213: Chapter 213 A sect with no way out is like a fish on a chopping board.

"The Tianyang Sect's ability to stabilize itself here doesn't rely solely on us three old fellows," Ancestor Lieyang took up the conversation. "The five Sects of Canglan Prefecture each harbor their own agendas, and there is no lack of friction between them."

"With the five families keeping each other in check, no one dares to act rashly. This is the fundamental reason why we, an outsider, have been able to stand firm in Canglan Prefecture for three years. It's not that they respect us; it's that they can't spare the effort to deal with us."

He thought for a moment and continued.

"Since none of the five Sects trust each other, we actually have an opportunity. The Tianyang Sect has no old grudges with any of them, and our position is clean. We are perfectly suited to be the ones to bring them all to the table."

"Find a pretext, for instance, joint development of mineral veins or jointly clearing out high-level Yao Beasts in the mountains, to bind the interests of the five Sects with our own."

"We will take the Qingyun mineral vein, located eight hundred miles to the east, and invite the five Sects to develop it together. The output will be distributed according to shares; we will keep only twenty percent, and the remaining five families will split the rest evenly."

"Although the mineral vein isn't close to any of their Sects, no one would complain about the distance for such a benefit delivered right to their doorstep."

Qin She frowned slightly. That was something the Sect had spent over half a year surveying and opening up.

Ancestor Lieyang saw his thoughts and waved his hand.

"If you don't risk losing something, you won't gain anything. What is one mineral vein? You need to understand one thing: the Tianyang Sect is an outsider in Canglan Prefecture. Three years is too short, and our roots are not deep enough."

"The five Sects are willing to leave us alone because we haven't gotten in their way yet."

"But once an external force intervenes—for example, if the Zhenpin Pavilion storms in with supreme grade Medicinal Pills—what will the five Sects choose?"

"Whoever offers the most benefits is who they will side with. This is the iron law of the Cultivation world."

"Therefore, we cannot just be content with a corner of the land; we must integrate." Ancestor Lieyang's tone slowed down. "Joint development of the mineral vein is the first step. Let the people of the five Sects have interests in our territory."

"We must follow up with more: exchanges of Disciples between Sects, joint hunting of Yao Beasts, trading Medicinal Pills—one step at a time."

"In three to five years, we will make the Tianyang Sect an indispensable link in the six-Sect structure of Canglan Prefecture."

"If anyone wants to make a move against us, the other five Sects will also feel the pain."

"Although our Tianyang Sect's foundation cannot compare to those Nascent Soul Great Sects, we are not without our own offerings," Ancestor Lieyang added. "We have some unique things in the way of Talismans. Our method for crafting second-tier fire-elemental offensive and defensive Talismans is considered rare even in Canglan Prefecture."

"There are also the cultivation methods for fire-attribute Spirit Medicine; those Sects wouldn't even know where to learn them."

Old Ancestor Chiyan listened without refuting, remaining silent for a while before speaking.

"Senior Brother Lieyang is right. Qin, you just need to carry it out. But there is one more very important matter."

His gaze shifted from Qin She to the depths of the Immortal Cave.

"I had intended to develop steadily here, but this incident reminds me of the original Blazing Fire Sect. It also serves as a warning to us: a Sect without a way out is the same as a fish on a cutting board."

"Canglan Prefecture is our current foothold, but it cannot be our only retreat."

Qin She raised his head and looked at Old Ancestor Chiyan; clearly, he had also thought of something.

"Send a few Foundation Establishment Elders to an outer prefecture to find a remote and stable place. Quietly acquire an estate and build a one-way teleportation Formation connecting to our mountain gate. In the event that we can no longer stay in Canglan Prefecture one day, at least there will be somewhere to go."

Old Ancestor Chiyan looked at Qin She, his tone earnest.

"A retreat is something that feels like a burden when not in use, but can save your life when needed. No matter how stable our life in Canglan Prefecture is right now, we must pave the way out first. Before the teleportation Formation is built, this matter must not be mentioned to anyone, except for the Elders sent and the four of us."

Qin She's heart sank. Although this life of constant running was not what he, as a Sect Master, wanted, the Old Ancestor was right—with so many enemies, one must be cautious.

"This Disciple understands."

"There are a few more things," Old Ancestor Chiyan continued. "Withdraw the station in Tongbao City and recall everyone to the mountain gate. Do not keep those small mineral veins nearby either; sell what you can, and seal what you can't."

