Chapter 139: This Place, West Sea, Nurtures People |
In truth, the attitude of Xihai Hu, a disciple of Shen Guang's lineage, toward Zhou Bojiao was highly problematic. Wang Yulou didn't show it on his face, but he was fully aware of the implications.
The West Sea was the frontier of the Immortal Alliance. It was common knowledge that governing authority diminished the further one got from the center of power.
A grand cultivator could easily travel tens of thousands of li in a single day, and by using the grotto-heaven voice transmission divine ability, they could ignore distance entirely.
However, no matter how abundant a grand cultivator's time and energy might be, they were merely a drop in the bucket across the incredibly vast territory of the Immortal Alliance. Ultimately, most matters had to be handled by those below.
The immense personal power of cultivators allowed authority to flow from the top down, but the sheer scale of their organization inherently required a bottom-up structure. Neither system was superior; they simply coexisted as objective facts—a reality that had yet to change.
Wang Yulou clearly understood that the "Branch Immortal City" system established by the Immortal Alliance—which peppered regions with low-spec replicas of the headquarters, from Lotus Immortal City to Western Sea Immortal City—did not actually strengthen the Alliance's ruling authority.
These cities merely provided local powerhouses with a convenient, representative platform to engage in a tug-of-war over their interests. They functioned as buffer zones, easing tensions between the Immortal Alliance and Golden Core powers like the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the Sky Serpent Sect.
When dealing with these Golden Core factions—whether an Upper-Path Sect or a Left-Path Sect—the immortal city held no absolute authority. The true strength of the Immortal Alliance didn't stem from possessing numerous Immortal Venerables, but from the grand cultivators on the Gathering Immortals Platform reaching a consensus.
What Yulou hadn't anticipated, however, was just how violently the Immortal Alliance's authority had decayed in the West Sea. Or perhaps the legendary Shen Guang Immortal Venerable was simply another potential enemy of Patriarch Mangxiang?
Another possibility was that Xihai Hu simply harbored a personal prejudice against Zhou Bojiao, rather than against the Patriarch. In any case, Xihai Hu's words weren't necessarily representative of Shen Guang's stance.
Suppressing his doubts, Yulou smiled and brought up the South City Expansion Department that Xihai Hu had mentioned. "Brother Hu, you said you were recently transferred to the South City Expansion Department and have been busy surveying the earth veins in the south city with the Second Elder. This department doesn't sound ordinary. Could it be even more formidable than the Annex City Enforcement Team?"
In truth, Yulou was also fishing to find out who this "Second Elder" was.
"Hahaha, Yulou, there's something you don't know," Xihai Hu said. "The annex city we're currently in used to be the only one. The South City Expansion Department was established specifically to expand and build the South Annex City."
At this, Xihai Hu stood and bowed deeply toward the southeast. He then sat back down beside the petite female cultivator, casually wrapping an arm around her as he continued.
"The Ancestral Master personally entrusted the Second Elder with the preliminary preparations for the South Annex City's construction, so the Second Elder transferred me from the enforcement team to help out."
This was the second major shift Yulou had experienced since arriving in the West Sea. Mangxiang wasn't exactly a good person, but back when Yulou was cultivating under Hongdengzhao, simply mentioning that he was under the tutelage of the Ancestral Master was incredibly effective for resolving trouble.
Even extraordinary seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators like Yuan Daoshen and Zhuo Yinsheng had to take it seriously. But the West Sea was a different beast.
The "Ancestral Master" Xihai Hu had just mentioned was the highly influential Shen Guang Immortal Venerable, not Patriarch Mangxiang.
"Yulou, you don't understand. Making a living in an immortal city is difficult," Xihai Hu continued. "Housing prices in the immortal city are outrageous, while those in the annex city are relatively manageable. But in recent years, with the influx of cultivators coming to the West Sea, the annex city has expanded until it's almost larger than Western Sea Immortal City itself. Expanding only eastward isn't sustainable. The South Annex City will expand southward. Once it's built, the West Sea will become even more prosperous. Therefore, the South City Expansion Department is naturally much more formidable than the Annex City Enforcement Team. By following Elder Xihai Longhu, your Big Brother Hu has basically ascended to the heavens in a single bound."
As the cultivator population in the West Sea grew, Shen Guang's influence naturally expanded along with it, given his special status here. Yulou faintly sensed the underlying truth. This Immortal Venerable had leveraged the West Sea's role as a pressure valve for Wunan. By scooping up the marginalized cultivators pushed out by the basin's internal conflicts, he had built his own independent system. His methods were nothing short of formidable.
Suppressing his thoughts, Yulou put on a confused expression and asked, "Elder Longhu? Do you mean True Person Jinshan?"
Feng Jianxian tossed Yulou a spirit fruit and interjected with a laugh, "No, no. The Second Elder is simply named Xihai Longhu. He has nothing to do with the Immortal Alliance's West Sea Dragon-Tiger True Man."
Seeing that Feng Jianxian had cleared up the confusion, Xihai Hu smoothly changed the subject.
