Shangyuque

Chapter 377 General Yu Gathers at Chongshan, Dripping Water Fairy Sets a Clever Plan! (Too sleepy, only 5500 words for today)
The Great Heaven and Earth, the Immortal Alliance, the Prosperous Immortal State, and the Eastern Extreme Sect.

The once isolated fortress mountain has now been transformed into a continuous cluster of fortresses.

Xiaoyu and Jade Palace Immortal Venerable are rising stars among the contemporary immortal venerables of the Great Heaven and Earth who have successfully started their own businesses. They have an instinctive sense of crisis regarding survival.

This may stem from the era they lived in, which was never gentle—the further back in the cultivation world progressed, the more it exploited those below and those who came after.

The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, who attained enlightenment in the era of death and silence, was like this, as was the Dripping Water, which finally broke free from control in the era of death and silence.

Therefore, whether from the perspective of a rising star independent entrepreneur or from the security needs of a newcomer struggling to escape a predicament, their management of the Eastern Pole Sect was set from the very beginning—to tighten the shell.

However, compared to the extravagant fortune that Jade Palace Immortal Venerable built in the Four Spirit Realms in less than two thousand years, the Eastern Pole Sect actually still only has one Golden Core cultivator, Dripping Water.

The resources of the world are too limited; the Eastern Pole Sect cannot afford to support a second Immortal Venerable.

Therefore, each of the fortresses, which serves as the fulcrum of the formation, is guarded only by the Purple Mansion of the Eastern Pole Sect.

It can be considered both a duty to defend the territory and a benefit of the dojo.

On this day, Master Haikuo, Li Haikuo, was cultivating in his own unlucky fortress.

The times have changed.

When the Jade Palace Immortal ascended to heaven, so did the chickens and dogs. Old Li was no longer the beast he once was, and he finally had some right to be a human being.

Now, his cultivation level has reached the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

It's just a matter of fine-tuning it to get to the peak of the Purple Mansion realm.

However, after Old Li finished his practice and drank a mouthful of the elixir that replenished his essence, he sighed slightly.

Despite being a True Person of the Eastern Pole Sect and the core Jade General of the Jade Palace Sect, this True Person Hai Kuo seemed somewhat melancholy.

What's there to worry about?
The Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is indeed powerful. Although these Jade Generals cannot reach the Immortal Venerable level through their cultivation, their status is still relatively high, and their lives are quite comfortable.

However, the Immortal Venerable has departed.

It has been 1,500 years!

Even the dearest parents will grow distant from their children after 1,500 years apart.

In Li Haikuo's eyes, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was someone even closer than their own father, but a drop of water was a stepmother from the very beginning!

The biological father, along with a group of children, remarried his stepmother, established the Jade Palace Sect, and then vanished without a trace.

For 1,500 years, living under the control of a stepmother, even if Drip Water doesn't openly target you, Drip Water's subordinates won't show any mercy!
They not only show no mercy, but sometimes they're practically robbing people outright.

Therefore, Li Haikuo, being raised by a stepmother, couldn't help but feel worried.

Thinking of this, Old Li raised his head and looked sideways at the wall diagonally above the fortress dojo. What he was looking at was actually the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable from outside the void.

"Immortal Lord, when will you finally return?"

If the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable doesn't return soon, they really won't be able to live like this!

Those who fantasize that the Jade Palace Immortal and the Dripping Water can coexist because of feelings, may never understand what the struggle between those who pursue the Dao truly means.

For the sake of cultivation, how many cultivators would personally slaughter their own relatives, let alone a Daoist partner?

Having confidence in the depth of one's feelings is fine, but fantasizing that feelings can overcome everything in any situation is a big problem.

"call out!"

As Li Haikuo was sadly reminiscing about the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, who was as loving as his father, a silver talisman shot into his cave.

These tokens, which allow direct access to the cave, are usually issued by a few familiar generals. Li Haikuo picked them up and saw that they were issued by Cui Baihao.

"Brother Haikuo, why not gather at Chongshan? Brother Kong, Sect Leader Jin, Steward Bai, and their wives are all here; only you are missing."

