Shangyuque

Chapter 201 When you return alive from the Ancestral Master, let's continue being brothers! (1.12 words)

Wang Yulou knew that Gu Qiyuan was telling the truth.

The price he paid for the intelligence was probably really right.

The Gu family is in the intelligence business, and Gu Qiyuan, as the semi-public ambassador of the Northern Demon Monk Holy Land to the Immortal Alliance, is even more eager to obtain key intelligence within the Immortal Alliance.

Moreover, the price of real and crucial information in the cultivation world is priceless.

It's safe to say that if Wang Yulou sold this intelligence, he would definitely make a fortune.

But disregarding Mang Xiang's attitude, Wang Yulou was actually incapable of earning this intelligence fee based solely on Gu Qiyuan's problem—he also didn't know why Mang Xiang continued the war even after attaining the Golden Elixir.

However, Wang Yulou certainly understood where the problem lay in what happened today.

Cultivating immortality? If Wang Yulou can't even understand this little scene, then why bother cultivating the Eight Immortals? He might as well go home and raise donkeys.

Wang Yulou looked at Old Li and smiled.

Under Wang Yulou's gaze, Lao Li awkwardly raised his glass and tactically drank water.

Old Li knew that Wang Yulou had received orders from Mangxiang to restrict Miaofeng Mountain and Tianshe, and to sacrifice those unusable people left behind by the Xuanzhuan Sect. Therefore, he went along with the situation and accepted the job of selling red lanterns introduced by Gu Qiyuan.

But Gu Qiyuan didn't know that.

In Lao Gu's eyes, Wang Yulou and Li Haikuo were incredibly audacious and had committed the "great crime" of selling red-light district lights for their own profit in order to obtain the sixth-grade Thousand Mile Fragrance Spirit Seed.

That's why he dared to try and see if he could find out Mang Xiang's intentions from Wang Yulou.

Even though Wang Yulou is incredibly audacious, he's not a true Purple Mansion cultivator yet, and his vision might not be that broad. If we can actually pry some crucial information out of him, Old Gu will have struck it rich.

That scoundrel Lao Li is a real scoundrel; he even fooled Lao Gu.

Gu Qiyuan was even worse. He didn't take Wang Yulou seriously. He pretended to treat her as an equal, sending her spiritual tea and hosting a banquet, but in reality, he was just fooling Wang Yulou like an idiot.

What 'Jade Palace Immortal'? Believing in him is just plain stupid.

Do you think they're being respectful to you?

Wrong, they're just treating you like an idiot!
Of course, even though Lao Li is a scoundrel who sells out Wang Yulou, and Lao Gu is an old beast who treats Wang Yulou like a fool, it doesn't mean that Wang Yulou can righteously sever ties with these two despicable creatures.

It's unnecessary, and it shouldn't be.

Among the great cultivators of this era, few are truly naive and innocent. Under the systemic order of violence, figures like Feng Jianxian and Mo Yunshu have long been swept away by the tides of time.

Productivity determines relations of production. Great cultivators, whose power resides in the individual, possess irreplaceable means of production and formidable productivity, thus giving rise to the treacherous contemporary order of the cultivation world.

No matter how absurd this system of order is, Wang Yulou still has to accept it, given his limited power and insufficient productivity.

This requires specific analysis of specific situations, and the methodology of practice must be combined with reality.

Moreover, Xiaoyu once stated explicitly that "those below the Golden Core stage are naturally lifeless, while those above the Golden Core stage are not lifeless at all."

It's difficult, but we still have to go.

Faced with Qi Yuan Zhenren's probing, Wang Yulou put down his wine cup, first pointing at Gu Qilang, then at the gate.

At such a business banquet, Uncle Qilang, as the last guest, naturally dared not get drunk. When Wang Yulou asked him to leave, he didn't dare to say another word and left with his tail between his legs.

Old Li's eyebrows twitched, and his heart suddenly leaped from his chest to his throat—Xiao Wang, you can't do that, can you?

You can't, can you?

Aren't you just being ridiculous?
"Does Master Qiyuan really want to know the reason?"

Wang Yulou ignored the sweating Old Li and instead smiled at Gu Qiyuan.

Why is Old Li sweating profusely?
He belongs to the group of peddlers like Wang Yulou, who freeloaded off the wood-elemental spiritual energy of Gu Family Manor, a very despicable place, but not very daring—otherwise, he wouldn't have been so cautious in his previous collaboration with the Red Lanterns.

Although Lao Li didn't explicitly tell Wang Yulou his ulterior motives beforehand, he believed that Wang Yulou could maintain his usual high level of performance and wouldn't actually fall into a trap.

But now, from the moment Xiao Wang raised his hand to let Gu Qilang leave, Lao Li's neck was grabbed by Xiao Wang.

Heartbreaking!

Xiao Wang, you must be loyal, you must hold on!

"It's not that I want to know, but many fellow Daoists in the Red Lantern Sect have doubts in their hearts. Alas, Yu Lou, you are not in charge, so how would you know how difficult things are for us?"

Over the years, everyone has been gritting their teeth and tightening their belts to make ends meet, and they haven't been able to get enough to eat!
The sooner we stop fighting, the sooner we can feel at ease. Besides, I actually have some small collaborations with the trading houses within the sect.

