Shangyuque

Chapter 206 Eastern Demon Realm, Southern Demon Cave, Western Demon Kingdom, Northern Demon Monk: So, what is the Immortal Alliance? (1.12 million views, please vote!)
"Alliance Leader, I'll take some men out and meet them!"

"An old man suddenly feels the youthful vigor," said Guo Chengtai, who at three hundred years old is at the age where he dares to fight and take risks.

In this world of cultivation, those who can lie down have already done so. Those who cannot lie down, like Guo Chengtai, will burn until the very last moment, and that is all they can do.

He could burn anywhere, but Guo Chengtai chose Wang Yulou not because Wang Yulou could give him more, but simply because others didn't need a dog like him—there were too many geniuses, and job resources were scarce.

Wang Yulou pondered for a moment and then gave the order.

"Go, but don't kill anyone."

Guo Chengtai's heart tightened, and he immediately chose "understand" between "yes" and "obey orders".

"clear!"

Understand what?
"My lord, we are, after all, within the territory of the Great Tiantai Mountain."

Jin Mingdu reminded her with some concern that even a dog could understand Wang Yulou's tough stance, so of course she could understand it too.

Although Wang Yulou is already recognized by Qunxiantai as the vice leader of the Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Alliance is not a monolithic entity.

Even the Immortal Alliance Leader, Mang Xiang, wouldn't dare to offend a powerful local sect like Da Tiantai Mountain, which is extremely unique and has four Immortal Venerables.

The disciples from Datiantai Mountain clearly didn't harbor much ill will. Instead of playing it safe, Wang Yulou directly hinted to Guo Chengtai to make a move. In Jin Mingdu's view, this forceful approach was somewhat reckless.

"Zou Tianxing is an unlucky fellow, but he has been the head of the Red Lantern Gang for so many years, so his reminder is correct."

Mingdu, I reckon that even before I set out on my new post, I was already under the watchful eyes of the major powers.

Datiantai Mountain was the first to take the initiative to contact me. From now on, I will have to consider all aspects before making any move.

This time, it's the beginning. You are the same; you are my Daoist partner and also the direct descendant of the Ancestor.

Your words and actions might be used as intelligence and circulated covertly.

Mingdu's beautiful face froze slightly, and she was speechless as her worry intensified.

Previously, Wang Yulou was merely the frontline hidden chief of the Red Lantern Gang, yet he enjoyed the privilege of being studied day and night by Yi Zouri and his small group, and various intelligence about him was widely disseminated.

Even the fact that Wang Yulou's Daoist partner, Zhou Yingxi, loves to eat donkey intestines has been dug up!

What now?
The team researching Wang Yulou's life and deeds may have already begun to develop the Purple Mansion or even the Golden Core stage.
The Immortal Alliance, which had been stable for thousands of years, suddenly changed its rules, affecting the interests of everyone. How could everyone not pay attention to Wang Yulou?

It can be said that although Wang Yulou was in Wunan, he was actually standing at the very center of the Immortal Alliance stage.

Under the spotlight, a tough response becomes meaningful.

Guo Chengtai led a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators toward the inner disciples of Datiantai Mountain.

Standing at the forefront of the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun, Wang Yulou gazed silently southward at the location of the Azure Plain, his eyes seemingly filled with infinite meaning, which no one who came would be able to discern.

Fellow Daoists, have you seen the resolve of my King Yuque?
Wang Yuque's resolve was so strong that the faces of the six unlucky guys from Tiantai Mountain were slapped so hard they were swollen.

This was actually their good fortune. Wang Yuque ultimately didn't let Guo Chengtai kill him directly—the main reason being that killing him directly would be too idiotic, even if it expressed extreme toughness, it would still be idiotic, not that Wang's methods were soft.

Although the six of them were all quite skilled, compared to the Red Lantern Foundation Establishment cultivators who had honed their abilities in the great battle between the two sects, they were nothing more than fresh recruits, completely unstoppable.

"Speak, who instructed you to obstruct the Alliance Leader's imperial procession here?"

Guo Chengtai grabbed one of the men by the head, nearly tearing his hair off, and asked menacingly.

"Heh heh heh, it's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

Of course, Wang Yulou knew it was a misunderstanding. In order to show his strength as the deputy leader of the alliance, he could only use these six disciples from Datiantai Mountain as punching bags, because Wang Yulou was not sure if there would be any more suitable punching bags later.

Even Guo Chengtai knew it was a misunderstanding, but he had no choice but to obey Wang Yulou's orders.

Wang Yulou's actions here are logically consistent with his leadership in building a divine light group on the Mangxiang Qunxiantai.

Compared to Mangxiang, Shenguang's situation was special, so Mangxiang chose to bully Shenguang.

It's impossible for Da Tiantai Mountain to jump out and rant that the Immortal Alliance cannot implement reforms when the Mangxiang Reforms have already passed the Immortal Alliance's resolution and Wang Yulou has begun taking office.

Their men stopping Wang Yulou were probably not looking for trouble, but Wang Yulou needed them to be looking for trouble in order to reinforce his tough image.

After all, there are four immortal venerables on Mount Tiantai, and it's even harder to find a good 'opponent' than a Daoist partner.

Daoist partners and disciples are similar; you can find one anytime. But it's not easy to find a powerful opponent like Mount Tiantai who won't really turn against Wang Yulou.

