The sumr heat lts away, the rivers overflow, and so people beco food for the fish and turtles.
The next line goes: throughout the ages, who has ever judged the rits and derits?
Who judges?
The winners do!
rit is not always rit, and derit is not always derit. Good and evil have no fixed definition; they ebb and flow with the changing tides.
Justice has never existed, and the laws themselves have little to do with justice.
Are the laws of the Immortal Alliance not strict? Are the laws of Dripping Water Cave not strict?
However, the laws of the Immortal Alliance do not apply to grand cultivators, and the laws of Dripping Water Cave do not apply to the Yuan family.
When Yuan Daoshen struck for the third ti, using the laws of both the Immortal Alliance and Dripping Water Cave to press down on Wang Yulou, Wang Yulou could not block it in this current ga, at this specific ti and place.
He had originally hoped that Zhuo Yinsheng, the leader of the Zhuo faction, would shield him from the storm brought by the Yuan family. But with Yuan Daoshen placing such a heavy bet, Elder Yinsheng chose to sit on the sidelines instead.
It wasn't that Zhuo Yinsheng was heartless, nor was he too foolish to understand the bigger picture. Rather, he was simply too clever.
Let old Yuan make his leap!
Wang Xianmao had once taught Yulou that internal strife was just a ga of holding your breath and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. In less than two months, Elder Yinsheng personally gave Yulou a practical demonstration.
For Elder Yuan Daoshen, the top Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave, and the Yuan family, the number one Foundation Establishnt family in the sect, to expend a massive amount of tangible and intangible resources just to deal with Wang Yulou was foolish, yet not entirely surprising.
There were always so things that simply had to be done.
For Zhuo Yinsheng, even if old Yuan's current surprise attack achieved its goal, it wouldn't have much of an impact on the Zhuo family. In fact, if sothing happened to Wang Yulou in the West Sea, it would actually benefit the Zhuo faction.
In the short term, it was a good thing. In the long term, it was also a good thing.
The resources Yuan Daoshen mobilized to deal with Yulou were an expense that handed a relative advantage directly to the Zhuo family.
In the long run, if Yulou died in the West Sea, a deep feud would erupt between the Yuan and Wang families, which favored the Zhuo family.
If Yulou managed to fight his way back from the West Sea, that would be even better. It would an Yulou would have no choice but to stand firmly with the Zhuo family to continue opposing Yuan Daoshen and any future leaders of the Yuan faction.
It could be said that if Zhuo Yinsheng had helped Yulou today and blocked old Yuan's surprise attack, he wouldn't be Zhuo Yinsheng, nor could he have climbed to where he was step by step.
Realizing that old Zhuo's optimal choice was to watch him get sent off to a pit by Elder Daoshen, Yulou had no ti for anger. He imdiately sent a divine sense transmission to Ancestor ngyao.
'Ancestor, Yulou can leave, and I don't need you to stop them for . It's just that Elder Daoshen is crossing the line with this move.'
'Among the Azurewater Palace disciples, those whose cultivation bases haven't reached late Qi Refining number fewer than two hundred, and they are usually close relatives or attendants of the elders.'
'Now, Elder Daoshen wants to select ten people out of those two hundred. The other families will surely have grievances as well. Didn't he say there would be rewards? Then let him lock down those rewards first!'
Lin ngyao stood solemnly among the seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators. Hearing Yulou's transmission, he glanced over at the young man.
'Yulou, let speak with Elder Yinsheng again. You might not necessarily be chosen...'
Friends might not remain friends forever, and family wasn't always completely reliable, but family was still a layer closer than allies or friends. This was one of the core purposes of a marriage alliance.
'Ancestor ngyao, there's no need. Elder Yinsheng is determined not to help today.'
'You should phrase it to him like this...'
After Yulou finished his instructions, Ancestor ngyao added another thought.
'Yulou, we should still test the waters. Let help you test what he's really thinking.'
Watching his fellow disciples go up to draw the golden sands, Yulou nodded slightly, consenting to the ancestor's idea to test him.
Lin ngyao stepped forward. Amidst the silence of Zhuo Yinsheng and the others, he beca the first Foundation Establishnt elder of the Zhuo faction to speak out.
"Elder Daoshen, Yulou has only been married for two months. Is it truly necessary for you to go this far?"
"How about this? If you find Yulou so distasteful, I will arrange for him to withdraw from Dripping Water Cave. Whatever he owes the sect can be converted into spirit stones as compensation."
Among the disciples drawing the golden sands, those who didn't understand the conflict between Yuan Daoshen and Wang Yulou found it utterly bizarre.
Wasn't the old madman targeting everyone? Why did Wang Yulou first, and now the ancestor of his dao companion's family, both claim that Yuan Daoshen was specifically targeting Wang Yulou?
For a re disciple of the Azurewater Palace, even if Yulou ca from a prominent family outside the grotto-heaven, it shouldn't warrant the top Foundation Establishnt cultivator of the sect targeting him so fiercely, right?
Zhuo Yinsheng naturally understood what was happening. In fact, he quite admired old Yuan's decisiveness in refusing to leave unresolved problems for his descendants; this was sothing Zhuo Yinsheng himself occasionally struggled to do.
With this thought, he looked toward Wang Yulou, only to find the young man staring back at him with what seed to be a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes, causing his mood to turn slightly complex.
In reality, Wang Yulou harbored no such dissatisfaction. He had a very clear understanding of his relationship with old Zhuo and understood old Zhuo's choices inside out.
