Chapter 266 The Final Winner
“Your Majesty, was it truly wise to act that way?”
Watching the retreating figures of Baili Xi and the Yue delegation, a scattered cultivator from Wu
approached Dong Zilong, his expression heavy with concern.
“I had no other choice.”
“Even though I know full well that my plans were disrupted—likely by Baili Xi working in
secret—given the current situation, I have no choice but to temporarily lower my head.”
Dong Zilong clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with hatred as he looked upon the mangled
bodies of Dong Jian, Dong Zhang, and his other children. The bitterness in his heart was
insurmountable.
“My concern, Your Majesty, is that Yue may still choose to act against us.”
“Baili Xi isn’t that foolish!”
“What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?”
“This was all part of Baili Xi’s strategy. My plan was thwarted, but it was his doing. His goal was
to redirect the wrath of Nan, Bei, and Chu onto Wu Kingdom.
Now that he’s succeeded, he won’t recklessly ally with those three kingdoms against us.
If I were Baili Xi, I wouldn’t wade into this chaos. I’d sit back and watch.”
Dong Zilong’s voice was low, his analysis sharp.
Hearing this, the scattered cultivator nodded in understanding.
“And the vengeance for the princes and princesses…?”
“We must avenge them! Yun Cang Yun must pay!”
At the mention of vengeance, Dong Zilong’s eyes filled with murderous intent.
“However, the Yun Cang Yun clan is royalty in Yue. With war looming against the other three
kingdoms, we cannot spare the manpower or risk inciting retaliation from Yue’s royal family.”
“In that case, leave it to me. I’ll arrange for our people to handle it discreetly.”
“Good. But it must be clean—no loose ends!”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I’ll ensure everything is handled properly.”
“Very well. For now, have the bodies of Jian’er, Zhang’er, and the others sent back for burial.”
Having finalized his orders, Dong Zilong cast one last glance at the corpses of his children. The
pain was so intense it felt as though it might tear him apart.
The death of Dong Jian, in particular, was a crushing blow.
“Once we return to the palace, send envoys to the other three kingdoms to negotiate. If we can
avoid war, so much the better.
If not, then we will meet them on the battlefield.”
“Additionally, inform the military and clans to prepare for what’s to come.”
Before leaving, Dong Zilong summoned a minister from the court, his tone heavy with
command.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the minister replied, bowing before departing to relay the orders.
The court officials of Wu all understood the gravity of the situation. Their kingdom faced a dire
and uncertain future.
“Your Majesty, please, you must lead us to war against Wu! Avenge our fallen!”
After leaving Tianqing Mountain, the elders of the Canglan Ye, Wangyue Lin, and Chuanyin Lu
clans gathered before Baili Xi, their grief and fury evident.
“I understand your pain, and I know you seek vengeance against Wu,” Baili Xi began, his tone
calm but firm.
“But have you considered the cost? If Yue goes to war against Wu, the losses will be
devastating.
Sending more of your clans’ spiritual root cultivators to the battlefield will only mean further
sacrifice.”
The gathered elders fell silent at Baili Xi’s words.
Their grief over the deaths of Ye Xiaolin, Lu Shanglin, Lu Shangsheng, Lin Yifeng, and others
had clouded their judgment. Now, hearing Baili Xi’s reasoning, they began to reconsider.
“Let the other three kingdoms carry the burden of vengeance. Yue need not muddy its hands in
this conflict.”
“Therefore, I ask you all to restrain yourselves. Upon my return to Yue, I will ensure all sacrifices
are honored.
I will personally allocate spiritual resources as compensation to your clans for your losses.”
Seeing that his words had swayed the elders, Baili Xi promised generous compensation, further
placating them.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The elders of the Canglan Ye, Wangyue Lin, and Chuanyin Lu clans knelt before Baili Xi, bowing
deeply in gratitude.
“There’s no need for such formalities. You may all take your leave.”
With a wave of his hand, Baili Xi dismissed the gathered elders.
“Li Qing.”
“Your servant is here.”
“Deliver the contest rewards belonging to Yun Cang Yun to Yanshuang and her nieces.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
In the courtyard, Yun Yanshui lay leisurely on a chair, basking in the moonlight.
The five-nation gathering had left every kingdom with losses, yet Yun Cang Yun had emerged
as the greatest winner from the chaos. Yun Yanshui’s mood was particularly cheerful.
“To think the Third Prince of Wu sacrificed his life to save us and died in Tianqing Mountain,”
Yun Wenyu remarked, a note of melancholy in her voice.
