In the Gu Family Tea House, the Immortal Alliance's special envoys were clumsily probing for news regarding the West Sea. Jin Mingdu, however, knew better.
She was well aware that they couldn't possibly obtain any crucial or direct information here, given the Gu Family Tea House's inherent neutrality. However, she also understood how to manage her fellow Daoists, smoothly passing the opportunity to grandstand to Lian Chengxian.
"Little friend Chengxian, take a look. This is the intelligence our Gu Family Tea House has gathered on the cultivators holding office in Western Sea Immortal City. It includes those in the Subsidiary City as well."
Smiling, Gu Qilang took a specially prepared dossier from an assistant and handed it to Lian Chengxian. Lian Chengxian accepted the jade slip, his face lighting up with joy as he read through it.
To obtain clues the mont he entered the immortal city—he thought he had struck it lucky. However...
Jin Mingdu silently sipped her tea, while Gu Qilang kept smiling, his mind already wandering beyond the heavens. Only Lian Chengxian and Chen Yanghe were brimming with anticipation—they actually took their jobs as special envoys seriously.
...Xihai Zhongcheng of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub is always overly passionate about the Immortal Alliance's cause. He frequently loses track of ti at work, toiling day and night, leaving all the cultivators of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub with no choice but to follow his lead and rush to contribute to the Immortal Alliance.
When facing those with a lower cultivation base, Xihai Zhongcheng disregards status and always treats them with the respect of an equal fellow Daoist, to the point of making many Qi Refining rogue cultivators extrely apprehensive. This person appears loyal, but in reality, his sins are truly heinous.
Immortal Alliance cultivators should rest when it is ti to rest, yet he alone refuses to. This is nothing more than a show to prove how different he is, just to let others see that he is more loyal to the Immortal Alliance.
Mu Chunze, the Seal Bearer of the Punishnt Court, has reached a level that incites the wrath of both n and gods. The previous Seal Bearer only visited the Punishnt Court three tis a year, yet managed to keep Western Sea Immortal City running smoothly, demonstrating a high level of competence.
After Mu Chunze took office, he beca the first to arrive at the Punishnt Court every single day. Later on, he even lived there, not returning ho at all.
This kind of behavior might seem hardworking and reliable, but in truth, it completely exposes his incompetence. If he were truly capable, he would only need to visit the Punishnt Court three tis a year—no, two tis—and still be a perfectly fine Seal Bearer.
The more Lian Chengxian read, the more he felt sothing was off. The contents of this jade slip read less like intelligence and more like a comprehensive collection of extravagant flattery.
Under Gu Qilang's instructions, the Gu family had criticized all the prominent figures in Western Sea Immortal City one by one. However, this kind of criticism was exactly like Zhang Xuewu criticizing Wang Yulou: 'Fellow Daoist Yulou is too ignorant of the big picture.
Working so hard, if you happen to ruin your health, the sun over River Bend Fishing Port will dim.' It sounded like a reprimand, but it was anything but.
In the jade slip, from Xihai Zhongcheng to Mu Chunze, from Zhang Heng to Mo Xunzhou, no one was spared. Forget about the major tigers—even if it was just a slightly robust local mutt, Gu Qilang had his people find an angle to praise them. He was absolutely determined not to offend a single soul.
You envoys were sent by the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction to vent Mang Xiang's anger. Once this matter blew over, you would still be the direct lineage descendants of major clans.
If I earned a grudge for reporting the local factions of the West Sea, it was highly debatable whether I could even survive until the dust settled, and it might even drag the Gu family ancestor into trouble.
With Patriarch Mangxiang undergoing the Golden Core Deliberations for the fifth ti, and two True Persons of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect entering the West Sea, the gathering storm was as obvious as could be. Gu Qilang had co here to observe and collect intelligence, not to throw away his life.
Therefore, Gu Qilang provided this completely nonsensical intelligence.
"Senior Gu, are you playing with us?"
Slamming the jade slip heavily onto the table, Lian Chengxian voiced his dissatisfaction. As he spoke, he drew out a waist token.
"We are West Sea patrolling inspectors sent by the Immortal Alliance, here specifically to investigate anyone in Western Sea Immortal City rebelling against the rules. Senior Gu hails from a Purple Mansion lineage—you should understand what it ans to prioritize the big picture!"
The benefits of bringing a fool to work beca perfectly apparent right here. Jin Mingdu held her teacup lid in her left hand, gently using its edge to skim the tea leaves.
Her eyes remained completely focused on the Gu family's spirit tea, showing not the slightest intention of voicing an opinion. Of course, if she did speak, she would probably say, 'Senior Brother Lian is truly devoted to his duties and incredibly courageous in shouldering responsibility.
He is Mingdu's role model—it's just a pity that Mingdu is ultimately a weak woman and lacks Senior Brother Lian's spirit~'
"Fellow Daoist Chengxian is right. I, Old Gu, really must prioritize the big picture. Whatever you need Old Gu to do, just speak plainly!"
From the mont these three stated their purpose, Gu Qilang understood exactly what was going on. Therefore, rather than being angered by Lian Chengxian's clamoring, he felt a sense of amusent, like watching a monkey jump through hoops.
Faced with such an 'obedient' Gu Qilang, even a fool like Lian Chengxian was montarily at a loss for words.
