Shangyuque

Chapter 169 Wang Yulou, who do you think you are? The light of the red lantern is the light of the candle (1.04 million views, seeking moon)
In the stands of the racetrack, Bai Lu stood behind Wang Yulou, her palms sweating nervously.

Time changes so much. Once, when Wang Yulou first held the Talisman Master Competition in Qingxifang, she was just an insignificant spectator.

Today, Wang Yulou has become the most prominent figure in the Red Lantern Gang. Standing in the center of the crowd, he has also drawn Bai Lu to the center of the crowd.

Beside Bai Lu were Guo Baichi, a disciple of Danri Zhenren, a true disciple of Hongdengzhao, and a cultivator guarding Qingxifang; Yang Duilie, a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator and commander of the West Sea Dragon and Tiger Guards; and Qi Xie, an elder of Miaofeng Mountain and a disciple of Haikuo Zhenren.

She was not qualified to stand here, but Wang Yulou already had the ability to easily change the fate of Qi Refining cultivators.

Cultivators are not all the same; the difference between Foundation Establishment cultivators is greater than that between dogs.

Wu Jinyan is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but after she became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, her only value was used to compare combat strength.

Yang Duilie and Qi Xie are also Foundation Establishment cultivators. One is the Dragon Tiger Guard Commander at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and the other is a disciple of a Purple Mansion True Person. However, compared to Wang Yulou, they are far, far weaker.

Wang Yulou is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but more importantly, he is the core figure of a newly emerging and enormous faction.

The Patriarch ordered Wang Yulou to cleanse the poison of the Divine Light in the Western Sea, but in reality, he was forcing Wang Yulou to sever ties with the Divine Light, though outsiders were unaware of this.

To outsiders, Wang Yulou was a prodigy of the Mangxiang lineage who had caught the eye of the Mangxiang Immortal Venerable.

Nowadays, Wang Yulou's age at the Foundation Establishment stage is no longer a secret.

Of course, most people only know that he is under forty, while only a few who are familiar with Wang Yulou can guess how fast his cultivation has progressed.

To outsiders, Wang Yulou's cultivation speed was yet another example proving that he was a prodigy of the Mangxiang lineage.

Furthermore, the fact that Zhou Fujiao possessed Zhou Yingxi's body is actually a secret unknown to outsiders.

Therefore, Wang Yulou's marriage to Zhou Yingxi first and then to Jin Mingdu can be seen as evidence that he was a prodigy of the Mangxiang lineage.

No, it's not just the Mangxiang lineage. If we're being strict, Wang Yulou's current status is among the most outstanding of the younger generation in the Immortal Alliance.

He has two powerful backers in the Purple Mansion realm. One of them is his father-in-law, and the other is a senior Purple Mansion expert at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm.

Besides, there is also the Mangxiang, who is about to attain the Golden Core stage. Nowadays, no one believes that the Mangxiang cannot achieve the Golden Core stage.

First attack the Heavenly Serpent Sect, then forcefully humiliate the Divine Light. The "roughness" of the Mangxiang is not mindless recklessness, but rather supported by strength and power.

While it may seem like simply placing Bai Lu in the middle of the many Foundation Establishment cultivators, this arrangement actually signifies that Wang Yulou no longer intends to be patient or play the submissive coward.

Having served as a fierce guard for so many years, Wang Yulou believed he was second to none.

Shenguang gave him the Purple Mansion Dharma Gate, but his best choice was still to open the Purple Mansion with the support of the Mangxiang lineage, rather than to cultivate wild Zen on his own.

“Fellow Daoist Yuque, your Talisman Master Competition is very innovative. In fact, the West Sea could also hold one.”

Yang Duilie looked at the Qi Refining cultivators drawing talismans in the arena and sighed with some emotion.

He used to be a rogue cultivator, working his way up from the bottom, and he was also skilled at drawing talismans.

However, in the eyes of the leadership of Xihai Immortal City, the task of the rogue cultivators is to go to the front line and exchange lives with the monsters.

Those rogue cultivators who survive the life-exchange will become beneficiaries in the Western Sea Immortal City—Divine Light officially rose to power after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

That's why Yang Duilie sighed so bitterly.

Wang Yulou's Talisman Master Competition offered rather meager rewards, but in effect, it gave independent cultivators a chance to rise to prominence without risking their lives.

For the vast majority of cultivators, the prevailing thought is to avoid risking their lives if possible.

After all, if you risk your life, there is a chance that the horse will stumble, and if it stumbles, it may mean death.

This applies even to those great cultivators; otherwise, Shenguang wouldn't have been so cowardly.

Wang Yulou nodded slightly and said.

"Yes, if it weren't for the patriarch needing me, I might have already started these things in the Western Sea, but not just organizing the Talisman Master Competition."