Chongshan Yiju refers to the thirteen caves of Chongshan, the territory of the Eastern Immortal Venerable.

As for Donglai Immortal Venerable, he is Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's most important ally within the Immortal Alliance, second only to Dishui, and probably the only one of them.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable rose to power too quickly and left too hastily, leaving behind few capable assistants for his generals.

Aside from Drip Water, the closest person to the Eastern Pole Sect is the Eastern Immortal Venerable of the Thirteen Caves of Chongshan.

Therefore, over the years, General Yu and his men have frequently visited the Thirteen Caves of Chongshan to pay homage to the Eastern Immortal Venerable.

Just in case.
Li Haikuo gently rubbed the silver-white token with his fingers, his expression somewhat inscrutable.

In the end, he only sighed deeply and quietly left the Eastern Pole Sect.

A stepmother is not a biological mother, and Uncle Donglai is not a truly good uncle either.

No choice.

Those who were unintentionally left behind by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable in the Great World have never had an easy time.

No sooner had Master Haikuo left the Eastern Pole Sect than he had left.

Shortly after, the red carp that managed the sect's fortress formation entered the Dripping Water Cave.

"Sister, those idiots are having a gathering at Donglai's place again. Aren't you going to stop them? Donglai might have ill intentions!"

Seeing her older sister still acting as if nothing had happened, carefree and continuing her cultivation, Hongli was furious.

Wang Yuque patted his behind and left, leaving behind a bunch of Yu Dajiang to be arranged.

Those who are not in charge often feel neglected.

But they didn't realize that the difference in water level had already caused those who could be considered even slightly Jade Generals to reach the Purple Mansion level—the proper Purple Mansion of the Immortal Alliance, a Purple Mansion that receives double the resources from the Eastern Pole Sect and the Immortal Alliance!

The white carp flicked its tail and answered calmly.

"When it's going to rain, those silly little fools who want to become immortals can't be stopped."

Even the most talented of those Jade Generals, Cui Baihao, was truly just a 'little fool' in Bai Li's eyes.

He's young and naive; he's basically a complete idiot.

It could be said that they were a group of fools banding together to guard against their stepmother.

Therefore, being a stepmother is indeed difficult.

Bai Li could only go along with the Yu generals' antagonistic mentality, pretending to be about to separate from Wang Yu Que, just to fool outsiders.

"What silly goose? They're very clever."

Opening their Purple Mansions wasn't enough; they all wanted to become immortals.

The opportunity to become an immortal exists, but will it be their turn?
The Eastern Pole Sect only has so many resources, what makes them so powerful?
Gathering with outsiders is putting pressure on you, sister.

In my opinion, they are not only not stupid, but quite intelligent; they just use their intelligence in the wrong way.

"A bunch of ingrates!" The red carp is truly disgusting.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable pulled out his pen and ran away, good heavens, leaving behind hundreds of Daoist companions—to be nurtured by dripping water.

Isn't this just being a complete beast?
Not to mention the Jade Generals, represented by Cui Baihao. These rising stars who emerged during the Immortal Alliance's reforms are products of the Immortal Venerable's selection of the Immortal Alliance's best generation, and none of them are easy to deal with.

What's most absurd is that among the jade generals left behind by the Immortal Venerable, there's also Jinshan, who's a cheap father-in-law—making one's Daoist partner support one's own wild father-in-law. It's a wonder that Wang Yuque is so shameless as to actually do such a thing!
However, to the red carp's surprise, the white carp actually asked a question in return.

Don't you want to become an immortal?

The red carp immediately stopped talking, its expression quite interesting.

"Sister, that's not what I meant."

The white carp smiled.

Well, it seems he still wants to become an immortal.

Everyone is the same.

"The main problem is that there's no opportunity right now. Those people are ganging up on outsiders and causing trouble, which is really going too far."

Yes, but subjectively, Red Carp thinks it's different—it's more considerate and understands the bigger picture better.

"I intend to let you attain enlightenment," Bai Li continued with a smile.

"Let me prove my path?"

Hongli Zhenren was clearly a little dizzy; this unexpected windfall was far too much of a surprise.

