Gazing at Wang Yulou in the hall, the female cultivator's eyebrows curved slightly with her blossoming smile.
"Husband, Xiaoyu has always been here, waiting for you in Droplet Cave Heaven."
It turned out that tenderness and sweet affection didn't require complex proof.
"Where did you go? I was right here, waiting for you."
If Wang Yulou were just a fifteen-year-old boy experiencing his first awakening of love, being chosen so resolutely by a beauty would probably make him jump for joy.
But he wasn't fifteen, and Bai Xiaoyu—no, Immortal Venerable Di Shui—was much more than a hundred tis fifteen.
She was a genuine Golden Core grand cultivator, a trapped grand cultivator, and moreover, a grand cultivator trapped under the rule of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
As a Core Disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, how could Wang Yulou not be afraid?
The past events between Bai Xiaoyu and Wang Yulou were real; they had truly happened.
But those so-called feelings and shared mories, when weighed against Bai Xiaoyu's imnsely long lifespan, were probably nothing more than a joke.
Wang Yulou knew perfectly well that the grand cultivators of this world were all incredibly ruthless. As a Golden Core, how could Immortal Venerable Di Shui truly be as innocent as Bai Xiaoyu appeared?
Cruel rules and violent orders oppressed everyone. The weak couldn't climb higher, and every grand cultivator's hands were stained with blood.
There might be kind souls among Golden Cores, but their numbers were probably fewer than the virgins in the Moon Splendor Sect.
Besides, much of the ti, kindness and blood-stained hands were not mutually exclusive.
In short, expecting a monster who had lived for several thousand years to develop genuine feelings after spending a re few years together was, in Wang Yulou's eyes, highly unrealistic—both foolish and arrogant.
Foolish for underestimating a long-lived being's experience, and arrogant for overestimating his own charm.
But since the Immortal Venerable was giving him so much face, could Wang Yulou really say, "You lied to , you..."?
He couldn't even drop the assumption that Di Shui was being completely serious. What if she actually was?
Under these circumstances, the magnitude of his response was critical.
After a mont of stunned silence, Wang Yulou spoke carefully, coming up with a perfect, or rather, foolish question to ask.
"Your appearance..."
So what if it was foolish? Striking the right balance between deliberate concern, worry, and ignorance could both validate the mories of their "feelings"—if they even existed—and highlight the harmlessness of his own foolishness.
As for whether Di Shui would think him incompetent for asking such a stupid question, Wang Yulou had absolute confidence in the Immortal Venerable.
If Immortal Venerable Di Shui's standards were truly that low... then being a little incompetent was perfectly fine.
White Li sighed. How could she not know what kind of person Xiao Wang was?
A guy who would carefully pick the right timing even to fart had actually asked such a stupid question. He was afraid, greedy, expectant, yet also terrified.
Boring.
It wasn't the kind of disappointnt you felt when a long-awaited toy turned out to be no fun. White Li simply felt a bit ntally exhausted.
"What do you want to look like?"
Immortal Venerable Di Shui walked from the courtyard toward Wang Yulou.
With her first step, she transford into the appearance of Bai Xiaoyu. She looked exactly like the Xiaoyu who used to accompany Yulou—innocent and beautiful.
With her second step, she transford into an imperious goddess. The magic treasure-grade magical robe on her body rippled with endless variations as she walked.
With her third step, she beca a valiant female warrior. Her lithe figure and wheat-colored skin gave her a fiercely martial air.
With her fourth step, she shifted into a peerless and independent female immortal. Her ethereal temperant and transcendent grace were so overwhelming they made Wang Yulou feel slightly inadequate.
With her fifth step, she...
Just like that, White Li walked step by step until she stood directly in front of Wang Yulou. In that short span, she had seamlessly cycled through over a dozen completely different transformations.
Could anyone claim that such a Dao Companion was lacking?
Whatever appearance you desired, whether you could imagine it or not, she could manifest it.
With her bottomless accumulation as a Golden Core Immortal Venerable, she could perfectly harmonize each transformation with its corresponding personality.
Wang Yulou was at a loss. He didn't fully comprehend the sheer strength of a Golden Core Immortal Venerable, but just the effortless transformations White Li displayed as she took her light, graceful steps left him struggling to cope.
The romance between a man and a woman required a concrete subject to anchor it. But in response to Wang Yulou's question, White Li used cold facts to show him that the anchor itself could change, possessing an infinite myriad of variations.
It made Wang Yulou wonder if his relationship with Bai Xiaoyu had been nothing but the Immortal Venerable's ga from the very beginning.
She never truly had any feelings; she was rely playing in the mortal realm.
Although he had long been ntally prepared for this possibility, when things actually reached this point, a profound sense of desolation still swept through his heart.
Over the past few years, he had married multiple Dao Companions. He treated each one seriously, adjusting his thods only slightly.
In terms of generous gifts, Xiaoyu couldn't compare to Jin Mingdu.
In terms of actual ti spent together, Xiaoyu couldn't compare to Yingxi.
In terms of nominal status among his Dao Companions, Xiaoyu couldn't compare to Lin Ying.
Perhaps it was only because Xiao Qin sat firmly at the bottom that Xiaoyu didn't seem entirely neglected.
