Within Wang Xianmao's divine ability, Yulou was reporting the information Lin Ying had revealed to him to the Patriarch and the ancestor.
After surviving the life-and-death crisis, the two had beco true dao companions, which was why Lin Ying voiced Lin ngyao's speculations.
"Yulou, what are your thoughts?" the Patriarch asked.
Wang Xianzhou, on the other hand, found it sowhat hard to believe. That Wang Yulou had caught the Patriarch's eye so early on seed a bit too absurd, no matter how he looked at it.
"I am terrified. If my entry into Dripdrop Cave was indeed a positional chess piece arranged by the Patriarch, then what right do I, Yulou, have to gain his favor?
The clan has taught us that if a cultivator wishes to establish a foothold in the world, they must possess the ability to provide value to others—whether it be through their cultivation base, supplentary dao skills, or the ability to shoulder responsibilities.
To those Grand Cultivators, I, Wang Yulou, was rely at the Qi Induction realm back then. Such inexplicable favor even makes feel as though I am being watched.
It is as if I have returned to the ti when Clear Stream Market was controlled by that mysterious Grand Cultivator."
Hearing Yulou ntion the past events at Clear Stream Market, Wang Xianmao fell sowhat speechless.
Even now, there had been no conclusion to that matter.
The authority and rules of the Immortal Alliance were ant to restrict those at or below Foundation Establishnt. Their underlying logic was to protect the leeks and ensure sustainable harvesting.
To the true masters of the Immortal Alliance, those rules and authority were nothing but dog shit.
Above True Lord Jiusheng, there were no leaders anymore!
Thus, as long as that mysterious cultivator didn't cause too great a disaster, no one would uphold justice for the Wang Clan.
"Let us not ntion the matter of the mysterious Grand Cultivator anymore. Yulou, we must ultimately look forward.
As for whether it was the Patriarch's instruction for you to enter Dripdrop Cave, it is hard for us to ask. The key to all this lies in where exactly your Purple Mansion opportunity is," Wang Xianzhou analyzed in distress. The thoughts of Grand Cultivators were too distant. As beasts of burden for the Mang Xiang faction, the Wang Clan could often only follow orders.
Yuan Daoshen was ruthless enough to negotiate terms directly with Gong Jiusheng because the power dynamics of Dripdrop Cave were unique, and Gong Jiusheng himself was a lone wolf.
If Gong Jiusheng also had two Purple Palace disciples, would Yuan Daoshen still dare to kowtow and force his hand?
If he dared to make demands, Gong Jiusheng would dare to kill him outright!
The Patriarch gently nodded and added, "Actually, this is not a question of how to choose, but a question of whether we believe the Patriarch can attain Golden Core.
If the Patriarch can attain Golden Core, Yulou, you can use the resources and support of Dripdrop Cave to take a massive step forward.
If he cannot, then going to the Immortal Alliance would be the best choice.
There is no rush right now. You are barely thirty, and you still have thirty years.
Thirty years should be enough."
Wang Yulou and Ancestor Xianzhou exchanged a glance and nodded silently.
Ever since the massive distribution of favors nearly twenty years ago, Patriarch Mangxiang's push for the Golden Core had been ongoing for two decades. If there were still no results after another thirty years, the Wang Clan would have to start preparing for certain outcos.
However glorious it was now for Mang Xiang to use his attempt at attaining Golden Core to suppress the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the subsequent backlash from rival factions and mountain peaks would be equally ferocious if he ultimately fell short.
"Then let us modify the plan. For instance, cultivate all the way to the Peak Qi Condensation realm in Dripdrop Cave, and only then go to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. What do you think, Patriarch?"
Staying in Dripdrop Cave for a few more years would allow him to solidify his identity as a disciple of Dripdrop Cave. Only then could he properly join the battle for Dripdrop Cave's Purple Mansion opportunity as a mber of the sect in the future.
"No, you still have to leave, but you must leave under the guise of a mission. Since Yuan Daoshen made things so ugly this ti, we can use the montum to request Chu Hongyi to arrange a new assignnt for you.
For example, acting as Dripdrop Cave's exchange deacon stationed at the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. You can cultivate by Jingyi's side. That way, I can also set my mind at ease.
As for whether your foundation will be affected by your departure, potentially delaying your future contest for the Purple Mansion opportunity, do not worry too much about it.
This matter does not depend on you, but on the Patriarch.
If the Patriarch's Golden Core breakthrough goes smoothly, then you, Wang Yulou, are a good disciple of Dripdrop Cave. If a Purple Mansion opportunity truly exists, everything can be easily resolved.
If the Patriarch's Golden Core breakthrough does not go smoothly, then even if your foundation is incredibly solid, the Yuan Clan and True Lord Jiusheng will not easily let you get your way. Even if it is not about the contest for the Purple Mansion opportunity, they still will not let you get your way."
The Patriarch was indeed highly skilled, directly pointing out the crux of the matter.
Regardless of whether Wang Yulou was Mang Xiang's chess piece, and regardless of whether Dripdrop Cave truly possessed a Purple Mansion opportunity in the future, it was ti for him to leave Dripdrop Cave.
Yuan Daoshen had struck at Yulou twice already. How could anyone guarantee there wouldn't be a third ti?
The first ti was blocked by Wang Xianzhou, who had stayed hidden for three years. The second ti was blocked by the Hundred-Li Free and Unfettered Talisman combined with the Golden Eagle Descent. What about the next ti?
Would Yuan Daoshen be careless next ti?
Absolutely not!
Having spent years in Dripdrop Cave, Yulou had obtained the resources to cultivate all the way to Foundation Establishnt. At the sa ti, he had rallied two small factions and ultimately married three excellent dao companions. These gains combined were more than enough.
The protection of Perfected Man Hongli certainly provided a sense of security, but it was only a sense of security.
When the infighting truly erupted, Hongli's orders would not be able to command Yuan Daoshen.
Back then, Hongli had threatened that if Wang Yulou died, she would kill Yuan Daoshen in compensation. Did that stop Elder Daoshen from sending Yuan Zhengju as a driver, leading rogue cultivators to hunt down Wang Yulou?
No!
"It is just that, Patriarch, although Dripdrop Cave's exchange deacon stationed at the Red Lantern Illumination Sect is called a deacon, it follows the rank of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and is usually filled by a Foundation Establishnt elder from our sect.
With my current cultivation base, I am afraid I am not qualified for the position, am I?" Wang Yulou reminded the Patriarch.
