Lord of Bones

Chapter 640 The Only Choice

They were either standing or sitting, each immersed in their own thoughts.

But each of them exudes a powerful aura, and the lowest level of cultivation is at the late stage of Yuanshen Realm.

As for those with the most powerful and unfathomable aura, their cultivation has reached the peak of the Half-Step Transformation Realm.

These people are undoubtedly the top leaders of the Longshan Tan family.

Their presence filled the entire meeting room with a sense of oppression.

Li Yuan couldn't help but feel suspicious.

Why was he brought here?
After everyone entered the hall, the heavy door slowly closed.

The tense atmosphere in the hall seemed to be briefly relaxed the moment Li Yuan and others entered.

In the hall, the glazed lamps flickered with soft light, reflecting on the magnificent decorations, refracting mottled light and shadows.

"Haha, everyone is here, please take a seat quickly."

At the top of the hall, a middle-aged woman stood up slowly with a gentle smile on her face, as warm as a spring breeze, making people feel close to her. Her eyes were fixed on Li Yuan and his group.

Several representatives of the hundreds of families in Wenhe have profound cultivation and have all reached the half-step transformation realm. They hold prominent positions in their families and are extremely important.

Their arrival undoubtedly added a touch of solemnity to the hall.

When the middle-aged woman's eyes fell on Li Yuan, she was slightly startled.

Li Yuan was not a guest they had invited in advance, but he had a unique temperament, revealing a kind of restrained calmness and perseverance.

She hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "Who is this young friend..."

"Mother, this is Li Yuan from the Longyang Li family." Upon seeing this, Tan Wenshu immediately stepped forward to introduce, "Li Yuan, this is my mother, the head of the Tan family, Tan Qiuyun."

As soon as the words fell, there was a slight commotion in the hall.

"Li Yuan..." A trace of doubt flashed in Tan Qiuyun's eyes, and she asked softly, "But Li Yuan, the most popular person on the top three hundred geniuses list?"

Li Yuan was a little embarrassed by the sudden attention. He smiled awkwardly and said respectfully, "Master Tan, if you are referring to Li Yuan from the Longyang Li family who is on the Tianjiao list, then it is indeed me."

A hint of approval flashed in Tan Qiuyun's eyes, and she nodded, revealing a bit of admiration, and said: "My friend is a rare talent, and he can be among the top three at such a young age.

"This strength is outstanding even among the seven sects of Wenhe."

The originally noisy voices in the hall suddenly became silent.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Yuan, and there was disbelief on their faces.

They had not previously connected this seemingly humble and polite young man with the famous figure on the top three list of the Hundred Prodigies in Wenhe.

Li Yuan felt the gazes of the people around him, sighed softly, shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Master Tan, you are too kind.

“The previous battle with Fan Zhimeng was just a lucky victory.

"If we fight again, I may not be able to win."

Tan Qiuyun smiled slightly and said, "Luck? Good luck?

"Li Yuan, are you bullying me because of my age?

“You will first fight the Heavenly Kings of the Seven Sects of Wenhe, and then fight the Heavenly Prodigies on the Top Three List.

"How could this be a fluke?"

Seeing that his mother was too absorbed in the conversation with Li Yuan, Tan Wenshu was worried that Li Yuan would feel uncomfortable, so he quickly changed the subject: "Mother, should we let everyone sit down first and then talk slowly?"

Tan Qiuyun then realized that her enthusiasm might make Li Yuan uncomfortable, and she laughed at herself and said, "It was I who was confused."

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes swept across the hall, and her voice became softer: "Everyone sit down and talk."

Following Tan Qiuyun's instructions, everyone in the hall took their seats one after another, and the originally tense and solemn atmosphere gradually became relaxed.

However, their eyes still turned to Li Yuan from time to time, as if they wanted to see something extraordinary from the latter.

After everyone was seated, Tan Wenshu frowned slightly and spoke slowly: "Mother, on the way back, my brother has already told us in detail about the difficulties our family is currently facing.

“The Qingyuan Ren family, although their family ranking is fifteen or sixteen places lower than ours.

"But I have heard of their genius Ren Zhiyuan who is on the top three list."

Tan Wenshu seemed to be recalling something and continued, “Back then, for the sake of his family, he gave up the opportunity to join the Seven Sects of Wenhe.

"But even so, he still rose to the top with his extraordinary talent and unremitting efforts.

“Now, at the age of 132, he has already reached the barrier of cultivation and may enter the Half-Step Transformation Realm at any time.

“I’m afraid that this time, Qingyuan Ren’s challenge to Sister Wenyu was not just an impulse.

“On the one hand, they may have been instructed by other forces.