"...Your Gu Family Tea House has operated in the West Sea for so long. Do you truly know of no unruly behavior among the cultivators of Western Sea Immortal City?"
After a brief mont of stunned silence, Lian Chengxian bluntly stated his purpose. Cursing the massive idiot inwardly, Gu Qilang pondered aloud.
"Everyone strictly follows the Immortal Alliance's rules. But if you're asking about rule-breaking... there are a few instances."
Lian Chengxian and Chen Yanghe's gazes imdiately turned serious. Even Jin Mingdu, who had been playing dumb on the sidelines, was drawn in by Gu Qilang's words—Senior Gu, what are you doing?
However, Gu Qilang's next words rendered the three of them utterly helpless. Wearing a hesitant expression, the manager of the Gu Family Tea House reluctantly shared his intelligence.
"So ti ago, the Immortal Alliance Emissary Qiu Lianpu oppressed rogue cultivators in the Subsidiary City. He was caught by Mu Chunze of the Punishnt Court and dealt with quite severely.
"Qiu Lianpu used his identity as an Immortal Alliance Emissary to oppress rogue cultivators, insulting the prestige of the Immortal Alliance, which is against the rules.
"anwhile, Mu Chunze punishing Qiu Lianpu using his authority as the Seal Bearer of the Punishnt Court does not conform to the Immortal Alliance's laws, which is also against the rules. Little friend Chengxian, which one do you want to investigate?"
Which one did Lian Chengxian want to investigate? Qiu Lianpu was a direct lineage descendant of True Person Qiu's family from Lotus Immortal City; Lian Chengxian even knew him personally. Mu Chunze was the son-in-law of the Zhou family under Zhou Bojiao, the third disciple of Mang Xiang, and a mber under the tutelage of the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction... They were sent here to investigate Shen Guang, not to investigate their own people.
No matter how foolish Lian Chengxian was, he finally understood the situation. This old fogey from the Gu family couldn't possibly be blind to their true purpose. Spouting so much nonsense was simply because he refused to help.
Of course, Lian Chengxian was misunderstanding Gu Qilang. Gu Qilang also prioritized the big picture, otherwise, he wouldn't have so accurately provided an absolutely useless answer. It was just that Gu Qilang's 'big picture' was the Gu family's big picture. He was willing to help, but only with lip service.
The three envoys had arrived at the Gu Family Tea House full of anticipation, but when they left, they all seed weighed down by heavy thoughts. The West Sea was not large, yet it had produced a figure like Shen Guang. Trying to investigate Shen Guang on his ho turf was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
After smilingly sending off these three nobles who had co down to the countryside to play inspector, Old Gu sighed lantably in his heart. The West Sea is going to be in chaos, he silently exclaid.
He then hurriedly sent word back to the Gu family that the direct lineage descendants of three major figures from the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction had entered the West Sea.
——
Why was the Gu Family Tea House so famous? There were many reasons, but the most unique was that this establishnt sold intelligence from the Gathering Immortals Platform.
Wang Xianmao knew that Gu Qilang had co to the West Sea. Therefore, upon entering the city, he didn't go directly to Wang Yulou, but instead made the Gu Family Tea House his first stop. The Wang Clan's future and Wang Yulou's future were both intimately tied to whether the Ancestral Master could attain Golden Core. He naturally needed to know what had transpired on the Gathering Immortals Platform.
Since he was Wang Jingyi's younger brother, Gu Qilang naturally received him personally. The two took their seats in the hall, and Wang Xianmao brought up a matter that made it hard for Gu Qilang to maintain his composure.
"Senior Brother Gu, just now when I entered your esteed establishnt, I bumped into three disguised disciples of major clans at the door. They all looked as though they were weighed down by heavy thoughts."
It turned out that any smart person could see right through those three's disguises.
"Don't even ntion it. Those three are..." Gu Qilang gave a brief explanation, freely sharing a piece of intelligence as a show of sincerity before asking about Wang Xianmao's purpose for visiting.
Upon learning that Wang Xianmao wanted to understand the recent shifts within the Gathering Immortals Platform, Gu Qilang smiled mysteriously.
"You indeed have to look up and see the path ahead.
"Your Wang Clan's current situation is very unique. The Ancestral Master seems to be planning to expand our Red Lantern Illumination Sect's influence in the West Sea through Perfected Man Fujiao, and Yulou has already beco a disciple under Perfected Man Fujiao's tutelage.
"If you ask , there's no need to even guess the Ancestral Master's intentions. He simply hopes that your Wang Clan will also throw its weight behind the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's expansion in the West Sea.
"Right now, Immortal Venerable Lianpeng and Qionghai Perfected One have both sent people to accompany the daughter of True Person Longhu, Jin Shan, into the West Sea to look for trouble with that person. If handled properly, there will be many opportunities in this for you."
