Minglong

Chapter 287 What are you waiting for?
As the fog dissipated, the devastated mountains and fields were once again shrouded in starlight.

Nangong Ye was restricted by the Demon-Sealing Curse and dared not use lightning magic at will. Therefore, he took the lone Mo Mo with him. At this moment, carrying the sword box, he landed in a forest full of poisonous vines. His undulating figure, coupled with his black and white Taoist robe, made him look like a mother and daughter in contrast to Qing Mo, who was dressed as a female knight-errant...

Bu Yuehua, draped in a black cloak, held the Soul-Binding Lock and was engaged in a tug-of-war with Bu Qingya opposite her. The Gu Poison Sect's attire was similar, and one could see a resemblance between father and daughter.

Despite not having seen her father for many years, Bu Yuehua still remembered him vividly. Seeing that his appearance had hardly changed, she felt fortunate. Although her father's safety was still in the hands of the demon, her body was constantly operating on its own using incomprehensible techniques. It was probably the ancestral master on her body trying to break the restrictions. Therefore, she did not alert the demon and just coldly stared at the white-haired figure not far away.

The white-haired man wore a mask and full armor, appearing to be a seasoned warrior. However, judging from his voice, he wasn't very old. Despite being surrounded by several people, he didn't panic. He raised his hand and removed his mask, revealing a rather rugged face.

"Bai Xu, the protector of the Underworld God Sect, has long admired Young Master Xie's name. Meeting you today, I am truly impressed by your extraordinary abilities. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Xie Jinhuan didn't care who this person was; he only wanted to wait for the ghost wife to break the seal and then send her to see the Blood God. However, judging from the situation, it wouldn't be that quick. He responded at this moment:
"Say something quickly."

Bai Xu didn't really have anything to say, but he had received a strict order from above to do everything possible to restrain Xie Jinhuan. Now that he was already blocked, dragging Bu Qingya down with him would be pointless. Therefore, he was still thinking about how to phrase his words:

"Young Master Xie, aren't you curious why my Underworld God Sect, as a demonic sect, has spies all over the country and can even extend its reach to the Emperor?"

Xie Jinhuan had actually wondered about this when he went to Northern Zhou, and thought about how to respond:

"If you tell the truth, I can make your death less painful."

"Young Master Xie's tone is even more sinister than that of us demonic cultivators."

After making a sarcastic remark, Bai Xu began to explain seriously:
"This story begins ten thousand years ago. Legend has it that at the beginning of the creation of the world, there were three sovereigns among the human race..."

Ten thousand?
Xie Jinhuan felt that this explanation was perhaps a little too detailed, and interrupted:

"There's no need to mention these; they're all just legends."

But Bai Xu remained unmoved, first recounting various ancient legends, then the patriarchs of shamanism, Taoism, and Confucianism, rambling on for most of the day before finally getting to the point:
"From these stories, we can see that in the ancient and barbaric era, it was not difficult for cultivators to enter the seventh realm. For example, the ancestral witches like the Golden Mother, but without exception, they all became passersby in the human world, leaving behind only inconspicuous names in ancient books. It was not that they did not want to live long and attain immortality, but that they did not have the opportunity."

"This situation continued until three thousand years ago, when the Human Emperor was born and a Human Emperor Cauldron was forged. It is said that this object can enable cultivators to open the Heavenly Gate and attain immortality."

"I don't know if the legend is true or not, but in the following thousand years, many eminent people on the mountain peaks did pass away, but it became increasingly difficult for cultivators at the lower levels to cultivate."

"According to the analysis of the Corpse Ancestor, this world is in a state of balance. Every time someone ascends to the ranks of immortals, the world loses a great deal of spiritual energy."

"After the Martial Ancestor stepped into the seventh realm, the situation deteriorated to the point that cultivators could no longer enter the fourth realm without relying on rare and precious materials, and the order of cultivation path had to be re-established."

"After the Martial Ancestor, the world has experienced two thousand years of dynastic changes and the rise and fall of the martial arts world. Countless heroes have tried to reach the top of the mountain, but no one has been able to step into the seventh realm since.

"Cultivators, too, were plagued by resource scarcity, leading to mutual vendettas and sectarian conflicts. Almost every one or two hundred years, a great calamity befell the world, until the appearance of the Corpse Ancestor..."

Linghu Qingmo and the others listened in. They knew most of the stories, but the concept of attaining immortality was something they had never heard before. Nangong Ye frowned and said:

“Stop spreading falsehoods and misleading the public; there is no such record in the righteous path.”

Bai Xu shook his head and said earnestly:

"After the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult, the righteous path erased all information about the Corpse Ancestor, not even letting future generations know his name, to prevent anyone from repeating the same mistake. But no matter how strict the righteous path is, it can't control us demons. The Underworld God Cult has complete historical records that document the ins and outs of the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult."

"Cultivators kill each other because of cultivation resources. There is no variable, so the killing will never end, life after life. That's why the Corpse Ancestor chose to become the demon who tried to overthrow the world."

"I'm not high enough level to know exactly how the Corpse Ancestor did it. I only know that the Corpse Ancestor's most extreme method was to plunder resources, and he relied on his unparalleled talent to reach the seventh realm, touching the threshold of attaining immortality and obtaining the Human Emperor Cauldron."

"But what the Corpse Ancestor sought was never personal enlightenment, but rather to break through and establish anew for the benefit of future generations. It's just a pity that the Corpse Ancestor ultimately failed; it's unclear whether he was defeated by Ye Ci and others, or by the hand of Heaven and Earth..."

