Chapter 142: Suffer the West Sea Cultivators a Little More, Let the Immortal Alliance Bear the Infamy |
In a grotto-heaven beyond the Great Heaven, the surroundings were an empty expanse of gray, entirely devoid of land or water. Right in the center floated a mysterious, colorful sphere, slowly and continuously rotating.
As it turned, diffused colored light constantly shot toward the edges of the grotto-heaven. This light seemed to carry immense power, or perhaps it was simply undergoing a transformation.
Whenever it collided with the gray edges, the spatial boundaries expanded bit by bit. Here, there was no concept of distance, let alone the flow of time.
Aside from the mysterious sphere, there were no points of reference. Because of this, it was impossible to gauge its actual size.
It was only when Xihai Longhu suddenly appeared in midair that its sheer massiveness was finally brought into perspective; next to it, Xihai Longhu looked like a mere speck of dust. For some unknown reason, his battle armor was completely covered in dense, fine cracks.
On the skin exposed beneath the armor, bone and flesh were visible through blood-mottled wounds. However, this seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Hall of Benevolence paid little attention to his injuries.
After swallowing a spirit pill for temporary relief, he spread his arms in a swimming posture and slowly inched toward the colorful sphere at the center of the grotto-heaven. Evasion arts could not be used here, nor could divine abilities, forcing him to travel in this clumsy manner.
This place was Shen Guang's grotto-heaven, and the Immortal Venerable had sensed his disciple's arrival.
The colorful sphere stopped rotating. A brown, earthen ribbon of light extended from it, stopping right beneath the swimming Xihai Longhu's feet. Now having a foothold, he finally no longer had to inch along so slowly.
Without hesitation, Xihai Longhu dove straight in, leaving only a tiny ripple on its surface. Once he entered, the colorful sphere resumed its rotation, its diffused light once again expanding the grotto-heaven's boundaries.
Inside the sphere was a chaotic world constructed of endless light and shadow. Sensing his master's summons, Xihai Longhu closed his eyes, walked slowly forward, and finally arrived by Shen Guang's side.
In his eyes, the legendary Immortal Venerable resembled an inconspicuous mass of blackness, standing out starkly amidst the endless light and shadow. This blackness was not light, rock, or skin; rather, it was like a patch of void devoid of all presence.
Even though he couldn't clearly see his master's appearance, Xihai Longhu knew that the blackness before him was Shen Guang.
"Master, Longhu is here."
He spoke, but no sound came out; there were still too many incomplete aspects to Shen Guang's grotto-heaven. However, this did not hinder their conversation.
The space could not carry sound, but as the master of the grotto-heaven, Shen Guang was omniscient within its bounds. A moment later, Xihai Longhu bowed slightly and replied obediently.
"Understood, Master. The general direction is to make the West Sea cultivators suffer a little more, and let the Immortal Alliance bear the infamy. Longhu understands completely."
Make the West Sea cultivators suffer a little more, and shift the blame to the Immortal Alliance. Immortal Venerable Shen Guang had risen to prominence in the West Sea, and his influence was deeply rooted there.
He commanded manpower, power, platforms, authority, spirit stones, and resources. Immortal Venerable Shen Guang himself was a Golden Core cultivator seated in the very first row of the Gathering Immortals Platform, a figure capable of stirring up storms within the Immortal Alliance.
Xihai Longhu knew very well that once his master's Sacred Decree was issued, tens of thousands of cultivators would lament. But grand cultivators were always like this.
Bottom-tier cultivators only needed to follow along. As for where to go and how to get there, grand cultivators had far more to consider.
After a moment of silence, the two seemingly moved on to another topic.
"To think that was also one of Master's moves. Master's realm is so lofty and far-reaching; I am afraid Longhu will never be able to catch up in this lifetime."
It was a good attempt at flattery, but it had little effect. Whatever Shen Guang said next caused Xihai Longhu's expression to change drastically. He prostrated himself completely on the ground, saying, "Master, that Longhu has achieved what I have today relies entirely on Master's shelter and guidance.
"How could I ever harbor feelings of dissatisfaction? The Purple Palace realm...
"I have thought about it, but I gave up on that dream long ago. My aptitude is dull.
"Having seen and understood much more over the years, I have only grown increasingly grateful for Master's kindness. How could I possibly entertain rebellious delusions?
"There are so many geniuses and heroes in this world. Yet even with Master's heaven-defying talent, you still had to endure untold hardships to achieve your current aura. In my heart, I only remember Master's endless grace and care.
"All I desire is to serve Master with all my heart and strength. I have absolutely no other intentions." Pausing here, Xihai Longhu gritted his teeth and added, "But Xihai Zhongcheng is different!
"That man is two-faced. On the surface, he changed his name to 'Zhongcheng' to show loyalty, but his actions in the dark completely disregard Master.
"He appears loyal, but his heart is utterly vicious and venomous!"
The black void seemed moved by Xihai Longhu's heartfelt words—or perhaps his accusations had sown seeds of doubt—for slight ripples formed across its surface. A jade slip made of dark orchid jade shot out from the void.