In a market town like Qingxifang, located in the heart of Wunan, the number and strength of cultivators are not very good. Holding a talisman master competition on the basis of the horse racing track is already the limit.

The Western Sea is different; it has a much larger number of cultivators, enough to support the operation of the arena.

The rest is all nonsense; the key point is the first sentence—"The founder wants to use me."

As soon as Wang Yulou said this, everyone started taking pictures without needing to discuss it.

Yang Duilie was the most proactive, after all, he had almost been poisoned, and now he was extremely cautious.

Just as Wang Yulou was about to return to the Red Lantern, Old Yang had only one thought in his mind—to send him away!
Listening to the many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Western Sea praising Wang Yulou, Qi Xie smiled ambiguously. After all, he was from Miaofeng Mountain and didn't need to genuinely fawn over Wang Yulou.

Guo Baichi didn't even bother to feign a smile; he could only sigh inwardly that the younger generation was indeed extraordinary.

What was Wang Yulou before? Now that he's in power, he doesn't take a senior like me, a member of the Mangxiang lineage, seriously at all.

Is this appropriate?

Inappropriate!
But Guo Baichi really had no way to deal with Wang Yulou. He could only think about whether he could dig some pits for Wang Yulou in the future.

This is the price of fighting.

The cultivation world is not lacking in talent, the Red Lantern Cult is not lacking in talent, and the Mangxiang lineage is not lacking in talent either.

Opportunities don't wait for anyone; you have to seize them, or you'll end up resenting life.

What Danri said was right. The Wang family has not produced a Purple Mansion expert in 1,200 years. Perhaps it is because they are too stable and unwilling to compete with others in many matters, so it is difficult for them to have extraordinary gains.

Just as everyone was clapping enthusiastically and Wang Yulou was listening with great pleasure...
"boom!"

With a loud bang, a burst of spiritual energy exploded in the arena; someone had accidentally detonated their spiritual energy.

Everyone looked toward the explosion site, only to see a Qi Refining cultivator with a bitter face, looking at the messy talisman-making platform in front of him with tears in his eyes.

Wang Rongsheng dared not delay and immediately went down to check.

Wang Yulou remembered Che Zengye, from Baifutang. He had previously smeared Baibaoge, so they were old acquaintances.

However, Wang Yulou naturally wouldn't bother with such a nobody. Baifutang had already been utterly defeated by Baibaoge. Although it had followed Baibaotang in creating talismans, magic weapons, and blind boxes of pills, it was ultimately just copying others' ideas.

Those who know their stuff will shop at the Wang family's Treasure Pavilion, rather than at the Hundred Talisman Hall.

This minor incident did not dampen anyone's spirits, and Wang Yulou continued to recount the history between the First Auction House of the Western Sea and the Dahuofang.

"There's something fishy going on! You deliberately caused this mess, it's a conspiracy!"
"Wang Yulou, they're pulling strings! Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

There's no shortage of people in the cultivation world who like to kneel before the emperor to beg for justice.

At this moment, the cultivator who stepped forward was similar to Cui Yanzong in the Dripping Water Cave. He hoped that there would be a larger and more just entity to help him solve his problem.

what is the problem?
They got desperate after losing.

This is the helplessness of most people; even gamblers, when they are clearly cheated, cannot get justice.

But Wang Yulou's appearance gave him hope, so he chose to file a complaint.

Unfortunately, Wang Yulou was not his parent. He simply shook his head and spoke to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding Qingxifang (after the war, the number of guards expanded to eight).

"What are you standing there for? Drag this person who slandered the Talisman Master Tournament away and deal with him however you need to."

Whether it's a shady deal or not, a bet is a bet. Wang Yulou does have influence over many things in the Talisman Master Tournament, but not right now.

If we regulate it now, and a real problem arises, wouldn't that be admitting that the Talisman Master Tournament was rigged?
Whether or not, Wang Yulou didn't care. In the process of an organization's development, it's perfectly normal for subordinates to poach members.

Wang Yulou was very concerned about making outsiders believe that nothing had happened.

Wang Yulou's orders were quite authoritative. Soon, the unfortunate man who had complained was dragged away by the garrison cultivator, who also belonged to the Mangxiang lineage.

In the stands of the racecourse, the spectators witnessed such a grand spectacle, and their thoughts varied.

"Old Cui, is this what you call fair, just, and transparent?"

Among the scattered cultivators, one of the members of Cui Baihao's team glared hatefully at Wang Yulou and the Foundation Establishment cultivators, and said...

More than two thousand independent cultivators were also brought to the racetrack today to watch the Talisman Master Competition, which is part of team building activities.

Wang Yulou wasn't sure if this kind of team building would be effective, but he believed that if it was done often enough, some of these people would eventually develop a sense of belonging, and that would be enough.

"What do you know? That person is just slandering you!"

