After the path was cut off

Chapter 32: Occupy 1 land first

After seeing off Gu Xiangyang and his group, Tianzhu Peak fell silent again.

A breeze swept through the corridor, ruffling the remaining tea leaves on the table. Li Wangxiang stood under the eaves, gazing at the end of the mountain path for a moment, and the tension that had been weighing on his heart finally eased slightly.

With their lodgings settled, the rest of the relocation process became much easier.

Rent a few silverback rays from the animal park and make several trips; that will be enough to slowly move the entire village out.

The Silverback Ray is a large, second-tier spirit beast. It has a broad body, a gentle temperament, and is best at carrying loads. Apart from being a bit slow at flying, it has almost no other shortcomings. It is perfect for migrating to the mortal world.

But that's a story for another time.

He has two more urgent matters to attend to right now.

First, go to Tianxuan City and meet the three immortal sects that are bound to Yunyin Lake.

The second thing is to confirm something after leaving the sect.

The abnormalities after the daily shuttle was introduced into the body were confirmed.

After returning from the Hall of Mastery, the Sun-Chasing Shuttle first stopped in his Crimson Palace, locking away the life force that was constantly leaking out from between the shattered foundation.

But in less than half a day, it broke away from the Crimson Palace on its own, moved all the way up, passed through the twelve-story building, and finally fell into the Niwan Palace.

The Niwan point should have been a void of consciousness.

But after the Sun-Chasing Shuttle fell in, a small, unformed world seemed to appear out of thin air. Li Wangxiang only had time for a quick glance before he saw trees, a pond, and a cascading waterfall, while the treasure mirror that had been missing for many days floated quietly on the pond.

He didn't dare look again.

Inside the Tianxuan Sect, he didn't want to touch that mirror.

Whether this caution is useful or not, it at least puts his mind at ease.

So, as soon as Gu Xiangyang and the others left, Li Wangxiang concealed his presence and went straight down the mountain.

Outside the Tianxuan Sect, there is a subordinate city called Tianxuan City.

Those living in the city are likely descendants of disciples from the sect.

In matters of bloodline, this world is almost mercilessly fair. Whether your parents are at the Foundation Establishment stage or the Golden Core stage, whether their offspring can open their spiritual apertures still depends entirely on fate, and it may be one in ten thousand.

So-called celestial lineage and noble bloodlines mean nothing here. Without opening one's spiritual aperture, one remains a mortal; without entering the Dao, one must still make a living in the mortal world.

For this reason, most cultivators in the sect were unwilling to have children, finding it troublesome and adding unnecessary burdens. But people's hearts are not made of stone; some cannot bear loneliness, and over the years, this attached city was built.

The population of Xuancheng was only about 100,000, exactly the same as Li Wangxiang's hometown in Zhongzhou. Yet, despite being the same 100,000 people, their lives were like two completely different worlds.

Because of the backing of the Tianxuan Sect, the people of Tianxuan City do not have to worry about food and clothing. The crude puppets of the cultivation world are cheap and easy to use, which is much less troublesome than hiring ordinary people.

Thus, the puppets who served tea and dishes in restaurants, the puppets who guided guests and laid out mats in inns, and the puppeteers who held lanterns and smiled in front of theaters were mostly made of puppets.

The ordinary people in the city became more leisurely, no longer having to bow their heads to serve others, and few had to do the hard work of welcoming and seeing off guests.

Playing cards, listening to operas, drinking wine, and admiring lanterns—over time, the entire city developed a leisurely and almost luxurious atmosphere of enjoyment.

Meanwhile, in Zhongzhou, there were also 100,000 people, but they were still struggling to survive amidst the lurking evil cultivators and the constant threat of hunger and cold. They dared not light lamps at night, nor venture far during the day, and at the slightest sign of trouble, they had to flee with their families.

Li Wangxiang had considered bringing his elder brother and grand-nephew here years ago. But when his brother found out, he scolded him severely.

"Now that you, Li Wangxiang, have become successful, you only care about your own relatives?"

"What about those villagers? Those who followed us all the way, enduring hunger and cold, as we fled for our lives?"

"If you just want peace of mind, you should give up now. We mortals who grew up in the mud can't bear your favoritism."

That time, Li Wangxiang was scolded and felt deeply ashamed.

From then on, he never mentioned moving his own family first again.

Looking back now, his elder brother's words were like a rope, always holding him back and preventing him from getting colder and colder on the path to immortality.

The most bustling place in Tianxuan City is the Guest Reception Building.

The representatives of the few immortal sects that retreated from Beiyuan are now temporarily residing here.

When Li Wangxiang arrived, it was just past noon. The aroma of wine, meat, and spirit charcoal mingled together in the building, and cultivators were coming and going at the entrance. Amidst the noise, there was a roughness and weariness unique to those who had been through many battles.