Yingxi did a good job as the steward of the contract shop, running it very successfully, but the fluctuations in the prices of those goods were ultimately closely linked to the war.

As he spoke, Old Gu personally picked up the wine pot and poured wine into the half-empty wine cup in front of Wang Yulou.

The fact that Master Zifu poured you wine, and that it was Master Qiyuan, the well-known intelligence whiz of the Immortal Alliance, shows how exceptionally high your treatment was.

When faced with Xiao Wang's question, Gu Qiyuan dodged the question, revealing his guilty conscience to the fullest extent.

Those unaware of his guilty conscience would simply assume, upon hearing his words, that Old Gu intended to use the Gu family's resources to collaborate with Wang Yulou and profit from the sect's trading workshop.

But what Lao Gu was really eyeing was the firsthand information about the war that Wang Yulou might have. The vague arbitrage cooperation invitation was just a smokescreen.

“I understand. In fact, this matter is different from what most people think. It is hard to guess what the patriarch is thinking. I have been learning from the patriarch for a long time before I have some clues.”

Xiao Wang treated Lao Gu as a normal person and actually drank the wine Lao Gu poured for him—he had to accept the sugar-coated bullet first.

Seeing that Wang Yulou really intended to sell the patriarch's inside information, Gu Qiyuan was itching to get his hands on it and immediately poured Wang another cup.

“Fellow Daoist Yuque, I have heard that your Wang clan is skilled in wood magic. Although the sixth-grade Thousand Mile Fragrance Seed is also a wood-type spiritual object, it is still a dual-nature of earth and wood.”

Well then, since we've met so late in life, I'll give you a seventh-grade parasol tree that lasts all year round.

This is the best tree-shaped spiritual object among wood-type spiritual objects, and the parasol tree flowers it produces throughout the four seasons are even a seventh-grade precious medicine for alchemy.

The seasonal charms it produces are of the finest quality, effective in every way.

Old Gu made up some ridiculous reason and immediately said that as long as the information was available, he would offer up a seventh-grade spiritual item.

Spiritual objects are different from spiritual materials. Spiritual materials are something that are used up and then gone; they cannot be produced again if left there.

The spiritual objects contain the essence of heaven and earth. The seventh-grade Qin Yun Qingxi can produce a variety of spiritual materials, including Qin Yun, the seventh-grade Qingxi Mingshi, and the ninth-grade Qingxi Lingquan water.

As a seventh-grade spiritual object, the Four Seasons Wutong is similar to the Qin Yun Qingxi, with the Four Seasons Wutong flower and the Four Seasons Fengyun Yun being its two best products.

Counting down, those at the eighth rank have fallen branches and bark of the Four Seasons Wutong tree, and all the way up to the ninth rank, they can also produce a large quantity of Four Seasons Wutong leaves for making talismans.

It can be said that the cultivation resources produced by this seventh-grade Four Seasons Wutong tree alone are more than all the eighth and ninth-grade spiritual objects in the Wang family's mountain combined.

The Four Seasons Phoenix Tree is already so extraordinary, so what will happen after the Grade Six Thousand Mile Fragrance, which was obtained by selling thousands of miles of territory in the northern frontier, is cultivated?

This is the value of cultivating a true genius in the cultivation world who can uphold the family's honor.

"Haha, okay, actually."

As if blinded by greed, Xiao Wang readily accepted Gu Qiyuan's sweet talk and immediately began to reveal his "master's inside information."

"Alas, Yu Lou, how dare you and I presume to comment on the war between sects!"

Old Li finally couldn't hold back any longer and jumped out in a panic to stop it.

Xiao Wang, Xiao Wang, did you do this on purpose?
“Fellow Daoist Hai Kuo, you are mistaken. True Person Qi Yuan is also a True Person within the sect. We are all on the same side, so there is nothing we cannot say.”

Wang Yulou looked at Old Li with a smile, his eyes full of mockery.

Old Li, you sold me out, expecting me to follow the rules? No problem, I, Wang Yulou, will follow the rules.

But it's not appropriate for you to not give me any advance notice, is it?

Xiao Wang's current status is such that even if he does nothing, he will be constantly watched.

I've encountered countless instances of people trying to use me as a figurehead or a front.

He's been through this kind of thing many times, so he has his own set of coping strategies.

Li Haikuo's actions may not be 'very serious' in terms of severity, but Wang Yulou could not tolerate Li Haikuo's practice of not giving prior notice.

This is disrespectful. Gu Qiyuan's dog, Gu Qilang, calls Wang Yulou "Jade Palace Immortal," and Gu Qiyuan pours wine for Wang Yulou; in essence, it is still disrespectful.

While it may seem like they're having fun with Wang Yulou, they're actually just treating him like a junior and fooling him.

However, Wang Yulou could not angrily grab Li Haikuo by the collar and tell him that he should respect her, just as he could not treat Gu Qiyuan in the same way.

That would be a disaster.

Therefore, he chose to go with the flow and adopted a roundabout tactic, which proved equally effective.

"Yu Lou, you just love to joke around, hahaha."

Gu Qiyuan, that old fox, was incredibly cunning. Of course, he realized what had happened from the way Wang Yulou looked at Li Haikuo.

With a laugh, Master Qiyuan generously replied.

"However, you still have to accept the Four Seasons Wutong. Consider it a favor I owe you for the matter in the Northern Frontier."

