Cultivation Begins From The Desert
Chapter 210 - 208: Coercion and Bribery

Chapter 210: Chapter 208: Coercion and Bribery

The Zhou Family mastered two methods of refining Tier Three Puppet Beasts, namely the "Vajra Battle Tiger" suitable for close combat assaults and the "Flaming Fire Lion" suitable for guerrilla entanglement.

Zhouyang and Zhou Minghan have both personally engaged with these two kinds of Tier Three Puppet Beasts, knowing that for cultivators, the durable "Vajra Battle Tiger" is much more useful in dealing with demon beasts than the "Flaming Fire Lion".

Therefore, when refining the Tier Three Puppet Beasts, they refined two "Vajra Battle Tigers" and one "Flaming Fire Lion".

However, while these Tier Three Puppet Beasts are strong, their spirit stone consumption is tremendous. A piece of middle-grade spirit stone can only sustain a full-powered battle of one Tier Three Puppet Beast for a quarter of an hour, and the spirit stone slot of one puppet beast can hold a maximum of four middle-grade spirit stones at a time.

This means a Tier Three Puppet Beast filled with four middle-grade spirit stones can only sustain a battle for half an hour at most.

Furthermore, although Tier Three Puppet Beasts possess an "autonomous combat system", which allows them to attack enemies autonomously without the owner’s divine sense controlling them, their fighting method is quite rigid, repeatedly using the same few attack magics.

If fighting in a terrain-restricted cave mansion, the disadvantages of this combat style are not obvious, but in an open field, even an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator can handle two puppet beasts.

Therefore, although a ninth-layer Qi cultivation cultivator can barely control a Tier Three Puppet Beast to fight, its effectiveness in the hands of such a cultivator is akin to a powerful protective spiritual artifact at best, dreaming of surpassing levels to reverse-kill Foundation Establishment cultivators through controlling a Tier Three Puppet Beast is unrealistic.

Zhouyang, despite having a strong divine sense, has many magical artifacts to control; a part of the "Great Derivation Sword Technique" alone makes it hard for him to spare more mind to control puppet beasts in battle.

Thus, the three refined Tier Three Puppet Beasts this time, he didn’t take any, leaving two for the elder clan leader Zhou Minghan, and one for his father as it was distributed. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Yet, he did not come away empty-handed. After refining the Tier Three Puppet Beasts, Zhou Minghan used the materials provided by Zhouyang along with his own stock to refine two Tier Three Middle Grade Flying Swords for him.

Now, he possesses one Tier Three High-Grade Flying Sword and three Tier Three Middle-Grade Flying Swords. When laid out into a "Four Symbols Demon-Slaying Sword Array" with these four flying swords, even a ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator like elder clan leader Zhou Minghan would have to pay a hefty price to escape.

And his discarded "Red Profound Golden Light Sword", he intends to leave it for Huang Yi to use.

At this time, after a year and a half of secluded cultivation, Huang Yi finally completed the entry-level practice of the "Earth Guarding Golden Body Technique", successfully converting his main cultivation technique to this one.

However, having just completed the conversion and exited the cave mansion, he was blocked by Zhouyang.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, you’re a smart man. Zhou won’t play any tricks with you now. Sign this ’Nether Blood Contract’, earnestly serve the Zhou Family in the future, and you’ll certainly be given the treatment you deserve. Moreover, twelfth sister has said she’ll allow you to take concubines and bear children with the mortal women of the Zhou Family, at which point your offspring can be included in the Zhou Clan Genealogy."

At Jade Spring Peak, Zhouyang blocked Huang Yi outside the cave mansion without saying much nonsense, directly tossing a written "Nether Blood Contract" to him, and solemnly stated the decision of the Zhou Family.

Not far behind him under the Dragon Scale Tree, an Eagle Lion Beast temporarily nesting there lifted its huge eagle head, its eagle eyes gleaming coldly, staring at Huang Yi without blinking.

This situation was clearly unexpected for Huang Yi.

The joyful expression from his successful technique conversion vanished instantly, his gaze turned dark as he reached out to examine the blood contract.

The conditions laid out by Zhouyang were few but sufficiently harsh.

Once Huang Yi signs this blood contract, he would be reduced to a high-level enforcer for the Zhou Family, never able to truly enter the decision-making layer of the clan.

For Huang Yi, who harbored ambitions of showcasing his abilities utilizing the Zhou Family platform after entering the Foundation Establishment, this was naturally unacceptable.

Therefore, upon finishing reading the blood contract, he almost angrily destroyed it on the spot.

His palm clutched the blood contract tightly, his forehead veins pulsing as he glared at Zhouyang and shouted angrily, "Clan Leader, don’t you think the terms of this blood contract are too harsh? If I sign it, what freedom and dignity will I have left?"

Upon hearing his words, Zhouyang laughed immediately.

Only to see Zhouyang coldly smile, his eyes flashing sharply as he looked at Huang Yi and coldly said, "Freedom? Dignity? Now you want to talk about this with me? Have you considered how much pressure twelfth sister endured over the years due to your deception in marriage? The loss of her dignity and reputation, who is the cause of it?"

"To still be alive and successfully establish Foundation, these are results of the Zhou Family’s benevolence and openness; otherwise, I would have abolished your cultivation and expelled you from the Zhou Family at that time!"

