Shangyuque

Chapter 327 A warm breeze blows across the Red Sand Plain, and a hundred immortals return to the Jade Palace! (1.26 views, please vote!)
This is the first time that Hei Maosun has seen the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable who has returned to the Immortal Venerable realm.

It was just like when Yu Que first saw Qing Rui.

Perhaps, the grandeur of the Pure Water Sect is far inferior to that of the Azure Bud Cave.

However, the Immortal Venerable's profound weight still gave Black Hair Grandson a completely different feeling.

To put it simply, the Immortal Venerables and Dao Ancestors are essentially Golden Core cultivators who have reached the level of the Great Dao.

However, the Golden Cores of the Four Spirit Realms, such as Blood Bone, and the Golden Cores of the Great Heaven and Earth are not the same species at all.

Black Hair Grandson was familiar with Blood Bone, but Blood Bone's temperament was far inferior to that of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Just like wolves and huskies are both canines, but can you say they are the same?

Hei Maosun had a feeling that compared to Xue Gu, Yu Que Xian Zun's temperament was like that of a wolf king. As for Xue Gu, there was no need to treat him like a husky. Xue Gu was at most a mixed breed.

"Do you know that the Hydration Conference is about to be held? If you come to see me, everyone will be watching you."

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable didn't even raise his eyes from beginning to end, but Black Hair Grandson's waist was bent to the extreme.

The Pure Water Sect is currently the focus of attention for all major forces in the Four Spirit Realms, and Black-haired Sun is certainly aware of this.

But he had to obey the mysterious deity's demands.

And
“Senior Pure Water, the Divine Lord said that you are his eldest disciple, and our Water-Seeking Association will support your Water-Replenishing Ceremony.”

Therefore, I have traveled westward solely to become a disciple of this senior and serve him.

The Water Replenishment Conference is a pancake-themed event, while the Water Seeking Conference is a combination of the Heavenly Realm and the Basket Conference, organized by Jade Palace Immortal and Wild Elephant.

Mang Xiang sent Heimaosun this time because he had calculated that Heimaosun was intelligent and knew the consensus among the great cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms that 'Xuegu was killed by Jingshui'.

How did the Pure Water kill the Blood Bone—the Wind Earth Fiend who emerged from the Pure Water Secret Realm!

Everything matched up. Hei Maosun and the Earthly Fiend Commander had a past relationship, so he naturally had expectations and dared to come and serve despite being monitored.

On another level, sending Black Hair Sun to test the waters was also Mang Xiang testing the attitude of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Disciple, I beg you to give me a chance.

Although the Mangxiang Man didn't come, he managed to trick the Black-haired Sun into coming, which can be considered as sending a decent subordinate to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

After all, even if there are countless geniuses in the world, the Dry Land Water King Jing Shui and the mortal who became an immortal, Hei Mao Sun, are still considered good candidates.

Even if Jade Palace Immortal Venerable could select usable talents from his vast number of subordinates, the readily available and proven Black Hair Sun and Pure Water were certainly worth using.

"Oh?" Wang Yulou fell into deep thought.

Old Mang had calculated that after his plans changed and his foundation weakened, he used Heimaosun to show him that the Water-Seeking Society he had established still had value.

It has to be said that Lao Mang was actually right.

He naturally liked Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, such a seasoned scoundrel, as a valuable ally.

But Lao Mang didn't care; it didn't matter.

Only then did the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable raise his eyes to look at the black-haired grandson with a slight sense of importance, and calmly ask.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

The Immortal Venerable's calmness stirred up a monstrous storm in Black Hair Sun's heart.

Water purification has been a hot topic of discussion at Water Seekers' gatherings for the past two years.

Black-haired grandson, of course, knew the secret.

Feng Di Sha, a minor cultivator of the Cloud Mist Sect, is the Earthly Fiend Commander of the Blood Bone Dao Court, the Linghu Ancestor of the Houpu Dao Court, and the first Water Dao Ancestor in the world, Jing Shui.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is practicing the Way of Water Transformation through his own cultivation.

Who is he? Who is he?
Can my past relationship with Feng Di Sha really be applied here?
Black Hair Sun dared not gamble, so he chose absolute submission and knelt directly on the ground.

"You are the founder of the Pure Water Daoist sect."

Another hero has joined the ranks of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

It has a bit of a "if you blossom, heroes will come" feel to it.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable needs reliable people, and capable people also need a future with sufficient predictability and possibility.

As long as he continues to win, even if those wins are only uncertain, anticipated, or temporarily forcibly announced, there will still be people who choose Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

This is also a special dimension of spiritual practice.

"Hahaha, good, then you will be appointed as the Grand Elder of the Pure Water Sect."

The Pure Water Sect has several caravans operating within the Houpu Dao Court, traveling tens of thousands of miles. You should take charge of this aspect of the business.

The former master, Mangxiang, now hopes to serve as General Yu once again.

Although they still haven't completely given up the Xunshui Association, their attitude has been quite good.

After all, the Water-Seeking Society requires the accumulation of both the Cave Heaven Method and the Dharma Form Method to maintain itself, and Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is far inferior to Mang Xiang in this regard.

Even if they were to gain control of the Water Seeking Association now, they wouldn't be able to exert their influence as easily as the Wind and Rain Tower.

Wang Yulou chose to give Mang Xiang a chance, and also to give Hei Mao Sun a chance.

There was no other way; he was indeed short-staffed.

Regardless of how the Water Replenishment Conference proceeds, it will always be a massive agenda, eventually transforming into a major trend similar to the Immortal Alliance's reforms.

The manpower required for this will inevitably be enormous.