However, among his five Dao Companions, the one Wang Yulou had invested the most genuine emotion into was Xiaoyu.
Perhaps when White Li fabricated that backstory, she wove it so exquisitely that it resonated with Wang Yulou's own situation of being controlled by Shen Guang and forced into Dripdrop Cave. Because of that shared empathy, Wang Yulou had always treated Bai Xiaoyu differently.
Now, Immortal Venerable Di Shui was telling him through her actions that his Xiaoyu was ultimately nothing more than a dream.
"I don't know, Immortal Venerable. This world is too complex. I can't understand you, nor can I understand myself."
Looking at Wang Yulou's solemn expression, White Li found the conversation boring, but she still smiled and said, "You see, knowing the truth is important. It proves that you are walking on the right path.
"Husband, true and false... truth is hard to distinguish from falsehood. These are the very words you once reminded of.
"More than a hundred thousand years ago, immortal cultivators weren't called immortal cultivators, but truth cultivators. Seeking the truth is the eternal path of ascension for a Dao Seeker.
"If seeking the truth were really that simple, wouldn't anyone be able to live a long life and attain everlasting vision?"
White Li transford back into Bai Xiaoyu's appearance. Looking at his Dao Companion, Wang Yulou remained completely silent, his brain operating at high speed.
Although she had casually broken free from the shackles set by Qingrui and the others, her future remained highly uncertain.
After all, she had been absent from the distribution of power and benefits for over a thousand years. With her sudden return, absolutely no one would welco her.
For years, the various top-tier factions hadn't fought a single large-scale war, which ant they had no need for more Golden Cores to join their ranks.
Therefore, she needed to lay out plans for the coming great era.
'And I, no matter the reason, must ultimately have so value in her eyes for her to try and draw in.'
'That's why she would so generously and easily teach those true core teachings that ordinary immortal cultivators could never hope to obtain.'
Yes, what Immortal Venerable Di Shui spoke of was true heritage. At the very least, this Golden Core Immortal Venerable had helped Wang Yulou confirm one crucial fact: in a cultivation world overflowing with lies, deceit, and reaping sickles, seeking truth was the inevitable path for those heading toward the Dao.
At this thought, Wang Yulou felt slightly more at ease. This wasn't the worst-case scenario—it wasn't a situation where Di Shui, not wanting to see the secret history of Immortal Venerable Di Shui exposed, had decided to preemptively silence the threat of its publication by physically strangling him.
"Immortal Venerable, I want to ask one question. Does Mang Xiang know you are here?"
Wang Yulou was extrely wary of the ancestor. To attain the Golden Core realm, Mang Xiang had employed countless sches and calculations, dragging the Immortal Alliance straight into the fiery pit of civil war.
From the day the Stone Ancestor appeared until now, Wang Yulou had conscientiously played the role of Mang Xiang's loyal subordinate for half a year, purely to leave a good impression on the ancestor.
In the end, the sudden favor of Immortal Venerable Di Shui was not sothing Wang Yulou could blindly accept. Di Shui had escaped her predicant, but she herself had only just climbed out of a fire pit.
"Are you very afraid of him?"
White Li smiled. A single glance back could generate a hundred charms, yet she didn't even need to glance back to exude the charm of a hundred tendernesses and a thousand graces.
"The Formless Art appears and disappears unpredictably. How could I not be afraid?"
Sensing Wang Yulou's cautious probing, White Li found the conversation increasingly dull. She spoke with a hint of mockery, "The Formless Art is one of the most garbage thods out there. What you perceive as strong is nothing but a joke at the Golden Core level.
"The Return to Origin, Return to Truth Minor Formless Art you practice is the absolute garbage of garbage."
Wang Yulou froze.
The Formless Art that Mang Xiang had cultivated for so many years was complete garbage in Di Shui's eyes?
Whether the Formless Art was strong or not, Wang Yulou had his own judgnt. Wang Jingyi, who cultivated the Formless Art, could fight, ambush, and retreat with ease. On the scale of Peak Foundation Establishnt, she might not be the absolute strongest, but she certainly wasn't afraid of engaging in magical combat with any opponent.
Wang Yulou couldn't be clearer on this point.
Yet in the eyes of Immortal Venerable Di Shui—in the eyes of White Li—the Formless Art of the ancestor's lineage was actually garbage. If so, just how terrifyingly strong must her own cultivation thod be?
"It shouldn't be that bad..."
White Li sat down beside Wang Yulou. She raised her hand to Absorb the tea table from the courtyard and began brewing tea for him.
"He doesn't know I ca," she said. "Even if he were standing right in front of you now, he still wouldn't be able to see .
"Furthermore, the Formless Art is Mang Xiang's own creation; he has already transford his true body into a wisp of vast pure qi.
"A wisp of vast pure qi cultivating the Formless Art is naturally a perfect fit, and it can be considered sowhat interesting. But for Xuanzhuan, Danri, and you juniors to cultivate the Formless Art? That is rely a waste of effort.
"After all, none of you possess the inherent talent to cultivate yourselves into pure qi."
Was the gap between Golden Core and Purple Mansion actually this vast?
