Shangyuque

Chapter 168 The Jade Emperor Arrives at Qingxi Lane, the Wild Elephant Hides in the Western Sea! (1.22 Million Views, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
The West Sea is the western border of the Immortal Alliance in the Wunan Basin, while the Red Lantern is located in the northwest corner of the Wunan Basin.

Of the 14,000 li of the West Sea Causeway, the 7,000 li of the northern West Sea Causeway was reclaimed by the Immortal Alliance, including the 4,000 li of the Red Lantern Causeway.

Therefore, heading northeast from Xihai Xiancheng leads to the location of the Red Lanterns.

However, there are two places that Wang Yulou is quite familiar with.

One place is Miaofeng Mountain, a vassal of the Red Lanterns.

Because of the relationship between Ancestor Mangxiang and Miaofeng Mountain, the Wang family and Miaofeng Mountain have long had exchanges. Wang Xianzhu even led a team to fight for Miaofeng Mountain for several years.

In this way, even though Wang Yulou had never been to Miaofeng Mountain, Miaofeng Mountain could still be considered his half-home ground.

The other place is Qingxifang, the starting point for Wang Yulou's journey to immortality, the true beginner village he experienced in this world.

It took Wang Yulou and his more than two thousand independent cultivators three days to travel from Xihai Immortal City to Miaofeng Mountain.

Considering the organizational strength of the numerous independent cultivators in the Loose Cultivator Alliance, this speed is actually quite fast.

The reason it was so fast was because everyone was flying the entire time.

Under normal circumstances, cultivators in the Qi Refining stage do not dare to fly too conspicuously; they usually travel by walking and stopping frequently.

But this time the situation was different. Wang Yulou was leading a large number of Foundation Establishment and Immortal Alliance cultivators from Xihai Immortal City, escorting the rogue cultivators on their journey, so he was naturally not afraid of any demons, ghosts, snakes, or gods.

However, after three days of travel, it was indeed time to rest when we arrived at Miaofeng Mountain.
-
Years have passed, and Miaofeng Mountain remains the same, with two majestic sacred mountains facing each other, standing tall between heaven and earth.

Once, when Wang Xianzhu was ordered to bring Wang Yulou and Wang Yu'an back to their clan, he took them by the roadside past Miaofeng Mountain.

At that time, the battle line of the Valley God Sect had been pushed to the core area three hundred miles away from Miaofeng Mountain. Ancestor Xianzhou also encountered his old lover Ning Qianqian of the Ning family of Huishan Mansion.

But now, the situation on the front lines is very different, and the two factions have fought all the way to the Wolong River.

Mang Xiang wanted to attain the Golden Elixir, and Xuan Zhuan and Dan Ri worked tirelessly for him throughout the Great Heaven and Earth. With several Purple Mansions of the Red Lantern Sect active in the Great Heaven and Earth for extended periods, many things became easier, and the war between Miaofeng Mountain and Gu Shen Sect proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

However, as the black dragon horse proudly walked towards the gate of Miaofeng Mountain, Wang Yulou thought of a very distant past event.

If I remember correctly, when the two sects first started their war twenty years ago, Ancestor Xian Zhou said that the Red Lantern Sect was not happy to see Li Haikuo become a Purple Mansion.

Even at that time, the Red Lanterns' support for Miaofeng Mountain was far from sufficient; otherwise, Miaofeng Mountain's battle lines would not have been so badly crushed by the Valley God Sect.

Later, why was Li Haikuo able to become a Purple Mansion?

Or rather, what caused the Red Lights' attitude to change drastically, from observing and even ignoring the situation to supporting it, which led to the two major battles lasting so long?

There should only be one answer: it was Mang Xiang who was pushing things from behind—this could even be compared to Wang Xianzhu leading his team to Miaofeng Mountain to assist in the battle.
The black dragon horse walked briskly towards the mountain gate, while Wang Yulou on its back turned his head to look at the location of the Red Lantern.

When many things happen, everyone else takes them for granted, but only the chess player knows what he is doing and what kind of waves those events will create in the future.

Old Deng finally understood his brilliant calculations, but at the time he was already bewildered.

Wang Yulou became increasingly certain that from the very beginning, Mang Xiang had a complete plan for obtaining the Golden Elixir.

If the Sendai supports him, what should he do? If they don't support him, what should he do?

If the red light is supported, what should he do? If it is not supported, what should he do?

A terrifying being like the patriarch would never do something as foolish as stubbornly gambling with one's life for the golden elixir.

So why did the Red Lantern Gang take the initiative to wage war against the Heavenly Serpent Sect?
Red Lantern, Miaofeng Mountain, Li Haikuo, Heavenly Serpent Sect, Wild Elephant
Wang Yulou felt that something was wrong—could the Patriarch be in cahoots with the Heavenly Serpent?
Probably not. If the Patriarch and the Heavenly Serpent were in cahoots, that would be ridiculous. How could Qingrui not see that?
The leader of the Red Lantern Gang and the Heavenly Serpent Sect have joined forces. The Heavenly Serpent and General White Beard are allies. With this, can Lotus Immortal City still maintain its position in Wunan and Northwest?
Given Qingrui Immortal Venerable's level as the founder of the Immortal Alliance and a conservative leader, if Mangxiang dared to secretly plot against Tianshe, she would definitely have been able to see it, and therefore would not have sent Qiu Mile to humiliate Shenguang.

Therefore, the Patriarch should not have had any secret dealings with the Heavenly Serpent!
Thinking of this, Wang Yulou smiled and shook his head.

Cultivating immortality, seeing the path clearly is just that difficult.

Wang Yulou himself had no confidence in seeing things clearly. Fortunately, although the immortals liked to hide and set up plans, their key moves were all real.