"Yulou, the South Annex City is completely different from this East Annex City," Xihai Hu urged. "The East Annex City was built piecemeal, so its layout isn't nearly as well-organized as Western Sea Immortal City. But after our South City Expansion Department finishes surveying the earth veins, we will harmonize the spiritual vitality and relocate the spirit veins. You could say the South Annex City is being built exactly to the specifications of an immortal city, yet the land prices are a fraction of the cost. If you're interested, you should seize this opportunity to buy a plot of land there right now. Once it's developed into a residential area, it'll be incredibly comfortable to live in. And even if you decide to sell it, you'll make a hefty profit."
Xihai Hu had a thick, stout figure. Hearing him deliver a sales pitch in such an incredibly gentle tone was somewhat unnerving. He had no idea that Yulou was currently looking to purchase a residence; as a member of the expansion department, pitching plots to new arrivals was merely a subconscious reaction to spotting a potential customer.
"Cough, cough. Fat Hu, just drink your wine if you have nothing better to do," Feng Jianxian interrupted. "Can't the seventh-grade Liuhua Nectar shut your mouth?"
Yulou had originally been somewhat tempted. A "South Annex City" was essentially just a new development district in the West Sea. He understood the value in that. But the moment Feng Jianxian spoke up, he sensed that something was off.
Western Sea Immortal City was the Immortal Alliance's territory. Shen Guang Immortal Venerable might be incredibly powerful, but aggressively constructing a massive annex city right on its doorstep was tantamount to digging away at the Immortal Alliance's foundations in broad daylight.
Building the South Annex City was a major infrastructural undertaking, an official function that shouldn't be dictated by a single influential faction.
For Shen Guang Immortal Venerable to push this project, the underlying politics had to be treacherous. He was certainly capable, possessing a powerful cultivation base and massive influence in the West Sea, but the Immortal Alliance had no shortage of Golden Core experts.
With him undermining Western Sea Immortal City so brazenly, how could the others simply turn a blind eye?
"Hahaha, my apologies," Xihai Hu laughed, tossing over a token. "Yulou, here is my command token. You've just arrived in the West Sea, so if you run into any blind fools, showing this will save you some trouble. As for the South Annex City... Old Feng, I'm not trying to con him. It's always better to buy early. Land prices in the East Annex City have already increased more than a dozenfold since it was established. You know this!"
Feng Jianxian had no desire to play the mark. He lightly tapped his finger, and the room's door slid open to reveal a beautiful woman in a bright white dress sitting outside, delicately tuning a zither.
"Let's drop the subject. Huai Die, come in and play a tune," he called out.
Huai Die carried her zither into the room, shooting Feng Jianxian a look that was both peeved and coquettish.
"Young Master, Little Die thought you didn't like me anymore."
"Hahaha, how could that be? This is Wang Yulou. It's his first time here, so play your very best. Don't make me lose face."
Hearing this, Huai Die naturally didn't dare hold back. She didn't know who Wang Yulou was, but anyone who could sit at the same table as the Black-Hearted Hu and Feng Jianxian was clearly no ordinary person.
Ethereal, melodious zither notes drifted around the table. Staring down at his pale green Liuhua Nectar, Yulou's mind was sharp.
Why had Feng Jianxian suddenly called Huai Die in? He had helped Yulou twice during this meal.
The first time was a verbal reminder, and this time he had used Huai Die's performance to abruptly cut off the conversation. The implications were clear.
Xihai Hu, the South City Expansion Department, Shen Guang Immortal Venerable, and that Second Elder whose name clashed with True Person Longhu's—none of them were simple. With this in mind, Yulou quietly tucked the command token into his storage bag.
It never hurt to be prepared. His actions were, naturally, seen by Xihai Hu.
The stout tiger raised his wine cup with a grin. Yulou simply smiled back, poured wine for Feng Jianxian first, and then raised his own cup.
"Clink!"
The three men drained their cups in a single gulp and resumed listening to the graceful zither music, each harboring his own thoughts.
——
The Black Dragon Steed had just enjoyed a thrilling run and was now pulling the golden carriage with boundless energy, its hooves stepping at a brisk trot.
Inside the golden carriage, Feng Jianxian explained, "Yulou, it's not that he's a bad person. Good or bad, no one can really say for sure in this place. Xihai Hu looks reckless, but he actually abides by the rules. However, Shen Guang Immortal Venerable's disciples are spread all over the immortal city and its outskirts, and it's inevitable that there's a mix of characters among them. Getting acquainted with Xihai Hu is fine, but wait until you reach the Foundation Establishment stage before associating any deeper with that crowd. Moreover, the situation surrounding the South Annex City is extremely complex. You must absolutely not buy land there on a whim; you might as well be throwing your spirit stones into the sea."
Feng Jianxian's advice was entirely sincere, and Yulou replied with genuine gratitude, "I understand your meaning, Senior Jianxian. It's just... who exactly is this Second Elder that Senior Xihai Hu was talking about?"
Titles were crucial. They were a cultivator's label.
Gu Qilang was the label for Gu Qilang's status within the Gu Clan. Being a disciple of the Behemoth Lineage had long been one of Yulou's trump cards when navigating the cultivation world—perhaps even his most important one.
