7: Second Life: First Steps on the Immortal Path (Part Six)

The Sun Family.

Along with the Wu Family and the Xu Family, they were one of the three major Foundation Establishment Noble Families in Thousand Cloud City, with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator presiding over the clan.

However, unlike the Wu and Xu Families, who were local Noble Families of Thousand Cloud City, the Sun Family was an outsider. They had settled in Thousand Cloud City only twenty or thirty years ago, and their Foundation was still relatively shallow. Before the Xu Family Old Ancestor's hidden injury flared up, they were considered the weakest Foundation Establishment Noble Family in Thousand Cloud City.

"The Sun Family probably won't help us. On the contrary, if our Old Ancestor falls, the Sun Family will likely be eager to step up and take a share of the spoils," Xu Longpeng said with a frown.

"No, the Sun Family will definitely help us," Xu Yuan said confidently.

"The Sun Family is an outsider to begin with, and their Foundation in Thousand Cloud City is the shallowest. In the past, it was only because the Xu Family and the Wu Family were at each other's throats that the Sun Family was able to get a piece of the pie."

"The Sun Family must understand the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If the Xu Family is destroyed, the Wu Family's next target will definitely be the Sun Family!"

"Furthermore, because the Sun Family are outsiders, the Wu Family could use that as a reason to contact other Qi Refining families in the city to join forces and drive the Sun Family out of Thousand Cloud City. Additionally, the Sun Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivator is no match for the Wu Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

"So, if the Xu Family is destroyed, the Sun Family's fate will either be to be driven out of Thousand Cloud City in disgrace, or simply be destroyed as well!"

"Thus, saving the Xu Family is also saving the Sun Family!"

Seemingly moved by Xu Yuan's words, Xu Longpeng gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I will set out for the Sun Family immediately to discuss an alliance."

"No," Xu Yuan shook his head. "Father, you are the Head of the Xu Family. The Wu Family has certainly arranged for people to closely monitor your every move in secret. If you personally go to the Sun Family, the news will probably reach the Wu Family very quickly."

"It's not just you, Father; the other Elders of the Xu Family are likely the same. None of you can go to the Sun Family."

"If it's not an Elder of the Xu Family or even myself visiting in person, I'm afraid the Sun Family will think our Xu Family is looking down on them," Xu Longpeng frowned slightly.

"Father, you missed one person." Xu Yuan shook his head. "The Wu Family has a Hidden Pawn within the Xu Family, and they likely have one in the Sun Family as well. So if we send an ordinary person, it will be hard to ensure they aren't discovered by the Wu Family's Hidden Pawn."

"You mean..." Xu Longpeng vaguely guessed Xu Yuan's idea.

"The Old Ancestor," Xu Yuan said in a low voice. "Only if the Old Ancestor personally goes to negotiate with the Sun Family Ancestor can his Foundation Establishment cultivation ensure he isn't discovered by the Wu Family's Hidden Pawns. Only then can we ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Nonsense! The Old Ancestor is in seclusion to suppress his internal injuries. How can he just leave seclusion at will?" Xu Longpeng scolded coldly. "If he is affected, the injury that could have been suppressed for twenty years might flare up in just over ten. That would leave us even less time."

"We never had twenty years to begin with," Xu Yuan said calmly. "The Old Ancestor can live for at most another twenty years, but the time he can maintain Foundation Establishment combat power is definitely less than twenty years—at most seventeen or eighteen."

"If the Old Ancestor loses his Foundation Establishment combat power, no matter how much we plan, it will be in vain against the absolute strength of the Wu Family Ancestor. We must strike while the Old Ancestor still has the strength to fight, rather than dragging it out until the end."

Xu Longpeng's frown deepened. He let out a sigh and said somewhat wearily, "What are you thinking?"

"In fifteen years, we will ask the Old Ancestor to leave seclusion and secretly go to negotiate with the Sun Family Ancestor to join forces and kill the Wu Family Ancestor. The Xu Family and the Sun Family will then divide the Wu Family between them!" Xu Yuan said coldly.

Divide the Wu Family!

Xu Longpeng couldn't help but be startled by these words and took a deep look at Xu Yuan.

