Shangyuque

Chapter 338 Heroes Clash! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

In Mufan Prefecture, at the temporary headquarters of the Seeking Dragon Sect.

A 'Secret Disciple Dragon Seeker' at the level of a true disciple reported to Sect Master Jing Shuran.

"Sect Master, something's not right."

There's a Wood and Stone Association in Mufan Prefecture that also deals in secret realms, and their model is exactly the same as ours.

If we want to establish the Dragon Seeking Sect's secret realm in Mufan Prefecture, we have to compete with them.

Because of the conflict of interest, they might be targeted, which could lead to conflict.

The secret disciples of the Seeking Dragon Sect are the true disciples, all of whom have a cultivation level of at least the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. They follow a disciple hierarchy design similar to that of the Red Lantern Gang, with the precipitous difference in difficulty between the inner sect and the true disciples to ensure control over the disciples.

Now, Jing Shuran, who has become the sect leader, has reached the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm.

The reason why the sect leader doesn't need to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator is simply because the Dragon Seeking Sect's business is too unique—it needs someone to keep things under control.

Jing Shuran and Jing Jianjia share the same surname, but it's only because she is the reincarnation of the ancestor Jingyi.

Although the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had a profound and full understanding of the inefficiency of forcing growth, he was still somewhat biased towards the reincarnation of Ancestor Jingyi.

There's no way around it; the debt of gratitude owed to Mangxiang can be repaid, but the debt of gratitude owed to Ancestor Jingyi can not be repaid either.

"Dust, you're overthinking it. The First Elder and the Second Elder will be here soon."

At that time, three Celestial Realm experts will be present to oversee the operation.

"As long as the people from Mu Fan Dao Ting don't interfere, everything is negotiable," Jing Shuran replied calmly.

Everyone is a Golden Core cultivator, but not all Golden Core cultivators are the same.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has achieved comprehensive success in managing his power, with the five major forces supporting each other. Although they may seem to lack sufficient foundation, the Immortal Venerable can ensure that his subordinates maintain an advantage in necessary local confrontations if he so desires.

The First Elder and Second Elder of the Seeking Dragon Sect were transferred from the Pure Water Sect by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, specifically to support the distribution of the 'Immortal Venerable's Exclusive Grace Cultivation Path' to the lower-level cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms.

The Immortal Venerable's improved version of the magic weapon, the Purple Mansion Technique, does indeed have advantages: extremely fast path to enlightenment, a relatively high lower limit, a decent average level, and extremely strong control over subordinates.

Combining these forces, it's not hard to imagine that they could break through the conflict between the Four Spirit Realms.

The weakness of the Dharma Treasure Carrying the Dao Purple Mansion Method is relative to those top-tier Purple Mansion Methods; it doesn't mean it's just a worthless, unremarkable method.

Moreover, given the Immortal Venerable's level of cultivation, if he had a longer development period, his opponents might have witnessed the Immortal Venerable leading a group of natal magic treasures that had reached the level of immortal artifacts in the battle against Dao.

Immortal artifacts piled up to shake heaven and earth; cannons fired, blasting the boundless.

"What if the Mu Fan Dao Court intervenes?" asked Chen Hua, a secret disciple of the Seeking Dragon Sect and the Seeking Dragon Envoy.

"Then introduce yourself; many things will be quite obvious."

Our Dragon Seeking Sect ushered in the era of treasure hunting in secret realms. Many followers, using the names of the Dragon Seeking Sect and other miscellaneous sects, expanded the treasure hunting in secret realms to seventeen states.

The project has been launched across all seventeen states, severely damaging the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yet, for these elusive opportunities, they are willing to gamble their lives.

Did the cultivators who participated in the treasure hunt in the secret realm not know the danger and that it might be a complete trap?

They knew, they knew, but they still participated; that's a fact.

In fact, we have reached a turning point, a turning point from darkness to light.

Jing Shuran analyzed.

Chen Hua is a secret disciple and Dragon Seeker of the Dragon Seeking Sect, which is also a true disciple. She has a high opinion of Chen Hua and believes he has potential for development.

The other two Celestials in the sect came from the Pure Water Sect, while he himself was from the Mangxiang Cave Heaven.

Therefore, the Dragon Seeking Sect needs a direct descendant of the sect's Celestial Being; they desperately need one.

In fact, Jing Shuran's analysis was a judgment passed down by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

The cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms knew perfectly well that the treasure hunt in the secret realm was a scam, but they still loved to participate.

This is similar to knowing that the expected return of a lottery is 60%, but countless people still choose to buy tickets for that little bit of chance.