Gu Qilang did not know the inside story of Yulou entering Zhou Bojiao's tutelage, and it was inconvenient for Wang Xianmao to explain, so he simply brushed it off with a few vague remarks. Then, he took out three thousand spirit stones and bought the past three years of news and updates regarding the Gathering Immortals Platform. Reading the jade slip's report that the Ancestral Master's two most recent Golden Core Deliberations had been rejected, Wang Xianmao's heart sank, and his expression darkened. Patriarch Mangxiang was a ruthless beast, but the Wang Clan shared in his glory and suffered in his losses. If the Ancestral Master could not achieve the Golden Core, whether it was the promise of Wang Jingyi achieving the Purple Palace realm through ancient cultivation arts, or Wang Yulou's half-baked possibility of reaching the Purple Palace, both would end up as nothing more than flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water. Compared to the anxiety over whether the Ancestral Master could attain the Golden Core, the so-called Immortal Alliance civil war was no longer that terrifying.
"What are you worrying about? This matter is just like the Immortal Venerables sending those three reckless youths to investigate Shenguang; you must look at it from both sides."
Even though everyone was under the tutelage of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Gu Qilang didn't feel any psychological pressure. On the contrary, he even started to comfort Wang Xianmao.
"Oh? Senior Brother Gu, please explain."
"For those three reckless youths, it's entirely normal whether they uncover sothing or nothing at all. From the very beginning, those figures... well, they didn't have a definitive conclusion. But Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's situation is different.
"Failing five tis, what does that indicate? It indicates that the Reformist Faction's montum has grown stronger and stronger in recent years!
"At a ti like this, Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's Golden Core is actually easier to attain. After all, if they continue to sit back and watch the Reformist Faction grow, the situation will beco troubleso.
"Why did Immortal Venerable Lianpeng choose those three to co to the West Sea to investigate Immortal Venerable Shenguang? The reason lies precisely here: among the Immortal Venerables of the Reformist Faction, Immortal Venerable Shenguang was the latest to attain his path and has the weakest forces."
Gu Qilang's words sounded very reasonable, but Wang Xianmao only managed a forced smile. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Do you have any news on why three thousand Qi Refining cultivators entered the West Sea?"
The Ancestral Master was like a cloud resting high in the sky. Even if the Wang Clan desperately craned their necks, they couldn't decipher his actions.
Many questions seed like they could be directly asked of the Ancestral Master, but in reality, there was no way to ask. The Wang Clan hadn't seen the Ancestral Master in hundreds of years.
Compared to the terrifying Immortal Alliance civil war, the unpredictable success or failure of the Ancestral Master attaining the Golden Core, and the possibility of Shenguang being targeted, Wang Xianmao cared more about the matter of the three thousand Qi Refining cultivators entering the West Sea.
If Wang Yulou wanted to establish a career in the West Sea, he needed his own people. By "his own people," he didn't just an having available subordinates; he ant having people who felt a sense of loyalty to the forces Wang Yulou represented.
In a certain sense, this could also be considered a need for a foundational base. At different stages of developnt, the problems faced are different.
Wang Xianmao saw clearly that Wang Yulou's ambitions had been massive from the very beginning.
"It's uncertain. Xianmao, there are many things we cannot see clearly, but after so many years, I believe that you and I only need to do one thing well," Gu Qilang said, shaking his head. If just anyone could see through the Ancestral Master's placent of pawns, then what right did he have to stand before the Golden Core realm and extort resources from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and even the entirety of Wunan?
"Oh, I still hope Senior Brother Gu will offer so guidance."
"I wouldn't call it guidance. My Gu family has collected intelligence for so many years, and we have only seen one thing: the realm of the Immortal Venerables is as high as a mountain peak. Do not guess; loyalty is enough." After saying this, Gu Qilang sipped his tea.
Wang Xianmao did not reply, but he felt sowhat anxious in his heart. Did the Wang Clan have any displays of disloyalty?
Was Gu Qilang reminding him? He himself had no such behaviors, and Wang Jingyi had been taking orders within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect under True Person Xuanzhuan for a long ti.
The others couldn't be considered to represent the Wang Clan. Then...
Yulou? —At this mont, Wang Yulou was bringing Zhou Yingxi to the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda to purchase spirit horses.
He still didn't know that Wang Xianmao had already arrived. In the stables behind the spirit horse shop, Zhou Yingxi was complaining to Wang Yulou.
It was truly because Wang Yulou spent spirit stones with absolutely no regard for their value.
"Isn't it a bit too expensive? Nine thousand spirit stones at once to buy three spirit horses, just to let the Black Dragon Steed..."
Spending nine thousand spirit stones just to let a mount enjoy itself seed excessively extravagant no matter how you looked at it. Let's put it this way: with this sum of spirit stones, if Wang Yulou were a sex fiend, he could whore himself to exhaustion in the Bright Moon Night Inn without ever running out.
Cultivators weren't worth spirit stones. Spirit horses were more expensive than cultivators!
"You're wrong to think that way. I've already negotiated with Senior Black Dragon.
"He only cares about breeding; as for how to deal with the foals, we just need to take charge of that. Although the Black Dragon Steed is nad 'Black Dragon,' it has no dragon nature.
"Its innate talent lies in carrying the bloodline of heavenly horses. If we find it spirit horses with insufficient talent and grade for breeding, the resulting foals will also lack talent.
"Right now, we're investing nine thousand spirit stones. In the future, when the foals are born, we just need to sell a few, and we'll easily recoup this small investnt," Wang Yulou explained to his wife.
