The moment they entered the territory of the Xuanling Dao Sect, they could clearly feel the tremendous pressure descending from the sky.
Before such tribulation clouds, even the most powerful cultivators seemed as insignificant as ants, able only to await the fate that would soon befall them.
The cultivators who had initially been flying on magical treasures soon began to struggle after traveling for a while.
It consumed far too much spiritual energy!
Under the pressure of the heavenly tribulation, even the slightest circulation of spiritual energy required two or three times as much energy as usual. At this rate, they would have paid a hefty price before even reaching the Xuanling Dao Sect to seize its resources.
Moreover, they were still a long way from the sect’s main grounds. The closer they got, the stronger the aura of the tribulation clouds became, and the more spiritual energy the higher-level cultivators had to expend.
If this continued, they would either use up all their spirit stones before arriving or have all the spiritual energy in their bodies dissipated. In that case, how could they fight or seize any resources?
At times like this, traveling by flying ship was an excellent choice.
Shu Xin could tell at a glance that most of the cultivators rushing over to join the excitement were amateurs when it came to seizing resources. Eight out of ten had probably been spoiled by their sects.
True professionals knew that when going to someone else’s territory to seize resources, the best way to guard against unexpected circumstances was to take a flying ship. If they did not have one, any flying artifact that did not require their own spiritual energy to operate would do. That way, they could ensure their safety and remain in peak condition to face whatever unknown challenges awaited them.
Thus, those who had brought flying ships with them obediently went to hitch a ride on their own sects’ ships. As for those who had forgotten to bring one, they could only find a way to board someone else’s.
“Ahem.” Shu Xin suddenly coughed lightly. “Little Qing, Little Ru, do you still remember what I trained you to do?”
Cao Ru and Li Qinghe instinctively stood at attention. “Of course.”
Yi Renjie was somewhat bewildered. “What are you two doing, Junior Sisters?”
“Senior Brother, don’t ask. It’s a little embarrassing.” Cao Ru covered her face as she answered. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Yuan Dawei and the others looked as though they were suffering from constipation, but since their Eldest Senior Sister had said so, they had no choice but to comply.
It did not take long for Yi Renjie to understand why his junior brothers and sisters looked so miserable.
Cultivators from top-tier sects such as Xie Xianzhi, Chai Lingxin, and Xiang Peiyao could certainly afford flying ships. Naturally, they had no need to hitch a ride on Shu Xin’s.
The only ones who wanted to board Shu Xin’s ship were disciples from first- and second-rate sects.
They had a certain amount of fame, but they were certainly not as wealthy as the Nine Sects and Ten Schools. It was impossible for them to casually produce a flying ship.
Yet they did not have the nerve to ask for a ride on the sect ships of the Truth-Seeking Dao Sect or the Carefree Dao Sect. That left Shu Xin as their best option.
The Inquiry God Sect had declined after all. If they now had a chance to form a favorable relationship with the sect, they would surely be eager to seize it. Besides, when dealing with those top-tier sects, they would have to humble themselves and act deferentially, which was humiliating. In front of the Inquiry God Sect, however, they had no such concerns.
Anyone who worked a regular job knew that the more elite the platform and the more capable the person, the more approachable they often appeared, using humility to conceal their true selves. Pride was kept hidden in their bones. Those who were merely above average, on the other hand, often wore their arrogance on their faces, fawning over those above them while bullying those beneath them.
The current situation was much the same.
“Fellow Daoist Shu, I am Duan Xifeng of the Sword Armor Sect. The fellow disciples behind me are all cultivators at the Dao Infant stage or above. Since traveling has become inconvenient, I cannot bear to watch them waste so much spiritual energy, so I can only shamelessly ask to borrow your flying ship for a while.”
A richly dressed cultivator flew over to the Inquiry God Sect’s flying ship with a group of fellow disciples and spoke to Shu Xin directly.
“Fellow Daoist Duan, please come in and speak,” Shu Xin immediately agreed. She opened a gap in the ship’s formation and invited them aboard.
Duan Xifeng’s face lit up with delight, and he immediately turned to look at his fellow disciples.
“Senior Brother was right. The Inquiry God Sect is trying to rise again, so they definitely won’t pass up an opportunity to befriend our sect.”
“Exactly. If the Inquiry God Sect hadn’t produced two geniuses in succession, how could it possibly hope to befriend our sect?”
“The Sword Armor Sect is famous throughout the cultivation world. Any cultivator with a functioning brain would know better than to reject us.”
