Even though her heart held a certain emotion, Wu Chongyun didn’t know how to express it. She held Wei Mingyi tightly, letting that feeling settle deep in her heart, layer by layer. When she raised her eyes again, she was once again a picture of serenity.
As long as she didn’t dwell on it, she would know nothing.
Not observing meant it didn’t exist. And when it all fell apart, there would be no sense of shattering.
“Whether the Founder is the Merciful Sword or not, it makes no difference.” Wu Chongyun finally picked up Wei Mingyi’s thread of conversation.
Learning the secret, and sharing it with Wu Chongyun, Wei Mingyi’s excitement didn’t wane. Wu Chongyun had let go of her, but she still held onto one of Wu Chongyun’s arms. “The Founder was actually so formidable? I don’t believe she’s dead. Shizun, where do you think she is now?”
Wu Chongyun lowered her eyelids and said, “I don’t know.”
Wei Mingyi let out an “Ah” and started sighing again. She said, “But now’s not the time to search for the Founder. Grotto‑Heaven! I must achieve Grotto‑Heaven as soon as possible!”
Wu Chongyun: “…” How could she speak of achieving Grotto‑Heaven as easily as drinking water? She was still only at the Foundation Establishment 2nd Layer. She didn’t discourage Wei Mingyi, nor share with her the essential teachings about it. That person had told her, for those with extremely high talent, the greatest taboo was “speed.” No matter one’s natural talent, one must take it one step at a time.
The two didn’t linger at Yangchun Terrace. The Spiritual Vein here was only Yellow-tier, not as good as the Chongyuan Sect for cultivation. When it came to matters of passing through the Dao Gate, Wei Mingyi didn’t want to spend Achievement Points on this. She gave her communication Dharma Talisman to the little Qilin called “Taiyi,” then returned to the Chongyuan Sect to cultivate. About half a month later, the little Qilin avatar on the panel flickered with light. Wei Mingyi clicked on it and saw a new message.
The land buyers had arrived!
Outside Yangchun Terrace, Lang Fengya and a Daoist dressed in yellow-white robes waited patiently. Not far off was the bustling Public Pavilion. Daoists who came here to buy elixir pills would all rest at the tables for a while. This place was not only indestructible for Daoists, but Wicked Wraiths couldn’t breach it either—a small, safe corner. Seeing Lang Fengya, their eyes couldn’t help but be filled with envy. How had Lang Fengya, of all people, managed to make contact with Yangchun Terrace? And she even possessed a Fire Element Dwelling?
Inside the Fire Element Dwelling, Daoists couldn’t do anything to Lang Fengya. But when she came out, some had indeed entertained crooked ideas. Lang Fengya was a Golden Core cultivator; there were certainly those whose cultivation surpassed hers. But ultimately, none succeeded. Someone who had trained in the Wild Domain for many years and survived several Evil Tides had genuine skill. Failing to eliminate Lang Fengya was one thing, but it thoroughly offended the rogue cultivators in the Fire Element Dwelling.
“Who is that person?” a mutter rose.
“Wearing a Yingluo, a string of Buddhist beads around the hand… must be a Buddhist Dao inheritor.”
By the time Lang Fengya and that person entered Yangchun Terrace, another voice added, “Why hasn’t anyone introduced me?!”
Yangchun Terrace, the audience chamber.
Wei Mingyi had come alone, with only a little Qilin waddling sideways like a crab at her feet.
Both Lang Fengya and the Daoist noticed the Qilin, a flash of surprise passing through their eyes, but neither said anything about it.
“This is Fellow Daoist Wei Wuwang.”
“And this is the Head of Jialan Dao, Fellow Daoist Tan Lianxin.”
Lang Fengya made the introductions.
Wei Mingyi raised her eyebrows and exchanged Daoist greetings. Not one for idle chatter, she fixed her gaze on Tan Lianxin and said, “Fellow Daoist, have you come to buy land?”
Tan Lianxin nodded. “Indeed, I have.” Pausing, she added, “It’s not just my Jialan Dao alone. There are some other fellow Daoists traveling together, but they are occupied and only entrusted me to come on their behalf.” She then listed the names of several sects and smiled gently, “Fellow Daoist should have heard of them.”
