For cultivators, the entire cultivation process relied on two essential aids.
First were artifacts, and second were spiritual pills.
The forr served as a cultivator's protective treasures. With limited resources, conflicts were inevitable. The extre, ultimate form of these conflicts was eradicating an opponent's capacity for revenge—making physical elimination the baseline.
The latter served as bridges enabling cultivators to achieve deeper interaction with heaven and earth. Different bridges led to different shores; correspondingly, spiritual pills forged from different materials produced different effects.
Among high-grade spiritual pills, they were divided into two categories: treasure pills and immortal pills.
Most treasure pills never faced the threat of Heavenly Tribulations, while all immortal pills had to pass through that specific trial.
Although the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill had "treasure" in its na, its hidden property of "altering fate" ant heaven and earth would bestow special treatnt upon it—a Heavenly Tribulation.
Just as the tribulation clouds of the Heavenly Tribulation began surging above Western Sea Immortal City, the two True Persons were the first to realize sothing was wrong.
By the ti Wang Xianmao noticed the problem, it was already quite late.
Neither Western Sea Immortal City nor the entire Immortal Alliance had anything resembling a "power ranking"—Xihai Longhu constantly kept the phrase "Xihai Zhongcheng is the West Sea's number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator" on his lips.
Yuan Daoshen claid the title of number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator because he had the strength for it, and the situation in Dripdrop Cave was relatively simple; he rely did it to consolidate his power.
But looking at a bastard like Xihai Zhongcheng, did he look like a number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator?
Xihai Longhu was purely digging a pit for Xihai Zhongcheng!
Therefore, when it ca to the actual strength of various seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators, even they weren't entirely clear amongst themselves.
When Wang Xianmao realized sothing had happened and chose to directly violate the immortal city's rules by flying out of the Jade Palace Estate, over fifty seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators were already hovering in the skies above Western Sea Immortal City.
Among them, quite a few were already flying toward the outskirts of the immortal city—running away took priority, as not every spectacle could be casually watched!
These fifty-odd individuals could be viewed as a highly unique asure of strength, indicating that Wang Xianmao's power ranked at least in the top sixty within Western Sea Immortal City.
This was already very strong. After all, there were tens of thousands of cultivators inside and outside Western Sea Immortal City, with over a thousand at the Foundation Establishnt realm.
High in the sky above the immortal city, the sea of clouds gathered faster and faster. Seeing that the situation was awry, Wang Xianmao imdiately flew to the side of Mu Chunze and Yan Keren.
"Which Fellow Daoist is trying to open their Purple Palace?" Wang Xianmao asked.
Yan Keren looked toward Mu Chunze. This seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator had once paved the way for Wang Yulou during his wedding to Zhou Yingxi.
Between the two, Mu Chunze was sowhat stronger. Yan Keren, who was also a Foundation Establishnt cultivator from the Behemoth Lineage, was rely a fraction stronger than Wang Xianmao.
"No. It might be the Ancestral Master refining an elixir."
Mu Chunze shook his head as he replied.
"Refining an elixir brought forth a Heavenly Tribulation?" Yan Keren was sowhat speechless.
Immortal pills were peerless spiritual pills that only Golden Core True Persons could forge. He never imagined that the half-dead Zhou Bojiao could actually forge an immortal pill.
It seed that in the future, when interacting with Martial Uncle Bojiao and Fellow Daoist Chunze, he would have to be an extra degree more careful, Yan Keren pondered.
"Possibly."
Old Mu had a cautious and ticulous temperant, repeatedly only saying "possibly." Wang Xianmao shook his head, exchanged a few words via voice transmission with Xihai Longhu, and then returned to the Jade Palace Estate.
The West Sea had three True Persons permanently standing guard in Great Heaven. Even if the Heavenly Tribulation smote Zhou Bojiao to death, no major disaster would occur.
But for the current Wang Yulou and the Wang Clan, if Zhou Bojiao truly was smitten to death, the impact would be massive.
Extraordinary massive.
Hearing the news the Patriarch brought back, Wang Yulou was caught off guard.
Zhou Bojiao might be struck dead by a Heavenly Tribulation?
To Wang Yulou, this news ca far too suddenly.
How to describe it? It was like riding a train, eating hotpot, and singing songs with a beauty, only to suddenly be robbed by bandits—it carried the jarring contrast of a mudslide destroying a comic convention and incidentally crushing hundreds of unlucky otakus in the process.
Old Zhou, I've just set up my stall here in the West Sea. For you to die so quickly seems a bit inappropriate.
As Perfected Man Fujiao's beloved disciple, Wang Yulou naturally hoped that Zhou Bojiao wouldn't be smitten to death by the Heavenly Tribulation today.
If, just if, Zhou Bojiao really was going to kick the bucket, it would be best if he died after Wang Yulou successfully reached Foundation Establishnt and acquired a divine ability.
That way, he wouldn't have to serve as a human cauldron, and he could fully enjoy Zhou Bojiao's protection for many years.
Once Old Zhou died, he could conveniently go and serve Mang Xiang directly.
Being smitten to death right now ant the timing was quite off.
Of course, it wouldn't be too bad either. Not too bad.
After all, with Old Zhou gone, wouldn't the matter of rging Dao foundations to open the Purple Palace just co down to a contest of strength?
Fellow Daoist Yingxi was certainly a qualified Dao Companion, but the fate bringing the two of them together was too bizarre. Wang Yulou couldn't truly let love addle his brains.
'Patriarch, the possibility of him being smitten to death... how great is it?'
Wang Yulou weighed his words and asked via voice transmission.
'Hard to say. The main thing is, Perfected Man Fujiao didn't leak a single trace of news prior to refining this pill.
Logically speaking, only immortal pills can attract a Heavenly Tribulation, and that kind of pill requires at least ten days or more to forge.
It's too sudden. I can't see the situation clearly.'
Wang Xianmao analyzed in mild helplessness. Whether Zhou Bojiao lived or died involved massive stakes, and his own heart was drumming wildly, but he truly couldn't see through the situation.
