Shangyuque

Chapter 357 Eternal lifespan, endless imprisonment!

In a restaurant within the Houpu Grand Market in Liezhou Dao Court, several True Immortals of the Celestial Realm were having a gathering.

"What's wrong with the old model? Each faction has its own territory, its own sect, and its own foundation."

At that time, we were also key figures within the organization. Although cultivation was tiring, it was also quite carefree.

"But nowadays," a cultivator in the late stage of the Celestial Realm sighed.

Conservative groups are never a completely fixed group; they only gather more members as changes occur.

The Immortal Venerable led the cultivation world of the Four Spirit Realms forward, but this general forward momentum does not mean that everyone involved is moving forward.

“Those cultivators in the early and middle stages of the Celestial Realm like the current Great Dao Court the most. They did not enjoy the benefits of the past era, so they support the current model.”

But they don't realize that fewer tasks and less pressure mean a decrease in their actual importance.

If we, the cultivators of the Celestial Realm, unite, we can demand more benefits from those Dao Ancestors, but they simply refuse to unite with us.

"Disgusting!" another old cultivator at the peak of the Celestial Realm chimed in.

The Celestial Venerable's influence on the Four Spirit Realms is profound and comprehensive.

The top-level design was easily accepted by the Taoist patriarchs.

But once they reached the middle management level, many complaints arose.

Although the immortal lord didn't care, this situation did indeed exist.

"They don't care whether their own status has declined or not; they only care that the status of us senior Celestial Realm cultivators has declined to the same level as theirs."

The Ten Provinces Dao Court system is like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, and it involves raising a large number of goose eggs to extract a large number of golden eggs.

The "Water Replenishment Conference" is essentially a form of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs; by forcing everyone to replenish their water levels, all cultivators who haven't yet reached the Dao Transformation stage suffer the consequences.

In fact, this logic is correct.

The price is paid by countless beings in the Four Spirit Realms to help those at the pinnacle cultivate faster.

But there's nothing wrong with this situation—the strong are entitled to more.

The era's dividends have been replaced by the new era's dividends of hydration.

Those early and mid-stage Celestial Realm cultivators who refused to rebel with Lao Deng were the ones who enjoyed the benefits of the new era.

Although the only benefit they enjoy is that "the old Deng who once oppressed us is now being exploited by the Dao Ancestors just like us"—which seems absurd—that's exactly what those who say "Sir, this way" are hoping for.

Furthermore, the Water Replenishment Era constructed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has also generated endless benefits and brought about endless changes through methods such as "the ten provinces' geniuses share the Dao Fruit", "competing for Water Replenishment to enjoy honor", and "the expansion of the Dao Court must be fair".

Of course, there are knowledgeable people among the real people in the restaurant.

"What can be done?
For every person who suffers a loss, someone else will benefit; it's always the same.

No one was willing to resist; those who could become cultivators in the Celestial Realm had all calculated things too clearly.

But the more shrewd they are, the less motivation they have to resist.

As for the other Foundation Establishment cultivators, they are irrelevant to the overall situation. In fact, the expansion of the Dao Court is a good thing for the Foundation Establishment cultivators—they would never dare to resist.

We have some ability to resist, but ordinary Celestial Realm cultivators won't go with us. What can we do?

Relative, absolute, different levels, different dimensions, various interests, positions, and demands are all intertwined and carried by the Immortal Venerable into the giant ship leading to the future.

These crew members saw their own helplessness under the huge waves, but there was nothing they could do.

They are like the enlightened Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, only lacking the extraordinary spirit of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable in his prime.

Therefore, all one can do is sigh silently amidst the changing landscape.

At this moment, the person who had remained silent throughout the entire gathering spoke up.

"Wait, preserve your strength, and wait for the situation to change."

The scale of the Ten Provinces Dao Court has reached an enormous level, which is completely different from the past.

Similar to figures like Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, Wood Prosperity Dao Ancestor, and Benevolent Heavenly Emperor, they served as the controllers of the Daoist courts in various states.

In the future, their ambitions will surely lead them to further incite conflict between the ten provincial courts.

That will be our chance.