For example, it is true that Mangxiang led his sect to initiate a war against the Tianshe Sect, and it is also true that Qingrui tore a piece of Shenguang's flesh. These "truths" are the glimpses of the whole truth.

Wang Yulou himself couldn't understand what the Patriarch was thinking, but he could understand Qingrui's attitude towards Shenguang, and thus he could see within the existing power structure that the Patriarch definitely hadn't joined forces with Tianshe—although this kind of understanding seemed to be of little use at the moment.

It can be said that upon returning to Miaofeng Mountain, as Wang Yulou's vision broadened, what he saw became different.

When Wang Yulou was practicing Qi cultivation, he saw different sects as rivals, and they would often fight for their interests.

Looking back now, all the opponents are fake. No matter how many Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators die, as long as the intensity is controlled, it's unlikely to have any major consequences.

Miaofeng Mountain has been under attack for twenty years. Has it collapsed?
No!

The battle lines went back and forth, and in the end, tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators died on both sides, but the outcome was not much different from the beginning. Mang Xiang wanted the process, and he regarded the whole process as a kind of bargaining chip and a tug-of-war.

"Fellow Daoist Yuque, it's finally time to meet you! A few days ago, Jiuqu wrote to me saying that you had advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage in the Western Sea. I knew then that Fellow Daoist Yuque must be an extraordinary talent, and now that I see you, you are indeed remarkable!"

A plump young man came up from Miaofeng Mountain to greet them. With the help of Jiuqu, he knew that the person riding the great demon black dragon horse and accompanied by a Daoist companion riding a great demon spirit bird was Wang Yulou.

"you are?"

Wang Yulou came to Miaofeng Mountain to find the current head of Miaofeng Mountain, Abbess Kongshan, to find a place for the independent cultivators to rest for three to five days, thereby enhancing the stability of the team and the obedience of the people.

Unexpectedly, a chubby white man suddenly appeared to greet him, and it seemed that he was related to Old Li.

“My master is Master Haikuo. I am Qixie, the senior brother of Jiuqu. I currently work at Baiyaotang in the mountains. Fellow Daoist Yuque, you can call me Xiaoqi.”

As the chubby man introduced himself, he led Wang Yulou toward the Mountain Master Cliff of Miaofeng Mountain—the head of Miaofeng Mountain is called the Mountain Master.

It can be said that Qi Xie adopted a very humble attitude, perhaps because he knew about Wang Yulou's past, but this is not surprising.

With the tacit approval of the two True Immortals, who were escorting more than two thousand people, and with the assistance of many courts and institutions in the Western Sea Immortal City, Wang Yulou's return to his sect was no different from a military campaign.

Along the way, the cultivators who paved the way were all senior Foundation Establishment cultivators, probably Foundation Establishment cultivators who came to Miaofeng Mountain in advance to pay their respects. They introduced Wang Yulou to Qixie.

In addition, Miaofeng Mountain also has an outer courtyard in Xihai!
Perhaps as early as three days ago, before most of the team had even left the Western Sea, Jiuqu's letter had already been delivered to Qixie.

This high regard for Wang Yulou also demonstrates his extraordinary status.

Cultivators are not all the same. Disciples of ordinary Foundation Establishment families are one thing, true disciples of the Red Lantern Cult are another, and Wang Yulou, who became a promising junior in the eyes of the patriarch at a young age, is yet another.

He is, in fact, the most outstanding young talent of the Mangxiang lineage. Considering the relationship between the founder and Miaofeng Mountain, it is only natural that Qixie attaches great importance to Wang Yulou.

Wang Yulou could no longer keep a low profile. Although he was still far from being as good as the elephant in the room, no matter how conservative he was, he was at least as good as the agile and valiant wild donkey in the room.

"Fellow Daoist Qixie, you are too kind. I would like to meet with the Sect Leader of Kongshan. I am worried that if those rogue cultivators go directly to the front line, there will be big problems."

It doesn't matter if I, Wang Yulou, die, but if this matter delays the sect's grand plan, then Yulou's crime will be grave.

Therefore, Yulou thought that he could reorganize them along the way, and by the time they reached Hongdengzhao, they would have accepted the conditions he had offered.

Fairy Mingdu glared angrily at Yulou. Clearly, she was extremely satisfied with this ideal husband and couldn't bear to see Wang Yulou joking about his own life.

Seeing that the relationship between the two Daoist partners seemed to still carry some affection, a hint of envy appeared in Qi Xie's eyes.

Can you not be envious?
That bastard Wang Yulou first married Zhou Yingxi from Zhou Fujiao's family, and then married Jin Mingdu from Jinshan's family.

The most ruthless thing is that after Old Zhou died, Wang Yulou's father-in-law, Mu Chunze, actually became a demon general—how come a demon general isn't a Purple Mansion?

To outsiders, Wang Yulou's story is legendary.

The name of the number one son-in-law of Wunan, no, the number one son-in-law of the Immortal Alliance, sounds like a joke, but it is actually the ultimate fantasy that keeps countless male cultivators up at night.

What are you fantasizing about?
If I could marry the daughter of a Grandmaster of the Purple Mansion realm, I...
However, Qi Xie dared not dream, since Wang Yulou was right in front of him, so he quickly replied.

“Fellow Daoist Yuque, you flatter me. Everyone has seen your dedication to the sect. I will now lead you two to the Mountain Lord’s Cliff.”
-
Miaofeng Mountain's main cliff is located on the edge of the ridge where two sacred mountains meet.

A huge boulder lay flat on the mountain ridge, extending outwards by a small portion, suspended in mid-air, with the Mountain Lord's Mansion built in mid-air.