Wang Yulou fell silent. He thought of Zhou Fangming purchasing demonic beast at and demonic beast blood essence pills—that was only two days ago.
So, had Zhou Bojiao forged a special pill with an extrely fast completion speed?
But based on Wang Yulou's understanding of alchemy, that sort of thing could not be rushed. The higher the grade of the treasure pill, the less it could be rushed.
The reason was simple: the material costs were too expensive, so every single step required caution.
If a furnace of Qi Induction Pills exploded, so be it; but slightly better pills involved costly material preparations.
The cost of these materials did not increase linearly with the pill's grade or rarity, but grew exponentially by orders of magnitude.
A furnace of Qi Induction Pills might only cost a dozen or so spirit stones, but a furnace of Foundation Establishnt Pills required a baseline cost of tens of thousands of spirit stones. Higher-grade ones, like the Golden Basin nding Pill, would cost well over hundreds of thousands of spirit stones—and many materials were priceless, completely unavailable on the market.
In truth, Wang Yulou hadn't guessed wrong. Just the Winter Glory Grass and the Life-and-Death Cicada Slough alone were legendary fifth-grade spiritual materials. The sixth-grade Spiritual Vein Kernel was so rare that every use permanently reduced its existence—that was a spiritual vein drawn right out of a Purple Palace grand cultivator's body!
Two days ago, Zhou Fangming was still helping Perfected Man Fujiao procure materials, yet now Perfected Man Fujiao's immortal pill had already been forged. This speed was bizarrely fast.
Of course it was bizarre. The dicinal effect of the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill was altering fate.
Its most basic effect was to heal a cultivator's injuries with domineering vitality and curative power.
But it actually possessed another special use: depending on the materials comprising the "blood marrow," it could acquire distinctively different functions.
For example, if Zhou Bojiao threw his filial descendants or elder kin into the elixir furnace, the resulting Blood Marrow Restoration Pill would gain the added function of elevating the aptitude of those from the Zhou Clan's direct lineage.
Naturally, its wondrous uses did not stop there. All those rare spiritual materials weren't used for nothing; the fact that the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill could attract a Heavenly Tribulation was a manifestation of its extraordinary might.
Inside the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence, the golden furnace magic treasure slowly rotated while being roasted by indigo flas. The chaotic situation outside failed to draw Zhou Bojiao's attention; he rely continued to concentrate on refining the pill.
He had reached the most critical mont. The main body of the treasure pill had already ford; it only lacked the final tracing of spirituality and dicinal power.
Controlling the indigo flas with swift and steady precision to finish the process, a pill radiating a demonic, purplish-red flowing light burst out of the furnace.
Zhou Bojiao put away the indigo flas. His pair of dead-white, flood dragon-corpse-like eyes reflected the demonic, purplish-red flowing light, flickering with erratic ripples.
"Haikuo, stay away."
Zhou Bojiao gave Li Haikuo a brief warning, then controlled the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill to proactively rush toward the tribulation clouds that had not yet fully ford.
Jumping the gun was exactly like this: under the condition of extrely rapid pill formation, the power of the Heavenly Tribulation would be vastly reduced.
Why did Zhou Bojiao forge it in such a rush?
Because he abandoned all the healing dicinal power of the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill, leaving only the special dicinal power brought about by those Zhou Clan mbers.
Li Haikuo carefully observed the details of the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill while shooting away like lightning toward the edge of the immortal city.
Noticing the noisy, panicked chaos among the many cultivators in the city, Li Haikuo frowned and spoke.
"Do not panic. Perfected Man Fujiao is refining an elixir and has attracted a Heavenly Tribulation. It is not a demonic beast attack."
'Jiuqu, Mu Chunze, what are you doing? Hurry and maintain stability in the city!'
While outwardly pacifying the people in the city, Haikuo Zhenren secretly reprimanded those Foundation Establishnt cultivators who did not know how to share the True Persons' burdens.
With this, the city was no longer chaotic.
However, Zhou Yingxi, who was currently leading the people of the Punishnt Court in investigating a case, only belatedly learned through Li Haikuo's words that the Zhou Clan's ancestor, Zhou Bojiao, was refining an elixir—yes, she had not been refined into it.
"Fellow Daoist Yingxi, why don't you go back and wait for news first? We can handle the specific investigation details.
Of course, we will absolutely not forget Fellow Daoist Jade Palace's guidance—please rest assured."
The underlings of the Punishnt Court were all sensible. Upon hearing Haikuo Zhenren's words, so of the more attentive ones imdiately began to proactively curry favor with Zhou Yingxi.
Do not misunderstand; it was not that kind of currying favor. Zhou Yingxi's Dao Companion was Wang Yulou. How could these people dare to harbor any improper thoughts about her? Those as naive as Lian Chengxian were ultimately in the minority.
When Zhou Yingxi arrived at the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence, she saw that all the servants in the estate had been driven to the front courtyard. She felt doubtful but did not ask much, as this was only a minor matter.
Walking all the way deep into the residence, Zhou Yingxi gradually realized that there seed to be sowhat few people.
No, not just sowhat few. At this mont, she couldn't see a single one of the clan elders and siblings she would normally encounter.
Of course not. They had all been refined into the treasure pill by the Zhou Clan's ancestor. Let alone their figures, even their auras had been casually wiped away by Zhou Bojiao.
However, Zhou Yingxi thought that these clan mbers might have gone to observe the ancestor refining the elixir.
For artifact refining, Wang Yulou's water and fire were not the best. The best was actually tal fire, followed by earth fire, then water fire and wood fire, and then ca Wang Yu'an.
But alchemy was different. Fire-thod alchemy was not the optimal alchemy thod; the optimal one was the water thod.
Zhou Bojiao was a grand cultivator highly skilled in alchemy. In cultivation, he possessed twin mastery over water and wood, which allowed him to perfectly regulate dicinal properties during alchemy.
The water thod could excellently control the details. The indigo flas Zhou Bojiao used during alchemy were the Gui Water Renewing Green Fla divine ability.