The initiative and enthusiasm for participation are inversely proportional to their relative ecological position in the environment, so the facts are clear.

There always needs to be some hope and something to look forward to, right?
The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was naturally willing to distribute hope, and to distribute hope in large quantities.

The Seeking Dragon Sect no longer promotes the "Wind and Rain Mirror," but instead directly promotes the "Mysterious Water Path Related Cultivation Methods," the "Forbidden Spirit Extinction Water Path Related Cultivation Methods," and the "Mysterious Water Sand as the Core Related Cultivation Methods."

In addition, there are various methods for refining elixirs and magical artifacts, as well as other methods collected by the Dragon Seeking Sect in its many Dragon Seeking Secret Realms.

Once these methods are obtained, they will spread, thus reducing their appeal. However, the secret realm will still contain rare spiritual materials and magical artifacts, as well as top-grade elixirs.

In addition to the rewards from killing other cultivators searching for treasure in secret realms, the upper limit of expected returns for participants is extremely high.

The dead won't give bad reviews, but the survivors are living advertisements, which attracts a large number of low-level cultivators to gamble their lives.

The path to immortality bestowed by the Celestial Venerable is based on the methods that rely on the Great Dao mastered by the Celestial Venerable.

Anyone who truly cultivates to a high level will be perceived by the Immortal Venerable and become a potential subordinate of the Immortal Venerable.

They are beings who, while earning spirit stones, simultaneously encourage cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms to promote the recovery of water spirits and strengthen the two acquired water-related Great Daos controlled by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable within the Four Spirit Realms.

This is actually part of the Golden Immortal Path of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, because whether it is the Mysterious Water Path of Wonderful Method or the Spirit Extinction Path of Forbidden Method, they are just his important reliance at the moment.

In the future, he will either find some innate Dao that he admires and seize control of it, or create his own acquired Dao based on his own accumulation. He will never rely on these two acquired Daos created by others to achieve supremacy.

You can sell anything, and you can give up anything unless it's absolutely necessary. That's a kind of boldness, too.

"Sect Leader, will the Mu Fan Dao Court give us face?" Chen Hua asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It will be given. You should know that our Seeking Dragon Sect is supported by Dao Ancestor Houpu, Dao Ancestor Julehu, and Dao Ancestor Jingshui."

Behind us stood several Dao Ancestors, not much less powerful than the Mu Fan Dao Court. They were all major forces in the world, so naturally they had to give us face.

Jing Shuran spoke with some pride, though she actually wanted to mention the Mangxiang Immortal Venerable.

However, the Mangxiang Ancestor is now keeping a very low profile, and has almost taken the form of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. He just hopes to be put back on the table as soon as possible.

Therefore, Lao Mang did not seek fame, and he gave Jing Shuran many instructions—never to misbehave in my name outside, and to show extra respect to the Pure Water Ancestor.

"So how should we deal with this turning point?"

Jing Shuran thought of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's decree and spoke with some anticipation.

"Starting from Mufan Prefecture, we will go public in a timely manner. The caravan of the Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor will arrive soon, and the Dao Ancestor will support us."

From covert manipulation to open conflict over interests.

This process represents a tremendous leap for any force operating in the shadows.

If you do well, you will become a legitimate participant in the cultivation world; if you don't, the entire lineage may perish.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, you're using your Dragon Seeking Sect to test that bastard Mu Fan.

Either you fight me right now and try to seize the power of the hydration conference.

Either accept my existence, or I'll take your opinions for granted, as long as we can make do.

Perfectionism is not a good habit, and Jade Palace Immortal Venerable already has the highest level of understanding and awareness of how to do things.

It's actually a good thing to fight and confront them early. If the conflict is ignited prematurely, Huanpei will be the real unlucky one—its future advantage will be forcibly removed by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable!

This is actually a strategy aimed at achieving a win-win situation despite the losers, and the Houpu Daoting caravan represented by Shuangfeng is another link in the test!
Since the Wuji Dao Master was unwilling to take the 30% of the Four Spirit Realms that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had given away, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable would have to rely on himself to take over the Four Spirit Realms. Therefore, no matter how difficult things are, they must be pushed forward little by little.

Note that this probing, this willingness to accept an early confrontation strategy, does not mean that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable does not want to delay time.

However, this process is too troublesome and complicated. To achieve stability under a certain consensus, the threat of confrontation needs to be made clear first, so that it can proceed smoothly.

"The plan of the Pure Water Ancestor is to talk to the people of the Wood and Stone Society and work together to hold a public 'treasure hunt'."

