Cultivators were rely travelers walking along the path to seek the Dao, yet they were a rather distinct kind of traveler.
Take Wang Yulou for instance. The last ti he pondered where his ultimate destination would be, his answer had been the Purple Palace Realm—by marrying Zhou Yingxi.
Becoming a live-in son-in-law, reaching a simplified version of the Purple Palace Realm, living for seven hundred years, and ensuring the continuation of his family line didn't actually sound that bad.
How wonderful that was, filled with the simple fantasies of a minor cultivator.
The reality, however, was that even if he beca Zhou Yingxi's Dao companion, the Zhou Clan might not necessarily have the capability to push them into the Purple Palace Realm.
'Without the approval of the Gathering Immortals Platform, no one can achieve the Dao—cultivation is a scam.' An Ning's final words weighed as heavily as a mountain upon Yulou's heart.
Even so, Yulou did not sink into excessive dread. There was no need for a person to constantly trap themselves in anxiety over distant matters.
Compared to the hardships of the future, his current predicant was the focal point he needed to exert his efforts toward solving.
As long as his cultivation base steadily rose, everything would improve. At the very least, he would possess greater composure when facing a perilous era.
Wang Xianmao's line of thinking aligned perfectly with Yulou's on this matter. Whenever the Patriarch communicated with Yulou, their conversations would invariably return to the simple yet profound foundation of one's cultivation base.
Nonetheless, now that Yulou had truly departed from the family's shelter, he still felt a bit uneasy.
Back on Wang Family Mountain, the clan's high-stage cultivators, the grand formation arrays, and the order enforced by the Immortal Alliance had shielded Wang Yulou.
In Clear Stream Market, the Town Guardian Cultivator, the grand formation array, and the Immortal Alliance's order had protected him as well.
Yet upon entering Droplet Cave Heaven, Yulou could deduce from Elder Zhuo Chi's deanor that the so-called order of the Immortal Alliance did not exist here.
Wu Jinyan was a pri example. This inspector from the Immortal Alliance had been directly absorbed into Dripdrop Cave as a guest elder—swiftly bought off and thoroughly corrupted.
As for the ordinary commoners residing within Droplet Cave Heaven, they were subjected to the benevolence education system devised by Dripdrop Cave, learning day and night until the very end of their lives.
Furthermore, at his assigned post as a Town Guardian Cultivator in Riverbend Fishing Village, there was no grand formation array to speak of.
No, technically there was a formation array. The array attached to the residence that Wang Xianmao had gifted to Yulou through Elder Zhuo Chi was currently the strongest formation array in Riverbend Fishing Village.
"When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. But here, it seems I am the tallest one?" Yulou sighed with a hint of helplessness.
Even so, he had nothing to fear.
If he always hid under the shelter of others, how could he ever beco a Great Cultivator capable of truly holding his own?
Flowers grown in a greenhouse were incredibly fragile. Only those who dared to face the storms and lightning could step-by-step reach that distant shore.
After stowing away the nurous treasures bestowed upon him by the Patriarch, Yulou changed into the robes of an Azurewater Palace disciple and stepped out of his residence, which was constructed entirely from spiritual wood—yes, spiritual wood.
Thus, this was unquestionably a gift from the Patriarch. Given Elder Zhuo Chi's typical deanor, he could never afford such a grand gesture.
However, the Patriarch's attitude was far too complex, so Yulou decided to put it out of his mind for the ti being.
"Immortal Master?"
"Greetings, Immortal Master!"
"Immortal Master!"
An immortal residence had suddenly descended from the sky, and the villagers had long since gathered around it out of pure curiosity.
The mont Yulou stepped out of the door, they shouted in unison, and so even knelt down directly to kowtow.
Sweeping his gaze across the crowd, Yulou understood that they weren't kneeling to him, but rather to the Azurewater Palace robes he wore.
Dripdrop Cave's unique gratitude education thod sounded like a living hell, but from the results, its effectiveness was exceptionally good.
Although these people weren't entirely fishern, the majority were indeed fishern dressed in coarse cloth tunics.
To these fishern, Dripdrop Cave's Town Guardian Cultivators could suppress demons and slay water monsters. They were tangible, visible guardian deities.
Naturally, they held imnse respect, to the point of kneeling the mont they caught sight of one.
"Step aside! Do not obstruct the path of the Lord Town Guardian Cultivator!"
While Yulou was quietly observing and reflecting, a squad of martial artists dressed in red appeared, dispersing the villagers gathered at the entrance of Yulou's residence.
The captain of these red-clothed martial artists was a female cultivator in her early twenties at the sixth layer of the Spirit Induction realm. She wore the uniform of a Dripdrop Cave Clear Spring Palace disciple, which ant she was a miscellaneous disciple—to be precise, it wasn't a proper magical garnt at all, but rely a slightly more elegant uniform.
The female cultivator cast an envious glance at the Azurewater Palace robes on Yulou's body. Noticing Wang Yulou's gaze turning toward her, she quickly lowered her head, bowed, and spoke with a touch of nervousness.
"Senior Wang, Senior Zhang and Senior Cui invite you to a banquet to welco you."
This was an inner sect disciple of Dripdrop Cave at the early stages of Qi Refining, and moreover, one who had been escorted to his post by two high-stage cultivators of the Foundation Establishnt elder level—within a re half an hour, Wang Yulou's grand entry had already spread among all the Dripdrop Cave cultivators in Riverbend Fishing Village!
Such a prodigy from an elite lineage belonged to a completely different tier of existence compared to her, the other cultivators stationed in Riverbend Fishing Village, and even the two existing Town Guardian Cultivators.