This divine ability combined the multiple natures of water, wood, and fire. It was a special divine ability that only a Purple Palace grand cultivator practicing the old cultivation arts of Heaven-Man Resonance could master. During alchemy, it possessed both the fiery nature of the fire thod and the special nature of water and wood.
With an alchemy grandmaster like Zhou Bojiao refining an elixir, it was only natural for the Zhou family mbers to go to his side and observe.
Yingxi entered the backyard, only to be stopped by the exquisite formation array set up by Zhou Bojiao.
"Bojiao, you still have so humanity, not completely exterminating your own family." Jin Shan noticed Zhou Yingxi walking over and spoke with no lack of mockery.
Among grand cultivators, they often could do nothing to each other.
Regardless of the era, every grand cultivator who could climb to that level was a figure with extrely extraordinary strength, power, background, and talent.
Therefore, the conflicts between them were often expressed more nakedly—there was no need for scruples, just fight.
No grand cultivator was a true coward, so when facing the two True Persons of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Jin Shan would reveal a performance similar to Tianshe on the Gathering Immortals Platform.
This did not an Jin Shan was stupid; it simply ant he was not afraid, and pretending to be harmonious was aningless.
Zhou Bojiao and Li Haikuo blatantly sold official titles without giving Jin Shan a single share. Such a thing was no different from humiliation.
They were simply certain that a grand cultivator directly under the Immortal Alliance like Jin Shan would not and dared not cause trouble at the critical juncture of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Immortal Venerable Mangxiang achieving the Dao.
The structure of the Immortal Alliance was that the Conservative Faction, which founded the Immortal Alliance, took more than their fair share under the rules' bias, while the direct grand cultivators who did the daily work of the Immortal Alliance, such as Qingrui, Jin Shan, and Qionghai, took their normal shares—leaving the Reformist Faction to suffer the losses.
Thus, Jin Shan dared not act recklessly. If he accidentally beca a pawn of the Reformist Faction, there was even a possibility of him dying—which was why he was worried about the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case blowing up.
"Jin Shan, you understand nothing. Don't think that just because you beca True Person Longhu, you can truly control the West Sea.
This is our Wunan's West Sea, not the Immortal Alliance's West Sea. You are just an outsider."
Snubbed, Jin Shan instead noticed the phrase "Wunan's West Sea."
Wunan's West Sea... Immortal Venerable Lianpeng was from Wunan, Qionghai Perfected One was also originally from Wunan, and True Person Qiu was also under the tutelage of Qingrui.
Shen Guang did not favor . The Red Lantern Illumination Sect wanted to reclaim the four thousand miles of the West Sea, so they also did not favor , soone directly under the Immortal Alliance.
Wang Yulou, the spearhead advancing on five fronts, was also Zhou Bojiao's disciple...
Thinking of this, an indescribable unease suddenly grew in Jin Shan's heart.
This Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case couldn't have been orchestrated by Zhou Bojiao just to ss with , could it?
It made sense—ss with , ss with Shen Guang, while simultaneously expanding the power and influence of the Punishnt Court and Information Gathering Court for Wang Yulou.
Once Wang Yulou reached Foundation Establishnt in the future, Zhou Bojiao's two sons-in-law would both be in key positions to help him control the West Sea.
With these two leading at the front, and the vassal families of the Zhou Clan brought up to tag along, even if Zhou Bojiao killed off the entire Zhou Clan direct lineage, he wouldn't have to worry about having no one to use.
The more he thought about it, the more alard he beca. At this mont, Jin Shan completely lost interest in paying attention to the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill under the Heavenly Tribulation. He fell into deep thought.
The chaotic situation in the West Sea was just this ssy—so ssy that sotis even grand cultivators couldn't see it clearly.
Under normal circumstances, a nonsensical trivial matter like the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case absolutely couldn't endanger the stability of a grand cultivator like Jin Shan. But if the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was pushing it, that was another matter entirely.
Taking office in the West Sea was already unlucky enough, and now he was swept up in such a chaotic ss. How could Jin Shan not be afraid?
——
Standing in the courtyard of the Jade Palace Estate, Wang Yulou could see a speck of red light shooting out from the distant Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
No, to be precise, it should be purplish-red—a bloody, demonic purplish-red.
That immortal pill fresh out of the furnace carried an intense fragrance. Even from far away, Wang Yulou was affected by the pungent scent, to the point where his heart felt terribly agitated.
Moreover, the purplish-red light harbored a nauseating sense of demonic allure, which also made Wang Yulou very uncomfortable.
"Patriarch, what is going on with this immortal pill?"
From what Wang Yulou understood, immortal pills were often accompanied by a refreshing pill fragrance and radiated auspicious rosy light; one look was all it took to know it was the ultimate supre grade among pills.
"High-grade pills often have their own unique characteristics. Any appearance is quite normal."
Wang Xianmao replied with a frown.
Quite normal?
Normal my ass!
Looking at the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill's state, did it seem normal?
Wang Xianmao was afraid of speaking out of line and having Zhou Bojiao overhear, thus leaving a black mark against the Wang Clan.
In truth, this was simply a blind spot in the Wang Clan's knowledge. The phenonon exuded by the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill was rely because Zhou Bojiao's opportunistic, gun-jumping approach to alchemy was detested by heaven and earth, thus making the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill appear so "inauspicious."
The two of them, separated by a great distance, attentively watched the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill in the sky as it gradually approached the tribulation clouds.
The speed at which the tribulation clouds gathered was not slow, but Zhou Bojiao's opportunistic thod of abandoning most of the dicinal power to form the pill bought the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill a massive relative advantage.
The spiritual vitality of the treasure pill was proactively linked to the spiritual vitality of the tribulation clouds by Zhou Bojiao. When it neared the clouds, the clouds—representing heaven and earth—were forced to prematurely release the wrath belonging to heaven and earth.
Golden tribulation lightning, like a maddened golden dragon, shot out from the clouds toward the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill.
As the forger of this pill, Zhou Bojiao proactively rushed up to et it.