“On the other hand, Ren Zhiyuan also wants to further improve his ranking through this challenge.

“Every disciple of the Hundred Families on the top three list is the best among the Hundred Families in Wenhe.

“Those who made it to the top 120 are at least as strong as the top 500 on the Thousand Kings Ranking of the Seven Sects of Wenhe.

"The fact that Ren Zhiyuan is ranked 118th among the top three is enough to show how strong he is."

Her words were full of recognition for Ren Zhiyuan, but also revealed her concern about the confrontation between Tan Wenyu and Ren Zhiyuan.

"Yes." Tan Qiuyun nodded slightly. "Although our Tan family has two disciples on the top three list, if they suffer serious injuries that are difficult to recover from in the duel, they may fall off the list in just a few years."

She paused, looked around, her eyes fell on the people from the hundreds of Wenhe families who were invited, and continued: "Ren Zhiyuan, the genius of the Qingyuan Ren family, is undoubtedly a big trouble for us at the moment.

"If there is a way to prevent him from participating in the challenge, we can have an extra year to deal with it.

"I have called you all here today in the hope that you can work together to see if there is a feasible solution."

There was silence in the hall, and everyone was lost in thought.

After a while, an old man from the Yixia Jia family broke the silence, frowned, and said in a deep voice: “Master Tan, there are only so many disciples of the Wenhe Hundred Families on the top three list.

“If the children of several of us on the list were to challenge Ren Zhiyuan, they would also face the risk of injury.

"As for the children on the second-best list, perhaps we can consider them."

"Yes." Several other representatives who came to discuss the matter nodded in agreement.

"I understand." Tan Qiuyun nodded, "I'm not asking you to send your family members to challenge us directly.

“Time is tight, and we can only contact a few of you in a short period of time.

“But if you have a family with whom you have a good relationship, you can also recommend one.

"As for remuneration, the Tan family will provide conditions that will satisfy everyone."

Hearing this, the old man from Yixia Jia sighed and said frankly: “To be honest, among the families ranked after fifty in the Wenhe Hundred Families, it is rare for the children to be able to enter the top three list.

"No one is willing to take such a big risk for such a small reward."

As soon as the voice fell, a low murmur of discussion was heard in the hall.

Tan Qiuyun frowned. This challenge on the list was crucial to the Tan family, and the current predicament also made her feel more stressed.

At this time, Li Yuan was puzzled and asked: "Why don't you consider looking for the top 50 families?

"They have more disciples who are on the top three list, so why not just ask any one of them to help?" Upon hearing this, Tan Qiuyun shook her head slightly, while Tan Wenshu hurriedly explained, "Li Yuan, you may not be very clear about some of the unwritten rules of the Wenhe Hundred Families.

“Children of families at the top of the rankings tend to have higher self-esteem and status.

“They are not likely to easily challenge the children of families with lower rankings in the family, because they think it is a bit of a debasement.

"Unless the opponent's strength truly threatens their family's ranking."

When Li Yuan heard this, a hint of realization flashed in his eyes.

The doubts in his mind were understandable and did not arouse suspicion from others.

After all, given the family ranking of the Longyang Li family he currently represents, there is no need to consider such issues.

"It is indeed a bit troublesome." Li Yuan nodded, "The top-ranked family members have strength and status, so they will not act easily.

"And the families ranked lower all have their own concerns and considerations."

"Alas!" Tan Qiuyun sighed, "The current situation really makes it difficult for us to find the right candidate.

"However, it would be best if Li Yuan is willing to help."

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She set her gaze on Li Yuan, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Li Yuan's heart tightened, and he said hurriedly: "Master Tan, you are embarrassing me.

“My ranking on the Tianjiao Ranking was just a fluke.

“My current cultivation is still shallow, I am just a rookie in the late stage of Yuan Shen realm.

“How dare you challenge Ren Zhiyuan, who is more than fifty ranks behind you and has already reached the barrier of cultivation?
“That’s really too much of a compliment to me.”

He shook his head as he spoke, and continued: "With the status and prestige of the Longshan Tan family, as long as we lower some standards, it is still easy to find a candidate who is stronger than me.

"My ability is really limited, Patriarch Tan, please don't mention this matter again."

Seeing this, Tan Qiuyun smiled and said gently, "My dear friend Li Yuan, you are too modest.

“Although I didn’t personally witness your two duels in Lingpei City, I still know a little about the process.

“It seemed like you didn’t try your best at that time.

“Your strength is so great that even among the seven sects of Wenhe, there are not many who are under a hundred years old.

"Of course, if you lend a hand, you can ask for the reward.

"If the Longyang Li family needs anything in the future, the Longshan Tan family will also provide assistance."