Wang Yulou fell silent. Was the Grotto-heaven Law really nothing more than a little appetizer for the Immortal Venerables?
Did those Purple Mansion cultivators simply not resist?
White Li was seated right beside him, and this was her true body. Wang Yulou caught a faint, sleep-inducing fragrance drifting from her, bringing an odd sense of comfort, as though he had returned to his mother's embrace.
This was perhaps the extraordinary nature of a Golden Core. She clearly hadn't done a thing and was perfectly suppressing her aura, yet her very presence subtly influenced Wang Yulou.
Still, he forced himself to focus and asked his question.
"Immortal Venerable, do those Purple Mansion cultivators not resist?"
White Li nodded in satisfaction.
Right, he had to be this smart.
"Resist what?" she replied. "A group of Purple Mansions banding together to throw their lives away?
"The current order and overarching design of the top-tier factions in heaven and earth were firmly established after the last great war of all immortals.
"From the mont a cultivator reaches Foundation Establishnt, their behavior is guided and shaped by that order. By the ti they reach Purple Mansion, they have already lost all possibility of resistance.
"Faced with the irresistible temptation of achieving the Dao, the optimal solution for these chosen Purple Mansions is to actively serve as the blades of the Immortal Venerables, rather than putting up a futile resistance.
"They are waiting. Just as you are lying dormant and waiting for your chance, they too are waiting in silence."
Unity was strength. On the scale of Purple Mansion and Golden Core, an uprising might seem to have a certain degree of feasibility. But through the deliberate design of their order, the Immortal Venerables had ensured from the very beginning that everyone chosen to rise would be a willing traitor to the rest.
An order of supre self-interest, combined with a power system where imnse individual might granted extended lifespans, ford an invisible cage that was far more restrictive than Wang Yulou's worst expectations.
The Immortal Venerable noticed Wang Yulou's heavy expression. She smiled, poured a cup of tea for the young man, and said, "Drink your tea and don't think so much. Actually, I prefer it when you call Xiaoyu.
"Wang Yulou, a long life is a curse. Especially for a kind person like , this curse corrodes my soul every waking mont.
"So, during those days we spent in Dripdrop Cave, I was actually very happy.
"I am leaving soon, so stay with a little longer."
'Especially for a kind person like .'
To Wang Yulou's ears, this sentence sounded incredibly hollow.
In his mories, Bai Xiaoyu's behavior would occasionally reveal a kind and selfless side, almost approaching a sort of narrow, grandiose love.
But could the words of a grand cultivator really be taken seriously?
Absolutely not. The path of seeking the truth was an unending battle against the lies fabricated by those who had already climbed to the top.
They tell you the train will stop at the next station to let you on, but there is no next station. By the ti the train starts moving, you have already beco its fuel.
He picked up the teacup, intending to down it in one gulp, but hesitated.
The spiritual tea brewed for him by Immortal Venerable Di Shui was naturally excellent, but he still had lingering questions in his heart.
"What do you want from ?"
Indeed, Di Shui had already escaped. Wang Yulou had no desire to delve deeply into how she had managed to break free from the control of those who hard her; those matters were entirely in the past now.
But now that Di Shui was standing before him again, what exactly was her goal?
"Nothing. I just ca to see you before I leave."
Tilting her head to look at Wang Yulou, who was sweating from sheer nerves, Di Shui suddenly felt the urge to laugh.
After all, how old was he anyway? It was only natural for him to be afraid. Because he was afraid, he was greedy, and because he was greedy, he wanted more.
Taking a sip of the spiritual tea, Wang Yulou found that while it was delicious, it didn't seem to contain any special properties.
'Ninth-grade spiritual tea?'
He savored the taste again and finally realized what was amiss.
Immortal Venerable Di Shui was truly a thrifty woman who knew how to live frugally.
Setting down the teacup, Yulou gritted his teeth and chose to make his direct request.
"Immortal Venerable, Yulou has only one request regarding Old Ancestor Xianzhu..."
"I know, I know. Everything is like an illusory bubble, but no one can truly have a permanently steadfast Dao heart.
"Most cultivators, even after reaching Golden Core, still cannot break free from the influence of their obsessions. Even I have obsessions, so it's normal for you to have them.
"His situation is very simple. As long as he does not leave Dripdrop Cave, he can reincarnate within my grotto-heaven. As long as I am not destroyed, his true spirit will never be destroyed.
"But if you ask , this is also a shackle. Bearing too much is not a good thing."
"Hide his mories?"
"Acceptable!"
The two of them fell into silence. In the past, Yulou and Xiaoyu could chat freely all night without resting.
This was perhaps a concrete example of how bearing too much was not a good thing.
When Wang Yulou was just Dripdrop Cave disciple Wang Yulou, and White Li was just Dripdrop Cave disciple Bai Xiaoyu, their worries had only extended to Foundation Establishnt at most.
But after Wang Yulou learned the truth from White Li, the pressure he faced ca from everyone above him.
When the top-tier factions first established their stable hierarchy, they determined exactly what kind of 'talents' would be selected for the future through their internal systems.
They deliberately selected the selfish, the wicked, and the shaless who lacked any self-esteem to rise to the top; such people were easy to control.
