Chapter Eighteen: The Ji Clan's Concession

"Threads of rain forming a line?" Dong Ziqi murmured softly, while the other four Zifu cultivators behind him remained in shock.

"This Ji Ning is even stronger than I expected," Dong Ziqi mused. "Only sixteen years old, and even Junior Brother Mu Si can't take him down. It seems only I can kill him." If he acted, he would deploy the Eight Trigrams Blood Dragon Formation, and once the formation appeared, it would be a life-and-death struggle with no room for retreat.

Dong Ziqi was confident, but he understood that the Ji Clan's strength was not negligible. If a real fight broke out, one or two of their five Zifu cultivators might fall.

If they could make the other side back down, that would be best.

"Ji Ning, impressive."

"Well done."

The Ji Clan members all looked at Ji Ning. "Are you alright?" Ji Yichuan asked his son, relieved only after seeing he was unharmed.

"Dong Ziqi!" Granny Ying shouted harshly. "What is the meaning of this? Suddenly ambushing a member of the Ji Clan? We're all here, and you dare act so arrogantly."

"You Snowdragon Mountain are too insolent."

The Ji Clan members were filled with grief and indignation, but each held back, not daring to act, for the other side was Snowdragon Mountain.

"Hahaha..." Dong Ziqi laughed. "Suddenly ambushing? That's too harsh. My Junior Brother Mu Si merely heard that your Ji Clan has a genius of extraordinary talent, and even my Snowdragon Mountain's Junior Brother Bei Zishan died at his hands. Seeing this genius today, he couldn't resist the itch to spar a little. What, is it not allowed for a Zifu cultivator of Snowdragon Mountain to spar with someone from your Ji Clan?"

"You call this sparring?" Granny Ying's voice was hoarse and sharp.

"Of course it's sparring," Dong Ziqi said. "It seems your Ji Clan's genius is indeed formidable, able to break my junior brother's spell. Admirable, admirable."

"You..." Granny Ying was also burning with anger. In her nearly four hundred years of life, she had never suffered such humiliation. If she had no ties, she would have struck long ago, but for the sake of the entire Ji Clan, she had to endure.

A fierce glint flashed in Dong Ziqi's eyes, and he snorted coldly: "Even if it were a real fight and we killed that Ji Ning, what could your Ji Clan do?" His cold gaze swept over the group of Ji Clan members, a faint sneer of disdain on his lips, making the Ji Clan members even more bitter.

Arrogant and overbearing!

Dong Ziqi wanted to be arrogant and overbearing, to completely suppress the Ji Clan!

"Chieftain." Ji Liuzhen shouted angrily, "Our Ji Clan is not to be bullied. Better to die standing than live on our knees. We've given ground step by step, and Snowdragon Mountain presses us step by step. Do they think we're made of mud? Let's fight them! With the five of them here today, we'll make sure more than half die!"

"Fight!"

"Chieftain, let's fight!"

"If they give us no way to live, we won't let them live either." Many Ji Clan members roared in anger.

This startled Dong Ziqi and the other four. Snowdragon Mountain as a sect was indeed powerful, but that referred to the main sect! The Yan Mountain branch of Snowdragon Mountain was only slightly stronger than the Ji Clan—the difference was limited. After all, their top combat power was only at the Zifu level. If they really fought, even if they destroyed the Ji Clan, the Yan Mountain branch of Snowdragon Mountain would suffer heavy losses.

"Silence." Ji Jiuhuo turned and transmitted his voice with elemental energy, the sound ringing in every clansman's ear.

The clansmen all looked at Ji Jiuhuo.

...

"What are they saying?" the burly young man Ju San from Snowdragon Mountain transmitted.

"These natives," the gray-robed man Mu Si transmitted. "Used to tribal life, they'd rather break than bend. When cornered, they'll fight to the death... We've pressed a bit too hard, so they're starting to push back."

Dong Ziqi transmitted confidently: "No need to worry. That Ji Jiuhuo is an old fellow who's lived nearly four hundred years, very slippery. He'll persuade and control his people."

...

On the Ji Clan side, they were quietly transmitting among themselves.

