Wu Yuan took Daoist Long’s words with a grain of salt. The latter’s mysterious arrival and unknown background aroused his suspicion.
Moreover, the moment this Daoist Long arrived, he unleashed his Soul Force right away, blatantly sweeping through the Middle Land. Such behavior was deemed offensive among immortal cultivators.
It was only when Wu Yuan showed himself that Daoist Long seemed amicable. Did he come here out of pure goodwill? Wu Yuan instinctively doubted that.
Of course, Wu Yuan also surmised that the other party might not necessarily have ill intentions. Otherwise, he wouldn’t start with spreading his Soul Force but a direct attack.
As Wu Yuan’s thoughts raced, his final conclusion was that Daoist Long showed goodwill because of the strength he exhibited.
Nevertheless, facing an immortal cultivator suspected to be at the fifth-stage Shambhala phase (sixth-degree immortal root), Wu Yuan wasn’t keen on a fight unless absolutely necessary.
In terms of base ether, there was a difference of ten stages between them! This gap was so wide that most ordinary immortal cultivators would already plunge into despair.
A difference of two or three stages was already a vast gap, let alone ten stages.
As one progressed along the cultivation path, fighting opponents at higher phases than oneself became increasingly challenging.
A Qi Sea cultivator that could go toe-to-toe with a Golden Core cultivator was a one-in-ten-thousand prodigy. Meanwhile, if a Spiritual Body cultivator were to battle a Shambhala cultivator? The difficulty multiplied a hundredfold!
Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self stood among the elite Golden Core cultivators on the Redmoon Immortal Continent. His body refiner self was even more formidable, having practiced several ether arts and possessing a powerful lifebound eldritch beast.
Yet even so, facing a common fifth-stage Shambhala phase cultivator, Wu Yuan was still not absolutely confident that he could win. The disparity in foundations was too vast. Once they engaged in combat, life or death was uncertain.
On the path to immortality, one must learn to respect the strong and curb one’s arrogance.
Wu Yuan was oblivious to the current affairs of the Summerpeak World. Thus, he feared invoking the wrath of a powerful faction. After all, this was a Bloodforge World ruled by the Bloodforge Devil Hall.
“Daoist Long Guang.” Wu Yuan continued to speak, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to trust you, but ever since the Spiritless Regions dissipated, I’ve no longer been completely ignorant of the external world.”
Wu Yuan swiftly changed the subject, “You’re an affiliate member of the Bloodforge Devil Hall and an Amethyst Cradle cultivator. Why didn’t you participate in the Bloodforge and become an official disciple?”
This was Wu Yuan’s way of telling Daoist Long that he was not a clueless native and warning him not to treat him like a fool.
Of course, making such a statement also carried a risk for Wu Yuan. While Wu Yuan might know some affairs surrounding the Bloodforge Devil Hall, he knew very little about the rest of the Summerpeak World.
“You know about the Bloodforge Devil Hall?” Daoist Long was slightly surprised, feeling a bit astonished.
Wu Yuan gave a non-committal smile but didn’t respond.
“Indeed, the forbidden regions have disappeared for some time, and this world is vast. With your strength, you must have been observing the Summerpeak mainland in secret,” Daoist Long smiled. “It shouldn’t be surprising that you’ve heard of the Bloodforge Devil Hall. I’ve underestimated you.”
Wu Yuan remained silent.
At this moment, speaking more could lead to more mistakes. Waiting for the other party to fill in the gaps was the best option.
“So Fellow Daoist, I’m guessing you learned all this through some Golden Core cultivators from the Summerpeak mainland?” Daoist Long inquired.
Wu Yuan shook his head with a smile, “How else?”
Daoist Long assumed a ‘just as I thought’ expression.
“Given your knowledge of the Summerpeak mainland, you should understand that the Starcom Consortium, Huoyan Sect, and Jingshan Sect each have different ways of doing things,” Daoist Long chuckled. “The Starcom Consortium that I established has been relatively harmonious for more than four thousand years.”
“However, the Huoyan Sect is quite domineering. After all, its leader, Reverend Huo Yan, is a formal member of the Bloodforge Devil Hall.”
Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
With just a few words from the other party, Wu Yuan was able to gather a lot of information, such as the fact that Reverend Huo Yan was a member of the Devil Hall, and that there were three great sects on the Summerpeak mainland.
It could basically be deduced that Reverend Huo Yan was probably stronger than Daoist Long, making him the number one powerhouse on the Summerpeak mainland.
The Summerpeak mainland, named after Summerpeak, saw the birth of several Amethyst Cradle Reverends and Shambhala cultivators, making it the main region of civilization after the recovery of the Summerpeak World.
“Daoist Long. The Huoyan Sect may be domineering, but the Middle Land has no grudge against them.” Wu Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly, “You mentioned their army is on its way to attack us. Why is this so?”
This was the key.
“Hahaha.” Daoist Long let out a half laugh, half smirk, “Daoist Wu Yuan, you have unified the Middle Land, promoting and mythologizing your personal deeds in preparation for propagating your Faith.”
Wu Yuan maintained his composure, but inside, he was taken aback. Daoist Long, a Shambhala powerhouse, was indeed sharp.
“It’s not just me who’s noticed. Although Reverend Huo Yan is residing in the higher world, he has always paid close attention to Summerpeak. He is trying to become the ruler of Summerpeak and has earned many merits to achieve this. As of now, he is not far from success.” Daoist Long said.
“Once he becomes the ruler of Summerpeak, he will have the right to propagate Faith in Summerpeak. With the help of Faith Incense, his chances of becoming a Void Refiner will greatly increase.”
“I believe four qi refiners who were scouting the region beyond the Xin Continent have lost contact with you.” Daoist Long smiled knowingly.
Wu Yuan remained composed, but his heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t expect this Daoist Long to know such details.
“Three of the four were slain by Mo Lu, a Golden Core cultivator from the Huoyan Sect who’s tasked with guarding the Huang Island passage. Huang Island is what you call the Xin Continent.” Daoist Long swiftly relayed the intelligence he had acquired. “One was taken alive.”
“It was through gathering intelligence from these four individuals that the Huoyan Sect knew about the current situation in the Middle Land.”
“They’ve also discovered Daoist Wu Yuan’s existence,” Daoist Long continued.”As well as your pursuit of Faith.”
“The boost that Faith Incense provides to the cultivation of powerful immortal cultivators is quite significant.”
“Ultimately, under Reverend Huoyan’s orders, the entire Huoyan Sect has moved out, even bringing out their sect’s guardian treasure,” Daoist Long shook his head.
“To be honest, while I believe in your strength, that sect’s guardian treasure is something even I am reluctant to face. Winning the battle won’t be easy.”
Evidently, despite his shock at the strength Wu Yuan demonstrated, Daoist Long never considered that Wu Yuan could defeat him. The difference in foundations was too vast.
Daoist Long resided in Summerpeak, thus the scope of his knowledge was limited. He was completely unaware of the heights a peerless genius who could cause a sensation in an immortal continent could reach.
“Daoist Long, these matters are the Huoyan Sect’s secrets, right?” Wu Yuan asked softly. “How do you know about them?”
Daoist Long smiled: “I am the first Shambhala cultivator of the Summerpeak mainland. Naturally, I have my ways.”
“Daoist Wu Yuan, although I was somewhat impolite earlier, I haven’t sought a single blade of grass or stalk of grain from the Middle Land since my arrival,” Daoist Long shook his head.
“You don’t have to be so wary of me. Confirming my words is quite a simple matter.”
“First, make a trip to the Huoyan Sect. Several of your Qi Sea subordinates were killed. With some investigation, you will certainly find traces of their deaths.”
“Second, in another two or three days, the massive army of immortal cultivators from the Huoyan Sect will invade the Middle Land. By then, you will naturally understand that the Huoyan Sect is an enemy, not a friend.” Daoist Long said candidly.
Wu Yuan fell into contemplation.
Indeed! Firstly, Daoist Long did not make any moves against him. Secondly, in two or three days, the truth or falsehood of his words could be verified.
However, Wu Yuan was not entirely sure, wondering if this was just a stalling tactic from the other party. Could it be that they didn’t have the confidence to capture him at the moment and were just trying to trick him with a yarn?
But most critically, Wu Yuan didn’t have the confidence to capture Daoist Long, otherwise, why would there be so much unnecessary talk?