Cui Baihao, of course, did not know whether the person was slandering him or not, but for him, Weiwei had now shown her face in front of Wang Yulou and had been appointed as a squad leader.

Given Wang Yulou's current status, as long as he survives on both battlefields, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is a certainty.

Having been a leader of a minor sect before, Cui Baihao understood Wang Yulou's emphasis on the loose cultivators and knew that Wang Yulou's promises were genuine.

Therefore, he wanted to protect Wang Yulou and be a good squad leader so that he could have a foothold in the faction that Wang Yulou had built up in the future.

"Slander? You know it's slander without even investigating?"

Cui Baihao was speechless after being rebuked. This was how a rogue cultivator who grew up wildly in the Western Sea behaved. In front of everyone, Old Cui could only say with a dark face.

"Shut your dog mouth if you don't want to die!"

He was anxious.

It can only be said that Lao Cui's background is too humble and his foundation is not solid; he still needs more experience.

On the stage, Wang Rongsheng suddenly transmitted his voice to Wang Yulou.

"Yu Lou, something's not right. Several people who should have made it to the finals of this competition have inexplicably failed to draw their talismans. It seems someone is colluding behind the scenes to ruin the reputation of our Talisman Master Competition."

In fact, considering Wang Yulou's current status and developmental predicament...

The Talisman Master Tournament is no longer important to him.

But since a problem has arisen, it must be dealt with. Otherwise, this Talisman Master Competition will involve the racetrack and the Treasure Pavilion, affecting the development of the Wang family's businesses in Qingxifang.

Moreover, if, as Wang Rongsheng said, there are organized individuals behind this targeting the Wang family's reputation, then an investigation is even more necessary.

Thinking of this, Wang Yulou cleared his throat and spoke.

"Fellow Daoists, I am Wang Yulou, a true disciple of the Red Lantern Sect, and also a special merit hall steward of the sect."

Qingxifang is where I once practiced my spiritual cultivation. I founded the racetrack and the talisman master competition. Their affairs are my affairs.

The fellow Daoist just mentioned that there was something fishy going on, but the competition is still going on, so I asked him to leave first.

Now that the competition is over, any allegations of foul play must be investigated and clarified on the spot!

Finally, Wang Yulou suddenly raised his voice and said.

"All participating cultivators, don't leave. Start investigating from Che Zengye."

"Che Zengye, I remember you're a very skilled talisman maker. The talisman you just drew wasn't difficult, so why did it explode? Think carefully and give me a reason!"

When Wang Yulou got angry, the many cultivators present felt as if their necks had been grabbed, and they were instinctively filled with fear.

Even though he didn't use any special techniques, the power and status he wielded made him a prominent figure in the eyes of ordinary cultivators.

When Che Zengye was confronted with Wang Yulou's question, he tried to argue, but two Dragon Tiger Guards suddenly appeared and grabbed his shoulders from behind.

Kneel down!

Che Zengye was held down. He looked up at Wang Yulou on the platform and saw the densely packed Foundation Establishment cultivators beside Wang Yulou.

Che Zengye knew better than anyone whether there was any shady dealing involved, and he looked at Guo Baichi.

With just one glance, Guo Baichi's expression changed drastically.

How could Lao Guo not panic?

He felt that Wang Yulou might have deliberately set a trap for him—otherwise, why would Che Zengye be looking at him?
"Why are you looking at me like that? Just say what you mean!" Guo Baichi said angrily.

At this point, Che Zengye had reached a dead end.

If Guo Baichi is denounced, Guo Baichi may not necessarily be in trouble, but he will surely die in the future.

He neither denounced Guo Baichi nor admitted to any shady dealings; his blatant leniency just now clearly indicates something is amiss.

Just as he hesitated, under Wang Yulou's orders, the Dragon Tiger Guards pressed down on the heads of several other suspicious talisman makers.

"Since none of you are going to talk, I'll start killing. I'll start with the ones who are least like me. Che Zengye, you went the hardest, so you're the one."

Che Zengye couldn't hold on any longer, and he hurriedly said.

"Your Wang family's head manager, Tang Nianqiu, asked me to do this, and I dared not refuse!"

Before Wang Yulou, Guo Baichi was the first to lose his composure, asking in a mixture of shock and anger.

"Che Zengye, have you lost your mind?"

Wang Yulou, who was standing to the side, laughed.

"Senior Brother Baichi, what's the rush?"

Although it was clearly to denounce Tang Nianqiu, Lao Guo was the most anxious, and he explained angrily.

"Wang Yulou, I did nothing! He's been slandering me from the very beginning!"

Old Guo was afraid.

In his view, he had only had a minor conflict with Wang Yulou, and things didn't look too good on the surface.

The very next day, Wang Yulou devised this treacherous plan to get rid of himself.

