She paused, then continued, "In my opinion, among the hundred or so Foundation Establishment cultivators in Bianzhou, only about a dozen have the potential to break through to the Purple Mansion stage in the future."
"Chen Changxuan and Elian from the Chen family are among those few. It's possible that one day we may have to live under their influence, so establishing goodwill early is never a bad idea."
"You always look at things only on the surface." The Liu Clan matriarch shook her head helplessly.
"That's why the position of clan leader was passed to me instead of you back then."
Elian flew toward Fengyang Market, pondering the intentions of the Liu Clan matriarch.
This matriarch, who controlled the Liu Immortal Clan, was undoubtedly shrewd and experienced. Liu Jueyan seemed intent on fostering good relations with the Chen family, but she did so neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, striking a balance that was just right.
Strictly speaking, seventy years ago, the Liu Clan had suffered just as much as the Chen family. At the time, they had even joined forces to oppose Qingyang Sect.
Yet, such a cunning matriarch would outright defy a Qingyang Sect cultivator and sell precious resources to him—a move that had caught him off guard.
What Elian didn't realize was that Liu Jueyan's decision to cut ties with Qingyang Sect had been driven by the incident of Chen Qingyuan's death after consuming the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Although this event seemed minor, it revealed the cold indifference of Qingyang Sect's leadership to those observant enough to notice, shattering any lingering illusions they may have held.
This incident had deeply disheartened many, resonating with several Foundation Establishment clans who empathized and resolved to break free from Qingyang Sect's shadow.
People can recover from setbacks and rebuild, but once hearts are scattered, it's nearly impossible to return to how things were.
"It seems the Foundation Establishment clans in Feng County, at least the Liu Clan, are considering an alliance," Elian thought.
Currently, the Chen family was the leading Immortal Clan in Yu County. The six Foundation Establishment clans collectively managed the county and stood united in the face of shared interests and threats.
In a sense, the Chen family now spoke on behalf of Yu County's families.
With the demonic beast outbreak predicted in twenty years, no single county in Bianzhou could resist the beasts under the command of the Sky Python Demon King on their own.
Liu Jueyan might have been establishing rapport with Elian now, with future plans to discuss alliances among the families of Feng County.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
"The relationships between the clans of Bianzhou's three counties are tangled and complex. Many hold grudges over disputes for benefits, harboring animosity."
"Unless the demonic beast outbreak looms imminently, it's unlikely they would set aside their grudges to form an alliance."
Pushing these thoughts aside, Elian continued his flight toward Fengyang Market.
Two days later, he covered more than ten thousand miles and arrived at Feng County's largest cultivator market.
Compared to Yu County, which was closer to the desolate wilderness, Feng County's cultivation scene was slightly more prosperous, with seven or eight more Foundation Establishment cultivators than Yu County.
Most importantly, Feng County was home to the Xu Clan, a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan.
The Xu Immortal Clan had been established for over 800 years and rose to prominence 300 years ago with the emergence of their first Purple Mansion cultivator.
After becoming a Purple Mansion clan, the Xu Clan cultivated a third-tier spiritual vein and occupied a third-tier subterranean earth vein in Feng County.
Although the earth vein was only lower-grade third tier, it periodically produced earth-attribute celestial materials. Most importantly, it generated a Wutu Crystal every hundred years.
Wutu Crystals were rare celestial treasures nurtured by earth veins, containing a sliver of creation energy, similar to the Crystal of Blazing Flame, which could assist earth-attribute cultivators in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage.
Additionally, the Xu Clan shared profits from Bianzhou's only small-scale spirit stone mine, the Bianshan Mine.
Small-scale mines could regenerate spirit stones over time by converting the earth's energy. With proper investment and maintenance, such mines could be exploited for thousands of years.
The mine produced over ten thousand spirit stones annually, and after splitting profits with the Yang Clan of Ling County, another Purple Mansion clan, the Xu Clan retained an income of about seven thousand spirit stones per year.
With the spirit stone mine and the third-tier earth vein, the Xu Clan had cultivated three Purple Mansion cultivators over the past three centuries. While the first patriarch had passed away and one had fallen during the demonic beast outbreak seventy years ago, two were still alive today.
"A third-tier earth vein and a spirit stone mine," Elian mused.
"Even ignoring the earth vein, the revenue from the spirit stone mine alone surpasses the entire annual income of Yuyang Market. The benefits a Purple Mansion clan controls far exceed anything Foundation Establishment clans can achieve."
As he entered Fengyang Market, Elian couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
With a Purple Mansion clan overseeing it, Fengyang Market was noticeably livelier than Yuyang Market.
In Yuyang Market, second-tier artifacts were almost impossible to find. But here, in shops run by the Xu Clan, a small selection of second-tier artifacts was available for purchase.
This alone made Fengyang Market second only to the market at Tianxu Mountain and one of the most prominent markets under Qingyang Sect's jurisdiction.
With several days remaining until the Barter Conference, Elian decided to explore Fengyang Market.
The market was jointly managed by the Xu Immortal Clan and Feng County's six Foundation Establishment clans, with the Xu Clan alone holding a 50% stake.
The Xu Clan's shop, Fengyang Pavilion, was the only place in the market where second-tier treasures could be purchased.
When Elian entered Fengyang Pavilion, a Foundation Establishment cultivator managing the shop greeted him with a smile.
The man, a refined-looking middle-aged cultivator, approached with a friendly demeanor. "I am Xu Mingyang. Greetings, Daoist."
He invited Elian into a private room and had tea served before speaking further.
"I see that you are unfamiliar. May I ask where you are from?"
"I am Elian from Qingyuan Mountain," Elian replied, cupping his hands in greeting.
"This is my first time visiting Fengyang Market, so it's no surprise I seem unfamiliar."
"Ah, so it is Daoist Elian."
Xu Mingyang's expression became serious, and he showed a touch of admiration.
"I've heard of your reputation—self-made in Foundation Establishment, and your victory over Lin Baixi in the Qingyuan Mountain duel. Meeting you today, your reputation is well deserved."
"You flatter me," Elian replied modestly.
"It's merely a fleeting reputation."
After some polite conversation, Xu Mingyang asked, "What might Daoist be looking for?"
"A catalog of the treasures in this shop," Elian replied.
Xu Mingyang handed over a catalog. Upon reviewing it, Elian found it listed mostly second-tier celestial materials and artifacts.
Many of the celestial materials were earth-attribute treasures, such as Azure Void Earth and Black Cloud Stone, suitable for refining second-tier natal artifacts. Most of the artifacts also had earth-attribute properties.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D