Shangyuque

Chapter 341 Huanpei, I'm waiting for you at your doorstep, where are you?
If you're not actively replenishing your body's moisture, there's definitely a problem.

Bullying in the cultivation world is that simple and brutal.

They just stood there and did the weighing without even a pretext—this reason is almost absurd; in reality, they just forced themselves onto the scale.

Is the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable stupid?
No, no.

Between movement and stillness lies endless change.
Even when he was very young, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable understood that the more chips one has, the more afraid one is of losing.

No matter how confident they appear, and no matter how clear their understanding of sunk costs and current decisions, those holding huge stakes still dare not, cannot, and will not easily make their move.

This behavioral logic is even more pronounced among high-ranking cultivators. Why is it that a stable era can be easily accepted everywhere?
That's why.

But as the wheels of time begin to turn, the loose agenda and gradually changing organizational nature of the Water Replenishment Conference need to be thoroughly clarified.

In order to adapt this system to the changing times, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is prepared to pay a price.

Note that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is prepared to pay a price; this is not a rehearsal—he really intends to pay.

Because he wanted to retain his victory.

However, before paying the price, we need to figure out one thing first—who are my enemies and who are my friends.

You can't give subsidies to outsiders; you have to give them to your own people. Otherwise, you're an idiot.

Therefore, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable needs to use the most brutal method to complete the initial division of factions.

Those who are willing to accept you are your friends.

If you're unwilling to accept this, don't take advantage of our internal favor bonus!
'Fellow Daoist Yuque, is this your intention?'

Houpu realized something was wrong from Mu Fan's words, because Shuangfeng was one of his men, and Shuangfeng was also in Mu Fanzhou back then.

Twelve hundred years is enough time for Houpu to see things clearly through many facts. It is a secret to outsiders that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and Mu Fan are getting closer and closer, but it is not a secret to Houpu.

Now that Mu Fan had tentatively opened his mouth, Hou Pu suddenly remembered the situation when he first organized the hydration conference.

At that time, he was the one leading the charge, while someone else sat to the side with a faint smile, not saying much.
Although it seems that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable keeps changing allies, his behavior of always letting his allies cause trouble makes him look like a scumbag.

But his status as a special envoy, granted special permission by Bi Bo and appointed by the Great Heaven and Earth, is his greatest value.

The old Deng of the Four Spirit Realms is waiting for a high price to sell, but his ultimate goal is to join the 'Bi Bo Anti-Dao Alliance'.

The Daoist masters understood the significance of actions and purposes very well.

Therefore, Houpu didn't hate him, but he found it hard to believe.

Are they going to launch a counterattack so soon?
"Yes and no. The issue of Lu Zhishui's death must be resolved, and Fellow Daoist Mu Fan doesn't want to bear the infamy of killing Lu Zhishui."

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable used Mu Fan as an excuse to pull him over.

Lu Zhishui has been dead for over a thousand years, but the influence he left behind still exists. It's perfectly normal for the shockwaves from the death of a top-ten Dao Ancestor to last for a thousand years.

In other words, the pool of the Four Spirit Realms is shallow, and the aftershocks of the fall of top-tier Golden Core cultivators within the Great Heaven and Earth may take two or three thousand years to subside, which would be considered fast.

'But didn't Gong Shande bear that infamy?' Houpu wasn't stupid, but in the end, he couldn't hold back.

One's allies are willing to abandon them.

Swallow, Immortal Venerable, please don't give up on me.

"Fellow Daoist Shande is no ordinary person either." Jade Palace Immortal Venerable did not elaborate further.

In reality, it's just that the Immortal Venerable wants to move forward, and Houpu can either follow or not; it doesn't matter.

His only remaining choice was to follow or not to follow; in reality, he had lost all value in the face of the venerable immortal striding forward.

As times move forward, so does the Immortal Venerable. If Houpu is unwilling to support, then let's redistribute the shares.

With the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable replenishing water and Mu Fan no longer playing the submissive role (to Gong Shande), the situation in the Four Spirit Realms has in fact entered a phase revolving around the four players.

Mu Fan and Yu Que could not stand idly by while Tianwaitian's Huanpei was secretly recovering its strength and cultivation.

While chatting idly with Houpu, the Jade Palace Immortal was making empty promises to Bai Shou.

Whether Huanpei lives or dies depends on the overall situation. Mu Fan has seized control of my water replenishment efforts, and now we can only go along with his wishes; I have no other choice.

Bai Shou is the most difficult to manage. Hou Pu's situation is whether to gamble on the next victory, while Bai Shou's situation is that if Huan Pei doesn't die, it will die sooner or later.

