Chapter 97: Turmoil in Qinghe Prefecture

“Then I shall take my leave. Dongbo My Lord, you may command me at any time through the communication bracelet,” said the Master of Yi Hong Pavilion.

“Troubling you, Master of Yi Hong Pavilion,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“It is what Longshan Pavilion should do. Regarding Qinghe Prefecture, I will arrange everything immediately, and within three days, it will be fully settled. Once everything is in order, I will send a detailed list to you, Dongbo My Lord, and we will also establish a branch of Longshan Pavilion at the foot of Xue Shi Mountain, specifically to await the commands of the Dongbo family,” the Pavilion Master smiled and concluded.

“Good,” Dongbo Xueying was quite satisfied, for Longshan Pavilion indeed handled matters meticulously.

Soon after, Yi Hong transformed into a streak of light and flew away.

…

At noon.

Within the dining hall of Xue Shi Castle’s main tower, the family had gathered for lunch. Dongbo Xueying was enjoying the happiness of family reunion, for this day he had longed and fought for many years.

“That reminds me, Father and Mother, Qinghe Prefecture will now be taken over by our family,” Dongbo Xueying announced.

“Our takeover? What about the Si Clan?” Dongbo Lie was not timid, after all, he had braved life and death many times before, and had managed Xueying Domain with great efficiency. If it came to managing, he was more than capable.

“That’s right, Brother. The Si Clan has deep roots in Qinghe Prefecture, with people in almost every trade,” Qing Shi added.

Dongbo Xueying shook his head. “Deep roots? Before the Transcendent, it’s all a joke! In the past, our Qinghe Prefecture had no Transcendent, which allowed the Si Clan to gradually infiltrate and eventually control the entire Qinghe Prefecture. Now that I have become a Transcendent, according to the rules of Yuan Shui Monastery, Qinghe Prefecture naturally becomes the domain of the Dongbo family!”

“This is the rule of Yuan Shui Monastery! No other Transcendent can stop it,” Dongbo Xueying continued. “Within three days, all official posts in Qinghe Prefecture will be taken over by people from Longshan Pavilion. And they will build a branch of Longshan Pavilion at the foot of our Xue Shi Mountain, awaiting the commands of you, my parents.”

“When you, Father, have suitable personnel, you can replace them anytime! The people from Longshan Pavilion are merely temporary,” Dongbo Xueying said casually.

To him, these mundane powers held no real significance.

Transcendents lived long lives. In the beginning, they might have more entanglements with mortals, but as time passed, these entanglements would diminish. In fact, some Transcendents became so selfish that they no longer cared for mortals and even defected to the Demon God Society!

Dongbo Xueying didn’t care much for others, but he still cared for his family. At least during their lifetimes, he would do his best to ensure they lived better lives.

“Haha, Dongbo,” Zong Ling beside him laughed. “Back when we faced life and death together, did you ever imagine you’d reach this day, becoming the first Marquis of a thousand-year Transcendent family?”

“How could I have imagined it? I didn’t even dare dream of it,” Dongbo Lie chuckled.

Suddenly, Dongbo Xueying turned his gaze toward the door.

Boom~~~

Under the force of the world’s power, the dining hall’s doors slammed shut.

Inside, Dongbo Lie and his wife, Qing Shi, and the others were stunned, puzzled as they looked at Dongbo Xueying. Why had the doors suddenly closed?

With a wave of his hand, Dongbo Xueying conjured five large wine vats from the ground.

“What is this, Xueying?” Tong San asked curiously.

“This is a kind of Transcendent Spirit Liquid,” Dongbo Xueying explained. “Each wine vat contains over 300 jin of Transcendent Spirit Liquid, enough for a Transcendent warrior to last ten years. Mortals’ bodies are weaker, so normally, it would be enough for a mortal to last a hundred years!”

Mo Yangyu was astonished. “Xueying, is this the same Spirit Liquid you gave me before?”

She had tasted it, so she knew how miraculous it was.

It could replenish physical deficiencies and even heal soul injuries! How wondrous! In her view, even a single pot of this liquid was priceless—it could heal soul wounds.

“That’s right,” Dongbo Xueying confirmed.

“This… this is too precious, Xueying. We can’t possibly use all this…” Mo Yangyu tried to stop him.

“I have more,” Dongbo Xueying said. “This Spirit Liquid is indeed precious and will aid your cultivation, so don’t worry about me lacking a little. However, to avoid trouble, none of you must tell anyone else, especially Qing Shi. No matter how close your relationship, never reveal this to outsiders! If you truly wish to give it to others, just say it was given to you by me, but never let others know you have so much!”

“Brother, don’t worry, I’m not that foolish,” Qing Shi smiled.

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

This Spirit Liquid was of great help to Transcendents’ cultivation, and even more so for mortals! Actually, these five large vats of Spirit Liquid would only last a Transcendent fifty years, worth about 1,500 jin of Yuan Stone. Even if his younger siblings revealed a little and gave some to important people, the value would likely be less than one jin of Yuan Stone. With Dongbo Xueying’s Transcendent status, this was a minor matter.

The Oceanic Realm Stone Spirit Liquid, when in small quantities, was insignificant.

