Chapter 34 Free Mercenary

In those days, she had followed the former Sect Leader to visit Duanmu Pool at the Duanmu Family. Upon hearing this name, Luo Yuan and the others shivered slightly. Although they had never seen him before, they had heard of him as if thunderously familiar. Duanmu Pool was a strong person at the Spirit Platform Realm Third Layer, a pinnacle in Qinglan Prefecture. To say they were afraid would be an understatement; ever since they could remember, they had been instilled with obedience and reverence by the two great forces. "What do you want?" Entering without announcing himself and speaking so indelicately, Brother Cheng wasn’t pleased. Though on second thought, no one in his mountain sect was there to watch the gate. But where was Ah Huang? Why didn’t it drain this guy’s spiritual power before capturing him? Speaking of which, if one’s Spirit Platform was drained of spiritual power, would it collapse immediately? Just as he thought of this, Ah Huang seemed to anticipate his question. "Mama, I used up all my power yesterday to catch the little kitten meow." Hearing this message, Brother Cheng immediately showed concern. He quickly responded with a message. "Good girl, nothing serious, right?" "A few days’ rest should be fine, but if there are Spirit Stones to replenish, it would be quicker." "Why didn’t you say so earlier!" So, after showing off, you still need to recharge? I have Spirit Stones, having destroyed so many sects, even though most were traded for points, there’s still quite a bit left over. While the two were conversing via message, Duanmu Pool, seated on the platform, raised his chin with a snort. "I’ve come to offer you a bright path!" After saying this, he waited for Jiang Cheng and the others to beg him. The Feixian Sect was soon to be attacked by the Red Sun Sect, and to the Duanmu Family, it must be like ants on a hot pan, anxiously panicking. This was the moment when the Duanmu Family extended a straw, expecting them to hurriedly climb up. By that time, the Duanmu Family could make outrageous demands. Instead, the scene remained utterly silent, with no one responding. Luo Yuan and others wanted to ask what bright path. But since the Sect Leader was present, they knew the rules; it wasn’t their place to speak. And yet, Jiang Cheng, the Sect Leader, was busy speaking with his daughter, completely disregarding Duanmu Pool, leaving him hanging there. After waiting for a long time, Duanmu Pool’s anger surged, and the aura of the Spirit Platform Realm gradually emerged. Behind him, a giant illusion of five zhang slowly manifested, clearly an enlarged version of a Divine Soul figure. The ability to control Divine Souls at the Spirit Platform Realm was fundamentally different from that at the Soul Splitting Realm. "It seems you are quite ungrateful!" With the appearance of the illusion, the temperature inside the hall dropped, chilling to the bone. Luo Yuan and others struggled bitterly, feeling their Divine Sense could collapse at any moment. Even though Duanmu Pool was merely a Divine Soul projection, it was enough to destroy them. At this moment, Jiang Cheng finished talking with Ah Huang, intent on quickly dealing with this guy to deliver Spirit Stones to his daughter. "Alright, alright, stop with the damn posturing! Spit it out if you have something to say!" Although he was only at the Soul Splitting Seventh Layer, he possessed the Celestial Desolation Indestructible Body, the top in the Three Realms. Let alone the pressure of a Spirit Platform Realm, even the Three-Eyed Tiger had failed to intimidate him before. The atmosphere in the hall relaxed with his words, allowing many disciples to catch their breath. Before coming here, the Duanmu Family had envisioned what kind of person Jiang Cheng was, but they certainly didn’t expect him, as a Sect Leader, to speak so crudely. This was disrespectful to the Duanmu Family! At this time, in a hall a hundred thousand miles away within the Duanmu Family, several elders watching the projection artifact all showed anger. "First, politeness, then force!" "If he refuses to drink the toast, make him drink the penalty wine, and erase him outright!" "If not for his slight value, mere Soul Splitting Realm..." Jiang Cheng couldn’t hear the Duanmu Family’s conversation, but