Wang Yulou had sought out Xihai Zhongcheng to discuss the rewards for the victors of the combat arena. The rewards Mo Yunshu ntioned were real; as long as a cultivator secured a stable footing on the combat arena's three leaderboards, the arena would grant them their due prizes.
However, the sums of three hundred, one thousand, or five hundred spirit stones could be calculated differently. In other words, if Wang Yulou found an alternative form of paynt that cost significantly less to procure but remained perfectly acceptable to the victors, his actual expenditure on rewards would drop drastically.
For instance, with two ten-day leaderboards and one monthly leaderboard settled each month, calculating the prizes at four thousand for the short-term boards and twenty thousand for the monthly board brought the total to twenty-eight thousand spirit stones.
But Wang Yulou was by no ans a philanthropist willing to cough up twenty-eight thousand spirit stones in pure cash. He intended to turn a profit on ticket sales and betting pools, while simultaneously cutting costs on the reward payouts.
Only by doing so could he offer a substantial tribute to the two glowing suns above, thereby securing his own position within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the West Sea. He did not feel stifled by this arrangent.
Being able to directly serve under an Immortal Venerable, bypassing countless middlen, was already a privilege reserved for a heavenly genius like Wang Yulou.
The first step to changing reality and strengthening oneself was to accept a part of that reality, rather than foolishly shouting that one's destiny was entirely their own. According to Wang Yulou's observations, the minimum threshold to declare "my destiny is my own" in this world was at least the Golden Core realm. Even the Purple Palace realm might not suffice.
A Purple Palace cultivator could earn a certain level of respect and a share of resources within peak organizations like the Immortal Alliance, but they could not dictate the rules.
"You want to procure various cultivation thods from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub in the na of the combat arena?"
Xihai Zhongcheng had not expected Wang Yulou to approach him about this. It was the first ti he had heard such a request.
Purchasing cultivation thods from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub was nothing unusual, but the combat arena was not an independent cultivator or a distinct faction; it was rely an asset of the Wang Clan.
Special, large-scale enterprises like the combat arena usually had a corresponding faction operating behind them, and most of their compensation and liabilities were backed by that faction—specifically, the Wang Clan.
By paying the participating cultivators with reproducible cultivation thods as rewards, the Wang Clan could maximize its projected profits. By seeking a partnership with the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Wang Yulou was essentially allowing the Hub to intercept a portion of those surplus earnings, which was why Xihai Zhongcheng found the proposition so strange.
This was the universal model for closed micro-economies: using internal distribution adjustnts to achieve profitability under a relative competitive advantage, thereby sustaining the system's continued developnt.
"Yes, but the quantities will be massive. I hope Elder Zhongcheng can grant a significant discount," Wang Yulou replied with a smile.
Xihai Zhongcheng pondered for a mont. "Let us head to the Myriad Dao Origin Hub to speak."
Naturally, Wang Yulou would not refuse. The two n made their way toward East Annex City together.
Along the road, he rode his Black Dragon Steed, keeping half a mount's length behind Xihai Zhongcheng's flank to maintain proper etiquette with the third elder of the Hall of Benevolence. Xihai Zhongcheng truly deserved his reputation as the "Number One Foundation Establishnt Cultivator of the West Sea."
His mount was an incredibly beautiful white sable that radiated an aura that made the Black Dragon Steed tremble—a divine ability great demon whose strength was on par with a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator.
It could be said that while Xihai Longhu seemingly sched against Xihai Zhongcheng every day, Xihai Zhongcheng's strength within the West Sea was matchless among those of the sa tier. He might not win every single engagent, but he would absolutely never lose.
"Yulou, how many spirit stones did your Wang Clan spend to secure such a massive plot of land in South Annex City?"
Xihai Zhongcheng scanned the vast stretches of wasteland in South Annex City, asking in a casual, nonchalant manner. Understanding the underlying implication of the question, a faint sense of bewildernt rose within Wang Yulou's heart.