Xihai Longhu hastily caught it. Accompanying the jade slip was Immortal Venerable Shen Guang's Sacred Decree.
"Do your job. Pay him no mind."
Loyal or not, Immortal Venerables never cared. Holding the jade slip, Xihai Longhu felt surprised by his master's reply, but he remained prostrated in compliance.
With a flash of multicolored light and shadow, Xihai Longhu vanished from the grotto-heaven. At the center of the endless glow, the black void fell back into silence.
Meanwhile, the estate Mo Yunshu had rented to Yulou was located in the Eastern District of Western Sea Immortal City.
To put it simply: the Western District was the common zone, the Northern District housed the Immortal Alliance and various West Sea administrative courts, the Southern District was the commercial hub, and the Eastern District was the luxury residential area.
Thus, Mo Yunshu's residence was ten zhang wide and sixteen zhang long—a standard Eastern District luxury mansion.
Normally, those who could secure an estate here were either the old nobility of the West Sea, disciples and stewards of the Immortal Alliance stationed in the city, or seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators. By living here, Yulou was certainly not being mistreated.
Ancestor Jingyi had chosen to stay in the right courtyard of the estate's rear section. At this moment, Wang Yulou was deep in conversation with her.
"Yulou, to think that True Person Hansong would make such a judgment. But can Mo Yunshu's words be trusted?
"What kind of person she is has nothing to do with her renting you the estate. You must think this through carefully."
Wang Jingyi still found it hard to believe; the implications of this matter were simply too vast. Even though Mo Yunshu had rented Wang Yulou a beautiful large mansion at a discounted price as a new friend, Ancestor Jingyi maintained the vigilance befitting a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This was not mere paranoia; it was a caution born from her many years of experience traversing the cultivation world.
Pointing in the direction of Wang Family Mountain, Yulou replied, "Our Wang Clan has done the exact same thing—taking our accumulated savings and spending them over a short span of a dozen years to push our clan's cultivators to break through to Foundation Establishment.
"Rongjiangshu even used two and a half shares of resources. Only by doing so could we achieve the grand spectacle of having six Foundation Establishment cultivators today.
"Ancestor, surviving in the cultivation world is not easy for the vast majority. Therefore, cultivation clans like ours, which sit near the bottom tier, all hoard a cache of resources to guard against hard times.
"Nowadays, spirit stones in Wunan are losing their value. This is because the Ancestral Master opened up public exchanges through the Hongdengzhao Merit Hall, overdrawing the sect's ruling authority and driving up prices across all of Wunan.
"However, the spirit stones everyone has saved are limited. The inflated prices of various spiritual materials will eventually fall back to their true value. I am inclined to believe that Mo Yunshu is telling the truth."
Wang Yulou brought up the Wang Clan as an example. The Ancestral Master's Great Favor Distribution was trading Hongdengzhao's long-term interests for the short-term gains he required.
Its direct consequences were threefold. The first was that a massive amount of Wunan's resources flowed toward Hongdengzhao, only to be continuously siphoned away by the Ancestral Master.
With him taking so much, the resources everyone else needed naturally began to rise in price from the top down. Gradually, this resulted in everything surging in cost.
The Dragon-Tiger Dried Feed that spirit birds liked to eat wasn't inherently worth a single spirit stone for three pieces. However, because the cultivation resources required by the makers had gone up in price, they had no choice but to raise their prices as well.
The helpless reality was that, even with everything rising in price, the various clans and small sects in Wunan still had to go all-in to keep up. A rising tide lifted all boats, and everyone was forced to rise with it.
Other people's boats were rising; if the Wang Clan didn't rise with them, their relative position in the cultivation world would slip. They had no choice but to keep up.
The consequence was that the prices of all sorts of goods in Wunan continued to be pushed higher. This entire process was not just simple inflation; it was a spiral of despair.
Inflation was a mortal economic issue, but in this spiral, the class regression mortals suffered was replaced by the relative decline in status that cultivators feared—and this was fatal. Because of this, the situation was incredibly difficult to untangle.
Wang Jingyi understood Wang Yulou's points, but the more she understood, the harder it became for her to take a stance. The Ancestor had ordered Huang Qiusheng to trade away so many of Hongdengzhao's secret legacies, dharma methods, pill recipes, refining methods, and formation arrays...
This damaged the sect's long-term interests, but since the Wang Clan were the Ancestor's people, their own boat was rising faster on the tide. On the other hand, the Wang Clan had already suffered a massive loss; it was too late to complain now.
Having more Foundation Establishment cultivators wasn't always better; the clan couldn't manage to secure prime positions for so many of them.
With so many dharma methods flowing out of Hongdengzhao, it was difficult for the Wang Clan to pull ahead simply by managing their own industries—the other boats had risen higher as well.
The Wang Clan had overdrawn their savings to produce six Foundation Establishment cultivators, but other small factions were expanding too. The lucky Wu Jinyan was a prime example.