“I still don’t understand why he did it,” Yun Wenrun said, gnawing on a chicken leg as she
spoke.
“What drove the Third Prince of Wu to risk his life for us? What could have motivated him to
prioritize our safety above his own?”
Her bright, curious eyes flicked toward her Aunt Yanshuang, hoping for a clear answer.
However, it seemed their Aunt Yanshuang wasn’t inclined to explain further. Yun Wenyu and
Yun Wenrun could only suppress their curiosity, refraining from asking any more questions.
“Earlier, Master Li delivered the rewards for winning the contest into my hands,” Yun Yanshuang
said, sitting obediently next to her brother. She pulled out a storage pouch and began toying
with the Golden Jade Bowl, her exquisite face glowing with joy.
“With this spiritual artifact, the clan will be able to produce more and better spiritual liquid. The
spiritual plants in the backfield will grow much faster.
In the future, whether it’s alchemy or talisman crafting, we’ll have plenty of raw materials to work
with!”
“And the Foundation Establishment Pill?”
Reclining in his chair, Yun Yanshui seemed uninterested in the Golden Jade Bowl, focusing only
on the pill.
“Here it is!”
Yun Yanshuang retrieved the pitch-black Foundation Establishment Pill and handed it to her
brother.
“I’ll keep this pill for now. Once we’re back in the clan, I’ll check for any flaws before handing it
over for safekeeping.
When a spiritual root cultivator in the clan is ready to break through to the Foundation
Establishment stage, the pill will be given to them.”
Studying the pill in his hand, Yun Yanshui muttered softly, “Yes, it’s best to be cautious. The old
ancestor of Wu was on the verge of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, but Dong
Zilong refused to give him this pill.
It’s obvious that this pill isn’t a true Foundation Establishment Pill.
I fear taking it could come with hidden dangers.”
Seeing her brother’s prudence, Yun Yanshuang nodded in agreement. She also felt the pill
needed a thorough examination.
“What about the Qi Refining Pills? Are they safe?”
Having put away the Foundation Establishment Pill, Yun Yanshui turned to his sister with a
question.
“I’ve checked them. They’re fine—excellent Qi Refining Pills, in fact.”
“Good.”
“You and Wenyu, along with Wenrun, must be exhausted after everything.
Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll head back to the clan.”
Yun Yanshui reminded them gently.
“You should rest early too, Brother,” Yun Yanshuang replied with a warm smile.
A few days later, Yun Yanshui and the others returned safely to the Yun clan’s estate, bringing
joyous news.
Three days after their return, various rewards from the court were distributed, fulfilling the
promises made during the contest.
Life gradually returned to peace.
Yun Yanshuang and the other spiritual root cultivators of Yun Cang Yun resumed their
cultivation, diligently improving their strength, managing clan affairs, and working on alchemy,
crafting, talismans, and tending the spiritual plants in the backfield.
Notably, envoys from Nan, Bei, and Chu Kingdoms visited Yue, proposing an alliance to march
against Wu.
However, Baili Xi refused outright, unwilling to involve Yue in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Wu’s envoys shuttled between the three kingdoms, desperately attempting to
negotiate peace and avoid war.
Their efforts were futile.
Resolute in their decision, the allied armies of Nan, Bei, and Chu marched against Wu, leading
to open conflict.
“Brother, how’s the study of the Foundation Establishment Pill going? Have you found anything
unusual?”
Returning from the weapon workshop, Yun Yanshuang stepped into the courtyard, where she
saw Yun Yanshui seated under a tree, intently examining the pill.
“There’s indeed a problem with this pill,” Yun Yanshui replied, his tone grave.
After nearly half a month of careful study, he discovered that the pill was incomplete, missing a
crucial ingredient.
“What kind of problem?”
“This pill lacks a primary ingredient—Linglong Grass.”
“Linglong Grass? That’s a Grade-1 Profound spiritual herb! I doubt the clan has such a rare herb
in its stores.”
“What about the spiritual materials granted by the court?”
“Uncle Yunrui and others inventoried them thoroughly. I checked as well—there’s no Linglong
Grass.”
“As expected. A Grade-1 Profound spiritual herb isn’t so easily obtained.
If it were readily available, this Foundation Establishment Pill wouldn’t be such a rare treasure
among the Five Kingdoms.”
“Yanshuang, in a few days, visit the market and ask Ling’er to keep an eye out.
See if Linglong Grass is being sold anywhere.”
“I should go instead! The clan needs you for refining spiritual artifacts and pills, and you also
need time for your cultivation.
Running errands like this shouldn’t fall to you.”