This person has the highest cultivation level, reaching the peak of the Celestial Realm. His appearance is quite ordinary, and he is dressed in a plain blue robe.

It may not look like much, but the dimensions of its thinking have reached the level of 'future changes'.

This cultivator at the peak of the Celestial Realm is named Han Zhan. He was originally a guest elder in a large tribe, but now he serves in the High Cultivator Recording Office of the Liezhou Dao Court, where he is in charge of the Recording Office.

“Brother Han is right. What’s the difference between those Dao Ancestors and Immortal Venerables and us?”
If there's any difference, it's just that they have higher levels of cultivation and higher realms of understanding; in reality, it's still the same old story of vying for power and profit.

There's nothing to be afraid of. Time may not be on our side, but as long as we stay united, we will not waver.

Even if we don't reach the Dao Transformation Realm in the future, our descendants will always have someone who does.

The cultivation world has never lacked geniuses. Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was able to gather a number of organizations such as the Water Replenishment Conference, the Pure Water Sect, the Dragon Seeking Society, the Wind and Rain Pavilion, and the Water Seeking Society to build his own power.

Of course, there are also clever people among the cultivators whose cultivation level is lower than his who can form their own small groups.

Why do these Celestial Realm cultivators dare to speak so recklessly?

Because these people were all members of the Yixin Society recruited by Han Zhan.

The members of the Yixin Society are mostly independent cultivators who follow the philosophy of "first achieving enlightenment to guide others, and everyone in the Yixin Society has the opportunity to achieve enlightenment" and have been sticking together for many years in the Red Sands.

Even though the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable initiated a major upheaval in the ten states' Dao Courts, the One Heart Society still did not disband.

Today, they are here to give Han Zhan a final boost—as the president of the Yixin Society and the one with the highest cultivation level, Han Zhan has already qualified to participate in the Liezhou Dao Court's competition for Dao Fruits. He will compete with many other peak Celestial Realm geniuses in the Liezhou Dao Court for the heavenly pie bestowed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

"The future has already arrived, fellow Daoists, what you just said is all correct."

Those cultivators who have just entered the Celestial Realm have different ideas from us.

But there's one thing you haven't noticed.

In other words, as the leader of the foreign Golden Core cultivators, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has a fundamental conflict of interest with the other Dao Ancestors in the Transformation Realm.

Therefore, although a direct confrontation has not yet occurred, the silent struggle hidden underwater is already taking place very intensely.

The competition among the top talents of the ten states for the Dao Fruit was actually an attempt by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable to expand his own interests.

The most outstanding talents within the Ten Provinces Dao Court will have their fruits directly reaped by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. Those Dao Ancestors who do not follow will appear cold and cruel, while those who do follow will be giving away their own fruits to outsiders.

However, this matter was eventually pushed to the specific process stage, indicating that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's expansion attempt at least did not fail.

Correspondingly, if I can get this opportunity, the future of our Yixin Association will be completely different.

At this point, Han Zhan's gaze sharpened, a manifestation of the ambition of a Dao pursuer.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable integrated the Dao Courts of the Four Spirit Realms, originally intending to establish one court per province.

Later, the Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence and the Dao Ancestor of Wood Prosperity promoted the reduction of the seventeen Dao Courts into ten Dao Courts (in order to prevent the integrated Dao Courts from being too small and easily stolen by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable).

Now, the Dao Courts of the Ten Provinces have been established, and the expansion of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has begun.

These confrontations present opportunities for those below.

"But brother, I heard that many people died in the competition within the Three Immortals Dao Court."

Your initial expectation was to move a little further ahead, showcasing your accumulated experience and capabilities, wasn't it?

“Yes, brother, there is really no need to fight for that spot. Just getting into the top five will give you a lot of support from the Dao Ancestors in the future.”

There is no such thing as "if you don't get first place, you're doomed; if you get first place, you're guaranteed a future" in the world.

The most talented and promising individuals are not necessarily the ones with the best future. Even those who don't appear to be the most outstanding can still have a chance.

This is the norm.

“You’re right, but take a look at this news item in the 'Storm Mirror' first, and you’ll understand.”

As he spoke, Han Zhan shared the crucial intelligence he had acquired with the members of the Isshin-kai group present.