It was precisely because of these complex issues that Zheng Yan, their newly joined outer-surname Foundation Establishment cultivator, had been assigned to the West Sea. It was also why Wang Jingyi favored sending Wang Rongjiang there as well.
"Yulou, I will discuss what you've said with Xianmao."
In the end, this was all Wang Jingyi could say. Over the past dozen years, Wang Yulou's growth had been visibly rapid.
Now, he was like a precious sword about to be drawn from its sheath. Mangxiang had partially drawn it, and the exposed blade reflected a dazzling light.
The Wang Clan, acting as the scabbard, could no longer conceal this Qilin child—and gradually, they were becoming unable to protect him either. Wang Yulou understood this himself, which was why he had proactively shouldered the responsibility.
The burden of the Wang Clan had been carried by elders like Wang Xianzhou, Wang Xianmao, and Wang Jingyi for many years. Now, Wang Yulou could stand before them and confidently declare that he was ready to step up as well.
"Also, Ancestor, I have another thought... Senior Gu Qilang mentioned that the Ancestor arranged for three thousand Qi Refining cultivators to enter the West Sea. What exactly is his purpose?"
Three thousand Qi Refining cultivators under Hongdengzhao's banner entering the West Sea—this was a truly massive undertaking. Western Sea Immortal City only had thirty thousand people in total!
Wang Jingyi furrowed her brows, pondering the exact same thing. She too felt there was something suspicious about the matter.
'Yulou, as far as I know, Perfected Man Fujiao's appointment in the West Sea was personally arranged by the Ancestor.
'If Li Haikuo's appointment was also arranged by the Ancestor, then the situation is even more complicated.'
Ancestor Jingyi pressed Yulou's hand, only sending the voice transmission after deploying the Formless World. Wang Yulou had naturally thought of this as well.
Zhou Fujiao and Wondrous Peak Mountain's Li Haikuo, who had just achieved the Purple Palace realm, taking up True Person positions within the Immortal Alliance in the West Sea together—the intent behind this couldn't be any clearer. First sending two Hongdengzhao True Persons, and then a full three thousand disciples...
'I suspect there are three possibilities.
'First, the scale of Hongdengzhao's Great Favor Distribution is too massive, and they must cull the bottom-tier cultivators to alleviate the conflict between them and the sect.
'Second, after the Ancestor attains the Golden Core, Hongdengzhao will have two Golden Core cultivators, thereby becoming an Upper-Path Sect.
'As an Upper-Path Sect, the Sky Serpent Sect occupies four thousand li of the Western Sea Levee.
'Couldn't Hongdengzhao, upon becoming an Upper-Path Sect, reclaim the four thousand li of the Western Sea Levee that originally belonged to it?
'Third, Immortal Venerable Shen Guang wants to develop South Annex City, but he is clearly poaching the Immortal Alliance's foundation.
'The Ancestor sending two True Persons along with those disciples might be intended to push back against Immortal Venerable Shen Guang.'
Releasing external pressure, reclaiming the Western Sea Levee as a unique resource point, and opposing Immortal Venerable Shen Guang.
Wang Yulou deduced these three possibilities based on his own judgment. Since much of his foundational information came from Ancestor Jingyi, she naturally understood his reasoning.
'Yulou, do you have another idea?'
A mix of pity and expectation filled Ancestor Jingyi's eyes; she held boundless affection for this Qilin child of the Wang Clan. Yulou possessed incredible talent, but sadly, he was born at the wrong time—into an era where grand cultivators pressed down on the world so heavily that ten thousand horses stood mute.
'Ancestor, I shouldn't rush my breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.'
Ancestor Jingyi's eyes immediately lit up. Yulou hadn't spelled it out completely, but she was an incredibly smart woman; she naturally understood what he meant.
However, she quickly realized another issue, and her eyes dimmed.
'I'm afraid that isn't up to you, Yulou.'
If he delayed his Foundation Establishment, and the Ancestor failed to attain the Golden Core, the Ancestor wouldn't sit back and watch Zhou Yingxi reach the Purple Palace realm. In that scenario, Wang Yulou wouldn't become expendable material. But this matter did not depend on Wang Yulou.
Moreover, if things really went that way, it wouldn't be a good outcome for the Ancestor's loyalists like the Wang Clan either. The option Yulou hadn't explicitly mentioned—defecting to Shen Guang—was just as bleak.
If the Wang Clan went under Shen Guang's command, what could they do? What should they do?
Setting aside the fact that the Wang Clan's roots were deeply embedded in Hongdengzhao... Immortal Venerable Shen Guang's faction was already packed with people, from the Charity Hall to the various departments in the Subsidiary City, the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, and the South Annex City Development Office.
If the Wang Clan defected there, they wouldn't get much of a share. At this thought, Wang Yulou smiled helplessly.
This damned fate was truly hard to bear.
'After I get married, I plan to stay in the West Sea, earning spirit stones through artifact refining while polishing my cultivation base.