he could sense Duanmu Pool’s fury. "Jiang Cheng, let’s be straightforward, to stand against the Red Sun Sect, you can only seek help from our Duanmu Family!" "When asking for help, one must show proper attitude!" Jiang Cheng chuckled, having harbored no goodwill toward the Duanmu Family. Back when the Feixian Sect was destroyed, where were you? "Do you think a handsome person like me needs to seek help?" The disciples all covered their faces, thinking, Brother, now’s the time to discuss sect affairs, can’t we be serious? "Jiang Cheng, I know you have support behind you, but don’t forget, distant water won’t quench present thirst!" Duanmu Pool’s Divine Soul churned within him. "After all, this is the territory of Qinglan Prefecture, and to oppose the Red Sun Sect, cooperation with our Duanmu Family is the only way!" The Duanmu Family’s eagerness had its reasons. Having fought with the Red Sun Sect for ten thousand years in balance, neither could prevail over the other. The emergence of Jiang Cheng gave them a chance to bring down the Red Sun Sect. Alleged joint efforts were merely exploiting the foreign forces backing this kid to wipe out the Red Sun Sect in one stroke. Afterward, under the guise of expelling invading foreign powers, they would drive out Jiang Cheng and his ’backing forces’. At that point, the entire Qinglan Prefecture would be solely under the Duanmu Family’s rule. Jiang Cheng laughed inwardly, having no interest in whatever cooperation they offered. He simply didn’t need it. On the surface, however, he remained unfazed. "Go ahead, tell me, what’s the cooperation plan?" Seeing him take the bait, Duanmu Pool immediately laid out the conditions. "For us to send troops, there are three conditions." "First, you must hand over the resources and collections of the Four Great Sects!" "Second, the Feixian Sect must continue as a vassal to our Duanmu Family, paying annual tributes!" "Third, Ji Linghan must marry Duanmu Zixiu of our Duanmu Family, as a form of alliance between the two families!" Ji Linghan’s Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body hadn’t been recognized even by the Feixian Sect, but the Duanmu Family had discerned it the year she arrived at their door. Moreover, being of stunning beauty, they had long desired to pull her into their fold. Yet the former Sect Leader of the Feixian Sect had always refused. In truth, even without the issue of the Four Sects attacking, the Duanmu Family would have eventually targeted her sooner or later. These three conditions filled everyone in the hall with indignance. Last time the Feixian Sect was destroyed, the Duanmu Family hadn’t even shown up, and now they had the audacity to demand continued tribute? The spoils from the destruction of the Four Sects had been brought back by Jiang Cheng, with the Duanmu Family having offered no effort, so why should they hand them over? Finally, it was well-known throughout Qinglan Prefecture that Duanmu Zixiu was a debauched scoundrel with a harem of wives and concubines. How could they send Senior Sister Ji into such a fire pit? "We won’t agree!" "These conditions are outright plunder!" "Humph!" Duanmu Pool’s Divine Soul churned once more. "Sect Leader Jiang, your disciples need to be disciplined." Jiang Cheng chuckled, thinking this fool really had a high opinion of himself. "Are you done talking?" "I’m done." Duanmu Pool maintained an arrogant demeanor. "Alright then." Jiang Cheng waved his hand. "Shut the doors and release the dog!" The disciples exchanged looks, not quite understanding his meaning right away. Instead, the Three-Eyed Tiger burst in on its own. "Punk, show some respect to your grandpa!" Jiang Cheng shrugged: "As the Sect Guardian Spirit Beast, you know what to do, right?" Since he had a free Sect Guardian Spirit Beast around, there was no need to waste one of his resurrections. "No need for you to tell grandpa how to do things!" The Three-Eyed Tiger was stubborn but had no choice. After all, having agreed to become the Sect Guardian Spirit Beast, with this ’foreign enemy invasion’, not stepping up would breach their agreement. "Is this the wretch?" "Punk, if you can’t even handle him, you’re too weak." It disdainfully glanced at Duanmu Pool’s Spirit Platform and Divine Soul, while also looking down on Jiang Cheng.