After sending a quick word to Little Qin and asking her to inform the ancestor that he was being "escorted" away by the Grotto Heaven Patrol Team, Yulou followed the guards straight up to Droplet Heaven.
Surviving and thriving in a sect depended entirely on one's backing and individual strength. Given Wang Yulou's current montum, he could afford to bend a few regulations, but he still needed to show proper respect to the sect master's position. Chu Hongyi might have been a spineless pushover, but he was still the nominal speaker for Dripdrop Cave—even if he lacked the authority to make any actual, vital decisions.
To put it bluntly, his appointnt as sect master was rely the product of a compromise between the Zhuo and Yuan factions after the explosive conflict between Wang Yulou and Yuan Daoshen. In fact, Elder Chu practically owed his current seat to Wang Yulou.
If Wang Yulou was considered the vanguard of the anti-Yuan resistance in Dripdrop Cave, then Chu Hongyi was nothing more than a rubber stamp. When it ca to real influence within the sect, it was genuinely hard to say whose word carried more weight.
The only advantage the sect master held over Wang Yulou was a slightly higher cultivation base. But Wang Yulou had people behind him—a whole network of them, in fact.
In the imdiate circle, there was Elder Lin ngyao. Once Yulou married Lin Ying, Elder ngyao would beco his elder by marriage, and the Lin family stood as a formidable bastion among the anti-Yuan factions inside Dripdrop Cave.
Slightly further out was the Zhuo family. Yulou acted as a vital partner in their anti-Yuan alliance, aning Elder Yinsheng of the Zhuo family was his primary superior, certainly not soone like Chu Hongyi.
At the absolute highest level, Yulou had already chosen his faction. He was the personally anointed successor to the lineage of Perfected Man Hongli.
If anyone wanted to crush Wang Yulou by force, it would take soone of Jiusheng True Lord's caliber to pull it off. Yet even Jiusheng True Lord would find it difficult to move against him lightly.
Dripdrop Cave was a vassal sect under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom—Yulou's family—had served as the loyal beasts of burden for Patriarch Mangxiang, the current paramount leader of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, for an entire millennium.
In the classic tales, when the Great Sage protected his entourage on the journey west, he encountered countless demons. Yet whenever a demon turned out to be the personal mount of a high deity, the Monkey King never dared to strike them down indiscriminately.
That was the critical, calculated politics of vanquishing demons. Even an entity that had once overturned the Heavenly Court had to abide by the rules of the system once integrated into it.
With Wang Jingyi providing public backing and Hongli offering her protection, Yulou, as a mber of the direct lineage of the Wang Clan, could essentially be viewed as an apprentice in Patriarch Mangxiang's personal household. His stay in Dripdrop Cave was rely a temporary posting for field experience.
As long as he refrained from going entirely out of bounds and kept his thods relatively clean, he could walk completely overbearing through the sect.
When Gong Tieyan chose to assist Wang Yulou instead of backing old Yuan back then, it served as a perfect testant to this reality—even Jiusheng True Lord had no desire to invite the displeasure of Patriarch Mangxiang.
Consequently, Yulou did not even request Ancestor Xianzhou to step in and rescue him. He rely instructed the ancestor that if he failed to return after a prolonged period, the old man should simply ask Lin ngyao to make a conspicuous appearance around the sect. That would be more than enough.
Wang Yulou knew Chu Hongyi wouldn't have the courage to actually penalize him.
The Grotto Heaven Patrol Team brought Wang Yulou to the steps of the Sect Master's Hall and halted.
Entering the vast complex of the Droplet Heaven Sect Master's Hall alone, Yulou encountered a thoroughly miserable Wu Faxian in the guest hall situated to the left of the main courtyard.
"Old Wu, what is all this? You look like you're attending a funeral."
Seeing how perfectly composed Wang Yulou remained, Old Wu let out a bitter, helpless laugh.
"Yulou, it's only been a few years, and yet we've already been targeted. You know how it is... I only took a tiny fraction of the profits. If the sect master decides to..."
Wang Yulou frowned, his tone sharpening with open disapproval.
"What do you an 'targeted'? Listen to yourself. Running water never goes stale, and a door hinge never rusts. As disciples of the Azurewater Palace, what could possibly be wrong with wanting to interact and exchange insights with our fellow disciples for the sake of our cultivation needs? If you have the courage to act, have the courage to stand by it. Besides, we haven't done anything to compromise our consciences, so why should we fear an inquiry from the sect?"
Old Wu turned deathly pale from sheer fright, waving his hands frantically. "Yulou, Yulou, that's not what I ant at all! It's just... it's just..."
He desperately tried to formulate an excuse, but his words kept catching on that single phrase, completely failing to offer any coherent thought.
In his heart, Wang Yulou felt a deep wave of disappointnt toward Old Wu's behavior. Previously, he had assud Old Wu was a man of vast connections, sharp intellect, and bold initiative. Now it was blindingly obvious that the man was rely greedy when profits were on the table and utterly cowardly the mont a hint of risk materialized.
His past short-sightedness had finally laid his true character bare today. He was utterly unfit for significant responsibilities, falling imnsely short of soone like Wang Yaohai.
It was true that Wang Yaohai had hesitated initially, but he had done so precisely when Yulou first proposed the venture, proving that he possessed a clear, calculating mind. In the end, he had still committed to the task.
Working with that kind of subordinate gave Yulou genuine peace of mind. But what about Old Wu?
He had been filled with grand, sweeping bravado when he agreed to join the venture and act as the designated fall guy, yet now that the crisis was at the door—no, it hadn't even truly crossed the threshold yet—he was already wet with terror. Such a man could never be considered a true talent.
A female cultivator at the Qi Refining stage dressed in the formal robes of the Azurewater Palace stepped into the side lounge, offering a polite smile to both of them.
"Senior brothers, please co to the main hall. The sect master and the elders are awaiting your arrival."
Noticing the gentle smile on the woman's face, Yulou instantly understood that no severe catastrophe would unfold today. He stood up with perfect composure, walking forward with a confident, powerful stride.