Dripdrop Cave was a subordinate sect to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. The elders of Dripdrop Cave were at Foundation Establishnt, while the elders of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect were at the Purple Palace realm.
Although they shared the sa title, their implicit ranks were completely different. All ranks followed this rule.
"Just secure the title of Deacon Assistant; these things are not difficult.
Chu Hongyi is the product of a factional compromise. He is entirely a mud bodhisattva.
Sitting in his position, he also does not want to see you and the Yuan Clan continue to fight," the Patriarch analyzed.
After speaking, he looked at Ancestor Xianzhou, who had been sowhat silent.
"Xianzhou, how many more years can you hold on? Why don't you just return to the clan?"
Only then did Yulou realize that if he went to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to await the outco of the Patriarch's Golden Core breakthrough before choosing his path, he would no longer need Ancestor Xianzhou to protect his dao.
In the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the Mang Xiang lineage currently held sole dominance. All other factions avoided Patriarch Mangxiang's sharp edges. No one would be willing to make a move against Wang Yulou at such a ti.
Wang Xianzhou looked at Yulou, smiled, and nodded at the silly boy before speaking.
"Brother, you also know that I have consud too many spiritual pills.
Although my injuries have not healed, my body's vital essence is not lacking. I can hold on for at least another twenty years.
If I take a life-extending pill, it could be thirty years, allowing to live to two hundred years old.
Thirty years... that is just enough to see the day Yulou cos into his own, and I will still have the energy to move around.
Therefore, I want to go to the West Sea.
Going to the West Sea, on one hand, can resolve the trouble of the Immortal Alliance's decree for the clan for the next thirty years.
On the other hand, I can try to buy another life-extending pill. Hahahaha."
The Immortal Alliance's decree required every Foundation Establishnt family to constantly dispatch a Qi Refining cultivator to act as cannon fodder on the frontlines of demon hunting in the West Sea. This was a targeted harvest of the Wunan grassroots, ant to prevent Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clans from easily growing too powerful.
Because, to the Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clans, people like Wang Xianzhou—who were willing to take the initiative to shoulder responsibilities and fight on the frontlines for the family long-term—were anomalies. Most of the ti, this kind of less-than-ideal mission had to be done in rotation.
Taking turns was not the optimal rational solution for a family, but it aligned with human nature.
Of course, wealthier families could hire rogue cultivators to take on the decree on their behalf, but this also aligned with the original intent of the Immortal Alliance's policy—targeted harvesting of Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clans to prevent them from growing too easily.
Wang Xianmao lowered his eyes. How could his heart not hold regrets regarding the fate of his genius younger brother?
"Have you thought it through?"
Nodding, the white-haired Ancestor Xianzhou instead took the initiative to comfort his seemingly young older brother.
"Brother Mao, you know my temperant.
I do not want to sit idly in the clan until I die.
The West Sea... that place does not lack heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Two hundred years ago, a rank-five spiritual item even appeared there.
If I go there, who is to say I might not encounter a different serendipity?"
Yulou understood that the ancestor was spouting nonsense.
At his current age, even if he reached Foundation Establishnt, he couldn't extend his lifespan by much longer.
His path to the Dao had been severed long ago, yet he had managed to live this long. In a way, this was actually a kind of tragedy.
"Alright!" Wang Xianmao nodded, but in his heart, he thought that he could prepare a few more life-saving treasure talismans for Wang Xianzhou before he headed to the West Sea.
"Patriarch, then my future cultivation path is tentatively set to go to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to await the Immortal Alliance's magical combat selection, while also waiting for Patriarch Mangxiang's Golden Core. What do you think?"
Why had the few of them just set a waiting period of thirty years?
Because in thirty years, it would be exactly the ti for the Immortal Alliance's magical combat selection. By then, a choice would have to be made regardless.
"It is the only way. Fortunately, our Wang Clan now has five Foundation Establishnt cultivators (three direct lineage, two external).
Your Uncle Rongyuan is preparing for Foundation Establishnt. Uncle Rongwen, Uncle Rongsheng, and that Hongi also have a chance at Foundation Establishnt.
Conservatively speaking, we will have at least seven. Seven Foundation Establishnt cultivators are enough to push you to attempt the Purple Palace threshold.
Therefore, every node in your cultivation journey is crucial. Ti, starting points, and paths must all be carefully planned.
Initially, we planned for you to enter the Red Lantern Illumination Sect early as an inner sect disciple.
Looking at it now, the Patriarch might be using you to secure a position in Dripdrop Cave. Thus, staying in Dripdrop Cave under the guise of an exchange, cultivating in the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and waiting for the Patriarch's results is the best strategy.
Of course, everything is constantly changing. If there are any further changes in the future, you must promptly discuss them with Ancestor Jingyi, understood?"
After the general direction was set, Ancestor Xianzhou left first, and Yulou and the Patriarch began their truly critical conversation.
"Patriarch, I have three questions.
First, the Yuan Clan treated like this; are we not going to respond?
This is not because I am dissatisfied with the family or the Yuan Clan, but simply a matter of stance. You understand."
Wang Xianmao nodded in satisfaction. The fact that Wang Yulou could bring up the issue of stance ant that he had truly grown up.
Stance was incredibly important for an individual developing within an organization.
Different people needed to display appropriate stances in order to better establish themselves. The complexities of this had ruined the lives of too many ignorant people. They had faced the best opportunities, only to lose them because they were unfamiliar with proper stances.
By the ti they belatedly realized their stance was problematic, everything was already too late.
Back then, Yuan Daoshen had refused to compromise on the matter of the iron crocodile dragon and had instead chosen to apply extre pressure, all because, as the leader of the Yuan faction, he could not undermine his own stance.
Yuan Daoshen's choice was not wrong. If it hadn't been for Hongli's protection, who knows how far things would have escalated in the Droplet Heaven Palace that day.
For instance—what if Gong Tieyan hadn't co to stop Yuan Daoshen?
The situation that day had gone through three shifts.
Outside Droplet Heaven Palace, the initiative of the Zhuo faction and Yulou turned into concern upon seeing Gong Tieyan's arrival. That was the first shift.
The first shift forced Zhuo Yinsheng to change his expectations from 'how to win' directly to 'how not to lose'.
And then Gong Tieyan actually backstabbed old Yuan and supported Yulou. That was the second shift.
The situation Yulou faced changed again from 'how not to lose' to 'what is going on'—Gong Tieyan backstabbing old Yuan was just too strange.
This was also one of the reasons why Wang Yulou's reminder to Yuan Zhengju—that True Lord Jiusheng's true attitude towards the Yuan Clan was still unknown—managed to sway him.