Because they only cared about themselves. As long as they weren't forced into a corner with no way out, they would rarely rebel.
Wang Yulou was gradually being dosticated. He had already beco one of the most outstanding key generals under the tutelage of Mang Xiang, hadn't he?
Purging the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, organizing the frontlines, conscripting cultivators under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to throw their lives away—every single task he perford was inhuman.
Wang Yulou was working for a monstrous system, and the system itself had alienated him.
"Can I go with you?"
Wang Yulou asked suddenly.
Who wouldn't want to be free and unfettered...
"No." Immortal Venerable Di Shui firmly and clearly rejected Wang Yulou's request.
Noticing the disappointnt in Wang Yulou's eyes, along with the hidden sense of relief beneath it, White Li understood; he had succeeded in his probing once again.
Yes, Wang Yulou indeed possessed very extraordinary traits and uses.
"Yulou, I need you. You cannot hide under my wings, for that way you will not be able to achieve true growth.
"You must fly a bit higher and bring more changes to this world.
"You need to take root in the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, relying on Mang Xiang's montum to grow faster."
Mang Xiang would definitely attain the Dao—this was personally stated by Immortal Venerable Di Shui.
After confirming once again that the ancestor could attain the Dao, Wang Yulou felt little joy. He was almost exasperated.
If attaining Golden Core was that simple, why would Mang Xiang instigate a civil war within the Immortal Alliance?
Everyone thought Mang Xiang could attain the Dao, but the factions obstructing him were nurous and powerful. Would they just sit by and watch Mang Xiang climb up to snatch their food?
Mang Xiang hadn't even reached the Golden Core realm yet, and he was already biting into Tianshe's interests. If he beca a Golden Core, would he end up fighting Qingrui?
At this thought, Wang Yulou asked.
"Is Immortal Venerable Qingrui very powerful?"
Sticking with Mang Xiang was inevitable. Di Shui's intention actually aligned with Wang Yulou's thoughts; when he probed, he hadn't actually expected Di Shui to agree.
The top-tier factions controlled all the valuable lands in the Great Heaven. As an existence who had rely escaped captivity, Di Shui did not have her own foundation. Following her would be a dead end for Wang Yulou.
But Qingrui was another matter entirely.
The Gu Family's Grand Elder, Gu Qilang, had personally stated that Di Shui and Immortal Venerable Qingrui shared a deep grudge, and Di Shui might have even been imprisoned by Qingrui.
Hearing Wang Yulou ask about Qingrui, White Li's expression instantly beca sowhat unnatural.
Hatred. True hatred. The kind of hatred that kept her awake at night.
"That old witch Qingrui may be wicked, but she is undeniably formidable.
"She used to be a Nascent Soul thod cultivator."
Nascent Soul realm?
Wang Yulou had been in this world for many years, and this was the first ti he had heard that Nascent Soul realm cultivators still existed.
In most people's understanding, above Golden Core was the Immortal Venerable. Immortal Venerable was already the limit, but it didn't exist as a separate realm; thus, powerful Golden Cores were simply called Immortal Venerables.
But now, Immortal Venerable Di Shui's words shattered Wang Yulou's long-held understanding.
His first thought was that this wasn't right.
Not right, it definitely wasn't right.
If Nascent Soul cultivators existed, wouldn't Golden Cores just be reduced to dogs?
Then wouldn't Purple Mansion replace the current Foundation Establishnt realm in status?
Also, White Li had just said 'used to be'...
"She used to be a Nascent Soul realm cultivator?"
White Li corrected him.
"No, the Nascent Soul thod, not the Nascent Soul realm. Above Golden Core, there are no more cultivation realms.
"All Golden Core cultivators cultivate different thods. Everyone advances on their self-selected path to the Dao.
"Those who only know how to trail behind others and eat their leftovers have no chance of reaching true heights.
"But among the nurous Golden Cores, Qingrui is still very formidable. The Nascent Soul thod is a broad category. Qingrui cultivated it for tens of thousands of years, and ultimately determined that it was a dead end.
"Thus, she chose to split in two, transforming her original physical body into Lianpeng, and her Nascent Soul into Qingrui.
"Tell , could such a person not be terrifying?
"She is my enemy. Coincidentally, Mang Xiang may also have to face Qingrui in the future.
"Therefore, Wang Yulou... Hah, don't make that expression.
"Don't make that expression, Husband. In this world, nothing is impossible.
"If a Dao Seeker hesitates to move forward because of the difficulties ahead, then he is destined never to reach the opposite shore."
The opposite shore carried all the fantasies of those struggling in the sea of bitterness.
Wang Yulou had never seen the opposite shore and did not know what it looked like, but he at least knew what the sea of bitterness looked like.
Therefore, he had to reach the opposite shore; he had to leave this sea of bitterness and beco a free, unbound individual.
Being unfettered was extrely difficult, but that only proved its extraordinary value.
"Why would Mang Xiang beco enemies with Qingrui?"
The helplessness of fate sotis took on a special form of expression. For example, when you grasped its delicious fruit, you could not see the price you would have to pay later.
Sticking with Mang Xiang was very rewarding. Although there were setbacks, Wang Yulou had gained a lot.
