Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

While Shenxiao was hurriedly ordering materials for sword refinement…

"Nine Rites Xuanyuan!"

"Immortal Artifact Rental!"

"High-Order Method!"

"What is intended… to be accomplished?"

"Cave Heaven!?"

In another location of the Scholar's Palace, within a private Cave Mansion, Yuzhao frowned tightly while looking at the thoroughly updated exchange list, pondering in secret.

Five hundred years had passed, and this exchange list had become even richer, showing significant growth at both high and low ends.

The low end was understandable, after all, the Scholar's Palace produced Dao methods, and with planting and breeding techniques, it yielded a massive amount of low-tier Spirit Materials.

It also fostered millions of disciples, all practicing the Hundred Arts of Cultivation and the art of creation, processing these Spirit Materials into pills, Magic Artifacts, and Talismans for cultivation, pouring them into the treasury to enrich the market.

Thanks to this, over five hundred years, the Wandao School's exchange list at the lower end of Spiritual Objects had grown by several thousand pages.

As for the high-end items, Treasures of Immortal Mansions, although not as exaggerated, were not far behind in growth.

After all, over these years, the Scholar's Palace had been doing one thing, that is, unlocking the world's Blessed Lands.

In the process of this "unlocking," it was inevitable that some would be unwilling to unlock or suffer a failed unlocking, and those unlucky ones naturally had their inheritance confiscated, becoming part of the Wandao School's treasure trove potentiality.

This included Blessed Lands, as well as Cave Heavens facing the threat of Wandao School and various high-tier methods as bait; major Divine Systems and Secret Realms of Cave Heavens followed the lead of eastern Cultivators, sending out their successors with their potentiality into the world.

Although Beiming Longteng and Shenxiao's lessons were front and center, these Divine System successors generally behaved themselves. But over time, some inevitably harbored ulterior motives.

In addition, with Wandao School's strict laws governing the world, many of these proud and haughty successors could not avoid transgressing the laws, even transgressing recklessly without considering the consequences.

Disregarding the consequences leads to becoming the consequences!

Unyielding to emotions, these rebellious people, regardless of their identity or what Divine System or Cave Heaven stood behind them, faced the same outcome after challenging the law: death and obliteration of their Dao, with nothing left but their inheritance becoming items on the School's exchange list.

Therefore, over the years, the exchange list saw an increase in Immortal Mansion Treasures rather than a decrease, with the number of Immortal Artifacts reaching over a thousand, including dozens of Superior Immortal Implements and two or three Supreme Immortal Artifacts—all contributions from these "Cave Heaven Successors."

Apart from Immortal Artifacts, there were various treasures, all high-order Spiritual Objects used in the Return to Void and Integration stages, and even helpful for Mahayana cultivation, driving the world's Cultivators mad with desire, working day and night as subcontractors to refine the Nine Rites Xuanyuan.

Despite contributions from a group of Cave Heaven Successors and Disciples of the Immortal Sect attempting to challenge the law, the number of Cultivators in the world is vast.

Added to the unlocking of Blessed Lands and propagation of the Ten Thousand Dao, waves upon waves come crashing in, and even the Wandao School can barely keep up, with many high-order Spiritual Objects on the list close to running out.

Therefore, closing time-limited tasks and regulating the academic credits economy were expected developments.

Some sharp-minded Cultivators had hoarded a stash of sword refinement materials early on and started selling them at this moment, reaping significant profits.

But for Yuzhao, the real key points lay in the latter two items: increased prices for Immortal Artifact rentals and high-grade methods.

Immortal Artifact rental was a novel initiative put forth by Wandao School. Although Wandao School ruthlessly slaughtered a number of Cave Heaven Immortal Sect disciples and put their Life-bound Immortal Instruments and Cave Heaven treasures on the list for exchange, few dared to actually acquire them.

After all, only the disciples had died, not the Immortal Sects of the Cave Heavens; each of these Immortal Artifacts carried significant karma. When Cave Heavens emerged in the world, they would inevitably reclaim these artifacts, even undertaking bloody retributions. Who would dare to jump into such a pit, risking not only all their wealth but also potentially their lives?

Thus, although these Immortal Artifacts were listed for exchange, they remained untouched, only to be internally processed within the treasury of Scholar's Palace.

But this obviously did not align with Wandao School's original interests, so the project of "Immortal Artifact Rental" came about, allowing for the rental of Immortal Artifacts at relatively lower prices. Whether used to kill enemies, eradicate Heretic God Sects, or assist with cultivation and insight into their mysteries, they offered extremely high cost-effectiveness.

This project was highly popular upon its launch, with many old ancestors from Blessed Lands, as well as those in Return to Void and even Grand Cultivators of Integration, coming to rent Immortal Artifacts. Especially the Superior Immortal Implements and Supreme Immortal Artifacts, which helped them achieve personal breakthroughs, earning Wandao School a considerable profit.

But now, Wandao School was raising the rental prices for Immortal Artifacts—and did so quite substantially.

This... could it be targeting Shenxiao?

Clearly not, for with the breadth of their interests, would those few have the idle inclination to target a character whose cultivation was no more than Return to Void?

This move was not aimed at Shenxiao, but at... Cave Heaven!?

"Has the time finally come for this step?"

Clarifying the threads and glimpsing the key points, Yuzhao muttered to herself, her expression growing even more solemn.

Five hundred years had passed, and under the assertive actions of Wandao School, all Blessed Lands in the world had been unlocked.

How much blood had been spilled, how much enmity had been sown—there was no need to elaborate, everyone was well aware.

It was like a powder keg, constantly accumulating, waiting to explode!

The present actions of Wandao School were a preparation to light the fuse.

They… were going to make a move on Cave Heavens, and it was necessary to do so.