If the task is only carried out by other Dao Ancestors, by the time the task is accomplished, or even before it is accomplished, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable may be kicked off the table.

This is why he was in such a hurry and spent so much time refining magical treasures and cultivating Daoist purple palaces in batches.

He doesn't care about unimportant things, but he cares about important things with all his might, and he's afraid it's not enough. He also has to acknowledge Mang Xiang, this newly promoted fake jade general.

Fuck!

“Senior Pure Water, there is one more thing that the Divine Lord asked me to report to you,” said Black-haired Grandson.

"Say!"

"The Divine Lord said that the Sand Ox of the Hundred Hands Dao Court has transformed into the Dao, following the Great Dao of Earth, but it seems that it has never been manifested in the world, which shows the Sand Ox's talent."

Black Hair Sun didn't really understand what this meant.

But the Jade Palace Immortal's expression showed a hint of relief.

"Okay, I understand."

Jade pendants, jade pendants, you really don't dare to confront me directly.

How many ferocious beasts are lurking in the jungle?
Huanpei didn't know, nor did the Jade Palace Immortal.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable truly seized the initiative!
-
The evening sun was a little better than at noon, but it was still unbearably hot, as if it could evaporate every drop of moisture from a person's body.

The vast red sand dunes connect to form a sea, and among the rugged, undulating barren mountains, four monks, wrapped up tightly, are riding camels through the shadows of the mountains.

"Chief, we've been traveling for two days now, are we almost there?"

At this point, the young man at the back of the group couldn't hold back any longer and took the initiative to ask the tribal chief who was leading the group.

Upon receiving news of the Dragon Seeking Sect's secret realm, they rushed there day and night. However, after two days and two nights of travel, even for cultivators with cultivation levels, it was still quite exhausting.

Last night, this elite force from the small tribe encountered several sand bandits. They weren't very skilled, but they were quite troublesome.

The young man who asked the question was injured in the battle, but not too seriously.

"Don't worry, don't worry, we're not going to explore the secret realm, we're just looking for opportunities to pick up some bargains," the clan chief asked with concern.

"Is your injury any better?"

The young man, Sweet Water, touched his injured left arm and confirmed it.

"The injuries are not enough to hinder our combat skills; they've almost healed. I'm just worried we've arrived too late."

The lowly cultivators who make a living in the Red Sands often have a higher vitality than their fellow cultivators in the Great Heaven and Earth.

The harsh living environment has filtered out the genetic level of the population. Those that survive are all those with strong vitality. With the help of cultivation and elixirs, they naturally recover very quickly.

Seeing that the younger generation of the clan, Tian Shuiwei, was recovering well, the clan chief pondered for a moment and then dismounted from the camel.

"What do you know? Two days is just right."

Those who emerge from the secret realm, if they have gained something, will either run away immediately or hide for a while due to injuries.

But they dared not hide any longer; they would eventually have to run away.

The injured and those seeking opportunities are constantly scheming against each other.

Therefore, we will not continue.

Let's lie low here for now and see if we can stumble upon a suitable target.

This is another form of the low-level cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms—constantly turning into sand bandits.

I'll grab it whenever I get the chance.

The boundless red sand will bury most traces. A great cultivator may have the ability to find out who made the move, but a great cultivator will not easily waste his precious time on the life and death of those at the bottom.

"Third brother, go to the east, the direction we came from, and find a barren hill to check the surrounding area."

Second brother, go to the south. There's a small market town there, and people might come there too.

Sweetwater Wai, let's prepare together here so we can provide timely support should anything change.

Remember, we only target lone Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if there are only two of you, don't attack or expose yourselves.

The two tribal elders received the order and began to observe in two different directions. Sweetwater was slightly excited, but not afraid.

The clan leader and the two elders were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, with the clan leader at the mid-stage and the two elders at the early stage, while he was only at the peak of the Qi Refining stage.

This 'hunt' is a trial for Sweetwater Wai. If they can return alive, regardless of whether they gain anything, they will be able to establish their foundation with the support of the clan.

In a small tribe, there aren't that many suitable candidates for Foundation Establishment. Anyone with a little talent can have the opportunity to achieve Foundation Establishment.

After all, the harsh living environment of the Four Spirit Realms will no longer have any impact on the Foundation Establishment tribes. On the contrary, they can make use of the abundant resources of the Four Spirit Realms to achieve rapid expansion.

This is also why, despite the fierce conflicts in the Four Spirit Realms, with widespread burning, killing, and looting, and major powers frequently waging war against each other, there are still two hundred Dao Ancestors.

The camel was put into the spirit beast bag, and Sweetwater and the clan chief hid together in the sand dunes. The young man, with his many thoughts, asked a question.

"Chieftain, these kinds of hunting expeditions are often a gamble with one's life. If any of our Foundation Establishment cultivators were to perish—of course, I'm not referring to you, you…"

A gentle smile appeared on the old clan chief's dark face as he ate the hydrating thorny fruit and offered his advice.

"Don't be afraid of this or that. Low-level cultivators have no power to resist high-level cultivators."

A formidable opponent will also be very powerful, strong in all aspects.

There are even occasional unexpected events that are difficult to handle.

But in reality, every tribe has cultivated itself in this way.

"This has been the case in the cultivation world for countless years; where is there any space for us to cultivate in peace?"

Sweetwater Wai is a low-level cultivator with his own ideas; perhaps every young cultivator has his own ideas.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had long lost his naivety.

Just as the clan leader said, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has reached a level of competition and confrontation where all kinds of unexpected events could happen. Doesn't he still have to bite the bullet and move forward?
"If you ask me, it's because the Houpu Daoting's exorbitant taxes are far too severe. The Jucai Sect has been acting like a madman these past few years, raising taxes like crazy."