Hearing Yulou's question, Feng Jianxian pondered for a moment before replying, "Just call me Feng Jianxian."
"It sounds impressive yet intimate. As for the Second Elder..."
He was referring to the Second Elder of the Charity Hall. "Shen Guang Immortal Venerable has many factions under his tutelage, but they're all minor ones.
"In my eyes, the so-called Annex City Enforcement Team, Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, Myriad Dao Origin Hub, and so on, essentially consist of only two factions. One is the Charity Hall lineage.
"Xihai Hu, his older sister Xihai Long, and their benefactor, Second Elder Xihai Longhu, all belong to the Charity Hall lineage. They have an internal set of titles within the Charity Hall.
"The other consists of the rest of the Immortal Venerable's subordinates. Compared to the orphans in the Charity Hall, they have larger numbers, but very few are truly heavily valued by the Immortal Venerable.
"Most of them are just doing regular work. When it comes to major matters like establishing the South City Expansion Department, it's still the people surnamed Xihai who take the lead.
"However, these matters are very distant from you, so you don't need to think about them. Fat Hu came over suddenly, so we couldn't discuss proper business.
"What did you seek me out for today?"
Yulou took a small pouch containing twenty high-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and shoved it into Feng Jianxian's hands. "Feng Jianxian, among the Dripdrop Cave disciples who came to the West Sea this time, there are two other members of the Wang Clan besides me. I want to find rogue cultivators to take their place for the demon hunting missions."
Two thousand spirit stones was about enough. A decent courtyard residence in Western Sea Immortal City was only tens of thousands of spirit stones. And a rogue cultivator's first house in the immortal city only cost five thousand spirit stones. Two thousand spirit stones was enough to buy half a room.
"Eh? Wang Yulou, are you not treating me as a friend?" Feng Jianxian pushed away the spirit stones in Yulou's hand with an unhappy expression. "Your family's affairs are my affairs. Rest assured, I'll handle it for you later. It's just that your family members can't be looking for people with cultivation bases that are too low. Mid-stage at the very least, alright?"
Seeing that Feng Jianxian truly wouldn't accept it, Wang Yulou had to take back the spirit stones, feeling somewhat emotional inside.
This Feng Disha had a ruthless-sounding name, but he was fiercely loyal. Whether it was genuine or fake, he truly seemed worth befriending.
"Understood. Also, Feng Jianxian, once the date of my grand wedding is set, I will notify you immediately."
Having Feng Jianxian bring the Dripdrop Cave disciples to bolster his prestige was just on the surface. In reality, Yulou wanted to win over the Dripdrop Cave outer courtyard, taking a further step in cultivating his own people within Dripdrop Cave.
He couldn't call the shots on Dripdrop Cave's Foundation Establishment resources, but the Wang Clan had several Alchemist Masters who could refine various supplementary Foundation Establishment pills.
When the time came, these people would provide their own spirit stones, and Yulou would contact the Wang Clan to sell them slightly cheaper supplementary Foundation Establishment pills. That would be a favor.
The major shareholders of Dripdrop Cave were True Person Jiusheng and Perfected Man Hongli. Yulou didn't ask for much; just playing a role similar to Old Yuan would do.
"Heh, if you ask me, it's quite amusing that a groom like you doesn't even know his own wedding date," Feng Jianxian remarked.
He was considered experienced and knowledgeable, but this was his first time hearing of a case like Yulou's.
"Perfected Man Fujiao set a time, but no one from the Zhou family has communicated the procedures with me. I'll just wait. I haven't even met Zhou Yingxi yet."
Speaking of which, Wang Yulou was also curious. Hopefully, Fellow Daoist Yingxi wasn't actually hiding a pig snout behind her veil... no, wait, a deer snout was far more likely.
"Truly strange. But Yulou, you must understand that when marrying a daughter of a True Person's family, the main point isn't the woman's appearance." Feng Jianxian patiently guided him, worried that Wang Yulou couldn't see the big picture. "Being able to marry a Purple Mansion True Man's daughter means your future will definitely be smooth sailing."
Mu Chunze was a prime example. Starting as a rogue cultivator, he managed to become the seal-bearer of Western Sea Immortal City's Punishment Court, all relying on his special relationship with Perfected Man Fujiao.
"Understood," Yulou replied.
The two chatted about West Sea local customs along the way. The golden carriage entered the immortal city from the Annex City and stopped at the entrance of the Information Gathering Court.
The Immortal Alliance's core institutions in the West Sea being named as 'Courts' actually had deep historical roots. Initially, back when Western Sea Immortal City didn't exist yet, grand cultivators of the Immortal Alliance led the cultivators of Wunan to defend against demonic beasts in the West Sea, and many facilities were hastily erected.
At that time, places like the Military Merit Court and the Demon Division Court were literally just large courtyards, which was how they got their names. After Western Sea Immortal City was built, this naming convention was carried over.
As a directly subordinate platform established later, the Information Gathering Court also adopted 'Court' in its name. Stepping down from Feng Jianxian's golden carriage, Wang Yulou saw him off and then entered the towering palace courtyard adorned with the Information Gathering Court plaque.
