The Human Race is divided into three teachings: Buddhism, Daoism, and the Demonic Path.
The Buddhist sect emphasizes the salvation of all beings, seeking enlightenment, and eliminating greed, anger, and ignorance to reach the state of Nirvana.
Therefore, Buddhist cultivators are generally benevolent, valuing their reputation, and they possess a vast amount of incense offerings from the mundane world, excelling in the realm of divine souls.
However, there are often some monks who cannot endure the harsh teachings and defect to the Demonic Path, and there are also high monks who hope to convert demonic leaders, which leads to frequent criticisms of their delusions.
The Demonic Path emphasizes following one's desires, seeking a return to ancient ways and divine origins to attain innate power, which means seeking the primordial divine strength of ancient beings through human bodies.
Thus, demonic cultivators tend to be malevolent, often resorting to blood-drinking and soul-refining in their quest for power, with many demonic experts being quite mad.
There are also tales of demonic leaders who put down their butcher's knives and become Buddhas.
Although sins are not erased simply by abandoning violence, many have achieved the status of Buddha by aligning with the Buddhist ideals of eliminating greed, anger, and ignorance.
As a result, personnel from both the Buddhist and Demonic sects frequently interact, often exchanging outstanding disciples for academic discussions.
The Daoist sect emphasizes understanding the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, achieving unity with nature, and cultivating the supreme Dao to reach a transcendent state.
Therefore, Daoist cultivators are neither entirely good nor evil; they do not constantly think about saving all beings like the Buddhists, but they also would never harm others like the demons.
They pursue a carefree existence, cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao, embodying the principles of non-action and moderation.
Yet, there are often sects like the Yin Yang Sect that learn from and borrow the essence of the Hehuan Sect, taking the essence while discarding the dross, creating a sect that is both righteous and wicked.
As Gu Wen's teacher in cultivation, Yu Hua has always instilled in him the orthodox thoughts of the Daoist sect, such as "The Daoist must become an immortal" and "What does it have to do with me?" Therefore, Gu Wen does not see any problem with his actions; instead, he believes the two demonic prodigies before him have issues.
"Cutting the grass without removing the roots will lead to endless troubles!"
In that moment, He Qing and Lu Chan both fell silent.
He Qing felt that Lu Chan was too radical.
Although the conflicts within the Demonic Path were fierce and it was not uncommon for sect elders to suppress the new generation of prodigies, overall, everyone was relatively restrained.
Otherwise, if the old and new generations were always at odds, strong cultivators would eventually decline.
Directly exterminating a family would weaken oneself and further turn against the sect.
Lu Chan thought He Qing was too conservative.
According to the rules, everything in the Immortal Land was supported by worldly beings.
She needed abundant resources to consolidate her Dao foundation and secure a peak future in the Fourth Realm.
If she was delayed even a moment, she might never be able to make up for it in her lifetime.
Gu Wen felt that both of them were not radical enough.
"Isn't this a bit too much?"
Lu Chan showed hesitation.
The radicals felt he was a bit too extreme, but for some reason, she felt her heart racing.
It was not because of Gu Wen, but rather the excitement of this "kill, kill, kill" and trampling on the older generation.
"No!" He Qing shook his head firmly and said, "The Luo Shui Five Great Families have three True Lords. Although the strongest among them is only at the Seventh Level of Dao Foundation and the Second Level of Perfection, they are definitely not something we can deal with."
Gu Wen said, "The Three Clear Protectors have an Eighth Level Dao Foundation and a Fourth Level of Perfection. I can ask him to take action."
Although Yu Hua would not take action, there was no reason that Ao Tang could not.
Previously, it was because he did not want to expose too much in front of the other party, and there was no reason or justification to compel them.
Moreover, when juniors fight, the elders usually do not intervene; otherwise, it would be chaos.
Now that they were going to exterminate a family, there was no need for such concerns.
Yu Hua had promised to provide any assistance, and Gu Wen believed Ao Tang would not refuse.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chan was already wavering, even eager to try: "If that old fellow at the Seventh Level of Dao Foundation and the Second Level of Perfection is restrained, it is indeed worth a shot."