Old Wu followed closely behind, matching him step for step, secretly thinking that Wang Yulou was incredibly dependable for taking the lead so naturally. Yet the mont they reached the grand entrance of the main hall, Yulou abruptly ca to a halt and turned his head toward Old Wu.
Wu Faxian looked confused at first, then utterly lost, before finally appearing to resign himself to his fate as he took the initiative to step inside first.
He had happily pocketed hundreds of spirit stones, yet he wanted to shirk his responsibilities the mont trouble brewed. He was dreaming if he thought it would be that easy.
The female cultivator watched Old Wu enter the Sect Master's Hall with chattering teeth while Wang Yulou followed closely behind without a single change in his expression, a spark of deep admiration igniting within her heart. It was hard to tell whether she envied Wang Yulou's imnse backing or simply admired his magnificent poise. If only she could form a cultivation partnership with such a male cultivator...
Unfortunately, his partner had already been decided. It was Lin Ying of the Lin family, a renowned beauty and one of the most celebrated female cultivators in all of Dripdrop Cave.
—
Following Wu Faxian into the grand hall, the two of them were imdiately greeted by an elder's thunderous, furious berating.
"The two of you possess absolute audacity! How dare you treat the sect's sacred laws as completely non-existent? Wu Faxian, speak! What in the world is this Exchange Gathering?!"
Old Wu's legs trembled so violently that he stood completely mute, while Yulou rely maintained a pensive gaze directed at the high seats of the hall. Finally, he cast his eyes upon the current sect master of Dripdrop Cave.
Elder Chu looked remarkably similar to Elder Zhuo Chi, possessing a short, stout, and thoroughly rounded build, though his features appeared far more aged than Zhuo Chi's, his eyes carrying a permanent trace of exhaustion. Those familiar with him knew he was the sect master of Dripdrop Cave, but a stranger would easily mistake him for so thoroughly dejected rogue cultivator.
In stark contrast to the sect master's visible discomfort, the six Foundation Establishnt elders seated along both sides of the hall looked exceptionally elegant, exuding an air of transcendent, righteous authority. However, the mont the shouting elder finished his tirade, another elder sitting right beside him nudged him, whispering a warning.
"That young man is the future son-in-law of the Lin family."
The shouting elder failed to register the words imdiately, looking utterly baffled. "What son-in-law of the Lin family? Huh?"
The elder who had warned him nudged him once more, whispering lower. "The Wang Clan. The one connected to Daoshen."
"Ah?"
The elder who had just been screaming at Wang Yulou instantly looked as though he were sitting on a bed of nails. A forced, desperate smile instantly flooded his face as he looked toward Yulou.
"Yulou, my reprimand was entirely directed at Wu Faxian for his complete disregard of the sect's regulations. I didn't an you at all."
Yet Wang Yulou completely ignored him. His sharp eyes had already discerned the political layout of the room: among the six elders facing Chu Hongyi, the three on the left belonged to the pro-Zhuo faction, while the three on the right belonged to the pro-Yuan faction.
The man who had just spoken sat on the right. It mattered very little whether the pro-Yuan elders recognized him or held grievances against him; they could do as they pleased.
"Wu Faxian, organizing an Exchange Gathering is a minor issue, but leading the promising disciples of our sect astray is a capital offense. Do you confess to your cris?" Chu Hongyi finally spoke up, effectively setting the tone for the entire gathering.
The Exchange Gathering was deed a minor infraction, worthy of a re slap on the wrist, while the true gravity of any major cri would be dictated by Wang Yulou's status. That was the extent of it. As a compromise candidate between two warring factions, this was the absolute limit of what he could achieve.
Under the imnse, crushing pressure exerted by the gazes of seven Foundation Establishnt cultivators, Old Wu's knees instantly buckled and he fell to the floor. Yet with Yulou standing right beside him, he lacked the courage to wildly implicate anyone, resorting to hitting his head against the ground repeatedly while begging for rcy.
Wang Yulou found the display utterly intolerable. This was absolutely disgraceful. Old Wu was nothing but a useless coward, an absolute piece of garbage. This situation could have been handled effortlessly, but by throwing himself to his knees like this, the fool was utterly jeopardizing the entire enterprise Yulou had painstakingly erected!
The lineage of the Exchange Gathering was intrinsically tied to Wang Yulou's future influence within Dripdrop Cave. Even after he eventually moved beyond this sect, as long as his cultivation advanced swiftly enough and his power grew sufficiently vast, he would always be viewed as the absolute leader of the Exchange Gathering faction.
To put it simply, Yulou had introduced a profound philosophy through the Exchange Gathering, one that practically facilitated the mutual growth and convenience of his fellow disciples. Whether others truly believed in this philosophy or maintained that belief forever was entirely irrelevant. The critical factor was that Yulou, as the absolute founder and initiator of this ideology, could utilize this grand banner to gather anyone willing to align themselves with him.
In the future, when Yulou scaled to far loftier heights, this highly unique banner—one independent of geographical ties or personal subservience—would ensure a continuous stream of absolute support from Dripdrop Cave.
Yet with Wu Faxian dropping to his knees so pathetically, the glorious banner of the Exchange Gathering had been thoroughly dragged through the dirt. What a useless fool!
Wang Yulou took a deep, steady breath and shattered the atmosphere.
"Old Wu, stand up. You are forbidden from kneeling."
It was a sudden bolt from the blue. Yulou's single phrase instantly plunged the entire Sect Master's Hall of Dripdrop Cave into a dead, suffocating silence.
Stand up, no kneeling. With the re status of an ordinary Azurewater Palace disciple, Wang Yulou had just uttered words that even seasoned elders would hesitate to voice lightly.
Completely ignoring the stunned Old Wu and paying absolutely no mind to the bewildered stares of the various elders, Yulou extended his hand, using a stream of pure Qi to pull a heavy chair directly across from Chu Hongyi. Then, Wang Yulou sat down.
