When the topic of redistributing the benefits of the Bianzhou Region was brought up, the expressions of those present varied.
Xu Daoyuan and Yang Yuanhe looked somewhat helpless, while Pan Boyuan's face lit up with a hint of joy.
Pan Boyuan immediately spoke up, smiling in agreement, "What Daoist Chen says is true. We, the four major families of the Bianzhou Region, should stand together. The Bianzhou Spirit Stone Mine and the Yin Metal Vein should be jointly protected by us."
Yang Yuanhe frowned and glanced at Pan Boyuan, saying, "The Chen family is at least a native of the Bianzhou Region, having been rooted here for years. When it comes to redistributing the spirit stone mine, they have a legitimate claim."
"But Daoist Pan, you've only just arrived and are already eager to claim a share. Isn't that a bit much?"
Xu Daoyuan nodded as well. While the Pan family had contributed significantly to Yu County's prosperity, turning it into the center of trade for Bianzhou and neighboring regions, this had done little to benefit Feng County and Ling County. Naturally, they were reluctant to see the Pan family take a share.
At this moment, Pan Boyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he surveyed the room. Then, he quietly transmitted his voice to the other Purple Mansion elders.
"I'm sure you all know that during the beast uprising, my Pan family lost two Purple Mansion elders and over twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"Indeed," the Patriarch said, stroking his beard with a somber expression. "The Qingyang Sect has completely ignored the Qingyang Alliance and hasn't even provided a single spirit stone in compensation."
"Precisely," Pan Boyuan said coldly, his face full of killing intent.
"The Qingyang Sect has acted unjustly, and we cannot allow ourselves to be at their mercy any longer."
"I've heard that the Qingyang Sect is occupying Cangkong Mountain in Ling County, home to the only high-grade third-rank Earth Element Vein in Bianzhou Region."
The mention of Cangkong Mountain made everyone's expressions shift slightly. The Earth Element Vein there was indeed unique in Bianzhou.
This vein produced abundant earth-attribute resources and birthed a rare Earth Element Crystal every thirty years. Most notably, the vein housed a legendary Purple Sun Pool.
It was said that once every hundred years, the Purple Sun Pool would produce a Purple Sun Jade, an invaluable treasure coveted by all. Even the fiery veins beneath Tianxu Mountain lacked such treasures.
Hearing this, Elian's pupils narrowed slightly, and he asked, "What are you suggesting?"
"Now that the Qingyang Sect has lost its virtue, it has already lost the hearts of the people," Pan Boyuan said sternly, his tone icy.
"To be frank, I propose that we take this opportunity, under the guise of demanding compensation, to join forces and seize Cangkong Mountain."
Xu Daoyuan exchanged a glance with Elian and the others, his eyes flashing briefly before he nodded.
"During the beast uprising, the Qingyang Sect didn't send a single soldier to aid the Bianzhou Region."
"We risked our lives to protect the beings of Bianzhou, while they sat back and enjoyed the region's richest vein, earning over ten thousand spirit stones annually. That is indeed excessive."
Elian felt a stirring in his heart. The Qingyang Sect's Ancestor Xu was severely injured and reclusive, leaving them with only ten Purple Mansion cultivators. Among them, the majority were stationed in Yang Region to fend off the Lion King of Jiaoyang Mountain. Now was indeed the best time to seize Cangkong Mountain.
The Qingyang Sect was already overwhelmed. Internally, the Purple Mansion clans of Qingyang and Yang Region were watching them hungrily, while externally, the Celestial Sky Sword Sect and Purple Abyss Sect also condemned their actions.
Rumor had it that even a Golden Core elder from the Celestial Sky Sword Sect had suggested that the Qingyang Sect might not be able to hold its territory for long. The sect proposed annexing Qingyang to strengthen its forces and prevent future threats.
The Celestial Sky Sword Sect, as the leader of Chu Kingdom's three great sects, had seen its power surge over the last sixty years. Since Daoist Jingxu's breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, the sect now boasted three Golden Core elders.
Leveraging this strength, the Celestial Sky Sword Sect had suppressed the Demon Lair within the Green-Blue Mountains, ensuring Chu Kingdom had not faced a major demonic cultivators calamity for over a century.
Given this situation, the group shared the sentiment of striking while the iron was hot. With the four Purple Mansion clans of the Bianzhou Region united, boasting a total of seven Purple Mansion cultivators, the Qingyang Sect would likely struggle to retaliate.
Seeing the group reach a consensus, Elian said, "If we're going to act, we must ensure we succeed in one strike."
"I've already investigated this matter," Pan Boyuan said, his tone solemn. "The Qingyang Sect's forces are concentrated in Qingyang and Yang Region, leaving only Li Heyuan stationed at Cangkong Mountain."
Hearing this, Elian's brow furrowed slightly. Li Heyuan was a Purple Mansion elder of the Qingyang Sect, having only reached the Purple Mansion stage less than thirty years ago. His cultivation was only at the second level of the Purple Mansion.
Still, Elian remained cautious and said, "Li Heyuan is not a significant threat, but the third-rank formation on Cangkong Mountain is a major obstacle."
Cangkong Mountain was no ordinary vein. To protect it, the Qingyang Sect had cultivated a third-rank spiritual vein and established the mid-grade third-rank Earth Heaven Yin Formation.
With Li Heyuan using this formation, even two late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators might struggle to breach it.
At this moment, Xu Daoyuan said, "The formation is indeed a challenge, but there are ways to counter it."
"My Xu family possesses a high-grade third-rank Breaking Restriction Talisman, capable of weakening a high-grade third-rank formation by 30% and a mid-grade third-rank formation by 50%."
"However, this talisman is worth 100,000 spirit stones. If you want us to use it, each of you must offer some compensation."
Elian exchanged a glance with the Patriarch, then looked at Pan Boyuan and Yang Yuanhe. Finally, he nodded and said, "How about this: each of our three families will contribute 20,000 spirit stones or equivalent resources."
"Once we succeed, the profits from Bianzhou Region will be divided as follows: 15% to the Pan family, 25% each to the Chen and Yang families, and 35% to the Xu family. Does that work?"
Xu Daoyuan nodded. With two mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators, the Xu family was the strongest in Bianzhou, and claiming the largest share of the profits was fair.
However, he added, "Given the Xu family's strength and the significant effort we'll contribute to this battle, the first Earth Element Crystal produced by the vein must go to us."
The others agreed without objection.
With the details finalized, the Purple Mansion banquet concluded.
After the banquet, the guests gradually dispersed, and the Purple Mansion families returned to prepare their forces.
To act swiftly, the Patriarch and Elian decided to keep all Foundation Establishment cultivators present. After informing them of the plan, they left four to guard the family's four key spiritual veins. The remaining nine Foundation Establishment cultivators boarded a treasure boat and headed to the Pan family.
The Pan family, long harboring resentment toward the Qingyang Sect, was eager to take action. Their Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed to volunteer as soon as they heard of the plan to confront the Qingyang Sect.
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D