Chapter 156: Chapter 113: Rebellion_1
Translator: 549690339
Time flew by, and before we knew it, three months had passed.
Three months later, over Dongting Lake.
Streaks of spirit light soared through the sky, entering the cloud-enshrouded Dongting Lake, astonishing countless mortals who beheld the spectacle.
It would probably be only a few days before tales among the common folk would tell of spirit light above Dongting Lake and immortal tracks appearing within Cloud Dream Marsh.
But this was just a tale for mortals.
In the Cultivation World, the matter of the Dongting spirit land had already been known far and wide.
A piece of tier-one spirit land, man-made and with limited potential, was generally of mediocre value.
In the past, a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator could have claimed it and used it as a base for further cultivation.
But this time, things were different from before.
Deliberate orchestrations had made the struggle for this spirit land not only about interests but entwined with debts of blood and vengeance.
It was destined to not end well!
“Whoosh!!!”
As the spirit light descended, a gust of wind howled, clearing away the mists clouding Dongting.
Within the spirit light, there were flying magical artifacts, with the least of them being of high-grade quality.
Some even were supreme grade, spanning dozens of meters, large enough to be a ship building.
This was a large-sized flying magical artifact, capable of carrying dozens of people. Whether it was speed or defense, this surpassed ordinary flying artifacts by far. A typical Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator couldn’t possibly afford it nor had any need for such an expense.
Only a faction with ample wealth and exceptional potential, hosting dozens of cultivators, would require and be able to gather the personnel to effectively control such a large-sized artifact.
As for Loose Cultivators, solitary figures though they might be, even if they could afford it, wouldn’t have the means to operate it.
Such artifacts were laced with layers of Formation Restrictions. They could be used for travel and could be deployed in combat, like moving fortresses, serving as a heavy offense and defense weapons, as well as symbols of status, strength, and potential.
And within such a three-deck ship…
“Li Jianchen?”
“Mid-Foundation Establishment?”
“Sword Cultivator?”
“Hmph!”
Within the hall, three individuals were seated, each possessing Foundation Establishment Cultivation.
The person in the main seat was an old man with white hair and a natural aura of authority. His cultivation had impressively reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.
To his left and right sat two middle-aged men; one at the early and the other at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
It was the individual at mid-Foundation Establishment who spoke out in anger, “Hiding and cowering, bullying the weak with your strength, luring and killing the youths of our clan—such acts, even under the guise of a ‘Sword Cultivator,’ are truly shameless and disgraceful, lacking in any face or decency!”
His words carried not just intense anger but waves of hatred.
Where did this hatred come from?
It originated from Xu Yang’s recent deeds.
Before reporting the Dongting spirit land to the Green Jade Sect, he chose not too soft or too tough targets amidst the various factions’ spies, dealt a ruthless hand, and eliminated them.
These spies belonged to factions that noticed something amiss with Dongting and had been sent ahead to inquire about the situation.
Most of them possessed notable cultivation, largely in the late Qi Cultivation stage and of elite status within their respective Foundation Establishment forces.
Now fallen at Dongting Lake and for their relatives, how could there not be hatred?
The situation had evolved to a point where it was no longer merely about the dispute over the spirit land’s benefits but included a grudge over the blood debt of fallen disciples.
Had it not been for this, they would not have gone to such lengths to confront a mid-Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
There are distinctions even among spirit lands.
A tier-one spirit land corresponds to the Qi Cultivation stage with limited value; it could only be a familial foundation for exclusive use.
To establish a marketplace and attract cultivators to come and engage in businesses like “spirit land leasing,” the land would have to be at least tier-two.
Like White Dragon Island, which belongs to the lower grade of tier-two.
Such spirit lands have value, worth enough for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to risk their lives in life-and-death struggles.
Dongting Lake was merely a tier-one spirit land, a man-made tier-one spirit land at that.
Belonging to the lower grade with limited potential and not particularly valuable.
It certainly wasn’t worth a Foundation Establishment Cultivator risking his life over.
But now…
“A mere piece of tier-one spirit land; if it were just his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation claiming it, then so be it!”
“But he has willfully slaughtered our descendants, this enmity cannot go unavenged, this rage unquenched!”
