Shangyuque

Chapter 257 Becoming an Immortal, what a joyous thing! You should laugh, laugh, hahaha!

In the previous chaotic era, the most chaotic and turbulent Qunqing Plain nurtured the initial form of the Immortal Alliance, much like raising poisonous insects.

Yang Zhao was one of the Immortal Venerables who co-founded the Immortal Alliance with Cangshan.

Of course, later on, due to the addition of immortals from other states, they became relatively marginalized.

But this does not mean that Cangshan or Yangzhao are weak.

The Qunqing Plain is rich in resources, has a complex topography, and is extremely competitive. Any entity that can survive in such an environment for a long time is extraordinary.

As a senior member of the Qunqing Plain, Yang Zhaoduo is also one of the eighteen senior members of the Immortal Alliance. Its leader, Yang Zhao, was an enemy of Cangshan before the Immortal Alliance was founded.

Cangshan is now a member of the Boluo Society. Although he is a gatekeeper among the top Golden Core Immortals, he is still considered a top Golden Core Immortal.

This comparison reveals the strength of Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao.

Therefore, despite being the vice leader of the Immortal Alliance, Wang Yulou was eager to come when summoned by Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao and did not dare to delay.

The Qunqing Plain is mountainous, and mountains often give rise to great rivers.

There are more than a dozen major rivers on the Qunqing Plain.

Yang Zhaoduo's headquarters is located at the confluence of four major rivers.

Legend has it that in his early years, Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao was a 'cultivator' on the Yangtze River.

What is maintenance/repair?

Riding on bamboo rafts, they fought against the water demons in the great river, living on the brink of life and death every day, risking their lives to earn the resources for cultivation.

It can be said that Pai Xiu belongs to the category of rogue cultivators who have no other choice but to gamble their lives for a chance; they are the lowest of the low among low-level cultivators.

After all, who would risk their life in the rapids if they could make it ashore?
Even today, Wang Yulou is struggling to maintain his balance and keep moving forward amidst the tides of the times.

If given a choice, Xiao Wang would certainly like to stand in the back and enjoy the food without doing anything, just like the old immortals of the Immortal Alliance—ideally, he could eat two or three portions, and if given the chance, even four portions wouldn't be too much.

Of course, Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao has indeed come ashore. Even the Yang Zhao Rudder, which once stood alongside the boat, has been transformed into a huge fortress at the confluence of the four rivers.

Yang Zhaoduo, a native of Qunqing Plain, started his business in trade and now controls more than half of the waterways and a quarter of the commercial workshops in Qunqing Plain.

Even before the Immortal Alliance existed, Yang Zhao's faction had been prominent for tens of thousands of years. The mounts of Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao were all great cultivators at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm.

However, such a person is just one of Xiao Wang's many rivals and allies, an ordinary one.

For cultivators aspiring to reach the pinnacle of immortality, the world of cultivation is indeed incredibly difficult, but if they can persevere, they will naturally grow rapidly.

Wang Yulou's ceremonial carriage landed at Yangzhao's helm, and the current helmsman immediately led him into the Dragon King's Palace.

Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao is a great cultivator who practices the Immeasurable Law, but he has already gone through the process of transforming into the Dharma Form and then into the Cave Heaven Law. In front of Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao's Dharma Form in the Dragon King Palace, Xiao Wang saw the famous Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao who was renowned throughout the Qunqing Pavilion.

This is the power of cultivators who cultivate Dharma bodies. They don't need to appear in their physical form. As long as their Dharma body exists in the Great World, they can easily appear in the Great World at any time. Except for not being able to fight, there is no difference between them and their physical form coming.

Inside the Dragon Head Hall, the appearance of Yang Zhao Immortal Venerable was initially somewhat blurry, but suddenly became clear, transforming into the appearance of a shrewd middle-aged man in his thirties.

"Yu Lou, Cang Shan crippled my Mei Xian and made me the villain in order to win you over. What do you think I should do?"

You should kick Cangshan's ass hard, instead of bullying me, a child who's just over a hundred years old!

“Ancestor, Yu Lou will always have boundless respect for you!” Little Wang replied obediently.

Although he and Yang Zhao had never communicated before, it didn't stop him from calling Yang Zhao "Ancestor"—a united Daoist partner isn't something you marry for nothing.

"Ha, forget it. I can't accept the respect due to the leader of the alliance. You should think about your way out."

Be mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace, but merely being mindful of dangers is not enough; you must also consider retreat.