Spirit beast cubs and adult spirit beasts were both very expensive. It sounded like they weren't exactly a rigid necessity for cultivators, but in reality, not only were they essential, but those of even slightly better quality were exceedingly rare. The materials of demonic beasts could be obtained by killing them, and magical artifacts could be obtained through the refining of various spiritual materials. Only spirit beasts were different. Leaving aside the need for taming thods, they possessed sentience and were unwilling to see their offspring beco enslaved mounts for cultivators; this point was the most troubleso.
Feng Jianxian was truly an interesting person. Since Wang Yulou had resolved his crisis that day, he was actually willing to gift Wang Yulou the Great Demon Black Dragon Steed in return. It could be said that Feng Jianxian had gifted Yulou tens of thousands of spirit stones. Of course, this kind of gift also ca with a price. The Black Dragon Steed never admitted that it was Feng Jianxian's mount. It only worked for Feng Jianxian because he provided pretty mares for it to build up its strength with. Now that the Black Dragon Steed was in Yulou's hands, this job of finding mares for it to enjoy naturally had to be taken seriously.
"You have to consider the thoughts of the mares. The most common scenario is the mother beast personally slaughtering the cubs right after giving birth to them," Zhou Yingxi reminded.
Raising spirit beasts was very difficult and complex for cultivators. The Zhou family actually didn't have any good solutions either.
Charm Arts could help breed spirit beasts that didn't want to go into heat, but they couldn't stop the mother beasts from killing their young.
"Hahaha, there must always be risks. It's fine. As long as one of the three foals survives, we won't lose out."
After purchasing the spirit horses, Yulou and Zhou Yingxi went to the Myriad Dao Origin Hub in the Myriad Dao Market to take a look. Back when Immortal Venerable Shenguang was still at the Foundation Establishnt realm, he had opened a few different shops.
Later on, as his cultivation base gradually improved, they were rged into two. One was the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, which was called a pagoda but was actually a market; the other was this Myriad Dao Origin Hub.
The Immortal Venerable's level of naming was truly high. The Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda highlighted being down-to-earth and inconspicuous.
If it were opened as the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Market, it wouldn't be proper—the taxes wouldn't match up. As for the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, this na revealed a trace of spirit that only an Immortal Venerable would dare to possess—the origin of myriad daos; whatever dharmic thod you wanted, it could be found here.
Even the na of the Subsidiary City's Myriad Dao Market was given based on the Myriad Dao Origin Hub. Therefore, the Myriad Dao Origin Hub could be seen as one of Immortal Venerable Shenguang's core assets in the West Sea.
"Husband, look, it's like a huge upright bookshelf. It's said that the first floor holds Qi Refining thods, the second floor holds Foundation Establishnt thods, the third floor holds divine abilities, and the fourth floor holds the thods personally passed down by Immortal Venerable Shenguang.
"In total, there are tens of thousands of thods. As long as you have spirit stones or other resources, you can purchase whatever thods you want here at the Myriad Dao Origin Hub."
The exterior of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub was highly unique. It was a wooden tower, but the entire building had been grown from a massive tree. Four distinct floors were distributed along its main trunk. This was no ordinary tree, but a Great Demon, a living tree demon. It was likely Immortal Venerable Shenguang's spirit pet or subordinate.
"Let's go take a look. It's my first ti here too." Bringing Zhou Yingxi to the front of the tower, Yulou discovered that there were indeed quite a few people coming in and out.
There were quite a few cultivation thods that could be exchanged for at the Battle rit Court, but the thods exchanged at the Battle rit Court could not be passed on to others. This was also one of the thods the Battle rit Court used to string rogue cultivators along into demon hunting for the Immortal Alliance.
But the Myriad Dao Origin Hub was different. The Qi Refining thods here could be passed down to family descendants and younger generations after being bought.
"The Immortal Venerable is far from simple," Yulou sighed with emotion as he watched the cultivators coming and going.
"Oh? What did you think of?" Zhou Yingxi asked.
"From the auctions at the demon-dividing grounds of the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda to the opening of thod inheritances at the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, the Immortal Venerable has actually built a new parallel system outside of the Immortal Alliance's system in Western Sea Immortal City.
"Furthermore, because there's no need to worry too much about the interests of those eight Purple Mansion True Persons, the operational efficiency of the Immortal Venerable's system might even be higher than the Immortal Alliance's. Now, the Immortal Venerable wants to develop South Annex City.
"This shows that he is a grand cultivator with the world in his heart, truly worthy of our generation's study," Wang Yulou said. He did not use voice transmission; he simply spoke in the tone of a normal chat.
Zhou Yingxi was startled by his words. "Stop talking. We must respect every single grand cultivator. What's wrong with you today?"
What was wrong with that? He was saying it for Immortal Venerable Shenguang to hear!
Even if the Immortal Venerable couldn't hear it, his disciple Xihai Zhongcheng—who was holding the fort at the Myriad Dao Origin Hub—could, and that was effectively the sa. If Wang Yulou wanted to break free from his shackles, he had to make preparations.
He certainly didn't dare throw himself directly under Shen Guang's tutelage, but making contact was absolutely necessary.
"Hahaha, let's go inside and take a look around."
Pulling the beautiful woman into the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Wang Yulou didn't even need to speak. The Ten Thousand Nights Everbright Robe on his body spoke for him.
