In his later years, he was backstabbed by his third wife, and he awakened the Wei Xiaobao system

The dusk was heavy, and the Muyun Pavilion of Luoyun Sect was shrouded in a curtain of drizzling rain.

The window frame was slightly open, and wisps of sandalwood wrapped in the fishy smell of rain quietly came in.

Li Qingfeng stood by the window, his hands behind his back, his gaze following the dangling raindrops on the eaves. He listened to the bamboo forest outside the courtyard rustling in the night wind, like a low, mournful song. His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the fierce battle in the meeting hall today.

At this moment, a very slight sound of tiles came from outside the pavilion, breaking the silence.

Li Qingfeng's eyes flashed, and he saw a black shadow like an owl in the dark night swooping down from the sky and landing steadily on the bluestone steps outside the pavilion.

The visitor lifted up his hat, revealing a hideous scar on his left cheek. The scar extended diagonally from the corner of his eye to his jaw, like a shocking ravine. It was the mark left by his bloody battle with the demon clan thirty years ago.

This person was none other than Wang Tong, a guest elder of Zhenlong Valley. He wore the "Hidden Dragon Pendant," a unique piece of Zhenlong Valley, around his waist, but he had inadvertently concealed it with his sleeve, clearly not wanting others to discover his identity.

"Friend Li, you are entertaining guests late at night. Have you prepared the fragrant tea?"

Wang Tong pulled up a faint smile and asked, his voice low and hoarse, as if coming from the bottom of a deep ancient well.

Li Qingfeng calmly waved his hand to signal the disciples beside him to retreat, and then flicked his fingertips lightly, and a stream of spiritual power was accurately injected into the bronze teapot on the table.

Instantly, the water in the teapot began to boil, gurgling, and steam rose, filling the entire room. "Wang climbed over the wall late at night. Isn't he afraid of triggering our Luoyun Sect's 'Dragon Trapping Formation'?" Li Qingfeng's tone was calm and unperturbed, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

Wang Tong threw his head back and laughed out loud. His laughter echoed in the pavilion, making the papers on the window frames rustle.

He reached into his bosom, took out a dark jade slip, and slammed it on the table with a "pa" sound.

The jade slip slowly spread out, and an extremely detailed map of the military distribution of the seven countries in the Northern Wilderness appeared before the two of them.

"If our Dragon Valley can't even break this little array, how can we possibly unite the seven kingdoms and achieve hegemony?"

Wang Tong stared at Li Qingfeng with a blazing gaze. "Fellow Daoist Li, please look. The Great Qin has been destroyed. Now, if Dayu can unite the other six kingdoms, the three million miles of spiritual veins in the Northern Wilderness will be within its grasp. Such abundant resources are enough to make Dayu the overlord of the Northern Wilderness."

Li Qingfeng glanced at the densely packed information on the jade slip and was secretly amazed.

Zhenlong Valley's intelligence network is so pervasive that they even know the deployment of the mysterious "Xuanbing Army" of the Great Yan Kingdom.

He calmly picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Yuan Huai proposed the unification of the seven kingdoms in the meeting hall the other day, and Su Zhan almost drew his sword. I feel that Li is just a casual cultivator. How can I be so worthy as to suppress the other five kingdoms?"

Wang Tong leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice with a hint of allure, "My Dragon Valley Town is willing to be your strongest backing. If the Great Yu Kingdom proclaims itself emperor, our town will open the 'Dragon Control Secret Realm' for your disciples to cultivate in. Furthermore, we are willing to share 30% of the proceeds from exploring the Demon Emperor's tomb with your sect—of course, the prerequisite is that you sign an 'offensive and defensive alliance' contract with our town."

Outside the window, a loud thunder exploded, as if to tear apart the depressing night sky.

In a flash of lightning, Li Qingfeng keenly caught the moment when Wang Tong's sleeve slipped down, revealing half of the golden chain tattoo.

He was startled. That was the mark of the "Blood Contract" of Zhenlong Valley. Once a soul contract was signed, it would be impossible to betray it for the rest of their lives, and they would become vassals of Zhenlong Valley.

"The grave has not yet appeared, so it is too early to talk about profits."