The Struggle for Dao Transformation Among the Ten Prodigies of the Ten Provinces from the Perspective of the Dao Ancestor

The people ultimately chosen by the Daoist courts such as the Three Immortals Daoist Court and the Jinzhou Daoist Court were not the initial popular candidates.

This matter has been the subject of much discussion among the Dao Ancestors of the various Dao Courts, but in my opinion, it was something that Wang Yuque had foreseen from the very beginning!

With the Water Replenishment Conference taking overall control of the world as the dividing line, in previous eras, the power between heaven and earth was often extremely loose.

The separation of the ten Daoist courts was one of the biggest changes in the Water Replenishment Era. The situation of dozens of Daoist Ancestors crowding together brought many new and unprecedented things.

For example, most obviously, in the past, the Dao Ancestors of different states would often start wars, but now that they belong to the same Dao Court, even if they are nominally affiliated, the danger of fighting and starting wars has greatly increased.

why?
Even if you win, you may not be able to enjoy the complete victory. If you take the initiative to initiate a battle and confrontation, you will have to bear a greater cost than before if you lose!
So many things have changed fundamentally, and this is just one of many changes.

The Great Dao Court ensured the efficiency of water replenishment and the efficiency of the Dao Ancestors' cultivation, but at the same time, it restricted the Dao Ancestors' ability to exert their influence.

Therefore, ambitious individuals at the bottom would break free from the constraints imposed by those old men who believed the rules would never change, and seize the opportunity given by Wang Yuque.

After attaining enlightenment, they may not necessarily become Wang Yuque's disciples and partners, but they will not mind at all. They will seize the opportunity and achieve their own Dao fruit!

Even if the Dao Ancestors of the Ten Provinces' Dao Courts had objections, they would be extremely reluctant to take any concrete action—the Dao Courts belonged to dozens of Dao Ancestors, not just a few!

This report, which clearly explains the changes to you, is a form of preaching.

After a long while, a real person asked with a sigh.

"Who wrote this article, that it could be so insightful?"

Han Zhan shook his head. The truly powerful information in the Mirror of Wind and Rain would never be revealed to others as to who spread it.

In fact, these messages were deliberately leaked by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Micromanagement, but not moving the machine gun five meters to the left, but through propaganda, making some willing contenders more smoothly conform to the stage set up for them by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

The 'pre-set' here is where skill is most evident. It's about seizing the opportunity and the chances of winning by choosing the most appropriate strategy and opponent.

"Whether it's thorough or not, many people don't believe it, but I'm willing to believe it."

We are all cultivators from Liezhou, and we have accumulated some experience. Having seen the vastness of heaven and earth, we are naturally the most able to feel the difference between the Pure Water Dao Ancestor, also known as the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Therefore, I intend to fight hard this time; it's my only chance. Even if I don't get it, I'll give it my all!

When things reach their extremes, as contradictions evolve to extremes, the underlying logic becomes increasingly simple.

Fight hard, fight for the value of united front work, then become the barking dog of the immortal venerable, and thus achieve your own Dao fruit.

"But that rumor is supposedly true, brother. If Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's Daoist partner also participates in the Dao Fruit competition in Liezhou, will you be unable to compete?"

Qin Churan was the bait thrown out by the Immortal Venerable, but unfortunately, he hasn't caught any fish yet.

They are all loyal Daoist cultivators; there are no traitors among them.

The Immortal Venerable is in a difficult position.

"If I were to meet her, I would naturally not dare to win, but I could still fight and narrowly lose."

Ultimately, even the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was short of people under his command; one could even say that all ambitious Dao Ancestors lacked capable subordinates.

Our Yixin Society has developed over many years and has grown to a considerable size. We have a total of seven fellow practitioners at the late stage of the Celestial Realm alone.

The One Heart Society would be valuable to any Dao Ancestor who aspired to achieve something significant.

Greater power means greater benefits; greater benefits lead to a larger scale; a larger scale leads to lower efficiency; lower efficiency leads to a smaller power.

There is no perfect solution in this cycle. Perhaps being the sole authority is the answer, but no one is the sole authority yet.