The Wuji Dao Master may have great courage, but when it confronts Huanpei, it cannot expect Huanpei to have a conscience—how could it possibly hand its life over to Huanpei?
However, if Bai Shou follows Mu Fan's advice that "if Sha Niu is not actively replenishing water, there must be a problem," then Bai Shou will be completely stuck on both ends.

If Huanpei doesn't die, Baishou will die in the long run. If we deal with Huanpei now, Baishou might be killed by Wuji Daozhu immediately.

Moreover, even if Huanpei were to die, Baishou would still face opponents who were no better than Huanpei, or perhaps even worse—the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had spent a thousand years catching up with the cultivation of countless Golden Core cultivators who had taken ten or twenty thousand years. Even with the special circumstances of the Four Spirit Realms at play, he was still a genius enough.

If Jade Palace Immortal Venerable takes Huanpei away during a team-building activity, then when Hundred Hands faces an even worse Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, should they laugh or cry?
It even doubts the reasoning of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable—did Mu Fan really steal Wang Yulou's control over water replenishment?
Of course not!
Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is using Houpu on the left and Baishou on the right to deceive.

That's enough. I'll give you a reason, and you'll trust me immediately.

Do not believe?

If you don't believe me, then get lost!
There are plenty of people!

The fact that the Celestial Venerable didn't make you kneel to receive the decree shows how patient he is. In another two thousand years, you'll have to kneel at the back of the line!
Ultimately, the Immortal Venerable had already achieved minor success in the Dharma Aspect and Divine Illumination Dharma, and had also accumulated a considerable amount of Boundless Dharma. His cultivation was truly at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and his confidence was completely different from before.

If I was cautious 1,200 years ago, and I am still cautious 1,200 years later, then haven't I wasted all 1,200 years of my life?
These are the conditions; you have to accept them whether you like it or not.

In the Four Spirit Realms, the tide is in my hands, and the advantage lies with me!
'Fellow Daoist Yuque, Mu Fan brought this up directly, what am I supposed to do?'

It had no choice but to accept the situation; it was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

The little bumpkins of the Four Spirit Realms were too hasty in making important choices, and now they are suffering the consequences.

Pretend you're unwilling, but it's best to stand firm for the greater good.

That way, I can arrange for someone to control you.

In this way, you would have a reason why you cannot send messages to the Daoist Master or the Jade Pendant.

A hundred hands, provide the answer!
Bai Shou was silenced by the blow... He really shouldn't have come... He really shouldn't have joined this bullshit hydration conference, and he really shouldn't have stubbornly stuck it out for a sand cow and a jade pendant.

The centipede demon, having attained enlightenment, realized that he seemed to be trapped in some kind of predicament. Even with a hundred legs, he could not escape this predicament, nor could he escape the great hand of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

In fact, he was thinking about much more than just sand cows at the time; the reason was never just about one sand cow, but about many, many things.

Its ambition, its capacity, and its limitations trapped it 1,200 years ago.

Twelve hundred years later, the net that had trapped it began to tighten.

Unfortunately, those who lack wisdom can only learn lessons from their own experiences, but by the time they learn, it's too late.

In ordinary life, there can be different variables to provide a safety net, which can also be understood as having a margin of error.

However, in a battle against an immortal, if you have a weakness, you will be torn to pieces.

Bai Shou clenched its teeth in pain... It didn't want to be a dog anymore.

"What do you mean? Sha Niu is my disciple. The hydration competition was supposed to be voluntary, with no set criteria. Why are you attacking Sha Niu for not being proactive in hydration?"

In that instant, Bai Shou once again chose an almost impulsive approach and made a hasty decision.

He didn't want to be a dog; he wanted to rebel.

Resistance is never necessarily righteous, and the resisters are not necessarily perfect victims.

Pressure, desire, hatred, fear... In a situation where there was no choice, he chose to die later, to delay the outcome and let his fate depend on the hands of another group of people.

It may seem blind, but it is actually inevitable.

Because, compared to hating Wang Yulou and hating Daoist Mu Fan, he must hate his former master even more, and hate Huanpei, who drove him to his doom.

As for internal strife... I'd rather fight an external enemy than the head of the family.

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Bai Shou is right,” a Dao Ancestor echoed, though it also felt some pressure and immediately added a comment to make amends.

"Of course, I'm not against punishing Sha Niu, it's just that the rules were all set when the water replenishment conference was being organized, and..."

The Jade Palace Immortal smiled.

He smiled as he ascended the Jade Palace.