These government offices of the Immortal Alliance, regardless of whether they held significant power or had many affairs to handle, were often built to be extremely beautiful. On one hand, this was to display the Immortal Alliance's grandeur.
On the other hand, touching them up from time to time also allowed those involved to make a small fortune. This was similar to the magical artifact firework display Jiang Baobian orchestrated before leaving Clear Stream Market—it was simply a clever pretext to earn spirit stones.
"Fellow Daoist, please halt. May I ask why you have come?"
Wang Yulou hadn't expected that an Immortal Alliance office like the Information Gathering Court would also have a gate guard. This guardhouse was tucked beside the inner wall of the palace courtyard.
Inside sat a shriveled little old man at the Peak Qi Condensation realm. Seeing Wang Yulou's unfamiliar face, he jumped out to question him.
"Wang Yulou of Hongdengzhao, here to take up a post. May I ask what to call you, Fellow Daoist?"
Wang Yulou noticed that this little old man guarding the Information Gathering Court's gate was not only at the Peak Qi Condensation realm, but he also wore the Sea Levee Flourishing Life magical robe given to Qi Refining Immortal Alliance disciples in Western Sea Immortal City. This person was actually a formal employee.
The Immortal Alliance's overstaffing situation truly didn't look optimistic.
"Chen Nian, just call me Old Chen. Do you have a Hongdengzhao command token?"
Old Chen, the gatekeeper, noticed Wang Yulou's cultivation at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, so he didn't harbor much suspicion. His duty was to stop idlers from entering and disturbing people's cultivation, and Wang Yulou's young and promising appearance didn't look like someone who would court death.
However, since Wang Yulou had reported his identity as a Hongdengzhao disciple, he might as well check to be safe.
"Here, Senior Brother Chen. The Information Gathering Court is right in the middle of the immortal city. Are you still afraid someone will cause trouble?" Wang Yulou naturally had a Hongdengzhao command token. Although it wasn't official, the relevant personnel in Hongdengzhao wouldn't possibly cause trouble for him.
Chen Nian glanced at it, then smiled and began to explain. "Fellow Daoist Yulou, there's something you don't know.
"The inside of this immortal city is safe, but there are always quite a few rogue cultivators who don't understand the big picture and don't know how to be grateful. They always want to stir up some trouble.
"The Information Gathering Court has special duties. By guarding here, although I am just one person, I effectively do half the work of the Information Gathering Court, making things easier for all of you."
This statement left Wang Yulou somewhat speechless. The Information Gathering Court was the product of a merger between multiple courts and platforms. Currently, it had three responsibilities: tricking rogue cultivators into eliminating demons for the sake of protecting the human race, gathering and organizing the changes in the activities of the West Sea demon groups, and most importantly, investigating on behalf of the Immortal Alliance whether anyone within the immortal city's Immortal Alliance personnel was violating Alliance rules.
The first two had nothing to do with "rogue cultivators causing trouble." Rogue cultivators causing trouble could only be related to the last point. Chen Nian guarding the gate was just like blocking people from beating the drum of grievance. It indeed served a great use.
Ah, the Immortal Alliance. It had existed for far too long, and those grievances that hadn't been placed on the scales of justice had accumulated for far too long. Therefore, although it looked like this old man Chen was just a gatekeeper, his duty was incredibly crucial.
"Understood. Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother Chen. Yulou will go in first."
"Alright. Walk forward and turn left; that's the Vice Seal-Bearer's courtyard. The Seal-Bearer isn't here, so you can just find the Vice Seal-Bearer for your post induction.
"Speaking of which, there's another person who came to take up a post today, but they didn't arrive much earlier than you."
Yulou blanked slightly, hurriedly replying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."
Watching Wang Yulou's hurried back gradually vanish around a corner deep within the palace courtyard, the smile on Chen Nian's face slowly faded, ultimately morphing into suppressed dissatisfaction. He muttered resentfully, "A grand cultivator's dog," before ducking back into the guardhouse by the palace wall.
There were also hierarchies among the Immortal Alliance cultivators.
Many people who joined the Immortal Alliance could only start from the very bottom. Chen Nian was actually among those who had done relatively well.
But an Immortal Alliance Emissary belonged to another system. Hongdengzhao had three Immortal Alliance Emissary slots every fifty years.
Those who received them could ascend to the heavens in a single bound, directly entering the Immortal Alliance's core cultivation sequence. It seemed as though Wang Yulou had entered the Western Sea Immortal City's Information Gathering Court to take a post, but his actual foundation was neither in the Immortal Alliance nor in the West Sea.
If he wanted to climb up through the Western Sea Immortal City's system, it would also be as difficult as ascending the heavens. However, as an 'esteemed' disciple under the Behemoth Lineage, Yulou's future prospects within Hongdengzhao and the Behemoth Lineage were formidable.
The Immortal Alliance ate from a communal pot; the pot was massive, but there were many mouths to feed. Hongdengzhao ate from a private stove; the pot was small, but far fewer people shared the food.
Currently, the Ancestral Master was intimidating Hongdengzhao. Since he rose to power, the Behemoth Lineage was temporarily eating from the head chef's private stove.