Wu Faxian had knelt before the absolute power of the Foundation Establishnt realm and the sacred laws of the sect. Yet Yulou had commanded him to stand, which ant he was directly defying that very power and standing in open resistance to those very laws.
Sitting directly opposite the sect master at this very mont was the ultimate manifestation of his defiance. Do not attempt to bully or put on the airs of an elder. I, Wang Yulou, have every right to sit at this table!
With his vital interests on the line, Wang Yulou refused to take a single step back.
"Wang Yulou, what is the aning of this? Since when is there a seat for soone of your rank in this hall?!" The pro-Yuan elder who had initially berated them surged to his feet, pointing a trembling finger directly at Wang Yulou's face as he barked.
"Letting him sit down to talk is perfectly fine. Let everyone speak calmly, there is no need for anger," Chu Hongyi interjected hastily, cutting off the pro-Zhuo faction before they could launch a counterattack. "Stop fighting among yourselves. Let us not make a scene; we shall negotiate a resolution."
"Why shouldn't there be a seat for here? Tell , which exact clause within the regulations of Dripdrop Cave dictates that a disciple of the Azurewater Palace is forbidden from sitting inside the Sect Master's Hall?"
While rules were designed to protect the collective majority, they could also be viewed from an entirely different dinsion as tools ant to restrict and exploit the weak. Yet given Wang Yulou's current stature within Dripdrop Cave, he could easily treat those very regulations as his personal instrunts.
A person was rely the sum total of their social relations. Even cultivators who had yet to achieve immortality remained intrinsic components of the cultivation world's broader social order. Allies bound by marriage, factional alignnts, the personal favor and high expectations of paramount figures, and his extensive network within the superior Red Lantern Illumination Sect—all of these elents converged to forge the entity that was Wang Yulou today.
Therefore, he wasn't hiding behind the sect rules as a shield; he was stating that he possessed the absolute authority to interpret them.
"Splendid, truly magnificent! The regulations of Dripdrop Cave also dictate that when an Azurewater Palace disciple encounters an elder, they must offer proper salutations. Co then, Wang Yulou! The three of us are standing right here, so perform your salutations!" The berating elder let out a cold, furious laugh, absolutely certain that since Wang Yulou wanted to hide behind the rules, he could easily use those very rules to crush the boy's arrogance. However...
"Cough! Cough!"
"There is surely no need to make things so formal, is there?"
His two factional companions imdiately voiced their clear dissent. My friend, please do not include the two of us in your grand demands. Absolutely do not, we beg of you!
You have only just returned from an external assignnt within the grotto-heaven to assu your position as an administrative elder, aning you have no true understanding of Wang Yulou or the deep-seated grievances between him and old Yuan. But we understand perfectly well. You might be completely fearless, but we are terrified.
Dripdrop Cave continuously produced exceptional talents, with each generation of new Foundation Establishnt cultivators inevitably replacing the old. An ordinary Azurewater Palace disciple would naturally an nothing to them, but Wang Yulou was highly likely to beco one of those very individuals who would displace the senior generation in the near future. One could bully the old, but never the young. If this fool wanted the boy to bow, he could demand it himself, but they wouldn't dare to casually offend such a prospect.
"Haha, brilliant! I was wondering why our Exchange Gathering was operating perfectly smoothly, only to suddenly have the Grotto Heaven Patrol Team escort us to the Azurewater Palace. It turns out this entire farce was cooked up by your Yuan Clan. Elder, Yulou offers his respects. Now then, may I take my seat?"
Wang Yulou emphasized the regulations precisely because he wanted to demonstrate that he possessed the actual strength to interpret and manipulate them to his advantage. anwhile, this shouting elder clung to the rules solely to exploit Wang Yulou's lower cultivation base. Once Wang Yulou perford the formal salutation in strict accordance with protocol, the elder's demands instantly dissolved into a complete joke.
True respect was sothing earned through one's own capabilities; it wouldn't vanish simply because one bowed, nor would it increase based on how flawless the gesture was.
"...Hmph!" The elder found himself thoroughly stifled by Yulou's response, unable to utter a single word as he let out a sharp, resentful snort to signal his displeasure.
But Yulou paid him absolutely no mind. Your resentnt carries absolutely zero value. You lack the authority to speak for the entire Yuan Clan, whereas I possess absolute dominion over the Exchange Gathering. Therefore, I can comfortably exert my full strength to reclaim my rightful profits within this localized conflict!
"Uncle Chu, the Exchange Gathering is rely an informal gathering where disciples freely share their insights on cultivation. This matter has never been a secret. Over a thousand disciples participate in it, spanning across the Splendid Pool Palace and the Azurewater Palace, and we even have participants from the Clear Spring Palace. When Uncle summoned Yulou here, I naturally assud it was to reward for my exceptional contributions to fostering mutual growth among our peers. I never anticipated it would be an interrogation ant to find fault, launch a sudden attack, and hurl baseless accusations. Yulou remains entirely ignorant as to which specific regulation the Exchange Gathering has supposedly violated."
I poured imnse effort into building the Exchange Gathering from scratch, opening up a vital space for disciples to share resources and effectively accelerating their cultivation paths. Instead of offering rewards, the sect wants to convict us. Even if you only penalize Wu Faxian with a minor infraction, I will absolutely refuse to accept it!
Even with Chu Hongyi's legendary tolerance as a pushover, he found himself utterly trapped by Yulou's direct, aggressive questioning.
"Wang Yulou, what kind of atrocious attitude is this? With your various uncles seated right before you, has your arrogance reached such heights that you cannot even withstand a few harsh words?!" Another pro-Yuan Foundation Establishnt cultivator spoke up, knowing he couldn't leave his companion to put on a solo performance. That would signal a severe lack of factional unity.
Hearing those words, Yulou felt completely at ease. Slapping a label of "arrogant" on him ant absolutely nothing. The critical detail was that this elder had shifted the focus entirely to Yulou's "problematic attitude," which strongly implied that even these three pro-Yuan elders couldn't pinpoint a single clause within the sect laws that the Exchange Gathering had actually breached. Considering Chu Hongyi's earlier attempt to label it a "minor issue," the dynamics in this room had beco incredibly fascinating.
