"Since the Elder's story is finished, why not skip some of the uninteresting parts?"
Ji Yuan sighed, his expression somewhat helpless. "What exactly do you want to do?"
He didn't believe the other party had gone to such lengths just to tell a story.
All actions ultimately lead to a reasonable motive, also known as a purpose.
"Let's make a deal."
Elder Qing Liu withdrew his killing intent, then revealed a smile.
He seemed to have returned to the wise old man with sparkling eyes he had first met.
Yet, this demeanor was somewhat laughable to the few people present. If he were truly wise, why would he treat others as fools?
"What deal? Help you betray the Yu clan?"
Tang Mu Huan sneered, and it was only due to his remarkable self-restraint that he didn't immediately strike down the alien in front of him.
However, Ji Yuan's heart suddenly stirred. He looked deeply at the alien elder before him. "Tell me about your so-called deal."
"Let's join forces to thwart the Yu clan's scheme. Everything they have accumulated over ten thousand years will be yours."
Elder Qing Liu said slowly, "All we require is for the Yu clan to disappear from this world. We will not contend for anything else."
So it was!
This statement confirmed Ji Yuan's earlier guess and finally clarified some issues.
The reason no one exposed them on the spot was that those people coveted the Yu clan's heritage. To achieve this, they needed the cooperation of the four subordinate races, including the Ximu clan, and the beings sheltered by the Yu clan in Jue Xian Valley.
The reason various factions chose to trust the other party, apart from the irresistible benefits, was the stance of these subordinate races and their beings.
"Let me guess, if the Yu clan's scheme succeeds, you will be the first to be eliminated, won't you?"
Ji Yuan asked with a half-smile.
Beside him, Jiang Yun Zhou and Tang Mu Huan looked over, clearly having understood some key issues.
All betrayal stemmed from the fact that once the Yu clan's scheme succeeded, they would be eliminated first, serving as the driving force.
They were both tools for the Yu clan to harvest spiritual energy and the spiritual energy they cultivated.
Now, as the Yu clan's scheme neared completion, they naturally could no longer sit idle. Thus, they had invited various factions. However, even with the people from the prefecture court present, their strength was still insufficient.
At this critical juncture, disciples of the Jiu Xuan Sect appeared in Jue Xian Valley. If this colossal force could be drawn in, the Yu clan could be easily annihilated.
Once this was understood, everything made sense.
The reason the preceding story was seamless, but the ending contained obvious logical flaws, was that these were impromptu decisions, and they hadn't had time to refine them.
This meant that the various factions present had already been secretly in contact with the Ximu clan and others, and were privy to the core secrets.
It was even possible that the Yu clan had long sensed this, which was why they were spreading different versions of information among the various factions, attempting to confuse them and buy time or find a way to break through.
This was precisely why Jue Xian Valley had been in its current state for months, with more and more factions gathering, and even people from the prefecture sent there.
The reason the other party had lured them here and told such a story, despite its significant logical flaws, was because of Jiang Yun Zhou's identity.
Given the Yu clan and all the races and beings under their protection lacked knowledge of the outside world, they obviously couldn't discern Jiang Yun Zhou's identity at a glance.
However, in Jue Xian Valley now, there were cultivators from various factions.
As a direct disciple of the Jiu Xuan Sect's sect master, it was natural for all factions to have collected relevant intelligence, knowing his appearance and even his aura.
To drag the Jiu Xuan Sect into this, to have this colossal force annihilate the Yu clan, was why Elder Qing Liu of the Ximu clan had appeared and led the three of them to this place.
If this was the case, the unusual actions of the Jiu Xuan Sect could be explained.
Ji Yuan did not believe that a sect as powerful as the overlord of Feiyun County would be unaware of the gathering of various factions in Jue Xian Valley, let alone be ignorant of what was happening within.
Yet, the Jiu Xuan Sect's sect master not only sent his direct disciple but also remained silent about it, not mentioning a word. This behavior was indeed intriguing.
It could be inferred that the Jiu Xuan Sect must have known something. The matter of the Tianyun Water Essence was merely a coincidence. Without it, the sect master would undoubtedly have found another excuse to send Jiang Yun Zhou to Jue Xian Valley.
Thinking this, Ji Yuan instinctively glanced at Jiang Yun Zhou, unable to comprehend the deeper meaning behind the Jiu Xuan Sect master's actions.
At the same time, he was puzzled. With the Jiu Xuan Sect's strength, they could have directly sent people to Jue Xian Valley to investigate what was happening, why so many factions, including those from the prefecture court, had gathered there.
No matter how deeply the Yu clan hid, their scheme would inevitably leave some clues.
And even a hint of suspicion would be enough to draw the attention of powerful figures from all sides.
"Have you considered it?"
Elder Qing Liu spoke, interrupting their thoughts.
Since their objective had been fully seen through, he naturally had no reason to continue pretending and revealed his true demeanor.
Ji Yuan glanced at him and suddenly understood why Lüyin had said earlier that the other party meant no harm. In a sense, this was indeed true.
After all, their fundamental goal was to protect themselves from the Yu clan's scheme, and they had no intention of harming others.
Thinking of Lüyin, he then noticed that this little fellow had fallen into a drowsy state since Elder Qing Liu's appearance, as if all perception of the outside world had vanished, as if he had fallen asleep.
"Such a significant matter cannot be believed based solely on your word."
Jiang Yun Zhou said in a deep voice, not agreeing immediately.
As for Ji Yuan and Tang Mu Huan, they maintained a proper silence. At this point, it was not appropriate for them to voice any opinions.
It was clear that the other party's true target was Jiang Yun Zhou and the Jiu Xuan Sect behind him. These two were naturally not qualified to make any decisions on his behalf.
"Please make your choice quickly. The Yu clan's research is complete and is currently in the final preparation stage."
Elder Qing Liu said slowly, a hint of urgency in his tone.
However, he also understood that he couldn't rush things now. Unless he could silently eliminate Jiang Yun Zhou, only by allowing him to make his own decision could the colossal force of the Jiu Xuan Sect be drawn in.
In the entire Feiyun County, besides a powerful sect and the imperial court in the prefecture, only the Jiu Xuan Sect had the capability to destroy the Yu clan.