These seniors under Immortal Venerable Shenguang's tutelage had already reached such a fierce state of infighting, battling over resources and favor. Under these circumstances, was throwing his lot in with Shenguang truly a wise choice?
And this was without considering the possibility that Shenguang might not even accept him. What a headache.
The path lay beneath his feet, but could he truly walk his way out of his current predicant?
"Ah, it cost quite a bit. However, I signed a Dao covenant with Senior Xihai Longhu, so it is inconvenient to disclose the exact figure," Wang Yulou replied with a chuckle, smoothly deflecting the probing.
"Oh, right. But if you wish to obtain cultivation thods from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub at a discounted rate, you must not disclose that either." Xihai Zhongcheng implied that his Myriad Dao Origin Hub was by no ans lower in status than the South Annex City Developnt Office.
"Senior, I am hoping for this much of a discount." As he spoke, Wang Yulou held up three fingers.
Xihai Zhongcheng was a man who had seen the world. He smiled faintly. "How about I treat you to a al instead? If I cannot help you with this, Yulou, I will feel quite bad."
A seventy percent discount was utterly impossible! Forget Wang Yulou—even if a Purple Mansion True Person ca in person, Xihai Zhongcheng would not dare grant such a discount.
This was practically digging away at the Immortal Venerable's own foundations. Even if he had chosen the na 'Zhongcheng' out of loyalty, and even if he was Shenguang's disciple, he lacked the courage to agree to such terms.
"Senior Zhongcheng, I have not even stated my specific conditions yet," Wang Yulou said hurriedly.
The two dismounted and entered the Myriad Dao Origin Hub. Xihai Zhongcheng invited Wang Yulou directly up to the fourth floor to talk.
This action alone demonstrated the importance he placed on Wang Yulou. Setting aside the young man's background and status, the sheer fact that the Wang Clan had claid such a massive plot of land in South Annex City to operate the combat arena earned him this level of respect.
However, upon reaching the fourth floor, Wang Yulou realized it was no different from the third. The first and second floors of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub featured item exhibitions and arrays of cultivation thods, but the third and fourth floors were rely grand reception halls, entirely devoid of any comrcial storefront appearance.
This was the standard transaction model for rare resources. There was no haggling over prices, and even with spirit stones, an outsider could not buy them.
Those permitted to purchase were all internal mbers, so there was no need for public displays. For instance, the fact that Mu Changze could purchase the Transform into Auspicious Deer divine ability from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub proved that he was undoubtedly connected to Shenguang's lineage.
"You may state your specific conditions, but Yulou, even if a deal cannot be struck, our mutual regard remains. Let us not ntion a seventy percent discount ever again," Xihai Zhongcheng said as he brewed a cup of spiritual tea for Yulou.
"Senior Zhongcheng, if I wished to purchase the Transform into Auspicious Deer divine ability, how many spirit stones would it require?" Wang Yulou asked after a brief pause, deciding to probe further.
Xihai Zhongcheng's hands did not falter in the slightest as he poured the tea. Only after pushing the teacup toward Wang Yulou did he lift his head, looking directly at him.
"Changze spent twenty thousand spirit stones back then. Yulou, you understand that when things like this are sold, they often carry no set price."
Wang Yulou had not expected his previous performance at the Myriad Dao Origin Hub to leave such a deep impression, prompting the elder to investigate his background. Among those who saw clearly why Wang Yulou had entered the West Sea, Xihai Zhongcheng was undoubtedly one of them.
At this mont, Xihai Zhongcheng was unmistakably laying his cards on the table.
"Senior, are you saying that my father-in-law is also one of the Immortal Venerable's n?"
Faced with Xihai Zhongcheng's sudden disclosure, Wang Yulou forced himself to remain composed. As he questioned the elder, his gaze drifted toward the Treasure-Wielding True Human's Residence—that old monster was watching!