Upon hearing Yang Zhao's advice, Wang Yulou was slightly alarmed. Was Yang Zhao trying to make him retreat?

Just because of a woman?
Is he crazy?

Or is this cultivation world just too crazy, where even an ancient immortal with tens of thousands of years of history has to go to great lengths for love?
However, Xiao Wang ultimately underestimated the level of the Immortal Venerable, and also underestimated his own genius.

"Of course, I'm not telling you to back out, but just reminding you."

For the sake of reform and the Immortal Alliance, it's enough to fool the people below.

A top-tier power like the Immortal Alliance is bound to collapse sooner or later. You've already reached the Purple Mansion level; you should be thinking about your own future.

Wang Yulou understood that Yang Zhao harbored resentment towards Cangshan, but was ultimately a member of the Little Immortal Alliance.

The Little Immortal Alliance tried to win me over by using Immortal Crane Spirit to contact me last time.

Now, Cangshan is even handing Pang Meixian over to him, hoping to contribute to his career and also to win him over.

It can be said that even compared to Qingrui's efforts in spreading her teachings and winning people over, the Little Immortal Alliance's efforts in winning them over are quite significant.

Perhaps Wang Yulou felt uneasy at first—what if it was a weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken?
But he quickly came to terms with it; even if he was a chicken, he wasn't an ordinary chicken.

Having debuted on the Immortal Alliance Grand Stage for so long, although his combat skills, which are crucial for a cultivator's survival, are lacking, there are many other crucial aspects for a cultivator's survival. In other aspects, Little Wang is quite capable.

However, Wang Yulou had long since passed the level of being a fool who would smile happily at the slightest attempt to win someone over. Even with the care of the Water Venerable and the teachings of Qingrui, he would at most be slightly dazed before quickly adjusting his mindset.

As for Yang Zhao's claim that he needs to resign, it's essentially nonsense, no different from 'if you can't get a pancake, eat more meat.'

If Wang Yulou had any spare time, would he have put himself on the front line and gone through all that trouble?
"Ancestor, your teachings are something I will never forget, even if it leaves me with mixed feelings."

I'll play the obedient young man and cooperate with your performance, as long as you don't cause me trouble regarding Pang Meixian's matter. That's Wang Yulou's minimum expectation when he came to see Yang Zhao. Now that it has been achieved, he's happy to cooperate with Yang Zhao's performance.

As for the Little Immortal Alliance's attempts to win them over?

talk later.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has no shortage of forces willing to take over.

Yang Zhao could certainly see Wang Yulou's true attitude, but he didn't care that much.

Any being capable and valuable enough to entice Cangshan and win over the Little Immortal Alliance, is one that is easy to deal with.
If Wang Yulou were the kind of fool who would easily change his mind, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is today.

However, Yang Zhao smiled and suddenly brought up a strange topic.

"You're too confident in yourself. The reform won't last long."

Finally, in this meeting filled with pretense, Wang Yulou's expression showed genuine emotion for the first time.

The reforms of the Immortal Alliance shaped everything he has today—at least half of it.

Mangxiang initiated reforms, Shuizun changed course, Qingrui tried to roast Bifang halfway through the reforms but gave up, and the importance of reforms was elevated a second time after the start of the chaotic era.
Wang Yulou's path to heaven had nothing to do with his cultivation level, his strength, or his talent for cultivation in a simple dimension; it was only related to the reform.

It was the reform that changed his fate, and also the fate of tens of millions of cultivators in the Immortal Alliance.

But now, Yang Zhao says that the reform won't last long.

Even if Wang Yulou had anticipated this, how could he not be moved?
Noticing that Wang Yulou finally seemed to take it seriously, Yang Zhao didn't mince words either. There was no point in keeping them in suspense; everyone was a smart person.

"When Mangxiang attained enlightenment, it involved a bet between Qingrui and Bifang. However, Qingrui stopped halfway through, perhaps because the opportunity to destroy the Immortal Realm was too tempting. The bet was stopped, and the chaotic era began directly."

Now, Yulou, your good master has come to Bifang's sect to fulfill the bet that Qingrui and Bifang once made.

What kind of bet?
The bet is on Bifang's strength, and on the future of the Great World. The specific method is to postpone the stability of the Great World for another thousand years.

The specific process also involves the modification of the rules of the Great Heaven and Earth.
In short, after the Immortal Extinction Domain collapses, some top-tier Golden Core cultivators in the Winnowing Basket Society will most likely have a battle with Bi Fang.

If Bi Fang wins, the other top-tier immortals will have to endure for another thousand or even several thousand years.