As long as the Ancestral Master could attain the Golden Core, this private stove would continue to burn. Of course, looking at it from the perspective of a Purple Mansion opportunity, the complex factions within the Immortal Alliance might actually provide a broader sky and a vaster ocean.
After all, the Behemoth Lineage already had enough Purple Palace cultivators. Wang Yulou guessed that the lack of new Purple Palace cultivators under the Ancestral Master's tutelage wasn't due to a lack of available slots, but simply because the Behemoth Lineage's resources and room for expansion had reached their limits.
The Ancestral Master wasn't willing to see newcomers take a slice of his cake. Just as he entered the Vice Seal-Bearer's courtyard, Yulou was led into a side hall by an attendant at the middle Qi Condensation stage, who was wearing a Sea Levee Flourishing Life magical robe.
Inside the side hall sat a female cultivator in the last seat. Seeing Yulou being led in, she smiled and nodded at him.
This female cultivator wore a special leather magical robe. This type of magical robe was a West Sea specialty.
It combined the practicality needed for magical combat with comfortable wearability, merely sacrificing visual appeal. It was highly functional but unsightly, quite different from ordinary magical robes.
You could also say it wasn't a true magical robe at all, merely an article of clothing shaped like a magical artifact. The cultivator leading the way poured Yulou a cup of spirit tea, then explained with a smile.
"Please wait here for a moment, Fellow Daoist. Seal-Bearer Mo hasn't arrived yet today. I have already notified him via voice transmission."
Yulou thought to himself: the Seal-Bearer wasn't here, and the Vice Seal-Bearer wasn't here either. The Information Gathering Court truly was a great place.
However, what he was truly curious about was another issue.
"Understood. But are you also with the Immortal Alliance...?"
Seeing Wang Yulou pointing at his magical robe, the man naturally understood what he meant. "Ah, Fellow Daoist, there's something you don't know.
"We errand-runners are assistants hired by the Information Gathering Court. As for this magical robe on my body, I bought it with my own spirit stones.
"It's different from what you two wear."
After briefly explaining his identity, the assistant bowed and departed. Shaking his head, Yulou pondered the situation. The Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Alliance... Truly somewhat interesting. The Seal-Bearer was not in the Court bearing the seal. A single gatekeeper was doing half the work—if you just made the work disappear, wouldn't there be no work at all? Furthermore, temporary workers were brazenly wearing Immortal Alliance robes to watch over the office in place of the Seal-Bearer. It seemed absurd, but as long as the Immortal Alliance's grand cultivators remained in power, no matter how much resentment brewed below, it would never result in any truly severe consequences. "Do you also think such a scene is inappropriate?" the female cultivator sitting opposite Yulou suddenly spoke up. Her voice was highly distinctive.
It carried an unusual sense of strength—not rough, but rather brimming with firm conviction. Their seating arrangement was quite interesting.
Both had tacitly chosen the last seats in the side hall, one on each side, neither fighting the other for a better spot.
"Ah?"
Hearing the female cultivator's question, Wang Yulou blanked slightly. Feng Jianxian was already a maverick, yet today he had run into another person with extraordinary thoughts.
He could only conclude that this place, the West Sea, truly nurtured unique people. There were simply far too many exceptionally talented cultivators in the world.
Grand cultivators had already restricted their numbers at the Qi Induction stage, but there were still too many. However, in sects like Dripdrop Cave and Hongdengzhao, no matter how outstanding your talent was, you could only rise through connections.
The West Sea was different. Here, as long as a cultivator could slay demonic beasts, they had a chance to climb upward.
Of course, they couldn't climb very far. The Immortal Alliance locked down all Foundation Establishment resources, guarding against new Foundation Establishment cultivators even more strictly than against demons.
"Mo Yunshu, under the tutelage of True Person Hansong, here to take up the post of Information Gathering Envoy. And you, Fellow Daoist?"
Realizing she had misspoken, Mo Yunshu smiled awkwardly and stopped bringing up topics better left unsaid. Under the tutelage of True Person Hansong?
True Person Hansong was one of the eight Purple Mansion grand cultivators who had risen locally in the West Sea. The Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the family behind Wang Jiahui's Dao Companion—who managed the Flavorful Bistro in Western Sea Immortal City—was a disciple of True Person Hansong.
Thinking of this, Yulou smiled and replied.
"Wang Yulou of Hongdengzhao. As for what post I'm taking up, I don't know yet."
Hearing Hongdengzhao, Mo Yunshu's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Did you come with True Person Haikuo or Perfected Man Fujiao? It should be Perfected Man Fujiao, right?"
"Correct. I am my Master's newly accepted disciple."
Wang Yulou nodded, directly confessing his identity. Mo Yunshu couldn't quite see through his background anymore.
Normally, the disciples of Purple Mansion grand cultivators all started at the Foundation Establishment realm, because disciples were meant to be put to work. If they accepted a disciple at the Qi Refining stage, they might even have to bear the cost of the resources required to help them achieve Foundation Establishment.
If they accepted a disciple at the Foundation Establishment stage, they could dispatch them to run errands immediately. The True Person would take the lion's share of the spirit stones earned, leaving the disciple with a smaller portion.
