Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Within the realm of the Great Dao, the chaotic energy paused slightly.

The gazes of more than thirty Dao Embryos simultaneously fell upon this young man.

Meng Yang looked at him calmly and slowly spoke:

"Fellow Daoist Sasaki, what brings you here?"

Sasaki stood up and remained silent for a moment.

His gaze passed over Meng Yang and landed in the void below—there, in the right hand of True Monarch Minghuang's Dharma form, more than sixty Paradise players were being suppressed and unable to move.

He looked away, his voice hoarse:

"Sect Leader Meng Yang, those juniors... are people from my Paradise."

He paused, seemingly considering his words:

"They have offended you, and it is their fault. But... I wonder if you could make an exception and allow me to take them back?"

Within the realm of the Great Dao, all was silent.

Meng Yang remained silent.

Beside him, the demon clan member carrying a stone axe snorted coldly and slightly raised the stone axe in his hand.

The Buddha and Amitabha closed their eyes and chanted scriptures, their prayer beads spinning faster in their hands.

The divine light surged around the Divine Lord, and lightning flickered faintly on his golden armor.

Sasaki stood there, all alone, a stark contrast to the thirty-odd Dao Embryos opposite him.

But he did not back down.

He just stood there, waiting for an answer.

Meng Yang looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight:

"Fellow Daoist Sasaki, your junior has come to my territory, intending to kill my junior, seize my plane, and destroy my lineage."

"You're saying—this is offensive?"

Sasaki remained silent.

Meng Yang continued, "They carried your backup plan; that transcendental law fluctuation, was that something you left behind?"

Sasaki did not deny it.

"I couldn't stop that surge of energy," Meng Yang said calmly, "but none of your juniors will escape."

He paused, his tone suddenly softening:

"However, you came in person, stood here, and neither made a move nor ran away."

He looked at Sasaki, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny:

"For that, I respect you."

Sasaki looked up and met his gaze.

Meng Yang raised his hand and pointed in the direction of True Monarch Minghuang below:

"I can give those people back to you."

A hint of surprise flashed in Sasaki's eyes.

"But there are two conditions." Meng Yang held up two fingers. "First, compensation. Your Paradise people destroyed three of my planes and killed three of my Primordial Children. This debt must be settled."

"Secondly, I guarantee that from this day forward, no one from Paradise will be allowed to set foot on the territory of my great universe."

Sasaki remained silent for a long time.

Chaotic energy swirled around him, causing his white hair to flutter wildly in the wind.

After a long silence, he spoke:

"Compensation... I can decide that. But the second condition..."

He gave a wry smile, a smile tinged with self-mockery:

"Sect Leader Meng Yang, I am just a piece of trash who has been reduced to level eight. I have no say in matters concerning Paradise."

Meng Yang looked at him and suddenly smiled.

That smile contained understanding, sympathy, and a hint of respect:

"Then go back and find someone who can make the decision."

After he finished speaking, the Great Dao Domain fell silent for a moment.

Then--

The chaotic energy behind Sasaki suddenly surged.

A figure emerged from the churning chaos. The figure was neither tall nor burly; in fact, it could be described as thin.

He wore a long, gray-black robe, his face was old, and his wrinkles resembled a cracked riverbed; only his eyes still shone—strikingly bright.

His aura was like an abyss, like the starry sky, like the Great Dao itself.

Ninth level.

Peak of the Dao Embryo stage.

He was better than most of the people present.

The Dao embryos present all frowned.

The demon race Dao Embryo carrying the stone axe subconsciously tightened his grip on the axe handle, the Buddhist Amitabha's prayer beads spun faster, and the divine lord's body surged with divine light.

The old man didn't look at them.

He walked up to Sasaki, patted him on the shoulder, and gestured for him to step back. Sasaki opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, and silently stepped aside.

The old man raised his head and looked at Meng Yang.

"I can make the decision."

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against a rough stone surface, but every word was clearly heard by every Daoist in the room.

Meng Yang looked at him without saying a word.

The old man continued, "The second condition is that I can only make half the decision."

Buddha Taoism paused his prayer beads and calmly spoke:

"What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"

The old man looked at Amitabha, then at Meng Yang, and slowly said:

"The first condition is that you have destroyed three planes and your prodigies. On behalf of Paradise, I will compensate you with fifteen primary planes, and each of the fifteen planes must have more than 10 billion humans to make up for your losses."

Meng Yang nodded slightly, without interrupting.

The old man held up two fingers:

"Secondly, regarding the people of Paradise, I can only use my special authority to seal off those above the second rank—for a period of one thousand years, to prevent them from stepping into your vast universe."

