236: Chapter 236 Battle!

High consumption requires replenishment.

A battle was imminent, and excessive depletion of Qi and blood would inevitably impact combat effectiveness.

Patriarch Lei Yuanqin could no longer control his restless heart.

Without hesitation, he commanded, "Go to Elder Yuangong immediately to collect three bottles of Qi and blood pills, then distribute them, one for each person. Tell them it was my order, and keep accelerating the ship."

Since when did his Lei Clan lack a few dozen Qi and blood pills? Furthermore, after taking down the Yun Family, the Lei Clan's wealth would increase by several tens of percent.

If they could master the secrets of the Yun Family, it was highly possible they could even cultivate another Grandmaster.

As for the resources of the Pei Clan, he hadn't considered them.

It wasn't that he didn't want them or wasn't greedy.

The Pei Clan was far away in Jinhuai Prefecture; even if Pei Qingyun fell at the hands of his Lei Clan, it would be difficult for him to extend his reach into Jinhuai Prefecture.

If Pei Qingyun truly fell, the Pei Clan might not be destroyed, but its decline would be inevitable. The resources controlled by the Pei Clan would be carved up by the various Great Families of Jinhuai Prefecture, leaving at most some scraps to maintain the survival of an ordinary third-rate family.

Of course, this was only the best-case scenario.

As an out-of-prefecture Great Family, the Lei Clan had no right to partake in the division; such were the unspoken rules among the Great Families. No prefecture wanted its resources to flow outward.

Furthermore, while Great Families could fight and the deaths of some ordinary clansmen were not a major issue, openly exterminating a Family's Old Ancestor or the entire clan was absolutely forbidden.

Moreover.

In his view, the resources of the Pei Clan were far inferior to those of the Yun Family.

As a newly risen top-tier third-rate family that had only emerged a few years ago, how many good things could they possibly have?

Without time for accumulation, where would these third-tier and fourth-tier resources come from?

He felt some regret that he wouldn't be able to taste the fat meat within his grasp.

"Yes, Clan Chief." The helmsman retreated.

Just then, an old man wearing gray robes strode out with a powerful, Dragon-like gait and stood behind him.

The old man was not tall, around sixty years old, with hair that was half-white, stood over seven feet tall, and had a thin build.

Judging solely by his figure, he looked like an ordinary old man.

However, if anyone were to gaze into his eyes, they would find them as sharp as an eagle's, as if they could see right through a person's heart, exerting an invisible sense of oppression.

The old man was none other than the current Old Ancestor of the Lei Clan, Lei Yuanfeng.

"Old Ancestor, why have you come out?" Sensing the presence behind him, Patriarch Lei Yuanqin said respectfully.

"The cabin was stuffy, so I came out to take a look. The battle is imminent; do not be careless," Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng cautioned.

"Old Ancestor, please rest assured. Yuanqin understands; even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit," Patriarch Lei Yuanqin replied, bowing his head and speaking in a deep voice.

Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng did not reply, merely looking toward the yunfan no. 2 in the distance.

Seemingly sensing the gaze from Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng, Pei Qingyun met it head-on.

Looking across the sea!

Their eyes met!

It was as if an invisible force collided between them.

In that instant, both confirmed the other's identity.

"A Grandmaster of the Pei Clan." Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng slowly exhaled a breath, his sharp eyes shifting slightly.

An Early Stage Six Bowels Realm expert was no major threat to a Grandmaster like him, who was only a step away from the Late Stage Six Bowels Realm.

Yet, in this confrontation with Pei Qingyun, his instincts were sounding an alarm.

He had not experienced such a sensation in many years.

His expression grew grave as he said in a deep voice, "When the battle begins, stay far away; I may not be able to look after you."

"Old Ancestor, what has happened? Could it be that the old immortal from the Yun Family is also on that ship?" Seeing the grave expression on Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng's face, Patriarch Lei Yuanqin's heart skipped a beat.

He could not think of any other possibility.

"No," Old Ancestor Lei Yuanfeng replied.

...

Meanwhile, aboard the yunfan no. 2.

A faint smile played on the lips of Pei Qingyun; his intuition told him that the other person was also a Grandmaster.

"This is interesting. It seems my fee will have to double," Pei Qingyun said, walking quickly toward Patriarch Yun Donglai.

A few miles was not very far; at most, in a quarter of an hour, the two ships would collide.

A tense atmosphere spread throughout the ship.

Unnoticed, Pei Qingyun had arrived at the side of Patriarch Yun Donglai.

Only then did Patriarch Yun Donglai, whose full attention had been fixed on the approaching fast ship, notice him.

"Grandmaster Qingyun, I was just about to send someone to fetch you. I didn't expect you to come on your own," Patriarch Yun Donglai said, his voice deep and his face grave.

Pei Qingyun remained silent, listening quietly.

"That pirate ship ahead is the exact force that attacked our Yun Family at sea last time. I hope Grandmaster Qingyun will take action," Patriarch Yun Donglai said respectfully.

"Since I have agreed to this partnership with the Yun Family, I will naturally ensure your safety. According to our agreement, if a Grandmaster takes action, the fee will double," Pei Qingyun said nonchalantly.

"Grandmaster Qingyun, are you saying that the pirate ship has a Grandmaster?" Patriarch Yun Donglai gasped, his heart filled with shock.

Although he had considered that the enemy might not give up so easily and that another attack was highly likely, he had not expected them to actually send a Grandmaster to take action personally.

If his Yun Family had not invited Pei Qingyun, they would have been finished.

For a moment, Patriarch Yun Donglai's thoughts raced, and his mood plummeted to rock bottom.

Since the enemy could arrange for a Grandmaster to take action, could they have already uncovered the Yun Family's entire plan?

Could an Early Stage Six Bowels Realm Grandmaster truly hold off the enemy Grandmaster?

If Pei Qingyun were defeated, what would become of his Yun Family?

Patriarch Yun Donglai took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and looked at Pei Qingyun with eyes full of hope.

"The fee is not a problem. If my Yun Family can safely survive this calamity, we will still owe Grandmaster Qingyun a great favor."

"Forget the favor. A deal is a deal, and I, Pei Qingyun, am not a man who breaks his word. Leave the Grandmaster to me; you must hold off the rest yourselves. I will try to free myself up as soon as I can," Pei Qingyun said, sweeping his gaze across them with an expressionless face.

"Then I thank Grandmaster Qingyun for your tremendous assistance." Patriarch Yun Donglai clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.

Afterward, he walked to the front of the crowd, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.

"There is one thing I must tell you all. The enemy this time is very strong. If you want to survive, you must risk your lives. I, the Clan Chief, promise that the compensation for all those who fall in battle will be doubled. For those who survive, your compensation will be increased by fifty percent."

Upon hearing these words, everyone's expression turned grave, and the already oppressive atmosphere became even more tense.

Patriarch Yun Donglai's words made it clear that the difficulty of this battle was unlike anything they had faced before.

Although most of them were members of the Yun Family, that did not mean they were all absolutely loyal.

Martial Artists were not afraid of battle, but no one was unafraid of death.

In the face of life and death, there would always be a glimmer of hope in the bottom of one's heart.

On land, if one could not win, one could flee, but at sea, escape was almost a luxury.

In the vast ocean, it was difficult for ordinary Martial Artists to survive; only a Grandmaster had a glimmer of hope.

With everything made clear, the last trace of anxiety in Patriarch Yun Donglai's heart dissipated.