The doors of the Wang Clan’s highest reception pavilion slowly creaked open, the sound echoing through the luxurious hall. Two female servants, clad in exquisite silk dresses, stepped inside with practiced grace. Their heads were bowed deeply, their eyes fixed firmly on the floor so as not to offend the experts that walked among them.
One carried a jug, while the other held a tray bearing two small cups. Moving with total synchronization, they approached the central table, placed the cups down, and poured the steaming, fragrant tea. As soon as the liquid settled, they slowly backed out of the room, silently pulling the doors shut behind them.
As the doors clicked shut, two men stepped further into the room. The first was the Patriarch of the Wang Clan, Wang Tianze. The second was Lin Yuan.
The atmosphere that had previously blanketed the Peak of Golden Wisdom was completely gone, but the psychological weight pressing down on Wang Tianze was heavier than ever. Wang Tianze’s arrogant, domineering demeanor had completely vanished.
After witnessing the terrifying clash in the sky and watching Envoy Zhao Wuhen willingly walk away, Wang Tianze did not dare act rashly. For a young, rogue cultivator to hold his own against a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Envoy, it meant this person possessed a peerless Nascent Soul foundation. Surely, such a monster should never, under any circumstances, be angered.
And since Lin Yuan had explicitly mentioned earlier that he only came here to talk and not to fight, it allowed Wang Tianze to finally take a nervous breath and relax. A fight was entirely off the table. Wang Tianze was only at the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm. Going against a Nascent Soul expert was akin to a mantis trying to stop a war chariot—it was absolute, instantaneous suicide.
Perhaps, Wang Tianze reasoned internally, if the Wang Clan possessed powerful treasures, they could use them to forcibly close the gap in cultivation. But such treasures were virtually impossible for a clan in Azure Cloud City to obtain. Even with the Wang Clan’s considerable wealth, there was a limit to what spiritual stones could purchase. Their fortune was substantial only when compared to the other clans within Azure Cloud City. Beyond the city, particularly in the wealthier provinces, the Wang Clan’s resources were far less impressive.
Even if they were fortunate enough to discover a great treasure outside the city, there was no guarantee it would truly belong to them. Most treasures capable of threatening a Nascent Soul expert were either controlled by powerful sects and clans or obtained from dangerous places such as the Barrier Realm. And should such a treasure appear within another province, the Wang Clan would likely find themselves competing against forces whose wealth and foundations far surpassed their own. In the cultivation world, being the richest clan in a small city did not mean much when standing before the true giants of the world.
Without access to the Barrier Realm or the backing of a truly powerful force, the Wang Clan’s vast fortune ultimately remained just that: a fortune. It could buy cultivation resources, techniques, and ordinary treasures, but it could not simply buy the kind of heaven-defying artifact capable of allowing a weaker cultivator to challenge a Nascent Soul expert.
And across the entirety of Zhao Province, the Nascent Soul Realm was universally revered as the absolute pinnacle of power. It was a well-documented truth that the Cultivation Council dispatched its Envoys relative to the overall cultivation base of each specific province. In the sprawling Zhao Province, the pinnacle of martial power was the Nascent Soul Realm. The sole exception was the Lord of Zhao Province, the only cultivator in the entire region to have reached the Spirit Severing Realm. He had broken through three hundred years ago, and in all the centuries since, not a single other cultivator had succeeded in following in his footsteps.
Because of this, the Cultivation Council only needed to deploy three Envoys to maintain absolute control over the entire province. After all, with the Lord of Zhao Province standing above every Nascent Soul cultivator in the region and the Council’s own foundations backing its authority, there was virtually no force within the province capable of challenging its rule. The three Envoys were more than sufficient to suppress the various sects, clans, and cultivators, ensuring that the Cultivation Council’s influence remained absolute throughout Zhao Province.
And all three of these Envoys were Nascent Soul experts. Two were situated at the Middle Stage, while the Grand Overseer was at the Late Stage. In a province where the Nascent Soul Realm was the highest realm attained by the vast majority of cultivators, those three Envoys were more than enough to exercise unchallenged might throughout the entire Zhao Province. And yet, this young man sitting before him had just forced one of those Envoys to respectfully back down.
Lin Yuan and the Clan Head approached the table and took their respective seats. The steam from the tea curled into the air, carrying the scent of pine and calming herbs. Wang Tianze, his hands trembling slightly, reached for his cup and took a small, careful sip to wet his dry throat. Lin Yuan perfectly mirrored the gesture, his eyes calm and unreadable as he tasted the expensive brew.
