Three days later, the two small Riverbend competitions orchestrated by Wang Yulou concluded. The victors were granted permission to ascend the Golden Platform to listen to Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou's sacred teachings—or rather, his words of encouragent.
In truth, given that Riverbend Fishing Village was ho to over ten thousand people, Wang Yulou's position as the Town Guardian Cultivator essentially made him akin to the ruler of a small fiefdom.
Coupled with the fact that he had established total control over the village, no one would bother to interfere even if he truly chose to act like a king in this small temple. Even if Senior Brother Wu, Senior Martial Sister Lin, and the others found out, they would rely laugh and comnt on his elegant amusent.
Of course, Wang Yulou possessed a clear understanding of what power truly entailed. It was an important aid, but ultimately, it was generated by and dependent on one's strength.
Among all paths, immortality reigned supre. As long as his cultivation base rose, his strength would surge accordingly, and his power would naturally expand.
Engaging in power struggles at River Bend Fishing Port was rely a minor node in Wang Yulou's journey of cultivation, and by the looks of it, he had already secured an easy victory. Old崔, Zhang Xuewu, and the others stood on either side of Wang Yulou like pillars supporting a stage.
Wang Yulou's gaze slowly swept across the martial artists and cultivators who had erged victorious in the small competitions. Wherever his eyes fell, the chests of those under his gaze would unconsciously puff up, and a sense of anticipation would rise within their hearts.
The selection process itself was a crucial thod for constructing organizational relationships; formal fairness would inevitably breed substantive progress.
When the King of Tang once joyfully proclaid that all the heroes of the world had fallen into his snare, his delight stemd precisely from the fact that he had reshaped the foundation of his own power through selection. Wang Yulou understood this point, and so did the fortunate souls who had triumphed in the competition.
In the Wunan Cultivation World, and indeed under the entire Immortal Alliance system, an underlying hidden Nine-Rank Rectifier System was followed. Though the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom appeared sowhat shabby, they were still considered a humble house under this hidden system.
Wang Yulou's organization of the Talisman Master Competition in Clear Stream Market was rely a peripheral move. But now, the small competition he held at River Bend Fishing Port had truly opened a window in that airtight cage, granting an opportunity to many.
Naturally, Wang Yulou also benefited imnsely. At the very least, from this mont onward, Old崔's Cui Family Gang would completely lose the foundation of its existence.
"You all have done very well. Chu Ran, present them with their rewards," Wang Yulou spoke calmly from his wooden chair.
Watching this, Wang Xianzhou felt a pang of amusent—this kid was putting on quite a show. With two Town Guardian Cultivators standing while Wang Yulou sat, this single posture was enough to let today's victors know exactly whom they should follow.
The current combination of Old Ancestor Xianzhou and Wang Yulou was much like Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong. Wang Yulou was the coveted monk's at on the surface, acting with imnse arrogance.
anwhile, Wang Xianzhou, disguised as a Qi Refining Layer Six cultivator, was the monkey-faced protector. Under normal circumstances, those within the Immortal Alliance system who interacted with Wang Yulou would not dare provoke him.
If so blind fool ca looking for trouble, Wang Xianzhou would leap forward, which usually sufficed to handle the situation. After all, the Wang Clan knew all too well how to avoid making enemies. The clan's existing enemies could be counted on one hand, and all of them were grudges ford only when completely unavoidable.
One by one, the victors of the small competition stepped forward to receive a special bronze-inlaid, gold-hooked demon snake hide belt from the hands of Qin Churan.
The belt was not a spiritual artifact, but it was crafted from the tail skin of a mid-stage Small Demon Realm human-faced snake, and the buckle was beautifully inlaid with gold, making it look quite extraordinary.
Watching Wang Yulou's subordinate hand out the belts, Old崔's expression remained incredibly calm—a calm that was deliberately maintained.
'Miser!' he cursed inwardly. 'Giving nothing but a belt, what use is that? Aren't you a disciple of a great clan and a mber of the Azurewater Palace? Why aren't you giving them spirit stones?'
Old崔 was purely sour. With just a few minor maneuvers, Wang Yulou had reduced him to a state of desperate helplessness. All he could do now was hurl a few curses in his mind.
Wang Yulou was very open-minded about it. He was eating until his mouth was slick with grease, and later on, he would completely liquidate Old崔's entire family line. Couldn't he at least let the old man curse him a few tis? Curse away! Honor itself was a reward.
While honor might fail to deceive deep-thinking n who were well-versed in the ways of the world, it was more than enough to fool bottom-level cultivators who had barely entered society. Moreover, the rewards Wang Yulou gave the victors were not limited to just belts.
"Everyone, there are two rewards for this small competition. The belt I personally crafted is the first," Wang Yulou announced. "The second is an opportunity to choose your own post. Co forward, Li Changming. We shall start with you. You may freely choose any position that a martial artist can hold in River Bend Fishing Village."
First, suppress Old崔 so that all the cultivators understand the reality that only the Wang Family Gang remained in River Bend Fishing Village. Then, use the grand competition to completely seize the authority over personnel assignnts.
Every single step Wang Yulou took was incredibly steady. He did not require absolute loyalty; he rely required the form and process of loyalty, and that was enough.