The arrival of Hongli was the third shift. Only at that mont was Yulou truly safe.
"You have already won a lot; you should be forgiving where possible. Yulou, we know Yuan Daoshen's objective as well. He is simply afraid that your positioning will snatch away Dripdrop Cave's future Purple Mansion opportunity.
But we do indeed have the potential to snatch it. In the future, there might be a ti when all pretenses are completely dropped.
Therefore, it is better to endure it for now. Play the turtle grandson and wait for him to expose flaws when he strikes again.
Internal struggles are different from magical combat. Magical combat is all about seizing the rhythm and initiative. Whether it's the arrangent of attacks or the deploynt of killer moves like secret arts and mystical treasures, it's all to serve the rhythm. Once you seize the rhythm, it's easy to win.
The key to internal struggles lies in ensuring you make no mistakes while waiting for your opponent to err. When it's ti to be patient, you must remain steadfast.
When your opponent makes a mistake, it becos much easier for you to win over those in the middle, thereby gradually allowing you to grasp true initiative.
This is also one of the secrets as to why our Wang Clan has remained standing for a thousand years while serving under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
It is good that you understand the importance of stance. The next step is learning how to win people's hearts in internal struggles, gather montum, and eliminate dissidents.
But everything must revolve around your cultivation base. That is why I want you to leave Dripdrop Cave as soon as possible.
Only when you achieve Foundation Establishnt early will you truly enter the ga. Right now, it is rely petty squabbles."
This was a family inheritance. The Wunan Cultivation World was enveloped by the Immortal Alliance system. How to survive within that system was a secret transmission no one was willing to share with outsiders.
This kind of knowledge was perhaps even more precious than highly effective cultivation thods.
Wang Xianzhou had spoken so much, but the key points were just two.
Play the turtle grandson, don't make mistakes, wait for the opponent to err, and then seize the chance to win during the counterattack.
And, everything revolves around the cultivation base. The cultivation base is the foundation.
"Patriarch, Yulou has rembered. The second question is regarding Ancestor Jingyi. She..."
Raising his hand to interrupt Yulou, Wang Xianmao's expression turned sowhat odd.
It was a calm surface that seed ready to erupt like a volcano the next mont, or perhaps it was a numbness born of sorrow and desolation that had lost all facial managent.
The only thing Wang Yulou could understand was that the Patriarch's emotions were too complex. He couldn't decipher them.
"Do not worry. Do not worry that Jingyi will compete with you for Purple Palace resources.
Yulou, An Ning Grotto-heaven has already been snatched away by Xuanzhuan.
But it could also be... in short, a few years ago, right before you took Chu Ran and Little Fish as concubines, Jingyi's grotto-heaven was taken away.
I only learned of this matter from Jingyi's own mouth when I went to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to deliver the Patriarch's annual tribute last year."
Yulou's mind wavered at this terrifying news, and he felt his heartbeat soaring.
So, the Wang Clan truly were just beasts of burden, truly just pawns.
The so-called master-disciple relationship, the so-called millennial loyalty of a servant—in the eyes of Grand Cultivators, they amounted to nothing more than this.
"Was it because the few of us..."
Yulou thought that perhaps it was because he, Yu'an, and Uncle Rongshi had cultivated in An Ning Grotto-heaven, and their improper cultivation levels had led to such a result.
"No, do not bla yourself. It has nothing to do with you.
If a Foundation Establishnt cultivator wishes to enter the Purple Palace realm, they need to know how they should cultivate.
The Red Lantern Illumination Sect has this information, but they will not give it to Foundation Establishnt cultivators. Therefore, Jingyi could only ask Xuanzhuan.
What she told was, 'As soon as I asked, an incident occurred.'
I asked her exactly what happened, but she rely shook her head and did not elaborate," Wang Xianmao recalled painfully.
How could he not be in pain?
He had yielded his own serendipity of the Dao to his second sister, yet in the end, this serendipity had actually been stolen by the Wang Clan's benefactor.
Mang Xiang was now trying to form a Golden Core. Once the Patriarch truly beca a Golden Core cultivator, even if the Wang Clan had countless grievances, they could only bow their heads in loyal submission.
Wang Yulou did not care whether the cultivators of River Bend Fishing Port were truly loyal. Similarly, Mang Xiang and Xuanzhuan probably did not care whether their vassals were genuinely loyal either.
After a long while, having digested his emotions, Yulou spoke with difficulty.
"Ancestor, does that an I should definitely go to the Immortal Alliance?"
"No, Yulou. We have no choice.
Jingyi said that if the Patriarch can attain Golden Core, he will briefly beco the de facto number one cultivator in Wunan. This 'briefly' will last at least several centuries.
Several centuries... by then, Jingyi and I will likely have already passed away. You, on the other hand, can use this process to gain more opportunities.
Therefore, we must endure. We must continue to be the loyal Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom under the Patriarch's tutelage.
Waiting thirty years ans waiting for the Immortal Alliance's magical combat selection, and waiting for the outco of the Patriarch's Golden Core breakthrough, not for you to switch allegiances.
If the Patriarch's Golden Core fails, joining the Immortal Alliance will be your best option, and entering the Immortal Alliance early will allow you to proceed with greater ease.
As long as you can distinguish yourself within the Immortal Alliance, Dripdrop Cave's Purple Mansion opportunity will still be yours, and you can also fight for the Immortal Alliance's Purple Mansion opportunity.
If the Patriarch's Golden Core succeeds, Yulou..."
Wang Xianmao did not want to accept these terrifying realities. Even though he had witnessed so many of the world's tribulations, he still did not want to accept it. But he had no choice but to accept it.
After pausing for a mont, the Patriarch spoke the reality he did not want to accept.
"If the Patriarch's Golden Core succeeds, Yulou, you must strive to beco the Patriarch's disciple. Even if Jingyi and I have to beg on our knees, we will do everything we can to make this happen!"
The Patriarch's statent at this mont actually spelled out the words he hadn't dared to say earlier: An Ning Grotto-heaven had indeed been snatched by Mang Xiang.
"Yulou understands everything. Yulou understands everything."
Wang Yulou repeated sowhat in a daze; he hadn't expected the truth to be like this.
At this mont, he wished Mang Xiang would die, yet he also hoped Mang Xiang could attain Golden Core.
The human heart—ah, the human heart. Reality ground a person down until the pain was unbearable, yet they could only accept it.
The complexity of the human heart wasn't just reflected in Yuan Zhengju's choices, but also churned back and forth within Yulou's own heart.
The bitter sea of the mortal world was rely this.