Ultimately, when the disciple's lifespan ended and they died, the Purple Mansion grand cultivator would summon them into their grotto-heaven. They could then use the spiritual vitality that dissipated after the Foundation Establishment cultivator's death to slightly increase the foundation of their grotto-heaven.
But Wang Yulou's cultivation was merely at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, yet he had managed to become the disciple of Purple Mansion True Man Zhou Bojiao. That was truly special.
"To think Junior Brother Yulou had such an opportunity. In the future, you will certainly have hope for Foundation Establishment and boundless prospects."
The two of them chatted idly for a long while, allowing Yulou to gradually understand this future colleague of his. Although Mo Yunshu was from the direct lineage of True Person Hansong's family, True Person Hansong's methods for cultivating family disciples were even more ruthless than those of the Wang Clan.
The Wang Clan separated its members based on aptitude. Those with a chance at Foundation Establishment had to travel to the West Sea for ten years of tempering after reaching the tenth layer of Qi Refining.
True Person Hansong demanded that all disciples in his clan, regardless of talent or how distant their bloodline was, must go to the outposts to participate in demon hunting alongside rogue cultivators as soon as they broke through to Qi Refining, continuing until they reached late Qi Condensation.
As long as they could survive until late Qi Condensation, they were deemed worth nurturing. Of course, those who actually survived were ultimately few in number.
It carried a strong sense of true gold being refined in a raging fire. Mo Yunshu was a product of exactly this process.
She had returned to the clan to cultivate after breaking through to late Qi Condensation, and now her cultivation was at the Peak Qi Condensation realm.
Taking advantage of the opportunity created by Li Haiping and Zhou Bojiao cramming their people into Western Sea Immortal City, True Person Hansong had also managed to squeeze her into the Information Gathering Court. However, her situation was different from Wang Yulou's.
Wang Yulou had entered the Information Gathering Court purely to secure a post, draw a salary, avoid demon hunting missions, and simultaneously accumulate seniority within the Immortal Alliance. Sooner or later, he would leave the West Sea.
Mo Yunshu, coming from under True Person Hansong's tutelage, would build her future in the West Sea and had no plans to leave. Therefore, the two of them were not competitors.
After tacitly confirming this, the two chatted much more freely.
"Yunshu, I went deep into the West Sea a while ago and suffered some injuries. I couldn't come in recently, making you wait so long."
While the two were chatting, Mo Xunzhou, the Vice Seal-Bearer of the Information Gathering Court, walked in. He was also from True Person Hansong's family and could be considered Mo Yunshu's senior.
This Vice Seal-Bearer was also a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator. He wore the Gathering Immortals Arranging the Heavens magical robe, exclusive to Immortal Alliance Foundation Establishment Deacons.
His entire body glowed with a faint blue light, and even his eyebrows bore frost—in all likelihood, this was a condition born from an imperfect mastery of Limitless Spiritual Opportunity. When Foundation Establishment cultivators practiced divine abilities, they often started with Limitless Spiritual Opportunity.
Both Wang Xianmao and Yuan Daoshen had executed this divine ability before. It was both highly practical and easy to learn.
Among seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was so widespread that it was practically as common as dirt. After initially offering a simple explanation to Mo Yunshu, Mo Xunzhou looked over at Yulou and smiled.
"You must be Wang Yulou, right? Liangzhuo has already mentioned your situation to me.
"Just like Yunshu, you'll be serving as an Information Gathering Envoy. Compared to other courts and platforms, our Information Gathering Court is the most lacking in lucrative perks.
"Its only saving grace is how leisurely it is. Errands big and small are all handled by the assistants.
"In reality, the Information Gathering Envoys only have one responsibility: occasionally seeking out rogue cultivators to emphasize the importance of demon hunting. The rest of the time, you don't even need to come to the Information Gathering Court.
"Just focus on cultivating properly."
Being able to draw a salary without having to work—Wang Yulou naturally had no reason to be dissatisfied. He could very well use the time saved from official duties for artifact refining or cultivation, stockpiling more Foundation Establishment resources, consolidating his rapidly elevated cultivation base, and achieving Foundation Establishment as soon as possible. Back then, Li Haiping had already arranged for a group of Wondrous Peak Mountain disciples from Hongdengzhao to enter Western Sea Immortal City. Zhou Liangzhuo had given Wang Yulou three choices. The Spirit Treasure Pavilion was an option because Zhou Bojiao could settle the matter with a single word. The Punishment Court was an option because it was dangerous and the waters were deep;
No one was willing to go. The Information Gathering Court was likely chosen simply because it lacked lucrative perks. As the current Chief Steward of the Wang Clan in the West Sea, Wang Yulou lacked neither properties nor manpower. Confident in his ability to earn spirit stones, he cared little about whether the Information Gathering Court offered extra benefits. Besides, wherever there was profit, there was conflict. In-fighting within Dripdrop Cave didn't carry much danger with Patriarch Mangxiang watching over them. But in the West Sea... Although Perfected Man Fujiao and True Person Haikuo, the two True Persons from Hongdengzhao, were present, the situation remained complex. Sometimes, it was better to keep a low profile.
