Chapter 1180: Purge the Emperor's Entourage, Eliminate the Great Traitor

The atmosphere between the Canghai Tianjun was somewhat icy; something inexpressible was quietly growing in certain hidden places.

Tushan Tian Jun.

Tian Jun!

Just a Tian Jun—who isn't one?

In a relatively fair order like Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, they had advanced to Hua Shen Qi, and no one restricted them in any way. As long as one performed great meritorious deeds, one could obtain the opportunity for Soul Transformation, and Soul Transformation Gong Fa.

This looks quite ordinary, doesn't it?

All opportunities for Soul Transformation and Soul Transformation Gong Fa were not obtained for nothing; they were all earned through risking one's own life.

However!

This kind of ordinariness was far too rare within the realm.

What is the usual situation?

Disciples not personally trained by the sect since childhood, and those who are not relatives or disciples of high-level cultivators, are not permitted access to Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation opportunities!

What is fairness?

A cultivator's supreme great power all gathered within oneself, having paid countless efforts, gone through countless battles, countless hardships and dangers, and finally advancing to Soul Transformation—was it to give you fairness, to provide you with benefits?

Therefore, in the early period after advancing to Hua Shen Qi, the Canghai Tianjun were all full of gratitude; they knew what the real world was like.

At that time, even if foreign enemies came to attack Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting and disturbed Tushan Tian Jun's closed-door cultivation, they would even be willing to fight to the death for Tushan Tian Jun, with no regrets even if they died in battle.

Unfortunately, beneath a thousand years of time, everything began to change.

No matter how much gratitude, after a thousand years of time—firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, the wear of complicated mundane affairs like cultivation spirit lands and cultivation pills—nothing much remained.

Fairness, in Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, had already become something as common as sunlight, air, and water.

Such ordinary things are innate; even a mortal has them, so why should one hold any special gratitude?

Favoritism toward relatives, favoritism toward relatives!

In this world, and even in the upper realms, the vast majority of strong cultivators in the Cultivation World, when young, would have all kinds of ideas—to embrace all rivers and tolerate all, to gather the heroes of the world, not bound by sect or faction prejudice, full of lofty sentiments.

Yet, in old age, the strong would, as if by unspoken agreement, choose the traditional master-disciple system mixed with the family system, with minor innovations, as the foundation for their sect's inheritance.

Did they not know that radical systems could improve efficiency?

Perhaps they did not have the clarity of immortal-gate cultivators—after all, they had not undergone related exploration and social practice—but over the long passage of time, they had also vaguely made certain discoveries.

In the end, why did they, as if by unspoken agreement, become so conservative?

Apart from the emotional attachment of elderly strong cultivators toward their personally transmitted disciples and their family bloodline descendants, these were the reasons.

All those who attempted to unfold grand ambitions, to embrace all rivers, to treat everyone fairly, in the end seemed always

to head toward tragedy.

Human gratitude cannot last for too long.

Compared to this, emotions like marriage alliances, bloodline ties, and personally transmitted disciples cannot be said to be foolproof—after all, demonic cultivators often do things that cross the bottom line—but in the end they are still much closer than ordinary relationships.

Therefore, the probability of betrayal was greatly reduced; the fact that stories of cultivators killing relatives and masters in the Cultivation World could spread so widely is itself proof of this.

Only things that rarely happen are news, and only they can spread far and wide.

Many times, one has to admit that although relationships like kinship, marriage alliances, and personally transmitted disciples are vulgar, administratively inefficient, inefficient in talent selection, and hinder the development of immortal-path technology and immortal-path productive forces, their stability is truly high, and they hold enormous advantages in this regard.

For example, right now—if all ten Canghai Tianjun were personally transmitted disciples, descendants, or wives of Tushan Tian Jun, then the political situation would instantly stabilize by at least tenfold.

Of course, it would only be stable; one could not say they could rest easy.

Betrayal by bloodline descendants, personally transmitted disciples, and wives also happened from time to time, but probabilistically it was greatly reduced, and the institutional stability was greatly enhanced.

What, then, is the truth?

Most of the ten Canghai Tianjun did not have much emotional bond with Tushan Tian Jun; therefore, when making choices at many times, they would not have too much hesitation or delay.

"No need for nonsense!"

"Gong Gong Caiyu Tian Jun, I only ask you one thing."

Friend Friend Baizu Tian Jun said coldly: "Is Tushan still alive? If he is already dead, he should not be occupying so many heavenly materials and earthly treasures—this is not the Heavenly Dao!"

His cultivation needed to advance, just like his father Bai Zu Tian Jun had advanced to the late stage of Soul Transformation, or even the peak of Soul Transformation.

And advancement required resources!

If he could obtain the countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures accumulated by Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting over the centuries, or even take over the entire Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, then… his entire Dao path would be smooth and unobstructed!

"The Lord is in closed-door cultivation; no one is permitted to disturb him."

Gong Gong Caiyu said angrily: "Friend Friend Baizu Tian Jun, are you going to betray Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting? Just like the past late-Soul Transformation cultivator Bai Zu Tian Jun?"

At these words, the surroundings instantly fell silent.

Friend Friend Baizu Tian Jun swallowed, his mouth dry and parched, and did not answer immediately.

He recalled the history of the past.

Corresponding to Tushan Tian Jun's tolerance and benevolence was that terrifying bloodthirsty madness!

If anyone thought that because of his tolerance and benevolence, one could bully him with propriety, they would be greatly mistaken—it would be pure delirium.