"What misunderstanding? I think you're asking for trouble. Let me interrupt."

Wang Yulou did not call a halt, so Guo Chengtai tentatively prepared to break both legs first.

However, this place is, after all, the territory of the Great Tiantai Mountain, and these six disciples of the Great Tiantai Mountain had already activated two special sound transmission artifacts when they saw the Golden Crow rushing towards the sun.

Even before the sound arrived, it was the pale white light of Master Xizhu, the head of the Great Tiantai Mountain sect, that made his escape.

That vast expanse of white resembled a giant dragon soaring through the heavens, its magnificent spectacle causing the world to tremble.

As a senior member of the Purple Mansion, Master Xizhu was appointed as the sect leader of Mount Datiantai. This was not because Mount Datiantai was particularly powerful. While the Four Immortal Venerables were certainly formidable, they were not united.

Because there are many Immortal Venerables, there are also many Purple Mansions, which makes the internal strife in the Great Tiantai Mountain extremely fierce. Even the cultivators living in Lotus Immortal City, tens of thousands of miles away, regard the internal strife in the Great Tiantai Mountain as a source of amusement during their leisure time.

Under such circumstances, Mount Tiantai has made it rare for the sect to employ the Purple Mansion True Men in rotation as sect leaders.

The position of sect leader rotates, and next year it's your turn—you must accept it.

By having different factions take turns serving as sect leaders, they can help the unlucky Purple Mansion members of Mount Tiantai prolong their lives.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

Just as the dragon in the clouds was about to retreat before the sun rose, a gaunt, thin old man emerged from the dissipating clouds. He was none other than the Stream Bamboo Immortal of Mount Tiantai.

Upon seeing the old man arrive, even the most daring and aggressive Guo Chengtian knew to restrain himself. However, since Wang Yulou had not yet given the order, he ultimately did not allow his men to loosen their grip on the six disciples of Tiantai Mountain.

"Fellow Daoist Xizhu, I have long admired your name. I have even studied your 'Complete Explanation of Water Methods for Cultivating the Dao' before."

I never imagined we'd meet like this today.

Wang Yulou flew up from the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun and stood in mid-air. Although he was only wearing an ordinary magical robe, he was not afraid of Xi Zhu, whose cultivation was far stronger than his own.

Leader of the Immortal Alliance, do you think this is a joke?

The leader of the Immortal Alliance, appointed by a vote of hundreds of Immortal Venerables and more than two thousand Purple Mansions on the Immortal Platform, is the leader of the Immortal Alliance. Wang Yulou is not a specific employee, but a leader of the Immortal Alliance, serving the common interests of thousands of great cultivators in the Immortal Alliance.

Only by displaying the spirit of taking things for granted can we build momentum on our way to take office at Qunqingyuan and make a difference in future reforms.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Yuque, you're too kind. My cultivation level is still far, far behind. Let's not talk about anything else."
"Hmm, I shouldn't have brought that up. Could you please release these ill-mannered brats first?"

Xi Zhu was also a remarkable person. He was a well-known alchemy master in Wunan who devoted his life to the study of alchemy. He almost forgot his business after being praised by Wang Yulou.

"Cheng Tai, didn't you hear what Fellow Daoist Xi Zhu said? I asked you to inquire about the situation, and you act so arrogantly. What kind of behavior is this?"

The firm stance has been expressed, and those who needed to see it have probably seen it. Xi Zhu has arrived, so this farce should come to an end.

Old Guo promptly released the person, and Wang Yulou invited Master Xizhu to the reception room above the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun.

"Fellow Daoist, your sect's Immortal Venerable Xiaohu has some doubts about the reforms, and today he is here to stop me from taking office. What is the matter?"

The old man Xi Zhu smiled and took out a silver-white spoon from his bosom. The spoon had a restrained spiritual light and a profound magical charm, clearly a magical artifact, and a rather good one at that.

However, Xi Zhu stood up and personally handed the spoon to Wang Yulou.

"Fellow Daoist, what is this?"

Xiao Wang was a little confused. "Your Tiantai Mountain is quite interesting. Xiao Hu opposed the reforms at Qunxiantai, and Xi Zhu intercepted me on my way to my new post, offering me gifts."
“Fellow Daoist Yuque, my master is the Eastern Luoche Immortal Venerable. My master agrees to the reform.”

After the Red Lantern Sect - Heavenly Serpent Sect, the Great Tiantai Mountain Society will request you or your master to participate in the first batch of reform initiatives.

Four immortals from one family, fighting amongst themselves to the point where even a dog's brain would be ripped off.

In order to trick Xiao Hu, Dong Luo Che directly sent gifts to Wang Yu Lou, asking Wang Yu Lou to help him out.

Xi Zhu, who looked like an old man, bowed slightly, holding the magic weapon in both hands, waiting for Wang Yulou's decision.

Xiao Wang felt that Xiao Hu and Dong Luo Che of Da Tiantai Mountain were out of their minds. Why didn't they just separate and fight amongst themselves like this?

He wanted to refuse this mess, but it was a magic weapon handed to him.
Noticing the hint of hesitation in Wang Yulou's eyes, Master Xizhu of Tiantai Mountain quickly seized the opportunity to press his advantage.

"Ha, Fellow Daoist Yuque may not have heard of this item."

This little thing is called the "Heaven-Stealing Spoon," and it comes with a "Heaven-Stealing Spoon-Changing" refining method, which contains a corresponding array.