Xihai Zhongcheng gestured for Wang Yulou to drink his tea, stating with absolute certainty, "This is a grade-seven Pine Stream Spiritual Spring, though the tea leaves are rely common eighth-grade spiritual tea. Have a taste. As for that individual, you need not worry. In Zhou Bojiao's current state, his divine sense cannot penetrate the Myriad Dao Origin Hub."
Wang Yulou's state of mind grew even more complex. If Zhou Bojiao's deploynt to the West Sea had been a conspiracy from the very beginning, then Patriarch Mangxiang and Immortal Venerable Shenguang might have already co together in secret—aligned by shared interests.
If Patriarch Mangxiang and Immortal Venerable Shenguang had indeed reached a consensus, the entire political landscape of the West Sea shifted completely. The deploynt of three thousand Qi Refining cultivators into the West Sea might have simply been a move to help Shenguang's South Annex City flourish.
Following this logical thread, Zhou Bojiao's sudden decision to refine pills was likely because the probing from the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case had yielded a definitive result.
Assuming Zhou Bojiao was unaware that Shenguang and Mangxiang had ford an alliance, and had not realized that Zhou Yingxi's father, Mu Changze, was Shenguang's hidden pawn, then the true target of the probing during the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case was Jin Shan. It was a test aid at the True Persons and Immortal Venerables directly under the Immortal Alliance, represented by that specific Immortal Venerable of Lotus Immortal City. The fact that all parties chose to let the matter rest ant those figures would never truly investigate Shenguang, ensuring the West Sea would not descend into absolute chaos.
That was why Zhou Bojiao dared to accelerate his arrangents for body usurpation—did he know that Shenguang and the Patriarch had already joined hands? No, that still wasn't right.
Three months had already passed since Zhou Bojiao refined the mbers of the Zhou Family into dicinal pills. He had been in such a rush back then, yet now that the pill was complete, he had made no move for three months.
Did that make sense? Mu Changze and Zhou Bojiao might even have to determine a victor between themselves in the future.
Zhou Bojiao desired to usurp Yingxi's body. As Yingxi's father, would Mu Changze truly stand by and watch his daughter be possessed by that old monster?
This was wrong; none of it made sense. It was chaotic, far too chaotic.
Wang Yulou's mind was a tangled ss. What was the actual truth?
Did Zhou Bojiao know that Shenguang and Mangxiang had joined hands? Did he know that Mu Changze was Shenguang's hidden pawn?
The clearer the situation beca, the less confidence Wang Yulou had. What exactly were the respective goals of Shenguang, Mangxiang, and Zhou Bojiao?
"Do not worry, Yulou. No matter how events unfold, you will not be the one to suffer a loss," Xihai Zhongcheng said, looking at Wang Yulou's stiff expression with a highly smug smile.
Young man, you never expected this, did you? I actually see things far more clearly than you do!
Wang Yulou naturally understood Xihai Zhongcheng's words. This old fox had investigated him through so unknown channel and seed to possess a crystal-clear understanding of his predicant.
He indeed would not suffer a material loss in the future. Even if he ended up serving as a cultivation vessel for Zhou Bojiao after the old monster usurped Zhou Yingxi's body, from a purely rcenary standpoint, it wasn't a loss.
It would rely be sickening, humiliating, and agonizing.
"Senior, why are you telling all of this?" Wang Yulou asked, deeply perplexed.
His relationship with Xihai Zhongcheng was average at best; they were warm on the surface but incredibly distant in reality. Xihai Zhongcheng's conduct today went far beyond a casual breach of propriety.
"Yulou, I want to remind you that the Immortal Venerables have never cared whether people like you or are loyal. What you need to do is properly execute the tasks the Immortal Venerables entrust to you.
"Since you have co to the West Sea and entered your current circumstances, do not make any reckless movents. Of course, cultivating and opening shops is a different matter.
"What I an is, do not try to be clever. You cannot escape it.
"No matter how much effort you expend, you cannot escape it."