The Sword Armor Sect cultivators all wore delighted expressions. They felt that their sect truly possessed enough influence to make the Inquiry God Sect seek their favor. At the same time, however, they could not help but look down on it a little.
So what if the Inquiry God Sect had produced two geniuses?
In the face of an entire sect’s power, it still had to lower its head obediently.
As the Sword Armor Sect cultivators boarded the Inquiry God Sect’s flying ship, cultivators from several other sects also began to waver.
Was it really that easy?
If the Sword Armor Sect could do it, then their sects could as well.
However, Chai Lingxin and the others quickly sensed what was happening behind them with their divine consciousness.
“The Inquiry God Sect’s gesture is friendly, but somewhat ill-timed,” Chai Lingxin thought to herself.
Everyone who had come here was there to compete for the resources of the Xuanling Dao Sect. Their current harmony existed only because no one had truly begun fighting yet.
Once their interests were at stake, who would care whether the other side had shown them goodwill before?
The Inquiry God Sect should not only have refused to take these people aboard; it should have rejected every cultivator seeking a ride and eliminated some of its competitors in advance.
It was said that Xu Guan of the Inquiry God Sect was a cultivation fanatic. He had rejected overtures from the various sects and clans, yet after all these years, he still had not managed to develop the Inquiry God Sect. Perhaps Shu Xin was like her master—a simple-minded person who knew nothing but cultivation.
Chai Lingxin sighed inwardly, but did not take the initiative to warn her.
Cultivators were, by nature, competitors who fought one another for resources.
The fact that she refrained from sabotaging Shu Xin was already out of respect for a fellow female cultivator of her generation. Naturally, she was even less likely to offer her guidance.
“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Duan.” Shu Xin cupped her hands and smiled.
The Sword Armor Sect was fairly decent. Although its name contained the word “sword,” it was not actually a sect of sword cultivators. Or rather, it had once been one, but as it gradually developed, it had evolved beyond that.
“Many thanks for allowing us to board your ship, Fellow Daoist Shu. You have truly helped us greatly. Once I return to the sect, I will report everything to my master and make sure he knows that the Inquiry God Sect came to our aid.” Duan Xifeng said this with a smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Instead, he looked around at the interior of the flying ship, a trace of greed flashing through his eyes.
“Actually, there are still many empty places on the ship, it’s just that—”
Before Shu Xin could finish speaking, Cao Ru and Li Qinghe immediately grabbed her hands from either side, their faces filled with heartache.
“Senior Sister, what are you talking about? This flying vessel cost a fortune and is packed with spiritual energy. How could we let people ride it for free? Wouldn’t that make the Sword Armor Sect look bad and have everyone saying they freeloaded?” Cao Ru exclaimed in alarm. “Besides, I hear the Sword Armor Sect is immensely wealthy. They must have dozens of flying vessels, so how could they possibly have come without one? They’re obviously just here for a visit.”
“Exactly, Senior Sister. Have you forgotten? Last time, you went out of your way to help that fellow Daoist, and not only did he fail to appreciate it, he even mocked you for being too kind and easy to bully. But the Sword Armor Sect is a reputable orthodox sect. They wouldn’t do something like that.” As Li Qinghe spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at the Sword Armor Sect cultivators. “Master Jiang, you definitely wouldn’t try to take our flying vessel by force, would you?”
“What are the two of you talking about?” Shu Xin said, her face stern. “Who do you think Fellow Daoist Duan is? He and all his fellow disciples have come together—how could they possibly ride our flying vessel without paying? What a disgrace. Hurry up and apologize to Fellow Daoist Duan.”
She then turned to Duan Xifeng with an apologetic smile. “Fellow Daoist Duan, I’m sorry. My two junior sisters are young and have spent their whole lives doing the sect’s accounting, so they’re a little overly particular. You’re broad-minded and won’t hold it against two juniors, will you?”
Duan Xifeng looked somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly said, “Of course not. Actually, I was just about to say that we’re certainly willing to pay spirit stones to ride your sect’s flying vessel.”
The fellow disciples behind Duan Xifeng chimed in one after another.
“Of course. The Sword Armor Sect isn’t the sort of sect that freeloads.”
“True Person Shu, you’re underestimating us.”
“Junior Sisters, you’re being far too suspicious. Do we really look like that kind of scoundrel?”
“Is that so? But this flying vessel cost a fortune, and once you come aboard, it’ll consume spiritual energy even faster.” Cao Ru pretended to be troubled. “Of course, I’m not questioning your sect’s wealth. It’s just that this vessel was extremely expensive to build, and its daily operating costs are astronomical. At the very least, it would have to be this much.”