The golden pavilions and jade-colored glazed tiles—the meaning of "golden pavilions and jade palaces"—were embodied in this moment.

However, Wang Yulou didn't seem nervous at all.

As for Abbess Kongshan, she's Old Li's junior sister and Wang Xianmao's good friend, so we can just treat her as an elder in our family.

The Wang family has been in the red-light district for 1200 years and hasn't fallen yet. No matter how bad their skills are, they're still quite popular.

Many people who don't understand cultivation of immortality mistakenly believe that it means sitting in the mountains and practicing asceticism.

In reality, the result of asceticism is always a dead end.

Even if you cultivate diligently to the point of becoming a Purple Mansion, you won't have your own base of influence or power, let alone the leadership benefits of a major power—if you didn't join the Immortal Alliance before, it will be too late to join once you become a Purple Mansion.

All the spiritual and beautiful places in the world are under the control of the major top forces. The law of unity is the same everywhere.

Li Haikuo is a member of the Immortal Alliance system and has made contributions to Miaofeng Mountain and the Red Lantern Sect. Now that he has become a Purple Mansion, he still needs to serve as an ultimate servant for many years before he can attain a corresponding status.

Of course, if someone can cultivate all the way to the Golden Core stage, they can shout "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens," and then they can refer to Shenguang's experience—one careless move and he was humiliated, all his disciples were killed, and his forces were wiped out by a bunch of his rivals' Foundation Establishment subordinates.

Finally, Mangxiang and Qingrui gave Shenguang a share of the profits from the Western Sea, and Shenguang even said "thank you" with tears in his eyes.

The Immortal Alliance needs peace, and Divine Light doesn't want to die either.

If he doesn't say thank you, does he want to risk his life to see if he's stronger or the veteran Golden Core Immortal Venerables in the Immortal Alliance?
"Yu Lou, is this our first time meeting?"

Master Kongshan was a very special cultivator. She looked to be in her twenties, but was probably over three hundred years old in reality.

Although she was a female cultivator, she had short hair that was half a finger long and wore armor instead of a magic robe.

Wang Yulou guessed that this was because Miaofeng Mountain and Gushen Sect had been fighting for a long time, and as the sect leader, Abbess Kongshan also had to set an example.

"It's our first meeting, but I've long admired your reputation, Master."

Before Yulou left the Western Sea, the clan chief instructed her that if she encountered any trouble on the road, she should seek help from the nun in time.

Master Haikuo also personally instructed Yulou to treat Miaofeng Mountain as his own home, and to seek help from Miaofeng Mountain if he had any problems.

As it turned out, the clan elder was right. Those rogue cultivators are difficult to manage; they'll probably need to stay at your sect's sacred ground for four or five days to rest and recuperate.

Qi Xie felt ashamed of himself upon hearing this.

Ancestor, you really don't consider yourself an outsider, actually calling your master "Ancestor" directly.

“Yes, I understand. The location is easy to arrange. Miaofeng Mountain has been severely desolate in recent years, and many outer disciples’ residences have become vacant.”

At this point, Abbess Kongshan glanced at Qixie and Mingdu, nodded, and smiled.

"Xiao Qi, take fellow Daoist Mingdu to explore the scenic spots in the mountains."

Wang Yulou winked at the beauty, and Mingdu naturally understood that the two wanted to talk alone.

After Qi Xie left with Ming Du, Abbess Kong Shan finally spoke.

"Yu Lou, have you considered that this time, bringing more than two thousand rogue cultivators back to the sect will put you in the eye of the storm?"

The head of Miaofeng Mountain looked worried, clearly not optimistic about Wang Yulou's actions.

She wasn't jealous of Wang Yulou's success, nor did she genuinely consider him a close relative or junior; she simply wanted to establish a good relationship, which is why she offered her advice.

Wang Yulou nodded calmly and bowed in greeting.

Yu Lou understands the nun's reminder. However, the battle on the front lines is intense. As long as she can contribute to the sect, it is only right for Yu Lou to bear some infamy. It is nothing.

When Abbess Kongshan spoke of the "eye of the storm," she was not referring to Wang Yulou becoming a prominent figure, but rather to the storm of internal power struggles within the Red Lantern Gang that he was about to face!

The more than two thousand outer disciples of the Mangxiang Sect are all powerful rogue cultivators who came from the front line of the Western Sea Demon Hunting. Will they be able to produce five hundred inner disciples in the future?
If fifty out of five hundred inner disciples reach the Foundation Establishment stage, it would be enough to alert the Floating Smoke Sect and the Candle Illumination Sect.

However, given that Mang Xiang is about to achieve the Golden Core stage and Wang Yulou is about to step into the center of the Red Lantern stage with lotus blossoms at every step, it is impossible that only fifty out of these two thousand people can achieve the Foundation Establishment stage!

At that time, Wang Yulou, the instigator, will become a thorn in the side of both the Fuyan and Zhuzhao factions!
Can't sects unite and develop together?

It's impossible. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators don't even have the chance to reach the Purple Mansion realm. And even those who do have the chance aren't guaranteed to make it.

Under such circumstances, prominent positions within the sect become extremely limited. All the promising talents of the Red Lantern Sect who want to make progress are eyeing those positions, and those who are qualified will fight tooth and nail to compete for them—many people don't even have the qualifications to compete for them.

The individual share of benefits for cultivators within a sect depends on their relative ranking within the sect, which cannot be solved simply by the sect expanding. Moreover, even if the Red Lantern Gang wants to expand, it will still have to be mindful of Mang Xiang's attitude for many years to come.

Therefore, even if Wang Yulou and Mangxiang patted their chests and guaranteed that these rogue cultivators were just consumables and would not become tools for them to tear apart the interests of other forces in the sect, Fuyan and Zhuzhao would not believe them.