"Oh dear, sister, Xiao Hong didn't mean that. Xiao Hong just can't stand those ungrateful wretches who don't appreciate your kindness and care."

The little girl, in her semi-transparent form, stared at her toes and made a hesitant statement.

Sister, they are not like me; I only feel sorry for you.

"However, the number of Immortal Venerables in the Great Heaven and Earth has already reached its limit once again. Where will new opportunities come from?" True Immortal Red Carp asked in confusion.

Regardless of whether the white carp was serious or not, the red carp believed that it shouldn't miss this opportunity.

However, as everyone knows, the Great Heaven and Earth is the world where the immortal path is most prosperous and the development is most advanced among all the endless heavens.

The "prosperity of the immortal path" here refers to the prosperity of the cultivation world. It does not mean infinite possibilities, but rather that a large number of possibilities and changes have been locked in.

There are no more spots available for Golden Core cultivators. This is true.

"Yes, the quota used to be at its limit, but it will be different in the future. On the Altar of Immortals, the Water Venerable just announced something to us."

Hongli noticed that after the Water Immortal mentioned the Immortal Platform, his expression became quite inscrutable.

"What happened?"

"The Immortal Alliance is about to wage war against the Demon Cave, with Huzhou as the main force in the attack."

"Water Venerable, take the lead." Bai Li's voice sounded slightly tired.

Just thinking about this matter almost drove her to the brink of collapse.

The pressure is too great.

"Go to war? The Water Lord will lead the attack? How is that possible? If the Water Lord leads the attack, won't that make him the one to pay the price?"

Red Carp is clearly quite knowledgeable; she is Little Fish's direct descendant, and the two address each other as sisters.

"How is it impossible? At the Boluo Conference, the three top-level Golden Core cultivators, Bifang Immortal King, Boluo Elder, and Wutian Immortal Ancestor, all exerted pressure."

Within the Immortal Alliance, Qingrui and the Demon Emperor also exerted pressure.

Everyone wanted the water vessel to become the price, to pay the price, and it could only pay it.

"Even with the Water Venerable's cultivation level, he can't remain carefree?"

Red Carp is no longer excited about becoming an immortal. Standing on the shoulders of Dripping Water, it sees an era where even top-tier Golden Core cultivators and leaders of the Immortal Alliance must pay the price.

This era has become rather cruel for those who achieve the Golden Core stage.

All I can say is that this is how the struggle for supremacy unfolds.

Compared to the present, the era of the Immortal Alliance's reforms nearly two thousand years ago was remarkably gentle, as gentle as children playing house.

"Shui Zun secured many favorable conditions; it's not as bad as you think."

Drip Water smiled. Someone like Taihe Water Venerable could get a lot of support and guarantees even if it came at a price.

"Each of the six states of the Immortal Alliance will dispatch six late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators and sixty early-to-mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators to the Water Venerable's sect to receive orders and provide support. Depending on the situation, the number of cultivators may be increased at any time, and there is a high possibility that a large number of Golden Core cultivators will be involved at the same time."

With the Water Venerable taking the stage, top-tier Golden Core cultivators must offer their support, as must other forces within the Immortal Alliance.

"With such a huge investment, why would those top-tier Golden Core cultivators force the Water Venerable to initiate a war?" Red Carp really couldn't understand.

Don't mistakenly think that sending 400 people up is not a lot when the Immortal Alliance has 2,000 Purple Mansion members.

The Purple Mansion is truly the cornerstone and key layer in this game.

It is possible to breed them in large numbers, but fast-grown chickens are certainly not as good as free-range chickens. If too many die, the strategic initiative will be lost.

Taking the initiative to attack inevitably leads to a situation where the exchange ratio is not good.

Those who pursue the Way have no clubs, and those who are merely fools are not truly fools. When the cruelty of confrontation is revealed, it manifests as endless blood and tears.

"There are many things you don't know, but if it's going to lead you to enlightenment, it wouldn't hurt to tell you in advance."

As the drop of water eloquently recounts the true crisis facing the world today, the red carp's mindset grows increasingly heavy.

The Wuji Dao Master has been in the Demon Cave for 20,000 years, with two top-tier demon gods, nine golden immortals, and more than 130 celestial immortals.