Cao Ru held up five fingers.
She had no idea how much Senior Sister intended to charge, but Senior Sister would certainly announce the price herself.
“Senior Sister, at that price, we’ll only just cover the flying vessel’s daily wear and tear,” Li Qinghe added. “We’ll actually be operating at a loss.”
“Ah, we’re all orthodox sects, after all. Master always says that we mustn’t embarrass our sect when traveling,” Cao Ru said, smoothly picking up the cue.
“Five hundred spirit stones per person? That seems reasonable.” Duan Xifeng thought about it for a moment and decided the price was quite cheap.
“Fellow Daoist Duan, you’re not joking, are you?” Shu Xin said with a smile. “It’s five thousand spirit stones per person, paid in full upfront. You clearly devote yourself wholeheartedly to cultivation and don’t pay much attention to worldly possessions, haha.”
That “haha” was truly something.
The Sword Spirit practically wanted to crack open a bag of melon seeds and watch the show.
Shu Xin was exceptionally good at this sort of thing.
Once you boarded her ship, did you really think you could get off with your purse still full?
She’d strip you down to your underwear.
Beside them, Yi Renjie was already completely dumbfounded.
What?
These two, working together like that, were his junior sisters?
Were they really the same junior sisters he had watched grow up, the ones who would blush even when speaking to strangers?
The same junior sisters he had once worried might be deceived, to the point that he never dared let them go down the mountain alone?
“Five thousand spirit stones?” Duan Xifeng nearly shouted, “Why don’t you just rob us?”
Even for the finest flying vessel, charging a thousand spirit stones at most would already be outrageous.
“Fellow Daoist Duan, circumstances differ,” Shu Xin said with a beaming smile. “This is the Xuanling Dao Sect, and there’s a heavenly tribulation raging outside. The flying vessel could be struck down by heavenly lightning at any moment. Five thousand spirit stones is genuinely just the cost price.”
“Senior Sister, I think if the Sword Armor Sect finds it too expensive, they can always choose not to ride,” Yuan Dawei seized the opportunity to show off. “It’s just that if they board our flying vessel in full view of everyone, then leave shortly afterward, people who don’t know the truth might assume the Sword Armor Sect did something to offend our sect and was kicked off.”
“Junior Brother, what nonsense are you spouting? This is the Sword Armor Sect,” Qi Feiyang said righteously. “If even they can’t afford to ride, then who can? Besides, who would be so short-sighted as to waste spiritual power before reaching the main sect of the Xuanling Dao Sect? What rare treasures are there not to be found inside the Xuanling Dao Sect?”
“That’s right, that’s right. Senior Brother is absolutely right.” Meng Wenrui had no way to distinguish himself, so he could only echo his senior brothers at random.
Yi Renjie was even more bewildered.
Wait, even the three junior brothers were in on it?
He thought he finally understood how Senior Sister could earn so many spirit stones every time she went out.
Master had simply been too concerned with maintaining his dignity.
This wasn’t charging a fare. This was outright robbery.
If the Sword Armor Sect left the ship with their tails between their legs now, what would happen to their reputation?
“Ah, Fellow Daoist Duan, if you truly find it too expensive, we can still discuss it. I absolutely won’t stop you from leaving,” Shu Xin said with a sigh. “It would just be a pity. The Xuanling Dao Sect is a supreme sect, and there are plenty of resources outside that people would gladly offer piles of spirit stones for, yet still be unable to obtain.”
“I’ll pay!” Duan Xifeng’s face turned green, then white, then red, looking as though a color palette had come to life.
“You’re clearly trying to swindle us!” the Sword Armor Sect cultivators shouted angrily. “Do you really think we’re easy to bully? Once we seize this flying vessel, let’s see if you still dare speak to us like this!”
“Hm? Are you trying to fight me?” Shu Xin snapped her fingers, and two flying swords immediately appeared in the air, their cold edges gleaming.
In the blink of an eye, Shu Xin’s divine sense filled the entire area, pressing down on the Sword Armor Sect cultivators until they could barely breathe.
Duan Xifeng stared at Shu Xin in horror. He was clearly shocked that, despite being in the same Grotto-Heaven realm, the pressure she exerted on him was so overwhelming.
That was right—she seemed to be someone whom even the geniuses of several supreme orthodox sects treated with smiles.
How had he forgotten that simply because she had been so amiable?
“Fellow Daoist Duan, our Asking Gods Sect is a respectable orthodox sect. We don’t engage in robbery and plunder. But if someone tries to seize our flying vessel, then we’ll be acting in legitimate self-defense. What happens next would be hard to say.” Shu Xin answered with a smile.
