196: Chapter 196 Gathering Together

Upon returning to the Family grounds, Su Yang immediately entered the Divine Sense Space and summoned all the clansmen.

When the news of Luoxuan City being breached by Great Qi spread, a heavy silence fell over the space.

Su Xuanming's expression was grave; he hadn't expected that shortly after leaving the Family, the territory of Great Wei would suddenly become the territory of Great Qi.

"Father, we must make plans for this as soon as possible."

He spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a rare sense of urgency: "Qingyuan Market is the Foundation of our Su Family; we must never let it be destroyed like Qingyuan County was back then."

Currently, the scale of Qingyuan Market was growing grander by the day, with nearly a third of its industries belonging to the Su Family. If the market were occupied or destroyed by Great Qi Cultivators, the Su Family would undoubtedly suffer the heaviest losses.

Su Yang looked pensive and quickly made a decision: "I will handle things here in Qingyuan. I'll leave the Yunmeng Ruins to you. Remember to act within your capabilities."

After leaving the Divine Sense Space, the Su Family's inner courtyard remained quiet, as if shrouded by an invisible weight, with a heavy atmosphere permeating the air.

Su Yang did not delay for a moment. He immediately invited the various factions of the market to gather at the Drunken Immortal Tower in the name of the Su Family.

Facing an invitation from the overlord of Qingyuan, no one dared to refuse. Just like when Cheng Lan first hosted a banquet, everyone arrived in full attendance. Moreover, Su Yang had invited every single faction in the entire market this time.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Qingyuan: Cheng Lan of the Cheng Family, Xu Heyan of the Bihai Association, and Fan Qiushen of the Fan Family.

All were present at this moment.

However, times had changed. Cheng Lan, who had once invited everyone as the host, was now just an invited guest at the table.

Su Yang sat in the seat of honor, his expression calm.

Every Cultivator who entered the private room, regardless of what they were thinking, wore a smile on their face and bowed respectfully toward the seat of honor.

Since the Su Family became the overlord of Qingyuan ten years ago, no stubborn Foundation Establishment Factions had dared to come and try to take a share. Thus, the Foundation Establishment Factions in the market were still the same old faces: the Cheng Family, the Bihai Association, and the Fan Family.

But in terms of the overall strength of the Qingyuan Cultivators, it was far beyond what it used to be. This was entirely because the Su Family had multiple Foundation Establishment Cultivators in their ranks!

Aside from Song Baiqing and Wei Yan, who had appeared in Wangchuan Valley, Su Yang's fierce record of slaying two Foundation Establishment Cultivators single-handedly at the Yunmeng Ruins had long since spread throughout Qingyuan, leaving the various factions secretly alarmed.

Later, when Su Xuanxiao got married, he even held a Foundation Establishment Feast alongside the wedding, pushing the shock to its peak.

Since even the youngest son had reached Foundation Establishment, how could the eldest son of the Su Family, the Sword Cultivator Su Xuanheng, fall behind? Barring any accidents, Su Xuanheng must have also reached Foundation Establishment!

Five Foundation Establishment Cultivators in one Family!

Once this news was confirmed, the various factions of Qingyuan had no other thoughts and completely followed the Su Family's lead.

This was not only out of awe for the Su Family's deep heritage but also because they hoped to one day obtain a foundation establishment pill from them.

"Patriarch Su, what brings you such fine spirits today to personally invite us to gather?"

The thick-skinned Xu Heyan spoke up with a beaming smile, testing the waters.

Facing Xu Heyan's signature smile, Su Yang remained expressionless and dropped a bombshell in a low voice: "Everyone, I have just received news that Luoxuan City has been breached by Great Qi! This territory of Qingyuan has now become Great Qi's domain."

"What?!"

Like a stone stirring a thousand ripples, the smiles on the faces of all the Cultivators present instantly froze, turning into shock and bewilderment.

They had originally thought Su Yang's invitation was because he had discovered a grotto-heaven or a Secret Realm Opportunity, but they never expected to receive such bad news.

