As a bona fide True Person of the Sword Pavilion, even if the Yun Clan's Ancestor was not particularly strong, he was still an absolute behemoth to the minor Qi Refining sects in the outside world.
Therefore, not long after his words were disseminated, various sects arrived promptly.
"Dan Yuan Sect, Myriad Formations Hall, Spirit Treasure Institute, Beast Taming Sect, Dao Talisman Gate, Wine Immortal Sect, Spirit Plant Valley—good heavens, the myriad arts of cultivation are all represented here!"
Lu Yang felt his scalp tingle. According to the Yun Clan's Ancestor, these forces were more or less all supported by the Sword Pavilion. The entire Jiangnan region was predominantly composed of such sects, deeply versed in the myriad arts of cultivation but not adept at combat, thus relying on the Sword Pavilion's protection.
This was evident from the structure of Jiangnan.
In Jiangbei, not to mention Foundation Establishment sects, there were even one or two Golden Core sects. But in Jiangnan? There wasn't a single Golden Core sect!
This governance model had its pros and cons.
The downside was the lack of manpower under their command; Jiangnan always had to rely on the Sword Pavilion itself. In contrast, in Jiangbei, the Holy Sect could at least issue orders to summon various cultivators.
However, the advantages were significant. By dedicating the entire Jiangnan region to support the Sword Pavilion alone, not only had the Pavilion's power grown to an astonishing extent, but Jiangnan had also become exceedingly prosperous. In terms of resource cultivation and utilization, it could even outmatch the other three regions.
Consequently, Lu Yang soon found himself receiving gifts in abundance.
"Thirteen sects—after scouring through all thirteen, I've finally managed to push my Immortal Spirit's nurturing progress to seventy percent!"
With just the final thirty percent remaining, he would achieve perfection in the early Foundation Establishment stage.
At that point, as long as he integrated one more strand of Heavenly Gang Earth Fiend into his Immortal Spirit, he could naturally break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage without any bottlenecks!
"Truly, it's as if I'm Heaven's favored child," Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh.
Of course, this breakthrough was also due to his unique nature. Despite still being in the nurturing phase, he could actively seek out resources.
Most Immortal Spirits at this stage were still in a daze, like infants, relying entirely on Heaven's provision. Let alone seeking resources, surviving without perishing was already considered fortunate. Those who did survive were typically born midway and could never truly nurture their Immortal Spirit to the perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Where can I find the remaining thirty percent?"
Lu Yang sat upright at his desk, perusing the documents in his hand. Suddenly, his eyebrows lifted slightly: "The Li Clan of Sea Harvesting... hasn't this force sent anyone over?"
"Hmm..."
At this moment, True Person Xiuxin, who was cultivating beneath the desk, took a brief respite and murmured, "The Li Clan of Sea Harvesting is the only Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan within a ten-thousand-mile radius."
"This clan rose to prominence through maritime trade. They stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter from an unknown relic, unearthing a superior-grade spiritual treasure named the 'Territory-Expanding Ship.' Relying on this treasure, they traversed between Jiangnan and Jiangbei, amassing vast resources. Eventually, they managed to support a Foundation Establishment True Person, thus earning the title of an Immortal Clan."
Lu Yang immediately grasped the situation.
Being a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, they naturally possessed more confidence than those minor Qi Refining sects. At the very least, a single Yun Clan's Ancestor wouldn't intimidate them.
However, he still lacked Geng Metal spiritual materials.
Yet, if True Person Xiuxin's information was accurate, then this Li Clan of Sea Harvesting indeed had some substance, at least not something the Yun Clan's Ancestor could easily handle.
"It seems I must make a move!"
With this thought, Lu Yang immediately concluded his cultivation session with True Person Xiuxin, retracted his superhuman state, and with a wave of his hand, a figure landed inside the room.
It was a man whose appearance was identical to Lu Yang's—handsome and dignified, yet with vacant eyes, clearly not a living being.
[Immortal Embryo Clone]!
"Although limited by material constraints and somewhat crudely made, far inferior to the clones of my previous life, and destined to be short-lived, it's still better than nothing."
Lu Yang performed a hand seal, and the dharma body swiftly merged with the Immortal Embryo Clone. Subsequently, he connected with the Immortal Spirit's main body, and a divine brilliance lit up at his fingertips—it was none other than the Geng Metal divine ability, 'Master of Arms.' As long as he didn't reveal his dharma body, he now appeared as a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator.
The only drawback was that the clone was too fragile to withstand his immense magical power.
Therefore, prolonged combat was not feasible.
With this in mind, Lu Yang waved his sleeve over the desk.
In the next moment, three sheets of radiant yellow paper flew out, landing in Lu Yang's palm, each exuding sharp sword energy.
[Yuan Tu Treasure Talisman]!
These were the fruits of his recent efforts—fifth-grade Foundation Establishment talismans. They required minimal magical power to activate and wouldn't compromise the clone's stability.
'That said, continuing like this isn't sustainable. Hopefully, this Li Clan of Sea Harvesting is wealthy enough for me to gather more spiritual materials. Especially that superior-grade spiritual treasure, the 'Territory-Expanding Ship,' mentioned by True Person Xiuxin. If I could obtain it, I could forge a top-tier Immortal Embryo.'
The current one was hardly suitable for significant use.
To truly acquire an Immortal Embryo Clone capable of traversing the world and engaging in combat freely, superior-grade spiritual treasures were essential as materials.
Jiangnan, Gantang Dao.
This was a port city, facing Jiangnan on one side and the Great River on the other. Beyond the port lay an endless expanse of vast ocean.
The Li Clan of Sea Harvesting had resided here for generations.
Inside a grand hall, a dignified young man stood by the window, gazing blankly at the boundless sea beyond the port.
He was the pillar of the Li Clan of Sea Harvesting, Foundation Establishment True Person 'Xiao Hai.'
Behind him stood a stern and solemn middle-aged man—the current head of the Li Clan, respectfully standing by his side.
"True Person, are we truly not going to respond to that letter from the Yun Clan?"
The Li Clan's head appeared anxious. In Jiangnan, the Sword Pavilion was the sole behemoth. Openly refusing a True Person from the Sword Pavilion was indeed unsettling.
"Just a declining family. Their so-called search for a demon is clearly an act of extortion. No need to pay them any mind." True Person Xiao Hai shook his head disdainfully. "Besides, I know that Yun Clan's Ancestor; he doesn't have many years left. Even if we don't go, he wouldn't dare come after us."
"As for the Sword Pavilion... hmph!"
Mentioning this name, True Person Xiao Hai's face revealed undisguised resentment. "Our Li Clan has been harvesting the sea for them for ten generations!"
"Even for mortals, ten generations of accumulation should have yielded substantial wealth, right?"
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"But where is the money?"
The wealth painstakingly earned by the Li Clan, resources meant to support their clan members and aid in cultivation—who ended up taking them?
True Person Xiao Hai didn't continue speaking, merely letting out a cold laugh. The Li Clan had toiled diligently for ten generations, yet their hardships seemed endless. If not for a fortunate encounter, there wouldn't even be a Li Clan of Sea Harvesting today; they would still be a mere minor Qi Refining family!
"Enough... compared to an old man clinging to life, 'that place' is far more important."