"I'll repay Fellow Daoist Haikuo with the Gu Family Manor, and for yours, I'll repay with the Four Seasons Wutong Tree. How about that?"

Having already treated Wang Yulou like an idiot, Xiao Wang earned Lao Gu's respect through his own means, and Lao Gu chose to go with the flow.

Since I promised to give it to you, then I'll give it to you. It's just a phoenix tree that lasts all year round.

As a seasoned veteran of the Purple Mansion, Gu Qiyuan was not short of this small amount of money.

Moreover, Old Gu did obtain a Rank 6 Thousand Mile Fragrance Spirit Seed from the Valley God's family.

More importantly, in Lao Gu's own mind, he had previously looked down on Wang Yulou.

In his view, Wang Yulou was somewhat special in her childhood, and almost called Danri "Mom".

But later, he even sold out Wang Jingyi. He was the kind of stupid person who was both clueless and unscrupulous, and he seemed to be getting more and more useless as he got older.

So he designed a small reception procedure for Wang Yulou and even instructed Gu Qilang to call Wang Yulou "Jade Palace Immortal" to fool the idiot.

Looking back now, Lao Gu realizes that he might have been the idiot.

Wang Yulou didn't intend to harm Wang Jingyi, but rather he may have calculated that Mang Xiang would slaughter all of his disciples in the Zifu sect—this is possible, and the possibility is quite high.

From this perspective, Xiao Wang's actions just now are quite interesting.

While they weren't exactly polite and courteous, they certainly had their methods, which Old Gu naturally had to take seriously, trying their best not to offend him.

"Then thank you, Master Qiyuan. As for why the war should continue, I have some immature personal observations, which I will share for your consideration."

Upon hearing Wang Yulou say "personal observation," Li Haikuo didn't stop him, but silently pondered how to get along with Wang Yulou in the future.

After being casually teased by Xiao Wang, Lao Li knew how smooth Xiao Wang was.

Of course, he should respect someone like Xiao Wang.

Gaining respect may not seem to have any visible value, but there are things called 'intangible assets' and 'influence'.

These two things often lack specific numerical values, yet they represent real-world needs that participants within any organizational system cannot avoid throughout their lives.

"Two aspects: First, the seven True Men, including Xuanzhuan and Danri, have died, and the outer disciples of Hongdengzhao have all perished."

Sects need fresh blood, and war can forge a new generation of sect core forces.

However, hastily withdrawing the cultivators from the front lines would give the Heavenly Serpent Sect an opportunity. While it's easy to negotiate things with the higher-ups, the promises made in the negotiations may not be credible.

Fighting and losing are for the purpose of a better ceasefire.

Secondly, the patriarch has already attained enlightenment, and that true man has been hiding from the beginning until now. The patriarch is very satisfied, but also not satisfied.

What to do next is a question; an internal war within the Immortal Alliance might be a viable option.

Maintaining the state of war will facilitate the patriarch's subsequent arrangements.

That's pure nonsense. Wang Yulou understands the wild elephant too well.

In order to attain enlightenment, Mangxiang killed Xuanzhuan and Danri, both of whom had followed him for thousands of years.

Such a person is terrifyingly rational. How could he possibly start an internal war within the Immortal Alliance after just attaining the Golden Core stage?
Previously, when the Patriarch tore the melon, he was essentially applying pressure, not genuinely intending to fight that hard.

It's all about tactics and strategies, but the old tricks of internal warfare are absolutely unplayable for the current Mengxiang.

As for the reason that "losing a loss is for a better ceasefire," it was simply a reason given by Xiao Wang based on the cooperation between the three.

When to stop the war is up to the patriarch; Xiao Wang never thought he could influence that matter.

As the saying goes, "Those in positions of power should fulfill their duties." For the young king, the longer the fighting goes on, the more he, the king, will feast.

With Yi Zouri and Zou Tianxing keeping an eye on him, Xiao Wang might not be able to eat it himself.

But it is enough that his subordinates, his faction, can occupy a favorable position in the new Red Lanterns in the post-Mangxiang era.

In short, Xiao Wang let out two incredibly smelly farts, which made Li Haikuo and Gu Qiyuan seem thoughtful.

This is called treating the symptoms; who told those two bastards to like this kind of thing?
If Wang Yulou really said he didn't know, the two of them might think that Wang Yulou didn't take them seriously.

Wang Yulou used nonsense to fool them, yet they could still enjoy themselves with a clear conscience—this is how the Purple Mansion is, this is the blessing of the great cultivators of the Purple Mansion.

Above them are Golden Core cultivators, and below them are eager newcomers. If the situation changes even slightly, the Purple Mansion will cry out in alarm. They may seem like great cultivators, but they are actually more like the so-called middle class in the world where Wang Yulou lived in his previous life.

The actual control of the means of production is in the hands of the Golden Core cultivators. The Purple Mansion cultivators are worth bribing, which is why they were put on the table. However, this does not fundamentally change the fact that their strength is far inferior to that of the Golden Core cultivators.

Strength determines everything, but the strength of the Purple Mansion cannot determine everything, so it's no wonder that people are anxious and worried.

Of course, another reason for Lao Gu's considerations was his identity as the head of intelligence and the ambassador of the demonic monk.