In Tan Qiuyun's opinion, Li Yuan's true strength is definitely more than his current ranking.

If Li Yuan lends a helping hand, even if he cannot defeat Ren Zhiyuan, he will certainly be able to seriously injure him, making him unable to participate in the challenge agreed upon by Tan Wenyu.

Time is running out and it is unlikely to find a more suitable candidate than Li Yuan.

The atmosphere in the meeting room eased due to Tan Qiuyun's words, and everyone's attention was focused on Li Yuan again.

After hearing Tan Qiuyun mention that the reward could be asked for at will, Li Yuan thought for a moment and slowly said, "I am not against giving it a try to challenge Ren Zhiyuan.

“But please understand, Master Tan, I will never risk my life to seriously injure him.

“As for defeating him, that is even more difficult.

“I have a clear understanding of my own strengths.”

After hearing this, Tan Qiuyun smiled and said, "Of course.

"As long as your request is within the capabilities of our Longshan Tan Clan, we will do our best to meet it."

She paused, then asked, “So, what kind of reward do you want?
"Is it the abundant Yuanshi, the rare Yuanshu, or the precious materials?"

Li Yuan shook his head lightly and said calmly: "I don't particularly care about these external things.

“I heard that the Purple Spirit Valley of the Longshan Tan Clan has picturesque scenery and rich vitality, and is a holy place for cultivation.

"If Patriarch Tan can allow me to practice here for a year, that will be enough."

Although Li Yuan had already planted the Thunder Seal on Tan Wenshu, with his current strength, once the opponent was more than a hundred miles away, his perception would be like a candle in the wind, weak and hard to find, making it difficult to accurately lock onto the specific location.

He wanted to use the Purple Spring Pond in the Purple Spirit Valley, so naturally he couldn't come empty-handed. He had to do something for the Tan family in exchange.

The Longshan Mountains, where Longshan City is located, are extremely large, with a radiation range covering millions of miles nearby. Strict no-fly restrictions are imposed on the entire area.

This makes the exact location of Ziling Valley a mystery, and only the top leaders of the Longshan Tan family know its exact location.

Not to mention the Ziquan Pond deep in the Ziling Valley, which is a forbidden area of ​​the Longshan Tan family and ordinary people cannot approach it at all.

Li Yuan was thinking in his mind that if he could successfully enter the Zi Ling Valley, Tan Wenshu, as the guard of the ancestor of the Blood Evil Lake, would also be there.

Then the range of his sensing thunder seal would be narrowed, and he could find Tan Wenshu's exact location more easily.

"How can this be possible? Ziling Valley is the place where the core disciples of the Longshan Tan family practice. There has never been a precedent for outsiders entering."

As soon as Li Yuan put forward his request, some opposing voices were heard in the hall.

These voices came from several senior members of the Tan family.

Their faces were serious and they were obviously opposed to Li Yuan's request.

Li Yuan frowned slightly, glanced at those who opposed, and said calmly: "If the request made by the younger generation makes it difficult for the Tan family, then let's drop the matter.

"Regarding the matter of challenging Ren Zhiyuan, please ask Patriarch Tan to find someone else."

As soon as he finished speaking, the voices of opposition in the hall stopped abruptly.

Those senior members of the Tan family who had previously voiced their opposition were immediately caught in a dilemma.

It is almost impossible to find a more suitable candidate than Li Yuan in such a short time.

If no one is able to challenge Ren Zhiyuan, the Longshan Tan family may face the situation where two of their top three disciples will be injured.

"Friend Li Yuan, Ziling Valley is an important place for our Tan family, and we have never allowed outsiders to enter to practice.

"Moreover, even among the people in the clan, few people know its exact location."

Tan Qiuyun's voice was low, revealing respect for family rules.

"However, if you can defeat Ren Zhiyuan and seriously injure him this time, we can consider letting you enter Ziling Valley to train for a year."

Changing the subject, Tan Qiuyun proposed an attractive condition.

Upon hearing this, the Tan family members in the hall exclaimed in surprise.

"Head of the family!" A clan member couldn't help but shout, but under Tan Qiuyun's glare, he could only shut up.

Li Yuan took a deep breath. Although Tan Qiuyun's proposal was tempting, it was extremely difficult.

He frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Master Tan, I'm afraid your request may embarrass me.

“It was already difficult for me to injure Ren Zhiyuan slightly and make him give up challenging the Tan family.

“As for me to overcome more than 50 ranks, defeat my opponent and seriously injure him, I really don’t have the slightest confidence.

"If I have already reached the peak of the late stage of the Yuan Shen realm, I should have a 50% chance of success."

(End of this chapter)