With a special grand backer like Immortal Venerable Di Shui, Wang Yulou saw this world clearly and also gained a path of retreat—though he wasn't sure if it could really count as one, given that White Li herself was in a difficult spot.
But the price was that Wang Yulou actually had to face the controller of Lotus Immortal City—Immortal Venerable Qingrui.
This was exactly like leaving the beginner village and taking a wooden sword to hack at the final boss. It was absurd, but this absurdity was his reality.
Looking back at the past, Wang Yulou had already forged the path to his future step by step.
He just couldn't imagine how stupid Mang Xiang had to be to make an enemy out of Immortal Venerable Qingrui.
"Because Mang Xiang is too weak, yet he is too greedy.
"I don't know what he wants to do, but clearly, he has a grand plan in mind.
"This grand plan will disrupt the established landscape of interests.
"In the end, the one who steps in to deal with him will definitely be Qingrui."
Coming from Immortal Venerable Di Shui's mouth, Mang Xiang—who had beaten True Person Gua until he only had three legs left—was actually considered weak...
In truth, Wang Yulou understood the underlying logic, but he was still curious.
"After a veteran Purple Mansion like Mang Xiang attains the Dao, he shouldn't be at the absolute bottom of the Golden Cores, right?"
White Li chuckled, speaking with a slight air of disdain.
"He attained the Dao as a veteran Purple Mansion, but who among the other Golden Cores didn't?
"After a heavenly genius steps up to beco a Golden Core, what he faces will be a large group of old-guard heavenly geniuses who attained the Dao earlier than him, are more deeply calculating than him, have profounder accumulations than him, and whose natural talents are even stronger than his.
"Mang Xiang is a genius. But Husband, Xiaoyu is also a genius."
Saying this, White Li even playfully blinked at Wang Yulou.
'But Husband, I'm a genius too.'
Right, the ancestor was powerful, but his power was on the scale of a Purple Mansion.
Once the ancestor truly beca a Golden Core, that would be an entirely new situation—he couldn't possibly continue comparing himself to Purple Mansion cultivators then, could he?
"Back to what we just said, back to Immortal Venerable Qingrui. Xiaoyu, if there is no cultivation realm above Golden Core, then what does a respectful title like Immortal Venerable amount to?"
Over the past few decades, Wang Yulou had always believed that Immortal Venerable was a higher cultivation realm than Golden Core.
Now White Li was telling him that there were actually no realms above Golden Core, so what was the title of Immortal Venerable supposed to be?
The goddess slightly raised her head, a trace of yearning revealing itself in her serene eyes as she spoke.
"This current era, we call it the New Law era.
"The New Law here is not the Grotto-heaven Law, but the Spirit Root Cultivation thod.
"In the previous era, cultivation was a matter with no threshold; every living being had the opportunity to cultivate.
"Back then, cultivation emphasized Wisdom Root. If you were suited to a certain sect's thods, you possessed the Wisdom Root of that sect.
"As long as one found enough sects, all living beings were capable of cultivation.
"The Spirit Root Cultivation thod changed all this. The number of cultivators in the world drastically decreased, and gradually, more people ascended to the power level of Golden Core.
"Thus, a special kind of Dharma Decline era erged. Golden Cores were trapped in their revered positions, everyone tearing at each other, making it very difficult for anyone to go a step further.
"The title of Immortal Venerable has always corresponded to Golden Core grand cultivators.
"It's just that in the earlier years—this 'earlier years' might have been over a hundred thousand years ago—the number of Golden Cores wasn't as nurous as it is now."
Wang Yulou's mind shook as he listened. As long as it was a living being, they could cultivate. But such a golden age of cultivation was not a good thing for those at the very top.
"Did the people pushing the Spirit Root Cultivation thod believe that as long as the number of immortal cultivators decreased, the resources of heaven and earth could more easily nurture a higher rank than Golden Core?"
"Correct. But the truth is, they were wrong.
"No matter how powerful grand cultivators are, they cannot control everything. There will always be extraordinary existences who break through their restraints, stand by their side, and tear at the benefits alongside them.
"Thus, things proceeded step by step to where they are today. I do not like this kind of world, so I am not very sociable."
'I do not like this kind of world, so I appear to not be very sociable.'
Words like these from Immortal Venerable Di Shui were more than just interesting.
Not many years after Wang Yulou entered the cultivation world, he realized a very important rule of observation.
Naly, do not listen to what other immortal cultivators say, but rather look at what they have done, or what they have experienced.
What had Immortal Venerable Di Shui experienced?
More than 1,200 years ago, Immortal Venerable Di Shui was suppressed by Qingrui in alliance with other grand cultivators.
In this process, Immortal Venerable Di Shui beheaded Chi Ming, but she still lost and was trapped in shackles by Qingrui.
About one thousand and fifty years ago, the grand cultivators of the world joined hands to alter the rules of heaven and earth.
From then on, while the Spirit Root Cultivation thod restricted the talents of cultivators, the rules of heaven and earth also restricted the cultivation speed of Qi Induction realm cultivators.
It was very coincidental; the tilines matched up perfectly.
Wang Yulou had this guess a long ti ago, but because it was too outrageous, he wasn't entirely confident it was correct.
