The outbreak of the great war between the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the Sky Serpent Sect was baffling: disciples had gone missing, so a war had to be fought. No matter how one looked at it, the reasoning was absolutely absurd.
Yet, contrary to the expectations of all the low-level cultivators, this great war had dragged on for over fifty years. Even with a death toll reaching sixty or seventy percent of the cultivators in both sects, neither side showed any intention of stopping.
Logically, war was not a good thing for a sect. A prolonged conflict would only further destroy the established ruling order, undermining the vested interests of a major power.
However, war in the cultivation world was just that unreasonable. Even as the people below died screaming, it did not stop Patriarch Mangxiang from continuing to escalate the conflict.
Little Fish's words had been correct—what did the death and devastation below have to do with those at the top?
The road from Hidden Dragon Abbey to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was not an easy one to travel.
Although the borders of the two sects were closely adjacent, the Immortal Alliance had set up hundreds of small passes along the borders of the Sky Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. This was done to prevent the war from becoming a fuse for ambitious schers looking to instigate internal conflict.
The official purpose was to prevent a large influx of external cultivators from entering the two sects. Of course, the true reason was that Qingrui wanted to rake in a profit.
The two sects continuously pulled people in from the outside, while their own cultivators desperately wanted to flee. These hundreds of passes acted as hundreds of miniature spirit stone mines. By accumulating all these small tolls, Qingrui was comfortably feasting on a tidy sum.
Wang Yu'an naturally did not understand just how inhuman the Immortal Alliance's Grand Cultivators could be. He was only worried about the Wang Clan amidst this great war, so...
Two hundred li away from a certain Immortal Alliance pass, Wang Yu'an stopped walking, turned back to look at Ningyao, who was already at the ninth stage of Qi Refining, and spoke softly.
"Escorting here is enough. Just stay in the Aura-Viewing Market, my wife."
Ningyao was already pregnant, yet she had still escorted him for two thousand li.
Wang Yu'an was no longer the callow youth he once was. He had successfully reached the Foundation Establishnt stage and was an Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey. He was only awaiting an opportunity to be promoted to a Core Disciple.
"Yes, go back. The great war between the two sects is too dangerous, and you are pregnant. It's fine for just your father and Yu'an to head over this ti."
Hongi, who was still at the Peak Qi Condensation realm, spoke up.
As they drew closer to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Hongi's perennially gloomy expression finally showed a hint of brightness.
What else could he do?
Being under soone else's control, he had to rely on the Wang Clan's intentions if he wanted to achieve Foundation Establishnt. Wang Yu'an bringing him back this ti was precisely to remove his shackles.
Of course, there was another reason: Yu'an was genuinely worried about his family's situation.
Therefore, even though he had only just reached the Foundation Establishnt stage, he hurriedly returned to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
"Husband, Father, be careful on your journey!"
Ningyao and Yu'an bid each other farewell for quite a while before she reluctantly left with Wang Rongsheng.
How could a pregnant woman wish for her husband to suddenly travel far away?
But such was life; there were always so things that were unavoidable. The great war was being fought so fiercely that even Ningyao, far away in Hidden Dragon Abbey, knew of the dangers involved.
If Wang Yu'an had been the kind of ungrateful wretch who could watch his family struggle in a fiery pit and remain indifferent, Ningyao likely would not have chosen to be with him in the first place.
The two n traveled quickly on foot, proceeding very cautiously along the way as Hongi urged.
"I've already inquired. For soone at late Qi Condensation to cross over, it costs three thousand spirit stones.
"For soone at the Foundation Establishnt stage to cross over, it starts at nine thousand spirit stones. It's not cheap; the Immortal Alliance's business is truly the best business."
Although his relationship with the Wang Clan was bizarre, that tiless logic still applied to Hongi—even if a problem could not be solved, life had to go on.
Yu'an had not treated him badly these past few years. Although he hadn't left Hongi satisfied with everything, they had developed a bond from spending ti together, making Hongi's attitude toward Yu'an quite passable.
Between the two, Yu'an possessed the higher cultivation base, but in many practical matters, Hongi actually had far more experience.
"We'll have to pay on the way back too, so that makes twenty-four thousand spirit stones. Sigh."
Thinking of the twenty-four thousand spirit stone expense, Wang Yu'an felt a pang of heartache.
That many spirit stones was roughly his inco from a year of painstaking, day-and-night artifact refining during which he had entirely given up on his cultivation.
He did not have Wang Yulou's Jade Ruyi on hand, so there was always a failure rate in his artifact refining, and sotis it was rather high.
Ultimately, a Qi Refining stage artificer, despite holding a certain amount of value, still only earned hard-earned money.
anwhile, Wang Yu'an had only just stepped into the Foundation Establishnt stage and was still very far from the level of refining spiritual artifacts. His return to the family this ti also carried the intention of obtaining the clan's Foundation Establishnt stage artifact refining thods.
The two cautiously made their way to the Immortal Alliance's pass, only to see a continuous high wall standing there, stretching endlessly to the limits of their vision.
The Immortal Alliance's pass was built directly on top of the high wall, resembling a watchtower.
"Who goes there?"
Sensing their approach, a Qi Refining cultivator wearing the fresh lotus magical robe of Lotus Immortal City flew up from outside the pass and intercepted them.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I am an Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey, and I wish to return to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to visit my relatives."
Wang Yu'an was now an Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey. Although this status was just a number on the battlefield of the great war, within the Immortal Alliance's system, he was soone of standing—not so wilderness rogue cultivator.
