Han Ping was a young man with a squint who hailed from the Pill Alliance. Ever since Han Tianqing of the Pill Alliance reached the Nascent Soul realm on White Mountain, the Han Family had grown thoroughly arrogant.

As part of the tenth-greatest power on White Mountain and a member of the Han Family’s clan, Han Ping had always been incredibly arrogant.

Furthermore, after reaching Foundation Establishment, he had awakened a Lifebound Talent: the Delusory Wind Bell, which rendered him immune to any Cultivator’s Soul Search. This made him highly valued within the Pill Alliance, to the point that wherever he went, other sects treated him with the utmost courtesy, all but groveling at his feet.

But this time, when he arrived at the Qingyuan Sect and tried to put on his usual airs, he was met with a cold shoulder. Han Ping wanted to teach Fang Qingyuan a lesson, but then he remembered he had a favor to ask. So, he forced a smile and chose to endure it for now.

In the reception hall, seeing Han Ping’s beaming expression, Fang Qingyuan asked calmly,

"I wonder what brings Fellow Daoist Han to my Qingyuan Sect. For more than ten years, my sect and the Pill Alliance have always kept to our own affairs. You haven’t come here today just to make things difficult for me, have you?"

Fang Qingyuan’s words showed no regard for Han Ping’s dignity. As the saying goes, you don’t hit a man who’s smiling, but at that moment, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t care less about saving anyone’s face.

As the master of the Qingyuan Sect, a title granted to his family for three generations, and with his roots in the Beast Taming Sect, he had the confidence to back up his words.

Stung by Fang Qingyuan’s words, Han Ping’s expression soured. But after a few moments, his smile returned.

"Sect Leader Fang, I’ve come today to ask for a favor. The Pill Alliance would like you to act as an intermediary for us to find a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect. We need them to venture into the Barbaric Wilderness and bring back a Spirit Beast."

Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan’s interest was piqued. He asked curiously,

"Shouldn’t you be taking this to the Vice Master of the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect? What’s the point of coming to me?"

Han Ping gave a bitter smile.

"We would have if we could. But the matter is quite sensitive, and we don’t want the Spirit Wood Alliance or the Li Huo Alliance to know about it. That means we can’t openly go and request help from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect. Therefore, we’d like to ask you, Sect Leader Fang, to act as a liaison. After the matter is concluded, the Pill Alliance will certainly offer a handsome reward."

Fang Qingyuan studied Han Ping’s expression. It didn’t seem like he was lying. He didn’t reply at once, instead rapidly calculating the situation in his mind.

The Barbaric Wilderness had never been a welcoming place for human Cultivators. Once one entered, they were certain to be attacked by demon beasts of a corresponding level, unless they possessed special techniques to avoid it.

It was as if the collective will of the Barbaric Wilderness itself was at work. For tens of thousands of years, this had been the reality for any human who dared set foot in this land.

However, the Beast Taming Sect specialized in studying and dealing with all types of demon beasts. They naturally possessed unique methods and Divine Techniques that allowed them to enter the Barbaric Wilderness while reducing their chances of being attacked.

For instance, they used special beast-repelling medicines, disguised their auras as those of High-level Demon Beasts, or brought along a powerful Spirit Beast to hide within its presence. With such methods, disciples of the Beast Taming Sect moved through the Barbaric Wilderness like fish in water, far more easily than disciples from any other sect.

’The Pill Alliance must have encountered a difficult problem in the Barbaric Wilderness,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’That would explain why they’re now seeking help from the professionals at the Beast Taming Sect.’

’But if the Pill Alliance wants to work with the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, they can’t do it with any fanfare. The Spirit Wood Alliance and the Li Huo Alliance are watching like hungry tigers. If either of them found out, they would surely resort to dirty tricks to sabotage the mission.’

’The Spirit Wood Alliance holds a deep grudge against the newly risen Pill Alliance, ever since the dispute over the Land Realm’s division fifteen years ago. If they saw an opportunity to weaken the Pill Alliance, they would never pass it up.’

Remembering how the Spirit Wood and Li Huo Alliances had secretly suppressed the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect in the past, Fang Qingyuan thought, ’Perhaps it would be beneficial for the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect to get closer to the Pill Alliance now. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’

With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan was inclined to make this happen. But seeing Han Ping’s desperate expression, he decided he could drive up the price.

"Ordinarily, I wouldn’t question this, but the Barbaric Wilderness is fraught with peril. You must first tell me how deep you intend to go and whether the path will cross the territory of any Golden Core Demon Beasts—or perhaps even Nascent Soul Demon Beasts. Also, I’ve always considered the Pill Alliance to be quite wealthy, seeing as you monopolize more than half of the Elixir Pill market on White Mountain. So, the compensation for this task ought to be quite generous, wouldn’t you say?"

At this point, what more could Han Ping say? The White Mountain Beast Taming Sect was one of a kind, and it was close by. If he couldn’t secure their help, what was the alternative? Travel ten thousand miles to the Southern Border to ask Di Qing for help?

.....

「The next day.」

Fang Qingyuan had Han Ping remain at the Qingyuan Sect as a guest while he and Jinbao flew swiftly toward the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect.

Once he found Lechuan, Fang Qingyuan brought up the matter. After hearing Fang Qingyuan’s analysis, Lechuan took out a map showing the border where the depths of White Mountain met the Barbaric Wilderness and began to study it.

The White Mountain Beast Taming Sect had not been idle over the past decade or so. The pioneering wars had ended, but Lechuan had continued to send disciples to scout the conditions along the border of the Barbaric Wilderness. The one who had ventured deepest had gone over a thousand miles into its territory, and the information sent back was highly valuable.

All of this was in preparation for the next pioneering war. After all, Lechuan was young enough to see it happen. If they chose to continue expanding into White Mountain, the intelligence gathered over the years would be worth a great number of merit points.

Even if they couldn’t wait for the next war, the information was valuable in its own right. And now, wasn’t it proving its worth?