'If True Person Hansong's prediction is correct, the spirit stones one can earn through artifact refining right now should be the highest they will be for the next few centuries.'
Why was Danri's order for Wang Yulou to come to the West Sea to polish his cultivation base considered so absurd that it had scared both Yulou and Wang Jingyi out of their wits? Because there were many ways to polish a cultivation base without risking one's life against demonic beasts on the front lines.
Artifact refining could hone it, and frequently sparring with fellow Daoists could do the same. There were plenty of methods.
Only rootless rogue cultivators and fools would choose to fight demonic beasts to polish their cultivation base. True, Wang Yulou currently had a Sky River Escape Divine Ability Treasure Talisman in hand.
Even if he went to the front lines to slaughter demonic beasts, there was a high probability he would be fine—but what if an accident happened? Naturally, there was conflict in the cultivation world, but top-tier forces like the Immortal Alliance enjoyed ample internal resource distribution.
If Yulou took just a small share, combined with the clan's support, it would be enough for him to reach Foundation Establishment. Even if he really had to risk his life, he should do so only after breaking through.
Forcing a mere Qi Refining cultivator like Wang Yulou to brave such mortal danger was absurd. A Qilin child like him was meant to shatter the clan's thousand-year shackles, not to be used as cannon fodder.
Wang Xianmao and Wang Jingyi weren't fools. They had protected him all this time precisely because they expected him to achieve great things in the future.
'That's fine.
'Your position in the Information Gathering Court is indeed decent. Although there's not much profit in it, it barely takes up any time.
'However, the West Sea has plenty of demonic beast materials, while An Ning cultivated the Metal and Stone Refinement Dao.
'I will have Rongjiang bring all of the clan's bone artifact refining methods to you later.'
Wang Yulou already had An Ning's artifact refining notes.
The subtle techniques within were enough for him to study for at least another dozen years. If he could master them all, after reaching Foundation Establishment, he would become a Master Artificer of an extremely high caliber—the kind capable of assisting Purple Palace grand cultivators in refining magic treasures.
However, since An Ning was a Metal and Stone Refinement Dao Master Artificer, her notes weren't as comprehensive in bone refining methods, despite containing quite a few secret legacies. But the Wang Clan was different.
Over the past thousand years, the Wang Clan had sent many members to struggle in the West Sea, elevating their skill in bone refining to a high level. Wang Yulou hadn't refined artifacts in a while, and his Ruyi Golden Radiance had already fully recharged.
Now that he had established a foothold in the West Sea, he naturally wouldn't delay any longer.
'Ancestor, I believe it would be better to have the Patriarch come over directly.
'In Dripdrop Cave, I fought single-handedly and managed to set up a small operation.
'In the West Sea, we have over a dozen Wang Clan members, as well as two True Persons from the sect.
'In the future, a large number of Qi Refining cultivators will also come over.
'It can be said that this is precisely the time for great accomplishments.
'With the Patriarch here, I would feel much more confident.
'As for Uncle Rongjiang and Uncle Rongyuan, they have only just reached Foundation Establishment and still need to complete their stage-specific dharma methods and secret legacies.
'Focusing on their cultivation should be their priority.'
Ancestor Jingyi's previous thought had been to arrange for Wang Rongjiang, who had been at Foundation Establishment for some years, to come to the West Sea to hold the fort for Yulou.
The Wang Clan now had six Foundation Establishment cultivators, making their deployment quite flexible. But Yulou had explicitly asked for the Patriarch to come, and the reasons he gave were incredibly sound and reasonable.
'I'll discuss it with him later...
'There's something you don't know. With Xianmao staying in the clan, he can rely on his divine abilities and cultivation base to nourish those trees. If nourished well, it wouldn't be difficult for them to reach the level of high-grade spiritual artifacts.'
Wang Xianmao's mastery of the Wood Generation Method was exceptional. Every single spirit tree situated in the middle of Dumb Donkey Plain at Wang Family Mountain was a spiritual artifact.
After Wang Rongjiang and Wang Rongyuan achieved Foundation Establishment, the clan gifted them each a high-grade spiritual artifact—large tree spiritual artifacts, personally refined by Wang Xianmao. This was directly related to their spirit roots.
Wang Rongjiang cultivated metal and wood arts, while Wang Rongyuan cultivated earth and wood arts. Thus, they could use these large tree spiritual artifacts as their primary spiritual artifacts upon reaching Foundation Establishment.
If someone lacked a wood spirit root, taking a large tree spiritual artifact after reaching Foundation Establishment would be a waste of natural treasures.
"It seems Yulou was too rash..."
"It's fine, you didn't know these things before.
"However, Yulou, how much did that Wang Jiahui actually embezzle? Can you give me a rough estimate?"
At the mention of Wang Jiahui, Ancestor Jingyi's expression turned quite unpleasant. Wang Jiahui was similar to her—both were daughters of the Wang Clan.