Wang Yulou was rely contemplating how to speak up so that old Zhuo would protect his subordinates and his dao companion.
Little Fish's warning had not been without rit. Old Yuan's offensive was swift and fierce, and Yulou feared that by the ti he returned from this departure, everything he cared about would have changed completely.
'Yulou, old Yuan brought forth a decree from the Immortal Alliance, rallied over a hundred Splendid Pool Palace disciples to submit a joint petition, forced Chu Hongyi to act as his blade, and even set up this drawing process using the golden sands.'
'Under such thods, even if this old man wishes to help you, it is difficult to intercept,' Zhuo Yinsheng unexpectedly took the initiative to explain via transmission, which caught Wang Yulou by surprise.
'Elder, Yulou is only worried that after I leave, the people around will be forced into deadly corners one by one by old Yuan. I hope Elder can offer them so protection. Surely, you cannot claim to be unable to stop that much?'
Taking advantage of the fact that Zhuo Yinsheng felt slightly guilty about sitting on the sidelines and didn't want to completely alienate him, Wang Yulou imdiately made his demand.
Old man, I am forced to enter the ga with my own body, draining a massive portion of the Yuan family's montum for you. You owe a return on this investnt!
'That much can certainly be stopped. However, Yulou, you need not worry too much. The West Sea is no demon's lair; many Foundation Establishnt cultivators of Dripping Water Cave obtained their breakthroughs right there.'
'If one does not enter the lands of tigers and wolves, how can one beco a pillar of responsibility? A proper amount of tempering will only make your future path wider.'
Yulou completely ignored the latter sentence. Such words were only good for fooling idiots. If it were so wonderful, why didn't you, Zhuo Yinsheng, send your own family's disciples to the West Sea?
The path to becoming a pillar of responsibility certainly didn't have only one route through the West Sea!
The two exchanged a few more transmissions to lock down the relevant details, allowing Yulou to feel slightly more at ease. With Zhuo Yinsheng's protection, Little Fish, Zhang Xuewu, Qin Churan, and the others wouldn't face any major trouble.
On the other side...
As a seasoned Foundation Establishnt elder of the sect, Ancestor ngyao stood at the absolute front of Dripping Water Cave's leadership hierarchy. Yuan Daoshen naturally did not dare to treat his questioning lightly.
Unsure of whose will this suggestion represented, Yuan Daoshen pondered for a mont before replying to Ancestor ngyao.
"ngyao, I do not understand your words. Let us speak no more of this nonsense about targeting anyone."
"The matter of Azurewater Palace disciples heading to the West Sea for tempering is a directive set down by Sect Master Chu. The victors will receive rewards, while those who shirk their duties will have their cultivation bases stripped and be expelled from the sect."
"Right now, Wang Yulou hasn't even drawn a grain of purple-gold sand yet. Even if he does, you shouldn't step forward to plead for him."
"The disciples of the three palaces in Dripping Water Cave are all excellent children of the sect; none are exempt from going."
"In fact, the more soone cos from a major family and lacks real-world experience, the more they ought to be dispatched to the West Sea."
The test was a success—old Yuan didn't want Yulou to leave; he wanted Yulou dead.
Once Wang Yulou reached the front lines of the West Sea, whether he lived or died would be a simple matter of a single underground bounty.
Lin ngyao sneered.
"Elder Daoshen truly deserves his title as the number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave. Not only is your cultivation base high, but your ability to spout high-sounding words is equally unmatched."
"ngyao, your misunderstanding of runs deep."
"How about this? The Immortal Alliance decree, the disciples' petition, and the sect's requirents make this a matter of utmost importance for Dripping Water Cave. I, Yuan Daoshen, should naturally lead by example."
"Yuan Wu, you don't need to draw any sand."
"Sect Master, as a son of our Yuan family, Yuan Wu will voluntarily depart for the West Sea. I wonder if you could grant him this opportunity?"
Standing at the back of the crowd, currently boasting to the surrounding dandies about a newly purchased drop-of-blood spiritual crane, Yuan Wu felt Elder Daoshen's words strike his skull like a sudden bolt of heavenly thunder, freezing him instantly into a statue.
For a brief mont, he stood rooted to the spot, completely unable to move.
"Old Ancestor, Yuan Wu is..."
Yuan Wu's maternal aunt was also a Foundation Establishnt cultivator, and she tried to dissuade Elder Daoshen.
"Enough. Yuan Wu is the most outstanding disciple of our Yuan family. I, Yuan Daoshen, am willing to send such an outstanding disciple to the West Sea just to support Sect Master Chu's work, and to lay bare my own heart so everyone can see my loyalty to the sect. Say no more!"
The mont these words left his mouth, the entire venue fell utterly silent.
It could be said that all of Yuan Daoshen's previous posturing combined didn't bring as much disgust to the gathered cultivators of Dripping Water Cave as this single statent.
Judging by the bizarre expression on Elder Daoshen's face, speaking such words must have temporarily resuscitated his long-dead conscience, causing it to ache quite fiercely.
Who was Yuan Wu?
He was a thoroughly notorious idiot within Dripping Water Grotto-Heaven, famous far and wide for his stupidity.
Yuan Daoshen claiming that Yuan Wu was an outstanding disciple of the Yuan family was no different from pointing at a jackass and insisting it was a Qilin prodigy.
Furthermore, how could Yuan Wu possibly admit to being the most outstanding scion of the Yuan family?
If the price of being the most outstanding scion of the Yuan family ant heading to the West Sea to take the fall for soone else, he would rather be a useless piece of trash.