What Han Zhan was looking for was that during the era of the Ten Provinces Dao Court, the actual controllers of the various Dao Courts needed sufficiently competitive henchmen to gain an advantage in certain aspects of the confrontation.

In this way, Yixinhui can sell himself for a good price.

The gathering of the Yixin Society ended shortly afterward.

Without hesitation, Han Zhan immediately reported the thoughts and movements of the cultivators within the Yixin Society to the controller of the Xunshui Society, Immortal Venerable Mangxiang.

This small force was raised by Mang Xiang!

This shows just how complex the struggles faced by those who are on the verge of becoming supreme are.

It doesn't matter who the One Heart Society belongs to; what matters is that when the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's power becomes too great, his efficiency will decrease, and he will need the One Heart Society and the Two Heart Society.

Inefficiency is a problem, and problems need to be solved. How do we solve it?

This will inevitably lead to the 'outsourcing' of certain specific tasks.

Large organizations are correct in using the strategy of specializing their smaller subordinate organizations to ensure that these smaller organizations remain competitive in certain specific areas within the larger organization's structure.

The inefficiency of large organizations needs to be compensated by the efficiency of small organizations. The efficiency of small organizations inevitably depends on specific individuals. These individuals cannot be completely devoid of their own independent will—there are such people who 'lack their own independent will,' but such people cannot undertake the special work of 'outsourcing some parts of a large organization.'

Even if the controller of the Yixin Society is not Mang Xiang, it could be another Dao Ancestor or Golden Core cultivator. The goal is simple: to place their own pawns on the periphery of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's circle of interests.

This is also an inevitable consequence of confrontation.

As for whether there are small, spontaneously formed organizations that gradually develop into the Yixinhui model, yes, there are many of them, but this is at a 'specific and micro' level.

Losing a little here and winning a little there are all minor details. In the complex confrontations faced by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, they are like waves surging in the ocean. Whether one wins or loses is not that important.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's strategy was to have a group of newly promoted Dao Ancestors challenge the dominance of the Ten Provinces Dao Court, to further solidify the influence of the Water Replenishment Conference and himself, to have the ambitious figures hiding in the shadows step out and help him achieve a glorious victory, and to let Huanpei, who was waiting for the right moment to act, finally get her chance.

The ranking is in order of importance.

The most obvious purpose is not the most important one. What Jade Palace Immortal Venerable truly wants to do is something he plans and executes quietly.

In the Mangxiang Cave Heaven, Han Zhan obediently knelt at the feet of the Mangxiang Immortal Venerable.

"So, I'm going to give it a try, senior. Do you think this is an opportunity?"

Mangxiang did not see this as an opportunity.
"The Daoist courts of the Three Immortal States, the Golden State, and the other nine states have all completed their competitions."

Guess why Wang Yuque put the Dao Fruit competition in Liezhou last?

Vision is a really, really ridiculous thing.

The same thing can be seen from completely different perspectives by different people.

Old Mang still understood; after all, it was an existence that had been fought its way out of the great purgatory of heaven and earth.

Han Zhan, already feeling somewhat uneasy, answered in a low voice.

"This disciple is truly dull-witted." Is the order of events a problem?
Yes, and it might even be a big problem, yet I hadn't even noticed it.
My spiritual practice is still insufficient.

"Because Wang Yuque didn't want to take on the pressure."

He wanted to make a difference, so he found a good opportunity and a good pretext.

However, he was still unwilling to take on too much pressure, and the competition in Liezhou was placed last, for this very reason.

If Liezhou were to compete first, his decision to have his Daoist partner obtain the Dao Fruit would be met with considerable skepticism.

A small amount of noise is nothing to worry about, but a lot of questioning is troublesome. Those who insist that it's okay are just struggling after failure.

"You shouldn't get too involved in this competition. Fifth place is good enough, just right."

Old Mang, oh Old Mang, was also a prodigy of his generation.

Unfortunately, in real spiritual practice and combat, a little bit can mean a lot more.

I can't understand it, and I can't beat it.

There will be no results in the short term, and in the long run, it is almost certain to be a loss.

Lao Mang is lucky because he has a narrow perspective and hasn't realized the inevitability of his continued losses and the fact that he will continue to lose in the future.

