This Land Belongs to Wei!

Xu Jingfeng gave three hearty laughs before turning to Xu Wan'er. In a gentle voice, he said, "Put down your sword. What, won't you even listen to your cousin anymore?" Xu Wan'er held the sword tightly in her grip, gritting her teeth. "From the moment you people caused Father's death, I ceased to be part of the Xu family!" Xu Jingfeng laughed. "I was planning to leave you with a shred of dignity, but since you put it that way, I won't hold back. In a moment, I'll take you right here in front of everyone. Let's see if you can still keep up that stiff spine of yours!" Beside them, the younger martial brother suddenly cried out, "Cousin, save me! I'm about to die!" Xu Jingfeng glanced at him and said, "Useless trash. You went undercover for so many years and accomplished nothing. If you die, so be it. My Xu family doesn't keep dead weight around!" Finally, his gaze fell upon the motionless Yun Feifei. A burning heat finally showed in his eyes, and he lightly licked his lips. "A top-tier prize indeed!" *** In the main hall, Wei Yuan suddenly looked up to see the ceiling of the stone chamber vanishing in massive swathes, as though being wiped away. An old man stood suspended in the air within the hall, both hands scattering sheets of yellow qi that eroded the ground. In the blink of an eye, the hall was shaved down by several fathoms, and the stone chamber was laid completely bare. The old man leaned forward and looked at Wei Yuan, appearing somewhat surprised. "Down there—could you be a martial nephew from the Palace of Grand Beginning?" Wei Yuan offered a courteous bow. "Indeed! This junior has come on orders to retrieve an item from this place." This old man who had suddenly appeared was unmistakably a True Person of the Dharma Idol realm. A layer of dark green qi drifted about his eyes. With just a single glance, Wei Yuan felt intensely uncomfortable, as though his divine sense had been pricked with a needle. This dark green qi had the effect of harming divine sense and dispersing karmic fortune, and its rank was remarkably high—far beyond the Dharma Idol realm. It seemed the old man had relied on it to discover the underground stone chamber. Otherwise, even though Wei Yuan had activated Qingming, the stone chamber remained filled with incense aspiration power, and even a True Person of the Dharma Idol realm would have subconsciously overlooked it. "I am Xu Guanwen, currently the Sixth Elder of the Xu family, in charge of external affairs. Martial Nephew, by whose order have you come, and what item do you seek to retrieve?" "This junior came by order of the Immortal Monarch. As for what item is to be retrieved, I must ask Senior's forgiveness, as I cannot disclose that." Wei Yuan faintly sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere. Maintaining an impassive expression, he first unfurled the banner of Immortal Monarch Tinghai. Xu Guanwen's gaze landed on Qingming, his breathing abruptly growing heavy. Wild joy then broke across his face, and he said, "The Old Ancestor's divine decree was true—it really is this object! Martial Nephew, step aside and take care not to damage our family's ancestral treasure!" "Elder Xu's words are quite mistaken. Since you claim this is your family's ancestral treasure, do you know what it is called?" Xu Guanwen chuckled and stroked his beard. "You certainly have a sharp mind, Martial Nephew! Very well. Our Old Ancestor has always been on good terms with Immortal Monarch Pei, so there is no harm in telling you. This is the ancient boundary stone Qingming, an artifact of the immortals. Several centuries ago, a traitor in our family stole this treasure. Who would have thought it fell into the hands of Lanshen Palace and was hidden here? If the Old Ancestor had not issued a decree directing us to search according to his guidance, this immortal treasure might still have remained gathering dust." Wei Yuan had not expected Xu Guanwen to actually name Qingming, but he did not believe a single word of the old man's other claims. Though the old man wore a beaming smile and a kindly demeanor, dark crimson qi permeated his entire being, and an overpowering stench of blood assailed the senses. Behind him hovered a faint, shimmering silhouette that seemed eager to tear Wei Yuan to shreds. These were the various phenomena that appeared only when the Inquiring Immortal Method took effect! In other words, even if this Xu Guanwen was not the very person who had targeted Wei Yuan in the divination, he was at least connected to them. When performing the divination, Wei Yuan had used the Immortal Monarch's array disc, which was equivalent to Immortal Monarch Tinghai acting across the distance, so it possessed all manner of wondrous traits. Seeing Xu Guanwen now, Wei Yuan instantly sensed something was wrong. Seeing Wei Yuan's