The Modern Martial Immortal

Chapter 267: The Deal

Li Hanqiu, Yaoguang, and all the Golden Core cultivators watched as Heavenly Venerable Jiang arrived in haste, only to leave just as hurriedly, with a trace of panic in his demeanor. Everyone clearly understood that this matter had not ended.

A dignified true disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect had lost so much face in the Great Cangwu World... Given how those of the North Sea Star typically treated lower worlds, it would not have been excessive for him to annihilate the entire Great Cangwu World in retaliation.

Although Heavenly Venerable Jiang, due to their shared origin within the Cangwu lineage, had a low likelihood of truly destroying the Great Cangwu World, the mere possibility still left Susan, Yang Han, Hera, and the others both shocked and furious.

"H-How dare you..."

"To share the same lineage as you is our disgrace!"

"Nine Cauldrons Sect, you guys..."

The Golden Core cultivators shouted angrily, their expressions devoid of the composure expected of perfected masters. Instead, they looked twisted and unsightly.

Before they could continue, Li Hanqiu let out a low shout. "Silence!"

As a Void-Piercing Realm expert, he now wielded exquisite control over spatial essence, and his psychic consciousness carried tangible pressure. When his voice spread, it struck the Golden Core cultivators like a collapsing world, slamming into them and sending them flying tens of thousands of kilometers away.

Only then did they realize, in horror, that Li Hanqiu was no longer on the same level as them. He had reached the Void-Piercing Realm and was a peak existence who had leapt through the Radiant Sun Golden Core, Blazing White Golden Core, and Azure Golden Core Realms in succession, advancing in one breath into the Void-Piercing Realm.

If this had been the environment of the North Sea Star... Anyone who dared provoke a Void-Piercing Realm expert would have already become a corpse.

For a moment, Susan, Yang Han, Hera, and the others fell silent as cicadas in winter. No matter how much dissatisfaction or resentment they harbored toward Li Hanqiu and Yaoguang, they did not dare reveal even a trace of it.

On the other hand, Mi Le, Lu Xi, and Johan, who had never lived on the North Sea Star, still found the courage to speak. "Heavenly Venerable Jiang essentially represents the will of our Cangwu lineage. But judging from the current situation, the Nine Cauldrons Sect clearly has no intention of continuing with us. In that case, the Nine Cauldrons Sect should leave the Great Cangwu World and seek opportunities elsewhere."

Li Hanqiu swept his gaze across them. Before leaving, Wan Liugui had hastily sent him a message. They were to depart the Great Cangwu World as quickly as possible and head to the North Sea Star.

Only there could they grow rapidly, until one day they reached the Void-Piercing Realm and truly possessed the strength to protect themselves.

The message contained a coordinate and a map. The coordinate marked the location of the North Sea Star.

The map was an escape route Wan Liugui had scouted upon entering the North Sea Star.

Such escape routes were prepared by several major Immortal sects, intended as a fallback in case they failed to survive within the Taiyi Immortal Sect and were expelled, ensuring they would at least have somewhere to settle.

For any Void-Piercing Realm expert, such routes were extremely confidential. Yet now, Wan Liugui had entrusted it to Li Hanqiu... He was already preparing for the worst.

Realizing he might have implicated his master, Li Hanqiu felt a surge of displeasure. After coldly sweeping his gaze over the Golden Core cultivators, he said in a deep voice, "We will leave. There is no need for you to concern yourselves with that."

He nodded to Yaoguang.

Through the Void Psychic World, Yaoguang relayed the message to Li Qingshan. Within ten days, all those willing to leave were to gather in Crimson City and evacuate together.

After issuing the order, Yaoguang turned his attention to the vast industries of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Cities, improved spirit-gathering arrays producing six hundred million units of spiritual power annually, equipment that could not be taken, Sky Patrol Warships...

His gaze shifted to Mi Le, Lu Xi, Johan, and the others. "Since the Nine Cauldrons Sect is leaving, everything left behind will ultimately fall into your hands. Should you not offer some compensation?"

Li Hanqiu glanced at Yaoguang in slight surprise. Just as he was about to speak, a psychic thought appeared within his perception.

"Perfected Master Li, cooperate with me. Next, I will..." Yaoguang quickly explained his plan.

After hearing it, Li Hanqiu nodded faintly.

At that moment, Johan could not help but snort coldly. "Compensation? You still have the nerve to ask for compensation?! You—"

Before he could finish, Susan urgently stopped him via a transmission of psychic consciousness.

She glanced at Li Hanqiu with lingering fear, now deeply aware of just how reckless their Golden Core elders were.

If they went to the North Sea Star, sooner or later, they would offend someone powerful through careless words, be killed outright, have their Golden Cores dug out and sold, and perhaps even bring destruction upon their entire sect.

After stopping Johan, she quickly said, "Enough. The assets left behind by the Nine Cauldrons Sect are indeed valuable. Offering some compensation is only fair. After all, we share the same Cangwu lineage. There should be at least some lingering ties. There is no need to push things too far."