After the three of them chatted for a long time, Gu Qiyuan finally let Wang Yulou go.

However, Li Haikuo's fire pearl was indeed difficult to refine. Old Li had prepared four sets of materials for the refining process, hoping for a one in four chance.

"Is your natal magic weapon so special that there's absolutely no way to have someone else refine it for you?"

While processing the materials with Lao Li, Wang Yulou asked a question.

In his opinion, if Old Li had so little confidence in himself, there was no need to go to the great expense of refining it by hand. He could have found a weapon refiner to refine the embryo, and then he could further transform it into his natal magic weapon.

"Yes, but you can refine it yourself little by little, so you won't have to depend on others when you refine it in the future."

Upon hearing Lao Li's explanation, Wang Yulou's expression turned sour; he realized something was amiss.

"Does that mean that all Grandmasters of the Purple Mansion realm can refine magic weapons?"

Li Haikuo was well aware of Wang Yulou's concerns, and he explained.

"Yes and no. Once a natal magic weapon is completely refined by a cultivator, even if the later refinement is not very successful, it will not be easily ruined."

Therefore, the cultivation level required to refine a natal magic weapon is not too high, and many great cultivators do not rely on natal magic weapons.

After all, the spiritual treasures and immortal artifacts refined by those immortals with extraordinary attainments in the Dao of Refining are far superior to the magical treasures refined by ordinary Purple Mansion Golden Core cultivators.

If you want to earn spirit stones through cultivation after opening your Purple Mansion, you'll probably have to start from the very bottom and accumulate them little by little.

In the trade of spiritual artifacts, low-grade spiritual artifacts cannot fetch a price. In the trade of magic treasures, the vast majority of magic treasures cannot fetch a price. Only top-grade magic treasures and spiritual treasures can command a price.

The reason why people still use natal magic weapons is that these things can grow together with us, and for most ordinary Purple Mansion and Golden Core cultivators, it is still necessary to refine them.

Wang Yulou nodded slightly but did not speak.

That's the situation: the squeeze of backward productive forces by advanced productive forces exists in any social system.

At the Foundation Establishment stage, this kind of pressure corresponds to the fact that low-grade spiritual artifacts are worthless.

At the Purple Mansion and Golden Core levels, the vast majority of magical treasures are worthless—which is counterintuitive. Why would a magical treasure be worthless?

But this is the fact.

Perhaps initially, ordinary magical artifacts were quite valuable, but as the overall world order stabilized over a long period, and the old men at the top stopped clearing them out, they were able to rely on their long-standing accumulation to squeeze out the market space for ordinary magical artifacts with higher-level production.

As for why not compete with Qi Refining stage weapon refiners for jobs?

Mosquito legs, not worth it.

The Grand Cultivator takes 90%, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator takes 80%, the Qi Refining Cultivator takes 1.78%, and the remaining 0.2-0.3% belongs to the Qi Induction Cultivators.

The beastly nature of the patriarch can be seen from this.

He initially gained immense favor by finding ways to increase his own wealth from that small amount, and managed to make a huge difference.

Why is the sky three feet high?
Because the soil has been thinned by scraping!

With 98% of the resources taken by Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, and Golden Core cultivators, the remaining market is naturally not something that great cultivators would bother to research.

For example, Wang Yulou has already obtained a sixth-grade Thousand Mile Fragrance Spirit Seed before he even reached the Purple Mansion stage, which can be transformed into a sixth-grade spiritual object in the future.

In addition, I also got a seventh-grade four-season parasol tree from Lao Gu.

The combined value of these two magical items exceeds the total income of the Wang family over its 1,300-year history.

Of course, not all of these can be preserved; they still need to pass the test of the patriarch.

It was difficult, but Wang Yulou had already risen above countless low-level cultivators.

However, the path to transcendence is too high and too far to reach, and he still has a long way to go.

The crafting of the magical artifact alone, just the processing and refining of the auxiliary spiritual materials, took the two of them more than three days.

This is just the processing of one batch of materials. If the refining fails, it will take another three days or more to process the next batch of materials.

The reason it's so slow is because the auxiliary materials for magic weapons start at grade eight.

Starting with rank 8, many are rank 7, and some are rank 6. The main material is also a complete and rare rank 6 spiritual material.

Putting everything else aside, the grass elephant glass eye that Li Haikuo used to refine the fire-attribute spirit pearl took him more than two days to pre-process.

The Grass Elephant is a special kind of monster. Although its name differs from the Wild Elephant by only one character, its strength is worlds apart.

However, it is still a genuine Purple Mansion Demon General, and its Grass Elephant Glass Eyes are top-quality water-attribute spiritual materials.

Yes, it's not a wood-based spiritual material, it's a water-based spiritual material.

Although the name "Grass Elephant" contains the character for "grass," it has nothing to do with the wood element. It is simply because the Grass Elephant is an aquatic mythical beast that lives in water and has aquatic plants growing on its body, hence the name "Grass Elephant."

Now that the materials were almost ready, Wang Yulou and Li Haikuo sat on either side of the 'Second-Order Red Lantern' they had rented from the Red Lantern Agency, ready to begin refining the magic weapon.

“Yu Lou, forty-three auxiliary spiritual materials. I had Lu Feng design the process. If we follow his design, there won’t be any major problems.”

