Shangyuque

Chapter 365 A Decisive Break with the Golden Throne! The Immortal Venerable Officially Establishes His Own Sect! (1.06 Million Views, Requesting Monthly Tickets!)

Having attained the Dao Fruit, Qin Churan returned to the Jade Palace.

Just as Red-spotted Deer, Han Zhan, and the others were still somewhat unsatisfied, the Immortal Venerable's voice came from his dojo.

"All the True Immortals still residing in the Daoist Court, come and see the Venerable One."

Upon hearing the Immortal Venerable's decree, Chongliu shook his head and silently headed towards the Jade Palace.

Red-spotted Deer and Han Zhan exchanged a tacit glance, both with an unspoken worry in their eyes.

The love, attention, and vision of the Celestial Venerable are limited, extremely limited.

These disciples of the Immortal Venerable, who risked their lives to achieve their status, have already received relatively little in terms of favors. Apart from being given a bus ride to become a Daoist and listening to the teachings, they don't receive much additional favor.

If the Immortal Venerable takes advantage of Qin Churan's transformation into a Daoist to re-grant great power to the Liezhou Daoist Court.
"Let's go, Master is calling us, we can't delay."

The red-spotted deer nodded to Han Zhan, but ultimately didn't dare to voice its concerns.

We still have to fight. Even the Immortal Venerable's dog has to compete for the lead now.

The promise of a bus-friendly road system is that everyone can get on the bus, but as everyone knows, there are still designated seats on a bus.

First-class passengers secured their own seats, second-class passengers squeezed together with other passengers, third-class passengers were jostled around in the back of the bus, and the unlucky ones had no seats at all.

Ordinary unlucky people can at least grab a pole or a handle, but the extremely unlucky ones can only drift along with the current, swaying in the carriage as the bus goes by.

"Master, are you going to open the opportunity for enlightenment to all the true people of the Dao Court?" Han Zhan asked with some concern.

It actually had its own agenda. The red-spotted deer was clearly a seeker of the Tao with a heart for it, so it was unwilling to get too close to it and acted quite cautiously.

However, Han Station also has its own advantages. Although it is a relative that allows passengers to board the train for free, it is a local strongman of Liezhou Daoting.

Everyone here is working like a beast of burden under the Immortal Venerable's tutelage. Since they have value, they naturally dare to take the initiative to befriend the Red-spotted Deer.

"That's absolutely impossible. Forcing the Dao to develop by pulling up seedlings will only result in a waste of resources. Neither the Dao Court nor Master has that many resources to waste." The Red-spotted Deer eventually accepted Han Zhan's overture, and the two secretly communicated as they flew away.

'Yes, we fought our way out from the Ten Provinces Dao Court. Even though my ranking wasn't ideal, I was still one of the top in the Liezhou Dao Court.'

If a large number of opportunities for Dao Transformation are given to ordinary Celestial Realm cultivators, the Dao Court's revenue and expenditure will definitely collapse!

Han's line of thinking is perfectly sound: when opportunities are limited, mass training of highly educated talent will inevitably lead to a disruption of the existing order by disillusioned individuals.

Whether it's the rebellious scholar Hong Tianwang or the failed scholar Huang Chao, who did not enter the ruling order, they all followed this basic logic, regardless of their background and the characteristics of their times.

In theory, an order system can solve problems through killing, but in reality, it is always difficult to stab oneself in the back. Most people will behave themselves, but a small minority will inevitably be used by foreign forces. In the cultivation world, this means that they will be manipulated by Dao Ancestors and Golden Immortals from beyond the realm, becoming the cause of chaos that affects the internal stability of the Liezhou Dao Court.

This process sounds complicated, but for people like the Red-spotted Deer and Han Zhan, who have cultivated for many years and are close to the Golden Core stage, it's a simple matter that everyone can understand.

'Master probably has his own considerations. We, with our own limited perspectives, certainly lack Master's level of understanding and insight.'

The red-spotted deer didn't know if it was deceiving itself, but this was the only explanation it could offer.

Han Zhan did not answer, but silently entered the Jade Palace with the red-spotted deer.

What he was actually thinking was a different approach: that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable could take advantage of Qin Churan's successful ascension to the Dao to summon all the True Persons in the Liezhou Dao Court as a way to demonstrate his strength.

See, I can make anyone transform into the Dao.

Look, my strength and status are already top-tier within the Four Spirit Realms.

Look how powerful my magic weapon is; it can directly refine lightning tribulations.

In short, if you follow me, you will all have a bright future.

Han Zhan actually guessed correctly on this line of thinking.

There aren't that many objectives. The complexity and simplicity of a problem are often unevenly distributed during its development. What the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, standing at the height of freedom and ultimate understanding, does is to strive for victory in every possible and secluded stage.

The momentum of victory can be depleted, so it is important to make good use of the points where momentum can be accumulated.

