Shen Guang, the legend of the West Sea. Wang Yulou, the new legend of the West Sea.
Do not laugh; this was no joke. Of course, no matter how thick Wang Yulou's skin was, he would never dare put himself on the sa level as Shen Guang.
But first he had married Zhou Bojiao's daughter, Zhou Yingxi, and before old Zhou's initial seven days of mourning had even passed, he had conquered Jin Shan's daughter, Jin Mingdu. In truth, he could indeed be called a legend.
Moreover, judging from Jin Shan's willingness to invest in him, Wang Yulou was not actually leeching off won; he possessed true strength. Prowess in magical combat was one form of strength, but weren't his future prospects within the Immortal Alliance system and the Behemoth Lineage another?
Of course they were. Otherwise, why would Shen Guang summon him in the middle of the night like a crowing rooster and drag him into his grotto-heaven?
The Immortal Alliance system was naturally ruthless, but no matter how beastly a system might be, it still operated on internal logic and offered opportunities. With Mang Xiang's pursuit of attaining Golden Core becoming increasingly apparent, Wang Yulou, as the most extraordinary junior of the Behemoth Lineage, naturally held imnse future potential.
Imnse enough for Jin Shan to offer his daughter, and imnse enough for Shen Guang to personally summon him in the dead of night. However, although Immortal Venerable Shenguang crowed in the middle of the night, he was ultimately no re rooster.
Do not be fooled by how this old man had been subjected to a collective reckoning by Qingrui and Mang Xiang until he looked like a turtle grandson; he was, after all, a genuine Golden Core. Standing inside the multicolored sphere of light, Wang Yulou felt his eyes were sowhat overwheld.
The leaping, multicolored lights and shadows resembled wandering spirits, sotis sweeping past him, and sotis passing directly through his "body."
Yes, passing through. Wang Yulou's physical body had not actually entered Shen Guang's grotto-heaven.
In truth, Shen Guang had cast a spell to pull his projection here. There was no spatial concept of up, down, left, or right inside the sphere of light, but Immortal Venerable Shenguang had thoughtfully prepared a path paved with light for him.
Following this path, Wang Yulou calmly walked toward the center of the sphere. What was there to fear?
Shen Guang could not possibly kill him. If an Immortal Venerable needed to kill an opponent's pawn to vent his anger, his tolerance would be far too narrow, and he would be destined to beco a al on his rivals' plates.
Furthermore, killing him would be useless. Even if Wang Yulou died, Mang Xiang had other young generals under his tutelage; there was no shortage of manpower.
Besides, one could not forget that old Mu was Shen Guang's man, making Wang Yulou half a disciple of Shen Guang by extension. He and this Immortal Venerable, who had been humiliated and suppressed by Mang Xiang and Qingrui, shared a faint thread of connection.
Otherwise, Wang Yulou would not have received Mang Xiang's great purge mission in the first place. 'So, why exactly did Shen Guang summon here?'
'After his subordinates were purged, does he hope to subvert into becoming his hidden piece under Mang Xiang? Or is it that he hopes I will let Zhang Heng and the Rogue Cultivator Alliance off the hook?'
Arriving at the very center of the sphere of light, Wang Yulou looked in confusion at a mass of darkness that lacked any sense of presence and asked tentatively, "Immortal Venerable?"
He guessed that Shen Guang's cultivation might have reached a realm he could not comprehend, resulting in this indiscernible phenonon. The black void in the center of the sphere slowly squird, and a female cultivator wearing a purple magical robe erged from within.
Her appearance was extraordinarily beautiful; every single detail had reached the pinnacle of perfection. The sheer visual shock of her features far surpassed any female cultivator Wang Yulou had ever seen.
Even Yingxi and Mingdu could not hold a candle to her. Her ethereal quality was like an immortal, her bearing like a god.
Even if a true goddess were standing right in front of him, it would only amount to this.
"Wang Clan's Yulou pays his respects to the Immortal Venerable!"
Without the slightest romantic thought, Wang Yulou rely bowed respectfully. The Wang Clan's founding ancestor, Xuanjing, had personally t Shen Guang back during his Qi Refining stage; Shen Guang was a man. Shen Guang smiled and nodded.
Wang Yulou was instantly pulled in front of her. A small table appeared between them.
Shen Guang reached out, and a silver wine pot appeared in her grasp. Wang Yulou watched with so surprise as she poured wine for him.
He did not understand what ga this Immortal Venerable was playing. However, he remained unafraid.
He was one of Mang Xiang's officially recognized young generals—he had backing from above. The divine woman's jade-like hand lifted the wine pot and tilted it slightly.
A jade-colored cup imdiately materialized on the tea table in front of Yulou. It seed that in Shen Guang's grotto-heaven, whatever she wished for was easily achieved.
"There is no need to be nervous. I have wanted to et you for a long ti, Wang Yulou."
The Immortal Venerable's voice was so ethereal it seed completely devoid of emotion. Although she was smiling, there was not the slightest trace of mirth or feeling in her expression.
