Recruit black physique to start practice in wasteland

Chapter 2499 Choosing the Right Opportunity (First Update to Celebrate the Master's "Fortune Telling")
Qu Jianlei was initially a little surprised. Min Ning and Jin Ge were acting on their own initiative, which showed a lack of respect for Baiqiao.

But then he thought about it again and realized that if Baiqiao really wanted to have absolute authority in Lingyun and rectify the sect's atmosphere, would it be that difficult?
To be frank, we're all true friends. If someone's willing to give you face, that's a favor. If they're not, it's already good enough if they don't stand up to you.

Anyway, these two don't have any factions in the sect. At best, they're considered somewhat unruly troublemakers, the kind who listen to orders but not proclamations.

But they also had their reasons for being arrogant. Not only were their cultivation levels comparable, but the order and gains of the other world were also their lifeblood.

Qu Jianlei pondered for a moment and then seemed to understand. "A show of force is fine. How do you two seniors plan to proceed?"

“I suggest we go to their gathering point in the void,” said Jin Ge, a man known for his straightforwardness.

"We'll just observe from a distance and show some negative emotions... We can repeat this a few times."

“I also understand the enemy’s defenses,” Min Ning added. “Although they are very tight, the area they cover is not very large.”

If the three take the initiative, they should of course consider whether they will fall into a trap. If the intimidation turns into being sent to their deaths, that would be a huge joke.

Jin Ge scoffed dismissively, "If they dare to expand their defensive perimeter, they're just asking for death!"

It is already excessive for the myriad realms to gather several True Venerables at the entrance of Houde Gate.

It's normal for them to have concerns about their own safety, but to extend their defenses to such an excessive extent is simply bullying.

Even if Ling Yun can tolerate it, the other cultivators in Houde cannot!
Seeing that they had both made up their minds, Qu Jianlei knew that his side would not back down. "We still need to discuss the specifics," he said.

For some time now, he had been trying to figure out Baiqiao's thoughts—this guy was too cunning, and he didn't want to be outsmarted at all.

But Minning and Jingge's reactions reminded him: Why should I care what he's thinking?
He only needs to do things his own way, focusing on his own interests—everyone is a True Venerable, and no one is superior to anyone else.

As for the potential setbacks for the Lingyun Sect? That's really nothing. Baiqiao, shouldn't you be responsible for those things?
Ultimately, he still didn't put himself in the position of a true master when considering the issue.

However, it's not a big deal. After all, the time spent advancing is not long, and this kind of self-perception can be adjusted gradually.

Regarding Jin Ge's suggestion, Qu Jianlei had some reservations: "Do we really have to go to the place where they gather?"

"Then where to?" Jin Ge was taken aback at first, then realized what he meant. "You mean, don't go to their pre-arranged battlefield?"

“That’s true,” Qu Jianlei nodded. He never liked to follow other people’s pace, no matter what he was doing.

"I support you!" Min Ning nodded without hesitation; he was always up to his old tricks. "Where should we start?"

“I’m considering starting from the contact level!” Qu Jianlei answered without hesitation.

“When cultivators from other regions come to Houde, whether they are purchasing supplies, gathering information, or negotiating, they will inevitably have to interact with the locals, right?”

“Communication and negotiation… are probably not advisable,” Min Ning slowly shook her head. “That’s Baiqiao’s business; there’s no need to provoke him too much.”

After the three finished their discussion, a series of minor incidents occurred in Houde a few days later.

Hundreds of cultivators who had reservations about developing the other world disappeared one after another in a short period of time.

These people were mainly annoyed because they didn't have permission to go to another world, and they couldn't help but complain.

This is actually quite normal. Lingyun has certain standards for its review process, and not everyone is qualified to go to another world.

Of course, there are bound to be some shady dealings involved. That's just how things are in this world. And those who know, know Lingyun's style of doing things.

So complaining isn't a big deal. Some people may genuinely feel wronged, but most people are just blindly following the crowd.

The Lingyun Sect is large enough and arrogant enough that it is unlikely to care about such noise.

However, this is one of the important sources of information for cultivators outside the realm, and they can even develop some informants.

In a short period of time, a large number of informants disappeared, and this problem was immediately noticed by cultivators from other regions.

The key point is this phenomenon, which involves dozens of sectors and mainly targets individual cultivators.

Those groups that had been complaining the most quickly fell silent—this may indicate that the Houde community is starting to clean up its act.

Not only Lingyun Sect, but also other major forces that jointly manage Houde Sect, joined the attack.

Because the affected area is very large and the time frame is very tight, even if a True Venerable were to take action, it would not be something that could be accomplished by just one or two people.

The person who could pull off such a sneaky move so quietly is very likely the meticulous person in charge of Lingyun.

Of course, there were also those who didn't believe in superstition, but what awaited them was that they disappeared one after another shortly after they spoke out.

In this way, most of the information network of cultivators from other regions was destroyed.

The importance cultivators place on intelligence far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

They are all shrewd people who have lived a long life. Who doesn't know the principle of "know yourself and know your enemy and you will never be defeated"?

This attracted great attention from cultivators outside the sect; however, unfortunately, they were unable to exert much effort in this matter.