The Jade Palace was filled with kneeling True Persons from the Liezhou Dao Court. Red-spotted Deer and Han Zhan found an empty seat near the front; they were direct descendants of the Immortal Venerable.

Before them were Dao Ancestors of the Jade Palace Sect, such as Chongliu, Yanmingyue, and Heimaosun.

"Master, almost everyone has arrived." Black-haired grandson reported to the Immortal Venerable when he saw that almost everyone had arrived.

"Chu Ran's transformation into the Dao is just the beginning. Many more people will follow suit. Of course, most of them will leave the Dao Court and return to where they came from."

However, Chu Ran's successful attainment of Dao has proven that my magic weapon, the Golden Elixir Method, is usable.

During the Replenishment Era, the number of newly entered Celestial Realm cultivators was the largest among those from our Liezhou Dao Court.

The voice of the Jade Palace Immortal was distant yet clear, and the Red-spotted Deer felt a slight tension in its heart.

I really have to go back, sigh.
Even with expectations, the reality of having to pay the price, especially by becoming bait and a lever to influence the situation, is ultimately quite difficult to manage.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has indeed attained enlightenment. His strategy is like scattering a handful of seeds in a barren field. If they grow, they can reap the harvest; if they don't grow, they can still improve the ecological situation of the land.

Ruthless and heartless, almost to the point of absolute rationality.

Just like the response of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable to Julehu and Tianyin's plea for help—if they can fight their way out, they have value to be used by me; if they can't fight their way out, then they can't fight their way out.

In the battle between immortals, the life and death of relatively less valuable assets are no longer of concern.

It's not that they're 'worthless,' but rather that many relatively small chips will inevitably be crushed during the Immortal Venerable's advancement, acting as lubricant for the Immortal Venerable's path. The demise of these chips is a reflection of the Immortal Venerable's value.

However, the fate of these chips was also chosen by themselves from the very beginning—either they would win with the Immortal Venerable, or they would lose and become the price. But no matter the outcome, they received the reward paid by the Immortal Venerable.

Many investors may only see one hope from beginning to end, but isn't hope a reward?
In the cruel world of cultivation, hope is far more precious than gold; it's just that they weren't lucky enough to make it to the end.

Why are there so many new Celestial Realm cultivators emerging in the Liezhou Dao Court during the Water Replenishment Era?
Because we have an advantage in the era of hydration.

However, the Celestial Realm is only one realm of cultivation; the highest realm of cultivation is to transform into the Dao and become the Dao Ancestor.

With more cultivators at the Celestial Realm, there will be more Dao Ancestors. However, many cultivators do not walk the path to becoming Dao Ancestors.

I believe that something needs to be changed in this matter; we need to give you a way out.

The Red Lantern's great empowerment was to send disciples to their deaths; the Immortal Alliance's great empowerment was to prepare a lubricant for the chaotic era; and the Bi Fang's great empowerment was to deal with the struggle for supremacy of the Wuji Dao Lord.

When the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable begins to bestow great power, what is his purpose?

In the quiet Jade Palace, Han Zhan looked at the half-open gate of the Immortal Venerable's Daoist temple, somewhat wanting to peek inside.

Master, Master, you've made everyone your lackeys, but what about us?

Han Zhan's fantasies about instinctive self-interest will not be cared about by the Immortal Venerable; the Immortal Venerable only cares about his own path.

Compared to Han Zhan's disappointment and dissatisfaction, the ordinary cultivators of the Liezhou Dao Court reacted much more intensely.

They were all beings who had embarked on the path of cultivation, beings who had understood the rules and cultivated to the Celestial Realm. When Qin Churan transformed into the Dao, they would naturally sing and dance numbly, expressing their loyalty just like everyone else.

But when the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable bestowed great power upon them, they dared not act recklessly.

The stingy great monk gives people a sense of security through his stinginess, but what kind of reward does the generous great monk expect in return?

"Fellow Daoist Yuque, you're going too far. Too many Dao Ancestors in the Dao Court will cause many problems. At that time, those with ulterior motives will try to disrupt the stability of the Dao Court."

Tiger-faced Dharma King kept a close eye on the changes within the Jade Palace. Upon seeing the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wielding excessive power, he immediately expressed his opposition in secret.

With the support of the Great Heaven and Earth, the Golden Core cultivators are establishing themselves in the Liezhou Dao Court and quietly expanding their influence.

If Jade Palace Immortal Venerable wins, they will lose in a relative way. This is why Jade Palace Immortal Venerable must send Red-spotted Deer and others selected by the Ten Provinces Dao Court back again.

Tiger Prime was not the only Golden Core cultivator with objections; Jade Palace Immortal Venerable continued only after he had finished fooling them.

“However, attaining enlightenment and realizing the Dao is never a simple matter. The cultivation after enlightenment is extremely costly, and I am responsible for you.”