Considering that Bi Fang has been winning for so long, do you think you can still maintain your current position if the chaotic era doesn't last and the core of the Immortal Alliance's reforms changes further?

A cultivator living in the world of cultivation exists in different levels and with different modes of survival.

The ashes yearn for better opportunities, fantasize about becoming more extraordinary, and long for a transcendent future.

Those changes, those rules concerning their survival, were completely invisible to them; even if they tried hard to see, it was like looking at flowers through a fog.

The cultivators at the Purple Mansion level trembled in fear, praying that they could survive the aftermath of the battle between the Golden Core Immortal Venerables. They knew that no cultivator at this level was a fool and that everything in the cultivation world originated from those few dozen top-tier Immortal Venerables.

Everyone lives in the shadow of these top-level seekers.

The Golden Core cultivators stand high above the heavens, wielding their power and influence, changing the world and shaping the rules.

They sought transcendence, but the final stretch to that transcendence was far too difficult, and the struggle became extremely complex.

As a result, many outrageous things happened.

The Water Venerable, who hasn't made a move in 20,000 years, and the Green Bud, who hasn't made a move in tens of thousands of years, are competing with each other to pretend to be cowards and wait for their chance to strike.

It is agonizing, but this agonizing experience will at certain moments brew endless changes and thunder.

Between movement and stillness, the world is turned upside down, and the rules are changed.

One moment you might be a cultivator in the Purple Mansion realm, the next you could become an immortal, a wandering immortal.

excited?

Do not!
Wang Yulou felt somewhat dazed.

The meaning of striving was made tangible at this moment.

If you can't reach the level of transcending the rules, what power do you have to resist when others change the rules?

No.

If they say they'll make you an immortal, you can become an immortal even while sitting at home.

A wandering immortal, a wandering immortal, a wandering immortal.

Cultivators include rogue cultivators, and immortals include Golden Immortals, Celestial Immortals, and Rogue Immortals.

The status of the Purple Mansion in the new future after the changes in the rules of heaven and earth is self-evident.

"Becoming an immortal is such a happy thing! You should laugh, laugh, hahaha."

Yang Zhao was amused by Wang Yulou's little expression. You have to admit, this child is indeed clever.

However, his mischievous smile did not displease Xiao Wang, who was quite magnanimous.

The Immortal Venerable doesn't care, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is still an Immortal Venerable

“Ancestor, my master went to Bifang’s sect to preside over the reforms. Is there no one else Bifang can use?” Wang Yulou realized the problem.

The elephant is nothing special; how could it have such a big face to become a pawn under Bifang's control?

To serve as a dog under the Immortal King is a path that countless people would rather kneel before than even have the chance to take.
"It will take at least three to five years, or at most seven or eight years, for the Immortal Extinction Domain to collapse."

The elephant is young enough that even if it is seriously injured, it will not have to worry about heavenly tribulations for hundreds of years.

The Great Heaven and Earth Reform initially aimed to reduce the number of low-level cultivators by 90%, but the Winnowing Basket Society has now tentatively set the target at 80%.

In the future, it will most likely rise to the Purple Mansion level or above. At that time, the Mangxiang will be a good and fast knife.

Moreover, he was, after all, the one chosen by the immortal venerables to carry out the great reforms of heaven and earth, which is also a reason.

Cut off, that's a good word.

削减
Wang Yulou remained silent for a long time before shaking his head. "Three to five years, seven or eight years. After all, the Immortal Extinction Domain is a top-tier power; it shouldn't collapse that quickly, right?"

This is not the death knell for the Immortal Realm, but the death knell for Yu Que, the number one prodigy of the Immortal Alliance.

With the Immortal Realm destroyed, Bifang and Boluo will begin their bet. Wang Yulou's current status, gained through the Immortal Alliance's reforms, will be fundamentally shaken during this period of dramatic change in the times.

Of course, the situation wasn't so bad that Wang Yulou would immediately be served as a dish.

On the one hand, he has no shortage of factions to serve.

On the other hand, he and Xiaoyu, this talented young couple, are also working hard to start their own business.

Even at a level he was unaware of, he had already entered the sights of the Outer Heavens.
Not to mention, his good master is now working for the Immortal King.

Moreover, even if all these possibilities are disregarded.

Just considering Wang Yulou's privilege of being able to see the cards and the direction of the times in advance, he was bound to be one of the last to be swept away by the tide of the times.

Don't forget, not everyone has the right to know the truth.

Waiting for notification is the fate of most people.