Just as Wang Yulou had thought, what he observed was that every grand cultivator was a terrifying entity who could swallow people whole and flay them alive without changing expression. How could there possibly be soone who would sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others?
Just thinking about it made it seem impossible, right?
Therefore, even though Immortal Venerable Di Shui's words and actions were consistent, Wang Yulou still didn't fully believe her.
Even an old thing like Shen Guang could be sched against. With an existence like Immortal Venerable Di Shui, how could Wang Yulou dare to bare his heart to her so easily?
"Xiaoyu, even the most powerful grand cultivators cannot calculate everything, but the lifespan of a Golden Core is infinite.
"As long as they can withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, they can continue to live.
"There must be many Golden Cores with extrely deep seniority in this world, right? Would they really not make a move against those newcors who don't follow the rules—who don't follow the rules they laid out?"
This was what White Li was most satisfied with about Wang Yulou. When dealing with the many problems encountered in cultivation, Wang Yulou habitually applied materialist dialectics, which helped him easily approach the truth hidden amidst the true and the false.
He just seed very smart.
"Do you still rember the matters of the West Sea?" White Li smiled and poured Wang Yulou another cup of tea.
'The matters of the West Sea?'
' purging Shen Guang's lingering poison?'
'No, she must be referring to Mang Xiang joining hands with Qingrui to liquidate Shen Guang.'
'No, that's not right either. Shen Guang brought it upon himself by tossing about...'
'Hmm?'
"You an, Zhou Bojiao acting as bait to hook Shen Guang?"
"Correct!"
White Li nodded, pondering and reminiscing at the sa ti.
"A Golden Core at the 5,000-year level and a Golden Core at the 50,000-year level are not the sa thing.
"To bait Shen Guang into making a mistake, a half-dead Zhou Bojiao was enough.
"Then tell , to bait those old Golden Cores who have hidden for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years into exposing their concealed true strength, what kind of price must be paid?"
Great, just great. Coming from Di Shui's mouth, even Golden Cores could actually beco fish bait.
Wang Yulou was ultimately too young; he didn't even know that the older generation was already at the table.
"I understand. So, top-tier factions like the Immortal Alliance were all founded by old-guard Golden Cores.
The stability between them is because they are waiting for an appropriate ti to harvest?"
Wang Yulou asked, probing further.
It could be said that the appearance of Immortal Venerable Di Shui had essentially opened Wang Yulou's eyes to the truth of the world.
Standing at the height of Dripdrop Cave's Immortal Venerable, Wang Yulou saw the profound mysteries of this world clearly through the lens of fundantal logic for the very first ti.
"Perhaps. I don't know either. You see, this is why I emphasized that in the past, cultivation wasn't called immortal cultivation, but truth cultivation.
"Even after you reach the Golden Core realm, you still need to distinguish reality from falsehoods, thereby minimizing the chances of being hard by your opponents.
"Foundation Establishnt cultivators have lifespans of a few hundred years. Their sches might span a dozen years, or a few decades at most—perhaps a hundred years if considered long.
"But Golden Core cultivators have incredibly long lifespans. Think about it: wouldn't it make sense for their sches to span centuries at the very minimum?"
Wang Yulou felt a chill in his heart.
Traps and sches laid out centuries ago, just waiting for you to jump in—and the ones digging those traps were all ancient, powerful, old-guard Golden Core cultivators.
Wasn't this exactly like the trap dug for Shen Guang?
In fact, when plotting against Shen Guang, Mang Xiang and Qingrui might not have even needed a century of preparation.
Shen Guang was too greedy. Given Mang Xiang's determination to attain the Dao, Shen Guang's united front value made him re fuel rather than a reliable ally.
"Xiaoyu, how old is the longest-living Golden Core cultivator?"
He already knew Qingrui was tens of thousands of years old, had cultivated the Nascent Soul thod, and determined it was a dead end.
Yet even soone like Qingrui couldn't decide everything with a single word within the Immortal Alliance. The Lotus Immortal City she governed also functionally served as a provincial platform where the Immortal Alliance and local power factions played their political gas.
"Over a hundred thousand years."
As she said this, White Li revealed a solemn expression for the first ti today.
What Wang Yulou thought, however, was: Is an old monster over a hundred thousand years old even still human?
For people to form their own worldviews and thodologies, thereby constructing and finding themselves, required a process.
But this process might only take a dozen years, or a few decades at most.
However, when a grand cultivator lived to be a hundred thousand years old, how much of their 'humanity' could possibly be left?
From this perspective, it made perfect sense that the cultivation world had gradually beco what it was today.
Wang Xianmao's significance was still rising in his mind—the grand cultivators at the top were simply not human.
"Immortal King Bi Fang is the most definitive existence with a lifespan of over a hundred thousand years.
"Legend says they have withstood the Heavenly Tribulation over a hundred and seventy tis. But this figure might not be accurate. It could be more, and it is highly likely not less.
"The Heavenly Tribulation of the past was not as frequent as it is now, but a hundred and seventy tis is still incredible."
The legends of Bi Fang circulated widely throughout the Great Heaven, and Wang Yulou had previously treated them purely as stories.