Though confused, Johan calmed himself and asked in a deep voice, "What compensation do you want?"

"Let’s settle the accounts," Yaoguang said calmly. "We will only take one flying sword production line. As for the warship production lines, we will leave almost all of them behind, including the fourth-generation Sky Patrol Warship line. Add to that the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s territory, its vast manpower, its vassal worlds, and its astonishing annual spirit stone output... Let’s calculate fifty years’ worth of income. All combined... I’ll give you a discounted price. Forty billion spirit stones to buy the Nine Cauldrons Sect, how's that?"

"Forty billion?!" Johan nearly thought he had misheard.

"Is forty billion a lot? It’s not just your Infinite Star Palace paying. All the sects planning to divide the Nine Cauldrons Sect will contribute," Yaoguang said indifferently. "Given the current value of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, even excluding the most valuable asset, its people, forty billion is a bargain."

"That’s impossible!" Lu Xi could not help but object. "Do you even understand the spirit stone production of the Great Cangwu World? The entire world produces just over three billion spirit stones a year. Forty billion?! That’s more than ten years of total output!"

"Do you hear yourself? Forty billion? Why don’t you just rob us?!" Lin Deng also shouted.

Faced with the intense reactions of the various Golden Core and Dharma Form cultivators, Yaoguang merely said calmly, "I tried to conduct a proper transaction with you. Since you refuse... You're right."

His expression turned cold. "I am robbing you."

The moment he finished speaking, Li Hanqiu stepped forward. At his fingertips, the devouring power of the Void-Piercing Realm gathered, forming a mass of darkness that seemed capable of crushing and tearing apart everything.

The moment it formed, it distorted and disrupted the surrounding starry sky.

Even the Golden Core cultivators tens of thousands of kilometers away felt their bodies being pulled, as if they were about to be dragged into that devouring darkness.

Mi Le, Johan, and the others suddenly realized that the person standing before them was no longer the same Radiant Sun Golden Core who had once been on their level, someone who could only fight them to the death through mutual destruction.

He had become a Void-Piercing Realm expert, a being who could slaughter all thirty-plus Golden Core cultivators present without difficulty!

With his strength, even if he killed every single one of them, the Primordial Void within his body might not collapse on the spot and lead to his death. At most, it would only slightly shorten his already limited lifespan.

After understanding this, the Golden Core cultivators quickly calmed down.

After a while, once he noticed that several others were sending him subtle signals, Ye Lin of the Thousand-Beast Sect, who had relatively good relations with the Nine Cauldrons Sect, transmitted through psychic consciousness, "Perfected Master Li, we are all part of the Great Cangwu World. Must it really come to this?"

"We only want to leave the Great Cangwu World, not dig our own graves." Li Hanqiu replied.

Then he added, "Besides, Yaoguang is right. Is our sect's vast foundation really not worth forty billion?"

Do you really not know the answer to that yourself? More than a dozen Golden Core cultivators could not help but complain inwardly at the same time.

But Yaoguang had already said it outright. This was robbery. What could they do?

The Nine Cauldrons Sect was about to leave the Great Cangwu World. If they truly provoked them, they might even destroy the entire world. At that point, there would be nothing left for them but regret.

"Forty billion... I’m afraid no single force can produce that many spirit stones," Ye Lin said.

"If spirit stones aren’t enough, you can make up the difference with spirit treasures. In addition, valuable artifact refinement materials, pills, and natural treasures can also be used to offset the amount," Yaoguang said, "As for spirit treasures and refinement materials, we are willing to purchase them at a premium."

At Yaoguang’s prompting, Li Hanqiu began calling them out directly, "I remember that the Infinite Star Palace still possesses several top-tier spirit treasures. We can value each at one to two hundred million spirit stones. The Immortal Alliance and the other factions should still have one or two as well, right? I know more or less the extent of your reserves. Gather those spirit treasures, add in top-tier materials, pills, and natural treasures, and forty billion will not ruin you."

He added, "You yourselves said it. We are all part of the Great Cangwu World. There is no need to push things to the extreme."

The Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances, bitterness filling their hearts. This payment would not bankrupt them, but it would certainly cripple their foundations.

However, given that the situation was overwhelmingly against them, with a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal standing before them...

Facing a battle immortal who intended to leave the Cangwu World and had no more than five years of life left and was pointing a sword at them, no matter how unwilling they felt, they did not dare voice even the slightest objection.

If they angered Li Hanqiu, there was no telling what he might do.

The Golden Core cultivators communicated secretly through psychic consciousness.

After a long while, Johan finally spoke, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness. "Then we will follow what Perfected Master Li and Perfected Master Yaoguang have said. We will pool our resources and pay forty billion..."

At this point, he paused briefly, and everyone could almost feel the pain in his heart. "Forty billion... to buy the Nine Cauldrons Sect."