"Ha, it's hard to say. Just from a purely speculative perspective, I would think that given the intensity of this chaotic era, it wouldn't be surprising if the Immortal Extinction Domain collapsed tomorrow."

Although the top-tier Golden Core cultivators haven't made their move yet, the pressure and intensity of the competition are exceptionally high.

Even the act of not taking action is a manifestation of pressure.

"Because of Bifang?"

"Of course, Bifang's problem is very troublesome."

Everyone's waiting, waiting for the taller person to step up.

But the tallest people are the least willing to take the lead.

"Troublesome, troublesome, extremely troublesome."

Inside Yang Zhaoduo's Dragon Head Hall, the two Immortal Venerables fell silent.

Bifang, which has existed across the heavens and earth for over 100,000 years, has hosted countless banquets and fed countless people.

The Celestial King's enormous stomach was huge and hard, making it difficult to bear.

The pressure was so great that even the top-tier Golden Core cultivators couldn't breathe. So, how should we deal with Bifang?

"Yu Lou, think it over carefully. The Little Immortal Alliance welcomes a young and promising person like you."

In the end, neither of them talked about Pang Mei-hsien.

Pang Mei-hsien is nothing more than a speck of dust in the turning point of an era; he is insignificant.

"Ancestor, Yulou, thank you!"
-

Fang Xinqian has been having a tough time lately because he has been given an important position by Wang Yulou.

He was responsible for checking the accounts on the front lines of the anti-demon campaign in Chongxian Prefecture, including the accounts for compensation for those who died in battle.

Auditing accounts has always been a daunting task for investigators, with the biggest challenge being getting there alive and leaving alive.

Wang Yulou didn't give Fang Xinqian any extra support. This kind of promotion was simply a selection process to promote talented people from the periphery to the inner circle of the Jade Palace Sect.

If you pull through, you'll be a reliable young general.

If you can't make it through, it means you don't have the ability to become a young general.

With a death wish, Fang Xinqian arrived at the front line of the fight against the demon with trepidation.

Du Jiunian was quite a character; he managed to receive Fang Xinqian despite only having the cultivation level of a Purple Mansion.

What can Xiao Fang do?
"The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable said that the compensation must be given to the war dead."

If a living person claims the title, then the person who claims it can die.

My devotion has reached this point solely to seek at least some compensation for the heroic souls of the Immortal Alliance who perished in battle; I can disregard everything else.

He said the harshest words, but added the most cowardly explanation: there are too many demons, monsters, and immortal mounts on the front line of the anti-demon campaign in Chongxian Prefecture. Xiao Fang is scared!

The harshest words were the decree of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, while the most cowardly explanation was Fang Xinqian's true intention.

In his opinion, even the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable probably couldn't care less about so many trivial matters.

Can it really unite the frontline and make them only think of the Immortal Alliance?

Stop joking. Cultivators are all selfish and self-serving. High-level cultivators are even more selfish and self-serving. Taking as much as they can is the norm.

"Yes, dear friend, I will do my best to support you whenever you need it."

"Rest assured, I, Du Jiunian, will always support the Immortal Venerable's guidance!"

It's no secret that Wang Yulou and Donglai Immortal Venerable are exchanging glances, and Du Jiunian also wants to improve, so he needs to maintain a good balance.

For example, by getting close to Wang Yulou, one can gain crucial assistance within the Immortal Alliance.

However, Fang Xinqian never expected that even though he had anticipated the difficulties of this journey, he would still be taught a lesson on the second day after arriving in Chongxian Prefecture.

"More than four hundred deserters?"

Xiao Fang's hands trembled as he took the jade slip. The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance in Chongxian Prefecture were all at least at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. They were all seasoned veterans in the cultivation world.

Logically speaking, these people should all know what they are here for, and there shouldn't be so many people who are afraid to defect.
"The compensation for those who died in battle is indeed for those who died in battle, and it is right to do so."

However, most of the more than 400 people on this list were genuine deserters.

Fellow Daoist Xinqian, it's not that we deliberately blocked anything, but rather that there are bad people among cultivators!

"Yes, we also want to recommend meritorious service to all those who died in battle as soon as possible."

But this group of deserters is stuck here, and the truth is mixed with falsehoods, which leaves us quite helpless.

Some people will fake their death, and then suddenly come back to life after receiving their war death compensation.

Unfortunately, the Immortal Alliance lacks a corresponding response mechanism for this situation.

But how do we account for the compensation that has been issued? We can only swallow our anger and bear it.