This year, the price has increased again. From now on, every Foundation Establishment cultivator will have to pay 20 catties of spirit sand every year. It's not much, but if the five Foundation Establishment cultivators in the tribe pay a little, it will be 100 catties every year. How long can this last?

They even have the nerve to call themselves the "Wealth Accumulation Sect"! All they know is how to fleece their subordinates!

Chieftain, it is said that among all the forces in the entire Liezhou, our Houpu Daoting has the highest tax revenue!
Why don't we leave and move to another state to live?

The clan chief slapped Sweetwater in the face and then scolded her with exasperation.

"Fool, never think about moving your family to another place."

For those Qi-cultivating tribes, the belief that "people die when they move, but trees thrive when they move" is correct.

But our Niu Fen Department has been passed down for many years, and its foundation is in Houpu Daoting. How can we survive if we leave Houpu Daoting?

Is he really only able to survive by being a bandit?
Moreover, the Jucai Sect increased taxes in order to support the True Man, and even to support the Dao Ancestor.

Let's get to know each other better. Your Ninth Aunt has been at the Foundation Establishment stage for many years and is now in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

She was within the Wealth Gathering Sect, only two steps away from the Celestial Realm.

"The extra spirit sand that our Cow Dung Department paid out can naturally be retrieved once your Ninth Aunt reaches the True Person realm; in fact, she can get much, much more back."

“I know Aunt Jiu is capable, but after she joined the Jucai Sect, she returned to her family several times.”

On one occasion, he asked the family for spirit sand and took away eight thousand catties of it.

If she hadn't taken eight thousand catties, why would we be here begging for alms?

Clan leader, I'll say something you won't like to hear: Aunt Jiu no longer cares about the clan. She's a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wealth Gathering Sect, not..."

"Snapped!"

The clan chief pressed down on Sweetwater's head, scolding him for his lack of ambition.

"That's incredibly foolish. As long as she can become a real person, who cares if she misses her clan? Our tribe can have a new beginning."

Sweetwater Wai had a bad feeling, but after being slapped twice in the buttocks, he didn't dare to say anything more.

It was only because they were about to be given the opportunity to establish their foundation that Sweetwater Wai dared to try to have a dialogue with the clan chief about the development of the tribe and the family.

After dealing with Sweetwater Enclosure, the clan chief didn't seem very happy. He ate another thorny fruit, but his eyes were filled with hatred.

In fact, the concerns of Sweetwater Wai are not unfounded.

The exploitation by the Wealth Accumulation Sect is divided into three levels.

Normal taxes are one layer, representing the monetization of ruling power.

From time to time, when conflicts between different tribes come to an end, the outcome of presiding over the distribution of benefits and the division of territory is another layer, a monetization of law enforcement power.

Finally, the sect continuously draws its elites from various tribes to serve as slaves, draining the tribes' resources to strengthen the sect's power. This is the third layer, the forced blood tax.

Only by cutting off the layers one by one can the interests of the true members of the Wealth Accumulation Sect and their families be guaranteed.

In terms of top-level design, the Four Spirit Realms and the Great Heaven and Earth are very different, but in terms of the ecology of the bottom and middle levels, they are very similar.

Numerous Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment tribes and families, as well as small sects, have supported the beautiful scenery of the Daoist Ancestors' Daoist Courts and Immortal Realms in the Four Spirit Realms.

However, in the historical panorama of the Four Spirit Realms, these people are hidden in the dust, and no one cares about them.

Like weeds, they live and die, never lacking.

Suddenly, the clan chief felt the earth net grass in his hand move three times, once short and twice long, from the south.

Earth Net Grass is a special kind of magical herb with extremely long roots that can be used as a messenger.

The Second Elder at the south end moved the Earth Net Grass three times, indicating that someone had arrived. This person was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment and seemed to be fine.

The clan leader also used his spiritual power to activate the Earth Net Grass, responding to the two elders, and also sent a message to the third elder on the east side, preparing to take action.

The name "Cow Dung Department" sounds absurd, but they are experts in raising a special kind of demon cow that produces spiritual dung, which can be used as spiritual soil to cultivate spiritual herbs and trees.

Therefore, this tribe with a strange-sounding name is actually quite powerful.

Although the clan leader and the two elders did not appear to have high cultivation levels, they were considered to be among the stronger cultivators of the same level.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator who crashed into their encirclement was easily captured without much struggle, and no accidents occurred.

Sweetwater Wai was in charge of looting the corpse. He broke open the cultivator's storage bag, and a large pile of things fell out.

"It's all junk, but there are two low-grade spiritual artifacts and a few decent pieces of gold. Is this the Twin Treasure Box?"

Sweetwater Wai held up the twin treasure box, somewhat uncertain.

The Twin Treasure Box is a rather special product of the Four Spirit Realms, similar to a 'treasure chest'.

The turbulent environment and the boundless red sand gave birth to this special treasure box.

It looks like an inconspicuous big rock, but on the big rock, there will be an equally inconspicuous small rock embedded.

If you throw the Twin Treasure Boxes into the rubble of a desolate mountain wilderness, no one will notice.

Merchants who traveled to and from the Red Sands would often hide their spiritual sand and treasures in the Twin Treasure Box.

When trading in a safe place, the merchant would tell the trader the location of the treasure chest, and find a middleman to act as guarantor, so that both parties could complete the transaction safely.

It looks complicated, but it's actually similar to the "separation of money and goods" in online shopping, preventing people from having murderous or robbery intentions and avoiding situations where the goods do not match the description.

"Open it and take a look, never mind, give it to me, I'll do it."

