Recruit black physique to start practice in wasteland

Chapter 2399 lobbying
Without a doubt, no one below the Golden Core stage can stay in this secret realm for long.

The tall, thin cultivator who suddenly appeared looked as if a gentle breeze could knock him over.

He was dressed in a very simple half-length hemp cloth shirt and a pair of hemp shoes.

His forearms and calves were exposed, with bulging veins and bony frame, making him look extremely destitute.

However, none of the four people, including Qu Jianlei, would underestimate him. Anyone who could appear in this forbidden area must be quite capable.

Even if we disregard the fact that the Forgotten Peninsula is currently sealed off, the fact that he appeared without any warning is no less impressive than the Great Protector who has undergone butterfly transformation.

Immediately afterward, the Great Protector actually spoke up, sounding somewhat impatient, "Baiqiao, are you... watching me?"

So this is a clone of the Hundred Bridges True Venerable. It's probably because the cost of leaving the body and descending to the mortal realm is too high, so he sent a Nascent Soul clone.

"Great Venerable Qingkong, have you had enough fun?" The tall, thin cultivator spoke up, his voice a little hoarse, tinged with helplessness, making him appear even more dejected.

"The outside world is in complete chaos, and you really manage to stay calm."

"What are you saying?" True Venerable Qingkong was even more displeased. "Isn't this an attempt to expand cooperation with Fellow Daoist Hanli?"

The tall, thin cultivator spoke in a low voice, "There are rumors that you plotted against Han Li, hoping to monopolize the resources."

"Huh?" The handsome young man snorted lightly, somewhat surprised and even more dissatisfied—he dared to plot against me?

"Are you the kind of person who just parrots what others say?" The Great Protector was even more displeased. "Or have you lost your ability to divine?"

"I'm divining about you two... Am I crazy?" Baiqiao retorted. "But I believe that the Great Protector will definitely think of the sect's best interests."

"I hate your sarcastic tone," Qingkong Zhenzun said with a hint of helplessness. "Can't we have a normal conversation?"

The Great Protector holds a transcendent position within the sect, but must still maintain sufficient respect for the True Venerable One who is in charge.

There's no other way. If he bullies people because of his high status, he might end up in charge.

What normal Nascent Soul Immortal would enjoy being surrounded by trivial matters every day?

"I was just having a normal conversation," Baiqiao Zhenzun still seemed a little unhappy. "Didn't I come down from the upper realm specifically for this purpose?"

Qingkong Zhenzun remained silent. It was indeed not easy for a Celestial Venerable to come to Cangwu, especially for a Grand Venerable from Lingyun, who was also bound by karma.

Baiqiao did come here with some resentment, but he didn't believe the rumors outside—the key was that the Grand Protector might not have the strength.

However, he could guess Qingkong's thoughts. The dignified Grand Protector of the sect was only thinking about himself, which made him very unhappy.

He's already overwhelmed with managing all the sect's affairs by himself; we shouldn't be dragging him down like this!

However, since it was in front of outsiders, he had to save face for the Grand Protector.

So finally he asked, "Now that we've collaborated, what's the outcome of the negotiations?"

"This... we were just about to discuss it," Qingkong couldn't really put on airs as a great protector, so he could only say, "but this is not my responsibility."

"I can authorize you!" Baiqiao glanced at him helplessly, then looked at Hanli, "Fellow Daoist, this is an important place of my sect."

These words sounded like he was going to interrogate her, but Han Li wasn't about to fall for it.
He glanced at Qu Jianlei and replied calmly, "I came here at the invitation of local cultivators in Cangwu to help eliminate hidden dangers!"

Anyone can slap a big label on someone. The chaos caused by Hu Zhongzi in Cangwu has had a far-reaching and pernicious impact.

As the head of the sect's affairs, Master Baiqiao is certainly no less eloquent than his opponent.

Ultimately, the goal should be to solve the problem rather than create conflict; his accusations are merely a gesture.

So he nodded slightly, "But I feel like there might still be an opportunity here?"

“That was an opportunity that came from cutting through the Dao,” Han Li replied more directly, “It has nothing to do with Ling Yun.”

Venerable Baiqiao shook his head slightly, "You can't say for sure. I heard that Fellow Daoist Wenxian is your friend?"

Wen Xian was the most secretive of the five, because Han Li concealed the information, and almost no one knew that he had also gone to another world.

The fact that Baiqiao was able to ask this means that the news has already been leaked.

"Just a friend of a friend," True Venerable Hanli replied calmly. "We're not very close. What is the meaning of Fellow Daoist Baiqiao's question?"

“Oh, I’m thinking of inviting him to improve the erosion array,” Baiqiao replied calmly. “I’d appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me.”

Of course, you can't take it that way. Baiqiao must have already obtained the information and confirmed that Wenxian participated in the exploration of the other world.

As for how it was determined, that's no longer important. The key is that as long as a Celestial Venerable has doubts, there are plenty of ways to verify them.

“I can’t make decisions for him,” Han Li Zhenzun replied naturally. “I can put in a word for him, but his fees are not cheap.”

“That’s easy to say. Ling Yun isn’t short of money,” Baiqiao Zhenzun replied casually. “I heard he’s been short of money lately and urgently needs resources to make change.”

The term "change" is quite interesting; it's not commonly used among cultivators.

