Li Yan proposed his next suggestion.
"If this plan proceeds smoothly, it will be fine. But if Yan San doesn't agree in the end, are we really going to seal that Wind Beast?"
The Second Elder asked a rather critical question.
This time, before Li Yan could answer, the Great Elder replied directly.
"If he doesn't agree, we will, on one hand, continue our preparations for migration, and on the other, we can only pressure him forcefully. Make him feel the pressure is concentrated on the Wind Beast's side. Does he really think we're just doing all the work for him?"
"As long as he doesn't want to die, as long as he still wants to step onto the eternal path of immortality, he will naturally weigh the pros and cons. However, since ancient times, no Wind Beast has ever coexisted peacefully with other beings. We must prepare a backup plan just in case."
Everyone nodded, Li Yan included. He couldn't guarantee his plan would succeed, but he had his own judgment and decisions.
"When do we negotiate with Yan San and the others?" the Great Elder looked at Li Yan again.
"Today. The sooner, the better! But I think we should make some arrangements targeting Yan San. If we approach them rashly to discuss this, he might not believe it, nor will he feel any gratitude."
Li Yan said immediately. Since the preparations were ready, he didn't want to delay any longer.
"What arrangements?" the Great Elder pressed...
Half a cup of tea's time later, Gong Shanhe looked at Li Yan.
"Are you sure this will really work?"
"I'm at least confident in saving my life. Besides, the Great Elder will be nearby. Who else on their side can stop him!"
Li Yan smiled.
"Little Junior Brother, your plan is a bit risky..."
Gong Chenying's hesitant voice sounded in Li Yan's mind. Li Yan just smiled at her. At this point, Gong Chenying could no longer offer him any help, and neither could the Second and Third Elders.
Watching her junior brother ride off alone, Gong Chenying felt both happy for him and a sense of loss. She was no longer the woman who could stand on her own.
On the other side, the Second Elder and the others also looked on in disbelief. They never expected things to develop to this point. The final plan Li Yan proposed made even old Nascent Soul cultivators like them feel a chill in their hearts.
"Has this person gone mad to obtain our clan's ultimate cultivation method?"
This was the result of the telepathic conversation between the Second and Fourth Elders.
Li Yan then nodded at the Great Elder again.
"Alright, let's go out then."
The Great Elder stood up as he spoke, acting decisively. A person as cautious as Li Yan had repeatedly confirmed that this was worth a try, and none of them in the Tianli Clan were the indecisive type. What in this world didn't come with risks?
It was just that what Li Yan proposed was too shocking, and the whole thing seemed rather absurd. But if the plan could truly succeed, then the Tianli Clan would be the first on the entire Wind God Continent to welcome peace.
Faced with such a Li Yan, a Li Yan who was crazy to the extreme, everyone felt a sense of apprehension toward him.
As for any thoughts of pulling Gong Chenying into their own faction, the moment Gong Shanhe returned, the Second Elder and the others knew it was no longer possible. They also informed some of the clan's prodigies about the "Qing A Wang" matter.
Their purpose, of course, was not to stir up trouble. All these disciples combined were no match for Li Yan. He could annihilate them all with a flick of his finger. This was merely a warning to them.
"I hope Fellow Daoist Li's plan goes smoothly. Otherwise, I'll have to go out and run around again."
The Third Elder also stood up and said with a bright smile. Of all of them, she was the one who most hoped for this to succeed. She had a deep understanding of the difficulty of finding a place to migrate.
...
At the Tianli Clan's front line, the sounds of battle that had once filled the sky day after day were gone. Now, a major battle between mid-rank cultivators from both sides might only occur every few days.
The mortal soldiers below were much calmer. They usually just patrolled and observed, preventing any stray Wind Beasts from breaking through.
However, since the defensive line had been reinforced by that mysterious cultivator, ordinary Wind Beasts could only die on their way to breach it; they couldn't reach this point at all. Their patrols were merely routine.
But today, several figures suddenly appeared in the sky, and at the same time, a voice thundered through the heavens and the earth, shaking the surroundings like a massive clap of thunder.
"Yan San, come out!"
Below, both cultivators and mortal soldiers looked up one after another.
"It's the Great Elder and the Clan Head!"
"The Second and Third Elders are also here. Is this going to be a decisive battle?"
"We didn't receive any pre-battle preparation orders. What's going on..."
"That Senior Li is also here!"
"And A Ying..."