Upon hearing that a Core Disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect had arrived, the first-floor shopkeeper hurriedly erged from the back hall to welco them. However, Wang Yulou had no interest in Qi Refining thods.
Currently, he and Zhou Yingxi were rely polishing their cultivation bases while waiting to break through to Foundation Establishnt. He had co this ti specifically to look at Foundation Establishnt stage thods.
Faced with Wang Yulou's request, the shopkeeper naturally wouldn't refuse, directly stating that they could even browse the fourth floor. This was because the first-floor shopkeeper of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub had already guessed Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi's identities.
Such individuals were naturally the most esteed of guests.
"Let's go up to the third floor to look at the divine abilities first. Didn't they say the fourth floor requires one to have made contributions to the Myriad Dao Origin Hub to enter?" Wang Yulou asked the shopkeeper with a smile.
Making contributions to the Myriad Dao Origin Hub here was essentially "making contributions to the Immortal Venerable." Only by doing so could one access the thods personally passed down by Immortal Venerable Shenguang.
"Ah, that rule is only for rogue cultivators. You two young friends are our own people. There's nothing special about the fourth floor; you can see it if you want to."
The first-floor shopkeeper escorted the two up to the third floor, where Wang Yulou t the true helmsman of the establishnt. The kind and genial-looking Xihai Zhongcheng actually received them personally.
The third floor was empty, serving simply as an ordinary place for receiving guests. Xihai Zhongcheng stood right at the top of the stairs, welcoming the couple to their seats.
"Yulou, Yingxi, it seems this is your first ti visiting my place. What a pair of immortal lovers," Xihai Zhongcheng said warmly. "A golden boy and a jade girl could be no better than this. No, it should be a jade boy and a fairy maiden, hahaha."
The struggles of the higher-ups had nothing to do with the draft horses below. Xihai Zhongcheng was nothing like Yuan Wu or Lian Chengxian. His attitude toward Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi was exactly like that of a family elder seeing extraordinary juniors—it simply couldn't be better.
"Senior overpraises us. Yingxi doesn't deserve to be called a fairy maiden," Zhou Yingxi said, truly feeling helpless.
Xihai Zhongcheng's praise was so excessive that she even felt sowhat repulsed in her heart.
"Senior Zhongcheng, I've long heard Senior Xihai Hu ntion that you are a loyal and honest elder," Wang Yulou chid in. "It's just that I, Yulou, truly wouldn't dare accept the title of jade boy. On the day Yingxi and I married, you gifted us two pairs of eighth grade Mandarin Duck Fruit. Coming here today, I have also prepared a small gift for you. I heard that you cultivate wood thods as well. My Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom also cultivates wood thods. This eighth grade Confluent Soil—I don't know if you'll find it useful."
Confluent Soil was actually a spirit soil refined from various spiritual materials. It could be understood as a kind of fertilizer. It had a nurturing effect on wood-attribute spiritual items such as spirit trees, spirit grass, spirit dicine, and spirit flowers. Gifting this to Xihai Zhongcheng, who cultivated wood thods, was a universally useful gesture, and its eighth grade quality was perfectly appropriate.
Seeing Wang Yulou take out the gift, Xihai Zhongcheng instantly beca angry—feigning anger, that is. "Yulou, what is the aning of this? The two of you getting married was a major event in our West Sea. sending only two pairs of eighth grade Mandarin Duck Fruit was already sowhat inadequate. Take it back. I don't want this Confluent Soil. How can an elder receive a return gift after giving things to juniors?"
It seed that Xihai Zhongcheng was closer to Wang Yulou than Feng Jianxian was.
"How can an elder receive a return gift after giving things to juniors?" He spoke intimately, and his actions appeared intimate, but it was actually a display of true distance and polite formality.
When Zhou Yingxi gifted Feng Jianxian the Thousand Li Red fabric, Feng Jianxian unfolded it and accepted it on the spot without the slightest hesitation—that was the attitude of treating the couple as his own people. As for Xihai Zhongcheng...
He fell into the category of "the less one has, the more one needs to emphasize it." The three of them went back and forth for quite a while.
In the end, it was only after Zhou Yingxi spoke up that Xihai Zhongcheng accepted Wang Yulou's return gift with "great reluctance". In his heart, however, he elevated his estimation of this young couple by two notches.
Over the years, he had given many congratulatory gifts to major clans, but a young couple like Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi coming straight to his door to deliver a return gift was truly a first. The difference in how people conducted themselves only beca apparent through comparison.
Having mingled in the cultivation world for so many years, Wang Yulou relied on the protection of his family, his elders, and his Ancestral Master on one hand. On the other hand, he relied on his own clear-headedness. Clear-headed about what?
Priorities! Wang Xianzhou had once used his own life as an example to teach Wang Yulou: the decisions a cultivator had to make were overwhelmingly complex, and with every choice ca the possibility of making a mistake.
This required a cultivator to temper their ability to discern problems and assess situations, allowing them to choose correctly as often as possible amid chaotic, endless options. It was hard to define the absolute "correct" choice, but Wang Yulou understood the fundantal principle of making friends rather than forging enmities.
Therefore, for Wang Yulou, forming good karma with key figures had already beco a habit.