Wang Yulou rely feigned unease as he replied, "What virtue or ability does Yulou possess to enter the Immortal Venerable's esteed sights?"
The divine woman shook her head. She knew how fake people like Wang Yulou were; after all, she was just as fake.
They were all hypocritical dogs. Therefore, she chose to get straight to the point.
"Alright, there is no need to play dumb. I will only ask you this: do you want a Purple Mansion thod?"
A Purple Mansion thod... Wang Yulou certainly wanted one, but he was afraid he could not afford Shen Guang's Purple Mansion thod.
More accurately, he could not afford the price it ca with.
"Immortal Venerable, Yulou is a disciple under the tutelage of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang. As for the matter of the Purple Mansion, it ultimately depends on Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's intentions." Looking at the unknown spirit wine emitting a chill from the cup, Wang Yulou picked it up and said, "Regarding the affairs of the West Sea, I trust the Immortal Venerable understands Yulou's helplessness. Here, Yulou apologizes to the Immortal Venerable." Saying so, he drained the spirit wine in one gulp.
This wine was called Frost Flower Brew. It was a rare tier-five spirit wine.
With just a small cup down his stomach, the cultivation progress of his first acupoint rapidly surged forward, and his divine sense beca a trace more condensed. Its effects were so remarkable that it surpassed many spirit pills.
"Mang Xiang will not allow you juniors to reach the Purple Mansion. He already has two Purple Mansion disciples.
"Moreover, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect has so many Purple Mansion cultivators. Once Mang Xiang becos a Golden Core Immortal Venerable, if he wants manpower, he will naturally have manpower.
"If you want to reach the Purple Mansion, your only opportunity lies here with . Wang Yulou, you are a smart person."
Did Shen Guang know about Mang Xiang's empty promise of "ten Purple Mansions"? Wang Yulou was uncertain, but it was not that important either, because Shen Guang's words were not necessarily trustworthy. He thought for a mont and asked, "Then, Immortal Venerable, what is the price?"
In this cultivation world, there might still be masters with a conscience among Foundation Establishnt cultivators, but grand cultivators like those at the Purple Mansion and Golden Core stages could live for ages. Toward their subordinates, they were far, far too lacking in grace.
This lack of grace specifically ant they would not easily allow new Purple Mansion cultivators to erge from among their ranks to seize their interests. In other words, a massive price was hidden behind Shen Guang's "good intentions."
"Xihai Zhongcheng is already finished. I need soone to help pass the Purple Mansion thods to the Foundation Establishnt cultivators within the Immortal Alliance. You are suited to take on this task, Yulou." The divine woman spoke with a smile, personally pouring another cup of wine for him.
"Immortal Venerable, forgive for being unable to comply. Yulou is a disciple under the tutelage of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang, and I dare not disobey him." Wang Yulou directly brought out his own backer, having no intention of continuing the discussion.
Shen Guang's bait was too small, and the hook hidden behind it was too sharp. Wang Yulou had realized long ago that in cultivation, clearly seeing how the path should be walked was far more crucial than blind effort and struggle.
He knew exactly how the path to the Purple Mansion should be walked. If he wanted to beco a Purple Mansion cultivator truly accepted by the Immortal Alliance with a solid foundation of his own, he could not take this kind of wild, unorthodox path offered by Shen Guang.
Shen Guang's unscrupulous behavior of selling Purple Mansion thods to the Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the Immortal Alliance in the West Sea was akin to standing outside a luxury mansion nad the Immortal Alliance with a shovel, scooping up filth, and tossing it scoop by scoop into the courtyard.
The more newly advanced Purple Mansion cultivators there were within the Immortal Alliance, the greater the internal pressure the organization would face. Previously, the one acting as the shovel had been Xihai Zhongcheng.
Now, Shen Guang wanted Wang Yulou to be this shovel. Wang Yulou was not stupid, so why would he court death?
Shen Guang had been thoroughly humiliated and suppressed by the combined forces of Qingrui and Mang Xiang, suffering a disastrous defeat. Compared to muddling along with her, it was far more reliable to follow Mang Xiang, who possessed deep foundations in the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Wunan, and even the Immortal Alliance.
Shen Guang kept saying that Mang Xiang would not truly give the Wang Clan a Purple Mansion opportunity, but such words were akin to a salesman's pitch; they were not necessarily true.
"Hahaha, Wang Yulou, your Wang Clan even wrote my story into your family teachings. We share a destiny.
"If you don't want to do it, then don't. Here, take these seven Purple Mansion thods. In the future, if Mang Xiang denies your Wang Clan a chance, you can use these thods to open your Purple Mansion directly."
Catching Wang Yulou completely off guard, a speck of light containing the information for the Purple Mansion thods sank into his body. In an instant, he grasped seven different Purple Mansion thods.
Yes, seven thods—three more than what Xihai Zhongcheng had told him about. Shen Guang had never followed the rules, and Wang Yulou had long been aware of this, but he never expected the Immortal Venerable to disregard the rules to such a staggering extent.
