I Have A Qi Fortune Altar.
Chapter 280 - 280 259 Hidden Dragon List Ranking

Chapter 280: Chapter 259 Hidden Dragon List Ranking! Chapter 280: Chapter 259 Hidden Dragon List Ranking! Lv Yuan stood rooted to the spot for a moment, unsure of the riddle Chen Yuan and Tao Qingyuan were playing. Could the other Reach Profound Martial Artists by Chen Yuan’s side possibly help?

That shouldn’t be right….

He was well aware of Chen Yuan’s background and knew that Chen Yuan had only recently made his breakthrough and had virtually no backing, so where would he find a Reach Profound expert to help?

You have to know that this was no small matter; it was quite dangerous on the whole.

Simply luring with benefits was probably not a viable option.

Looking at Lv Yuan’s puzzled expression and Tao Qingyuan’s look of half-understanding, Chen Yuan smiled and revealed his candidate. It was none other than the current Hall Master of Shenxiao Hall, Wei Xin!

Chen Yuan was familiar with the Five Great Forces of Nanling Prefecture and naturally would not overlook Shenxiao Hall, the second-ranked major power in Nanling Prefecture. It was only because Wei Xin was old and Shenxiao Hall lacked a new Reach Profound expert, making it seem somewhat unsupported.

In recent years, they had even contracted their forces, appearing to lie dormant.

However, even though Shenxiao Hall had been quiet for the past few years, not many powers within Nanling Prefecture dared to underestimate them, precisely because Wei Xin was still alive.

In his early years, Wei Xin was spirited and broke through to the Reach Profound Realm at an early age, after which he advanced rapidly, ascending to the Reach Profound Peak, reaching a level where he could faintly rival Gold Mountain Monastery.

At that time, many people believed that as long as Wei Xin could break through to the One Acupoint Realm, he could surpass Gold Mountain Monastery and become the leader of Nanling River, and even spread his influence to other States.

He could earn a first-rate power reputation in Qingzhou Domain.

Unfortunately, fate did not comply; the previously extremely talented and strong Wei Xin’s cultivation halted at the Reach Profound Peak, and he indeed failed at the Core Realm checkpoint.

The injury caused by the failed breakthrough also damaged Wei Xin’s origin, leaving him with a head of white hair overnight.

After the news of his failed breakthrough spread, Shenxiao Hall became a target for many, with various powers coveting the benefits it controlled. Among these, Dragon Tiger Sect was the most concerned.

Over the years, they had repeatedly clashed with Shenxiao Hall, and most of the time, they had the upper hand.

Why?

Because Wei Xin had not made a move for many years and had been recuperating from his injuries.

According to many people’s expectations based on the failed breakthrough, Wei Xin’s strength was probably not only greatly reduced but even his lifespan might have been overdrawn, and he probably couldn’t persist for many more years.

This was also one of the reasons Chen Yuan was interested in him.

Previously, Chen Yuan had not set his sights on Shenxiao Hall because there was no grudge between them, and it wasn’t worth stirring up trouble with Wei Xin. But what Tao Qingyuan had said earlier made Chen Yuan think of Wei Xin again.

Even with damaged cultivation, he was still a genuine Reach Profound Peak expert qualified to challenge the Core Realm. Such a person, even if greatly reduced in capability, undoubtedly still had some trump cards hidden away.

This could be seen from Zhao Nanshan’s case.

This was Chen Yuan’s first choice, and currently, the most suitable candidate he could think of.

Of course, there was another option for Chen Yuan that wasn’t quite appropriate, namely, the assassins from the Seven Killings Hall.

Why say it’s inappropriate?

Because Chen Yuan’s identity was on the official side, and Tao Qingyuan and Lv Yuan would definitely join the fight together. In such a case, employing assassins from Seven Killings Hall would be blatantly telling others that Chen Yuan was involved with the Demon Dao powers, right?

Although he had enough Primordial Crystals in his hands to hire one, it still wasn’t appropriate, as previously mentioned!

Moreover, Chen Yuan didn’t really want to get too deeply involved with Seven Killings Hall, to avoid getting in too deep and giving them leverage over him.

“Wei Xin, are you confident you can persuade him?”

After muttering Wei Xin’s name a few times, Tao Qingyuan’s brows knitted slightly.

Given this person’s strength, he would be a suitable candidate, but could he be convinced?

You have to understand, Wei Xin hasn’t made a move in recent years, and he’s even appearing less and less now, which may mean that he’s already near the end.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tolerated Dragon Tiger Sect.

“There’s nothing but coercion and bribery. Now that Dragon Tiger Sect and Azure Flood Dragon Association have been annihilated, a lot of benefits have opened up. However, the government might have difficulty taking over completely,

and we cannot support Changle Gang too much, lest Shi Yunlong get other ideas. We must introduce another Jianghu force to act as a balance, and then Nanling Prefecture will be entirely under your control,” Chen Yuan continued, after sipping his tea and looking at Lv Yuan and Tao Qingyuan.

“Besides, if we are wary of Fa Hai’s breakthrough, doesn’t Shenxiao Hall have the same concerns? As long as we employ the right methods, I am very confident that we can get him on board with us.”

“Then leave this matter to you,” Tao Qingyuan said, his esteem for Chen Yuan growing as he observed his confidence, and he was more satisfied.

“Lv will then quietly await your news.”

Lv Yuan smiled and echoed in agreement.

Since Chen Yuan was willing to take on this matter actively, they were more than happy to relax and entrusted the entire affair to Chen Yuan. After several incidents, it became clear that Chen Yuan was not only exceptionally strong, he was also cunning and resourceful, possessing quite the qualities of a formidable overlord.

At the very least, compared to the way Chen Yuan conducted his affairs and his strong self-confidence, Tao Qingyuan felt inferior.