Absolute control might exist over a few individuals, but for a massive system, it was entirely impossible to achieve—it was a simple matter of cost and return. Hearing Old Ancestor Wang call his na, Li Changming fell to his knees with a loud thud. Pressing his forehead tightly against the ground, he shouted without raising his head, "Changming belongs to Old Ancestor Wang! Whatever the Old Ancestor commands to do, I shall do it!"
In his heart, he felt a slight twinge of pride at his own cleverness. During the high-stage Post-natal Realm martial artist competition, the other martial artists had given face to Old Ancestor Wang and conceded the winning position to him. The mont he heard Old Ancestor Wang call his na first, Li Changming instantly realized that the Old Ancestor needed him to strike a high note of loyalty, hence this performance.
However, Wang Yulou's expression was not particularly pleased. He shook his head and raised his hand, using his法力 to gently lift Li Changming to his feet. As an exceptionally talented artificer, this level of法力 control was trivial for him.
Looking at the sowhat bewildered Li Changming and the other small cultivators whose faces were filled with loyalty, Wang Yulou spoke. "Changming, speaking in such a manner makes appear rather heartless. Since you have won the Riverbend competition, I will naturally grant you the opportunity as promised. Co, tell specifically which post you wish to take. Do not speak empty words."
By so strange trick of the mind, Qin Churan glanced at Zhang Xuewu. She knew that Li Changming was actually one of Zhang Xuewu's n.
Zhang Xuewu also maintained a completely expressionless countenance, showing no attitude whatsoever, acting incredibly cowardly. Against the few massive turtles of River Bend Fishing Village, Wang Yulou's deterrent force was more than sufficient.
Furthermore, considering that Wang Yulou had bestowed a spiritual artifact upon Li Changming, it was hard to say whether Li Changming truly remained loyal to Zhang Xuewu anymore.
"Changming... Changming wishes to guard the ships at the pier."
Old崔 remained silent, but a cold glint flashed through his eyes. Wang Yulou was using the rewards of the competition to dismantle the Cui Family Gang.
"Very well, next!"
Wang Yulou actually highly appreciated these people who wished to advance. They possessed ambition, they resorted to any ans necessary, and they hungered for every single opportunity. If one wished to accomplish a great undertaking, should they not seek out such people? Could they possibly rely on their professional rival, Old崔?
Too many matters had nothing to do with good or evil, but were entirely concerned with interests. Moreover, given Old崔's almost subhuman moral standards, crushing him truly possessed a flavor of punishing evil and promoting good.
As one position after another was bestowed, the posts belonging to the mbers of the Cui Family Gang were essentially entirely stripped away. Wang Yulou had said nothing explicit, but those who knew how to read the path ahead naturally knew which way to walk.
"Old Cui, what do you think?" Wang Yulou turned his gaze toward Old崔.
'The matters are already finished, and now you ask ? What opinions could I possibly have?'
"I naturally have no objections to Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou's arrangents," Cui Dingyi dared not attack Wang Yulou's personnel distribution directly, offering only a mild, subtle resistance. "However, for those whose positions have been replaced, what should they be assigned to do?"
"They shall continue patrolling. We can permanently establish the temporary patrol schedules we set up previously. No position is inherently higher or lower than another. Those n will patrol, and you, Fellow Daoist Dingyi, shall serve as the Town Guardian Cultivator. Everyone is contributing to River Bend Fishing Village and to Dripdrop Cave."
The mont Wang Yulou said this, even Zhang Xuewu could barely contain his expression, his smile becoming incredibly complex. Within that smile, there was mockery for the down-and-out dog Old崔, admiration for the monstrously talented Wang Yulou, and rage toward this wretched world. It was a spectacular sight.
'As expected of soone from a great clan. Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou truly possesses incredible skill.'
"Old Zhang, what do you say?"
Having clarified his 'contribution theory,' Wang Yulou turned to look at Old Zhang. Old Zhang could no longer smile.
"Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou speaks the truth. Since you have asked , I shall also say a few words."
Zhang Xuewu was no amateur either; when it ca to flattery, he was highly skilled. Facing the bowing small cultivators and martial artists, Zhang Xuewu spoke.
"First of all, though you all have obtained victory in this small competition, you must not beco arrogant due to your rits. Cultivation is a never-ending journey. In your new posts, you must focus your minds on how to shoulder your burdens and properly execute the tasks Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou has entrusted to you. Secondly, the positions you have received are all highly critical and leave no room for error. You must ensure a proper handover of duties. For example, Li Changming, the situation at the pier where you will guard the ships is bound to be complex. Once you take office, you must first clarify past issues. Naturally, the sa applies to everyone else. You must show your responsibility, so as not to fail Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou's trust!"
'Old Cui, I might not be able to deal with you, but can't I still deal with the shrimp soldiers and crab generals under your command?'
Wang Yulou patted Old崔's shoulder and departed, but the gazes of Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi locked together in mid-air. Having locked eyes, the hatred between them was thick.
Old崔 did not have the courage to hate Wang Yulou's burden, but his hatred for Zhang Xuewu's courage was imnse. Furthermore, besides hatred, there was a sense of mockery in Old崔's eyes.
'Little Zhang, you are still far too green! Baring your fangs so obviously!'
Cui Dingyi was absolutely certain that with Wang Yulou's thods, he definitely understood the principle that one must not feed a dog until it was entirely full. Zhang Xuewu was so eager to claim the rewards of victory, but had Wang Yulou agreed to it? In this manner, wouldn't his value be highlighted?