Once the Heaven-Stealing Spoon is placed in the formation, it can absorb the essence of heaven and earth, just as its name suggests. Depending on the spiritual energy and the spiritual energy, the Heaven-Stealing Spoon will gather a spoonful of the essence of the sun and moon at different speeds.

Fellow Daoist Yuque is also a cultivator of the Dao. The essence of the sun and moon stolen by the Heavenly Spoon is extremely pure and contains both Yin and Yang. It has the rank of sixth grade and can serve as an auxiliary material in the refining of most magical treasures, harmonizing all natures.

"A treasure bestowed upon a hero! Fellow Daoist Yuque, at eighty-seven years old, has already assumed the position of Vice Leader of the Immortal Alliance. He is truly the most extraordinary hero among the Four Extremes, Five Regions, and Eight Desolations. He is perfectly suited to be the owner of this Heaven-Stealing Ladle!"

Treasures are given to heroes, treasures are given to heroes.

Fellow Daoist Yuque is the most extraordinary hero among the Four Extremes, Five Regions, and Eight Desolations.

Xi Zhu's voice was as gentle as a stream flowing over a round stone, and his attitude was close to a kind of absurd flattery. The treasure he gave her was a special magical artifact that could be used to produce spiritual objects.

Magical artifacts are worthless (relative to the price of materials), but special magical artifacts are priceless.

When I read Journey to the West before, Wang Yulou didn't understand the plot where the Buddha had to give gifts to Laozi. The eighteen golden pills were probably the limit of the author's imagination as a short-lived being, but the gift-giving part seemed absurd from the perspective of the gods and Buddhas.

But now, the rare production-type magic weapon is held in Xi Zhu's hands, and a faint spiritual light appears and disappears, as if the Heaven-Stealing Spoon is calling to Wang Yulou.

Wang Yulou, stretch out your hand, and before you lies boundless wealth; stretch out your hand, and you can grasp it.

Stealing the heavens, stealing the heavens, heaven and earth compete with each other like cowards, only able to obediently be stolen under the Heaven-Stealing Spoon.

This seems to foreshadow a destiny that draws Jade Tower in, like a tempting demon that beckons people to fall, shouting, "Come, choose me, and I will give you endless wealth."

Wang Yulou's eyes were glazed over. He raised his hand and reached for the "Heaven-Stealing Ladle" that Xizhu was holding.

A hint of surprise appeared in Xi Zhu's eyes. They've already won them over?
However, Wang Yulou pushed Xizhu's hand away.

He looked up and met those astonished eyes. Wang Yulou finally smiled.

Endless wealth is good, but it's not all that good.

Just like love, love is very meaningful, but there are many other things that are equally meaningful or even more meaningful.

For those who live long, wealth is an illusion; cultivators who choose wealth over the future are destined to have no future.

“Fellow Daoist Xizhu, I am very happy that you came to see me off to my new post today. I happen to be on my way to Qunqing Plain and would like to ask you for some guidance on the Dao of cultivation.”

As for this precious spoon, this gift is far too expensive for me to accept. Please take it back and don't mention it again.

The power of the vice leader of the Immortal Alliance wafted towards Wang Yulou, but Wang Yulou glanced at it and closed it up for her.

The pursuit of the Dao, the cultivation of truth, and the practice of cultivation all merged into one at this moment.

Participating in the reform was a path to enlightenment. Standing at the center of the Immortal Alliance stage, Wang Yulou gained an opportunity that he might never have a second chance in his life.

Knowing that the path ahead is one of cultivation, amidst the illusions and deceptions created by those great cultivators, Wang Yulou could only truly see what he was doing and what he wanted when faced with a choice.

This encounter on his way to take up his post was a form of cultivation. That year, Wang Yulou took office as the vice leader of the Immortal Alliance. When he passed through Datiantai Mountain, Xizhu Zhenren presented him with the Heaven-Stealing Treasure Spoon, which Yulou politely declined.

The complexity of cultivating immortality can be glimpsed from this.

In this special era, even a wild elephant has to abide by the rules, let alone Wang Yulou.
Following the rules is a prerequisite and a necessary foundation for advancement.

Wang Yulou understood this perfectly!

Xi Zhu was not annoyed by Wang Yulou's rejection. With his cultivation level, this little scene was not even embarrassing. He smiled, put away the Stealing Heaven Spoon, and said.

"Alright, let's exchange ideas on cultivation. As far as I know, you also seem to have teamed up with that Li Haikuo to refine a magic weapon?"

Wang Yulou had reason to suspect that the old man in front of him was demonstrating his and the people behind him's power, or even intimidating them.

We know what you've done!
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Xizhu flatters me. It's not a collaboration at all. I was just helping Fellow Daoist Haikuo tend the fire. It was all refined by Fellow Daoist Haikuo. Showing it to me was an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons."

The two continued their journey, tearing at eggs along the way, and the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun started again, heading south.

Xi Zhu accepted Wang Yulou's invitation and prepared to escort him all the way to Qunqing Immortal City.

This is the change that comes with a change in status. When Wang Yulou reached that point, what enemies did he have left?
They are all good fellow practitioners, with only minor disagreements about their philosophies.

The Heavenly Serpent and the Savage Elephant fought fiercely, didn't they?
Have you ever seen an unbreakable alliance?
never seen it?
Then let's go check out the Heavenly Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Gang!

