Looking at the alchemists before him, Ji Yuan couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He naturally wanted them to serve him; otherwise, relying solely on his own cultivation would take too long.
As his influence rapidly grew, he indeed found himself in dire need of more alchemists.
However, these individuals were not disciples of the Li Huo Sect, and he couldn't directly take them into the Xuan Tian Devouring Spirit Pagoda.
"You have two choices."
"One is to leave, and it's best to leave Luoxia County."
"The other is to serve me."
Ji Yuan spoke slowly, his voice carrying a natural authority.
Yet, he understood that among the alchemists present, none would likely choose the second option.
They wouldn't dare to refuse him outright, fearing immediate death.
But their silent demeanor was a form of answer.
Ji Yuan did not force the alchemists. After collecting all the spiritual herbs, he fully activated the Xuan Tian Devouring Spirit Pagoda, unleashing endless clear light and extracting all the spiritual soil from the fields.
After some thought, before leaving, he unleashed several Xuan Tian Great Hand Seals, completely shattering the spirit veins of the area.
This way, even if the Li Huo Sect wished to rebuild, it would require a heavy price and consume a great deal of time and effort.
Having accomplished this, he immediately turned and vanished into the void, erasing all traces of his presence.
Over the next month, Ji Yuan continued his assault, destroying several of the Li Huo Sect's businesses.
Each time he struck, he relentlessly damaged the local environment.
He would either directly sever spirit veins, shatter mountain peaks, or collapse mineral veins.
Even if the Li Huo Sect wished to recover these assets, it would be impossible without decades of meticulous planning.
This would not only cost money and effort but also require a significant amount of time and manpower.
With several crucial businesses destroyed, the Li Huo Sect's financial resources would be severely depleted.
Coupled with the loss of over a hundred disciples and several cultivators of the third realm, the Li Huo Sect was, if not critically wounded, certainly close to it.
When Ji Yuan decided to withdraw and return to the county town, he learned that Ming Xin Pavilion and the Zhuang family had not achieved significant results.
Both forces had only managed to destroy three or four businesses before suffering severe counterattacks.
Had they not been vigilant, sensed something was amiss, and prepared in advance, they would have likely been annihilated.
Even so, both forces suffered more than half their casualties, and the third-realm cultivators leading them were gravely injured.
"The people from the three families are questioning why we attacked their businesses and are demanding compensation from Ming Xin Pavilion," Qian Ni Chang said, though she didn't seem overly concerned.
In this county town, unless it was a mad pursuit like that of the Shen Xuan Sect, with powerful figures supporting them from behind, no one dared to engage in large-scale combat.
As for businesses outside the county town…
Truthfully, the majority of the three families' forces were spread thin protecting their own assets, fearing further attacks.
In such a situation, even powerful factions like the three families had few strong individuals left to deploy.
Although Ji Yuan couldn't order Lin Yu Bai and others to attack the assets of these forces, he could arrange for their protection to be withdrawn.
"Spread the word that this is only the beginning," Ji Yuan shrugged, appearing indifferent.
In fact, he didn't need to worry; Qian Ni Chang had already handled the matter.
Word had spread throughout the city that Ming Xin Pavilion's actions were in retaliation for the Li Huo Sect and the other two families, who, in league with the Shen Xuan Sect, had launched an assassination attempt on them over half a year ago.
Their current actions were merely acts of revenge.
The details of the incident had already circulated among various factions, and even the cultivators from the three families who had planned to capture them alive were now in the Prefecture Governor's mansion.
Normally, the court laws did not interfere with disputes between cultivators.
As long as mortals were not involved, or a region was not devastated, it was usually overlooked.
However, Ming Xin Pavilion had been well-prepared. They had found the families of the mortals caught in the crossfire and filed a lawsuit.
Consoling the souls of the deceased was a benevolent act, and the Taoist priests and scholars involved were murdered by the villains.
This naturally allowed the court to intervene, giving Prefect Governor Fan Yu Qing a reason to act.
Furthermore, the captured individuals from the Shen Xuan Sect had confessed to their connection with the Wang Sheng Tower.
Although this was a secret that could not be publicly revealed, and could not be used to launch an attack, it did not prevent Fan Yu Qing from accusing the three families of suspected collusion with the Wang Sheng Tower.
"This is still not enough," Ji Yuan mused. "Continue with your arrangements, and send people to protect our businesses."
He had a plan in mind to venture out again and destroy some of the assets of the other two families.
This would create balance; only targeting the Li Huo Sect alone would not satisfy the appetites of the other factions.
Since enmity had already been established, Ji Yuan would not hesitate to act.
Qian Ni Chang readily agreed.
With his current strength, as long as he didn't encounter cultivators at the Golden Core stage or other prodigies, and was careful not to fall into meticulously prepared formations, there were few who could stop him.
It could be said that before he comprehended the true Xuan Tian Dao Scripture, realized two anomalies, and condensed the Three Flowers Crown, Ji Yuan could only be considered to have barely enough power for self-preservation, placing him in the middle to lower tier among third-realm cultivators.
However, after all of this, he had risen to the upper-middle tier.
He could now be considered a powerful figure in the Ming Dao realm.
If external artifacts were disregarded, he could confidently suppress others, except for the older generation with higher cultivation levels.
Only those of the same or higher realm, or other prodigies, could pose a threat.
At least in Luoxia County, without the intervention of Golden Core Grand Cultivators, there were only a handful of individuals who could firmly suppress, or even threaten, Ji Yuan's life.
The Li Huo Sect and the other two families did not count among them.
"The only thing you need to be careful of now is not falling into pre-prepared traps and being surrounded by too many cultivators of the same realm," Qian Ni Chang pondered. "As for Golden Core realm cultivators, you probably don't need to worry too much."
Although the Jiu Xuan Sect was far away in Feiyun County, its deterrence remained undiminished.
If a Golden Core Grand Cultivator were to act and ruthlessly kill Ji Yuan, the Jiu Xuan Sect would retaliate ruthlessly, eradicating the cultivator and their associated faction.
This was an unwritten rule, a tacit understanding among many factions.
Of course, if their very existence were threatened, no one would adhere to these rules.
Therefore, Ji Yuan needed to strike a balance, achieving the desired outcome without crossing that line.
"However, I think it would be best for you not to act for now," Qian Ni Chang suddenly changed her tone.