Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1916: 1427: Terror
Previously on Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan...
The bold moves by the Immortal Tao had put everything on display, prompting every faction to unleash their mighty abilities and secure the inter-world travel technique in quick succession.
Aware of how vital this technique truly was, they took the Immortal Tao's mistakes as a warning. Free from any overconfidence, they swiftly gathered their resources to secure provisions and thoroughly worked out the hidden method.
For some time, silence enveloped the whole Primal Spirit Realm.
But hidden under that quiet surface, a different sort of competition in armaments was starting to build up!
Furthermore, no one could predict how long this peace might endure, yet it's clear that the next conflict to erupt would bring even fiercer battles.
The Daqian Dynasty sharply detected the looming crisis and bore tremendous strain. In response, they ramped up their assaults on the Outer World with greater ferocity!
What began as mere scouting, aimed at claiming just a single Minor Thousand World for the emperor's tests, had shifted to targeting two full Middle Thousand Worlds!
At the same time, they ordered the Hundred Schools to speed up perfecting their approaches, allowing cheaper world conquests and the gathering of greater riches, particularly in people and lands—essentials for the Human Dao.
In order to lock in the Hundred Schools' full dedication, the Daqian Dynasty shelled out a hefty cost.
As a result, the Daqian Dynasty's Emperor, together with his court of scholars and generals, set up the Golden Jade Platform. No matter one's origins, years, or status as a condemned prisoner, life could be spared for those with real talent!
This decree sent shockwaves through the entire Southern Domain's Human Dao.
Right away, crowds of self-proclaimed geniuses, along with genuine prodigies, surged toward Daqian!
When rival Human Dao groups caught on and tried to copy the idea, it was already too late—a flood of skilled people had already streamed into Daqian.
…
Mount Wanxian, Li family.
Outside, whispers flew as folks rallied buddies to team up for Outer World ventures, yet the Li family stayed mostly serene within.
This was because Clan Leader Li Xiuyuan had blocked such news from circulating inside the household. There was no rush for them to move; they just bided their time for the technique's completion, then planned to link up with the main force for the Outer World journey.
Within the Li family, just a handful of the young ones got caught up in the loose cultivators' rallying cries, thanks to their inexperience with the world.
Luckily, Li Xiuyuan caught wind of it before they could stir trouble and promptly confined them. Release would come after they reflected and cleared their minds.
The frenzy beyond the walls stemmed mainly from loose cultivators learning about the world-crossing secret, even if it didn't touch the weaker ones among them.
This left them without the right to step into the Outer World!
Little explanation was needed for them to grasp that, should this trend persist, their chances to rise in the ranks would dwindle more and more.
Yet whom could they fault? The loose cultivators had failed to band together into any real organization. Even a simple pact might have earned them a spot in the action.
Naturally, the loose cultivators' disunity also tied back to certain powers that opposed such unity and quietly worked to block it from behind the scenes.
Still, with stakes this high this time around, loose cultivators across multiple State Domains at last created the Heaven and Earth Alliance, sending representatives to the closest major faction in hopes of gaining entry.
“Fellow Daoist Ye, Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Wang… You lot, coming from loose cultivator roots, why are you stirring up trouble here?” The elder tasked with greeting them, spotting the arrivals' looks, furrowed his brow and questioned.
In loose cultivator circles, these folks carried some fame, and their power levels weren't shabby.
“Fellow Daoist Hu, we're not just loose cultivators anymore—we've rallied the loose cultivators of Sanming State, Requan State, Guangyu State, and two more states into the Heaven and Earth Alliance.”
“What?!”
Hu Luanning let out a startled cry, hesitated briefly, then inquired, “Does that mean every loose cultivator from those five states is in?”
“No, it came together in a rush, so only around twenty thousand have signed on so far. Word will spread, and likely more will come.”
Hu Luanning's brow creased deeply; twenty thousand loose cultivators wasn't trivial and could match plenty of mid-to-large groups.
Once other loose cultivators eyed the gains, they'd rush to join, and soon the Heaven and Earth Alliance's ranks would explode!
The Heaven and Earth Alliance's main weakness lay in scarce top-tier power, topped only by the handful of Human Immortals in their midst.
After pondering it over, he shook his head in denial, “This won't do; you're still just a bunch of loose cultivators.”
“Why can't loose cultivators join in?”
Ye Di's face grew a bit grim as he scowled, “You claimed before we lacked a backing group, but now that we have one, you dismiss us as loose cultivators? Are you toying with us?”
“What's with that tone!?” Hu Luanning appeared insulted, his face twisting in clear anger.
Those from his sort of lineage, particularly big faction members, tended to scorn loose cultivators, seeing their might as feeble and their character as dubious and rough.
On top of that, with this debate unfolding right at the sect entrance, numerous cultivators paused to watch the disturbance, fueling his growing rage.
“What tone? This is how I am! So what! If you've got the nerve, Hu Luanning, just strike me down!” In a bold twist, the hot-headed Ye Di spat out those grave words.