Collect the entrance fees and let those ambitious cultivators feel at ease to gamble their lives inside. At least our treasure hunt really does have treasures.

Cooperating with local forces—they provide support, we gain recognition—is a win-win situation.
-
Mu Fan Dao Ting.

The Mufan Dao Court is quite different from other Dao Courts; its Dao Court Wonderland is divided into two layers.

The first layer, or the outer area, is where the cultivators belonging to the Dao Court live and work, and it occupies a relatively small area.

The second layer, also known as the core layer, is entirely the Daoist temple of Mu Fan Daozu. It spans hundreds of miles and is rich in the five elements, with the water element reaching a concentration of one-fifteenth.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion of Mufan Prefecture is located on the first floor of the Mufan Daoting.

Because the Wood and Stone Sect and the Dragon Seeking Sect are similar, they also enhance their authority and legend by creating a sense of mystery, thereby luring lower-level cultivators to their secret realm.

Therefore, it was quite difficult for Jing Shuran to find someone from the Wood and Stone Sect to talk to them.

Therefore, she went to the Fengyu Tower in Mufan Prefecture to purchase relevant information.

As the largest emerging intelligence agency in the Four Spirit Realms, the grandeur of the Fengyulou headquarters in Yizhou goes without saying.

The cultivators who preside over this place alone possess the cultivation level of the Celestial Realm—similar to the general agent of the Wind and Rain Pavilion in Mufan Prefecture.

This demonstrates the wisdom of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable in managing his power: he never monopolizes resources, fully understands the limits of his own resources, and actively forms alliances with local strongmen to ensure the rapid expansion of Wind and Rain Tower across the seventeen states.

That kind of thinking hidden in the dark is actually quite undesirable.

Both the Dragon Seeking Sect and the Water Seeking Society operate in the shadows, which is why their development has been slower.

Within the Great Heaven and Earth, the Wuji Palace is merely the chamber pot of the Wuji Dao Master. The Winnowing Basket Society has absolutely no internal coercion, and the Five Domains Under Heaven Gathering has little room for collusion and has become a place purely for information exchange.

Even so, it was only because the Five Realms Under Heaven Gathering was sufficiently open and accessible that it was able to achieve such a prominent reputation.

Therefore, if Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wants to develop Wind and Rain Tower quickly, he must achieve a win-win situation with others.

Therefore, even though they were both members of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's subordinate forces, Jing Shuran still had to pay money to purchase intelligence at the Wind and Rain Pavilion headquarters in Mu Fanzhou.

"Four hundred catties of spirit sand will suffice. However, I have a question. I wonder if you could enlighten me?" asked Qi Lianhai, the manager of Fengyulou in Mufanzhou.

Jing Shuran gave the spirit sand, realizing that Qi Lianhai was suspicious of her background.

The Seeking Dragon Sect was too mysterious before. If it weren't for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable needing to test Mu Fan, it wouldn't have suddenly emerged into the open now.

Therefore, her status as a Celestial Realm True Person remained unknown to most.

"Fellow Daoist, please speak freely."

"May I ask where you cultivate, fellow Daoist? Although I live in Mufan Prefecture, I know a little about the true people of the seventeen prefectures."

Every single one of my fellow cultivators in the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm, including Hai, had long admired my name.

"Fellow Daoist, I have never heard of this before," Qi Lianhai asked frankly.

Those who work in intelligence don't need to probe so much; they can often just ask directly, which at least ensures overall efficiency.

"My name is Jing Shuran. I am a cultivator under the tutelage of Dao Ancestor Jingshui and Dao Ancestor Houpu, and the sect leader of Xunlong Sect."

Qi Lianhai's expression immediately changed.

The fact that the Seeking Dragon Sect is related to the Pure Water Dao Ancestor is known to anyone with a bit of insight—the Black Dragon is coiled under the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's seat, but Jing Shuran is looking for information about the Wood and Stone Society.

The Seeking Dragon Sect and the Wood and Stone Society have the same business; the Wood and Stone Society was created by copying the Seeking Dragon Sect. It is a new way for Dao Ancestor Mu Fan to generate revenue internally.

If the two sects were to clash, the information I sold could become a disaster.

Although intelligence agencies are usually neutral, when facing Mu Fan Dao Zu and Mu Fan Dao Court, neutrality is completely meaningless.

"Fellow Daoist Shuran, you've asked me for information about the Wood and Stone Society."

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Lian Hai, there's no need to worry. I'm not here to make enemies, but to make friends. Perhaps we'll even have the opportunity to cooperate in the future."

