"No wonder, even though I've reached Foundation Building, I've always felt trapped by this formation," Elder Brother said, looking enlightened.
"Speaking of which, this senior is from the same hometown as you, hailing from the literary elite of Chu State. In his youth, he was as outstanding and handsome as the Exiled Immortal, drawing admiration from countless female cultivators.
With exceptional talent, he reached the Golden Core realm in just a hundred years, making him the most promising candidate within the sect to advance to the Nascent Soul tier. He once called himself Chu Madman.
However, after a certain incident, he ended up in the state you see him now."
Elder Brother also had senior figures in his family who had reached the Golden Core stage, so he was somewhat aware of internal secrets.
"Oh? I wonder what incident could cause such a drastic change in a Golden Core cultivator?" Wang Hong asked, intrigued. The senior in question displayed none of his former charisma.
"I don't know the details. I've only heard our family elders mention it occasionally, sighing each time."
Life for cultivators is often filled with challenges, and not everyone can navigate it smoothly. Some fall in the face of adversity, becoming stepping stones for others.
Yet, a few manage to overcome setbacks, facing each challenge head-on, ultimately paving their way to greatness.
After munching on several green onion pancakes, wiping his mouth, and taking a sip of wine, Elder Brother continued, "By the way, I've found a hideout of Shadow Kill. I've invited some fellow sect members to join me in wiping them out. Do you want to come and vent some frustration with us?"
"Where is it?" Wang Hong didn't expect Elder Brother to act so quickly.
"It's right in the middle of Azure Void City. Since it's in our Qingxu Sect's territory, we should deal with it properly. If they dare to attack members of our sect, the sect won't turn a blind eye. Mobilizing the sect's power to locate and deal with them in Azure Void City won't be too difficult."
He didn't mention that it was his grandfather, the Kaiyang Peak master, who gave the order. Only with such influence could they progress so rapidly. Without this background, a newcomer like him, who had just entered Foundation Building, might have waited a year or more to find them.
"Azure Void City prohibits battles, right? How do we siege them?" Wang Hong knew Azure Void City was strict about this rule, even for Foundation Building cultivators.
Because of this, it was a safe haven, attracting many low-tier cultivators to settle there.
"If you don't know, Junior Brother, Azure Void City's lord is one of our sect's elders. Do you think we need to fear anything in the city?
The information this time came directly from the city lord's mansion, and City Guard will dispatch a team to assist us."
Wang Hong, who had only known that Azure Void City was within the sect's influence, now realized that Azure Void City was akin to their backyard.
"In fact, all major sects have built such a city. It attracts attention, recruits talent, accommodates the relatives of sect cultivators, and manages some peripheral affiliated forces."
More importantly, managing a city properly yields enormous profits, serving as a crucial source of income for the sect. I've heard that the six major sects gather cultivators and build cities for an even more important purpose, though I'm not sure what it is."
Seeing that Wang Hong wasn't well-versed in sect affairs, Elder Brother decided to share what he knew.
"With such a large city, who knows how many spirit stones and spiritual objects are collected each year?
Moreover, Shadow Kill is practically living under our Qingxu Sect's nose, not staying put and daring to cause trouble. Elder Brother, when are you planning to go?"
Wang Hong thought about it and felt it might be interesting to join Elder Brother's group. However, he intended to only reveal his Qi Cultivation stage strength. This time, he would only be dealing with one of their hideouts. Given Shadow Kill's good reputation in business, they would likely send someone to assassinate him in the future. For example, in their encounter with Elder Brother, they dispatched two Foundation Building cultivators for an ambush.
Since Elder Brother had gathered so many people, there was probably no need for a Qi Cultivation stage cultivator like him to go all out. He could just stand aside and watch the battle from a safe distance. Besides, he could take the opportunity to meet with the people under him in Azure Void City, as many matters required his personal attention.
"No time to waste. Make some preparations today; we'll set out tomorrow."
"Alright! I'll join in tomorrow to see what's going on, as long as Elder Brother doesn't mind me tagging along."
"Tomorrow, you just stand back and watch. Avoid getting accidentally injured in a clash with Foundation Building cultivators. I'll go invite Junior Brother Zhang as well."
The mentioned Junior Brother was naturally Zhang Chunfeng. They had fought together in a secret realm, and their relationship was good. After giving a few more instructions, Elder Brother left.
After a while, Wang Hong received a Transmission Talisman from Zhang Chunfeng, explaining that he also planned to participate in the siege against Shadow Kill.
Ever since the first encounter when Shadow Kill ambushed Wang Hong, Zhang Chunfeng had wanted to eliminate them. The next day, Wang Hong arrived early at Elder Brother's cave mansion.
Elder Brother stood at the entrance, welcoming Wang Hong into the living room. "Junior Brother Wang, you're here quite early!"
After arranging for Wang Hong to sit in the living room, Elder Brother went to greet someone who was already seated. Wang Hong knew this person Liu Jihu. They had entered the secret realm together as part of the same group of disciples. Liu Jihu seemed to have obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill after exiting the secret realm and had now reached the Foundation Building cultivation level.
Once Elder Brother had Wang Hong settled, he went to welcome Liu Jihu.
Liu Jihu picked up the tea on the table and drank it sip by sip, not intending to talk to Wang Hong. With a major cultivation realm difference, Wang Hong's uncertain path to Foundation Building, and their different circles, they were no longer on the same level.
Liu Jihu didn't understand why Elder Brother would bring along a burden like a Qi Cultivation stage cultivator. However, in front of Wang Hong, he still felt a sense of superiority, considering their past acquaintance. People often tended to show off when they prospered, especially in front of those who had fallen.
After drinking three cups of tea and noticing that Wang Hong hadn't initiated a conversation with him, Liu Jihu thought to himself. "Wang Hong had his glorious moments too. I even visited him with gifts back then. Why is he so oblivious? In front of a Foundation Building expert, shouldn't he take the initiative to chat and build rapport? That way, I could feel even more superior."
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]