The man at mid-Foundation Establishment slammed his hands on the table, seething with righteous fury, his killing intent sharp and clear.
He was the Foundation Establishment Ancestor from the Wang Family of Red Maple Mountain—Wang Tianling!
No wonder he was so enraged.
The person from the Wang Family who had been killed was intimately related to him, his own illegitimate child. He had hoped the youngster would seize the opportunity to achieve something to elevate his status in the family so that he could tilt the family’s resources in his favor.
Yet, unexpectedly, the young man fell before achieving anything, slain at Dongting Lake.
How could he not harbor hatred?
But fury aside, his rationality remained intact.
The adversary’s cultivation was at mid-Foundation Establishment, no weaker than his own, and as a Sword Cultivator, exceptional in combat.
On his own, seeking vengeance was nothing but a foolish dream.
He might even end up slain by his opponent’s blade.
Therefore…
“Father-in-law, I heard that your son was also a victim of that villain.”
Wang Tianling turned to the white-haired elder in the main seat, “This enmity must be avenged!
The white-haired elder glanced at him with an indifferent expression and said nothing.
This man was the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of another Foundation Establishment family, Qingfeng Mountain’s Zhou Family—Zhou Mingyu!
He was the Wang Family’s in-law, offering mutual assistance.
As the Zhou Family’s ancestor, Zhou Mingyu had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage decades ago and was considered among the top within the various Foundation Establishment forces under the Green Jade Sect.
Therefore, he was Wang Tianling’s hope for revenge.
The road to cultivation was such that there was always a higher mountain.
The more advanced the stage, the clearer the gap between realms became.
Throughout history, there have been examples of Qi Cultivation mid-stagers fighting across levels against those at later stages; likewise, Qi Cultivation at Perfect Refinement risking their lives against Foundation Establishment cultivators. But there have never been tales of Foundation Establishment battling Golden Core, Golden Core challenging Nascent Soul, or Nascent Soul contending with Divinity Transformation.
“Don’t even mention Golden Core Nascent Souls; even among those on the Foundation Establishment level, a minor realm gap can be a chasm.”
“With Zhou Mingyu’s late-stage Foundation Establishment, steeped in decades of strength, facing a mid-stage Foundation Establishment, even if he were an unparalleled Sword Cultivator, the advantage and probability of victory would be immense.”
“That was Wang Tianling’s plan.”
“But how could Zhou Mingyu not know his intentions?”
“Cunning as an old fox!”
“As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who’s lived nearly two hundred years with another hundred years of life expectancy, to tell the truth, Zhou Mingyu wasn’t very keen on getting involved in such disputes where the effort and rewards, risks and gains, were disproportionately aligned.”
“But there are some matters that, even as the family ancestors, one cannot control.”
“This time it was not just the Wang Family; the Zhou Family too had people die.”
“As an ancestor, if he did not make a stand, what would the people below think?”
“Once hearts are scattered, the family becomes difficult to manage.”
“Hence, he must make an appearance in this matter, even if blood debts can’t be reciprocated with blood, it’s crucial to severely damage the opponent’s face, to regain some breath for the family.”
With this in mind, Zhou Mingyu set his resolve.
“This person murdered our family’s descendants, creating a sea of blood and deep enmity, which cannot go unanswered.”
“However… Sword Cultivators are formidable, not to be underestimated!”
“Plus, this person’s background is unclear, and no one knows the extent of his methods!”
“Rash fighting would be truly unwise!”
“Only by knowing the enemy and knowing oneself, can one fight a hundred battles without danger.”
After analyzing the situation, Zhou Mingyu finally decreed, “Three matches, I’ll take the last, and shall clinch victory over him!”
Having said that, he cast his gaze down and looked towards Wang Tianling.
Wang Tianling’s expression changed, and he immediately grasped the situation, but without the ability to refuse, could only respond solemnly, “Father-in-law rest assured, I will challenge the first match and certainly probe the depths of this person, to see how much skill he possesses!”
“Hmm!”
Zhou Mingyu nodded, then shifted his gaze to another Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
But that person, being only early-stage Foundation Establishment, was quite terrified and hastily bowed, saying, “My cultivation is superficial, ascending the platform will only invite ridicule, and I can’t probe this person’s capacity, please forgive me, great ancestor!”
