Chapter 1541 - Not Interested

Seeing the situation teeter on the edge of open hostility, Achiel stepped in to mediate.

"Is this how the Spirit Clan treats their guests?" Liu Wuxie asked. If he hadn't been weighing Achiel's feelings, he would've erupted on the spot. Even if he couldn't fight a Quasi-Immortal Realm powerhouse head-on, the other party would still have to pay a price to stop him.

If a fight broke out, Liu Wuxie could instantly flatten the entire Sky City and leave the Spirit Clan homeless. At that point, the Black Crow Clan would surely flock over and seize everything in no time.

"Feathered Emperor, it's not what you think. According to the Spirit Clan's rules, anyone who practices the Soul Forge Art must inherit the position of the Feathered Emperor. This is the reason why the chieftain stopped you from leaving," Achiel explained. The chieftain had her difficulties, and Achiel served as the perfect voice to say it plainly.

When Ariel heard that Liu Wuxie would inherit the Feathered Emperor's mantle, her expression changed. According to the Spirit Clan's rules, the saintess had to marry the Feathered Emperor, and after she gave birth, the girl would become the next saintress and inherit the chieftain's mantle.

The chieftain and the Feathered Emperor weren't the same thing. Throughout the Spirit Clan's history, their chieftain had always been a woman, while the Feathered Emperor had only appeared three times.

To put it bluntly, the Feathered Emperor held the position of an ant queen to produce the finest offspring in the Spirit Clan. The comparison might sound extreme, but it wasn't far off. The Feathered Emperor held tremendous status in the Spirit Clan, second only to the chieftain.

"Not interested," Liu Wuxie refused flatly. The position might have looked like a dream beyond dreams, since a Feathered Emperor could enjoy supreme treatment in the Spirit Clan with most resources tilted his way.

In the Spirit Clan's history, every generation's saintress possessed beauty beyond belief, and marrying the saintess was a dream for countless men. Becoming the Feathered Emperor would be no different from holding power over the world with a beauty at one's side, and that fortune had somehow fallen to Liu Wuxie.

If it had been anyone else, they would've agreed without hesitation. Just when everyone assumed Liu Wuxie would accept, he declined without blinking. He could earn his own resources, and he already had five wives, with no intention of pursuing other women.

That flat refusal threw the Spirit Clan into an awkward silence, and it struck Ariel hardest, disbelief written across her face. She even found herself wondering if she wasn't beautiful enough.

She also didn't like the rule, but rules were rules, and everyone had to obey them, including her.

"We can discuss this. You've crossed mountains and rivers to deliver the Earth-Binding Chains back to the Spirit Clan, and we will remember that favor. We're also deeply grateful that you helped us to repel the Black Crow Clan, and let us show you proper hospitality at the very least," the chieftain said, and her tone softened noticeably.

If Liu Wuxie had agreed immediately, they would've looked down on him instead.

"The chieftain is right. The Black Crow Clan retreated in defeat this time, but they'll surely lay ambushes nearby. Feathered Emperor, you'll only fall into their encirclement if you leave now," Achiel echoed in agreement.

The Black Crow Clan hadn't gone far from the Sky City at all, and they had surrounded the entire city to prevent anyone from the Spirit Clan from leaving. Liu Wuxie would fall straight into their trap if he stepped out now.

Liu Wuxie activated Ghost Pupil and looked beyond the Sky City, where large numbers of the Black Crow Clan lurked in the surroundings. He didn't fear ordinary Heaven Gaze Realm opponents, but the Black Crow Clan also had high-level Heaven Gaze Realm experts. With his current strength, breaking out of that net wouldn't be easy.

"If that's the case, I'll trouble the Spirit Clan for a few days," Liu Wuxie said, accepting the offer. The Feathered Emperor had once shown him kindness, and Liu Wuxie didn't mind returning it to his clan.

This marked the first time in Spirit Clan history that a human inherited the Feathered Emperor's mantle. The past Feathered Emperors had all been Spirit Clan members.

Just like that, Liu Wuxie stayed in the castle, and the Spirit Clan cleared an independent courtyard for him. After all, no men lived inside the castle.

The moment Liu Wuxie entered the courtyard, his divine sense sank into his soul sea, and he began to communicate with Zhen Yiming.

Zhen Yiming's face rose from the pool of faith, letting them communicate across vast distances.

"Master, I have found some leads. All the counterfeit Soul Pills originated from Kaya City before flowing into the market," Zhen Yiming reported, laying out what he had uncovered over the past few days.

"Whose territory does Kaya City belong to?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He quickly located Kaya City on the map in the central region of the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, the most bustling and prosperous place.

"Kaya City sits on the border, the Nalan Clan lies to the east, the Indigo Dragon Cult stands to the west, and the True Fire Hall controls the northern lands," Zhen Yiming explained.

Liu Wuxie frowned. He hadn't expected Kaya City to be so tangled, sitting in the central region with countless cultivators flowing through it day and night. Trying to dig out clues there would be no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Aside from those three forces, many other powers operated in Kaya City. They couldn't compare to those three, but no one could belittle them, and any one of them could imitate Soul Pills.

The situation had turned far more troublesome than Liu Wuxie had anticipated. The Skyward Gate had already followed his instructions and sold the Soul Pills at a reduced price.

That price cut had naturally struck a blow against the counterfeit pills, but it had failed to wipe them out entirely. The counterfeiters had lowered their prices as well, proving their opponent was ruthless and troublesome.

