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As Qi Yuan advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, he practiced the Inverted Five Elements Art, which granted him the mystical ability known as the "Inverted Five Elements Field." This technique allowed him to create a domain naturally.
The area covered by this domain was roughly the size of a football field—not vast enough to encompass an entire city or country, or even a small village.
While this range might seem considerable for ordinary people, for cultivators—especially those in the Foundation Establishment stage—it was still insufficient.
With a simple movement technique, talisman, or spirit boat, an opponent could easily escape its range.
While it was highly effective in suppressing Qi Condensation stage cultivators, using it to kill them felt like wielding a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken.
To fully utilize the "Inverted Five Elements Field" in battle, he needed a way to trap opponents within its range. Otherwise, he could only watch them slip away.
However, Qi Yuan was not dissatisfied. Powerful techniques often came with significant limitations, and he only needed to find ways to compensate for these shortcomings.
There was no need to dwell on it—worrying wouldn't change anything, nor did he have the ability to modify the technique himself.
When it came to movement techniques, Qi Yuan sought advice from Hongfu. She shared several techniques with him, but since she was a woman, most of them were elegant and graceful—moves that felt too delicate and unbefitting of him. Thus, he abandoned the idea of learning them from her.
Instead, he decided to check the Tianxing Sect's market in Yuanwu Kingdom for a suitable technique. If he couldn't find one there, he would attempt to build a relationship with Li Huayuan and purchase one from him.
Meanwhile, although Han Li had most of his opportunities stolen in the Blood Forbidden Land, the spiritual medicines he obtained were still second only to Qi Yuan's. Because of this, he was accepted as a registered disciple by Li Huayuan.
During these five years, many major events shook the immortal cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.
After returning to the sect, Nangong Wan did not immediately report Qi Yuan's claims about Lingshou Mountain and the Yuling Sect to the Yanyue Sect's leadership. Instead, she secretly investigated their connection while establishing her own intelligence network.
Without irrefutable evidence of Lingshou Mountain's betrayal, it was difficult to take action. Thus, she proceeded cautiously, determined to gather solid proof before making any accusations.
Though the connection between Lingshou Mountain and the Yuling Sect was well-hidden, their long-term interactions left behind traces. By investing time and resources, she eventually uncovered undeniable evidence.
More than half a year after returning from the Blood Forbidden Land, Nangong Wan finally obtained proof of Lingshou Mountain's treachery.
She then convened a meeting with the sect's high-ranking elders. After multiple discussions, they decided to secretly ally with other sects and confront Lingshou Mountain.
As Yanyue Sect's leadership temporarily hosted Huangfeng Valley's top figures, Nangong Wan took the opportunity to indirectly verify Qi Yuan's claims.
However, when she saw the puzzled expressions of the Golden Core elders from Huangfeng Valley, her heart sank.
Something was wrong. Had Qi Yuan deceived her?
It was understandable for Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples to be unaware of certain matters, but the Golden Core elders—who were among the sect's highest-ranking members—would certainly know the details.
Could it be that the old thief Linghu personally orchestrated the deception?
No, the only possibility was that she had been tricked by Qi Yuan.
After all, a mere Qi Condensation disciple possessing a thousand-year-old elixir and knowing her whereabouts and name was far too suspicious. She had assumed that Huangfeng Valley's higher-ups or Linghu himself had secretly arranged for Qi Yuan to speak with her.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that a mere Qi Condensation stage rogue had managed to deceive her, earn her trust, and even make her believe his words.
If not for the thousand-year-old spiritual medicine, she wouldn't have believed him. But that elixir was far too precious—something even Nascent Soul cultivators would covet. The fact that Qi Yuan, a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, had casually handed it over made it nearly impossible to doubt him.
Damn you, you little brat! How dare you lie to me? The next time we meet, I'll make sure you experience true suffering!
Yet, at this point, the Golden Core elders of various sects had already been summoned to Yanyue Sect for secret discussions about eliminating Lingshou Mountain.
Backing out now would be disastrous.
Not only would it alert Lingshou Mountain, making them more vigilant, but it could also escalate into a full-scale war between them and Yanyue Sect.
Rather than shouldering the burden alone, it was better to let things proceed naturally and allow the various sects to divide Lingshou Mountain's resources among themselves.
This way, Yanyue Sect's prestige would remain intact, and Nangong Wan's personal influence would soar.
Thinking of that little brat, she felt an inexplicable heat rising within her. That infuriating rogue!
In the end, Nangong Wan chose to conceal Qi Yuan's involvement, keeping the thousand-year-old elixir for herself. Instead of reporting it, she secretly refined it into a pill, boosting her cultivation in preparation for the upcoming battle.
The following summer, Yanyue Sect—Yue Kingdom's most powerful cultivation sect—led an allied force of elite disciples from Huangfeng Valley, Qingxu Sect, Jujian Sect, and other factions in a direct assault on Lingshou Mountain.
Nascent Soul ancestors from various sects accompanied them in secret.
The leadership of Lingshou Mountain attempted to negotiate, but Fairy Nangong of Yanyue Sect launched a surprise attack with overwhelming force, officially igniting the war.
By the battle's end, all Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators of Lingshou Mountain were slain. Most of their Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples were also killed, though a few managed to escape.
On the Yanyue Sect's side, no Nascent Soul cultivators were lost, but one Golden Core cultivator perished, while two others suffered permanent damage to their foundations, making further advancement impossible.
As for Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stage casualties, they were within acceptable limits.
Despite the war's brutality, any lingering sorrow was quickly forgotten once the spoils were divided.
Lingshou Mountain had been a thriving sect for countless years, accumulating vast resources. Once split among the victors, their newfound wealth and territory ensured a surge in power for each faction.
As long as they managed their resources well, replacing fallen disciples would be a simple matter. With extra resources, they could even nurture elite cultivators to bolster their ranks.
In the end, the war had only strengthened the Yanyue Sect and its allies.
It was a perfect example of the saying: "If my enemy perishes, I shall flourish."
This was the first major event that shook Yue Kingdom's immortal cultivation world, and Nangong Wan's reputation soared.
The second major development was the rising threat of the Six Demonic Sects.
After forming her intelligence network, Nangong Wan dispatched agents to Jiang and Cheqi States to gather intelligence and rally support from the local immortal sects.
Realizing that their plans had been exposed after Lingshou Mountain's downfall, the Six Demonic Sects accelerated their activities in these regions, leading to increasing conflicts.
Although no official war had been declared, covert skirmishes became frequent, signaling the growing tension between the factions.
Observant cultivators had already sensed the coming storm and begun their preparations.
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(End of Chapter)