Previously, Xu Longpeng had only been thinking about how to preserve the Xu Family in front of the Wu Family after the Old Ancestor's passing, and he had assumed Xu Yuan's thoughts were the same.

But it wasn't until Xu Yuan spoke those words—'divide the Wu Family'—that Xu Longpeng realized he couldn't quite see through Xu Yuan. This son of his was far more decisive than him.

"It's difficult." After some thought, Xu Longpeng shook his head. "The Wu Family is not weak. Even if the Sun and Xu Families join forces, destroying the Wu Family would come at a significant cost. The Sun Family is unlikely to agree. Their most likely course of action would be to swallow a small portion of our Xu Family's industries and then offer us protection, using that to counter the Wu Family and take root in Thousand Cloud City."

"So, after the Old Ancestor goes to the Sun Family and explains the pros and cons to the Sun Family Ancestor, he needs to add one more sentence." Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

"If we do not join forces to destroy the Wu Family, the Old Ancestor will kill the Sun Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator before he dies!"

?!

"What do you mean?"

Xu Longpeng was shocked, feeling like he couldn't keep up with his son's train of thought. Weren't they just talking about joining forces with the Sun Family to destroy the Wu Family? Why, in the blink of an eye, was the Old Ancestor going to kill the Sun Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivator before he died?

"In fifteen years, when the Old Ancestor leaves seclusion, his days will be numbered, and he will have only enough strength for one final battle," Xu Yuan said solemnly. "If the Old Ancestor dies, even if the negotiations with the Sun Family are successful and we trade a portion of our industries for their protection, it would only be like drinking poison to quench thirst. Once the Sun Family has established a firm foothold in Thousand Cloud City, they will no longer need the Xu Family, and we will eventually decline or even be destroyed."

"If the Xu Family wants to continue its legacy, the only thing we can do is seek life within death!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Xu Yuan's eyes. "If the Sun Family doesn't agree to join forces to destroy the Wu Family, then let the Old Ancestor ignore the Wu Family and simply fight to the death with the Sun Family Ancestor. The Wu Family Ancestor would certainly be happy to see that and wouldn't step in to stop it."

"The Old Ancestor is doomed to die this time, and the Xu Family is doomed to be destroyed. Therefore, the Old Ancestor can fight with complete abandon, while the Sun Family Ancestor still has to worry about the Sun Family."

"In such a scenario, the Old Ancestor could at least heavily injure the Sun Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"

"If the Sun Family Ancestor is severely wounded, the Wu Family Ancestor will certainly not let such a good opportunity pass. If the Sun Family Ancestor dies, the Sun Family will follow in the Xu Family's footsteps and be destroyed as well!"

Hearing such a vicious scheme, Xu Longpeng's eyes lit up instead. "Good! As the saying goes, those with nothing to lose don't fear those with everything. If the Sun Family doesn't want to be destroyed, they will have no choice but to join forces with the Xu Family. In that case, destroying the Wu Family is not impossible!"

"The best outcome for this would be for the Foundation Establishment Ancestors of all three families to fall together, and for our Xu Family and the Sun Family to split the Wu Family's industries. The worst outcome is nothing more than the destruction of the Xu Family."

"And if we don't destroy the Wu Family, the Xu Family will only be able to linger on for a few more years, with a high probability of being destroyed in the end anyway."

"Since that's the case, why not take a gamble!?"

Although Xu Yuan's voice was calm, it contained a madness that was difficult for others to discern.

"Fine, let's gamble!" Xu Longpeng thought for a moment and then gritted his teeth, agreeing directly.

"Father, we only have fifteen years left. We cannot waste these fifteen years; we must accumulate enough combat power so that we have more certainty in fifteen years," Xu Yuan continued.

"First of all, Father, no matter what, you must break through to the 9th Layer of Qi Refining within these fifteen years. Don't be stingy with the Family's savings anymore; spend what needs to be spent. If we don't spend it now, it will all be left to others once the Xu Family is destroyed."

"In addition, it's not easy to cultivate a group of Late Qi Condensation Stage Cultivators within fifteen years. So, besides nurturing Family Cultivators, we must also secretly collect some one-time-use Talismans and Medicinal Pills that can briefly enhance strength. It doesn't matter if they have side effects; surviving this calamity is the top priority!"