Just the way the other party casually extended his Soul Force was reason enough to launch an attack.
“Daoist, I appreciate your goodwill,” Wu Yuan stated in a low voice. “But, why are you helping me? You’ve been investigating the Middle Land and should understand my intentions. If I become powerful in the future, I will also seek to unify Summerpeak and propagate Faith.”
“Unify Summerpeak? At our level, a little power doesn’t mean much. Why should it matter to me if you unify Summerpeak in the future? It’s not like you’re forcing me to a dead end.” Daoist Long chuckled.
“But Reverend Huo Yan is different, I have a mortal grudge against him. If he breaks through, I will undoubtedly die. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“I’m helping you, Wu Yuan, in the hopes that you will defeat Reverend Huo Yan in the future, solving one of my worries,” Daoist Long said candidly. “At least, you won’t repay kindness with enmity, right?”
“From what I understand about the situation in the Middle Land, Fellow Daoist is not such a person.” Daoist Long fixed his gaze on Wu Yuan.
This was his strategy – helping Wu Yuan, openly and honestly, without hiding his motives. In this way, both parties could truly trust each other.
Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
At this moment, he believed about sixty percent of Daoist Long’s words.
“Fellow Daoist, please provide your guidance,” Wu Yuan requested directly.
“Time is short. Some of the information you have gathered may not be complete,” said Daoist Long. “Here is my comprehensive intelligence on the whole of Summerpeak and the detailed information about the Bloodforge Devil Hall. As a token of my goodwill, I offer this to you free of charge.” With a wave of his hand, an immortal slip floated out.
Wu Yuan reached out to receive it.
His Soul Force surged into it, and instantly, a wealth of information flooded his mind. The details were extensive, covering the current state of Summerpeak mainland, the rough territorial divisions of the three great immortal sects, and a basic description of numerous second-rate factions.
There was information about experts from the Huoyan Sect and Jingshan Sect, estimations of the power levels of the two Amethyst Cradle Reverends: Reverend Huo Yan and Reverend Jing Shan, along with their previous battle records and so on.
Of course, the most crucial part was the information concerning the Bloodforge Devil Hall.
Bloodforge? Three years from now? The world was previously in a state of ruin, so few resources could be collected. Now that the world has recovered to its original state, they will be reverting to its usual protocols? Wu Yuan was taken aback. The ruler of Summerpeak? The World Master of Summerpeak? freeweɓnovel.cѳm
In less than a breath’s time, Wu Yuan had absorbed and analyzed the flood of information, providing him with a deep understanding of his current situation.
If he had only believed sixty percent of Daoist Long’s words before, now, he believed ninety percent.
After all, it was easy to fabricate a story or two, but to create such detailed and logical information? And the projections of the battles involving the Amethyst Cradle Reverends? The difficulty of faking all that would be astronomical.
“Thank you, Fellow Daoist. I will be sure to repay your kindness in the future,” Wu Yuan expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
This information saved him a great deal of time and effort.
“Daoist Wu Yuan, I’m not doing this solely for you,” Daoist Long chuckled, attempting to build a stronger rapport. “Reverend Huo Yan is our common enemy. By helping you, I am confronting him.”
At first, he thought Wu Yuan, a late-stage Spiritual Body cultivator, wouldn’t be too strong. Thus, his initial plan was to impart teachings to him. He was prepared to abduct Wu Yuan right away and slowly win him over.
But upon meeting him, he realized Wu Yuan’s power could rival a first-stage Shambhala cultivator. Imparting his teachings seemed laughable. So, the ‘friendship route’ was his only option.
That was why Daoist Long chose to lay all his cards on the table, striving for Wu Yuan’s friendship.
So far, it seemed to be working quite well. As for the cost? This bit of intelligence was precious in Wu Yuan’s eyes, but to Daoist Long, it was as useless as chicken ribs.
A common enemy? Wu Yuan chuckled inwardly, not taking the bait.
Though he believed Daoist Long’s words to be ninety percent true, Wu Yuan still hoped to avoid a war with the Huoyan Sect.
After all, the gap in military might between the entire Middle Land and Huoyan Sect was too vast. He was their only hope for victory.