Above the mountain gate of the Five Elements Sect
Three disciples, Zhang Wanjing and his master, were drinking tea on a flying boat. Zhang Wanjing's flying boat was very advanced. It not only had a spacious interior and complete facilities, but also had a luxurious decor. It was very comfortable to sit in.
"Master, where did you get this flying boat? It must have been expensive."
"It was a gift from my master. Don't even think about it, you can't afford it."
"So it was a gift from the Soul Changing Ancestor. No wonder it's so luxurious."
Lin Jiang exclaimed. He also had a flying boat, but compared to Zhang Wanjing's, it was like the difference between a regular car and a Rolls-Royce. Both are vehicles, but one is in the sky and the other is on the ground.
There's no need to compare, it just hurts.
"When the Soul Changing Ancestor comes back, I'll take you to meet him. If you can make the Soul Changing Ancestor happy, he might give you something as a reward. That would be enough for you to earn for several decades."
"Then let's thank the master in advance."
"If you're willing to accompany me and suffer in Wilderness, this is nothing."
"Is Wilderness very tough?"
"Whether it's tough or not depends on the individual. Some people enjoy it, while others find it tough. You'll know when the time comes."
"Senior apprentice, have you been to Wilderness before?"
Lin Jiang turned back and asked Zhang Shuhua. Zhang Shuhua shook his head. The main sect generally doesn't recommend Qi Refining Period cultivators to venture into Wilderness. It's not necessary. After he built his foundation, he followed Zhang Shuhua, so he hasn't been there either.
Wilderness is a general term for undeveloped land. It's filled with demonic beasts, poisonous insects, and miasma. It's very dangerous, but it's also a treasure trove. There are rare spirit herbs and precious minerals in Wilderness. There are also endless demonic beasts to kill. Some people can make a fortune in Wilderness, while others die there. It depends on individual destiny.
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😝)
Overall, sect disciples will be much safer. The real danger is for independent cultivators. Being an independent cultivator is too tough and not easy at all.
Zhang Wanjing said. Exploitation by the sect exists everywhere. They establish bases in Wilderness and provide shelter for independent cultivators to rest, but they charge money for it, and the prices are expensive. The sect is the one benefiting and exploiting.
Zhang Wanjing told the two people about the Wilderness. Without realizing it, they had crossed the main peak of the Yunzhong Mountain Range and arrived north of the Yun State mountain gate.
"Master, didn't they say the Wilderness was deserted? How come we can see so many villages?"
"This area is close to the south and very safe. The powerful beasts around here have already been cleared out. Not only do independent cultivators settle here, but our sect also has a presence. We have acquired many spiritual mountains, mines, and villages for resources. These villages provide us with spiritual rice, cloth, vegetables, and more, which helps reduce costs. The true Wilderness is still about eight thousand miles ahead."
"So, does that mean our human race has expanded eight thousand miles?"
"Pretty much. The human race has the advantage here, steadily expanding into the Wilderness. However, the demon race occasionally counterattacks."
"I heard that decades ago, the Heavenly Wolf King of the demon race launched a counterattack, causing heavy casualties to the human race."
"Yes, the Heavenly Wolf King possesses the bloodline of the Moon Howling Heavenly Wolf, a rare beast. It's very difficult for them to reproduce. A few decades ago, one of its offspring was killed by the human race. Furious, the Heavenly Wolf King unleashed a horde of beasts, sweeping through many independent cultivators' strongholds and small forces, resulting in many deaths. It was ultimately repelled by Lin Batian, the head of the Lin family in Anhua City. Lin Batian even severely injured the Heavenly Wolf King, chopping off one of its claws to end the beast tide. At that time, I led a support team for the Five Elements Sect strongholds, but unfortunately, I didn't witness Lin Batian's battle. It's a pity."
"Father, Anhua City has risen rapidly. In just over three hundred years, they went from the Building Foundation Period to the Nascent Soul stage and became a dominant force. I'm afraid they will be a major enemy for our Five Elements Sect in the future."
Zhang Shuhua said. Anhua City is far away from the Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect, so there is no conflict with them. However, Anhua City borders the territory of the Five Elements Sect. With Lin Batian being so strong, there may be friction between them in the future.
"Probably not, Anhua City is developing to the south, and we're in the north. Lin Batian is smart and wouldn't provoke the Five Elements Sect."
"Why didn't the sect eliminate the Lin family in advance?"
"The origin of the Lin family is suspicious, and the sect hasn't figured out their details yet. Since there hasn't been direct conflict between both sides, why take action in advance?"
"Why are you looking at me like that, Junior Brother?"
Zhang Shuhua wanted to say more, but he noticed Lin Jiang staring at him with a sharp gaze, so he asked instead.
"Nothing, Senior Brother, you look handsome today."