Of course, when the time comes to tear off the mask, they will. And it's very likely that they will jump from being all brotherly and arm in arm to stabbing each other in the back.

If it does not move, it remains still; but if it does move, its power is like thunder.

The conflict of ideologies is different from the conflict of interests. In the conflict of interests, there is still a possibility of survival after failure, but the conflict of ideologies is a dispute that often leads to purges.

An idea cannot be formed by one person alone; the core of an idea is consensus, which means a large group of people. Hidden beneath the surface of ideological disputes are the demands of the group.

In this crowded world, conflicts within a group can easily escalate into a life-or-death struggle.
-
"Is the upper limit of water-based cultivation not as high as that of fire-based cultivation? Is there any explanation for this?"

As he spoke, Xiao Wang poured another cup of Moon Dew for Master Xizhu.

Drink up! Master Xizhu is a wonderful person. When he talks about cultivating the Dao, he can talk endlessly, like a giant funnel, spilling everything out.

Wang Yulou deliberately slowed down the Golden Crow's flight tenfold, and then kept drenching Xizhu for a long time, so Xizhu was now half-drunk.

He'd get half-drunk, and the performance would bring you to tears, but Xiao Wang wouldn't care.

Being indifferent is a unique quality of a great cultivator, because they see things too clearly and think too far ahead, so those minor problems really don't need much attention in the eyes of a great cultivator.

"The precision of water magic and its advantage over water-based spiritual materials can be realized through fire magic in the hands of a high-level fire magic master."

Foundation Establishment Refiners and Purple Mansion Refiners must also distinguish the differences in their refining techniques when refining spiritual weapons and magic treasures.

However, in Jade Pavilion, not a single artificer who refines immortal artifacts is still struggling with the choice of refining method; in the end, they all return to the fire method.

I call this the Daoist practice of 'All methods return to one, with fire element reigning supreme'!

All laws are united into one, and only the fire element is respected.

It sounded intriguing, but Wang Yulou looked on with suspicion.

"They revered fire as the supreme element, but Bifang cultivated metal magic, and Taihe Water Venerable cultivated water magic. They had long since reached the realm of primordial unity, and they didn't specialize in fire magic, did they?"

This question is ridiculous, but Xiao Wang asked it by fully utilizing Xi Zhu's "big funnel" persona.

"Haha, the Dao of Refining is the supreme fire element. When you reach the stage of refining spiritual treasures, even if you want to use water techniques, you will definitely use the Taihe Water Venerable's gas-burning technique."

However, in cultivation, each great cultivator chooses a different path, and they all believe that their own path is correct, so naturally they each have their own biases.

But Yulou, brother, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, but you mustn't tell anyone else.

With a lisp and a flushed face, Xi Zhu was completely absorbed in her performance, and now she was calling Xiao Wang her younger brother.

"You say, you say!"

Xiao Wang quickly poured Xi Zhu another cup, hoping to boost his acting skills and keep him going for a while longer.

Xi Zhu lowered her head mysteriously, and Wang Yulou quickly leaned in to listen.

"If you ask me, Taihe Shuizun's most powerful ability is not necessarily his water magic."

That day, the snake pretended on the Altar of Immortals for two thousand years, and the Taihe Water Venerable may have been pretending for twenty thousand years.

These are drunken words, not to be heard. Let's drink! Let's drink!

The two started chatting idly again, but Wang Yulou felt a pang of regret.

Xi Zhu seems to be acting, but in reality, it's seven parts truth and three parts pretense, showing great sincerity. She just said something very honest that few people dare to say.

That old beast Taihe Shuizun might actually be able to become a venerable one without relying on water magic. He reached the state of Hunyuan Yiqi Canyu Yixin tens of thousands of years ago. It's impossible that he has been practicing water magic for tens of thousands of years.
Do we need to apply knowledge to other situations?
Given the terrifying power of the Ether and Water Deity, he may have already mastered other methods by analogy.

Xi Zhu is quite generous; she dared to say such things just to slightly win over Wang Yulou.
-
After flying for half a day, the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun finally slowly left the territory of the Great Tiantai Mountain.

Just like its name suggests, Mount Datiantai is a unique plateau-shaped mountain range, stretching for hundreds of miles and extending for thousands of miles, forming the core area of ​​Mount Datiantai.

South of the Tiantai Mountain, after traversing two thousand miles of hills, a formidable mountain range rises majestically south of the Wunan Basin.

Wunan Basin is a basin, and on the southern edge of the basin lies Qunqing Plain, where those competing mountain ranges are located.

"Qunqing Plain is not a plain, but an endless cluster of mountains, one after another, with one mountain after another."

To cross the Qunqing Plain to reach Xinjingzhou, one doesn't need to cross 100,000 mountains, but at least 6,000 are required.

"Fellow Daoist Yuque, is this your first time visiting Qunqing Plain?"

Xi Zhu followed Wang Yulou to the viewing platform at the head of the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun. Seeing that Wang Yulou was amazed by the magnificent scenery of the Azure Plain, she smiled and explained.

"The birthplace of the Immortal Alliance is indeed extraordinary."

Wang Yulou sighed deeply, feeling that his position as vice leader of the alliance was becoming even more difficult to hold.

The birthplace of the Immortal Alliance is Qunqing Plain, so Qunqing Plain is the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance.