For example, Jinshan and Li Haikuo generously used the resources of Xihai Xiancheng to reward Wang Yulou. Wang Yulou took 50%, Jin Mingdu (Jinshan) took 30%, and Li Haikuo took 20%.

These things exist within the Immortal Alliance and also within the Red Lantern Clan.

The allure of enlightenment and the hardships of the journey make everyone appear incredibly greedy.

No one is willing to easily give up, to relinquish the benefits they hold, or to relinquish their obsession with achieving enlightenment.

The scramble for profits was inevitable. There was scrambling within the Wang family, scrambling in Qingxifang, scrambling in Dishuidongtian, scrambling by the Divine Light Immortal Venerable above the West Sea, and even scrambling by the three major factions within the Red Lantern Gang.

"It's good that you're mentally prepared. I was worried you wouldn't have thought of this. Although the patriarch is about to become a Golden Core cultivator, the sect is, after all, a sect composed of many great cultivators."

"Yu Lou, no matter how the people under the Candlelight Immortal Venerable treat you, you must be aware of their intentions. Fight without breaking the alliance, and they will not dare to break it. In this way, you can steadily progress."

Seeing that Wang Yulou had already made a plan, Abbess Kongshan gave him a few more instructions and then asked a question.

"Besides needing to rest in the mountains, are there any other needs? I'll help you with anything I can."

The nun was being polite, but Wang Yulou wasn't afraid of owing favors, so he immediately asked.

"When I lead my team away again, I wonder if your sect could send some Foundation Establishment cultivators to assist me in escorting them?"

The nun was taken aback.

I was just being polite, but you really didn't hold back.

“Yes, but now that the Red Lantern Mansion and the Heavenly Serpent Sect have started a great war, many of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect have gone to the front lines. I can only assign you a maximum of twenty people.”

Twenty people.
It looks like there's not enough.

Miaofeng Mountain has been fighting for so many years, and there are nearly 500 Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if Foundation Establishment cultivators have to go to the front line after the great war starts, it should still be easy to send out 50 or 60 people.

Wang Yulou was not satisfied. He didn't say anything, but simply took out a bottle of Body Nourishing and Marrow Cleansing Pills from his storage bag—worth 15,000 spirit stones.

When Master Kongshan saw the elixir handed over by Wang Yulou, she was stunned for a moment.

"Alright, alright, I underestimated you just now, Wang Yulou. I shouldn't have treated you like a junior."

"Master, this is just a small token of my appreciation, how about forty people?"

"I don't know what you need so many people for. Now that you've entered the heart of the Red Lantern District, are you still afraid of any unexpected events?"

"Better safe than sorry, hahaha."
-
Four and a half days later, on the cliff of the mountain, Abbess Kongshan addressed the sixty people before her.

"As the strongest affiliated sect under the Red Lantern Gang, Miaofeng Mountain must make its voice heard in the war between the two sects."

Yu Lou's decision to bring over two thousand Qi cultivators from the Western Sea to the Red Lantern Sect is a major event for the sect and a great opportunity for Miaofeng Mountain to shine.

"On your journey, you must obey Yu Lou's orders and protect those Qi Refining cultivators to prevent the Heavenly Serpent Sect from sending people to ambush them. Do you understand?"

Those who can build a foundation are mostly not idiots, and some people immediately realized the problem.

"Is this considered a wartime mission for our sect?"

Master Kongshan smiled and said gently.

"Those who participate in the battle are counted if there is a battle, but not if there is no battle."

Thus, even knowing that this mission might be a freebie, the Foundation Establishment cultivators had nothing to say.

After all, it's just driving around in a red light zone, so just bear with it, how could it possibly explode?
If I couldn't bear it, life would truly be unbearable.

When the team set off for Qingxifang, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators being escorted officially exceeded two hundred.

There were forty Foundation Establishment cultivators alone at the front of the procession, following behind Wang Yulou. Among them, the main force was the Dragon Tiger Guard, led by Yang Duilie and Chen Yongzhong.

These two, after all, had to live under Jinshan's control, so they had to give Wang Yulou face.

By exchanging the foundation-building skills of Miaofeng Mountain for numerous Dragon and Tiger Guards of the West Sea, and then having the Dragon and Tiger Guards serve as his honor guard, Wang Yulou essentially paid the price of a shared bicycle to directly charter a car.

The essence of this matter is similar to his early days in Drip Cave when he built the Golden Terrace in the river bend fishing port.

If you don't even respect yourself, why should others respect you?

Humility is not that meaningful. When Li Haikuo was humble in front of Xuan Zhuan, Xuan Zhuan directly pointed at him and scolded him.

Even more so, some attempts to deconstruct and persuade people to be humble may have the purpose of controlling their thoughts and behaviors.

Wang Yulou is now pursuing a high-profile and impactful image.

A loud voice and apparent strength are important, but more importantly, a deep foundation is essential to maintaining a foothold in the treacherous infighting within the Red Lanterns.

Master Mangxiang was a Celestial Venerable, but the title still included the word "quasi" (meaning "perfect" or "accomplished").

The true immortal master of the Red Lantern Sect is the Candlelight Immortal. Wang Yulou will inevitably face direct pressure from the disciples of the Candlelight Immortal upon his return to the sect!
-
In Qingxifang, Che Zengye accepted the invitation to the Talisman Master Competition from Tang Nianqiu, cursing Wang Shi under his breath, but smiling on the surface.

"I must go, I must go."

Fuck you!

Last time we were just running for second place, and the time before that we were just running for second place. You guys are treating our Chejia Baifuge like a punching bag!
"Haha, old car, your chances this time are still incredibly slim, but I do have an idea."