Now that White Li had confird it personally, he finally realized that the Demon God Bi Fang existing eternally since ancient tis was not just empty talk.
Demon God, Demon God, always Demon Gods. Why were there so many Demon Gods?
"Xiaoyu, that animal Shen Guang gave seven kinds of Purple Mansion thods, and among them...
"I know the Divine Ability Demon Transformation Purple Mansion thod is very strong, but there shouldn't be a need for everyone to transform into demons just to open their Purple Mansion."
White Li shook her head and gently reminded him.
"Mang Xiang's Formless Art takes the form of being formless, but the intent of formlessness is sothing every grand cultivator will study.
"Heaven and earth inherently have no form. Once you depart from heaven and earth, heaven and earth cease to exist.
"You are the master of heaven and earth. Therefore, whether you are a human or a demon actually isn't that important.
"I am a demon, yet I can also be kind. You are a human, but under the order designed by those grand cultivators, you have been forced to commit the 'evil' they wished you to commit."
Wang Yulou understood these words, and he also realized there might be a flaw in her logic.
But he did not refute her.
Why refute? He was conversing with Immortal Venerable Di Shui, not trying to compete for superiority.
White Li generously imparting this information to him—secrets that ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators didn't even know—was 'preaching the Dao' in the truest sense. Expressing gratitude was enough; arguing back was out of the question.
Moreover, what White Li said wasn't necessarily wrong.
Everything was like a dream and an illusory bubble. Deconstruction ultimately led to nothingness, and aning itself was centered entirely around the individual.
Among ordinary immortal cultivators, out of a million people fighting tooth and nail, not even one might eventually reach the Purple Mansion realm.
But White Li, as a Golden Core cultivator, conversely believed that a long life was the root of pain. This was precisely the differentiated expression of aning within the individual; there was no right or wrong, it rely varied from person to person.
"But for the sake of kindness, you went against those people, which seems to have been a terrible mistake now. Xiaoyu, what exactly happened back then?"
Wang Yulou finally asked. When White Li had first claid she was kind-hearted, Wang Yulou had scoffed at it.
But as later details aligned with her claims, Wang Yulou ultimately couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"A group of conservatives, relying on their imnse strength, restricted the opportunities for the living beings of heaven and earth to attain the Dao.
"To them, this aligned with their interests, but to , this did not align with my ideals.
"I am not afraid of any competition. Not to ntion Qingrui, even if Bi Fang ca, I would not be afraid.
"Of course, this doesn't an I would fight them mindlessly. When I should run, I must still run, which is why I have to leave.
"What I an to say is, only through fierce competition, only by letting the great waves wash away the sand, only by letting those extraordinary souls clash high above the heavens...
"Only through this will the path beyond the Golden Core beco clearer, instead of everyone being trapped at this stage like they are now.
"Am I unfettered?
"I am.
"But I don't like it. That is all.
"A clash of ideals—this reason might sound a bit strange, but in fact, back then it truly was purely a clash of ideals.
"There were quite a few people who held the sa ideals as . It's just that I was made an example of and suppressed the most severely."
"You long for fiercer competition, and to seek new vitality and a direction for developnt from that competition.
"But aren't you afraid of losing? If you lose, your body might die and your Dao will vanish."
Wang Yulou ultimately still didn't understand Bai Xiaoyu's realm, leading him to ask a rather simple question. It wasn't a probe, but purely born of curiosity.
"How could I possibly lose? I am a genius, Husband.
"Their accumulations might be deep, they might be deeply calculating, they might be incomparably ruthless, and they might outnumber .
"But so what? I have the confidence to win!
"If only one person in this world could reach the absolute peak, I believe that person would definitely be !
"In the future you will understand. No grand cultivator is afraid of competition, nor are they afraid of losing. We all believe that we will win.
"So-called caution, to us, is rely a strategy inevitably used in competition. It doesn't an we are afraid."
White Li's words were so dazzling that Wang Yulou was sowhat entranced.
'If only one person could reach the absolute peak, it would definitely be .'
'No matter how strong or nurous the opponents are, they are not fearso. I simply have the confidence to win.'
The grand spirit of a grand cultivator was sothing Wang Yulou had pondered in his heart from very early on.
He had realized early on that if a person wanted to beco a grand cultivator, they first needed the grand spirit of one. Only by using that spirit to struggle in the cultivation world could they advance toward a higher and further horizon.
But what was the grand spirit of a grand cultivator? Pure ruthlessness? No.
Indifference to irrelevant benefits? No, not that either.
It seed to have countless facets. Wang Yulou could describe them one after another, yet he could not picture it in its entirety.
At this mont, in Bai Xiaoyu—no, in Immortal Venerable Di Shui—Wang Yulou saw exactly what kind of grand spirit a true grand cultivator should possess.
Just as he was sighing with emotion in his heart, White Li added.
"Moreover, even if I truly lose, it's nothing.
"For , failure or death might be a release."
Ordinary cultivators thirsted for a long life, but for a long-lived existence like Immortal Venerable Di Shui, a long life was actually a curse.
How could a kind person living in the darkness not be in pain?
"I don't want to lose. I might not yet have your level of attainnt. Xiaoyu, could you help check if there are any problems with the seven Purple Mansion thods Shen Guang gave ?"