A black flood dragon surged out from the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence. Under Zhou Bojiao's control, the massive flood dragon corpse soared straight into the heavens and crashed into the golden lightning.
"Good!"
Jin Shan called out "good"—the kind filled with furious undertones.
As it turned out, Zhou Bojiao had utilized the high-grade spirit treasure bestowed upon the Treasure-Wielding True Person by the Immortal Alliance: the Vajra Pillar.
A high-grade spirit treasure, an existence above magic treasures.
The Vajra Pillar itself was forged using third-grade Immortal Stone in Aperture as its primary material.
A third-grade Immortal Stone in Aperture took Eight Thousand Years to be born in Nine Apertures Valley, and it could be used to forge legendary immortal artifacts.
This spirit treasure was placed in the West Sea to fend off Demon Kings, yet at this mont, Zhou Bojiao was using it to forcefully ram into the tribulation lightning.
The black flood dragon, carrying the power of the spirit treasure, shattered the golden tribulation lightning with just a single strike.
After the colliding might of the spirit treasure and the Heavenly Tribulation dispersed, it swept across the entire Western Sea Immortal City like a gale of death.
This was a veritable wind of death. If Qi Refining cultivators were even grazed by it, they would be instantly severely injured. Those unreliably built structures in the immortal city were swept into ruins by the wind.
The Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the immortal city had been warned by Li Haikuo. They hurriedly raised their divine abilities, and those without divine abilities summoned their spiritual energy, assisting the cultivators near the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence in resisting this terrifying aftermath.
But it was also after this strike that Jin Shan could no longer endure it.
'Zhou Bojiao, if you recklessly use the Vajra Pillar again, do not bla for not giving you face.
The accumulated spirituality of this treasure was prepared to protect the West Sea, not for you to misuse public property for private gain!'
A spirit treasure's spirituality could naturally accumulate. If the spirituality accumulated by the Vajra Pillar was mostly used up by Zhou Bojiao, its might to suppress Demon Kings would weaken significantly.
If the West Sea fell into chaos when the ti ca, he, True Person Longhu Jin Shan, would be the first to take the bla!
'Just one more ti. The power of this Heavenly Tribulation is weak. Don't worry, Old Jin, stop being so fussy.'
The Immortal Alliance prioritized serving grand cultivators. Perfected Man Fujiao didn't feel this minor matter required reporting to the Immortal Alliance; it was a waste not to use it. He couldn't possibly use his own magic treasure to block the first few waves of the Heavenly Tribulation, could he?
The power of a Heavenly Tribulation went from strong to weak; the very first strike was the strongest. As long as he used the Vajra Pillar to withstand two strikes, the ones that followed would no longer be an issue.
At the Jade Palace Estate, looking at the chaos left behind by the sweeping wind, Yulou stood within the Patriarch's divine ability and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"Taking the Heavenly Tribulation head-on... Given the Ancestral Master's strength, if he weren't injured, he would likely be top-tier in this world."
Wang Xianmao nodded slightly and said.
"Yes, however... refining an elixir in Western Sea Immortal City, and facing a lightning tribulation in Western Sea Immortal City... doing such a thing, sigh."
Zhou Bojiao's bearing as he took the lightning tribulation head-on was extrely awe-inspiring, but under the sweep of the wind of death, Western Sea Immortal City was as chaotic as if it had been ravaged by a horde of demons.
Countless Qi Refining cultivators were severely injured, and many Qi Induction cultivators who couldn't dodge in ti were instantly swept to death.
And this was even the result after Li Haikuo had reminded the Immortal Alliance's Foundation Establishnt cultivators to do their duty.
Another gust of the wind of death swept past, its power much weaker than the first wave. This was Perfected Man Fujiao withstanding the second wave of the Heavenly Tribulation.
This ti, under the Patriarch fully exerting his divine ability, the Jade Palace Estate was not affected any further.
After all, the Jade Palace Estate was quite so distance away from the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence, far from the epicenter where the Heavenly Tribulation struck.
Facing the sowhat flagging third strike of the Heavenly Tribulation, Zhou Bojiao put away the Vajra Pillar and chose to deal with it using his own magic treasure.
It was a beautiful curved blade, similar to the one Wang Yulou had seen on the canopy in the Prefecture Cultivator's Manor at Clear Stream Market when he first t Zhou Yingxi, flashing with a watery spiritual light.
"The Gui Water Dragon Slaying Blade, Perfected Man Fujiao's magic treasure. We should have guessed it earlier."
Wang Xianmao didn't say what they should have guessed, but Wang Yulou understood the Patriarch's aning.
Yulou sighed faintly in his heart.
It seed that this lightning tribulation wasn't going to smite Zhou Bojiao to death today.
It was hard to say whether this was a good or bad thing. Regardless, Yulou's mood was complicated.
To think that the half-dead Zhou Bojiao could forcefully withstand the Heavenly Tribulation. The power of a grand cultivator was indeed extraordinary.
Because the tribulation clouds of the Heavenly Tribulation had never fully gathered, rely having just begun, the power of the tribulation lightning was also quite weak in its follow-up.
After Zhou Bojiao summoned the Gui Water Dragon Slaying Blade, he smoothly slashed apart all the remaining tribulation lightning.
When the tribulation clouds dispersed, that Blood Marrow Restoration Pill shielded by Zhou Bojiao was finally considered completely forged.
By this point, heaven and earth's revulsion toward this pill had been scattered by Zhou Bojiao strike after strike. It no longer emitted that irritating scent, nor that demonic light.
The red treasure pill was the size of an infant's fist, sowhere between a quail egg and a chicken egg. Its entire body was covered in countless tiny pores, within which flowed dense spiritual vitality.
That spiritual vitality resembled a beating heart. The entire Blood Marrow Restoration Pill seed to possess a life of its own, even proactively absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
"Congratulations to the Ancestral Master on forging the immortal pill!"
Wang Yulou flew forward, calling out loudly as he hurried in Zhou Bojiao's direction.
It was similar to applauding at a grand assembly; a sharp-witted fellow was always needed to take the lead.