Tang Nianqiu said mysteriously.

"What?" Che Zengye narrowed his eyes warily.

What serious thoughts could you, Tang Nianqiu, possibly have?
It's probably a weasel paying respects to a chicken—it's up to no good!
"The odds for the Talisman Master Tournament are much larger than those for horse racing. Your Che family has managed to advance to the final round every time."

I think it's normal to have occasional surprises, don't you think?

Che Zengye's eyes lit up immediately.

"You mean?"

As one of the people in charge of the Wang family in Qingxifang, Lao Tang would assist in the organization of every Talisman Master Competition, making him an insider.

"You know Old Ghost at the veterinary medicine shop, right? How about we split the profits 30/70?"

"I only get 70%?"

“Thirty percent, you take thirty percent, I take twenty percent, and Old Ghost takes twenty percent.”

"Wait a minute, what about the remaining 30%?"

"Senior Guo should get a share too!"

Old Tang smiled wryly, and seeing that Che Zengye was silent, he urged him on.

"Give me a straight answer. If you're not going to do it, there are plenty of other people who will. Don't waste my time."

Gritting his teeth, Che Zengye said.

"Done!"

At this moment, the outside suddenly became lively and noisy. The two left the Treasure Pavilion in confusion, only to see that the sky was filled with cultivators.

"The Heavenly Serpent Sect is attacking! Run! The Heavenly Serpent Sect is attacking!"

A clueless idiot was shouting nonsense, scaring everyone half to death.

"Enough! The Heavenly Serpent Sect isn't here, shut up!"

Guo Baichi leaped into the air, calming the many cultivators in Qingxi Fang while welcoming Wang Yulou's arrival.

Tang Nianqiu watched as two lines of Foundation Establishment seniors riding flying spirit beasts led the way in the sky.

Upon reaching Guo Baichi, the sword glided smoothly to either side, revealing Wang Yulou, who was riding on the back of the black dragon horse and wearing a suit of immortal alliance magical armor.

"That's Wang Yulou!"

"How did Wang Yulou reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"What do you know? Wang Yulou married the Red Lantern Immortal, the Dragon-Binding Master."

How could the old shopkeepers of Qingxifang possibly forget Wang Yulou?

Once upon a time, Wang Yulou, at the tender age of twenty, stirred up a storm in Qingxifang, and was the most dazzling person in Qingxifang, without exception.

Today, he is still as dazzling as ever, only the level of his dazzling presence has changed from the small Qingxifang to the Red Lantern City.

When Wang Yulou was promoted to a higher level of cultivation the next day, Wang Yulou had also become famous in the Red Lantern Hall.

But that kind of name was given to me by others.

Wang Yulou is now forging his own path, and his background as a member of the Mangxiang lineage is no longer important in this process.

Because his goal is to carry the banner of the Mangxiang lineage and become the most prominent figure within the Red Lantern Gang.

Then, I will use my strength and ability to earn the respect of the patriarch in order to achieve a special purpose—patriarch, it is not right for you not to give me the opportunity to enter the Purple Mansion.

"Yu Lou, you..."

Guo Baichi spoke nervously. Faced with Wang Yulou's imposing aura, he was so nervous that even his third eye on his forehead, the Insightful Eye, shrank back.

Long ago, he first met Wang Yulou in Qingxifang.

Back then, Wang Yulou was just a young boy. Now, more than twenty years later, Wang Yulou has become an extraordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Brother Baichi, Mingdu wants to go to the racetrack, but Yulou can't get away."

I brought quite a few people with me from the West Sea this time, and we need to stay in Qingxifang until the end of the Talisman Masters Tournament before leaving.

As for where I will stay for the next few days, please arrange for someone to take care of it.

Wang Yulou didn't stand on ceremony with Guo Baichi and spoke directly.

He was polite to Abbess Kongshan because, no matter how good their relationship was, they were not from the same system, so being polite was not a problem.

However, Wang Yulou and Guo Baichi both belong to the Mangxiang lineage, and Wang Yulou's seniority is extremely shallow. If he were to be overly respectful to every senior in the Mangxiang lineage, he would be unable to accomplish anything!
It's time to be high-profile; otherwise, we'll truly become cowards.

Once the foundation is laid, every opportunity must be seized!

"This"

Guo Baichi was caught off guard; he hadn't expected Wang Yulou to speak to him like that.

You should know that even Wang Jingyi wouldn't dare to speak to Guo Baichi like that!

However, Wang Yulou seemed oblivious to Guo Baichi's attitude; he simply looked at Old Guo with a puzzled expression.

"What, what's the problem?"

Due to the war, there are now eight cultivators guarding Qingxifang. Among the seven people led by Guo Baichi, several are just ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Faced with Wang Yulou, who was accompanied by dozens of experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators, he suddenly found that, for some reason, refusing had become incredibly difficult.

"Understood, Fellow Daoist Yuque, I understand."

Guo Baichi replied in a strange tone.

Wang Yulou smiled and shook his head.

Old Guo, you're still not convinced?

Yang Duilie kept his eyes down, seemingly lost in thought, and thought Wang Yulou was really good at pretending.

"Good that you understand. This matter concerns the status of our Mangxiang lineage within the Red Lantern Cult after our ancestor achieved the Golden Core. Brother Baichi, I trust you to handle this matter."

Old Guo never imagined that after living for hundreds of years, he would be lectured by a mere 30-something-year-old boy.

However, Wang Yulou had already pulled Jin Mingdu into Qingxifang.

The people of Zhuzhao haven't put pressure on Wang Yulou yet, but Wang Yulou has already begun to put pressure on other competitors in the Mangxiang lineage.

Old Guo was just the beginning.