They had already guessed Liu Wuxie's intention and made full preparations. If the price war continued, it would only grind into mutual destruction, with neither side benefiting. Once Soul Pills reached rock bottom, restoring their original price would become difficult because the market would have already adapted to the new prices.

Price fluctuations would also make buyers suspicious of Soul Pills, pushing them toward other pills instead.

Liu Wuxie had suppressed the pills produced by the Divine Alchemy Sect with great difficulty, and he couldn't give them any chance to rise again. This was a long war, a contest of methods rather than brute strength.

Even if the Heavenly Dao Society lost its market in the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, they would only lose some resources, and it wouldn't cripple them. However, that would still amount to surrendering the market back to the Divine Alchemy Sect, an outcome Liu Wuxie couldn't accept.

The feud had become irreconcilable with no turning back, and the enemy had provoked them first. If he didn't retaliate, it would be the same as telling everyone the Heavenly Dao Society had lost. The counterfeit pills had already spread to more than half of the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, and he had to find the source and cut them off.

"Continue your investigation and let me know if you find more information," Liu Wuxie said, then severed the connection as his divine sense withdrew to the outside world.

A sudden knock came from outside the courtyard, persistent and unhurried. Liu Wuxie had been speaking with Zhen Yiming and hadn't noticed it until now. When he walked over and opened the courtyard door, an exquisitely beautiful face greeted him.

"Greetings, Lady Ariel," Liu Wuxie greeted politely.

"Can you get used to staying here?" Ariel asked, her long lashes fluttering as she spoke.

"It's fairly comfortable. Thank you for your concern," Liu Wuxie replied. He didn't invite her in right away, and they stood there in the courtyard as the silence thickened into awkwardness.

"I have a few questions for you with regards to the Earth-Binding Chains and the Soul Forge Art's cultivation technique," Ariel said, making her purpose clear.

First, she needed guidance on using the Earth-Binding Chains, as she still felt unfamiliar with many aspects of their control. Second, she wanted to learn more about the Soul Forge Art, the Spirit Clan's supreme technique. Ever since the previous Feathered Emperor had fallen, the Soul Forge Art had vanished for countless years.

"Lady Ariel, please come in," Liu Wuxie said, finally inviting her inside.

They sat on the stone stools in the courtyard as Ariel summoned the Earth-Binding Chains, but her control looked clumsy and stiff.

Liu Wuxie sat beside her and guided her movements, and the Earth-Binding Chains bobbed up and down, darted left and right, and shifted forms at will.

Gradually, Ariel's proficiency improved. She carried the Feathered Emperor's bloodline, and the Earth-Binding Chains resonated with her far more naturally.

Time flowed on, and a few hours slipped by unnoticed as the two immersed themselves in cultivation. Liu Wuxie also used the opportunity to learn much from Ariel about the Spirit Clan, including the manipulation and transformation of soul energy, which further strengthened his understanding of the Soul Forge Art.

Liu Wuxie also taught Ariel the Soul Forge Art. Afterall, it belonged to the Spirit Clan in the first place, and he only returned it to them.

The moment Ariel obtained the Soul Forge Art, excitement lit her expression because the technique had finally returned to the Spirit Clan after countless years.

"Young Master Liu, no words can express my gratitude. I'll not disturb your rest any longer," Ariel said. Their conversation had left her shocked by Liu Wuxie's vast knowledge, as he answered every question immediately and without hesitation.

Though she lived in Sky City, she would depart annually to travel among the human race, studying their cultivation techniques firsthand. Even so, she saw many different things in Liu Wuxie, and talking to him felt easy because she couldn't sense any lust in his eyes.

"I'll see you off," Liu Wuxie said, rising to escort Ariel out.

After he returned to the room, he sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Desolate Devouring Art.

Sky City held countless astral crystals, and builders had used astral crystals to construct much of the castle. Even without cultivating, he could feel energy from those astral crystals burrowing into his body. Cultivating here naturally achieved double the results with half the effort.

After reaching the fourth-level Earth Immortal Realm, his cultivation wouldn't change anytime soon. He had broken through two levels since entering the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, and he needed time to consolidate.

The Spirit Clan soon returned to a fragile calm. During this time, Achiel visited once and informed Liu Wuxie that the Black Crow Clan had still stationed its forces outside the city. Hence, Liu Wuxie had no other choice but to stay put for the time being.

Not long ago, Liu Wuxie had also confirmed it with Ghost Pupil. Black Crow Clan forces streamed in from afar, tightening their encirclement around Sky City until even a fly wouldn't slip through, much less a living person.

That shift likely came from the Soul Forge Art Liu Wuxie had used, which made the Black Crow Clan sense danger and mobilize their army. After all, the Soul Forge Art stood as the Black Crow Clan's nemesis, perfectly countering their soul techniques, and it was no wonder they would try everything to wipe out the Spirit Clan.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Liu Wuxie spent them cultivating, further refining his foundation.

On the third morning, rumbling sounds rolled through the air as the Black Crow Clan appeared above Sky City with their army. This was the largest force the Black Crow Clan had mobilized in the past century, blotting out the sky. When all the Spirit Clan members stepped out of their rooms and raised their heads, they stared upward and fell into heavy silence.

In the past, the clashes had stayed small. But judging by the Black Crow Clan's formation now, they had mobilized their entire force.