Shangyuque

Chapter 193 Acceleration! The Ancestral Master's Path to Enlightenment Officially Enters the Sprint Phase!

"It is hateful that the Serpent Demon Sect has caused trouble several times and still occupies more than a thousand miles of my Red Lantern Street.

"Our sect has been disgraced. We, the disciples, must exert ourselves to the utmost, leading a mighty army, wielding thunder and lightning to protect our sect and spread our glory throughout Wunan."

The imperial edict in Wang Yulou's hand bore two conspicuous legal seals.

One white and one red, the white mudra is a messy line, looking like a child's scribbles.

But it reveals a special aura that is hard to describe, and the chaotic lines, intertwined, present a captivating charm.

The red seal was a tiny flame, which even leaped and burned on this special spiritual artifact.

The fire was extremely small, but incredibly hot. Wang Yulou, with his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, had to exert all his magical power to resist it, just to maintain the appearance of not collapsing and continue reading.

The white seal comes from the Immortal Venerable Mangxiang.

The red seal comes from the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao.

There were no surprise attacks. The Red Lanterns' counter-offensive was launched under the supervision of the Immortal Alliance and with the joint permission of the two Immortal Venerables. It was a major counter-offensive to "first attack Fuyan, and incidentally attack the Heavenly Serpent Sect."

Below, in the military formation, Wang Yaohai slightly raised his head, looking at his benefactor who shared the same surname but had a different fate.

During the major counter-offensive, he was appointed as a squad leader in the 13th Battalion of the Central Route Army.

For Wang Yaohai, who had reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, this appointment was actually quite terrifying.

But what many people don't know is that Wang Yaohai requested this position.

Wang Yaohai is still young, and deep down he has a clear desire, so he is not afraid of danger.

Wang Yuque had many outstanding subordinates, including those from noble families such as Jin Mingdu and Zhou Yingxi, those who were ruthless in their actions such as An Hening and Li Changming, those who were shrewd and resourceful such as Cui Baihao and Guo Chengtai, and those who were trusted and kept by his side for a long time such as Bai Lu.

In terms of cultivation, status, background, and opportunities, Wang Yaohai had no particular strengths.

He might do well if he just drifts along, but he'll never have any chance of going any further.

Therefore, he chose to step into the crucible of the battlefield.

Aside from that, he couldn't imagine what other relative advantages he could have.

As a cultivator who also survived from the Western Sea, Wang Yaohai had experienced the brutal demon hunts in the Western Sea during his Qi Refining stage. He was confident that he could write his own story, the story of Wang Yaohai of the Jade Palace Sect, on the front lines of the great war between the two sects.

Therefore, listening to Wang Yuque, who was standing high above the Jade Palace in the distance, a rare feeling of pride welled up in Wang Yaohai's heart.

For Wang Yaohai, the important thing was not the counterattack, but that his benefactor had reached the position of frontline commander-in-chief, able to command an army of a thousand chariots and wield thunder to shatter the world.

The war between the Red Lanterns and the Heavenly Serpent Sect has lasted for fifty years. Even a pig would understand what's going on—this refers to the situation on the specific front lines.

The Heavenly Serpent Sect has long been primarily offensive, while the Red Lantern Sect has long been defensive. After such a long period of defense, the actual strength of the two sects has reached an unprecedented balance, with no significant difference between them.

Therefore, the time has indeed come for the Red Lanterns to launch a counterattack. Regardless of whether they can win, in terms of the balance of power alone, it is not a problem for the Red Lanterns to attempt a counterattack.

Even if he doesn't win, Wang Yulou's Dragon Tiger Camp, which pushes many mid-level Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect to deliver the betrayal plan, can fully guarantee his 'win'—a win with the patriarch.

As a loyal general, Wang Yaohai naturally understood the significance of his benefactor's move, so he was very certain.

Given Wang Yuque's skill level, he will definitely make further progress in the future.