After seeing Jing Shuran off, Qi Lianhai's expression was not good. He hurriedly reported the situation to Daoist Mu Fan.

Being in the Daoist fairyland, Qilianhai naturally had a wonderful way to contact the Daoist Ancestor.

He activated the magic method, and a new sprout appeared on the ground.

Qi Lianhai explained the whole story to Xinya, and soon, Mu Fan's decree arrived.

"Don't worry, it's nothing. Since she said she came to make friends, just befriend her. If she contacts you again, you'll know what to do."

"Dao Ancestor, Lian Hai understands!"

The new shoots retreated back to the ground, and Qi Lianhai straightened up again, but his expression was extremely unpredictable.

The wind rises from the tip of a blade of grass.
The two peaks arrived in person, searching for the dragon's traces; Mu Fanzhou was bustling with activity.
-
"Master, master, I really don't want to be bred, please, please spare me!"

With one foot tucked to the other side of the spirit pool, he looked at the Immortal Venerable from afar and pleaded for mercy with a sorrowful expression.

There was no other way; the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable decided to use it to generate revenue.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is now starting his own business. Considering that he has already become an immortal in effect, there is basically no reference for his future path.

Therefore, you can only rely on yourself for everything.

Herein lies a crucial question—in what posture and where to go?

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's idea was simple: bring more benefits to his allies, and then take benefits from them in return, thereby forming alliances and buying time for his own cultivation.

The Black Dragon had long been coveted by many Dao Ancestors.

The Four Spirit Realms have been without dragons for far too long, and everyone wants to breed a few dragons to raise as pets.

Of course, they can also be used to assist in cultivation, but they are mainly raised for fun—the cultivation of dragon seeds is too slow and it is difficult to keep up with the growth rate of a great cultivator's own strength.

Qi Refining cultivators play with spirit cranes, while Golden Core Dao Ancestors play with dragon seeds; in essence, there is no difference.

Novelty, fun, and longing—that's enough.

"Little Black, back when you were by Feng Jianxian's side, didn't you always enjoy being with a mare? Why don't you like them now?"

"I only cut off three of your legs, not your dragon whip, and your body has already fully recovered, hasn't it?"

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable smiled and teased.

“Master, I was just a stupid horse back then, I didn’t know anything about cultivation. Now every drop of my dragon essence contains a destiny.”

"If I add too much, my cultivation will be affected, my cultivation speed will be slowed down, and I won't be able to reach the Golden Core stage sooner, thus hindering your further progress."

All I want to say is, everyone has a youthful past.

Back then, it was young and full of dreams, always thinking about riding and mating.

Now that it's a mature old dragon, it no longer has so many thoughts of being paired with a rider.

Cultivation is definitely more important than mating.

"Hahaha, even if you become a Golden Core cultivator, you can't help me advance any further. At most, you'll just make me look more imposing when I ride out."

Moreover, the demons that your fellow cultivators have prepared for you to breed with are all at least demon generals, such as the seven-colored serpent and the three-colored brocade deer, each one is exceptionally beautiful.

The characteristic of your dragon species is that it can be paired with anything. If I pair it with one, I can collect two hundred top-grade water sand.

If I take one hundred, and you take one hundred, one hundred top-grade water sands are basically equivalent to a fifth-grade spiritual material.

"It's only because the bumpkins in the Four Spirit Realms have never seen a dragon and have abundant resources that they're offering you such a high price for breeding. You should think it over carefully."

At this moment, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable resembled a seasoned madam luring innocent women into prostitution.

However, generating income from mounts is ultimately for the purpose of cultivation.

There's no shame in spiritual practice.

"You take a hundred, I'll take a hundred, Master, isn't this... too little?"

"Haha, Little Black, even the Wuji Dao Master only gets 30% of my face. I'd give you 50% and you still wouldn't be satisfied."

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable truly laughed. Some things you don't know until you compare them, and once you do, they become quite humorous.

The Wuji Dao Master was so tormented by his opponent that he was no match for even a mating dragon.

Even if you sell yourself, you can still get 50%, but the Wuji Dao Master is really only getting half or 30%.

All I can say is that the path of spiritual practice can be truly brutal at times.

"How about this, 60%, you take 120, but you have to provide me with 17 demon generals and give birth to at least 67 dragon offspring, how about that?"

One foot was only cut off from three feet, not from having its brain removed. Xiao Hei realized something was wrong as soon as its eyes rolled.

The gestation of dragon offspring is extremely difficult, requiring a large amount of life essence, spiritual energy, and vitality to nourish them, often taking more than ten years.