Wei Mingyi blinked. She had indeed heard of them. In the Eternal Cosmos Heavenly Realm, she had rescued some Daoists from the encirclement of the Prosperous Clans and received a pile of IOUs. Were they repaying her kindness by coming to buy land? If so, that was rather good.
“There’s one more thing.” Tan Lianxin wasn’t in a hurry to discuss the price of the residence with Wei Mingyi, but instead brought up another topic.
Wei Mingyi always treated people with sincerity. Since these people were introduced by Lang Fengya, she had to be twelve parts gentle and approachable: “Please, Fellow Daoist, speak freely.”
Tan Lianxin’s gaze flickered. After pondering for a moment, she said, “The clans stand at the mountaintop, suppressing the Master‑Disciple Lineages. The Three Sects are the strong among the Master‑Disciple Lineages; most sects of the Nine Provinces are subordinate to the Three Sects. Although the Three Sects claim they protect each family, when real trouble comes, they may not necessarily act. They have to consider the stance of the clans. In the past, the Three Sects indeed sheltered various sects from wind and rain, but now, their actions are becoming fewer and fewer.”
When the various sects became subordinates of the Three Sects, it wasn’t that they did nothing and only waited for protection. They all regularly sent “tribute.” But the goods were sent to the Three Sects without receiving corresponding benefits in return, only a few empty words. Many sects began to grow dissatisfied. It was just that aside from the Three Sects, there were only the clans—there was absolutely no other choice.
Wei Mingyi’s heart stirred. She pretended to be puzzled and asked, “Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this?”
“A third power,” Tan Lianxin looked deeply at Wei Mingyi. She asked, “Does the Chongyuan Sect have any intention of expanding?”
After the Heavenly Dao’s Paragon Debate ended, the Daoists of various sects were inwardly shaken. But merely a Heavenly Dao Champion alone wouldn’t stir up too much change. After all, at the end of the day, it was just a competition among Foundation Establishment Daoists. What the future held was hard to say. However, when the Heavenly Dao Champion and the mysterious sect of Yangchun Terrace were superimposed, that faint ripple instantly became a surging, towering wave.
On the Supreme Peak, the clans were listless and didn’t recruit the outstanding Foundation Establishment Daoists. And those who wanted to “climb higher branches” also shifted their focus elsewhere.
There was also the Lin Province incident and the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s “Wild Domain Restriction Decree.” The Three Sects complied as well. One had to know that many sect founders had obtained benefits from the Wild Domain, learned superior techniques, and only then had the chance to establish their sects. Demanding they abandon the scriptures they’d cultivated for ages—wasn’t that equivalent to wiping them out completely? Many sects didn’t want to comply. But the Perfected Ones from the Three Sects stated: if they were unwilling to comply, they would be expelled from the Three Sects’ subordinate system. If the clans then targeted them, the Three Sects would not intervene.
When there was no choice, Daoists would even flee to the Wild Domain for refuge. But now that safe residences had appeared in the Wild Domain, offering a sliver of survival even when the Evil Tide surged, the Wild Domain wasn’t so terrible anymore.
Wei Mingyi’s eyes grew deep. She had thought Buddhists were reclusive and detached from the world, not expecting their hearts to be so engaged in mortal affairs. Her Achievement Points, her Prestige… expansion was necessary. But whether or not to expand at this very moment still had to be discussed with Shizun, the Sect Leader, and the others. She gave a polite smile to Tan Lianxin and said, “The sect has only entrusted me to handle the buying and selling of the residences.”
Not refusing meant there was intent. Tan Lianxin understood. Her smile grew even gentler as she returned to the main topic. “Our several sects don’t possess Heaven-tier treasures. We’ve gathered enough Pill Jade, but the Heavenly Dao Alliance recently strictly prohibited the trading of Heaven-tier treasures. I wanted to ask, does Fellow Daoist truly require a Heaven-tier item?”
“Not necessarily,” Wei Mingyi said calmly. She produced a contract she’d drafted long ago, flicking her sleeve to send it over to Tan Lianxin. The contract was more or less the same as Lang Fengya’s. Even if payment couldn’t be settled in full at once, it could be paid in installments. For her now, making money wasn’t the primary objective.
Tan Lianxin browsed through it rapidly, her eyelid twitching. She couldn’t help but ask, “Fellow Daoist, is there a mistake?” The price of this residence was reduced by half compared to what they had estimated.