"Senior," Wang Tianze began, his voice lacking any of the bombastic volume it had possessed an hour prior. He quickly placed his cup back down and offered a deep, seated bow across the table. "I must formally and deeply apologize for my earlier hostilities. My eyes were completely blind to Mount Tai. The Wang Clan is honored to host an expert of your unparalleled caliber. I am entirely willing to hear Senior’s demands."
Lin Yuan nodded his head slowly, his expression remaining perfectly stoic. He placed his cup back onto the table.
"My demand is simple," Lin Yuan stated, his voice carrying an undeniable weight. "From this day forward, absolutely no member of the Wang Clan is permitted to step anywhere near the Xu Clan’s area."
Wang Tianze’s eyes immediately shifted, a flash of realization crossing his features. He felt a sudden surge of political vindication. His earlier suspicions were immediately confirmed! The moment Lin Yuan made such a demand, his mind connected the dots. To order his clan to stay away from the Xu Clan? The Xu Clan must be really eager to permanently cement their position in the city by utilizing this hidden monster!
But as Wang Tianze briefly lost himself in his deductions, he looked up and met Lin Yuan’s deep purple eyes. The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. The Clan Head expertly deduced that Lin Yuan was rapidly becoming impatient with his silence.
Wang Tianze immediately abandoned any thought of refusal.
"Understood! Absolutely understood!" Wang Tianze agreed hastily, nodding his head so vigorously his robes rustled. "The Wang Clan will not go anywhere near the Xu Clan! Their territory is strictly forbidden ground for my people. You have my solemn vow."
Satisfied, Lin Yuan reached out and took another slow sip of his tea. The primary objective of preventing the Wang Clan from nearing the Xu Clan was complete. Now, it was time to address a much more personal matter.
"Good," Lin Yuan said smoothly, setting the cup down. He smartly shifted the conversation, his tone taking on a slightly more casual cadence. "On another note, I understand that the Wang Clan possesses vast real estate. You have multiple luxury houses and estates scattered across the city, do you not?"
Wang Tianze’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a sharp, opportunistic light. A demand for territory was a language he perfectly understood. If this monstrous expert wanted a property, it was the absolute perfect opportunity to forge a connection!
"Yes, yes, we do have many houses!" Wang Tianze replied eagerly, leaning forward. "We control the finest lands in the region. If Senior desires a residence, the Wang Clan will give you as many as you desire! Just say the word, Senior!"
As Lin Yuan took another calm sip of his tea, the Clan Head immediately reached into his spatial ring. He brought out a glowing red jade slip. Pushing his divine sense into it, Wang Tianze rapidly engraved the coordinates and ownership sigils of a very specific property, before respectfully sliding the jade slip across the table to Lin Yuan.
"Senior, please take this jade slip," Wang Tianze urged, his voice filled with genuine generosity. "The coordinates within lead to an estate that is ranked among the top ten greatest buildings in all of the Zhao Province! It is located perfectly between Azure Cloud City and the majestic Sky Jade City. The house has many stories, sits upon a pristine spiritual vein, and is fully designed to accommodate an expert of your unfathomable might! Please accept it. It is truly the absolute best the Wang Clan has to offer."
In truth, the Wang Clan Head was not lying or exaggerating in the slightest. Indeed, excluding the heavily fortified Wang Clan main estate where they currently sat, that specific house was undeniably the best property in their vast possession. Over the past few decades, it had been fiercely coveted by numerous powerful sects, rival clans, and wealthy cultivators, all offering mountains of spirit stones for its deed. But Wang Tianze had stubbornly rejected every single one of them, holding it as a supreme status symbol.
But for Lin Yuan? A Nascent Soul expert who could stand toe-to-toe with an Envoy of the Cultivation Council? The Clan Head desperately wanted Lin Yuan to have it. If he accepted this gift, the Wang Clan would firmly be in his good books, entirely shielding them from his future wrath.
Lin Yuan picked up the red jade slip. He sent a brief strand of his divine sense into the stone, instantly mapping the coordinates and analyzing it details. He noticed that the building was actually not too far from the current Wang Clan estate; he could easily visit it and inspect the grounds immediately after being done here. It sounded like the absolute perfect venue to give Bai Qingyue the proper wedding she deserved.
"I accept," Lin Yuan said calmly, slipping the red jade into his spatial ring.
With both of his objectives achieved, Lin Yuan saw no further reason to linger. He stood up from his seat, his elegant black-and-white Daoist robes settling smoothly around his tall frame.
"I am leaving," Lin Yuan informed the Clan Head, turning his gaze toward the doors.
Wang Tianze immediately shot up from his cushion. Profound relief washed over his face as he quickly stepped out from behind the table. He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply, bending his waist in a show of unwavering respect.
"We bid Senior Lin a safe journey," Wang Tianze said, his voice echoing with genuine reverence. "Goodbye, Senior."