Han Zhan's tense heart relaxed a little. Sure enough, the disciples who fought their way out were always more favored by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable. His own master was about to make the price clear.

In Han Zhan's view, the so-called "being responsible for you" is bullshit; what is actually "you need to shoulder your own responsibilities" is nonsense.

"I can help all the True Persons of the Liezhou Dao Court to achieve Dao Transformation, as long as they have accumulated enough. However, there is one requirement: after achieving Dao Transformation, they must leave the Four Spirit Realms."

"Leave the Four Spirit Realms, explore the endless void, and capture more resources and changes for the Four Spirit Realms!"

These were the conditions that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable used to appease the other Golden Core cultivators within the Dao Court.

Let those little ones attain enlightenment, and then they'll work for everyone.

At the same time, this is also Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's initial exploration of his own top-level Golden Core cultivation path.

The Great Age of Exploration in the Endless Void has begun. The confrontation between the Wuji Dao Master, the Wuji Fazun, and the Boluo Society is beyond the control of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, but he can decide his own pace of cultivation.

Some things are far in the future and there's no need to worry about them, because worrying is useless. But some things need to be dealt with openly at this point in time.

Working covertly seems like a possible direction, but it's actually meaningless—for all those who are close to or have already entered the struggle for supremacy, their opponents' actions are often almost like playing their cards.

Considering the position of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable as the successor, almost all of his strategies must be arranged in a way that is clear and understood by his opponents.

Going with the flow is no longer enough. No matter how much momentum you accumulate for victory, you must be cautious. The strategies for practical actions must be constantly adjusted according to changes in the situation, your own needs, and external pressures.

It sounds difficult, and in fact it's much more difficult than just "something difficult," but for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable who has reached this point step by step, it's not difficult at all.

This is similar to judging whether Gong Shande's strength and overall level are powerful or not. His absolute strength does not affect his relative weakness in terms of his realm, the situation he faces, and the confrontation and game – absolute strength and relative weakness coexist.

As for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, absolute difficulties and relative victories coexist—he cannot give up just because there are many difficulties.

"Master, may I also walk this path?"

While everyone else was still hesitating, the red-spotted deer stepped forward.

It would rather risk its life outside than return to the Three Immortals' Court to die.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is too ruthless, truly using these disciples as pawns and expendable resources!
You said that since the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable even allowed his Daoist partner to attain enlightenment, it means he has feelings?

You can fool yourself, but don't fool me!

Faced with the unexpected loyalty of the red-spotted deer, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was taken aback for a moment, and then replied with a smile.

"However, in the future, as long as one can reach the peak of the Celestial Realm, there will be a chance to transform into the Dao."

Once one attains the Dao, one can venture out and explore the void.

External pressure, internal pressure, future pressure, short-term pressure—all of them exist, but none of them are so severe.

In this new dimension of confrontation, even if he fails, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable can afford to lose.

If successful, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable will not only be able to further integrate the Liezhou Dao Court, but also give those lower-level cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms a desire that is almost like pursuing a dream.

Go, go to the Liezhou Dao Court. The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is there and will give everyone a chance.

"Immortal Venerable, I am willing to explore the void!"

"Senior Yuque, I have been at the peak of the Celestial Realm for sixty years. I am truly ashamed that I cannot win in the selection. However, I am still confident that I can do my part for the Dao Court and for myself."

"Ancestor, I am in the late stage of the Celestial Immortal Realm. I can go and explore the void right now!"

In the Sea of ​​Suffering, a hand reached down from the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

People began to attach themselves to it.

They longed for redemption, but their longing was never just about redemption.

Escaping the Four Spirit Realms, escaping the present suffering, and embarking on a new path of life and death is never a strategy devoid of any value.

"Tiger Prime Minister, is this appropriate? We all came here with the mission of fighting against the Outer Heavens, but Wang Yulou has not done so at all." The Water Dividing Immortal Venerable from the Four Seas Alliance was unable to hold back any longer.

Even though it was considered a relatively friendly being to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, it still secretly harbored some doubts.

Wang Yuque's arrogant attitude shows he completely disregards the will of the top-tier Golden Core cultivators of the Great Heaven and Earth.
"I don't think it's a big deal. There are many forces in the Outer Heavens within the endless void, often concealing their identities and engaging in battles across different worlds, which is beneficial to the final victory."

Tiger Prime Minister pondered his answer.

The Wuji Dao Master's judgment was correct: if the Golden Core cultivators sent out are weak, they will lose; if the Golden Core cultivators sent out are strong, they will become independent.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable taking the lead in independence is a good thing for the support of all the Golden Core cultivators in the world!
After a commotion, everyone left.

Instead of helping the next bus passenger achieve enlightenment, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable directly led the support of the Great Heaven and Earth to the Golden Core stage and silently arrived outside Jinglan's Daoist temple.

“Fellow Daoist Yuque, we support you, but the problem lies with the others within the Liezhou Dao Court.”