Wang Yulou is now the unsung commander on the front lines and the actual commander of the counter-offensive. In the future, he will most likely rise to the level of assistant to the sect leader.

I won't be the sect leader. The position of sect leader is about taking the blame and bearing the pressure.

The best position for a Foundation Establishment disciple of the Red Lantern Sect is the Sect Leader's Assistant—possessing the Sect Leader's power without having to bear the Sect Leader's pressure.

The day Wang Yulou became the sect leader's assistant was the day he gained control of the Mangxiang lineage's voice within the sect.

At that time, Wang Yulou might have had the opportunity to open his Purple Mansion.

Wang Yulou, with his mere Foundation Establishment cultivation, has already achieved such a feat; what will it be like when he opens his Purple Mansion?
Do I also have a chance?
Wang Yulou was oblivious to Wang Yaohai's reverie; the imperial edict in his hand had already been read to the very end.

"Starting from June 13th, the Red Lanterns' full-scale counter-offensive officially begins. All disciples, from top to bottom, must be of one mind and fight with all their might, and must not slacken their efforts!"

Wang Yulou knew that his casual remark, "The full-scale counterattack has officially begun," had in fact accelerated the process of the patriarch attaining the Golden Core stage.

The great battle was to use the underlying consumables to increase the number of battery-type Purple Mansions, thereby helping the Ancestral Master to lock in the share of the Heaven and Earth restrictions in the future.

The battle is accelerating, and the Red Lanterns are launching a counterattack, which is a sign that the Mangxiang is accelerating its progress towards the Golden Elixir!

The patriarch's path to enlightenment has officially entered its final sprint!

But these things are best kept to oneself; Wang Yulou has neither the right nor the standing to try and stop them.

Driven by the ambition of great cultivators, the burning fuel spreads throughout the five regions and eight wastelands. If you don't sit on the table, you have to accept this set of rules.

He raised the sacred artifact and placed it in the northeast direction, then bowed deeply.

"I will obey the decrees of the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao and the Immortal Venerable Mangxiang!"

Several thousand cultivators from the central army, who were the main force of the counterattack, followed suit.

"I will obey the decrees of the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao and the Immortal Venerable Mangxiang!"

What law or decree should be followed?
Following the decree that everyone should risk their lives together!
As a large, materialized force, the Red Lantern's cultivation of justice revolves around the needs of the great cultivators. The Candlelight and the Wild Elephant say that the counterattack is just and meaningful, and those below can only obey.

Perhaps, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Floating Smoke Sect, for whom Wang Yulou has already prepared a pledge of allegiance, are capable of turning against the Heavenly Serpent Sect.

However, for most ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, switching sects means losing their future and facing the extinction of their family.

The rules of a sect are not like a dinner party, and they have no regard for personal relationships.

Wang Yulou's ability to navigate complex situations had little to do with interpersonal relationships; it was simply because he gradually became the most central and prominent prodigy of the Mangxiang lineage.

The conditions and status that Wang Yulou was able to obtain were unimaginable to others.

While Wang Yulou was lavishly arranging for the young warriors to shine in numerous frontline positions and contribute to the sect, those who lacked the ability to do so, or the ability to secure their own positions, were forced to drift away in the tide of the times.

Kindness, as a criterion for evaluation, is meaningless in the context of power struggles within a sect.

As the leader of the counter-offensive at the front, Wang Yulou could certainly be kind, but the consequences would be another matter entirely.

If one more person lies dead in the rear, Wang Yulou will send his own men to the front lines to burn them. When he burns his own men until their morale collapses, he himself may be put on the altar.

His opponents, his future opponents, are all beasts, no, they are even more beastly than beasts.

He has neither the ability nor the right to carry on with his hypocrisy to the end.

In fact, this is part of the spiritual practice; those who cannot accept this pre-designed order will simply disappear in silence.
-
The war began, but Wang Yulou naturally didn't need to worry about command.

He was sent to oversee the counter-offensive at the front, not to be a slave to his work every day.