From Tang Nianqiu to Che Zengye, it's like Wang Yulou first threw dog shit on the Wang family, and then used that dog shit to trap himself.

"Alright, senior brother, don't rush. If there's a problem with Old Tang, then investigate Old Tang. Go, Xiaobai, call Old Tang over."

Wang Yulou offered a solution, and he found the matter increasingly interesting.

Guo Baichi was clearly framing the Wang family, but instead he cried wolf, truly embodying the extreme art of Machiavellianism.

Soon, Old Tang was brought up. Facing Wang Yulou, he wanted to explain, but looking at the dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators beside Wang Yulou, he ultimately dared not explain.

"Gao Jian came to me and asked me to persuade the participating talisman makers to go easy on the contestants. At the same time, he asked Lao Gui to contact the cultivators who wanted to gamble."

"I'll take 20%, Lao Gui will take 20%, and those who facilitated this, like Che Zengye, will take 30%."

Two plus two plus three—anyone with a brain knows that number is wrong.

Where did the missing 30% go?
Of course, it was taken by the insightful person who ran around connecting everything.

Che Zengye still wanted to live, so he dared not say anything reckless.

However, Gao Jian has always been a decisive and ruthless wolf. Without hesitation, he flew up from the stands and activated his escape light at full power, trying to escape.

Wang Yulou didn't move. Yang Duilie, who was standing to the side, wanted to offer his loyalty, but Wang Yulou stopped him.

In the end, Guo Baichi, with a dark expression, personally brought his good disciple back.

"Tell me! Why did you hurt me?!"

He threw his brilliant idea to the ground and angrily questioned him.

Gao Jian, whose bones and muscles were completely shattered, barely managed to cough up a mouthful of blood and was already half-dead.

He raised his head, looked at Guo Baichi with eyes full of hatred, and said.

"I hurt you?"

I gave you 30,000 spirit stones, but you said it wasn't enough, that it was too little.

what can I do?
Where can I get you spirit stones?
I hurt you?
It's clearly you true disciples of the red-light district who have been plundering too much!

Jiang Baobian forced all the shops to pay tribute, pay tribute, and pay tribute again.

Mu Chunze not only had to make offerings, but he also had to dilute the water with water.

You've arrived, bringing seven guardian cultivators with you to loot the place.

The cultivators' spirit stones have been completely looted by you, by the Red Lantern, and by the Immortal Alliance!

I have been a disciple of five successive guardian cultivators of Qingxifang, but not one of you is willing to lend me a hand.

"Guo Baichi, you people are not human, you are all beasts!"

Before the Spirit Stone Crisis, due to the great increase in gratitude from Mang Xiang, starting with the Red Lantern, a crisis of insufficient supply swept through the entire Wunan and even the Immortal Alliance.

With cultivation resources relatively scarce, many sects and families use their accumulated spirit stones to purchase cultivation resources to prevent their own businesses from falling behind the rising tide. As a result, spirit stones, as a general equivalent, become more abundant.

However, as the immortals on the Immortal Platform began preparing for battle, the spirit stones were consumed even more, and a spirit stone crisis emerged.

Spirit stones were running out, but eight guardian cultivators had arrived at Qingxifang due to the war between the Red Lantern Sect and the Heavenly Serpent Sect.

Ultimately, Gao Jian's black glove was crushed by the Spirit Stone crisis.

"Stubborn!"

Enraged by Gao Jian's scathing rebuke in front of thousands of people, Guo Baichi immediately wanted to kill him.

"stop!"

Wang Yulou finally expressed his opinion, but Guo Baichi dared not let Gao Jian live.

If we keep him around, what if he says something even more inappropriate?

Gao Jian, his mouth full of blood and his face contorted in a bitter smile, had been reduced to ashes by his own master, and Wang Yulou was instantly enraged.

"Guo Baichi, when did the sect give its true disciples the right to kill outer disciples at will? Answer me!"

answer me!
Even though everyone had already sensed something was wrong, it wasn't until Wang Yulou questioned Guo Baichi that they finally realized that the two true disciples of the Mangxiang lineage had actually fallen into conflict!

"How could Guo Baichi possibly be afraid of Wang Yulou?" he said calmly.

“I am the guardian cultivator of Qingxifang, and he is the captain of the Qingxifang security maintenance team. Of course I can deal with him.”

"Yu Lou, your task is to escort people back to your clan and assume the position of Steward of the Hall of Special Merits. It's best to stay out of Qingxi Ward's affairs; otherwise, it will make my job difficult."

He was very tough. Even though he hadn't managed his disciples well, Guo Baichi remained very tough.

His master is Danri, how could he be afraid of Wang Yulou?

However, just when everyone thought Wang Yuque would fight Guo Baichi head-on without backing down...
Wang Yulou revealed a satisfied smile, a smile that sent chills down Guo Baichi's spine.