We all know that the void outside is vast, and many worlds have not been fully explored.

But the Golden Core cultivators of the Four Spirit Realms wouldn't think that way. They would think, "We come from the outside world, so we can secretly target them during the process of the Dao Court expanding the void."

Now, Fellow Daoist Yuque is leading us to deal with Jinglan again. In the future, it won't be easy to explain to the greater world—he is a follower of the Water Venerable.”

Xihe Immortal Venerable, a disciple of Qingrui Sect, reminded him with a wry smile.

Wang Yulou's methods and changes were indeed ruthless. With a single move, "He led the charge, and together we devoured the endless void," he completely changed the stance of the crowd who were supporting the Golden Core stage.

It was Jade Palace Immortal Venerable who rebelled; we were all forced to follow the enemy and reluctantly ate a few bites—that's how we could explain ourselves if we lost. Considering the situation of the Supreme Being's confrontation, we could most likely land safely.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's charge was a bit too much, insisting on killing Jinglan, which was somewhat inexplicable.

“Jinglan is a lackey of the Outer Heavens,” Jade Palace Immortal Venerable replied calmly.

"As for Houpu and the others, there's no need to worry. They're just a bunch of insects. I'm the one who calls the shots in the affairs of the Liezhou Dao Court!"

Note that if we take the process of 'establishing new defenses against sand oxen and promoting water replenishment in the ten prefectures' as the dividing line, at this moment, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable can be considered to have further completed the integration of the Liezhou Prefecture.

This is actually partly due to Houpu's reminder—Houpu pointed out that Gong Shande was consuming the Three Immortals Dao Court, and that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable immediately began to empower the internal forces after Qin Churan's transformation into a Daoist, and to win over the support of the Great Heaven and Earth for the Golden Core.

Among them, the confrontational dimension followed is the dimension of 'Mu Fan, Gong Shande, and Yu Que Xianzun' vying for supremacy in the Four Spirit Realms.

As for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's confidence that "what I say goes," it corresponds to the changes in the Four Spirit Realms during the Water Replenishment Era. After further winning over and supporting Golden Core cultivators, the changes within the Liezhou Dao Court were gradually brought under Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's complete control.

Confrontation has never been the problem; the real challenge facing Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is the most difficult one, but he also has many bargaining chips.

"Jinglan is a lackey of Tianwaitian?" Not to mention Xihe, even Huxiang was shocked.

What's this?

Jinglan is a lackey of Tianwaitian, so what's the point of keeping Jinglan around for so many years?
"Yes, I kept it so that it could report my location to the outer heavens at any time."

So, after so many years of peaceful cultivation, I will no longer need it in the future.

Furthermore, if we begin to explore the void, we must not allow Jinglan to become a spies for Huanpei to deliver messages.

Otherwise, if every one of them goes out gets slaughtered by Huanpei, how can we expand our territory?

"Who is Huanpei? Is it the Immortal Pendant?" asked Fenshui of the Four Seas Alliance.

Jade pendant, immortal pendant, sand ox—the transformations of a great cultivator are just that absurd. One person, multiple identities, with absolutely no information, all just a facade.

For someone caught up in the situation but lacking a broader perspective, this isn't interesting; the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's knowing-it-all-knowing-so-secrets is even less interesting.

This is the standard way to 'flex your muscles'.

"Yes, the most loyal lackey of the Wuji Dao Master, and the leader of the Wuji Palace of the Heavenly Outer Heaven Great Heaven and Earth Organization."

As for the cultivators in the Water Venerable Wuji Palace, they probably have their cards on the table with their fellow cultivators at the Basket Gathering. They are more cunning than you and I.

In short, nothing major happened; it was all about fighting against the Outer Heavens.

Let's get started.

Fen Shui and Hu Xiang looked at each other, and finally looked at Yu Que Xian Zun together. He Ling asked, trembling slightly.

"Are you really going to make a move?"

It is under a lot of pressure.

Xihe is a disciple of Qingrui. Qingrui and Luosha are now allied. With Jinglan dead, who is left but himself?

What "lackey of the Outer Heavens"? If the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has enough power, whoever he calls a lackey becomes a lackey.
But what He Ling feared even more was that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was gradually and openly taking control of everything in the Liezhou Dao Court.

Absolute strength and influence combined equal absolute control over internal affairs.

It's terrifying.

It was still a bit too sudden. Jade Palace Immortal Venerable understood, so he smiled and nodded.

"Many things can only be done, not said."

Within the Liezhou Dao Court, the process of urging cultivators to expand into the void is such that it cannot be mentioned in advance.

"Kill Jinglan, and get rid of the top-tier Golden Core cultivators of the Great World."

Tiger Prime Minister quickly waved his hand and said.

"Hey, hey, fellow Daoist, fellow Daoist!"