Lin Jiang averted his gaze from wanting to teach Zhang Shuhua a lesson. This Senior Brother must have something wrong with his mind, he needs some treatment. How could he dare to confront his father in front of him? Isn't he looking for trouble?
"Martial Uncle, Wan Jing pays his respects."
Inside the base of the Five Elements Sect, Zhang Wanjing greeted a middle-aged man named Chen Xuanhua. Chen Xuanhua, who was the Nascent Soul Elder of the Five Elements Sect, was now in charge of guarding their base in the Wilderness.
"No need for formalities, I feel relieved now that you're here."
"Within the base, Martial Uncle makes the decisions."
"The Nascent Soul Elders of the sect never bother with mundane matters. I am only responsible for security. Everything else is up to you. I won't waste any more words. Handover quickly and send that useless person away."
Chen Xuanhua shook his head. The words were rude. A man beside him had an unpleasant facial expression, unable to speak in anger.
Lin Jiang knew the identity of this person. He was the previous head of the base arranged by the Five Elements Sect, holding the position of Deputy Hall Master of the Foreign Affairs Hall. Somehow, he couldn't get along with Chen Xuanhua. Chen Xuanhua had asked the sect multiple times to replace him, but no one was willing to take on the job. It was said that Chen Xuanhua had a terrible personality.
After Zhang Wanjing volunteered to guard the Wilderness, his identity changed from Deputy Master of the Internal Affairs Hall to Deputy Hall Master of the Foreign Affairs Hall. After all, Zhang Wanjing's cultivation level and status were present, and no matter how the sect tried to exclude him, they had to give him some face.
This was the rule of the cultivation world. Otherwise, it would be easy to downgrade Zhang Wanjing to a normal attendant. But the problem was that his superiors couldn't suppress him. Sooner or later, he would be marginalized. It was better to give him a titular position. Of course, it was now not just a titular position, but real power.
It took Zhang Wanjing three days to complete the handover. The previous Deputy Hall Master left with his trusted subordinates, leaving happily. Before parting, he warned Zhang Wanjing not to pay attention to Chen Xuanhua, as he was a madman.
"Father, Uncle Chen has run away."
Sure enough, within a day, Zhang Shuhua came to report.
"I know, Chen Xuanhua went deep into the Wilderness to hunt demons."
"Father, what's the matter with this Chen Xuanhua?"
"Chen Xuanhua doesn't have much influence in the sect. He is unmarried, has no family, and doesn't take disciples. He focuses on cultivation. The sect sent him to the Wilderness to test his character, but he couldn't be tempered. He has always wanted to go to the Wilderness to hunt demons and earn resources. Deputy Hall Master Sun didn't allow it before, and they had a big conflict. Now that I'm here, Chen Xuanhua is acting like he doesn't care anymore."
"Chen Xuanhua is disregarding the overall situation."
Zhang Shuhua said. The sect's Nascent Soul cultivator is guarding this place. The most important thing is to ensure the safety of the stronghold. If he runs away, what will we do if high-level demons attack?
"Never mind him, this place is actually very safe. The territory of the fourth-level demonic beasts is far away from here, and they won't easily come over. Now that he's gone, it's convenient for me to display my skills."
"Dad, what's our next move?"
Shuhua, you will be the commander of the guards. Above you, there are three high-ranking commanders in the Golden Core Period, but they don't hold real power. They are only responsible for monitoring the surrounding demonic beasts and intimidating independent cultivators within the base. You must have control over the guards.
Xiao Yi, your responsibility is to manage the independent cultivators and the businesses in the city. Put pressure on all the people from Senior Brother Sun's faction. Whether you can gain their loyalty will depend on your abilities.
Zhang Wanjing said. The first thing we need to do is to clear out the previous high-ranking members. He didn't bring many people, so it will come down to the two of us and our skills.
"Master, it's not difficult to defeat them, but it's challenging to replace them with loyal followers. Without having spent a long time together, it's hard to consider them as trusted allies."
"That depends on your abilities. When you were in the sect, you always had many strategies. Surely you can handle this as well."
"It seems that my master wants to test me."
"It's a test for you. There are no complicated relationships like sects here. I'm in charge. If you can't handle it, it can only mean you're not capable."
"Okay, I accept this challenge. It could last for three months at the shortest, or half a year at the longest. This stronghold will be named Zhang."
Lin Jiang gladly accepted. He used to be a dormitory leader, with three or four brothers under his command. He was confident he could handle these people.
"Shuhua, and what about you?"
"If my junior brother is so confident, how can I not be?"
"Alright, this Wilderness stronghold will be the battleground for the three of us. Let's win this battle here first, and then we can slowly fight back when we go back."
Zhang Wanjing nodded, full of determination at this moment, determined to achieve something significant.

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