Li Qingfeng calmly pushed the jade slip back, his expression indifferent. "Besides, I am just a casual cultivator. If I suddenly ascend to the throne, I will probably be punished by heaven."

Wang Tong's expression changed slightly, and the teacup in his hand cracked with a "click" sound as he unconsciously exerted force.

"Does Fellow Daoist Li know that the Yutian Divine Sect's 'Sky Shocking Army' is secretly forging the 'God-Slaying Crossbow'? If they knew our town had contact with you, they would probably take action in advance, setting off a bloody storm." Wang Tong's tone was threatening, his eyes fixed on Li Qingfeng, trying to catch a trace of panic on his face.

......

Just two hours after the envoy from Zhenlong Valley left, Zhao Bolu, the leader of the "Iron Guard" of the Yutian Divine Sect, walked into the Luoyun Sect's mountain gate in broad daylight.

This man was nine feet tall, with a sturdy and strong build, like a towering mountain.

He was wearing heavy black iron armor, and every step he took left a deep footprint on the bluestone slabs, as if declaring to the world his strength and inviolability.

Behind him, four monks, also wearing heavy armor, carried a huge bronze box. The gilded patterns on the corners of the box gleamed in the sunlight, the very symbol of the Imperial Heavenly Battle Flag.

"Senior Li, Zhao is here to visit me. Are you not welcome?"

Zhao Polu's voice was like a resounding bell, shaking the dust from the beams above. He strode forward, unrolling a scroll in his hand. "I, Zhao, have come with a letter from the Sect Master."

Li Qingfeng took the scroll and slowly unfolded it. Su Zhan's powerful, penetrating handwriting came into view: "Zhenlong Valley wants to use you to control the Northern Wilderness's spiritual veins. Their intentions are despicable. If you can maintain the Seven Kingdoms, our town will give you three 'Mysterious Crystal Mineral Veins' and the complete 'Demon-Slaying Sword Technique'."

Li Qingfeng raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of subtle surprise flashing in his eyes: "Master Su, you are very generous. However, your sect and my town have always kept to themselves. Why are you suddenly so generous?"

Zhao Bolu waved his hand, signaling his followers to open the bronze box.

The lid of the box slowly opened, revealing twelve fist-sized black crystals neatly stacked inside. Each piece exuded a rich aura of thunder, shining brightly.

"To be honest, our town has received a secret—Zhenlong Valley has buried a 'Soul Devouring Formation' beneath the ruins of the Great Qin. Once the seven kingdoms are united, the spiritual energy of the cultivators from each nation will be continuously channeled into the 'Soul Gathering Tower' in Zhenlong Valley. This conspiracy is truly outrageous." Zhao Bolu's tone was indignant, but his expression was unpredictable.

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Li Qingfeng's heart.

He suddenly remembered the abnormal spiritual power fluctuations he had sensed in the Great Qin Underground Palace when he suppressed Lu Yunyan. At that time, he thought it was just the remnants of the Mad Blood, but he never expected that there was such a sinister conspiracy hidden behind it by the Dragon Suppression Valley.

"Zhao knows that Senior Li cares about the Northern Wilderness and the people."

Zhao Bolu's tone slowed down slightly, his expression tinged with sincerity. "Our town also doesn't want to see the people suffer and their lives suffer. As long as Senior rejects the Dragon Valley, our town is willing to form a 'life and death alliance' with the Luoyun Sect, providing 100,000 spirit stones annually as military expenses, and work hand in hand with your sect to resist the Dragon Valley's ambitions."

Outside the window, the rain was getting heavier, and the raindrops as big as beans hit the window frame, making crackling sounds.

Li Qingfeng looked at the black crystal in the box that was emitting an alluring light, and his mind couldn't help but emerge with the scene where Han Yinyue was in urgent need of thunder attribute spiritual materials when she broke through.

But he also knew very well that the Imperial Heaven Sect's move was just to use him to check and balance the Dragon Valley. The so-called "alliance" was nothing more than a transaction of interests.

"Commander Zhao, you know," Li Qingfeng suddenly laughed bitterly, his expression full of helplessness, "If I don't agree to Zhenlong Valley, Zhenlong Valley will probably not tolerate me, Li Qingfeng."