Xihai Zhongcheng's motives were simple. He thought highly of Wang Yulou as a junior and wished to forge a good karmic bond; it was as simple as that. Seeing that Wang Yulou did not voice his stance, Xihai Zhongcheng went a step further to explain.
"In this world, the True Persons and Immortal Venerables of imnse cultivation stand at the apex, looking down upon all creation. Under normal circumstances, no one can achieve the Dao. Any newly risen Purple Palace cultivator will, at so point after reaching their realm, seek to expand their sphere of influence. This will inevitably encroach upon the interests of those who have already achieved the Dao. You and I were born into a grand era;
"The Immortal Alliance is about to fall into chaos. This is a stroke of fortune for us. I truly hope that in the future, we can et again after you reach the Purple Palace realm and address each other as Fellow Daoists. Therefore, you should do absolutely nothing right now. Just perform your role well as Zhou Bojiao's disciple according to Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's arrangents for you."
Wang Yulou felt as though a mass of tangled yarn filled his mind.
He caught a hazy glimpse of many things, yet could not see anything with absolute clarity. In an Immortal Venerable's chess ga, how could a re pawn like him see the whole board?
"Elder Zhongcheng, are these words your own, or are they what Immortal Venerable Shenguang wishes to convey to ?"
Indeed, what kind of man was Xihai Zhongcheng? An old fox, a veteran of the West Sea; he would never speak loosely to Wang Yulou.
Therefore, his sudden intimacy just now was actually transmitting the Immortal Venerable's requirents to Wang Yulou. Shenguang did not want his arrangents to be disclosed to Mangxiang through Wang Yulou.
After all, though Wang Yulou's current plight seed absurd, the Wang Clan and Wang Yulou had received significant protection and assistance from Mangxiang. They ultimately belonged to Mangxiang's faction.
Because Wang Yulou had deduced far too much, Shenguang worried that so of his stratagems might be reported to Mangxiang. Thus, he used Xihai Zhongcheng to deliver this warning and hint under the guise of friendly advice.
Xihai Zhongcheng was quite startled by Wang Yulou's sharp intellect. He replied slowly,
"There is no difference."
Wang Yulou understood completely. Shenguang and Mangxiang had truly reached a secret compromise.
If this matter were to be exposed, the entire Immortal Alliance would likely be shaken to its core. The Red Lantern Illumination Sect was a power on the borders of the West Sea, and Shenguang belonged to the West Sea itself.
An alliance of this nature could potentially threaten the stability and grand order of the Immortal Alliance. It was no wonder Xihai Zhongcheng would state that 'the Immortal Alliance is about to fall into chaos.'
Wang Yulou reflected for a mont, his fingers gently rubbing the rim of his teacup. He suddenly looked up at Xihai Zhongcheng and stated with absolute firmness,
"I want a seventy percent discount."
Xihai Zhongcheng did not fully comprehend Wang Yulou's aning, or perhaps he did, but refused to believe it. He had grown up in the West Sea and traversed the cultivation world for many years, yet he had never seen anyone demand a seventy percent discount during a negotiation.
"A seventy percent discount?"
He had ultimately underestimated Wang Yulou. The young man's next sentence caused his expression to instantly turn incredibly grim.
"I will purchase your cultivation thods at thirty percent of their price. Otherwise, the Patriarch will imdiately learn that my master was set up by your faction."
It was difficult to tell whether Xihai Zhongcheng's face was contorted because of Wang Yulou's exorbitant demand or because Wang Yulou had pierced straight through to the core of the issue. In any case, his expression was exceedingly dark, as ugly as could be.
"Thirty percent is impossible. Furthermore, you have no ans of directly contacting Mangxiang!" the master of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub spat coldly. The aura of the 'Number One Foundation Establishnt Cultivator of the West Sea' surged toward Wang Yulou like crashing mountains and seas, suffocating him with its sheer weight.
It was a prideful aura that looked down upon the world, filled with imnse disdain and a trace of fury. The sheer aura alone was this terrifying.