'Senior...'
Yulou felt a touch of wistfulness. Having grown up on Wang Family Mountain, the Wang Clan possessed Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
When he arrived at Clear Stream Market, he had Hongi, Wang Rongsheng, and others above him.
By a stroke of luck, Yulou had even accompanied the Patriarch to et many Foundation Establishnt cultivators and had even seen two Purple Palace True Persons.
During those tis, Wang Yulou was rely a marginal character. Everyone was more powerful than him, and everyone's cultivation base exceeded his own.
A Purple Palace cultivator, whose lifespan could reach ten thousand years, was akin to a genuine immortal.
Danri could achieve the feat of dual suns crossing the sky to suppress the blazing sun, while Zhou Bojiao, despite his ruined physical body, appeared disheveled but remained imnsely powerful by anchoring his soul to the corpse of a Demon General-level flood dragon.
Furthermore, there was that mysterious rogue cultivator of unknown origin who had stirred up trouble—that individual was truly like a divine dragon whose head and tail were hidden.
Yet now, he had actually reached the point where he was addressed as a senior by others.
The stark contrast left Yulou briefly dazed.
He offered a slight smile and nodded to the female disciple from the Clear Spring Palace.
"Lead the way. By the way, what is your na? Why are you leading a squad of mortal martial artists?"
The female cultivator signaled her subordinates to clear a path for Yulou, then carefully walked beside him, replying in a low voice.
"Senior, this junior is nad Qin Churan. These martial artists are not entirely ordinary mortals; they belong to the Post-natal Realm. If they can grasp the innate essence, they can step into the Spirit Induction realm.
"Post-natal martial artists cultivate martial arts techniques, which possess decent power. Many of the water monsters that harass Riverbend Fishing Village are rely entities that have newly entered the Mixed Demon Realm, so these martial artists can handle them with ease."
Wang Yulou nodded thoughtfully.
He was accustod to seeing Foundation Establishnt cultivators deploy divine abilities, and Qi Refining cultivators command magical tools and unleash secret inheritances.
In his view, Spirit Induction realm cultivators could only cast basic spells and manipulate talismans in the early stages, and at most control mid-grade magical tools in the later stages, which seed weak enough.
Yet in a grassroots administrative unit of Dripdrop Cave like Riverbend Fishing Village, Qin Churan at the sixth layer of Spirit Induction was considered a squad-leader level expert... while a Qi Refining cultivator like himself was viewed as a Qi Condensation Ancestor.
Well, how should he put it? It felt a bit surreal, but upon careful reflection, it was entirely normal.
After all, Yulou's starting point had been far too high, to the extent that it was only today that he truly comprehended the world of minor cultivators.
"What are the nas of my two... fellow Daoists, and what are their backgrounds?"
Yulou continued to inquire. This was a standard practice upon arriving at a new territory—first clarify the situation within the local ranks.
Elder Zhuo Chi and Wang Xianmao stood at heights too lofty, so they wouldn't pay attention to such minute details.
Perhaps in their eyes, whatever occurred in Riverbend Fishing Village had nothing to do with Yulou; he was simply here to cultivate in peace.
"This..."
Qin Churan truly had not expected a prodigy from a prominent clan to act in this manner.
He was far too arrogant—unbelievably arrogant.
You ca here to serve as a Town Guardian Cultivator, yet you didn't even bother to learn any information about your colleagues beforehand?!
In truth, she had misjudged Yulou. By questioning her, he was actively attempting to grasp the situation and gather information at the very first opportunity.
Far from being arrogant, Yulou actually placed great importance on this.
In the past at Clear Stream Market, the shopkeepers and custors he interacted with were mostly high-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Even then, Yulou couldn't be bothered to pay much attention to many of them, maintaining rely a polite facade.
Now, personally inquiring about the details of two Dripdrop Cave Qi Refining disciples was the closest he had ever co to examining the lives of ordinary people!
Though startled by Wang Yulou's perceived arrogance, Qin Churan decided to take a gamble after a brief mont of deliberation. She reported in a low voice.
"The younger one is Senior Zhang Xuewu, and the older one is Senior Cui Dingyi.
"Senior Zhang has a chance to beco a disciple of the Azurewater Palace, so he often conducts himself rather imperiously, which has led to so friction with Senior Cui.
"Senior Cui, on the other hand, is a local from Riverbend Fishing Village. He step-by-step advanced from a mortal martial artist to his current level, but he has been unable to break through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining for many years."
"Oh? You an both of them are outer sect disciples?"
Yulou instantly caught the crucial detail.
Good heavens, Riverbend Fishing Village had three Qi Refining Town Guardian Cultivators, but two of them were outer sect disciples, whereas Wang Yulou was an Azurewater Palace disciple—inner sect.
This... ant he had just beco the highest-ranking official here?
"Yes, Senior Zhang and Senior Cui both belong to the Splendid Pool Palace," Qin Churan said.
Who could possibly compare to you? She didn't know which grand clan he hailed from, to have entered the Azurewater Palace just after reaching the Qi Refining stage.
She couldn't possibly imagine that the sole reason Wang Yulou hadn't directly joined the inner sect of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was simply because he needed to cultivate Dripdrop Cave's Source Vein Gui Water Qi.
If Dripdrop Cave hadn't possessed this exact spiritual energy suited for Wang Yulou, he might currently be sitting inside Wang Jingyi's grotto-heaven, contentedly refining his Qi.
"Alright, I understand."
Wang Yulou gave a noncommittal nod and fell silent.
Once she escorted Wang Yulou into Zhang Xuewu's residence, Qin Churan stood outside the gates, suddenly feeling a bit lost.