"Old Ancestor, I am a use—" Yuan Wu's face filled with panic as he shouted out to explain.
However, before the word "useless" could fully escape his throat, his mouth was firmly sealed shut by Elder Daoshen's spell technique.
I don't care what you think; I care what I think!
If I say you are the Qilin Son of the Yuan family, then you are the Qilin Son of the Yuan family!
Nodding at Yuan Wu with an expression full of praise, Elder Daoshen sighed deeply.
"This child, Yuan Wu, has always had such a hasty temperant."
"I know he wanted to say, 'I am very willing to go.' What a good child, truly a good child."
"But Yuan Wu, you shouldn't say such things out loud. Our Yuan family is naturally fiercely loyal to the sect, and you are entirely willing to head to the West Sea. But we cannot force others to volunteer as well; it wouldn't be proper. ngyao, if there are no further issues, let the disciples continue drawing the golden sands."
Hearing the ancestor say this, Yuan Wu hopped up and down on the spot in sheer agitation. If he weren't so afraid of dying, he would have loved to rip off his boots and hurl them directly into the old man's face!
Elder Daoshen slapped another spell technique onto him. This ti, Yuan Wu could not even speak, and moving even his pinky finger beca a complete illusion.
Looking at the now obedient Yuan Wu, Elder Daoshen let out a soft sigh.
'Yuan Wu, the ti has co for you to walk through fire and blades for the Yuan family. There must always be a price to pay, must there not?'
When the ti was right, Yuan Daoshen could even accept becoming the price himself.
A rciful heart could neither lead an army nor hold onto absolute power!
The authority of the Yuan family was vast enough to allow Yuan Daoshen to land safely even after committing consecutive major offenses, and it allowed him to force Wang Yulou into a deadly predicant.
Yet, with great power ca an equally massive burden of karma.
Wang Yulou had been targeted by Yuan Daoshen precisely because of this dynamic, but had Wang Yulou backed down?
By the sa token, Elder Daoshen knew that he could not back down either!
The leftover bathwater thrown out by the grand cultivators wasn't enough to go around. If they didn't fight for it, they would never drink their fill.
—
Very soon, Yulou received the grain of golden sand that belonged to him, but by now, he was completely calm.
Just a mont ago, from Wu Jinyan to Elder Zhuo Chi, from Lin ngyao to Zhuo Yinsheng, from Qu Yunjian to Chu Hongyi, and from Lin Ying to Wang Yaohai, he had already negotiated everything that needed to be negotiated.
There were plenty of gilded disciples of the Immortal Alliance stationed at the West Sea. As long as Yulou was willing to spend enough money, he could sit in the exact sa safe positions they occupied.
Within Dripping Water Cave, many people were currently constraining the Yuan family, and Yuan Daoshen wasn't genuinely insane; no major disasters would unfold here.
Even Chu Hongyi, the fence-sitter who had joined forces with Yuan Daoshen to ambush Yulou today, had secretly given Yulou a promise just now.
He claid he was rely forced by circumstances to act as an accomplice and would secretly look after Yulou's people in the future. He would even turn a blind eye to the Exchange Gathering.
However, Wang Yulou didn't care much for the fence-sitting sect master's promises anymore.
He had already learned from Elder Zhuo Chi that in a brief span of ti, the Zhuo family had completed the networking required to replace the sect master. Elder Zhuo Chi would be taking over as the next sect master of Dripping Water Cave.
Yuan Daoshen forcing Yulou away had consud far too many of the Yuan family's tangible and intangible resources, and the consequences were severe.
For instance, with the Zhuo family moving to replace the sect master, the neutral factions would naturally lend a hand—old Yuan's sudden, ambush-style thods were simply too terrifying.
He was dealing with Wang Yulou today, but what if it was one of them tomorrow?
Even with power, one couldn't be too reckless!
"Alright, has everyone received their golden sand?"
After a few monts, Chu Hongyi spoke up to ask.
The two hundred plus Azurewater Palace disciples who had yet to reach late Qi Refining all nodded. Seeing this, Chu Hongyi withdrew his supernatural power.
Yulou watched as the spiritual light on the golden sand in his hand dissolved, turning a bright, red-gold color.
Before the doubt could fully form in his mind, the red-gold sand in his palm suddenly transford into purple-gold sand.
Wang Yulou witnessed the entire process of this manipulation with his own eyes, and it made him laugh out of sheer anger.
Raising his head, he didn't look at Yuan Daoshen or Chu Hongyi. Instead, Yulou stared straight into the eyes of Elder Yinsheng.
'Zhuo Yinsheng, they are playing like this, and you still intend to keep pretending that you can't help?'
The various Foundation Establishnt elders were naturally paying close attention to Yulou's golden sand. Zhuo Yinsheng also understood exactly what had transpired, and under Wang Yulou's piercing gaze, he felt a bit conflicted about how to express his stance.
Right at that mont—
"Huh? Husband, why did my golden sand change from red-gold to purple-gold?" Little Fish, who was standing right next to Yulou, suddenly asked in surprise.
Yulou's brow furrowed tightly as he held up the two grains of purple-gold sand in his hand, looking directly at Chu Hongyi.
"Sect Master, don't you think this is a bit too much?"
"Wang Yulou, do you have so sort of grievance regarding the fair, just, and transparent drawing process of the sect?"
Yulou let out a cold laugh, pointed at his fellow disciples, and countered.
"Elder, the one with grievances is likely not just alone."
"This sand has only ever been red-gold sand. This so-called purple-gold sand is nothing more than a trick you're using to deceive people!"
