Chapter 37 Part 1

The Feng clan Daoist’s attempt to ascend to Nascent Soul 3rd Layer had failed. Even if the Heavenly Dao Alliance had accepted benefits from the Feng clan, they had no inclination to wait any longer. Being demoted from a 3rd-Rate Clan to a 4th-Rate Clan meant all subsequent benefits would correspondingly diminish. But for the Feng clan, this wasn’t the greatest danger.

The Feng clan still had a Nascent Soul cultivator guarding them, and the clan didn’t lack talented Golden Core members. In any case, they were still in the upper echelon of 4th-Rate Clans, with a real possibility of rising again. Thus, the several families who had acted against the Feng clan now had no choice but to pursue absolute eradication—at the very least, suppressing the Feng clan so thoroughly they’d never have a chance to recover.

The internecine struggles of the great aristocratic families never ceased, and the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s disdain for barren, remote lands gave the Chongyuan Sect its opportunity. Within the three cities, though some minor disturbances followed the destruction of those few families, they were no more than dust on a robe—easily brushed away with a single flick.

The Chongyuan Sect differed from the aristocratic lineage, yet also refused to mingle with the Pure Clean Sect that shouted that the master-disciple inheritance was the sole true path. After taking control of the cities, if they had simply broken up all families and forced people’s families to ruin and their deaths, how would that be any different from the aristocratic families’ tyranny? Those minor cultivation families in the three cities willing to abide by the rules could coexist peacefully. They could even lease spirit veins from the Chongyuan Sect without needing to offer any additional “tributes.” As for those still wanting to restore the ways of the aristocratic families, they could go plead their case with the King of Hell.

After the matters concerning the Zheng and Wang clans were resolved, Wei Mingyi stopped paying much attention to those territories. The purchasing and selling were managed by the Sect Leader and the others. As for herself, she simply waited for the corresponding income to roll in. She shifted her focus to Yangchun Terrace in the Wild Domain, partly to check on the advertising’s effect, and partly because it was time to inquire with those people about matters related to the Heavenly Dao’s Paragon Debate.

At Yangchun Terrace, the area around the vending machine was bustling.

Every time Hua Xiaozhu finished refining pills, she would toss them into the vending machine, sparing her the trouble of managing subsequent sales. News traveled fast in the Wild Domain. Rogue cultivators, knowing there were high-quality, affordable pills here, naturally refused to patronize the Alchemical Cauldron Pavilion at the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s outpost anymore. This naturally hindered the Alchemical Cauldron Pavilion’s business. Though the Pavilion’s Deacons were disgruntled, the news brought back by the family scions was hardly encouraging. After all, the ones who had previously caused trouble there met with extremely miserable fates. More importantly, the higher-ranking Daoists above had no intention of engaging the Chongyuan Sect—at least not until they could probe its true strength.

Seeing the vending machine operating normally, Wei Mingyi let it be. Her attention fell upon the advertisement board nearby. People were already showing interest in the land, but only one had actually left a formal inquiry post. That person called themselves “He Yaoluo,” from the Tianwu He Clan, a 3rd-Rate Clan subordinate to Spirit Mountain.

When putting out the advertising slogan, Wei Mingyi had already considered various scenarios. The Wild Domain contained all sorts of people, but the absolute power still rested with the family scions. Once the news reached the Heavenly Dao Alliance, they would definitely send someone to investigate. The other side might disguise themselves as rogue cultivators or master-disciple lineage members. She hadn’t expected the Heavenly Dao Alliance to be, as it turned out, slightly more candid than she’d imagined.

She had discussed with the Sect Leader and her master whether they should sell land to the aristocratic families. The Sect Leader had said “yes.” After all, when dealing with Wicked Wraiths, the aristocratic families also contributed. No matter what, over thousands of years, they were the main force garrisoning the Lifeless Land. Purifying heaven and earth was the common aspiration of all cultivators. However, they needed to be meticulous with the sale agreements and add supplementary clauses.

Wei Mingyi understood this reasoning, but what ultimately solidified her decision was the building that had appeared in the Building Mall: the “Spirit-Sealing Tower.” This construction could sever spirit veins and disable Mountain Protection Arrays—for the Chongyuan Sect, it was purely a side effect. Purchasing it required no Achievement Points, but had a prerequisite for use: it could only be placed on land designated in the Wild Domain, and only when the corresponding faction’s reputation had reached the level of Hatred. This meant that besides the Heavenly Dao Oath sworn during the transaction, Wei Mingyi now had a more direct method to control the land she had sold.