Ultimately, they were outsiders, lacking overwhelming strength, and unable to establish a large-scale intelligence network on the other side's territory.

However, this matter must be taken seriously, and the news was quickly relayed to the hands of True Venerable-level beings outside.

The true masters attempted divination, but the results showed that the other party had obscured the secrets of heaven.

Forcibly breaking through the cover is not impossible, but it may not be very effective, and more likely it will only further provoke the other party.

Just when they were at a loss, new news came that several suppliers had run into problems.

The inter-realm trading system was originally controlled by a few individuals, as mentioned earlier.

However, as cultivators from the outside world gathered in the void, more and more information was noticed by other cultivators in the Houde Realm.

With things developing to this point, cultivators from outside the region will no longer be satisfied with purchasing supplies from limited channels; comparing prices from multiple sources is the right approach.

The various entities that Houde was responsible for liaising with were naturally not satisfied with this situation.

However, the change was initiated by external cultivators, who are the clients with the ability to pay and obviously have a stronger voice.

After negotiations, both sides reached a certain consensus: to allow limited access to the supply of some materials.

Party A stated that this is a special period, and once this period is over, the procurement channels will return to normal.

The large supply and demand are only temporary; those who do business in the border region are pursuing long-term stability.

The deal had been agreed upon and the supply had begun, but suddenly, some suppliers encountered unexpected problems one after another.

Some were robbed, some had their goods damaged, and others suddenly faced cash flow problems...

Outsiders suspected that the original distributors had secretly sabotaged the project—no one wanted their monopoly profits to be damaged.

However, a little calculation reveals that the party making the move is not a former partner.

Compared to lower-level cultivators, True Venerables are like a bug in the system, often requiring no verbal disputes.

The divination results show that the previous channels were all open and straightforward, involving little cause and effect, and the person who actually took action had obscured the secrets of heaven.

Same recipe, same taste!
The destruction of the communication network is still within the tolerance range of cultivators outside; it can be rebuilt slowly.

The destruction of supply channels severely impacts the interests of the realm—doesn't it cost money for so many True Venerables to guard the void?
Cultivators from other regions found this outcome intolerable and lodged a formal protest with major powers such as the Lingyun Sect.

It's important to know that Lingyun was already part of their existing trading channels.

However, Lingyun Sect's reaction was also quite interesting; they firmly denied that they had carried out similar actions.

They stated that interdimensional transactions are not only commercial activities, but also an indispensable means of ensuring the normal cultivation of many cultivators.

If Lingyun truly intends to enforce strict control, then he should address the issue from a holistic perspective, rather than resorting to such underhanded tactics!

That makes some sense, but cultivators from other realms won't believe it all—even if you didn't do it, you must know about it!
Lingyun Sect really did know, and even if others didn't, it certainly couldn't be kept from Baiqiao.

The envoy's assessment was, "This True Venerable's methods are quite interesting; they almost deceived even my senses."

"Moreover, that Qianhuan is quite cunning. His methods of concealing the secrets of heaven actually have a hint of the charm of the Divine Distraction."

That's right. In addition to the Three True Venerables, Qu Jianlei also contacted Qianhuan. He didn't need to do anything; he just needed to help cover up the secrets of heaven.

The expert in staged accidents, Ling Shan, is in another world. His ability to sense heavenly secrets is slightly weaker, but he has been researching how to conceal heavenly secrets.

Qu Jianlei has even more ways to conceal the secrets of heaven; he doesn't even need to take out the Dao Tablet, releasing the giant axe is enough.

The ritual implements have been mostly repaired, but because they were not made by Houde, they are somewhat detached from this world.

The subtle sense of distance is an inherent self-protective property of ritual objects; they can create a protective barrier without needing to be deliberately released.

This membrane is large enough to accommodate Qu Jianlei's hiding place, and it can not only block the boundary consciousness, but also block part of cause and effect.

Concealing heavenly secrets does not necessarily mean completely severing cause and effect; it is enough to make it unclear to the other party.

If the opponent tries to forcefully break through, Qu Jianlei can lead a few more people to hide in the cave.

However, the cultivators from other realms ultimately did not dare to be so arrogant, so the Four True Venerables' destructive actions went as smoothly as fish in water.

On this day, Min Ning's expression suddenly changed. "There's news. Ling Yun has allowed the Myriad Realms to conduct a moderate investigation into the supply channels..."

The message was passed on to his clone by his subordinate, and the clone then informed him, so it should be correct.

Min Ning has always strongly opposed cultivators from other realms conquering other worlds, which is common knowledge, as it touches upon his fundamental interests.

Therefore, his men could openly cast their nets and blatantly gather information.

The latest news is that Lingyun Sect has made some concessions, allowing cultivators from outside the sect to learn about the situation nearby.

What does "nearby" mean? It means the area near where a large number of cultivators from the outside world are stationed. One must not venture too deep into Houde, and even less should one act arbitrarily.

Moreover, the Lingyun Sect will send cultivators to accompany the group throughout the entire process and provide necessary assistance—in reality, it's surveillance.

(First update, congratulations to the adorable master for "seeking divination," please vote for double monthly tickets.)