"Fair, just, and transparent? I am amazed you have the face to say those words!"
Old Yuan didn't get angry either. He calmly looked at the few Azurewater Palace disciples who had drawn the purple-gold sand.
"Do you all have grievances as well?"
No one dared to speak. The number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave was acting with his full strength, and even Zhuo Yinsheng didn't dare to stop him. How could these Qi Refining disciples, who hadn't even reached the late stage, possess the courage to resist?
Wang Yulou was a prominent figure in Dripping Water Cave and a scion of a major family, but they were not!
The nine people old Yuan had selected this ti were chosen very deliberately. Aside from Little Fish and Yulou, four were Qi Refining disciples whose family's Foundation Establishnt ancestors had already died, while three were unlucky bastards who had entered the Azurewater Palace based on seniority but had their cultivation bases damaged due to injuries.
It could be said that Yuan Daoshen, the top Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave, was strictly bullying the old, weak, sick, and disabled.
Martial virtue?
Was that stuff worth even a single spirit stone?
Seeing all the disciples who drew the purple-gold sand remaining as quiet as cicadas in winter, Yuan Daoshen grew dissatisfied instead. He pointed at them and questioned them one by one.
"Not speaking? Then I shall ask you one by one. Do you have a grievance? Or do you? None of you?"
Finally, a white-haired old Qi Refining disciple spoke up trembling.
"Elder, my injuries were sustained precisely in the West Sea."
"I have already been to the West Sea once, and it was because of that service that I was allowed to beco an Azurewater Palace disciple. Under such circumstances, can I be exempted from going back to the West Sea for tempering?"
Elder Daoshen instantly broke into a wide smile.
Wang Yulou, on the other hand, pulled White Xiaoyu close, pressed her face against his left shoulder, and raised his hand to cover her eyes.
"Bang!"
The number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave rely smiled, and that old Qi Refining disciple instantly dissolved into fine powder.
A pink mist of flesh and blood drifted through the air around the Immortal Venerable's mansion. Just like that, the disciple who dared to voice a grievance died right in front of the Dripping Water Grotto-Heaven Palace hall.
From beginning to end, Elder Daoshen hadn't moved a single inch.
Once the man was dead, he looked at the gathered disciples and said coldly, "The punishnt of stripping cultivation and expelling them from the sect is far too light for those who shirk their duties. In my view, they should be executed on the spot!"
"The sect granted him the opportunity to cultivate and treated him generously, yet he isn't even willing to face tempering. What use is he to the sect?"
After treating the very rules he had laid down as nothing more than flatulence, Yuan Daoshen, the top Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Dripping Water Cave, looked back at Yulou and asked with a smile, "Wang Yulou, do you still have any objections?"
Wang Yulou did indeed have objections. He wanted to point out that within the sect's laws, there was no clause stating that the highest-cultivation Foundation Establishnt elder could summarily execute disciples.
But he also understood that these rules were ant to restrict disciples, not True Persons.
Yuan Daoshen's ability to orchestrate today's surprise attack ant he had already secured the backing of Jiusheng True Lord. Therefore, arguing about sect rules with old Yuan was entirely pointless.
He offered a polite bow, kept his eyes on old Zhuo, and said, "Elder, Little Fish is only at the second layer of Qi Refining. Sending her to the West Sea isn't tempering; it is forcing her to her death."
Old Zhuo chose to continue playing dumb. He felt that whether he helped with this specific matter wouldn't make a massive difference. Since he had already agreed to shield the forces Yulou left behind, it wouldn't hurt to let the friction between Wang Yulou and the Yuan family intensify a bit more.
Having fought with Zhuo Yinsheng for so many years, Yuan Daoshen understood perfectly why old Zhuo remained tight-lipped today.
But... Yuan Daoshen didn't care. Before striking, he had already thought through every detail.
This ti, victory was within his grasp!
"Hahaha, Yulou, I do not like the sound of those words. Our Dripping Water Cave has never judged a person's worth solely by their cultivation base."
"Little Fish was able to beco an Azurewater Palace disciple at such a tender age; she must surely possess extraordinary qualities. Wouldn't you say so?"
Dripping Water Cave indeed didn't judge people by cultivation base; it judged them by background and factional backing. From that perspective, Yuan Daoshen's words actually matched reality perfectly.
However, old Yuan's tone was dripping with mockery, sothing even Yuan Wu could pick up on.
You loved to be arrogant, so arrogant that you even arranged for your family's spiritual turtle to beco the guardian beast of River Bend Fishing Port, and so arrogant that you slotted your concubine into a position as an Azurewater Palace disciple.
Back when Yulou brought up the matter of the iron crocodile dragon, he had insisted that Little Fish's status as an Azurewater Palace disciple be settled alongside it. Elder Daoshen had rembered that grudge clearly ever since!
"Enough, old Yuan. Know when to stop. Leave White Xiaoyu out of this."
Zhuo Yinsheng finally spoke up. Yet, Yuan Daoshen completely ignored his face and shot back a question.
"Then what about the missing two slots? Is your Zhuo family willing to provide them?"
"If your family steps forward, I will let White Xiaoyu stay behind!"
It wasn't that they couldn't negotiate, but ten Azurewater Palace disciples had to go to the West Sea.
Now that I've slaughtered one chicken to warn the monkeys, and you've stepped up to protect White Xiaoyu, what are we going to do about the missing two slots?
Old Yuan had been outmaneuvered twice before, and he had learned his lesson not to lead the Yuan family in a blind charge anymore.