Therefore, the Qi Refining cultivator from Lotus Immortal City maintained a decent attitude toward Wang Yu'an. After all, their doors were open for business.
"Hmm, are you crossing over alone?"
Hearing this, Wang Yu'an knew the rumors were true: these passes were purely toll booths.
He pointed at Hongi and replied,
"No, this is my good friend. We are crossing over together."
At that mont, an Immortal Alliance Foundation Establishnt cultivator from inside the pass stepped to the edge of the pass's formation array. After exchanging greetings with Wang Yu'an, he asked,
"Fellow Daoist, will you also be leaving the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and returning to Hidden Dragon Abbey later?"
Yu'an was a bit bewildered, but nodded in affirmation.
"Of course, of course."
The Foundation Establishnt cultivator's expression imdiately grew much more genial.
"Daoist Wang, you might not know, but you can buy round-trip tickets here. This way, the two of you only need to pay eighteen thousand spirit stones.
"Eighteen thousand spirit stones ans that when you return, you will only have to pay half price to cross. Of course, this is only valid at our specific pass. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"
Wang Yu'an and Hongi looked at each other in dismay before swiftly paying the spirit stones.
"Hahaha, rest assured. Here, this yellow jade token is the proof of purchase.
"Our West Hidden Dragon Twenty-Seventh Pass has always been honest and holds a sterling reputation. If you accidentally fall into the great war, you can even use this token to contact us to help you escape.
"Of course, the fee for that is another matter."
The people of the Immortal Alliance truly had wild thods. Under the guidance of the pass's Foundation Establishnt stage Town Guardian Cultivator, the two arrived at the high wall north of the pass.
Below the high wall, there was shockingly a tunnel entrance, placed right out in the open.
Four or five cultivators stood guard by the tunnel entrance. As it turned out, this was the true pass.
As long as the higher-ups of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and the Sky Serpent Sect did not start an internal war, the high wall was just for show.
And if an internal war did start, the high wall would still just be for show.
The sole purpose of the high wall was to collect fees, so it didn't seem strange that the tunnel served as the core of the pass.
Erging from the tunnel and returning to the territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Wang Yu'an let out a long breath.
None of the Ten Sects were charitable halls, but he had grown up under the rule of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect after all.
This was his ho. Having left for over sixty years, how could Wang Yu'an not feel emotional upon finally returning?
"It doesn't look any different,"
Hongi grumbled.
Before returning to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, he and Wang Yu'an had made many inquiries, and everyone said that the territory under the sect was akin to purgatory.
But after crossing over, they were t with a beautiful scene of bright spring days. It didn't feel like purgatory at all.
"Put on the magical robe of a Hidden Dragon Abbey Inner Gate Disciple first. Anyway, no one is checking here.
"I am an Inner Gate Disciple, so you can also be an Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey.
"This way, we can be a little bit safer."
Wang Yu'an pulled out a spare magical robe he had procured himself and handed it to Hongi. After Hongi put it on, he could be considered half an Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey.
When traveling abroad, everything was about the details.
Although they were familiar with the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, it was warti after all. Being a little careful wouldn't hurt.
The two disguised Inner Gate Disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey traveled forward through the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's territory. After walking cautiously for half a day, they gradually realized sothing was wrong.
"Where did all the rogue cultivators go?"
Feeling a chill in his heart, Hongi asked worriedly.
In truth, he already had so answers in his heart.
When a cultivator mingled in the cultivation world for a long ti, many things gradually beca clear.
All along, the living space of rogue cultivators had been relegated to the fringes of the major factions' interests. Their physical activity space was roughly the sa as the disciples of the major powers, but their share of the benefits was rely the scraps that the major sects couldn't be bothered to look at.
Therefore, even the most talented rogue cultivator would still have their limits capped right there.
Weren't the more than three thousand rogue cultivators of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance formidable?
They appeared to have power in numbers, yet when Yi Zouri led a charge against them, hundreds died instantly.
If Wang Yulou hadn't stopped him, Yi Zouri could have led his Foundation Establishnt lackeys to slaughter the rogue cultivators of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance down to the last man.
Of course, perhaps several dozen or a hundred lucky ones might have escaped in the chaos. But the terrifying thing about systematic violence was that even if they escaped this sea of bitterness, there was only another sea of bitterness waiting for them.
There is strength in numbers—this was a joke in the cultivation world. True Person Gua had roared twice and killed tens of millions of mortals. Where was the strength of those mortals?
"Yeah, the rogue cultivators have unexpectedly vanished..."
Wang Yu'an was also sowhat shaken.
The rogue cultivators had vanished. Those rogue cultivators, whose defining characteristic was their exuberant vitality, who could multiply in vast numbers if given just a sliver of space, had unexpectedly vanished.
The two traveled very slowly. In the cultivation world, anyone with even half a brain would not rush their journey. In non-urgent situations, always keeping eighty percent of one's magic power in reserve was the basic travel strategy of a normal cultivator.
After walking for a day and a night, Hongi and Wang Yu'an finally arrived outside a market.
This was Pingyuan Market, the core market in the southeastern territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, similar to Clear Stream Market in the northwest.
As Inner Gate Disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey, the two enjoyed the privilege of entering without paying an entrance fee.
"The last ti I visited Pingyuan Market was over forty years ago. It was incredibly prosperous back then."
"But nowadays..." Hongi sighed.
Closely adjacent to Lotus Immortal City and Hidden Dragon Abbey, Pingyuan Market boasted an excellent location and used to be even more prosperous than Clear Stream Market.