"You want to take a look at divine abilities?" Seeing Wang Yulou nod, Xihai Zhongcheng thought for a mont. Then, putting on a show of throwing caution to the wind, he said, "The Myriad Dao Origin Hub's sale of Foundation Establishnt divine abilities is strictly open to rogue cultivators of the Foundation Establishnt realm who have made contributions to... the West Sea."
"However, Yulou, you aren't an outsider either. Naturally, you can look, and you can also buy, hahahaha."
This was the first ti Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi had heard of this rule. It was a hidden restriction of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, unspoken to outsiders. However, as the person in charge of this place, Xihai Zhongcheng possessed the authority to bend it. No matter how formidable the Immortal Venerable was, it was impossible for him to handle everything personally. The rules he set were inherently just reference principles for decision-making, not absolute boundaries. Xihai Zhongcheng's generosity at this mont was a simple exercise of his discretionary power.
With two True Persons of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect entering the West Sea, he definitely felt the pressure. Building a good relationship with Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi, who were under Zhou Bojiao's tutelage, was certainly not a bad idea.
The manager of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub gently waved his hand, and over two hundred glowing spheres of light instantly appeared within the third-floor hall.
"Each one is a divine ability, a powerful secret thod inheritance comparable to a divine ability, or a profound supplentary dao art inheritance," Xihai Zhongcheng introduced with a smile. "Yulou, Yingxi, you can use your divine sense to inspect them; they all have brief introductions. Starting from the left: tal, wood, water, fire, and earth. They are arranged by color. The multicolored spheres of light are powerful secret thods, while the white spheres are supplentary dao art inheritances. Additionally, two days ago, my Master transmitted a Sacred Decree. The thods on the third floor of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub can now be fully purchased as well."
"Fully purchased?" Zhou Yingxi was sowhat surprised. These were divine abilities!
Divine abilities that only seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators could possess!
"Correct," Xihai Zhongcheng nodded. "You just need to pay half again the original price, and you can buy them to take back and pass down to your own descendants or disciples under your tutelage. Take your ti to choose. If there's anything you want to buy, I can give you a five percent discount on the selling price—this is our Hall of Benevolence's internal discount."
Wang Yulou nodded expressionlessly, but his mind drifted to his conversation with Ancestor Jingyi, where they had agreed that the clan should fully open its resource exchanges and convert everything possible into tangible resources. Now, it seed those under Immortal Venerable Shenguang's tutelage had already begun doing the exact sa thing. He and Ancestor Jingyi had thought of this because they had learned from Zhou Bojiao that a great war was inevitable. But why had the Immortal Venerable issued such an order?
Wang Yulou continuously felt that an impenetrable layer of fog was shrouding the skies above the West Sea, the skies above Wunan, and even the skies above the Immortal Alliance. So many things were incredibly bizarre.
He cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind and began inspecting the divine abilities sold in the Myriad Dao Origin Hub. Immortal Venerable Shenguang was indeed worthy of his title. The Myriad Dao Origin Hub held a total of over one hundred and thirty divine abilities. From the most common Limitless
From Limitless Spiritual Opportunity, to Wang Jingyi's Manifesting Dharma Form, to Mu Chunze's Transform into Auspicious Deer, and even Yuan Zhengju's Cloud-Walking Mist-Strolling—it unexpectedly had everything.
Yulou browsed through the selections, morizing the general introductions of all the divine abilities, before turning his attention to the powerful secret thods. Dharmic thods beyond the Foundation Establishnt realm were unique. Cultivators could practice thods incompatible with their innate spirit roots by nding their Dao foundation. For example, Wang Yulou could gain the ability to practice wood-attribute thods—and rival any natural talent—by supplenting his Dao foundation with the wood attribute. To a certain extent, a Foundation Establishnt cultivator's combat strength was tied to the power of their chosen dharmic thod, alongside their spiritual artifacts and divine abilities. Thus, powerful secret thods were an absolute necessity for those at the Foundation Establishnt stage.
The Lesser Formless Art that Wang Jingyi practiced was a top-tier secret thod, but she had inherited it directly from Xuanzhuan. If other Core Disciples of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect wanted to learn it, they would have nowhere to do so. Yet here in the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, there were over forty secret thods of this caliber covering various spirit roots, including seven special thods exclusive to those with five-elent spirit roots. Wang Yulou guessed this might be because Immortal Venerable Shenguang was a five-elent spirit root cultivator himself.
As for the supplentary dao art inheritances, every single one displayed for sale on the third floor was a supre-grade item. Wang Yulou skimd through the inheritances related to the artificing path. He confird that the knowledge offered here was only slightly inferior to An Ning's artificing inheritance—but the gap was narrow.
Who was An Ning? A renowned Foundation Establishnt cultivator whose na echoed throughout Wunan, a Master Artificer among Master Artificers. She was an existence capable of helping Purple Mansion cultivators refine magic treasures, and she had ultimately reached the half-step Purple Mansion realm herself!
Therefore, the fact that the artificing path inheritances on the third floor of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub were only slightly inferior to An Ning's notes didn't an they were inadequate—it ant they were incredibly profound!
Reluctantly withdrawing his divine sense from the sphere of light labeled the Complete Explanation of Water thod Artificing Path, Wang Yulou ultimately couldn't bring himself to buy it. There was no need to seek perfection across all aspects of the artificing path. Reaching a profound level in fire-attribute thods was already enough for him; a basic grasp of water-attribute artificing was sufficient.
