Chapter 112: Chapter 112: The Battle Between Righteousness and Evil
 

“The path of immortality is one of strife, not merely shouting slogans at the heavens, but truly fighting and competing for it!”

“Do not underestimate the intra-sect competition, for those who win it have excelled among tens of thousands of fellow disciples. As long as they do not fall midway, they are bound to be among the strongest in the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“In spell duels, having even a ten percent greater chance of victory, not to mention thirty percent, is already equivalent to mastering several secret techniques.”

Jiang Kang glanced at Zhou Yi and said, “You have only heard about Taoists slaying demons and indulging in unrestrained pleasure, yet you are unaware of the blood, sweat, and tears behind it all!”

This was a heartfelt sentiment, as shocking as thunder and as awakening as a deafening bell.

Zhou Yi’s expression became solemn, and he quickly stood up to pay his respects, saying, “Thank you for the lesson, senior brother!”

“Don’t lose your determination to cultivate just because you have an inferior Spirit Root. Strive for every bit, every ounce, and over time, the gap can be bridged.”

Jiang Kang said, “My own talents are but slightly better than yours with my Triple Spirit Roots. During the fight for the Foundation Establishment Pill, I observed ten intra-sect competitions. I almost knew every opponent’s hand, and by luck, I managed to place tenth!”

Zhou Yi, surprised, said, “Senior brother is so strong, yet you only placed tenth in the competition?”

“That was a long time ago. After Foundation Establishment, my cultivation technique and resources quickly closed the gap with direct disciples, and now there are few who can compete with me.”

Jiang Kang said, “In the main sect, there are nearly ten thousand disciples in the Qi Refinement stage. Excluding the inheritance by ancestors, those affiliated in name only, and those who peacefully accumulate merits, there are two to three thousand who aspire to compete in the intra-sect competition, roughly divided into loose cultivators and direct disciples at a ratio of four to six.”

“They are the cream of the crop of the entire continent. In the future, it is not impossible for one or two of them to become True Monarchs, or even achieve the Nascent Soul ancestorship!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi suddenly recalled something, “Senior brother, isn’t the number of disciples, just over ten thousand in such a vast Spirit Vein, too few?”

Visible to all, the Dan Ding Sect had six Nascent Soul ancestors, eighteen Golden Core True Monarchs, and roughly over a thousand Foundation Establishment real people, with only two to three thousand Qi Refinement disciples available for use!

Jiang Kang shook his head and said, “I have also wondered about this, and it is said that a thousand years ago, our sect did not hide from the world. One of the external merits, comparable to demon elimination, was descending the mountain to travel and recruit disciples.”

Zhou Yi nodded slightly. Recruiting disciples while traveling, granting merits based on the quality of the disciples’ Spirit Roots, the long-term benefits of which are no less than demon elimination.

“Later, something happened. The travel missions were canceled, and the criteria for recruiting disciples were raised, leading to a steep decline in the number of Qi Refinement disciples.”

Jiang Kang said, “I have consulted with Elder Ku Rong about this matter. However, the True Monarch was vague, only saying that it is better to have fewer but better disciples. After researching the records, it seems to be related to the right and wrong of the major conflicts with the demonic path, though I am not clear on the specifics.”

“The right and wrong of the major conflicts!”

Zhou Yi’s brow furrowed. This term was not unfamiliar to him, often mentioned in records and storybooks.

From the very beginning, the differences in cultivation philosophies between the orthodox and demonic paths were like fire and water, irreconcilable. Every so often, their contradictions would become so intensified that a major conflict that engulfed the Nine Continents would erupt.

The records mention that these periods could be as short as a thousand or two thousand years, or as long as three to four thousand years.

During these conflicts, high-tier cultivators, with no other concerns, would often slaughter the lower-tier cultivators in droves, many of whom would die without ever seeing the enemy.

Nascent Soul ancestors with exotic treasures and magical abilities could destroy hundreds of miles in a single strike. Even if Zhou Yi saw destruction coming, he would be unable to hide or escape.

It was after reading such descriptions in the records that Zhou Yi decided to join the Dan Ding Sect, knowing that even if he were to hide in the mundane world and eke out a living, should the Demon Path ancestors sweep their Divine Senses or be caught in the crossfire of their battles, he would be reduced to ash without a reason.

On ordinary days, the Nascent Soul ancestors might care about their reputation, or consider the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators too insignificant to bother with.

During the battles between the orthodox and demonic paths, True Monarchs, and ancestors of both sides were unrestrained, desperate to eliminate as much of the enemy’s living force as possible, accumulating advantages for the great decisive battle!