The Immortal Alliance heavily restricted the sale of divine abilities, and the restrictions on Purple Mansion thods were even harsher.
Ordinary Foundation Establishnt cultivators might not know the related rules, but the Wang Clan had brushed against that invisible ceiling many tis over the past millennium, so they naturally understood that such restrictions existed.
Yet now, despite having just been jointly suppressed by Mang Xiang and Qingrui, Shen Guang still boldly acted against the wind, stubbornly gifting these seven Purple Mansion thods to Wang Yulou for free. Wang Yulou naturally knew that this "gift" was brimming with malice, acting as both a lure and a temptation. However, as a cultivator who had bitterly searched along the path of cultivation for twenty years, he truly could not resist.
Shen Guang used Purple Mansion thods—and seven of them at that—to test Wang Yulou. And Wang Yulou truly could not withstand this kind of test!
Suppressing the excitent in his heart, he quickly examined these seven Purple Mansion thods. Immortal Venerable Shenguang had been extrely generous; the thods provided seed to be complete versions, with all the various details and nuances explained with absolute clarity.
The Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod allowed one to hear the Dao in the morning and succeed by evening, depending entirely on the mood of heaven and earth.
Its lower limit was low and its upper limit was high, but its cultivation was troubleso and completely incompatible with current cultivation thods, making its maximum potential extrely difficult to reach.
The Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod corresponded with the mainstream thods Foundation Establishnt cultivators used to cultivate their acupoints. It could take a few decades on the shorter end, or several centuries at most.
Its lower limit was average, and its upper limit was moderate. Its maximum potential depended on the number of connected acupoints.
The Divine Ability Demon Transformation Purple Mansion thod was once the mainstream Purple Mansion thod in Wunan. The speed of attaining the Dao varied from person to person; the fast ones were incredibly quick, while the slow ones might spend their entire lives unable to find a suitable divine ability.
Once successfully cultivated, it granted a lengthy lifespan. Its lower limit was average, its upper limit was relatively high, and it was also relatively easy to reach.
The Dao Foundation Cave Heaven Purple Mansion thod was the current mainstream Purple Mansion thod in Wunan. Its cultivation speed was the slowest, an absolute dead end...
Aside from these four known Purple Mansion thods, there were three new ones. For the Dharma Treasure Bearing Dao Purple Palace thod, the key to attaining the Dao lay in finding a magic treasure compatible with the cultivator.
By using a magic treasure to bear the Purple Mansion, and opening the realm with the help of a natal magic treasure, both the lower and upper limits were very low.
However, its speed was second only to the Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod, which theoretically held the possibility of hearing the Dao in the morning and succeeding by evening.
The Mansion-Transforming Dao-Seizing Purple Mansion thod did not cultivate a Purple Mansion.
Instead, one snatched the Purple Mansion of soone with similar thods and talents to use as their own. By transforming another's Purple Mansion into one's own to achieve the breakthrough, both its lower and upper limits were low.
The advantage was that if an expert helped to snatch a Purple Mansion, it was the third-fastest way to attain the Dao.
The Spirit-Absorbing Foundation-Fusing Purple Mansion thod relied on the combination of innate talent and aptitude to steal the spiritual vitality and Dao foundation of others, fusing Dao foundations to form a Purple Mansion.
The empty promise that Zhou Bojiao had received was likely this exact thod. Its lower limit was low, its upper limit was moderate, and the difficulty of attaining the Dao was high, primarily because the process was exceedingly complex.
After reviewing the additional thods for opening the Purple Mansion in his mind, Wang Yulou finally understood the difference between the old cultivation arts and the new thods. There was more than one type of old cultivation art.
The new thods rely referred to the latest and most popular techniques. Moreover, old cultivation arts were not necessarily inferior, and new thods were not inherently superior; ultimately, it all depended on suitability.
Recovering from his shock, he looked at Shen Guang opposite him, took a deep breath, and asked in a deep voice,
"Seven Purple Mansion thods... Immortal Venerable, why have you given these to ?"
The divine figure laughed so hard his body trembled like branches in the wind, speaking faintly in a teasing tone.
"I just wanted to give Mang Xiang a little surprise. Wang Yulou, the thods to reach the Purple Mansion have already been given to you.
"Whether you use them or not rests entirely upon a single thought of yours. In the future, Mang Xiang will suppress you from ti to ti.
"He will force you to constantly do his bidding, but he might not necessarily grant your reward in the end. Of course, he might give you a Purple Mansion thod, but it is highly likely he will tamper with certain crucial details, causing you to encounter problems during your breakthrough.
"When that ti cos, you can take the Purple Mansion thod he gives you and compare it with these seven. Then you will understand just how malicious Mang Xiang truly is. Hahaha."
At this point, Shen Guang's objective was laid bare. From the looks of it, he purely wanted to disgust Mang Xiang and vent his own frustrations.