Now, however, a widespread depression was not enough to describe the wretched state of the area.
Along both sides of the central main avenue, surprisingly few shops were open for business.
The war had lasted for over fifty years. The warti economy, centered around the rit Hall and the distribution of military rit, had gradually crushed the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's original economic system.
This was actually sothing Wang Yulou had orchestrated piece by piece over the years.
He had to ensure the patriarch did not lose. Even though the great war between the two sects was very likely the result of an agreent between the patriarch and Tianshe, the patriarch could not be allowed to lose; this remained a life-and-death line that Wang Yulou had to abide by.
Within the web of interests spun by grand cultivators, every key bargaining chip required a vicious fight to obtain.
Human hearts were fickle. In Wang Yulou's experience, the decisions of grand cultivators were incomparably realistic; they always shifted alongside changing interests, and they changed much faster than those of ordinary people.
Only by helping the patriarch secure these crucial chips could he more easily grasp a Purple Mansion opportunity in the future.
Back then, True Person Xuanzhuan had placed extraordinary importance on Wang Yulou. Providing support, imparting thods, bestowing the legacy of the artificing path—he had given everything he could.
The imaginary pies the patriarch drew for others were just empty promises, but what Wang Yulou received was real; or rather, the promises he received contained very few illusions and an extrely high chance at the Purple Mansion.
Once those few old geezers of the Yan Clan died by the patriarch's hands, who else would True Person Xuanzhuan have left to use?
Xiao Wang!
One spirit stone for a whole month!
This was the price for an inn stay in Pingyuan Market—Hongi had never seen such a rate in his entire life.
"Seniors might not know, but not many people dare to stay at inns anymore, sigh."
The shopkeeper escorted the two into their guest room. Seeing that Hongi and Wang Yu'an were inclined to converse, he imdiately took the hint and chatted with them.
These two were clearly foreign Hidden Dragon Abbey disciples who did not understand the situation within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and wanted to ask around. Having taken their spirit stones, it was only proper for him to share a little information.
"More than twenty years ago, True Person Gua of the Sky Serpent Sect healed his injuries. Oh, he is actually a demon. That frog demon of the Sky Serpent Sect healed its injuries and once again led the sect to expand the scale of the war."
"Across a battlefront of four thousand li, twenty thousand Foundation Establishnt cultivators and two hundred thousand Qi Refining cultivators launched an all-out offensive that lasted a full half-year."
"I don't know what the elders in the sect were thinking... Anyway, our Red Lantern Illumination Sect refused to admit defeat, so we matched them and raised the stakes. The result is what you see now."
Halfway through his explanation, the shopkeeper lost his nerve. He abruptly changed his tune, wrapped up the topic, and pulled a registry from his robes to register the two.
"You two, registration is mandatory. It's precisely because of this requirent that our business is so dismal."
"But you can register with peace of mind. You are Inner Gate Disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey, after all; you won't be dragged away by the Loyalty Squad to prove your loyalty."
Dragged away by the Loyalty Squad to prove their loyalty...
Wang Yu'an dared not imagine what kind of scene that would be. He took the brush and wrote his na in the registry.
However, the registry required a lot of information.
Na and cultivation base were just the basics; age, affiliated faction or family, and specific identity also had to be docunted.
The most outrageous part was that they also had to record where they ca from and where they were going next.
Staring at the blank space next to "Origin," Wang Yu'an glanced awkwardly at the shopkeeper.
"Senior, I understand, I understand. Just write down which pass you entered through."
"They call this full-trajectory managent, a asure for mass prevention and control. They say it's to stop demonic infiltrators from the Sky Serpent Sect from causing sabotage."
"Hah, demonic infiltrators from the Sky Serpent Sect is a convenient excuse. Over the years, who knows how many people were dragged to the front lines after being labeled as such."
"Tell , if they were truly demonic infiltrators from the Sky Serpent Sect, wouldn't dragging them to the front lines just cause trouble for our own troops?"
"Therefore, everyone is well aware of what is actually going on."
"The problem lies right there. We're not allowed to speak of it, and we wouldn't dare anyway. If we do, we suddenly beco demonic infiltrators of the Sky Serpent Sect."
"Sigh, it's only because you two are disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey that I dared to vent my frustrations a little. It's a difficult life."
The shopkeeper's perspective was limited; all he saw was that the people under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's rule were treated like weeds.
In reality, this was the overflow of pressure from Mang Xiang remaining in the Great Heaven for so long, exerting his full effort to attain the Golden Core.
The strict control directly corresponded to Mang Xiang further consolidating his power.
By tightening his grip on the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and using his loyalists to build an efficient, self-managed system, he elevated the sect's overall combat strength in this state of war.
This was rely the fallout of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang drawing his sword, bringing boundless tribulation to the common people of Wunan. As long as Mang Xiang's goal remained unfulfilled...
It still ca down to the sa logic; the right and wrong of it were impossible to distinguish. When the Sky Serpent Sect piled on more pressure and mobilized more disciples to the front lines, could the Red Lantern Illumination Sect afford not to match them? Could Mang Xiang afford to hold back?
Righteousness itself was dictated by those with the power to speak. The Immortal Alliance's righteousness was decided by the Gathering Immortals Platform, and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's righteousness was currently decided by Mang Xiang.
