At that moment, Luo Yu dismissed his attendants. The singing girls who had been serving him stood up and left, followed by any other irrelevant people in the room.
Seeing this, Chu Tianxiong's expression became serious as well.
"According to our information, the army of King Shenwu has already taken over most of Danyang County. Within a year, they will control the entire county. When that happens, King Shenwu's forces will surely move into Taishan County," Luo Yu began, his tone grave.
"The Taixuan Dynasty is running out of time. In just a few years, King Shenwu has taken three counties. It's only a matter of time before he has the strength to challenge the entire realm and seize the throne.
Our task is to take control of Baishidao before then. Once King Shenwu's army arrives, we'll join forces to conquer Guangyang Prefecture. When King Shenwu ascends the throne, we'll both be his most trusted allies," Luo Yu said with conviction, his stern eyes reflecting his ambitions.
Chu Tianxiong's face changed for a moment before he broke into a smile. "It would be an honor for the Chu family to serve King Shenwu. Just tell me what needs to be done, and I will follow without hesitation!"
"The plan is simple," Luo Yu continued. "While we handle the Qin family, we'll gradually erode the other forces on Baishidao. Once King Shenwu's forces arrive, I want to make sure there is only one power here—the Tiegu Gang."
"And what about the Tianyun Sect?" Chu Tianxiong asked cautiously.
"You don't need to worry about them. Yun Changkong has already aligned himself with King Shenwu, just like I have," Luo Yu replied with a slight smile.
Relieved by this, Chu Tianxiong nodded before raising another concern. "During this time, my Chu family has been targeting the Gu family, but they haven't reacted. Despite our continuous pressure, they remain silent. Could there be something we're missing?"
Mentioning the Gu family brought a hint of fear into Chu Tianxiong's voice. He wasn't worried about them resisting; what troubled him was their lack of response. It was unsettling, as if they were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Luo Yu's expression remained indifferent. "Don't be concerned about the Gu family. Just continue to chip away at their influence. If Gu Qingfeng doesn't retaliate, all the better. If he does, I will deal with him personally. Anyone who opposes King Shenwu will meet a swift end."
Luo Yu's confidence was absolute. He had approached the Gu family for an alliance before, but they had refused. In his mind, their fate was sealed. For now, he allowed the Chu family to whittle away at their assets in secret because the Tiegu Gang was focused on the Qin family and couldn't afford a direct confrontation with the Gu family.
Moreover, attacking the Gu family openly would likely alarm the neutral forces in Baishidao, pushing them toward the Qin family—something Luo Yu wanted to avoid at all costs.
For now, the Chu family's slow encroachment was enough. Once the Qin family was eliminated, it would be easier to focus fully on the Gu family.
Hearing this, Chu Tianxiong was reassured. With the Tiegu Gang backing them, the Gu family no longer posed a real threat. Even if Gu Qingfeng was strong, he wouldn't be able to stand against Luo Yu, a veteran practitioner of blood refining, whose strength was unmatched in Baishidao.
...
Under orders from the Tiegu Gang, the Chu family increased its efforts to secretly erode the Gu family's assets. However, they refrained from direct confrontations, using intermediaries and minor provocations instead.
Chu Tianxiong had hoped the Gu family would lose their patience and strike back, giving him a legitimate reason to destroy them with the help of the Tiegu Gang. But to his disappointment, the Gu family remained calm, ignoring the mounting pressure and seeming indifferent to their losses.
It was as if they were waiting for something.
...
Meanwhile, back at the Gu family estate, Meng Peng continued to report on the external situation to Gu Qingfeng. Despite the increasing threats, Gu Qingfeng took no action, though inwardly, he had already made up his mind to destroy the Chu family.
For now, the timing wasn't right.
Gu Qingfeng continued to train diligently, focusing on perfecting his Fiery Sun Palm technique. The fourth level was proving difficult, and even after a month of practice, he had only just begun to grasp its essence.
At the same time, he was channeling all the Gu family's resources toward Gu Yang's advancement.
...
One day, as Gu Qingfeng was deep in training, the long-silent information panel before him flashed with new updates:
"Your descendant 'Gu Yang' has reached the Perfection of the Leather Refining Realm!"
"Reward: 10 Improvement Points!"
"Reward: 100 Blood Refining Pills!"
"Reward: Intermediate Martial Art - Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique!"
A rare smile appeared on Gu Qingfeng's face as he read the messages. Gu Yang had finally reached perfection in the skin refining realm, and the rewards were more generous than he had expected.
Without hesitation, Gu Qingfeng used the improvement points to enhance his Fiery Sun Palm technique.
...
"1 point used!"
"Fiery Sun Palm advanced to level 5!"
...
"2 points used!"
"Fiery Sun Palm advanced to level 6!"
...
"Breakthrough..."
...
"2 points used!"
"Fiery Sun Palm advanced to level 9!"
...
In just moments, Gu Qingfeng elevated his Fiery Sun Palm from the fourth to the ninth level in one seamless progression.
AN - Give more powerstones and write more reviews