Today, he was playing a ga of absolute leverage. Facing such a rationale, Zhuo Yinsheng truly couldn't co up with a counterasure on the fly.
The Zhuo family certainly couldn't volunteer their own people, so what was the alternative?
"Since the two elders find themselves in a dilemma, Yulou shall handle it!"
"I will bring two people from the Wang family to join Dripping Water Cave and enter the Azurewater Palace, and they shall accompany to the West Sea. Would that be acceptable?"
Wang Yulou took the initiative to chi in, offering his own solution, which could be considered incredibly magnanimous.
However, what he received in return was old Yuan's unhesitating suppression.
"Yulou, Dripping Water Cave is not a place where any random dog or cat can just join."
Old man, you truly deserve to die!
"Elder, perhaps we can report this to True Person Hongli. Yulou refuses to believe that True Person Hongli would reject a solution that so thoroughly takes the greater picture into account."
Yulou brought out his hidden backer, Hongli.
The reason he hadn't used True Person Hongli's na to deflect Yuan Daoshen's initial attack earlier was because old Yuan had gathered too much montum. Using the favor of a True Person as an excuse to flee one's duties to the sect wouldn't look good.
In fact, the most ideal mont to invoke True Person Hongli's na would have been when the red-gold sand transford into purple-gold sand, but Yulou had hesitated to drag Hongli into the fray too lightly given how blatantly old Yuan was behaving, so he had held back.
So words could not be spoken carelessly; if you blurted them out and couldn't back them up, you would rely tear apart your own tiger hide, making the trouble even worse.
Now that the overarching direction was locked in, it was easier for Yulou to fight for these marginal benefits.
Invoking True Person Hongli at this point would cause Yuan Daoshen, who had already secured the primary objective of today's eting, to start playing it safe to preserve his gains.
Wang Yulou was walking on absolute thin ice in this ga of thrones.
Yuan Daoshen waved his hand and smiled.
"Since Elder Yinsheng wishes to protect White Xiaoyu, she may be exempted."
"The rest of you must report to Elder Feng Disha at the sect's outpost in the West Sea within three months. There must be no delay!"
As expected, once the primary objective was secure, old Yuan chose to compromise on Wang Yulou's minor request just to ensure his victory remained completely stable.
To him, as long as Wang Yulou arrived at the West Sea, given how chaotic that place was, how he died would be entirely up to his own whim, wouldn't it?
"However, Yulou, after the mbers of the Wang family enter Dripping Water Cave, they can only head to the West Sea as Splendid Pool Palace disciples. They will be promoted if they achieve rits."
"After all, the sect isn't run by your Wang family, nor is it run by Senior Mangxiang. It is Jiusheng True Lord and True Person Hongli who hold the seats of power!"
Naming Jiusheng before Hongli, old Yuan agreed to Yulou's arrangent but couldn't resist subtly flexing his own faction's muscle after Yulou brought up Hongli.
"Yulou understands. Within three months, Yulou will arrive at the West Sea."
Wang Yulou didn't offer a formal bow this ti; he rely replied with total calm.
'Old Yuan, oh old Yuan, you forced my hand. In the future, I will surely exterminate the entire Yuan family down to the last soul!'
—
Two days later, at the entrance of Dripping Water Grotto-Heaven, dozens of people gathered to see off Wang Yulou and Wang Xianzhou.
Now, as a disciple of the Splendid Pool Palace, Ancestor Xianzhou technically had to address Yulou as Senior Brother. However, Yulou didn't let it go to his head and remained entirely respectful toward the ancestor.
"There is no need to worry overmuch. Elder Daoshen sending out for tempering ans he thinks highly of ."
"This is far enough for the send-off. When I return from the West Sea in twenty years, we shall drink to our hearts' content. Though who knows, perhaps by then, so of you senior brothers will have already achieved Foundation Establishnt, hahaha."
After bidding farewell to the crowd, Yulou and the ancestor stepped out of the grotto-heaven.
Once they left the grotto-heaven behind, the ancestor could finally speak without any constraints.
"Old Yuan learned from the previous two mistakes where the Yuan family stuck its own neck out. This ti, he wants to use a borrowed blade to ruin you in the West Sea."
"But you don't need to worry. We will head to the Red Lantern Association first. Yulou, Ancestor Jingyi will surely have a way."
Wang Xianzhou spoke with considerable confidence.
In his view, Wang Jingyi was a direct disciple of a True Person, and Patriarch Mangxiang was currently holding significant power, so Wang Yulou's issue shouldn't be an issue at all.
"We cannot leave the Dripping Water Cave system. Ancestor, I might be a blocking piece for the Patriarch."
Wang Yulou let out a bitter smile.
By leaning against the massive tree that was Mangxiang, the Wang family had gained a great deal, but they had also been drained of a great deal. Still, it was infinitely better than having no backer at all.
"However, when the Patriarch requires it, Wang Yulou must also obediently follow orders."
"Our other purpose in going to the Red Lantern Association is to see if we can get a chance to et the two True Persons or the Patriarch to ask them face-to-face."
The ancestor was still unaware of the matter involving An Ning's Grotto-heaven being snatched away, and he mistakenly believed that the Patriarch and the True Persons still held genuine care for the Wang family.
"I hope I truly am just a chess piece. At least that would an I have entered the Patriarch's eyes."
Wang Xianzhou let out a soft sigh and fell silent.
Being forced away by Yuan Daoshen ant they were essentially fleeing like stray dogs, and no amount of words could alter that reality.
