden Core, the Nascent Soul, and even the great Dao of immortality.
He did not want his foundation damaged in any way.
Besides, Lu Changfeng was already on guard. Another attempt would not necessarily succeed, so he decided not to attack again.
Lu Changfeng did not press him at every step either.
He had never intended to wipe out the Wang Household outright.
The time was not yet right.
The Wang Household's existence could draw the attention of other forces.
If they destroyed it now, the Lu Household would become the center of attention. With only three Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Lu Household could not afford such a high profile yet.
"Then we'll leave it at that. From this day forward, the Mystic Wood Forest belongs to the Lu Household. All of you can get lost."
The four from the Wang Household gnashed their teeth at his words.
They wished they could tear Lu Changfeng apart and divide his flesh among them to eat.
But the long years had taught them restraint and how to bow their heads. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.
"Clan Leader, the Lu Household has gone too far. Are we really..."
Wang Zhaoran spoke up. He dearly wanted to urge the clan leader to keep fighting. With that dagger, they still had a chance to kill the Lu clan leader even if he had become a sword immortal.
In the end, Wang Haochang chose caution.
"The Mystic Wood Forest is more than your Lu Household can swallow."
"Even taking ten thousand steps back, suppose we hand this place over to you. Who do you intend to send to guard it?"
As the clan leader, how could Lu Changfeng remain stationed at a single resource site for long?
If he sent Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming to guard it,
would he not fear the Wang Household following their example, doubling back to kill those two?
Of course, the Lu Household cultivators had considered all of this.
"Clan Leader Wang certainly has our Lu Household's interests at heart." Lu Changfeng suddenly smiled. "In that case, the Mystic Wood Forest can remain yours, but half its output must be delivered to our Lu Household."
"This is the furthest our Lu Household is willing to concede. If you refuse, Clan Leader Wang, then we can only settle this once and for all here today."
"That would spare us future worries, too."
Wang Haochang understood, and so did the other three Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Wang Household.
The Lu Household intended to make the Wang Household pay half the Mystic Wood Forest's resources directly as tribute. What a well-worked abacus they had.
"Clan Leader, you mustn't! If we have to suffer such humiliation, our Wang Household might as well be destroyed!"
"Exactly! Let's fight them! So what if he's a sword immortal? He's still flesh and blood. How could he be unable to die?"
"Clan Leader, the Lu Household killed our clan elder and seized our resources. They're practically sitting on our heads and shitting! I beg you to fight to the bitter end, until one side is dead!"
"Ah!" A heavy sigh escaped Wang Haochang's mouth.
His shoulders sagged at that moment.
Go to war, fight until one side was dead.
It was easy to say.
But if they truly lost, would the Lu Household spare the Wang Household?
Impossible.
The ultimate outcome would undoubtedly be the destruction of the entire clan.
To gamble with the lives of the whole clan-
Wang Haochang could neither afford nor dare to make that wager.
He sent a voice transmission to the three beside him.
"Lu Changfeng endured for a hundred years to forge his own path as a sword immortal. Why should we insist on winning this moment?"
"Let us endure today."
"One day, we will surely reduce this Lu Household"
"to ashes and smoke!"
In the end, Wang Haochang compromised.
And so, both sides shook hands, made peace, and signed an agreement.
The Mystic Wood Forest's output would be tallied once a month, and half would then be sent to the Lu Household.
The quantity of resources could only exceed past output, never fall below it.
The Wang Household would make up any shortfall.
As for whether the Wang Household would play tricks or increase its investment in extraction, the Lu Household would send someone to conduct a simple inspection. As long as the figures roughly matched and were plausible, that would suffice.
Delighted smiles appeared on the faces of all three Lu Household Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Securing half the Mystic Wood Forest's resources
would relieve a considerable amount of the Lineage's current pressure.
They could also loosen the purse strings when it came to nurturing little Chenxing.
On the other side, the Wang Household's four Foundation Establishment cultivators looked as though they had lost their parents, their hearts heavy with humiliation and their faces dark with resentment.
Each of them held back a bellyful of anger.