At that moment, he realized that truth, right and wrong, justice were all unimportant. Perhaps they were unimportant from the beginning. Even if Che Zengye hadn't attacked Gao Jian, Tang Nianqiu would have, simply using excuses like Gao Jian demanding tribute from Wang's businesses, such as Zhiweifang.

Wang Yulou wanted the conflict to escalate and for him to part ways with Guo Baichi.

Did the fact that Shenguang's disciples were fighting so fiercely affect Shenguang's ability to use them?

No!
The conflict becomes public, then there is competition, then victory, and then the master's favor.

The key point is that, in the current situation, the one causing trouble is Guo Baichi!
You ruined my life!

Guo Baichi never expected Wang Yulou to be so ruthless, completely disregarding unity. He had actually made a mistake by killing Gao Jian.

In fact, from the moment Wang Yulou led more than two thousand rogue cultivators from the Western Sea to the Red Lantern City, he embarked on the thorny path to the Purple Mansion.

Guo Baichi's misstep today lies in his failure to notice or value Wang Yulou's changes.

Wang Yulou was not his junior, but his rival!

In Guo Baichi's memory, Wang Yulou was still that child who only knew how to eat at banquets. Now, Wang Yulou told him, "Old Guo, I want to compete with you for the kindness of our ancestor"—Old Guo found it hard to accept such a huge change.

Only twenty years have passed, and twenty years might not even be enough to cultivate a single supernatural power, but Wang Yulou managed to cultivate from Qi Induction to Foundation Establishment, becoming a prodigy of the Mangxiang lineage.

It was precisely because he failed to realize this that Guo Baichi was able to act so skillfully like a clown.

"One minute you say it's your brilliant insight that's harming you, the next you say it's me who's harming you."

I think you're harming yourself. I will report this to the Patriarch.

Of course, it wasn't about reporting something trivial like Guo Baichi killing Gao Jian. What Wang Yulou was saying was that Guo Baichi had allowed his disciples to secretly harm the Wang family in Qingxifang!

Just as Guo Baichi was speechless and filled with anxiety, a voice came from afar.

"There's no need to report to Patriarch Mangxiang!"

Red Lantern, the assistant to the sect leader, and Yi Zouri, a disciple of the Immortal Venerable Candlelight, have arrived.

"Wang Yulou, you have been purging the poison of the Divine Light in the West Sea, but in the end you let these two thousand people go."

The Patriarch was very dissatisfied with this, so he ordered me to come here to help you deal with these harmful influences!

Upon hearing this, the rogue cultivators were immediately filled with doubt and uncertainty.

What? You're telling me that Wang Yulou, that lackey of a great cultivator, actually let us go?
This incident had a significant impact on the independent cultivators. Of course, some of them had already realized that Wang Yulou was deliberately letting the enemy down and cultivating the power of the Mangxiang.

However, only a minority have this level of understanding. When this purpose is stated in an almost explicit manner, most people only belatedly realize what Wang Yulou has done.

"Senior Brother Zou Ri?"

Wang Yulou knew Yi Zouri. Although he hadn't spent much time in the Red Lantern Gang, he was familiar with it and had heard about its intricacies.

Yi Zouri is a pillar of Jin Xian Zhenren's sect and is also responsible for the daily work of the Zhuzhao Sect within the sect. The position of assistant to the sect leader is one of the most crucial positions among the many key positions in the Red Lantern Sect.

"Everyone cooperate with me to set up a net; we cannot let a single Divine Light Poison escape!"

Yi Zouri ignored Wang Yulou's greeting and directly instructed the Foundation Establishment cultivators he had brought, as well as the Red Lantern cultivators present.

Open the net and start the slaughter!

If Wang Yulou really manages to bring these two thousand-plus rogue cultivators into the Red Lantern Clan, things will get complicated.

The thought of the Mangxiang lineage gaining over two thousand more outer disciples kept Yi Zouri awake at night, even those who were special outer disciples used to fill in the gaps.

Therefore, he brought more than forty Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Candle Illumination Sect with him this time, including more than a dozen senior Foundation Establishment cultivators.

With these people around, no matter how many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Western Sea and Miaofeng Mountain Wang Yulou brought with him, they couldn't stop Yi Zouri!

After all, they dared not offend the Candlelight Sect within the Red Lantern Sect for the sake of these rogue cultivators' lives.

Seeing Yi Zouri leading his men in a battle formation, looking as if he were about to destroy Wang Yulou's foundation, Guo Baichi suddenly felt like laughing.

Young man, you lack martial ethics and ambushed your senior. You've finally gotten your comeuppance!
However, Wang Yulou was not easily fooled. He directly blocked Yi Zouri's path and asked.

"Wait, Brother Zou Ri said 'the Patriarch was very dissatisfied with this,' which Patriarch are you referring to?"