Danri and Guo Baichi were master and apprentice, but Wang Yulou was not afraid at all.

Danri Zhenren is very respectable, but she is different from Xuanzhuan Zhenren, and also different from the Patriarch.

You are very loyal today, but I, Wang Yulou, support Xuanzhuan Zhenren in my real name. Xuanzhuan Zhenren is the most loyal.

After all, all the insignificant contributions I, Wang Yulou, made were made under the guidance of Master Xuanzhuan.

And
I've also shed blood for my faction!

I have also pledged my loyalty to the patriarch!

Your loyalty is beyond words, and so is mine, Wang Yulou's.

You may have a high level of cultivation one day, but after the patriarch becomes a Golden Core cultivator, he needs more Purple Mansions to serve him. Why can't I, Wang Yulou, be one of them?
Ultimately, like Wang Yulou, the patriarch never expected his subordinates to be absolutely loyal.

After expanding his power, the founder would inevitably choose a strategy of division and exploitation in managing his internal affairs.
-
On the grandstand of the racetrack, Kim Myung-do looked at the chaotic crowd below with some surprise, then turned to look at Yu-lou.

"This is the racetrack you mentioned?"

Wang Yulou married five Daoist partners, and he treated each of them with great care.

After all, these Daoist partners are extensions of him, and if the relationships are handled well, they can play a significant role.

Witnessing the path we've traveled through brightness is also a way to enhance relationships.

"Yes, it was probably from this time that I caught the eye of the patriarch."

At the racetrack, people are preparing for the talisman master.

Compared to the hasty approach of the first Talisman Master Competition, every step of the competition has been optimized, so there will no longer be a situation where one person's drawing is messed up, affecting other participants.

You were very young then, weren't you?

Wang Yulou raised his hand, lifted Mingdu's chin with his finger, and asked with a smile.

"What, do you want to hear me call you Sister Mingdu?"

Jin Mingdu shrank his neck and said.

"No, it's just that when you go back and see Yingxi, how are you going to tell her about us?"

Unexpectedly, this is what Mingdu cares about. Wang Yulou pondered for a moment and said.

"Drifting in the sea of ​​suffering, it is already fate that we met. I have feelings for Yingxi, and I also have feelings for you."

Many things are hard to explain, and it's difficult to please everyone. If we can walk together, then we will; if we can't, then we shouldn't.

Life goes on, and so be it. Wang Yulou didn't try to make everything satisfactory to everyone.

Is it okay if Kim Myung-do doesn't marry him?
Hard to say.

If Wang Yulou hadn't married Jin Mingdu, would his loyalty to Mang Xiang have been so successful?

If Wang Yulou hadn't married Jin Mingdu, how could he have escorted the rogue cultivators of the Loose Cultivator Alliance into the Red Lantern Clan so smoothly?
If Wang Yulou hadn't married Jin Mingdu, would he have been able to receive the rewards so smoothly?

Wang Yulou did not seek to be completely blameless in everything he did; all he wanted was to go further and reach the bottom where he would not have to pay the price.

"You're having a hard time too."

Jin Mingdu held Yu Lou in his arms and whispered.

She could understand Wang Yulou's actions, which is why she understood the difficulties he faced.

The Mangxiang lineage is full of outstanding talents; that sounds impressive.

But there are many fierce people in the Mangxiang lineage, and every single one of them has more seniority than Wang Yulou.

The other factions within the Red Lantern Gang are even more formidable; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to maintain their foothold within the Red Lantern Gang. Not to mention the lineage of the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao, with the True Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao present, they are the strongest faction within the Red Lantern Gang.

Wang Yulou was unwilling to be a butcher, so he brought more than two thousand rogue cultivators from the Western Sea to the Red Lantern Clan. He was going to face enormous pressure.

There's no such thing as something that will succeed just by doing it, with others watching you accomplish it.

With so many rivals eyeing it covetously, it wouldn't be surprising if this matter encountered any major setbacks in the future.

"I have to keep going, no matter how difficult it is. As long as I don't achieve the Golden Core, my fate will be inextricably linked with that of my ancestor."

If the patriarch tells me to cleanse, then I will cleanse. If the patriarch wants to fight the Heavenly Serpent Sect, then I will support him in fighting the Heavenly Serpent Sect, and even personally go to the battlefield.

"My wife, if you come with me, you'll suffer a lot of grievances."

Jin Mingdu didn't actually feel too wronged. Wang Yulou was very different from ordinary male cultivators in one big way—his potential.

It would be strange if such a fine son-in-law wasn't in high demand.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. I'd like to try my luck in the Talisman Master Tournament. It's my first time seeing a competition like this. Is that okay?"

"No."

Wang Yulou firmly refused. If Jin Mingdu goes, would anyone else dare to win?
"Oh, my husband, I'd like to give it a try."

Mingdu started to act coquettishly, which made Yulou's bones go weak.

However, his refusal remained firm.

"My wife, we've had enough opportunities. All you need to do now is cultivate diligently so you can reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

Since that's the case, let's not steal the opportunities from those lesser cultivators. The Talisman Master Competition is many people's only chance to turn their lives around.

The only chance to turn things around. This is the biggest impact of Wang Yulou's Talisman Master Tournament.

Ordinary rogue cultivators and cultivators from small, low-level families who want to advance cannot compete with cultivators from large clans and sects who have mastered all the secret techniques in combat, nor can they match the advanced techniques passed down by large clans and sects.

Even if they join a sect or a large clan as outsiders, they still need to start from the bottom.

Cultivating immortality is like a beautiful, imagined dream.

The Great Dao is right there. The Immortal Alliance tells all cultivators that you all have a chance, but it doesn't say that some people have even more chances, more than millions of people combined.