The real commander of this counterattack was Jiang Baobian—a member of the Fuyan faction, albeit a peripheral one, though Jiang Baobian's ancestor was indeed from the Fuyan school.

Entrusting this specific command position to Jiang Baobian was the optimal choice. While it was true that Chiang Kai-shek drove the Dragon Tiger Battalion to their deaths, ultimately it was Wang Yulou's skillful leadership that made the difference.

Old Jiang is failing miserably, and the front lines are collapsing badly. Wang Yulou can use this as an opportunity to torture him. At the same time, the collapse of the front lines and the deaths of a large number of Red Lantern cultivators also meet the requirements of the patriarch.

This great war, which lasted for fifty years, was truly special.

Inside the Jade Palace, the red lanterns illuminated the two Purple Mansions in the center, along with Wang Yulou, Yan Siyuan, and others, who gathered together, cultivating and chatting while waiting for the progress of the counterattack.

However, Guo Baichi looked at Wang Yulou with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Yu Lou, not bad, hahaha, you're showing the aura of a great cultivator."

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Li Haikuo changed the subject.

Xiao Guo, watch your expression and control your emotions. Wang Yulou will most likely open his Purple Mansion in the future.

Old Li is an interesting person. Even though Wang Yulou is only at the Foundation Establishment stage and he is at the Purple Mansion stage, he always treats Wang Yulou as a fellow cultivator.

I have great respect for them.

But Wang Yulou was very clear-headed; he never took this respect for granted and was always extremely careful when facing Li Haikuo.

The reason is not complicated. Although Li Haikuo opened the Purple Mansion with the support of Mang Xiang, it actually belonged to Miaofeng Mountain.

Miaofeng Mountain and Gushen Sect have been fighting for so many years, and now Miaofeng Mountain is the most powerful vassal sect within the Red Lantern Sect.

Old Li is probably not the master's battery.

In other words, Wang Yulou will be dealing with Lao Li for a long time to come.

In this process, he naturally had to maintain a good relationship with Lao Li.

After all, if Old Li weren't a battery, he would be the one who spent the most time in the Purple Mansion of the Great Heaven and Earth for the next one or two hundred years, or even two or three hundred years.

"It's not that bad. It's an honor for Yu Lou to be able to do something for the sect. As long as I can share the burden of the founder, I would be willing to die."

Yan Siyuan felt that he was far inferior to Wang Yuque.
"Haha, Yulou, you're too nervous. Come on, let's drink. But Jingyi, has her Purple Mansion not opened yet?"

While pouring wine for Wang Yulou, Li Haikuo casually inquired about Wang Jingyi's progress in opening the Purple Mansion.

"Yes, it hasn't been opened yet. Ancestor Jingyi's old injury from decades ago is very serious."

Nonsense, how could it not be serious? The Water Immortal Venerable secretly intervened through the Stone Ancestor, customizing a wave of injuries for Wang Jingyi.

It must be treated slowly, for at least a hundred years, before it can be cured.

"Oh, what a pity about Jingyi."

Although Lao Li said it was a pity about Jingyi, Wang Yulou noticed that his eyes subconsciously twitched towards Guo Baichi, but Lao Li immediately stopped him.

Xiao Wang, being a quick-witted person, immediately realized something was wrong.

That old bastard Li actually knows the inside story?

Wang Yulou rubbed his fingers against the wine glass, deciding to pretend he knew nothing.

However, we need to pay more attention to Lao Li in the future.

Although Li Haikuo is weak, he is at least a legitimate Purple Mansion, not a mere empty promise made by Mang Xiang Enqing.

"Of course we should do our best to serve our ancestor. Even if we get injured, it's not a big deal."

Our Wang family has followed our ancestor for over a thousand years, and we are now at the crucial moment when he attained the Golden Elixir; naturally, we must risk our lives.

Old Li smiled and raised his glass.

