Shangyuque

Chapter 191 The Red Lanterns' Great Counterattack, But First Attack Fuyan, Xianzhong Reaches the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

War, war.

Cui Baihao lived to be over 140 years old. In the first 80 years of his life, he never imagined that he would come to this point.

As a cultivator from a minor sect on the fringes of the cultivation world, his greatest ambition was nothing more than to reach the peak of Qi Refining.

That's a 'high-level Qi Refining cultivator' at the peak of Qi Refining.

Back when the situation within the Immortal Alliance was stable, life was quite comfortable for 'high-level Qi Refining cultivators'.

Unfortunately, the immortals fear change, yet they also crave changes that benefit them.

Therefore, changes will always happen, even without Wang Yulou.

The patriarch was like the eye of a storm, stirring up endless waves and changing the fate of countless people.

Cui Baihao's life was actually changed by Mang Xiang.

Mang Xiang's decision to attain the Golden Elixir even impacted the balance of power among the Four Extremes, Five Regions, and Eight Desolations.

The golden elixir that Mangxiang sought to achieve was never the kind of golden elixir with an unstable foundation like that of Shenguang.

His ambition was evident when he ventured alone into the Heavenly Serpent Valley.

In order to attain enlightenment, Mangxiang traveled tens of thousands of miles to pay homage to the Immortal Kingdom and other top powers.

Upon returning, for reasons unknown, he decided to kill Gua Zhenren on the spot, thus initiating a civil war within the Immortal Alliance.

It can be said that in the process of Mang Xiang drawing his sword, he almost caused an immeasurable calamity for all living beings in the Immortal Alliance.

Fortunately, the strength of the shrewd elephant was not yet able to keep up with his ambition, and his attempt to start a civil war was stopped by the combined efforts of Zhuzhao and the Frog King.

But Cui Baihao's fate was still changed.

"Check them one more time. These high-grade spirit stones and rare spiritual materials will be used in the Crimson Pivot Divine Power Array. Each one must be carefully monitored. None of them can have any problems, otherwise, neither of us can afford to lose our lives."

Cui Baihao, as one of Wang Yulou's confidants, belongs to the second tier among Wang Yulou's many subordinates.

At the same level as him were Guo Chengtai, Gu Tongming, An Hening, and others, so his position was also quite crucial—the Transport Commissioner of the Central Red Pivot Array.

The full name of the Red Pivot Grand Array is the Red Lantern Illuminating the Heavenly Pivot Divine Power Array. The divine power activated by the array can be comparable to that of the Purple Mansion, but of course, the cost is also terrifyingly high.

The cost of a single supernatural power is roughly equivalent to nineteen portions of Foundation Establishment resources. Normally, such an expensive offensive method would not be used.

It's useful, but not worth it. The lives of Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't worth that much in spirit stones. Most of the time, compared to using the Red Pivot Formation, it's actually cheaper to have Foundation Establishment cultivators lead the team and risk their lives to fill the lines.

The lower-level cultivation families under the Red Lantern system are like weeds, constantly providing new Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even those on the fringes of the Red Lantern system, like Wu Jinyan, who died on the front lines, only received half a Foundation Establishment resource as compensation.

Therefore, as the transporter of the Red Pivot Array, Cui Baihao was mostly idle, yet his salary was not low, which showed how much the young king valued him.

Old Cui isn't some top-tier prodigy, but he's pretty much at the top in terms of ox and horse attributes.

It has strong stress resistance, high work initiative, and can be a good match for Wang Yulou. It is very comfortable to carry around with you.

Giving him a job that doesn't require him to work is just a way to keep him close and use him as a hanger-on.

However, the Red Lanterns' counterattack has begun, and all eleven Red Pivot Arrays on the three lines will be put into use. As the transport envoy, Old Cui naturally has to do his job well.

This demonstrates the Red Lantern's skill in personnel management; after Lao Cui arrives, he can help Wang Yulou keep an eye on the preparation phase of the Red Pivot Formation to ensure that there are no problems during the preparation phase.

Therefore, even if Yan Siyuan wanted to trap Wang Yulou on the southern front, the array masters under his command who were responsible for the three Red Pivot Arrays on the southern front would not dare to act recklessly.

