Lingyunzi was left speechless by Zhang Yang, but he was also somewhat angered by Liang Fang.

What did he mean by saying there was no elder to educate him?

For the past ten years, they had been wholeheartedly nurturing Zhang Yang, investing a lot of effort.

What was this Clearwind Sect he had never even heard of, daring to boast so shamelessly?

He made his move, and it was a serious one.

At this moment, Liang Fang was rendered speechless by Zhang Yang. What did he mean by saying the cultivation time didn't match?

Just as he was about to take action, he suddenly felt a tremendous shock in his mind, as if a piercing coldness was rushing straight to his forehead. With a thought, his defensive magical treasure activated instantly, and a mirror floated in the air, emitting a hazy glow that enveloped his entire body.

"Hmph, trying to ambush me? Not a chance!" Liang Fang sneered confidently.

"Bang—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the protective shield shattered instantly, and the mirror turned into fragments.

However, thanks to the obstruction of the defensive magical treasure, Liang Fang finally saw what was attacking him—a flying sword about the length of a palm.

"A flying sword!" Liang Fang was terrified and hurriedly shouted, "Fellow Daoist, please stop! Spare me, senior!"

Among cultivators, sword cultivators had far greater killing power than ordinary cultivators.

More importantly, someone capable of nurturing such a terrifying flying sword was clearly beyond the Core Formation Stage.

Realizing the situation was dire, Liang Fang could only beg for mercy.

Lingyunzi did not go too far and withdrew the flying sword.

The flying sword vanished in a flash, and Liang Fang breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Yang appeared before him: "Spare your life? Pay the ransom! Calculate how much a peak Golden Core is worth and convert it into a price for me."

"What did you say?" Liang Fang couldn't help but ask.

He had just lost a protective magical treasure and hadn't even spoken, yet he was being asked to pay a ransom?

Zhang Yang said calmly, "This was originally a matter for the Xiao Clan and had nothing to do with your Clearwind Sect, but you chose to get involved. Could it be that your Clearwind Sect is also involved in stealing from our Azurecloud Mine? The Clearwind Sect is a sect, yet it engages in such thievery?"

The onlookers cast surprised glances at Liang Fang.

"No, no, no, this has nothing to do with our Clearwind Sect!" Liang Fang hurriedly waved his hands, firmly denying it.

He had to deny it; if the Clearwind Sect's reputation was tarnished, who would want to join them in the future? Who would continue to do business with them?

"I'm friends with Xiao Jianchun, and I came this time to help a friend." Liang Fang continued to explain, taking the opportunity to curry favor with the Azurecloud Sect, "He said some people were impersonating members of the Azurecloud Sect to cause trouble, and I thought the Azurecloud Sect is an ancient sect whose reputation should not be sullied, so I came to help."

The implication was that he had already considered the Azurecloud Sect's reputation, and yet they were still giving him trouble?

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, "That's not what you said earlier. You even wanted to educate me on behalf of my elders, and I heard it all clearly."

He turned to Lingyunzi and said, "Uncle Master, it seems you need to pay a visit to the Clearwind Sect. They seem quite unusual!"

Lingyunzi nodded slightly. He was straightforward and thought the same.

Liang Fang's expression froze, and after a moment, he hurriedly said, "This is just a small matter; there's no need to trouble the senior with such trivialities. Oh, I finally remembered, you are the esteemed Lingyun senior of the Azurecloud Sect. You once guided my master. My master always told me never to forget the kindness of your guidance. If I ever had the fortune to meet you, I must present a generous gift. This is a token of my respect, please accept it, senior."

After speaking, he handed over several jade boxes and bottles of alchemical pills.

Lingyunzi was taken aback, genuinely believing there was such a matter, and couldn't help but ask, "Who is your master?"

This question left Liang Fang dumbfounded. Why was this senior still pursuing the matter?

Was he not going to let him off?

Zhang Yang stepped forward, accepting the jade boxes and pills from Liang Fang, and said with a smile, "Uncle Master, you have so many important matters to remember, it's normal to forget."

He knew very well that the Clearwind Sect was several hundred miles away from Azurecloud. If Liang Fang's master truly wanted to express gratitude to Azurecloud, would he not be willing to take a few steps?

Lingyunzi glanced at Zhang Yang and did not press further.

Zhang Yang then turned to Xiao Jianchun and said calmly, "Your Xiao Clan stole from our Azurecloud Mine. I asked your clan to come to Azurecloud not only to explain but also to discuss the possibility of collaborating on mining operations.

Since the Xiao Clan doesn't appreciate the opportunity, there's no need to discuss further. We'll find someone else to mine the site, but your clan must compensate for the mining income over the years. By the way, the talisman I used to hit you earlier should also be accounted for."

Xiao Jianchun's face changed dramatically, and he hurriedly said, "Our Xiao Clan is willing to compensate, but since we're already involved, why not let us continue mining the site?"

In reality, the Azurecloud Sect had not been active outside for a long time. To the outside world, it seemed as if the Azurecloud Sect had sealed itself off.

Especially in recent decades, they hadn't even accepted new disciples, which further indicated the situation.

As a result, the concept of "Azurecloud" had faded in many people's minds.

Another issue was, who knew where the Azurecloud Sect's territory was back in the day?

Moreover, with the Clearwind Sect's support, this was why the Xiao Clan dared to enter Azurecloud's territory to mine.

When news of the Azurecloud Sect emerged, the Xiao Clan and Clearwind Sect didn't believe it.

Their first instinct was that someone was impersonating the Azurecloud Sect.

Another possibility was that a younger disciple of the Azurecloud Sect had made a decision on their own.

The style of this action was entirely unlike the Azurecloud Sect's usual behavior, leading to the joint action by the Clearwind Sect and the Xiao Clan.

They hadn't expected to kick an iron plate, with a powerful expert emerging from the Azurecloud Sect.

Once the situation was confirmed, they had no choice but to concede.

Especially since Zhang Yang mentioned the possibility of a mining collaboration, how could the Xiao Clan not seize the opportunity?

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The Xiao Clan had invested heavily in the copper mine, just to open the mine shaft. How could they let others take advantage of it?

Lingyunzi furrowed his brows and communicated with Zhang Yang, "Why don't we mine it ourselves?"

Since the copper mine belonged to Azurecloud and was important to them, they should naturally keep it in their own hands.

Zhang Yang replied helplessly, "We don't have enough people!"

Currently, the few elders of the Azurecloud Sect were not very involved in affairs, and the newly initiated disciples hadn't matured yet. He was the only one who could manage things, but how much could he handle?

"Another issue is, if we don't let the Xiao Clan continue mining, we'll completely offend both the Xiao Clan and the Clearwind Sect," Zhang Yang continued, "Azurecloud hasn't been active outside for many years. While it's reasonable to reclaim what's ours, leaving no room for others would be very detrimental to our future."

"The Clearwind Sect and the Xiao Clan can't withstand a single strike from my sword!" Lingyunzi snorted coldly.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "They only stole something; it's not a crime worthy of death... Immortal cultivation isn't just about fighting; it's about human relations! Anyway, these things aren't your forte, so I'll handle them."

After briefly explaining to his uncle master, Zhang Yang turned to Xiao Jianchun and said, "Then let's start with compensation and see your Xiao Clan's sincerity before deciding whether to cooperate with you."

Xiao Jianchun hurriedly gestured, "Please come inside, and let's sit down and discuss this slowly!"