Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 196: Appearing in Succession
"So that’s how it is..."
Hearing Nangong City’s explanation, Shen Changchuan had a moment of realization.
It wasn’t hard to understand.
It was just like an ancient feudal Imperial Dynasty instinctively and continuously weakening the martial power of its populace to facilitate its rule—or rather, to ensure its reign would last for millennia.
He was well aware
that the Tian Nan Shen Clan, as a Major Immortal Cultivation Clan
and the overlord of a territory spanning tens of thousands of miles, would naturally not want too many Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators to appear among their subordinates.
First, an increase in Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators would cause a shortage of Immortal Cultivation Resources.
Moreover, as the number of Soul Emergence cultivators grew,
so too would the chances of one of them opening a Purple Mansion and reaching the Divine Travel Realm.
If a Divine Travel Realm expert truly emerged,
it would absolutely be a huge problem for the Shen Family!
Therefore, Shen Changchuan was certain
that the Shen Family was most likely using some secret method to manipulate the situation and strictly control the supply of Soul Emergence Pills.
Perhaps they would occasionally let one or two pills slip into the black market, dangling a sliver of hope for outside Cultivators while conveniently gathering Immortal Cultivation Resources...
But on the open market, Soul Emergence Pills were bound to be extremely scarce.
So much so that even a group like the Wu Family found it difficult to obtain a single one.
One of the reasons so many Cultivators initially believed the Wu Family might control a secret source of Cyan Essence Water Grass was because Patriarch Wu, Wu Yuanzhi, had advanced to the Soul Emergence Realm on his own, without a Soul Emergence Pill...
Moreover,
the Tian Nan Shen Clan was surely not the only one doing this.
The other major powers in the vicinity, which, like the Shen Family, were presided over by experts of the Purple Mansion or Divine Travel Realm, must all have a tacit understanding to control the outflow of Soul Emergence Pills.
The scarcity of Alchemist lineages might even be related to this...
From individuals
to societies and even nations,
the beneficiary class will instinctively band together, build up barriers to entry, and prevent newcomers from rising up to compete with them for resources.
Individuals don’t want newcomers to take the jobs they live on.
Noble families don’t want newcomers to rise up and compete with them for status and power.
Nations don’t want developing countries to vie for their interests...
This is human nature for the vast majority.
In his past life, even after entering the age of modern industrial civilization, where the standard of living far surpassed the prosperity of feudal times, humanity had never escaped this instinct rooted deep in its nature.
In this world where great power belonged to the individual, a world of an even more naked law of the jungle, it was all the more true.
In fact, because High Tier Immortal Cultivators in this world possessed an absolutely overwhelming power over Low Tier Immortal Cultivators,
the barriers they established
were far more solid than those in the modern civilized world of his past life. The hope of breaking through them was almost nonexistent...
’But if that’s the case, what am I going to do about the Soul Emergence Pill I need for my advancement?’
’If I go back to the clan to exchange for one, wouldn’t that be telling that Grand Madam loud and clear that I’ve already reached the Ninth Layer Peak Realm?’
At this thought,
Shen Changchuan’s expression turned a little grim.
It seemed that the possibility of obtaining a Soul Emergence Pill from the outside world was practically zero.
His only option was to go through the Shen Family’s internal channels.
But if he went through internal channels, he would almost certainly be unable to avoid the Grand Madam... The Grand Madam wasn’t in charge of the clan’s treasury; the various clan Elders would never place the foundation of the family in the hands of a mere outsider.
But if he applied to purchase one, his request would definitely not escape her notice...
For a moment,
Shen Changchuan’s heart was filled with anxiety.
After a long while,
he finally let out a sigh.
’Forget it.’
’I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’
’I should focus on reaching the Ninth Layer Peak first.’
’The future can wait.’
’Who knows, maybe that so-called brother of mine, Shen Chong, will soar to prominence, come back to clean up the household, and cause the Grand Madam to drop dead?’
’Anything’s possible, right?’
’The world is always changing. There’s no need to waste too much energy on things that haven’t happened yet.’
Thinking this,
Shen Changchuan felt a great deal of his anxiety lift.
"Enough about that. By the way, Brother Nangong, what are you doing here?"
Shen Changchuan asked offhandedly as he inspected the Storage Bags of the black-robed men.
"Ah, it’s a bit of a long story. You remember how we suspected the Wu Family’s source of Cyan Essence Water Grass might be in an underground cavern? Well, after we parted ways, I thought about it and decided to go back in to investigate..."
"Unexpectedly, I discovered a clue about Demon Cultivators. I followed the trail and stumbled upon their lair here... I just never imagined their base would be so close, right underneath the Wu Family Collection..."
As he spoke,
Nangong City glanced toward the massive chasm below and remarked with some emotion.
Far down in the abyssal fissure he was looking at, one could faintly see,
deep within the fractured limestone caves, that an underground cavern had been torn in half, exposing traces of human activity on both sides of the chasm.
"Then came the sudden cataclysm. The ground split open, and I was forced out of hiding. Just then, the strange pillar of light that had risen from the Wu Family Collection shattered, and a white light fell into their hands. I happened to recognize it as the Spiritual Peach born from the Wu Family’s Spirit Root..."
"I see..."
Shen Changchuan understood now.
No wonder Nangong City was able to pinpoint this location so quickly and catch up to this last black-robed man.
This was their secret base.
’But... if Brother Nangong isn’t mistaken, and these are truly Demon Cultivators from the Nanyue Kingdom,’
’why were they able to set up their base here?’
’Could the Wu Family, being so close, have been completely unaware?’
’That should be impossible!’
’But if that’s the case, could the Wu Family be in collusion with the Demon Cultivators of the Nanyue Kingdom?’
’That can’t be right.’
’After all, the Wu Family’s prodigy, Wu Tianhao, joined the Yuqing Immortal Sect...’
For a moment,
a multitude of doubts flashed through Shen Changchuan’s mind.
But clearly, there were no easy answers.
He raised his head,
his gaze sweeping over the flat horizon to the sunken crater more than ten li away.
He could faintly make out the star-like flashes of light twinkling in the sky above it—
the experts of the Soul Emergence Realm were in the midst of a fierce battle.
Shen Changchuan fell silent for a moment.
’Unbeknownst to me,’
’a lot must have been happening in the shadows...’
’Forget it.’
’Why should I care so much?’
’Getting a Spiritual Peach was already an unexpected windfall.’
’Any greater upheavals or Heavenly and Earthly Treasures have nothing to do with me.’
’If not for this accident,’
’I would never have come here in the first place.’
’I shouldn’t get too greedy...’
’Right now, the Soul Emergence Realm powerhouses are fighting. Who knows when they might go on a killing spree.’
’Danger could strike at any moment.’
’It’s best to run first.’
"Brother Nangong, I’m planning to leave. What about you? Your next move is..."
Shen Changchuan was just about to bid farewell to Nangong City and escape the massive whirlpool he found himself in.
But at that very moment,
BOOM!!!
A terrifying, vigorous, and dark aura, brimming with evil and negativity,
suddenly surged up from the great fissure in the earth below,
sweeping across the land like a torrent!
In that instant, Shen Changchuan and Nangong City felt as if they had been plunged into a cavern of ice, their bodies almost completely frozen in place!