She couldn't quite articulate why she felt this way. Perhaps it was because her subtle gesture of allegiance had received no response?
Or perhaps it was realizing that Yulou looked to be around her age, yet had already achieved success in Qi Refining...
Born of a grand clan, an inner sect genius with exceptional talent—perhaps he even possessed a single spirit root. Such a person would undoubtedly have a chance to achieve Foundation Establishnt in the future, right?
The chasm between individuals was simply too vast. The more Qin Churan dwelt on it, the more dejected she beca.
"Captain Qin, Senior Wang is clearly a scion of a grand family. Don't go daydreaming about him, hahaha," a martial artist acquainted with Qin Churan teased with a laugh.
"Watch your mouth! Get back to patrolling!"
This was the first ti Yulou had entered the residence of an unfamiliar cultivator.
Well, setting aside the Town Guardian Cultivator's manor back in Clear Stream Market, as that was a place one could enter simply by paying spirit stones.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, please take the seat of honor, please!"
Seeing Wang Yulou arrive, Zhang Xuewu quickly rose to greet him.
By now, he had changed into the robes of a Splendid Pool Palace disciple.
The Splendid Pool Palace uniform was crafted from fine silk, appearing sowhat superior to that of the Clear Spring Palace. Outer sect disciples were, after all, better off than miscellaneous disciples, but it still wasn't a proper magical garnt.
rely from the uniform of the Splendid Pool Palace disciples, Yulou gained a new understanding of the sect's administrative model.
Cut costs wherever possible, never hand out benefits freely, and ensure they kept moving, striving for a beautiful life of cultivation.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, have the two seniors departed?"
Cui Dingyi was older and relatively more composed. It was also possible that since his path had essentially reached its limit, he wasn't nearly as eager as Zhang Xuewu, though he remained very courteous.
"Yes. There is no need for the two of you to be constrained. I have co here rely wishing to cultivate quietly in peace.
"However, as a Town Guardian Cultivator of Riverbend Fishing Village, I will still perform the duties that require my attention."
'There is no need for the two of you to be constrained.'
Even though Yulou was the invited guest and Zhang Xuewu's cultivation base was at the fifth layer of Qi Refining—far higher than his own—Yulou naturally assud the air of the master of the house.
As he spoke, he settled firmly into the primary seat at the banquet.
Contrary to his usual habits, Wang Yulou chose an exceptionally high-profile approach.
Maintaining a low profile, being cautious, or even hiding one's capabilities were excellent strategies, but that did not an taking a high profile couldn't be effective as well.
The brilliance of its application lay entirely within one's intent.
Given that Riverbend Fishing Village was a shallow pond with few significant figures, if Wang Yulou maintained a low profile, it might actually compromise his safety.
Elder Zhuo Chi and the Patriarch had already established his persona. As long as Yulou didn't act foolishly, these two companions would naturally not dare to harbor any ill intentions against him.
"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Wang is young, promising, and handles matters with courage and responsibility. Today, your actions have set an excellent example for .
"This foolish older brother has rely lived a few more years. In all other aspects, I still have much to learn from Fellow Daoist Wang!"
After delivering a thoroughly passionate performance, Zhang Xuewu didn't sit down. Instead, he gestured with his arm and called out loudly.
"Bring out the banquet!"
Cui Dingyi smiled without a word, quietly taking a sip of spiritual tea.
Since it was highly unlikely he could make further progress, he naturally lacked the drive to flatter Wang Yulou excessively.
"Since the two of you have been here for years, I would like to learn about the demon beast sightings near Riverbend Fishing Village. I wonder which of you can enlighten ?"
Zhang Xuewu was just about to speak when Cui Dingyi cut him off.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, I am a native of Riverbend Village. Speaking of which, I have lived here for nearly a century..."
Cui Dingyi didn't want to flatter Wang Yulou, but he knew he couldn't appear too distant, lest it seem like he harbored grievances against him.
Consequently, he had to actively demonstrate his value and attitude to at least ensure his own safety.
In the presence of an inner sect genius who was young, prominent, and had entered the Azurewater Palace at the first layer of Qi Refining, Cui Dingyi's caution was simply a wisdom for survival.
'Inner sect genius' was quite a rare title.
"Hold on. Are there specific records? For instance, how many demon beast attacks occurred in a given year, and what was the strength of the invading entities?"
As a Town Guardian Cultivator who had risen from the local ranks of Riverbend Fishing Village, Cui Dingyi was naturally familiar with the area, but his purely experiential summaries were far too vague. Yulou preferred to examine concrete data.
"Yes! Yes! Fellow Daoist Wang, we have them! I shall go fetch them for you right away!" Zhang Xuewu finally found his opening and hastily chid in.
"No rush, let us partake of the banquet first."
Yulou originally intended to suggest eating first, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that the local banquet was incredibly ager.
Two spirit fish, one stead and one boiled, served as the main courses. There was no spirit wine, though ordinary mortal wine was available in abundance. Aside from that, each person had a bowl of spirit rice and a cup of unidentified spiritual tea.
If the attitude of the two n demonstrated their desire to align themselves with Yulou, this 'Qi Condensation Ancestor' and 'Inner Sect Genius,' then this sparse banquet illustrated their true financial straits.
"This... Fellow Daoist Wang, it is indeed a bit ager. But rest assured, the next ti a demon beast attacks, we will entertain you with demon beast at!" Cui Dingyi spoke up, taking his turn to offer pleasantries.
Riverbend Village yielded two primary resources: spirit fish caught from the great marsh from ti to ti, and invading demon beasts—every part of a demon beast was a treasure!