A cultivator's lifespan was limited. Wang Yulou didn't have the ti to waste on studying overly complicated supplentary dao arts. Being a jack of all trades was far less practical than mastering a single profound focus.
"Does Yulou seem very interested in the Complete Explanation of Water thod Artificing Path?" Xihai Zhongcheng asked.
"Yes, I originated from Dripdrop Cave, so I can be considered to have stepped through the doors of water-attribute artificing," Wang Yulou replied. "But the inheritances in Dripdrop Cave only reach the level of an ordinary Foundation Establishnt artificer. Compared to the Complete Explanation of Water thod Artificing Path, it still falls quite short."
He had earned countless rit points in Dripdrop Cave back then, and he had indeed studied water-attribute artificing. It was just that his proficiency was a far cry from his fire-attribute skills.
As they were leaving the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Xihai Zhongcheng's voice transmission suddenly echoed in Wang Yulou's mind.
'This Complete Explanation of Water thod Artificing Path... if I rember correctly, was left behind by True Person Xizhu of Great Skymount Mountain before he attained the Purple Mansion realm. True Person Xizhu's mastery in water-attribute artificing is famous throughout Wunan. However, this kind of supplentary dao art inheritance is indeed quite expensive. Yulou, you are currently only at the tenth layer of Qi Refining, so there's no need to rush. Whenever you are ready to buy it, just co back and find , hahaha.'
'How did Xihai Hu ntion ?'
Zhou Yingxi felt her husband's arm tighten slightly around her waist. Wang Yulou considered the question for rely an instant before replying via voice transmission.
'Regarding that... I have t Senior Xihai Hu once before. At the ti, however, he did not ntion you.'
Wang Yulou's honest response truly exceeded Xihai Zhongcheng's expectations. He smiled thoughtfully.
'Hah, so that's how it is. Co visit often when you have the ti.'
With such an invitation from the helmsman of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Wang Yulou naturally wouldn't refuse.
After the young couple had completely departed, Xihai Zhongcheng imdiately summoned his disciple and issued an instruction.
"Go investigate Wang Yulou's past experiences. This person is not simple."
Evidently, Xihai Zhongcheng had raised his estimation of Wang Yulou yet another level.
"Yes, Master!"
The disciple respectfully accepted the order and withdrew. Xihai Zhongcheng lay back down beside his two naked concubines, but he made no further moves, his mind entirely occupied by thoughts of Shen Guang.
'Master, just what are you planning?'
"Did you really want that Complete Explanation of Water thod Artificing Path?"
Riding on the back of the green-bristle fox, the young couple quietly conversed.
"I do, but I also don't."
"Speak plainly!" Zhou Yingxi snapped in annoyance.
This annoying guy always spoke in such a roundabout manner. It was always like this; he never gave a straightforward answer. It sounded profound, and in reality, it often was, but that didn't change the fact that it was incredibly irritating. Having lived with him for so long, there were tis when even Zhou Yingxi couldn't stand it.
"You know that I started studying the artificing path under Hongi when I was thirteen, and now I have a respectable level of skill," Wang Yulou explained. "What artificer wouldn't want to master more artifact refining thods? But it's just like how there are countless beautiful female cultivators in the world, yet I only married you. Life requires making choices, and the path of cultivation is no different. Therefore, I want it, but I don't actually need it."
For so inexplicable reason, Zhou Yingxi's mind subconsciously translated Wang Yulou's last sentence into: 'I like them, but not enough to act on it.' Thinking of this, she suddenly lost the desire to speak to him.
Wang Yulou didn't notice the shift in his wife's mood; he was busy silently pondering the connection between the direct lineage descendants of major Immortal Alliance clans entering the West Sea and the Myriad Dao Origin Hub opening its doors for unrestricted purchases. He had clearly grasped a central thread: no major event in the West Sea could bypass Immortal Venerable Shenguang. As a legend who had risen from the local ranks, Shen Guang had spent two hundred years developing the West Sea. His influence over the region had reached the point of establishing a parallel system of governance. Therefore, those scions were likely here to investigate Shen Guang. So... had Immortal Venerable Shenguang begun plundering massive quantities of resources because he sensed an impending threat?
As Wang Yulou and his wife arrived at the Jade Palace Estate, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ear.
'Yulou, your friend has arrived. Receive her first.'
The Patriarch had co!
Wang Yulou needed a Foundation Establishnt cultivator from the clan's direct lineage to help him oversee the overall situation. Only then could the operations of the Wang Family's Western Sea Branch get properly on track. After all, a justified title did not guarantee a smooth execution, and a smooth execution did not guarantee success. As the very first independent faction he had spearheaded since stepping into the cultivation world over a decade ago, the preparatory work for the Wang Family's Western Sea Branch couldn't be treated lightly.
But he hadn't expected Ancestor Jingyi to actually drag the Patriarch here. Compared to figures like Yuan Daoshen and Wang Jingyi, Wang Xianmao seed to possess average strength, but he was still a veritable seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator. With him holding down the fort in the West Sea, Wang Yulou would have a stabilizing force securing his rear, no matter what moves he wanted to make. The significance of this couldn't be overstated.
