"Old man Qin Ye here, may I ask which esteemed figure from Qingyang Immortal Nation I have the honor of meeting?"
At the outskirts of Qin City, facing tens of thousands of cultivators from the Qingyang Immortal Nation, Qin Ye's brows twitched involuntarily.
In front of him, even the lesser cultivators were at the Refining Organs stage, while most had reached the Transforming Dragon stage. Among them were those whose auras made Qin Ye's heart tremble, signifying the realm of True Lords, an elite existence even in the ancient desolate lands.
Some sect leaders and cave elders were all at the True Lord level.
The leader's concealed aura caused Qin Ye's heart and mind to tremble even more.
"A True Lord indeed!"
Such an aura was unforgettable for Qin Ye.
"I am Xu Bo, the young master of the Xu family from Qingyang Immortal Nation. The promise made by the Qin family to the Immortal Nation still echoes. Now, the three-day deadline has passed, and the Qin family should provide a satisfactory answer to the Immortal Nation!"
Xu Bo's gaze was indifferent as he scrutinized Qin Ye, ready to suppress him without hesitation if he uttered a word of refusal.
Having broken through to the early stage of the sixth tier, Xu Bo's strength was incomparable to before. Although not as powerful as Gu Fang or Zhang Ming, he was still among the elite.
In the entire Qingyang Immortal Nation, there were very few who had reached the sixth tier.
In Xu Bo's eyes, Qin Ye's fourth-tier Transforming Dragon cultivation was insignificant, like an ant.
Were it not for the Immortal Nation's intention to recruit Qin City, Xu Bo would have already led his troops to flatten the entire city.
Decades ago, many cultivators from the Xu family fell at the hands of the Ancient Desolation forces, and Xu Bo remembered this blood feud deeply.
Although the destruction of the three great caves had somewhat alleviated his past hatred, Xu Bo dared not defy the orders of the Immortal Nation.
No matter how strong the Xu family was, it could not contend with the entire Immortal Nation.
If Qin Ye was willing to surrender, Xu Bo would reclaim Qin City as ordered; if he refused, the army would stain Qin City with blood.
Truth be told, Xu Bo hoped Qin Ye would refuse.
Thus, he could annihilate Qin City in one fell swoop.
Not only for the blood feud but also for the rich resources within Qin City, which were extremely tempting.
Capturing Qin City would bring great benefits to the Xu family.
Although the Qin family only had fourth-tier Transforming Dragon cultivators, as an ancient force with hundreds or even thousands of years of heritage, controlling a vast city, its foundation was extraordinary.
While Xu Bo was contemplating, Qin Ye hesitated and slowly said, "The Qingyang Immortal Nation is naturally a welcome guest to this old man, but this matter concerns the entire Qin family and cannot be decided by me alone."
"I hope the young master will grant us some time so that I can discuss with the rest of the family and provide a satisfactory answer."
Upon hearing this, Xu Bo's gaze turned cold. "Qin Ye, there's no need to delay. I am not here to negotiate but to convey the Immortal Nation's decree."
"Today, the Qin family must either surrender or perish with Qin City, there is no other choice."
"Young master…"
Qin Ye's face changed abruptly, wanting to say more but hesitated.
Xu Bo interrupted, "To be blunt, half a day ago, both Tianyang and Taixu Caves were annihilated. The three great caves now exist only in history; Qingyang Immortal Nation reigns supreme."
"Those who oppose the Immortal Nation meet no good end. I hope the Qin family does not seek its own destruction."
"What!"
Qin Ye and the elders behind him turned pale upon hearing this.
Tianyang and Taixu Caves, destroyed in an instant?
In just a few days!
Although these two caves were not as profound as the Ancient Desolation Cave, they were still deeply rooted and significant, yet they were wiped out so swiftly, leaving people speechless.
Qin Ye didn't believe the Immortal Nation could destroy the two caves in such a short time, but with the army of the Immortal Nation before him, there was no room for doubt.
Anyone could see that if the Qin family didn't comply, Qin City would be reduced to nothing.
While Qin Ye remained silent, Xu Bo spoke again, "You have one quarter of an hour to consider. If there is no satisfactory answer by then, Qin City will be no more."
These words were scornful, angering many Qin family cultivators who glared at Xu Bo, wishing to fight him immediately.
However, no one dared act rashly. The terrifying aura emanating from Xu Bo was bone-chilling.
A True Lord!
Before the restraints of immortality were lifted, he was among the top existences in the Ancient Desolation.
Even though the restraints had loosened now, his status remained extraordinary.
After all, no saint had emerged in the Ancient Desolation, and the only Dao-proven individual, Gu Tiangang, had fallen.
Time flowed slowly, and the city outside fell into eerie silence. People within Qin City, witnessing this scene, secretly sweated for the Qin family.
They feared the Qin family would act on impulse, leading to mutual destruction with the Qingyang Immortal Nation. If that happened, Qin City would cease to exist.
"A quarter of an hour has passed. It seems the Qin family lord has decided to fight to the death. In that case, I shall fulfill your wish!"
After a quarter of an hour, Xu Bo spoke slowly, and the aura of a sixth-tier True Lord spread, causing the surrounding space to tremble slightly.
As he raised his right hand, ready to give the order, Qin Ye, unable to bear the pressure, hurriedly shouted, "The Qin family surrenders!"
At these words, the tense atmosphere dissipated.
Xu Bo's eyes remained cold. "Those who know the times are wise. Since the Qin family lord has surrendered, from today, Qin City will be under the control of the Qingyang Immortal Nation."
"In this expedition, the Immortal Nation's military expenses are tight. I hope the Qin family can provide one million jin of spirit stones to support the army."
One million jin of spirit stones!
Qin Ye's heart tightened, wanting to refuse but hesitated. Facing Xu Bo's cold gaze, he finally swallowed his words.
"Understood!"
Qin Ye managed to utter the words with difficulty, feeling as if his heart was bleeding.
One million jin of spirit stones!
This amount would empty the Qin family's reserves.
Yet Qin Ye dared not disobey. Under such power, he had no choice but to bow. A careless word could lead to the extermination of his family.
Seeing his agreement, Xu Bo smiled in satisfaction. "The Qin family lord is straightforward. The Qin family's contribution of one million jin of spirit stones will be reported. The Immortal Nation will not forget the Qin family's merit."
"This is what the Qin family should do."
Qin Ye forced a bitter smile, his heart bleeding.
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