He Yaoluo’s post contained a transmission talisman. After pondering for a moment, Wei Mingyi activated it. The first thing she heard was a gentle, warm laugh, followed by someone saying, “Is this a Fellow Daoist from the Chongyuan Sect?”

The Chongyuan Sect members at Yangchun Terrace were elusive, nearly impossible to spot. They purchased nothing, nor did they come out to hunt Wicked Wraiths. Yet the pills in the “Thousand Autumns Enterprise” seemed inexhaustible. Any occasional vacancies were promptly refilled. He Yaoluo had waited outside for several months. The Daoists from her clan and the Heavenly Dao Alliance were already growing quite impatient. It had always been they who made others wait; never had they met anyone so able to put on airs.

He Yaoluo, however, remained calm. The Chongyuan Sect was truly mysterious. If, as many guessed, they had one or even more Grotto-Heaven experts presiding, then such a haughty attitude was only to be expected. Thankfully, she had finally made contact.

Wei Mingyi asked, “Fellow Daoist, are you preparing to buy land?”

He Yaoluo replied, “Yes.”

Wei Mingyi got straight to the point: “Then come here at noon tomorrow for detailed discussions.” Without waiting for He Yaoluo to say anything else, Wei Mingyi cut off the communication. Returning to the training ground, she saw Wu Chongyun sitting cross-legged. Her eyes brightened instantly. In a crisp voice, she asked, “Does Shizun know of the Tianwu He Clan? They’re a 3rd-Rate Clan within Spirit Mountain’s sphere of influence. They seem interested in buying land. What is the Tianwu He Clan’s family fortune like? Can they be considered wealthy?”

“Are they coming on their own behalf? Or for the Heavenly Dao Alliance?” Wu Chongyun didn’t answer directly. She flicked her whisk, fixing her gaze on Wei Mingyi.

Wei Mingyi smacked her own forehead, chagrined. “Ah, I almost got it wrong.” She bustled over to Wu Chongyun and also sat cross-legged, reaching out to grab the swaying whisk tassels while saying, “The Heavenly Dao Alliance holds tremendous resources. Does this mean we can set an astronomical price?” Establishing a foothold in the Wild Domain wasn’t easy; saying an inch of land was worth an inch of gold was no exaggeration. The Heavenly Dao Alliance wanting an “outpost” was likely for research purposes. Hmph, their motives weren’t pure—not for resisting Wicked Wraiths—which meant the price should be pushed even higher.

After a moment’s thought, Wei Mingyi had made up her mind. She continued, “Heaven-Tier herbs are basically monopolized by the great clans. The Assistant Master said they are extremely rare. What if I ask them for a Heaven-rank Frost-Dispelling Flower?”

This was an indispensable ingredient for refining the Nine-Revolution Soul-Returning Elixir. If they had to search and gather it themselves, who knew how long it would take, maybe until the Year of the Monkey? But the Heavenly Dao Alliance was different; their power was immense.

In Wu Chongyun’s languid eyes, a fleeting trace of light abruptly flickered. She stared at Wei Mingyi and said, “There are many things you could trade it for. The Heavenly Dao Alliance has cultivation-grade cinnabar, Heaven-Tier artifacts, talismans, and many more annotated cultivation methods.”

“None are as important as the Frost-Dispelling Flower,” Wei Mingyi said, propping her chin on her hands, a joyful smile playing on her lips. She then asked, “What if we directly asked for a Nine-Revolution Soul-Returning Elixir? But if we did that, would the aristocratic families see through Shizun’s identity? What if they tamper with the elixir? How would we identify whether it’s genuine?” Demanding the elixir directly might alert them and seemed too risky.

Wu Chongyun stared at Wei Mingyi; her disciple had already decided she had a tremendous background. She was silent for a moment before saying, “Take the herb.”

Wei Mingyi: “I was thinking the same.” Then after the Heavenly Dao’s Paragon Debate ended, they could also find a way to get the Cloud Mountain Herb. That would complete one set of ingredients, and Shizun’s “Wither and Flourish” could be cured. The Assistant Master would just need to step up her game, or else even upgrading the Revival Furnace to Heaven-Tier might result in a catastrophic failure.