Even so, there is usually only one child per family. Of course, if a dragon gives birth to a dragon, the number of children per family will be more.

The seventeen breeding partners should correspond to seventeen dragon offspring, but the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable called for sixty-seven.
"Master, sixty-seven of them! I'll die from exhaustion!" Little Black complained pitifully.

"Seventeen proper dragon species and fifty decent dragon species, similar to your previous situation is fine."

The dragon vein has some merit; one can refine their bloodline through dragon techniques and return to their ancestral form to cultivate. In this way, I can use these fifty dragon seedlings as sect and faction benefits to distribute to my subordinates.

They're not worthy of the Dao Ancestor's opportunity. How about that? Not too difficult, right?

Xiao Hei wanted to say that even if it were to become a monster like the Black Dragon Horse, it would be difficult. He was a Black Dragon Horse with extraordinary talent, not an ordinary Black Dragon Horse.

Seeing that the black dragon did not answer, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable added.

What will the future hold for the Four Spirit Realms?
It's hard to say, but I have an idea: to digest a portion of the Four Spirit Realms.

The remaining portion became another core foundation for me outside of the vast world.

If you have many children, in the future, when I return to the Great Heaven and Earth, I will be able to leave you in the Four Spirit Realms to oversee the situation.

"By then, you will be the supreme ruler of the realm, how about it?"

Upon hearing Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's arrangement, the black dragon's eyes lit up.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had no offspring because the environment he lived in before was too harsh; offspring would only become a weakness.

The extension of power and control can also be achieved through allies, partners, and disciples.

At the same time, once Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's cultivation level is high enough, he can rely on himself to gain numerous allies and Daoist partners, ensuring the continuation of his own development. Therefore, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable abandoned the path of expanding his offspring.

However, compared to the Great Heaven and Earth, the Four Spirit Realms are like a 'private server' that is isolated from the outside world.

If the Black Dragon has enough offspring and enough time, it can become the so-called 'Supreme Ruler of a Realm' in the future, according to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's design.

As for whether Jade Palace Immortal Venerable can accomplish what he said—to take over the Four Spirit Realms and then rule over everything—Black Dragon is more confident than Jade Palace Immortal Venerable himself.

If it didn't have this kind of confidence, it wouldn't have been able to accompany Jade Palace Immortal Venerable to this day; it would have found another good master long ago.

"Master, my Divine Dragon Thorn is almost ready to be upgraded. Once it's upgraded to a Spirit Treasure, my self-defense capabilities will be greatly enhanced."

The black dragon has agreed to mate, but wants to discuss the price further, since it is the mount of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and its behavior is naturally in line with the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable smiled bitterly.

"You can advance to the next level, but the problem lies in the lack of a spirit. I'll have to resolve the spirit issue before I can help you advance."

The problem of the spirit artifact is difficult to solve, but it's really not that complicated.

The key point is that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable doesn't have that much time.

He had so much to do, and even though he delegated most of it to his subordinates, he still didn't have enough time.

If you get more here, you'll get less there; it's very troublesome.
-
Jing Shuran rode on a golden bell-shaped magical artifact, flying out of the Daoist fairyland of Mu Fan Dao Court, preparing to go to the mountain gate of Mu Shi Sect to pay homage.

However, outside the Daoist Immortal Realm, she noticed a familiar spiritual light in the distant sky.

That was the Houpu Grand Cart of the Houpu Dao Court, a flying magical artifact often used by the disciples of the Merchant Alliance when traveling for business.

But the aura this car evoked was unusually large, as if it was deliberately meant to draw everyone's attention.

Jing Shuran immediately understood—the caravan led by the Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor was almost there, and those sitting on the carts were most likely the cultivators who were scouting ahead.

The caravan personally led by the Dao Ancestor was no longer a caravan, but a cultivation-version army, only carrying more wealth.

Any force that needs to pass through its territory must communicate with it in advance to avoid misunderstandings.

Since the destination is the Mufan Daoting, they will naturally communicate and exchange ideas more carefully before reaching the destination to ensure the interests of both parties.

Originally, Jing Shuran planned to go directly to the Wood and Stone Sect, but since the Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor's caravan had already arrived, she was no longer in a hurry.

Jing Shuran was thinking about whether she could ride on the coattails of the Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor and directly meet the legendary Mu Fan Dao Ancestor.

Shuangfeng was a camel demon who attained enlightenment, therefore, Shuangfeng Daozu's caravan did not have a single camel.

Teams of enormous sand scorpions crawled across the ground at a speed that appeared slow but was actually incredibly fast.