She hadn't been married out; she simply took a Dao Companion and remained a member of the Wang Clan. Yet Wang Jiahui treated the Western Sea Immortal City's Flavorful Bistro as her personal money tree, using the Ancestor backing the Wang Clan and True Person Hansong backing her husband's family as a smokescreen.
To say her audacity was vast enough to swallow the sky would be an understatement.
"Thirty thousand.
"At least thirty thousand. Those scammed cultivators knew the names of the Ancestor and True Person Hansong, so they didn't dare cause trouble and could only suffer in silence.
"Cultivators in Western Sea Immortal City come and go; the turnover is high.
"Therefore, she was always able to scam newcomers." Ancestor Jingyi slammed her hand down on the table beside her in fury, instantly reducing it to fine powder.
"To flaunt the Ancestor's name around so recklessly...
"How dare she!
"First she pays back the spirit stones, then we kill her!
"If Wang Jiahui can't pay it back, then her husband's family will.
"Also, split the spirit stones into two portions.
"Give one to True Person Hansong, and the other..."
"One for the Ancestor, or Xuanzhuan?" Yulou asked.
Wang Jingyi fell silent for a moment before replying.
"No, why give it to him?
"Keep the other portion for yourself. My grotto-heaven was snatched away by him; our Wang Clan owes Mangxiang nothing!"
Just now, Wang Yulou had cryptically suggested the possibility of jumping ship. Though Ancestor Jingyi had rejected it, some changes had already stirred in her heart.
The relationship between the Wang Clan and Mangxiang was not fundamentally one of dependence, as Mangxiang had absolutely no intention of bearing any real responsibility. It was nothing more than a relationship built on benefits—a purely transactional relationship devoid of any emotion.
That was all. If changing backers didn't cost so much, how could the Wang Clan have endured it until now?
Her minor grotto-heaven had already been snatched away. If Wang Jingyi still foolishly acted as though she were of one heart with the Ancestor, then she would truly be an idiot.
Of course, the Ancestor didn't care about her thoughts, nor did he care about the thoughts of any of the Foundation Establishment cultivators under his tutelage. Immortal Venerable Shen Guang didn't care about loyalty, and grand cultivators didn't care about loyalty either.
They only looked at results. Wang Yulou was about to reply when he suddenly looked toward the doorway.
A short while later, an assistant—whom they had poached from Wang Rongchuan to moonlight as a doorman and servant—stood at the door and smiled at the two people in the room.
"Ancestor, Senior, Clan Elder Rongwen has returned. He is waiting in the front yard!"
Wang Rongwen had accepted the Immortal Alliance Decree on behalf of the Wang Clan to come to the West Sea. He was truly here to gain experience.
Only after passing this trial of demon hunting on the front lines would the clan be able to allocate resources toward him and provide him with Foundation Establishment resources. Consequently, in the few days since Yulou arrived, he hadn't seen this clan uncle.
Now, Wang Rongwen had finally returned to the immortal city.
"Go call... No, Ancestor, should we go together?"
Ancestor Jingyi naturally wouldn't refuse. The two made their way to the front yard and proceeded with Wang Rongwen into the estate's main hall to converse.
"...So that's the situation. Yulou is getting married tomorrow evening. It's perfect timing that you returned now; you can join us for some spirit wine."
Ancestor Jingyi didn't mention too many inside details, simply giving a brief overview of Wang Yulou's impending marriage.
"Good, good, good!
"Yulou, the opportunities for your generation are truly different now, hahaha.
"You have become a Core Disciple. Although Yu'an is far from the family, he has shouldered the heavy responsibility of forging a new branch lineage. You are both good lads."
Wang Rongwen's laughter was loud, but how could his true thoughts, hidden behind his expression, escape Ancestor Jingyi's eyes? As an elder, Wang Jingyi also had her own moments of helplessness regarding many matters.
She couldn't treat everyone completely equally—this was her helpless reality, but also an inevitability in the process of a clan's development. Therefore, after giving Yulou some instructions via voice transmission, Ancestor Jingyi took her leave, passing the task of placating Wang Rongwen over to Wang Yulou.
"Clan Uncle, please wait a moment. Elder Feng of Dripdrop Cave said he wanted to bring disciples from Dripdrop Cave's West Sea Outer Courtyard to bolster my momentum. Let me send him a voice transmission talisman first to inform him of the time."
Watching Yulou send off the talisman, Wang Rongwen smiled and nodded. He understood the need to bolster one's momentum.
Marrying the daughter of a Purple Palace grand cultivator meant that any slight show of weakness would turn the union into marrying into the bride's family. However, what he cared about more was the Dripdrop Cave Wang Yulou had mentioned.
Uncle Rongwen and Aunt Luwan had two children. The eldest, Yu'an, had gone far away to Hidden Dragon Abbey, but the second child, Yusheng, had gone to Dripdrop Cave, directly under Yulou's wing at that.
"Yulou, how is Yusheng doing now?" Uncle Rongwen asked.
"Although I was driven out of Dripdrop Cave by that old thief Yuan Daoshen... well, regardless, Little Fish and Senior Martial Sister Lin are still in the sect.