It's tough to get things done. After we suffered losses, we're even more hesitant to calculate and distribute compensation so easily.

Now, Fellow Daoist Xinqian has arrived here with the orders of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

The decision regarding this matter is naturally left to Fellow Daoist Xinqian.

The hot potato was immediately thrown into the hands of special envoy Fang Xinqian.

How could no one oppose Wang Yulou's reforms and the elimination of abuses by the Immortal Alliance?

However, at this point in time, no one dares to openly oppose Wang Yulou anymore.

However, while they lacked the courage to openly oppose Wang Yulou, they were not only bold enough to use their influence to trip up Wang Yulou's subordinates, but also had a great deal of courage.

It's that hard to get things done.
-

However, Wang Yulou was no longer concerned about what was happening at the front.

According to Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao's judgment, as the gamble between the top Golden Core Immortal Venerables and Bi Fang gradually becomes clear, under immense pressure, the collapse of the Immortal Extinction Domain may not even be related to the outcome of the battlefield.

War is a continuation of the power struggle among top-tier Golden Core cultivators. In the eyes of many top-tier Golden Core cultivators in the Great World, the Immortal Realm has become the first delicacy of the chaotic era. How could it not be destroyed?

In this situation, whether Wang Yulou intervenes or not, the Immortal Alliance will win.

His concern was that the alliance between Donglai Immortal Venerable and himself might become weak due to the war ending too easily.

Du Jiunian still hoped to be on good terms with Wang Yulou, but Wang Yulou had already seen the possibility that he and Donglai could not build an alliance of interests.

This is the difference in judgment brought about by information asymmetry. The difference in judgment between Du Jiunian and Wang Yulou on this matter is a small matter, but it represents a whole category of huge differences.

Depending on their level of information access, cultivators' decision-making efficiency will significantly impact their gains as their cultivation level increases.

In addition, another thing that Wang Yulou was worried about was how his future and the future of the Jade Palace would unfold under the circumstances of the Great Change of Heaven and Earth and the change of rules.

These things are numerous and complex, making them very difficult to handle.

Therefore, the first thing Wang Yulou did upon returning to the Immortal City was to seek out his beloved Jinshan Patriarch to ask for guidance.

From Wang Yulou's perspective, Lao Jin's strength was average, but he was, after all, a long-time member of the Immortal Alliance, and his mediocre strength and status were just right to be his helper.

Old Jin could only express his welcome to Xiao Wang with a sense of helplessness.

There's no way around it; undercover agents need to maintain their public persona.

He was Wang Yulou's closest ancestor.

In the mansion of the Old Ancestor of Jinshan, Wang Yulou was sitting opposite the Old Ancestor.

"Ancestor, what I am about to say is the most crucial secret of the Great World right now. Remember, it must not be heard by anyone else."

Blinking his purplish-gold eyes, Jinshan nodded silently, looking like a silent, reliable rock.
"Immortal Venerable Yang Zhao and I pointed out that I am worried that if Bi Fang wins, the era of stability in the Great World will be prolonged again, and the reforms of the Immortal Alliance will come to an abrupt end."

Do you think this possibility is high?

Faced with Xiao Wang's eager gaze, Jinshan felt confused.

This intelligence was just handed to me on its own initiative?
This is something that the top Golden Core Immortals of the Great Heaven and Earth are currently vying for at the Bo Luo Conference and Bi Fang Conference. It is extremely important to the Outer Heavens. And you just let me know about it like this?

It opened its mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a moment.

Even though Huanpei had investigated multiple times, Jinshan still felt that there was a conspiracy.

But Xiao Wang's question needed to be answered as soon as possible, so it could only vaguely reply for the time being.

"Hmm, maybe, maybe, it's hard to say."

It wasn't that Lao Jin was fooling Xiao Wang; rather, Lao Jin was somewhat afraid of the enthusiastic Xiao Wang.

It even wanted to say directly, 'Stop hiding, just have someone take care of me, so I don't have to live in fear.'

Hearing Jinshan's nonsense, Wang Yulou was stunned. What kind of answer was this? Wasn't this just pure nonsense?
"Ancestor?"

For the first time, Jinshan realized that being too good at being an undercover agent wasn't necessarily a good thing.

How much intelligence do you think is enough?

Now that he has obtained information that could potentially grant him the support of the Outer Heavens and prove his Golden Core level, Old Jin only feels fear and worry.

It raised its hand, and a purple light of annihilation spread out, finally taking the situation seriously.

"Yu Lou, you don't know this."

(End of this chapter)