Old Li's reminder startled Wang Yulou slightly; he hadn't expected to hear Lu Feng's name.

"Lu Feng? Lu Feng, the city lord of Lotus Immortal City?"

Wang Yulou had only dealt with Lu Feng once. This city lord of Lotus Immortal City was an outsider appointed by the Immortal Alliance, essentially a spy for the local forces. Lu Feng was easy to talk to, but he couldn't get anything done.

When Wang Yulou approached him, he wanted to use Lian Chengxian's misconduct as an excuse to change some personnel, transferring Foundation Establishment cultivators from Lotus Immortal City to the front lines of the two sects to help the Red Lanterns fight.

As a result, Lu Feng, like a non-stick pan, passed the ball back to Qiu Mile.

Qiu Mile chose to scam both sides, charging two hundred people each from the Heavenly Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Sect—a hefty fee that infuriated Wang Yulou to the point of turning green with rage.

Xiao Wang never expected that Lao Li's signature weapon was actually designed with the help of Lu Feng.

"Yes, he's from the Purple Mansion realm of Nine Aperture Valley, and his cultivation level is quite good,"

Among the ten sects of Wunan, many have good cultivation levels. Hongdengzhao and Tianshe Valley are considered average, while Fulongguan and Jiuqiao Valley are considered first-class.

Tian She Valley excels in encouraging its spirit beasts to reproduce, and its spirit beast breeding is unparalleled in Wunan.

Hongdeng Zhaoqiang excels at refining all kinds of precious pills. Didn't Lao Zhou refine a Blood Marrow Rejuvenation Pill that required sacrificing the entire clan?
After consuming the Blood Marrow Rejuvenating Pill, Yingxi's aptitude greatly improved, significantly increasing her chances of opening her Purple Mansion in the future.

Of course, whether or not it's opened or not, in this day and age, doesn't depend on individual talent, but on the intentions of those above.

No matter how talented you are, if you don't have anyone to support you, you might end up with the same treatment as an old-timer after you start working.

Even if you lack talent, as long as you have someone willing to support you, there are countless methods for opening the Purple Mansion in the long history of cultivation, and there's bound to be one that suits you.

"Understood. Let's begin. The first auxiliary spiritual material, Azure Pool Lead, shall I handle it?"

Xiao Wang was very confident in handling the eighth-grade spiritual material. He wouldn't dare say there would be absolutely no problem, but he was pretty much 99% sure.

This is also why Old Li needs to find someone to help him refine magic weapons; having an assistant can greatly reduce his workload.

The reason we don't seek out the Purple Mansion is because its appearance fee is too expensive, starting at 10,000 spirit stones a day and consuming a significant amount of lifespan!

Refining a natal magic weapon for a month or two can yield nearly a million spirit stones. If it explodes twice in the process, Old Li's face will turn green with loss.

“Sure, you can keep practicing those seventh and eighth grade ones. I’ll take over when you run out of energy.”

Wang Yulou's mastery of alchemy is among the highest level of Foundation Establishment weapon refiners, so Old Li is naturally at ease.

The second-level red light is a special tool for red light detection.

Just like the red lanterns in the spirit weapon stage, there are several types of red lanterns. The first-tier ones are entry-level, while the second-tier ones are top-quality magic weapons.

The third tier is a spiritual treasure, and the fourth tier is a high-grade spiritual treasure.

The fifth-tier artifact is a celestial weapon; there's only one, and it's in the hands of that old man, Zhuzhao.

For Lao Li's needs, a second-tier top-grade magic weapon, the Red Lantern, would be sufficient.

Even if he were to reach a higher level, he and Wang Yulou might not be able to utilize it effectively.

A deeper red lantern flame, even more profound than the flame of a red candle, was drawn from the second-tier red lantern and swirled within the Five Elements Furnace of the Magic Treasure Refining Furnace on Miaofeng Mountain.

The Five Elements Furnace is the treasure of Miaofeng Mountain, but it is actually only a low-level magic weapon, as the main materials used are all sixth-grade spiritual materials.

The truly valuable magical treasures have all been collected by the three True Immortals of Miaofeng Mountain and will not be kept within the sect for others to use.

It's nothing special, but it might have some advantages in harmonizing the five elements.

But all magic weapon-grade refining furnaces have this function; they are used simply because they are sufficient and easy to use.

Even the best equipment is beyond Li Haikuo's budget.

Another day and a half later, in the weapon-refining room of the Gu Family Manor, the lights flickered, and the auxiliary spiritual materials were finally almost processed.

"Yu Lou, you've used thirty-seven auxiliary spiritual materials in a row without a single mistake. How is that possible?"

Li Haikuo's shock was genuine; he was nearly five hundred years old and, even if he wasn't an expert in alchemy, he had learned a lot while researching his natal magic weapon.

The ability to process thirty-seven auxiliary spiritual materials continuously without a single mistake is unparalleled, not only in Wunan but also within the entire Immortal Alliance.

He had actually wanted to stop Wang Yulou for a long time, just waiting for Wang Yulou to explode once, but Wang Yulou refined for two days and one night without making a single mistake.

How could Old Li not be moved?
"Hahaha, good luck, good luck. As for the remaining sixth-grade auxiliary spiritual materials, I can't help you with them."

Xiao Wang smiled modestly.