Seeing Zhou Yi looking anxious, Jiang Kang reassured him, “Don’t worry about the battles between the orthodox and demonic paths. As long as the ancestors and the Sect’s Supreme Treasure are here, the Cloud Continent won’t change. Moreover, the start of these battles is not something that happens overnight. If you see the situation is turning bad…”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi said with a smile, “Senior brother, are you suggesting we also take flight at the sign of trouble?”

“When it comes to saving one’s life, how can you call it fleeing? It’s seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster!”

Jiang Kang said, “When I was young, I would flee every three days, take to my heels every five. Later, my ability to travel unchallenged through the Foundation Establishment stage was also thanks to running away. If not, I would have died at the hands of the Demon Path True Monarchs long ago.”

“An Escape Technique is something every cultivator must refine, otherwise, you won’t survive long!”

“Heroes often see eye to eye!”

Zhou Yi resonated as if finding a kindred spirit. It was no wonder that Jiang Kang, who had fought against demon heads for years, could still live until the end of his natural lifespan. The “Flying” in the title Flying Thunder Immortal indicated that his escape technique was evidently more exquisite than his lightning method.

“Let’s go and have a look, the combat between Qi Refinement cultivators can be quite interesting. I need to catch some sleep; getting on in years really takes a toll on the spirit.”

As Jiang Kang spoke, he lay down within the protective enchantments and soon began to snore, while Black Wind Poisonous Fire surged towards him, and purple lightning spontaneously formed around him as a protective layer.

After observing for a moment and ensuring Jiang Kang was in no danger, Zhou Yi sighed inwardly and guided his escape light toward the combat platform.

“A peerless hero in life turns into nothing more than a sleepy old man when his time comes to an end.”

…

Combat platform.

Constructed directly in front of Divine Fire Peak, about a hundred miles away.

Legend had it that some ancient ancestor levitated a boulder as big as a mountain, hollowed it out in the center, and carved out tens of thousands of seats around it.

At the center, nine hundred-foot-wide platforms were stacked three or four stories high, all made of lapis lazuli. Empowered by enchantment inscriptions, even a full-strength hit from a Foundation Establishment true cultivator would only leave a few traces.

Overall, it looked similar to a sports stadium from his previous life, with cultivators sitting around watching the combat on the central high platform.

Zhou Yi emerged from underground and saw that there were already quite a few cultivators in the arena.

Sitting in groups of threes and twos, disciples familiar with each other gathered together, waiting for the combat to begin. Among them, someone carried a great number of jade slips, distributing them seat by seat while murmuring a few words, seemingly engaged in some activity.

Zhou Yi found an unoccupied spot high up where he could overlook the whole venue. Before even witnessing the combat, a shifty-eyed fellow in blue robes from his own sect approached.

Cultivators refined their bodies with spiritual energy, and with each ascension in realm, they were constantly morphing towards perfection. Thus, there were few cultivators with unattractive appearances.

This person had regular features and an okay face shape, but put together, they seemed awkward.

“Fellow Daoist appears to be new here, could it be that you have just joined the sect?”

When greeted by a fellow sect member, Zhou Yi could not be rude and replied with a cupped fist salute, “I am Zhu Gang, joined the sect last year.”

The cultivator seemed very familiar as he said, “So it’s Junior Brother Zhu. I am Brother Shu. Let’s not dwell on my original name; now I go by ‘Buliao.'”

Zhou Yi asked, “Have I met Brother Shu before? What brings you here?”

“What else would you do at a sect competition but place bets?”

Shu Buliao took out a jade slip, “Inside here, you’ll find this year’s popular selections and their rough profiles. Junior Brother can bet on the top ten, top five, ranking, victory or defeat; if you bet right, you win Spirit Stones based on the odds.”

Zhou Yi scanned the jade slip with his divine sense and shook his head, “I have just joined the sect and don’t have many Spirit Stones; it’s not convenient for me to participate.”

“No problem, no problem, it’s good for Junior Brother to have doubts.”

Shu Buliao said, “Keep this transmission jade slip on you, and remember to come to us if you ever feel like betting.”

Zhou Yi nodded slightly, not expecting that the first person to give him a transmission jade slip would be a salesman. He pointed to another person not far away.

“Brother Shu, is that Daoist friend there also with you?”

“Everyone plays their own game, and we don’t interfere with each other.”

Shu Buliao shook his head, “If Junior Brother wishes to place a bet, just remember to go with Ziyun Association. They can afford to cover any winnings. Those small groups, if they lose a large amount of Spirit Stones, can’t afford to pay up without delay and would have to pay back slowly over time.”

The Dan Ding Sect had no rules forbidding betting on the sect competition, so the Law Enforcement Hall wouldn’t stop it, however, owing Spirit Stones to a sect member and not paying back could lead to enforcement from the Law Enforcement Hall.

The methods of collecting debts in the Cultivation World are such that any deadbeat would swiftly find themselves having to toil away to repay their Spirit Stones!