Wang Yulou did not believe that the order to travel daily was given by Patriarch Mangxiang.

How stupid must Mang Xiang be to kill the new blood Wang Yulou brought in for him?
As we all know, the mad elephant who treats the divine light like a dog cannot be a fool, therefore, what Yi Zou spreads must not be the decree of the mad elephant.

"What, you're trying to stop me?"

Yi Zouri did not answer, which made Wang Yulou even more certain.

He raised his hand and said.

"Stop them!"

Yang Duilie and Chen Yongzhong exchanged glances, and finally got up and flew into the air.

Their actions seemed to be some kind of signal. Seeing the two Dragon Tiger Guard commanders acting this way, many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the West Sea also stood in the sky to support Wang Yulou.

Wang Yulou only stayed in the Western Sea for a little over two years, but he was deeply involved in the entire process of the Western Sea upheaval.

By purging the poisonous influence of the Divine Light, Wang Yulou also helped Mangxiang complete some preliminary work for the Red Lantern Gang's entry into the Western Sea.

He has influence over many cultivators in the Western Sea.

Although Xihai was not yet Wang Yulou's core territory, at this time, Jinshan was still in power.

Qi Xie, who originally intended to slack off and not get deeply involved in the Red Lantern Gang's internal strife, had no choice but to follow Jiu Qu after seeing him fly up as well.

As a result, the many Foundation Establishment cultivators on Miaofeng Mountain dared not slack off.

Although Master Haikuo is a floor tile of the Purple Mansion, and can be called the Purple Mansion version of Wu Jinyan, he is still a real Master of the Purple Mansion and a Master of Miaofeng Mountain.

Both of Master Haikuo's disciples went up to help Wang Yulou, and the others, no matter how unwilling they were, still had to follow.

Therefore, not a single spirit stone is wasted.

Two hundred thousand spirit stones were used to buy Jiuqu's help, and fifteen thousand spirit stones were used to buy the assistance of the Kongshan Sect Leader. At this moment, it finally took effect.

"Wang Yulou, what do you mean? Are you trying to protect these poisonous descents of divine light?"

Yi Zou Ri has nothing to fear; they are just a mob.

He received explicit orders from the True Man of Jinxian.

The Divine Light is a poisonous force; it is not a good thing and must be eradicated.

If Wang Yulou cannot be dealt with properly, Yi Zouri can also take care of him as well – he's nothing more than a tool of Mang Xiang!

This is actually similar to the logic behind the Heavenly Serpent's fear of waging war against the Savage Elephant.

It's easy to pick up a razor blade and kill someone, but once you've had your fill of killing, deciding whether to put the blade away again isn't something any one person can decide on their own.

You, Mangxiang, can use the pretext of purging the poisonous influence of Shenguang to allow your people to plunder the interests of Xihai and expand your own sphere of influence.

But the excuse of "divine light spreading poison" can be used by Mang Xiang, and it can also be used by Zhu Zhao.

The list of Divine Light Poisonous Beings drawn up by Mang Xiang omitted Wang Yulou. Zhuzhao Immortal Venerable was qualified, and more importantly, he had the strength to include him.

"What do you mean by 'protection'? I meant to send them to the front lines of the two major battles to serve the Red Lanterns, to atone for their crimes with their military achievements. Brother Zou Ri, please be careful with your words."

Wang Yulou didn't want to break off relations yet. Anyway, with so many bases on his side, and Yi Zouri couldn't possibly kill all those rogue cultivators, he wouldn't lose anything by being a little more tolerant.

"Wang Yulou, who do you think you are? The light of the Red Lantern is the light of the Candle Immortal Venerable!"

How dare you arbitrarily decide to allow these rogue cultivators, corrupted by divine light, to join our Red Lantern Clan?

Yi Zouri showed no sign of stopping. After pointing out the problems in Wang Yulou's operation, he continued.

"What are you standing there for? Make your move!"

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Candle Illumination Sect he brought immediately began to attack, and in an instant, hundreds of rogue cultivators died in the stands of the racetrack.

"Senior Brother Baichi, come quickly and help me."

Wang Yulou shouted, and then led the crowd to protect those poor rogue cultivators.

Fighting is out of the question; all we can do is protect them.

However, Guo Baichi was not intimidated at all.

When Wang Yulou asked him for help, he immediately used his supernatural powers, summoned his magical weapon, and randomly selected an unlucky person to kill.

Therefore, Lao Guo's progress was indeed rapid, and he made the best choice for him in the first instance.

Of course, being best for Guo Baichi doesn't mean being good for the sect, much less good for Wang Yulou.

Guo Baichi suddenly made a move, and his first strike was successful, severely injuring the unfortunate person he had chosen.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators brought by Wang Yulou, seeing that blood had already been drawn, no longer hesitated.