"You said you had three questions, Yulou. Continue asking," Wang Xianmao reminded him calmly. He had long since broken free from the agonizing tornt of first hearing this news.
He hoped that through conversation, he could help Yulou quickly find his backbone in the face of this terrifying truth, thereby preventing Yulou from being overwheld by pressure.
"Patriarch, the Patriarch's attempt to attain Golden Core forced the family to convert its long-term accumulation into the current grand occasion of having multiple Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
However, looking at the entire Red Lantern Illumination Sect as a whole, it isn't just the Wang Clan that has more Foundation Establishnt cultivators; the overall number of Foundation Establishnt cultivators has surged significantly.
There are two reasons for the price hike in Foundation Establishnt resources. The Patriarch is exchanging secret transmissions and various dharmic thods for resources, causing a decrease in available materials.
On the other hand, rogue cultivators have gained the possibility of reaching Foundation Establishnt through the loophole of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's rit Hall, leading to an explosive increase in the number of Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
The waters of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and even Wunan, have risen, lifting all boats. The Wang Clan has Foundation Establishnt cultivators, but so do other families.
When the winds blow high and the waves grow fierce in the future, our Wang Clan will have exhausted our previous accumulations and will have a hard ti weathering the storm. Therefore, Yulou has an idea."
Was having more Foundation Establishnt cultivators definitively a good thing?
It was hard to say. For small factions like cultivation families, their status within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect system was relative.
When all the boats rose together, families situated at relatively lower ecological niches would find their original positions usurped by the overflowing greed of families in higher ecological niches.
Lucrative positions were scarce resources, and scarce resources were already limited. Now, the competition was even fiercer...
The seizure of An Ning Grotto-heaven was exactly the greed of a high ecological niche squeezing the surplus of a lower one.
If this trouble was not handled well, the Wang Clan's Foundation Establishnt cultivators would beco re decorations unable to create value, ultimately plunging the family into a predicant.
Sending the Wang Clan's talents to the West Sea or the Eastern Desert was certainly a good way to alleviate internal pressure.
But the Wang Clan was not the Immortal Alliance. With both Wang Xianmao and Wang Rongjiang at Foundation Establishnt, why should Wang Rongjiang beco the sacrifice?
If the Wang Clan couldn't balance the scales, Wang Rongjiang actually had reason to question: was the family treating him so harshly simply because he had consud two and a half portions of Foundation Establishnt resources?
Such a reason was enough. Whether he asked or fought depended entirely on Wang Rongjiang's emotional and moral baseline. Uncle Rongjiang was certainly reliable, so he wouldn't truly fight for it.
But governing a faction of nearly three hundred people couldn't rely solely on sentint. That was a path to disaster.
"Winds blowing high and waves growing fierce. This is a good term. This is a good term.
Yulou, I was actually quite displeased with your flamboyant behavior in Dripdrop Cave.
You are just a minor cultivator. You should sink into the mud, cultivate properly, and improve your cultivation base.
Yet you are also the Wang Clan's Qilin child. I should have provided you with more resources to help you complete this segnt of your cultivation journey more smoothly.
But the resources in the clan right now...
Therefore, even though you provoked the Yuan Clan and I was dissatisfied, I was too embarrassed to bring it up."
An ordinary fool might argue that it was clearly the Yuan Clan who provoked them, but Yulou was not a massive idiot like Yuan Four or Yuan Five.
He understood the Patriarch's painstaking efforts.
Yulou will eventually grow to a point where the family can no longer protect him. He must eventually face the bitter sea of the mortal world and the tribulations of the immortal path alone. There is no difference between a little earlier or a little later.
"Besides, Patriarch, you have already given more than enough... Why don't we sell that Red Lantern spiritual artifact?"
Wang Xianmao smiled in gratification. Attitude, it was all about attitude. He actually couldn't completely read Wang Yulou anymore, but he was satisfied with Wang Yulou's attitude, and that was enough.
"Let's not ntion this matter again. Tell about your idea."
Rejecting Wang Yulou's suggestion to sell the Red Lantern, Wang Xianmao asked about Yulou's final matter. He was actually quite looking forward to what new insights Yulou might offer.
"Having spent so much ti in Dripdrop Cave, Yulou has gained so understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of sects.
Yulou was wondering, why can't our Wang family establish a small sect?
When a family develops to a certain stage, it hits a ceiling. Balancing reason and sentint requires the helmsman to have an extrely high level of skill, but eventually, there will be descendants with diocre abilities who fail to maintain this balance.
By transforming the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom into the Anbei Sect, external disciples and external guest elders who reach Foundation Establishnt could easily beco mbers of the new sect alongside the direct lineage. The balance between reason and sentint would be easier to manage.
More importantly, the family model has a cap on the number of cultivators it can accommodate; sustaining two to three hundred people is already very difficult.
The ceiling for a sect is much higher. It can easily accommodate thousands of people. With thousands of people serving our Wang family, we can walk more steadily and go further."
Ambition. Wang Xianmao saw boundless ambition in Yulou's eyes.
What Wang Yulou ant wasn't thousands of people serving the Wang family, but thousands of people serving Mang Xiang, serving him—this was not contradictory!
Mang Xiang was an entity the Wang Clan could not bypass. If the Wang Clan could raise a sect of a thousand people, the Wang Clan's status with Mang Xiang would naturally rise, and Yulou's status with Mang Xiang would follow suit.
Why did Yuan Daoshen dare to coerce Gong Jiusheng into supporting him?
Because Yuan Daoshen was useful to Gong Jiusheng, and within the power dynamics of Dripdrop Cave, he possessed a certain degree of irreplaceability!
"It is possible, but not realistic. Establishing a sect doesn't an it will imdiately yield returns. Yulou, you should understand this."
Wang Xianmao smiled bitterly as he reminded him.
Yulou naturally understood the Patriarch's aning. The resources of Wunan were limitless, but on a finite ti scale, resources were indeed limited.
Limited resources couldn't nourish so many giant crocodiles. The Immortal Alliance was the platform for allocating resources, and the targets of allocation were the Grand Cultivators.
The surplus left after the Immortal Alliance's allocation supported small sects like Dripdrop Cave and Wondrous Peak Mountain. Anything smaller was Cui Baihao's Redwood Sect—there was no middle tier.
The middle tier was occupied by Foundation Establishnt families like the Wang Clan and the Yang Clan.
Families had their advantages, and sects had theirs. Under different scales, there would naturally be different choices.
"I understand. It was Yulou who thought too shallowly."