"This—"
He Qing felt something was amiss; this was not the situation he wanted to see.
Unlike the situation with the Qian Feng Sect, his relationship with the sect was not so strained; it was just that the distribution of benefits was uneven.
But now it was no longer about how far he could go; it was about whether to join in.
Not joining would likely not hinder Gu Wen from exterminating the Rong family.
'He probably has long been plotting this.'
Glancing at Gu Wen, He Qing only smiled, which sent a chill down his spine.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him; he grasped the key to breaking the deadlock and said, "They are the forces the sect has placed in the mundane world, and they also serve to balance the imperial court. If they are gone, the Dao Lord Emperor will completely control this place. Fellow Daoist, you surely do not want to see that, right?"
Unexpectedly, Gu Wen smiled lightly and said, "Cowards who fear death will eventually die; mediocre talents who fear the strong will not achieve their ambitions. Since the high-ranking ones occupy the Immortal Land, what do I have to fear?"
He must obtain this thousand-jin spiritual herb.
Gu Wen never believed that hiding his name would ensure safety, nor did he think that avoiding the Dao Lord Emperor would delay his death.
Others fear the Dao Lord Emperor because they do not know if they can reach his height, but Gu Wen had no such worries; he only feared that he was not growing fast enough.
Cowards who fear death will eventually die; mediocre talents who fear the strong will not achieve their ambitions?
Both of them were stunned, a surge of madness washing over them.
They had witnessed Gu Wen's madness, daring to kill the offspring of the Dao Lord Emperor right in front of him, facing a military True Lord with his Third Level of Dao Foundation, and even battling Xiao Yunyi with a lower cultivation level.
As the top ten of the Three Rankings, they both possessed pride, yet they felt somewhat short of breath in front of Gu Wen.
Lu Chan's eyes shone brightly as she declared, "If we are to strike at the Luo Shui Five Great Families, I need to obtain eighty percent of the Wang family's spiritual herbs."
"What is your realm?" Gu Wen raised an eyebrow; he did not refuse her taking more, specifying the Wang family was equivalent to eighty percent of one-fifth.
Lu Chan slightly revealed her Dao foundation aura, and in that instant, a graceful figure vaguely formed in their minds.
The inn's waiter directly bumped into the beam, and even the dogs outside were dazzled.
The Sixth Realm of the Earth Ranking, the Fox Immortal, known for her illusion techniques, was the strongest of her time.
Even Gu Wen at that moment could not completely escape; he could restrain himself but could not be immune to illusions.
"Recently broke through, Fourth Level of Dao Foundation, Second Level of Perfection."
"Alright."
Gu Wen nodded, making a mental comparison; he had already pulled ahead of her by one level.
Back in Bianjing, they were at roughly the same level.
In terms of realm, Lu Chan should have slightly surpassed him, but in terms of combat, he was superior.
He Qing remained silent for a while, feeling Gu Wen's gaze, an invisible pressure rising.
Clearly, they had come to find him, yet once Gu Wen sat down, the momentum of the two was completely suppressed, naturally defaulting to him as the leader.
"The Rong family is supported by my sect; we share the same master." He Qing revealed his cultivation, Fifth Level of Dao Foundation, Second Level of Perfection.
It was evident that his talent was inferior to Lu Chan's; unable to achieve the Third Level of Perfection, he had to settle for raising his ordinary Dao foundation first.
"I need to take more; otherwise, my conscience will be uneasy. I want all of the Rong family's spiritual herbs."
"Can you handle or subdue the Rong family's True Lord?"
"I can."
In just a few exchanges, the True Lord seemed to have become worthless, but there were still differences among True Lords.
The one who was equal to Gu Wen but had no complete Seventh Level of Perfection, Ao Tang, also counted as a True Lord, with a total cultivation of twelve levels.
It was like in the past, where a master's degree from a one-year program was still called a master's degree, just as those graduating from top global institutions were also called masters.
Moreover, those present were all in the top ten of the Three Rankings, all future top experts in the cultivation world.