Are you using the rules I set back then to bind me?
They've already reached the Golden Core stage, and you're saying you want to restrict your opponents with rules?
Rules are useful because someone wants them to be useful.

When the thoughts and demands of those "people" change...

"What you said is inappropriate. Rules can be corrected."

When Fellow Daoist Mu Fan proposed that each of the seventeen states establish its own water replenishment conference, wasn't that a violation of the original rules?

Magnolia bark, charge!
This is the meaning of strength.

Forget about this and that, I'm all about the big picture.

As long as the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable acts in accordance with the trend, those who dare to go against him will surely die!
Those who truly obey me will not necessarily prosper, but those who oppose me will certainly perish!
Although this pressure first fell on Houpu, their old ally, it seemed rather inhumane.

But... the Immortal Venerable is indeed no longer human. Golden Core is a realm, Immortal Venerable is an honorific title, Dao Ancestor is a title that sounds a bit too bloody, and Heavenly Emperor is a ridiculous title like a clown.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is an Immortal Venerable who stands above the Golden Core Realm, the highest level of cultivation. He is a Dao Ancestor with hundreds of True Persons under his command and one of the most important players in the Four Spirit Realms.

If the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable were even slightly narrow-minded, and you stood before him saying, "Immortal Venerable, are you really a human being?", then he would hold you accountable—"Are you insulting me?"
"What do you mean by 'rules can be changed'? They tricked us into coming in, then suddenly changed the rules—isn't that just cheating us?" another Dao Ancestor said.
It's clear to everyone that the power to speak at the hydration conference is being seized by those with greater influence.

While the benefits of a stable era are undeniable, those with greater strength consume more and their power increases significantly, leaving those below them in fear and dread.

Of course, there will be people in the Four Spirit Realms who will try to stop this behavior, and they will stop it regardless of whether they succeed or not.

This is not a futile attempt to stop a chariot, but rather an inevitable process in the development of things.

A new order cannot be established without a round of clearing out.

Without purging the remnants of the old order, the foundation of the new order will not be solid.

“Since everyone has objections, let’s vote on whether or not to deal with Sha Niu.”

It was Gong Shande who spoke.

The Heavenly Empress knew very well that she was sitting on the crater of a volcano and had been tied up by Mu Fan.

She is willing to oppose those outside the heavens, but she is unwilling to sit in the nominal leader's position as a target with the strength of the second-best!

Rather than letting the volcano erupt suddenly at any time, let's go with the flow and let it burst open!

She was kidnapped by Mu Fan. If Jin Zhou's Sha Niu really has a problem, then by discovering Sha Niu's problem, she can clear herself of suspicion for killing Lu Zhishui.

This would allow them to avoid being held hostage by Mu Fan and gain greater strategic initiative.

When Gong Shande spoke, the situation was already decided.

Since there are only four players in the Four Spirit Realms, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has already obtained two votes.

If the three of them can't decide how the hydration conference will proceed, then the conference is actually completely unnecessary.

Of course, this was impossible. In the silence, those half-step Golden Immortals took the lead in expressing their support.

In the end, all the half-step Golden Immortals chose to support Mu Fan's proposal.
People are always proactive when they don't have to bear the consequences first.

Moreover, completely transforming the organizational model of the Water Replenishment Conference would also be beneficial to the half-step Golden Immortals who are in a relatively leading position.

There's another channel for bloodsucking!

146 to 59
How is this possible?
How is this possible?
You are courting disaster; will the instigator of this cause no descendants?

Finally, this reckoning will surely fall on you!

One of the Dao Ancestors spoke angrily.

Therefore, the Water Replenishment Conference is really not the Immortal Alliance. On the Immortal Alliance's Immortal Platform, how could there be such a fool asking such an overestimating question?
Ultimately, they believed that they could change their destiny with their own hands and through their own hard work.

But my friend, wouldn't it be faster to win by going with the flow?
Why insist on going against the current?
The development of contradictions takes time, so why not wait?
Jade Palace Immortal Venerable endured for so many years, cultivating for 1,500 years, before finally waiting for his own opportune moment, an opportune moment he created himself.

Why can't they wait?
Because they only have the cultivation of Dao Ancestor and Golden Core, but they lack the spirit that a Golden Core cultivator should possess.

At the very least, it lacks the aura of a Golden Core cultivator at the level of the Great Heaven and Earth.

That's why they seem so innocent and adorable.

Why would those near-immortal masters support the era-changing events driven by the three chess players?

Because the half-step Golden Immortals have been waiting for this for a long time, and they have long wanted to be the 'instigators'!

Tianyin is a case in point. Many years ago, he wanted to take advantage of the Water Replenishment Conference to deal with Lady Diyong in a solid way.