The largest one possessed the cultivation of a demon general and carried a huge pavilion on its back.

The Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor sat upright on the Dharma Platform, having already finished his discussion with Mu Fan in secret.

This was almost one of the largest caravans in the history of the Four Spirit Realms, and of course, it was impossible for all of them to enter the Mufan Dao Court.

Old Mu was also wary; if there were any hidden tricks, it would cause trouble for him if things got chaotic.

Therefore, the final decision was that the Sand Scorpion Palace would be moved into the Dao Court, while the remaining Sand Scorpion caravan would remain outside the Dao Court.

This is to protect the twin peaks.

There was no other way. If Shuangfeng died in Mufanzhou, Old Mu would be left with mud on his crotch and wouldn't be able to explain himself.

Lu Zhishui's death seemed like a conspiracy to Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and Houpu, but to Mu Fan, it had the feel of a horror story.

Therefore, it allied with Gong Shande to avoid being easily divided and disintegrated by the enemy.

It's fair to say that everyone is facing a difficult situation at this point!
Seeing the giant sand scorpion demon king carrying the pavilion into the Dao Court, Jing Shuran's eyes flickered, and she followed.

Paying respects at the mountain, identifying oneself, and gaining an audience proceeded smoothly without much resistance.

"You're the leader of the Dragon Seeking Sect?"

Shuangfeng appeared to be a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion. Under its scrutinizing gaze, Jing Shuran responded neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Reporting to the senior, I am Jing Shuran, a disciple of Dao Ancestor Jingshui. Dao Ancestor Houpu also supports the matter of the Dragon Seeking Sect."

I came to Mufan Prefecture this time because…

As a resident of the cave of the Mangxiang Immortal Venerable, Jing Shuran was quite confident, neither humble nor arrogant, and was not intimidated by the imposing presence of the twin peaks.

However, this may also be a trait possessed by the reincarnation of Ancestor Jingyi, who, like Ancestor Jingyi, possesses a fearless courage.

"Oh," Shuangfeng murmured for a long time before finally saying.

“Alright, come with me to visit Dao Ancestor Mu Fan.”

Jing Shui and Houpu are not on the same side. Shuangfeng clearly understands this. Houpu the old thief and Yuque Immortal Venerable are allies, not brothers who share the same pants.

Houpu School's Shuangfeng Probe.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable then sent Jing Shuran and Xunlong Sect to test them.

Double testing, double insurance.

This is because they fear Houpu might go alone and sell himself out!
Shuangfeng appeared so thoughtful precisely because he had seen these things.

There's no way around it; spiritual practice has always been this troublesome.

Those who prefer simplicity, ease, directness, and a lack of discernment often fail to reach great heights.
-
The inner layer of the Mufan Daoting is much, much larger than the outer layer.

The terrain here resembles a giant bowl, surrounded by high mountains.

At the summit of the mountain range are the departments of the Mufan Dao Court, where cultivators practice their skills.

Between the mountains, streams and rivers intertwine, flowing downwards and into the mountains.

Finally, they converged in the very center of the mountain basin, forming a huge lake.

In the middle of the lake, there is a small island.

Although it is called a small island, it is actually an isolated mountain, where the Daoist Master Mu Fan's Daoist temple is located.

The Twin Peaks Dao Ancestor came to pay his respects, accompanied by Dusheng Dao Ancestor, the eldest disciple of Mufan.

Seeing that Shuangfeng was accompanied by three followers, he asked.

Who are these three people?

'Two disciples of the Pure Water School, one disciple of the Honest and Unassuming School, that's all.'

The furrows on Shuangfeng's brows looked as if they had been crushed by a towering mountain, extremely solemn.

I don't trust purified water, nor do I completely trust Magnolia officinalis.

But Shuangfeng knew perfectly well that he had not betrayed his allies—he was too weak to do so.

But this distrust corresponds to a strong sense of urgency, a reluctance to see things spiral out of control.

They valued it so much that even if an important pawn like the Dragon Seeking Sect was sacrificed, it was worth it as long as they could find out the outcome.

The pressure was so intense that Shuangfeng felt like she couldn't breathe.

Conflict and strife are all too common in the Four Spirit Realms.

If I can't reach a result that satisfies everyone, won't it be the start of another huge conflict?

'I understand.'

Du Sheng hurriedly reported the relevant situation to Daoist Mu Fan.

Master, something terrible has happened! You just set up a trap with Gong Shande and the others, and the other side has sent someone to test you!
After some tugging, Shuangfeng finally spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Mu Fan, this is the situation."