"Yulou strictly obeys the Seal-Bearer's Sacred Decree," Wang Yulou respectfully answered.
Mo Xunzhou smiled and didn't say much else. Instead, he looked at Mo Yunshu.
"Yunshu, take Yulou to the Dragon Tiger Platform to collect his provisions as an Immortal Alliance disciple."
Mo Yunshu felt this was a bit too rushed. "Fourth Uncle, what should we do after collecting the items?" she asked in confusion.
The Vice Seal-Bearer was already holding his magic seal, stamping the Information Gathering Court's official appointment edict. He flicked the edict and handed it to Mo Yunshu.
"Go back and cultivate! The Information Gathering Court has nothing going on anyway. The biggest task I've handled this year is arranging the inductions for you two. Take this edict to the Dragon Tiger Platform and find their Seal-Bearer to have it stamped again."
"After that, you'll officially become members of the Immortal Alliance. The Immortal Alliance's objective is to serve all cultivators across heaven and earth. You must keep this in mind at all times. It's just that there are far too many cultivators across heaven and earth, so we'll temporarily focus on serving the grand cultivators first, hahaha!"
Toward the end, Mo Xunzhou even cracked a joke, and Yulou laughed along with him. Mo Yunshu naturally laughed too, but a profound doubt lingered deep in her eyes.
The Immortal Alliance only serves grand cultivators... Then what about my rogue cultivator Fellow Daoists who hunted demons alongside me and helped me reach where I am today? What do they count as? she wondered.
She couldn't figure it out. Or perhaps she had, but simply wasn't willing to admit it.
Yulou smiled and greeted Old Chen, the gatekeeper, before leaving the Information Gathering Court with Mo Yunshu.
Western Sea Immortal City had special rules. Since this was the front line where the Immortal Alliance battled demonic beasts, Foundation Establishment cultivators were numerous. As such, flight was forbidden—even Foundation Establishment cultivators were strictly prohibited from taking to the skies. Furthermore, due to the vast number of demonic beasts in the West Sea, raising spirit beasts had become a widespread trend. Cultivators within the immortal city were exceedingly fond of riding them to get around. It was somewhat like a special West Sea variation of riding spirit cranes. Cultivators in the West Sea didn't compete over magical robes or spirit cranes; they only competed over spirit beasts.
Fellow Daoist Yunshu was an intriguing person. Her spirit beast was an early-level Minor Demon Realm white-armored bear. It weighed a solid two thousand seven hundred jin, and even lying on its stomach, it was nearly one zhang tall. The bear was entirely brownish-black with glossy fur and a massive plate of white bone armor on its chest, earning it its name. Its physical body was tyrannical. Just standing there, it exuded a wild and fierce aura.
Mo Yunshu hadn't given any warning before summoning it, nearly startling Yulou. The gigantic white-armored bear had a pair of small green eyes. Yulou looked at it repeatedly, dejectedly realizing that his little stone turtle was only as big as one of the bear's eyes. Given its size, let alone riding it, Wang Yulou wasn't even willing to take it out. He simply feared the comparison!
"Eh? Then let's just walk over together, Junior Brother Yulou," Mo Yunshu hurriedly said, belatedly noticing his awkwardness.
The two of them walked toward the Dragon Tiger Platform together.
It was just a pity for the white-armored bear. It had only just been summoned by its master, yet before it could even get much fresh air, it was stuffed back into the spirit beast bag.
"I can understand titles like Treasure-Wielding True Person of the West Sea and Gate-Defending True Person, but Dragon-Tiger True Person always sounds a bit odd. Why would the Immortal Alliance choose that name?"
With a man and a woman walking together, they needed to find some topics of conversation even if they were on official business, so Yulou took the initiative to bring one up.
Coming from True Person Hansong's family, Mo Yunshu was the standard local powerhouse of the West Sea. She naturally understood these matters and began to recount what she knew in detail.
"When the Immortal Alliance was first established, Wunan had already been in chaos for a long time," she explained. "The cultivators around the West Sea had been forced back to the Western Sea Levee by the demonic beasts, with nowhere left to retreat. Thus, the Western Sea Levee was also known as the West Sea Pass."
"Later, when the Immortal Alliance was founded, the title of Gate-Defending True Person came into existence. The Treasure-Wielding True Person is a bit more special. What they wield is the high-grade spirit treasure, the Vajra Pillar. The might of this spirit treasure is incredibly formidable; legends say that if used properly, it can suppress and kill even an attacking Demon King."
"And the Dragon-Tiger True Person, being the most powerful of the three True Persons, has a title corresponding to the ability to capture dragons and subdue tigers. A highly powerful Purple Mansion True Man is always chosen to assume this position."
"Meanwhile, the Dragon Tiger Platform is the true core of Western Sea Immortal City. After our appointments are stamped by the Information Gathering Court, they need to be stamped again at the Dragon Tiger Platform to officially take effect. Rumor has it that your Hongdengzhao's True Person Haikuo even got into an argument with True Person Jinshan a few days ago. It seems he inserted too many people into positions, and True Person Jinshan wasn't very satisfied."
Yulou smiled bitterly, deep in thought, but didn't voice an opinion.