Zhao Bolu's face darkened, clearly not expecting the Dragon Suppression Valley to have such a trick. He clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, senior. I can calmly handle this for you. As long as you..."

"That's enough." Li Qingfeng raised his hand to interrupt him, his expression calm but revealing an unquestionable determination. "I'm not a child. I won't believe everything I hear. I don't want to get involved in the feud between your clan and Zhenlong Valley."

......

At five o'clock in the morning, the rain finally stopped.

Li Qingfeng stood alone on the top of Juyun Pavilion, gazing into the distance. The eastern sky was alight with a hint of paleness, and the dawn was breaking, but it failed to dispel the gloom in his heart.

The words of the two messengers echoed in his mind, tangled and intertwined like a tangled mess. The Dragon Suppression Valley's "blood contract" seemed alluring, but in reality it was an invisible shackle. Once put on, one would be completely tied to the Dragon Suppression Valley's chariot.

The "Mysterious Crystal" of the Imperial Heavenly Divine Sect was indeed precious, but the God-killing Crossbow plan hidden behind it made him smell a more dangerous aura, perhaps even more threatening than the Dragon Suppression Valley.

"Qingfeng."

Han Yinyue's voice came softly from behind. She held the freshly refined "Soul Purification Pill" in her hand and looked at Li Qingfeng with concern.

"I used my spiritual sense to carefully scan the jade slip left by Wang Tong. There are three hidden restrictions inside."

Li Qingfeng took the jade slip and slowly inserted spiritual power into it with his fingertips.

As expected, beneath that detailed troop map lay the "draft alliance agreement" with the Dragon Suppression Valley. He carefully scanned the terms, his expression growing increasingly gloomy. Among them was a requirement that Luoyun Sect disciples undergo regular "spiritual power testing" by the Dragon Suppression Valley—a clear attempt to completely control his direct lineage and bring the Luoyun Sect under the control of the Dragon Suppression Valley.

"The mysterious crystals from the Yutian Divine Sect," Han Yinyue's eyes fell on the bronze box beside her, her expression solemn. "Each one is engraved with the 'Yutian' mark. From what I can see, they might have been planted with tracking symbols."

Li Qingfeng sighed deeply, storing the jade slip and black crystal in his storage ring. He smiled bitterly and said, "Neither side is easy to deal with. Zhenlong Valley wants to use me to unite the seven kingdoms, but in reality, they want to use me as their puppet emperor and manipulate them at will. The Yutian Divine Sect is afraid that I will become too powerful and threaten their position, so they want me to continue to be their shield to check and balance Zhenlong Valley."

Han Yinyue handed the Spirit Refreshing Pill to him and asked softly, "So how do you plan to deal with this?"

Li Qingfeng swallowed the pill, feeling the cool spiritual energy flow into his sea of ​​consciousness like a gurgling stream, and his thoughts gradually cleared. "Let's delay first. Tell Zhenlong Valley that we need time to convince the other countries, and let them think that our town is seriously considering an alliance. Tell the Yutian Divine Sect that we're investigating the authenticity of the Soul Devouring Formation to reassure them."

He looked towards the Black Abyss in the west, his eyes firm and deep. "The most important thing now is to find out the location of the Demon Emperor's tomb, and what unspeakable secrets the Dragon Suppression Valley has buried beneath the ruins of the Great Qin."

Han Yinyue nodded slightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something, her expression frosted. "I discovered the demon race's 'Spirit-Attracting Grass' ingredient in the formula for the 'Demon-Breaking Pill' Yao Qingmeng sent me today. I'm afraid the Skyfire Pill Alliance isn't clean either, and they might be involved in this conflict."

When Li Qingfeng heard this, a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Of the four major forces in the Northern Wilderness, none can be fully trusted now. All parties have ulterior motives and will do anything for their own benefit.

He subconsciously clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he felt no pain at all. "It seems that Li's title of 'Savior of the Northern Wasteland' is truly a hot potato. If I'm not careful, I'll be burned to ashes by the flames of this political conspiracy."

......

The first ray of sunlight in the early morning fell on Luoyun Sect. The melodious sound of the morning bell echoed through the valley, startling the birds perched on the branches.