Hearing Immortal Venerable Shenguang ntion the possibility that Mang Xiang might set a trap, Wang Yulou suddenly thought of An Ning. Anning Cave Heaven had already been opened, but could her failure on the verge of success have been caused by a flaw in the Purple Mansion thod she received?
It was very possible—highly possible! The Purple Mansion thod was given, but not in its entirety, causing those who delusionally sought the Purple Mansion to die violently during the breakthrough...
This perfectly matched Wang Yulou's impression of the grand cultivators in the Immortal Alliance. They truly maintained a high standard when it ca to acting inhumanly.
It could be said that Shen Guang's attempt to sow discord had already achieved initial results, though Wang Yulou naturally wouldn't turn against Mang Xiang just because of this.
But in the future, if Mang Xiang truly gave the Wang Clan an unreliable Purple Mansion thod, the seed Shen Guang planted today would blossom and bear fruit. This was likely Shen Guang's true goal.
Wang Yulou pondered for a long ti before speaking. Shen Guang's earlier statent was very interesting: 'Whether you use them or not rests entirely on a single thought of yours.'
"Immortal Venerable, even if you gave these thods, I wouldn't dare use them lightly. You know this. Let the matter end here. I will just treat it as a joke you played on a junior."
After reviewing the specific details of the seven thods, Wang Yulou was absolutely certain that reaching the Purple Mansion was not difficult—at least, several of the old cultivation arts made it quite achievable.
Take the Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod and the Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod, for example. The trouble with the forr was that modern cultivators didn't practice the old cultivation arts starting from the Qi Induction stage.
To use the Heaven-Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod to open the Purple Mansion after Foundation Establishnt, they would need to retroactively cultivate the old arts. As for the Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod, it was a standard "brute-force" approach. As long as enough acupoints were connected, one could forcefully open the Purple Mansion, and this process was vastly simpler than cultivating the five-vein Dao foundation.
The remaining Divine Ability Demon Transformation Purple Mansion thod, Dharma Treasure Bearing Dao Purple Palace thod, Mansion-Transforming Dao-Seizing Purple Mansion thod, and Spirit-Absorbing Foundation-Fusing Purple Mansion thod all had their own respective complications.
However, as long as those complications were resolved and one possessed suitable innate talent, the breakthrough could be extrely fast. Wang Yulou also understood the reasoning behind the Immortal Alliance's restrictions on Purple Mansion thods.
With so many ways to reach the Purple Mansion, as long as the knowledge was made public, countless Foundation Establishnt cultivators would have the opportunity to break through. But the number of Purple Mansion cultivators within the Immortal Alliance was already high enough.
If too many newcors advanced to the Purple Mansion, the Immortal Alliance would be plunged into turmoil. Thus, restricting the circulation of these thods was an inevitable choice.
It was the standard practice of those who boarded the bus first welding the doors shut behind them.
"Suit yourself. When Mang Xiang tornts you endlessly, you won't be able to hold back, Wang Yulou. Hahaha."
Amidst Shen Guang's loud laughter, Wang Yulou felt his presence in the grotto-heaven gradually fade away. After a brief daze, his consciousness returned to his physical shell within the Great Heaven.
By his side, Mingdu was still fast asleep, but Wang Yulou no longer felt the slightest bit of exhaustion. Would Mang Xiang tornt him?
Tornt the Wang Clan? It was inevitable.
As a vassal, the Wang Clan was rely a tool to be used in Mang Xiang's eyes. Empty promises could be made, but when they would be fulfilled was sothing only Mang Xiang could decide.
That choice depended solely on whether the value the Wang Clan provided was worth the reward. But now, Wang Yulou had already obtained the Purple Mansion thods—a full seven of them.
Furthermore, if Wang Xianmao and Wang Jingyi used these thods, they would have a very high chance of reaching the Purple Mansion. Shen Guang had generously offered a massive, poisoned bait.
The temptation of the Purple Mansion and the allure of elevating the family's status all rested upon Wang Yulou's single thought. The terrifying aspect of Shen Guang was that he saw right through the human heart.
Wang Yulou sat quietly on the bed. He remained in silence for an entire night, yet still could not co up with a viable counterasure.
Withholding these thods from Wang Jingyi and Wang Xianmao was logical, but emotionally agonizing. Giving them the thods fulfilled his familial duty, but it could very well lead to the Wang Clan's demise.
Under the long-standing equilibrium maintained by nurous top-tier factions over thousands of years, reaching the Purple Mansion did not guarantee imdiate power and status. In a cultivation world where supre strength ruled all, all laws and rules originated from those at the top!
Who were those at the top? The Golden Core Immortal Venerables!
The distribution of interests within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was already stabilized. The landscape of power in Wunan was fixed.
Yet, the balance within the Immortal Alliance was on the verge of imploding. Patriarch Mangxiang going to war with the Sky Serpent Sect and attaining Golden Core would certainly shock the existing landscape and create new opportunities for expansion.
However, the authority to allocate these new territories and resources rested in the hands of the Patriarch and the higher-ups of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect—specifically, Zhuzhao.
