"You're here to reconcile and fix the relationship?" Aboard the flying vessel, Lou Yuyu looked at Ma Hong, yet there was no smile on his face.
"Yes, yes, exactly." Ma Hong nodded repeatedly. "The Xuanming Sect and the Nine Cauldrons Sect have never had any direct conflict since ancient tis. Back in the Artifact Sect era, the Xuanming Sect was even one of the Artifact Sect’s closest allies. There really is no need for us to reach the point of open hostilities today."
"Heh." Lou Yuyu let out a soft chuckle. He did not say anything else. If that's the case, why have you never spoken this way before?
The situation in the East Sea archipelago had always been complex. The current Nine Cauldrons Sect could indeed wipe out the Xuanming Sect, but just like how the Infinite Star Palace sought to destroy the Black Feather Sect, it would inevitably take a great deal of ti.
If things went poorly, they would be dragged into a quagmire, unable to extricate themselves from the war for at least a decade. Yet for the Nine Cauldrons Sect as it stood now, what mattered most was precisely the opportunity for peaceful developnt.
If they were given ten or twenty years to complete the improvent of all spirit-gathering arrays and help all great cultivators finish their equipnt upgrades, then dealing with the Xuanming Sect afterward would be no different from how the Infinite Star Palace had once annihilated the Quicksand Sect, crushing them like rotten wood and dry weeds, leaving them no chance to resist or seek assistance from other powers.
Therefore, the Nine Cauldrons Sect didn't need to destroy the Xuanming Sect right now. But although not destroying them was one matter, whether this operation would severely cripple the Xuanming Sect was another.
That choice lay in Lou Yuyu’s hands. It all depended on whether the Xuanming Sect knew how to behave.
"Can you represent the Xuanming Sect?" Lou Yuyu asked.
"I can," Ma Hong replied at once. "Our sect master has been unwell recently and has temporarily entrusted all sect affairs to . I have full authority to represent the Xuanming Sect.
"Hall Master Lou, I understand very clearly that the reason you personally ca to the Xuanming Sect this ti was that so individuals stirred up trouble and hard the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s external interests. Please rest assured, Hall Master Lou. I have already given orders to severely punish all those who took advantage of the chaos to cause trouble and plunder. Once captured, they will be dealt with strictly and harshly. The Garrison Hall and the Warfare Hall have both taken action to hunt down these troublemakers. We will absolutely not allow anyone to continue exploiting the situation and fish in troubled waters..."
Lou Yuyu split off a trace of his psychic mind and briefly sensed the Void Psychic World. Through the Void Psychic World, he indeed saw reports of many local departnts taking action to quell the unrest. That was only natural.
The Azure Edge Institute and the Divine Might Institute had already entered the Xuanming Sect's territory. With the facts laid bare, the Xuanming Sect had no choice but to respond. If they captured those troublemakers themselves, they could at least keep casualties under control. But if they allowed the Azure Edge Institute and the Divine Might Institute to act freely... only death would be left in their path.
After so thought, Lou Yuyu spoke. "In that case, Hall Master Ma, please cooperate with us first and notify all the Nine Cauldrons Sect's mbers within the Xuanming Sect's territory to gather at the air docks of each city. Our flying vessels will receive them and take them away from the Xuanming Sect's territory."
"We will cooperate with all of our ability. We will also issue orders to local departnts to assist mbers of the Nine Cauldrons Sect in relocating. If anyone needs to liquidate assets, the local departnts will purchase those assets at market price..." Ma Hong imdiately gave his assurance.
"Very well. In addition, there are tens of millions of Nine Cauldrons Sect mbers within the Xuanming Sect's territory. Ten large flying vessels will likely need more than a dozen rotations to transport them all. I will need a city air dock as a temporary docking point..." Lou Yuyu made a casual gesture, projecting a map of the Xuanming Sect's territory.
He selected a city closer to Nine Cauldrons Sect territory and said, "How about here?"