Wang Yulou flying within Western Sea Immortal City was, of course, a violation of Western Sea Immortal City's rules, but at this mont, no one would rebuke him.
Under Wang Yulou's lead, voices of congratulation for Perfected Man Fujiao resounded throughout the immortal city.
An immortal pill—an immortal pill that attracted a Heavenly Tribulation.
Who knew what kind of immortal pill it was, or what effects taking it would have.
At this mont, the yearning for achieving the Dao among the multitude of cultivators in the immortal city reached its peak.
As for those unlucky souls swept to death by the aftermath of the Heavenly Tribulation...
There were always so things that couldn't satisfy everyone. Soone always had to beco the price.
The dead had passed on, while the living still had to survive in the Immortal Alliance. Sotis, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear was actually a form of self-protection.
A mont later, at the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
Wang Yulou was equally surprised to find that those mbers of the Zhou Clan's direct lineage who had accompanied Zhou Bojiao to take office in the West Sea seed to have all gone out.
He didn't overthink it, rely hurrying headlong to the Ancestral Master's location—to continue offering congratulations, and to conveniently ask for his support at a ti when Zhou Bojiao's mood might be good after successfully forging an immortal pill.
The combat arena was already under construction. Xihai Qingfeng's n were working day and night to finish it.
Once completed in the future, if they could request a Sacred Decree from Perfected Man Fujiao to be placed in the combat arena, wouldn't the arena's developnt beco even more boundless?
After all, when trying to make it in the cultivation world, a True Person's support was often far more critical than the results of one's own hard work.
Hard work was highly valuable, but hard work alone was not enough.
"Ancestral Master, Yulou congratulates Ancestral Master on taking one step closer to the Great Dao!"
Wang Yulou nodded to Zhou Yingxi, choosing to congratulate first before bringing up his own matters.
"Yulou opened a..."
Zhou Bojiao interrupted Wang Yulou's nonsense.
To him, whether it was congratulations or requests, it was all nonsense.
"Cut down on ssing around with those pointless things. You and Yingxi, your primary task right now is reaching Foundation Establishnt,"
Perfected Man Fujiao said calmly.
Wang Yulou was sowhat stunned, but he naturally wouldn't dare contradict Zhou Bojiao—it wasn't cowardice; the gap between the two was simply too large. Contradicting him was akin to a futile effort.
"Ancestral Master, Yulou understands. Upon returning, I will definitely cultivate diligently and reach Foundation Establishnt at an early date."
Ignoring Wang Yulou, Zhou Bojiao then spoke to Zhou Yingxi.
"You as well. Reach Foundation Establishnt at an early date. Go back, and together with Wang Yulou, cultivate well."
Zhou Yingxi would naturally obey the ancestor's instructions, but she had a question.
"Ancestor, why haven't I seen the other clan mbers in the residence? Where is Uncle Liangzhuo? Where is Uncle Fangming?
Did they suddenly go back?"
She did not suspect that Zhou Bojiao had refined his filial descendants—she couldn't even imagine it. It was rely doubt.
"Yes. I assigned them quite a few tasks, so they will be leaving the West Sea for a period of ti. They left in a hurry, so they probably didn't have ti to notify you."
Taking Zhou Yingxi with him, he left the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
Wang Yulou acted exactly as usual, continuing his cultivation in the Jade Palace Estate.
In the evening, he gathered with the Patriarch, Zheng Yan, Wang Rongyuan, and the others to discuss the arrangent of the Wang Clan's properties in the West Sea.
It was only in the dead of night, behind the red gauze canopy.
Husband and wife, just as usual, first partook in so bedroom intimacy before preparing to rest.
But Zhou Yingxi constantly felt that the Wang Yulou of today seed to have changed his attitude toward her.
"The ancestor forged an immortal pill; what a great thing~"
She clung to Wang Yulou and spoke with a aningful smile.
What Fellow Daoist Yingxi thought was that having seen the imnse aura of her ancestor forging an immortal pill and withstanding a Heavenly Tribulation, Wang Yulou now knew fear, and understood who held the higher and lower statuses in the household.
Inside the pitch-black room, a cultivator's strength allowed Yulou to easily see this silly girl's expression.
He held Yingxi gently, without speaking.
Zhou Yingxi suddenly noticed that her husband's eyes were actually welling with tears.
"What's wrong? I didn't an it that way, Yulou, I..."
At this mont, Wang Yulou no longer had any scruples.
Scruples were aningless.
Zhou Bojiao was playing with an open hand.
"Yingxi, if one day you discovered you were living in a massive scam, what would you do?"
"What are you talking about? Why can't I understand?"
Wang Yulou fell silent.
He had guessed the truth.
He was not a cauldron gifted to the Zhou Clan by Mang Xiang to let Zhou Yingxi open her Purple Palace.
Rather, he was Zhou Bojiao's cauldron.
"Do not panic. Perfected Man Fujiao is refining an elixir and has attracted a Heavenly Tribulation. It is not a demonic beast attack."
'Jiuqu, Mu Changze, what are you doing? Hurry up and stabilize the city!'
While publicly soothing the city's residents, Haikuo Zhenren secretly and ruthlessly chewed out all the Foundation Establishnt cultivators who had failed to share the True Persons' burdens.
With this, the chaos in the city subsided.
However, Zhou Yingxi, who was currently leading the Punishnt Court in investigating a case, only belatedly learned from Li Haikuo's words that the Zhou Clan's ancestor, Zhou Fujiao, was refining an elixir—and that she, at least, had avoided being refined into it.
"Fellow Daoist Yingxi, why don't you head back first and wait for news? We can handle the specifics of the investigation.
"Of course, we will never forget Fellow Daoist Jade Palace's guidance. Please rest assured."
The subordinates in the Punishnt Court were all tactful. Upon hearing Haikuo Zhenren's words, the more astute among them imdiately began currying favor with Zhou Yingxi.
Make no mistake, it wasn't romantic fawning. Zhou Yingxi's Dao Companion was Wang Yulou; how could these people dare harbor any inappropriate thoughts about her? Ultimately, naive fools like Lian Chengxian were in the minority.