With that thought in mind, Wang Yulou offered no reply. He cast no glance toward the second pro-Yuan elder who had just spoken, nor did he look up at Sect Master Chu Hongyi. Instead, his gaze settled directly upon the three pro-Zhuo Foundation Establishnt elders.
"Uncle Liu, Uncle Gong, Uncle Jie, what are your opinions on this matter?"
He needed to verify right now whether the leadership of Dripdrop Cave had finally realized that the Exchange Gathering was effectively carving away at the sect's own exploitative share of the economic cake. This single factor would determine the ultimate success or failure of today's confrontation.
If the leadership had truly seen through the underlying economic implications, the situation would beco genuinely problematic. Of course, that didn't an he would be left with no room to maneuver; it simply ant he would have to accept a certain degree of loss and setback. Progressing through a series of calculated detours was sothing Yulou could easily tolerate as part of a spiral ascent.
"This... Old Liu, why don't you speak?" Elder Gong and Elder Jie both turned their eyes toward Old Liu, who stood as one of the only two veteran Foundation Establishnt cultivators present among the seven leaders.
Uncle Liu offered a thoroughly warm, pleasant expression as he spoke. "Yulou, you have my complete support!"
And that was all.
Wang Yulou understood instantly. The reality was indeed the most problematic scenario: both the Yuan and Zhuo factions had silently joined forces to suppress the existence of the Exchange Gathering, which was precisely why the spineless old Chu had been able to comfortably introduce his "minor issue" compromise.
"Uncle Liu, Yulou understands perfectly."
Wang Yulou stood up, offering a deeply respectful and formal bow toward Uncle Liu, a gesture far more solemn than the superficial one he had thrown at the shouting elder earlier. The contrast imdiately left the shouting elder trembling with renewed fury.
The veteran Liu cultivator nodded with deep satisfaction, gesturing with a smile for Yulou to resu his seat. He had obtained exactly what he wanted. Wang Yulou understood the underlying logic perfectly—personal interests always ca first, factional interests ca second, and the sect's interests ranked a distant third.
Thus, the current reality was clear: Uncle Liu personally backed Yulou, the broader Zhuo faction was highly hesitant to support him, and the sect as an official institution absolutely forbade the continued existence of the Exchange Gathering.
"The Exchange Gathering was initially sothing Senior Brother Faxian and I conceptualized together. However, as ti went on, it was I who drove its implentation single-handedly. Sect Master, neither the format nor the operational procedures of the Exchange Gathering conflict with our regulations in any capacity. The disciples of the three palaces rely desired a common ground to share their cultivation experiences with their peers, nothing more."
Old Chu, the two factions might be applying imnse pressure on , but I refuse to submit. Everything must ultimately return to the foundational rules of the sect. In Dripdrop Cave, I, Wang Yulou, possess the absolute right to act as long as the law does not explicitly forbid it!
The grand hall plunged once more into a heavy silence. Wang Yulou's complete disregard for the broader harmony, coupled with his declaration that he itself represented that harmony, was an act of supre, unbound arrogance. Yet Chu Hongyi possessed no ans to discipline Wang Yulou, and the Yuan Clan lacked the individual strength to crush him either.
Wang Yulou rely needed to secure the backing of the Zhuo faction, and if they wavered, he could lean on Chu Hongyi's own desire for stability to ensure the Exchange Gathering continued to run. This was the absolute peak of what Yulou could achieve under the intricate logic of internal political strife. It might appear precarious, but it was an incredibly potent position.
Wang Yulou utilized the sect regulations as an unyielding chain, completely binding the hands and feet of Chu Hongyi and the six administrative elders. Shattering that chain wouldn't be difficult, but it entirely depended on whether they and the hidden forces backing them were truly willing to invest the massive resources required to ignite a fresh round of destructive internal warfare. This was a high-stakes gamble of raw power and naked self-interest. Wang Yulou had effectively established the table as the dealer, leaving them completely free to match his wager or fold as they saw fit. Winning or losing would simply co down to their respective thods!
To Wang Yulou, accusations like "arrogant and insolent," "disregarding the grand sche," or "failing to maintain unity" were nothing but absolute nonsense. Only concrete benefits mattered. Benefits equated to vital cultivation resources, which directly translated into one's power level. Wang Yulou could not, would not, and would never yield an inch!
At worst, if he truly lost, he could simply leave, invoking a single transfer decree to return directly to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect!
After a prolonged silence, Chu Hongyi finally spoke.
"Wang Yulou, you are a deeply intelligent young man, and you are also a player on this very board. Let us speak openly without any deceit. Your family's turtle has already been officially appointed as the guardian spiritual beast of River Bend Fishing Port. The sect has treated you with imnse generosity, so can you not simply show a modicum of restraint?"
As the supre sect master of Dripdrop Cave, Chu Hongyi possessed zero actual power to distribute resources, yet on a superficial, formal level, he appeared to control that very process. Over the past two years, however, the sect's total revenue—the collective economic cake—had shrunk by two percent due to the continuous encroachnt of the Exchange Gathering.
Compared to the massive volu of resources funneled to the sect by various spiritual assets operating as primary ans of production, the ager remnants left in the hands of ordinary disciples amounted to nothing more than tiny fragnts. No matter how aggressively the contribution point systems of the three palaces squeezed them, they could never harvest much.
Consequently, the Exchange Gathering had only managed to siphon away a re two percent of the total sect profits, slightly rattling the exploitative structures of the three palaces, and Yulou himself only pocketed a fraction of that tiny amount. Yet that single two percent had thoroughly pinned Chu Hongyi into a corner, leaving him completely suffocated. Because he was the formal face of resource distribution, he stood as the primary target for all grievances. The sudden disappearance of that two percent made his administrative duties exceptionally agonizing.
Launching this sudden confrontation against Wang Yulou today was born purely out of Chu Hongyi's complete inability to maintain his precarious tightrope walk any longer. Even so, he wasn't executing a genuine execution; by bringing up the exceptional treatnt the sect had afforded Yulou, he was practically attempting to appeal to the boy's reason and emotions.