By strategically positioning key players and controlling processes, we can expand our influence by focusing on key areas and using them as a starting point.

Old Cui was certainly aware of Wang Yulou's purpose in arranging things for him.

After inspecting the spirit stones and materials required for the Red Pivot Formation twice, he ordered people to create a file and, together with another deputy transport envoy from the Candle Illumination Sect, used their seals to send the complete inspection report to the Third Line Garrison and the Red Lantern Sect Master's Palace.

This is considered leaving a trace. Through leaving a trace, Cui Baihao has completely determined the preparation of the consumables for the great formation. The next step is to send people to transfer these consumables to the Red Pivot Great Formation on the third line.

These matters did not require Cui Baihao to take charge personally, and since the transfer process was all behind the front lines, there was actually not much danger involved.

"Yun Da, you go to the northern route to deliver. You all go to the southern route to deliver. Deliver it within two days. Follow the core transit lines on the way. Be alert, everyone. Don't slack off, understand?"

The core transfer line is one of the products of Wang Yuque's reforms at the front line.

Regarding logistics transfer lines, Wang Yuque spearheaded the "three-line delineation," dividing the frontline transfer lines into three categories: "first-line dedicated line," "regular dedicated line," and "core transfer line."

Different logistical transfer tasks are arranged on three different transfer lines based on their importance and delivery range.

The first-line transport line is the most dangerous, responsible for delivering supplies and replenishing cultivators to the front line of the battlefield, which is the true front line.

Dedicated conventional lines handle the vast majority of frontline logistical tasks, with 90% of transshipments completed using these lines.

By comparing the performance of different cultivators in the same type of transport mission, efficient screening and control can be achieved, preventing anyone from poaching members from the sect.

The most unique feature is the core transfer line, which consists of only two lines: one close to the front line and the other two hundred miles behind it.

The reason there are so few is because the standards are extremely high. During the entire transfer process, a new team of Foundation Establishment cultivators will be dispatched every eighty miles to participate in the escort, thus ensuring safety throughout the process.

Eighty miles is a distance that a Foundation Establishment cultivator can cover in just a few breaths.

The second line was set two hundred li behind because it was the second line of defense established by Wang Yuque, specifically prepared in case the front line was breached.

Upon hearing that the transfer could be carried out via the core dedicated line, Yun Da and the others' eyes lit up immediately—it's safe!

"Understood, I will obey the Transport Commissioner's decree!"

Cui Baihao nodded in satisfaction.

I will strictly follow the decree of the Transport Commissioner.

Even though he had heard these words for many years, they still touched his heart every time he heard them.

He dared not even dream of the Purple Mansion; he was well aware of his own limitations.

Therefore, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, all he could pursue was indeed this kind of significant power.

The reason Cui Baihao believed he had no chance of reaching the Purple Mansion realm was because he observed that the six Purple Mansion Grand Masters who had attained enlightenment in recent years had all entered the Red Lantern Illumination True Transmission sequence at a very early stage.

Yan Keli, a disciple of Xuanzhuan Zhenren and a grand-disciple of Mangxiang Xianzun, became a true disciple before the age of eighty.

Guo Baichi, a disciple of Danri Zhenren and a grand-disciple of Mangxiang Xianzun, became a true disciple before the age of ninety.

Pi Lingxiu, a disciple of Master Fuyan, once served as the garrison commander of the southern front, causing countless Red Lantern disciples to die outside the Heavenly Serpent Sect's territory. He was a terrible person, but he also became a true disciple at a young age.

Cui Baihao saw it clearly: becoming a true disciple was already very difficult; one had to be either born into an extraordinary family, have outstanding abilities, or possess exceptional talent.

He himself came from humble beginnings, his abilities were not particularly outstanding, and he had no talent whatsoever. How could he possibly compete with those people?
Moreover, even after becoming a true disciple of the Red Lantern, whether one can become a Purple Mansion disciple is another round of brutal elimination.

The difference between true disciples of the Red Lantern School is greater than the difference between a human and a dog.

Wang Yuque is a true disciple, while many unfortunate fourth-class disciples who didn't even have official positions and were sent to the front lines also had the status of a true disciple. Can the two be compared?