"This disciple has learned a lot. However, senior, after the merger of the Liezhou Dao Court, the advantage that the Yixin Society originally possessed, which allowed it to cooperate with multiple forces, has been greatly reduced."

Currently, the cultivators within the Yixin Society are still following their old habits and maintaining the status quo.

But if this continues, there is a risk of collapse, which is why I have to appear more ambitious.

In your opinion, how should Yixin Club break out of the current predicament?

Han Zhan's request for advice actually stumped Mang Xiang.

The model of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable pulling the times forward is actually quite absurd.

The Yixin Society was a fragmented, cross-sectoral organization established by Mangxiang to target the interests of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. However, it has now been crushed by the wheels of time, losing all its foundation.
"The current situation is not bad. The Liezhou Dao Court is too big, so big that no one feels a sense of belonging."

You crave change, but seeking change is risky; first, improve your skills.

Lao Mang didn't offer any solutions, only saying that Yixinhui's model was quite good.

It's really just incompetence.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable pulls the era forward, reaping both immense risks and overflowing rewards.

But not everyone is like the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. No one can replicate the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's path of cultivation.

Mang Xiang was once the master of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, but now, Mang Xiang cannot understand Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's plans at all.

This is actually how Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, in his pursuit of the superego, incidentally left Old Mang behind.

In fact, Lao Mang's strategy for Han Zhan, "maintain the status quo," was already the lowest-risk option.

Just like the idea of ​​'selecting but not nurturing in relationships,' it may seem like an absolute and ridiculous assertion, but for the vast majority of people who lack the ability, this model carries the lowest risk.

"Yes, Your disciple obeys!"

After Han Zhan left, Mang Xiang closed his eyes and began to ponder deeply.

Cultivation, cultivation—the cultivation of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is to comprehend the Great Dao, while Old Mang's cultivation has degenerated into comprehending the actions of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

He pondered for a long time, his expression gradually turning into one of having been violated by a donkey.

Some things are better left unthought; thinking about them too much can be terrifying.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's current tactics in the Four Spirit Realms are completely unrestricted in terms of profit sharing, directly giving Mu Fan, Gong Shande, and others the greatest room to maneuver.

In terms of expanding influence, they showed no urgency whatsoever; although they had already begun to expand, they interfered very little.

While making grand pronouncements about guarding against the jade pendant, he actually remained completely still, holding the Bifang feather and cowering in the temple like a turtle.

Pure sham!

Ambitious?

adventure?

Absolutely nothing, just pure fabrication.

In the contest of relative cultivation speed, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wins every single day.
Once he realized that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was pursuing a strategy of stalling for time, what could Lao Mang do?

At that moment, he even thought about jumping into the heavens.

Unfortunately, Tianwaitian is not some roadside force; even if Lao Mang wanted to join, he couldn't find a suitable backer.

Within his own grotto-heaven, he could clearly control everything through the wondrous methods of the grotto-heaven, and he was clearly the master of this grotto-heaven, yet Mang Xiang only felt as if he were sitting in a cage.

When I was young, I thought that spiritual practice meant transcending worldly concerns.

Only after truly mastering the basics do you understand the difficulty of transcending them.

However, upon reaching the Golden Core realm, his transcendent appearance made Mang Xiang feel unfamiliar with him.

Lao Mang couldn't understand that he was destined to lose.

But he could still see that it was difficult to surpass that good apprentice.

In fact, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable did nothing; Lao Mang was simply making a scene for himself.

Perhaps, the ability to suppress even the Golden Core cultivators with such overflowing pressure is also a manifestation of a noble position?

The Cave Heaven Technique, the Cave Heaven Technique! Looking at the cage he had painstakingly cultivated and built with his own hands, Mang Xiang's expression became increasingly terrifying and ferocious.

The cage here isn't even the kind that 'might be eaten by the Wuji Dao Master'.

Mang Xiang vaguely sensed that his life was completely over, not just over because he pretended to cry that day, but completely over.

Even if the remaining time is wasted and completely abandoned, it loses the ability to perceive joy in the long process of pursuing truth.

Meaning and the value of life are dissolved in the face of a failed answer.