If the Wang Clan rashly allowed its Foundation Establishnt cultivators to advance to the Purple Mansion, the Patriarch would imdiately grow suspicious: Where did your Purple Mansion thod co from? Against newly advanced Purple Mansion cultivators, let alone Mang Xiang, even Danri could easily suppress them.
Li Haikuo was a Purple Mansion cultivator, and he had once been a famous peak Foundation Establishnt expert in Wunan, much like An Ning in the past. Yet, after becoming a True Person of the Purple Mansion, he was still as weak as ever.
When the demonic horde attacked Western Sea Immortal City, he could only defend himself with two spiritual artifacts, which was simply absurd.
If they aroused the Patriarch's suspicion, it wouldn't matter how many Purple Mansion experts the Wang Clan produced; they would be completely unable to gain a foothold in Wunan, let alone the broader Immortal Alliance. Of course, they could defect to other factions, but wouldn't an outsider Purple Mansion cultivator just be serving themselves up on a silver platter?
The top-tier factions had remained stable for thousands of years. With the grand cultivators maintaining a delicate balance of deterrence, even the peripheral territories between them were completely entangled in their reach.
The West Sea was a pri example. The Immortal Alliance's grand cultivators wrestled with the myriad Demon Gods of the West Sea, and in the end, a freak like Shen Guang erged from the chaos.
The logic was simple: anywhere in the world that produced cultivation resources—as long as even one percent of those resources could be funneled to the grand cultivators through an administrative system—would be occupied by the forces of the grand cultivators or the Demon Gods.
Therefore, even if the Wang Clan allowed their Foundation Establishnt cultivators to break through and then fled to so uninhabited region to develop, it was impossible to hide. There was no utopia; there was only the infinite ambition and greed of grand cultivators and Demon Gods.
Shen Guang had truly handed Wang Yulou an enormous dilemma. Reconciling reason and emotion... how could he reconcile reason and emotion?
The advantage of a clan lay in its ability to balance logic and sentint through tight-knit, small-scale governance. But the thods for opening the Purple Mansion were far too significant.
When it ca to handling this crisis smoothly, Wang Yulou could not formulate a foolproof plan—he simply drew a blank. Patriarch Wang Xianmao and Ancestor Jingyi treated him incredibly well, and Wang Yulou desperately wanted to share the thods with them.
However, he also knew that the temptation of the Purple Mansion was too great. If Wang Xianmao and Wang Jingyi let their desires cloud their judgnt for even a mont, the Wang Clan would face annihilation, and Wang Yulou would be dragged down with them.
He had just obtained seven Purple Mansion thods—six old cultivation arts and one new thod—yet, as he looked at the path ahead, Wang Yulou found himself entirely lost. It was too damn difficult!
Furthermore, Wang Yulou also saw another possibility. Naly, Shen Guang suddenly giving him seven Purple Mansion thods, combined with Mang Xiang's empty promise of "ten Purple Mansions"—looking at the two together seed to foreshadow that civil war was not an impossible occurrence, and perhaps not even a distant one. Shen Guang was the old turtle grandson scooping filth outside the Immortal Alliance's luxury mansion, while Mang Xiang was the old bastard rampaging wildly inside. Neither were good; they were both top-tier vile beasts.
Shen Guang giving Wang Yulou the thods was similar to his past actions of passing Purple Mansion thods to the cultivators within the Immortal Alliance through Xihai Zhongcheng of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub. It was highly likely just a pure attempt to stir up trouble, or possibly a bid to rope in Wang Yulou, similar to Mu Chunze. As for Mang Xiang wanting a bunch of new Purple Mansions, it could be because he wanted to take advantage of his recent breakthrough to Golden Core, where he wouldn't have to worry about Heavenly Tribulation in the short term, to expand his own power and even that of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. The so-called nurous new Purple Mansions of the Behemoth Lineage were simply the consumables Mang Xiang prepared for future expansion. But the most hellish point lay in the fact that even this opportunity to act as consumables was extrely rare to co by.
The bottom-tier cultivators of the Immortal Alliance used spirit stones to trade for ordinary low-grade resources. Foundation Establishnt cultivators had their hands and feet bound. Rare resources to open the Purple Mansion—from thods, to pills, to opportunities—were all things that could only be encountered by chance and not sought after. People like Xihai Zhongcheng, Xihai Longhu, Xihai Qingfeng, and Zhang Heng wanted to be consumables, but in the end, they didn't even get the chance before their own boss lost first, directly turning them into tribulation ashes under the great purge.
The fact that Wang Yulou and the mbers of the Wang Clan had the chance to beco consumables amidst the tide stirred up by Patriarch Mangxiang, obtaining an opportunity to pass through that welded-shut door, was already considered an excellent stroke of luck. Many things could not be thought about too deeply. As Wang Yulou reached this conclusion, his expression gradually turned resolute. Preparedness ensures success, and unpreparedness spells failure. It was ti to make preparations for the Immortal Alliance's civil war.