Old Cui only had a vague feeling that following Wang Yulou might bring some opportunities in the future.

He didn't know that the true teachings of the Red Lantern Sect were divided into four levels, with the first level being people like Wang Yulou and Yi Zouri.

The second tier includes people like Wang Jingyi, Zou Tianxing, and Jiang Baobian.

The third tier includes people like Guo Baichi (formerly) and Zhou Yingxi.

The fourth category consists of those who realize that the opportunity to open the Purple Mansion has nothing to do with whether or not the teachings are genuine, and who decide to lie low and resist the sect.

The Red Lantern Sect's true teachings were not for selecting potential disciples, but for establishing a hierarchical order within the sect, thereby enabling them to govern more efficiently.

Guo Baichi, Yan Keli, and others were able to reach the Purple Mansion realm simply because Mang Xiang gave them the 'opportunity'.
-
Flying south from the central garrison pass, Cui Baihao followed a group of Red Lantern Guards from the central garrison pass. There were no unexpected events along the way, and they arrived at the Jade Palace in just two hours.

It was said to be a full-scale counterattack, but the focus of the counterattack was south of Simingzong and north of Nanye Kingdom.

The main forces for the counterattack are the southern and central lines. As for the northern line, it is a long-term, all-out war with the Heavenly Serpent Sect. The Valley God Sect and Miaofeng Mountain have been entangled for seventy years.

After considering various factors, Wang Yulou temporarily moved the command center for the great battle to the Jade Palace outside the territory of the Southern Ye Kingdom.

The central line of Zhenshou Pass is quite good, but it's too far from Yan Siyuan. Wang Yulou is genuinely afraid that Yan Siyuan will betray him.

Yan Siyuan himself is very reasonable, but Yi Zouri has already gone a bit crazy.

The reason is simple: the Mangxiang Sect has gained six more Purple Mansion cultivators in the past fifty years, while Yi Zouri, standing outside the Purple Mansion Pass, has never had the slightest chance to open his Purple Mansion.

Yi Zou Ri's ancestor is Jin Xian Zhenren, so of course he can't call him 'Mang Xiang, Zhong Cheng'. But Jin Xian and Zhu Zhao don't need the Purple Mansion power bank, so naturally they won't give Yi Zou Ri a place in the Purple Mansion.

Watching helplessly as the Purple Mansions of the Mangxiang lineage opened one after another like eggs laid by a hen, even a young man like Guo Baichi had opened his Purple Mansion, how could Yi Zouri not go crazy?
"I'm scared, Senior Brother Yan. You understand the importance of the big picture, but I'm afraid Yi Zouri will force you."

Yes, you have the sect in your heart, but even if you can withstand Yi Zouri's pressure, can all your subordinates withstand the pressure?

Having risen to the position of the unsung commander-in-chief on the front lines, Wang Yulou no longer needs to hold back on many things.

If you need to make things clear, then make them clear—Yan Siyuan, don't be foolish!

"It's not that bad. Senior Brother Zou Ri hasn't contacted me for half a month. He's had some minor disagreements with you over the years, but he hasn't really done anything outrageous."

Yan Siyuan laughed and farted, but Wang Yulou thought to himself, "Old Yan isn't a bad guy."

His words were almost a blatant hint to Wang Yulou that some of his men had already been persuaded by Yi Zouri.

With the great battle imminent, Wang Yulou was in overall command, with the southern front coordinating, but Yi Zouri hadn't contacted Yan Siyuan for half a month—wasn't that pure nonsense?

If I don't contact Yan Siyuan, then I'm contacting someone else.

Wang Yulou in the middle line can rest assured. He has already killed several Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhuzhao Sect under him, so no one should be looking for death.

That can only be the southern route. Judging from Yan Siyuan's suggestive behavior, it's basically one of Yan Siyuan's men.

"Senior Brother Yan, I plan to set up a Dragon Tiger Camp. The camp's cultivators will be selected from the most elite and experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators on the southern front, forming a group of about eighty people."

The great battle was divided into three phases: the full-scale counter-offensive, which was also a feint; the sudden outbreak on the northern front, which was also a feint; and finally, the full-scale advance on the central and southern fronts.