In past history, countless prodigies and heroes had appeared—Bing Yuan Tian Jun, Ice Phoenix Tian Jun, and his father Bai Zu Tian Jun, the upper-realm Thunder Department's heavenly soldiers and generals… everyone, all the Canghai Tianjun—as long as they violated his Master Tushan Laws, all of them had to die

?? Soul and body both annihilated!

Not a trace of mercy, not a single exception.

Mercy did not exist in Tushan Tian Jun.

Friend Friend Baizu Tian Jun glanced around.

Great Love Tian Jun, Blazing Sun Tian Jun, Six Paths Tian Jun… and the demon-race White Ice Tian Jun—he was quite certain that many of these Canghai Tianjun were not benevolent people, and all harbored certain thoughts similar to his own.

Were these allies?

No one responded to his gaze.

"Gong Gong Caiyu Tian Jun, you jest."

Under such terrifying pressure, Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun said indifferently, "Master Tushan Zhongting is the place where I was born and raised — how could I possibly betray it?"

"It's merely that we, concerned for the Canghai Tianjun's well-being, took the liberty of inquiring."

"I now suspect…"

Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun stared fixedly at Gong Gong Caiyu and said coldly, "The Canghai Tianjun is now gravely wounded, at the threshold of life and death, in desperate need of our rescue. And yet you, Canghai Tianjun Gong Caiyu, for your own selfish interests, have cut off the inside from the outside, severed the channels through which the Canghai Tianjun wished to reach us for rescue, and cast the safety of Master Tushan Zhongting aside!"

"Is this not a fact?"

Master Tushan is, indeed, strong.

But after being grievously wounded by the upper-realm Thunder Division's celestial soldiers and generals, and by that terrifying powerhouse, how much strength could possibly remain?

This is a heaven-sent opportunity!

If this chance is missed, there may never be another in the future!

"This is not a fact."

Gong Gong Caiyu said calmly.

She did not strike.

Because she had no great confidence in defeating Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun — she had never been known for personal combat prowess, especially since every one of them was once a prodigy at the Soul Transformation stage.

As for mustering the Master Tushan Zhongting army…

Gong Gong Caiyu sighed softly within her heart.

After a thousand years of infiltration by the Canghai Tianjun within, she could not determine how much of the Master Tushan Zhongting army remained trustworthy.

She only knew the number of rot-bugs would not be small — corruption was extremely severe, with internal and external collusion and shielding rampant; the Court of Inspection had struck blow after blow, yet it seemed that before long fresh shoots would sprout again with the spring breeze.

Seek aid from other Canghai Tianjun, to encircle and slay the lawbreaker?

The thought surfaced once more in Gong Gong Caiyu's mind.

Yet, who would she go to seek?

Li Qingyun Canghai Tianjun seemed reliable.

Because the Master had said he was honest and dependable, someone to rely on — but also said he would not fight to the death for anything, and at most could hold off one or two peers of comparable strength.

Beyond that, who else?

Ice and Snow Canghai Tianjun? Great Love Canghai Tianjun? Night Moon Canghai Tianjun? Or the former Master's enemy, the heir of the Northern Plains family, Six Paths Canghai Tianjun? Or the Blazing Sun Canghai Tianjun of the Great Sun Sword Sect? Or…

Too many possibilities, too

many unknowns.

This was the reason Gong Gong Caiyu dared not act rashly.

Insufficient strength forces compromise in many situations — this is the helplessness of the world, unaltered by human will.

"Just because you say it's not a fact, does that make it not a fact?"

"Who would believe that?"

Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun sneered, his true intent at last laid bare: "I demand an audience with the Canghai Tianjun!"

"This is my right — how could a mere maidservant like you possibly block me?"

"Outrageously treasonous!"

"Seeking death!"

Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun rose to his feet, staring fixedly at Gong Gong Caiyu. From within his hair, skin, flesh and blood came the rustling sound of silkworms feeding — terrifying beyond compare.

A horrifying Soul Transformation might bloomed forth, pressing down upon Gong Gong Caiyu; the surrounding space itself congealed, and any Nascent Soul cultivator appearing here would suffocate.

"You — will you block me?"

Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun said, word by word.

Clang!

Gong Gong Caiyu drew her sword, meeting force with force. The Soul Transformation-stage momentum of heaven and earth spread outward, and killing intent finally began to bloom as she ceased restraining herself: "Hundred Poison, you seek death…"

The surrounding Canghai Tianjun watched coldly, as if it had nothing to do with them.

Suddenly, at a certain moment.

Everyone's face changed wildly, and they abruptly rose to their feet.

"Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun! You dare to assault the Lord of the Zheng Sect — what crime is this?!"

This was Six Paths Canghai Tianjun's fierce rebuke.

"A capital offense!"

"Hundred Poison, you wolf-hearted wretch — I have gathered evidence for a long time, and at last today I have uncovered your true face!"

This was Ice and Snow Canghai Tianjun Mu Mu Tianxue. She had already drawn that longsword flowing like fresh blood, unfurled her Blood Dao domain, and sealed off Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun's retreat.

"Hundred Poison, I've found you an eyesore for a long time now…"

In that instant, Great Love Canghai Tianjun, Night Moon Canghai Tianjun, White Ice Canghai Tianjun, and all the rest unleashed violent killing intent upon Hundred Poison Canghai Tianjun, instantly crushing his aura down to that of a docile sheep — no trace remaining of any Canghai Tianjun's majesty.