Whether the West Sea was plunged into chaos or not was not for Shen Guang to decide; it depended on the myriad Demon Gods deep in the West Sea. This was sothing Wang Yulou could not dictate. Therefore, he needed to put his efforts into the things he could decide or influence. For instance, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. The great purge of the West Sea was only a phased task. Wang Yulou's future path of cultivation, or rather his space for developnt, ultimately remained within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. The Sky Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect had already gone to war. War was the best opportunity to disrupt the landscape of interest distribution. Wang Yulou could not influence the distribution order of top-tier interests within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
However, alongside the top-down hierarchy based on cultivation base, a sect's internal logic inevitably relied on a bottom-up organizational structure. While the latter might occupy a secondary position, it objectively existed. Currently, Mang Xiang was commanding the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. With his presence, Wang Yulou had an enormous amount of space to do whatever he pleased within the sect.
Shen Guang had presented him with a massive dilemma, one he couldn't figure out even after sitting in silence for a whole night. But Wang Yulou still had to move forward in the end. Many matters lacked a clear resolution at the mont, so they were best shelved for now. A living person couldn't suffocate from holding in their piss. He had to take the first step. Wang Yulou had already seen the direction!
Two days later, a crowd surged in front of the dilapidated Punishnt Court of Western Sea Immortal City. The rogue cultivators of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had co to collect the entry fees that Zhang Heng had embezzled.
Although the campaign to purge Shen Guang's lingering poison was intensifying, the rogue cultivators' thoughts were quite simple. Immortal Venerable Shenguang was too high and far away, while their own cultivation bases and statuses were far too low. They couldn't possibly be considered his lingering poison. One could only say they were still sowhat naive.
They didn't understand that when certain people intended to farm loyalty, human lives were rely a special unit of asurent—the more people killed, the greater the loyalty.
Just as Wang Yulou erged from his residence and rode his Black Dragon Steed toward the Punishnt Court, Mo Yunshu blocked his path. Spotting her from a distance, Wang Yulou shook his head helplessly and turned to Yang Duilie. "Fellow Daoist Duilie, please ask her to leave. Yunshu is of the direct lineage under the tutelage of True Person Hansong. True Person Hansong's family has a unique way of cultivating their juniors; her thoughts are rather strange."
Naturally, Yang Duilie wouldn't refuse Wang Yulou's command.
Facing Mo Yunshu, who was under the tutelage of True Person Hansong, Yang Duilie had to persuade her with kind words, no matter how unwilling he was.
"I will not leave!"
"You purging Shen Guang's lingering poison and clearing out the mbers of the Annex City Enforcent Team is already enough. Those cultivators only joined the Rogue Cultivator Alliance to make it easier to team up for demon hunting.
"They operate in the West Sea outpost, which is territory controlled by Shen Guang. They had no power to choose!
"They are not Shen Guang's lingering poison. Wang Yulou, they are not Shen Guang's lingering poison!"
Mo Yunshu's loud protests failed to move Yang Duilie. He rely manipulated his spiritual energy, attempting to send her away without completely tearing all face.
But Yunshu refused to leave. Over two thousand mbers of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had been tricked by Wang Yulou into gathering before the Punishnt Court.
To prove his loyalty to Mang Xiang, Wang Yulou was going to kill every last one of those ignorant, pitiful rogue cultivators. She couldn't remain indifferent.
She struggled and loudly admonished them, attempting to move the Dragon Tiger Guards beside Wang Yulou, attempting to move Wang Yulou himself. But the Dragon Tiger Guards were all seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
They had long passed the phase of ignorant youths who didn't know the gravity of matters. Their hearts were harder than iron.
Seeing Mo Yunshu actually willing to go to such lengths for those rogue cultivators, Wang Yulou was sowhat moved. He saw the shadow of Feng Jianxian in her.
Feng Jianxian and Yunshu—the two of them were "freaks" born out of the special environnt of the West Sea. They were completely out of place within the man-eating system of the Immortal Alliance.
They painfully struggled, tangled with the world, tried to save so people, and tried to change certain situations. They were very foolish, but they couldn't truly be considered wrong.
Yet, Wang Yulou wasn't wrong either. Systemic violence didn't solely ravage people like Zhang Heng and Xihai Zhongcheng; it also ravaged Feng Jianxian, Mo Yunshu, those ignorant and pitiful rogue cultivators, and equally ravaged Wang Yulou, who was trapped in the middle of it all.
Facing the fiercely struggling Mo Yunshu, Yang Duilie was actually a victim himself. If he had a choice, how could he be willing to provoke a direct lineage disciple of True Person Hansong's family?
Sighing helplessly, Wang Yulou raised his hand and fired off a command talisman. A mont later, Mo Xunzhou rushed over, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Fellow Daoist Yuque, I..."
This forr superior of Wang Yulou currently had an incredibly pale complexion and looked severely worried.
Immortal Venerable Mangxiang and Immortal Venerable Qingrui were joining forces to engage in magical combat with Immortal Venerable Shenguang, carrying out a great purge in the West Sea—was this the kind of matter Mo Yunshu could participate in?