Zhou Mingyu glanced at him, not pressuring him too much: “No matter, I’ve already sent word to Yan Changfeng, he will fight the first match, Tianling will fight the second, I will take the third, and Li Jianchen’s defeat is certain.”
“Yan Changfeng?”
Hearing this, Wang Tianling and the other person, surprised but also relieved, replied, “If it’s him, then it’s assured.”
Zhou Mingyu’s expression remained indifferent: “As a price, after achieving victory, that piece of Spirit Land shall belong to him, and in return, he will compensate our losses with Spirit Stones.”
“This… that works too!”
“A tier-one Spirit Land, moreover of inferior quality, is tasteless to possess, handing it over to him is no concern.”
Both agreed on this point without any objections.
“Then it is settled.”
Zhou Mingyu nodded, but then frowned suddenly, looking around with a sense of unease in his heart.
Meanwhile…
On White Dragon Island, within a secret chamber.
Xu Yang sat before the Mana Altar, a Spirit Light condensing between his eyebrows, revealing a talisman that seemed like an opening eye, gazing at the Xuan Guang Mirror in his right hand.
Within the Xuan Guang Mirror, the image that appeared was precisely that of Zhou Mingyu and the two others.
Their entire conversation just now was reflected in the mirror.
It was the Taoist Gate Righteous Skill—Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light!
In this period of time, after laborious day-and-night practice, Xu Yang had brought this technique to minor accomplishment, not daring to say he could question the heavens or delve into the secrets of the Three Realms, but to observe some minor matters at his level was still doable.
Zhou Mingyu’s trio, all being of Foundation Establishment Cultivation, shared the same great realm as Xu Yang, and currently plotting against him, which under the intertwining of cause and effect, made the observation even easier.
This was also one of the great advantages of the Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light skill, differing from ordinary divination methods.
Ordinary divination techniques, when involving oneself, are fraught with obstacles and subject to the chaos of “heavenly secrets.”
However, the fundamental principle of the Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light technique is to question the heavens and enter into the system of the universe to inquire information. Involving oneself not only presents no obstacles but even helps because you yourself are part of the universal system, forming a cause-and-effect link that aids in information querying.
Initially, Dry Prosperous Taoist was able to detect his presence with this method, so now he could naturally also identify Zhou Mingyu’s trio’s conspiracies against him.
“One early-stage Foundation Establishment!”
“One mid-stage Foundation Establishment!”
“And one late-stage Foundation Establishment old ghost!”
“The Wang Family, the Zhou Family… perfectly suits my intention!”
“Ha!”
Xu Yang chuckled softly, put away the Spirit Eyes, dispersed the Mysterious Light, and stood up to walk outside.
Moments later, amidst the sea of clouds.
Aboard each Flying Boat, Cultivators appeared one after another.
The leader of each was, without exception, of Foundation Establishment Cultivation.
At that moment, another streak of azure light flew in and landed in the midst of the crowd, revealing a figure.
It was a supreme-grade Magic Artifact level Green Jade Boat.
Atop the Green Jade Boat stood a person—none other than the Green Jade Immortal Envoy, Bai Yunzi.
“Fellow Immortals, there is no need for pleasantries, I will not mince words as for why we gather,” Bai Yunzi said with a slight smile, going straight to the point.
“The struggle for the Spirit Land begins now, fellow Daoist, please go ahead!”
As soon as he had spoken, he cast his gaze downward!
Following that, a sword light, like the roar of a dragon, erupted from Dongting Lake, reaching the midst of those gathered and revealing the figure of a man.
It was a middle-aged man with sharp eyebrows and an upright posture!
His eyes swept the crowd, and he bowed: “Li Mou has wandered half his life and wishes to seek a land to settle in; I hope the fellow Daoists here will allow me this small honor…”
Before he finished speaking, a voice interrupted: “You shameless wretch, you still have the face to show up?”
“A man of such low virtue desires to occupy this Spirit Land?”
“Villain, today you shall pay the blood debt in blood!”
Shouts of indignation rang out as the Wang Family and Zhou Family members burst out in anger.