Chapter 38 Part 2

Yangchun Terrace, at the Teleportation Array.

Wei Mingyi looked Xie Xianqing over, curious: “The Perfected One also understands medicine.”

“A little,” Xie Xianqing said, her eyelids lowered. She dealt with Gu insects and poisons; in the midst of suffering, she had slowly learned many things.

Wei Mingyi wanted to say a few more words, but lifting her head, she saw Wu Chongyun standing tall and elegant not far away.

Why had Shizun come? Wei Mingyi was stunned for a moment. Then, in three quick strides, she rushed over to Wu Chongyun.

“Shizun?”

Wu Chongyun raised her eyes to look at Wei Mingyi, who had swept to her side like a gust of wind. She pursed her lips, uttering only a soft “Mn.”

She knew Wei Mingyi was going to a strange place to conduct a transaction with the He Clan Daoist. She also knew that Wei Mingyi would need someone to protect her.

But Wei Mingyi hadn’t called for her.

“Why did Shizun come out?” Wei Mingyi asked again, her hands never idle. One moment she smoothed Wu Chongyun’s collar; the next she used her hand to shield her from the sunlight.

“Just passing by,” Wu Chongyun gave her a cool glance. With that, she brushed Wei Mingyi’s hand aside and headed toward the Teleportation Array.

Wei Mingyi let out an “Ah!” and hurriedly chased after Wu Chongyun, returning to the Chongyuan Sect with her.

Xie Xianqing, left behind, raised an eyebrow, stroked the green snake’s head, clicked her tongue, and walked back silently.

Back at the sect, Wei Mingyi handed the Heaven-rank Frost-Dispelling Flower to Hua Xiaozhu, then quietly spent two thousand Achievement Points to upgrade the Revival Furnace to Heaven-Tier.

A rare Heaven-Tier item, yet within the Chongyuan Sect, it was utterly unremarkable. Pity it couldn’t be mass-produced and sold outside.

Wei Mingyi felt a moment of regret, then obediently returned to her cultivation.

In less than half a year, she had to break through all her Qi Meridians and Establish her Foundation!

–

Wild Domain, Imaginary Village.

Having seized control of the Mountain Protection Array, He Yaoluo allowed the He Clan Daoists and the Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators inside.

The scattered Wicked Wraiths had to be completely eradicated; not a single one could be missed.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a place the Wicked Wraiths can’t breach? How come there are Wicked Wraiths? Perfected Person, have we been tricked?” A He Clan Daoist, full of doubt, couldn’t help but ask.

He Yaoluo was momentarily speechless. After a long while, she replied, “Those outside can’t get in; those inside can’t get out. That is sufficient proof of the Mountain Protection Array’s solidity. Furthermore, the Wicked Wraiths within the array are suppressed. They are whetstones left behind to temper one’s Dao cultivation.”

“This place had no spirit vein before, no great array either,” a Heavenly Dao Alliance Daoist said, his expression stern. “Did they appear in a single instant?”

He Yaoluo shook her head. “I don’t know.” The other party had arranged to meet her in three days, but she had actually arrived outside the designated spot the moment she left Yangchun Terrace and waited. At that time, an intangible force was already present, enveloping a ten-mile radius. She didn’t see anyone appear to reshape the Wild Domain with great magical power. Then again, perhaps her cultivation was simply insufficient. If the Chongyuan Sect truly had a Grotto-Heaven Daoist behind them, let alone her, a mere Golden Core, even a Nascent Soul likely wouldn’t be able to perceive it.

“Truly bizarre,” the Heavenly Dao Alliance Daoist said, his face cold. Such an unknown existence was the most frightening. That the other side was willing to sell land to rogue cultivators and aristocratic families—could that prove they were friendly to the aristocratic families? Yet, being of the master-disciple lineage, who knew how they might act in the future? After pondering for a moment, the Daoist asked, “How many cultivators from the Chongyuan Sect did you meet, Fellow Daoist?”

He Yaoluo replied, “Two.” One called herself Wuwang. The other Nascent Soul Daoist hadn’t introduced herself the entire time, showing none of those polite but hollow formalities customary upon meetings between aristocratic family Daoists. Fellow Daoist Wuwang had been amiable and warm when discussing business, but once the land was sold, she showed no trace of lingering attachment, seemingly without any intention of further contact.

