Chapter 45: Too Late; Qing Xi Fang's Taxes Have Been Collected for Over a Decade!

Red-Browed Hermit Zhong Tianshuo, no, Wang Yueshuo changed his tune; the Clan Leader would naturally no longer keep him imprisoned.

It is just that releasing this old fellow easily is impossible.

Wang Xianmao waved his large hand, and that black vine spiritual seed he had nurtured for many years flew toward Red-Brow.

Red-Brow wanted to dodge, but with Wang Xianmao's Foundation Establishment Mid-stage cultivation, suppressing him was very easy.

The black vine drilled into Red-Brow's back, crawling along his spine while absorbing his blood, growing wildly.

"Ah~ Ah~ Mm~ Mm....."

Under the intense pain, Red-Brow let out a desperate wail, making Wang Yulou's spine chill.

The Clan Leader frowned slightly, and the vines blocked Red-Brow's mouth.

Watching Red-Brow's desperate struggles and wails, Wang Yulou said with concern.

"Clan Leader, he cannot die; we have not finished learning yet."

"Rest assured, this is the Black Vine Soul-Locking Art I researched using my own unique divine ability; his spine will be eroded by the black vine."

Wang Xianmao, speaking to this point, looked at Red-Brow, who had already been implanted with the Black Vine Soul-Locking Art, and asked with a smile.

"If you still wish to reach Foundation Establishment, I must personally act to remove the black vine.

Wang Yueshuo, do you wish to reach Foundation Establishment?"

Lying on the ground, Red-Brow panted heavily, beads of cold sweat flowing like a small stream through the crevices of his flesh; he did not wail, he was just very tired.

Looking at this flesh mountain that no longer resembled a human, Wang Yulou felt a bit of chill.

Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality; Red-Brow cultivated into something neither human nor ghost, and a Foundation Establishment True Person of the Clan Leader's level is even more...

Is it worth it?

"Clan Leader, Wang Yueshuo wishes to reach Foundation Establishment."

Red-Brow replied weakly.

Did he regret it?

No, it was already too late for him to regret.

Life is not always a smooth path; Red-Brow paid the price for his choice, but now he at least has a vague, ethereal chance.

He does not regret it; he wants to reach Foundation Establishment!

Clan Leader, Wang Xianmao, you Wangs, I still want to reach Foundation Establishment!

"Good, you have ambition. This is a secret technique activated by my divine ability. Red-Brow, unless you can find a Purple Mansion expert profound in the Wood Dao to remove it for you, otherwis..."

Red-Brow understood; Red-Brow got it.

"Clan Leader, Wang Yueshuo understands; Wang Yueshuo will certainly impart everything to the two younger brothers, Wang Yulou and Wang Yuan!"

However, Red-Brow's behavior, so humble and wretched, instead made the Clan Leader wary.

To endure to such a realm...

Red-Brow, where exactly is your lineage?

But the Clan Leader did not ask; he spent only an instant and devised a proper plan.

First wait until Wang Yulou and Wang Yuan have finished learning, then interrogate and torture him carefully!

"Return to Qing Xi Fang, Red-Brow; I believe in you."

Wang Xianmao had this confidence; he had cultivated the black vine spiritual seed for many years, and the Black Vine Soul-Locking Art was cast using his divine ability.

Except for a powerful Purple Mansion grand cultivator like Master Mangxiang, or even a legendary Jin Dan True Person, no one can untie it!

If Red-Brow does not want to die, he must obey!

Foundation Establishment? You will never think of reaching Foundation Establishment in your entire life!

Accompanied by the Clan Leader, the group returned to Qing Xi Fang in only half a day.

At night, lying in bed, Wang Yuan felt as if things were the same but people had changed.

"Brother, I feel as if it were a dream. Why did Master want to kill us back then?"

Wang Yuan could not figure it out.

Both he and Wang Yulou were disciples who had taken vows; Red-Brow was too ruthless, even wanting to kill them.

"Hard to say; greed drove him to plunder Jin Guang Pavilion, and after succeeding, fear made him want to eliminate future troubles.

Perhaps... our Master never regarded us as disciples at all.

After all, our taking vows to learn the Alchemy Dao was merely an exchange."

Wang Yulou actually also felt as if viewing flowers in a mist; was the temptation of Foundation Establishment really that great?

For Foundation Establishment, Red-Brow could slaughter everyone in Jin Guang Pavilion, bearing the risk of incurring the grudge of the Foundation Establishment Dream White Senior of the Xian Alliance.

For Foundation Establishment, Red-Brow even planned to kill his own disciples to eliminate all future troubles.

For Foundation Establishment, Red-Brow, under coercion, changed his given name and surname, directly changing from Zhong Tianshuo to Wang Yueshuo.

This craving made Wang Yulou feel somewhat chilled to the bone.

He did not yet know that Red-Brow had even considered slaughtering an entire mortal town clean.