"Breaking free from the control of the top-tier Golden Core cultivators of the Great Heaven and Earth"—of course, such words cannot be stated explicitly.

For those who aspire to achieve the Golden Core stage, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable will undoubtedly bring them considerable pressure.

However, the difference in strength was ultimately small; the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable could not slaughter them.

Therefore, there is still room for cooperation.

Moreover, without the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable leading the charge, they dared not follow.

As for your questions about 'what to do about Sha Niu and Tian Wai Tian'—we'll just have to keep going, instead of being scared to death by difficulties.

Being afraid when faced with difficulties is a weak mindset that's even worse than the mindset of a manual laborer.

"Fellow Daoist Yuque, no need for further words, let's make our move!" Fen Shui of the Four Seas Alliance finally made up his mind.

More than a dozen Great Heaven and Earth Support Golden Core cultivators joined forces to attack!

Note that the "Yuan Clan's Control of the Dripping Water Cave" law still applies in confrontations at the Golden Core level. When Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, with the consensus that "I will lead everyone to break free from the control of the top Golden Core cultivators of the Great Heaven and Earth," led the masses to support the Golden Core team in building up the turmoil, he also effectively achieved the status of "Jade Palace Sect partially controlling the Four Spirit Realms."

The relative dominance achieved through the "water replenishment era" and special confrontational situation is gradually transforming into a true, real dominance based on strength.

The suppression of Magnolia officinalis was actually a precursor to this shift in the ecological niche of partial dominance.

People's hearts are like the tide, and most of the time they cannot be relied upon.

But the Celestial Venerable has the ability to transform the overwhelming public sentiment into his own momentum for victory. Binding interests isn't always reliable in every situation, but it's reliable most of the time—and that's enough.

From the struggle for Dao Fruits among the ten Dao Courts, to the great empowerment of the Liezhou Dao Court, and then to leading everyone to build a united front against the storm, completely breaking free from the control of Rakshasa, Bifang, and others, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's journey was interconnected and, overall, relatively smooth.

"You guys here"

'Wang Yulou, you can be really crazy sometimes, you know that?'

"Yu Lou, don't make a mistake. Jing Lan is my man. If you kill Jing Lan, I will destroy the Eastern Pole Sect today."

Jinglan was cursing, Bifang was knocking, and Shuizun was warning.

You're a bit crazy.

We will destroy the Eastern Pole Sect today.

The true nature of a top-tier Golden Core cultivator has never changed; only the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has changed.

'Old Bi, we don't need to pretend anymore. We Golden Core cultivators who have separated from the Great Heaven and Earth will definitely distance ourselves from you.'

"Water Lord, you can destroy me if you want, but I don't believe you'd willingly let the Immortal Alliance descend into chaos first."

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable stood suspended in mid-air, explaining to the native Golden Core cultivators within the Liezhou Dao Court that "a new lackey from beyond the heavens has been discovered."

Meanwhile, he secretly communicated with Bifang and Shuizun.

'What about Huanpei? You need to deal with Huanpei; it would be best to lure and kill it.'

Bi Fang's demands have always been simple.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable had long seen through it; his bottom line was that the Four Spirit Realms could not be taken over by the Boundless Dao Lord.

Whether it's Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, Tiger Prime Minister, or Mu Fan and Gong Shande who eat it, it doesn't affect the overall situation.

"Destroying the Eastern Pole Sect won't cause chaos in the Immortal Alliance!" This was the Water Venerable's reply.

Shui Zun's thoughts became somewhat vague.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable judged that Water Venerable was somewhat passive due to his surprise attack.

After all, his strategy was launched suddenly.

No matter how powerful the Water Venerable was, he couldn't have foreseen that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's ambitions would be revealed so quickly.

In fact, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's movements were indeed quite fast.

After obtaining the Golden Immortal Path from Bifang and confirming that his self-constructed 'Magic Treasure Proving Golden Elixir Method' was usable, he immediately activated it.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is not acting blindly. Currently, there is a special situation where the old and new are intertwined. The dimensions of the confrontation here refer to the confrontation between the 'Outer Heaven - Anti-Outer Heaven' within the Four Spirit Realms and the 'Jade Palace Goes Alone - Great Heaven and Earth Unite Against Outer Heaven'. The two confrontations are intertwined. The 'favorable situation for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable' caused by the former confrontation still exists, and the first-mover advantage of the latter confrontation can also be realized by taking advantage of the 'favorable situation for the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable'.

Therefore, actions that seem fast or sudden are actually the inevitable result.

If you take your time to prepare, things will only get more complicated. Both "cutting through the Gordian knot" and "planning before acting" are forms of wisdom, but how to use them depends on the situation.

Just as many people mistakenly believe that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable only engages in internal strife, that's because Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, amidst the conflicts at the time, relied on creating variables within himself to cultivate, thus achieving a faster pace.

Now, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has almost openly broken ties with the top Golden Core cultivators of the Great Heaven and Earth.

