Chapter 494 - 451: The Situation

Chapter 494: Chapter 451: The Situation

"Fellow Daoist, now that you have formed an Immortal Golden Core, that should be more than enough to justify returning to the Sect, don’t you think?"

Xu Changqing asked slowly, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Chu Mu discreetly gauged Xu Changqing’s cultivation. He was at Foundation Establishment Perfection, and based on the passage of time, he had likely been at this level for a good while.

Given his status in the Longevity Sect, it was impossible that the Sect would short him, a True Disciple, on cultivation resources. Moreover, his father, a Sword Dao Nascent Soul, would certainly never deprive his only bloodline of the resources needed for cultivation.

To suggest that the Xu Changqing before him lacked the Spiritual Objects to aid in Core Formation would be utterly absurd.

Chu Mu’s eyes shifted. After a moment of thought, his mind returned to Xu Changqing’s question.

Of course, he knew exactly what Xu Changqing was implying.

After all, the fundamental reason he was unwilling to join a Sect or any other power was that he refused to be ordered around.

This was true for basically any Loose Cultivator who could have joined a faction and enjoyed its generous treatment, but chose not to.

Xu Changqing was clearly implying that now that Chu Mu had reached the Golden Core realm, even if he returned to the Longevity Sect, he would be a lofty figure.

As his thoughts turned, Chu Mu suddenly smiled. "Fellow Daoist, don’t you think the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World is a better fit for me?"

Xu Changqing was taken aback, and a peculiar look crossed his tense features. He spoke slowly, "With your cultivation and abilities, the Cultivation Immortal Realm is vast. Where could you not roam free and unfettered?"

Chu Mu smiled, not denying the sentiment. But no matter what, the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World was without a doubt a better fit for him.

Setting aside the freedom and lack of restraint...

Take one simple point: in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, a Tier Three Pill Recipe could be obtained for just a few Demon Pills.

But in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, the main ingredient for a Tier Three Pill Recipe would have to be a Spirit Medicine at least seven or eight hundred, or even a thousand, years old. And you would need more than one.

Tier Three Demon Beasts are difficult to kill, but at least they can be found in the Endless Vast Sea. It’s simply a matter of risking your life for the prize.

As for Spirit Medicines, however, the ingredients for any given Pill Recipe are fixed.

Never mind the difficulty of finding a specific Spirit Medicine of such an advanced age—he wouldn’t even know where to start looking.

Even if the Longevity Sect could provide him with a number of leads, for a Pseudo Spirit Root Cultivator like him, who relied almost entirely on elixirs for his cultivation, it would be a drop in the bucket.

At the very least, he had no intention of leaving until he had gathered all the resources he needed for his cultivation.

Chu Mu changed the subject, asking, "How are things in Great Chu these days?"

"Things are going pretty well."

Xu Changqing nodded, produced a Jade Scroll, and handed it to Chu Mu.

"I figured you’d ask about matters related to Great Chu when we met. I’ve compiled some information; it’s all recorded in here."

Chu Mu accepted the Jade Scroll but didn’t read it. He simply put it away into his Storage Ring and abruptly changed the subject. "The Five Poison Child—do you know of him, Fellow Daoist?"

Xu Changqing asked, "Are you referring to the Five Poison True Master?"

"Yes."

Chu Mu nodded.

’He wasn’t particularly familiar with the man. Their acquaintance felt obviously deliberate on the other’s part.’

’He had previously invited me to some kind of secret gathering, but to avoid trouble, I declined, using the repair of a Soldier Puppet as an excuse.’

’Despite that, the man had contacted me several more times, his intentions unclear.’

"The Chen Family’s rule over the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World may seem lax, but in reality, their core methods, both internal and external, are incredibly domineering and harsh."

"This is especially true for cultivators who might achieve Nascent Soul Formation, or for any visiting Nascent Soul Great Powers. As long as they are in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World and reveal a trace of their presence, whether they are outsiders or local Vast Sea cultivators, they will inevitably attract the Chen Family’s close attention..."

"If their intentions are unclear and the Chen Family feels they are a threat, then it’s a case of ’submit and prosper, resist and perish’!"

"Even our Sect has several Golden Core True Masters who were forced by the Chen Family to leave the Vast Sea and travel to distant lands, which is how they ended up joining us..."

At this point, Xu Changqing suddenly looked at Chu Mu. "Fellow Daoist, you established the True Understanding Pavilion here in the Vast Sea. That can be considered laying down your own foundation."

"Given your current cultivation, the Chen Family’s attention on you must be considerable..."

Chu Mu frowned but did not deny it.

’He was, of course, perfectly aware of the situation in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World.’

’On the surface, the Chen Family seemed to be high up in the Cloud Realm, ruling the entire Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World with a hands-off approach.’

’But this rule was tight at the top and loose at the bottom.’

’For mid- and low-tier cultivators, their policy was one of near-total leniency—or perhaps, one of utter indifference.’

’When this leniency was combined with the influence of... bloodline erosion, it created a chaotic environment akin to raising Gu.’

’But for High Tier Cultivators like him, while it looked like a respectful, cooperative relationship, it wasn’t hard to see the "tightness" underneath.’

’In the few short months since his Core Formation, the Chen Family’s Cyan Wood True Master had met with him several times, which then led to this business with repairing the Soldier Puppet.’

’Although the task was to repair the Soldier Puppet, there was no doubt that through it, he was being unwittingly integrated into the Chen Family’s system.’

’Every move he made was under the Chen Family’s surveillance. Within such a system, even his cultivation, skills, and techniques would be laid completely bare.’

’If one could argue his situation was a coincidence, then the other six Loose Cultivator Golden Core Refiners on Celestial Secret Island offered a clear glimpse into this underlying "tightness"!’

’In the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, finding mere Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Cultivators was undoubtedly a simple task.’

"After all, given the current chaos in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, Low Tier Cultivators couldn’t stay away from the various Marketplaces for long; they were essentially under the Chen Family’s control at all times."