Yulou smiled faintly, pulling a bamboo-jointed wine flask from his storage bag.
"Co, sample the Eight-Grade Luster Crystal Wine I brought. This wine is brewed using Luster Crystal Stones as a catalyst, supplented by various unique spiritual dicines. Its flavor is quite extraordinary."
Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi's eyes went completely wide. Was this the sheer extravagance of a grand clan's scion?
An eighth-grade spirit wine, and one brewed from Luster Crystal Stones at that—they had never even heard of such a thing!
Abandoning his low-profile strategy today, Yulou deliberately assud a high posture and brought out eighth-grade spirit wine as entertainnt, all to ensure these two newly t companions recognized the reality of the situation.
Following Wang Yulou ant a bright future!
Only in this manner could he cultivate peacefully and securely in Riverbend Village.
"Because this wine contains Luster Crystal Stones, it cannot be held in vessels of tal or stone. Co, bring two wooden cups for our fellow Daoists!"
The mont Zhang Xuewu heard Yulou's command, he scrambled to his feet with exaggerated haste, urging the servants to locate wooden cups.
The older, more experienced Cui Dingyi noticed sothing amiss. Why did Wang Yulou have a silver cup in his own hand? Hadn't he just said that tal or stone vessels couldn't hold Luster Crystal Wine?
What? A cup forged from mirror-silver as a magical tool?
Cui Dingyi finally gained a direct appreciation for the luxury of elite clans. When the three of them raised their cups to drink together, his gaze never drifted from that mirror-silver cup.
He was simply too wealthy!
"Fellow Daoists, the three of us shall stand united. Moving forward, we will work together with one heart to protect Riverbend Village."
With that, Yulou drained his cup of spirit wine in one gulp.
Having lived for over a century, this was Cui Dingyi's first ti drinking eighth-grade spirit wine. Reluctant to down it all at once, he held the cup and took several small sips before finishing it.
This al featured spirit fish, spirit rice, spiritual tea, and spirit wine, allowing the group to dine with imnse satisfaction.
Through his exchanges with the two n, Yulou steadily pieced together the inner workings of Dripdrop Cave and grasped the relevant conditions of Riverbend Village.
By the end, due to the tag-team flattery from both sides, Yulou even felt a sense of unreality.
It didn't feel as though he had co to serve as a Town Guardian Cultivator, but rather to hold a temporary post for experience.
Yet it differed from a typical temporary posting. Yulou's background and his own capabilities granted him the power to alter soone's destiny simply by offering a minor favor.
At the very least, he could alter the destinies of these two n!
—
Before he even entered his courtyard, Yulou heard He Laosan cursing loudly. He shook his head, realizing he had entirely forgotten about this wretched bird.
"Laosan, stop cursing. Following won't do you any harm.
"If you keep cursing, I'll send you back ho, and soone else will deal with you then."
Wang Yulou snapped back at He Laosan. The crane naturally understood his words and shook its head resentfully.
Whether serving Wang Xianmao or Wang Yulou, it was all work at the end of the day, but jobs naturally had tiers. The poor bird, however, possessed no right to refuse the Wang Clan's employnt arrangents.
At that thought, it opened its beak wide and let out another series of loud squawks.
"Here. One essence-blood pill a week, nothing more."
Yulou tossed an essence-blood pill, which landed squarely inside He Laosan's open beak. Then he said, "Now that you've eaten the pill, let's go. Take to the Azurewater Palace."
Having consud the essence-blood pill, He Laosan found a shred of motivation to work and obediently served as Wang Yulou's mount.
The Patriarch's intentions were truly difficult to fathom.
Before leaving, he had first refined a flying boat for Yulou, only to hand over a spiritual bird at the very end. These two assets overlapped heavily in functionality.
As for why he was returning to the Azurewater Palace...
He had already obtained the technique for the Source Vein Gui Water Qi he required, but with the two seniors present at the ti, and the rit exchange list for Azurewater Palace disciples being so lengthy, Yulou hadn't examined it thoroughly.
Returning to the Azurewater Palace this ti was to see if the list contained any opportunities he could seize to earn rit points.
The first four layers of the Source Vein Gui Water Qi cost four hundred rit points. Yulou currently owed Dripdrop Cave three hundred points. Although rit points didn't accrue interest, it was better to clear the debt early for peace of mind.
Serving as a Town Guardian Cultivator in Riverbend Fishing Village only earned him thirty rit points a year. Relying solely on passing ti to repay it would be far too foolish.
Qi Refining cultivators could utilize various spiritual pills to accelerate their cultivation. What Yulou wanted was to find a thod to earn rit points, clear his debt early, and raise his cultivation base as quickly as possible.
He needed to seize every mont, for in cultivation, ti was everything!
Danri had achieved Foundation Establishnt in her teens and later reached the Purple Palace Realm.
Zhou Yingxi would likely achieve Foundation Establishnt before the age of thirty. Even if she possessed a single spirit root, achieving Foundation Establishnt at such an age ant she would have an excellent chance at the Purple Palace Realm in the future.
Wang Yulou's ambitions were modest; achieving Foundation Establishnt before eighty would suffice. An Ning had set the example that the Foundation Establishnt stage could extend one's lifespan to nearly five hundred years.
He believed that within a span of four hundred years, too many things could transpire, and nothing was impossible.
Wang Yulou sat cross-legged on He Laosan's back. He Laosan pushed off with both legs, lightly flapped his white wings tipped with grey flight feathers, and soared into the sky.