One would not have expected Huang Yi to hear this and defiantly retort with a full face of dissatisfaction, "It wasn’t deception in marriage, merely delaying consummation. As cultivators, cultivation should be prioritized, which is exactly what Clan Leader himself said, and don’t you still retain your Primordial Yang Body?"

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"Moreover, I am now a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Yuan Zhen is now in the same room with me, not only can she use my full Primordial Yang Qi to enhance her cultivation through dual cultivation, but she can also carry the status of a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Dao Companion, both in the clan and outside, to gain a superior position. Isn’t this enough to compensate for her losses over these ten-plus years?"

Indeed, he truly lives up to his reputation as a Loose Cultivator, using the art of sophistry to the point of perfection, even using Zhouyang’s own words to counter Zhouyang himself.

Unfortunately, no matter how he argues, the facts remain the facts: he deliberately concealed his purpose for joining the Zhou Clan, resulting in an actual "marriage fraud" act.

Now that he’s succeeded in Foundation Establishment, he can naturally put it so nicely. But had he died at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Zhou Yuanzhen would have truly become a "living widow"!

In the face of his behavior, Zhouyang, as the Clan Leader of the Zhou Family and the elder brother of Zhou Yuanzhen, was truly not embellishing his words when he said he was merciful and open-minded, for not having stripped him of cultivation back then.

And so, facing Huang Yi’s sophistry now, Zhouyang merely continued with a cold smile, saying, "What you say sounds very nice, but it’s useless. Yuan Zhen has already given up on you, so don’t think about harming her again. If you refuse to sign this blood contract today, you know the consequences yourself!"

The consequences of not signing were clear at a glance from the Eagle Lion Beast eyeing him from behind Zhouyang.

Upon hearing this, Huang Yi’s expression immediately became unsettled and varied.

Using the "Nether Blood Contract" to forcibly bind or even enslave someone is something few clans would do, as it would offend all the Loose Cultivators.

But Huang Yi’s situation is different now. His marriage into the Zhou Clan had spread throughout the Baisha River Cultivation Realm, and in the eyes of all Loose Cultivators, he had already become a clan cultivator with the status of clan cultivator.

Now, over ten years later, he successfully established his foundation. In the eyes of many Loose Cultivators, it would only be seen as him successfully establishing his foundation with the help of the Zhou Clan.

Of course, this isn’t entirely wrong, since the Zhou Clan did provide Huang Yi with some elixirs for enhancing cultivation during the Qi Cultivation Stage, as well as lending him Foundation Establishment insights to study.

So even if he goes around talking about being forced to sign a blood contract by the Zhou Clan after signing the "Nether Blood Contract," not many would believe him.

If, at this time, the Zhou Clan also publicized his "marriage fraud" and the assistance they gave him for Foundation Establishment, the voices condemning him for ingratitude and being an unappreciative white-eyed wolf would surely be much louder than those condemning the Zhou Clan.

After all, the fact that Zhou Yuanzhen is still a Yun Ying is something that cannot be faked.

Zhouyang knows this, which is why he acts so fearlessly.

As for whether Huang Yi would choose to go down with the enemy, Zhouyang is not worried at all.

This person is ambitious and worked hard, life or death, to achieve Foundation Establishment, so how could he choose to die?

Moreover, the terms put forth, though harsh, still leave him with basic dignity and freedom. As long as he behaves honestly and does his duties properly afterward, in the eyes of outsiders who don’t know the inside story, he is still the good son-in-law of the Zhou Clan and a high and mighty Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As expected, after two full moments of hesitation and struggle, Huang Yi eventually signed the blood contract honestly.

With the signing of the blood contract, the coldness on Zhouyang’s face quickly subsided. The Eagle Lion Beast beneath the Dragon Scale Tree also lay down again, its eyes half-closed while resting.

Seeing Zhouyang’s expression soften, he looked at Huang Yi with a calm gaze and said, "Don’t worry. As long as you behave yourself in the future, playing fewer tricks, the benefits we give you will not lack in any way, definitely better than when you were a Loose Cultivator!"

"Now that you’ve just succeeded in Foundation Establishment, the clan won’t assign you any tasks for now. This Red Profound Golden Light Sword was bestowed upon me by the old Clan Leader after I established my foundation, and now I pass it on to you for self-defense."

"Also, this Jade Scroll records the Zhou Clan’s family sword technique, ’Flying Star Sword Technique.’ Once you master the first layer of the technique, you can perform sword flight."

"Moreover, this cave dwelling will still be lent to you for your practice. Once the Zhou Clan opens a new Spirit Mountain later on, we’ll arrange for you a new place of cultivation."

Having said this, Zhouyang tossed the prepared flying sword and jade scroll into Huang Yi’s hands.

This old tactic of giving a stick then a carrot may be classical, but it is indeed effective.

At least after Huang Yi received these items, the dissatisfaction in his heart somewhat lessened. Most importantly, now that the die is cast, clinging to the previous incident would only cause distress to himself.

So, after a change in expression a moment later, he put away the two treasures, bowed deeply to Zhouyang, and said, "Thank you for the Clan Leader’s generosity. Huang Yi will certainly work hard for the Zhou Clan in the future, facing any challenges without hesitation!"