Once this twin treasure box is opened, there are many more stories and intricacies to it.

Generally, what's hidden inside must be at least a Xuan-level treasure.

The clan leader was still worried about Sweetwater Village. It was hard to say whether Sweetwater Village had the clan in his heart, but at least he could see that the disciples who entered the sect were not necessarily of one mind with the clan. He was a promising talent.

If they are harmed by the methods hidden in this twin treasure box, the clan will lose a good descendant.

The clan leader first used his divine sense to forcibly examine the contents of the treasure box, only to find it completely chaotic and he couldn't see anything clearly.

After carefully creating some distance, the clan leader activated his spiritual weapon.

"boom!"

Using a magical artifact to break the small stone embedded in the large rock, one discovers a gray mirror inside.

The mirror was made of stone and seemed to have nothing special about it, but upon closer inspection, the clan leader discovered that it contained a mysterious restriction.

It's not even a magical artifact!

"This mirror looks interesting, yet I can't see it clearly with my divine sense?" The Grand Elder was somewhat surprised.

The clan chief wiped the mirror with his clothes and then said.

"Let me try to stimulate you, you all stand further back."

The three quickly distanced themselves, and the clan leader then activated Jianzi.

The spiritual energy entered the stone mirror, and words immediately appeared on it.

Seventeen Prefectures' Wind and Rain Towers—A Reflection on Life's Flourishing Through Wind and Rain
The four of them immediately looked at each other.
-
After Yuque returned to the Dao Ancestor Realm and Yumang split up, Mangxiang took away the Xunshui Society and part of the Xunlong Sect.

Wang Yulou left behind the Pure Water Sect, a portion of the Dragon Seeking Sect, and the entire Wind and Rain Pavilion.

Unfortunately, as an intelligence exchange organization similar to the Five Realms Heavenly Gathering, the core of the Seventeen States Wind and Rain Pavilion's operation lies in the special magic treasure Wind and Rain Mirror designed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

This was part of the initial design.

Mang Xiang had the ability to change things, but at that time he hadn't fallen out with Wang Yulou, so he naturally had neither the stance nor the motivation to change things.

By the time he truly falls out with the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, there will be no time or opportunity to change things.

After all, no sooner had Mangxiang arrived at Murong Daoting than Jade Palace Immortal Venerable toured Shazhou and captured Mangxiang's true form.

Therefore, the Fengyulou system remains in the hands of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

The most crucial item is the special product of the Seventeen Prefectures Wind and Rain Pavilion, a unique treasure called the Wind and Rain Nourishing Life Mirror.

Jianzi, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable certainly wouldn't give it away for free; what he gave away was the refining method.

In addition, from time to time, while maintaining a balance between income and expenditure, one or two items are sent out to the outside world through the 'Dragon Seeking Sect Secret Realm'.

The four cultivators from the Cow Dung Tribe obtained the Mirror of Wind and Rain, which was refined by the local True Person of the Four Spirit Realms.

However, it still has an effect. As a special magic weapon designed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, the Wind and Rain Mirror has the level of a spiritual artifact and some of the effects of a magic weapon.

Its core function is information exchange, similar to the internet in the cultivation world.

However, the base station for this internet was designed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable on the Wind and Rain Mirror. The Wind and Rain Mirrors were interconnected to form a network, aiming to achieve the effect of message transmission at a great cost.

As the first generation of the Mirror of Wind and Rain, the messages it transmits can be transparently intercepted by great cultivators who understand the Dao of Refining through certain means.

The specific implementation method is like a web crawler in the style of a cultivation novel. As long as the technical level and computing power are high enough, it can capture all the information on the entire network.

This is a 'backdoor' deliberately left by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. By giving free benefits to great cultivators, he allows others to have more opportunities to join in promoting the Wind and Rain Pavilion.

As for the future, we'll talk about that later. Getting things started is more important than anything else.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion and the Wind and Rain Mirror, established by the Immortal Venerable, were a godsend for the cultivators of the Cow Dung Tribe.

"Breaking news: I know that the Hundred-Handed Daoist Court of Jinzhou has transformed into Sha Niu. The Daoist Court is the power of the Dao Ancestor. Who is this Sha Niu?"

Sweetwater looked at the words on the stone tablet with some excitement, and asked in confusion.

For a low-level cultivator trapped in a tribe, the vastness of the Four Spirit Realms and the Immortal Cultivation World is beyond description.

Information asymmetry has, in many cases, ruined the lives of many people.

For cultivators at the lower levels who obtain the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's Mirror of Wind and Rain, it is like opening their heavenly eyes!
"I reckon he's similar to the God of Wealth of the Wealth Gathering Sect, also a True Person, who has now become a Dao Ancestor."

"Nonsense, do you need to tell me?"

The two elders made a few random remarks.

"The words below are even more interesting, look."

The chieftain of the cow dung tribe was more interested in news about the water replenishment conference.

On the upper floor of the Fengyu Tower, news of the water replenishment conference was highlighted in bold.

The inscription read, "The three Dao Ancestors of the Three Immortal Continents have all declared that if any opponent dares to make a move while they are participating in the Water Replenishment Conference, war will commence immediately."

What is a hydration conference?

The clan chief sighed, somewhat puzzled.

Hydrate, hydrate—that sounds extraordinary.

For the people in the previous world of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, this thing was just a toiletries or beauty product.

But for the cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms, it was like a special dream, or more accurately, a dream filled with anticipation and fantasy.

Hydration is key; wouldn't the world be a better place if there were more water?

The Dao Ancestors were thinking about harmonizing the five elements, and going a step further, while the lower-level cultivators were simply thinking about having more water so that everyone could live more easily.