——
Afterward, Gu Wen went upstairs to find Ao Tang, clarifying the stakes and reasoning with him, nearly drafting a proclamation against the Five Great Families.
It was as if he were the emperor of the Great Qian, almost wanting to shout, "The Daoist's spiritual herbs, they are dumping the pot of filth on my head, yet they won't even give me eighty percent of the spiritual herbs?"
Ao Tang was speechless but still agreed, albeit only for this one time.
As he was already a high-level expert, personally intervening would not be good.
The Qian Feng Sect and the Blood Bodhi Sect, where He Qing was, were not without their own experts of equal rank.
In the evening, Gu Wen found He Huan and Mu Rong Su Yue, and upon hearing that he truly intended to act against the Five Great Families, they were all startled.
After learning the number of participants, they all agreed.
The group sat at the inn's dining table.
He Huan glanced at Lu Chan, then at He Qing, and finally at Gu Wen, who had the demeanor of an old landlord.
He excitedly said, "Tonight, let's first take on the Wang family."
This was simply a bandit meeting, making it hard to doubt that his situation was extremely dangerous.
Suddenly, He Qing said, "Daoist Hong Chen, have you considered what to do if the Zhe Jian Mountain intervenes? Although Zhe Jian Mountain is not in Luo Shui, they are undoubtedly the true power in this region. Moreover, Xiao Yunyi is a significant problem; he claims to be the third on the Sword Refining Ranking, forging a sword every thirty days."
"The military sword cultivators refine spiritual swords, which is the best way to test swordsmanship. He is the most talented person in Zhe Jian Mountain in thousands of years."
Everyone's expressions turned serious.
He Huan, being the most well-informed, said, "Xiao Yunyi possesses a celestial sword, which he previously used to slay a Seventh Level Dao Foundation expert."
"This is nothing to worry about." Lu Chan, clearly having some connections with him, said, "He is just a wooden block; if he were truly so shrewd and profit-driven, he wouldn't still be in seventh place."
Holding a celestial sword to kill a Seventh Level?
Gu Wen pondered; it seemed he indeed needed a good weapon.
The heirloom in his hand needed to be prepared for refining.
He had attempted to refine it recently; using imperial nectar could indeed draw out the true spirit of the heirloom, but twenty years was not enough for a single successful refinement.
To refine it, he would likely need a fierce battle, and it was uncertain if he could defeat the true spirit of the heirloom.
After all, this was a genuine Dao soldier celestial weapon, unlike the mud eel of the Bi Yan Shui Bo Zhu.
"At midnight, be careful of the lights!"
Clang!
The sound of a gong came from outside.
The night watchman passed by the inn, seeing the lights ablaze and not being under curfew, feeling somewhat strange but not daring to ask too much.
Gu Wen was the first to rise, and although the others followed suit, they walked out of the inn with him.
He Huan asked, "Do we not need to cover our faces? Aren't we going to prepare a bit more?"
Gu Wen grinned, "No amount of planning can compare to a single punch. Just follow me; tonight, the Luo Shui will bear the Gu surname."
Now, with his cultivation at the Seventh Level, no one of equal rank had the qualification to stand before him.
Those one level higher could only match him, and they might even be defeated by him, as Xiao Yunyi, who had fought him to a standstill, was at a higher level.
Behind, the old innkeeper cleaned up the leftover food, watching their retreating figures with a hint of melancholy, sighing, "Youth is truly wonderful."
Many years ago, before the Great Qian was established, he was also one of the many young prodigies.
Time has passed, and the Immortal Land has reopened, yet he has become one of the ordinary people who risk their lives to enter this place again, just to rely on the spiritual objects here to elevate his Dao foundation and seek a breakthrough in cultivation.
In the Immortal Land, there are two types of people: one is the spirited young prodigies, and the other is the late-blooming talents.
——
"Kid, bring me a jar of the finest spiritual wine."
Ao Tang came down from upstairs, transformed into a rugged man with a face full of stubble.
"Seven hundred years ago, I shared a drink with Yun Miao; I suddenly miss it."
The old innkeeper smiled and said, "After so long, you still remember?"