Li Haiping was a member of Wondrous Peak Mountain. The Wang Clan had an excellent relationship with Wondrous Peak Mountain; Wang Xianzhou had once led members of the Wang Clan to assist them in battle, fighting hard on their behalf numerous times. Back when Wang Yulou established the Great Goods Store in Clear Stream Market, one of the reasons he earned so many spirit stones was because Wang Xianzhou's slaughter-god level combat prowess on the front lines between the two sects was simply far too unique.
His innate talent had originally marked him as a heavenly genius. If things had gone smoothly, he would have become at least a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator. Trapped in the Qi Refining stage, he naturally became a slaughter-god of Qi Refining. He fought and killed for Wondrous Peak Mountain, while Wang Yulou leveraged Wondrous Peak Mountain's war to earn spirit stones. One could say that Wondrous Peak Mountain's True Person Li Haikuo was practically half of one of their own people. Jinshan was a grand cultivator originating from the Immortal Alliance, so it was completely normal for his interests to clash with Li Haiping's.
"So, the specific function of the Dragon Tiger Platform can be understood as the City Lord's Manor?" Yulou asked.
The affairs of True Persons were best left to just listening. Wang Yulou certainly wasn't going to express his own opinions on them.
"Hmm, pretty much. Ha, we're here. Look, the Dragon Tiger Platform."
The two turned a corner, and from a distance of two li away, Mo Yunshu pointed at the towering structure in the distance. The Dragon Tiger Platform had neither dragons nor tigers.
It was merely a very high platform, somewhat similar to the Monster Taming Platform that Wang Yulou had established at River Bend Fishing Port. However, the setup here was far more advanced than Yulou's.
The Information Gathering Court's gate was watched by only a single shriveled old man, Old Chen. Outside the Dragon Tiger Platform, however, stood two full rows of Foundation Establishment cultivators—twenty-four in total.
They wore combat armor with gray scales and white surcoats. Spiritual energy remained hidden within the armor, yet it eagerly pulsed between the plates, seeming impatient to throw itself into a fierce slaughter.
"Those seniors are the Dragon-Tiger Guard," Mo Yunshu explained. "Although the West Sea's front lines have moved far away from the immortal city and deep into the West Sea, the Dragon-Tiger Guard has been retained. If those West Sea outposts encounter danger, they can provide support at any time. There was a time in the past when I was saved by the Dragon-Tiger Guard arriving right on time. I almost died then."
Mo Yunshu spoke lightly, as if the person who had nearly died wasn't her, but hearing it made Yulou's heart tighten slightly.
The demons in the West Sea were different from the demons within Wunan, and different from the demons in Dripdrop Cave as well. The demons in the West Sea possessed legacies. Within the West Sea lay a multitude of Demon Generals and Demon Kings, while Great Demons were even more countless.
The thirty thousand cultivators inside Western Sea Immortal City were only a portion of the forces resisting the demonic beasts. Near those outposts, on the Western Sea Levee guarded by the Sky Serpent Sect and Withered Wood Hall, cultivators resisting the demonic horde were everywhere. Only through their combined efforts could the current front line be maintained.
"Indeed, it's not easy. It hasn't been easy for Fellow Daoist Yunshu, and it's not easy for any demon hunting cultivator guarding the West Sea front line," Wang Yulou replied with a sigh.
In truth, Wang Yulou was thinking that the pressure on the bottom-tier cultivators of Wunan could only be alleviated by sacrificing people in the West Sea. If the West Sea didn't exist, the Immortal Alliance's current rule could not possibly endure in Wunan.
Sending people to die on the West Sea front line was inherently immoral. But if they were viewed as a necessary price—sacrifices in exchange for the peaceful lives of billions of ordinary people in Wunan—then perhaps the matter wouldn't seem quite so cruel.
Compared to millions or tens of millions of people being ground into meat paste and dust, the deaths of several thousand to tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators every year didn't seem quite as terrifying. Wang Yulou couldn't fully wrap his head around it.
This was akin to a higher-level trolley problem. In any system, someone had to be a cog in the machine, occupying the less comfortable ecological niches. This kind of problem had accompanied organizations and groups since their very inception, seemingly without any possible resolution.
"Wang Yulou, perhaps you've never experienced the life of a rogue cultivator," Mo Yunshu said, walking upon the Dragon Tiger Platform with a trace of melancholy. "Even a single degree of hardship is equally difficult. When rogue cultivators face hardship, the degree of their suffering that is seen by others is a three. When you and I face hardship, the degree seen by others is a thirty. And when grand cultivators face hardship, the degree seen by others is three hundred."
Wang Yulou raised an eyebrow.
He realized that Mo Yunshu was even more unique than Feng Jianxian. Feng Jianxian was the type driven by loyalty, heroism, and righting injustices. Mo Yunshu was different. Because of True Person Hansong's cultivation methods, she had deeply immersed herself among rogue cultivators for years, hunting demons alongside them deep in the West Sea, and had ultimately survived to return.
The perspective revealed in her words was so profound that Wang Yulou simply stared deeply at her back, not knowing where to begin answering or what to say.