Chapter 575: Wang Changxue's Recent Situation

Wang Tianfu was very envious of these Wang family cultivators, who were all younger than him and had at least reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

"Please inform Fellow Daoist Guang that I have come to visit," Wang Changsheng instructed calmly.

Li Yi dared not delay. He took out his communication disk and sent a message to the sect leader.

Wang Tianfu's eyes darted around. After a moment of hesitation, he mustered his courage and flew in front of Wang Changsheng. He bowed deeply and said, "Wang Tianfu greets Great-Grand Uncle. My great-grandfather was Wang Minglong."

With Li Ruyue becoming the new sect leader of the Hundred Spirits Sect, a new regime was in place. Disciples who were close to Su Cheng faced a certain degree of suppression. Wang Tianfu had previously held a lucrative position, responsible for accompanying Foundation Establishment cultivators on procurement trips, which brought him many advantages and many people seeking his favor.

As soon as the new sect leader took office, she immediately reassigned him to patrol the mountain gate, which had left him simmering with frustration. His ancestors were from the Wang family of Green Lotus. Since the Wang family only had one Core Formation cultivator, the only one a Foundation Establishment cultivator would address as "senior" was naturally Wang Changsheng.

By seniority, Wang Tianfu was correct in addressing him as Great-Grand Uncle.

Wang Changsheng was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected to meet a descendant of Wang Minglong here. Wang Minglong had never reached Foundation Establishment and had passed away long ago.

He already knew that the Hundred Spirits Sect had a new sect leader, and that new regimes bring new policies. He hadn't expected Wang Tianfu to be implicated and assigned to patrol the mountain gate.

Wang Tianfu had grown up in the Hundred Spirits Sect and felt little belonging to his family. Such clan members were not eligible for family stipends and, strictly speaking, were not considered true members of the Wang family.

"A descendant of Uncle Minglong! How thoughtful of you," Wang Changsheng said, nodding. The internal affairs of the Hundred Spirits Sect were not his concern, but Wang Tianfu's greeting would surely reach Li Ruyue's ears. As long as Li Ruyue wasn't foolish, she would undoubtedly assign Wang Tianfu to a better post. Wang Tianfu was clearly leveraging this opportunity. Out of respect for Wang Minglong, Wang Changsheng decided not to dwell on it, though Wang Tianfu's demotion to mountain patrol suggested Su Cheng's own situation might not be much better.

Witnessing this, the other Hundred Spirits Sect disciples' faces all showed envy. They were unaware that Wang Tianfu's ancestors hailed from Green Lotus Villa, as he had never widely publicized it.

"Junior Sister Li, please quickly invite Senior Wang inside. Uncle-Master Guang is waiting for him in the meeting hall," a clear, bell-like female voice rang out from Li Yi's communication disk.

Li Yi put away his communication disk, gestured welcomingly, and respectfully said, "Senior Wang, Uncle-Master Guang requests your presence. The rest of you may continue your patrol."

Wang Changsheng and his companions followed Li Yi, flying towards the depths of the Hundred Spirits Mountain Range.

A short while later, Wang Changsheng arrived at the entrance of the meeting hall, while Li Yi was busy settling the accompanying Wang family cultivators.

Inside the hall, Guangdong Ren and Ye Tong were chatting. Ye Tong had cultivated to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, and according to Guangdong Ren's original plan, he was supposed to attempt Core Formation only after Su Cheng had made his attempt.

While cultivating at his residence, Ye Tong unexpectedly had an epiphany. Such insights are profound and elusive; some cultivators, like Su Cheng, might seclude themselves for over a decade without any breakthrough. Yet, Ye Tong achieved enlightenment after just a few years of cultivation in his dwelling, which meant he could now consume spiritual elixirs to attempt Core Formation.

He was already over 140 years old at the time, and abandoning this opportunity meant an uncertain wait for the next epiphany. He had also acquired a low-grade third-tier defensive array talisman in his early years, along with more than a dozen defensive artifacts.

After much deliberation, Ye Tong decided to consume the Core Formation spiritual materials and attempt the breakthrough. He never imagined that he and Su Cheng would simultaneously trigger a minor lightning tribulation. At that critical moment, Guangdong Ren intervened to help Ye Tong achieve Core Formation, which unfortunately led to Su Cheng's failure.

To be honest, Ye Tong initially felt a twinge of guilt upon achieving Core Formation, but as time passed, that trace of regret vanished completely. After all, the victor writes the history.

