Among the cultivators guarding the grotto-heaven entrance was a mber of the Yuan Clan nad Yuan Qi. He was no fool like Yuan Wu, but rather one of the sharpest minds among the younger generation of the Yuan Clan.
Seeing Wang Yulou leave the grotto-heaven, Yuan Qi's eyes darted around. He quickly found an excuse to slip away from his shift and hurried into the depths of the valley to report to Yuan Daoshen.
"Are you saying Wang Yulou and Lin Ying left the grotto-heaven together?" Yuan Daoshen was sowhat startled by this sudden news.
He did not know whether to praise Yuan Qi for being too clever or reprimand him for being too eager to show off.
In the end, he simply waved his hand, dismissing Yuan Qi, and returned to his cultivation.
However, the profound experience unique to Foundation Establishnt cultivators was like a venomous serpent coiled in his heart.
The hissing echoes of that serpent continuously resurfaced in Yuan Daoshen's mind, completely disrupting his state of cultivation.
After a long ti, Yuan Daoshen opened his eyes, summoned a ssage talisman, and flicked it out of the hall.
The talisman bore only a single word—Co!
A mont later, Yuan Zhengju arrived at Elder Daoshen's cultivation residence.
The divine ability Limitless Spiritual Opportunity expanded, and a purple shroud of spiritual vitality enveloped the two Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the Yuan Clan.
"Just now, Yuan Qi, who was guarding the grotto-heaven entrance, ca to report that Wang Yulou left the grotto-heaven with Lin Ying. Zhengju, what do you think?"
His granduncle's piercing gaze flashed with coldness. What thoughts could Yuan Zhengju possibly dare to have?
Since the old man had already made up his mind, he naturally had to smooth things over and follow his lead.
"Granduncle, this is an opportunity!" Yuan Zhengju did not specify what kind of opportunity, but both n understood exactly what they were discussing.
Yuan Daoshen hesitated for a brief mont before finally hardening his resolve.
If they could settle this once and for all, it was naturally best to do so.
"Go make the arrangents. Do it on their return journey."
Yuan Zhengju let out a bitter smile.
"Ancestor, if Wang Yulou and Lin Ying die, our Yuan Clan will definitely be suspected."
Bringing the conflict into the open was a form of protection for Wang Yulou. At this mont, the significance of that protection was becoming clear!
"If we do not fight, we will end up with nothing in the end, Zhengju. If things truly reach an uncontrollable state, Elder Jiusheng will still protect our Yuan Clan.
Daring to gamble with higher stakes is itself a strategy. Do not hesitate. Wang Yulou is no longer an ordinary disciple of Azurewater Palace. We must use thunderous thods!"
Yuan Daoshen originally had another sche to trap Wang Yulou, but that plan was far more complicated than a direct assassination. Therefore, he wanted to place a small bet first to test the waters.
If it succeeded, there would be no need for convoluted plots.
Where the Dao lay, benefits themselves were the reason and the justification.
"Granduncle, Zhengju has no intention of hesitating. I am rely thinking that if we are to kill, we cannot kill only Wang Yulou and Lin Ying. We should also kill so other direct lineage and ordinary disciples of Dripdrop Cave who have gone out, thereby muddying the waters."
After being lectured by Wang Xianzhou, whose cultivation base was far inferior to his own, Yuan Zhengju had clearly reflected deeply. Now, at least, he understood the aning of decisiveness.
"Yes, you are right. That wretched obstacle disrupted my Dao heart, causing to forget the point of muddying the waters.
However, we cannot just kill a few. More than twenty people left the grotto-heaven with Wang Yulou. Let us kill ten.
I recall Yuan Qi ntioning that Elder Changhe's granddaughter also went out. She is considered half a mber of our Yuan Clan. If she dies at the hands of rogue cultivators, I can use it as a pretext to retaliate, making the case absolute!"
Creating an absolute case was secondary. Whether the rogue cultivators lived or died would not alter the grand sche. Even if the rogue cultivators confessed that the Yuan Clan was the mastermind, it would be impossible for anyone to believe them or use it as evidence to convict the Yuan Clan.
What Yuan Daoshen valued was that if Luo Changhe's granddaughter, who was half a mber of the Yuan Clan, died outside the grotto-heaven alongside Wang Yulou and Lin Ying, the Yuan Clan would escape all suspicion.
"This..."
Yuan Zhengju wanted to ask if doing so would hurt Elder Luo Changhe too deeply, but seeing his granduncle's burning gaze, he ultimately did not dare speak his mind.
"Zhengju accepts the command. I will leave the grotto-heaven imdiately to contact the rogue cultivators!"