Though his heart was filled with thousands of words and hundreds of ideas, Yulou did not voice them.
The Patriarch's words were very true: only by reaching Foundation Establishnt did one truly enter the ga.
There was no need to rush. He had to reach Foundation Establishnt first!
"To be able to realize the issues with the family model ans you are already quite excellent.
However, I am not dead yet. The Wang family's enterprise should be able to keep running.
The future lies with you, Yulou. Cultivate well.
Also, in two days you will marry Lin Ying. I should et Little Fish and Chu Ran in advance.
I haven't t these two concubines of yours yet. I can take the opportunity to lightly knock so sense into them."
"Patriarch, what do you an by dead or not? Who knows, maybe one day you'll beco an Immortal Venerable.
When that ti cos, you will enjoy eternal immortal blessings, and our Wang family will also prosper for ten thousand years."
Yulou's flattery was complete nonsense, but the old Patriarch still felt very happy hearing it.
"Hahaha, you brat, you really have grown up now. You even dare to tease !"
——
Right while Yulou and the Patriarch were chatting, Zhang Xuewu sneaked over from White Mao Fishing Port to River Bend Port.
Having mingled in River Bend Port for so many years, he naturally had a few trusted aides. As soon as Wang Xianmao arrived, they notified Zhang Xuewu, and old Zhang rushed over imdiately.
Wang Yulou was his benefactor, and Wang Xianmao was the Patriarch of the Wang Clan, the ultimate leader above his leader.
As for currying favor, Zhang Xuewu couldn't possibly manage it. The gap was too vast, and he had no resources.
However, old Zhang naturally understood the logic of taking an indirect route.
If he couldn't curry favor with Wang Xianmao, he could find Qin Churan to blow so pillow talk!
Although the effectiveness of pillow talk was hard to determine, doing nothing definitely wouldn't work!
As Yulou gradually stabilized his footing in Dripdrop Cave, and the news of him marrying Dripdrop Cave's top female immortal, the sect beauty Lin Ying, spread, the number of people gathering around Wang Yulou literally grew by the day.
Even a massive idiot like Yuan Five didn't dare call Yulou 'junior brother' anymore, to the point where even being a lackey had beco highly competitive. Therefore, old Zhang couldn't afford to lower his guard.
"Twenty spirit stones. Junior Sister, you should know that I, old Zhang, might only earn forty in a year. I really can't offer any more," old Zhang pleaded poverty.
"Twenty? At most, I can ntion the character 'Xue'. Are you sure you want to whisper that kind of pillow talk?"
Little Qin rolled her eyes and retorted.
"What character 'Xue'?" Zhang Xuewu didn't understand.
"Just 'There is a person nad Zhang Xue'. Six characters. Four spirit stones per character, and the extra one is a freebie since we're friends."
Having followed Yulou for years, Little Qin's bargaining skills were incredibly high.
Four spirit stones for one character, plus a free one. That was generous enough, right?
Old Zhang's face instantly turned sour. Four spirit stones a character—this price couldn't even be described as a lion opening its big mouth.
But then he thought again: the fact that Qin Churan demanded such a price ant she genuinely intended to help. Looked at it that way, a pillow talk service at four spirit stones per character was actually quite a bargain.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Eighty spirit stones for twenty characters. Just briefly ntion and give a complint. How about it?"
Little Qin narrowed her eyes.
Sothing's not right. How could he possibly produce eighty spirit stones at once? Could old Zhang be keeping secret accounts behind her husband's back?
Thinking of this, she decided to probe further.
"Senior Brother Zhang, I want to buy a crushed Water Jade bead earring, but that earring costs a hundred and twenty spirit stones. It's a bit expensive."
Old Zhang didn't want to give gifts anymore.
I worked like a dog for Wang Yulou, and after deducting the spirit fish I ate, the cultivation resources I earn in a year amount to rely forty spirit stones in cash. You open your mouth and ask for my three years' inco.
That's too ruthless!
But if he didn't give the gift now, he would end up offending Wang Yulou's wife—a secondary wife was still a wife. He was truly caught in a dilemma.
"Junior Sister, to tell you the truth, I only have sixty spirit stones. For the eighty, I was planning to give you sixty first and owe you twenty for later.
A hundred and twenty... old Zhang really can't afford it..."
Qin Churan's gaze flickered slightly, and she spoke warmly, "It's enough that you have the thought..."
Old Zhang actually thought this ant he didn't have to give the gift, and that Little Qin was so moved by him that she decided to whisper pillow talk for free. His face instantly lit up with joy.
"Let's just make it sixty. Once I accept the spirit stones, I will naturally help you out."
Pouring out the spirit stones from his storage bag with a bitter face, Zhang Xuewu turned to leave.
Little Qin called out to him and said, "You can stay in the estate tonight. Perhaps Yulou will see you tomorrow."
Old Zhang was instantly overjoyed. He thanked her repeatedly and finally left full of anticipation.
Madam Qin, old Zhang will never be able to repay your kindness!
This story was told by Little Qin as a joke to the group.
After hearing this joke, Wang Yulou helplessly raised his cup to mask his embarrassnt.
However, Ancestor Xianzhou was very satisfied. Back then, when he encouraged Yulou to take Little Qin as a concubine, it was because he saw that she was a grounded, well-behaved girl who understood boundaries.
Now, Little Qin had not only accepted the gift and helped Zhang Xuewu express his loyalty to Yulou, but she had also perfectly displayed her sensible nature of knowing when to advance and retreat. More importantly, she had fully pleased the two old fogeys of the Wang Clan, Wang Xianzhou and Wang Xianmao.
It could be said that in Little Qin's maneuver, everyone won. This was the greatest significance of a faction striving to maintain a thriving state.
When a faction was on the rise, many bad things could beco good things. Zhang Xuewu's unfair competition instead allowed his loyalty to beco more conspicuous—Yulou also needed people willing to rally around him.
"Chu Ran, you did well. Very well. Here, take this piece of crushed Water Jade, and have Yulou make an earring for you. Hahahaha."
Wang Xianmao hadn't expected that the two concubines Yulou had taken would be so interesting. Needless to say about Little Fish, Qin Churan might not look like much, but her way of doing things was truly comfortable.
Most importantly, this girl knew exactly what she should do and how to do it. Her mind was fiercely clear.
Therefore, he directly helped Little Qin realize her wish—the Wang Clan was not lacking in this tiny bit of resources.
"Brother Xianmao, what are you laughing so happily about?"
A slightly hoarse voice rang out. It turned out to be Tie Qinhuo, who had landed in the estate's courtyard riding a spirit crane at the peak of the Small Demon Realm.