Fellow Daoists Jingshui and Houpu, among others, are willing to entrust you with all the affairs of the Water Replenishment Conference.

I heard you want to seize power?

Okay, you can have it all!
Faced with such a test, Mu Fan remained silent.

As the forms of confrontation become more complex, many things can no longer be easily explained.

When Mu Fan was being tested, the biggest problem he faced was whether he had the ability to do things well.

If this can be done well, then the solutions provided by Houpu and Jingshui are acceptable.

If things don't go well, you must consider how to gracefully defuse this test.

Putting aside the factors influencing those complex changes, Mu Fan must resolve the choices he faces.

But he can't do it!
There is no answer to the question of ability; true knowledge comes from practice, but you might end up killing yourself through practice.

Stop joking. Even the Daoist Master of Wuji couldn't understand choosing this ignorant wilderness, and the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was also tormented all the way to the point of being a tortoise.

With such a big face, how dare he gamble his Dao Fruit on tomorrow?

Jing Shuran noticed that Mu Fan was silent.

She hadn't expected the infighting within the hydration conference to be so intense.

The seemingly impressive Twin Peaks' purpose in coming here was actually to throw [something].
But in reality, the situation doesn't seem that bad?
Otherwise, why would Mu Fan remain silent?
"This matter needs to be considered carefully."

After a long while, Mu Fan finally answered.

Determination, confidence, strength, the complexity of changes, and the entanglement of interests all intertwined, binding Mu Fan's hands and feet.

Yu Hou Alliance's non-resistance in handing over power left the difficult problem to Mu Fan.

The water replenishment event would bring Mu Fan very little benefit but would greatly benefit him, so he had no grounds to disrupt the situation now.

If he gains more through the water replenishment event, he will make more enemies, returning to a path where he wins more but loses more.
Especially with the possibility of extraterrestrials lurking in the shadows, Mu Fan felt that he shouldn't be venturing into the maze to gamble on victory.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" is a phrase uttered by people from the lower classes. But for a Dao Ancestor like Mu Fan, he is already a king or noble.

Taking another step forward is extremely difficult, requiring utmost caution.

As a result, the struggle for existing interests has been temporarily suppressed under the vision of increasing profits!

"However, I do have some suggestions for the hydration conference."

For example, we could establish separate water replenishment conferences in each of the seventeen states.

With the core strategy of concentrating the power of one state to manage a region, seventeen spiritual lands with abundant water resources will be established within the seventeen states.

Then, gradually expand these fertile and vibrant places.

From water and sand, to water spirits, then to the land of water spirits, finally permeating the entire realm, completing the replenishment of water.

How could a powerful figure who has actually reached the top position in a world be easily outmaneuvered by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and Houpu the Old Thief?
Hydrating version of the Enfeoffment
Mu Fan was unwilling to stand at the eye of the storm, but was willing to pull together the Dao Ancestors of each state to dismantle the storm itself.

Jing Shuran couldn't understand the intricacies of the situation, but Shuangfeng instantly grasped Mu Fan's desire.

I won't take the blame, but you won't have it easy either.

What's the point of pretending not to take any benefits? Let's empower each other directly and organize the replenishment using a decentralized model.

What is a hero versus hero match?
This is a clash of heroes!

Mu Fan's calculations are guaranteed to succeed in this round!

"I will inform Fellow Daoist Mu Fan of Fellow Daoist Hou Pu and Fellow Daoist Jing Shui's intentions," Shuang Feng said in a deep voice.

"Okay!" Mu Fan nodded with a smile.

When heroes clash, they have to feed each other shit.

They fed each other excrement fiercely, and everyone ate with tears streaming down their faces.

This practice, you come and do it, but you don't utter a sound.

The moment you decide to fight, you become everyone's opportunity to change things—hey, some idiot who's lost so badly is willing to pay the price!

Having tested the waters enough, Shuangfeng hinted to Jing Shuran that it was time to make her move.

Jing Shuran was also surprised to learn that the Water Replenishment Conference, which was organized by the Water Purification Dao Ancestor, could be so important to an existence like the Wood Prosperity Dao Ancestor.

Without a doubt, the Pure Water Ancestor has become an important member of the Four Spirit Realms, wielding immense influence.

This gave Jing Shuran more confidence in her own situation.

Mu Fan would probably give him face—a naive and adorable thought.

"Shuran greets Senior, it is I..."

After silently listening to Jing Shuran's request, Mu Fan thought of the obviously problematic purified water.