Rogue cultivators were the hounds of the great clans. The Yuan Clan naturally had rogue cultivators they were familiar with, and quite a few at that.
However, ordinary rogue cultivators would certainly be no match for the direct lineage disciples of Dripdrop Cave. Therefore, he still needed to provide so minor assistance to those rogue cultivators.
For instance, talismans drawn with the murky yin orchids obtained from Dripdrop Heaven... muddying the waters, fishing in troubled waters, utterly outrageous.
After all, if one isn't ruthless, one can't stand firm.
—
Two days later, while Elder Daoshen's grand gift of ten lives to accompany Wang Yulou in death was still on the way, the young couple, Wang Yulou and Lin Ying, were already drawing close to Lotus Immortal City.
Lotus Immortal City, Lotus Immortal City—most ordinary people would assu this immortal city must have so connection to the lotus flower.
But in reality, the 'Lotus' referred to Immortal Venerable Lianpeng, and the 'Flower' referred to Immortal Venerable Qingrui.
These two Golden Core True Persons were the number one and number two leaders of Lotus Immortal City under the Immortal Alliance, occupying the very front row at the Gathering Immortals Platform.
Thus, this immortal city was respectfully called Lotus.
Hovering in the void several kiloters above the ground, Lin Ying looked at the illusory grotto-heaven entrance before her in surprise and said, "I heard long ago that Lotus Immortal City is located inside a grotto-heaven, but I never expected that the city's grotto-heaven would have no actual gates, connecting directly to this world instead."
Yulou nodded slightly. He noticed that at the entrance of the Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven, Foundation Establishnt cultivators were entering and leaving from ti to ti.
As expected of one of the three major immortal cities of the Immortal Alliance in Wunan, it was truly extraordinary. He only wondered if one had to pay an entrance fee to get in and out of this place.
Clear Stream Market collected an entrance fee of one spirit stone per person.
Given the special status of the immortal city, if they charged an entrance fee, wouldn't it start at seven or eight spirit stones?
"Co, let us go in." Yulou steered the flying boat, slowly gliding toward the entrance of the Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven.
To Yulou's surprise, not only did the Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven where the immortal city resided charge no entrance fee, but there were not even any guards.
But on second thought, it made sense. If one of the three major strongpoints of the Immortal Alliance in Wunan had to worry about the prying eyes of petty thieves, wouldn't the two Golden Core True Persons presiding over Lotus Immortal City be re ornants?
Those with great strength naturally understood the might of a True Person, so they would not seek death.
Those with weak strength and shallow vision, even if they were foolish enough to court death, would not cause any significant consequences.
The mont the two entered the Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven, they were instantly stunned by its terrifying scale.
The Dripdrop Grotto-Heaven spanned a thousand kiloters, sustaining several thousand cultivators of Dripdrop Cave and countless demon beasts in Beautiful Water Lake.
The Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven spanned at least fifteen hundred kiloters, nearly larger than the entire territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
"This Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven is actually so vast. Yulou, which way should we go?"
Traveling far from ho for the first ti, the young lady of the Lin family felt sowhat panicked, her grip tightening nervously on Yulou's hand.
"Look, Senior Martial Sister, we just need to fly in the sa direction as that Foundation Establishnt senior ahead."
Yulou remained very calm. Having entered the grotto-heaven of Immortal Venerable Lianpeng, safety was naturally not a concern. He continued to propel the flying boat with full strength, quickly arriving before the immortal city.
Unlike Dripdrop Heaven which floated in the sky, Lotus Immortal City was situated on a plain enclosed by a cluster of mountains within the grotto-heaven. Looking down from above, it was fully three to five tis larger than Clear Stream Market.
The cultivator capacity of Clear Stream Market could reach several thousand people. By conversion, this ant there could be over ten thousand cultivators within Lotus Immortal City.
Flight was not banned in the immortal city, though there seed to be a specific set of flight rules.
Qi Refining cultivators flew in the lower layer, while Foundation Establishnt cultivators flew in the upper layer, completely independent of each other.
Yulou steered the flying boat, circling over the immortal city a few tis. Discovering that formation arrays and restrictions were everywhere, he finally landed carefully in front of a restaurant called Flavorful Bistro.
"Flavorful Bistro is a property of our Wang Clan. Although I am not sure which clan uncle is managing this place, it will always be convenient for gathering information," Yulou explained.
Arriving at Lotus Immortal City for the first ti, Yulou naturally needed to inquire about the general situation of the city first.
Walking beside him, Lin Ying was secretly filled with wonder. The Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom was truly extraordinary to be able to establish a property inside the immortal city. Even if it was just a donkey at diner, it was already very impressive—Lotus Immortal City was very far from the Wang Clan, fully a thousand kiloters away.