“Are they even human?” a He Clan Daoist suddenly asked. “Not a single clue left behind. Could they be from… further in?” She had heard many legends about the Wild Domain. The current Heavenly Dao Alliance had never ventured into its deeper reaches. Some believed the Wicked Wraiths were infinite; others believed beings similar to cultivators still existed within. After all, ten thousand years ago, everyone had lived in the Wild Domain. As the Pure Domain expanded, did every single being come out? Could there be remnant peoples inside, who developed in a direction utterly different from theirs?

“Don’t spout nonsense,” He Yaoluo shot a glare at her clan’s Daoist.

After cleaning out all the Wicked Wraiths in Imaginary Village, He Yaoluo, along with the cultivators from her clan and the Heavenly Dao Alliance, stayed on for several more days. During this time, Wicked Wraiths constantly appeared at the perimeter, seemingly drawn by the scent of the living. But no matter how they rammed and charged, they could not breach the Mountain Protection Array and enter Imaginary Village. Without an Evil Tide, they naturally couldn’t prove whether the great array could withstand everything, but based on its current performance, it was far more secure than ordinary outposts—they didn’t even need anyone to stand watch.

After thoroughly investigating some basic matters, He Yaoluo returned to the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s main outpost, the Lifeless Land.

This time, she met not just a single Minister, but all four Perfected Persons of the Four Great Clans, who even accompanied her back to Imaginary Village.

Having cultivated to Nascent Soul 3rd Layer, one didn’t always need to engage in violent collisions to understand certain things.

“Yu Zhiyi, what is your opinion?” Wu Weiye of Spirit Mountain folded her arms, turning her gaze toward Yu Zhiyi, who was meticulously observing the forbidden array.

Yu Zhiyi was from the Yu Clan of Heavenly Evolution Mountain, a family most skilled in divination and calculation. Their abilities often proved effective when brute force failed. Yu Zhiyi’s skill was second only to the clan’s two Grotto-Heaven Daoists. If even she couldn’t see through this, they’d have to summon a Grotto-Heaven expert for an answer.

“Don’t disturb me,” Yu Zhiyi didn’t even look at Wu Weiye. Flicking her hand, a copper coin flew out.

Wu Weiye lowered her eyelids and reached out, catching the whizzing coin between two fingers. Then, with a light flick of her bent finger, the copper coin disintegrated into dust, scattered by the wind.

Yu Zhiyi stopped looking at the forbidden array. She turned toward Wu Weiye and rolled her eyes at her: “That coin was nurtured for three hundred years. You can figure out how to compensate me.”

“And the result?” The Daoist from the Chen family, named Chen Shifei, looked at Yu Zhiyi with dissatisfaction, uninterested in topics like copper coins.

“No result means no result. Why must you force me to say it plainly? Could it be the Earthfire Celestial Furnace has also smelted away your brains? Fellow Daoist Chen, why don’t you go back to the furnace and relearn how to be a person?” Yu Zhiyi gave a cold laugh as she spoke. Regardless of her own mood, her words indiscriminately attacked everyone, successfully chilling the atmosphere.

He Yaoluo, standing beside them, felt the biting cold and didn’t dare to speak up to calm things. Any one of these four Fellow Daoists, whom she couldn’t even see under ordinary circumstances, could, with a flick of a sleeve, cause the entire He family to vanish into ash and smoke.

“You certainly have a point,” Wu Weiye tossed a piece of Pill Jade to Yu Zhiyi.

Yu Zhiyi didn’t think it was too little. Accepting the Pill Jade, she sneered, “I’m not as capable as Fellow Daoist Wu. Bring your saber over and chop at this Mountain Protection Array a few times.”

“I can’t cleave it open,” Wu Weiye knew full well.

Yu Zhiyi had been waiting for exactly those words. Turning abruptly to Chen Shifei, she exclaimed, “Oh dear, why doesn’t Fellow Daoist Chen complain a bit to Fellow Daoist Wu? She couldn’t do it either!”

Chen Shifei deeply regretted having uttered those two extra words. She ignored Yu Zhiyi, her brows tightly furrowed, her face etched with worry. “The master-disciple lineage… how could such a figure emerge? What future does my aristocratic family have?”