Noon the next day.

He Yaoluo kept the appointment.

Wei Mingyi had originally wanted Wu Chongyun to accompany her, but Wu Chongyun refused. She had to give up the idea and go meet He Yaoluo alone.

He Yaoluo was a Golden Core Daoist, looking very young. Her temperament was gentle and serene, easily creating a favorable impression. She was utterly different from that wave of aggressive aristocratic scions earlier. Wei Mingyi’s opinion of family scions was at rock bottom; meeting He Yaoluo did raise it slightly.

He Yaoluo had expected at least an elder or deacon, never a mere Meridian Opening cultivator. Still, surprised as she was, she felt no trace of the anger of being slighted. After they exchanged greetings, she said, “When the Evil Tide erupted, Yangchun Terrace and Fire Element Dwelling stood firm amidst the vast, surging waves—truly astonishing. Hearing that the Chongyuan Sect intended to sell land, my clan became interested. After all, when our younger generation trains in the Wild Domain, they sometimes don’t have time to return to the Lifeless Land. Having a foothold within the Domain itself would be excellent…”

After lavishing praises on the Chongyuan Sect’s abilities and explaining her own clan’s needs, He Yaoluo shifted the topic: “However, would this subsequent land be able to withstand the Evil Tide as effectively as Yangchun Terrace and Fire Element Dwelling?”

Within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, another theory had been circulating: that those two locations were unique exceptions, and that while the Chongyuan Sect was hawking, they might not be able to produce equally good land. The worst-case scenario was that they themselves had somehow triggered the Evil Tide early, using it to advertise Yangchun Terrace, then make a massive profit and vanish quickly.

“Of course it can.” Wei Mingyi blinked, saying confidently, “Let heaven and earth bear witness.”

Such a claim was incredibly bold. He Yaoluo was inwardly astonished but didn’t let it show on her face. With a slight smile, she said, “If it is truly as you say, Fellow Daoist, my clan is willing to purchase. I just wonder—what is the asking price?”

Wei Mingyi’s heart chilled—this was the bargaining stage. After a moment’s thought, she said, “For thousands of years, we cultivators have fought against the Wicked Wraiths, and the borders of the Pure Domain have advanced and retreated ceaselessly. Until now, besides Yangchun Terrace and Fire Element Dwelling, no outpost has ever truly endured for long, has it?”

He Yaoluo replied, “If you mean merely surviving one or two Evil Tides, then some have.” Certain outposts, by being located not directly in the Tide’s path but at its edges or gaps, managed to endure through sheer peril. But to stand like the Lifeless Land, resisting Evil Tides for millennia, was unheard of.

Wei Mingyi understood immediately from He Yaoluo’s words that she was trying to elevate other outposts to drive down the price. She gave a soft chuckle and said unhurriedly, “Whether it was luck or true ability, Fellow Daoist must know in your heart. Yangchun Terrace and Fire Element Dwelling dared to face the Evil Tide’s main impact head-on. In a sense, they are priceless. My Chongyuan Sect isn’t in dire need to sell land. It’s simply that seeing the Wicked Wraiths run rampant, and cultivators constantly falling, my heart couldn’t bear it. I am willing to give up a patch of heaven and earth to shelter the masses of cultivators.”

He Yaoluo, born into an aristocratic family, didn’t believe in grand ideals. To her, many matters boiled down to nothing more than the word “profit.” She scoffed inwardly at Wei Mingyi’s lofty rhetoric but caught the underlying message in her words. Her heart chilled, and she asked, “Does the Fellow Daoist have many such lands?”

Wei Mingyi boldly declared: “We walk the Wild Domain as if returning to our hometown. What does the Fellow Daoist think?” Anyway, when out in the world, one’s reputation was self-made; who knew if she was telling truth or lies? As long as she could produce the land, that was enough.

He Yaoluo let out a faint hiss, the calm on her face finally broken. To walk the Wild Domain freely—whether through unique talent or sufficient backing—was something utterly beyond reach for most cultivators. Her expression became serious: “May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what must my clan offer?”

Wei Mingyi stated: “For now, one Heaven-rank Frost-Dispelling Flower, along with other cultivation resources.”

The implication was that this offer might not last.