The Dragon Tiger Battalion is about to launch a full-scale offensive, charging into the Heavenly Serpent Sect's battle formation to cause trouble. Which senior brother on the southern front do you think is suitable to lead the Dragon Tiger Battalion?

Yan Siyuan quietly looked at Wang Yulou, who had a smile on his face, while inwardly cursing Wang Yulou to the point of being a complete idiot.

He simply didn't want to be taken advantage of, so he reminded Wang Yulou, which was also a way of currying favor.

After all, the battle had progressed this far, and Yan Keyi, the garrison commander of the central line, had already died. He was afraid.

But Wang Yulou, that scoundrel, was incredibly greedy and insisted on forcing Yan Siyuan to hand over the man immediately.

The so-called commander of the Dragon Tiger Camp is just a position reserved for those who are manipulated by Yi Zou Ri.

Given Yi Zouri's vision and Wang Yulou's status, if he wanted to frame Wang Yulou, he certainly wouldn't have chosen someone like Niu Ma Zhuji.

Giving him a commanding position would allow them to legitimately transfer that person from his original post, thereby disrupting Easy Day's plans.

As for the Foundation Establishment cultivator who led the Dragon Tiger Battalion to charge into the Heavenly Serpent Sect's formation, where life and death are constantly at stake, they certainly wouldn't dare to cause any trouble.

Wang Yulou's move was alright.

But if Yan Siyuan did this for Wang Yulou, it would be difficult to explain to Yi Zouri.

Of course, for these core disciples of the Red Lantern Society, this matter was a small one, and it didn't matter whether Yan Siyuan confessed or not, but that didn't stop Yan Siyuan from feeling disgusted.

"Yu Lou, it can't be that bad. There are only a little over a hundred senior Foundation Establishment cultivators on the southern front. If you take away eighty of them, how are we supposed to keep going on the southern front?"

Yan Siyuan was also dissatisfied with this: with just one sentence from Wang Yulou, he was going to send eighty of his senior Foundation Establishment cultivators out.

Of course, those people didn't have high status within the sect and were considered waste materials, but they were senior Foundation Establishment level waste materials after all. With so many dying, Yan Siyuan was the one who got criticized.

"More than two hundred."

Wang Yulou held up two fingers to emphasize this.

How could he not know how many seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators were on the southern route?
Although Wang Jingyi left his position as the assistant commander of the southern garrison, he still had informants on the southern front, and Wang Yulou was very clear about many things happening there.

"you!"

Yan Siyuan held back, suppressing his dissatisfaction, and spoke with a displeased expression.

"Eighty people are too many, how about fifty?"

The allure of order is undeniable at this moment.

Yan Siyuan's cultivation level is higher than Wang Yulou's, and his status is no lower than Wang Yulou's. If it were a battle of magic, Wang Yulou would probably only need three moves to defeat him.

However, because the overall order required by the Red Lantern was that the war could not be lost, Yan Siyuan, as the garrison commander of the southern front, had to cooperate with Wang Yulou, the commander, in this counter-offensive.

He was very dissatisfied, but also cautious, so in the end he still chose to obey.

Of course, fifty people is definitely too few.

Eighty experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators went to charge into the enemy lines, and most of them returned alive.

If fifty experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators were sent to charge into the formation, and the attack went even slightly deeper, most of them might not make it back.

The key point here is that eighty people can break through the upper limit of the Heavenly Serpent Sect's local defensive redundancy, while fifty people may not be able to.

"Fifty people is fine, but what are your thoughts on who should go, Senior Brother Yan?"

It is known that sending fifty people would be suicide, and Yan Siyuan would not send a large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Zhuzhao Sect to their deaths.

As the commander-in-chief, Wang Yulou would not allow Yan Siyuan to send his Foundation Establishment disciples from the Mangxiang lineage to their deaths.

Therefore, Wang Yulou was not asking a question, but confirming something.

Old Yan, wanna do something?

"I'll draft a list right away!"

Yan Siyuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood what Wang Yulou meant.

He realized that there was a reason why that despicable Wang Yulou had been able to hold her ground on the front lines for so long.