Yes, True Person Hansong was very powerful, but Immortal Venerable Mangxiang and Immortal Venerable Qingrui were currently playing a great reshuffle of the West Sea. If Hansong blocked the way, even Hansong might be purged!
Much less a re Mo Yunshu! If Wang Yulou were just a bit more ruthless, he could kill her without facing any consequences.
Perhaps it could even boost his loyalty slightly in the eyes of Mang Xiang. The laws and rules of the Immortal Alliance were vast, but they couldn't restrict the combined forces of Mang Xiang and Qingrui!
Wang Yulou was acting as the pawn for these two. He currently held the status of an imperial envoy—an imperial envoy purging the West Sea!
"Alright, take her away, Fellow Daoist Xunzhou. Go."
Wang Yulou's attitude was actually quite mild. Mo Xunzhou bowed deeply in gratitude, then imdiately went all out, tying Mo Yunshu up.
Yang Duilie needed to have scruples, but Mo Xunzhou, as Mo Yunshu's senior, had no need for such misgivings.
"Wang Yulou!"
Mo Yunshu truly couldn't comprehend how things had reached this point. Over two thousand people were going to be killed simply because they had ties to Shen Guang's disciples...
"Yunshu, if you want to change this world, you have to climb upward.
"At the very least, you have to beco an Immortal Venerable before you can declare 'My destiny is my own.' Only then can you decide your own fate.
"And if you want to climb upward, if you want to change reality, you must at least accept a portion of reality.
"Do not be like Feng Jianxian. You must survive in order to have the chance to climb upward.
"Wake up, Yunshu. It is ti for you to grow up."
Riding the Black Dragon Steed, Wang Yulou passed by Mo Yunshu's side under the escort of twelve Dragon Tiger Guards.
In a rare occurrence, he had proactively advised an outsider. In the past, Wang Yulou strictly followed the principle of only sweeping the snow from his own doorstep, absolutely refusing to ddle in other people's business.
But Fellow Daoist Yunshu was different. Seeing her, Wang Yulou felt as if he were seeing Feng Jianxian, as if he were seeing the uncompromised version of himself.
There was a reason he had beco friends with Feng Jianxian and Mo Yunshu. Wang Yulou had abandoned a part of his original self to reach where he was today, but how could he not feel nostalgic for it?
The Great Love Immortal Venerable in the stories could shout that an Immortal Venerable would feel regret but he would not, but Wang Yulou had rely walked the path of cultivation for twenty years. He hadn't yet reached that kind of realm.
But was that kind of realm really a good thing? Wang Yulou didn't know.
Perhaps true understanding of this matter required personal experience.
Watching helplessly as Wang Yulou led his n away, his words echoed in Mo Yunshu's heart.
To change reality, one must start by accepting a portion of reality...
Cui Baihao was also one among the nurous mbers of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
His Redwood Sect had already been destroyed by Mang Xiang's Great Favor Distribution. A rising tide lifts all boats, but those boats that couldn't keep up with the swelling waters and fierce waves would naturally sink.
The Redwood Sect was one of those ships. This forr sect master of a small sect was now leading a few elders of the Redwood Sect to seek cultivation opportunities in the West Sea—which ant demon hunting.
He knew of Wang Yulou, and was even acquainted with him. In Clear Stream Market over a decade ago, Wang Yulou had changed the fates of many people.
Unfortunately, at that ti, Cui Baihao had failed to profit from the changes Wang Yulou created. Otherwise, perhaps the Redwood Sect might still exist today.
Squeezed into the crowd before the Punishnt Court, Cui Baihao felt sowhat expectant. Over the past few years, he had paid three hundred and sixty spirit stones in Rogue Cultivator Alliance entry fees.
Due to his familiarity with the ways of the world, Cui Baihao didn't expect all three hundred and sixty spirit stones to be fully refunded, but he still held onto so hope. Even if all three hundred and sixty couldn't be refunded, getting back half should be possible, right?
Speaking of which, it was Wang Yulou who gave him confidence. Cui Baihao's impression of Wang Yulou still remained fixed on the Clear Stream Market from over a decade ago.
However, when Wang Yulou rode the Black Dragon Steed, flying across the sky and landing atop the high courtyard of the Punishnt Court, Cui Baihao finally realized that the differences in fate and opportunity between people were like the gap between heaven and earth.
A genius Foundation Establishnt cultivator, an excellent son-in-law to a Purple Mansion lineage, a heavenly genius of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, a West Sea legend taking a Great Demon as a mount, the seal-holder of the Punishnt Court—this Wang Yulou was long since no longer the Wang Yulou in his mories.
"Fellow Daoists, Shen Guang expanded his territory in the West Sea for two hundred years. His lingering poison runs incredibly deep and has caused irreversible effects upon the West Sea.