Even if he wanted to fight amongst himself, there was no room for it anymore.

If the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable were truly only interested in internal strife, he wouldn't have done this.

In reality, he just wanted to reach the destination as quickly as possible, so it didn't matter how many people were tied to the tram tracks; the distance was the key factor affecting the Immortal Venerable's judgment.

'As for what to do about Huanpei, ask the Daoist Master of Wuji. No one is more suitable to fight Huanpei than me, but all I can do is wait.'

"Lord Water, your heart is in turmoil."

With Jinglan dead, Jade Palace Immortal Venerable silently watched as everyone devoured Jinglan, inwardly cursing the two top-tier Golden Core cultivators from the Great World.

'There are many people more suitable to fight against the Dao Lord of Wuji than you!' How could Bifang be fooled by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable? It saw through it very clearly.

"Then kill me, and then take your feathers and go find Mu Fan." Jade Palace Immortal Venerable showed no respect to Bi.

Old Bi fell silent.

The Jade Palace Immortal's suggestion sounds plausible, but this "sounds plausible" dimension corresponds to the dimension of a brainless person.

We are all top-tier seekers of the Dao, so don't act like idiots. Bifang knows he can't do that.

First, exhaust the power of Bifang's Feather to kill Wang Yuque, then take Bifang's Feather to make Mu Fan use its power to rebuild trust.
That would completely ruin everything!
'You're too arrogant, too arrogant. You'll get what's coming to you sooner or later.'

'No need for you to trouble yourself.'

In the end, Lao Bi didn't continue his tantrum—it's all Lao Deng's fault, there's no point in pretending to be betrayed.

Note that this victory was not due to the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's superior strength.

Rather, it was the 'favorable situation for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable' that helped Jade Palace Immortal Venerable achieve victory—of course, being able to create such an advantageous situation is also a part of Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's strength.

That's the meaning of speed and suddenness.

'Wang Yulou, after more than a thousand years of cultivation, you want to compete with us for the Dao Fruit in the endless world.'

Even if you're going to be patient, you should wait another ten thousand years. If you act now, even the Rakshasa will be on guard!

Water Venerable also realized that his mind was in turmoil—note that Water Venerable's mental turmoil was objective, and his strength was also objective; these two are not contradictory, refer to the 'Gong Shande's absolute strength relative weakness law'.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's swift and decisive action cannot be defined by skill or artistry; it was simply a Dao seeker launching a sudden sneak attack using the highest level of combat techniques.

This sneak attack, by first sacrificing Jinglan, naturally puts the powerful Water Lord in a truly passive position.

The favorable situation for Jade Palace Immortal Venerable still exists. Water Venerable cannot allow the Immortal Alliance to fall into chaos, nor can he accept the outcome of turning against Jade Palace Immortal Venerable and the fourth faction of the Immortal Alliance because of Jinglan, who is destined to die.

The situation is forcing us, that's how it's forced us!

The kind of response of "the enemy is really bad, I want to resist righteously" sounds nice, but it is an internal and subordinate ideological shaping, not a survival strategy that a real leader should follow. Complex situations cannot be dealt with by simple solutions or fantasies of victory. Taihe Shuizun is the supreme master of the world, not a village idiot.

'Ten thousand years is too long, Water Lord. I have cultivated myself to this day, always seizing every moment.'

After fooling the Water Venerable, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable smiled and said to the assembled Dao Ancestors.

"Fellow Daoists, a batch of Immortal Thunder Pills has been prepared in the Jade Palace."

It's not easy for everyone to get together like this, so let's go and sample some food together.

By the way, let's discuss the future development of the Dao Court.

There is no objection to the existence of indigenous Jin Dan, represented by Houpu, and supporting Jin Dan, represented by Huxiang.

Jinglan died because it was a lackey of the Outer Heavens—to the native Golden Core cultivators, it was just a case of outsiders fighting each other, so they naturally had no objections.

However, the future direction of the Dao Court cannot be arranged by Jade Palace Immortal Venerable in just a few words. This is the same for both groups of Golden Core cultivators.

The dispatch of newly promoted Golden Core cultivators to explore the endless void, with the Liezhou Dao Court as the main body, is a major event for the Dao Court, a major event for the Golden Core cultivators of the Dao Court, and a major event for the Four Spirit Realms.

Profits are the bait, but storms will come just as easily.

Many things need to be discussed properly.

'Wang Yulou, you make it sound nice, seizing every minute, seizing every minute. You can seize every minute, but I've cleaned up so many messes for you, how are we going to settle the score?'
You were quite formidable when you led the men to kill Nian Wuyai, but it was only after the Immortal Ancestor caused such a ruckus at the Boluo Gathering that we had to speak the best words we could for you to achieve what you have today.

Earlier, you were in the Immortal Alliance.

Spiritual practice is truly a very, very wonderful thing.