Wang Yulou possessed the ability to create opportunities where none existed.

Within the red-light district, key, good positions are limited, and for true disciples, working resources remain scarce.

The ability to create work resources when there are none, and thus make contributions, is indeed remarkable.

Yan Siyuan quickly drafted the list, and Wang Yulou frowned as soon as he saw it.

Although they are all from the Floating Smoke Sect, the problem is that they are all from the Floating Smoke Sect, and many of them are not even senior Foundation Establishment cultivators who were pulled in to make up the numbers.

"That's not appropriate. How about this, I remember Guo Baijiao is also on the southern front, right?"

Guo Baijiao, Guo Baichi's elder brother in the clan, is also a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator, but not a true successor.

"Yu Lou, what about... Master Bai Chi?"

Yan Siyuan could accept targeting the Fuyan Sect members; after all, they were enemies, and sabotaging them was normal. But Guo Baijiao was different. His younger brother was Guo Baichi, a Grand Master of the Purple Mansion in the Red Lantern Cult. Sending him up to his death terrified Yan Siyuan.

What happened to the real person?
With the great battle imminent, in my eyes, Wang Yulou, there is no real brother, only Guo Baijiao, an inner disciple of the Red Lantern Sect.

I think it's perfect to let him go; otherwise, it would seem like we deliberately put together this list.

Yan Siyuan looked at Wang Yulou and felt like he was getting to know this scoundrel all over again.

Wang Yulou, you really know how to spout high-sounding rhetoric.

Even the dogs at the village entrance bark louder than you!

"Alright, I suddenly remembered that there are a few fellow Daoists who are also quite strong. I forgot to write them down earlier, so I need to revise them a bit."

Since Wang Yulou has stopped pretending, it's pointless for Yan Siyuan to continue.

Everyone is facing difficulties. The Mangxiang faction has no shortage of strong soldiers and fierce generals, and the Zhuzhao faction has even more.

Yan Siyuan is at the peak of Foundation Establishment. There are also a bunch of other peak Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Candle Illumination Sect on the southern front, but none of them have as deep a background as Yan Siyuan.

They were on the southern front and often didn't give Lao Yan much face.

Now that Xiao Wang has sent Guo Baijiao up, Lao Yan also plans to help those 'colleagues' who don't give him face to show their loyalty to the sect.
-
In fact, Wang Yulou only stayed at the Jade Palace for half a year, where he initially set up the Special Merit Hall for the Frontline.

After that, Wang Yulou took over Yan Keyi's position as the garrison commander of the central line and left the Jade Palace.

However, as the assistant to the King of Nan Ye, the Jade Palace is regularly maintained, so it is still very smooth when it is reopened.

Cui Baihao noticed that more than a dozen temporary camps had been built outside the Jade Palace.

Each camp was several hundred feet long and wide.

War is not about human relationships; it's about real death, and hundreds or thousands of people die.

Above the Jade Palace and its numerous camps, cultivators were like busy bees around a hive, flying everywhere.

The Red Lantern Guards stationed at the central pass came with a mission. As close bodyguards of Wang Yulou, they would serve as law enforcement officers for the main counter-offensive legion.

These dozen or so camps were where the main force of the counterattack army was located.

However, before taking up their posts, the Red Lantern Guards must first pay their respects to Fellow Daoist Yu Que, as a way of reporting their arrival.

Cui Baihao then followed the Red Lantern Guards to the Jade Palace.

But his timing was terrible; a dispute seemed to be taking place inside the main hall of the Jade Palace.

"So Xianzhong is trying to take advantage of us, isn't he? Wang Yuque, you are the commander-in-chief, but there's no such logic in the world."

You think you can send dozens of us to our deaths with just a word? Isn't that a joke?

Moreover, why us? Are you, the Mangxiang clan, trying to force us to rebel against the Red Lantern Society by doing this?"

After Pi Lingxiu of the Floating Smoke Sect became a rogue ninja, the mental state of the remaining mid-level cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect was already unstable.

They also wanted to become rogue ninjas, but most of them didn't have much potential for the Purple Mansion realm. Becoming a traitor would only mean continuing to climb up the ranks within the Mangxiang Sect.