Therefore, the current great war between the two sects was, in truth, a righteous war for the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Perhaps under different moral fraworks, this brand of righteousness appeared laughable, but in the harsh reality of their world, it was absolute.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to endure the great war for fifty years, let alone beco increasingly efficient at fighting it.
In short, Mang Xiang's declaration that "My destiny is my own" had already been shouted to the heavens. It was just that the ones bearing the cost of this initial wave were not him, but the cultivators under the sect's rule.
This looked cruel, and in truth it was, but when high-level cultivators established sects, wasn't it precisely to shift the cost onto others?
Amidst the shopkeeper's incessant chattering, Wang Yu'an and Hongi finished registering their information.
The shopkeeper took the registry. Assuming there wouldn't be any problems since these two were Inner Gate Disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey, he casually glanced over it.
But with that single glance, his entire body began to tremble.
Wang Yu'an, ninety years old, early Foundation Establishnt stage, Inner Gate Disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey. Originated from the West Hidden Dragon Twenty-Seventh Pass, heading to Wang Family Mountain to visit relatives.
Wang Yu'an... Wang Family Mountain...
What was I just saying...
The shopkeeper's vision went black. In a daze, he seed to hallucinate.
He saw an image of himself cowering behind a formation array on the front lines, praying for the Sky Serpent Sect not to attack his assigned battlefront.
"Thump! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Any cultivator who could survive the war, even in the rear, would not be completely stupid.
The Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Loyalty Squad had already helped the cultivators under their rule "prove their loyalty" for over a dozen rounds. For the shopkeeper to remain in the rear, background factors certainly played a part, but it also required imnse worldly wisdom.
He imdiately executed a smooth sequence of groveling, accompanied by a rhythmic sound entirely familiar to Wang Yu'an.
"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"
The slaps were forceful, precise, and resolute. The sight left Wang Yu'an completely flabbergasted, giving him the distinct sensation of returning to more than sixty years ago.
Is it really necessary for you to go this far?
"Senior Wang, I was muddled! I was ignorant! I..."
"Get up!"
Wang Yu'an was now a Master Artificer as well. His spirit-controlling thods were more formidable than those of many middle-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators. With a casual wave of his hand, he hoisted the shopkeeper up from the ground.
"Is my brother very famous in the Red Lantern Illumination Sect?"
Hearing Wang Yu'an refer to him as his brother without the slightest hesitation, the shopkeeper's heart plunged into deeper despair.
"Yes! Senior Yuque is a role model for all disciples, a great contributor to the sect, and a hero protecting the Red Lantern Illumination Sect! My admiration for Senior Yuque doesn't just reside in my heart."
"If you don't believe , you can check my room! I keep the tablets of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang and True Person Xuanzhuan there, and Senior Yuque's tablet is right beside them. Day and night, I pray for their blessings!"
"Senior Wang, I truly admire Senior Yuque. The words I spoke just now were pure nonsense. I deserve to die! I was ignorant!" Slap! Slap!
Praying day and night?
Cursing him day and night is more like it, right?
Wang Yu'an knew exactly what was going on, but he had no intention of making trouble for the shopkeeper.
One should not casually make enemies. No matter what Wang Yulou had done to lose popularity, as long as he remained a core disciple within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, nothing major would happen. Furthermore, it was not Wang Yu'an's place to prune away his older brother's detractors—there were simply too many of them.
Yu'an had indeed matured. He had Hongi coax the shopkeeper to scramble off, and then hurriedly sent a letter to Wang Yulou.
He worried that he and Hongi might be targeted by Wang Yulou's political enemies.
Wang Yu'an knew of Wang Yulou's position within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect: the invisible Chief Steward of the front lines, whose core interests lay in the rit Hall and the Central Line Defense Pass.
Over the years, the expansion of the sect's warti economy had severely impacted the once-prosperous Pingyuan Market, reducing it to a miserable state. Wang Yu'an could understand with his eyes closed that the political struggles behind this must be incomparably fierce.
He was not afraid of death, but he understood all too well the hidden daggers lurking beneath these conflicts of interest. Sotis, living a life worse than death was far more agonizing than dying outright.
He couldn't even threaten the shopkeeper to shut up; such superfluous actions might trigger even bigger problems.
Before returning to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, Wang Yu'an knew his older brother had established himself quite well, but only now did he truly grasp the extent of it.
Saying his na could stop a child from crying in the night might be an exaggeration, but scaring a shopkeeper into slapping his own face from several thousand li away was more than enough to illustrate his status.
...
After suffering through a night of worry, Yu'an didn't receive his older brother's reply; instead, he was greeted by a luxurious escort team led by Guo Chengtai.
In the past, Wang Yulou had worried that the patriarch would be too ruthless and drive the Wang Clan to ruin. Thus, he had strongly advocated for the family to split up, treating his good younger brother Yu'an as another hope for the clan.
Only after Little Fish opened her Heavenly Eye and saw through the situation did Wang Yulou realize how naive he had been.
Even splitting the family offered no hope. Low-level cultivators were treated as consumables everywhere. If the timing to risk one's life to show loyalty was wrong, that risk still only rendered them expendable.
Ultimately, the cultivators at the top had little motivation to give those below any opportunities. The door leading to the Dao was so narrow that not even a drop of water could seep through!
Therefore, upon learning that Wang Yu'an had arrived at Pingyuan Market, he imdiately dispatched Guo Chengtai with five Foundation Establishnt cultivators to escort him. He no longer bothered to avoid suspicion; there was little point to it anymore.
"You're saying you are here to pick him up?"