At this mont, Zhang Xuewu, who was carrying the historical records of demon beast attacks in Riverbend Village to 'report' to Wang Yulou, had just arrived at the gates of Yulou's residence, witnessing the scene of Yulou taking flight on the crane.
In the sky, the spiritual crane flew gracefully. The youth dressed in blue-green robes turned his gaze slightly, nodding toward Zhang Xuewu before rocketing into the clouds.
The spiritual crane spreads its wings through heavy clouds, soaring gracefully as if an immortal traversing the cave heaven. A brilliant aura cloaks the magical robes, as he departs for the azure waters to seek his Daoist destiny.
Seeing Yulou depart, Zhang Xuewu assud that Yulou's words at the welcoming banquet had rely been a prelude to his current absence from his post.
Clutching the records, he prepared to leave, but after a mont's thought, he remained standing at the gate, waiting, waiting.
He lacked opportunities. Because he had none, he acted with such subservience and refused to give up in front of Yulou, who represented a potential opportunity.
He possessed a dual spirit root, a talent considered outstanding elsewhere, but among the three thousand disciples of the Splendid Pool Palace, it was rely ordinary.
If one out of fifty cultivators possessed a dual spirit root, then the Splendid Pool Palace housed sixty such cultivators, yet only twenty could beco inner sect disciples each year.
Furthermore, there were plenty of formidable individuals among those with triple spirit roots, and those with quadruple spirit roots who possessed connections would also force their way in. Thus, the opportunities left for Zhang Xuewu were scarce.
If one couldn't beco an inner sect disciple, what use was a dual spirit root? It was worthless!
...
Flying all the way to the Azurewater Palace, He Laosan landed smoothly.
A cultivator who had newly entered the Qi Refining stage riding a spiritual bird at the peak of the Mixed Demon Realm caused everyone who noticed the pair to look over. However, upon spotting the Azurewater Palace robes on Yulou's body, they looked away with understanding.
"A scion of a grand clan!"
In truth, the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom wasn't considered a top-tier grand clan; among Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clans, they were rely decent.
However, Patriarch Mangxiang of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was currently attempting to attain his Golden Core. Expectation dictated that as the chickens and dogs raised by Mangxiang, the Wang Clan would ascend along with him. Consequently, everyone afforded them far more respect than in the past.
Inside the rit Hall, Yulou briefly stated his purpose to the duty disciple, who then handed him a jade slip.
"This jade slip contains the exchange catalog for Azurewater Palace disciples, though it cannot be updated in real-ti.
"The sect's rit exchanges are not fixed; occasionally, exceptionally valuable items will suddenly appear.
"If you wish to receive real-ti updates, you can purchase our 'New Arrival Notification' service.
"It costs a re twelve spirit stones per year. Once purchased, we will notify you whenever the rit exchange catalog is about to be updated."
Yulou froze for a mont, quickly realizing that this was a revenue-generating thod devised by the duty disciples of the Azurewater Palace rit Hall!
He first accepted the jade slip, then drew twelve spirit stones from his storage bag, handed them to the disciple, and said, "Fellow Daoist, you are aware of my circumstances. I currently owe the sect a sum of rit points.
"Therefore, I wish to find so ans to earn rit points as quickly as possible. I wonder if you have any recomndations?"
Having accepted the spirit stones, the duty disciple's attitude grew even warr as he explained, "The rit points of inner sect disciples are typically tied to missions. Since you currently serve as a Town Guardian Cultivator, aside from the fixed annual rit rewards, any achievents in slaying demon beasts will grant you an additional reward.
"Furthermore, your Azurewater Palace disciple token possesses a rit trading function, so transactions with other disciples can also earn you rit points.
"However, the fastest thod remains using spirit stones to buy rit points.
"Six spirit stones per single Azurewater Palace rit point. It isn't actually that expensive, hahaha."
Yulou nodded. At six spirit stones per rit point, the exchange price for the first four layers of the Source Vein Gui Water Qi technique would equate to two thousand four hundred spirit stones.
Given the rarity and power of this technique, this price was exceptionally reasonable.
One had to understand that for high-value resources and inheritances, the existence of a definitive price and market was itself a rare piece of fortune.
However, Wang Yulou naturally had no intention of exchanging spirit stones for rit points. Spirit stones in his hands could be utilized for cultivation or to generate new spirit stones; if used well, they were by no ans inferior to rit points.
"I possess so proficiency in the artificing path. I wonder if the sect accepts magical tools?" Yulou inquired.
The duty disciple blinked, sizing Yulou up before replying, "Uh, we do. But Fellow Daoist, the Palace only accepts high-grade magical tools with eighteen layers of restrictions or more."
It was understood that Wang Yulou possessed a single spirit root and had beco a Qi Refining cultivator at a young age. Looking at him, he did not seem like soone capable of refining high-grade magical tools.
He was unaware that Yulou's cultivation base had been forged inside a grotto-heaven. Currently, the only person to have noticed that Yulou's cultivation base did not match the typical progression speed of his spirit root was Wu Jinyan.
However, Old Wu maintained good relations with the Wang Clan and remained ignorant of the internal situation regarding Mangxiang's direct lineages like the Wang Clan, so he hadn't dared to ask.
As for sending Yu'an to Hidden Dragon Abbey, there was even less worry about his cultivation base drawing scrutiny. Hidden Dragon Abbey lay thousands of miles away from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and aside from Zhong Ningyao, no one recognized Yu'an.
The Wang Clan had only permitted Yulou, Yu'an, and Rongsheng to utilize the grotto-heaven for cultivation precisely because allowing any more individuals would make the risks unmanageable.
—
As an entity at the peak of the Mixed Demon Realm, the space on He Laosan's back could easily accommodate two people.