“Of course not. How could our Sword Armor Sect do such a thing?” Duan Xifeng’s face had gone somewhat pale, but he still forced himself to continue. “It’s just that there are so many of our fellow disciples. Five thousand spirit stones per person is a bit much, and I didn’t bring that many with me.”
There were thirty or forty of them altogether. Who would carry one or two hundred thousand spirit stones around when leaving home?
“Pills and magic artifacts are fine too. We can accept them at a reduced price,” Cao Ru said decisively. “If all else fails, you can write us an IOU. We can always go to the Sword Armor Sect and collect later.”
If they really wrote an IOU, they would have no face left to show anyone.
But if they got off the ship, it seemed they would have no face left either.
For a moment, Duan Xifeng had no idea what to do.
“Actually, there are still quite a few empty seats on our flying vessel,” Shu Xin said, seizing the opportunity. “If Fellow Daoist Duan can bring other cultivators aboard, I’ll give you a commission of two hundred spirit stones for every person you recruit. If you and your fellow disciples work hard enough, you might even make a tidy profit.”
Duan Xifeng’s eyes lit up at once. “Really?”
“Of course!” Shu Xin replied firmly.
“Very well, I agree.” Duan Xifeng had been worrying over their predicament, but now it seemed that a way out had suddenly appeared.
The main issue was that they couldn’t win a fight, and getting off the vessel would probably be even more humiliating. They might as well agree to Shu Xin’s proposal.
If they had to drag others down with them, then at least it wouldn’t look as though their sect alone had been tricked and made fools of.
The flying vessel belonging to the Asking Gods Sect was enormous. It could easily accommodate at least a thousand cultivators.
If they managed to fill every seat, not only would the brothers be able to ride for free, they might even make a little money on top of that.
After Shu Xin and the cultivators of the Sword Armor Sect finalized their contract and collected the fifty thousand spirit stones they had paid as a deposit, Duan Xifeng immediately called over several trusted fellow disciples who were good speakers. They planned to go out and trick—no, invite—their acquaintances aboard the flying vessel.
Flying on their own would waste far too much spiritual energy.
They were about to head to the Profound Spirit Dao Sect and make a fortune. Conserving their cultivation and maintaining their condition was what mattered most.
Five thousand spirit stones—what a worthwhile expense!
Yi Renjie no longer wanted to say anything.
Sure enough, none of the spirit stones Senior Sister had earned in the past had come through entirely honest means!
But the money really did come in far too quickly.
For a while, Yi Renjie’s conscience and sense of justice struggled fiercely within him.
However, after one deceived cultivator after another boarded the vessel, and Shu Xin had made a fortune before distributing several thousand spirit stones to Yi Renjie and the others as “pocket money,” Yi Renjie no longer had the slightest objection.
This was simply Senior Sister’s way of making money.
She hadn’t held a sword to anyone’s neck and forced them to hand over their money. They had boarded willingly. What did any of this have to do with Senior Sister?
The flying vessel traveled for more than half a year.
By then, it was packed with cultivators from all kinds of sects.
Naturally, there were also sects whose cultivators wanted to resist.
Shu Xin, however, came up with a “reporting and reward system.” Anyone who reported cultivators harboring malicious intentions would immediately receive a thousand spirit stones. At the same time, she secretly gave a few spirit stones to the cultivators who caused the biggest disturbances.
After dividing them against one another in this way, they could no longer stir up trouble.
And to Shu Xin, it was merely a minor expense. Compared to her earnings, it was nothing at all.
When the tribulation clouds in the sky grew larger and larger, and the pressure they exuded became increasingly oppressive, all the flying vessels came to a halt.
If they continued forward, they would be drawn into the tribulation clouds. By then, the vessels would be destroyed and everyone aboard would die.
Meanwhile, the cultivators of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect had densely surrounded the main sect headquarters. Countless formations had also been activated, and they were fully prepared to face these outsiders.
Neither side made a move.
For a time, the entire scene fell silent.
At the very center of the tribulation clouds, countless bolts of heavenly lightning rained down.
As for the place where the Mahayana Ancestor had secluded himself, he was presumably still enduring the trial of the Three Winds and Four Fires.
All the cultivators aboard the flying vessels were waiting.
Waiting for the final outcome of the Mahayana cultivator.
The two completely different entrances, along with the remote paths, were packed with cultivators from various sects.
Everyone gazed at the heavenly tribulation, which seemed capable of destroying everything, their hearts filled with indescribable and conflicting emotions.