The eyes are the windows to one's soul. At this mont, Yulou allowed Chu Hongyi to read his exact stance through his unwavering gaze.
'The intense gaze of Fellow Daoist Jade Palace~'
You, Chu Hongyi, refuse to rein in old Yuan and choose to ignore the Zhuo family, yet you continuously fixate on my turtle. Do you happen to harbor so personal grievance against ?
Everyone is actively carving away pieces of Dripdrop Cave's walls. The three True Persons led the charge, while Zhuo Yinsheng and Yuan Daoshen eagerly followed suit. Even you, Chu Hongyi, upon ascending to the position of sect master, brought your own inner circle to join the feast. So why is it that the mont I, Wang Yulou, decide to take a small bite, every single one of you leaps out to condemn ? Are you simply targeting because my cultivation base is low?
I am a re twenty-nine or thirty years of age, yet I have already attained the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Do you truly possess the audacity to bully for being weak? To avoid touching your primary cake, I deliberately sought out incrental growth from the ager crumbs left behind to achieve mutual success, yet you still remain entirely unsatisfied?
"Sect Master, the sect has indeed treated with imnse generosity. However, let us not speak as though my spiritual turtle's appointnt as a guardian beast is so unspeakable, shadowy secret. It perford monuntal services while defending against the assault of the iron crocodile dragon, so granting it the title of guardian beast was rely a just reward for its achievents. Furthermore, it is precisely because the sect has treated so well that I, Yulou, feel completely compelled to dedicate myself to giving back to our community. It was out of this very devotion that the Exchange Gathering was born, serving solely to help our fellow disciples share their cultivation insights!"
Old Chu, let us keep separate matters separate. Do not attempt to obfuscate the core issue!
"Wang Yulou, so... do you truly intend to continue operating this Exchange Gathering indefinitely?" Chu Hongyi asked, a deeply complex expression swirling in his eyes as he threw the question back.
This was his final confirmation, a desperate attempt to ascertain Wang Yulou's true position and core demands.
"The Exchange Gathering brings imnse benefit to the sect above and offers profound advantages to the disciples below. I genuinely fail to comprehend why the various elders are so adamantly opposed to it," Yulou replied with perfect composure.
If it ant igniting an open conflict, so be it. In the cultivation world, if one wished to climb to the absolute peak, one had to grasp both individual cultivation and factional power with an iron grip, ensuring both sides remained unyielding!
Possessing high cultivation without any actual political authority rely turned a person into an expendable asset for the high leadership of the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects. Conversely, possessing imnse authority without the corresponding cultivation made it incredibly easy to end up like he was today—where everyone was busy carving away at the system, yet you were singled out for destruction simply because you were the weakest link. It was truly an intolerable form of bullying!
"Very well. You may take your leave for now. The various administrative elders and I shall deliberate further on this matter."
Hearing the sect master's words, Wang Yulou turned on his heel and departed without a single backward glance. With vital interests on the line, everyone's cards were laid bare on the table, leaving absolutely nothing left to discuss.
Old Wu, who was still kneeling pathetically on the floor, cast a desperate look toward the sect master, who rely offered a helpless wave of his hand, signaling the fool to scramble out imdiately. Old Wu rushed out of the Sect Master's Hall, but Wang Yulou had already taken flight into the distance.
He desperately wanted to give chase, but Yulou's cold voice transmission instantly struck his mind.
'Senior Brother Wu, our partnership ends right here. There is no need for you to follow any further.'
When Wang Yulou had commanded Old Wu to stand, he was offering the man his absolute final opportunity. Stand up and let them see—let them witness clearly that I, Wang Yulou, have successfully forged a faction of my very own. That was your final chance to prove your actual worth to .
Unfortunately, poor Old Wu simply could not comprehend the sheer scale of Wang Yulou's grand vision. This seemingly intelligent man had folded instantly the very mont he encountered the slightest hint of adversity, rendering himself completely useless.
—
After dispatching his Crimson Sparrow back to River Bend Fishing Port to inform Ancestor Xianzhou that he was perfectly safe, Yulou directed his course straight toward the Lin Estate. An unwed son-in-law was still a son-in-law.
Wang Yulou walked smoothly all the way to the serene lotus pond, where he found Lin ngyao deep in his cultivation routine. Old Lin had already reached the grand age of three hundred, placing him well past the years of fierce ambition. He currently held a highly comfortable, leisurely post, leaving him with vast amounts of free ti to focus on his personal cultivation.
However, his current practice wasn't aid at elevating his actual cultivation realm; rather, he was ticulously refining his divine ability, aiming to leave behind a flawless legacy of insights for the future generations of the Lin family.
"Ancestor, Yulou has a vital matter to report..."
Wang Yulou wasted no ti on hollow pleasantries, imdiately requesting Lin ngyao's direct intervention the mont he arrived. Wasn't the entire purpose of a political marriage to secure unyielding allies? Old Lin possessed imnse value, and he needed to be utilized to his absolute maximum potential. Yulou treated him with the exact sa reverence he showed his own Patriarch.
As long as he maintained a deeply respectful posture and laid down his pride, Ancestor Lin would naturally embrace him as his own—otherwise, he would never have agreed to betroth Lin Ying to him in the first place.
"Yulou, are you stating that both factions actually joined forces to launch a sudden confrontation against you today?" Even with Lin ngyao's vast lifeti of experience, he had never anticipated that Wang Yulou's current operations had expanded to such an astonishing scale. The Exchange Gathering—a concept he hadn't even heard of until recently—was actually significant enough to compel two warring factions to unite solely to suppress a single young man?
It was vital to understand that even within a single faction, internal friction was completely inevitable; it was simply conducted with far greater decorum. On the fundantal stance of resisting the Yuan Clan, Wang Yulou naturally aligned himself closely with Elder Yinsheng. As for other matters—Yulou acted as a vital partner who had brought substantial assets to the table, certainly not so low-level subordinate. Yulou belonged to the direct lineage of the Wang Clan, aning the ultimate paramount leader of the Wang family was his true superior.