These beings on the path to becoming Golden Immortals face a difficult climb.

With their resources, they crave a big meal, or even a lot of big meals, to eat their fill and replenish themselves properly.

"I still won't." Bai Shou continued his performance.

Although the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable forced him to make a choice, he ultimately gave him a glimmer of hope.

If you act out a facade of loyalty to Tianwaitian, at least you'll have a way out for the time being.

While Bai Shou was still performing, Houpu took action and shouted "Lehu".

"Old Ju, let's do it!"

The two Dao Ancestors personally took action, pressing Bai Shou down on both sides and forcing him into his seat, his face almost deformed from the pressure.

“Sha Niu is Bai Shou’s disciple. Should we deal with Bai Shou first?” Ju Le Hu’s eyes were somewhat bloodthirsty.

The era of stability was still too new for the Dao Ancestors of the Four Spirit Realms.

For 1,200 years, the sword has been sealed away, yet Julehu still yearns for killing—it's simply a matter of habit.

"No need for that. Tie him up, drag him along, and we'll go to Jinzhou together!"

Mu Fan glanced at the Jade Palace Immortal out of the corner of his eye without showing any emotion, and said calmly.

He truly admired the Jade Palace Immortal.

He didn't say a word from beginning to end.

But we can still win.

And it kept winning, winning, winning, and winning non-stop.

Despite being allies, Mu Fan still had some doubts.

The terrible world, the terrible cultivators of the world, put immense pressure on Mu Fanlao.

But this silence, allowing allies to charge, is actually the process by which Jade Palace Immortal Venerable pays the price.

His chips were taken out, weighed, and placed in the direction that would influence the course of the game.

With the situation settled, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's bargaining chips also successfully underwent a small boost.

The victory in this round will become an advantage for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable in the next round.

That's the meaning of the struggle; as long as you win, there are real rewards.
-
The procession of over two hundred Daoist patriarchs, so large it blotted out the sky, truly achieved the goal of covering the entire sky.

In the end, those Dao Ancestors who opposed it eventually joined the Water Replenishment Conference for a large-scale team-building activity.

There's no way around it; even those who reach the Golden Core stage sometimes have to conform and fit in.

This is why even those who have reached the Golden Core stage still need to climb higher.

Under the powerful and ruthless influence of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, even if you are a Golden Core Dao Ancestor, you still have to bow your head.

Such carefree living is, without a doubt, not true carefree living.

Tianyin's position is in the second row of the line.

There were actually only three people in the first row.

One is the nominal leader of the hydration tournament, the ultimate clown Gong Shande.

One of them is Mu Fan, who proposed the team-building activity, and he clearly has a lot of say.

But Tianyin couldn't understand. At this point, Gong Shande and Mu Fan had joined forces and launched a fierce attack on the core power of the Water Replenishment Conference.

Why does that clean water dare to fly in the first row?
Because his mount was also a Dao Ancestor?

Tianyin's gaze lingered on the bottom of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's body, a hint of envy in her eyes.

There's no way around it, riding a dragon, especially a dragon at the Transformation Realm, is just too prestigious and impressive.

In the Four Spirit Realms, only two beings can rival the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable: one is Hong Xuanji, who possesses a two-headed snake at the Demon God Realm.

The other is Mu Fan, who possesses a roc at the level of a demon god.

The other Dao Ancestors could only compete among the mounts of the Demon General level. Those without Demon General mounts could only ride their magical treasures and pretend to be ignorant.

The most prominent one, of course, is our respected Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence.

She was flying at the very front, but she was riding only a demon general.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and the Wood Prosperity Dao Ancestor on either side were riding demon gods.

Her face looked as stiff as if she'd been forced to roll around by five thousand donkeys.

Well, when it comes to clowns, it has to be our Heavenly Emperor himself.

Do you like to call him the Heavenly Emperor?
This is a complete mess!
The massive team-building army, which blotted out the sky, didn't actually fly very fast; it took them two and a half hours to reach Jinzhou.

There was no other way; Old Deng had to take care of Little Deng, and the number of people in the team-building activity was also part of the momentum.

If people keep falling behind as the flight goes on, it loses its momentum.

Outside the former site of the Hundred Hands Taoist Temple, the ceremonial carriages of the Taoist patriarchs formed a semicircle in mid-air.

As Jade Palace Immortal Venerable looked at the grand formation of the Dao Court Immortal Realm, a slight smile finally appeared on his lips.

Huanpei, I've arrived in Jinzhou. I'm waiting for you right at your doorstep.

So, where are you?

(End of this chapter)