He had just stepped onto the long street in front of the building when he heard a muffled thud from the second floor.

Immediately afterwards, a figure crashed through half of a door panel, flew straight out of the building, landed on the stone steps by the street, rolled twice before barely coming to a stop.

"Since when did a mere cultivator who hasn't even firmly established himself in the Dao have the right to order me around, Yang Xiaoxie?"

Someone upstairs cursed coldly, their voice rough and full of anger.

Li Wangxiang paused in his tracks.

The person who was kicked out was You Fang.

He could tell something was wrong at a glance.

Yesterday in the Hall of Cultivation, this person still possessed the cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining. But now, his Qi Sea is empty, his spiritual energy has dissipated, and even the slightest fluctuation of Qi Refining is gone.

Clearly, his cultivation had been forcibly disrupted.

Li Wangxiang's eyelids twitched slightly, and he knew almost without thinking who was behind it.

You Fang rubbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. Just as he was about to get up, he looked up and saw Li Wangxiang. He immediately rushed over as if he had seen a savior.

"Fellow villager!"

"How did you know I was here!"

As soon as he spoke, he seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression changed, and he quickly lowered his voice.

"By the way, I found out later that you are actually a true disciple of the Tianxuan Sect."

"Oh, I'm sorry, brother. I was too excited in the main hall and forgot that in this dangerous other world, your hard-won initial identity definitely needs to be concealed."

"It was my mistake, please don't mind."

Li Wangxiang's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not correct You Fang's way of addressing him.

It's fine to leave this misunderstanding as it is.

After all, You Fang is connected to the survivors of Bei Chen. If we can get involved, we might be able to see things more clearly in the future.

He only asked one follow-up question:

What are you doing here?

Upon hearing this, You Fang's face immediately fell.

"I get angry as soon as you mention this."

"That female demon destroyed my cultivation without saying a word yesterday, and even stuffed some kind of Dust-Entering Pill into my mouth. Today she kicked me out and made me give orders to these immortal sects to attack a spiritual land in the Corruption Abyss."

"The first time I went in, they ignored me. The second time, they told me to get out. The third time, they just threw me out."

"Aren't you saying this is going to kill me—"

Upon hearing this, Li Wangxiang raised his hand to press his temples and interrupted, saying:

"What bargaining chips did Siam give you?"

You Fang was taken aback, then felt even more aggrieved.

"Champions? Not a single one."

"She only said, 'Let me convey her message.'"

"I always felt like she was plotting against me."

At this point, he seemed to have finally grasped a way out and quickly moved closer.

"Fellow villager, please think of a way to rescue me from that she-devil. I can't take it any longer."

After hearing this, Li Wangxiang understood a bit more.

You Fang had no bargaining chips, and went three times in a row, but the three immortal sects only kicked him out each time, without actually killing him. This showed that they were willing to obey orders.

And this is precisely what Siam is trying to test by pushing tourism out there.

Having made up his mind, Li Wangxiang glanced at You Fang, his tone slightly softer than before.

"The fact that she didn't kill you means you're still useful."

"Since it's useful, I won't die for the time being."

You Fang was taken aback, as if she hadn't expected to hear a word of comfort from him, and her eyes almost reddened.

Li Wangxiang continued:

"Just bear with it a little longer."

"From now on, remember everything she asks you to do, who she meets, and what she says, and tell me about it later."

"I want to see if there's any chance to rescue you."

You Fang's eyes lit up immediately.

"Are you really going to take care of me?"

Li Wangxiang did not speak fully, only saying:

"It depends."

You Fang, however, automatically interpreted those three words as "certainty," and his whole being came back to life.

"What a kind person! I knew it. We're from the same hometown, you couldn't possibly abandon me."

Li Wangxiang initially agreed with him, hoping to stabilize the relationship. But to his surprise, You Fang, having been appeased, immediately became arrogant and started talking more and more, going from "that female demon never speaks human language" all the way to "did I pick the wrong template for this game?"

Li Wangxiang's temples throbbed as he listened, and he finally lost all patience, cutting him off.

"You should complete the instructions Siam gave you first."

"You go up, I'll follow behind, and I'll make sure you're not blown down again."

You Fang suddenly remembered his business, quickly patted his robes, and mustered his courage to go upstairs.

Li Wangxiang held his breath and followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

There were six people in the room.

Three are at the Foundation Establishment stage, and three at the Qi Refining stage.

Some leaned against the couch drinking, some closed their eyes to rest, and others seemed to be lazily reclining in chairs. But that relaxed demeanor was merely a facade; a closer look revealed the indelible stench of blood on them. This wasn't something cultivated through ordinary combat, but rather the scent forged in the crucible of battle.

The first thing that catches the eye is a one-eyed female cultivator.