Whether they can climb up is another matter entirely, and all the experience they accumulated within the Floating Smoke Sect will be completely wasted.

Therefore, most people, after much hesitation, will ultimately choose to remain within the Floating Smoke Faction.

Of course, it's impossible to ask them to exert too much effort. Pi Ling had been charging forward for so many years with his cultivation at the Floating Smoke level, but in the end, it was still thanks to Mang Xiang's Purple Mansion that he was able to achieve his goal.

Working like a beast of burden for Fuyan is far too poorly paid.

In fact, this was also Fu Yan's helplessness. He did not have the strength of an Immortal Venerable, but he used his identity as a disciple of the Crimson Bright Immortal Venerable to build up the second largest faction within the Red Lantern Sect.

He may appear glamorous, but many of the powerful cultivators in his faction only show him respect on the surface; when it comes to seizing benefits, they are ruthless.

The reason these people joined the Fuyan lineage was because Mangxiang hadn't been recruiting people before, and Zhuzhao was too lazy to recruit more.

To put it bluntly, they stood with Fuyan simply to stick together for warmth.

Faced with such a loose and centrifugal faction, where would Fu Yan find benefits to get Pi Lingxiu to open his Purple Mansion?

Of course, these things were too far removed from the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect inside the hall; they were currently only shocked and furious at Wang Yulou's inhuman behavior.

"You still want to ask for..."

An Hening was about to charge forward to act as a buffer for Fellow Daoist Yuque, but Wang Yulou directly gestured for him to shut up.

Those who should take responsibility will never amount to anything and will never achieve great things.

"First of all, what do you mean by 'sacrificing loyalty to yourselves'? Contributing to the sect is the duty of every disciple."

Wang Yulou's words are actually correct. Does that mean that senior Foundation Establishment cultivators are no longer disciples of a sect?
Sects may not treat their disciples very well, but that has always been the rule in the cultivation world.

From a more realistic perspective, as cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect, your backers are gradually losing their footing under the dual-rule system, and you will naturally lose your previous advantageous position.

If the Floating Smoke Faction is allowed to continue to act arrogantly in the rear, then a large number of Floating Smoke Faction members will occupy the positions in the rear.

How can the Mangxiang and Zhuzhao factions arrange for more of their own people?

Of course, one can fantasize about justice and the sanctity of internal political struggles within a sect's governance, but such fantasies do not conform to reality.

(This book is by no means a GC novel, and the presence of politics does not equate to a GC novel. These politicized manifestations of sectarian infighting are themselves part of the meritocratic cultivation world, and the principles and logic within them are vastly different from reality.)
"Secondly, in the midst of a sect war, the situation is urgent, and it is only right to act expediently in times of crisis. We can't report everything to the sect leader—although the sect leader will agree to my plan once he knows about it."

Wang Yulou's words were actually a veiled threat.

You can give up your illusions now; this time, even the sect leader is on my side.

As the sect leader, Zou Tianxing may hate Wang Yulou, but he must do a good job as sect leader.

Wang Yulou's plan was appropriate in terms of both procedural and ultimate justice. More importantly, it hit the core principle currently advocated within the Red Lantern Gang: "We cannot lose."

At a deeper level, suppressing the Floating Smoke Party is also the optimal solution for the Immortal Venerable Candlelight.

He needs to be wary of the raging elephant, but the floating smoke is a different story.

Breaking up the "Floating Smoke" faction and reshaping the distribution of interests within the Red Lantern faction under a dual-governance framework is the inevitable demand of the "Candlelight" faction.

"Third, the most outrageous thing is that sentence, what 'you' and what 'we, the Mangxiang lineage'."

What kind of talk is this? The sect has always been a united family, without any separate lineages.

The sect needs you to do something to contribute to the sect's victory in the war. There is absolutely no intention to force you to do this.

Those who don't want to go don't have to, but they won't be inner disciples or true disciples anymore. They just need to return all the rewards and stipends the sect has given them over the years, and then everything will be even!

The sect has always been a united family.

As Wang Yulou rose higher and higher, his simple logic of seeking revenge and repaying kindness became increasingly incompatible with his circumstances.