Sizing up the Golden Thunder Shuttle that Guo Chengtai rode in, and seeing clearly that all six people opposite them possessed Foundation Establishnt cultivation bases, Hongi felt sowhat dizzy.
The turns of fate in life...
His once-inconspicuous disciple had, over a few decades, reached such heights.
"Hahaha, you co along too. Let's go. Fellow Daoist Yuque is waiting for you both."
After greeting the Town Guardian Cultivator, Guo Chengtai took Wang Yu'an and Hongi and departed.
The Town Guardian Cultivator of Pingyuan Market belonged to the Fuyan Faction. Upon encountering Wang Yulou's younger brother returning to the Red Lantern Sect to visit relatives, he had intended to cozy up to him, but found absolutely no opportunity.
With the warti economic system established by the rit Hall crushing the Red Lantern Sect's original distribution of benefits, the positions of Town Guardian Cultivators in various markets were no longer sought after.
In the past, these positions had been available only to third-tier Red Lantern Sect core disciples. Now, they were successively snatched up by fourth-tier core disciples—much like chicken ribs, tasteless but a pity to throw away.
Thus, it was entirely normal for the Pingyuan Market Town Guardian Cultivator to want to align himself with Wang Yulou. He was a marginalized figure among the core disciples; seemingly a core disciple, yet lacking a patron.
Having lost his chance, he felt a suffocating frustration. The way he looked at the shopkeeper of that store changed, and he imdiately made a secret decision: next ti, he would send the man to the front lines to demonstrate his loyalty.
That was what he got for failing to inform him and ruining his grand plans!
——
"You were right to send a letter to Fellow Daoist Yuque.
"Over the years, the Southern Front has gradually been controlled by the disciples under the tutelage of Candlelight Immortal Venerable.
"Pingyuan Market is a market near the Southern Front. Staying in the Southern Front is dangerous for you two.
"Fellow Daoist Yuque has said that internal conflict is sotis even crueler than foreign wars.
"This sentence is actually very interesting. Sigh, thankfully Fellow Daoist Yuque is around. Otherwise, soone like , Old Guo, whose brain doesn't work so well, would probably have been sent to the front lines long ago."
Inside the Golden Thunder Shuttle, Guo Chengtai and Wang Yu'an struck up a conversation.
In theory, all Red Lantern Sect disciples at the late Foundation Establishnt stage had a chance at Mang Xiang's empty promise of the Purple Mansion, but Old Guo knew in his heart that he was unworthy.
Therefore, his state of mind was actually very good, completely free of pressure.
Following Wang Yulou and helping his own family develop was enough.
"With a great war at hand, is there still a need for internal conflict?"
Hongi trembled with fear and didn't dare speak, but Wang Yu'an was unafraid. As Wang Yulou's biological younger brother, he belonged to the absolute core of their inner circle.
"I don't really understand either. Fellow Daoist Yuque did have a saying, though—it is exactly when a great war is at hand that internal conflict becos even fiercer," Old Guo said.
That internal conflict would escalate during a great war was a unique situation.
After all, the intensity of the current great war between the two sects had already stabilized, remaining at a stalemate for over fifty years.
The casualties were all inconsequential low-level cultivators. As long as the Grand Cultivators let a few resources slip through their fingers, a large batch of them could be rapidly produced again.
Under the Immortal Alliance's original order, the Grand Cultivators took ninety percent of the benefits, while the remaining ten percent shaped the landscape for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishnt cultivators within the Immortal Alliance.
Now, while the higher-ups of the Red Lantern Sect had not suffered any absolute personal losses, the peculiar nature of the war economy had effectively shattered the sect's established distribution of benefits.
To the sect's higher-ups, this restructuring of interests was far more important than the deaths of tens or hundreds of thousands of low-level cultivators.
Because of this, the Red Lantern Sect presented a bizarre scenario: fighting a great war on one front while intensely engaging in internal conflict on the other.
"So, is my older brother's situation okay?"
In Wang Yu'an's view, since Old Guo always prefaced his thoughts with "Fellow Daoist Yuque has said," and had been personally dispatched by his brother to escort him, he had to be one of their own. Therefore, he asked directly, without much reservation.
Old Guo pondered for a mont. He glanced at the trembling Hongi and carefully weighed his words before speaking.
"It is good, and also not good."
Unsure if these two old acquaintances of Wang Yulou were entirely reliable, Old Guo didn't want to cause trouble for him; thus, his answer was extrely cautious.
"Good, and also not good?" Wang Yu'an didn't understand. Old Guo's answer was truly baffling.
Old Guo's eyes flickered, and he replied via voice transmission.
‘It is true that the situation is excellent. Over the past fifty years, the battlefront has been pushed back over a dozen li. In places where the fighting went relatively well, it was pushed back hundreds of li.
‘But the pressure Fellow Daoist Yuque bears is also imnse. Senior Martial Sister Jingyi was injured, delaying her progress in opening her Purple Mansion. anwhile, among those under the Immortal Venerable's tutelage, there have already been six newly advanced Purple Mansion Grand Cultivators in the past fifty years.
‘Therefore... the situation is very complicated.’
Wang Yu'an had truly changed completely. In Hidden Dragon Abbey, he had kept a low profile and acted subserviently, step by step cultivating from the initial stages of Qi Refining all the way to Foundation Establishnt.
In Aura-Viewing Market, he had even forged a not-insignificant reputation alongside Hongi.
In short, he understood Guo Chengtai's words perfectly.