Such was the power of Shenguang's disciple, the third elder of the Hall of Benevolence, and the controller of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Xihai Zhongcheng.
"Senior, before the Patriarch sent to the West Sea, he bestowed this Ethereal River Divine Ability Talisman upon . Do you intend to stop from leaving right now?"
Drawing the translucent, silver divine ability talisman given to him by Ancestor Jingyi from his storage bag, Wang Yulou withstood Xihai Zhongcheng's pressure and questioned him with absolute calm.
Once upon a ti, when facing Yuan Zhengju, who had pursued him using divine abilities alongside rogue cultivators, Wang Yulou had relied on his sheer evasion speed to outrun his foes and secure victory. In a chess ga played by grand cultivators, what kind of pawn could possess true value?
Wang Yulou did not know. However, he was certain that the Ethereal River talisman in his hand represented his worth and his standing within the Behemoth Lineage!
Staring at the semi-transparent silver talisman in Wang Yulou's grip, Xihai Zhongcheng's expression turned even more unsightly. He could certainly restrain the young man, but doing so right now and causing Wang Yulou to vanish mysteriously would disrupt Shenguang's overarching plans.
It was nothing but trouble. Even as an Immortal Venerable, Shenguang could not know everything under heaven.
He was unaware that the Ethereal River talisman had been given to Wang Yulou by Wang Jingyi. Even as an Immortal Venerable, Shenguang could not control every single person in existence.
He was currently in a critical phase of grotto-heaven transformation, making it difficult for him to interfere with the outside world. Wang Yulou's gamble had succeeded.
Xihai Zhongcheng spoke in a deep voice, still refusing to yield completely.
"A seventy percent discount is a joke. Wang Yulou, do not jest about sothing this critical, understood?"
Do not jest about critical matters. Wang Yulou naturally understood the hidden aning behind the words.
"Senior, we shall purchase a fifty percent discount voucher from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub at thirty percent of the cost, to be given to the victors of the combat arena as rewards. This ans that those victors who receive the discount vouchers will still end up paying the remaining amount themselves.
"In truth, the price I am securing is fifty-three percent."
This was the core chanism of Wang Yulou's reward payout system. Rewards of equivalent value in spirit stones could be calculated via points, rit points, or combat jade tokens. These points could be exchanged for different resources. As long as they held a value tied to resource exchange, they possessed concrete worth. Wang Yulou could acquire these resources prepared for reward payouts through various channels and bundle them together to distribute to the combat arena's victors. Through bulk procurent and discounts, the actual cost of these reward payouts could be drastically reduced. Negotiating with the Myriad Dao Origin Hub was rely the beginning. Next, Wang Yulou would lead the mbers of the Wang Family's Western Sea Branch to negotiate with various businesses and shops throughout Western Sea Immortal City. Combined with the cultivation resources, artifacts, pills, talismans, cultivation thods, and secret manuals produced by the Wang Clan itself, this combat arena reward system could be constructed at an incredibly low cost. Naly:
The combat victors win generalized reward points from the combat arena—exchange those points for various reward resources provided by the arena—and Wang Yulou procures the necessary resources at a low cost via bulk purchase discounts.
Wang Yulou had not answered Xihai Zhongcheng's true question, but his stance was already an answer in itself. Choosing to continue operating the combat arena properly indicated that he had no desire to force a mutually destructive outco. This had always been Wang Yulou's philosophy—as long as one remained alive, hope endured. He had co to the West Sea with exactly this mindset. And now, hadn't that hope finally manifested?
"A thirty percent discount is acceptable, but those who receive the fifty percent discount from your combat arena cannot apply it to full, outright purchases of the arts."
The Myriad Dao Origin Hub did not care if people resold the cultivation thods purchased here; as long as the spirit stones were paid, they could sell them however they pleased. The Immortal Alliance was about to plunge into chaos.