When applied to high-level cultivators, it's practically tantamount to saying outright that this guy possesses a heaven-defying treasure.

“I don’t really like talking in such roundabout ways,” Han Li replied bluntly, then pointed at Qu Jianlei.

"My friend is about to advance to a higher level. Could we discuss this in more detail after he achieves spiritual breakthrough?"

Given his power and strength, it's actually a bit shameful for him to make a fuss over a Nascent Soul cultivator, but... reputation is also very important.

However, the tall, thin cultivator shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't wait too long. Young friend... it seems the Great Protector has a quota for advancing through borrowing land."

In any case, none of these True Venerables are easy to deal with; they can collect most information if they want to.

There's no need to elaborate on the communication between the True Ones; none of them lacked the ability to communicate effectively.

The main reason Baiqiao descended to the mortal realm this time was because the Erosion Array showed signs of abnormality—it's impossible that there were no anomalies when the four of them were causing trouble inside.

He was in charge of this formation, and it was a very important matter for the sect. No matter how many other things there were, he had to keep an eye on it.

Then he took a closer look and, good heavens, there were several suspects inside, including the Sky-Piercing True Venerable.

He couldn't ignore it anymore, and fearing that the Grand Protector would suffer a loss, he specially sent a clone to keep watch in advance.

Although this ascetic's clone is only at the Nascent Soul stage, who in the entire cultivation world doesn't know the ascetic's combat power?
The absence of conflict is a good thing, so let's talk about who got the opportunity here.

But the most important thing is still conquering another world, which has been a hot topic lately.

Ordinary cultivators might not be able to sense it, but among the high-level cultivators in the surrounding dozens of areas, it has already become the talk of the town.

Even in areas outside the control of the Lingyun Sect, many Nascent Soul Immortals have heard about it.

Han Li Zhenzun wanted to wait and secure his share, and Baiqiao could understand that feeling.

Even a Nascent Soul Immortal is human and has resource needs, so it's not surprising that he wants to earn more.

However, as the person in charge of the sect, he considered more than just that. He believed that the sect had to take responsibility for matters within the Lingyun Sect's jurisdiction!
Although there is no clear evidence, there are already some signs that certain forces are starting to stir.

It wasn't aimed at the entire Lingyun Sect, but Jin Ge, Min Ning, Han Li, and others... were all targeted.

Han Li is powerful, and Jin Ge's main body is in the sect, so they are in a better position. Min Ning and Qu Jianlei are being closely watched.

However, the latter's whereabouts are mysterious, and it has been active in the Cangwu Realm for a long time, making it inconvenient for the Upper Realm's Out-of-Body technique to descend.

Min Ning was in a worse situation; his two trading teams, which sold products from other worlds, were ambushed.

It's not uncommon for merchants in the Houde area to be attacked; murder for money happens everywhere, so we can't conclude that it was all malicious.

However, Minning clearly did not think so, and recently he has been hiding in the temple and refusing to go out.

If even a respected member of the Lingyun Sect could be treated this way, one can imagine how turbulent the underlying undercurrents are.

In Baiqiao's eyes, this was a very dangerous sign.

Although the order under the rule of Lingyun Sect cannot be said to be particularly good, it is above average in the Houde Realm.

If we allow these forces to stir up trouble, what will become of Lingyun Sect's reputation?

It's essential to crack down on those forces with ulterior motives, but the matter of conquering the other world also needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

Previously, Venerable Baiqiao was not in a particular hurry to deal with this matter, because if he were to rush, Lingyun Sect would be put in a passive position.

However, these four people stayed in this secret realm for more than half a year, which is really quite patient.

Baiqiao Zhenzun also discovered that a strange space had appeared here, and there should be some mystery inside.

He was puzzled: how could the other party sense something that he himself hadn't even noticed?

To be honest, he really admired these people's luck. Since that was the case, they couldn't wait any longer.

If the other party can discover a rewarding otherworld and find hidden spaces in secret realms, what if they can find something else?
If some other opportunity arises, the task of conquering another world will be delayed indefinitely.

As for the possibility of falling into a passive position, so be it. It's time to end this chaos.

Hyakki Shinzo made it clear that he wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible. Although he would lose the initiative, being straightforward would also have its advantages.

At the very least, True Venerable Han Li couldn't refuse, "Lord Qu, would you like to participate?"

"Immortal Venerable, please make the decision for me," Qu Jianlei said, indicating that he did not want to get involved. "I am about to go into seclusion, and I entrust our gains to the Immortal Venerable as well."

What a joke! Even Han Li was helpless against this, so he had no interest in entering this hellish situation.

At this moment, he even felt a strong sense of relief: thank goodness he had chosen True Venerable Han Li when they were discussing cooperation.

If it were someone else, let alone Min Ning, even Wen Xian Zhen Zun probably wouldn't be able to withstand such pressure.

"There are still decades left, what's the rush?" Han Li replied nonchalantly. "That's enough time to make a round trip to another world."

I really don't want to get involved! Qu Jianlei looked at him helplessly, "Immortal Venerable, is it appropriate to use a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like me as a shield?"

“I mean, I promised to protect you,” Han Li Zhenzun glanced at Bai Qiao, “You see, I might not be able to get away for a while.”

If the other party is clearly stating their terms, he has to play his cards, right?