The suppression had already occurred, and he had played the grandson for so long.
'Little Zhang, just you wait. See if I don't deal with you in the future!'
---
The blade in Wang Xianzhou's hand had already been held back by Wang Yulou for three months. What Wang Yulou considered was that their thods could not be too cruel, as that would make them appear both ungrateful and harsh. Now that Old崔's power had been structurally dismantled and several months had passed, it was indeed ti to act. After all, long nights bred many dreams; dragging it out for too long would invite unexpected variables.
"Old Ancestor, are you certain you wish to act personally, rather than letting the Crimson Sparrow do it?"
Wang Yulou could not understand why the old ancestor was acting so wildly. The Crimson Sparrow was perfectly fine—it was at the peak of the Small Demon Realm, and if they painted its feathers blue, it could easily masquerade as a water-attribute demon beast. Two swipes of its claws would be enough to pierce Cui Dingyi to death.
"The Crimson Sparrow won't do. Cui Dingyi leaves River Bend Fishing Port once every few days, and I have already figured out the regular pattern of his contact with that underground trade network. Tonight is roughly the ti for his secret transaction again. I plan to intercept and kill him first, then assu his appearance to continue his hidden trade system. Only in this way can those spirit fish be easily disposed of."
Wang Xianzhou departed in a burning hurry. Wang Yulou let out a bitter smile as he looked at the two spirit fish before him, silently beginning to consu them. The thorough investigation into the spirit fish production at River Bend Fishing Port had been completed.
According to the statistics compiled over the past forty-odd days, the fishing port averaged slightly over eighteen spirit fish caught per day. The value of a spirit fish ranged between one and two spirit stones; taking the dian value gave 1.5. Assuming the sect's governance cost for the fishing port was calculated at nine spirit stones, River Bend Fishing Port had always rely handed over around six or seven fish. In other words, the sect took thirty percent, while the remaining seventy percent was privately divided by the people within the fishing port.
The internal cycle of Dripdrop Cave was operated based on the rit Hall systems of the Clear Spring Palace, Splendid Pool Palace, and Azurewater Palace. Because rit points could not be exchanged between different tiers and carried massive implicit differences in value, the sect simultaneously placed restrictions on the conditions under which different cultivation resources could be exchanged for rit points by relevant disciples.
The combination of these various factors created an illusion: the rit circulation system of Dripdrop Cave's three palaces appeared completely riddled with loopholes, but in reality, there were no gaps to exploit. This was an internal economic system verified by practice; it was both stable and capable of satisfying the needs of the disciples of the three palaces while guaranteeing the interests of the upper echelon. Why could a mountain of ssy code run? Because all the tests encountered no issues! Looking riddled with loopholes and slling foul did not matter; as long as it could operate, it was good!
Within such a system, even if Wang Yulou and the other Town Guardian Cultivators obtained resources leaked from the system, it was highly difficult to quickly liquidate them without risk. For instance, right now, he was eating four spirit fish a day, gorging himself without any hesitation—primarily because he wanted to give two to Old Ancestor Xianzhou, but the old ancestor refused to eat them.
Yet, by the sa token, a complex system signified more space to exploit loopholes. The law of the unity of opposites dictated that the more rules there were, the more thods there were to evade them. Would the various large and small Foundation Establishnt clans within Dripdrop Cave, or the direct lineages of the three Purple Palace masters, honestly abide by the sect rules? It was absolutely impossible. The rule stating that resources within the grotto-heaven were not permitted to be taken outside for trade—when he had previously discussed the price of the iron crocodile dragon at with Wu Faxian and used Clear Stream Market as a bargaining chip, had Wu Faxian shown even a shred of surprise? Not at all! Everyone treated that rule as waste paper.
But now, the sect master was clamoring to make more people feel the pain of Yuan Si, initiating a strict crackdown within Dripdrop Cave, which changed the situation entirely. Wang Yulou was certain that in places unknown to him within this space, a group of people were gathering together to exploit these loopholes. The underground trade network connected to Old崔 was rely one corner of it! As long as he could establish contact with it, Wang Yulou could earn massive amounts of spirit stones, and he wouldn't have to feel such heartache over his cultivation expenses.
The old ancestor could also peacefully consu a longevity pill first, and perhaps even have the chance to witness him reaching Foundation Establishnt. However, attempting to contact such a trade network through Lin Ying or Wu Faxian was rather inappropriate, and Fan Gaozhu was even further out of the question. This disciple of Senior Zhuo Chi appeared close to Wang Yulou, but Wang Xianmao had explicitly stated that he and Zhuo Chi shared a purely transactional relationship, which had rely secured Wang Yulou the position of an inner sect disciple within Dripdrop Cave. Consequently, Wang Yulou could only plan for himself. Fortunately, the clan had dispatched Wang Xianzhou to act as his protector. The aid this old ancestor brought to Wang Yulou currently appeared even greater than that of the mysterious Ruyi Golden Radiance.
---
The moon climbed to the willow tops, but no one was eting at dusk. Since there were no appointnts, reasonably speaking, Old崔 should have stayed nestled at ho enjoying himself with his newly wedded young concubine, yet he still stepped out the door. Wrapped in a hooded cloak stitched from spirit fish skin, Old崔 stealthily arrived at the banks of the Great Crimson Stream. With a light leap, he plunged nimbly into the water, vanishing into the night.