For example, under the stable control system of the Immortal Alliance, the Purple Mansion Grand Cultivator is extremely rare; one in a million might not even appear.

For far too many people, the opportunity to reach the Purple Palace is nothing but a mirage, a dream—even Yuan Daoshen was no exception.

Jin Mingdu was speechless at Wang Yulou's explanation. After a moment of silence, she earnestly reminded him.

"My husband, you are too soft-hearted. You will be taken advantage of."

Shaking his head, Wang Yulou said meaningfully.

"Sometimes, it's actually a good thing to have weaknesses."

Jin Mingdu once again realized the gap between herself and Wang Yulou. She even began to doubt whether Wang Yulou's past behavior was real or deliberately fabricated.
-
Red lanterns illuminate the interior, candles illuminate the mountain, and candles illuminate the sacred site of the immortals.

The three Purple Mansions of the Mangxiang lineage are all active in the Great World because Mangxiang wants to achieve the Golden Core. They are currently in a state of making a final push and going all out.

But Zhuzhao doesn't need to fight; he is already an immortal with long life and sight, standing at the pinnacle of immortality.

Therefore, neither he nor his disciple, the True Man Jinxian, were in the Great Heaven and Earth.

However, the absence of the leader does not mean that the servants of the Zhuzhao Sect are no longer there.

As the strongest faction of the Red Lanterns, the Candlelight Faction has ten Purple Mansions, many of whom are closely aligned with the Candlelight.

Of course, they wouldn't do something like taking Zhuzhao as their master. Zhou Fujiao became Mangxiang's disciple because the two sides had a feud and needed to trust each other.

These Purple Mansions, which closely align themselves with the Immortal Venerable Candlelight, have disciples who can also be considered disciples of the Candlelight Sect.

"More than two thousand people? Are you sure this is true?"

Yi Zouri didn't quite believe the news. He knew who Wang Yulou was; he was the one whose cultivation had been boosted by Danri a few years ago.

But it's only been a few years, and you're telling me that Wang Yulou brought over two thousand Qi-refining materials from the Western Sea for Mangxiang.

That seems a bit far-fetched; it's highly unlikely.

Wang Yulou is at most at the Foundation Establishment level, so how could he possibly bring more than two thousand people from the West Sea to Hongdengzhao to provide supplies for Mangxiang?

"Jinshan, Wang Yulou married one of Jinshan's juniors, Jinshan is the Dragon Tiger Immortal of the West Sea."

Zou Tianxing explained, offering a worried reminder.

"Senior brother, if more than two thousand people really follow Wang Yulou into our Red Lantern Gang, even if they become outer disciples first, it will completely change the balance of power among the factions at the grassroots level within the Red Lantern Gang in the future."

We must intervene in this matter beforehand!

Yi Zouri is a direct descendant of Jinxian Zhenren, and his strength is similar to that of Wang Jingyi. He belongs to the Zhuzhao Sect and is the one who truly manages the daily affairs of the sect—the key affairs are naturally controlled by Jinxian Zhenren and Zhuzhao Immortal Venerable.

As for Zou Tianxing, his ancestor was a sycophant to Zhuzhao, and he was a sycophant to Yi Zouri; that's the relationship.

"Intervention. To what extent do you want to intervene?" Yi Zouri asked thoughtfully.

Raising his hands high and then bringing his palms together, Zou Tianxing made a downward chopping motion and said.

"Kill them all before they arrive at the Red Light Tower. Those rogue cultivators are rogue cultivators from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance organized by Shenguang."

The Immortal Alliance's laws clearly stipulate that all sects with more than fifty members must submit to the Immortal Alliance's management.

That loose cultivator alliance is neither a sect nor a clan; it's just an anti-immortal alliance organization that even dares to challenge the immortal alliance in its name.

I think we should just kill those rogue cultivators. This would prevent the Mangxiang Immortal Venerable's lineage from becoming too powerful and keep them in line.

"Senior brother, these past few years, the Mangxiang lineage has really gone too far!"

Because he was inside the Zhuzhao Dojo, he didn't have to worry about his words being overheard by those with ulterior motives, so Zou Tianxing spoke very bluntly.

We're going to take down the mad elephant!

Whether the Mangxiang lineage went too far or not is actually an unanswerable question; there is no consensus, nor could there ever be one.

However, Zou Tianxing's words represented the thoughts of many people within the Candlelight Sect.

Yi Zouri understood this point.

He nodded cautiously and said.

"This matter is extremely complicated. I need to report to the Master and await my news."
-
"Uncle Rongsheng, this Five Poisons Locking Essence Pill is an excellent foundation-building aid pill. With the help of other pills, you will be able to establish your foundation."

The Five Poisons Locking Essence Pill was given to Wang Yulou by Jinshan as a reward for his contributions to the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Tower case.

This pill originates from the Celestial Plains, the location of the Immortal Alliance headquarters in the Immortal City. It is a rare spiritual pill that is not found in Wunan.

"Yu Lou, I am already satisfied with having the chance to reach the peak of Qi Refining in this lifetime. Let's not talk about Foundation Establishment anymore."

Judging from my age, even if you have Foundation Establishment resources, you shouldn't be using them with me. I'm already over 120 years old, so any lifespan extension would be compromised.

Wang Rongsheng actually desired it, but he didn't want to appear greedy, so he chose an expression of longing yet struggle as he responded to Wang Yulou's gift.

"We are not too short of supplies right now. I have prepared two and a half sets of Foundation Establishment supplies for you. After you establish your foundation, our Wang clan will be able to be more at ease in the great battle."

"The rest of the clan, as long as their cultivation is sufficient, can be arranged to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. This great war between the two sects may last for many years; our Wang clan must prepare."