Qin She was stunned: "Old Ancestor, Tongbao City has been operated for over two years, and what about the output of the surrounding small mineral veins?"

"Forget them," Old Ancestor Chiyan interrupted. "Tongbao City is too far from the Tianyang Sect's mountain gate, and the station already lacks sufficient manpower. With so many people lost this time, stubbornly holding onto places we cannot defend will only drag us deeper into trouble."

"We cannot focus our attention on a single trade caravan anymore," Old Ancestor Xuanhuo's tone dropped. "Building a good relationship with the five Sects is the real priority. You must implement the things Senior Brother Lieyang mentioned—joint mineral vein development and the exchange of Talismans and Spirit Medicine—one by one."

"Rooting the Tianyang Sect deeply and securely in Canglan Prefecture is a hundred times more useful than chasing after the tail of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce."

Having said this, he paused, and his tone suddenly turned cold.

"But we cannot fail to guard against the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce. They have already opened Zhenpin Pavilion shops in Qinghe Prefecture and Pingling Prefecture. Although the two places are far apart, I estimate that Canglan Prefecture will be targeted sooner or later. If the other party really wants to develop in Canglan Prefecture..."

Old Ancestor Chiyan glanced at Ancestors Lieyang and Xuanhuo, and the three nodded slightly in unison.

"Then there is no need to talk about rules. Before they have secured a foothold and before they have had time to offer benefits to the five Sects, we three will take action ourselves. Regardless of whether there is someone behind them, we will wipe them out—people, shops, and goods—all in one go."

"We must never let what happened in Qinghe Prefecture repeat itself. Once they have fed the five Sects with Medicinal Pills, it will be too late to act."

Old Ancestor Chiyan's gaze swept over Qin She.

"You don't need to worry about this matter; the three of us will decide when the time comes. What you need to do now is to manage the relationships with the five Sects well and restore the Sect's Origin Qi. Do you understand?"

Qin She memorized it point by point, and finally bowed and saluted: "This Disciple has noted everything down."

"Go," Old Ancestor Chiyan waved his hand. "As for Meng Li and the others, once they recover from their injuries, lock them in the Forbidden Ground to reflect on their mistakes for three months. As for you, once the Sect is stabilized, come find me to accept your punishment."

Qin She nodded without saying more, turned, and exited the Immortal Cave.

On the way out of the back mountain, the night wind blew into his sleeves, making even a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator feel bone-chilling cold.

Qin She clenched his fists and walked for a long time, with only one thought repeating in his mind.

Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's Zhenpin Pavilion—once there is an opportunity, kill them!

On the other side, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range at the border of Qinghe Prefecture and Pingling Prefecture, lay the Soul-Severing Ravine.

This gorge stretches across the hinterland of the mountain range at the border of Qinghe Prefecture and Pingling Prefecture. Its two walls are steep as if cut by a knife, and the bottom of the valley sees no sunlight all year round.

Walking less than three miles from the valley entrance, the air begins to change. A rot-sweet scent with a metallic, rusted feel permeates the area—that is high-concentration toxic miasma.

A Qi Refining Cultivator could not last more than a cup of tea in this environment. Their protective spiritual power would be continuously eroded by the toxic miasma, and once their spiritual power was exhausted, the toxins would seep into their internal organs along their Meridians.

Third-tier toxic Yao Beasts, the "Underworld Shedding Pythons," occupied the depths of the valley floor—one male and one female, each having cultivated for nearly a thousand years. They were massive, their python bodies covered in gray-green scales, and the mucus they secreted was the source of the toxic miasma.

These two pythons had strength equivalent to Late Stage Golden Core Cultivators. Moreover, they occupied a favorable position; the valley floor was their lair, which they had operated for hundreds of years. The concentration of toxic miasma was so high that even Golden Core Cultivators dared not venture deep rashly.

And in a hidden mountain hollow about five miles from the entrance of the Soul-Severing Ravine, four tents were pitched deep in the dense forest, with three layers of Formations for concealment, shielding, and masking aura set up around the perimeter.

Black Rock Palace, Qiankun Gate, Qingfeng Valley, and the Spirit Talisman Sect—each of the four great Sects of Pingling Prefecture had sent a team stationed here.

For righteous and demonic Cultivators to camp in the same mountain hollow was unimaginable in normal times, but the news about the Wood Spirit had forced all grievances to be temporarily pushed under the table.