Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 588 - 360: The Book of Man

Mount Longevity, Wuzhuang Temple.

The crowd had gathered, indulging in a spirited feast.

Xu Yang sat at the head, sweeping his gaze across the room, he saw to his left and right dozens of Mahayana True Immortals, and beneath them, over a hundred Integration cultivators. The number of people and strength of their array were no less impressive than at the time of the Pill Origin grand meeting.

In the Earth Immortal Realm, there was also the concept of luck, corresponding to laws, companions, and wealth. Innate talent was considered Heavenly Luck, Spirit Material and cultivation sites as Earth Luck, and cultivation companions and disciples as Human Luck. The higher these three aspects, the stronger the luck, and the more flourishing the Tao lineage.

Thus, within the Earth Immortal Realm, which Tao lineage possessed the highest luck?

It was undoubtedly the Heavenly Court!

Among the four states and two domains of the Earth Immortal Realm, East Victorious Divine Continent was the largest, boasting the most abundant Spiritual Energy, more than double that of both West Bovine He Continent and Beiju Thatch Continent.

With this as its foundation, the Heavenly Court naturally enjoyed an exceptionally favorable fate.

Apart from the Taihuang Emperor, the former Emperor Venerable who was closest to reaching the Earth Immortal realm, there were Four Auxiliary Imperial Lords, all Nine Tribulations True Immortals.

Beneath the rank of Calamity Immortals, the various palaces and departments of the Heavenly Court housed hundreds of Mahayana cultivators and even more in the Integration stage. Additionally, there were legions of Celestial Soldiers, including those who had achieved Return to Void, Deity Transformation, and Nascent Soul.

Their formidable strength hardly needed mention, rightly making them the preeminent Tao lineage of the Earth Immortal Realm.

Following the Heavenly Court were three other powerhouses: Buddhism, the Monster Nation, and the Demon Abyss.

Buddhism occupied West Bovine He Continent. Although there were only two Buddhas, their strength lay in their unity and solid foundation.

The Monster Nation controlled Beiju Thatch Continent and the Demon Domain, with five Great Saints of Heavenly Demons, whose strength nearly rivalled that of the Heavenly Court.

The Demon Abyss, occupying only the Demon Realm and slightly touching upon South Observance, had three Nine Serenities Demon Gods, on par with Buddhism.

Last came the State of South Observance.

In the State of South Observance, neither the size of the region nor the vitality of Immortal Energy could compare to the other three states. Although there were Immortal God Tao lineages, none exceeded the limit of Nine Tribulations, and not a single True Immortal of Nine Tribulations Completion was able to unite them.

On the contrary, in the Mahayana aspect, due to the amalgamation of the Three Teaching Sect and countless sects, it uniquely thrived. Between the Righteous Path and the evil paths, among Immortals, Buddhas, Demons, and Monsters, as well as the various oddities of spirits and ghosts, it too had several hundred Mahayana True Immortals.

But that was before, now...

Two hundred years ago, led by his own Wuzhuang Temple, he formed the South Observation Righteous Alliance and began the cleansing of all kinds of Demon Evil Cultivators.

Facing him and the edge of the Righteous Alliance, the various demons of South Observance either fled to distant lands or were annihilated, leaving the number of Mahayana cultivators in the State of South Observance sharply reduced, now falling below two hundred.

At this moment, within his temple, the dozens of True Immortals present at the feast accounted for more than half of the Mahayana in South Observance.

This clearly showed the momentum of the Righteous Alliance!

The formation of such a grand achievement required not only a meeting of minds but also the involvement of interests.

No matter who it is or where it is, relying on pure idealism to work is both foolish and unrealistic.

Only tangible interests can bind people closely together.

The Righteous Alliance was no exception.

In the State of South Observance, with its limited territory and sparse Spiritual Energy, competition remained fierce as the number of Mahayana cultivators didn’t fall short of the other three states, creating a "too many monks and not enough porridge" situation.

The Buddhists often said that South Observance was not a place of goodness due to its strife and killings, but the reason for such turmoil was, firstly, the lack of a leading figure, and secondly, the insufficiency of resources. Coupled with the hidden hands of various factions, conflict and slaughter were inevitable.

Wuzhuang taking the lead in forming the Righteous Alliance and sweeping away the Demon Evil Cultivators and the aberrant spirits and ghosts greatly alleviated the burden on the State of South Observance. It opened up a large number of beautiful cultivation sites and resources, all of which were tangible benefits.

Therefore, the Righteous Alliance grew from just over ten Mahayana cultivators at the beginning to several dozens of True Immortals and hundreds of Integration cultivators now. Many joined the alliance only loosely associated with Wuzhuang, drawn purely by interests, eager to share in the spoils.

Their intentions were impure!

But as long as the methods were correct and the outcomes were as intended, Xu Yang was unconcerned with their inner thoughts.

Not to mention, he was the biggest winner of this "Righteous Alliance."

His formation of the Righteous Alliance served two purposes: he sought the greater good and resources for spirit objects.

Both aimed at paving the way for the Ascension of the Wandao School and laying the groundwork for future plans.

Now that the greater good had been secured and the momentum had built, sweeping away hundreds of evil Mahayana paths and the lairs of Demons and ghosts, the gains were substantial.

The number of Spirit Stones reached the billions; countless treasures were collected, along with various mines, land properties, and the high-order Spiritual Objects, Divine Power Mana Points, and rare treasures hoarded by those old demon cultivators.

In summary, the spoils from these two hundred years of cleansing could easily enable Wandao School to quickly construct several Top-Grade Immortal Spirit Mech Armors made from Myriad Device-Level Magical Treasures upon their Ascension.

Thus, there is some truth to the saying that crime pays well, provided one has enough strength and the right environment; plundering can indeed be a quick path to wealth.

And that was after he had shared the wealth, satisfying everyone involved.

If he had been greedier, taking a larger share, his gains could have even increased by another thirty percent.

But there was no need. Although benefits are important, they must not be compromised. This Righteous Alliance would be the first step for Wandao School in setting roots in the Immortal Realm of South Observance – of utmost importance, not to be sacrificed for small gains.

Therefore, Xu Yang distributed the spoils with utmost fairness, leaving everyone content. Even with any dissent, there was no reasonable ground to stand on.

Only then could such a grand occasion be possible!

"Fellow Daoists, cheers!"

"Brother Dao, cheers!"

"Senior, drink at leisure!"

"Great Immortal, you are most generous!"

Xu Yang raised his cup, and the cultivators joined the toast, the festive atmosphere intensifying.

Pure Jun Sword Lord was particularly spirited, strumming his sword to sing, dancing among the guests, causing continuous applause.

Xu Yang, from his seat, watched with a smile.

At present, the affairs of South Observance were not yet completed, and the gathering of the crowd in the temple was not to celebrate prematurely, but to rest and recuperate.