There were so many Purple Mansion cultivators under Mang Xiang's tutelage, yet the one taking the lead at the front was Wang Yulou.
Wang Yulou had served as a Steward in the rit Hall for fifty whole years; just how many people had he offended?
He appeared glorious—glorious enough to scare a Pingyuan Market Town Guardian Cultivator thousands of li away into fawning over them—but behind his back, he was hated by countless people.
Therefore, Wang Yulou's current situation was indeed "good, and also not good."
"Where are we going right now?"
Wang Yu'an chose not to dwell on those matters. He was more eager to know if he could see his older brother as soon as possible.
"The Central Line Defense Pass. Fellow Daoist Yuque is waiting for you there."
"Yu'an!"
"Brother!"
It was a very cliché reunion and a very cliché hug, yet Mingdu was surprised to discover actual tears in Wang Yulou's eyes.
Guo Chengtai didn't dare stare at Wang Yulou like Jin Mingdu did; he just silently lowered his head, feeling deeply moved.
He hadn't expected that Wang Yuque, whose heart seed made of iron and stone, possessed such a soft side.
However, Wang Yulou almost instantaneously realized his loss of composure and imdiately wiped his tears away.
He surveyed his surroundings and, seeing that only his own people were present, felt a little more at ease.
‘Mingdu, tell Old Guo not to speak recklessly. I am currently being watched at all tis; I cannot show any weaknesses.’
"Yu'an, your changes over these years have not been small. You look even older than ; you could almost be my uncle.
"If your Foundation Establishnt resources weren't enough, why didn't you write to ? Since when did you start treating , your older brother, as an outsider?"
‘Understood, Husband.’
Mingdu secretly complied with Yulou's request. Wang Yulou kept her by his side precisely because she always understood what he needed.
Just like now. For many things that Wang Yulou couldn't say directly to his subordinates, letting Jin Mingdu step forward allowed him to express his intentions while providing a necessary buffer.
"It's nowhere near as exaggerated as you say. I only look about three or five years older than you. I just couldn't bear to waste an Appearance Preserving Pill. And Foundation Establishnt resources weren't an issue, either.
"Brother, my return this ti, aside from my own matters, also..."
Holding onto Wang Yu'an's arm, Wang Yulou gave it a firm squeeze.
‘Don't discuss it here. With six True Persons of the sect overseeing the three fronts, many things are inconvenient to say.’
The ones overseeing the Central Front were Li Haikuo and Guo Baichi. Neither of them would, nor dared to, eavesdrop on Wang Yulou's words.
But Wang Yulou had to make Yu'an realize that the situation was highly volatile and tense—that was the key point.
As for having Purple Mansion True Persons oversee the front lines, it was a direct result of the restructured benefit distribution order. It had nothing to do with the actual war situation, and until the war ended, this model would not change.
After all, compared to the so-called "core of the cores" remaining in the rear, such as Yi Zouri and his ilk, the over one hundred thousand Red Lantern Sect cultivators on the front lines were the true core of the sect.
If front-line leaders like Wang Yulou had the final say in everything, that wouldn't be considered appropriate, either.
"Let's go. I've already had a banquet prepared. I'll welco you back today, and tomorrow I'll return ho with you."
Wang Yulou pulled Wang Yu'an and Hongi deep into the manor.
Left behind in the courtyard, Jin Mingdu looked at Old Guo and said,
"Senior Martial Brother Chengtai, you've worked hard. Regarding what you just saw, please do not ntion it to outsiders. Yulou is having a very difficult ti right now."
Mingdu had reached Foundation Establishnt over forty years ago, and she had now cultivated to the major completion of the middle stage of Foundation Establishnt. Of course, compared to Wang Yulou's Peak Foundation Establishnt, she still fell a bit short.
"Understood, understood. I, Chengtai, will rember Fellow Daoist Mingdu's words. It's just concerning that boy of my family..."
Old Guo made his request without any hesitation. Having followed Wang Yulou and fulfilled his duties with utmost responsibility for so many years, he was naturally part of the inner core. When it was ti to make a request, he certainly wouldn't stand on ceremony.
As to whether it could actually be fulfilled, that could be discussed later.
Wang Yulou's difficulties were also reflected here. He had created massive montum in the Red Lantern Sect, gathering a group of elite troops and formidable generals he had personally selected to serve under him.
Old Guo seemingly lacked a Purple Mansion opportunity, but was he truly as 'incompetent' as he claid to be?
Bullshit!
That was just Old Guo being modest.
To be able to stay by Wang Yulou's side and serve as his right-hand man, Old Guo possessed an incredibly high level of ability.
It was exactly because Wang Yulou had chosen a highly capable group of people to help him handle affairs that he was able to sort out the front-line matters so clearly.
But all of this required compensation. Even though the patriarch and True Person Xuanzhuan supported Wang Yulou, the resources to pay out this kind of compensation were forever insufficient.
How to distribute it was a massive problem, and it seed there would never be a perfect solution.
Ultimately, human hearts were like water flowing against the current; everyone wanted to climb a little higher.
However, today Old Guo had found a suitable opportunity. Taking into account her husband's regard for Wang Yu'an, as well as Wang Yulou's developnt over the years, Jin Mingdu said,
"I will write a letter to the Patriarch to arrange a position for him in Azure Plains Immortal City. This is much better than a position in Lotus Immortal City. Are you satisfied?"
Azure Plains Immortal City was the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance. Serving there was naturally safe. Not only could one stay far away from the great war, but one could also enjoy excellent developnt prospects.