Is water purification powerful or weak?
He must be strong, otherwise, his methods wouldn't be so ingenious.

Houpu is a good ally, and the agenda of the water replenishment conference is quite sophisticated. His proactive retreat in the struggle is so mysterious that it makes Mu Fan wary.

Why does Mu Fan remain silent for so long when faced with choices and problems?
Because he genuinely couldn't be sure whether this was some kind of trap to lure the enemy in.
Now, Jing Shui has brought his Dragon Seeking Sect into the open.

why?
Is it because of my own attitude?
Is he extending goodwill?
Mu Fan wasn't entirely sure, but he decided to take it one step at a time and not risk losing his chips too easily.

"Good suggestion. Giving more opportunities to those cultivators at the bottom level is a good thing for the cultivation world."

If it's always just us old folks, then the world of cultivation is just too boring.

These are my honest thoughts; I truly hope to see more new talent.

Shuangfeng looked puzzled, sensing that there was something more to Mu Fan's words.

However, it probably can't figure it out on its own.

"The spirit of our predecessors"

Jing Shuran gave Mu Fan a proper and respectful compliment, and the meeting came to an end.
-
Sweet Water Wai followed Shuangfeng and Jing Shuran obediently as they left Mufan Dojo.

Although it was their first meeting, Sweetwater Wai was really curious about the Dragon Seeking Sect, so he secretly communicated with Jing Shuran.

'The Dragon Seeking Sect was designed from the very beginning; I'm referring to its secret realms.'

'Naturally, the resources inside the secret realm are half the value of the ticket. The cultivators who enter fight each other to make an extra profit. This has always been the case.'

What, Fellow Daoist of Sweetwater Wai, you've participated in our Dragon Seeking Sect's secret realm treasure hunt before?

Jing Shuran did not know Sweet Water Wai, but among the three people who were taken by Shuangfeng to see Mu Fan, only Sweet Water Wai's cultivation level was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Therefore, he is most likely not a simple character, hence Jing Shuran's attitude was quite good.

Upon learning the truth, Sweetwater Wai's expression turned somewhat horrified, and he stammered.

No, no, it's just a little bit...

The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough to give to those who have less than enough; the way of the immortals is to go against Heaven and take from those who have less than enough to give to those who have more than enough.

The cultivation world is always a place of great competition, and those who dare not compete will never reach the top.

The Dragon Seeking Sect's secret realm accelerated the rotation of lower-level cultivators; those who were destined to be eliminated were eliminated even faster, and those who were destined to rise to the top rose even faster.

In fact, this is the best opportunity, a good thing for cultivators at the bottom of the cultivation world; it gives them another chance and choice.

"I didn't mean that. I just never imagined it could be fake," Sweetwater Wai replied with a wry smile.

"Cultivation is the cultivation of truth; this is the fundamental principle. Little Daoist friend from Sweetwater Wai, please comprehend it well."

Jing Shuran smiled and didn't say anything more.

Even I often can't understand things, so how could Foundation Establishment cultivators possibly understand the world?
-
"Master, why don't you join the game?"
"If I give this up, it's hard to say whether I'll have such a good opportunity again." Du Sheng really couldn't understand Mu Fan's choice.

So what if it's difficult?
Spiritual practice has always been difficult.
"My lifespan is tens of thousands of years. I have cultivated for so long and have seen many things."

Many powerful opponents may even perish suddenly due to heavenly tribulations.

My destiny is not only determined by my own efforts, but also by the contrast created by my rivals.

Wait a minute, most of the time, you'll win.

Those who can't wait are often the least confident.

The hydration conference looks promising now, but wait, things will change.

Mu Fan paused, then continued with a sigh.

"I can wait. If the opportunities presented by the times are in my favor, I will make my move."

If it's not going my way, at least I don't see any possibility of losing right now.

If anyone is to lose, it will be the ordinary Daoists first, and then the Heavenly Sounds. I won't necessarily take action immediately.

I have the time and the ability to wait for a better opportunity.

Du Sheng nodded thoughtfully, he roughly understood his master's thoughts.

Those higher dimensions, those longer dimensions, those moments that have a greater impact on victory or defeat—that is what Dao Ancestor Mu Fan is concerned with.

Not now, because the time is not right.

Actually, Mu Fan's idea was very simple.

Time is the greatest wave.

The water replenishment agenda is a man-made wave.

Amidst the great waves, not everyone has hope for the future.

When those people are destroyed, they will inevitably become the price to pay.
Mu Fan is waiting, waiting for these huge waves to overturn those who can't hold on.

(End of this chapter)