"A poor child raised in Riverbend Village"—Old崔 always kept this phrase on his lips to serve as an embellishnt of his loyalty to the sect. But the information contained within it was by no ans small. Considering that Cui Dingyi was a five-elent spirit root cultivator who had worked his way from the Post-natal Realm to the先天 realm, he naturally mastered nurous spells. With the aid of water spells, this fisherman's child was a superb swimr. However, Wang Xianzhou had followed him for so long that he had already prepared for his minor tricks of using water to evade tails. He quietly sat upon a fishing boat at the pier, having absolutely no intention of chasing imdiately.
"Little fellow, it's all up to you." Coaxing the scent-tracking mouse in his hand, Wang Xianzhou looked toward the direction where Cui Dingyi had vanished, silently waiting.
The man surnad Cui had long been afflicted by the poison of the scent-mouse grass, yet he himself remained entirely unaware. This was because the poisonous incense Wang Xianzhou refined had been mixed with other spiritual herbs, perfectly neutralizing the already weak toxicity of the scent-mouse grass. When Wang Yulou had patted Cui Dingyi's shoulder earlier today, he had transferred the poison onto Cui Dingyi's body. Now, with the scent-tracking mouse in hand, Wang Xianzhou naturally did not worry about losing track of Old崔.
Before long, the nose of the scent-tracking mouse twitched slightly, and Wang Xianzhou pursued in the indicated direction. However, he discovered that he had actually chased all the way to the shores of Beautiful Water Lake. Under the illumination of the artificial moon, the ripples of Beautiful Water Lake seed to flash with countless white lunar crescents. The lake water lapped against the old shores of the fishing village, churning out a pleasant sound that brought a sense of tranquility.
It was a beautiful and fine night. Wang Xianzhou's expression grew solemn as he first popped a spiritual qi recovery pill into his mouth. Then, activating an Escape Talisman for water, he stepped onto the lake water and continued his pursuit.
It was a known fact that within Droplet Cave Heaven, the Immortal Venerable watched over the cultivators of Dripdrop Cave, and as long as one slew demons, they would harvest rit points. Why, then, did disciples of the Azurewater Palace like Wang Yulou and Ji Yuan not simply venture deep into Beautiful Water Lake to slay demons? In terms of cultivation base and strength, Wang Yulou appeared rather lacking, but as long as Wang Xianzhou was by his side, he could slaughter his way through all Small Demon Realm beasts. Once inside Beautiful Water Lake, wouldn't farming points be incredibly easy? Unfortunately, it was precisely not that easy.
The reason was simple: the system of intertwined favors within this grotto-heaven was carefully designed, and demon beasts were specific favor-brewing machines. If so reckless Qi Refining cultivator ventured deep into Beautiful Water Lake to slay demons and disrupted the sect's sustainable favor-manufacturing process, they would inevitably suffer the intervention of a tangible, massive hand. Although none of the hundreds or thousands of sect rules explicitly forbade Azurewater Palace disciples from entering Beautiful Water Lake to slay demons, in actual practice, no one would rashly venture inside to deliver themselves as rations to a Great Demon.
Yet... Cui Dingyi had entered. Even Wang Xianzhou treated Beautiful Water Lake with utmost caution, so on what basis did Cui Dingyi, a re Qi Refining Level Three cultivator, dare to enter? For a mortal to steer a boat into the lake to fish was a gamble with their life, but as a Town Guardian Cultivator, what necessity did Cui Dingyi have to gamble his life?
Holding his long halberd, treading upon the lake water with armor wrapping his body and the Crimson Sparrow accompanying him, Wang Xianzhou silently advanced toward Cui Dingyi's position beneath the night sky. He even felt a trace of fortune in his heart; thank goodness the Patriarch had dispatched him to Wang Yulou's side. This unremarkable Cui Dingyi, who had cultivated step-by-step from a mortal martial artist to Qi Refining Level Three, perhaps relied on more than just strength and luck. He was practically a venomous snake—a venomous snake that hid itself incredibly deep!
Beautiful Water Lake was far too vast, and upon the broad expanse of the lake surface, there were many small islets that rose above the water. Thriving reeds grew upon these islets, standing a full man's height. Cui Dingyi had not even flown for two quarters of an hour before he dove into one of these islets. Wang Xianzhou approached the islet, concealing his aura with a stealth spell and hiding beneath the water's surface.
He released a small white turtle—this was a harvest from his previous wild hunting ventures within Dripdrop Cave. It had already been initially tad by him; its strength was nothing remarkable, being rely at the mid-stage of the Mixed Demon Realm. Originally, he had intended to raise it properly and present it to Wang Yulou once it reached the Small Demon Realm, but looking at it now, he could no longer wait.
Activating the beast-controlling art widely circulated within the Sky Serpent Sect, he invested a shred of his thoughts into the small turtle, driving it to crawl into the islet teeming with reeds. anwhile, he himself pulled back the scent-tracking mouse, sinking completely into the lake and thoroughly hiding himself away.