As a Purple Mansion Grand Cultivator directly under the Immortal Alliance with an exceptionally high cultivation base, it was naturally not difficult for Jin Shan to arrange for soone to be transferred there.
But Jin Mingdu dared to make such a promise not because Jin Shan was formidable, nor because she was Jin Shan's junior, but because her husband, Wang Yulou, was extraordinary enough.
"Azure Plains Immortal City?"
Guo Chengtai was overjoyed beyond expectations. He hadn't expected that with a re minor probe, Jin Mingdu would directly hand him such an excellent destination.
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Mingdu. Fellow Daoist Yuque's matters are my matters! Even though my cultivation base is lacking, Old Guo has always understood what is important, and I will absolutely not speak recklessly!"
When favors were properly delivered, even a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator would bark like a dog.
——
"Co, bring another plate of braised donkey at! Hahahaha!"
Wang Yulou chuckled rrily as he watched Wang Yu'an scarf down the food, instructing soone to serve Yu'an another plate of the Wang Clan's secret braised donkey at.
The gloom that had weighed on him for so long seed completely swept away by Yu'an's arrival.
Wang Yulou hadn't been this happy in a very long ti.
Looking at her husband laughing and talking so cheerfully, Mingdu felt a pang of sourness in her heart.
Wang Yulou's struggles could only be seen by those closest to him.
In front of outsiders, Wang Yulou always had to be the iron-hearted Wang Yuque.
Jin Mingdu sotis thought that Wang Yulou probably didn't even like the title 'Wang Yuque'. It ca with far too much responsibility and pressure.
But she also understood—and she believed her husband understood as well—that to obtain sothing, one always had to pay a price.
There was no such thing under the heavens as reaping without sowing. If there were, it would go first to the Golden Core cultivators, then the Purple Mansion cultivators, and only lastly would it be the Foundation Establishnt cultivators' turn.
Following this hierarchy, the Immortal Alliance's benefit distribution matched perfectly. But within this process, Foundation Establishnt cultivators not only failed to receive their fair share, they were also restricted by the Immortal Alliance more tightly than prisoners.
For Wang Yulou to have the opportunity to display his abilities and accomplish sothing was already a stroke of good fortune.
In this crowded, prosperous age, opportunities were as scarce as the truth.
"Brother, I can't eat anymore. If I eat any more, I'll lose the pleasure of it. Let's stop here for today."
Although the delicacies were good, overeating would only ruin their taste.
"Alright, let's drink. Grade-6 Moon Essence Immortal Dew. It was gifted to by True Person Haikuo. Try it and see if it's good."
Jin Mingdu clicked her tongue in amazent. Grade-6 spirit wine—Wang Yulou had always saved it exclusively for truly distinguished guests.
Over the years, he had only brought out Grade-6 spirit wine to entertain ng Bai, a Steward of the Immortal Alliance.
Old ng was a man with one foot in the grave, and he shared a long history with Wang Yulou from their perilous days in the West Sea, yet even he had only been offered two cups.
Even when Guo Baichi visited, Wang Yulou had brushed him off with Grade-7 spirit wine.
But with Yu'an, Wang Yulou didn't care about the cost in the slightest; he directly brought out a whole pot of Grade-6 Moon Essence Immortal Dew.
'This is too precious, Brother. Between the two of us, even if you served ninth-grade... no, ordinary wine, it wouldn't matter.'
"It's better to save this kind of good wine for those important figures."
Looking at the wine pot, Wang Yu'an didn't even dare to move.
'Grade-6 Moon Essence Immortal Dew! The exclusive privilege of Purple Mansion Grand Cultivators. How am I worthy?'
Under Fairy Mingdu's surprised gaze, Wang Yulou stood up, walked over to Wang Yu'an's table, and personally poured him a full cup.
Pressing down Wang Yu'an's hand to stop his refusal, Yulou spoke with a smile.
"You ca, and I am very happy. What does a little bit of wine amount to?"
"Clink!"
At that mont, Wang Yulou finally understood the aning behind the phrase, 'As the bright moon rises over the sea, we share this mont from across the ends of the earth.'
Wang Yu'an was right by his side now, but in the future, the two brothers would be separated once again.
When that ti ca, drinking Moon Essence Immortal Dew would remind Wang Yulou of Yu'an.
"Brother, I don't want to leave. I want to stay and help you."
Setting down his cup, perhaps having guessed Wang Yulou's lancholy, Wang Yu'an made a request that caught his brother completely off guard.
"Absolutely not. Ningyao is already pregnant... Moreover, the victor of the great war between the two sects remains undecided. You cannot stay!"
It wasn't that the victor of the great war remained undecided, but that Mang Xiang had been in the process of attaining Golden Core for so many years that Wang Yulou was growing weary of it.
He sotis wondered if, when the ti finally ca, Patriarch Mangxiang would summon all the disciples under his tutelage to his side.
At the critical juncture of attaining Golden Core, he would kill while sensing the changes in the bonds of the world. If that wasn't enough, he would simply continue to kill.
He would first kill the Purple Mansion cultivators. If they were all dead and the world's bonds were still not weak enough for him to form his Golden Core, he would move on to slaughter those at the Foundation Establishnt stage...
One could not bla Wang Yulou for thinking this way. In truth, Mang Xiang was simply too ruthless, and far too capable of biding his ti.
He had laid his plans for at least several hundred years, and the tidal wave caused by his attempt at attaining Golden Core had already been churning for over sixty years.
