With this familial connection, the Meng family had developed rapidly and now had seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, two of whom were already at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
Meng Xingwan, among them, stood out as exceptionally talented. Despite her young age, she had reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, and it was said she might even have the chance to attempt breaking into the Purple Mansion stage twice in the future.
There were even rumors that Chen Nianchuan held some affection for her, but as the saying goes, "The falling flower longs for love, but the flowing water remains indifferent." Meng Xingwan had tactfully declined Nianchuan's advances.
The Patriarch glanced at Meng Xingwan and the other Meng family Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby, nodding with a smile.
"Why hasn't Cousin Xinghe come today?" he asked.
Meng Xingwan hesitated slightly before replying, "The family head has been bedridden for days and may not last much longer."
"How is that possible?" The Patriarch's expression changed as he asked, "Didn't I send him a few longevity-enhancing spiritual apricots a few years ago?"
"The family head felt sorry for his grandson and gave the apricots to Cousin Luoyuan," said another Meng family Foundation Establishment cultivator, his tone somber.
The Patriarch sighed deeply, his gaze dimming. Life is full of impermanence, and people must face birth, aging, illness, and death.
Many in the family's "Nian" generation, such as Nianyong, Nianyuan, and Nianqian, were nearing the end of their lifespans, and the demand for longevity-extending treasures far exceeded supply. It wasn't feasible to continue gifting such precious items to others.
Years ago, Family Head Mu Xuanming of the Mu family had purchased a Five Elemental Crystal to attempt breaking into the Purple Mansion stage. He failed, exhausted his lifespan, and ultimately passed away in his cave dwelling. Now, with Meng Xinghe's life also nearing its end, it was clear that very few remained from that generation of cultivators.
The Patriarch, evidently in low spirits, no longer felt like continuing the conversation.
Elian glanced at the group, casually tossed a bottle of pills to Meng Xingwan, and said, "I'll send another spiritual apricot to your family, but this time, no one is to touch it except the family head."
"Thank you…" Meng Xingwan accepted the jade bottle and bowed in gratitude, but by the time she raised her head, Elian had already walked away.
She could only stand there silently, watching his white-robed figure recede into the distance, disappearing beyond the horizon.
To never meet you in this life—what a waste of a fleeting existence.
To meet you in this life—what a ruin of my lifetime.
Life is always filled with regrets and helplessness.
Ascending Tianxu Mountain, Elian was greeted by numerous pavilions and towers scattered throughout the area. Groups of Purple Mansion elders and Foundation Establishment cultivators waited patiently in small clusters, evidently anticipating the start of the alliance meeting.
As Elian arrived, several cultivators from Bianzhou, including Pan Boyuan, Xu Qianyang, and a few others, approached.
Pan Boyuan stood beside a young man named Pan Lingran, a recently ascended Purple Mansion cultivator whom Elian had met before.
Xu Qianyang, whose cultivation had advanced to the seventh level of the Purple Mansion, smiled warmly and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chen, on your impressive progress. With your breakthrough to the mid-Purple Mansion stage, I doubt even I could rival you now."
"Not at all," Elian responded with a faint smile.
"You've reached the later stage of the Purple Mansion, and it seems the Golden Core realm is well within your reach."
Xu Qianyang, not yet 300 years old, was indeed promising. At his age, achieving the later Purple Mansion stage gave him the potential for at least two attempts at forming a Golden Core.
If his family was willing to invest in longevity pills, he could easily live past 500 years, granting him a 20% chance of success in achieving the Golden Core stage.
However, enduring the aGolden Core Tribulation would require destroying several superior third-tier treasures, which would depend on whether the Xu family had sufficient resources.
As this thought crossed Elian's mind, his gaze shifted to the distance.
Taking advantage of the pause, Xu Qianyang began introducing some of the cultivators to him.
"Those individuals are fellow Purple Mansion cultivators from the Qingyang provinces."
Through Xu Qianyang's introductions, Elian and the Patriarch quickly learned about the cultivators' backgrounds.
Currently, the Qingyang regions housed eight Purple Mansion clans, collectively boasting 15 Purple Mansion cultivators—six more than Qingyang Sect. Among these, two were at the later stage of the Purple Mansion, while the rest were either at the early or middle stages.
The eight clans sent representatives, including two later-stage Purple Mansion elders.
One of them was Fang Qingmei from the Fang family of Yunyang County, Yangzhou. She was a female cultivator at the seventh level of the Purple Mansion, akin to Xu Qianyang, having recently achieved her breakthrough.
The other was Elder Qian from the Qian family of Qingzhou Region. His cultivation had reached the ninth level of the Purple Mansion. With four Purple Mansion cultivators, the Qian family ranked among Chu Kingdom's top three Purple Mansion clans, rivaling even the now-extinct Yan family.
At 460 years old, Elder Qian had extended his lifespan by consuming three superior third-tier longevity pills, giving him approximately 30 years of vitality. His presence at Tianxu Mountain indicated he intended to use his remaining strength to settle scores with Qingyang Sect.
During the last monster invasion, the Qian family lost two Purple Mansion elders, along with nearly all 30 participating Foundation Establishment cultivators, while Qingyang Sect's Elder Xu fled the battlefield. This betrayal clearly fueled the Qian family's deep resentment toward Qingyang Sect.
As the introductions concluded, the Tianxu Alliance meeting began.
Jiang Linglong emerged from seclusion and addressed the group briefly. Lin Qianshu then stepped forward and began speaking.
"Fellow Daoists, Qingyang Sect holds the greatest share of the three regions' resources yet fails to protect its borders."
"While we bled on the front lines to defend humanity, they hoarded spoils of war, neglected compensation for the fallen, fled from battles against the monsters, and sat comfortably atop spiritual veins."
"Now that my master has ascended to the Golden Core stage, we can no longer tolerate such parasites."
"This Tianxu Alliance meeting seeks your agreement to march on Qingyang Mountain and deliver justice for the countless cultivators who perished due to their greed and cowardice."
Lin Qianshu's words struck a chord with everyone, their long-standing grievances evident. All nodded in agreement, having awaited this moment for years.
Satisfied with the response, Lin Qianshu distributed a contract to each attendee.
Elian, familiar with the contract's provisions, saw it as an extended version of the original Tianxu Mountain Alliance pact with some modifications. After confirming no issues, he and the Patriarch signed on behalf of the Chen family.
The meeting lasted three hours, followed by a grand banquet hosted by Tianxu Mountain, which kept everyone occupied until the next day.
When the meeting concluded, many attendees stayed back, seizing the opportunity to organize an impromptu trading conference, given the gathering of over 20 Purple Mansion cultivators.
Held in Tianxu Pavilion, Lin Qianshu went first, presenting three treasures: a bottle of third-tier pills, a fourth-tier inferior-grade talisman, and several third-tier superior-grade talismans.
With the looming war, such talismans and pills were undeniably valuable. Elder Qian spent 400,000 spirit stones to purchase the fourth-tier Infernal Heaven Decapitating Sword Talisman, while the pills went to Lady Fang of Yunyang County.
The third-tier talismans were acquired by Xu Qianyang at a hefty price.
Elian was the second to present his offerings. Producing two Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills and five Creation Cloud Pills, he declared:
"Fellow Daoists, the value of these items should be clear. Two Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills in exchange for one superior third-tier treasure, and for the Creation Cloud Pills, feel free to make your offers."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D