Wei Mingyi said, “There is no mistake.” She put on a look of righteous indignation and spoke, “Fellow Daoists who come to the Wild Domain aren’t they all here to purify the world and slay the Wicked Wraiths? With Fellow Daoists caring so much for the world, how could my Chongyuan Sect harbor selfish intentions? The residences we have established are all front lines against the Wicked Wraiths. We only hope that the Fellow Daoists within them will not forget their original intent and think that with a safe residence, they can rest comfortably and live in pleasure.”
Hearing this, Tan Lianxin felt a shock in her heart.
Earlier, when Jialan Dao was in council, some other heads had disagreed. Because the Chongyuan Sect not only dealt with rogue cultivators and the Master‑Disciple Lineages, but also sold land to the clans, appearing entirely without a clear stance.
But seeing things now, the Chongyuan Sect was standing from a higher vantage point, always treating the “Pure Land Plan” as its own duty.
Because in the fight against the Wicked Wraiths, no matter which faction, all had contributed their strength.
Tan Lianxin’s gaze shifted. Looking at the serene Wei Mingyi, a feeling of deep respect involuntarily arose within her. Just like the Daoists of the Three Sects, she didn’t scrutinize the clauses she considered minor details and directly stamped her Name Seal onto the contract. Wei Mingyi wasn’t in a hurry to seal the contract with Tan Lianxin. She asked, “Fellow Daoist, are you clear on this? When my Chongyuan Sect establishes a residence, we do leave behind some Wicked Wraiths within for training purposes. However, Fellow Daoist can rest assured: once that batch of Wicked Wraiths is cleared, those from outside cannot enter.”
Tan Lianxin’s expression remained unchanged. She said calmly, “A mere few Wicked Wraiths, that’s all.” When she came, she had already made up her mind to complete this transaction with the Chongyuan Sect. She didn’t know what changes the future would bring, but the Chongyuan Sect was the only “variable” in a thousand years. It was mysterious and powerful, able to establish a foothold in the Wild Domain and accomplish what neither the clans nor the Three Sects could. The clans and the Three Sects could neither fathom its true depths nor erase it, and could only transact with it—this only emphasized the Chongyuan Sect’s strength.
There was a Grotto‑Heaven, no, perhaps several Grotto‑Heavens, behind the Chongyuan Sect.
After finalizing the contract and completing the transaction with Tan Lianxin, Wei Mingyi modified the advertisement on the Public Pavilion. Earlier, she had mentioned selling land, but hadn’t specified the price. It was only the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Three Sects spreading rumors there, saying at minimum a Heaven-tier treasure was required, and on top of that, a sea of Pill Jade and herbs, which made cultivators of modest means shrink back.
Wei Mingyi had only wanted Heaven-tier treasures back then; it wasn’t that she had to set that exact price. The residences obtained for a thousand Achievement Points would only become more numerous. Eventually, they wouldn’t carry the “rare” designation anymore. The residences were merely outposts against the Wicked Wraiths, nothing more than a sanctuary for the Daoists of the Wild Domain. She had already obtained what she most desired, so restoring the residences to their normal price was a natural course of action.
When the price was reset, the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Three Sects would certainly feel they’d been taken for fools.
But so what? She would raise the banner of “Righteousness” and extol the countless hardships of establishing these residences.
Except for her Chongyuan Sect, no one had suffered a loss!
The change in the residence price on the Public Pavilion was immediately relayed back to the Lifeless Land.
The several Perfected Ones of the Heavenly Dao Alliance heard it. Although they felt somewhat uncomfortable, they didn’t pursue the matter. First, the Heavenly Dao Alliance wasn’t lacking that little bit. Second, they had far more important things to do.
When the “Wild Domain Restriction Decree” was passed, it only required striking a chime to show agreement. But in actual implementation, there were still some difficulties. Some lucky small families were easy to handle, but one mustn’t forget, all members of the Four Great Clans had Daoists who had ventured into the Wild Domain. They had obtained artifacts and Dao manuals from there and were unwilling to destroy them. The Lifeless Land had stood for thousands of years, and among its cultivators were some Nascent Soul 3rd Layer Daoists who were even the seniors of the four Perfected Ones.