After a long silence, the ancestor spat out a curse.
"I have no idea what that old scoundrel Gong Jiusheng is thinking. He had Gong Tieyan help you before, yet now he allows that Yuan dog to pit you like this. Truly detestable!"
"Ancestor, watch your words!!!"
Wang Yulou wasn't Wang Rongyuan, and Wang Xianzhou wasn't Wang Yu'an, so Yulou didn't deliver a sharp slap to the face. He rely reminded the ancestor to mind his tongue.
"No need to fear, Yulou. You've already exchanged for all the cultivation thods of the Source Vein Gui Water Qi, and the remaining contribution points have been converted into various spiritual materials."
"Even if we never return to Dripping Water Cave in the future, all these years of cultivating inside the cave cannot be considered a loss."
Riding upon the back of the Crimson Sparrow, Ancestor Xianzhou stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly stared blankly at Wang Yulou, making the young man feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Ancestor?"
Wang Xianzhou turned his head, wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, and sighed.
"When I first t you at Clear Stream Market, you and Yu'an looked like a pair of absolute blockheads; I couldn't see anything special about you."
"Yet now, you've already reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining, and Yu'an should be at the fourth layer by my count."
"The two of you both stand a chance at the Purple Palace."
"In the future, you must be careful, careful, and careful again. Do not repeat my mistakes."
In truth, looking at Wang Yulou just now had reminded Wang Xianzhou of the days when his own Qi Refining base had first ford, and he had traveled to the Red Lantern Association for the very first ti.
Back then, he was also incredibly young, full of high spirits and bursting with grand ambitions.
Regrettably, for a cultivator, even if you made the correct decision ninety-nine tis and handled ninety-nine matters perfectly throughout your life, it could never undo that one critical failure.
Wang Xianzhou had stumbled once, and it had completely ruined his path to the Dao.
That was why he felt compelled to remind Yulou to be careful, exceedingly careful.
"Yulou will keep it at heart. However, will Yu'an be staying at Hidden Dragon Abbey for the long term in the future?"
"Yes. Hide Wang Yu'an away to preserve another branch for our Wang family."
"That way, even if the Patriarch fails and it brings disaster upon our family, it won't lead to the complete extinction of our lineage."
Yulou nodded in understanding.
So the family had already begun preparing for the possibility of Mangxiang's failure.
"In that case, I can put my mind at ease."
The grandfather and grandson spoke no further. Full of heavy thoughts, they rode the Crimson Sparrow as it soared toward the southwest.
Yulou was thinking about Yu'an, and about his own future that had been utterly disrupted by Yuan Daoshen.
The ancestor was thinking about the past, dwelling on the alternative life he had missed out on.
There was one sentence he chose not to say to Wang Yulou.
'Yulou, if I hadn't been injured back then, how could that Yuan dog have bullied you like this today?'
—
The distance from Dripping Water Cave to the mountain gate of the Red Lantern Association was roughly nine hundred li. The Crimson Sparrow flew at a leisurely pace, taking two full watches to arrive.
The sect of Dripping Water Cave was nestled within Dripping Water Grotto-Heaven, but the Red Lantern Association was different; its sect headquarters sat upon a vast, sprawling plain.
The strength of a sect had little to do with the specific nature of its mountain gate.
Dripping Water Cave inside its grotto-heaven sounded impressive, but in reality, it was rely a vassal of the Red Lantern Association.
As the spiritual mountains in the distance grew larger, Yulou knew they had arrived at the Red Lantern Association.
While it didn't look like a classic celestial paradise, the seventeen spiritual mountains of the Red Lantern Association ford a magnificent cluster, far grander than the two spiritual mountains of Miaofeng Mountain. One look was enough to tell it was no ordinary small sect.
As the Crimson Sparrow drew closer to the spiritual mountains, Ancestor Xianzhou began his introduction.
"The seventeen spiritual mountains represent the sixteen factions of the Red Lantern Association."
"Within these four large and thirteen small spiritual mountains lie the grotto-houses of two Immortal Venerables and twenty-six True Persons."
"The largest spiritual mountain is Mount Chiming, the domain of Immortal Venerable Chiming. However, that Immortal Venerable rarely shows himself, and the Chiming lineage is currently managed by his disciple, True Person Fuyan."
"The second largest is Candlelight Mountain, the domain of Candlelight Immortal Venerable. Candlelight Immortal Venerable holds an exceptionally prominent status within the Immortal Alliance and is the true pillar of the Red Lantern Association."
"Look there, the third largest spiritual mountain is called Mangxiang Mountain, the domain of our Patriarch. The Red Lantern Association was co-founded by the Patriarch, Immortal Venerable Chiming, and Candlelight Immortal Venerable back when he was still a True Person."
"It has developed for nearly ten thousand years since its inception to reach its current grandeur."
"Even among the Ten Sects, the Red Lantern Association is one of the oldest lineages."
"Co, let take you to find Sister Jingyi first."
With that, Wang Xianzhou—an Envoy of the Immortal Alliance for Dripping Water Cave, an inner disciple of the Red Lantern Association, and a Splendid Pool Palace outer disciple within Dripping Water Cave—pulled a token from his robes and led Yulou toward the Mangxiang domain.
"Ancestor, whose domain is that fourth large spiritual mountain?"
Dripping Water Cave had four large spiritual mountains, but Immortal Venerable Chiming's mountain was twice the size of Candlelight Mountain and three tis the size of Patriarch Mangxiang's mountain. Yet, the fourth mountain was only a fifth of the size of Immortal Venerable Chiming's mountain.