But when in large quantities, it became astonishing. A single piece of Oceanic Realm Stone could last a Transcendent a thousand years, worth about 30,000 jin of Yuan Stone! More valuable than Dongbo Xueying’s Supreme Saint Rank inner armor and his pile of Yuan Stone! It was something that even half-gods would desire. That’s why Elder Lei Zhen left behind a formation before his death, Would ratherdestroy it than let the beast clans take advantage.

For his family’s use, Dongbo Xueying also hoped his loved ones could live longer.

…

On Xue Shi Mountain, all was peaceful, but in Qinghe Prefecture’s capital city, upheaval had begun.

From the city’s governor down to many officers of the city guard, all were being ousted.

“What is Longshan Pavilion doing! Are you trying to make enemies of the Si Clan and, by extension, Yuan Shui Pavilion behind us!”

“Lord Si, if you continue to resist, we will have no choice but to kill you.”

“What do you mean by this?”

“Go ask your Si Clan’s ancestral master.”

When Longshan Pavilion bared its fangs, the so-called deep-rooted power of the Si Clan was uprooted entirely. As Longshan Pavilion took action, Yuan Shui Pavilion also issued orders to some named experts in Qinghe Prefecture, informing them—”Dongbo Xueying has become a Transcendent and joined our Yuan Shui Pavilion. Qinghe Prefecture will now be under the control of the Dongbo family.”

In terms of seniority, experts like Si Lianghong were all disciples of Yuan Shui Pavilion. Dongbo Xueying, however, was a Guardian—an entire generation above them!

…

The Imperial Alchemy Workshop in the capital of Qinghe Prefecture.

This was the largest alchemy workshop in the entire Qinghe Prefecture, where numerous mages conducted research and countless workers labored, making it a city within a city. Many terrifying weapons used by the military were produced here.

Inside one of the laboratories.

The handsome mage Si Chen was conducting some experiments, while Kong Youyue was watching and contemplating nearby.

“Yuyue, do you see it now? The problem with your previous spell model was right here—it was too fragmented. The essence of nature lies in simplicity; the more perfect a spell model, the more it should resemble nature,” Si Chen explained as he guided her. “In fact, when you’re working on your own spell models, take a look yourself. Any parts that feel unnatural are likely problematic. Even if they work, their efficiency will be very low.”

“Si Chen, you’re truly amazing,” Kong Youyue admired.

“Hehe,” Si Chen felt very pleased and patted his head. “Try modifying it again.”

“Okay,” Youyue immediately began her own attempts, directly using various spell materials.

The Si Clan had managed to place people within the Imperial Army, and similarly, they had placed a talented mage like Si Chen into the Imperial Alchemy Workshop. In such a massive workshop, experimental materials were the most abundant, countless in number. With Si Chen’s status, he could experiment freely! If he were within the Si Clan itself, the consumption of materials would be a source of regret.

But within the Imperial Alchemy Workshop, if materials were used up, they were simply used up—no regrets!

With Si Chen’s help, Youyue had also entered this Imperial Alchemy Workshop, where she could experiment freely, and her strength progressed rapidly. She had become a Celestial-tier mage as early as two years ago.

Yet, to this day, Youyue still maintained a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Si Chen.

In Youyue’s words… “We’re still young now; let’s focus on researching spells first!”

Always keeping things vague like that.

“Bang!” Suddenly, the door outside was pushed open.

“This is an experiment!” Si Chen was somewhat annoyed as he looked toward the entrance; interruptions during experiments were the most detestable.

Two elderly mages entered, one of them, a black-robed elder mage, calmly said, “Mage Si Chen, from today onward, you must leave the Imperial Alchemy Workshop!”

“Why?” Si Chen was stunned.

“There is no why,” the black-robed elder mage glanced at Kong Youyue beside Si Chen. “Mage Kong Youyue, you must also leave.”

Kong Youyue was somewhat bewildered.

The days spent here had been so comfortable.

She could use all kinds of materials freely! And she had met many great mages in Qinghe Prefecture. This was the place where the most mages gathered.

“Hmph, do you think anyone can use materials so casually?” Another red-robed grand mage sneered. “You must leave before nightfall, or we will have to forcibly expel you.”

Soon.

Si Chen, Kong Youyue, and twelve other mages from the Si Clan were all driven out of the Alchemy Workshop.

If they truly had the ability to bring great benefits to the Imperial Workshop, they would have been invited to stay. But Si Chen and the others were merely there to take advantage. Although Si Chen was a prodigy mage, crafting alchemical items required experience, patience, and long periods of time. Si Chen was more focused on his cultivation, conducting experiments that wasted countless materials. He certainly wouldn’t waste his time seriously crafting alchemical items.

In the past, with the support of the Si Clan, now with a single command from Longshan Pavilion, they were all expelled.

“Si Chen, what’s going on? What is happening?” Kong Youyue was confused. Even Si Chen, the Si Clan’s golden boy, had been driven out, along with a group of Si Clan mages. Could it be that the Si Clan had fallen from power?

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Si Chen was also somewhat uneasy.

Kong Youyue was even more worried.

Once they left the Imperial Workshop, the Si Clan would continue to nurture Si Chen, but as for her, Kong Youyue? Would the Si Clan really invest in her?

“The Si Clan had absolute control over Qinghe Prefecture. How could they be driven out like this? What’s going on? What has happened?” Kong Youyue’s heart was filled with panic.