In fact, any Foundation Establishment stage weapon refiner of similar skill level to Xiao Wang can achieve the effect of processing thirty-seven seventh or eighth grade auxiliary spiritual materials without them exploding.

However, they lack Wang Yulou's Ruyi Golden Light, and when they try to perform, they are often more tense, making it difficult for them to achieve the theoretical level.

Xiao Wang was confident, so he wasn't afraid to refine it, and in the end, he was able to effortlessly process all thirty-seven auxiliary spiritual materials in a row.

During this process, the Ruyi Golden Light seemed to remain still, but it played an indispensable role—giving Wang Yulou confidence and assurance.

“It’s alright, I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” Li Haikuo said.

Wang Yulou was actually capable of handling sixth-grade spiritual materials, but his magical power and divine sense were somewhat lacking.

Sixth-grade spiritual materials contain abundant and active spiritual energy; if handled carelessly, they can easily be destroyed during the refining process.

Therefore, it would be most convenient for Li Haikuo, who has the cultivation level of Purple Mansion, to handle this.

Old Li, who had been waiting on the sidelines for two days, refined his first sixth-grade auxiliary spiritual material, named Black Water Marrow, which looked like a transparent black jelly.

Looking at the black water marrow enveloped by the red lantern's spiritual fire, Wang Yulou fell into memories.

This item has some connection with Wang Yulou.

When he first met Feng Jianxian, Jianxian chose to speak out against injustice because he saw Qiu Lianpu coveting the Blackwater Pit, a sixth-grade spiritual treasure that rogue cultivators might know about.

Blackwater marrow is a product of the Blackwater Pit, a sixth-grade spiritual object.

Furthermore, the Liu family of Zhuoshuitan is called the Liu family of Zhuoshuitan because they control an eighth-grade Zhuoshui Pit. The turbid spiritual water in the Zhuoshui Pit is an excellent material for making talismans.

Now that Feng Jianxian is dead, the Liu family of Zhuoshui Pit has become a major force under the Jade Palace Sect, while Old Li has started refining sixth-grade Black Water Marrow as an auxiliary material for his magic weapon.

The pull of fate seemed faint, and as Wang Yulou pondered, he could only feel that things had changed and people were no longer the same.

Time flies so fast. It seems like only a short time has passed, yet I already have so many old friends.
"Wait, Lao Li, it's going to explode!"

There was no time for sentimentality; Old Li had almost destroyed the Black Water Marrow.

The first thing Old Li took on was a big one. Wang Yulou's eyesight was so good that he could even see the sweat on Old Li's forehead.

He hesitated for a moment, then began to consider.

Old Li, the last Purple Mansion of the Mangxiang lineage, may become the backbone of the Purple Mansion of the Mangxiang lineage in the future. Moreover, he has three Purple Mansions from Miaofeng Mountain behind him, so he also holds a position within the Red Lantern Sect.

Win them over!

Demonstrate value!
With divine sense probing out and magical power surging, the spiritual fire, under Wang Yulou's control, approached the piece of black water marrow pulsating with spiritual energy.

"Old Li, you've only been practicing for a short while and you've already reached this level. You must be unable to control it no matter how hard you try. Let me try!"

Old Li, you're useless, let me do it!
What made the domineering King Yuque choose to shower favors on the 500-year-old Mediterranean boy?
Because he's worth it!

Old Li may seem useless, but he has opened a new Dharma Cave Heaven Purple Mansion that is recognized by everyone. His natal magic weapon is based on a sixth-grade grass elephant glass eye, and he prepares four of them at a time.

True strength lies in the details. Beneath the frugal and extravagant demeanor of Lao Li lies the true status and potential of a person of high standing.

Old Li, who was almost unable to control the surging spiritual energy within the Black Water Marrow, noticed the Red Lantern Spiritual Flame controlled by Wang Yulou and did not hesitate.

Let's try anything, even if it's a hopeless situation. I'm really useless anyway.

"Answer it quickly!"

Li Haikuo first gave a reminder, then controlled the spiritual fire in the furnace and threw the Black Water Marrow to the spiritual fire controlled by Wang Yulou.

The two people's spiritual senses touched in mid-air, supported by the physical spiritual fire. This sensation was similar to that of dual spiritual cultivation.
However, Wang Yuque was already eighty-seven years old, and Li Haikuo was nearly five hundred years old. Although they were slightly embarrassed, neither of them took it seriously.

In the grand arena of spiritual practice, you might encounter all sorts of absurd and trivial matters; without a strong core, you can't remain calm.

This is just an unexpected and trivial matter; you can ignore it, since it won't happen again.

"Old Li, haven't you ever tried processing sixth-grade spiritual materials separately before?"

"I tried it. It went quite smoothly."

Li Haikuo spoke sullenly, explaining that he had been somewhat careless because he had been influenced by Wang Yulou's successful handling of thirty-seven spiritual materials in a row.

"Don't get distracted. Try to control it. Even if it explodes, it's not a big deal. I have spare Black Water Marrow."

Worried that Wang Yulou might not have enough control over his consciousness, Old Li reminded him.

However, his worries were completely unnecessary for Wang Yulou, who had the mysterious Ruyi scepter as a guarantee.

The Ruyi Golden Light is consumed slowly, but its effects are outstanding.