"Haha, yes, we all have to fight to the death, everyone has to fight to the death! Let's drink this cup to the brim and wish for a successful counterattack!"

The great battle has begun, and countless cultivators on the front lines are fighting for their lives amidst blood and fire.

The disciples of the Red Lantern core were sitting in the Jade Palace at the back, drinking wine.

The immortals who initiated the war remained hidden behind the scenes, showing no intention of showing themselves.

Fate is unfair; it inflicts too much suffering on some, while it easily grants too much comfort to others.

Fate is also fair; as long as you work hard enough, even if fate tries to play tricks on you, you can still reap certain rewards.

Many of Wang Yulou's past efforts and plans failed, but through his relentless struggle, he reached a position where he would not suffer the consequences—although only temporarily, it was still a very good return.
-
Wang Yulou was able to avoid becoming a victim of Mang Xiang's ruthlessness because he did his job well.

The "good" in the eyes of the magpie is different from the ordinary "good." It is not good according to the standard of good or bad, but rather good enough to be 'powerful'.

For example, Mang Xiang was extremely satisfied with the arrangements made for the Dragon Tiger Camp.

He didn't care whether the counterattack failed or succeeded; as long as enough people died, it was a victory.

But taking advantage of the situation to strike at Fuyan's forces would be exactly what the patriarch wanted.

Yes, he might start external expansion after obtaining the Golden Elixir, but how can the safety of external expansion compare to internal struggle?

In internal strife, if Fuyan explodes, he wins; if Fuyan tolerates, he wins even more. Either way, he wins. How could the patriarch not like that?
The Red Lanterns launched a full-scale attack, having prepared for so long that many aspects were transparent to the Heavenly Serpent Sect.

The large-scale mobilization of cultivators and the obvious war preparations could not escape the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Serpent Sect within the Red Lantern Watch.

Even the big traitor from the Southern Ye Kingdom was right next to the Jade Palace. With the help of the Southern Ye family, many transfer orders were sent out from the Jade Palace, and before the Red Lantern cultivators who were supposed to receive them had even received them, the Heavenly Serpent Sect had already received them.

Of course, this cannot be blamed on Wang Yuque's incompetence; the blame should be placed on Jiang Baobian and Chiang Kai-shek, who were in actual command.

Unlike the Red Lantern Gang, the Heavenly Serpent Sect did not divide itself into three lines: north, central, and south. Instead, it established two general command centers.

The northern part was centered around the Ceresin sect, while the southern part was centered around the front-line headquarters.

The vanguard of the great counterattack, the cultivators of the Dragon Tiger Camp, soon arrived at the Southern Camp of the Heavenly Serpent Sect after leaving the front line of the Red Lanterns, where they met the commander of the Southern Camp, Gu Shen Qingyuan.

The former leader of the Heavenly Serpent Sect was exiled to the southern front to serve as a slave due to the unfavorable offensive in the great battle.

"You've chosen the right path by abandoning darkness for light."

The Red Lanterns' use of the pretext of a sect disciple going missing to wage war, forcing their own disciples to go to their deaths on the battlefield, is utterly laughable.

Gu Shenqingyuan rambled on for a bit about lofty principles, then didn't dare continue, because the Heavenly Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Gang were pretty much the same.

The Red Lanterns are only now beginning their offensive, while the Heavenly Serpent Sect has been launching offensives for fifty years, forcing at least 800,000,000 disciples to their deaths.
"Everyone can get a position as an inner disciple of the Heavenly Serpent Sect. Those who want to return to the sect to cultivate can go back to Heavenly Serpent Valley now."

If you are willing to stay on the front lines and help us spread the word, persuading the Red Lantern Cult members to abandon darkness and embrace the light, you can earn an extra income—you'll be paid the same treatment as a true disciple.

Fellow Daoists, what do you think?

Gu Shenqingyuan smiled and gave the Heavenly Serpent Sect's arrangements for these defecting Floating Smoke Sect disciples.

(End of this chapter)