By the time they had finished a pot of tea, the three of them had also divided some of the Azure Flood Dragon Association’s treasures, with the Heavenly Patrol Bureau and the Military Equipment Army each taking forty percent, and the remaining twenty percent given to Shi Yunlong.

Chen Yuan didn’t gain much from the interests of the Azure Flood Dragon Association, mainly because there was nothing that really caught his eye.

He didn’t lack cultivation techniques or secret techniques, and the modest amount of gold and silver treasures didn’t appeal to him. Only a few Primordial Crystals were evenly divided among them. It seemed that the Azure Flood Dragon Association was much poorer than the Dragon Tiger Sect, but this was normal as the Dragon Tiger Sect had been an established sect in Jianghu for many years.

The rise of the Azure Flood Dragon Association was only a matter of decades, and it was only after Tang Qian’s breakthrough to the Reach Profound Realm that it gradually developed. It couldn’t compare to the foundation of the others.

Even if they had some savings, Chen Yuan felt that hiring an assassin from the Seven Killings Hall to carry out a secret assassination on him must have cost a lot.

…

…

For several days in a row, the entire Nanling Prefecture was abuzz with the events of that day, saying how mighty and powerful Chen Yuan was, how he tore Tang Qian apart, and annihilated the Azure Flood Dragon Association.

The elimination of the Dragon Tiger Sect and Azure Flood Dragon Association in a single day was an extremely shocking piece of news; countless forces developed a psychological shadow over Chen Yuan, believing him to be a bloodthirsty individual.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, after wiping out the Azure Flood Dragon Association, Chen Yuan went silent, regardless of how the outside world discussed or speculated, he did not show himself.

Gradually, several days passed, and the fervor began to subside.

Yet, there were still many who speculated and discussed the matter; even years later, some people would talk after a satisfying meal about the terrifyingly sharp edge that Chen Yuan had revealed.

While the outside world was full of conjecture, Chen Yuan remained unmoved like a mountain, secluding himself indoors for cultivation. He had sustained some injuries that day and used a great deal of energy, taking two full days to return to his peak condition.

After recovering, Chen Yuan issued three orders: first, to keep a close watch on Gold Mountain Monastery and investigate everything about Fa Hai; second, to pay special attention to Shenxiao Hall; and third, to check on Shi Yunlong’s injuries.

Within a couple of days, those who were sent out had returned one after another with their reports: Shi Yunlong’s injuries were severe, with a broken shoulder bone, requiring at least half a month of recuperation.

The situation at Shenxiao Hall remained calm, even indifferent to the benefits left by the Dragon Tiger Sect and Azure Flood Dragon Association, no different from before.

As for the most important information about Gold Mountain Monastery and Fa Hai, it was just as Tao Qingyuan had said: in recent months, Fa Hai had been in seclusion more frequently, and various preparations for formations had begun throughout Gold Mountain Monastery.

These formations, Chen Yuan thought, if he was not mistaken, were meant for Fa Hai’s Core Formation, gathering the scattered Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy.

This was a necessary preparation for many martial artists before forming their core.

The Heavenly Core of Martial Arts was not easily formed, requiring a large amount of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy. A mere few dozen Primordial Crystals were surely not enough, unless by chance a breakthrough could not be avoided, most would prepare in advance.

The intelligence provided by Tao Qingyuan was correct; Fa Hai was indeed preparing for a breakthrough. Fortunately, the preparations at Gold Mountain Monastery were slow, seemingly cautious not to draw attention, and had always been very secretive.

Chen Yuan still had a bit of time.

In the following period, Chen Yuan began to cultivate with the aid of Primordial Crystals, and it had to be said, this greatly assisted him. The dense Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy helped him quickly accumulate True Yuan.

Of course, this method was incredibly consuming; in just about ten days or so, Chen Yuan had used up one-third of his Primordial Crystals, and these were the accumulation of many years by the Dragon Tiger Sect.

Under the heavens, there weren’t many who dared to exchange resources for time like this.

The reason he did this was not that he didn’t value Primordial Crystals; on the contrary, after using them, Chen Yuan held them in high regard, agreeing with the saying that without investment, there would be no returns.

His extensive consumption of Primordial Crystals, regardless of the waste, was an investment in himself. He was very clear that as long as he wiped out Gold Mountain Monastery, what he invested now would be insignificant.

The whole Nanling Prefecture knew of the wealth and resources of Gold Mountain Monastery, and of course, Chen Yuan understood this too!

His actions against Gold Mountain Monastery were motivated not only by previous enmities but also by the wealth of the monastery, from which Chen Yuan could gain immense benefits.

There may have been no opportunity this time, but Chen Yuan felt that what he could gain might be even more than what fortune could bring.

With a large number of Primordial Crystals for cultivation, Chen Yuan was confident that he could quickly build his cultivation to the peak of the First Acupoint in a short time, which would result in a new surge in his strength!

As time rushed by like a swiftly flowing river, when the news of the annihilation of the Azure Flood Dragon Association and the Dragon Tiger Sect gradually faded within Nanling Prefecture City, another piece of news about Chen Yuan spread from the Ascending Immortal Tower.

However, the impact this time wasn’t as great, but it certainly wasn’t small either.

Many had predicted this piece of news when Chen Yuan fought Tang Qian alone, so it was within reasoning and expectation.

That’s right, the news was that Chen Yuan had entered the top fifty of the Hidden Dragon List.

And he wasn’t just at the bottom of the list, he was directly ranked forty-second, even surpassing the previous Qingyun Sword Sect disciple, Gu Hao.

Chen Yuan’s fame surged instantly.

Many were clear about what it meant to be in the top fifty of the Hidden Dragon List.

At this point, Chen Yuan had shown potential for the Core Realm.