In the previous era of chaos and war, many great cultivators fought each other in the Four Extremes, Five Regions and Eight Desolations, causing the world to change color and countless people to die.

The number of living beings in the Immortal Alliance is in the trillions, which refers to humans, not the tens of millions of beings that Master Gua could kill with a single roar.

The Immortal Alliance has 100 million cultivators, a number that is roughly a tiny fraction of the trillion cultivators who died in the last chaotic war.

There is no comparison.

But in that turbulent era, the Immortal Alliance was eventually established.

Moreover, it was established with the Immortal Extinction Domain in the east, the Demon Cave in the south, the Demon Kingdom in the west, and the Holy Land of Demon Monks in the north.

It's a very simple question—Eastern Demon Realm, Southern Demon Cave, Western Demon Kingdom, Northern Demon Monk, so why the Immortal Alliance?
What makes the Immortal Alliance able to establish itself and co-govern the world with other top-tier forces of the same level as the Immortal Kingdom established by Bi Fang, maintaining a stable standoff for thousands of years?
The answer lies on the Qunqing Plain.

The endless mountains gave birth to the most unique cultivators of the Azure Plains.

Endless mountains are accompanied by endless resources, endless monsters, endless plundering, and endless strife. In the most turbulent era, the Azure Plains was also the most chaotic place within chaos.

There might be seven or eight different small factions, separated by a dozen or so mountains, tearing each other apart.

This process is similar to raising Gu poison. The most chaotic, cruel, and resource-rich Qunqing Plain gave birth to the most terrifying Gu King.

This Gu King is not a specific person, like Cangshan, but a group of people, a generation.

The Celestial Venerable of Cangshan, who established the Celestial Alliance in Qunqing Plain, was merely the representative and leader of these people.

The endless strife exhausted the Gu Kings, and countless betrayals and deaths made them realize the importance of order.

Therefore, in the chaotic era of war between heaven and earth, the most chaotic place, the first prototype of a top-level power, the Immortal Alliance, was born in the earliest time. Its founders were the Immortal Venerable of Cangshan and a group of Immortal Venerables of the Qingyuan Plain.

This is why Mang Xiang repeatedly told Wang Yulou to be careful, careful, and even more careful. The land of Qunqing Plain is truly a nurturing place!

As the sun rises higher, the once-contested mountains gradually take on the appearance of plains.

Yes, but the plains here are full of potholes and undulations, and each pothole is a valley between two mountains.

Standing at the forefront of the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun, Wang Yulou could see buildings and spiritual creatures dotting the mountains as far as the eye could see.

Among these mountains bordering Wunan, there are many towns and settlements inhabited by mortals, and even some scenic spots and places where spiritual energy manifests are home to small-scale cultivation groups.

As the golden crow, like a second great sun, swept across the sky, the mortals here were not at all surprised.

As the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance, the mortals of Qunqing Plain have become desensitized to the cultivators who occasionally fly through the sky.

"Speed ​​up, go full speed ahead!"

Wang Yulou gave the instructions.

At his command, the blazing sun burst forth with intense radiance, spreading across the land and sky within a radius of a thousand miles.

Forward to the Celestial City of Azure Plains!

Yes, Wang Yulou was already quite impatient. Such a celestial alliance was the perfect stage to showcase his talents.

The Celestial Alliance's birthplace, the Azure Plains, is not lacking in geniuses, but Wang Yulou does not believe that any genius can be stronger than him in every aspect; such a person cannot exist in the world.

The birthplace of the Immortal Alliance, Qunqing Plain, is not lacking in powerful cultivators, but Wang Yulou's position as vice leader, who promoted the reforms, was appointed by Qunxiantai. He and his master, Mangxiang, are backed by many of the most powerful conservative leaders in the Immortal Alliance.

The Celestial Alliance's birthplace, the Azure Plains, is not without dangers, but Wang Yulou has cultivated for seventy-four years and has already weathered too many turbulent currents. Those waves did not defeat him before, and he believes they will not in the future. This is his spirit.

The higher and farther places that Ancestor Xianzhou and Ancestor Xianmao spoke of were right before their eyes, so why would Wang Yulou hesitate to move forward?

Even if the wind is biting cold there, even if the waves are surging.
Human hearts are like a flowing river, and fate is hard to defy, like the waves of the sea.
No, Wang Yulou felt that his heart was fire, not water!

His heart burned like a sun chasing the sun; that was his ambition, an ambition that grew little by little.

Marrying Lin Ying in the Dripping Water Cave was a scheme to annex the Lin family into the Wang family; this was the starting point of his ambition.

Under immense pressure in the Western Sea, Wang Yulou's ambition to defy fate was hidden within his pioneering spirit; it was the process by which his ambition took root, sprouted, and gradually grew.

The process of Wang Yulou's ambition emerging was marked by his tireless efforts on the front lines of the two sects, his willingness to shoulder the "interests" of his faction under pressure from the Candlelight Sect and the Heavenly Serpent Sect, and his decision to abandon the obvious gains of recovering lost territory on the central front in favor of a counterattack on the northern front.

Wang Yulou's act of reaching out and taking back the Five Spirits Essence Pool in front of Mang Xiang was a manifestation of his growing ambition, which he no longer concealed.

Those pragmatic choices, those untold acts of forbearance, those yearning eyes, those countless difficult decisions—these constituted Wang Yulou's, no, they constituted Wang Yuque's ambition.