"I don't know, hey, these characters can even move as the finger moves," the clan chief said excitedly.

Encountering such a form of information presentation for the first time is bound to be somewhat shocking for those who encounter it.

"Wait, the information on this seems so mysterious to me, is it true?"

The Grand Elder of the Cow Dung Department, being the steady one he was, immediately realized something was wrong.

The clan leader licked his lips and fiddled with the screen, revealing the free information on the Mirror of Wind and Rain.

Most information is of little value because too many people already know it.

The fact that Zhou Fujiao was Qingrui's favorite male concubine was the key difference between valuable and worthless information. However, even this free information had already stirred the clan leader's heart.

'With the purification of water and the transformation of the Dao, the Houpu Dao Court may become the fifth power in the Great Heaven and Earth to have four Dao Ancestors!'

'Water purification and replenishment: Houpu, that old scoundrel, holds a water replenishment conference—what conspiracy is hidden behind it?'

These events clearly occurred in Houpu Daoting, yet the few low-level Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Cow Dung Department were completely unaware of them.

The Pure Water Ancestor and his followers knew all too well that the Black Rock Sect had transformed into the Pure Land Sect and then into the Pure Water Sect, and that they, as vassals of the Wealth Accumulation Sect, were all too familiar with this process.

But it was only today, through this trial by fire, that they learned of the existence of the Water Replenishment Conference.

This is actually normal. The Water Replenishment Conference may seem ordinary, but it's a game played by the Dao Ancestors!

"It should be true. Look, this is information about the past experiences of the Pure Water Dao Ancestor. I even met Linghu Mingfa once before. I never expected this," the Grand Elder exclaimed.

The Pure Water Sect has changed so much in recent years that many things are completely incomprehensible to outsiders.

"Elder, clan leader, this water replenishment conference sounds extraordinary, with the three Dao Ancestors from the Three Immortal Continents participating."

Do you think this conference can bring any opportunities to our "cow dung department"?

Sweetwater Wai was quite quick-witted. Since the mysterious force, the Seventeen States Wind and Rain Pavilion, had so much information about the Water Replenishment Conference, and even information about the Water Purification Ancestor to corroborate it, it was very likely true.

"Replenish water, replenish water. After the great cultivators replenish water, will there be more water in the world?"

Should the prices of water-related spiritual materials and various water-related items be reduced?

If our cow dung department

Upon hearing what Sweetwater Village said, the clan chief nodded in agreement.

The clan chief had no intention of listening to his suggestions, but he was very satisfied with Sweetwater's quick wit.

"Don't even think about reselling them. There aren't many water-related spiritual objects in the tribe anyway. But the information about the Water Purification Ancestor is quite interesting."

The Black Rock Sect was originally a vassal of the Wealth Accumulation Sect, but now the Wealth Accumulation Sect is so tyrannical and extorting money.
Perhaps, it was that ancestor, the Golden-Clad Immortal, who also wanted to break through to the Dao Transformation Realm.

But I think it definitely won't turn into anything. Our Cow Dung Department is right next to the Wealth Accumulation Sect and the Black Rock Sect, no, the Pure Water Sect.

Sweetwater Wai, your younger brother is now in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, perfect timing for him to join the Pure Water Sect!

Based on the information he saw, the clan chief made a more realistic judgment.

Compared to the water replenishment conference whose purpose was unknown, he was far more familiar with the situation within Houpu Daoting.

"Clan leader, why is it certain that the Golden-Clad Immortal cannot be transformed?"

"Think about it, according to the Fengyujian, Houpu Daoting is already the fifth force in the world with four Dao Ancestors."

The Pure Water Dao Ancestor has only been a few years since he attained enlightenment, and the Golden Robe Daoist wants to follow suit? How can that be reasonable?

Our territory is limited, and so are our interests. If the neighboring tribe takes over a river, we will have much less water.

The Golden Robe gang plundered and amassed wealth from everyone in the sect, to the point that we were forced to become bandits and scavenge for resources, which shows the pressure we faced.
The vassal states below are already on the verge of collapse, and its path to enlightenment is unlikely to be smooth.

But the Pure Water Dao Ancestor is different. Linghu Mingfa was just an imposter. I used to wonder, if the Pure Water Dao Ancestor had transformed into a Daoist, where did Linghu from the Pure Land Sect go?

I never knew, so that's how it is.

"Our Cow Dung Division should spread out our bets; we need to send more disciples, not just your brother, to the Pure Water Sect!"

The clan leader became more and more excited as he thought about it; the vision of lower-level cultivators was severely limited.

Now, with this mirror of trials and tribulations, we can see and understand many things.

Many pitfalls can be avoided.

The Black Rock Sect used to be an appendage of the Wealth Gathering Sect. Now, the Pure Water Sect has transformed into the Dao, and the Golden Robe Sect is still a True Person. Moreover, it seems impossible for them to transform into the Dao.

It can be said that both Jucaizong and Jinyi were under great pressure, which is why they resorted to internal extortion.

Therefore, the Cow Dung Department must take precautions in advance and cannot sink with the sinking ship that is the Wealth Accumulation Sect!
"The chieftain is wise! But I still wonder if we could take advantage of the water replenishment event?"

"Sweet Water Wai, you are just too smart, but you lack experience."

We can still learn some information about the Daoist Master Jing Shui and his transformation into Daoist.

But the Water Replenishment Conference had already astonished the Daoist patriarchs from other states who came to participate, while we knew nothing about it.

This shows that it is definitely not something we can participate in.

However, the Water Replenishment Conference must be related to the Water Purification Ancestor, the first Water Law Ancestor of the Great Heaven and Earth.