Even so, compared to the rest of the smaller spiritual mountains, it was still incredibly respectable, looking grander than the two mountains of Miaofeng Mountain combined.
"That is Red Mountain, the actual administrative center of the Red Lantern Association. The various palaces, halls, terraces, pavilions, ministries, academies, and offices are all located there, such as the Sect Master's Hall, the Bright Light Mansion, and the Contribution Pavilion."
"Dripping Water Cave set up so complex hierarchy with three palaces of disciples and Foundation Establishnt elders, but the Red Lantern Association is far more intricate. Still, you only need to rember two core points."
Wang Xianzhou's token proved highly effective. The formation array of the Red Lantern Association rely swept over them once before allowing the pair to enter the great defensive array of the sect.
"Which two points?" Yulou asked.
The mont they stepped into the grand array, Yulou instantly felt a difference. The spiritual energy inside the Red Lantern Association didn't seem drastically different from the outside world, but he felt a peculiar sensation of being watched.
Yulou surmised that this was likely the Red Lantern Association's surveillance over outsiders.
"Does it feel like you are being watched? Don't worry, we have proper roots here. We belong to the direct lineage of the Red Lantern Association's direct lineage," Ancestor Xianzhou explained with a smile.
"The first point is that the Red Lantern Association has only two types of disciples: those without backing and those with backing. Ninety-five percent of the disciples belong to the forr category; they practically stand no chance at Foundation Establishnt and serve rely as the foundation for the sect's growth."
"Though the latter category is small in number, their chances of achieving Foundation Establishnt are exceptionally high. For the True Persons, cultivating a highly useful disciple who can serve for several centuries without needing a replacent is a highly worthwhile investnt."
"The second point is to never violate the sect rules. The rules of the Red Lantern Association are far stricter than those of the Immortal Alliance, and they are infinitely harsher than the rules of Dripping Water Cave."
Yulou sank into thought, confirming in a low voice, "The conflicts between the True Persons are very intense?"
Wang Xianzhou nodded, praising him with a smile.
"You previously analyzed the Immortal Alliance for , pointing out that for grand cultivators, the sharper the conflicts, the more vital the rules beco, which is why the Immortal Alliance restricts Foundation Establishnt so harshly."
"This dynamic manifests even more brutally inside the Red Lantern Association. The simple reason is that the number of True Persons is too high, and the sect's territory cannot expand fast enough, naturally leading to fierce internal strife."
"Dripping Water Cave's operation is too small, leaving many matters ambiguous, which is why Yuan Daoshen dared to treat you like this."
"If this were the Red Lantern Association, those crude thods of his would be nothing more than a path to suicide."
Yulou, however, thought of a different question.
"Ancestor, why doesn't the Red Lantern Association simply swallow Miaofeng Mountain and Dripping Water Cave?"
Wang Xianzhou was montarily stunned.
Indeed, those two vassal sects possessed territory of their own. Swallowing them would significantly alleviate the resource distribution issues within the Red Lantern Association, wouldn't it?
"Miaofeng Mountain serves as a buffer zone at the border between the Red Lantern Association and the Sky Serpent Sect. It previously shattered the Sky Serpent Sect's vassal, Huishan Prefecture, and is currently confronting the Valley Spirit Sect, so it cannot be swallowed."
"As for Dripping Water Cave... perhaps because of Di Shui Xianzun?"
Shaking his head, Ancestor Xianzhou summarized, "The forr is too useful, while the latter cannot be touched. Gong Jiusheng acquiesced to Yuan Daoshen forcing you to the West Sea, which shows his confidence. But these issues have nothing to do with you. Look, that is your Ancestor Jingyi's residence."
Following the direction the ancestor pointed, Yulou noticed a massive grade-seven Yang-raising stone mineral vein situated halfway up the slope of Mangxiang Mountain.
Ancestor Jingyi's residence sat precisely at the intersection of this mineral vein's spiritual vitality.
The exterior of the residence appeared incredibly understated, asuring only a hundred yards across and divided into six small courtyards; that was the entirety of its structure.
As the two drew closer to the spiritual mountain, Yulou noticed another anomaly.
"Ancestor, why is the Patriarch's spiritual mountain so desolated?"
Before entering the Red Lantern Association, Wang Yulou had harbored a fair amount of anticipation. Yet along their journey, they hadn't encountered a single soul, and the Patriarch's domain was entirely devoid of human presence. Ancestor Jingyi's residence had a distinct feeling of total isolation from the world.
"What would we need so many people for? The disciples of the Red Lantern Association do not reside within the domains of the True Persons; they stay on Red Mountain."
The two landed in front of the residence, finding its doors already wide open.
"Co in, I am currently cultivating."
A familiar voice echoed out. Wang Xianzhou acted as though he had returned to his own ho, leading Yulou right inside.
Wang Jingyi's disciples hurriedly bowed in greeting upon seeing Wang Xianzhou arrive.
"There are nine Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clans acting as vassals to the Mangxiang lineage. True Person Xuanzhuan is responsible for five, while True Person Danri handles four."
"However, Sister Jingyi's courtyard is a unique spiritual artifact. If we trace it back, it was personally bestowed upon Ancestor Yinghua by the Patriarch."
"A thousand years of past events have flown by, but fortunately, the incense of the Wang family remains continuous. Therefore, Yulou, you possess genuine roots here within the Red Lantern Association."
"A spiritual artifact? Why doesn't it feature any defensive formations?" Yulou asked, puzzled.