When that ti ca, it would be a tumultuous era where countless inheritances would vanish entirely. A vast majority of those purchasing cultivation thods now would quietly perish in the future.
However, Xihai Zhongcheng feared that Wang Yulou would use the thirty percent purchase rate to siphon mass amounts of cultivation thods from the Myriad Dao Origin Hub for his own illicit gains! This brat was incredibly sly, always attempting to leverage a tiny piece of custom to claim vast resources.
It was simply terrifying.
"That is only natural!"
Wang Yulou agreed imdiately. However, he ultimately could not suppress the burning question in his heart and asked,
"What will happen to Yingxi?"
Xihai Zhongcheng pondered for a mont before replying aningfully,
"I am telling you that doing absolutely nothing is your best course of action. The absolute best, Yulou. Do you understand?"
People who spoke in riddles were truly disgusting.
Nevertheless, Wang Yulou still understood—Old Mu was far more critical to the situation than he had previously assud. He fell into deep thought for a brief mont before lifting his head to press further,
"How long does a Foundation Establishnt cultivator need to practice an ancient cultivation art before they can approach the Purple Palace realm?"
The question was incredibly bold. Wang Yulou was actively testing the absolute limits of their respective stances and principles.
Wang Yulou stared directly into Xihai Zhongcheng's eyes, his aning clear: Old Zhong, can you tell ? Xihai Zhongcheng rose to his feet and paced the room with great affectation before looking back at Yulou, his gaze complex.
Mangxiang's breakthrough to the Golden Core realm was a certainty; this much he could confirm. Given the alliance between Mangxiang and his master, Wang Yulou—who was currently building a massive foundation in the West Sea—might eventually have a chance to beco the Behemoth Lineage's newest Purple Palace cultivator.
Even if Wang Yulou had no chance of reaching the Purple Palace realm and perished along the way... he might as well tell him. The boy had likely already guessed it anyway.
"Yulou, have you ever noticed that among the grand cultivators of the Immortal Alliance, many are themselves demon generals or even demon kings?"
Wang Yulou finally confird the suspicion he had harbored for so long. So that was how it was.
He stared blankly ahead, murmuring, "Of course. Immortal Venerable Tianshe is one."
With a flick of Xihai Zhongcheng's sleeve, four spheres of golden light manifested before Wang Yulou.
"There are many paths to the Purple Palace realm. Our Myriad Dao Origin Hub actually sells them to the public. These four are the mainstream Purple Palace thods used in Wunan over the past ten thousand years.
"They are: the Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod, the Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod, the Divine Ability Demon Transformation Purple Mansion thod, and the Dao Foundation Cave Heaven Purple Mansion thod."
Wang Yulou could no longer conceal his shock. The four golden spheres floating in the hall radiated an enchanting luster. The thods to achieve the Dao lay right before him. He reached out to grasp them, but his hand closed around empty air. Staring at his palm, Wang Yulou realized the spheres were rely projections. The actual thods were held by Shen Guang; Xihai Zhongcheng only possessed knowledge of them.
"What is the price? Can I purchase them?" He fixed a piercing gaze on Xihai Zhongcheng.
Xihai Zhongcheng smiled and nodded. "Of course you can buy them, but they are priceless. You only need to repay the debt after you successfully reach the Purple Palace realm."
Priceless, with repaynt only due after reaching the Purple Palace realm... It sounded wonderful, but Wang Yulou was no fool.
He forced himself to calm down. This kind of usury was sothing a lifeti of servitude might never repay.
As the representative of the West Sea's demon gods within the Immortal Alliance, Shen Guang was secretly selling Purple Palace thods to the Alliance's cultivators. This sort of thing...
The West Sea truly was a different world. thods to reach the Purple Palace realm were practically being given away for free by that traitor, Shen Guang.
"What are the differences between these thods?" Wang Yulou asked.
Xihai Zhongcheng raised an eyebrow. "You naturally understand the value of such information, Yulou. Twenty thousand spirit stones isn't too expensive, is it?"