Wang Yulou had forgotten how many years it had been since he last used the Ruyi Golden Light. Now that he could easily guarantee that he wouldn't lose money when refining high-grade spiritual weapons, he had been hoarding the Ruyi Golden Light and hadn't used it much.

Therefore, the gold content of each small section of this Ruyi Golden Light tube is terrifyingly high.

However, since this was his first time dealing with a sixth-grade spiritual material, he was somewhat straining his divine sense and magical power, so he still needed the help of the Ruyi Golden Light.

A moment later, Old Li stared dumbfounded at the black water marrow that was gradually stabilizing inside the furnace. He blinked several times before asking incredulously.

"You've got it under control? Yu Lou, how did you do that?"

In his surprise, he even forgot to call out "Fellow Daoist Yuque".

But of course, Xiao Wang wouldn't blame him.

“What matters to Brother Haikuo is also my matter, and I will naturally do my best to help.”

"But now is not the time to talk. Brother Haikuo, do you have any elixirs to enhance spiritual sense? My spiritual sense is still a bit lacking."

The level of magical power is crucial. It is extremely difficult for someone in the Foundation Establishment stage to control the processing of sixth-grade spiritual materials. However, if his divine sense is sufficient, and with the Ruyi Golden Light providing support, Wang Yulou is still confident that he can handle it.

Divine consciousness is related to the level of control over magical power. When divine consciousness is strong and stable enough, one can better control and mobilize magical power.

The same applies to magical duels. With the same cultivation level and magical power, the one with stronger spiritual sense can more efficiently mobilize their own techniques, thus gaining an advantage in the duel.

Wang Yulou's consciousness began cultivating when he started tracing the Gui water energy of the meridians.

After becoming the unsung commander of two front-line operations, he reached the point where whatever he wanted could appear in his hands within moments, not the next day.

Therefore, his spiritual sense continued to improve. Now, among Foundation Establishment cultivators, although Xiao Wang is not old, in terms of the strength of his spiritual sense alone, he is top-notch.

"Take the Golden Elixir of Divine Transformation."

With a pained expression, Old Li tossed Yu Lou a 'Golden Bowl Pill'. From the Golden Bowl Deficiency-Replenishing Pill to the Golden Bowl Foundation-Building Pill, the Golden Bowl Pill in the Red Lantern Hall is a signature product.

The Golden Elixir of Divine Transformation is a unique item among their signature products. One pill is enough to refresh the mind and greatly enhance one's spiritual sense. Two pills will directly and significantly improve one's spiritual sense. Three pills would be too much for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to handle.

This thing is an extremely useful spiritual pill for enhancing consciousness when breaking through barriers, cultivating supernatural powers, or engaging in magical battles.

Old Li only had seven Golden Necklace Divine Transformation Pills, which were the old savings he had slowly accumulated when he was a renowned Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator in Wunan.

After swallowing a golden pill, Yu Lou's fate was still in the hands of fate—after all, this was not a real golden pill.

However, his spiritual awareness suddenly surged by about 25%.

"How long can it last again?"

"Four hours, but don't feel pressured. I can actually handle sixth-grade spiritual materials; I just made a mistake just now."

Under the red glow of the lanterns, Old Li's face was flushed, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

A cultivator in the Purple Mansion stage needed Wang Yulou, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, to come to the rescue while refining his natal magic weapon.

There was no way around it; he had devoted himself entirely to cultivation back then, and while he was skilled in auxiliary arts, he was indeed not proficient in refining the Dao.

“Enough!” Wang Yulou said confidently in a deep voice.

Because he noticed that with the surge in his divine sense, his control over the spiritual fire and the black water marrow had directly reached a new level.

The consumption of Ruyi Golden Light stopped completely, but it still did not affect the level of processing Black Water Marrow.

Two days later, Li Haikuo stopped talking.

He hadn't expected that Wang Yulou's "enough" meant that his cultivation level, once his divine sense was heightened, was sufficient to reliably handle sixth-grade spiritual materials.
Wang Yulou processed six Rank 6 auxiliary spiritual materials in a row without failing even once.

He didn't fail even once. You have to understand, Xiao Wang had never handled these sixth-grade spiritual materials before!
"Yu Lou, is the difference in cultivation level between different cultivators really that great?" Li Haikuo was truly seeking knowledge humbly.

Looking at the half-finished Ruyi Golden Light, Wang Yulou smiled bitterly to himself, but remained composed on the surface.

"Brother Haikuo, you may not know this, but from the very beginning of my cultivation of the Dao, I have never followed the old ways and followed the established methods. Instead, I have cultivated the path of refining artifacts based on the different properties of spiritual materials."

Over the years, I have crafted at least a thousand magical artifacts and spiritual weapons, if not two thousand, and I have processed hundreds of different types of spiritual materials.

Although I had never dealt with these sixth-grade auxiliary spiritual materials before, spiritual materials are just so-so once you've handled a lot of them. If your spiritual sense and cultivation level are high enough, you can handle them easily.

More importantly, this matter concerns the forging of Brother Haikuo's natal magic weapon; how could Yulou dare not risk his life?

After listening to Wang Yulou's explanation, Old Li realized the difference in talent between people. He shook his head and said...

"I'll take on the last six-grade grass elephant glass bead. I'll be more careful this time."

Wang Yulou nodded slightly in agreement.

"As it should be."