The Sky Serpent Sect venerated the celestial snake, and within the sect, there were many Demon General-class beasts comparable to the Purple Palace realm serving as elders. Their techniques regarding spiritual beasts and demon beasts had already beco fully systematized. Hongi, as a disciple of the Sky Serpent Sect, cultivated the Charm Art precisely to assist demon beasts who were unwilling to produce offspring with breeding, which gave an indication of their expertise. With nurous disciples, it was inevitable that so thods would leak outward, and as a veteran Qi Refining cultivator, Wang Xianzhou had naturally learned a bit. After all, he was highly skilled at taming spiritual birds, though his experience regarding the taming of turtle-type spiritual beasts was sowhat inferior.
Yet, by drawing analogies, when it truly ca to driving the turtle to investigate, he still possessed quite a few thods. The small turtle was only the size of a palm, and within its vision, those tall reeds resembled massive trees within a forest, which initially caused Wang Xianzhou so discomfort. However, he quickly adjusted, controlling the small turtle to crawl along the direction where Cui Dingyi had vanished. There were no signs of human activity within the dense reed marshes.
Cui Dingyi could never have imagined that he would have the fortune of being tracked by a top-tier veteran Qi Refining cultivator like Wang Xianzhou, so he had not hidden his tracks. Of course, Wang Xianzhou had also considered another possibility—perhaps Old崔 was not afraid of being followed. This was precisely the reason why he had halted his steps and sent the turtle forward. However, the living creatures within Beautiful Water Lake were nurous, and the turtle crawling rapidly through the reed marshes encountered a massive green crab blocking its path.
The green crab possessed no cultivation base, yet its physique was remarkably large, appearing roughly the size of an ordinary dostic dog, and its two claws flashed with a cold light beneath the night sky. It could not understand that the small turtle was a mixed demon; it only knew that the small turtle looked rather tasty. Consequently, it stepped forward and clamped its claws onto the turtle's shell. Demon beasts were divided into many categories. The reason why Wang Xianzhou had selected this palm-sized turtle as possessing the potential for cultivation as a spiritual beast was not due to any physical peculiarity, but because it naturally carried two innate techniques. One had to rember that it was rely at the mid-stage of the Mixed Demon Realm.
The green crab was clearly of the physically extraordinary type; if it beca a demon beast, it would typically rely on its hard shell and sharp claws during combat, classifying it as a warrior among demon beasts. In contrast, the small turtle selected by Wang Xianzhou belonged to the mage category among demon beasts, which was the type with the greatest cultivation potential. Facing the green crab's sudden assault, Wang Xianzhou guided the small turtle using the beast-controlling art, executing the Mist Wave Art unique to water-attribute demon beasts.
Within the mist, the small turtle exerted a slight force and broke free from the green crab's entanglent. Furthermore, by exploiting this attack, the turtle controlled by Wang Xianzhou accelerated its crawling speed by a full twofold. Originally, he had feared that the turtle might arouse the suspicion of certain existences, so he had only permitted it to crawl at a normal pace. Now that he possessed an 'excuse,' he controlled the small turtle to crawl at its absolute limit, halting only when it reached a distance of seven to eight chang away from Cui Dingyi.
The small turtle pulled in its head and hid to one side, only to see Cui Dingyi standing silently by the edge of a pool in the center of the islet. With his hood blocking his face, his expression could not be seen. However, Wang Xianzhou had previously spent over a decade venturing within the West Sea, possessing ample knowledge and experience regarding demon beasts. He noticed that on the ground roughly three feet away from the small turtle, there was a pile of dried feces.
The moon of Droplet Cave Heaven was a magic treasure, and the brilliance it shed was exceptionally bright. Coupled with the naturally excellent vision of turtle-type demon beasts, Wang Xianzhou clearly discerned the appearance of the feces. It was white and clumpy, but within the center of the clumps, there was a massive amount of coarse fragnts; it was precisely the whiteness of these coarse fragnts that caused the whiteness of the feces. Wang Xianzhou was certain that this was the appearance of bones after digestion.
Layering this with the scattered remnants of fabric near the small lake at the center of the islet, he had already determined that this Cui Dingyi was actually a human traitor colluding with a man-eating demon beast. The lake water vibrated. Realizing that the mysterious demon beast might manifest, Wang Xianzhou hurriedly controlled the small turtle to crawl beside the pile of feces, making it pretend to consu the feces to nourish its body. Mind you, this was by no ans any bizarre behavior. For wild demon beasts, consuming the feces of higher-ranking demon beasts was itself a form of fortuitous chance; it truly nourished the body, providing imnse nourishnt.
Legend had it that within Hidden Dragon Abbey, cultivators would extract dragon nature from the feces of the Whitebeard General, and the extracted dragon nature was a top-tier resource that was highly sought after yet unavailable on the market. In a certain sense, this belonged to an excellent behavior of managing a household with diligence and thrift. Gurgle... Gurgle... Bubbles rose within the small lake at the center of the islet. The turtle felt terror, and its speed of consuming the feces quickened by a few notches. Pretending to be an innocent creature entirely focused on eating feces should be enough to fool it, right?
Within the lake, a massive head covered in green moss erged. Amidst the green moss, a few water weeds were interspersed, and even the tiny shrimp among the water weeds were still present. The appearance of the head itself was highly peculiar, looking just like a massive rock beneath the water, except that in the middle of the rock were two eyes and a nose, though no mouth could be seen. Almost instantly, Wang Xianzhou determined that this mysterious demon beast was absolutely an existence at the Great Demon tier. This was because even though he was rely operating the small turtle through the beast-controlling art, he could still sense the sudden, explosive surge of water-attribute spiritual qi.
