Chapter 888: Entering the Hub |
The current level of Taiyi Sect is still too low.
Ordinary resources can be collected in large quantities by disciples and members.
Higher-level resources, apart from the occasional fortunate acquisition by disciples, are mainly collected from above Nine Heavens.
To enter above Nine Heavens, one must have at least a Gold Corelate stage of Cultivation Base.
To safely collect various resources inside Nine Heavens, it is best to have a Primordial Spirit True Monarch leading the way.
Currently, Taiyi Sect is still lacking in high-end combat power.
It is difficult to organize teams for resource collection, given the limited free time of the high-end combatants within the sect.
Of course, the current Taiyi Sect is in the early stages of an outbreak.
Once they safely pass this stage, the sect's strength will experience a significant surge.
Niu Dawei and Yang Xueyi have both completed the Gold Core stage, and they could breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit stage at any time.
Furthermore, among the younger disciples of the sect, more and more are reaching the Gold Core stage of Cultivation Base.
While the majority of Gold Core Daoist Masters may not have the possibility to reach the Primordial Spirit stage, a larger population increases the chance of producing a cultivator at that level.
Decades of peaceful development have led to a significant increase in population within Taiyi Sect's territory and a prosperous development.
Even if Taiyi Sect faces some difficulties in trade and business, it cannot stop the upward trend of its development.
Currently, besides some conflicts with the Dark Alliance branch led by True Monarch Dong Qiang, there are no other external enemies threatening Taiyi Sect.
The big merchant families from Dali Dynasty are expanding with full force, but they have not directly clashed with Taiyi Sect for the time being.
While Taiyi Sect enjoys peace, other cultivation forces in Jiuqu Province, mainly the small group formed by True Monarch You Hongzhi, have encountered major troubles.
Their trade and commerce with Extraterritorial Invaders have been growing in scale for the past twenty to thirty years. They have been earning more and more profits and have become increasingly dependent on such transactions.
However, at this moment, something unexpected happened.
Several caravans dispatched by this small group were intercepted by the garrison forces of Jiuqu Province.
The Dali Dynasty had long issued orders prohibiting major cultivation forces from dealing with Extraterritorial Invaders.
Engaging in trade with them also violated the laws of Dali Dynasty.These types of trades have been going on for many years, and the movements of the caravans have always been secretive.
Moreover, among the garrison forces guarding various areas of Jiuqu Province for the Dali Dynasty, there are quite a few cultivators from local cultivation forces.
Even though these cultivators are part of the garrison forces, they haven't forgotten about their own sects and families.
Not to mention those who have been bribed.
They have done things like passing information to the caravans, turning a blind eye, or directly letting them pass without hindrance.
This time, when the garrison forces took action and intercepted multiple caravans all at once, it really caught everyone by surprise.
Especially when these caravans were intercepted, very few of them surrendered willingly.
Some with lesser courage tried to escape on the spot, while bolder ones openly resisted arrest and engaged in physical confrontations.
In the process of capturing these caravans, there were inevitable casualties and injuries among the garrison forces.
As a result, the nature of the matter became increasingly serious.
In fact, many members of You Hongzhi's small group, including True Monarch, had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.
In their view, it was just bad luck that the caravans were intercepted by the garrison forces.
They believed that they could handle it as they had done before, making the issue smaller and less significant.
When this news reached Meng Zhang's ears, he immediately realized that things were not looking good.
Engaging in secret deals with Extraterritorial Invaders and smuggling goods were not minor offenses.
Openly resisting arrest and attacking the garrison forces of Dali Dynasty were even more unforgivable crimes.
Dali Dynasty constantly waged battles in all directions, and the military was of utmost importance to them.
The garrison forces, as the ones maintaining public order, were still part of the military establishment of Dali Dynasty.
Those fools who didn't know the severity of their actions and engaged in confrontations with the garrison forces had committed a grave mistake.
To put it bluntly, they were defying the royal law and showing rebellious intentions.
As expected, the situation developed just as Meng Zhang had anticipated.
Soon, rumors began to spread throughout Jiuqu Province.
They said that local cultivation forces were plotting a rebellion, that numerous cultivation forces were gathering to attack the garrison forces and colluding with Extraterritorial Invaders to cause chaos.
Someone had already reported this to Zhang Wei, the Governor-General of Jiuqu Province, and requested immediate suppression of the rebellious cultivators to restore normal order in Jiuqu Province as soon as possible.By this time, many cultivators within that small group had finally realized the seriousness of the problem. Before Governor-General Zhang Wei could react, three big merchant families from Dali Dynasty, namely Wonderful Pill Union, Great Trade Alliance, and Rune Weapon Alliance, had already gathered a formidable army of cultivators under the pretext of eradicating rebels and maintaining order.
This army of cultivators could be mobilized at any moment. With a single command, they could move to various locations in Jiuqu Province and wipe out all the rebels.
From the interception of the caravans to being accused of rebellion and preparing to suppress the uprising, this series of events unfolded suddenly and progressed astonishingly fast.
At this point, even the most dull-witted individuals should have sensed that something was amiss.
Some might still harbor the illusion that it was all a misunderstanding, and they could clear their names with proper explanations to get out of trouble.
But not everyone was so naive.
Those who acted decisively had already started taking action.
Amidst her busy schedule, Xu Mengying managed to find time to secretly meet with Meng Zhang.
Meng Zhang left the sect and met Xu Mengying near Great Wind City.
After many years, the once ethereal and fairy-like female cultivator had changed significantly in demeanor.
At this moment, Xu Mengying looked haggard, with a troubled expression on her face.
After they met, Xu Mengying's first words were that she should have listened to Meng Zhang's advice and not gotten involved in this mess, especially not joining You Hongzhi's small group.
Meng Zhang remained silent, unsure of how to comfort her.
Considering the situation Yellow Lotus Sect was in at the time, apart from joining the small group for mutual support, there didn't seem to be any better way to escape the predicament.
The reason Meng Zhang had always refused to join that small group was twofold. Firstly, Taiyi Sect was still far from being in a dire situation, with vast territories like the Endless Sea of Sand and Demon Wind Gobi, providing enough room to maneuver.
Secondly, Meng Zhang was wary of You Hongzhi, making it impossible for him to trust the man and instinctively wanting to stay away from him.
Meng Zhang's rejection of You Hongzhi's coordination back then had coincidentally spared him from the current turmoil.
This time, when Xu Mengying came seeking help, Meng Zhang knew that Taiyi Sect couldn't remain indifferent.
He had already made up his mind to offer assistance.
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