Penglai

Li Fan followed the direction the fish were swimming backwards, heading straight for Penglai Mountain.

Although his cultivation of the Tai Su Dao Body had greatly improved, he was not arrogant enough to think that he could single-handedly defeat the orthodox Xuanmen sect. In particular, Penglai was one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects in this generation, which meant that at least one sect leader at the Enlightenment Stage was not in seclusion and was on standby to guard the sect.

To provoke the Grand Duke Jupiter is tantamount to courting death. Take a certain sword sect as an example; to single-handedly destroy the Xuanmen sect, one would need at least the level of Dao Ancestor Youquan, right?

Therefore, Li Fan's main goal this time was very simple: to rescue Amao and the Huan family members.

Although the Xuanmen sect is domineering and readily exterminates entire families, even the Immortal Palace knows that genocide and extermination are unacceptable actions that damage one's character and cause karma. Therefore, it's unlikely that Penglai would have the Huan family line wiped out so suddenly.

Li Fan estimated that if it was found that the Huan family members who were kidnapped had no connection with the Divine Cult, a few of them would survive. Of course, they wouldn't just be released; they would probably be made slaves or forced into hard labor. After all, protagonists with extraordinary luck, like the orphan of Zhao, who made a miraculous comeback, are few and far between. Besides, the Xuanmen has many enemies, and a few from the Huan family wouldn't make a difference.

Of course, there could be side quests as well, such as directly taking action and wiping out the entire Huan family—three Nascent Soul Stage and six Golden Core cultivators—while their appearances were recorded by a drone. Anyway, once Li Fan captured them, he could easily take them down; it wasn't too difficult. However, assassinating them in broad daylight would likely attract the attention of the Penglai experts, so it would be best to see if there was an opportunity. If it was possible to kill one or two while ensuring the rescue of the Huan family members, it would be acceptable to vent the Huan family's anger and seek justice.

So, following the fish and using water escape techniques, Li Fan also gathered intelligence along the way. He went to Yuntai Peak to find Blue Fatty and bought a copy of the information on all the members of the Nine Great Xuan Sects to avoid attracting attention. Among the Zhen Country, Penglai was the one most deeply involved. It was reasonable to focus on a detailed introduction of this sect so as not to arouse suspicion.

In addition, Yuepo was also used to inquire about Penglai's background, including its powerful methods or special faction-specific ultimate skills. In short, the information gathering beforehand could not be taken lightly; the more complete the information, the better.

The rabbit got annoyed by the barrage of questions and pieced-together information, while a large pile of battle reports from the other side were being compiled. So Li Fan continued on his journey while studying the reports, and roughly figured out the situation of the Penglai lineage.

First, a well-known but obvious statement: Penglai is actually a place name. Just like how Nine Yin Mountain used to be used to specifically refer to the Beichen Sword Sect, but after the sect disappeared, it was called the Beichen Sword Sect directly. When dealing with existing disciples of the orthodox Xuanmen sects, they often refer to their sect as a secluded mountain gate.

This is partly out of respect and to avoid the other party using it as an excuse to accuse you of insulting their sect and demanding your head as a sacrifice. Another reason is that these sacred mountains and blessed lands are not usually exclusively occupied by one sect or lineage. If the other party is a disciple from another branch and mispronounces their name, they could be accused of insulting their sect and demanding your head as a sacrifice – wouldn't that be incredibly troublesome?

For example, the Beichen Sword Sect once had two sects, Qi and Sword, and Ink Bamboo Mountain had Lou Guan, as well as the Nine Peaks of Bamboo Mountain and the Five Sons Peak of Mozhu Mountain. On the East Sea Island of Penglai Mountain, immortals gathered and True Cultivator congregated, and there were even more sects and lineages.

Above the East Sea are five Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land mountains: Daiyu, Yuanqiao, Fanghu, Yingzhou, and Penglai. All of them are blessed lands of cultivation, with Penglai being the most outstanding. Therefore, the sects that have the strength to occupy Penglai Mountain have always been the leaders of the immortals who are worshipped by all the overseas immortal islands scattered across the Bohai Sea. They can be regarded as leaders who have unified the people of the East Sea and are worshipped by all the immortals.

The current leader of the East Sea is also a member of the Xuanmen lineage who worships the Profound Maiden. They are called the Supreme Nine Truth Sect. Not only do they monopolize the three fairylands of Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fanghu, but they also possess countless blessed lands and fairy islands in the Central Plains East Sea. Because they take Penglai as their home mountain, they are also known as the Penglai Nine Truth Sect. They are the sect leader to whom all the families and factions in the East Sea submit.

The Nine Truth Sect is a legitimate Xuanmen (mystical True Cultivator) of true cultivation. Similar to the Ink Bamboo Mountain Lou Guan Dao, its recruitment and management mechanisms are similar. The powerful families and clans of the East Sea islands and the three states of Gen, Zhen, and Xun would select disciples to become nominal disciples of the Nine Truth Sect as a sign of submission. Only those who reach the Golden Core realm and pass a rigorous examination can become Inner Sect disciples of the upper sect. Otherwise, they would be assigned to outer islands as Outer Sect disciples, subject to orders.

Moreover, Penglai's management of these independent cultivators under its jurisdiction is very strict. Family-inherited Cultivation Method are allowed, but independent cultivators spreading their teachings are not! All disciples must first be selected by the Nine Truth Sect as elites, and only the remaining ones are assigned to lower sects. It is extremely domineering.