The once Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was so weak that his fate could be decided by the Taihe Water Venerable with a single word.

In the beginning, Mangxiang was a mountain, and Shuizun was a supreme immortal from the heavens.

Wang Yuque, on the other hand, was merely a lowly servant.

Nowadays, it's hard to judge.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has cultivated all the way to the point where he can make Water Venerable furious.

While there is an element of leveraging existing power, which pursuer of the Way doesn't leverage existing power?

Only those with mindless thinking would believe in 'slowly accumulating wealth and gradually building capital,' ultimately going all in and losing almost everything they could ever hope for in their life.

Leveraging existing resources and taking advantage of opportunities has never been a problem.

Losing is the real problem!
The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's mind raced, and in an instant he reviewed his own strategy and the situation he faced. After confirming that there were no major omissions, he immediately spoke.

"That's enough, just state your conditions. I'm in a hurry."

The water vessel remained silent.

What conditions does it want?

The spiritual practice and cultivation of a practitioner are genuine and real.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's strength is also genuine.

If the Water Venerable doesn't actually appear, the only way for it to settle accounts with the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is to send its subordinate, Golden Valley Garden, to the Four Spirit Realms.

Perhaps when Jingu Garden comes, they might even clean up Huanpei as well.
But is it worth it?
It's not worth it!
"Do you really think I'm trying to pin a label on Jinglan?"

When the Jade Palace Immortal saw that the Water Venerable was silent, he thought that the Water Venerable had really misunderstood and mistakenly thought that he was targeting it.

"It's hard to say," Shui Zun replied with great restraint.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable narrowed his eyes—the old man was unwilling to explain himself, but still wanted a high price.

Note that, up to this point, Jinglan is still a confidant of the Water Venerable, a spy from the Outer Heavens, and a Golden Core cultivator from Huzhou sent by the Water Venerable to the Four Spirit Realms. These are still three different things, corresponding to three different demands.

In other words, Jinglan died under mysterious circumstances, and neither Jade Palace Immortal Venerable nor Water Venerable had much desire to settle accounts regarding her death.

What if the result is not good?
The two seekers of the Dao shared the same thought: what its true identity was, since the person was already dead, was no longer important.

The important thing is that the two of them need to reach a new balance.

Nobody wants to immediately turn hostile; that would be too brainless.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's victory was genuine, but he became so arrogant that he turned against Water Venerable. What other meaning did this have besides showing off?

No!

Shui Zun's loss was a real loss, but the extent of it was neither significant nor minor, with almost no impact.

In this situation, continuing to make reckless moves is not the solution; a calm approach is the best course of action. Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is not a pushover; his attitude may be unpleasant, but his continued negotiations demonstrate his sincerity.

The Water Venerable would never have the mindset of "I just want an attitude, I want emotional value." He is a Dao pursuer, the number one in the Immortal Alliance, and only cares about interests.

The problem is that Water Venerable clearly wants a high price, while Jade Palace Immortal Venerable doesn't want to offer a high price; that's all.

"Alright then, Water Lord, send two more Golden Core cultivators to the Four Spirit Realms. I will slowly nurture them into Golden Immortals as a way of repaying your kindness. What do you say?"

There are no Golden Core cultivators under the Taihe Water Venerable's tutelage, but the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is quite certain that it is only on the surface.

Jinglan is dead, so it doesn't matter anymore, but Shuizun will definitely be secretly cultivating his own power, that's for sure.

'Is this how you repay a debt of gratitude?' Taihe Shuizun was quite dissatisfied.

At the Basket Gathering, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable accused Bi Fang, lamenting the dire situation.

Then, many top-tier Golden Core cultivators from the Great Heaven and Earth sent a group of subordinates to support him.

The results of it?
Good heavens, Nian Wuyai was killed as soon as he entered the Four Spirit Realms.

Now, so many years have passed, and Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has consumed the golden pills provided by the crowd. Although he did not refine them instantly, he led the crowd to betray him and kill Jinglan together.

This behavior is like "a dog barking in the Jade Palace," with top-tier Golden Core cultivators helping it, only to have it backfire like "throwing a meat bun at a dog."

Now, if we let the Water Deity continue to invest, how brainless must it be to keep pouring resources into the Four Spirit Realms?
The Four Spirit Realms have been transformed by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable into a cultivation version of a certain South Asian superpower. We can't just invest in it randomly!
"Then you suggest what to do. Jinglan must die, otherwise I won't be at ease. You understand."

Whether you understand or not doesn't matter; the situation is what it is.

The difference is that in the past, it was the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable who was helplessly struggling in the face of the situation.

Now, it's Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's turn to teach Taihe Water Venerable a lesson—whatever the season (situation) is now, it's all greenhouse melons (you have to compromise, you have to accept it), take it or leave it.

The 'Five Thousand Threads' water vessel has given its price.

However, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable abruptly stopped communicating and rode the black dragon back to his Jade Palace.

"For a Golden Core cultivator so powerful and gifted, asking for five thousand strands of your celestial essence is not unreasonable."

'Wang Yulou, my kindness to you is boundless. Without me, you wouldn't be where you are today. Taking five thousand strands of silk from you wouldn't be too much to ask.'

"Don't play dumb. Five thousand strands of celestial essence is the bottom line. Let's leave this matter at that, or the Eastern Pole Sect will be destroyed today."

"Five thousand strands of celestial essence are truly not much. Your current power within the Four Spirit Realms is nothing more than the accumulation of the Liezhou Dao Court over the years."

Inside the Jade Palace, the Immortal Venerable held Chu Ran's waist, smiled, and took out two Immortal Thunder Pills from his sleeve, saying...

"Fellow Daoists, I apologize for the long wait. When Chu Ran was about to transform into a Daoist, the lightning tribulation surged forth."

I used the Yin-Yang Cauldron to refine a special batch of Immortal Thunder Pills.

"Look, this pill was refined from lightning tribulation, containing the power of heavenly lightning and heavenly tribulation, and even the faint outlines of various Great Daos are emerging."

Having cultivated for many years, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable naturally possessed extremely high alchemy skills.

The Immortal Thunder Pill, despite its name, is actually a concentrated form of lightning tribulation.

The Immortal Venerable has fixed the lightning tribulation that erupts instantly and will never return.

Each Immortal Thunder Pill is covered by a shell that is more robust than that of ordinary magical treasures. The shell is made of a special material that can withstand thunder magic.

When the Immortal Venerable took out two Immortal Thunder Pills from his sleeve, many of the Golden Core cultivators present were puzzled.

You only have two, how are you going to divide them?
Are you the one tasting and we're just watching?

That would be rather undignified, wouldn't it?
Jade Palace Immortal Venerable looked around and saw that no one was too dissatisfied with his sudden proposal to expand the void, and they were relatively accepting of Jinglan's death, so he continued.

"Haha, fellow Daoists, please watch!"

With his superb alchemy, the Immortal Venerable directly detonated the Immortal Thunder Pill, and the power of the thunder tribulation spread throughout the Jade Palace, causing everyone's eyes to light up.

A great calamity that occurs only once every few hundred years is naturally quite terrifying; how could anyone have the mental energy to comprehend the power of a lightning tribulation?

Now, the lightning tribulation power dissipated from the Immortal Thunder Pill is quite mild.

“Void exploration never considers cultivation level; having a Golden Core is about enough.”

Unfortunately, this kind of pioneering was exclusively enjoyed by top-tier Golden Core cultivators, and those of us who came later, for a very, very long time, were completely unaware of it.

Strength and vision are two thresholds. Strength blocks us Great Heaven and Earth Golden Core cultivators, while vision limits Fellow Daoist Houpu and other Golden Core cultivators from the Four Spirit Realms.

My idea is very simple: to establish a 'shared void exploration' model.

Let's work together to explore new frontiers, solve problems together, and share the profits according to our contributions.

A shared home, but in a cultivation-themed style.

He empowers those below him and forms alliances with those at the same level who are at the Golden Core stage.

The method is that simple, but the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable bears a huge price.

How huge?

'Wang Yulou, you killed Nian Wuyai, killed Jinglan, and took the Bifang Feather. You have almost taken away all the key changes in the Four Spirit Realms.'

But you won't even give me five thousand strands of celestial essence. Do you really not want the Eastern Pole Sect anymore?

"Water Lord, go and destroy him! I don't believe you're that stupid."

This is a formal break.

When the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable first entered the Four Spirit Realms, he was worried about not having a powerful backer or a safety net.

Now, he is no longer worried, and instead, he has taken the initiative to kick away his so-called backer.

This being needs no pacifier!

The young boy in Qingxifang follows the rules of the cultivation world and moves forward.

Wang Yuque of the Western Sea saw the crucial dividing line between the rules and the great cultivators.

The Jade Palace Immortal in the Red Lantern used the power of the rules to achieve his position in the Purple Palace.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable of the Immortal Alliance achieved rapid Golden Core formation through his contribution to changing the rules.

Having stood above the rules and become the true rule-maker, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable finally took the step of breaking ties with his former backers.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable no longer wanted to abide by their rules; he was going to establish rules that were entirely his own.

This is a formal break.

What exactly is the realm of a Golden Immortal?
Is it a relative transcendence of strength?

Is it the vigorous development of power?

Is it breaking through the limits of cultivation?

Is it the unrestrained nature of change?

None of them, none of them—there is no answer, no way.

But the Immortal Venerable gradually came to understand what the Dao of the Dao pursuer was.

The Way is the path; without someone who follows the Way, one can attain the Way by following someone else's path.

He was convinced that he was on the right track.

(End of this chapter)