"A trivial matter. However, Shen Guang was indeed a bit too lacking to have only mastered seven Purple Mansion thods. His attainnt of the Golden Core was far too smooth."
"More than seven?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dare say seven hundred, but there were definitely at least a hundred. The past was the era of Wisdom Root cultivation, after all.
"At that ti, opening the Purple Mansion required no aptitude whatsoever. As long as one found a suitable thod, any living being had a chance.
"Alright, I've looked through them twice. Among these seven thods, six of them have no problems.
"Only the Heaven and Man Resonance Purple Mansion thod is sowhat incomplete. It rely gives a generalized direction without providing the specific ancient cultivation arts.
"However, do not choose this path; it is a dead end. The most suitable for you is actually the Acupoint Connection Purple Mansion thod."
Wisdom Root focused on whether a cultivator and a thod shared an affinity, completely different from today's spirit root cultivation thod with its very high entry threshold.
"I see. I also planned to cultivate the Acupoint Connection thod.
"But the problem now is, the thod is there, yet Mang Xiang never gave it to .
"If I hastily cultivate it, Mang Xiang will hold a grudge against , or perhaps even kill .
"That is why I asked if I could go with you."
Mang Xiang had painted a grand pie of twenty Purple Mansions, but no one took it seriously.
Wang Yulou had worked so hard simply to make the ancestor look upon him favorably and give him a chance.
"Even if you can cultivate it, do not. Wait until Mang Xiang attains the Golden Core before you open your Purple Mansion," White Li reminded him.
"Hmm? Why is that?"
Wang Yulou realized sothing was wrong.
"In the past, when you were in Dripdrop Cave, you often discussed the Purple Mansion opportunity and Purple Mansion quotas with your family mbers.
"But in reality, the quota system is fake. The Immortal Alliance does not restrict the quota of Purple Mansion cultivators. The number of Purple Mansion cultivators appears small rely because the higher-ups of various factions, big and small, are unwilling to let more people rise up and snatch their benefits."
Wang Yulou had guessed right again. It was never a quota issue, but a resource distribution issue. He smiled happily—he really was suited for immortal cultivation. On the path of seeking truth, he always walked rather smoothly.
However, sotis a slap to the face ca very quickly. White Li's next sentence left him speechless.
"But the talk about quota restrictions is also true. Because Mang Xiang subtly threatened a civil war on the Gathering Immortals Platform, the various major factions within the Immortal Alliance all began preparing, and it was not solely because of Mang Xiang's threat.
"Cultivators who wish to open the Purple Mansion and attain the Golden Core all need to attain the Dao within the Great Heaven.
"However, the carrying capacity of the Great Heaven has a limit. Currently, there are likely fewer than a thousand Golden Core Immortal Venerables in the world. The exact number is truly difficult to calculate.
"But ultimately, it is too many. Combined with the countless Purple Mansion cultivators, they crowd the Great Heaven so much that the lightning tribulation has beco a once-in-seven-years occurrence.
"The great war between the two sects has raged for a year, and many Foundation Establishnt cultivators have died, so heaven and earth's restriction on immortal cultivators has diminished significantly.
"The reason Mang Xiang wants more Purple Mansion cultivators under his tutelage is to lock in the numbers restricted by heaven and earth, allowing him to instantly create a massive vacancy when he needs it."
Silence. Silence. Silence descended over tonight's Middle Front town guard manor. Silence blanketed the speechless Wang Yulou.
Was Patriarch Mangxiang an animal? Of course he was.
When Wang Yulou had speculated about him with the worst malice, he thought his grand pie of twenty Purple Mansions might only result in two.
But looking at it now, Wang Yulou realized he was still too naive, cute, and childish.
Did he really think he could get a bite of that pie of twenty Purple Mansions?
Sure he could; no one would complain about having too many backup tools.
"Xiaoyu, if our Wang family only starts producing Purple Mansion cultivators after the ancestor attains the Dao, won't we fall behind?"
White Li shook her head and warned him.
"What is the point of keeping up now? Mang Xiang is pulling up Purple Mansion cultivators now just to have more consumables when he attempts to attain the Golden Core in the future.
"Yes, I am asking you to continue developing under his tutelage, but you must borrow his favorable winds, not beco the fuel he burns to ignite them."
Fuel. Fuel. That was a good word. It all added up.
To cook a good pot of rice, one naturally had to prepare the firewood first.
Looking at it now, the ancestor's every step prior to attaining the Golden Core had been taken very steadily.
The 'Foundation Establishnt baby boom' of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, which Mang Xiang had painstakingly catalyzed by handing out favors, was fuel.
Under his grand pie, those Purple Mansion cultivators who chose to open their realms to follow Mang Xiang were also fuel.
Attaining the Dao, attaining the Dao. A Mang Xiang like this truly looked like he had what it took to attain the Dao.
If a vile beast like Mang Xiang couldn't attain the Dao, Wang Yulou found it hard to imagine just how capable a person had to be to attain the Golden Core from the Purple Mansion realm.
He couldn't use White Li as an example. White Li was a bona fide Golden Core cultivator; her eminence and extraordinariness had been polished little by little by herself.
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