Thus, the eternal lifespan of the Cave Heaven Method became an endless sentence.

Mang Xiang wanted to give up, but how could he be willing to? He had endured everything, how could he possibly be willing to give up?
The monstrous elephant wanted to fight, but could only tell Han Zhan to stay put, stay put, because it knew it couldn't move around recklessly now.

It seems like there are many paths, yet none of them seem to be the right one.

The pursuit of truth and spiritual practice, at this moment, actually trapped this seeker of the Way.
-
Purifying the waters of the temple, seeking the dragon's lair.

The Dragon Seeking Sect has already revealed its true nature; its main business now is operating a special 'secret realm treasure hunt'.

The cultivators, based on their cultivation level, exchange water and sand before entering the arena. They can search for treasures or kill people. The winners are well-fed, while the losers are reincarnated and start cultivating again.

The Dragon Seeking Grounds is the largest secret realm specially built by the Dragon Seeking Sect, similar to a stadium in the realm of cultivation.

However, the main projects require risking your life.

The Dao Fruit Competition of the Liezhou Dao Court was held in the Xunlong Field.

On the stands surrounding the Dragon Seeking Grounds, the cultivators watching the ceremony were chatting animatedly, and their conversations were quite characteristic of the Four Spirit Realms.

"Searching for the dragon? Isn't the dragon right under the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's butt? What's there to search for?"
"Trying to sell dog meat under the guise of mutton, disgusting!"

That's how cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms are; no further explanation is needed.

"You don't understand. Earning spirit sand is nothing to be ashamed of."

The seats in the stands can be sold to the audience, and with the audience, betting can be set up among them.

In this way, every link in the chain can make a profit, so why not open it up?

The Pure Water Dao Court is a Dao Court of a group of cultivators, with Jade Palace Immortal Venerable being the major shareholder.

The Dragon Seeking Sect is the power of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable; everything belongs to the Wang family, and that's what sustains the Dragon Seeking Sect.

In addition to the main core business, cultivate another core business with the same core principles to ensure that there are always alternative solutions.

Otherwise, the chess piece will turn against the player—that's how Jade Palace Immortal Venerable himself cultivated to this level, so of course he knows how to guard against it.

"Look! The Dragon God! The legendary Dragon God!" The cultivators who had been complaining earlier stopped complaining.

The moment the black dragon appeared, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

Everyone knows that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's mount is a dragon, but most people will never have the chance to see it.

Seeing the true form of the Black Dragon today was a pleasant surprise for the cultivators who participated in the competition and were watching the ceremony.

"Wait a minute, why is there a woman standing on the dragon's head? Could it be that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has cultivated some special method that requires a female body?"

"Aren't you crazy? That's the Immortal Venerable's Daoist partner, True Person Chu Ran!"

"Hiss, so the rumors are true. The Immortal Venerable is going to give the Dao Fruit to his Dao Companion. All those geniuses from the Ten Provinces vying for the Dao Fruit are just running for nothing?"

"It's hard to say, anyway it has nothing to do with us, but Chu Ran is indeed beautiful, hehe."

On the other side, in the seats where the Dao Ancestors were seated, Houpu was reminding the few junior Dao Ancestors beside him.

"Wang Yuque is no ordinary person who has risen through the ranks by chance. Look at those Golden Core cultivators from outside; they are all very well-behaved."

Even if Wang Yuque's actions this time were somewhat out of line, it's not our place to comment. Don't follow those idiots and jump around recklessly."

The momentum of victory over Houpu was so overwhelming that he dared not resist. The logic of internal strife was suppressed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable under external pressure and future expectations.

The wise chose to retreat, leaving only the fools to jump out – who were simply offering their heads to the immortals.

As for the 'those fools' Houpu mentioned, they were the Dao Ancestors of Yezhou, who were originally located next to Liezhou after the establishment of the Ten Prefectures Dao Court.

"Master, you don't think their opposition is a good thing?"

"Yes, in the Liezhou Dao Court, although Fellow Daoist Yuque has great influence, there are so many Golden Core cultivators. If everyone is worried about protecting their own people, there should be a chance to stop Qin Churan, right?"