She had dark skin, a tall and muscular build, and a dark leather overlay over her right eye. She held a wine jar in one hand, while her other hand firmly pressed down on the wrist of the person opposite her. This person possessed the most stable aura; it was none other than Lu Ling, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Spirit Spring Sect.

Sitting opposite her was a one-armed man. His left arm was severed at the shoulder, his brow bone was extremely high, and his eyes were fierce. His right arm was being held firmly to the table by Lu Ling, clearly indicating that he was at a disadvantage in terms of his strongest weapon, physical strength. This man was none other than Yang Xiaoxie of the Chenshui Sect, who had just thrown You Fang out.

The remaining person sat by the window, with a thin face and extremely calm eyes. A long spear lay across his hand. He should be Yin Chaosheng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Great Tide Sect.

As for the other three Qi Refining cultivators, they were mostly disciples who accompanied them.

Yang Xiaoxie was furious because he had just lost to his pride and joy, which was his strength.

"You dare to come in?"

"Don't think I really wouldn't dare to kill you."

As You Fang was about to explain with a forced smile, Li Wangxiang stepped half a step to the side from behind him, revealing his figure.

In that instant, Yang Xiaoxie's expression changed drastically.

He was completely unaware that there was another person following behind You Fang.

Before he could speak, Lu Ling spoke first.

"Daozi, Li Wangxiang."

She released her hand that was firmly pressing down on Yang Xiaoxie, put down the wine jar, and her voice was inscrutable.

"I know you."

Li Wangxiang said calmly:

"That's no longer the case."

Yang Xiaoxie snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm or regret that was hard to decipher:

"Why not follow the proper path of Golden Core and instead choose to enter the mortal world?"

"What kind of nonsense is going on in the heads of you true disciples?"

Lu Ling glared at him, stopping him from rambling on, and stared at Li Wangxiang, asking:

"What benefits does the Abyss of Corruption offer that would make you and Siam, two Daoists, go through all this trouble to venture there?"

"Or rather—"

"What exactly does the sect intend to do in that place?"

The room fell silent immediately.

Li Wangxiang looked at her but did not answer immediately.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"What benefits there are is not something you or I should know."

"But you can't help but understand the meaning behind the decree."

"What the sect wants is the entire Corrupted Water Abyss."

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of Lu Ling, Yang Xiaoxie, and Yin Chaosheng all sharpened slightly.

Li Wangxiang continued:

"You are all old men who have retired from the Northern Plains. You should all understand that any decree related to the war of opening up will result in death if it is not carried out."

"If this is the case for me and Siam, then you will be no exception."

All three of them turned cold, but did not refute.

They naturally understood that the sect's will could not be defied. Otherwise, You Fangbian wouldn't have simply been kicked out today.

Before they could speak, Li Wangxiang pressed forward again:

"May I ask where your disciples are now?"

Lu Lingdao:

"We're already on our way to Yunyin Lake."

Li Wangxiang shook his head.

"Now is not the time to move into Hidden Cloud Lake."

"We should seize a sacred site before the other sects can react."

"If we don't act now, it will be difficult to gain an absolute advantage for the Heavenly Profound Sect in the Corruption Abyss later."

Yang Xiaoxie scoffed.

"Easy for you to say."

"We fight the battles, and then we're expected to shoulder the blame when things go wrong?"

Yin Chaosheng, who had remained silent until now, finally raised his eyes and added:

"What good would it do to take it down?"

"What makes you think you can hold onto it forever?"

Lu Ling took a step forward, and the oppressive aura of someone who had been through countless battles pressed down on her.

Answer two questions for me.

"First, after you conquer another sacred site, can you and Siam guarantee that we won't be besieged and killed by the other sects?"

"Secondly, does the sect have any plans to further reinforce the Rotten Water Abyss?"

The room fell silent as soon as these two questions were asked.

You Fang stood by the door, completely bewildered, but instinctively felt that these two questions had probably hit the nail on the head, and even his breathing became lighter.

Li Wangxiang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He couldn't answer either of those questions.

It's not that I don't want to answer.

Instead, you can't just answer randomly.

He is unwilling to make promises lightly about things he cannot keep.

Lu Ling just stared at him.

That single eye was filled with determination, as if if these two questions were not answered, the next moment would be a complete falling out.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely tense.

Just as Li Wangxiang was about to answer, a very light footstep suddenly came from outside the door.

Neither hurried nor slow.

But a scorching yet cold aura slowly seeped in from outside the door.

You Fang subconsciously shrank half a step to the side, his face turning pale.

The Siamese have stepped through the door.

She was still wearing a black cloak, her hair was as black as ink, and her face was as cold as unmelted frost.

The Siamese man glanced around the room, not bothering to utter a single unnecessary word, and coldly said:

"Produce a solution."

"Once you've decided on the sacred land you want to occupy, I'll go kill people, and you can move in."

"The rest is none of your business."