Shu Xin, however, was nothing but delighted.
“What do you think? Should I take my junior brothers and sisters straight back home? The fees we’ve collected for these seats are already about equal to what we could gain by raiding the Profound Spirit Dao Sect,” Shu Xin said, unable to resist voicing the thought.
【Have some ambition,】the Sword Spirit said irritably. 【Quite a few Formless-Realm cultivators are following us in secret.】
【There may be a lot of spirit stones here, but if you want to break through to the Formless Realm, you’ll have to spend at least most of them. You don’t need much time to temper your state of mind and pass the trial of the Three Winds and Four Fires. You only need to absorb spiritual energy and keep piling up your cultivation.】
If she wanted to save time, she had to spend a massive amount of spirit stones.
Ordinary cultivators would have to stop and rest after absorbing too much spiritual energy, then spend even more time tempering their Dao hearts.
Shu Xin, however, had no such worries.
She accumulated spirit stones all year round partly because she was preparing for her own breakthrough.
After all, Shu Xin was simply incapable of sitting still. Asking her to seclude herself for decades would be tantamount to torture. When it came to cultivating in solitude, she would much rather earn as many spirit stones as possible and use them to increase her cultivation directly.
The fact that her cultivation had continued to improve despite spending all these years on such “unorthodox” pursuits had a great deal to do with her talent for making money.
“Still, I find it rather tragic,” Shu Xin said, unusually speaking with some humanity. “A Mahayana cultivator is a legendary figure in his own right. When he was young, he must have been the most outstanding genius of his era, perhaps of the past thousand years, to have successfully reached the Mahayana Realm. Yet when someone like that nears the end of his lifespan, and the Earthly Immortals above him refuse to step aside, all he can do is wait for death. Now, everyone is hoping that he’ll die, and that his sect will decline along with him. Under such immense pressure, how could he possibly pass the trial of the Three Winds and Four Fires?”
【Are you feeling sorry for him?】the Sword Spirit asked.
“No. I’m merely taking this as a warning,” Shu Xin replied. “What lesson does this teach us? Never put all your eggs in one basket. No matter how high your cultivation, you may still fall one day. If the Profound Spirit Dao Sect had remained vigilant and made preparations in advance, how could it have ended up in its current state?”
In the end, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.
No matter what kind of peerless genius you were, no matter how proudly you stood above the masses—
when the time came to die, no one could escape.
Within the Profound Spirit Dao Sect.
An old cultivator with white hair and a weathered face looked utterly dejected. Spiritual energy was leaking uncontrollably from his body.
He had failed to withstand the burning of the Fire of Fame and Profit.
Naturally, he could not withstand the baptism of heavenly tribulation either.
As bolt after bolt of heavenly lightning descended, he slowly walked out of his cave abode.
“Ancestor.”
“Greetings, Ancestor!”
…
The sect master and elders of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect had been waiting outside for a long time. When they saw their Ancestor emerge from seclusion, they were overjoyed.
Perhaps there was still a chance?
“Ancestor, we’ve also prepared a body for you to possess. We can try once more,” the sect master of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect said, his gaze burning with determination.
“I have already failed.” The Mahayana Ancestor forced out a bitter smile. “Why should Junior Brother continue presiding over the formation? Even if I die, he won’t be spared.”
“Why are you speaking such discouraging words, Ancestor?” the sect master of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect snapped angrily. “Do you expect us to surrender and hand over the foundation built over ten thousand years?”
“There is one final method.”
“Please tell us, Ancestor!”
“You’re in the Wugou Realm too.” The Mahayana Ancestor stared intently at the Sect Master of the Xuanling Dao Sect. “I’ll use the last of my strength to hold back the Wugou Realm cultivator who followed us here in secret. If you can seize this opportunity to break through to the Mahayana stage, then our Xuanling Dao Sect will have two Mahayana cultivators once more. We’ll be able to use the sect’s divine art to stand against the Land Immortal—and the Xuanling Dao Sect may yet be saved!”
The Sect Master of the Xuanling Dao Sect said nothing. He merely lowered his head.
“That’s right. You don’t dare.” The Mahayana Ancestor let out a bitter laugh. “Then run. Do your best to survive in the world to come.”
With that, he soared into the sky, his final words echoing throughout the cultivation world.
“As long as Mahayana cultivators do not die, those in the Wugou Realm will never advance beyond it.”
“If the Land Immortal does not die, then I will be the fate of every Mahayana cultivator!”
Thus began the Age of Strife.
Author: I do work that comes quickly but pays very little.