Having amassed a fortune from the Western Sea Immortal City, Wang Yulou is now incredibly wealthy; a mere drop in the bucket yields two and a half portions of Foundation Establishment resources.

The key point here is that there is currently a shortage of spirit stones, and the price of foundation-building resources has begun to drop.

"Alright, I'll use the resources you gave me to build my foundation. I'll definitely repay you after I've built my foundation."

Wang Rongsheng ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of Foundation Establishment. Immortality was within reach. Who can truly deceive themselves into being detached from worldly desires?
"Why are you speaking like a family member? Hahaha," Wang Yulou said with a smile, trying to comfort him.

He had considered having Wang Rongsheng establish his foundation.

In the future, this uncle will need to lead a portion of the clan to Fulong Temple to establish a branch of the family line.

At this moment, Bai Lu walked in, and Wang Rongsheng fell silent.

He understood that he had received gifts from his family and from Wang Yulou, and that he would have to repay them in the future.

But this kind of thing is reasonable and justifiable, so he naturally had no complaints.

"Greetings, Senior Jade Palace!"

Kneeling before Wang Yulou, Bai Lu's mood was like a cotton cloud floating in the air—empty, yet filled with a joyful abundance.

In all accounts, she was Wang Yulou's first direct descendant.

From the moment she was appointed manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, her fate was changed by Wang Yulou.

Now, Wang Yulou has laid a solid foundation and will make great strides in the Hongdengzhao in the future.

These changes may be the most crucial opportunities of her life.

A favorable wind lends its strength, helping me soar to the heavens.

Wang Yulou is not the wind, he is the rising cloud.

Following Wang Yulou, Bailu can immediately rise to prominence.

"After returning to the Red Lantern Sect this time, I probably won't be leaving anytime soon. I plan to have you return to the sect with me, and work for me as an inner disciple of the Red Lantern Sect. What do you think?"

Bai Lu knelt on the ground without raising her head.

"If you have any instructions, senior, Bailu will do her utmost and follow you through thick and thin."

Wang Yulou laughed; he finally understood the exhilaration of his ancestor.

loyalty?

unimportant!
As long as it can be used by me, that's fine.

Bai Lu's background limited her vision and abilities. Her years of training in Qingxifang helped her make up for some of these shortcomings, but she still lacked a lot.

It could be said that she was not worthy of following Wang Yulou and becoming one of his protégés.

However, this girl has been following Wang Yulou for twenty years.
Back then, Wang Yulou was just a little kid.

How could Wang Yulou not use someone like that?

If he doesn't use Bailu, who else can he use, and who else would he dare to use?
Therefore, Wang Yulou not only had to use her, but he had to make good use of her.

"You can die, but with your level of cultivation, you're not even qualified to die for me, hahaha."

Bai Lu is only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Among the more than two thousand rogue demon hunters, his cultivation level is among the worst.

Wang Yulou casually pulled out a dozen or so bottles of Qi-transforming pills and Resting pills, and gave them instructions.

"You must maintain this humble and composed attitude; it is your only advantage."

"Xiaobai understands!"

Little White, Little White.

Wang Yulou suddenly missed Xiaoyu, Senior Sister Lin, and Qin Churan.

Once the longing arises, it surges forth like a tidal wave.

Looking back on that time in Drip Cave now, it feels somewhat unreal.

All the preparations Wang Yulou had made for his future back then have now become utterly useless.

However, at that time, Wang Yulou was extremely meticulous in every step of the preparation process.

Three Daoist partners, through alliances and strategic maneuvering, established the Dharma Exchange Association.
But faced with Mangxiang's demand for cloth, Wang Yulou's efforts were shattered like bubbles.

That's why Wang Yulou is so concerned about Mang Xiang's needs now.

In a simple evaluation metric, this might suggest that Wang Yulou is being 'domesticated'.

But Wang Yulou himself knew that this behavior, which aligned with the will of the wild elephant, was his best option at the moment, without exception.

Therefore, he does not consider himself to be 'domesticated'.

At different stages, amidst different conflicts, and with varying levels of cultivation, Wang Yulou must adopt different attitudes to deal with various challenges, which is to be pragmatic.

It is truly foolish to mechanically, one-sidedly, subjectively, or delusionally attempt to construct illusory goals that are detached from the context of reality.
-
Ultramarine plain, fairy city.

This immortal city without a prefix is ​​the location of the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

The Celestial Terrace beyond the heavens has a replica within the Celestial City.

Equally magnificent, equally mysterious, equally captivating.

However, only three Purple Mansions are stationed here year-round.

Only three people may sound like a small number, but they are already capable of handling the vast majority of the Immortal Alliance's daily work.

However, due to the arrival of the wild elephant, the Immortal City has actually experienced quite a bit of turmoil recently.

However, Mangxiang intended to leave.

The business that needed to be done has been done, and there's no point in staying in the Immortal City any longer.

As a demon king, Mangxiang's true form is a boundless and vast aura. When he uses his escape technique, he can move as fast as an immortal.

For Qi Refining cultivators to fly, they not only need to conserve spiritual energy, but also need to fly at a low altitude to prevent unforeseen circumstances.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators are the same, extremely cautious. For example, Wang Jingyi often holds back 70-80% of his power when traveling.

But Mangxiang wasn't worried about any of that; he flew extremely fast the entire time.

In just a short while, Mangxiang returned to Hongdengzhao from Xiancheng. However, he did not stop, but continued to fly at top speed, heading straight for the Western Sea.

But he did not stay in the Western Sea Immortal City.

This quasi-immortal of the Immortal Alliance did not reveal his form from beginning to end, but flew all the way from the Immortal Alliance's headquarters, the Immortal City, into the depths of the Western Sea.

(End of this chapter)