In truth, the Flavorful Bistro of the Wang Clan in the immortal city had been established under the managent of Ancestor Xianzhou. It had been operating for less than a century and represented the absolute farthest reach of the Wang Clan's influence.
"Honored guests have arrived! This way to the private room, Seniors~" Seeing Wang Yulou bringing Lin Ying through the door, the clever head waiter of Flavorful Bistro stepped forward to welco them.
Although Wang Yulou looked ordinary and not particularly distinguished, there was a saying in the cultivation world—a male cultivator's companion is the true reflection of his strength.
Wang Yulou might not look like much, but Lin Ying certainly did!
Furthermore, Lin Ying had the deanor of a gentle, compliant follower, yet her cultivation base was actually higher than the plain-looking male cultivator beside her.
What did this an?
It ant Wang Yulou belonged to the category of extrely wealthy guests, the kind of grand guest one could fleece heavily without worrying about overdoing it.
"There is no need. I am Wang Yu'an of the Anbei Kingdom Wang Clan. May I ask if the clan elder managing this property is present? It is Yu'an's first ti visiting the immortal city, so I naturally must pay my respects."
Lin Ying first looked at him with confusion, then smiled with sudden realization.
Oh, Wang Yulou, you truly are cautious to a fault.
Seeing that it was a mber of the master family, the head waiter dared not delay and hastily replied with respect, "Uncle Yu'an, please rest in the private room on the second floor first. I will fetch the shopkeeper imdiately!"
Yulou and Senior Martial Sister Lin had barely sat down in the private room for a brief mont when the door was pushed open.
An old man with hair and beard as white as snow walked into the room with a joyful expression. He was just about to greet them when he suddenly froze, stamring as if caught in a loop.
"Yu... Yu... Yu... Yu... Yu... Yu'an! Yu'an, how did you suddenly end up here?"
Wang Yulou looked at Uncle Rongshi in surprise, caught between amusent and dismay. He even felt a bit guilty—just now, Uncle Rongshi had choked so hard on his words that he almost couldn't catch his breath.
He had been too careful, wanting to use whether they recognized him or Yu'an to test the exact situation of the clan elder here, never expecting the person managing this place would be Uncle Rongshi.
"Yu'an, having not seen you for a few years, the potential for change in you is indeed quite significant."
While pouring tea for 'Yu'an,' Wang Rongshi secretly transmitted his voice.
'Yulou, using your younger brother's na to fool a female cultivator, is that really appropriate?'
Yulou took the cup of spiritual tea that Uncle Rongshi had poured for him first, casually placed it in front of Lin Ying, and then said.
"Uncle Rongshi, Yulou was simply uncertain who was managing this place, so I used Yu'an's na to see if they could tell the difference between and Yu'an.
Since it is you, we uncle and nephew can naturally speak openly, Hahaha.
By the way, this is Senior Martial Sister Lin Ying, my Dao companion in Dripdrop Cave, though we have not formally wed yet.
My purpose in coming to Lotus Immortal City this ti is to purchase so gifts for Senior Martial Sister.
Coming to Flavorful Bistro was rely to ask around about the situation in the immortal city."
With Wang Rongshi, Yulou was naturally as familiar as could be. Yu'an, Yulou, and Uncle Rongshi had broken through to the Qi Refining stage together inside Anning's grotto-heaven, and they knew each other inside out.
And it was not surprising that he had been dispatched to be a shopkeeper in an immortal city a thousand kiloters away from the Wang family.
eting Yu'an in a distant land had made Uncle Rongshi so excited that he rushed over, only to see Yulou, which was why he had stamred so heavily on the na.
"Dao companion?"
Yulou had spoken a long string of words, but as an elder, Wang Rongshi had caught only those two.
He asured Lin Ying with a subtle, appraising glance, as if evaluating her.
What kind of person was Senior Martial Sister Lin? A master of social interaction, she imdiately detected Uncle Rongshi's gaze.
Blushing slightly, she lowered her head and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. At this mont, she perford the act of being sweet and innocent to absolute perfection.
Not a single flaw in her posture, hair, expression, or deanor!
Although Wang Rongshi appeared to be only at the first layer of Qi Refining, he was still Yulou's elder. She naturally needed to give him face, so she perford very earnestly.
"Not bad, Little Lin is indeed quite nice, Hahaha.
Co, have so tea first. This is the eighth-grade tea-wine, 'Gentleman Among Flowers,' a specialty of the Lianpeng Grotto-Heaven. It possesses both the fragrance of tea and the charm of wine.