Therefore, it is enough for us to spread our bets and send a few disciples into the Pure Water Sect.

"Son, we don't have that much capital!"

The clan chief said with some emotion.

Why doesn't he have any ambition?

Yes, but he understands even more clearly that his abilities cannot support so many ambitions.

Like Ancestor Xianmao, how many of these people who are willing to shoulder family responsibilities would dare to truly abandon everything and take their families on an adventure?

"Alright, that's enough. With this treasure, our trip has been worthwhile. Let's head back to the tribe!"

The camels once again traversed the shadows of the red sand, but the discussion between Sweetwater Village and the village chief was still far from over.

"Clan leader, I think the Water Replenishment Conference will definitely be a good thing for Houpu Daoting."

As you just said, there is a limit to the expansion of power; once that limit is exceeded, war may break out.

But the Water Replenishment Conference sounds like a good thing. Houpu Daozu runs Houpu Daoting in the form of a business alliance and is most good at reconciling the interests of all parties.

If the Water Replenishment Conference goes smoothly, our Daoist Temple will definitely see new developments.

“Fool, never say ‘our Dao Court.’ That is the Dao Court of the True Man, the Dao Court of the Dao Ancestor, or even just the Dao Court of Dao Ancestor Houpu alone.”

You need to clearly distinguish between your own interests, the interests of our Cow Dung Tribe, and the interests of the Wealth Accumulation Sect, the Taoist Court, and the Taoist Ancestor.

Don't be fooled by the words of those great cultivators. Every time the true disciples of the Wealth Gathering Sect come to the tribe to collect taxes, they make a lot of promises, but they always force us to pay more and give more.

They are "

The high energy possessed by a high-energy person cannot be obtained out of thin air.

Everything a great cultivator gains is through battle; the blood and tears of a low-level cultivator are nothing more than the dust and smoke left behind by the aftermath of battle.

They never cared.

In the end, the clan chief didn't say what they were, but simply exclaimed with emotion.

"Those people always have too many lies and too much deception."

But with this treasure mirror, our Cow Dung Department is done for, done for, hahaha!

As the saying goes:
Rain falls on the jade palace, moistening the vast desert; yet, it is said that the seemingly heartless are truly compassionate.

The path to becoming a Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was paved with white bones; it was not merely a matter of slaughtering millions to attain the title, but even hundreds of millions would not be enough to describe it.

However, the path to enlightenment of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable also changed the fate of countless people, bringing vitality to countless living beings, humans, and cultivators.

Heartless?
Is there any affection?
There is no answer, or rather, there are countless answers.

Even the judgment that the heart of a great cultivator replaces the heart of heaven is limited and was an erroneous judgment made when the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's cultivation level was not high.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's heart was no longer about replacing the will of Heaven, but about surpassing it.

Heaven and earth control everything, so they use lightning tribulations to destroy those who seek the Dao and try to break free from their control.

But the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable no longer insists on controlling everything. He stands in the ignorant wilderness, approaching the omniscient and supreme being.

This journey begins with genuine ignorance, a quest for truth and spiritual practice, gradually approaching true knowledge.

Standing on the level of true knowledge, one realizes one's own ignorance, and thus sees the path to omniscience.

This is a journey to find the other side amidst chaos.

Losing control is terrifying in itself, but not so for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, who possesses the spirit of a Dao pursuer.
-
A month before the Water Replenishment Conference, the number of cultivators in Houpu Dao Court had visibly increased.

Heroes from seventeen states gathered, and the heavens and earth replenished their water.

The tides of the times are surging ever on, with the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable at the eye of the storm.

However, this 'protagonist' who took the initiative to stand in the position of protagonist in the Four Spirit Realms era has been hidden under the tide.

A Taoist paradise, a sacred Taoist temple.

"Old Hou, your name is Houpu, but you are not Houpu at all."

"The hydration conference is being held, and I've already invited almost everyone. How can the conference proceed without any support from you?"

Houpu is not Empress Deshan. The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is quite blatant in demanding benefits and support from him.

There's no need to pretend; everyone can do what they need.

In order for Houpu to have a future, he must support the struggles within the larger world.

How can I get support?

Of course I support Wang Yuque and the Water Replenishment Conference.

"Brother Yuque, what kind of support do you want? Just tell me."

Xiao Wang is a scoundrel who wants to freeload, and Houpu is no pushover either, he has no intention of giving more than necessary.

What "Brother Jade Palace"? They're all fake. A smiling face doesn't mean you're truly giving up benefits.

But Houpu's attitude never changed; he still supported Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

However, the Water Replenishment Conference and the Immortal Alliance Reform are not the same thing.

The Immortal Alliance Reform marked the beginning of an era of reform, corresponding to the long-standing stable order of the world and the ambitions and schemes of top-tier Golden Core cultivators.

Too many things were prepared and laid out long ago; the consensus reached during the confrontation had already been formed.

There was no water replenishment event.

The situation in the Four Spirit Realms is completely different from that in the Great Heaven and Earth.

Therefore, the support from Houpu was actually quite limited.

The water replenishment event was organized by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, and Houpu preferred to see how well it was organized before considering further betting.

Of course, of course, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had anticipated all of this. He never thought that the difficulty of the Water Replenishment Conference was the same as the difficulty of the Immortal Alliance Reform.

"Lao Hou, I actually know what you're thinking. You just want to see me make a mess of things."

However, if I'm the only one promoting the hydration event, it's likely to start strong but end weakly, which would be a loss for both of us, and the opportunity would be wasted.

Let me give you an example. In this vast world, there is a reform.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable recounted to Houpu the beginning and end of the reform, as well as the internal and external changes of the major forces involved in the reform.