"That's fine. This air dock will be handed over to the Nine Cauldrons Sect for use as long as it's needed. We will do our utmost to cooperate," Ma Hong replied promptly.
"Don't worry, our Nine Cauldrons Sect is not a force that takes advantage of others. We will not use your port for free. Consider it a lease," Lou Yuyu said calmly. "Since we don't know exactly how many Nine Cauldrons Sect mbers are within Xuanming Sect territory, screening them one by one will clearly take a great deal of ti. Therefore, let us set the lease period for this port at thirty years. What do you think?"
"T-Thirty years?!" Ma Hong froze.
Then he said cautiously, "Our Xuanming Sect will certainly spare no effort to assist the Nine Cauldrons Sect in identifying its mbers. No matter how long the process is delayed, one or two years should be enough... Isn’t thirty years a bit too long?"
"Do not forget that many Nine Cauldrons Sect mbers may not only be hiding within the Xuanming Sect's territory, but may also have fled to vassal worlds under the Xuanming Sect's jurisdiction. The opening of star gates to vassal worlds often follows a cycle. So of the longer ones have opening cycles starting at ten years. To ensure that the ssage reaches everyone, thirty years is already a very conservative estimate," Lou Yuyu replied.
Ma Hong’s expression shifted repeatedly. After a long while, he finally said, "If the Xuanming Sect is willing to cooperate with the Nine Cauldrons Sect and sign this agreent, can you and Chief Shen withdraw for the ti being?"
"Of course," Lou Yuyu answered decisively. "Since our objective has been achieved, we will naturally change course and depart. In fact, you understand the situation in the East Sea better than I do. If the Xuanming Sect had not gone too far this ti, our Nine Cauldrons Sect would not have wanted to push things to this extent."
"This was all because Song You failed to grasp the situation clearly, which led to these misunderstandings," Ma Hong quickly explained.
"Yes, it was Song You’s fault." Lou Yuyu smiled and nodded.
He had already devoted part of his psychic focus to the Void Psychic World of the Psyche Kingdom. After discussion within the group, a plan had already been finalized.
The Nine Cauldrons Sect would give Ma Hong so face and withdraw at an appropriate ti, allowing him to give an account to his sect and raise his prestige. After that, they would let the Ma family he represented clash with the Song family represented by Song You.
For the Nine Cauldrons Sect, this was not a bad outco. At the very least, for the next several dozen years, they would not need to worry about them stirring up trouble in the East Sea again.
"As long as you and Chief Shen are willing to lead your people away, we agree to this condition," Ma Hong said.
"Good." Lou Yuyu nodded slightly. "Then next cos the matter of compensation from your Sect Master Song."
"C-Compensation..." Ma Hong replied.
"That’s right. Because of Sect Master Song’s decisions, we had to mobilize and rush all the way to the Xuanming Sect. Two elite battle institutes, ten large flying vessels, and tens of thousands of personnel were deployed. The consumption of spirit stones and supplies during this period was no small sum." Lou Yuyu laid out a list directly. "Our Nine Cauldrons Sect will not make things difficult for you, nor will we take advantage of the situation. What the Xuanming Sect needs to pay is rely the cost of manpower and materials consud. According to our calculations, the total cos to eight million spirit stones."
"Eight million spirit stones?!" The figure made Ma Hong draw in a sharp breath.
The annual allocation for the entire Warfare Hall of the Xuanming Sect did not even reach eight million!
"Hall Master Lou—"
Ma Hong was just about to say sothing when Lou Yuyu continued, "Hall Master Ma, please urge Sect Master Song to make the paynt. Of course, we understand that you oversee the Warfare Hall and do not manage material allocations. Therefore, I will trouble you to point the way. We can personally go see Sect Master Song and collect the paynt."
Hearing Lou Yuyu’s words, Ma Hong imdiately understood his aning. They would only demand this sum of spirit stones from Song You and the Song family backing him. Since the money would not co out of their own pocket, things beca much easier.