In the endless heavens, beyond the heavens, there is still a group of elite soldiers and generals, numbering perhaps several hundred celestial beings.

Don't fantasize, "They're all celestial beings; everything will be fine as long as a top-tier Golden Core cultivator intervenes"—this kind of thinking is almost humorous.

To get the Water Venerable to take action, the entire Bo Luo Society mobilized, the Immortal King personally intervened, Wu Ding secretly entered the fray, and various forms of support and promises were made.

Even so, Shui Zun might not necessarily go all out.

The power of the Wuji Dao Lord appears to be far less than the sum of all other powers in the Great World combined.

However, the "Yuan Clan's Seven Foundation Establishment Control of the Dripping Water Cave Law" is an ironclad rule in the struggle between cultivators. The proportion of the Dao Lord's power in the power of the Great World is far higher than the proportion of the Yuan Clan's direct lineage Foundation Establishment in the Dripping Water Cave.

Very difficult.

"How many people should our Eastern Pole Sect send? Has Emperor Luo issued a decree?"

"Three people will start from the early to mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm, with no upper limit. I plan to send more."

The Boluo Society and the Qunxiantai have set their course: as the war escalates and many top forces join the fray, the one with the most battle merits will have the most new Golden Core cultivators.

Whether you can attain enlightenment depends on how well they fight.

At this point, Di Shui's expression suddenly became somewhat obscure.

Red Carp was slightly startled and asked incredulously.

"elder sister?"

The white carp answered calmly.

“You are my sister. I’ve secured this opportunity for you to attain enlightenment within the Immortal Alliance, so of course I have to give it to you.”

Loyalty and ability are an impossible balance to strike – the stronger one's ability, the more ambitious one becomes, and thus one may not be absolutely loyal; the weaker one's ability, the more one needs to leverage external forces to appear loyal.

How to choose?
No choice!
More often than not, it's ability and loyalty; having either one is enough to be considered lucky.

It's unrealistic to dream of having both.

Making a red carp into a quick-fix elixir seems unreliable, but in reality, where are there so many perfect candidates?

After a long silence, Master Hongli asked in a low voice.

"Should we move against those people from the Jade Palace?"

Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.

The more blood sacrificed, the more battle merits earned.

Once the number reaches a certain scale, the number of deaths and the number of profits become directly proportional.

Individual abilities are irrelevant in large-scale warfare.

"Donglai has his eye on them, and he and the Bull Demon don't intend to send their disciples to their deaths."

Or rather, they were not optimistic about Bifang Immortal King's attempt to integrate the world.

My plan is to sit back and watch it happen.

Human nature, oh human nature, hahaha.

In short, let's just sit back and wait and see.

In the future, at a later opportunity, we will attribute the military achievements of those people to our Eastern Pole Sect.

"What if my brother-in-law comes back?"

Hongli was a little scared; she didn't know whether she should try to dissuade her sister.

However, the fruit of the Dao, the fruit of the Dao
Under the influence of the Dao Fruit, her heart was already in turmoil.

"he?

He doesn't care; he only ever cares about himself.

Your proof will make us more valuable.

"If we win, he will respect us more."

The drop of water transformed into a Dharma form once more, but the solemn Dharma form revealed no particular attitude.

Faced with her sister's responsibility and gifts, the red carp had no reason to refuse. After bowing respectfully, it quietly left.

The Jade Palace Immortal has been away from the world for far too long.

The owner of Drip Sky was already getting impatient.
-
The water buffalo in the pond was covered in mud, while Donglai was fishing by the pond.

"The Water Venerable is really struggling; it can't hold on anymore. I was hoping it wouldn't fight back."

If a fight breaks out, it'll be tough for anyone who hasn't become a Golden Immortal yet. Sigh.

The young Taoist priest Donglai's face was terribly somber; clearly, no one could remain calm under pressure.

With the support of the seeker's long experience and profound wisdom, many things, even if they haven't happened yet, are inevitably present in the future.

Tragically, even though they could see the future, the inevitable great war that would plunge even celestial beings into the abyss, there was nothing they could do.

For what?