"It can be said that pushing forward the general trend of the times and taking advantage of it is the most cost-effective way of cultivation for us Golden Core cultivators."

"Once we seize control of the overall situation, any path we take will be easier," said the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, offering empty promises.

"But Fellow Daoist Yuque, you also understand that the development of the cultivation world within the Great Heaven and Earth is more... how should I put it, I would call it 'superior'."

The leaders of the top forces in the Great Heaven and Earth know what they want, and they also have enough strength to ensure that they will not lose in the process of reform.

The Water Replenishment Conference is different. As participants in the Water Replenishment Conference—the Dao Ancestors of the Four Spirit Realms, and even your ally, I lack mutual trust, a foundation for cooperation, and a shared vision for the future.

Houpu is right, but it's useless.

His interests, the interests of the other elders in the Four Spirit Realms, and Wang Yulou's interests are not entirely aligned.

He didn't plan to replenish water or harmonize the five elements immediately, nor did he intend to put too much effort into harmonizing the five elements.

However, he needs the Water Replenishment Conference, a significant historical event in the Four Spirit Realms, to get things moving and take shape.

Therefore, he could neither be too diligent nor too careless—he still needed more support from Houpu.

“Fellow Daoist Houpu, you are right. My idea is to ensure an exit mechanism for participants during the Water Replenishment Conference.”

This provides a psychological and regulatory safety net for fellow cultivators at the Golden Core stage.

That's the complexity of doing things; even if the cake made with the five elements to harmonize water and combat drought looks very appealing.

But Houpu is not an isolated case. The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable must give the participants enough respect, that is, provide them with a safety net and protection.

Only in this way can they dare to participate and join the wave led by others.

They're all at the Golden Core stage. Even if the Golden Core cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms are the most unsophisticated, no one wants to become a wedding dress or a price to pay!
"Exit mechanism?" Houpu asked with some surprise.

Because Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's idea is completely different from the mainstream practices in the cultivation world.

"Yes, among the top forces in the Great World, those who are strong enough, especially top-tier Golden Core cultivators or even Golden Immortals, can change their allegiance without restraint, provided that conditions permit."

From power groups to small organizations, and even to a war or a small-scale battle, the exit mechanism is a crucial element.

I plan to support this hydration event from three dimensions.

Firstly, in order to establish an exit mechanism, ensuring that all participating Dao Ancestors can withdraw whenever they wish without incurring any costs, thereby protecting and respecting their interests.

With an exit mechanism in place, fellow cultivators will be more willing to participate. Once the momentum is built up, the momentum and inertia will take effect, and the water replenishment conference will play its most basic role in terms of our mutual interests.

However, you will need to put a lot of thought into how to design this exit mechanism to conform to the conventions of the Four Spirit Realms and the expectations of your fellow Daoists.

Secondly, in order to establish a concrete water replenishment process, water replenishment cannot rely on some mysterious and profound Dao harmony. I am not some Dao wholesaler who can continuously master one water law Dao after another.

An organization, even a special one like a water replenishment conference, must take action in order to survive.

How to do it, how to replenish resources, how to implement it, and how to gradually involve people—all of these should be based on the long-term and common interests of all participants, and a specific plan should be designed.

Thirdly, establishing a reward mechanism for those who have reached the Dao Ancestor realm is difficult, but necessary.

All talk of long-term interests and common interests boils down to personal interests. We need to provide people with specific personal benefits and establish a reward mechanism.

The problem is that my fellow Daoists at the Dao Ancestor level are all very strong and powerful, and I may not be able to provide the benefits they seek.

Actually, I have absolutely no ideas or thoughts on this topic.

Of course, I trust in your abilities, Fellow Daoist Houpu; I'm sure you can offer me plenty of advice.

Putting all the trivial matters aside, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable believed that the core of successfully organizing the Water Replenishment Conference lay in these three things.

Once these three things are done, everything will be much easier.

The exit mechanism encourages participation from like-minded individuals.

The specific implementation process will ensure the smooth operation of the water replenishment conference.

The reward mechanism for Dao Ancestors incentivizes them to invest their own resources.

We should focus on the principal contradiction.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable only focused on raising the main contradictions, leaving the specific solutions to Houpu.

It may seem like a despicable act, but it's actually a standard way of respecting the interests of allies.

You, Houpu, have the right to speak, participate, lead, and own shares!

It's not that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is foolishly generous, but rather that the Water Replenishment Conference would inevitably be difficult to hold, and the interests of all Golden Core cultivators would inevitably be difficult to reconcile.

This is an expected return; it hasn't even reached Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's pocket yet.

We need to get it started first, make the cake first, before we can divide the cake.

Giving Hopu more benefits, or 'expected shares,' can facilitate the process of expanding the pie.

If I become emperor, you will all be kings standing shoulder to shoulder with me.

"Fellow Daoist Yuque, you are truly, truly, truly..."

Houpu said "that's really true" three times, but didn't say a word in the end.

His feelings were quite complicated.

The special envoy from the Great Heaven and Earth Alliance, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, showed him what the aura of a great cultivator truly meant.

Let the interests be taken away!

Shares, give them up!

When it comes to getting things done, we should all work together and share the profits.

This kind of thinking could never have originated in a world as cruel and brutal as the Four Spirit Realms.

It has such a vast and expansive feel to it, and such a grand and imposing presence.

Given the miserable state of the cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms, who fight to the death for a mere drop of water at the bottom, there is absolutely no possibility of them displaying such heroic spirit.

Meals included
"What is it really like?" Jade Palace Immortal Venerable asked with a smile.