His own residence back at River Bend Fishing Port was rely a magical tool, yet it could support a formation array to act as a barrier. It was truly bizarre that this spiritual artifact courtyard bestowed by the Patriarch lacked any formations.
"Silly child, this is the mountain gate of the Red Lantern Association and the Patriarch's domain; what need is there for a formation array?"
"If the day truly cos where we require a formation array to hold the line, it wouldn't matter even if I had a hundred layers of formations before ."
Ancestor Jingyi was amused by Wang Yulou's words. Stepping out from her quiet chamber, she instructed her disciple, "Go, arrange a banquet."
Following that, Ancestor Jingyi looked at Wang Yulou with a solemn expression.
"I am aware of what happened. However, there is no need to panic. The absolute top priority on the mountain right now is preparing for True Person Fujiao's apprenticing ceremony."
"An apprenticing ceremony? Who is True Person Fujiao taking as a disciple?"
Neither Yulou nor Ancestor Xianzhou understood.
As if recalling sothing hilarious, a smile actually broke across Ancestor Jingyi's usually unsmiling face.
"Zhou Fujiao is going to take the Patriarch as his master. Bet you didn't see that coming?"
"Once True Person Fujiao completes the ceremony, he will head to the West Sea to serve as the Immortal Alliance's Treasure-Wielding True Person of the West Sea."
"The transfer order just ca down this morning, arranged personally by the Patriarch."
"Yulou, you will travel alongside True Person Fujiao when the ti cos."
"I refuse to believe that Yuan Daoshen will have the nerve to move against you right under Zhou Fujiao's nose!"
The apprenticing ceremony was to be held right here at the Mangxiang domain, but the disciple in question was Zhou Fujiao.
This developnt brought a massive shock to Yulou.
Zhou Fujiao was ruthless, Mangxiang was powerful, and Yuan Daoshen was an absolute idiot.
Old Yuan had gone to such imnse lengths, to the point where the Zhuo faction was turning around to bite back and replace the sect master, all just to send Wang Yulou to the West Sea.
Yet, before Yulou had even set foot in the West Sea, Zhou Fujiao had suddenly apprenticed himself to Patriarch Mangxiang.
This matter technically had nothing to do with Wang Yulou.
However, the Patriarch had already perfectly arranged the position for his soon-to-be new disciple—the Immortal Alliance's Treasure-Wielding True Person of the West Sea.
The Treasure-Wielding True Person of the West Sea was one of the three highest leaders within the Immortal Alliance camp on the West Sea front lines.
Zhou Fujiao, a disciple of Mangxiang and a martial uncle to the Wang family's ancestor Wang Jingyi, was about to take office as the Treasure-Wielding True Person of the West Sea.
Didn't this turn Yuan Daoshen into an absolute clown?
And not just any ordinary clown; he was the king of clowns at this point.
The most pitiful one was Yuan Wu. In a brief mont, Yulou had already devised nine distinct thods—fully nine thods—to handle this so-called 'Qilin prodigy' of the Yuan family.
Sect unity was nothing but complete nonsense.
The Dripping Water Cave old Yuan described sounded like a mortal paradise where everyone was practically equal, but it was all utter garbage.
Since Yuan Daoshen had treated Wang Yulou this way, Wang Yulou would naturally return the favor in kind!
"How could Zhou Fujiao apprentice himself under the Patriarch? Isn't he an exceptionally old Purple Mansion cultivator himself?"
Wang Xianzhou was well-inford.
The Wunan region was ho to roughly three hundred plus Purple Mansion True Persons. Among them, half rarely showed themselves, such as the third Purple Mansion cultivator of Dripping Water Cave or Patriarch Mangxiang who had remained hidden behind the scenes for years.
As for the remaining half, despite only appearing occasionally, Wang Xianzhou knew them all inside out, and he was naturally familiar with Zhou Fujiao.
This ancestor of the Zhou family had achieved his path over a thousand years ago, making him an established, veteran Purple Mansion cultivator.
"How could we possibly know the details of that? Let's speak no more of this, speak no more of this. Co, drink."
The golden, grade-seven spiritual wine known as Southern Fragrance cost over a dozen spirit stones for a single small cup. Ancestor Jingyi filled Yulou's cup to the brim and continued, "Yulou, do not lose heart. Dripping Water Cave is rely a small sect. If you wish to walk further, you would have had to step out sooner or later."
Ancestor Jingyi was still unaware of the suspicions harbored by Yulou and the Patriarch—naly, that Yulou might be a blocking piece deployed by Patriarch Mangxiang.
However, after draining his cup, Yulou didn't continue discussing old Yuan. Instead, he asked Ancestor Jingyi with a hint of anticipation, "Ancestor, you ntioned that an apprenticing ceremony is to be held. Does this an the Patriarch himself will make an appearance?"
Yulou had harbored many imaginations regarding Mangxiang but had never seen him, not even in a portrait.
He had long anticipated eting this well-known Purple Mansion cultivator of Wunan, the co-founder of the Red Lantern Association, the ultimate backer of the Wang family, and the existence whose continuous dispensing of 'favors' had left the cultivators of Wunan struggling to survive.
"Naturally. Catching a glimpse of the Patriarch is no easy feat. Old Yuan picked an excellent ti to cause trouble for you; you should practically thank him."
"However, Yulou, you need to prepare a set of robes that look suitably humble yet remain presentable. The set Xianzhou is wearing is quite fitting, but the set you have on is far too extravagant. It won't do!"
Wang Jingyi gestured toward Yulou, teasing him with a smile.
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