Furthermore, extracting eight million spirit stones at once would inevitably leave the Song family crippled, which would benefit the Ma family in its subsequent efforts to take control of the Xuanming Sect.
And if the Song family refusing to pay, that would be even better. They would simply let the Song family’s last force, the Yulin Institute, clash with the Nine Sect Cauldron's forces. Whether both sides were gravely wounded or only the Song family was destroyed, it would be a win for them.
If the Song family fell, the Xuanming Sect would at least retain its dignity. The Nine Cauldrons Sect would also suffer considerable losses and would certainly not dare to raise further demands afterward. If both sides ended up crippling each other, that would be even more ideal. The Ma family could step out and reap the spoils directly.
With this thought in mind, Ma Hong imdiately said, "Having caused your esteed sect to mobilize on such a scale was indeed our fault. Compensating for so of the expenditures is only reasonable. I will accompany everyone now to et the sect master and convey this lawful and reasonable request to him face-to-face."
"Excellent." Lou Yuyu smiled and nodded.
***
Within the Nine Cauldrons Sect, upon learning of the progress at the Xuanming Sect through the Void Psychic World, the sect’s higher-ups could not help but beam with delight. Although the Xuanming Sect had never been a particularly powerful force, ever since it latched onto the Infinite Star Palace, it had constantly stirred up trouble and disrupted the situation in the East Sea.
This ti, they were finally able to hold their heads high. They gained eight million spirit stones in compensation and thirty years of lease rights to an air dock. The forr would greatly slow the Xuanming Sect’s recovery. The latter drove a nail straight into the Xuanming Sect.
From this day forward, if the Xuanming Sect dared to show the slightest movent, the Nine Cauldrons Sect would absolutely be able to detect it at the first opportunity. This operation could be described as a complete victory.
"Hall Master Lou, that was beautifully done." Li Qingshan offered his praise from the heart.
"I just intimidated them with borrowed power." Lou Yuyu wore a broad smile. "If not for the sect master and Yaoguang achieving that resounding victory against the Great Sun Sword Sect and leaving the Xuanming Sect internally shaken, it would not have been so easy for us to pin them down."
"It was also a matter of timing. The Infinite Star Palace was deeply bogged down in the war with the Black Feather Sect and had no attention to spare for the situation on the Heavenly Star Continent. Otherwise, if the Xuanming Sect could count on their aid, they would certainly have fortified their cities and waited for reinforcents," He Xifeng said.
"Timing also stemd from the accuracy of the intelligence we obtained. If we had not known for certain that the Infinite Star Palace would not take action against us for the sake of the Xuanming Sect, we would never have dared to send Hall Master Lou alone," Li Qingshan said.
The others, including Lou Yuyu, nodded in agreent. In many situations, accurate intelligence was even more important than one or two elite battle institutes!
"So, do you think Song You will obediently hand over eight million spirit stones?" Liang Qiu asked.
"He will." Grand Elder Huang Tianhao gave a firm answer. "By handing over eight million spirit stones, he can at least preserve the Song family’s safety and retain the Yulin Institute, the Song family’s core force. Relying on their connection with Lei ng, the deputy hall master of the Infinite Star Palace’s Warfare Hall, Ma Hong would not dare to truly drive him off the sect master’s seat. At most, he would join the other hall masters in stripping him of real authority. But if he refuses to hand over the spirit stones... We will not show any rcy!"
The other hall masters nodded in agreent.
"Alright. Next, we just wait for Hall Master Lou’s triumphant return," Li Qingshan said with a smile.
"The impact of this operation will be far more than just another glorious victory. It also ans that, from today onward, the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s history has entered a new chapter." Zhou Lijian clenched his fist and brought it down heavily. His voice carried an inexplicable resonance that shook everyone present. "From this day forth... The Nine Cauldrons Sect bids farewell to the era during which we could only turtle up in defense. We'll be stepping out of our gates, face enemies head-on, and take the initiative to attack when needed!"
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