https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-277-The-Immortal-City-Changes-Hands-Lifespan-Nearing/12920656/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-279-Sitting-by-the-Riverbank-Facing-the-Dawn-and-Departing/12920665/
Chapter 278: Playing with Fire, Bringing Trouble to the Celestial Assembly?
Chapter 278: Playing with Fire, Bringing Trouble to the Celestial Assembly?
Within the Qinhua Water Mansion.
Luo Chen looked at Li Jinhuang.
The latter sat cross-legged, his body emaciated and his face deathly pale.
The once-fitting oversized robe now hung loosely over his frail frame, making him appear hollow.
Was this the state of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator nearing the end of their lifespan?
Ordinary cultivators might not be able to tell.
But with Luo Chen's exceptional vision and keen spiritual sense, he could clearly perceive the constantly dissipating Qi and blood from Li Jinhuang's body.
It couldn't be contained anymore!
The declining Dao foundation was unable to hold back the cultivator's Qi and blood.
At this moment, his body resembled a sieve, with his essence, energy, and spirit continuously leaking out.
Facing Luo Chen's scrutiny, Li Jinhuang remained unperturbed.
He made no attempt to hide his condition, openly presenting himself to Luo Chen.
This was a gesture of goodwill, allowing Luo Chen to understand as much as possible about the situation a Foundation Establishment cultivator faced in the final stages of their life.
If Luo Chen ever found himself in a similar predicament, he might be able to make some preparations in advance.
Or perhaps, this gesture of goodwill had been ongoing since the Qinhua River Li Family and Crimson Peak Celestial Assembly established a connection.
A direct granddaughter of the Li family had married into the Crimson Dawn Mountain, and they had even sent a Foundation Establishment Pill.
They helped Luo Chen with the Spirit Gate Pill and even as his life neared its end, he continued to shine.
Luo Chen understood his intentions; he hoped that after his departure, Luo Chen would take good care of the Li family.
After a long while, Luo Chen withdrew his gaze.
"There must be more to your invitation than this, fellow Daoist!"
Li Jinhuang opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and chaotic.
"You know what I seek, fellow Daoist."
"The Li family is currently facing its most dangerous moment. As soon as I fall, the surrounding wolves will pounce and tear apart this juicy piece of meat."
"It will be a disaster that will haunt me even in death!"
Luo Chen frowned slightly, "With the protection of the Celestial Assembly, those enemies of the Li family shouldn't dare to act recklessly!"
Li Jinhuang forced a smile, "But some of them weren't enemies before!"
Luo Chen was puzzled.
Soon, with Li Jinhuang's explanation, he understood that they weren't enemies of enemies.
Dan Yuan Sect!
Upon hearing this name, Luo Chen was taken aback.
Dan Yuan Sect was one of the major competitors the Celestial Assembly faced when they entered the low-grade pill market in Heavenly Wave Immortal City.
Aside from their minor skirmishes, the Vital Essence Pill they refined was quite popular.
However, with the constant competition from the Celestial Assembly and the Zheng family, the Dan Yuan Sect gradually fell behind.
Nowadays, the Dan Yuan Sect was struggling.
Their Vital Essence Pill had decent medicinal effects, but it was expensive and they refused to lower the price.
As a result, their sales were continuously declining.
Only a few long-term customers continued to purchase their pills.
To be honest, Luo Chen had long stopped considering the Dan Yuan Sect a threat.
Their pills lacked competitiveness, and they only had one mid-stage Foundation Establishment old cultivator.
Moreover, the Qinhua River Li Family had also been selling first-rank cultivation pills!
"Weren't they your Li family's long-term competitors?"
Li Jinhuang shook his head and slowly said, "They were competitors, but also partners."
"The Dan Yuan Sect needs a primary ingredient for the Vital Essence Pill, and only the Qinhua River Li Family cultivates it on a large scale in Heavenly Wave Immortal City. Before the previous sect leader passed away, our two families had formed a partnership."
"Because the main ingredient is controlled by the Li family, the Dan Yuan Sect couldn't lower the price of their Vital Essence Pill."
Luo Chen suddenly understood.
"You mean that once you're gone, the Dan Yuan Sect will seize the opportunity?"
"Yes, no family would want their lifeline to be controlled by others!"
The current sect leader of the Dan Yuan Sect had an unknown name.
Many years ago, he was honored with the Daoist name Dan Yuan Zi due to his exceptional pill refinement skills.
This name was somewhat similar to the Daoist name Dan Chen Zi, which Luo Chen often used during his time in the Great River Gang.