They secretly swore that they would one day reclaim everything.
And make the Lu Household pay a heavy price for what it had done today.
Thus, the struggle over the Mystic Wood Forest ended.
The powerful cultivators of both households withdrew.
On the way back, people on both sides raised questions.
Wang Haofeng looked at the clan leader, resentment and worry stirring across his face.
"Clan Leader, Lu Changfeng comprehended Sword Intent and became a sword immortal. Now he has half the Mystic Wood Forest's resources to support his cultivation. His path ahead is wide open. When he attains the Golden Core one day, what will become of our Wang Household?"
"That's right, Clan Leader!" Wang Zhaoran chimed in. "The Lu Household killed our Foundation Establishment elder. A life-and-death feud has already been forged. Perhaps today was our best and final chance."
"Why don't we turn back and catch them off guard..."
Wang Haochang glanced at Wang Zhaoran.
He understood him; hatred had blinded his eyes.
But he did not agree with his suggestion.
"Lu Changfeng has his sword immortal's path, and I have my precious dagger. It remains to be seen who will reach the Golden Core first. Perhaps there won't even be a need to wait until then."
Elsewhere.
Lu Changgeng still wanted more.
"Clan Leader, if you ask me, we should have wiped out the Wang Household outright. Leaving them alive could bring trouble."
Lu Xuanming agreed wholeheartedly. "Exactly. Clan Leader, you kept your blade sheathed for a hundred years. Now that you've stepped onto the sword immortal's path, you should forge ahead boldly, slaying any god or demon that stands in your way."
The two looked toward Lu Changfeng, only to see him suddenly stop flying, his expression abruptly turning ugly.
"Clan Leader, what's..."
Lu Changgeng had just begun to ask after him when Lu Changfeng opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Droplets scattered, staining his white robes red.
"Clan Leader!"
Two startled cries rang out together.
Lu Changfeng raised a hand to stop them from approaching.
"I'm fine. A few days of regulating my breathing back at the clan will be enough to recover."
His feeble voice seemed rather unconvincing. Both Lu Changgeng's and Lu Xuanming's brows filled with worry.
"Clan Leader, was it that dagger?"
Lu Changfeng nodded lightly.
"A force pierced through the dark armor and invaded my internal organs. I've suppressed it. I just need to circulate my cultivation and force it out."
"This force is strange. It's neither spiritual power nor the power of demons. That dagger's origins are probably anything but ordinary..."
The dagger.
That rust-covered dagger.
Wang Haochang had just said it came from the Mystic Wood Forest.
So, had voluntarily giving up the Mystic Wood Forest back then been the right choice?
Regardless, once a road had been traveled, there was no need to dwell on it.
Regretting the past would only trap a person in inner turmoil.
Lu Changfeng handed Lu Changgeng the Storage Bag seized after killing Wang Haocheng. "Make another trip to Mist Spirit Mountain and buy some resources for the Qi Refining Stage. Not just pills to improve cultivation, but also first-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures for tempering the foundation, strengthening the constitution, and enhancing the body. Use your judgment."
Lu Changgeng took the Storage Bag and nodded firmly.
Then he parted from the two and changed direction, heading toward Mist Spirit Mountain.
Upon returning to the Lu Household.
Both Lu Changfeng and Lu Xuanming felt a sense of peace.
Every time they went out to risk their lives, they prepared beforehand for the possibility of never returning.
Because this was the cultivation world.
Every time they returned, they felt fortunate to have survived.
Thus, they cherished everything all the more, cultivating diligently, solidifying their foundations, refining their spiritual power, and practicing combat techniques assiduously, seeking a slight edge in combat strength over others in the same realm.
"Come on, let's see how little Chenxing is doing!"
At the mention of Lu Chenxing, smiles appeared one after another on Lu Changfeng's and Lu Xuanming's faces.
He was the rising star of their Lineage.
Lu Changfeng did not even first expel the force wreaking havoc inside him, instead hurrying eagerly to the Scripture Repository.
When he and Lu Xuanming sensed Lu Chenxing's cultivation presence, both froze where they stood.
"How is this possible!"