It can't accomplish anything, but it can cause trouble.
The idea that the lower class harms each other is nonsense. It's just that the concept of "lower class" covers a large number of people, resulting in a very large sample size.

At the same time, it also carries the connotation of bullying others in terms of discourse power.

In reality, it's not just the lower levels that harm each other; it's pretty much the same at every level.

Given the boundless greed in people's hearts, the total amount of resources will always be scarce, so there will always be countless people harming and tearing each other apart.

Even though Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is already half a step above the supreme ruler in the Four Spirit Realms, he still cannot avoid being 'harmed' by others.

"Of course there's an opportunity, but is it worthwhile?"

Harming others without benefiting oneself is certainly an option, but in the end, one must always calculate the gains.

If the opportunity is significant enough, we can naturally follow suit and ultimately share in the profits.

Therefore, don't be the first to disagree; the one who starts the conversation will always face the most pressure.

Moreover, given Fellow Daoist Yuque's wisdom, placing the Liezhou Dao Court's competition last might have been a deliberate attempt to lure fools out to their deaths.

What Mangxiang saw was that by putting the competition last, no matter how much the Nine Dao Courts messed things up before, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable would have a reason not to interfere, and thus wouldn't have to bear the pressure.

Houpu saw it as a test: putting the competition last and deliberately letting Qin Churan out to reap the rewards was an internal test for the Dao Ancestors of the Liezhou Dao Court.

They are all true, but none of them are comprehensive.

What Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was most looking forward to was Huanpei rushing out to "seize the opportunity" because she saw him being "besieged".

That's why such a winding fishhook was used, just so that the jade pendant could be hooked.

Why not use a straight hook?
Referring to the Jade Palace Immortal's answer to the Heavenly Emperor of Benevolence's question—"If you ask and you don't know, you're basically destined to never attain enlightenment in this lifetime."
-
Under the tangible hand of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

Smaller, secondary, and marginal forces, such as the Yixin Society, are being propelled forward by the tide.

Golden Elixir Dao Ancestors like Houpu were trembling with fear under the hook of the Immortal Venerable.

However, for those involved in the game, when it became clear that the Immortal Venerable's Daoist partner would indeed be specifically involved in the competition for the Dao Fruit, their hearts were basically filled with despair.

Nearly a hundred people are vying for one spot.

It's one thing that nearly a hundred people were vying for the position, but there were also a lot of people with connections among them, or rather, everyone who got to where they are today is a person with connections.

It's one thing that they're all people with connections, but even the Daoist partner of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is vying for it.

What's the point of arguing about this?
Everyone's just running alongside us!
People's hearts are in motion.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable knew everything, but he simply turned his head, pretending to communicate with Chu Ran and give her instructions.

"nervous?"

"A bit, my husband, the pressure is too much. Everyone is watching me."

Malice, apprehension, fear, envy, and a desire to kill them at all costs.
I discovered that standing at a high place is more terrifying than I imagined.

I used to stand behind you, now I stand beside you; this feeling is hard to explain.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable nodded slightly. Yes, the most exquisite complexities can never be accurately described.

Those hateful eyes thought they were well hidden, but in reality, the Immortal Venerable could see through them at a glance.

However, despite knowing how much they hated him, the Immortal Venerable still had to accept their loyalty—they hated him, they were loyal, they dared not rebel, and they were as docile as sheep.

The most accomplished of them all was Mangxiang.

Extreme hatred made the elephant extremely docile, and repeated failures made the elephant's rebellious spirit less and less.

Fifteen hundred years ago, the mighty Elephant Immortal, who once dominated the Red Lantern City, transformed into a sheep that dared not go mad.

Old Mang still knew his good apprentice well.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable actually hoped that those sheep would go crazy and jump out, giving him a wave of kills.

Unfortunately, those who know of the existence of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable have already seen the door to cultivation.

Therefore, they will not go crazy.

Thinking of this, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, sitting in the center of the Dao Ancestors, shook his head and spoke.

"Alright, let's begin. Chu Ran, do your best."

By the way, you absolutely must not let her have it.

Although Chu Ran is my Daoist partner, fairness is the top priority in this competition.

(End of this chapter)