Sitting cross-legged upon it, Yulou pressed the jade slip against his forehead, carefully browsing through the contents.
'Golden Core Pill'—one hundred and ten rit points per pill.
The na sounded terrifying, 'Golden Core,' though this object was a physical pill forged from various spiritual tals.
Its dicinal properties were exceptionally violent, capable of breaking through all bottlenecks in the Qi Refining stage.
Of course it was violent; it used materials ant for refining magical tools to forge a pill.
The sole issue was that after consuming this pill, one would forfeit any possibility of making further progress.
This belonged to the category of realm-breaking grand pills.
'Five Truths Precious Pill'—two hundred and sixty rit points per pill.
The term 'Five Truths' shared the sa aning as five elents, five rhythms, or five colors, corresponding to cultivators who practiced five different attributes of spiritual energy. A wood-attribute cultivator would consu a Wood Truth Precious Pill, while a water-attribute cultivator would consu a Water Truth Precious Pill.
Once the precious pill was ingested, it could also break through a realm, though success wasn't absolute. However, it would not destroy the possibility of future advancent.
This fell under the category of precious pills, rather than realm-breaking grand pills. Certain unscrupulous rchants would exploit independent cultivators by selling realm-breaking grand pills as precious pills, akin to passing off ordinary piglets as rare miniature hogs—utterly rotten to the core.
The advantage of a sect lay precisely here: within the sect, those who wished to swindle you might harbor the intent but lacked the courage, drastically reducing the likelihood of falling into traps.
However, a sect wasn't sothing just anyone could enter. Families of various sizes monopolized all crucial positions from the bottom to the top.
Soon, Yulou located a spiritual pill he desperately required within the dicine list.
'Three Crimson Marrow Generating Paste'—twenty rit points per jin.
The 'Three Crimson' referred to Great Blood-Generating Herb, demon beast flesh essence, and Crimson Spiritual Ginseng. The Three Crimson Marrow Generating Paste, forged primarily from these three ingredients, could strengthen a cultivator's physical body when applied topically.
Spirit Induction cultivators were cheap and could risk their lives blindly, but after reaching Qi Refining, any involvent in magical combat could easily lead to injuries. Cultivating or developing a sturdier body was an absolute necessity.
Yet a Qi Refining cultivator's lifespan was ultimately too brief, lacking the foundation for dual cultivation of body and essence. Only Foundation Establishnt cultivators could truly begin to develop their physical bodies—provided they didn't intend to open their Purple Palace.
Within a limited lifespan, a powerful body and formidable magical combat capabilities were mutually exclusive. However, this didn't an Yulou had to remain a glass cannon. Any cultivator with a shred of ambition would strive to strengthen their body as much as possible.
One didn't need to aim for absolute invulnerability; it was enough to ensure one wasn't physically restricted by the very spells they cast.
After scanning through the various spiritual pills, if a shopping cart had existed, Yulou's cart would already be filled to the brim with his desired dicines. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford a single one for the ti being, still owing three hundred rit points to the Azurewater Palace.
In truth, Yulou's greatest interest lay in the magical tools section.
After all, from the very beginning of his cultivation, he had developed in the direction of an artificer.
'Thirty-Two Layers—Crimson Magic Sword'—two thousand one hundred rit points.
Two thousand one hundred rit points equated roughly to ten thousand spirit stones. For a single magical tool, this price was absurdly high.
Even if flying swords were considered the apex among magical tools, paying ten thousand spirit stones for a high-grade flying sword remained absurd.
However, after Yulou finished reading the detailed description of the Crimson Magic Sword, he fell into silence.
The base material of the sword was eighth-grade refined water-attribute Cold Refined Iron, which had also been imbued with the nature of eighth-grade fla-feathered rooster comb blood, granting it dual attributes of water and fire.
Eight layers of sharpness, eight layers of sturdiness, eight layers of rapid speed, and eight layers of various foundational restrictions.
As an artificer who had crossed the threshold of the artificing path, Yulou was absolutely certain that this Crimson Magic Sword was not sothing a Qi Refining artificer could forge—he wouldn't even have the confidence to attempt it even with the assistance of the Jade Ruyi.
Setting aside everything else, rely refining a piece of eighth-grade water-attribute Cold Refined Iron was a task undertaken only by those who were either obscenely wealthy or foolish—Cold Refined Iron sold for an excellent profit on its own, rendering refined usage unnecessary.
As for imbuing refined water-attribute Cold Refined Iron with eighth-grade fla-feathered rooster comb blood... just thinking about it gave Yulou a slight headache.
There were true experts within Dripdrop Cave; the individual who forged this flying sword must possess an exceptionally high level of attainnt in the artificing path!
This was because the most formidable aspect of this flying sword lay in its restrictions—all thirty-two layers of restrictions had been integrated into the blade, developing the flying sword to its absolute limit.
The sharpness restriction that Yulou commanded, applicable to spiritual tals, totaled only seven layers even after combining An Ning's inheritance with the Wang Clan's inheritance. Yet this artificer had mastered eight layers.
However, regarding sturdiness and rapid speed, Yulou actually mastered one layer more than this artificer. Of course, it was entirely possible that this artificer hadn't exerted his full efforts—eight layers might simply be the limit of the flying sword, rather than his personal limit.
After reviewing the description of the Crimson Magic Sword once more, Yulou finally tore his gaze away.
'Thirty-Two Layers—Golden Horn Mud Turtle Shield'—six hundred rit points.
Upon seeing this familiar shield, Yulou first thought of Yu'an, before detecting an anomaly.
Six hundred points? Thirty-two layers?