Voices rose from below.
The sudden appearance of such a formation left every single one of them astonished.
In the sky, aside from the Fifth Elder who had not returned and the Sixth Elder who was in seclusion, all the clan's Nascent Soul cultivators were gathered. Of course, many of them did not know of Hong Yin's existence.
As the Great Elder's voice shook the four corners of the world, figures also flew in from all directions. They were the cultivators of the Tianli Clan, and they too had no idea what was happening.
But the moment they appeared, they instinctively moved into their attack positions, an instinct deeply ingrained in their bones from generations of fighting the Wind Beasts.
After seeing Gong Chenying, complex emotions flickered in the eyes of many young cultivators. Gong Chenying hadn't appeared at the front for a long time; it was said she was consolidating her Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm.
Then, some of their gazes shifted to a plain-looking, dark-skinned youth.
"Is he really A Ying's junior brother?"
The handsome A Yuan glanced at Li Yan before looking away, his fists clenched inside his sleeves.
He dared not stare at a Nascent Soul cultivator. If the other party sensed a threatening aura, with a single thought, although they wouldn't kill him, they could still leave him severely injured and unconscious.
At that point, what could the Second Elder do to them? He couldn't possibly fall out with them over him. That person's reputation in the Tianli Clan was now resounding. The low-rank cultivators and mortal soldiers held him in the highest esteem.
"I said back then why A Ying didn't look at anyone in the clan. With a Dao companion like that, our aptitudes and cultivation levels must seem like a huge joke in her eyes."
At this time, another youth beside A Yuan said in a low voice, a self-deprecating look in his eyes.
He was a cultivator from the Fourth Elder's faction and also had feelings for Gong Chenying. He had pursued her as well, and although he knew he couldn't compare to a true prodigy like A Yuan, he was still unconvinced.
But faced with a Nascent Soul cultivator who could command the wind and clouds, and who had personally rescued the Clan Head and the Sixth Elder, no matter how he thought about it, A Ying would never choose a so-called prodigy like him.
"Why won't the elders let us mention this anymore?"
Another youth, who had been calm, became visibly agitated the moment he saw Gong Chenying.
The Second Elder and the others had not revealed the reason why Gong Chenying chose Li Yan as the "Qing A Wang," as it involved her privacy.
If they dared to speak of it, both Gong Shanhe and Li Yan would turn hostile immediately. This made many feel indignant. Gong Chenying herself hadn't even publicly announced her relationship with Li Yan, so why were they not allowed to pursue her?
The people of the Tianli Clan had always been bold when it came to love and felt that if they liked someone, they should say it, not hide it in their hearts.
Thus, many also felt that since the appearance of this generation's "Qing A Wang," the clan had been suppressing them too much. They weren't even allowed to show their affection for A Ying anymore. This was different from before and felt overly tyrannical to some.
"Senior Li and A Ying are a match made in heaven. With his help, dealing with the Wind Beasts has become much easier..."
"Sister Ying has great taste, much better than that swarm of flies!"
Many other clan members, however, were very satisfied with this. Most of them felt that Li Yan was the most suitable to be the "Qing A Wang" because he had saved their lives and the lives of their families.
Just as the various discussions below about the appearance of the Great Elder and Li Yan began, several more auras shot up from the distant horizon.
Immediately, a voice also came from afar.
"What, is the old ghost Gong looking for a decisive battle? Why not wait for all of you to gather? Wouldn't you have a better chance then!"
As a cold voice seemed to rise from the depths of the netherworld, Yan San appeared with three others. His face was grim, and seeing so many high-level cultivators on the other side, waves of anger surged in his heart.
On their side, Yan Qi was dead, and the other Fourth-rank "Wind Elephant Beast" had yet to find a suitable body; its Nascent Soul was still recuperating.
Lately, life had not been easy for their three clans. Time was getting tighter, and the current Tianli Clan was like an insurmountable mountain blocking their path.
Unlike other beings, who could choose to migrate their clan when facing a disaster, the Wind Beasts were restricted by the "Heaven's Eye Pit." They could only expand from their base and could not move away directly.
Among the three clans, there was now internal resistance and even hostility. Yan San and the others had to use an iron fist to suppress it.
Yan San had sensed that all the opponent's experts were out the moment the Great Elder shouted.
Their intelligence also indicated that the Tianli Clan was searching for a place to migrate. In fact, they wished the Tianli Clan would leave quickly so they could have the cultivation resources and perhaps a chance at survival.