During this period, he first harvested the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, then suppressed Shen Guang, and finally entered Heavenly Serpent Valley, single-handedly instigating the great war between the two sects. In the midst of all this, he had even nearly escalated the two-sect war into an internal war within the Immortal Alliance.
With Mang Xiang making things so impossibly complicated, Wang Yulou, having aligned with him and stayed loyal all the way, was simply tired.
It was ntal fatigue—a weariness of the heart born from bearing imnse pressure for far too long.
"But..."
Seeing that Wang Yu'an still wanted to argue, Mingdu interjected.
"There are no 'buts', Yu'an. Eat your al first."
"If there's anything else, we can discuss it slowly later. You're not just here for a day or two, anyway."
She couldn't quite bear to see it.
It was rare for Wang Yulou to be this happy. She wanted to let him enjoy it a little longer; he shouldn't have to dwell on the things that brought him so much pressure.
——
"This is... a dragon?"
Sitting in Wang Yulou's dharma carriage, Yu'an couldn't quite comprehend the changes to the Black Dragon Steed.
"A dragon steed. It is currently undergoing its dragon transformation, so it looks a bit strange! Hahahaha!"
Many years had passed. Not only had Wang Yulou's cultivation base reached Peak Foundation Establishnt, but the Black Dragon Steed had also made significant advancents.
After Stone Ancestor's 'defection', the Black Dragon Steed had impressively taken another step forward, becoming a Great Demon with divine abilities.
Moreover, by virtue of possessing dragon nature within its body, the Black Dragon Steed had directly mastered two innate divine abilities.
One of them was the Dragon Transformation thod—similar to the Dragon Transformation thod used by the erkat Demon King, Black Dragon.
The coincidences of fate were sotis truly absurd. The Black Dragon Steed was a black horse that possessed dragon nature, so it was nad the Black Dragon Steed.
The Demon King erkat, Black Dragon, was called Black Dragon because he had cultivated the Dragon Transformation thod to a high level.
But a erkat was a far cry from a true dragon, which was why he had needed the flood dragon corpse in Zhou Bojiao's possession.
The little monster that was the Black Dragon Steed, however, had much better luck. It was born with dragon nature, making the Dragon Transformation thod its innate divine ability.
As long as it cultivated diligently, it could transform step by step into a black dragon; it wouldn't just be called Black Dragon, it would beco a true black dragon.
But... at present, the Black Dragon Steed's mastery of the Dragon Transformation thod was still sowhat shallow.
Simply put, the dragon it transford into looked a bit withered and shriveled.
Its limbs were stubby, its dragon body bloated, and its tail was short and ugly.
Of course, it rely lacked in appearance.
Appearances weren't that important anyway. In the eyes of true experts, a flashy and majestic escape light often indicated a lack of control, while the shriveled-looking Black Dragon Steed was actually a creature of extraordinary potential.
"Brother, what exactly is your cultivation base right now? If even the mount pulling your carriage is a Great Demon with divine abilities, your cultivation base can't be low, right?" Wang Yu'an asked.
Asking about soone's cultivation base so directly would normally invite a scolding if it were an outsider, but coming from Yu'an, it was naturally a different matter.
"The late Foundation Establishnt stage. I'm still a little distance away from Peak Foundation Establishnt. Hmm, it's mostly because my cultivation speed has been too fast, so I need so ti to settle and accumulate."
"I'll likely spend another thirty to fifty years settling, filling in the gaps in my divine abilities, magical combat, artificing path, and the rest, one by one."
For most people, it was very difficult to distinguish between the late Foundation Establishnt stage and Peak Foundation Establishnt.
Wang Yulou had actually already reached Peak Foundation Establishnt, but he did indeed need to settle his foundation.
Leaving everything else aside, he still hadn't mastered a single divine ability, and his deficiencies in magical combat were far from fully compensated for.
In fact, strictly speaking, Wang Yulou had never truly engaged in magical combat with anyone before.
Starting from his ti at Wang Family Mountain, Wang Yulou had been practicing magical combat, and within Dripdrop Cave, Old Ancestor Xianzhu had even personally instructed him every few days.
But his growth was ultimately far too fast. Those past magical combat experiences were of little use now that he possessed a Peak Foundation Establishnt cultivation base.
However, Wang Yulou didn't need to compensate for everything. For instance, he didn't need to fill any gaps in his artificing path.
His mastery of the artificing path had already reached the point where he could effortlessly refine high-grade spiritual artifacts.
Over the years, his ability to establish a firm foothold on the front lines had been greatly aided by his attainnts in the artificing path.
Whenever the support given by Patriarch Mangxiang and Xuanzhuan fell short, Wang Yulou used his own resources to compensate his subordinates. The vast majority of these resources were spirit stones earned through refining spiritual artifacts.
Additionally, there was Wang Yulou's acupoint cultivation.
Having already chosen the path of the Acupoint Connection thod for reaching the Purple Mansion, once Wang Yulou reached Peak Foundation Establishnt, he began using the Source-Tracing Gui Water thod to polish the acupoints beyond his initial thirty-six.
With his cultivation resources practically overflowing, his cultivation speed was unimaginable to ordinary people. Currently, the number of acupoints opened within his body had already reached forty-five.
As for how he would explain this to Mang Xiang or Xuanzhuan in the future...
With his arm around Mingdu, Wang Yulou smiled at Yu'an and said,
"In short, your cultivation base is important, but other supplentary cultivation cannot be neglected either. Otherwise, you'll just end up as a botched Foundation Establishnt cultivator! Hahahaha!"
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