647: Chapter 647 The Visitor

One year later.

Great Sage Taisui convened the entire Southern Border Yao Race under the guise of an offering to establish an alliance, aiming to prevent a potential large-scale invasion by the Dao Court.

As news of the abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuations in the Southern Border spread, the entire Yao Race in the Southern Border was filled with anxiety.

With Great Sage Taisui stepping forward to stabilize morale, everyone was essentially willing to form an alliance for self-preservation.

Rumor had it that Great Sage Taisui had already established contact with Great Sage Golden Toad and formed an alliance with the Buddhism of the Western Desert; even if the Dao Court truly took action, they might not necessarily lose.

The Spiritual Qi of two regions converging into the Southern Border was a matter of favorable timing; the battlefield being in the Southern Border meant it was their home turf, a matter of geographical advantage; the Yao Race being of one mind and allied with the Western Desert Buddhism was a matter of human harmony.

With favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony all gathered, the Southern Border Yao Race was full of confidence.

...

On the side of the Dao Court.

Ever since Liu Xuan advanced to the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage, the trend of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi converging toward the Southern Border suddenly intensified.

At the beginning, the Bureau of Astronomy and Jiang Xingwan thought the same—believing that such a trend shifting the balance was a good thing, and it would likely return to normal soon.

However, the result was completely different from their estimates; the Spiritual Qi converging toward the Southern Border had formed a trend of stable growth, and it looked even more stable than before.

The situation was more serious than the Bureau of Astronomy had anticipated. Coupled with the awakening of Great Sage Taisui in the Southern Border and his alliance with Buddhism, the Dao Court also began to take a series of actions.

Cultivator armies were continuously gathering toward the Azure Profound Sect, and various spies were penetrating deep into the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect and even the heartland of the Yao Race.

Constrained by previous agreements and the potential serious consequences, the two sides were not at war, and there wasn't even the slightest friction.

Simply put, the current situation was that the Southern Border Yao Race only wanted to protect itself, and the Dao Court didn't actually want to start a war; they were just worried about the Southern Border growing too strong and were making preparations.

What the Dao Court high-level officials and the Yao Race high-level officials like Great Sage Taisui wanted to do most right now was not to start a war, but to figure out the root cause of the Spiritual Qi abnormalities in the Southern Border.

However, Liu Xuan was not very worried. He had carefully studied it; the wither-thrive life-death cauldron did not directly devour the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; what it actually devoured was the vitality of all things in the Southern Border.

The reason why the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was converging toward the Southern Border was not because it was being absorbed by the wither-thrive life-death cauldron, but to replenish the lost vitality of all things.

Therefore, whether from the Western Desert or the East Sea, as long as the Spiritual Qi entered the Southern Border, it would continuously become thinner, and it was impossible to trace where it was going.

The vitality devoured by the wither-thrive life-death cauldron was not without traces, but it devoured the most pure Origin of the Law of Life and Death. Unless it was a Void Refining Earth Immortal who had comprehended the Law of Life and Death, other Cultivators could absolutely not detect a thing.

The possibility of being discovered was very low, but there were no absolutes. Now that he was surrounded by two top forces, Liu Xuan dared not be careless at all.

He had made up his mind: once there was a clue pointing to him, he would run away immediately.

Fortunately, things did not develop in the worst direction. Low-probability events were ultimately not that easy to happen; neither the Dao Court nor Great Sage Taisui had any intention of targeting him.

Just like that, the Southern Border situation fell into a strange atmosphere that was both tense and stable; everyone was waiting.

The Dao Court was waiting for the observation results from the Bureau of Astronomy; unless the Spiritual Qi abnormality reached a certain level, they would not take action easily.

Great Sage Taisui was waiting for the Dao Court to make the first move. Although he had formed an alliance with Buddhism, his strength was still weaker than the Dao Court, and he had no ability to take the initiative to attack.

Liu Xuan needed to wait even more. For him, time was strength; it was best to maintain the current state forever until he was invincible in the world.