"Snowdragon Mountain is going too far," Ji Jiuhuo transmitted. "But no matter how arrogant they are, we have to endure. Do we really want to fight them?"

"But Chieftain, we can sign a transfer contract with the Grand Xia Dynasty. Then the Grand Xia will protect us, and we can still get thirty percent of the elemental ore vein," a sturdy Ji Clan member transmitted eagerly.

"Foolish!" Ji Jiuhuo transmitted. "To sign a transfer contract with the Grand Xia, we must first report it, then wait for the Grand Xia's envoy to inspect the elemental ore vein, and only then can we sign the contract! This takes time, and during that time, our Ji Clan could face annihilation!"

"For thirty percent of the elemental ore vein, you'd risk the entire tribe's destruction?" Ji Jiuhuo shouted. "That's the height of stupidity! Even if we successfully sign the transfer contract, the Grand Xia will protect us for a thousand years. But what about after a thousand years? Snowdragon Mountain will take revenge, and our Ji Clan will be finished. So I'd rather give the entire elemental ore vein to Snowdragon Mountain."

"But..."

"This is too infuriating."

"Too..."

Every Ji Clan member felt suffocated with anger.

"No matter how angry or unwilling, for the sake of the Ji Clan, we must endure," Ji Jiuhuo transmitted with a sigh. "As long as the Ji Clan continues to thrive and prosper, what does a little humiliation matter?"

"If we must blame something, blame our lack of strength. Clearly, it's a great opportunity from heaven, but this elemental ore vein is something we cannot bear." Ji Jiuhuo looked at Ji Ning. "Ji Ning, you are the greatest genius our Ji Clan has produced since its founding. If you grow, becoming a Wanxiang Adept is almost certain."

One by one, the clansmen looked at Ji Ning, their eyes filled with hope and longing.

Yes.

The hope of the Ji Clan's rise lay with Ji Ning. These Xiantian lifeforms of the clan had previously doubted Ji Ning's strength, having only heard rumors... But now they had seen with their own eyes the power Ji Ning displayed, how he had forcibly broken a powerful spell from a Snowdragon Mountain Zifu cultivator. And Ji Ning was only sixteen! Thinking of Ji Ning's potential, each of them was stirred with excitement.

"But no matter how talented a genius, once dead, he's no longer a genius," Ji Jiuhuo said, looking at Ji Ning. "For the sake of our Ji Clan, you must live—live long."

Ji Ning nodded slightly.

He thought of one person—Lei Zhan, the fourth master of the Water Mansion. That man, who had become a personal disciple of Immortal Juhua amidst so many competitors, had unquestionable talent, yet he died while still a Wanxiang Adept.

"Today's humiliation, our Ji Clan must remember well," Ji Jiuhuo said, looking at each clansman. "We must become strong. When we are strong, others won't dare bully or look down on us."

"Yes." Many clansmen nodded, Ji Ning among them.

...

Dong Ziqi and the other four Zifu cultivators watched from the side, seeing the Ji Clan members' expressions of grief and suppressed anger, and couldn't help sneering. They had seen this scene too many times. When they went out on missions for their sect, facing Snowdragon Mountain, those small tribes could only bow their heads.

"Dong Ziqi." Ji Jiuhuo turned to face Dong Ziqi and the other four.

"Done negotiating?" Dong Ziqi looked at Ji Jiuhuo. "But Ji Jiuhuo, let me make it clear: no matter what, you must hand over the vassal token of Ten Thousand Swords City! If you don't, the Ji Clan's destruction is imminent!"

The Ji Clan members could barely contain their fury, anger written on every face.

Must hand over the vassal token?

Wasn't that forcing the Ji Clan to abandon their territory?

Ji Jiuhuo gritted his teeth, his face grim, and forced out the words one by one: "Our Ji Clan can hand over the vassal token and leave this territory! Everything in this territory will belong to Snowdragon Mountain."

"What!"

Everyone was shocked. Ji Ning also looked at the chieftain in shock.

Ji Jiuhuo continued through gritted teeth: "But Snowdragon Mountain must give our Ji Clan a vassal token, so we have a place to settle! Exchange the vassal token of Ten Thousand Swords City for the vassal token of another Grand Xia city. Our Ji Clan is willing to leave our homeland."