He paused, then lowered his fingers:

"I can't ban newcomers below level two. They are directly managed by the park, and I don't have the authority over them."

He looked at Meng Yang, his gaze open and honest.

"These newcomers haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment level on your side. To be honest, they'd be throwing their lives away if they came. So I can only guarantee half of the second condition—if it works out, we'll exchange the people for the goods right now."

He paused, his voice becoming low:

"If that doesn't work, then there's nothing more to discuss. Prepare for war."

The atmosphere in the Great Dao Realm suddenly froze.

The demon cultivator carrying the stone axe took a step forward, and the stone axe in his hand lit up with chaotic light.

The divine being radiated divine light, and streaks of lightning crackled across his golden armor. The Buddhist Amitabha chanted sutras with his eyes closed, the prayer beads in his hand spinning faster and faster.

The old man did not retreat.

He just stood there, waiting for an answer.

In the void behind him, the seven or eight gazes that had never dissipated now became even more solemn.

Meng Yang looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he laughed.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it made everyone present pause for a moment.

"How should I address you, fellow Daoist?"

The old man was taken aback, then said, "My code name is The Fool. I haven't used my real name in so long that I've forgotten it myself."

Meng Yang nodded: "Fellow Daoist Fool, I accept your conditions."

Within the realm of the Great Dao, the chaotic energy trembled violently.

The demon cultivator carrying the stone axe was stunned: "Meng Yang, you—"

Meng Yang raised his hand to stop him.

He looked at the Fool and slowly said, "Fifteen planes, a hundred billion humans, I want them alive. Those above the second rank are forbidden from entering for a thousand years. Newcomers..."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"A newcomer has arrived, and our immortal sect is just short of people to do the work. Once you're here, don't leave."

The fool looked at him and suddenly laughed too.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it brought a touch of life to that wrinkled face.

"Sect Leader Meng Yang truly lives up to his reputation."

He raised his hand, and an ancient-looking token emerged from his palm, hovering in the chaos.

"These are the coordinate keys for fifteen planes. The planes have been cleared, awaiting only the arrival of the human race."

He then took out a jade slip and gently pushed it toward Meng Yang:

"This is the certificate of the blockade order. I issued it with ninth-level authority, and it is recognized by the laws of Paradise. For the next thousand years, no one above the second level may set foot here."

Meng Yang accepted the token and jade slip, scanned them with his divine sense, and nodded.

He raised his hand and pointed downwards into the void.

With a slight relaxation of his right hand, the Dharma Image of True Monarch Minghuang lifted the more than sixty Paradise players, carrying them through the void and across the Great Dao Domain, and they landed steadily in front of the Fool.

Iron Dragon struggled to his feet, looking around in terror. Frost was deathly pale, biting her lip tightly. Blazing Fire and Shadow were also unsteady on their feet, supporting each other.

The fool looked down at them, his eyes showing no blame, only weariness.

"Let's go," he said hoarsely. "Home."

He turned and walked towards the other end of the void. Sasaki followed, and the seven or eight gazes gradually disappeared.

Tie Long gritted his teeth, bowed deeply in Meng Yang's direction, and then, with the rest of his men, staggered after him.

Within the realm of the Great Dao, the chaotic energy has returned to calm.

The demon cultivator carrying the stone axe put it away and muttered, "Are we just going to let them go like that?"

Meng Yang stared in the direction where the Fool had disappeared, and remained silent for a moment.

"If you don't let them go, you'll really fight?"

He turned his head to look at the demon race's Dao embryo, his tone calm:

"He's right. Paradise is weaker, but we're not much better off. If a real war breaks out, the universe won't recover for at least ten thousand years. And then, who will stop those still eyeing us covetously?"

The demon race's Dao embryo remained silent.

The Buddha chanted a Buddhist mantra softly and said slowly, "Fellow Daoist Meng's actions are a strategic retreat. A thousand years is enough."

Meng Yang nodded and didn't say anything more.

He looked down at the empty space below.

There, the Unfettered True Monarch had successfully attained enlightenment and was conversing with Minghuang, Li Xiaoyao, and others. Tens of thousands of True Monarchs gradually dispersed, retreating into the depths of the void like a tide.

He turned his gaze back to the jade slip and the token in his hand.

"A thousand years of peace," he murmured. "That's enough."

He put away the token and jade slip, turned around, and his figure disappeared into the chaos.

The remaining Dao embryos also gradually dispersed.

The realm of the Great Dao returned to silence.

Only the primordial chaos continued to circulate slowly.