"You don't need to worry about Yusheng's cultivation.
"I can't guarantee whether he'll be able to break through to Qi Refining, but in Dripdrop Cave, a mortal with mottled five energies can acquire five spirit roots through the method of returning from postnatal to innate. Reaching Qi Induction will absolutely not be a problem."
Yulou paused, then brought up Wang Yu'an. "As for Yu'an, you know the Patriarch's thoughts.
"The Ancestor attaining Golden Core is a move of immense ambition, but if his momentum breaks, the backlash will definitely ripple outward to strike our Wang Clan. At such a critical juncture, we had to send a disciple away—someone with good enough talent and a solid enough temperament—to preserve a spark for the clan.
"If the Ancestor smoothly achieves the Golden Core, Yu'an can return then."
Back when Wang Yu'an first left the family to head for Clear Stream Market, Uncle Rongyuan had slapped him a solid ten times right from the start, nearly beating his face into a pig's head. But when it came down to it, that was only because he was young, his temperament wasn't yet settled, and he was slightly too restless.
Later on, influenced by Yulou, Yu'an gradually grew much steadier. If Wang Yulou was the true Qilin of the Wang Clan, then Wang Yu'an was at least half a Qilin—another fine young man capable of holding up a small patch of the sky.
Yulou's comforting explanation left Wang Rongwen somewhat stunned. He wanted to say that he understood all these things, but when the words reached his lips, they ultimately turned into a long sigh.
They were both his children, yet now, they were thousands of li away. How could he not feel longing and worry in his heart?
"Yulou, you are doing very well. Better than I was at your age, and your cultivation base is advancing fast too.
"Now, you had True Person Danri elevate your cultivation earlier, and Perfected Man Fujiao is marrying his daughter to you later. It's obvious how much the Ancestor values you.
"You must do well to fulfill your duty as a disciple. As for the clan...
"...perhaps every generation has its own task. Uncle Rongyuan and I have a good relationship, and our situations are quite similar.
"Our role might just be laying the foundation—providing the groundwork for you all to grow.
"And as for you and Yu'an—no, you. You are more outstanding. You must grow tall, grow up, and become the true pillar of the Wang Clan."
Wang Rongwen initially wanted to speak to Yulou from the posture of an elder, but by the end, he had carefully shifted into propping Wang Yulou up. He belonged to the smarter type of cultivator.
Otherwise, out of the many disciples in the Wang Clan, he wouldn't have been selected by the family as a Foundation Establishment Seed. Therefore, he could see things clearly.
Wang Yulou was highly regarded by the Ancestor, the Patriarch, and Wang Jingyi. His cultivation base was the same as his own—the tenth layer of Qi Refining—and he was about to marry the daughter of Zhou Fujiao to be his Dao Companion.
A Wang Yulou like this was destined to be the leading figure of the Wang Clan in the future. How Yu'an's future turned out might very well depend entirely on Wang Yulou's opinion.
Therefore, he didn't dare to put on airs as a senior. This was actually a kind of helplessness.
The Wang Clan, combining its direct lineage and outer surnames, had over two hundred people. They operated on a governance model that "balanced emotion and reason," rather than just relying on emotion alone. Relying purely on emotion wouldn't be enough to properly manage this faction that wasn't exactly small—they had over two hundred people, after all!
Because of this, Wang Rongwen acted the way he did.
"Yulou has noted down Uncle Rongwen's words. However, Uncle Rongwen, you are currently demon hunting on the front lines in the West Sea. I wonder if you could tell Yulou about the specific situation there?" Wang Yulou proactively asked.
He knew his relationship with Yu'an best, and Wang Rongwen was Yu'an's father. By asking this, he also wanted to take the initiative to bridge their connection.
Seeing that Yulou wanted to understand demon hunting, Wang Rongwen naturally shared everything he knew. "The situation regarding demon hunting in the West Sea is very complex.
"As for my current task, I am considered a demon-hunting cultivator under the Twelfth Outpost. Because the demons in the West Sea have the backing of Demon General, Demon King, and even Demon God lineages, they are different from the demonic beasts in the Wunan hinterlands.
"Because of this, demon-hunting cultivators must form teams to hunt. As for team formations, they are roughly divided into two types.
"One type is a ten-person team fully equipped with cultivators of all five elemental arts. In these teams, there are cultivators practicing all five types of spiritual energy."
Even if they venture deep into the West Sea, they rarely face immense danger. As long as they don't encounter a Great Demon, nothing should go wrong.
The other type is a sixteen-person team. In addition to having cultivators from all five arts, a Foundation Establishment cultivator leads the group.
Even if they encounter a Great Demon, they have the strength to put up a fight. My team is exactly like this.
"I primarily cultivate wood arts, so my task is setting ambushes and restricting the enemy. Aside from that, demon-hunting teams are divided into rogue cultivator teams and sect teams.
"Rogue teams are made up of independent cultivators, while sect teams consist of sect members and their affiliated forces. Naturally, I belong to the latter.