"The Immortal Alliance serves all cultivators and represents the interests of all cultivators... Within the Immortal Alliance system, there are Golden Core sects, Purple Mansion lineages, large and small Foundation Establishnt families, as well as countless Qi Refining families and micro sects.
"But among them, there is no such thing as a Rogue Cultivator Alliance! The Rogue Cultivator Alliance is rely one of the nurous manifestations of Shen Guang's lingering poison.
"This kind of organization has been an illegal organization from the very beginning! And you Rogue Cultivator Alliance mbers are the illegal mbers of an illegal organization!
"The entry fees you paid to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance will not have a single spirit stone refunded today. I brought you here today to determine your cris!"
Wang Yulou's words made everyone feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave. Shen Guang's lingering poison, the West Sea Rogue Cultivator Alliance as an illegal organization, them as illegal mbers...
Compared to these terrifying labels, the spirit stones embezzled by Zhang Heng were no longer important. No one was unaware of how the people of the Immortal Alliance handled matters.
First, they pinned a label on you, and then they hard you with "justifiable cause"...
However, perhaps the gathering of the crowd gave certain thick-headed fools an inexplicable sense of security. Among the over two thousand rogue cultivators, quite a few actually emboldened themselves to rebut Wang Yulou's words.
"What Shen Guang's lingering poison? Immortal Venerable Shenguang is the great hero of the West Sea! Today's West Sea is all..."
"You just don't want to give us our spirit stones, what's the point of saying so much!"
"We didn't know the Rogue Cultivator Alliance was an illegal organization! When we were deceived before, you didn't say anything, but now you bla us for joining the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, aren't you just..."
The West Sea was a very special place. Even though it was incredibly cruel, it truly provided many cultivators with an upward path of cultivation that bypassed the direct system of the Immortal Alliance.
Because of this, many people within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had surprisingly retained a strong spirit of resistance. Wang Yulou actually deeply admired this rebellious spirit, but his stance and his interests dictated that he had to strangle these resisters to death.
In the shaping of ideology, the rebellion of the oppressed is justified, but chanical abstract theories cannot be simply copied to guide practice. The operational logic of society and the cultivators' world was completely different from the world Wang Yulou had lived in during his previous life.
Too many things had changed. Of course, no matter where one was, it was naturally correct that the oppressed's rebellion was justified.
All behaving entities had a reason to proceed from their own interests and use different thods to achieve their respective goals. But this logic equally applied to Wang Yulou.
Everyone had to be responsible for their own actions and choices; everyone was their own primary person responsible. On this plane, pure egoism appeared reasonable once more.
This was systemic violence; it devastated every single person who still possessed morality and empathy. That sentence the Patriarch had once said brilliantly proved its correctness once again—grand cultivators and ordinary people were not the sa species.
To beco a grand cultivator, one first needed the spirit of a grand cultivator, but wasn't this also a form of abandoning one's past self? However, Ancestor Jingyi had also reminded Wang Yulou from this angle—one's original intention should always be in a state of change.
Only the most foolish and useless people would be trapped by the bastard logic that one's original intentions should never change.
Wang Yulou said to Chen Yongzhong with an expressionless face, "Drag out those noisy people."
Over thirty seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators and hundreds of ordinary Foundation Establishnt cultivators—in the face of such power, the resistance of those rogue cultivators was just a joke.
Cui Baihao watched helplessly as a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator to his front left attempted to resist, only to be casually swatted into a pile of mashed at by a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator who had noticed him. In the cultivation world where power reigned supre, the rebellion of the lowest levels held little aning.
This was sothing Wang Yulou had figured out when he was three years old.
"Who else wants to resist the Immortal Alliance and insists on denying they are Shen Guang's lingering poison?" Wang Yulou asked.
With the bloody reality displayed before them, the over two thousand people shrank their necks back, not even daring to show gazes of hatred. Cui Baihao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and silently prayed with unease in his heart, hoping that Wang Yulou wouldn't kill all of them.
Everyone clearly understood the terror of the Immortal Alliance. Even if Wang Yulou really did slaughter everyone, they wouldn't be surprised.
"Good. Since you clearly understand that you are Shen Guang's lingering poison, then go serve the Immortal Alliance within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
"Go to the frontlines and atone for your cris through ritorious service. Those who achieve rit can enter the inner sect of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. This is my, Wang Yuque's, promise!"
Without caring about the rogue cultivators' reactions, Wang Yulou rely looked toward the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. From stepping into Clear Stream Market at thirteen, to now being on the verge of stepping into the center of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's stage, Wang Yulou had walked for twenty years.
This ti, it was no longer the shabby appearance of three people and one horse. Wang Yulou had beco a legendary Foundation Establishnt cultivator of the West Sea.
He would lead over two thousand Qi Refining cultivators to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, snatching the fateful opportunity that belonged to him. Driven by benefits, these rogue cultivators would beco Wang Yulou's foundational base in the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, or at least partially beco so.
Bottom-up, bottom-up—this was the counterasure Wang Yulou ultimately chose.
Ancestor, are you satisfied with this?
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