Just as he said in his conversation with Wang Xianmao—the original intentions that have been shaped are unreliable, and the survival rules that short-lived species rely on are equally unreliable.

As a cultivator or even a mortal's status changes, so does their fundamental interest.

It is extremely unrealistic and foolish to mechanically cling to certain dogmatic ideas and fantasize that some things can be solved simply, easily, and in a way that benefits everyone.

Given Wang Yulou's current situation, the complex contradictions are calling upon him, demanding of him, and forcing him to come up with an ideological and behavioral program that adapts to these complex contradictions and guides his specific practice.

Why is it emphasized that it is an ideological action program?
Because Wang Yulou is not an individual, he is carrying the burden of the cultivators following him, and he needs to demonstrate the leadership qualities of a leader to bear it.

When the clan chief shouted, "Wang Yuque, open the furnace!" he implied an expectation and requirement for Wang Yulou. This expectation and requirement was even a direction for development that Wang Yulou himself had set for himself.

He got to where he is today through his own choices.

In fact, Wang Yulou had other options.

For example, passively hiding away and waiting for the storm of change to pass may, of course, lead to being swept away and killed by the storm of the times.

Wang Yulou was enjoying his imagined paradise when the Great Annihilation Immortal Sound of Gua Zhenren or other beastly immortals and demonic immortals swept over him. Then, the illusory paradise was instantly transformed into a dead zone by the indiscriminate attacks of the great cultivators.

Wang Yulou had always had a subconscious feeling that he might end up like this.

But he also understood that to change reality, one must first accept part of it; this was the correct approach to practice.

Instead of fantasizing that something impossible will suddenly appear and help him solve those difficult choices.

Justice itself is shaped by people. Is Wang Yulou just at this moment?
He is righteous because he represents the Red Lanterns. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect received resources from the sect and enjoyed the benefits they received without being exploited. Therefore, they should give back to the sect.

It's unjust because Wang Yulou is causing people to die; in fact, his hands are already stained with blood.

But Wang Yulou couldn't imagine that there would be a perfect solution. The designed system of order and selection was designed to make people obey the will of those who could say, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

Either be a useful person, so as not to become a cost for the time being, and at the same time, strive to avoid becoming a cost in the future.

They either hide to the side, hoping they won't be suddenly dragged into a feud, or hoping they won't be indiscriminately killed by the supernatural powers of a great cultivator.

The fates of those great cultivators are beyond the control of even Heaven and Earth; how could a mere Wang Yulou possibly defy their will?
The principle of "one can govern all things by choosing one" applies to every corner of the cultivation world. It embodies the boundless greed and unbreakable Dao heart of great cultivators.

Wherever the path leads, I will persevere through countless hardships.

This is part of the reality that Wang Yulou must accept; there is no way to avoid it, no way to escape it, and no alternative.

From this perspective, what Bai Li said about immortality being a curse seems to be true.

Kind-hearted people suffer every day in this cruel world of cultivation.

The sects of justice, sacred principles, majestic laws, and unlimited power form a false spectrum, reflecting the sordid lives of those involved.

But this filth itself is close to reality in a certain dimension.

Such is the nature of suffering; until liberation is attained, one must accept it.

“I don’t owe the sect anything. As an inner disciple, I have completed so many sect missions. The rewards and stipends I received are all rightfully mine.”

A veteran member of the Floating Smoke faction stepped forward and expressed his stance in a resounding voice.

Wang Yulou sighed. Fu Yan didn't say anything. What's the rush?
Are you in such a hurry to die?
"Senior brother, the purpose of forming the Dragon Tiger Camp is to give us more initiative, not to send you to your deaths."

Fellow Daoist Baijiao and several other fellow Daoists are also on the Dragon-Tiger Camp's list. Why haven't I seen them express any objections?

Wang Yulou was truly helpless, and he tried to resolve these disputes peacefully.

Why did Yan Siyuan agree so quickly to his proposal to form the Dragon Tiger Battalion?
The reason lies in this—without the weeding out of the weak and eliminating a group of people, neither the Mangxiang lineage nor the Zhuzhao lineage could further expand within the sect.