By the ti Zhou Yingxi arrived at the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence, she saw that all the estate's servants had been herded into the front courtyard. She felt puzzled but didn't ask any questions, as it seed like a trivial matter.
Walking deeper into the estate, Zhou Yingxi gradually realized the grounds were far too empty.
No, not just empty. The elder kin and siblings she would normally bump into were nowhere to be seen.
Of course they weren't. They had all already been refined into the treasure pill by the Zhou Clan's ancestor. Let alone their physical presence, Zhou Fujiao had casually wiped away even their residual auras.
However, Zhou Yingxi rely assud that her clan mbers had gone to observe the ancestor's alchemy.
For artifact refining, Wang Yulou's water and fire affinities were not considered the best. The optimal combination was tal and fire, followed by earth and fire, then water and fire, or wood and fire. Wang Yu'an ca sowhere after that.
But alchemy was different. Fire-based alchemy was not the supre thod; the water thod was.
Zhou Fujiao was a grand cultivator highly skilled in the alchemical arts. He possessed twin absolute talents in water and wood, which allowed him to perfectly regulate dicinal properties during the refining process.
The water thod offered flawless control over the finest details. The indigo flas Zhou Fujiao used for alchemy were the manifestation of his divine ability, the Gui Water Continuing Green Fla.
This divine ability combined the properties of water, wood, and fire. It was a special technique that could only be mastered by Purple Palace grand cultivators who practiced the ancient cultivation arts of Heavenly Resonance. During alchemy, it provided both the intense heat of fire thods and the unique nurturing qualities of water and wood.
When an alchemy grandmaster like Zhou Fujiao refined an elixir, it was only natural for the Zhou Clan mbers to gather and observe.
Yingxi entered the back courtyard but was stopped by an exquisite formation array set up by Zhou Fujiao.
"Fujiao, you still have a shred of humanity left, not slaughtering your own family to the very last soul," Jin Shan remarked with unconcealed mockery upon noticing Zhou Yingxi's approach.
Between grand cultivators, it was often the case that neither side could truly do anything to the other.
In any era, every grand cultivator who managed to climb to the top was a figure possessing extraordinary strength, influence, background, and innate talent.
As a result, their conflicts often manifested in a much more naked manner—there was no need for scruples; they would just fight.
Not a single grand cultivator was a true coward. Thus, when facing the two True Persons of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Jin Shan displayed behavior similar to Tianshe on the Gathering Immortals Platform.
This didn't an Jin Shan was stupid; he simply wasn't afraid. Pretending to be harmonious held no aning.
Zhou Fujiao and Li Haikuo had flagrantly sold official titles and ranks without giving Jin Shan a single cut. That was no different from outright humiliation.
They were absolutely certain that a direct Immortal Alliance grand cultivator like Jin Shan wouldn't dare stir up trouble at the critical juncture of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Immortal Venerable Mangxiang achieving the Dao.
The Immortal Alliance's power dynamic dictated that the Conservative Faction, which had founded the alliance, hoarded the lion's share of resources through biased rules. Direct grand cultivators who handled the daily grunt work—like Qingrui, Jin Shan, and Qionghai—received standard shares, while the Reformist Faction actively suffered losses.
Because of this, Jin Shan dared not act recklessly. If he accidentally beca a pawn of the Reformist Faction, he might very well die—which was exactly why he feared the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case blowing up.
"Jin Shan, you don't understand anything. Don't think that just because you beca True Person Longhu, you can truly control the West Sea.
"This is the West Sea of our Wunan, not the West Sea of the Immortal Alliance. You are nothing but an outsider."
Rebuffed so bluntly, Jin Shan nonetheless took notice of the phrase: 'the West Sea of our Wunan.'
'Wunan's West Sea...' Immortal Venerable Lianpeng was from Wunan, Qionghai Perfected One also hailed from Wunan, and True Person Qiu was under the tutelage of Qingrui.
'Shen Guang despises , and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect wants to reclaim four thousand li of the West Sea, so they don't welco a direct subordinate of the Immortal Alliance like either.'
'The spearhead of the five-pronged advance, Wang Yulou, is Zhou Fujiao's disciple...'
At this thought, an indescribable, unfathomable sense of unease suddenly welled up in Jin Shan's heart.
'Could this Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case be sothing Zhou Fujiao manufactured specifically to screw over?'
It made perfect sense—to screw him over, to screw Shen Guang over, and simultaneously expand the power and influence of Wang Yulou's Information Gathering Court and the Punishnt Court.
Once Wang Yulou reached Foundation Establishnt in the future, the two sons-in-law of the Zhou Clan would both be in key positions to help Zhou Fujiao control the West Sea.
With these two standing at the forefront, the Zhou Clan's vassal families could be pulled along. This way, even if he slaughtered the entire direct lineage of the Zhou Clan, Zhou Fujiao wouldn't have to worry about lacking capable subordinates.
The more he thought about it, the more horrified he beca. Jin Shan completely lost all interest in the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill braving the Heavenly Tribulation, sinking into deep contemplation instead.
The political landscape in the West Sea was truly a chaotic ss—so convoluted that sotis even grand cultivators couldn't see through the fog.
Under normal circumstances, a ridiculous farce like the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case could never threaten the stability of a grand cultivator like Jin Shan. But if the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was the one pulling the strings, that was an entirely different story.
Taking up a post in the West Sea was already bad luck; now that he was embroiled in such a deadly vortex, how could Jin Shan not feel a trace of fear?
——
Standing in the courtyard of the Jade Palace Estate, Wang Yulou could see a speck of red light bursting from the distant Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
No, to be precise, it was purplish-red—a demonic, blood-tinged purplish-red.
That newly forged immortal pill carried a thick, cloying fragrance. Even from far away, Wang Yulou was affected by the pungent scent, feeling an intense, inexplicable irritation welling up in his heart.
Beyond that, the purplish-red light concealed a nauseatingly demonic aura that left Wang Yulou feeling deeply uncomfortable.
"Patriarch, what is going on with this immortal pill?"