Sothing was wrong—he would stake his reputation as an artificer on it!
Sure enough, after reading the material selection and restriction descriptions, Yulou understood.
Aside from the Golden Horn Mud Turtle shell, the base materials included eighth-grade dark steel. The issue, however, was that single-body types and assembled types of magical tools were entirely different matters.
The Golden Horn Mud Turtle shell possessed dual properties of tal and bone, while dark steel was purely tal-attribute. Their compatibility was poor; ultimately, this turtle shell had simply been pushed to a height where it didn't belong.
'Thirty-Two Layers—Spirit Wave Water Gathering Pouch'—eight hundred rit points.
Crafted from multiple water-attribute demon beast hides interwoven with spiritual silk, and enhanced by thirty-two layers of restrictions, it reached the ceiling for functional magical tools.
It could unleash Mist Wave Art, Torrent Technique, Water Shield Technique, and various other spells. When deployed in combination, it could replicate certain effects of water-attribute divine abilities, amplifying the magical combat capabilities of water-attribute cultivators.
A fine item indeed.
Beholding these strongest magical tools available for exchange within the Azurewater Palace rit Hall, Yulou recalled Hongi. Back when Hongi had been detained by the shopkeeper at the Golden Light Pavilion, it was precisely because he held a thirty-two layer restricted magical tool commissioned by a rogue cultivator that had yet to be refined.
Looking back now, it should have been obvious even then that Hongi harbored a massive secret.
The top tier artificing masters of Dripdrop Cave could only refine magical tools up to thirty-two layers. On what grounds did Hongi, a re independent cultivator, manage to refine a thirty-two layer magical tool?
Unfortunately, Yulou and Yu'an had been young and naive back then, failing to comprehend the underlying complexities.
If they had discovered An Ning's small grotto-heaven a bit earlier...
Forget it, what was in the past was in the past; there was no use dwelling on it.
He Laosan flew back over Riverbend Village. Noticing that Zhang Xuewu was still waiting outside his residence, Yulou patted He Laosan, signaling him to land at the entrance.
"Fellow Daoist Xuewu, what is the aning of this?"
Yulou was well aware that Zhang Xuewu waiting outside his door for so long was a calculated gesture—ant for Yulou to see, and for others to see as well.
This man was remarkably ruthless toward himself, showing such deep deference to Yulou, a novice in Qi Refining, despite his own fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivation base.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, look, I have brought the records of the demon beast attacks suffered by Riverbend Village over the years."
Wang Yulou smiled and nodded, raising his hand to open the residence's defensive array.
"Step inside, we shall speak within."
The two arrived in the main hall, where Wang Yulou said with a wry smile, "This residence was bestowed upon by Senior Zhuo Chi. In my haste, nothing has been prepared, and I cannot even offer you a cup of hot tea. I hope you can overlook this, Fellow Daoist."
Wang Xianmao's arrangent in having Elder Zhuo Chi bestow the treasure was a highly intriguing maneuver, and Yulou's current words captured the subtle brilliance of it.
"No matter, no matter. Right, I shall imdiately arrange so servants for you...
"No, what I an to say is, I shall help you locate so individuals who wish to serve the Immortal Master, and then you may make your selection, Fellow Daoist."
An opportunity had arrived, and he was exerting every ounce of strength. Yet in his haste, believing he had misspoke, Zhang Xuewu grew so anxious he almost began to sweat.
"I do indeed require a few individuals to manage the property. Let's do this: I find Qin Churan to be decent. Riverbend Village has over twenty Spirit Induction cultivators, so it won't miss one martial artist patrol captain.
"Have her co over to attend to , and then select a few clever young servants. Can you handle this for ?"
High-profile, extravagant, backed by a powerful lineage, and now Yulou had assud the persona of a lecherous scion.
He had to ticulously maintain this persona from all angles, ensuring these two Town Guardian Cultivators wouldn't dare to cause trouble, thereby creating an ideal environnt for himself.
"I can! Xuewu will absolutely handle this flawlessly for you, Fellow Daoist Yulou!"
Zhang Xuewu wanted to address him with formal reverence, but he couldn't bring himself to be so shaless and subservient. Thus, after a brief hesitation, he rely called him Fellow Daoist Yulou.
Wang Yulou offered a faint smile. How could a true formidable figure allow a single word or title to halt their steps?
From this perspective, Zhang Xuewu clearly fell a bit short.
To be precise, in terms of sheer determination, he fell short.
For instance, back when Hongi was in such a wretched state, Wang Yulou and Wang Xianmao had still worried that he might be a formidable figure playing the pig to eat the tiger.
Was it because Wang Yulou and Wang Xianmao were too cowardly or overly cautious? No, it was because the tales of powerful figures were far too terrifying.
A temporary period of hardship in their journey to prominence served rely as a footnote to their legendary tales.
What did enduring humiliation amount to? Eating actual filth, being forced by enemies to consu the flesh of one's own children, offering up wives, daughters, or even sons just to make an enemy abandon their killing intent...
Yulou recalled the Patriarch's words: 'The transformations of dragons and snakes await the opportune mont.'
"Patriarch, did you send into Droplet Cave Heaven to cultivate and sever my past precisely to temper into a true prodigy?"
The haze of uncertainty in his eyes flashed for a re instant before Yulou looked back at Zhang Xuewu.
"Go on, arrange it as quickly as possible."
Zhang Xuewu rose, stepped forward before Yulou, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and then quietly withdrew.
Yulou's assessnt of him rose by another tier—he possessed the potential to beco soone like Gao Jian.