"This also brings up an unspoken rule: once you enter the West Sea, the Immortal Alliance's laws no longer apply. Consequently, a special type of demon-hunting team exists.
"The size of these teams varies—sometimes large, sometimes small—but their members are generally quite strong. They even employ dedicated trackers.
"These groups never take the initiative to hunt. Instead, they wait for other demon-hunting teams to clash with demonic beasts and suffer losses or gather spoils before launching a sneak attack. Stealing demonic beast materials and loot is considered getting off lightly.
"More often than not, robbery goes hand-in-hand with murder.
"In short, demon hunting in the West Sea truly tempers a person. I've had two near-death experiences, but all things considered, my gains have been quite substantial." Taking a sip of tea, Wang Rongwen added a warning, "Keep this last part to yourself. Don't mention it to your auntie, Yu'an, or Yusheng."
Cultivators simply had to shoulder such pressure themselves; Wang Rongwen kept an open mind about it.
"Understood. The Foundation Establishment cultivator leading your team... is it Senior Zheng?"
Yulou was asking about Zheng Yan. This outer-surname Foundation Establishment cultivator had acquired the Wang Clan's dharma methods on a 'use first, pay later' arrangement, and was currently leading teams in the West Sea to hunt demons and earn spirit stones to repay his debt.
"No, he's leading a rogue cultivator team. Furthermore, Old Zheng is incredibly cautious," Wang Rongwen replied.
"His team only has ten people, and they never venture too deep. In his words: hunting demons is just hunting demons; a Great Demon is a demon, and a small demon is still a demon.
"Safety always comes first.
"Since I came here on an Immortal Alliance Decree, I can't be as free as he is. I must obey the Immortal Alliance's arrangements."
Wang Yulou pondered for a moment before asking, "Uncle Rongwen, the father of my Dao Companion, Zhou Yingxi, once served as the Town Guardian Cultivator in Clear Stream Market under the name Mu Chunze. You should remember him.
"He has now taken office alongside Perfected Man Fujiao and serves as the seal-holder for the Punishment Court. Say, could I use his connections to get you transferred off the demon-hunting front lines?"
With Yulou showing such goodwill, how could Wang Rongwen not be moved? His lips trembled slightly, but in the end, he said, "You're marrying the Zhou family's daughter, and then immediately borrowing the Zhou family's influence to pull strings for me.
"That's inappropriate, Yulou.
"Besides, I only have two years left on my mission deadline. I've become increasingly familiar with demon hunting over the past few years. There shouldn't be any major danger."
Seeing Wang Yulou about to speak again, Wang Rongwen waved his hand to stop him. Then, with a sly smile, he added, "When it comes to demon hunting, if I run into danger, I just need to run.
"As for how to run, there's only one key point—as long as I run faster than the others, I'll be fine.
"With the Hundred-Mile Carefree Talisman and other such talismans in my possession, how could I not outrun them?" Yulou let out a hearty laugh and said, "Uncle Rongwen, you don't understand.
"Senior Chunze is a fascinating character. Back then...
"...he was even diluting water to fish for spirit stones! What problem out there can't be solved with a sum of spirit stones?"
Hearing that it would cost spirit stones, Wang Rongwen refused even more flatly. His thoughts weren't complicated: he only had two years left.
He just had to grit his teeth and push through. A demon-hunting mission once every two months wasn't a heavy workload.
He had already survived for eight years; there was no need to spend spirit stones to buy safety for this final stretch. Furthermore, the clan had sent him to the West Sea to temper himself, not to relax.
Only by gaining solid experience could the family justify providing him with Foundation Establishment resources. If members of the Wang Clan arrived in the West Sea and immediately sought a safe position to hide in, how could they possibly shoulder the clan's responsibilities after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage?
"Uncle Rongwen, I need you to stay in Western Sea Immortal City to help me. I need your assistance to firmly establish my footing here.
"Ancestor Jingyi has appointed me as the chief steward over the many Wang Clan members in the West Sea. I want to get things done, but not everyone submits to my authority.
"Take Wang Jiahui, for instance... Therefore, if you can come over, whatever I wish to do will be much easier to execute.
"As for the spirit stones, it would be a few thousand at most—just the value of a few magical artifacts or a dozen bottles of spirit pills. In two years' time, are you telling me you couldn't refine a dozen bottles of Qi Transformation Pills?
"And who knows, Senior Chunze might not even accept any spirit stones and just arrange it for you directly."
Wang Rongwen wasn't Yuan Wu. He immediately countered,
"That would just result in you owing a debt of gratitude. Are debts of gratitude so easy to repay?"
Debts of gratitude certainly weren't easy to repay, but Yulou knew the situation in the West Sea was incredibly complex. If he wanted to establish a foothold here, he needed to make preparations.
He wasn't the kind of rogue cultivator who remained blind to the hidden currents of the cultivation world and had yet to enter the game. Furthermore, Wang Yulou's goal wasn't just to stop at Foundation Establishment.