If he were to make a move against the Li family...
"What's his exact cultivation level?" Luo Chen asked.
"One level lower than me, around the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment," Li Jinhuang replied promptly.
Hearing this, Luo Chen felt a surge of confidence.
"No problem!"
"I'll take care of it when the time comes!"
"You?" Li Jinhuang was half-believing, half-doubting.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Luo Chen; it was just that the latter was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment...
As he doubted, Luo Chen made a hand gesture, and a powerful spiritual energy wave slowly spread out.
The aura was sharp, no less formidable than Li Jinhuang in his prime, and even slightly superior!
Li Jinhuang's eyes widened, "When did you reach the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment?"
"Just a few days ago," Luo Chen said calmly, his words filled with confidence.
Protecting the Li family wasn't just because of Li Jinhuang's continuous gestures of goodwill over the years.
It was also because the Li family could provide significant benefits to the Celestial Assembly! Although known as a pill-refining family, the revenue from pill refinement was minimal.
Their primary source of wealth was the medicinal ingredient business.
When the Celestial Assembly's Jade Marrow Pill entered the market, it dealt a severe blow to other competitors.
The Zheng family profited the most, while the Qinhua River Li Family was the least affected. This was because their primary business was not pill refinement.
Even Luo Chen envied their medicinal ingredient business.
After Li Jinhuang's passing, Luo Chen, out of integrity and commitment, would not encroach upon the Li family's business.
However, the Celestial Assembly could form a deep partnership with the Li family, expanding their medicinal ingredient business and sharing a portion of the profits.
Not to mention, just buying some ingredients at a reasonable price for their own use could significantly reduce the Celestial Assembly's spirit stone costs.
After experiencing Luo Chen's powerful spiritual energy, Li Jinhuang's initial shock turned into continuous praise.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"With your strength, it couldn't be better!"
Amidst his confidence and pride, Luo Chen was also curious.
"Even if I hadn't advanced to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, the combined strength of the four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators in the Celestial Assembly would be enough to deter Dan Yuan Zi!"
"You don't need to worry about this, do you?"
Li Jinhuang's smile faded, and his expression became solemn again.
"The surrounding wolves are not limited to the Dan Yuan Sect."
Luo Chen shook his head, "It seems like your Li family's connections aren't that great!"
"It's not about connections, but rather the crime of possessing a treasure," Li Jinhuang said calmly. "The region occupied by the Li family has even greater potential than your Crimson Peak."
Because of this benefit, no matter how I usually behave, once I'm gone, there will always be someone who can't resist making a move."
After a pause, he took a deep breath.
"As for the other enemies, they will most likely only temporarily remain as spectators."
"Only the Hu Family, they have an irreconcilable grudge with my Li Family!"
"But in recent years, they have been exhausting their resources, draining the wealth of the entire clan, and forcefully cultivating three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators!"
"If I go, they will definitely make a move against my Li Family, whether it's for their own benefit or out of hatred!"
Luo Chen's expression gradually became solemn.
He was naturally aware of the Hu Family the other party mentioned.
The Tan Qiu Hu Family, with three Foundation Establishment cultivators within the clan!
In the past decade, their influence has been significant, not at all inferior to the Celestial Assembly, which has also produced Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Moreover, because the Hu Family is a native clan of Heavenly Wave, the loose cultivators in the Immortal City hold them in higher regard, comparing them to the Rolling Dragon Ridge Zheng Family, which also has three Foundation Establishment cultivators.
However, in the eyes of truly knowledgeable people, the Tan Qiu Hu Family is not highly regarded.
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators within the clan were cultivated by draining the resources of the entire family, disregarding all else.
And they are only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.
The word "draining" is not an empty phrase.
It truly means draining all resources.
Logically, with three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators at the top, there should be a large number of Qi Condensation cultivators below, right? But the Hu Family is not like that.
The Qi Condensation cultivators within the clan lead a life of misery.
The Hu Family is also a pill-refining clan, and they were once competitors in the pill market when the Celestial Assembly entered the market.
In their clan, the assistants for pill refining are not called medicine apprentices or fire handlers, but medicine slaves and fire slaves.
They refine pills day and night without rest.
Countless people have had their cultivation paths cut off, suffered from pill furnace explosions, or faced difficulties in advancing due to depleted spiritual energy.
Nowadays, the Hu Family only has about a dozen Qi Condensation cultivators capable of fighting.
It can be said that the Hu Family's centuries of foundation have been exhausted in this generation.