In truth, this information was entirely free. No matter how much he charged, he couldn't keep a single stone—it all belonged to Shen Guang. The only reason he quoted such an exorbitant price was that he was still vexed by Wang Yulou's earlier maneuver involving the thirty percent purchase rate.
"Here are seventy-three thousand spirit stones. I will pay off the remainder slowly. Senior, can you speak now?"
Wang Yulou imdiately produced his entire liquid fortune. If not for the heavy investnts required by the combat arena and his other enterprises, he would have had far more on hand.
Staring at the pile of spirit stones, Xihai Zhongcheng felt a chill in his heart. This brat, Wang Yulou, understood things far too well.
From their very first eting until today, at every critical juncture, Wang Yulou had consistently chosen the path that avoided absolute disaster, executing every detail perfectly. A person of this caliber was worth befriending.
"How about this: I will give you a discount. Seventy-three thousand spirit stones it is, and you need not repay the rest.
"After all, you and I get along quite well. Now then... The Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod allows one to comprehend the Dao in the morning and achieve it by evening.
"However, its baseline potential is incredibly poor, and it relies heavily on the whims of heaven and earth. The Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod corresponds to the mainstream thod used by Foundation Establishnt cultivators to develop their acupoints.
"Those with exceptional talent can achieve the Dao within a few decades, and its baseline potential is average. The Divine Ability Demon Transformation Purple Mansion thod was once the mainstream Purple Palace thod in Wunan.
"Its speed of achievent varies from person to person. It grants an incredibly long lifespan, and its baseline potential is average. Lastly, the Dao Foundation Cave Heaven Purple Mansion thod is the current mainstream Purple Palace thod in Wunan.
"As for the speed of achievent... Haha, completing the developnt of the five elental Dao bases takes at least two hundred years, but its baseline potential is exceptionally high."
To think that seventy-three thousand spirit stones could purchase such vital information. Wang Yulou actually felt a strange surge of goodwill toward that traitor to humanity, Shen Guang. Compared to those greedy grand cultivators in the Immortal Alliance who hoarded everything, Shen Guang was practically a saint—everything had a price.
"The baselines differ, but what about the speed at which they approach their upper limits?" Wang Yulou asked.
Xihai Zhongcheng refused to answer this directly. Instead, he said, "Yulou, which of the four paths suits you best, and how you should choose... such answers are, of course, priceless."
Scarce information and resources had always been beyond price. That was precisely why Wang Yulou had surrendered his spirit stones so decisively.
"Then, Senior, why is it that after my master finished refining his pill, he left it completely unused? When he was refining it initially, he was incredibly frantic. This question shouldn't carry a fee, right?"
Xihai Zhongcheng nodded. "He is waiting. The dicinal potency of the Blood Marrow Restoration Pill he refined is insufficient. He is nurturing it. When he chooses to use it depends entirely on when it has been nurtured to its absolute limit."
So that was it.
Before departing, Wang Yulou offered a deep, formal bow.
Xihai Zhongcheng initially reached out to support him, but abruptly froze. Wang Yulou wasn't bowing to him.
Immortal Venerable Shen Guang might very well be watching everyone within the West Sea.
After taking his leave, Wang Yulou rode his Black Dragon Steed, ntally reviewing the intelligence he had gathered today.
The tangled threads of information were gradually straightening out in his mind. The very fact that Xihai Zhongcheng had offered him a warning implied that Shen Guang's deploynt of his pawns was hidden from both Mangxiang and Zhou Bojiao.
Furthermore, Shen Guang and Mangxiang must have ford an alliance long ago. On the Gathering Immortals Platform, during the fourth and fifth votes regarding the Patriarch's advancent to the Golden Core realm, the missing ten votes had been withheld by Shen Guang.
By withholding those votes, Shen Guang demonstrated to his ally, Mangxiang, that he hadn't betrayed him. It was the Conservative Faction of the Immortal Alliance constantly manipulating the tallies. That explained why the math finally made sense. But what about the two votes that were still missing?