Compromise and the bigger picture vanished at this moment, leaving only the supremacy of strength based on combat prowess.

But this fierce battle lasted only a moment. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Candle Illumination Sect who hadn't expected Wang Yulou's people to actually dare to make a move flew away from the racetrack in shock.

Yi Zouri's expression also became extremely ugly.

"Wang Yulou has already betrayed the sect. Anyone who helps him is going against the Red Lanterns. I urge you all to think this through!"

Internal strife is not a shameful thing.

Without anyone becoming the sole ruler, true peace cannot emerge in the cultivation world. However, compared to life-or-death struggles with swords drawn, people prefer to fight amongst themselves without breaking apart, seizing benefits through internal strife—no one wants to actively risk their life.

Wang Yulou looked at Lao Guo with a complicated expression, neither expressing dissatisfaction nor gratitude, only pure and simple ambiguity.

Lao Guo intended to trick him, but his bad intentions backfired.
The whole thing about Yi Zouri convicting Wang Yulou is utter nonsense.

The "red lantern" signifies the "candlelight," and the "candlelight" can dispose of Wang Yulou at will, but the "easy-to-walk-day" sign cannot, a fact he himself is well aware of.

Yi Zouri stopped because he was amazed by the spirit of the Mangxiang lineage—Guo Baichi was also a member of the Mangxiang lineage.

Before he arrived, he never imagined that Wang Yulou could bring so many Foundation Establishment cultivators to accompany him in escorting the loose cultivators of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.

However, he remained unafraid, because he was certain that Wang Yulou and the Foundation Establishment cultivators he brought would not offend the sect of the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao for the sake of the rogue cultivators.

In fact, Wang Yulou did not dare to take the initiative to act, nor did he dare to let the other Foundation Establishment cultivators who were escorting the loose cultivators of the loose cultivator alliance with him take action.

However, Lao Guo helped Wang Yulou make the decision in advance.

Although the methods were somewhat crude, Guo Baichi helped Wang Yulou take the crucial step of forcing Yi to back down.

After launching the first strike of resistance, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators brought by Wang Yulou will naturally be affected and will fight against the pressure from Zhuzhao Immortal Venerable from the perspective of interests.

The many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the West Sea had to obey the orders of Master Longhu Jinshan, while the many Foundation Establishment cultivators in Miaofeng Mountain also knew that their own sects were more inclined to follow Master Mangxiang.

Two horizontal lines and a left-falling stroke make up "干" (gān), 干!

Ultimately, all of this stemmed from Wang Yulou's growth to a sufficiently powerful level, which enabled him to leverage the power of those escorting Foundation Establishment cultivators, and thus caused the people brought by Yi Zouri to suddenly stop.

Everyone was afraid, and under Yi Zou's strong pressure, they naturally had to obey.

But now the situation has clearly escalated, almost turning from the purge of the Shenguang's pernicious influence into a civil war within the Red Lantern Society, so of course no one dares to make any more rash moves.

What's that saying again? — Many of the lackeys of great cultivators are just paper tigers.

When Wang Yulou was no longer afraid, Yi Zouri's act of being a paper tiger could no longer continue.

This wave of suppression of the Candlelight Immortal Venerable was achieved by Wang Yulou after long-term painstaking efforts in a localized manner.

The Immortal Venerable's power is certainly strong, but Wang Yulou's power at this moment is not weak either.

"Senior Brother Zou Ri, killing people at the drop of a hat is not a good thing. The unity of the sect is very important."

As for your claim that Yu Lou betrayed the sect, that's utter nonsense.

Whether Yu Lou betrayed the sect is not for you to judge.

Yi Zouri didn't think Wang Yulou was anything, and Wang Yulou didn't think Yi Zouri was anything either.

Looking at Wang Yulou, who was confronting him head-on, and at the densely packed Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounding Wang Yulou that filled the sky, Yi Zouri knew that his goal for today would probably be difficult to achieve.

Scale is a very mysterious thing.

While Wang Yulou's men were only protecting those who had reached the Qi Refining stage, Yi Zouri could certainly lead a team to kill rogue cultivators.

But when the two sides started fighting hand-to-hand, the situation escalated, and Yi Zouri faced a situation where it was no longer a question of whether he could eliminate the pernicious influence of Shenguang.

This matter is not going to end well.

"Wang Yulou, don't dodge the main point or ramble on."

These people are the poison of the Divine Light Sect, and you not only spared their lives but also promised them the status of special outer disciples.

"What, are we Red Lanterns trash? We can just take in any kind of person?"

He was still picking at his hat; Wang Yulou had lost count of how many hats he had worn.

"They are not trash, they are just being used."

The Immortal Alliance serves all cultivators, so Master Jinshan is willing to give them a chance.