This external Foundation Establishnt cultivator was friends with Wang Xianzhou, and now that his cultivation base had also reached Foundation Establishnt, he was considered of the sa generation as the Patriarch and Jingyi. Even Wang Rongjiang called him Uncle Qinhuo.
Yulou stood up and invited Elder Qinhuo to join the feast. The Patriarch beside him spoke.
"Old Tie, you're finally here. I was worried you wouldn't make it, and was thinking of calling Jingyi over tomorrow if you hadn't arrived."
The dry, shriveled little old man Tie Qinhuo chuckled and explained, "Patriarch, I've always kept Yulou's matter in mind.
He's our Wang Clan's Qilin child, after all. But this is actually our first ti eting. He is indeed extraordinary.
Yulou, don't bla for being late. I flew three thousand miles all the way back from Wondrous Peak Mountain."
Wondrous Peak Mountain?
Hearing this, Yulou curiously asked about the war between Wondrous Peak Mountain and the Valley Spirit Sect. Tie Qinhuo naturally answered everything he knew.
These two sects had been fighting for over a decade, and surprisingly, they were still at it. This exceeded everyone's expectations.
Behind the scenes, it was a ga of chess between the Sky Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Otherwise, given the sizes of the two sects, they would have ceased hostilities long ago.
As for why Tie Qinhuo had stayed at Wondrous Peak Mountain, it was to breed their spirit cranes. If a population of spirit beasts didn't undergo proper crossbreeding, their talents and bloodlines would degrade.
Degradation was not atavism. The ancestor of the spirit cranes between heaven and earth was an eternally existing Demon God whose strength rivaled a true Immortal Venerable—Bi Fang.
Bi Fang was still very much alive and naturally wouldn't let so random wild demon regress to its bloodline—they weren't worthy of the connection!
The dinner party initiated by the Patriarch concluded with his scolding of Little Qin and Little Fish. Faced with the old man's 'good intentions,' Yulou, who wanted to explain on behalf of the two beauties, could only choose to remain silent.
Following the Wang family naturally ant submitting to the patriarch's managent.
"You must not hold any dissatisfaction in your hearts regarding Yulou taking a dao companion. Many cultivators have a bevy of dao companions and concubines; this point is the sa for both n and won.
Affection is one aspect, but the other, more primary aspect is strength.
For instance, Little Fish, if you beco a True Person, even if you keep hundreds of male companions like Immortal Venerable Qingrui, our Wang family will not utter a single word of complaint—as long as you can pull Yulou along slightly when the ti cos.
Li Haiping of Wondrous Peak Mountain, in order to open his Purple Palace, married the dao companions of three True Persons within his sect. Only then did he secure the prerequisite support of his sect's True Persons.
Yulou is the Qilin child of the Wang family. Lin Ying will not be his last dao companion; he might continue to marry in the future.
You must broaden your minds and keep to your stations. Our Wang family will naturally not mistreat you!"
It smacked heavily of a father's lecturing, but Wang Yulou understood that the Patriarch was actually playing the bad cop. By saying the harsh words, he allowed Wang Yulou to play the good guy afterward.
An ordinarily clever girl might question—why didn't you speak up to defend at the ti? But a truly clever girl wouldn't ask.
White Xiaoyu listened silently without speaking. The little stone turtle, which was fiercely gobbling food on her hand, raised its head to glance at Wang Xianmao upon hearing White Xiaoyu's na, then plopped back down to continue eating.
"Ancestor, please stop teasing Little Fish..."
But in reality, Yulou still spoke up to defend her directly.
After all, he liked both Little Fish and Chu Ran. Being able to share a good karmic connection with these two beauties was sothing Yulou considered his own good fortune.
"Hahaha, it seems this old man's blabbering has displeased our Qilin child. Then let's leave it at that.
Oh right, you there, go call that guy nad Zhang over," the Patriarch chuckled.
Li Changming, who was serving nearby, hurriedly knelt to receive the order, then ran off to fetch old Zhang.
Soon, old Zhang knelt excitedly before the Patriarch and Elder Tie.
"Zhang Xuewu pays his respects to the two ancestors!"
These were the third and fourth Wang Clan Foundation Establishnt cultivators he had t. Wang Yulou was de facto the leader of the Wang Clan's next generation, and the Wang Clan itself was a family no lesser than the Yuan or Zhuo clans.
After all, while the Yuan and Zhuo clans worked for True Persons, the Wang Clan also worked for True Persons. Although Mang Xiang had many beasts of burden, the strength of the Mang Xiang lineage—with three Purple Palace cultivators in one sect—was also formidable.
"No need to bow to us. You are Yulou's man," Tie Qinhuo reminded him.
He was an external Foundation Establishnt cultivator of the Wang Clan. Although the Wang Clan was fair, Old Tie had a strong sense of self-awareness.
"Alright, you may rise. Little Qin said you knew of my upcoming marriage and specifically sent sixty spirit stones as a congratulatory gift.
Why would I lack your ager spirit stones? Rather than giving them to as a gift, you'd be better off exchanging them for cultivation resources and breaking through to the late stage sooner rather than later."
Hearing Yulou's words, Ancestor Xianzhou pulled a True Water Treasure Pill from his storage bag and tossed it to Zhang Xuewu.
This was sothing he had prepared for Yulou—just in case it was needed—but Zhang Xuewu also cultivated water thods, so he could take it too.
"I bestow this pill upon you. If a single pill can break your late-stage bottleneck, you will have a chance at Foundation Establishnt."
Wang Xianzhou was doing this for Yulou's sake by giving Zhang Xuewu the pill.
Tie Qinhuo was a Foundation Establishnt cultivator he had propped up, and Zhang Xuewu could beco a Foundation Establishnt cultivator Yulou propped up in the future. Given old Zhang's loyalty in buying gifts on credit, he was sowhat worth supporting.
Old Zhang was in his early sixties, and his cultivation base was nearing the perfection of the sixth layer of Qi Refining. He had a chance to reach the Peak Qi Condensation realm before the age of a hundred.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
On the question of whether a human head or the floorboards were harder, Zhang Xuewu provided the answer—the floorboards were still harder. A sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator's head wasn't quite tough enough.
The True Water Treasure Pill, one of the Five True Treasure Pills, couldn't guarantee a breakthrough, but a single pill was worth over fourteen hundred spirit stones.
Even though Wang Xianzhou was a pill master himself, just the cost of materials amounted to over eight hundred spirit stones.