expression, Xu Guanwen said, "It matters not if you don't believe me, Martial Nephew. Once you return, you may seek verification from your elders in the Palace of Grand Beginning. For now, step aside. I intend to retrieve this immortal treasure, and I would not want to accidentally hurt you." "Wait! This object has already taken root in the earth; it cannot—" How could Xu Guanwen bother wasting words on a nobody like Wei Yuan? With a flick of his sleeve, he swept Wei Yuan aside. At the same time, a surge of dark green qi dispersed the aspiration power within the stone chamber. Reaching out with his massive hand, he gave a pull, and Qingming let out a mournful wail as it was ripped from the ground from a distance! Watching Qingming float in midair, Wei Yuan was both shocked and enraged. If this ancient boundary stone were forcibly pulled up like this, the environment for a thousand li around would deteriorate at an accelerated pace. Every single person living on the former lands of Ningxi Commandery would not survive past three months! Ningxi Commandery originally had 1.5 million people. After years of war and devastation, many were still barely surviving in various corners. The vitality of the mortal human race was tenacious; much like the people in the northern district of Quliu Town, they continued to cling to life stubbornly. Across the entire former lands of Ningxi Commandery, there were still at least several hundred thousand mortals. Incapable of migrating, they could only be left to fend for themselves. Wei Yuan forced down his fury and said, "Elder Xu, if you pull up Qingming, several hundred thousand people in this commandery will have no way to live! Has the Xu family prepared to relocate the population?" While slowly raising Qingming higher, Xu Guanwen said, "This is my Xu family's territory, and these people are all subjects of my Xu family. That they have lived until now is already an act of grace. You are overstepping your bounds, Martial Nephew. Whether they live or die has nothing to do with you." Wei Yuan's face turned cold. "If Elder Xu puts it that way, does that mean you have no intention of leaving these people a way to survive?" Xu Guanwen's tone was already thoroughly impatient, and he snapped, "This is my Xu family's land! How many people die is none of your concern! If you wish to meddle in such affairs, wait until you reach the Dharma Idol realm before speaking!" Wei Yuan said grimly, "And the six thousand li of territory cultivated over hundreds of years—you're just going to hand it over on a silver platter?" Xu Guanwen raged, "Junior, dare babble another word, and this seat will obliterate you!" Wei Yuan suddenly appeared beside Qingming. Placing his hand on the stone, he reactivated the formation and channeled it once more, awakening the boundary stone. Then, the Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains resonated with Qingming, and a beam of azure light suddenly burst forth from Qingming, shooting straight into the heavens! In an instant, Qingming became as heavy as a mountain. Even with his Dharma Idol power, Xu Guanwen could not hold it aloft, and Wei Yuan pushed it back down into the earth with a single hand! In that moment, Qingming merged once more with this land, becoming entirely one with it. Xu Guanwen cried out in shock, "What did you do?!" Word by word, Wei Yuan said, "The people you do not want, I will protect; the land you dare not hold, I will defend!" "From this day forth, this land belongs to Wei!" Xu Guanwen was both shocked and furious. With his experience, he could naturally tell that in that brief moment just now, Qingming had recognized a master. This was an immortal artifact! Even Xu Guanwen himself dared not harbor the extravagance of having an immortal artifact recognize him as master. This junior was merely at the Dao Foundation realm—how could he?! How dared he?! A feral gleam appeared in Xu Guanwen's eyes. Uttering several cold "good"s in succession, he gritted his teeth and said, "I originally intended to let you live a few more days, then quietly do away with you after finishing my business here. Since you're in such a rush to seek death, I shall grant your wish! Don't worry, this seat won't let you die so easily. I'll let you taste the feeling of having your Dao Foundation crushed and wailing for three days and three nights before you perish!" A heavy pressure crashed down on Wei Yuan's body as countless dark green chains appeared out of thin air, binding him tightly so that he could not move an inch! Wei Yuan fought back with all his might, but against a Dharma Idol striking in fury, how could a mere Dao Foundation cultivator endure head-on? No matter how he struggled, he remained completely immobilized. Xu Guanwen simply could not comprehend how an immortal artifact of such immense background could recognize