You ca to the right person by asking at Flavorful Bistro. There are over seven hundred shops of various sizes in the immortal city, and the varieties they deal in are incredibly diverse.
From spiritual plants to spiritual beast cubs, from formation arrays to external restrictions, everything you can think of is available. If you explore on your own, it would probably take you half a month just to get your bearings.
Among those seven hundred shops, there are naturally many catering to female cultivators, concentrated in three locations.
The first is the West Street of the Hundred Shops District, which mainly caters to female cultivators at the Qi Induction and early-to-mid Qi Refining stages. Most late-stage Qi Refining female cultivators will also browse there; it has the largest number of shops.
The second is the Cloud Sleeve Market, which mainly caters to late-stage Qi Refining and Foundation Establishnt female cultivators. Though the items are terrifyingly expensive, they are all excellent goods.
As for the third location, it is the Immortal City Auction House. This auction house is the most unique, holding special thematic auctions from ti to ti, occasionally featuring auctions specifically for items suited for female cultivators.
And every six months, the Immortal City Auction House holds a grand auction. The grand auction features over a hundred varieties of rare treasures, and there is certainly no shortage of magical artifacts, spiritual pills, and specialized robes that suit the needs of female cultivators.
This kind of grand auction should not be missed. Even if you cannot afford anything, it is good just to broaden your horizons.
Unfortunately, the grand auction ended just last month, so you have missed it. Of course, if you can afford to wait, another one will be held five months from now."
Exchanging a glance with his senior martial sister, Yulou naturally understood they could not afford to wait five months.
After chatting with Wang Rongshi for another two hours, Yulou finally left Flavorful Bistro, still wishing for more.
Led by the head waiter of Flavorful Bistro, the two headed straight toward Cloud Sleeve Market.
So what if it was expensive? The Hundred Shops District was filled with nothing but small vendors, which held little interest.
Since Yulou and Lin Ying were about to beco Dao companions, now was the critical juncture to invest heavily to raise her affection. He naturally would not skimp.
"Uncle Yulou, Cloud Sleeve Market is one of the core zones within the immortal city. There are many Foundation Establishnt seniors inside, so we must be careful when we go there.
Foundation Establishnt cultivators from sects are usually easier to talk to, but so of those from the Immortal Alliance can be incredibly overbearing, striking people at the slightest provocation. Last year, there was even a ridiculous incident where a rogue cultivator was beaten to death by an Immortal Alliance Foundation Establishnt cultivator.
Of course, both of you are disciples under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, so you will not encounter any danger. Just staying alert can help avoid trouble."
The Immortal Alliance was the nominal supre authority of the Wunan Cultivation World, and the clans within it held a significant advantage over those within sects.
The Yuan Clan was rely the number one family of Dripdrop Cave, yet they could raise a bunch of fools.
The number of fools raised by the Immortal Alliance clans was naturally vast, and considering they backed the Immortal Alliance and held more resources, it was not surprising they could push those fools to the Foundation Establishnt stage.
As the three walked all the way to Cloud Sleeve Market, Yulou discovered that as the distance to the market narrowed, beautiful female cultivators beca increasingly common.
However, the beauty of fair ladies varied, and Lin Ying's beauty was certainly second to none.
Finally, they entered Cloud Sleeve Market. Flowers and plants lined both sides of the street, and every shop was decorated with exceptional elegance.
Traveling far from ho for the first ti and entering such an extraordinary immortal city market, Senior Martial Sister Lin was naturally profoundly struck. It could be said her eyes were glued to everything.
In his heart, Yulou nodded with satisfaction.
If she had never witnessed prosperity, he would show her how vast the world could be.
"Uncle Yulou, although the na 'Between Mountains and Seas' sounds sowhat ordinary, it is actually the finest establishnt in Cloud Sleeve Market. Shall we begin here?"
Yulou looked toward Lin Ying. Senior Martial Sister Lin tugged on his sleeve with so worry, halting his steps.
"Yulou, I wouldn't dare accept anything too expensive..."
With a wave of his hand, Yulou manifested his financial prowess.
"No matter, since we are already here, let's go inside and take a look first."
Thus, led by Wang Yulou, Lin Ying stepped into Between Mountains and Seas with a pounding heart.
"Are you two Fellow Daoists visiting for the first ti?"
Looking at the mid-grade magical artifact-tier robe worn by the female greeter of Between Mountains and Seas, Lin Ying was sowhat dazed.
Is this the immortal city?
Yulou, however, was not flustered in the slightest. It was just browsing a luxury store; what was there to fear?