"Of course I remember; your skills are rare to find in a thousand years, the only True Lord of the Wine Dao."
"However, I am just a miscellaneous True Lord, not worth mentioning."
Ao Tang revealed the identity of the other party, yet the old innkeeper, as a True Lord, was not arrogant.
He took out a white jade jar from his sleeve, pouring out a fragrant wine that wafted for miles.
The Wine True Lord asked, "Senior, you are an elder of the Three Clear Sect's Three Generations of Heavenly Sovereigns. Why take such risks this time?"
Ao Tang countered, "Do you want the elixir of immortality?"
In just an instant, the dignified True Lord's eyes could hardly suppress their greed, and he was stunned for a long time before gradually regaining control.
Ao Tang said, "My Daoist sect's heavenly maiden is unparalleled in the world. Her power is equivalent to dozens of True Lords acting together, and it would probably only cost her a third of her lifespan."
"At least she will die, won't she?"
The Wine True Lord's eyes were filled with obsession, wavering between demonic thoughts and reason.
For a moment, he awakened and cried for help.
"I'm afraid, I'm afraid of death, senior. But I can't help it; this is a great calamity. Can you save me?"
He could be certain that the moment the elixir of immortality appeared, he would rush over without hesitation, abandoning his thousand years of cultivation and sacrificing the remaining thousand years of lifespan just for the sake of becoming an immortal.
Even if, with his strength as a miscellaneous True Lord, he was merely a moth to a flame, as long as he could get close to the opportunity for immortality, he would be satisfied even if he turned to ashes.
At least he had pursued the opportunity for immortality, rather than being hopeless like now.
This was a heavenly calamity; even the True Lords, who existed like stars, would also perish.
Ao Tang could empathize; he had also entered this game because of the elixir of immortality.
Otherwise, with his identity as an assistant to the Three Generations of Heavenly Sovereigns of the Daoist sect, he would never take such risks.
Staying honestly on Sanqing Mountain, as the divine beast of the world's foremost sacred ground of the Daoist sect, he lived a life of great comfort.
He could not save him unless there was a second Daoist heavenly maiden, an existence that could shock everyone.
With this thought, Ao Tang suddenly remembered Gu Wen.
"I have a method that may save you."
Recalling old feelings, it was also to reduce some trouble.
The Wine True Lord seemed to grasp a lifeline, hurriedly asking, "Senior, please tell me. If you can truly resolve this calamity, I will gift you a jar of heavenly spiritual wine."
"No need to give me anything; if you see clearly, you will know whom to give it to."
Ao Tang shook his head, then merely uttered two words.
"Gu Wen."
"Huh?"
Ao Tang did not elaborate, shaking his head and saying, "If you cannot see through this, then you should face this calamity."
Once the Wine True Lord steps into the calamity of the elixir of immortality, he will inevitably not survive; he will become one of the calamities that weaken Yu Hua.
He would not be the first, nor would he be the last.
Few in the world can resist the opportunity for immortality, even if it means becoming a stepping stone for others to ascend to immortality, they would feel honored.
This is cultivation, and it is also the reality for human cultivators.
The Wine True Lord furrowed his brows, not understanding why Gu Wen could make him let go of his obsession.
He was indeed a true prodigy, more talented than himself.
But there was only a difference in height; it was not a substantial difference like that of the Daoist heavenly maiden who possessed the power of immortals.
He was mortal, and so was Gu Wen; only the heavenly maiden was immortal.
Boom!
A loud noise erupted, followed by an angry roar.
"Who dares to be so bold? State your name!"
"I am Gu Wen, here to exterminate a family."
The Wine True Lord was somewhat stunned.
He had heard the plans of Gu Wen and this group of young people, but he did not expect them to come so openly.
On the second floor, Yu Hua leaned against the window, gazing into the distance, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Fourth Level of Dao Foundation? Just two days ago, he was still at the Third Level, and now he was already at the Fourth Level.
In just half a year, he had transformed from an ordinary person to catching up with other prodigies, and had even vaguely pulled ahead.
(End of Chapter)