He'd had enough of being Wang Yulou for so many years!
The pursuit of the Dao, though it may end in death, is not exclusive to any one person; it is the only commonality among all those who pursue the Dao.

Without such resolve, how can one call oneself a 'pursuer of the Way'?

If fate truly cannot defy the raging waves, then let's see the truth on the Azure Plain.
-
In the very center of Qunqing Plain, a large circular city, spanning hundreds of miles, covers the surrounding mountains.

To be precise, it reshaped the mountains.

This is the Immortal Alliance headquarters, Immortal City, commonly known as Qunqingyuan Immortal City, but officially called Immortal City.

The Immortal City is located on what is probably the largest plain on the Azure Plain.

This place was originally covered with green mountains, but as the number of cultivators gradually increased and the number of mortals grew, the green mountains here were leveled by the cultivators and turned into open fields to provide for the mortals' daily needs.

As the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance, Immortal City has a large number of cultivators, numbering nearly a million.

Countless Foundation Establishment families have settled in the Immortal City, while the number of Purple Mansion families is difficult to count.

In the Immortal City, a new Purple Mansion cultivator is born approximately every hundred years. In the last thousand years, this rate has slowed down, but six Purple Mansion cultivators have still been born.

The journey from the six states of the Immortal Alliance to the Purple Mansion, which developed within the Immortal Alliance, often ended at the Azure Plains. The representative figure of this journey was the Poor Sea True Man of the Purple Mansion in the Western Sea.

Qionghai Zhenren attained enlightenment in the Western Sea, but later went to develop in the Immortal Alliance. His family's main branch settled in the Immortal City of Qunqingyuan and the surrounding area.

Finally, there is a large number of Purple Mansions that remain in Immortal City due to their official duties. As the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance, there are a total of twelve Purple Mansions in Immortal City who stay in the Great World to carry out the Immortal Alliance's life-grinding missions.
If we only count the Purple Mansions born from local cultivators in the Immortal City, there are more than sixty Purple Mansions in the Immortal City.

If we include those from out-of-town places like Qionghai who come to the Immortal Alliance to beg for food, there are nearly 150 Purple Mansions in the Immortal City.

If we add those twelve unlucky souls who died young, the number of Purple Mansions in the Immortal City would be one hundred and sixty.

Compared to the nearly one million cultivators, 160 Purple Mansion cultivators seem a bit too many. However, the Celestial City of Azure Plains is a gathering place for the essence of the Immortal Alliance, and this high proportion is even the result of deliberate suppression.

As for Golden Core Immortal Venerables, that's even harder to calculate; anyone who came would probably be scratching their head.

Because there are too many powerful Golden Core Immortal Venerables in the Immortal City, too many to count.

All three gates of Wunan have outer courtyards of the Azure Plains, and Lotus Immortal City has a garrison of the Azure Plains.

All the local immortal cities, except those on the border, have garrison offices located within them.

This can be understood as all the slightly stronger Immortal Venerables being deeply involved in the power struggles within the core of the Immortal Alliance.

Perhaps they don't expect their influence in Qunqing Plain to help them gain more benefits, but the most important thing is that their intention to help others gain more benefits is not so easy to achieve.

At this moment, outside the immortal city, a large group of cultivators dressed in magnificent robes were idly strolling around in mid-air.

This is the procession welcoming Vice Alliance Leader Wang Yuque to take office. Almost all the heads of the Immortal Alliance organizations in Immortal City have come.

"We've been waiting for three days, but our respected Vice Alliance Leader still hasn't arrived."

A bunch of Purple Mansion cultivators were leading us unlucky Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and we're just standing here waiting like idiots. Isn't that hilarious?

Riding atop the head of the great demon Buddha, Fang Xinqian, the Director of the Celestial Alliance's Department of Transmission, complained to Chen Yangshi, the Director of the Celestial Alliance's Department of Transmission of Laws, who was beside him.

There's no shortage of "Cola Bros" everywhere; their ability to find amusement in the cruel world of cultivation is itself an extraordinary skill.

'Don't speak!'

Unlike Fang Xinqian, who was slacking off while riding his horse, Chen Yangshi, the seal-bearer of the Shufa Division, not only did not slack off, but also did not make a single misstep during the long three days and three nights of waiting.

They were stuck in mid-air, standing respectfully for three days and three nights.

why?
It certainly wasn't because the twelve Immortal City Purple Mansions had also waited for three days and three nights. After all, these twelve Immortal City Purple Mansions were all acquaintances of Chen Yangshi. They were all like cattle and horses, and could understand each other.

"Ha, you think you're so clever. No matter how well you stand, what can Wang Yuque do to move you around or anything?" Du Fang Si Si Si Fang Xin Qian mocked.

Before Xiao Wang even arrived in the Immortal City, the title "Wang Yuque" had already arrived. His worries were not unfounded; the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance and the Immortal City were scrutinizing him with a magnifying glass.

Fang Xinqian and Chen Yangshi were childhood friends. They rose through the ranks to become the core members of the Immortal Alliance, but Fang Xinqian still retained a somewhat frivolous nature.

In his view, his position was given to him by his ancestor, and whether he worked hard or not would not change the fact that he had no chance to open his Purple Mansion, so living a carefree life was not a big problem.

As long as the patriarch remains standing, he won't face any major trouble.

Even if the ancestor doesn't fall, he still can't open the Purple Mansion—so what's the point of trying?
This is the current state of the Immortal Alliance.