"This is really difficult for me. Here's what I'll do: I'll send a message to Julehu and ask him to come over so we can discuss how to do it together."

Houpu replied jokingly with a bitter expression.

"Fellow Daoist Yuque may not know this, but this Julehu, though not a good thing, is extremely clever."

Moreover, their strength is roughly the same as mine.

If the three of us join forces, we will have six Dao Ancestors.

With six Dao Ancestors at the core, even if the Water Replenishment Conference is difficult, it can at least definitely be held.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable nodded slightly, though he too felt a pang of emotion.

Having chosen a good ally, and with no major disagreements about interests in the short term, working together is truly enjoyable.

The meaning of Houpu is very simple—add a note!
He took concrete actions to ensure that his good brother Julehu stood with Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, guaranteeing that the Water Replenishment Conference could at least be held.

What specific benefits did the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable concede during the entire process?

There's nothing there!
Jade Palace Immortal Venerable merely presented a possibility, and Houpu, being a shrewd man, immediately decided to increase his bet.

That's the joy of working with smart people—there's hardly any backstabbing, because from the very beginning, both sides have a full understanding of the boundaries of their interests.

Both the Immortal Venerable and Lao Hou respected each other, and now was far from the time for internal strife—the Immortal Venerable of Jade Palace's initial assertiveness did not diminish the fact that he deeply respected Hou Pu.

At least in this current phase of increasing growth, both parties are very willing to cooperate.
-
Half a month later, inside the Houpu Taoist Temple.

The second most important figure in Houpu Daoting, Daozu Guoshan, is currently arranging his position.

Arranging the location for the water replenishment event was extremely difficult.

Whether the Heavenly Empress will come or not is still undecided—the water replenishment conference is scheduled for tomorrow.

“She is truly composed. Alas, Brother Shuangfeng, what should we do?” Guoshan asked Shuangfeng Daozu, the third Daozu of Houpu Daoting, with a worried expression.

So don't laugh at Shandong people for liking to study seating arrangements. Even if they were immortals or ancestors, they would be disgusted by seating arrangements to the point of rolling on the ground.

There's no way around it, this thing is truly disgusting.

It must be done well, but it will be very difficult to do well.

In fact, this is what makes the Four Spirit Realms special.

The power evolution of the Four Spirit Realms has not yet reached the stage of the Great Heaven and Earth; they are still small forces.

Neither Guoshan nor Shuangfeng had ever participated in such a grand gathering of so many Daoist patriarchs.

They can't grasp the essence of it, so they fuss over such trivial matters in order to be perfect and avoid any mishaps.

This also shows Houpu's support for the Jade Palace Immortal.

"In the end, it's a choice between a circular plan and a square plan. I prefer the square plan, and the four of us will sit at the four corners."

Just tear down the dojo right now, make a pond in the middle, and use it to replenish water.

Arranging seats around the pool is both meaningful and perfectly appropriate,” said the Twin Peaks Ancestor.

"Not choosing the circle?" Guoshan asked, puzzled.

"No way. What if the Empress comes and sits on the north side? How are Hong Xuanji and Lu Zhishui supposed to be arranged? Their forces are also in the north. Are we going to put the three of them next to each other?"

"Let's use a square shape, with Brother Julehu sitting due north. Then the other three can be arranged on the other three sides. This is the most suitable arrangement."

Twin Peaks is a camel demon who attained enlightenment. Although it is a demon god, its grasp of these details is still quite accurate.

"Oh, what are you two talking about?"

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable entered Houpu Dojo and saw two fellow practitioners from Houpu Court talking about something with bitter expressions, so he immediately landed beside them.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Pure Water, we are discussing seating arrangements."

"That Gong Shande is a real scoundrel; he still hasn't said whether he's coming or not," Shuangfeng immediately said.

It has only been a short time since it attained enlightenment, only 2,700 years. Naturally, it has great respect for fellow Daoists of the Pure Water Dao who can kill with blood and bones.

Meanwhile, Guoshan was already using his magical powers to change the terrain of the temple.

Wang Yulou smiled in surprise, then shook his head helplessly.

"Whether she comes or not, we will still go ahead with the event. The seating arrangement is neither important nor unimportant."

In a short while, the earthen method of extensive repairs over the mountain completed the reshaping of the temple's layout.

Dozens of seats are lined up around the huge pool, but Guoshan isn't very confident about how many people can come.

So far, only nineteen Dao Ancestors and twenty-seven Celestial Realm True Persons representing the Dao Ancestors have arrived at Houpu Dao Court ahead of schedule.

This is the result even including the six people in the Houpu-Julehu-Yuque alliance.

"Too few, only a hundred. So many came today. Hearing the news of the large number of people coming, there will probably be even more tomorrow."

Moreover, several fellow cultivators who were confirmed to attend have not yet shown up, such as Murong and Jiuyou; one of them is definitely going to come.

Looking at the seats, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable said with some emotion.

When he presided over the reform of the Immortal Alliance, he was acting on the orders of the top Immortal Venerables; his role was that of a vanguard.

Now, he has returned to the Golden Core Realm and is starting his own era.

But he is no longer a tool that is used effectively and efficiently; instead, he is a designer who oversees everything.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was very confident that the number of Dao Ancestors who were willing to come was definitely more than nineteen.

The tide is turning, how could the most intelligent beings in the Four Spirit Realms not care?

Tomorrow, it should be a scene of immortals gathered in attendance.

As the saying goes:
A warm breeze blows across the Red Sand Plain, as a hundred immortals return to their jade palace in a row.

Full of vitality, everything is in full swing.

The advantages and the first-mover advantage are both mine!
(End of this chapter)