"It is and it isn't. I wager that only the three pro-Yuan elders and the sect master are truly invested in this matter, which is why I intend to execute a calculated maneuver. However, Ancestor, I believe it would be best if my marriage with Senior Martial Sister Lin is finalized as swiftly as humanly possible."
Indeed, Wang Yulou had co here today specifically to expedite the wedding date. Ancestor Xianzhou remained deeply ensconced in his grand dreams of reaping massive profits from the chaotic situation, but Yulou harbored no such delusions; he desired nothing more than securing his gains safely in his pocket. Yulou now stood at the absolute precipice of a brand-new cycle of internal political warfare, making it an issue of paramount importance to firmly bind the Lin family to his side right now. Furthermore, the Lin family specialized in wood-elental cultivation arts. By formalizing his union with Lin Ying, should Yulou ever secure an opportunity to stand before the threshold of the Purple Palace realm or even successfully ascend to beco a True Person in the future, the Lin family would serve as an exceptionally powerful pillar of support.
"This..." Old Lin's expression turned remarkably peculiar.
He scrutinized Yulou closely, noting that the young man still maintained a perfectly respectful posture, causing him to let out a quiet, internal sigh. True loyalty is forged in tis of crisis. Wang Yulou, the mont your foundations begin to shake, you imdiately co rushing to my doorstep to force to declare my stance. What a scheming little rogue!
So, did Lin ngyao possess true loyalty in the end?
"How about we set the wedding date two months from now?"
To put it simply, Old Lin proved himself to be thoroughly loyal after all, haha. While this description might sound sowhat abstract, Yulou felt imnsely satisfied with his response at this very mont.
"Let us set it one month from now instead. After spending the past few years working closely together, Senior Martial Sister Lin and I have already reached a point where our union is entirely natural."
Wang Yulou was deeply concerned that he might break through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining in two months' ti. If he held a massive wedding right as that occurred, causing everyone to gasp in sheer shock at his monstrous progression, it would invite unnecessary complications.
Putting on a display of unyielding defiance inside the Sect Master's Hall was done solely to protect his concrete interests. Yet when it was ti to maintain a low profile, he still needed to exert every effort to keep things as quiet as possible.
Lin ngyao offered a patient explanation. "Yulou, you previously requested that we secure a suitable spiritual avian for the occasion, a condition I naturally intend to fulfill to the absolute letter. However, a truly exceptional spiritual bird is incredibly difficult to co by. It was only last year that I managed to establish contact with a fellow cultivator from the Nine Apertures Valley, successfully commissioning a Silver-Breasted Rainbow-Robed Bird, which will take a little over a month to be delivered."
The Silver-Breasted Rainbow-Robed Bird of the Nine Apertures Valley... This particular species of spiritual bird enjoyed an imnse reputation within the Wunan Cultivation World, occupying a highly unique status that made it effectively the cultivation world's equivalent of a luxury sports car—one of the absolute finest spiritual mounts a female cultivator could ever dream of possessing.
Those spiritual birds possessing a high probability of evolving into Great Demons were completely rare treasures that could only be encountered through sheer luck. Yet an avian like the Silver-Breasted Rainbow-Robed Bird, which held a realistic chance of breaking through to the Great Demon realm, was not inferior to Wang Xianzhou's Crimson Sparrow in the slightest, and might even surpass it given that the Crimson Sparrow was gradually passing its physical pri. To properly compensate Lin Ying, Lin ngyao had truly spared no expense.
"Ancestor, the fact that you held my request in such high regard fills my heart with boundless gratitude. However, there is absolutely no need to delay our marriage for the sake of a re bird. Let us proceed with the ceremony as early as possible." Wang Yulou remained completely firm in his demand to expedite the marriage.
Lin ngyao fell into a prolonged silence. Little Wang, you are truly demanding that I lay my cards completely on the table for you.
While Lin ngyao didn't harbor the slightest aversion to this aggressive posture—and even harbored a deep trace of admiration for it—the human heart remained an incredibly intricate thing.
"Very well, let it be one month from now. Your Wang Clan must dispatch at least two Foundation Establishnt cultivators to attend the ceremony; the turnout cannot be inferior to what you gathered for your concubine-taking ritual."
"Yulou understands perfectly."
—
Wang Yulou had finally solidified his wedding date. anwhile, back within the Sect Master's Hall, the sect master and the six administrative elders had finally reached a conclusive resolution after an exhausting debate.
"The Exchange Gathering is a completely novel enterprise, and several elders maintain that its long-term benefits and detrints require extensive, rigorous study. However, Yulou remains entirely steadfast in his conviction that it serves a righteous purpose. Therefore, we shall temporarily observe its progress, allowing it to operate as a trial venture so we may witness its eventual trajectory before enacting further asures. What do you all think?"
Chu Hongyi voiced a resolution he completely disagreed with, a wave of deep, burning frustration swirling within his chest. The beauty of a sect structure lay precisely in this: Wang Yulou didn't need to possess overwhelming personal power; as long as he maintained a certain threshold of influence, natural allies would inevitably manifest to back him.
Fighting a solo battle anywhere would only result in a person being ruthlessly exploited. Yet when developing oneself within an established system, one didn't even need to be exceptionally strong; as long as you aligned with the right individuals and made the correct choices, every single step would lead down a righteous path. Even if you failed to align perfectly or stumbled in your choices, the ultimate outco would never be too disastrous. The institutional safety net of a sect might not match the fierce devotion of a family clan, but it remained infinitely superior to the plight of a rogue cultivator.
Under such systematic paraters, if one wished to accomplish grand tasks, one could seamlessly leverage the vast resources of the sect to fund the venture. If the endeavor succeeded, rewards would naturally follow. Indeed, the sect would provide the primary assets for you to execute your vision, and upon success, you could still pocket magnificent accolades—as long as your political footing remained solid, this high-ceiling frawork designed to favor the strong would effortlessly propel you into the high heavens. Even if you steered the venture down an entirely erroneous path, it could easily be labeled a necessary exploration for future developnt, and the valuable lessons harvested from the failure would simply bring you one step closer to ultimate success—ensuring you won either way.