Nangong Ye said coldly:

"Just because of a ridiculous idea, he slaughtered a third of the world's population. You say the Corpse Ancestor was benefiting future generations?"

Bai Xu responded, "The Corpse Ancestor was indeed a demon, but a demon is not a rogue of the martial world. He is a figure who establishes a sect and claims to be the founder. He always has his own principles in his actions. He just lost in the end. If the Corpse Ancestor had won, the world today might be a different place."

"As descendants of the victors, you must think that the Corpse Ancestor was utterly wicked, and that the efforts of ancestors like Ye Sheng were all for the good of future generations. Ye Sheng took away the name of the Four No One Ancestor back then, hoping that future generations would remember the lesson and not get caught up in sectarian disputes and kill each other. But what was the result?"
"Only a few decades have passed since the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult, and the Daoist sect has already begun to dominate based on its merits, squeezing out other sects and leaving them no room to survive. Sect Leader Nangong, ask yourself, after you know this situation, do you feel proud of the Dan Ding Sect's growing strength, or do you suggest to Lu Wuzhen that he give up the Daoist sect's advantageous position and countless resources, so that other sects can have a way to survive?" Nangong Ye frowned but did not respond.

Bai Xu continued:
"The Dan Ding Sect's status and territory were secured by the abilities of its founder. How can the sect leader just hand them over to other sects without cause? Even the most precious things are meant to be given to the capable. You yourselves don't even have enough, so why should you give them to outsiders?"
"This idea is human nature. There are people in the world who would go against their own interests, such as Monk Wuxin. But Fachen is the most obvious example. If the leader doesn't fight for it, the subordinates will fight for it on their own, and the consequences will only get more out of control."

"The root cause of the irreconcilable disputes on the path of spiritual practice is that there are too many monks and not enough porridge. Those who see clearly are powerless to change it, while those who are stubbornly deluded are only doing things that are in their own interest, and not even necessarily for their own benefit."

"As for the Corpse Ancestor, he just wanted to change the world and make the living space bigger. Although the consequences are hard to predict, as long as it succeeds, the whole world will no longer be like a Gu altar."

"The righteous path erases these messages because they can incite the largest number of mid-level cultivators to join the Corpse Ancestor's ranks. Most first-grade cultivators in the world are not lacking in talent, and they are only one step away from becoming super-grade cultivators. However, since there is no place for them in the world, they can only stop at first-grade and end up with regret."

"The Corpse Ancestor said that he wanted to return the world to its ancient state, where everyone could reach the fourth or fifth realm, or even achieve immortality and enlightenment. If they failed, they would only suffer divine punishment along with you sect prodigies. What do you think they would choose?"

After listening, Xie Jinhuan asked, "Is this the reason why you have connections all over the country?"

"Correct."

Bai Xu nodded and continued:

"Those at the first rank aspire to the super rank, those at the super rank aspire to become sect leaders, sect leaders aspire to enter the sixth realm, those at the sixth realm aspire to establish their own sect and become patriarchs, and patriarchs hope to attain the Dao and ascend to immortality. As long as there is desire, there will always be someone willing to take the risk."

"The Corpse Ancestor was able to gather tens of thousands of demon troops. Our current strength is not due to coercion or enticement, but because our actions align with their interests and we share the same goals."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinhuan truly understood the true nature of the Underworld God Sect—it was a group of cultivators who, having given up hope of climbing the mountain, were preparing to find another way. Even if this path was full of killing and disaster, and the purpose was still unknown, having a wicked path was better than having no path at all.

This argument is plausible, but Xie Jinhuan still responded:
“If this path were truly viable, Ye Sheng and Qixia Zhenren would be the first to try it, rather than completely eradicating the Corpse Ancestor. You are just gamblers who will stop at nothing to cultivate.”

Bai Xu did not deny it:

"The scenery behind the mountain may not be beautiful, but this side of the mountain is indeed a stagnant pool with no hope. Ye Sheng did not take this evil path, nor did he change the status quo of generations of sect warfare."

"We actually learned our lesson this time. We originally wanted to use gentle means to control the emperor and the Taoist path, subtly change the status quo, and turn everyone into supporters."

"But unfortunately, Young Master Xie, by his own efforts, gradually pushed the situation toward armed conflict."

Xie Jinhuan frowned and said:

"The He family has harmed no fewer than ten thousand people over the past twenty years. Three years ago, I was also involved in the He family's affairs and almost lost my entire family. You say this is a mild approach, and that I shouldn't interfere with you?"

Bai Xu was about to continue his verbal sparring to buy time when a voice suddenly came from not far away:
wow~
Looking over, Bu Qingya, who was like a black sculpture, suddenly moved.

? !
Bai Xu's expression changed drastically, and he immediately raised his hand to form a hand seal.

Also at this time!

Sa——

Without hesitation, Xie Jinhuan made his move, his three-foot sword piercing through the gaps in Bai Xu's armor like a green snake spitting its tongue.

Bai Xu never imagined that the restriction personally placed by the Ancestor Sikong could be broken without warning. Caught off guard and without time to react, the Zheng Lun Sword had already pierced his chest, and then burst forth with blue and white lightning.

Stab la la——

Bai Xu's body immediately tensed up, and then a large hand gripped his throat, causing his internal blood and qi to surge.

Xie Jinhuan suppressed Bai Xu, his eyes like those of a demon god descended to earth:
"Enough with the nonsense. I'm waiting to break the seal, what are you waiting for?"

"Ho..."

(End of this chapter)