From what Wang Yulou understood, immortal pills were usually accompanied by a refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance and radiated an auspicious glowing mist, making it obvious at a glance that they were supre treasures.
"High-grade pills often have their own unique characteristics. Any kind of visual anomaly is quite normal,"
Wang Xianmao replied, his brow furrowed.
'Quite normal?'
'Normal my ass!'
Just looking at the grotesque appearance of that Blood Marrow Restoration Pill, did it seem remotely normal?
Wang Xianmao was simply afraid that speaking too bluntly would be overheard by Zhou Fujiao, who might then record a black mark against the Wang Clan.
In truth, this was simply a blind spot in the Wang Clan's knowledge. The anomalous signs exuded by the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill occurred solely because Zhou Fujiao's opportunistic, rushed thod of forging had incurred the rejection and loathing of heaven and earth. That was why the pill looked so wretched.
From a great distance, the two of them focused intently on the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill as it floated toward the tribulation clouds gathering in the sky.
The tribulation clouds were gathering at a decent speed, but Zhou Fujiao's opportunistic thod of sacrificing most of the dicinal efficacy to rapidly form the pill had won the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill a massive head start.
Zhou Fujiao proactively linked the treasure pill's spiritual vitality to that of the tribulation clouds. As the pill approached, the clouds—representing the will of heaven and earth—were forced to prematurely unleash their fury.
The golden tribulation lightning resembled a frenzied, giant golden dragon, shooting from the clouds straight toward the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill.
As the pill's creator, Zhou Fujiao proactively charged upward to intercept the strike.
A black flood dragon surged out from the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence. Under Zhou Fujiao's control, the massive dragon corpse soared into the sky and smashed directly into the golden lightning.
"Good!"
Jin Shan actually shouted "Good!"—a shout completely fueled by fury.
As it turned out, Zhou Fujiao had mobilized the high-grade spirit treasure bestowed upon the Treasure-Wielding True Person by the Immortal Alliance: the Vajra Pillar.
A high-grade spirit treasure was an existence that stood far above regular magic treasures.
The Vajra Pillar itself was forged using a third-grade Immortal Stone in Aperture as its primary material.
A third-grade Immortal Stone in Aperture was a supre treasure that Nine Apertures Valley could only produce once every eight thousand years. It possessed the potential to forge legendary immortal artifacts.
This spirit treasure had been placed in the West Sea to resist Demon Kings, yet Zhou Fujiao was now using it to forcefully smash against the tribulation lightning.
Empowered by the spirit treasure, the black flood dragon shattered the golden tribulation lightning with a single strike.
As the lightning dissipated, the shockwave from the collision between the spirit treasure and the Heavenly Tribulation swept over the entire Western Sea Immortal City like a gale of death.
It was a true wind of death. If Qi Refining cultivators were even grazed by it, they would instantly be heavily injured. As for the flimsily constructed buildings in the immortal city, the gale reduced them entirely to ruins.
The Foundation Establishnt cultivators in the immortal city had been warned in advance by Li Haikuo, so they hurriedly deployed their divine abilities. Those without divine abilities channeled their spiritual energy to help the cultivators near the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence resist the terrifying shockwave.
But it was also after this single strike that Jin Shan could no longer hold back.
"Zhou Fujiao, if you recklessly misuse the Vajra Pillar again, don't bla for not giving you face.
The accumulated spirituality of this treasure was ant to guard the West Sea, not for you to abuse public resources for personal gain!"
"I'll only use it one more ti. This Heavenly Tribulation lacks power. Don't worry, Old Jin, stop nagging."
The Immortal Alliance prioritized serving grand cultivators, so Perfected Man Fujiao didn't feel that such a minor matter warranted a report. Not using it would be a waste; it wasn't as if he was going to use his own magic treasure to tank the first few waves of the Heavenly Tribulation.
The power of a Heavenly Tribulation diminished over ti, aning the very first strike was always the strongest. As long as he used the Vajra Pillar to endure the first two strikes, the rest wouldn't be an issue.
At the Jade Palace Estate, looking at the chaos the gale had wrought upon the courtyard, Yulou stood protected within the Patriarch's divine ability and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"Forcefully tanking a Heavenly Tribulation... With the Ancestral Master's strength, if he weren't injured, he would likely be top-tier across the world."
Wang Xianmao nodded slightly. "Indeed. However... refining an elixir in Western Sea Immortal City, facing a lightning tribulation in Western Sea Immortal City... such a thing, sigh."
Zhou Fujiao's bearing as he forcefully withstood the lightning tribulation possessed imnse grandeur, but beneath the sweep of the death gale, Western Sea Immortal City was left as chaotic as if a horde of demons had ravaged it.
Countless Qi Refining cultivators were heavily injured, and many Qi Induction cultivators who failed to dodge in ti were outright swept to their deaths.
And this was the result even after Li Haikuo had warned the Immortal Alliance's Foundation Establishnt cultivators to fulfill their duties.
Another gale of death swept through, though its power was much weaker than the first. This ant that Perfected Man Fujiao had successfully withstood the second wave of the Heavenly Tribulation.
This ti, with the Patriarch fully unleashing his divine ability, the Jade Palace Estate remained untouched.
After all, the Jade Palace Estate was still quite a distance from the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence, far from the epicenter of the Heavenly Tribulation.
Facing the sowhat weakened third strike of the Heavenly Tribulation, Zhou Fujiao put away the Vajra Pillar and chose to use his own magic treasure.
It was a beautiful curved blade, very similar to the one Wang Yulou had seen embroidered on the drapery in the Prefecture Cultivator's Manor at Clear Stream Market when he first t Zhou Yingxi, shimring with a watery spiritual light.
"The Gui Water Dragon Slaying Blade, Perfected Man Fujiao's magic treasure. We should have guessed it earlier."
Wang Xianmao didn't specify what they should have guessed, but Wang Yulou understood the Patriarch's aning.
Yulou sighed softly in his heart.
It looked like today's lightning tribulation was not going to smite Zhou Fujiao to death after all.