Without waiting for everyone to recover from their shock, Su Yang continued: "Although Qingyuan is scarce in resources, the change of territorial ownership will inevitably attract Cultivators from all walks of life, including no shortage of troublemaking Robber Cultivators."

"To this end, I plan to establish a Third-Order Array to envelop the entire Qingyuan Market."

"The purpose of inviting you all here is to gather the resources needed for the Formation."

His calm gaze swept across every face present, his tone indifferent yet indisputable.

"I know some will agree and some will oppose this, so we will vote here today; the minority shall submit to the majority."

"If the majority agrees, we will jointly fund it. If anyone is unwilling to contribute, my Su Family is not unreasonable; we can give you three days to move out of Qingyuan."

"If the majority opposes, then we shall act as if nothing happened today. My Su Family will still fund the establishment of a Third-Order Array, but it will only cover our own Family grounds and industries."

"When the time comes and Robber Cultivators attack, please do not harbor any illusions or attempt to use moral kidnapping to force the Su Family to provide protection."

Su Yang's words were not roundabout or cryptic; they were blunt and realistic, every sentence grounded in fundamental interests.

He laid the choice clearly before everyone.

The Su Family taking the lead to build a Third-Order Array would benefit everyone, provided they contributed funds together. The outcome for those unwilling to contribute was simple: they would be asked to leave Qingyuan.

As his voice fell, the private room lapsed into a brief, dead silence.

Many looked grave and took out Sound-transmitting Talismans to urgently discuss with the Cultivators back at their homes.

The matter was of great importance, and no one dared to state their position lightly.

Su Yang, however, appeared calm and unhurried. He sat in the seat of honor, leisurely sipping tea, and even had a table of food and wine served. He waited while eating, his demeanor relaxed as if it were just an ordinary gathering.

As time passed, whispers gradually began to rise within the room.

At first, they were cautious probes. Seeing that Su Yang had no reaction to their discussions, everyone gradually grew bolder and began to question and argue with one another.

"Since the Su Family has the ability to build a Third-Order Array, this is undoubtedly our only hope for survival in these troubled times. I believe this is feasible," an old man was the first to state his position.

"But a Third-Order Array covering the entire Qingyuan Market will consume an unimaginable amount of resources!" another middle-aged Cultivator said with a conflicted expression, lowering his voice to question, "How much should each Family contribute? There's no fixed amount at all. Besides... is it really necessary to pay such a price?"

Just as Su Yang had expected, two different voices emerged in the room.

The arguments rose and fell; some fought for their logic, while others weighed the pros and cons repeatedly. After a period of intense discussion, the noise gradually subsided.

Everyone stopped talking, their gazes simultaneously turning toward the seat of honor.

"Since a conclusion has been reached through discussion, let's vote."

Su Yang put down his chopsticks, finished the remaining tea in his cup, and spoke calmly: "Those who agree to contribute to the joint construction of the Formation, raise your hands now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators present—Cheng Lan, Xu Heyan, and Fan Qiushen—raised their hands almost simultaneously without the slightest hesitation.

They were people who had difficulty standing out in external competition and had retreated to this corner of Qingyuan. Although the Su Family was now the sole dominant power in Qingyuan, while they occupied most of the resources, they did indeed leave a share for the others.

This kind of stability was far better than a life of wandering and displacement. Naturally, they hoped to maintain this peace and wished for Qingyuan Market to endure and prosper.

Besides, Foundation Establishment Families had deep heritages and were not incapable of providing these resources.

On the contrary, the Qi Refining Factions and Martial Artist Families were caught in deep hesitation. They weren't as deeply rooted as the Foundation Establishment Factions. If they really had to leave, it seemed they could take their industries and go elsewhere.

But the problem was, if they left Qingyuan, where could they go?

Very few factions actually had a fallback. The vast majority of people had nowhere to go unless they had the ability to completely leave the territories of Great Wei and Great Qi for other cultivation dynasties, but that was easier said than done.

Amidst the silence, more and more people slowly raised their arms.

Su Yang's Divine Sense swept across the room, and a faint curve finally appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Nearly eighty percent of the Cultivators ultimately chose to raise their hands in agreement.