'Who ca?' Wang Yulou asked via voice transmission.
'Mo Yunshu. Be careful, don't let Zhou Yingxi get suspicious.'
The old Patriarch's admonition put his blatant favoritism toward Wang Yulou on full display: Be careful, don't let your Dao Companion get suspicious.
However, when Fellow Daoist Yingxi noticed Mo Yunshu coming to visit, she didn't suspect Wang Yulou of having an illicit affair. Her reason was simple: absolute confidence! All three tis she had seen Mo Yunshu, the woman was dressed in the utilitarian combat magical robes unique to the West Sea. Leaving aside the fact that she wore no makeup, she didn't even wear a single piece of jewelry. At a glance, she was clearly a pragmatic practitioner devoid of romantic sentints. How could she possibly have an illicit affair with Wang Yulou?
"I was accompanying Yingxi for a stroll around the immortal city. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Yunshu to arrive so quickly."
Wang Yulou hurried into the side room to receive his visitor.
"Yulou, you ntioned in your letter that you wanted to introduce to Chen Haidi from Qionghai Perfected One's family. Naturally, I wouldn't dare delay," Mo Yunshu replied.
True Person Hansong had personally issued a Sacred Decree instructing Mo Yunshu to build a good relationship with Wang Yulou, which was exactly why she had arrived so promptly.
"There's sothing Fellow Daoist Yunshu doesn't know," Wang Yulou said. "After the incident with Wang Jiahui, my clan's ancestor—that is, Ancestor Jingyi—was extrely heartbroken. Wang Jiahui used to be a very decent child of the Wang Clan. She actively chose to venture out to the West Sea and managed to secure a foothold here step by step on her own. But now, she has strayed from the right path. The West Sea is simply too far away. As many of our clansn develop out here, their hearts and minds gradually beco alienated from the main family."
"Therefore, the ancestor has sent to lay the groundwork for the establishnt of the Wang Family's Western Sea Branch. I can be considered its first Chief Steward. But once the branch is established, we will need so industries in order to grow. Fellow Daoist Chen Haidi just happens to hold a position in the Market Hall of Western Sea Immortal City. Hence, I wanted to make his acquaintance."
After listening to his explanation, Mo Yunshu nodded slightly in understanding. "What kind of industry do you want to run? Having been in the West Sea for so many years, I have so understanding of the local market and can help you analyze it."
Wang Yulou smiled. "A combat arena. I've already wandered around Western Sea Immortal City and the Subsidiary City several tis, and I've confird there's no similar enterprise here."
From managing the Racetrack in Clear Stream Market to opening a combat arena in Western Sea Immortal City—after more than ten years of cultivating immortality, Wang Yulou had returned to his old path of earning resources through business operations. This was actually an inevitability.
Cultivation—the continuous improvent of one's cultivation base—was impossible without resources at the lower realms, and impossible without the backing of a faction at the higher realms. If a cultivator wanted resources, they had to either take life-threatening risks or seek out opportunities within the established system of the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects.
Taking risks ant flirting with death, making the pursuit of opportunities within the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects the superior choice. In this regard, every cultivator with even a sliver of background thought the exact sa way.
Life-risking endeavors like the Western Sea Demon Hunt were only taken by rogue cultivators with the weakest foundations and no background to speak of. Mo Yunshu only participated because True Person Hansong's thod of nurturing his descendants was uniquely harsh.
Even Immortal Venerable Shenguang, legendary for his rogue cultivator origins, had quickly transitioned away from his pure demon-hunting roots after reaching the Foundation Establishnt realm, subsequently opening several shops in Western Sea Immortal City. Later on, it was precisely by relying on the support of the forces gathered under his banner that Shen Guang managed to advance from the Purple Mansion realm to beco an Immortal Venerable. This path had been fraught with imnse difficulty.
If a young cultivator could effortlessly achieve a high cultivation base relying purely on talent and luck—a realm that those grand cultivators had bled and suffered to reach—then wouldn't all the grand cultivators in the world be absolute fools?
The reason grand cultivators in high positions refused to leave clear ascending pathways for the draft horses below was simple: if those at the bottom rose to the top, they would snatch away the existing resources. The Reformist Faction wanted to redesign the resource allocation rules precisely for this reason.
Wang Yulou didn't fully comprehend the complex political disputes on the Gathering Immortals Platform, but he understood one truth with absolute clarity: he needed to create value in order for the rule-makers to view him as a piece with exploitable worth.
In a cultivation world where strength reigned supre and faction expansion had its hard limits, the immortals had no desire for their relatives and disciples to ascend and compete with them for resources. The Immortal Alliance existed to rule over cultivators, not to help them cultivate—and the exact sa was true for the sects.
Only individuals who demonstrated sufficient value could earn regard within this cage, thereby securing their own opportunities. This was exactly why Wang Yulou placed so much importance on the developnt of the Wang Family's Western Sea Branch.
The Wang Family's Western Sea Branch: the "Wang Family" represented his background, which provided reliable and relatively efficient backing; the "Western Sea" represented the boundless opportunities hidden within the region's gathering storm; and the "Branch" represented Wang Yulou's relatively independent authority.
For the first ti in his life, he had complete control over a faction. From its initial preparations to its future developnt, everything would be decided by his hand alone.
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