Wang Yuan fell silent for a long time, then said softly.

"I still like Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie Ning Yao, Brother."

The two were biological brothers; Wang Yuan felt there was no need to hide anything. His heart was very restless now, craving his brother's comfort and support.

"Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie is the type with a firm Dao heart; now that this has happened, Wang Yuan, you and she will probably have no chance.

Moreover, there are many beautiful female cultivators; you are still young, and you will meet someone better in the future. Do not take it too to heart."

Wang Yulou understood the adolescent sexual repression, but he hoped Wang Yuan would understand that after this incident, he and Zhong Ningyao had absolutely no possibility.

"Last year, Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie taught me sword techniques; she held my hand and said I was a sword technique genius.

Brother, if this incident had not happened, if I could become a very powerful cultivator in the future, do you think Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie would like me?"

Wang Yuan also understood that many things had changed completely, yet he still could not accept it.

He longed for some form of recognition, very much so.

"There is a problem with your words, I wonder if you realize it yourself, Wang Yuan.

The difficulties of reality have planted certain fears and worries in your heart; thus, you try to gain a sense of security from a possibility you have guessed and depicted.

Do not think about these things; our main task now is still to diligently cultivate the Dao of Refining and return home as soon as possible.

The Gu Shen Zong and Miao Feng Mountain have started fighting. Master Mangxiang seeks to verify the Jin Dan; I fear the future will be very chaotic."

Wang Yulou saw clearly that the ten sects of the Wunan Cultivation World were ten stable nations of cultivators.

The power of the Purple Mansion has already become terrifying enough to make two suns hang across the sky; if Mangxiang succeeds in verifying the Dao of the Jin Dan, it will certainly affect the balance of power between the Red Lantern Illumination and other forces.

In the limited information, Wang Yulou noticed that the Tianshe Sect had supplemented a True Person-level demon elder, Fan Shan Jiao, in recent years.

If one links the matter of Fan Shan Jiao joining the Tianshe Sect with Mangxiang verifying the Jin Dan, the conflict between the Gu Shen Zong and Miao Feng Mountain appears terrifying.

Wang Yulou saw this possibility—certain things had already happened, and were now rising from the depths to the surface.

Yet his current cultivation was not high; in the turmoil, there was very, very little he could do.

Wang Yuan's sexual fantasy regarding Zhong Ningyao was a daydream peculiar to youth; Wang Yulou even felt somewhat envious of his innocence.

I hope I am overthinking it...

Qing Xi Fang, the Guardian Cultivator's Mansion.

Wang Xianmao was drinking tea and discussing the Dao with Mu Chunze.

Both were senior Foundation Establishment cultivators with profound Wood Method skills; they chatted happily from the selection of Wood-attribute spiritual artifacts and the cultivation of spiritual seeds to recently researched techniques.

"Brother Chunze, you have harvested too fiercely in Qing Xi Fang; you must still be careful. Now the Sect has very strict requirements for submitted resources," Wang Xianmao warned.

Mu Chunze's expression did not change at all; he pointed in the direction of the Red Lantern Illumination and cursed.

"Is it not because of that dog thing Jiang Baobian, who collected all the various income streams a Guardian Cultivator should have for the next ten-plus years?

What can I do? You know my master; naturally, I support Master Mangxiang verifying the Jin Dan, but I must also support my master.

You are dissatisfied; I understand. But as a disciple, you should also understand a master's sincere heart, Brother Xianmao."

It is too late; the taxes of Qing Xi Fang have already been collected for the next ten-plus years.

The Wang Shi of the Anbei Kingdom, as a vassal of the Red Lantern Illumination, has behind it the lineage of Master Mangxiang.

As a disciple of the Purple Mansion and a true transmission of the Red Lantern Illumination, Mu Chunze also has the Purple Mansion behind him.

"I know you are in a difficult position; everyone is. Thus, let us understand each other.

Fu Yuan Ju, Zhi Wei Fang, and Hua Feng Ju; for the spiritual energy and spiritual spring supplies of these places, you just do not deduct them, is that acceptable?"

"This small matter is no problem; it is just... did you come here tonight solely for this?"

Mu Chunze agreed readily, but he did not expect Wang Xianmao to have come here specially for such a trivial matter.

Is it not just a difference of a few hundred spirit stones up and down? Is it worth it?

Xianmao, in these years, you have lived backwards more and more.

Wang Xianmao also cursed the beast-like Mu Chunze to high heaven in his heart, but still asked seriously.

"No, there is another matter. I received news that the Gu Shen Zong plundered Wo Long Fang; do they intend to fight Miao Feng Mountain?"

Mu Chunze's pupils contracted, and he laughed.

"Regarding the matter between Miao Feng Mountain and the Gu Shen Zong, I am but a small Foundation Establishment cultivator; where would I have the qualification to know for no reason?"

For this question, you must add money!