The bubbles that had just risen from the lake were also a manifestation of the frantic growth of water-attribute spiritual qi. However, the size of that massive head surpassed Wang Xianzhou's expectations. Once it fully erged from the water surface, it stood a full zhang tall; it appeared that a single head alone could match the size of twenty Cui Dingyis combined. The mouth of the Great Demon was located underneath, belonging to the portion that erged last.
Seeing the Great Demon appear, Cui Dingyi knelt upon the ground and kowtowed. The Great Demon ignored him, turning its gaze instead toward the small turtle currently consuming feces. It cast a glance, and upon finding nothing amiss, it finally looked toward Cui Dingyi, speaking.
"Little Cui, how are you still at Qi Refining Level Three? I dispatched the human-faced snake over, and after you slaughtered it, you should have been able to obtain a massive amount of rit points to exchange for spiritual pills and break through your bottleneck." The Great Demon spoke as it walked, its entire body erging from the lake at the center of the islet, revealing its true form. Looking at that massive turtle whose entire body resembled a large underwater stone, Wang Xianzhou instantly felt much more at ease.
Choosing the small turtle as a cultivation target while wild hunting in the past truly possessed a few strands of luck. Demon beasts of the sa clan would often protect their juniors; this belonged to the survival rules of demon beasts. However, he focused more on the words spoken by the massive stone turtle. It turned out that the human-faced snake Wang Yulou had encountered on his very first day of arrival had been dispatched by this Great Demon.
'Cui Dingyi, you truly deserve to die!'
"Senior Stone Ancestor, on the day the human-faced snake went to Riverbend Village, it coincided with the arrival of the new Town Guardian Cultivator, and he conveniently slaughtered the human-faced snake. Furthermore, this newly appointed Town Guardian Cultivator treats ... I beg Senior Stone Ancestor to act and assist in overcoming this difficult pass!" The massive stone turtle lazily found a comfortable spot to crouch down, its rear pointing precisely toward the direction of the small turtle. Then, its sphincter exerted a slight force.
'Make a friend. Here, eat it while it's hot. No need to thank ; who asked us to be of the sa clan? Eat more so you can grow faster.'
Once it finished, the Stone Ancestor finally looked toward Old崔.
"You say this newly appointed Town Guardian Cultivator possesses an extraordinary background, so you should just endure it. He will leave eventually." As a Great Demon within the grotto-heaven, the Stone Ancestor understood the rules all too well; how could it possibly expose itself to danger for the sake of a servant?
"But he is still young and will remain in River Bend Fishing Village for a very long ti. As long as he is here, no matter how many demon beasts attack, the rit will only belong to him. This junior wishes to advance to middle Qi Condensation, which cannot be separated from the path of slaying demons to harvest rit points, Senior Stone Ancestor." Cui Dingyi lifted his old face, weeping as he spoke, appearing incredibly aggrieved. The Stone Ancestor blinked its eyes, remaining silent for a long ti before speaking.
"Little Cui, the thod of working from the Post-natal Realm to the先天 realm created by Dripdrop Cave appears to grant mortals like you an opportunity for cultivation. But you are no longer young; you should understand that this kind of opportunity is just a bubble—a bubble that pops with a single prick. I can use one small demon after another to help you farm rit points, but you will ultimately never break through to Foundation Establishnt. If I rember correctly, you are already over a hundred years old, right?"
Silence. Cui Dingyi could only remain silent. Although he addressed the massive stone turtle as Stone Ancestor, the two were by no ans grandparent and grandchild, but master and servant. He, Cui Dingyi, was rely the demon servant of this massive stone turtle Great Demon. As a re demon servant, how much right did he have to make demands?
The small turtle laboriously crawled out from the pile of feces, raising its head to look at the massive stone turtle rear before it, letting out two exasperated cries—when it ca to pretending to be stupid, the mbers of the Wang Family executed it with absolute smoothness. Seeing that Cui Dingyi did not speak, the Stone Ancestor continued.
"How about this, Little Cui? Your current situation is unfavorable, so the people I required are temporarily no longer needed. In the future, if he does not leave, do not co to see either; maintain a low profile. In this world, only by maintaining a low profile can one preserve their life. For you to live to a hundred and eighty years old is already not a short lifespan. Go on, leave."
Cui Dingyi knelt upon the ground, dazed for a long ti. The aged countenance beneath his hood appeared to age significantly more within this single instant. The massive stone turtle paid no heed to the thoughts of its demon servant, rely closing its eyes and beginning to doze. Sleep more, provoke less trouble—this was precisely the secret that had allowed it to survive to this day and step-by-step beco a Great Demon.
Being born within a grotto-heaven was Cui Dingyi's tragedy, and it was also the massive stone turtle's tragedy. Outside the grotto-heaven, the destiny of living beings still possessed that final remaining shred of possibility. Inside the grotto-heaven, well...
"Stone Ancestor, Little Cui takes his leave. I wish the Stone Ancestor an early opening of the Purple Palace!"
