173: Chapter 173: Changing Bases

Xiao Ran did not speak.

Zhao Lingyun continued.

"Brother Li, I've looked into it. There is no one like you at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce has no record of any transactions from you."

He paused and looked at Xiao Ran.

"You aren't from the Far North Land; you come from the outside."

Xiao Ran did not deny it.

"And?"

Zhao Lingyun smiled.

"Then I became even more curious."

"A young man from the outside, with a Soul Transformation Stage cultivation, proficient in the four arts, and with Sword Intent that has reached a level of perfection."

"Brother Li, your identity is certainly not simple!"

Zhao Lingyun thought for a moment and continued to speak to himself.

"There are only a few places in the entire Northern Region that could cultivate a talent like you."

"The Eternal Night Demon Sect, the Supreme Dao Palace, the Great Qian Dynasty... which one do you belong to?"

Xiao Ran did not answer.

Zhao Lingyun didn't press further, only smiling.

"It's fine if you don't want to say. I just wanted to tell you that in the Far North Land, having more friends means having more paths."

He stood up and cupped his hands.

"Brother Li, please forgive me for the intrusion today."

"If you have some free time another day, I'll play host and invite you for another chat."

Xiao Ran also stood up.

"Young Master Zhao is too kind."

The two looked at each other, and Xiao Ran turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, a voice came from behind him again.

"By the way, Brother Li, you stole the spotlight at Wan Hua Pavilion last night. People from the Sword Sect are already asking about you."

"Be careful."

"The people from the Sword Sect are arrogant."

Xiao Ran said his thanks and walked out the door.

Song He whispered as they walked.

"Elder, this Zhao Lingyun..."

Xiao Ran waved his hand.

"He's got something to him."

"Let's go, back to the base."

Song He quickly followed.

...

The Eternal Night Demon Sect's base.

Xiao Ran led Song He back at lightning speed.

As soon as they arrived, he took out the supplies from his storage ring one by one, piling them onto the stone table.

Spirit Pills, Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Spirit Stones... a dazzling array that made Song He's eyes widen.

"Elder, this... this is too much, isn't it?"

Song He swallowed hard.

Xiao Ran said calmly, "It's not much. This is just enough to last us for a while."

He picked up a Jade Slip and sent his Divine Sense into it; inside was a detailed map of the Far North Land.

"Deacon Song, come take a look."

Song He hurried over.

Xiao Ran pointed at the location of the Eternal Night Demon Sect's base on the map, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Our base is too far from the Sword Qi Great Wall."

"At such a distance, even if something good happens, it won't be our turn."

Song He nodded. "The Elder is right."

"The previous deacons also thought about this, but even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice. We don't have enough strength, so we simply can't move."

Xiao Ran looked at the map, his gaze extending outward from the base.

Around the Sword Qi Great Wall was a vast blank area.

But blank didn't mean unclaimed; it just wasn't marked on the map.

"What's the situation in this area near the Sword Qi Great Wall?"

Song He quickly replied, "For two thousand miles outside the Sword Qi Great Wall, it's all territory belonging to various major forces, roughly divided into two categories."

He pointed to a ring-shaped area on the map surrounding the Sword Qi Great Wall.

"The first category is Forbidden Grounds, occupied year-round by poison barriers, Yao Beasts, or ancient Restrictions. No one dares to go there."

"For example, here..."

Song He's finger landed on a red-marked spot in the northeast corner of the map.

"This is called the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. It's shrouded in poison barriers year-round; even those in the Nascent Soul Stage can't last an hour inside."

Xiao Ran took a look but said nothing.

However, he felt a flicker of interest in his heart.

Poison barriers—now those were good things!

But now wasn't the time to discuss that.

Song He's finger moved to another area.

"The second category is inhabited territory."

"These territories have basically been carved up by the first-rate and top-tier forces of the Sword Qi Great Wall. If we want land, we have to talk to them."

"Talk?"

Song He nodded.

"That's right. Trade resources for it. As long as the price is right, someone will be willing to yield land. However..."

"However what?"

Song He lowered his voice.