The importance of Cave Heavens far outweighed that of Blessed lands.

Now that the world's Blessed Lands had been unlocked, yet the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirits were still unsatisfactory, barely supporting the cultivation of Return to Void Cultivators, with Integration being hopeless, let alone prospects for Mahayana or the Tribulation Realm.

As a Descendant of the Immortal Sect, armed with the potentiality of Cave Heaven and the Great Oath of the Alliance Heavenly, Yuzhao, although advancing ahead of the others and successfully achieving Integration, was an exception and clearly not a solution for the masses.

Therefore, unlocking Cave Heavens was imperative, whether for Wandao School or Cultivators around the world, in order to advance further, Cave Heavens must be unlocked, even aiming for the Immortal Realm.

Raising the rental prices for Immortal Artifacts and the exchange rate for high-grade methods was undoubtedly in preparation for this step.

But what specific actions were to be taken?

Yuzhao Emei's brows knitted together in confusion.

After five hundred years, she was still unable to see through the motives of those in charge of Wandao School. Often, she could only grasp half of their various actions, with the other half shrouded in mystery.

So...

She took out the Heaven-Drying Mirror and entered the live streaming room, only to see a barrage of messages, all expressions of grief and anxiety.

"Is the Xuanyuan task coming to an end?"

"How can this be!"

"I've finally managed to raise my sword wielding success rate to fifty percent, and now you're telling me it's over!"

"It's over, it's over; didn't they say it was a time-limited task? Wasn't five hundred years enough?"

"Exactly, with so many medium and low-grade spiritual objects having fallen, it's only natural to maintain the value of academic credits."

"It's one thing for the time-limited task to be over, but what do they mean by raising the price for renting immortal artifacts and accessing high-grade methods?"

"What raise? It's a restoration; there's been a welfare discount for over five hundred years, and now it's back to the regular prices. Isn't that perfectly normal?"

"Right, how is the Scholar's Palace supposed to make money, to maintain itself, and to develop if not? Do you really think the prices of those spiritual objects fell out of nowhere? Dammit, five hundred years ago on the black market, a superior-grade Foundation Building Pill could fetch two hundred thousand academic credits; now they're only fifteen thousand.

The black market's been put out of business. What's there to be unsatisfied about?"

Although the live stream hadn't started and the main character hadn't appeared, this didn't hinder everyone from discussing.

For five hundred years, the Scholar's Palace ruled, and even though those three started appearing less and less frequently, people still habitually gathered here to offer their opinions and pronounce their judgments.

Just then, the screen jumped and the live stream reopened.

In a solemn hall beneath a reverent effigy, the silhouettes of the three appeared yet again.

The Martial Artist sat astride a golden horse, solid as a mountain pinning the earth.

The Taoist Man's celestial figure was ethereal, sitting on a meditation cushion.

The Swordsman, dressed in white, was standing with his hands behind his back, towering above the snow.

"Is it, is it starting?"

"Did I open it wrong?"

"It's really started!"

"All three of them are on the screen again?"

"This familiar scene, could it be... new material is coming?"

Seeing the live stream restart with the Three Cultivations appearing together once more, everyone's eyes sharpened, and they all prepared themselves.

How many years has it been, so many years, that they've finally restarted the broadcast.

Ever since that year, after the Swordsman executed the Phantom Demon, the frequency of their live broadcasts sharply decreased, and the content shifted from battles to various teachings, exemplifying the phrase "loneliness at the top!"

What can be done? Without material, how can they broadcast, how can they fight?

Those Cave Heaven Successors and Blessed Land Cultivators all became honest people, each more well-behaved than the last. None of them wanted to sacrifice themselves for the public, to become material for updates.

Local cultivators were like this, and so were the Heretic God Sects; as the world's Blessed Lands were unsealed and the power of Heavenly Dao grew stronger every day, the erosion of the Desire Realm was greatly suppressed, and the power of the Heretic God Sect waned. Although not completely eradicated, they were very close to it today.

Upon closer consideration, the crowd realized it had been nearly a hundred years since they had last seen a fight-centered live broadcast.

But now...

"It's about time!"

"All Blessed Lands in the world have been unsealed; next, it is time for the Cave Heavens to enter the world!"

"First, issue the ultimatum and declare it to the world!"

"Follow the Heavenly Dao and heed humanity, and be spared the calamity; if not..."

"Show no mercy!"

Once again, two of them spoke up, setting the tone.

Afterward, the Taoist Man swept his horsetail whisk and the Spirit Light streamed away.

"Here it comes, it's finally here!"

"This day has truly arrived!"

"Do they really intend to target the Cave Heavens?"

"Aren't they afraid of True Immortals entering the world to settle scores?"

"Humph, thinking they can challenge the might of the Immortal Sects just because they believe they're under the cloud of tribulation?"

"When the moment comes, they will have to swallow the bitter pill themselves!"

Although they were mentally prepared, seeing the two set the tone and issue the final ultimatum against all the major Cave Heavens, the cultivators' hearts still sank. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

The day had finally come!

One just wonders, who will be the first to stick their neck out?

Just like this...

"Mortals dare to defy the majesty of the gods!"

In a glittering hall of a secret realm, angry words sounded, along with the cry of a giant eagle.

It was none other than one seated upon the throne in the hall, with the appearance of an eagle-headed human, clad in golden battle armor, shining like the blazing sun, commanding awe and deterring gazes.

He sat upright on the royal throne, his golden radiance illuminating the entire hall, with kneeling figures below, all bearing the visage of eagle-headed humans.

"So be it, then I, Weide, the Garuda King, shall show them what divine wrath truly is!"

"One month from now, I shall return to the mortal world, descend upon humanity, and spread the Supreme Lord's brilliance across the entire world."

"Yes!"