Wei Yuan as its master—and right in front of him, no less! Such humiliation was like having the goddess one had admired for years reject oneself, only to choose a worthless trash inferior in every single way right before one's eyes. At this moment, Xu Guanwen's jealousy and hatred reached their absolute peak. He desperately pushed his dharmic power, and a massive bird claw gradually took shape in midair. However, with the local earth veins shattered and fragments of the grotto-heaven disrupting the spiritual energy, condensing a dharma idol proved exceedingly difficult. Seeing the bird-claw dharma idol in the air, Wei Yuan's heart stirred, and he suppressed the divine intent of the Immortal Monarch he had been about to unleash. While condensing his dharma idol, Xu Guanwen did not forget to toy with his prey. He sneered, "Did you think that just because Qingming recognized you as master, I would have no options left? I will still pull it back with me. When the time comes, I'll request our Old Ancestor to suppress it, cut it to pieces, and reforge it into over a dozen boundary stones! Though it's a pity, they will be boundary stones belonging to my Xu family, which is far better than an immortal treasure in someone else's hands! As for those several hundred thousand people, they can serve as your funeral sacrifices, so you won't be lonely on the road to the Yellow Springs. "Oh, right, I forgot to mention—before you, a few others from the Palace of Grand Beginning fell into my hands. A senior brother is already waiting for you on the road ahead. You also have two senior sisters; both have some looks to them, so they're being put to good use for now. Once we've had our fill, we'll naturally send them along to find you." Wei Yuan strained desperately to hold his ground, gritting his teeth. "Aren't you afraid of the Immortal Monarch's thunderous wrath?" Xu Guanwen sneered. "Only your Palace of Grand Beginning has an Immortal Monarch? Is our Xu family's Old Ancestor not an Immortal Monarch as well? Seeing as you're about to die, I'll let you perish with a clear understanding. This time, our Old Ancestor intends to teach your Palace of Grand Beginning a lesson! You people should have stayed properly in the north, in Yun, Gan, and Ning. Three provinces weren't enough for you to play around with, so you had to stretch your hands all the way into Ningxi. If you want to scavenge for food here, you must first ask my Xu family!" Just then, a layer of dark green suddenly welled up within the hall. A thick, damp, fishy stench spread everywhere, and in the blink of an eye, the ground was covered in a slick sheen of water. A mountain of flesh over a fathom tall came riding the water, sliding into the grand hall. It was wrapped in a strange cloak, its neck thicker than its head, with three human faces embedded upon that neck. Several octopus-like tentacles extended from beneath the robes, writhing ceaselessly. Speaking in stiff Great Tang official speech, this member of the Wuyu Clan—who was practically a monster—demanded, "Why waste words with this inferior creature? The Lord's forces have already assembled. When will you finish here? The Lord needs to come over and transport the people!" Xu Guanwen said, "What's the hurry? These several hundred thousand people aren't going anywhere, and once you transport them back, you'll still have to raise them for a while before they can be used. First let me take down this brat and vent this foul breath in my chest!" "Whatever you want to do is your business. But if you dare delay the Lord's affairs, you will have to offer a hundred thousand people as an apology!" Xu Guanwen's face darkened, and he said coldly, "You thing must have been recently promoted, daring to speak to me like that! A creature that hasn't even reached the Dharma Idol realm—this seat could crush you to death with a single claw! Without our Xu family, do you really think you could take people so easily? It seems to me your Lord thinks his cultivation is progressing too quickly and wishes to invite more setbacks." The mountain of flesh grew irritable, its tentacles repeatedly whipping against the ground with enough force to crack the flagstones. Yet it was clearly very wary of Xu Guanwen and did not make a move. Xu Guanwen gave Wei Yuan a savage grin. "What you should know and shouldn't know, you now know all of it. Time to hit the road." The colossal claw dharma idol in the air finally completed its formation. A single claw struck downward, penetrating directly into Wei Yuan's sea of consciousness and transforming into a thousand-fathom claw descending upon the vast, desolate earth. Four hundred-fathom talons plunged deeply into the ground, then yanked upward! The vast earth quivered faintly. At the foot of the Jade Mountain, a few pebbles bounced, rolled, and shifted over by a single pace.