If he wished to achieve Foundation Establishnt within Dripdrop Cave in the future, the cultivation of his own forces had to begin right now.
Troubleso. Cultivation was truly troubleso. Raising one's cultivation base, managing factions, studying auxiliary arts, nurturing spiritual beasts... none of it could be neglected.
With a wry smile, he opened the book recording the demon beast attacks and began to read silently. Data did not lie; the fastest way to understand the risks he faced was to seek answers from past records.
Gradually, Yulou's expression grew increasingly grim.
Beginning seventy years ago, the frequency of demon beast attacks in Riverbend Village had started to rise—from once every two years, to once a year, to multiple tis a year.
The strength of the demon beasts was also steadily increasing. Initially, they were all in the Mixed Demon Realm, but later, early-stage Small Demon Realm entities began to appear, and over the past eight years, five mid-stage Small Demon Realm beasts had erged...
Yulou discovered with so unease that his position as a Town Guardian Cultivator seed to be a hidden pitfall.
However... it wasn't entirely a bad thing. As a Town Guardian Cultivator, Wang Yulou could convert his demon beast slays into rit points.
Furthermore, he possessed three Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talismans and a rare Golden Eagle Descent Talisman. If he encountered danger, he could simply trigger a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman.
If the enemy turned out to be a Foundation Establishnt entity, he could throw in a Golden Eagle Descent Talisman as well. In this manner, even a mid-Foundation Establishnt expert would find it difficult to catch him.
Thus, demon beast attacks amounted to nothing more than free experience for Yulou; it was just that this rising trend of attacks was currently a bit too pronounced.
Should he inquire with Elder Zhuo Chi?
While Yulou was contemplating, Zhang Xuewu had already delivered Qin Churan—who had just bathed, burned incense, and changed into elegant attire—to the gates of Yulou's residence.
It had only been half an hour!
Zhang Xuewu: 'Fellow Daoist Yulou, I want to advance far too badly!'
"Co in!"
Yulou was actually a bit expectant. Having lived two lives, this was his first ti using the persona of a libertine to solidify his standing, and he lacked experience.
At that thought, he added a remark, "Oh, Xuewu, you don't need to co inside. If there's anything else, we shall chat tomorrow, tomorrow."
Hearing these words, Zhang Xuewu was instantly overjoyed, believing he had fully grasped Yulou's intent.
However, Qin Churan, who walked ahead, felt rather apprehensive, though she still stepped into the formation array.
The formation array—the sole formation array in Riverbend Fishing Village, attached to the residence gifted to this Senior Wang by the Foundation Establishnt Elder Zhuo Chi.
She didn't know whether this opportunity would bring good or ill, but she possessed no power to refuse, though she hadn't intended to refuse from the start.
The freedom of choice that Wang Yulou and Wang Yu'an had enjoyed since childhood was, in reality, an imnse luxury.
"Co inside, don't just stand there dazed!"
Hearing Wang Yulou's voice, Qin Churan tore her gaze away from He Laosan and cautiously stepped into the main hall.
That Senior Wang, dressed in his Azurewater Palace disciple robes, appeared to be reading. However, judging by his expression, his mood seed rather foul, which left Qin Churan feeling even more uncertain.
'Is he dissatisfied with ?'
"How old are you?" Wang Yulou asked directly, without even lifting his head.
"Twenty-three years old."
"Triple spirit root?"
"Yes. Wood, tal, water."
Yulou finally raised his head, a hint of seriousness appearing on his face.
Water thods—Dripdrop Cave's water thods were naturally top-tier.
Wood thods—the Wang Clan's most profound inheritance over the past millennium was its wood thod inheritance.
This female cultivator, who had actively demonstrated her allegiance, possessed a shred of value for cultivation.
At that thought, Yulou spoke in a warm tone, "Alright, take a seat. I did not have you co inside for..."
Right at this mont, Zhang Xuewu, who remained outside the courtyard, suddenly noticed sothing amiss.
Beneath the stone bridge of Riverbend Village, sothing appeared to be moving.
Sweeping his divine sense across the area, his countenance instantly changed. He quickly channeled his magical power and shouted at the top of his lungs, "A demon beast has appeared! Everyone, get away from the riverbank!"
Wang Yulou knit his brows and rose imdiately, exiting the residence in a few swift strides and rushing toward the source of Zhang Xuewu's warning.
With the assistance of his divine sense, he clearly discerned the demon beast concealed beneath the stone bridge.
The entity resembled a water snake, yet its upper body was semi-human, though this semi-human torso was entirely covered in scales.
The demon beast flicked its fork-tongued serpent tongue, and Yulou could see the fresh blood inside its maw. It turned out that by hiding beneath the stone bridge, this monster had already consud several individuals crossing the bridge.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, be careful! It is a human-faced snake at the mid-stage of the Small Demon Realm!" reminded Cui Dingyi, who stood atop a nearby roof.
Reluctant to waste his precious magical power on displaying the ability to fly with a magical tool, he naturally chose to stand on a high point to secure a clear view.
The human-faced snake noticed that among the three Town Guardian Cultivators, Wang Yulou possessed the lowest cultivation base. It imdiately channeled its demonic power, unleashing three consecutive Torrent Techniques directly at Yulou!
Using the Torrent Techniques as cover, it enveloped itself in surging water and lunged straight toward Yulou.
Wang Yulou wore a look of pure astonishnt—no, on what grounds did you conclude I was the easiest target?
Just because my cultivation base is low?
Does a low cultivation base an one deserves to be bullied?
Damn it, it was one thing for Great Cultivators to bully others, but even a re demon beast targeted the weak while fearing the strong!
You truly deserve to die!
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