The calves and horses below were mooing as they waited, while the twelve large oxen and horses above were also growing weary from waiting.

Yan Kang, the transport commissioner from Qunqingyuan who came from Mingcheng Taoist Temple, frowned, thinking about how to explain what Yu Hongdou had done to everyone.

Yu Hongdou is a senior official in Shiguo Prefecture, working at the Immortal Alliance's Wanli Fang. The immortal behind her is a fence-sitter but rather conservative, but for some reason, she has now taken sides and started opposing the reforms.

Why did Yan Kang make such a judgment?
The Immortal Alliance Wanli Fang is a special department serving cultivators of the Immortal Alliance at the Purple Mansion level and above. Its main function is to provide delivery services for transactions within the 'Wanli Platform' for Purple Mansion cultivators.

The Immortal Alliance serves all cultivators, but prioritizes serving high-ranking cultivators.

In short, Wanlifang is the most well-informed department among all the departments of the Immortal Alliance. Yu Hongdou serves the great cultivators of the six states of the Immortal Alliance, and can usually get the news as soon as something happens.

Three days ago, Yu Hongdou told these cultivators who were waiting foolishly outside the Immortal City that Wang Yuque was coming soon and they should hurry up and go to greet him.

That one word, "immediately," signifies a three-day, three-night wait.
You don't need to think too much about the ingredients.

As the leader of the conservative faction, Mingcheng Immortal Venerable of Mingcheng Daoist Temple, Yan Kang would naturally side with Wang Yulou.

This whole thing has become ugly, so he needs to calm things down for Wang Yulou.

Thinking of this, Yan Kang glanced at Yu Hongdou to his left without making a sound.

Red beans grow in the land of teachers, their beauty as ethereal as jade.

In Shiguo Prefecture, neither male nor female cultivators grow their hair long. Yu Hongdou's beautiful red hair only reached the lower edge of her jade-like neck, a short hairstyle rarely seen among cultivators.

She wore a magical robe made of the 'Exquisite Golden Branch' artifact, and the belt around her waist was a magical treasure, but it was only a low-grade magical treasure called 'Brocade River,' which looked rather shabby.

Yu Hongdou's poverty was only within the Purple Mansion's standards. As for her appearance alone, her slender waist, which could be grasped in one hand under her robes and belt, was enough to make countless male cultivators dream of her.

Of course, old men like Yan Kang have no interest in women; he simply shook his head.

That bastard's fire magic is probably not very good, and with all that red hair, it's laughable!

However, she will likely be one of the obstacles to the implementation of the reforms by the Immortal Venerable Mangxiang.

Perhaps Yu Hongdou's control over Wanlifang couldn't directly interfere with Mang Xiang and Wang Yuque, but the various information she gathered could provide possible directions for opposing the reforms.

Just as Yan Kang was pondering, a ray of light appeared on the distant horizon.

He squinted and looked deeply before realizing that it was not a glowing light, but rather the spiritual light emitted by a magical artifact.

The eyesight of cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm has reached a terrifying level. Because they are standing high in the sky with unobstructed views, Yan Kang's eyesight can even reach seven or eight times that of divine sense.

He was a cultivator in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm. His divine sense could only detect a mere 350 miles, but his eyesight could reach over 2,000 miles.

Of course, it is also because the sun is shining brightly under the full force of the crow chasing the sun, since there are two suns in the sky.

That's why Yan Kang was able to notice the golden crow chasing the sun in the distance so quickly.

He roused himself, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Vice Alliance Leader Wang is here, everyone be alert."

Fang Xinqian, get down from your damn bird!

The Great Demon Buddha Head is actually a demon bird with a bone crown on its head that resembles that of a Buddha, hence the name Buddha Head.

The bone crown of the Buddha's head is called the Buddha Crown. It is a top-quality spiritual material with wonderful uses in alchemy and weapon crafting. Therefore, Buddha's heads are hunted in large numbers by cultivators, making them scarce.

The fact that Fang Xinqian, the seal-bearer of the Immortal Alliance's Seal-Bearing Division, could find a Buddha's head of a great demon level as a mount also reveals the extravagance and arrogance of the core cultivators of the Immortal Alliance.

The focus of the early stages of Wang Mangxiang's reforms was to prune away the branches and eliminate redundant personnel, and that was the significance of it.

The cultivators in the Immortal Alliance serve the great cultivators; if they eat more, the great cultivators eat less.

Therefore, it's only natural to take action to clean it up!
Reminded by Yan Kang, the cultivators who came to welcome Wang Yuque to his new post snapped out of their apathy and lined up in the air.

As the sun rose high above the sky, Xi Zhu, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with Wang Yulou, noticed the welcoming procession and suddenly smiled.

“Fellow Daoist Yuque, I’m sure you’ll offend people from the very beginning of your new post.”

Wang Yulou nodded and chuckled.

"It's alright. Being able to get to know Fellow Daoist Xizhu and discuss the essence of the Dao of Refinement is enough to satisfy me, hahaha."

Xi Zhu, we are not enemies, you understand?
Stroking his short beard, Master Xizhu nodded repeatedly.

"It is extreme, it is extreme."

I never expected we could get along so well, haha.

Fellow Daoist Yuque, go.

"The 87-year-old Vice Alliance Leader of the Immortal Alliance—even the most talented geniuses would bow before you."