If Xiao Wang were to refine it again, it wouldn't be refining a natal magic weapon anymore.
However, it seemed that the contrast between his previous failure and Xiao Wang's success was too stark, so when Lao Li finally took the Fire Pearl magic weapon, he was extremely cautious and not careless at all.

In this way, it was accomplished in one fell swoop, and surprisingly, it was successful without any setbacks.

In less than a day, a red glass bead radiating intense heat leaped out of the Five Elements Furnace.

Li Haikuo held it in his hand, feeling the extreme heat contained within, and his old face beamed with joy.

"Haha, I guess it might be related to the fact that I kept this bead in the cave for a long time to cultivate its nature. It is familiar with me, and I am familiar with it, so the refining was so smooth."

A grotto-heaven, a grotto-heaven, yet another grotto-heaven.

The Cave Heaven Purple Mansion Technique, developed by the most outstanding cultivators in the cultivation world, is indeed extraordinary.

The only problem is that this method takes an incredibly long time to cultivate; most Foundation Establishment cultivators who attempt it will eventually die halfway through.

But once it's fully repaired, it's truly powerful.

"Congratulations, Brother Haikuo, your natal magic weapon is complete. Now, you can be considered one of the best in the Purple Mansion."

Every Purple Mansion has its own natal magic weapon, but when it comes to Old Li, it becomes the best.

Xiao Wang was being too kind; Lao Li was almost embarrassed to accept.

"Oh, please stop, Yulou. Don't you know my situation? This is too exaggerated."

Wang Yulou paid no attention, because the real highlight was after Old Li's magic weapon was completed.

They were in seclusion at the Gu Family Manor refining magical artifacts, while the great battle between the two sects outside was still raging.

"Haha, brother, we've been in seclusion for so long refining magical artifacts, we don't even know what the situation is like at the front. We should hurry out and take a look."

Old Li's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile.

"Yes, that's how it should be, that's how it should be."

To put it bluntly, their decision to go into seclusion to refine magical artifacts at this time was to give the Heavenly Serpent Sect a window of opportunity to launch a counterattack against the Northern Frontier.

Now it all depends on whether Gu Shenzong lives up to expectations.

"Hey, why are you taking so long to come out? Something's happened on the northern front!"

When Gu Qiyuan saw Wang Yulou and Li Haikuo emerge from the pass, he began to act anxiously.

“If something happens on the northern front, it has nothing to do with us. Yulou is responsible for guarding the central front, and I am only in charge of the central front.”

Old Li shook his face and began to talk nonsense in a serious tone.

Old Li and Gu Qiyuan are well aware of Xiao Wang's importance on the front lines; they are now purely acting and very dedicated.

However, Gu Qiyuan's expression was not quite right, and there was a very obvious sense of strangeness. He looked at Wang Yulou and said.

"We have lost 800 li of land on the northern front. The Heavenly Serpent Sect is almost at the Wolong River."

Logically speaking, this was a miscalculation by Jiang Baobian, which ruined the promising situation for the great counter-offensive, right?

After exchanging a glance with Li Haiping, Old Li nodded to Yulou.

My dear brother Yuque, rest assured, no matter what happens, I will support you.

The relationship is mutual. Since Xiao Wang put so much effort into refining his natal magic weapon, Lao Li was naturally willing to reciprocate.

After all, Xiao Wang is young, but his talents in all aspects are terrifyingly strong, so he is definitely worth befriending and winning over.

“Yes, we have lost eight hundred li of territory, and the situation for a counterattack is indeed not good. Master Qiyuan is right,” Wang Yulou nodded in reply.

He was already mentally prepared; he figured it wouldn't be good news.

"It was clearly that scoundrel Jiang Baobian who was incompetent, but for some reason, the patriarch summoned you."

Li Haikuo's expression changed.

Little Wang, the Patriarch is summoning you at this moment.
This is a big deal, I'm not quite ready to handle it.

Once you return alive from the patriarch's place, we'll continue to be brothers!
"Summon me? To return to the Red Lantern?"

Wang Yulou was somewhat puzzled, but not panicked.

Don't panic in front of Lao Li and Gu Qiyuan. In front of these two, Xiao Wang's persona is that of the patriarch's direct descendant, the most direct descendant of the direct descendants.

He felt a little numb, but not too scared.

Mang Xiang isn't a madman; he's just an old monster who's killed countless people. Overall, he's still rational, so he probably won't just kill himself, right?

"Yes, but it's not too urgent. The decree was delivered by a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Although Gu Qiyuan had tried his best to comfort them, anyone would know that it would be difficult to resist the call of the patriarch.

The great battle did not stop after the Patriarch attained enlightenment, and the counterattack was blocked again. At this time, the Patriarch summoned the Jade Pavilion.
The key point is that Wang Yulou's previous actions were based on 'understanding' the patriarch's meaning, not on actually following the patriarch's orders.

"Haha, alright. I was hoping to have another drink with you two fellow Daoists, but it seems there won't be that chance now."

After bidding farewell to Old Gu and Old Li, Wang Yulou did not return to the Jade Palace, but instead embarked on the road back to the Red Lantern City.

With unwavering loyalty in his heart and utterly unconventional conduct, he has nothing to fear.

This was, in fact, the first time Wang Yulou had ever faced a wild elephant directly.

(End of this chapter)