Wang Yulou shook his head. Those missing two votes had nothing to do with him, and thinking about them was a pointless exercise. His gaze shifted back and forth, appearing to scan the shops within the immortal city, but his thoughts had already drifted to the highest heavens, occupying the sa realm as the Immortal Venerables.
Only by thinking from the perspective of an Immortal Venerable could one perceive the true nature of the problem. Shen Guang and Mangxiang possessed entirely different foundational domains, and their core interests were fundantally in conflict.
Therefore, even though they were allied, their interests were not perfectly aligned. That was why Xihai Zhongcheng had delivered the warning: Shen Guang was plotting against Zhou Bojiao.
Initially, Wang Yulou believed the warning ant that serving as a vessel for Zhou Bojiao's body usurpation wouldn't be a total loss.
Only later did he realize that Xihai Zhongcheng—no, Immortal Venerable Shen Guang—feared Wang Yulou might disrupt his grand designs. Did that an Xihai Zhongcheng was actually the most favored disciple among Shen Guang's three elders?
He pushed the thought aside; the man wasn't important right now. At present, the greatest doubts in Wang Yulou's heart numbered four...
No, five.
First: Had Zhou Bojiao been sold out by Patriarch Mangxiang?
It was uncertain. Judging from Xihai Zhongcheng's warnings, the Patriarch might not have betrayed Zhou Bojiao, but Zhou Bojiao had certainly been ensnared by the pawns Shen Guang had spent years deploying.
Yes, that had to be it.
Second: Did Zhou Bojiao know that Mu Changze was one of Immortal Venerable Shen Guang's n?
Hard to say. Incredibly hard to say. A grand cultivator of Zhou Bojiao's caliber could withstand a Heavenly Tribulation. Even half-dead, he should still possess the power to stir up storms.
Faced with Shen Guang's sches, Zhou Bojiao might have detected them long ago and was simply waiting for the other party to strike first. But if he had indeed guessed that Mu Changze belonged to Shen Guang, wouldn't that an Yingxi remained in grave peril?
Third: The Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda case had served to probe Jin Shan, Jin Mingdu, Poor Sea, Qingrui, Chen Yanghe, and Lian Chengxian. Did this imply the entire case had been orchestrated by Shen Guang from the shadows?
Highly probable. After verifying that none of the factions truly desired to move against Shen Guang, Zhou Bojiao had comnced his pill refining.
This was highly indicative. Perhaps he realized the West Sea would not descend into imdiate chaos, allowing him to refine his pills in peace.
Although it appeared to invert cause and effect, the logic held up.
Fourth: Both Zhou Bojiao and Xihai Zhongcheng had stated that chaos was coming, but what form would it take exactly?
Zhou Bojiao spoke of a massive war erupting, which likely referred to the clash between the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the Sky Serpent Sect. Yet Xihai Zhongcheng emphasized that the entire Immortal Alliance would fall into chaos.
Wang Yulou could not fathom it. For the ti being, he grouped the chaos ntioned by both n under the banner of the war between the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the Sky Serpent Sect.
After all, Immortal Venerable Shen Guang acted as the representative for the West Sea's demon gods within the Immortal Alliance. His disciple, Xihai Zhongcheng, occupied a unique stance. The chaos within the Alliance he spoke of might very well refer to that specific conflict.
It was certainly more likely than the terrifying prospect of an internal civil war across the entire Immortal Alliance. But whichever scenario manifested, it would represent a catastrophic crisis for the Wang Clan.
Perilous, yet ripe with opportunity. At the very least, it was far better than a stagnant lack of opportunity.
Fifth: How exactly was Shen Guang's chess ga to be played? It was utterly impossible that he would simply allow Mu Changze to achieve the Purple Palace realm and then execute Zhou Bojiao, right?
Shen Guang, Shen Guang... this legendary figure recorded...
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