"Sect Master, no matter what, we are a nation of etiquette. We do not execute envoys during wartime," Zhang Zhenyan earnestly advised Yang Hong, before turning to apologize to Ye Yudong.
"Esteemed Envoy, please calm your anger. We can talk this through. Let's start with exorbitant demands and gradually lower them, and we can surely reach an agreement," Zhang Zhenyan added.
Yang Hong suddenly ceased his anger and leisurely looked at Zhang Zhenyan, saying, "Oh? Then let's talk. You talk."
"No, no, no! Sect Master should talk. Everything is up to Sect Master," Hearing Yang Hong's sarcastic tone, Zhang Zhenyan trembled and quickly retreated behind Yang Hong. He had not forgotten how terrifying Yang Hong was.
Before him were the uncooled corpses of five Nascent Soul realm senior brothers.
"Yang Hong, I will give you one condition. Think carefully. As long as you surrender to the Shengyu Sect, I can request the Sect Master to grant you a position as a branch sect master."
Ye Yudong noticed the respect and fear Zhang Zhenyan held for Yang Hong, and was inwardly shocked. He had dealt with Zhang Zhenyan many times and knew he was a proud person. For him to now show respect to Yang Hong was unusual.
If it were merely fear, it might be due to Yang Hong's overwhelming strength that had subdued Zhang Zhenyan. But respect was not something that could be forced through combat alone.
Therefore, he made a significant concession.
"Besides surrender, is there no other path for me?" Yang Hong asked Ye Yudong with a smile.
"Yes. Disband your so-called Clear Wind Villa and release Zhang Zhenyan and the others," Ye Yudong's voice was cold and firm. He now represented the seventh-rank sect, the Shengyu Sect, and possessed the qualifications and strength to be assertive.
"No room for negotiation?"
"No room for negotiation!"
"Heh heh. How about we just start a war directly? My disciples here are all mere handyman disciples, and they've been eager for a chance to become outer disciples. It wouldn't be bad to use you all as whetstones for them."
Seeing Ye Yudong's unyielding stance, Yang Hong actually smiled. It was good for him to be so resolute; the more resolute, the greater the chance for a battle.
"You're seeking death!" Ye Yudong angrily stood up, releasing his six-stage late-stage Nascent Soul aura to pressure Yang Hong. He was confident that he could force Yang Hong to his knees with his aura. This tactic had always worked, and no Nascent Soul cultivator had ever resisted it.
However, this time, he had encountered a formidable opponent.
"Hmph."
*Thump, thump, thump.*
Yang Hong simply glared, and without even making a move, Ye Yudong stumbled back three steps, his face filled with disbelief. His six-stage aura had been dispersed by a mere glance from a fifth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? He then found himself enveloped by an invisible, vast pressure, rendering him unable to move.
"Speak. How do you wish to die?" Yang Hong's tone was calm as he extended a single finger, effortlessly and unhindered, to tap Ye Yudong's forehead.
"Spare me! Senior, spare me. This junior does not wish to die." Ye Yudong saw Yang Hong suddenly appear before him and felt the gentle touch of the index finger on his forehead. Large beads of sweat poured down his face.
"Give me a reason not to kill you." Yang Hong's voice remained nonchalant. He was genuinely at ease, as killing a six-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was as simple as bullying a child, offering no sense of accomplishment.
Ye Yudong, thinking quickly, blurted out, "I... I... this humble one is willing to act as a spy for Clear Wind Villa and provide intelligence to Sect Master."
"Heh heh. You truly are a despicable person. Very well, I shall spare your life."
"Thank you, thank you, Sect Master, for sparing my life." Ye Yudong, ignoring the sweat on his face, scurried and knelt before Yang Hong, expressing his gratitude. It was a common trait among cultivators; the higher their cultivation, the more they feared death and cherished their lives. Yang Hong had encountered many such cultivators and was accustomed to it.
He glanced at Zhang Zhenyan, as if to say, "See? This is the person you pledged allegiance to." Zhang Zhenyan could only twitch his lips and lower his head. It was too embarrassing. Furthermore, he now deeply despised Ye Yudong. Although he had surrendered to Clear Wind Villa, he had at least been defeated by Zhu Yuyan and had resisted. He was certainly more backbone than Ye Yudong. Yet, Ye Yudong was someone he had invited, someone he had pleaded with his friends in the cultivation world to invite.
"Ye... what's your name? After you return, find a way to have the Shengyu Sect send troops on an expedition to Clear Wind Villa..."
"I dare not, I dare not! This humble one truly dares not. This humble one will definitely persuade the Sect Master not to bother Clear Wind Villa. We will ensure the Shengyu Sect and Clear Wind Villa become friendly sects."
"Be quiet. I'm serious. Listen to me." Seeing Ye Yudong still apologizing, Yang Hong rebuked him. Ye Yudong trembled and immediately dared not speak further.
"I am serious. The disciples of Clear Wind Villa need to train their offensive and defensive spells, as well as battle formations. Since there are no suitable targets nearby, let the Shengyu Sect send disciples over to let them hone their skills against my disciples."
"This... this... this humble one will try his best, try his best." Ye Yudong had not expected Yang Hong to be serious at all and nearly bit his own tongue.
"Then you may go." Seeing Ye Yudong nod in agreement, Yang Hong waved his hand and lifted the pressure on him.
"Thank... thank you, Sect Master." Ye Yudong was surprised by Yang Hong's straightforwardness and dared not linger. He quickly bowed and hurried out of the main hall, then mounted his flying sword and fled as swiftly as a rabbit pursued by a dog.
Zhang Zhenyan watched Ye Yudong disappear in an instant, his face filled with disbelief. What was the Sect Master planning? Did he actually want the Shengyu Sect to attack?
"Zhang Zhenyan, issue a decree. Order the disciples to begin training their offensive and defensive spells, as well as battle formations."
"Hiss! Sect Master, are you serious?" Now, even Zhang Zhenyan was unsettled. He hadn't expected Yang Hong to be serious!
"You have all become too comfortable. It's time to get moving." Yang Hong glanced meaningfully at Zhang Zhenyan and then left with a smile. This trouble was brought about by Zhang Zhenyan, so let him be the one to face the sword. However, his disciples indeed needed to taste battle. He also wanted to see how Clear Wind Villa had developed under his leadership over the past four years.
Yang Hong, however, had not come unprepared. He returned to the mountainside and completed the sect's grand hall formation, which Zhu Yuyan and the other two had been working on for four years without fully perfecting.
On the mountainside, Yang Hong closed his eyes, his spiritual sense spreading outward to cover the sect's grand hall, a radius of 2000 li. He then fully unleashed the Divine Refining Artifact Forging technique. Streams of purple-gold spiritual fire enveloped each building, refining them. The previously crude palace complex began to take on a delicate and agile appearance. Buildings, originally constructed from ordinary earth, condensed with spiritual materials, were transformed into artifacts under the forge of the spiritual fire. Fourth-tier artifacts! All the buildings, from pavilions and towers to bluestone paths, were refined into fourth-tier artifacts! This was not a single house, nor a palace, but a palace complex formed by rows of palaces. Each palace complex contained at least 360 palaces. And with Yang Hong's current spiritual sense, combined with the Divine Refining Artifact Forging technique, he could refine an entire palace complex at once! As Li Sen refined it, the mountainside of Clear Wind Mountain shrunk again. The original circumference of over 800 li was reduced to only 680 li by Li Sen. The palace complex on the mountainside was directly embedded into the mountain. Just as Yang Hong finished refining the palace complex, the Golden-Winged Thunder Eagle, Jin Jialin, came to find Yang Hong, appearing quite anxious.