“They may not necessarily be a pure master-disciple lineage,” the Daoist from the Cloud Realm suddenly spoke up. Those purely of the master-disciple lineage would rather be shattered jade than intact tile. They were embodying direct confrontation with the aristocratic families, not like the Pure Clean Sect, who just shouted slogans. The aristocratic families had lost no small number of people while suppressing the stubborn forces of the master-disciple lineage. She truly couldn’t understand why those people still struggled. Clearly, the aristocratic families also allowed them to join, providing them a ladder for advancement.

“If their stance is unclear, isn’t that even more dangerous?” Yu Zhiyi turned her smiling gaze toward the Daoist from the Yun clan, her words carrying a pointed edge. “Wouldn’t you agree, Yun Wuxiang?”

“How much similar land does the Chongyuan Sect control? Will they continue selling it to the outside? Have any of you considered what it would mean if every person training in the Wild Domain could buy a plot of land to establish a base?” Within the Pure Domain, layer upon layer of shackles bound the Daoists. But the Wild Domain, due to its unique nature, was lawless, primal, and chaotic. The aristocratic families controlled the resources, controlled the safe zone of the Lifeless Land. It seemed like they controlled everything, but in truth, that control was fragile and easily shattered.

“If one day, the Daoists training in the Wild Domain no longer needed our protection, obtaining a peaceful corner of heaven and earth; if they could be self-sufficient without exchanging Merit Points for resources… then why would they listen to us?” Chen Shifei spoke up.

“Need we even say ‘if’? Isn’t it already happening at the Fire Element Dwelling? Quite a number of scattered people have gathered there,” Wu Weiye remarked.

“Either we find a way to erase the Chongyuan Sect,” Yun Wuxiang said, “or we reach a deeper level of cooperation, ensuring they only do business with us. As long as this variable is turned into a constant for the Heavenly Dao Alliance, it ceases to be a problem.”

The four exchanged glances.

Ultimately, they reached a unanimous decision.

Whatever the other party wanted—even if the Heavenly Dao Alliance had to create a new Minister’s seat—it would be acceptable!

The mighty ripples stirred by the Chongyuan Sect within the Wild Domain did not cease.

The Heavenly Dao Alliance was striving to engage them, while the master-disciple lineage certainly couldn’t afford to ignore them.

The Daoists from the Jade Emperor Sect had already sent word back to their sect, but even now, no decree had come from their Sect Leader Perfected One. It was probably like the past—simply ignoring matters of the outside world.

Yet the Heavenly Origin Sect, one of the Three Sects, showed some interest in the Chongyuan Sect. Since the Heavenly Origin Sect had itself transformed from an aristocratic family, its relations with the other two sects could hardly be called good. When the Heavenly Origin Sect Daoist spoke, she gave no face to the so-called prestige of the other side. Glaring at the expressionless Jade Emperor Sect Daoist, she loudly rebuked: “All you do is play deaf and mute! You might as well rename yourselves the Turtle Sect!”

A Perfected Person from the Pure Clean Sect found the Heavenly Origin Sect particularly distasteful. She was dissatisfied with the weak-willed Jade Emperor Sect, but even more detested the Heavenly Origin Sect’s Daoists, who were connected by blood to the aristocratic families. She gave a cold laugh and said, “People who would sell land to the aristocratic families may not necessarily be of our master-disciple lineage. If the esteemed one feels a sense of resonance, could it be you share a common origin, hence the accord?”

The Heavenly Origin Sect Daoist let out an “Eh?” and countered, “And how much cleaner is the esteemed one, who possesses a training ground within the Lifeless Land controlled by the aristocratic families?”

The Pure Clean Sect Perfected Person’s expression changed drastically at that. She flicked her sleeve, declaring: “The Lifeless Land was established through the joint efforts of all Nine Provinces’ Daoists! How can it be considered the property of the aristocratic families?!”

The Jade Emperor Sect Daoist drooped her brows: “The Chongyuan Sect might not even wish to make contact with the likes of us.”

The Heavenly Origin Sect Daoist: “And you know this how? Have you even attempted to contact them?” Disappointment welled in her at the Jade Emperor Sect and the Pure Clean Sect. Leaving behind that remark, she flicked her sleeve and walked away. She mused: No wonder the master-disciple lineage never amounted to anything. The Chongyuan Sect, then? Could it be a variable? Even if it meant going alone, the Heavenly Origin Sect would make contact themselves!