What he was thinking about now was not how to profit from the war, but how to balance the relationship between the Dao Court and the Southern Border Yao Race, letting them drag out the start of the war for as long as possible.

"If possible, I would rather lower the rate at which the wither-thrive life-death cauldron devours vitality, so as to better control the changes in the situation."

The Southern Border was now a powder keg that was constantly charging; it might explode any day.

Therefore, Liu Xuan had been arranging an escape route recently, continuously transferring about half of his manpower and assets to the East Sea via the Teleportation Array.

The so-called "don't put all your eggs in one basket," especially in Liu Xuan's current situation where he had a large Family and business—by putting half of the Family's manpower and assets in the East Sea, even if he encountered the most extreme situation where he didn't even have time to run, he wouldn't be completely wiped out.

As long as Liu Xuan didn't die and the Family wasn't completely wiped out, he could reach the Peak again in at most a few decades.

Back when he first entered the Red Pine Sect, Liu Xuan was all alone, and it only took him a mere few decades to develop to where he was today.

No matter how the Southern Border situation changed or what the outcome was, the first goal Liu Xuan considered was always self-preservation.

As long as he didn't die, and as long as his offspring survived, other territories, Spiritual Veins, Merchant Alliance, industries... were all fleeting clouds.

Of course!

Liu Xuan was also unwilling to easily abandon the concubines in the backyard of the Liu residence. As the saying went, "a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace." Liu Xuan was not a heartless person; setting aside life and death, Liu Xuan would try his best to protect them.

...

Liu residence.

Flower garden.

Liu Xuan had been too busy lately and had been thinking too much, so he took some time to discuss the Dao of Life with Peach Blossom to relax.

Including the Qiankun Hall in the East Sea, there were nearly three thousand beauties in the backyard of the Liu residence. After years of getting along, Liu Xuan felt that the most understanding one was still sister Peach Blossom.

When with sister Peach Blossom, Liu Xuan had the feeling of truly being in love; this feeling was even purer than when he was with Lin Xue'er in the Red Pine Sect back then.

"Husband, what are you thinking about? Are you worried about the Southern Border situation again?" Peach Blossom reached out and gently stroked Liu Xuan's face.

"No!" Liu Xuan turned his head to stare at her beautiful, water-like eyes and smiled: "I was thinking about why sister Peach Blossom was born so beautiful."

"Annoying~" Peach Blossom smiled and gently hit Liu Xuan's chest, "You only know how to coax people to be happy."

"I, Liu Xuan, never lie!"

"Your husband will prove it to you right now."

"Ah~"

"Wait a minute..."

...

After finishing, Liu Xuan picked a small white flower from the flower garden, playing with it while walking out.

Just as he walked out of the flower garden, The Twins came over, reporting: "Mistress Bai has brought two Yao Race guests, saying there is an urgent matter to see you."

"Yao Race guests?" Liu Xuan asked: "What are their names?"

"One is called Demon Lord Han Jing, and the other, Mistress Bai didn't say, and we don't know too well." Xiao Shuang shook her head and replied.

Not sure?

A trace of doubt immediately rose in Liu Xuan's heart. Bai Jie had always been rigorous in her work; it was impossible for her to bring Yao Race members of unknown Origin to see him.

She didn't tell The Twins the identity of this Yao, which meant it was inconvenient, or rather, it was of great significance.

With this thought, Liu Xuan waved his hand to signal The Twins to step down, then expanded his Divine Thought and teleported to the City Lord's Mansion.

The guest hall of the City Lord's Mansion.

After Liu Xuan entered, he saw three people sitting on the lower left side, namely Bai Jie, Han Jing, and a mysterious person shrouded in a black robe.

What surprised Liu Xuan was that this person in the black robe could actually isolate his Divine Sense from probing.

It wasn't until he lifted the hood on his head that Liu Xuan said in shock: "You are Demon Saint Xuanyu!"