Handing out over eight hundred spirit stones to such a prominent backer so casually was definitely worth Zhang Xuewu desperately testing the hardness of his head against the floor.
"Stop kowtowing and get up. Are you trying to trick the ancestor out of a healing pill?"
Yulou helplessly ford a large hand from his spiritual energy and hoisted old Zhang up.
"Xuewu... Xuewu has absolutely no such intention. Xuewu only wishes to say that I am willing to forever be a running dog under the tutelage of Fellow Daoist Jade Palace."
Blood gushed down, making Little Qin suddenly feel a sense of déjà vu.
We are all just striving so hard to live...
In a cultivation world where even an Immortal Clan like the Wangs had to toil like beasts of burden, minor cultivators without backing could actually live quite well without trying so hard—as long as they were willing to give up cultivation and throw their weight around in the mortal world.
Unfortunately, cultivation was toxic. Just like how all cultivators who newly broke through to Qi Refining would suffer from cultivation mania, any cultivator who set foot on the immortal path was unwilling to give up that sliver of possibility.
——
Two days later, River Bend Fishing Port was decorated with lanterns and colored banners.
Unlike the previous concubine-taking ceremony, Yulou was marrying a formal dao companion this ti, so the ceremony was naturally more intricate. This was also a sign of respect for Lin Ying and the Lin family.
On the other hand, Yulou's status was also different now.
By establishing the Exchange Gathering, clashing head-on with the Yuan Clan and joining the Zhuo faction's camp, being highly regarded by the True Person who personally saved him, and combining that with the family background of his marriage partner Lin Ying—all these factors added up, causing the number of guests today to reach nearly two hundred.
Among the nearly two hundred people, there were over twenty Foundation Establishnt cultivators, while the vast majority of the rest were late Qi Condensation cultivators.
"Husband, are you nervous?"
Inside Yulou's bedroom, White Xiaoyu looked at her man, who was getting dressed, and asked, pretending to be casual.
"I'm currently thinking about two things. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Wang Yulou, who would never let himself be led by the nose, asked in return.
Her eyes shifted slightly, flashing a hint of slyness, and Little Fish asked quickly, "The one that concerns ."
"I'm also going to arrange a high-grade spiritual robe for you, but you'll have to wait until you reach late Qi Condensation. You don't think that's too late, do you?"
Hearing Yulou's promise, the girl's eyes imdiately lit up with joy, and she bashfully put forth her little request.
"I don't need a high-grade one. I want the sa one as Empty Mountain New Rain."
In her eyes, the only difference between high-grade and mid-grade spiritual robes was the price. But male-female matching robes like Empty Mountain New Rain were different; their significance was completely different.
"Alright, then it's one high-grade spiritual robe, and two belonging to us... hmm, matching dao companion spiritual robes."
"Ah? Isn't that spending too many spirit stones?"
Little Fish suppressed the corners of her mouth from turning up, pretending to help Wang Yulou save spirit stones.
Perhaps because she wasn't very good at pretending, or perhaps because her heart was too joyous, the hand she used to pinch the little stone turtle's tail exerted a bit of force. The little stone turtle cried silently in pain.
You damned couple, you're the ones flirting, so why am I the one getting hurt?
"By the ti you cultivate to the late stage, I might have already reached Foundation Establishnt. When that ti cos, this tiny bit of spirit stones for buying spiritual robes will be nothing. I can earn it just by refining two spiritual artifacts."
The two chatted for a few more sentences, and then Yulou kissed Little Fish on the cheek and said, "Little Fish, you know . I am kind, but also too cowardly and rational. So say smart people are all like this.
How did the saying go again? A gentleman doesn't lie, but he will remain silent, not daring to voice dissatisfaction against things he dislikes. To sum it up, it is a kind of powerless kindness.
To , at the very beginning, your significance was like a fig leaf covering up that powerless kindness. Ha, don't laugh, I'm being serious.
But now, whether it's you or Chu Ran, you are both very important people to .
It's just that if I want to go further, I have to make trade-offs. The things a person can carry are limited.
You have to discard so things in order to grasp others. There is no high or low in this, only different choices made by different people.
Senior Martial Sister Lin is a good girl, and you are a good girl too. I hope you can understand my greed and ambition. This is my choice.
The bitter sea of the mortal world, the long road to immortality. I want to go a bit further.
Of course, if you cannot understand, you can pretend to understand. That way I will be a bit happier, and you won't have to worry about cultivation resources.
You can kick to the curb once you reach Foundation Establishnt. Even if I'm angry then, I won't dare commit dostic violence against you—the Immortal Alliance is watching ."
Yulou blinked, hoping Little Fish would understand his aning.
This girl was different from Chu Ran. Up to this day, all the paths Chu Ran took were chosen by herself.
But his relationship with Little Fish felt like he had demanded repaynt for saving her life and actually received it, so he had always felt a sense of guilt in his heart.
Playing with the little stone turtle in her hand, White Xiaoyu didn't look up, but her heart was sowhat bewildered.
So, is he trying to chase away?
But I haven't done anything bad, have I?
"Wang Yulou, go get married. I won't kick you to the curb."
Noticing Little Fish's displeasure, Yulou hesitated, but ultimately turned his head back before heading out the door.
"The right to choose is the most extravagant luxury in this cultivation world.
Until just now, until my marriage to Senior Martial Sister Lin today, Little Fish, I only belatedly realized that you actually never had the right to choose."
At this point, Yulou let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Although I consider myself not entirely stupid, there are too many things I have to worry about, just too many.
So I didn't realize it back then. Now, I am handing the right to choose over to you.
Little Fish, you can choose your own path. Think about it carefully."
Wang Yulou left. White Xiaoyu lay beside the round table in the bedroom, propping up her chin with her left arm, her head tilted as she watched the little stone turtle under the fingertips of her right hand.
The little stone turtle had already retracted into its shell. Because the stone turtle's shell was perfectly symtrical and sharply angular, it had a tiny pointed tip on its underbelly.
When it shrank into its shell, it beca a perfect spinning top, twirling round and round under Little Fish's fingers.
Watching the spinning turtle shell, a swirling bewildernt also appeared in White Xiaoyu's eyes.
Romance was very troubleso. She found she couldn't figure it out.
The little stone turtle couldn't figure it out either—what kind of sin had it committed to be used as a spinning top for its master's amusent?
It was a spirit beast, not a toy!
——
On the Golden Platform, as the nominal sect master of Dripdrop Cave, Chu Hongyi naturally sat beside Wang Xianmao.