Why was Immortal Venerable Shen Guang able to become an Immortal Venerable? Aside from his exceptional innate talent, his ability to rally the various large and small local factions in the West Sea was also a crucial factor.
Under the system of the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects, if a cultivator only knew how to cultivate in seclusion, they were destined to never reach the Purple Palace realm. The Zhou family's promise of half a Purple Palace was too distant.
In a span of one or two hundred years, who knew what could happen? Wang Yulou had to establish other fallback plans.
And although Zhou Bojiao had agreed to take Wang Yulou as his disciple, he couldn't bother Old Zhou with every little thing. Wang Yulou was well aware that his own reputation didn't carry that much weight yet.
Mu Chunze, however, was different. This man was practically half a local kingpin in the West Sea and was highly familiar with its many affairs.
Additionally, as the highest-ranking person arranged by Zhou Bojiao—and a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator who was equally close to Zhou Bojiao—he wielded tremendous influence. After marrying Zhou Yingxi, Wang Yulou could consider himself to have successfully secured Mu Chunze's backing.
Now that he had strong backing, he needed to put it to use. Relationships, after all, were built through mutual exchange.
'Ah, whatever. He's my father-in-law, after all.'
'It's settled then.'
"I'll ask him tomorrow evening; he probably won't refuse."
Wang Rongwen still wanted to decline, but the servant acting as doorman arrived again to deliver a message, forcing him to smile bitterly and accept the arrangement. Yulou had made his point clearly, and Wang Rongwen understood.
Transferring his position wasn't just to help him dodge danger; it was also to provide Wang Yulou with a supporting arm. There was work to be done.
The servant—originally an assistant but now moonlighting as a doorman—stood before the hall and announced,
"Clan Elder Rongwen, Senior Yulou, Feng Jianxian is here!" Yulou stood up and headed out to welcome Feng Jianxian, while Wang Rongwen called out to stop the servant, instructing him, "Yulou has already been appointed as the chief steward of the Wang Clan in the West Sea. In the future, you must address him first before addressing us of the Rong generation. Do you understand?"
"Understood! Understood!"
Even small factions had their rules. Wang Yulou's position as the Wang Clan's West Sea chief steward might look like a patchwork role, but with one Foundation Establishment cultivator and multiple Qi Refining cultivators under his command, it could already be considered a miniature faction.
At the same time, Yulou cast a measuring glance at the Black Dragon Steed by Feng Jianxian's side. The Black Dragon Steed noticed his gaze.
He immediately raised his chin and said overbearingly,
"What are you looking at your granddaddy for?"
Smack!
Feng Jianxian instantly slapped the Black Dragon Steed's rear with his scabbard and scolded,
"Watch your tone! Yulou is about to marry a True Person's daughter. Be careful, or the True Person might stew you!"
The Black Dragon Steed tried to bite Feng Jianxian, but Feng Jianxian agilely dodged, casually whipping it several more times with his scabbard. "Yulou, Black Dragon is just a little mischievous, but his temper is actually quite good.
"You are marrying the Zhou family's daughter tomorrow. Riding him over will be considered quite dignified."
Pressing down on the Black Dragon Steed's head, Feng Jianxian explained his purpose for coming. A Great Demon mount like the Black Dragon Steed was a rare treasure that could only be encountered by chance, even for a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Small Demon Realm spirit beasts could be bred, but Great Demon realm spirit beasts were truly the product of stockpiling resources and pure luck. Even the Sky Serpent Sect, which was unmatched in rearing spirit beasts, found it extremely difficult to mass-produce Great Demon spirit beasts.
Fellow Daoists were like hands and feet. The Black Dragon Steed was merely a beast of burden.
Lending him to a Daoist friend to ride for a day was, in Feng Jianxian's eyes, a trivial matter.
"This... I see that Senior Black Dragon seems somewhat unwilling."
Yulou felt a bit daunted in his heart. The Black Dragon Steed might look unreliable, but he was a genuine Great Demon with a cultivation base equivalent to a human cultivator's Foundation Establishment realm.
He was Feng Jianxian's essential mount for showing off when traveling. In terms of pure strength, the Black Dragon Steed might even be stronger than Wu Jinyan.
Riding such a Great Demon—Wang Yulou was genuinely afraid! Feng Jianxian waved his large hand and said, "You're not lacking in spirit stones anyway.
"Just arrange a couple of mares for him, and that'll be about enough.
"Black Dragon, are you willing or not?"
The Black Dragon Steed stopped fussing. He snorted, blew at his own mane, looked at Wang Yulou out of the corner of his eye, and said, "No way!
"At least ten, and they must all be white mares!"
"White mares, hehe..."
He hadn't expected that even among horses, there would be a white-hair connoisseur. Wang Yulou was somewhat at a loss for how to answer.
Did this kind of situation, introducing mares to a stallion, count as... that?
However, he didn't need to answer, because Feng Jianxian remained silent.
With a dark expression, he simply drew the sword in his hand.
"Ten, and you want them all to be white? I think you only remember the food and forget the beatings!"