Cui Dingyi laboriously rose to his feet, departing along the path he had co. Thinking of the Town Guardian Cultivator with an extraordinary background from an outside clan whom his servant had just ntioned, the Stone Ancestor suddenly developed a trace of interest. To Wang Xianzhou's horror, this terrifying Great Demon swept up the small turtle that was currently exerting all its effort to consu feces, preparing to execute a divine ability. It intended to rely on the effect of the divine ability to use the small turtle's body to et with that newly arrived Town Guardian Cultivator of River Bend Fishing Port. The grotto-heaven was a true cage; if it wished to leave, it could only rely on itself.
However, while carefully investigating the species of the small turtle with its divine sense, the Stone Ancestor finally discovered sothing amiss.
"Who dares to spy upon !"
A roar like thunder echoed, accompanied by the massive shockwave brought about by every movent of the divine ability Great Demon. Cui Dingyi was directly knocked to the ground by the shockwave, his mind entirely dazed under the vibration of the voice.
Wang Xianzhou no longer hid himself. Like an arrow leaving a bowstring, he surged out from the water, standing in mid-air with the artificial moon directly behind him. The Crimson Sparrow was summoned by him once more, tacitly carrying him as it flew through the sky.
"Wang Xianzhou, you truly deserve to die! Last ti it was two Foundation Establishnt cultivators, and this ti it's a Great Demon with a divine ability—a Great Demon with a divine ability! Following you is simply a misfortune spanning a hundred lifetis!"
Wang Xianzhou ignored the Crimson Sparrow's incessant chatter, pulling out two long halberds and gripping one tightly in each hand.
'Stop wasting words, carry over to speak with it.'
'Are you insane? Do you wish to die right now?'
'Do not fear. I am an Immortal Alliance Emissary, and Droplet Cave Heaven is connected to the great world, aning it also falls under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance!'
'You are truly insane, Wang Xianzhou! You have truly gone mad!'
Nevertheless, the Crimson Sparrow still carried its old partner, flying toward the location of the massive stone turtle. Along the way, a rare lightning spell talisman drifted from Wang Xianzhou's body, heading straight for Cui Dingyi. Old崔 wished to flee, but in the face of the lightning spell, his Qi Refining Level Three speed was as slow as a snail. The bright yellow lightning rely flashed gently, and Cui Dingyi's life was completely extinguished. There was no struggle, no reversal; in the face of absolute power, any thod lost all aning.
Before his death, this poor child born in Riverbend Fishing Village thought of many things. In a daze, he saw the fish dumplings he had eaten since childhood—the fish dumplings ticulously crafted by his mother. 'I don't want to eat them. I don't want to eat these wretched fish dumplings. I want to leave this tiny fishing village... I want to reach the先天 realm... I want to reach Foundation Establishnt. I want to leave this endless restraint!' At the very end, he thought of the desperate gaze his mother had directed toward him before she buried herself within the mouth of the stone turtle.
Cui Dingyi felt no regret; he was rely sowhat unreconciled. 'Why? On what basis? Why is destiny so unjust? On what basis can so many people rely on their clan and background to easily stand upon my head? I sacrificed everything, yet I am t with only such an ending!' This sky was far too dark, far too dark. On this fine night, the artificial moon in the sky shed its gentle moonlight, illuminating the face of the poor child of the fisherman family. From beginning to end, the moon did not care.
The Stone Ancestor felt regret—imnse regret. It should not have moved rashly; why did it wish to run? Serving as a dog was perfectly fine; it had already beco a Great Demon and possessed a divine ability. Counting the years, it had already enjoyed a thousand years of care-free leisure. So, why did it wish to run?
"Who are you?"
There was no ti to ponder; the Stone Ancestor was startled by the sudden appearance of this Qi Refining cultivator before it. Yes, startled. Having been a Great Demon for five hundred years, this was the first ti the Stone Ancestor had witnessed such a formidable Qi Refining cultivator. Such a person absolutely possessed an extraordinary background.
Wang Xianzhou trod upon the Crimson Sparrow which was at the peak of the Small Demon Realm, clad in the Immortal Alliance battle armor exchanged from his many years of service to the alliance. Behind him stood a massive Combat Talisman Chest, and between his hands, he gripped two long halberds with spear tips crafted from the seventh-grade spiritual material, mother-of-pearl beads. As he drew closer to the Stone Ancestor, one talisman after another detonated around Wang Xianzhou, and his aura climbed steadily. He was certain that his current self could slaughter a newly ascended Foundation Establishnt cultivator like Wu Jinyan as easily as slaughtering a chicken!
"Immortal Alliance Emissary, disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Wang Xianzhou!" As he spoke, Wang Xianzhou raised his long halberds, beginning to gather power. "Fiend, et your death!"
Why did he gather power? Because he needed to grant the Stone Ancestor ti to react.
"Wait, wait, wait, Little Fellow Daoist! Since you are an Immortal Alliance Emissary, you should understand the rules of Droplet Cave Heaven. For to survive here, I must also pay respects to the Immortal Venerable. You know of the Immortal Venerable, right? The Dripdrop Immortal Venerable. We are all on the sa side, human and demon alike. Do not be impulsive. Let us have a proper discussion, shall we?"
Evidently, Wang Xianzhou's conjectures were entirely correct. An old monster like the Stone Ancestor, who possessed a divine ability and had lingered within the grotto-heaven for a long ti, was incredibly shrewd. Seeing Wang Xianzhou's appearance of possessing an extraordinary background and hearing his very first sentence state that he was an Immortal Alliance Emissary, it naturally did not dare to slaughter blindly. Killing soone who should not be killed truly required paying with one's life!