Since the Lin family had provided so much dowry, Wang Yulou naturally had to arrange a corresponding level of dignity for Lin Ying. The more expensive, the better, as it would let this senior martial sister he was about to marry understand what kind of life she was about to step into.
In his interactions with his senior martial sister, Wang Yulou had not hidden his ambitions too much. What he desired was a long-lasting pursuit of the Great Dao and a smooth immortal path.
Therefore, he needed a Dao companion who possessed similar ambition, so that the two could support each other and travel further.
"First ti. Let us look at the robes first. We are close to being wed, so we need to select three mid-grade magical artifact robes—one to wear during the wedding, and two as new additions."
Wang Yulou spoke to the female cultivator hosting them.
"Hmph, cultivators from the provinces truly are impoverished. To think you would purchase wedding robes on a whim. Don't you know that when cultivators in the immortal city wed, their robes are always custom-made?"
Lin Ying looked in surprise toward the source of the voice. She had never imagined that there could be such a brainless young master in this world.
Shouldn't such an idiot be locked away to prevent him from causing trouble outside? Why was he allowed out?
Compared to this brain-dead fellow, a famous idiot of Dripdrop Cave like Yuan Wu seed almost endearing.
'Don't look. Entangling with such a fool will be very troubleso. We are people destined to beco immortals and ancestors in the future; when the ti cos, we can just wipe out his entire family.'
While reminding his senior martial sister, Yulou pulled Lin Ying along to follow the greeting cultivator to select the robes.
Right at this mont, a sowhat familiar female voice rang out, causing the bones of many male cultivators in Between Mountains and Seas who had accompanied their Dao companions to turn soft.
"Wang Yulou?"
Lin Ying finally could not restrain herself and looked back toward the previous direction. It turned out that beside that foolish male cultivator stood a female cultivator wearing a veil and a moon-white robe.
At this mont, that female cultivator was staring straight at Wang Yulou's back.
Wang Yulou turned around awkwardly, let out a laugh, and said.
"Fellow Daoist Yingxi, it has been years since we last t. I never expected to run into you here."
Zhou Yingxi also felt sowhat awkward, yet the fool beside her possessed not a shred of self-awareness.
"Oh, Xi'er, you know these two... hmm?"
With a sweeping glance, Yulou realized that this foolish brother indeed had the right to be arrogant—the light of treasures radiating from his body almost made him look like a human-shaped miniature sun.
"Senior Brother Chengxian, this is Fellow Daoist Wang Yulou under the Mangxiang Lineage. Yingxi and he are considered friends, though we haven't t in years. I didn't expect to et here."
Hearing the na of the Mangxiang Lineage, Lian Chengxian's gaze instantly cleared up significantly. He put away the disdain between his brows and asked with a smile, "Ah, under the Mangxiang Lineage. Fellow Daoist Yulou, just now I saw that the robe you are wearing looks sowhat similar to the robes of Dripdrop Cave, so I mistook your identity for a mont. I hope you won't mind."
Lian Chengxian possessed a face like white jade and a tall, elegant stature. His cultivation base had reached the Peak Qi Refining realm, yet when insulting provincial hicks, he was unyielding to the point of brainlessness.
Such a person in all probability had a profound background.
Yet Yulou did not shift an inch, rely replying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yulou is indeed a disciple of Dripdrop Cave, so Senior Brother did not mistake it. Fellow Daoist Yingxi, ti is tight, so we won't chat further today. You two enjoy your business."
With that, Yulou pulled Senior Martial Sister Lin away, having absolutely no intention of continuing to converse with Zhou Yingxi and Lian Chengxian.
Little Zhou was no longer the Little Zhou of back then.
The forr Little Zhou had been foolish enough to earn Yulou's disdain, and the current Little Zhou seed to have chosen to kneel before the rules of the cultivation world.
In life, who could truly be certain of what tomorrow would bring?
"Dripdrop Cave? Hahaha, Xi'er, you still need to exercise more caution when associating with people in the future.
A cultivator's life is brief, and the sea of Dao is boundless. One should not waste ti becoming friends with such insects."
Lian Chengxian lectured Zhou Yingxi with an intense air of superiority and patronization.
The master of the Immortal Alliance was the true master!
Dripdrop Cave?
rely a beggar kneeling at the feet of the Immortal Alliance!
"Yingxi will rember it." A flash of disgust crossed Little Zhou's eyes, but she still forced a smile and replied compliantly.
However, thinking of Wang Yulou's words, her heart felt sowhat empty.
'We are close to being wed.'
So it turned out you weren't single-mindedly devoted to the Great Dao; your heart simply wasn't devoted to .
Too many people once failed to understand Wang Yulou, and they would continue to fail to understand him in the future.
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