The dragon stopped, and the golden crow, chasing the sun, halted in mid-air outside the immortal city.

"These six dragons are rather shabby," Fang Xinqian complained to Chen Yangshi.

Chen Yangshi ignored him completely, and simply bowed down in the direction of the sun chasing the golden crow.

Chen Yanghe, who had worked with Wang Yulou in Xihai, told him about Wang Yulou.

Chen Yangshi always remembered Chen Yanghe's reminder.

He is someone who values ​​power extremely, a genius at internal power struggles, and also a genius at management.

But sometimes, I have a vague feeling that what he values ​​is not power, but opportunity.

So-called power is just a facade; what he pursues is the opportunity hidden behind power.

Even if there's no opportunity, he'll create one.

Seeing that Wang Yulou had left Jinwu Chasing the Sun, Guo Chengtai and the others wanted to follow, but Xizhu stopped them and said in a serious tone.

"Mingdu, you go, but none of you go!"

Human nature is complex. Wang Yulou has come this far, and even his half-enemy Xi Zhu is now becoming his friend.

why?
Being fellow cultivators from Wunan might be one reason, but more importantly, Wang Yulou is significant enough.

Even for Xi Zhu, whose cultivation level was higher than Wang Yulou's, Wang Yulou was no ordinary cultivator. It would always be good to form a small good relationship with Wang Yulou.

"Yes, don't go down, just wait here!"

Mingdu also realized the problem; Mangxiang could not devise a perfect plan, and neither could Wang Yulou today.

Twelve Purple Mansions were there to greet him. If Wang Yulou had a bunch of Foundation Establishment cultivators with him, he would have made a fool of himself!
That is to say, only Li Haikuo remains of the Mangxiang lineage; otherwise, Wang Yulou's post would not have been so shabby.

Thinking of this, Jin Mingdu suddenly looked at Xi Zhu, realizing that they couldn't delay any longer.

“Senior Xizhu, let’s follow my husband together. I will be very grateful for your help afterward.”

"Huh? Me?" Xi Zhuren was dumbfounded.

He and Wang Yulou portrayed a mutual appreciation!
"Yes, let's go!"

Jin Mingdu raised his hand and pulled Xi Zhu, a disciple of the Eastern Luoche Immortal Venerable of the Great Heavenly Terrace, out of the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun and followed behind Wang Yulou.

Xi Zhu was certainly able to break free from Jin Mingdu's pull, and he did indeed do so, but in the end, he left Jinwu to support Wang Yulou.

Xiao Wang's wine wasn't poured in vain after all.

When Wang Yulou was in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, he could pour Xizhu a hundred cups of wine and she wouldn't even look at him. But now, Wang Yulou is the Vice Leader of the Immortal Alliance!
Looking at Wang Yulou's composed figure, Xizhu pondered.

I'm just a nobody, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?
Yes, definitely not.

"Welcome, Vice Alliance Leader!"

"Welcome to the Alliance Leader!"

Quiet, an absurd quiet.

The cultivators who called themselves "Alliance Leader" puffed out their chests, while those who called themselves "Vice Alliance Leader" turned pale.

Wang Yuque followed Mang Xiang in implementing the reforms, which had two lines of action, one of which was to reduce the number of redundant staff in the Immortal Alliance!

If I call Wang Yuque the Vice Alliance Leader today, will I be expelled from the Immortal Alliance the day after tomorrow because I stepped into the Immortal Alliance's official department with my left foot?

“Fellow Daoist Jade Palace, you’ve kept us waiting for so long! Fellow Daoist Red Bean said three days ago that you were coming and brought us here to welcome you, but we’ve been waiting for three days and three nights, hahaha.”

Yan Kang broke the silence. The form of address was a trivial matter; how could Wang Yuque possibly make trouble over it?

That's ridiculous.

Those people who worry about this are simply being overly pessimistic.

"Yan Kang, Mingcheng Daoist Academy, conservative faction, mid-stage Purple Mansion realm, Transport Commissioner of Qunqing Plain," Xi Zhu transmitted to Wang Yulou.

However, Wang Yulou had obviously done his homework beforehand regarding these twelve Purple Mansions who were currently serving as longevity-grinding Purple Mansions.

He ignored Yan Kang and looked directly at Yu Hongdou, who came from Shiguo Prefecture. His eyes were filled with coldness and scrutiny.

The gaze of the vice leader of the Immortal Alliance is not scary. Wang Yulou's cultivation level is there for all to see. How could Yu Hongdou, who has the cultivation level of Purple Mansion, be affected?

The beautiful female cultivator smiled slightly, her red hair swaying as she nodded slightly to Wang Yulou, as if to greet him, without expressing any further opinion.

Yes, just as you think.

This is the Immortal Alliance, this is the Immortal City.

Wang Yuque, the water here could drown you!

Wang Yulou remained completely unperturbed; it was just a minor incident.

What's there to be afraid of?

"Twelve fellow Daoists have waited for me here for three days. Such hospitality is truly commendable!"

Yan Kang frowned, gently put it down, and thought, "Stupid!"
Chen Yangshi sighed inwardly, thinking, "He's really good at enduring things; he's definitely someone who can accomplish great things."

Yan Kang, who had already stepped onto the stage, saw Wang Yulou's incompetence, while Chen Yangshi, who was still searching for the door, saw Wang Yulou's ability to endure.

But they were all wrong.

(End of this chapter)