"Agreed!" Three distinct voices rang out in unison, coming from the three mbers of the Zhuo faction.
Factional interests reigned supre over the collective interests of the sect. By tolerating a highly independent figure like Wang Yulou, they could seamlessly safeguard their own private profits. Even if the sect's total revenue dipped by two percent, the personal shares that these Zhuo faction elders were entitled to would never decrease by a single fraction, so why would they ever choose to oppose Wang Yulou?
"Opposed!" Three sharp voices answered imdiately from the pro-Yuan elders, their underlying motives requiring absolutely no explanation.
With both factions locked in a perfect deadlock, Chu Hongyi spoke with a trace of deep bitterness.
"I cast my vote in favor as well. Let the matter be settled as such." He forced himself to rally his flagging spirits, accepting the reality before him as he added, "I shall convey our collective stance to Yulou shortly. My fellow Daoists have endured a thoroughly exhausting day today; why don't we all retire to my personal estate to share a few cups of spiritual wine?"
Old Chu was desperately attempting to foster a sense of unity among his peers, but the various elders naturally couldn't be bothered to show him any face, departing the hall without a second thought.
Chu Hongyi had been elevated to the position of sect master precisely to serve as a convenient punching bag for both sides, leaving him with no choice but to continue swallowing his grievances.
Inside the completely vacant, echoing hall, the sect master of Dripdrop Cave sat alone in his high seat, slumping completely against the back of his heavy chair as his mind drifted far into the distance. Life must be infinitely more exhilarating for soone like Huang Qiusheng. With the absolute backing of Patriarch Mangxiang operating behind him, he could seamlessly execute whatever whim entered his mind. In stark contrast, he was completely trapped between two warring factions, losing three days of his lifespan for every single day he spent acting as sect master. It was an absolute curse!
—
Over at the Yuan Estate, Yuan Daoshen was currently granting an audience to the very elder who had aggressively demanded that Yulou perform his formal salutations inside the Sect Master's Hall earlier today.
"I comprehend the situation perfectly. Rest assured, that arrogant brat will not be allowed to ride high for much longer."
Yuan Daoshen escorted this peripheral mber of his faction out of the room, yet the mont he was alone, a cloud of deep anxiety settled over his mind. Whenever he faced the core mbers of his faction, he had no choice but to project an air of absolute certainty, stating that nothing posed a genuine threat. As the undisputed number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator in Dripdrop Cave and the personal disciple of Jiusheng True Lord, he assured them he could resolve any crisis effortlessly.
In reality, however, Wang Yulou possessed an exceptionally sharp, almost instinctive sensitivity regarding the boundaries of power and behavior. His actions inside the Sect Master's Hall today appeared flagrantly arrogant, yet he had sohow managed to completely stabilize his position in the end. This reality was profoundly fascinating, and Yuan Daoshen believed he had finally deciphered the underlying chanism.
What Yuan Daoshen discerned was that Wang Yulou was actively leveraging his future potential and projected success, using those future promises to feed the individuals currently willing to back him. This strategy couldn't be deed flawed in the slightest, because Yulou wasn't rely painting grand illusions; he was actively compelling people to swallow them. His calculated coercion of old Lin to declare his absolute loyalty was the literal manifestation of this very logic.
'If you, old Lin, truly view as a high-value prospect, you must double down on your investnt precisely when I am standing at a critical juncture where uncontrollable risks might manifest. It is true that my thods are sowhat aggressive, but whether you choose to increase your wager or not is sothing I will ticulously note down in my personal ledger. If you refuse to double down, it simply proves your backing was never genuine in the first place.'
One could argue that while Wang Yulou's eventual ascension to the Foundation Establishnt realm still carried a margin of risk, the promises he was dealing had already inflated to the Golden Core stage—not rely the Purple Palace, but the Golden Core realm itself! To emphasize it once more: it was the Golden Core stage!
This was a highly unique form of leveraging assets. Patriarch Mangxiang's pursuit of attaining the Golden Core realm stood as a highly volatile risk asset, yet Yulou had seamlessly bundled this speculative asset together with the future of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom and his own personal destiny, successfully packaging the entire combination into a highly potent form of collateral.
When combined with the reality that a cultivator themselves functioned as a direct ans of production—with Grand Cultivators operating as entirely irreplaceable assets—the picture beca clear. Yulou relied precisely on the absolute backing and support he extracted through this unique collateral to steadily march to where he stood today within Dripdrop Cave.
This was precisely why Zhuo Yinsheng, believing he had fully deciphered Wang Yulou, chose to view him with imnse expectations; why old Yuan, believing he had fully deciphered Wang Yulou, viewed him with extre caution; and why Lin ngyao, believing he had fully deciphered Wang Yulou, chose to declare his complete loyalty to him.
In truth, none of them possessed a genuine understanding of Wang Yulou. They hadn't understood him in the past, they failed to comprehend him now, and they wouldn't necessarily understand him in the future either. Yet as long as Wang Yulou's path of rapid advancent remained completely uninterrupted, this continuous cycle of 'leveraging expectations to harvest real-world benefits, utilizing those benefits to feed his personal cultivation, and using his elevated cultivation to validate those expectations' would never face the risk of a sudden collapse.
This particular operational model had certainly been utilized by others within the history of the cultivation world, but very few had ever managed to manipulate systematic regulations with such flawless sophistication as Wang Yulou. For this, he owed a debt of gratitude to the structural foundations of the Wang Clan.
Yuan Daoshen could vaguely perceive the terrifying nature of this model, which could expand infinitely as long as it wasn't explicitly proven false, yet he remained entirely unable to formulate an effective counterasure.