'Hongyi, the Yuan Clan sent people to assassinate Yulou, and now they aren't even sending anyone to attend Yulou's wedding. Elder Daoshen might have gone mad.
I want to arrange for Yulou to go to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect in the capacity of a Deacon Assistant for Dripdrop Cave's exchange. What do you think?' Wang Xianmao sent a sound transmission.
The theory that Yuan Daoshen had gone mad was no longer a secret. The current trend among Dripdrop Cave's upper echelons was to debate the severity of his madness, rather than whether he had gone mad at all.
The disciples who had never returned to the grotto-heaven were already rotting. They had no place to air their grievances, but they still had families. Over the past two days, there had already been several disturbances within Dripdrop Cave.
There were even two old Qi Refining cultivators who ran to the main gate of the Yuan Clan, hugging the door and crying, 'Immortal Venerable, open your eyes and see what the Yuan Clan has done!' Their only child had died outside Dripdrop Cave.
Everyone knew what the Yuan Clan had done, but as long as Gong Jiusheng didn't speak up, Yuan Daoshen's cri couldn't be pinned down.
Minor cases rely on laws, dium cases rely on influence, and major cases rely on...
As one of the leading figures in Dripdrop Cave, Yuan Daoshen's affairs touched the sensitive nerves of Dripdrop Cave's internal struggles. No one dared to casually ddle in them.
The Zhuo family dared to touch it every day, but precisely because they touched it every day, and because they had plenty of their own dirty laundry, the effect wasn't very good.
'I understand Senior Brother's intention. How about this: the exchange deacon for Dripdrop Cave stationed at the Red Lantern Illumination Sect is due for a replacent in exactly three months. Yulou will go over in three months. What do you think, Senior Brother?'
Without much hesitation, Chu Hongyi readily agreed.
He didn't understand why the Wang Clan could endure it, but he knew that the Wang Clan not making a fuss was a good thing for him.
Unfortunately, Sect Master Hongyi hadn't heard the story of the Drum of Grievances.
The Drum of Grievances didn't stay silent because there were no grievances, but because the grievances weren't big enough!
The Wang family was waiting. Waiting for Yuan Daoshen to make another mistake, waiting for the right mont to beat the drum.
The Wang family was waiting. Waiting for the outco of Mang Xiang attaining Golden Core. Too many things were tied to the Patriarch.
'That works perfectly. Hongyi, thank you.'
'You are too polite, Senior Brother.'
As their sound transmission ended, Lin Ying also stepped down from the massive flying boat that had flown all the way from the Lin family.
The spiritual artifact flying boat, made of redwood, inherently carried a festive aning. It was also adorned with many red flowers and plants, making it incredibly beautiful.
After the two-story-tall flying boat ca to a halt, Yulou, dressed in the Empty Mountain New Rain spiritual robe, hurriedly stepped forward and waited at the door.
Accompanied by her maids, Lin Ying erged, and together with Yulou, began the solemn and drawn-out ceremony.
Half an hour later, the two finally stood before Wang Xianmao and Lin ngyao.
Acting as the host for today, Wang Xianzhou loudly chanted, "Bow." Yulou and Lin Ying bowed together.
The difference in a cultivator's dao companion ceremony was revealed here. Ordinary mortals at this stage would say things like "live well together," "love each other dearly," "respect your elders," and "have many children."
Wang Xianmao, however, asked solemnly, "The long road to immortality. Lin Ying, do you know how you should walk it?"
Lin Ying looked at Yulou and spoke firmly, "By joining hands to advance together, seeking the Great Dao together!"
Next, Ancestor ngyao spoke up to ask. The order in which they spoke had nothing to do with status, cultivation base, or whether they represented the groom or bride's side, but purely age. The older elder asked last.
Even though the political marriages of cultivators were the most heavily driven by interests, the ceremony completely discarded any ntion of those interests. It carried a strong sense of 'the more you lack sothing, the more you emphasize it.'
"The path of the Dao is fraught with hardships. Wang Yulou, have you considered how you will face difficulties in the future?"
To Lin ngyao's surprise, Yulou directly grabbed Lin Ying's hand.
Looking at this sowhat naive, silly girl, Yulou said solemnly, "We will depend on each other in life and death!"
He had intended to marry his ambitions, but he had ended up marrying a true beauty.
Only after surviving a life-and-death crisis did they see true affection, forming a karmic bond of gold and jade.
Since it was so, it naturally had to be cherished.
Hearing Wang Yulou's words, Lin Ying, who had been nervous just a mont ago, imdiately forgot how many people were watching. Tears of emotion flowed uncontrollably.
Wang Yulou reached out to wipe them away, whispering, "Don't cry. It's a day of great joy."
Lin Ying sobbed and smiled as she spoke, her voice very soft and also very joyful, "Wang Yulou, it feels like having a long dream, only to wake up and find that everything in the dream wasn't a dream at all. We have really beco dao companions."
The ceremony was willfully interrupted by the two young people. Wang Xianzhou spread his hands towards his older brother, indicating that he had no desire to interfere.
Wang Xianmao and Lin ngyao exchanged a glance. The two seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators tacitly agreed to scrap all the remaining procedures. From the perspective of elders, the fact that Yulou and Lin Ying shared mutual affection was more aningful than any perfect ceremony.
"Fellow Daoists, the ceremony concludes here. I am very happy that everyone could co."
Wang Xianmao stood up, looked around, smiled and nodded at Elder Zhuo Yinsheng, and finally said, "Yulou cultivating in Dripdrop Cave could not be done without everyone's care. Xianmao offers his thanks here.
Finally, soone co, serve the banquet. We shall not return until we are drunk!"
Today's wine was entirely rank-nine bitter leaf wine. The dishes ranged from spirit fish to the Wang Clan's specialty spirit donkey at and spirit fruits—the list went on and on.
Banquets could foster relationships. The over two hundred cultivators invited to Wang Yulou's wedding were the core among the core of Dripdrop Cave's direct lineage.
Building good relationships with these people would be of massive significance to the continued developnt of Yulou's faction in Dripdrop Cave after he left.
Yulou might be away from the grotto-heaven for a long ti in the future, but his dao companion Lin Ying would remain. In a sense, that ant Yulou remained.
White Xiaoyu and Qin Churan, after all, had cultivation bases and starting points that were too low; they couldn't prop up the frawork Wang Yulou would leave behind.
Lin Ying, on the other hand, had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining at a young age and held great potential for Foundation Establishnt in the future. Behind her stood the Lin family, backed by the seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator Lin ngyao.
This, too, was one of the purposes of a political marriage.
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