Wang Xianzhou halted his steps. He glanced at the clothing fragnts belonging to humans on the ground, speaking in a cold voice. "You have consud so many humans. What is there to discuss?"
'Foolish bird, stop advancing. Forty chang!'
'Damn it, I already prepared myself ntally! Wang Xianzhou, just show so capability and slaughter it while you're at it so I can consu it and advance to a Great Demon! Rather than letting Wang Yulou walk further for you, you might as well let walk further for you!'
'Shut up!'
Wang Xianzhou had not expected that his image within the Crimson Sparrow's eyes would actually be so grand. He was rely putting on an appearance to gain so bargaining chips for negotiation, yet the Crimson Sparrow truly believed he could overturn the massive stone turtle—that was a Great Demon with a divine ability. Mixed demons possessed spiritual wisdom, while the wisdom of small demons was roughly on par with humans, and they could even learn to speak human tongue. Great Demons were different; they could cultivate techniques, nd their Dao foundations, and charge all the way to the Purple Palace, sharing little difference with human Foundation Establishnt cultivators. Such a Great Demon had furthermore mastered a divine ability; one could well imagine that it was by no ans simple. Therefore, Wang Xianzhou only dared to attempt a negotiation to see if he could squeeze sothing out from the Stone Ancestor's hands.
"What eating humans? I have never consud humans! From where did you hear such rumors?" The Stone Ancestor was incredibly clever; from the manner in which Wang Xianzhou had first exposed his Immortal Alliance identity upon ascending and then deliberately gathered power, it discerned the thoughts of this human cultivator.
However, this could already be considered wisdom after the fact; ultimately, the human cultivators were far too treacherous! It estimated the distance between itself and Wang Xianzhou, and upon finding it to be a full forty chang, its heart was filled with imnse regret. At this distance, there was no certainty of an absolute kill, and furthermore, there was that Crimson Sparrow, which was also difficult to handle. 'Traitor! Wretched demon traitor!'
"Then where did these clothes co from? Every single sentence of your conversation with Cui Dingyi just now was heard by my ears!" Pointing his long halberds toward the massive stone turtle, Wang Xianzhou demanded. The massive stone turtle pondered for a mont, choosing to lay its cards on the table. It understood this type of human cultivator; they were the most troubleso to deal with, so it was better to directly state their positions and negotiate.
"Let us not speak of this. I have cultivated for a thousand years, yet I have consud fewer than ten thousand humans. Ten humans a year—is that a lot? It is not! You human cultivators are far more ruthless toward your own kind; not only do you consu humans, but you also require those being consud to be entirely willing. Little Cui is an example; he even wished to reach Foundation Establishnt, hahahaha. Rather than discussing these aningless matters, you might as well directly state your conditions."
Wang Xianzhou suppressed the rage in his heart, speaking slowly. "One piece of sixth-grade spiritual material, five pieces of seventh-grade spiritual material, two pieces of Water Jade, five stalks of Dripdrop Grass, three Azure Blood Frogs, and grant five drops of your essence blood."
He had once been a passionate youth; he had once roared with the desire to change things; he had once believed he would beco that specific, exceptional individual. Now, Wang Xianzhou could no longer care about anything. Whether it was dark or not, right or wrong, good or bad—Wang Xianzhou could not manage it, nor could he endure it. He rely wished to exert the final bit of his strength for his clan at the end of his life, and nothing more.
"Of the things you ntioned, I do not possess a single one." The massive stone turtle indicated that human cultivators were rather cute when they were dreaming. Furthermore, it would be wonderful if all human cultivators were such fools. It could actually afford to give them, but it was unwilling to do so; it was a demon beast of Droplet Cave Heaven, and its direct superior was the Dripdrop Immortal Venerable who had created Droplet Cave Heaven. The Immortal Venerable was gone, but the Immortal Venerable's disciples remained, one of whom was also a demon. No matter how incredible you were as an Immortal Alliance Emissary, could the Immortal Alliance behind you manage matters within Droplet Cave Heaven? It could not!
"Then do not bla for reporting to the Immortal Alliance that a Great Demon with a divine ability is causing chaos and consuming humans within Droplet Cave Heaven. You demons of Droplet Cave Heaven actually believe the Immortal Alliance cannot manage this place—ha, how laughable. The Dripdrop Immortal Venerable is indeed worthy of respect, but how many years has it been since he last appeared? The Immortal Venerables upon the Gathering Immantals Platform are by no ans few. I simply refuse to believe that such an Immortal Alliance cannot handle an arrogant fiend like you!"
Wang Xianzhou revealed his true intentions; he actually intended to commit extortion! To extort a Great Demon possessing a divine ability with a re Qi Refining cultivation base—Wang Xianzhou's imagination could not be described as anything less than extraordinary. Was this sothing an ordinary person could conceive? However, considering Old Ancestor Xianzhou's age, he had truly reached the stage of following his heart's desires without crossing boundaries, so it was no longer that peculiar.
Facing the extortion of this Qi Refining cultivator Wang Xianzhou, the massive stone turtle was so enraged that water vapor spewed from its nose. Those green eyes as large as lanterns stared directly at Wang Xianzhou, and its body reared upward. It appeared that in the very next second, it would unleash its divine ability to slaughter this arrogant and greedy human cultivator.
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