While Guangdong Ren's assistance allowed Ye Tong to successfully transcend the tribulation and enter the Core Formation stage, it left a lasting drawback. Ye Tong failed to absorb the Heaven and Earth feedback after the tribulation, resulting in true essence inferior to cultivators of the same rank. He would require decades of recuperation, and in combat, his strength would likewise fall short of his peers.

Due to this disadvantage, disciples from major sects typically rely on external aids like formations, magical artifacts, proto-magic treasures, and talismans to withstand the lightning tribulation when attempting Core Formation. This method allows them to absorb the Heaven and Earth feedback, resulting in far greater strength compared to Core Formation cultivators who rely on the protection of higher-level cultivators.

Major sects possess abundant cultivation resources and numerous talented disciples. The Hundred Spirits Sect, however, is a minor sect, and it's not easy for them to cultivate a Foundation Establishment cultivator to the ninth level. A slight difference in strength is acceptable; merely reaching the Core Formation stage means they can protect the Hundred Spirits Sect for several centuries.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, it's been many years. Your cultivation has progressed considerably!" Guangdong Ren said with a smile, gesturing towards Ye Tong. "You should also know Junior Brother Ye."

Wang Changsheng smiled and nodded. He then took out a green jade box, handed it to Ye Tong, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Ye, this is a small token of my esteem. Congratulations on reaching the Core Formation stage."

The jade box contained a seven-liang piece of silver essence, valued at tens of thousands of spirit stones, making it a substantial gift.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, you are too kind. Thank you," Ye Tong said with a slight smile, accepting the green jade box.

After a few brief pleasantries, Wang Changsheng got straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Guang, Fellow Daoist Ye, have you heard about the situation with the Spirit Control Sect and the Heavenly Soldiers Sect? The Spirit Control Sect is currently struggling on its own. What are your thoughts on us uniting to resist the Heavenly Soldiers Sect?"

Guangdong Ren nodded with a smile. "Junior Brother Ye and I were just discussing this. The Spirit Control Sect is holding a Spirit Control Convention, which presents an opportunity for us to discuss cooperation. With only one Core Formation cultivator remaining, the Spirit Control Sect shouldn't monopolize so much territory. They should make some appropriate concessions; after all, we can't simply exert ourselves for nothing!"

The Spirit Control Sect controlled a considerable amount of territory and had cultivated many spirit beasts and insects. Naturally, neither the Hundred Spirits Sect nor the Wang family would offer assistance without compensation.

Wang Changsheng nodded in agreement. His primary interest was acquiring techniques for cultivating spirit beasts and insects, and obtaining some territory would be ideal. However, he also knew not to demand too much, lest he provoke the Spirit Control Sect and force them into an alliance with the Heavenly Soldiers Sect.

The three then discussed specific strategies. It was decided that Ye Tong and Wang Changsheng would go together to the Spirit Control Sect to negotiate with their Core Formation cultivator.

"Then it's settled," Wang Changsheng concluded. "We'll depart tomorrow. Fellow Daoist Guang, Fellow Daoist Ye, could you perhaps send someone to take me to see my second sister and brother-in-law?"

"Of course, it's a minor matter," Guangdong Ren replied. He then called over a disciple and instructed him to take Wang Changsheng to Su Cheng and his wife's residence.

A short while later, Wang Changsheng arrived outside a secluded mountain valley. The valley was enveloped in a layer of white mist, obscuring the spiritual energy fluctuations within.

The valley's location was somewhat remote, and its spiritual energy was not particularly abundant.

Wang Changsheng frowned. Even if Su Cheng failed Core Formation, there was no need to make him live in such a place! Wasn't this disheartening?

He tossed a sound transmission talisman into the valley. Not long after, Su Cheng and Wang Changxue emerged.

Wang Changxue was clearly pregnant, with a visibly rounded belly.

Wang Changsheng noticed they were holding hands, and Wang Changxue's face held a deep smile. They seemed much more affectionate than before.

After Su Cheng's failed Core Formation attempt, he voluntarily resigned as sect leader and moved to a different residence with Wang Changxue. Wang Changxue stayed by his side, comforting him, which slowly helped Su Cheng emerge from the shadow of his failure.

He now had no desire to manage affairs. Though Li Ruyue had offered him an important position, Su Cheng had declined it. For him, a simple life was true happiness; he no longer wished to be involved in the sect's management. He preferred to grow old with Wang Changxue, far away from all the conflicts and intrigues.