"It's difficult to become a Golden Immortal, and it's even more difficult to become a top-tier Golden Core cultivator like the one from Cangshan."

Simple things are not for you and me; the benefits have all been taken by Wuji Daozhu, Bifang, Boluo, and others.

"When the situation became dire and things got really tough, they remembered us."

The Bull Demon King is also spewing insults.

After enjoying the top-tier Golden Elixir, they said they should all endure hardship together and persevere to overcome the current difficulties.

Niu Mo's attitude towards this was quite simple: "Damn it, you only thought of us when you were going through a tough time. Now that you're full, you can eat by yourself, you son of a bitch!"
"But senior brother, are you so sure that Bifang's attempt to integrate the world will fail?" Donglai asked.

The judgment about the dripping water was correct.

The two brothers, Niu Mo and Dong Lai, did not approve of the strategy devised by Bi Fang, Bo Luo, and others.

"Unless there are any surprises, Bi Fang and the old man with the winnowing basket look strong, but if they don't participate, there's very little they can do."

The idea that a water deity could flood a demon's lair with a vast lake is a joke.

Ultimately, it will inevitably return to a protracted struggle.

The confrontation between the supreme beings is different from the usual chaotic era; the Immortal Alliance can step in to defeat the top Golden Core cultivators of the Immortal Realm.

However, top-tier Golden Core cultivators won't easily participate in this great battle against the demon's lair.

The water buffalo savored the medicinal herbs while gesturing wildly and confidently.

"No way, senior brother, according to you, does that mean all the top Golden Core cultivators at the Bamboo Basket Gathering are stupid?"

They went through all this trouble; they couldn't have gone through all that trouble just to fail, could they?

The Bull Demon King chuckled and asked in return.

"First, how do you define failure?"

The Immortal Venerable Donglai was speechless.

Seeing that his junior brother remained silent, the Bull Demon continued to offer his guidance.

"To put it simply, what constitutes victory for the Water Venerable?"

So, what is a Golden Immortal?
strength?

Gong Shande was strong enough, having previously dominated an entire realm, yet he was still regarded as a relative weakling, the number one treasure of the Four Spirit Realms.

realm?

The realm of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable has long surpassed cultivation level, but realm is merely a methodology that provides guidance for practice, but it cannot directly affect the success or failure of a confrontation.

Cultivation?

Yes and no. Cultivation level is very important, but there are also many beings with high cultivation levels, such as Yin Zheng, a Golden Immortal who is obviously not very bright, but whose cultivation level is not low.

Furthermore, different cultivators cultivate completely different systems, and the coordinate system for their cultivation cannot be unified.

Breaking through the limits of spiritual practice and finding one's own path?
Limits are relative; different worlds have different limits. Yet, Gong Shande and Mu Fan still transformed into dragons in the Turtle Pond. Their own path corresponds to a period of explosive growth in strength, and there is no reference point for them.

In reality, the Golden Immortal is more like a prerequisite for the top-tier Golden Core. When your strength and overall level reach a certain point, your opponents will recognize you as a Golden Immortal.

Clearly, the Bull Demon King's Golden Immortal level is absolutely certain, and his level remains as high as ever.

"Will the Water Venerable win by a small margin and then stop fighting?"

Donglai was, after all, a disciple of the Sword Master Ziji, and possessed great talent.

"Indeed!" the Bull Demon said with satisfaction.

"Win a small piece of the demon's lair to prove your strength and ensure that others dare not come to attack it."

At the same time, once fame, strength, and respect are gained, Taihe Water can first take over the portion of the Demon Cave it has won, and then slowly operate the new Jingzhou.

Thus, Bifang's integration failed, but Shuizun's strength increased—a win-win situation.

From the perspective of absolute interests, the greatest victory of the Water God and the greatest victory of the plan are not the same thing.

"Would Water Venerable really arrange things this way, pretending to be ignorant despite the pressure from so many top-tier Golden Core cultivators?"

"Of course," Bull Demon replied crisply.

Donglai still has one question he can't figure out.

"Why did Bifang, Boluo, and the Immortal Ancestor insist on making such a big show of instigating the Water Venerable? Didn't they think of this?"

(End of this chapter)