In this way, they have barely managed to cultivate three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
This way of managing a clan by exhausting resources is looked down upon wherever it is practiced.
Luo Chen believed Li Jinhuang when he said that the Hu Family would boldly take action against the Li Family.
They are already on the verge of desperation.
The family's foundation has been drained!
Their pill business has suffered a huge blow from the Celestial Assembly and the Zheng Family.
The three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators also require a lot of cultivation resources.
With these unfavorable factors, they have long been coveting the Li Family's resources.
It's only because Li Jinhuang, in his old age, has been barely holding them back with his Mid Foundation Establishment cultivation, suppressing their inner desires.
If Li Jinhuang were to pass away, they would surely make their move.
Luo Chen pondered how to respond in such a situation.
After a while, he slowly spoke, "One Mid Foundation Establishment and three Initial Foundation Establishment cultivators. Our Celestial Assembly can handle them."
Hearing Luo Chen's words, the aged Li Jinhuang smiled with relief.
He saw Luo Chen's determination to protect the Li Family! Seeing his smile, Luo Chen rolled his eyes.
"If the situation really develops like this, then after our Celestial Assembly exerts such effort, your Li Family will naturally have to pay a corresponding price."
"At the very least, I want half of the profits from your future medicinal ingredient business!"
Half!
This is an unbearable burden for any cultivation family!
But Li Jinhuang continued to smile.
"If I pass away, the remaining half of the profits will be enough to support Ying Zhang's Foundation Establishment cultivation."
Luo Chen nodded in agreement.
Taking away so much profit would not push the Li Family to the brink of destruction.
The remaining resources would be sufficient for the Qinghua River Li Family to continue surviving.
In his dealings, he was either ruthless or sought mutual benefit, and he always handled these matters with precision.
However, he felt that something was amiss.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on Li Jinhuang's faint smile.
"Is there something else you haven't said?"
Li Jinhuang nodded.
Luo Chen was speechless. He knew that even on the verge of death, this old man still considered everything so thoroughly.
The reason he felt something was off was that after some thought, he realized that whether it was the Dan Yuan Sect or the Tan Qiu Hu Family, they were within the scope of what the Celestial Assembly could handle.
Even if they joined forces, Luo Chen was not afraid!
The benefits the other party offered seemed to be within Li Jinhuang's expectations.
If it were just this, there was no reason for them to go through the trouble of arranging a meeting with him before his death.
As the situation developed, Luo Chen would naturally act as they had discussed.
Why bother with this extra effort?
Under Luo Chen's gaze, Li Jinhuang slowly spoke, "The rotating sect of the Immortal City is about to change!"
"I know that."
"Then do you know that every time the rotation occurs, it's the most chaotic time for the nearby powers in the Heavenly Wave Immortal City?"
"Hmm?"
"During this transition, with the Immortal City changing hands, the sect's cultivators are busy with various handovers, and there's no one in charge. The enforcement team is ineffective, and chaos gradually arises, with someone always taking advantage of the situation."
"Our Celestial Assembly has the Ice Fortress as our backing. Who dares to defy us?"
"There are many sects with powerful backers. My Li Family also has a past connection with the Verdant Pill Valley. In times of danger, will they intervene?"
Luo Chen shook his head.
His relationship with the Ice Fortress was not as simple as having a past connection.
The interests involved were highly valued by the Golden Core cultivator, the Heartless Immortal.
If he truly faced a life-or-death crisis, the Ice Fortress, even if no longer the master of the Immortal City, would not abandon him.
After all, the Heartless Immortal had already invested heavily in Luo Chen.
Seeing Luo Chen's disbelief, Li Jinhuang sighed.
"A hundred years ago, the Min Family of Crimson Peak was destroyed during the sect rotation, when the Immortal City changed hands."
"Twenty years ago, the Fu Family of Xiao Jinghu also declined during this period."
"Learn from the past, and be a teacher for the future."
"Fellow Daoist, you must not be careless!"
Luo Chen was unconcerned.
The other party did not know how important the Jade Dew Pill he refined was to the Ice Fortress.
Sometimes, relationships maintained by interests far surpass those of old acquaintances.
Seeing the obvious fatigue on the other party's face, Luo Chen did not intend to disturb him further.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. After your sitting and ascending, I will definitely see you off!"
"There's one more thing!" Li Jinhuang stopped Luo Chen, who was about to leave.
"Hmm?"
"I have a Third-Rank Spell I'd like you to learn!"
Please vote for this month's ticket, it's been a while since I last asked, and occasionally asking is a good thing.
(End of Chapter)
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