However, Li Qingfeng remained awake all night, unfazed. He summoned ten clones and set up the "Big Dipper Seven Killing Formation" in the center of the martial arts arena. Each clone wielded a different magical weapon, their spiritual energy surging through their bodies, simulating the attack methods of the four major forces. For a moment, the martial arts arena was filled with spiritual energy, and light and shadow intertwined.

"Master, how should we deal with the 'blood pact' in Suppressing Dragon Valley?"

The green-robed clone, holding a magical instrument similar to the one used in the Dragon Valley, asked. He was responsible for simulating the Dragon Valley's skills, and his expression was somewhat solemn.

"False and arrogant."

Li Qingfeng's eyes were stern. He waved his hand and produced the Zhenlong Valley's covenant jade slip. "Use the 'Yin Yang Talisman' to forge a cultivation experience and give it back to them. This will make Zhenlong Valley think that we are seriously considering cooperation. This will help stabilize them and buy more time."

"Where's the Yutian Divine Sect's tracking talisman?" The red-robed clone held a black crystal, lightning flashing around him as he simulated the Yutian Divine Sect's lightning-attribute attack, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Use their tactics against them." Li Qingfeng sneered and took out the Demon-Slaying Pills from the Skyfire Pill Alliance. "Distribute these pills to the cultivators on the border and tell them that the Imperial Heavenly Divine Sect and the Skyfire Pill Alliance are jointly supporting us.

If Su Zhan knew there was something wrong with Yao Qingmeng's recipe, with his fiery temper, he would probably blow up the Tianhuo Danmeng's furnace. Then, there would be a good show to watch."

At this moment, a disciple hurried over, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly: "Master, the Lord of Daheng has sent an envoy with a 'Memorial to the King', requesting that our town send troops to help him unify the three northern kingdoms."

Li Qingfeng took the petition, unfolded it, and saw that it said "We are willing to follow Dayu as the legitimate ruler and jointly suppress the rebellion in Zhenlong Valley."

He suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with exhaustion and irony. "What a 'loyalist'! He clearly wants to use the power of our town to annex neighboring countries and expand his own influence. Of the seven kingdoms of the Northern Wasteland, there really isn't a single one who's easy to deal with. Each one has ulterior motives and will do anything for the sake of profit."

Han Yinyue stood aside, watching him laugh until tears came out, and felt a pang of heartache in her heart.

She gently grasped Li Qingfeng's hand, her spiritual energy flowing slowly through her fingertips into his body, trying to soothe his weary mind. "No matter how difficult the road ahead, we'll face it together. At worst, we can be the chess players who stir up the storm, rather than the chess pieces at the mercy of others."

Li Qingfeng looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds gradually dispersing. A crescent moon hung alone in the sky, casting a cool light.

Now, he has been pushed to the forefront by various forces, caught in the vortex of power struggles, unable to control himself. Perhaps, as Han Yinyue said, instead of passively accepting the blow, it is better to take the initiative and control his own destiny.

"Pass the order down," Li Qingfeng took a deep breath, his voice full of strength, firm and powerful. "Luoyun Sect will close its mountain gates from today, and all disciples will enter combat readiness. Also, send a letter back to Zhenlong Valley and Yutian Divine Sect respectively - saying that I am willing to sit down and discuss the conditions of a 'win-win' situation."

Han Yinyue raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes: "Are you planning to use their conflict to buy us time?"

Li Qingfeng smiled slightly, a cunning glint in his eyes. "It's not just about time. I want to make Zhenlong Valley think that my town is considering an alliance, and make Yutian Divine Sect think that my town is wavering. At the same time..."

He looked towards Heiyuan with a determined gaze. "I want to go to the ruins of the Great Qin Dynasty myself to see what the hell is going on in Zhenlong Valley and uncover the truth behind all this conspiracy."

The morning bell rang again, and the long bell echoed in the valley.

Li Qingfeng watched the gradually awakening Luoyun Sect, and a comprehensive plan was already in his mind. No matter what kind of dangerous and dangerous situation awaited him, he would rely on his wisdom and courage to forge his own path - a bright path that would protect the Northern Wilderness while not being swallowed by political schemes.