It was hard to say whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. In short, Yulou's mood was incredibly complicated.
For a half-dead Zhou Fujiao to actually forcefully withstand a Heavenly Tribulation... the power of a grand cultivator truly was extraordinary.
Because the Heavenly Tribulation's clouds had never fully gathered, having only just ford, the tribulation lightning sorely lacked follow-up strength.
After Zhou Fujiao brought out the Gui Water Dragon Slaying Blade, he smoothly slashed apart the remaining tribulation lightning.
When the tribulation clouds dispersed, the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill, protected by Zhou Fujiao, was finally complete.
By now, the world's loathing for this pill had been scattered by Zhou Fujiao's repeated strikes. It no longer emitted that pungent fragrance or that demonic light.
The red treasure pill was roughly the size of an infant's fist, sowhere between a quail egg and a chicken egg. Its entire surface was covered in countless tiny apertures, and within these apertures, dense spiritual vitality circulated endlessly.
That spiritual vitality pulsed like a beating heart. The entire Blood Marrow Restoration Pill seed alive, proactively absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth.
"Congratulations to the Ancestral Master on forging an immortal pill!"
Wang Yulou flew forward, rushing in Zhou Fujiao's direction while shouting loudly.
It was much like applauding at a grand assembly; soone clever always needed to take the lead.
For Wang Yulou to fly within Western Sea Immortal City was naturally a violation of the rules, but at this mont, no one would reprimand him.
Following Wang Yulou's lead, a chorus of congratulations directed at Perfected Man Fujiao rang out across the immortal city.
An immortal pill—an immortal pill that had attracted a Heavenly Tribulation.
No one knew what kind of immortal pill it was or what effects it would have upon consumption.
The yearning for the Great Dao among the nurous cultivators in the immortal city reached its absolute peak in that mont.
As for those unlucky souls swept to their deaths by the Heavenly Tribulation's aftershocks...
There were always things that could not satisfy everyone; there would always be people who paid the price.
The dead had passed on, while the living still had to survive within the Immortal Alliance. Sotis, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear was simply a form of self-protection.
A mont later, at the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
Wang Yulou was surprised to discover that all the Zhou Clan's direct lineage mbers who had followed Zhou Fujiao to take office in the West Sea seed to be out.
He didn't think too much of it, rely lowering his head and hurrying toward his Ancestral Master. He intended to continue his congratulations and conveniently use this mont—when Zhou Fujiao's mood ought to be excellent after forging an immortal pill—to beg for his support.
The combat arena was already under construction, and Xihai Qingfeng's people were working day and night to rush the job.
Once it was finished, if he could request a Sacred Decree from Perfected Man Fujiao to display inside, wouldn't the arena's future prospects be boundlessly bright?
After all, when scraping by in the cultivation world, the backing of a True Person was often far more crucial than the results of one's own hard work.
Hard work had great value, but hard work alone was never enough.
"Ancestral Master, Yulou congratulates the Ancestral Master for stepping one step closer to the Great Dao!"
Wang Yulou nodded to Zhou Yingxi, choosing to offer his congratulations before bringing up his own matters.
"Yulou has opened a... within the immortal city."
Zhou Fujiao interrupted Wang Yulou's prattle.
To him, whether it was congratulations or requests, it was all nonsense.
"Stop ssing around with these pointless matters. For you and Yingxi, your foremost priority right now is Foundation Establishnt,"
Perfected Man Fujiao said calmly.
Wang Yulou was sowhat stunned, but naturally, he dared not contradict Zhou Fujiao—not out of cowardice, but simply because the disparity between them was too vast. Contradicting him would be like hitting a stone with an egg.
"Ancestral Master, Yulou understands. Upon returning, I will definitely cultivate diligently and achieve Foundation Establishnt at an early date."
Ignoring Wang Yulou, Zhou Fujiao turned to Zhou Yingxi.
"You as well. Achieve Foundation Establishnt early. Go back, and cultivate well alongside Wang Yulou."
Naturally, Zhou Yingxi would obey the ancestor's instructions. However, she had a question.
"Ancestor, why didn't I see any other clan mbers in the estate? Where is Uncle Liangzhuo? And Uncle Fangming?
Did they suddenly head back?"
She did not suspect that Zhou Fujiao had refined his own filial descendants and kin—such a thing was simply unthinkable. She was rely puzzled.
"Yes. I assigned them quite a few tasks, so they will be leaving the West Sea for a while. They left in a hurry, so they probably didn't have ti to inform you."
He took Zhou Yingxi and left the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence.
Wang Yulou behaved exactly as usual, continuing to cultivate in the Jade Palace Estate.
By evening, he gathered with the Patriarch, Zheng Yan, Wang Rongyuan, and the others to discuss the Wang Clan's business arrangents in the West Sea.
It wasn't until the dead of night, behind the red gauze drapery...
The husband and wife acted as usual, first sharing a session of intimacy before preparing to rest.
But Zhou Yingxi couldn't shake the feeling that Wang Yulou's attitude toward her had undergone a subtle change today.
"The ancestor forged an immortal pill, what a great thing~"
She clung to Wang Yulou, speaking with a pointed smile.
Fellow Daoist Yingxi assud that Wang Yulou, having witnessed the grand spectacle of the ancestor forging an immortal pill and tanking a Heavenly Tribulation, now knew fear and understood who held the higher status in their household.
In the pitch-black room, a cultivator's vision allowed Yulou to easily see this silly girl's expression.
He gently held Yingxi, saying nothing.
Zhou Yingxi suddenly noticed a glimr of tears in her husband's eyes.
"What's wrong? I didn't an it like that, Yulou, I..."
At this mont, Wang Yulou discarded all reservations.
Reservations were aningless.
Zhou Fujiao was playing with his cards on the table.
"Yingxi, if one day you discovered that you've been living a massive lie, what would you do?"
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Wang Yulou stopped speaking.
He had guessed the truth.
He was not a human cauldron gifted to the Zhou Clan by Mang Xiang for Zhou Yingxi to open her Purple Palace.
He was Zhou Fujiao's human cauldron.
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