Furthermore, if one stripped away the procedural elents of this leveraged operation, within the unique paraters of the cultivation world, the distinctive model Yulou was effortlessly manipulating had effectively begun to manifest the early structural characteristics of a religious movent. Wang Yulou could easily be viewed as the absolute leader of this movent, serving simultaneously as its foundational prophet and active spreader of the faith.
anwhile, Patriarch Mangxiang functioned as the legendary deity anchoring the faith, and those who invested in Yulou and offered him their protection operated as the devoted disciples of this movent. As long as the grand master's pursuit of achieving the Golden Core realm didn't end in catastrophic failure and Wang Yulou's personal cultivation base continued to skyrocket, his 'missionary' endeavors would continue to progress with absolute smoothness.
Why was it necessary to emphasize the unique background of the cultivation world? In the Wunan Cultivation World, the crushing tyranny of the Immortal Alliance, the absolute oppression of the Grand Cultivators, and the systematic exploitation of the Alliance-Sect frawork existed as an undeniable elephant in the room. No one possessed the courage to speak of it openly, yet its suffocating presence lood over every single soul.
To those capable of coming into contact with Yulou, this young man appeared deeply humble, exceptionally gentle, and possessor of a brilliant mind. More importantly, he commanded a magnificent background and a thoroughly boundless future. He was akin to a beacon of absolute hope in the eyes of those trapped in complete despair, which was precisely why he could command the absolute faith of his subordinates, his inner circle, and his fellow disciples, allowing his operations to advance with such incredible ease.
As these thoughts swirled through his mind, Yuan Daoshen felt an incredibly sharp, agonizing headache coming on.
"A complete monster!" he spat out with venomous hatred.
He had vaguely perceived the core of the issue, yet he was left completely empty-handed when it ca to a solution. So what if you are the undisputed number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator in Dripdrop Cave?
I, Wang Yulou, shall simply establish the church of 'Wang Yulou commands a magnificent future, and following him ensures we shall all rise as chickens and dogs to the heavens,' systematically gathering devoted believers throughout the length and breadth of Dripdrop Cave. The power of a movent operated within the spiritual domain of ideology. Your cultivation might be unyielding, but you lack the capacity to offer promises to everyone. I shall simply target the very individuals you fail to secure, ensuring I can always harvest an endless stream of allies.
This brought the situation back to the fundantal principle of how opposing contradictions transform into one another. Why did Yulou possess such absolute certainty that his unyielding stance regarding the Exchange Gathering would never result in a catastrophic defeat? The answer was profoundly simple: wherever there is oppression, resistance will inevitably manifest. The specific manifestations of that resistance might vary wildly, and the actions of the resisters might fail to secure universal comprehension.
However, the act of resistance itself held boundless significance for the individual executing it. Even resistance that yielded zero concrete results possessed profound value, as the act itself served to define the core boundaries of one's existential worth. When completely compressed and abstracted to its absolute essence, resistance itself beca the ultimate purpose. The realization that the foundational laws governing all existence converged into a single, unified logic was enough to drive a person to absolute despair. Naturally, if manipulated correctly, it could also serve as the ultimate source of hope. Utilizing hope to combat a despair born of a world where strength dictated everything was a strategic thodology that would never lose its relevance as long as oppression continued to exist.
When applied to practical reality, the decentralized, self-organizing nature of the Exchange Gathering inherently carried a deep undercurrent of resistance, mirroring the profound yearning for personal transcendence harbored by every ordinary cultivator. Consequently, even though every single participant understood perfectly well that the venture carried imnse risk, they still chose to commit to it without a single shred of hesitation. Under a paradigm of absolute rationality, an individual's behavioral choices should remain strictly logical, safe, and thoroughly secure.
Yet as long as a person had not achieved true immortality, that supposed absolute rationality could never truly exist, particularly when enticing benefits were placed right before their eyes. Therefore, delving deeper into why Yulou remained completely unfearful of a potential loss, the reality was that he had successfully planted the seeds of resistance. The Exchange Gathering as an official entity could easily be banned, but this self-organizing pattern of resistance would never vanish from the world.
Old Yuan racked his brain, thinking through every single variable, yet he remained utterly stymied when it ca to finding a thod to suppress Wang Yulou. Killing him was completely out of the question; executing Wang Yulou would inevitably ignite a monuntal political storm. Once that storm broke, the eventual fallout would completely surpass Yuan Daoshen's capacity to control.
The reason Ancestor Xianzhou and Yulou had refrained from invoking the absolute authority of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect during their past confrontation regarding the iron crocodile dragon was precisely to avoid the unpredictable variables that accompanied high-risk decisions. Yuan Daoshen was an ancient, calculating monster, aning he naturally refused to plunge into high-risk scenarios lightly—the root of all this agonizing trouble stemd entirely from the fact that Wang Xianzhou had kept his damaged foundation hidden for three whole years, an act that was simply too cunning!
Seeking a peaceful resolution was equally impossible. The disparity in their current statuses was simply too vast; seeking peace would be tantamount to an absolute admission of defeat. Yuan Daoshen could comfortably weather such a blow, but the broader Yuan Clan could absolutely never afford to lose that face! The reality where the Yuan Clan had been forced to pay a massive sum of spirit stones under the direct, forceful intervention of Perfected Man Hongli amounted to nothing more than a temporary, minor setback.
However, if they allowed Wang Yulou to grow completely unchecked over the long term, the Yuan Clan's future Purple Mansion opportunity would truly be annihilated.
One could say that Wang Yulou had rely pulled a chair to sit down inside the Sect Master's Hall and uttered a few brief phrases, yet the undisputed number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripdrop Cave had already been reduced to a state of absolute tornt by his maneuvers. In fact, during certain monts of intense frustration, Yuan Daoshen couldn't help but compare the boy to the useless trash within his own family line. Why did the Yuan Clan continuously breed such a vast flock of useless fools, while the descendants of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom consistently manifested such exceptional excellence?
As that thought crystallized in his mind, Yuan Daoshen's eyes suddenly ignited with a brilliant spark of inspiration. A solution had finally presented itself!
Since killing him was impossible and seeking a peaceful resolution was out of the question, then he would simply...
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