Chapter 1012: Foundations

"You have quite the audacity, actually possessing this junior's body. Could it be that you intend to perform some demonic art?" Meng Zhang deliberately shouted aloud.

Hearing Meng Zhang's loud questioning, Sun Pengzhi grew even more agitated. He tried to struggle but remained immobilized. He wanted to explain, but couldn't utter a word.

The palace-clad woman cast a pitying glance at Sun Pengzhi and softly said, "Don't be agitated. True Monarch Meng is joking. He is a reasonable person and has no ill intentions."

Although Meng Zhang didn't know the history between this woman and Sun Pengzhi, he was aware that Sun Pengzhi had willingly allowed her to possess him.

Past matters aside, the current Sun Pengzhi was at least a Gold Core Daoist Master, possessing the necessary means.

Although this remnant spirit had a lofty origin, her combat strength couldn't possibly be strong; she couldn't contend with even a Gold Core Daoist Master.

If Sun Pengzhi wished, he could expel this remnant spirit completely or even defeat her.

Meng Zhang's deliberate loud questioning aimed not only to startle the woman but also to probe the dynamic between them.

In his previous examination, Meng Zhang found no hidden hazards within Sun Pengzhi's body, nor any sort of prohibition in place.

Regarding the relationship between the two, Meng Zhang had a rough idea.

Realizing that they had reached this point, the palace-clad woman understood that if she didn't reveal her background, she wouldn't fare well today.

Thus, she began to slowly recount her story to Meng Zhang.

As it turned out, this woman's name was Shang Yuxia. Back in the day, she was not only a Primordial Spirit True Monarch but also a member of the prominent Shang Family within the Grand Commerce Alliance.

In families like the Shang Family, internal conflicts were naturally fierce.

Within such grand families, there wasn't much emphasis on blood ties among members; calculation and competition were more prevalent.

Even though Shang Yuxia had achieved the status of a Primordial Spirit, which made her a prominent figure in the family, she couldn't avoid being entangled in the family's internal struggles.

In the end, after an incident over a hundred years ago, Shang Yuxia's physical body was slain, her Primordial Spirit severely wounded, leaving only a remnant spirit that managed to escape.

Given Shang Yuxia's condition at the time, she had lost any chance of reshaping her body or taking the path of the Ghost Deity.

Bound by intense obsessions, she was unwilling to enter the Netherworld for the cycle of reincarnation.

Through a fortuitous opportunity, this remnant spirit of Shang Yuxia had attached itself to the teenage Sun Pengzhi's body.Over these hundred-plus years, Shang Yuxia and Sun Pengzhi supported each other and relied on one another.

Although Shang Yuxia was only a remnant spirit, the insights and experiences of a Primordial Spirit True Monarch were still with her.

Especially for a Primordial Spirit cultivator from a prestigious family like hers, she excelled in many aspects beyond the average Primordial Spirit True Monarch. ＲΑꞐổＢĚŞ

While Sun Sheng held a position within the Dali Dynasty's military, he couldn't be considered part of the direct lineage and thus didn't receive the full support of the military's higher echelons.

His primary advantage over loose cultivators lay in the fact that the Dali Dynasty placed the highest emphasis on military achievements, with clear rewards and punishments.

As long as he continued to accumulate military achievements, he could exchange them for everything he needed using military merit points.

Be it cultivation scriptures, guidance from esteemed masters, or various cultivation resources, all could be obtained through these merit points.

A cultivator with the background of a prestigious family like Shang Yuxia had conditions countless times better than others.

What others might need to exchange their lives for was easily attainable in her eyes.

Thanks to the systematic heritage of the grand family, she was superior to Sun Sheng in various aspects.

With such a Primordial Spirit True Monarch guiding him, the benefits were naturally substantial.

Sun Pengzhi's cultivation speed and accumulation of Dao foundations were outstanding for a cultivator of his age.

Although Shang Yuxia seemed to openly share all about herself and Sun Pengzhi, she still held back quite a bit.

At least, she didn't elaborate on the specific circumstances of her past victimization but rather glossed over it briefly.

Of course, Meng Zhang wasn't too interested in the melodramatic feuds and conflicts within grand families.

What truly piqued his interest was whether Sun Pengzhi's strategic prowess was inherent to him or acquired through Shang Yuxia's guidance.

Shang Yuxia readily provided an answer to Meng Zhang's question.

When she was part of the Shang Family, she was known for her strategic thinking and had participated in formulating numerous family plans.

After attaching herself to Sun Pengzhi, she discovered his profound interest in various strategic aspects.

For cultivators, focusing solely on their own Cultivation Base was the right path, while skills involving manipulation and scheming were considered secondary.

However, the Cultivation World was far from a pure land; it was filled with various kinds of conflicts.

From the lowest echelons to the highest tiers of the Cultivation World, strife was incessant.Even the Holy Land Sects can't avoid various internal conflicts.

Originally, Shang Yuxia intended for Sun Pengzhi to focus solely on cultivation. However, after he displayed the potential to become a strategist, she provided him with considerable support.

A strategist of a sect holds a high status within the sect and has access to abundant resources.

If Sun Pengzhi could become a strategist for a certain sect, it would not only benefit him greatly but also aid Shang Yuxia in executing certain plans.

After all these years, Shang Yuxia still couldn't let go of her past experiences and harbored a deep sense of hatred.

Coming from the Shang Family, Shang Yuxia was highly familiar with the Grand Commerce Alliance, as well as various aspects of the entire Dali Dynasty.

Her broad knowledge and rich experience made her a mentor to Sun Pengzhi.

Sun Pengzhi possessed exceptional innate talent and received guidance and instructions from Shang Yuxia, acting as a mentor.

Nowadays, he had begun to show the demeanor of a strategist, although still a bit inexperienced.

He had several successful experiences in providing counsel and advice to others, even though his initial strategies might have had some flaws. With Shang Yuxia attached to him, she promptly rectified and supplemented any deficiencies.

Since he aspired to become a strategist, it would be best to have a cultivation power to rely on in order to fully leverage his strengths.

Sun Pengzhi persuaded Sun Sheng to voluntarily join Meng Zhang's side, a move heavily pushed by Shang Yuxia.

After careful analysis, Shang Yuxia meticulously selected the object of Sun Pengzhi's allegiance.

Cultivation families tied by blood relationships generally mistrusted outsiders and rarely chose them as strategists.

Cultivation sects within the Dali Dynasty had been suppressed for many years and generally lacked significant strength and prospects.

As for the Dali Dynasty itself, it was never lacking in strategists and mostly didn't hold Sun Pengzhi, a semi-proficient individual, in high regard.

Back in the day, as a high-ranking member of the Shang Family, Shang Yuxia naturally had a deep understanding of Taiyi Sect, a faction opposing the Shang Family.

Originating from Jiuqu Province, Taiyi Sect had a long and storied history, possessing a profound foundation and considerable potential for development.

More importantly, Taiyi Sect was currently on the rise, exhibiting a trend of continuous growth throughout the entire sect.

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