187: Chapter 75: Accompanied by 800 Immortals!
187: Chapter 75: Accompanied by 800 Immortals!
Li Ping’an returned to his cave dwelling amid the setting sun, and there was Wen Ling, clad in a pink and white short skirt, waiting outside the cave.
Although they didn’t meet too often on a daily basis, they were already familiar with each other.
Since Wen Ling’s arrival at their master and disciple’s cave dwelling, one couldn’t say she was walking on thin ice, but she could be described as thorough and attentive in all aspects.
Even though she seemed somewhat foolish on ordinary days, Li Ping’an had long recognized that she actually possessed a sharp and lucid Dao heart, and her apparent naivety was merely her protective coloration.
As Li Ping’an descended, he noticed Wen Ling’s pursed lips and furrowed brows and took the initiative to ask:
“Grand Ancestor, you guessed exactly right,”
Wen Ling presented a jade talisman forward:
“This is an urgent jade talisman sent by my sect.
I haven’t looked at the message inside.
“The odd thing is, my master specifically instructed the steward who delivered the message that it must be handed over to you personally and not to be shown to Grand Ancestor Dazhi.”
Li Ping’an took the jade talisman, glanced over it with care, and stepped through the cave entrance with his hands behind his back.
The inside of the cave dwelling was much tidier than before Wen Ling’s arrival, and the surroundings had gained some elegance as well.
Wen Ling asked, “Grand Ancestor, is there anything else you would like to instruct me to do?”
“Go back to your cultivation practice.”
Li Ping’an sat down on a reclining chair while Wen Ling efficiently brought over tea and meticulously arranged the incense burner.
She bowed her head and returned to her own sleeping quarters, activating two layers of formations proactively.
Elder Xiaoyue had informed that recently, the news of Great Wealth Immortal from Wanyun Sect emerging from seclusion had become more and more intense.
Numerous sects had already made secret contact with her, seeking to use this connection to get acquainted with Great Wealth Immortal.
There was considerable talk and speculation among the local towns.
Some said Wanyun Sect was exploiting the Great Fortune Holder of the Human Race for their own gain;
Others claimed that Great Wealth Immortal was merely a puffery, a means for Wanyun Sect to rake in spirit stones.
Among the news sent by Xiaoyue, what concerned Li Ping’an the most was the reaction of two sects to this matter.
By the shores of the East Sea, an elder from the Sea Watch Sect, a significant Immortal sect, drunkenly made a fierce declaration that they too would visit Yuan Sect and teach this Great Wealth Immortal a lesson.
Li Ping’an was utterly baffled.
This Sea Watch Sect was…
strange to say the least.
While other sects adhere to a philosophy of quietism and non-action, certain immortals and disciples from this Sea Watch Sect always exuded a bizarre aesthetic, as if their cultivation had reached a point where their cerebral cortex had malfunctioned.
Over the past two years, especially after the East Sea training conference for disciples from the six great sects, Sea Watch Sect had continuously targeted Wanyun Sect with contemptible tactics.
The most classic of these were three rumors:
[Wanyun Sect captures loose cultivators and locks them in Castcloud Hall, forcing them to endlessly refine magic artifacts.]
[The inexpensive artifacts produced by Wanyun Sect contain restrictions that control the mind, prolonged use of which affects the spirit of Qi Cultivators.]
[The biggest purchasers of Wanyun Sect artifacts are demon cultivators.]
About this third point, Li Ping’an was also quite speechless, and indeed, this third rumor had caused some real harm to Wanyun Sect.
A small portion of Wanyun Sect’s artifacts had indeed fallen into the hands of demon cultivators.
But that was simply impossible to prevent.
The composition of East Continent Qi Cultivators was about six to one in favor of the Path of Immortality over the Demonic Path.
The Path of Immortality preaches quietism and self-restraint, while the Demonic Path advocates following one’s desires without worldly restraints.
Fundamentally, it is merely a matter of different cultivation techniques and paths of Dao heart cultivation.
In ancient times, the Path of Immortality and Demonic Path were equally esteemed cultivation routes for the Human Race.
Today, many Human Race Qi Cultivators who follow the Demonic Path do not wreak random havoc, and;
Many Immortal Cultivators who have practiced immortal techniques often commit acts of ‘putting on a mask to rob others, then taking it off to act heroically and righteously,’ only to then shift the blame onto demon cultivators.
Within all this turmoil, how can one articulate the complexities with but a few words?
Now hearing that Sea Watch Sect was planning to stir trouble in Yuan Sect, Li Ping’an couldn’t help being filled with aversion.
He was not only pondering countermeasures, but also how to take the initiative to strike back at Sea Watch Sect.
‘No choice, we’ll have to let the seniors from our sect deal with them directly.’
The other sect Li Ping’an was concerned about was Forge-Heaven Gate, known as the premier Artifact Refining sect of East Continent.
This sect had a name bold enough to match its might.
Forge-Heaven Gate ranked third amongst the Immortal sects of East Continent, with tens of thousands of cultivators and disciples registered in the Immortal Dynasty, owning three sect branches, being part of the eight noble houses, controlling numerous towns, and boasting seven or eight Golden Immortals amongst their elders.
Compared to Wanyun Sect, Forge-Heaven Gate was indeed a giant.
In recent years, Wanyun Sect had been thriving in the area around the East Sea and although it had not yet become a substantial threat to Forge-Heaven Gate—since Forge-Heaven Gate mainly sold mid- to high-end magic artifacts—
Now, when loose Qi Cultivators praised Wanyun Sect, they often made comparisons to Forge-Heaven Gate.
One person claimed Wanyun Sect would eclipse Forge-Heaven Gate within a century, while another stated Wanyun Sect needed only a decade to become the top Artifact Refining sect of East Continent;
Over time, Forge-Heaven Gate struggled to maintain its dignity.
Thus, a Heavenly Immortal elder from Forge-Heaven Gate also made a statement:
‘Since the Great Wealth Immortal of Wanyun Sect is going to Yuan Sect, let’s take this opportunity to send a few Artifact Refiners over to learn a thing or two; otherwise, people will start thinking Forge-Heaven Gate is on its way down.’
Compared to Sea Watch Sect, Forge-Heaven Gate at least acted openly and honorably.
Li Ping’an wasn’t worried about dealing with Forge-Heaven Gate.
Yuan Sect too had deep roots in Artifact Refining, and could even be said to specialize in it.
With Elder Xu Sheng making an appearance, as long as Yuan Sect gave enough respect to Forge-Heaven Gate, they would not be overly hostile towards Wanyun Sect.
The biggest concern remained Sea Watch Sect.
“If these guys start another dispute over Dao philosophy, that’d really cause a headache.”
Li Ping’an truly did not wish to further bolster the reputation of his Enlightenment Stone.