We are all just servants to the great cultivators, so we naturally understand how we should act to create value for them.

"."

The cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect fell silent.

Why didn't Guo Baijiao and others, who were included on the list by Wang Yulou and Yan Siyuan, object or make a fuss?
Because of the factions and rules behind them, they have to abide by the opinions of the people in charge within those factions.

Opposition is easy; one can express their attitude simply by speaking.

But Guo Baichi had only been in the Purple Mansion for a few years, so how could he dare to speak up and protect his elder brother?
How pathetic!
That's how pathetic I am.

After Guo Baichi became a Purple Mansion, he cherished his life even more and dared not disobey the overall plan of the patriarch.

This is a world of cultivation where one's fate is in one's own hands, not in the hands of heaven. The fate of the patriarch is in his own hands, and he doesn't care about heaven and earth, let alone the opinions of his subordinates.

What Wang Yulou and Yan Siyuan did was cruel, but if they didn't do it today, they would have to do it tomorrow, otherwise they would be just as powerless as those Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect who stood in the hall with blank expressions.

Those who are unwilling to accept this reality have either been eliminated long ago, or they are like the Floating Smoke Sect monks who suddenly encountered such treatment, simply because they have never experienced it before.

They were once able to lie in the rear and reap the rewards of war.

They never imagined that they, as seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators, would be forced into a position of loyalty by others.

The distance from the Western Sea to the Jade Palace was more than fifty years. Wang Yulou became more and more certain of one thing—he could not lose. If he lost, he would truly become a fish on the chopping block.

……

Cui Baihao lowered his head and waited quietly for the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect, whose strength far surpassed his own, to leave.

He heard the whole argument inside the hall. It was the first time Cui Baihao had ever seen so many senior Foundation Establishment cultivators submit to Wang Yulou.

He had always held Wang Yulou in high esteem, and from today onward, his esteem would only grow even stronger.

But Wang Yulou showed no pride whatsoever. Yes, he had forced so many people to go to the front lines, even to charge into battle and die.

But this has little to do with Wang Yulou himself. It's just that those people are bound by the laws of the Red Light District and by the cage in their hearts. Like Wang Yulou, they don't dare to resist for the time being.

"Baihao, the Red Pivot Formation is crucial to the success or failure of the counterattack. You did a good job."

Old Cui's face beamed with joy, but he actually had something else he wanted to tell Wang Yulou.

"Senior Brother Yuque, you flatter me. I just have a small problem."

There aren't enough array masters on the northern front, but of course, there are enough this time.

However, if the war continues like this for so long, the number of special cultivators like array masters, who need to be on the front lines, will become increasingly insufficient.

There are many people who practice Taoist arts, such as weapon refiners, puppeteers, alchemists, and so on.

But formation masters are the most special. In war, they often need to go to the front line to maintain, inspect, and repair formations.

This is very dangerous and could cause a large number of deaths among array masters.

"Well... I will communicate with Miaofeng Mountain."

"You're from the Western Sea, and I'd like you to go there for me to recruit a group of formation masters to fill in. Is that convenient?"

Wang Yulou has already said that Cui Baihao needs to go to the West Sea, so how could he say it's inconvenient?
"It's convenient, but who should I entrust with the transportation of the large array's consumables?"

Wang Yulou stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought, but his gaze was fixed on the location of the Red Lantern Mountain Gate.

"The matter of the Crimson Pivot Formation ends here. It is no longer important. What happens next is none of your business."

Go ahead, gather a hundred formation masters for me.

"One hundred?"

This was the first time Cui Baihao had ever heard of a formation master needing to be found in such large numbers; it was simply outrageous.

But this is the norm on the front lines; human lives are indeed worthless in spirit stones here.

"It's better to be prepared than not, there's always another chance."

Cui Bai didn't quite understand what Wang Yulou meant by saying that the formation was no longer important.

However, he understood that the new task Wang Yulou had assigned him to recruit people was actually more crucial than his previous role as the transporter of the Red Pivot Array.

This allows him to build his own small power base within Wang Yulou's name and faction!
"Understood, Senior Brother Yuque. Baihao will head to the Western Sea now. I wish you great success!"

(End of this chapter)