Thus, when high-level cultivators from the Tianli Clan went out, the three Wind Beast clans were unwilling to stop them, hoping they would find a suitable migration site soon.
But today, the Tianli Clan had suddenly arrived with such a formation. Except for the two remaining elders and the nun they had seen last time, they had all come out.
Yan San felt that the other side had probably found a suitable migration site. Were they trying to show off their power and slaughter his three clans before leaving?
"Old ghost Gong, are you planning a fight to the death today?"
He stared at the Great Elder, knowing in his heart that once the battle started, apart from himself, the other three would likely be either dead or severely injured by the end of the day.
Besides Gong Shengguang, the other side still had five Nascent Soul cultivators. He was all too familiar with this situation. A similar scene had occurred a few years ago, only now the number of high-level cultivators on each side was reversed.
The opponent was using the same tactic as he had a few years ago: bullying the weak with strength. But what was to come would eventually come.
Just as his voice fell, a black shadow flashed and appeared in front. That person simultaneously let out a soft chuckle.
"Fellow Daoist Yan, you think too highly of yourself. Why would we need the Great Elder to deal with you? I, Li, am more than enough!"
When Yan San saw who it was and heard his words, his eyes first flashed with extreme venomous hatred, and then he threw his head back and laughed.
"Li Yan! Hahaha... Do you really think you can rule the world just because you're a poison cultivator? If I had the chance, I would have ground your bones to dust long ago. When did it become your turn to spout such nonsense here!"
Yan San laughed out of extreme anger. He had long wanted to kill Li Yan. If not for him hiding within the Tianli Clan under Gong Shengguang's protection, would he still be alive now?
This person's methods were vicious. He had poisoned an unknown number of his clansmen and had also ambushed and killed Yan Qi. He had been constantly thinking about how to get rid of him. He never expected this person to be so arrogant and unrestrained upon appearing today.
Hearing this, Li Yan's expression remained indifferent.
"Oh? You really have this ability? Then let me test your supreme divine art."
"Hmph, Li Yan, don't be so arrogant. Why would Brother Yan need to act? I'll test your mettle!"
"I'll do it! He severely injured our clan's Nascent Soul cultivator and slaughtered so many of our young ones!"
"Brother Yan, don't fall for his trap! They probably want a few people to tie you down while Gong Shengguang attacks us!"
This time, before Yan San could speak, the moment Li Yan's voice fell, the other three Fourth-rank Wind Beasts all shouted in anger.
The human race was despicable. They probably had some plan to tie Yan San down so they could free up Gong Shengguang to slaughter them.
Hearing this, Yan San instantly suppressed his explosive anger. He really had lost his head for a moment. It was very likely that this was their plan. He couldn't fall for their trap.
As long as he kept an eye on the Great Elder, the others, though at a disadvantage, could escape in time. As long as they weren't trapped by Li Yan like last time, with the protection of the "Heaven's Eye Pit," if they retreated inside, the most the other side could do was kill some of the weaker ones. They would never dare to venture deep.
A fierce light flickered in his eyes. Forcing down his anger, he kept his gaze fixed on the Great Elder.
"Are we fighting or not?"
"So timid. Hahaha, and I thought all of you from the Wind Beast clan were as brave as an army. I came out today because I see you all hate me so much, and I really wanted to test Fellow Daoist Yan's divine abilities."
"The Great Elder and the others are just here for support. How about this? Only you and I remain in the middle, and everyone else retreats five thousand li. How about it?"
A hint of ridicule appeared on Li Yan's lips as he said something that made people want to punch him.
"Each retreat five thousand li? You have the guts for that?"
Yan San's Divine Sense swept the surroundings. This was a buffer zone between the two sides, a space they periodically patrolled with their Divine Sense.
He hadn't detected any deployments here before, but the cunning of the human race was impossible to guard against. He naturally felt that Li Yan must have some scheme.
Otherwise, a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, did he really think he could contend with him just because they were separated by only one minor realm? Had he gone mad?
Even a madman like Gong Shanhe, who could fight above his level, dared not truly face him.
"I really overestimated you. Afraid there's an ambush here? How about we go up ten thousand zhang and have a fight? Hehehe..."
Seeing that Yan San didn't speak, his aura only growing colder, Li Yan's eyes showed contempt, and a series of cold chuckles escaped his lips. His appearance was truly asking for a punch.