"However, those first-rate forces have no small appetite. They'd dare to ask for a hundred thousand Spirit Stones for a tiny piece of land. With our meager savings, I'm afraid we can't trade for anywhere good."

Xiao Ran didn't respond, only staring at the map.

His gaze moved slowly across the map.

North of the Sword Qi Great Wall was the Sword Sect's territory.

Within a five-thousand-mile radius, they occupied almost all the best Spiritual Veins in the Far North Land.

The people of the Sword Sect ran that place like an iron fortress; outsiders couldn't get a foot in the door.

East of the Sword Qi Great Wall was the Zhao Family's territory.

The Zhao Family had operated in the Far North Land for over a thousand years; they were deeply rooted, and their influence was intricately intertwined.

Although Zhao Lingyun had shown goodwill, when it came to territory, he probably wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

West of the Sword Qi Great Wall was the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce's territory.

The Wanbao Chamber of Commerce only cared about business and didn't fight for territory, but their influence permeated every corner of the Far North Land.

It wasn't realistic to try and get land from them.

South of the Sword Qi Great Wall... Xiao Ran's gaze suddenly stopped.

It was a medium-sized area labeled with the words Sunset Mountain.

"Sunset Mountain? What kind of place is this?"

Song He took a look, his expression changing slightly.

"Sunset Mountain is the territory of the Luoxia Sect."

"The Luoxia Sect is a first-rate force of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The Sect has a Body Integration Stage old monster overseeing it, the Sect Master is at the Void Refinement Peak, and there are over three hundred Disciples."

"They have operated in the Far North Land for thousands of years. While they can't compare to the Sword Sect or the Zhao Family, they aren't to be trifled with either."

Xiao Ran said thoughtfully, "How far is Sunset Mountain from the Sword Qi Great Wall?"

Song He looked at the map. "About eight hundred miles."

Xiao Ran asked again, "How are Sunset Mountain's resources?"

Song He thought for a moment.

"Sunset Mountain has a small Spiritual Vein. The output isn't much, but it's stable."

"There are also several Spirit Medicine fields on the mountain, where common Spiritual Plants are grown."

"Overall, it's considered a decent piece of territory."

Xiao Ran nodded and looked next to Sunset Mountain.

There was a gray area labeled with the words Poison Barrier Forest.

"What about the Poison Barrier Forest?"

Song He's expression became even more serious.

"The Poison Barrier Forest is one of the most dangerous Forbidden Grounds in the Far North Land."

"The poison barriers there never dissipate, and the toxicity is extremely strong. Even those at the Soul Transformation Stage must constantly use spiritual power to protect themselves, which is a huge drain."

"Furthermore, there are many poison-attribute Yao Beasts in the Poison Barrier Forest. These beasts live in the poison barriers year-round and are covered in poison, making them extremely difficult to deal with."

"Forces have tried to develop the Poison Barrier Forest in the past, but they all perished inside."

"Over time, no one dared to go there anymore."

"And I heard that the Poison Barrier Mountain expands every year, to the point where the Luoxia Sect doesn't value Sunset Mountain much anymore."

Xiao Ran looked at the map, and an idea suddenly formed in his mind.

"Deacon Song, what if we move the base next to Sunset Mountain? It's close to the Sword Qi Great Wall and near the Poison Barrier Forest... what do you think?"

Song He was stunned, and then his face changed drastically.

"Elder! Sunset Mountain is the territory of the Luoxia Sect; they won't give it up!"

"Besides, there's the Poison Barrier Forest right there. It's completely unsuitable for development."

Song He didn't know what was going on in Xiao Ran's head. Others wanted to stay far away, yet he specifically wanted to get closer.

If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Ran was stronger than him, he would have stopped serving him long ago.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran said indifferently.

"If they won't give it up, we'll talk. If talking doesn't work, we'll find another way."

"That piece of land is useless to them anyway."

Song He became anxious.

"Elder..."

He still wanted to persuade Xiao Ran to abandon the idea.

But Xiao Ran looked up and directly rejected him.

"I have already decided."

Strength determines the right to speak.

When Xiao Ran's strength was higher than Song He's, it was destined that Song He's opinion would be worthless!

I don't care what you think; I care what I think.

Song He had no choice but to agree.