The sect is the most sacred place in Yu Lou's heart, which is why Yu Lou brought these rogue cultivators back to the sect to protect it.

"Senior Brother Zou Ri, is it wrong to want to better protect the sect?"

Yi Zouri sneered.

"Sweet talk! If you like protecting the sect so much, why don't you go to the front lines directly?"
"Wang Yulou, I will report today's events to Patriarch Zhuzhao. Let's see how you explain yourself then!"

Wang Yulou did not intend to explain that his "clients" were Mangxiang, and in the context of internal strife, Zhuzhao was even an enemy.

Wang Yulou would treat the opinions of his enemies as utterly worthless, so how could he possibly be influenced by them?

"Alright, please go back and report as soon as possible, senior brother. I'll be waiting."

Yi Zouri wanted to say something harsher, but he noticed that Wang Yulou was surprisingly calm.

Unlike Yuan Wu, Yi Zouri has gotten to where he is today entirely because of his sharp mind; otherwise, he wouldn't have made the decision to intercept and slaughter others halfway through his journey.

Therefore, instead of continuing with his low-level trash talk, he addressed Guo Baichi.

"Bai Chi, I don't understand why you would attack your fellow disciples in the sect because of the Divine Light Poison?"

Instantly, Lao Guo's expression became as if he had been submerged in a donkey dung pit for three days and three nights, both smelly and unsightly.

He suffered one loss after another, and even did something good with bad intentions.
So you're saying I deserve to suffer a huge loss today?
"I didn't, I didn't do it. If you don't believe me, ask Junior Brother Yulou."

Guo Baichi decided to annoy Wang Yulou. Wang Yulou wanted their conflict to be public, and Guo Baichi could understand why—it was simply because Wang Yulou considered him an opponent.

Since that's the case, then let's disgust Wang Yulou if we can.

After all, they were all under the command of Mang Xiang, so he couldn't possibly have really killed Xiao Wang.

"Hahaha, very good, very good. It is truly the good fortune of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang to have such loyal and reliable disciples like you. Let's wait for the future!"

After uttering a harsh remark, Yi Zouri led the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Candle Illumination Sect away.

However, judging from the implication in his words, this assistant sect leader seems to regard Guo Baichi and Wang Yulou as 'true fellow disciples'.
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"I knew it, Senior Yuque is a good senior."

If we've survived to this day in the Western Sea, we'll naturally have the chance to continue living on the front lines.

Staying in the Western Sea is the real dead end. No matter how skilled we are at hunting demons, we will become demon dung one day in the future.

Joining a sect changes everything. The sect provides an annual stipend, and once your cultivation level is high enough, you can even take on three to five beautiful disciples.

When something happens, we send the disciples to do it; when there's nothing to do, you understand? That's the benefit of being part of a sect.

While flying alongside the team, Cui Baihao was also doing brainwashing work for Wang Yulou for free—he was too eager to advance.

"Old Cui, you don't understand. Even a true disciple of the Red Lantern Cult has a hard time making it in the world."

Yi Zouri, who wanted to kill us, was the most powerful among the true disciples, yet he still couldn't do anything he wanted.

In my opinion, for us independent cultivators, instead of hoping for the unattainable Foundation Establishment stage, we should focus on enjoying the process of cultivation.

Cui Baihao interrupted the team members' chanting, pointed to the majestic mountain gate in the southeast, and said.

"Look, that's where the Red Lantern Mountain Gate is located,"

The peaks are clustered together, the mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the palaces are majestic.

After traveling for ten days, Wang Yulou finally delivered the divine light poison to the foot of the sect's mountain.

Nearly five hundred people died on the road, mainly due to Yi Zouri and his men.

Although the situation was quickly brought under control, the Foundation Establishment cultivators were too powerful. With just a slight move, they killed the rogue cultivators of the Alliance, who were screaming in agony.

The moment Wang Yulou rode the black dragon horse into the sect, he immediately noticed Yingxi.

Yingxi seemed to have just arrived as well. Perhaps because she hadn't received any news that Wang Yulou was escorting people back to the sect, she appeared to be in a hurry to greet them.

"My lord, you've finally arrived!"

Upon seeing Wang Yulou appear, Yingxi immediately wanted to fly towards Yulou.

However, halfway through her flight, she noticed Kim Myung-do.

Jin Mingdu reached out and took Wang Yulou's arm before smiling and saying.

"Fellow Daoist Yingxi is still so beautiful. My husband has always had good taste."

Wang Yulou felt helpless.

Want the happiness of having two wives?

Forget it, let's think about how to get those two thousand rogue cultivators special outer disciple status as soon as possible.

Wunan is not short of talent; among these independent cultivators, there are many unfortunate souls who are talented but unappreciated and unable to put their talents to use.

If these people are used well, they will become Wang Yulou's true foundation for the future.

(End of this chapter)