Local aristocratic families can exchange resources for raising spirit beasts, cultivating spirit herbs, and mining resources on Penglai Mountain in exchange for the Outer Sect cultivation Cultivation Method. They hope that their descendants will produce an Inner Sect disciple of Penglai, instantly elevating them to the upper class.

However, independent sects like the Nine Peaks of Bamboo Mountain cannot survive under Penglai's rule, because all the resources in the East Sea belong to Penglai. They cannot trade with each other privately and must rely on Penglai for allocation.

Therefore, the independent cultivators in the East Sea either submit to the rule of Penglai Mountain and offer resources, or they are suppressed and driven to the outer sea to associate with demonic beasts.

For example, the two sacred mountains, Daiyu and Yuanqiao, are home to rogue cultivators, Demon Race, Devil Seed from the East Sea who have been suppressed by Penglai. They have been subjected to years of attacks by Penglai disciples. Of course, it's not that the demonic forces on these two mountains are truly that powerful, capable of rivaling the Nine Truth Sect. The main reason is simply the vast distance. Unlike the three Penglai mountains, which are closer to the Central Plains, Daiyu and Yuanqiao are isolated overseas, far away, separated by countless oceans. Occasionally, they can organize disciples stuck at cultivation levels to grind monsters, undergo tribulations, or go on adventures for team building. However, if they want to maintain long-term and effective rule while also managing the affairs of the Three Great Sects in the Central Plains, then Penglai's manpower is clearly insufficient.

Yes, the real reason is the inherent weakness of the Xuanmen sect: too few people. Whether it's Penglai or the Nine Great Xuan Sects, they all face similar problems to Ink Bamboo Mountain: their territory is already too large, but they have too few core cadres who can be trusted.

The output of Penglai Mountain alone is already sufficient for the Inner Sect disciples of the Supreme Nine Truth Sect, not to mention that it now occupies the Three Mountains and Ten Thousand Islands and has influence in the Gen, Zhen, and Xun kingdoms. While Ink Bamboo Mountain is considering whether to move south or north, Penglai Mountain is also considering whether to move west or east.

Therefore, this time, the sudden overthrow of the Divine Sect by the Zhen Country, which Penglai regarded as its own backyard, greatly angered the Jiuzhen Palace. Moreover, they were not only angry at the Xiao Family for their incompetence, but also angry that these people were not only incompetent, but also had the nerve to fight among themselves!

Yes, another three months have passed, and it's been half a year since Taicheng was besieged. Hou Gu is still alive and kicking! The Ruler Xiao's Country is still eating grass in Taicheng!

It turns out that the 100,000 troops who had gathered to defend the emperor fought against several thousand rebels, and they actually lost! You can't believe they lost!

Okay, Blue Fatty has done a rough analysis. It's probably because not only the King of Zhen Country, but also the Crown Prince of Zhen Country, are trapped in the capital. Both of them are in grave danger, their fates unknown. Zhen heavily relies on members of the imperial clan, with vassal kings guarding the region and commanding troops. So, when the various reinforcements led by the Xiao clan princes arrived, they all hesitated to act, preferring to observe from the sidelines. They probably wanted to wait for bad news and two pieces of good news before making a move. Thus, no one was willing to be the first to charge and lose strength.

As a result, the officials who escaped, seeing that these vassal kings harbored treacherous intentions, also began to consider switching allegiance. Only a few loyal ministers, realizing that the vassal kings could not be relied upon, conspired and hastily led their private armies into battle before reinforcements arrived. However, they fell into Hou Gu's ambush and, outnumbered, suffered a crushing defeat. Thus, the vassal kings had even more reason to hold their ground, claiming they would blockade Lanling and wait for the rebel army to run out of supplies and collapse.

As a result, Hou Gu's forces not only didn't collapse due to lack of food, but were also driven to desperation, killing many wealthy households to replenish their granaries. Instead, the soldiers and civilians who had hastily rushed into Taicheng to escape the war ate all the food and surrendered en masse. In addition, the more than 100,000 troops outside Lanling City were raiding for food and implementing a scorched-earth policy, causing widespread resentment and turning the city into a living hell. As a result, many people joined the rebels, and now Hou Gu's rebel army has amassed 100,000 men. They have begun digging waterways to flood Taicheng, causing countless deaths and injuries among the soldiers and civilians in the city. Heaven knows how long they can hold out.

However, the reinforcements from outside not only refused to come out, but also held lavish banquets, entertained entertainers daily, plundered the people, and insulted the emperor's concubines. They also insulted and cursed the various reinforcements who kept coming to help and demand supplies, tried to win them over and sow discord, and even fought among themselves. As a result, the various armies that came to the emperor's aid were suspicious of each other, and the generals lost their will to fight and all wanted to return home.

With the Xiao Family's unfilial descendants causing such a mess, doesn't Penglai care about it?

Penglai wanted to intervene, but didn't have the time. Because in these three months, although the reinforcements from the various tribes of Zhen Country had done nothing, other places were already in chaos.

As expected, in the Dui Country, the Xuanmen broke through the Ten Ultimate Formation. The Divine Sect's leaders and experts were outnumbered and retreated northwest while putting up a resistance. The Nine Great Xuan Sects, of course, wouldn't let such a good opportunity to eliminate the demons slip by. These senior experts fully utilized the disorganization and lack of discipline inherited from the Beichen Sword Sect era, relentlessly pursuing them, their whereabouts unknown. They probably weren't unaware that the Divine Sect's experts were deliberately sacrificing themselves to lure the enemy; they simply didn't care. After all, with hundreds of thousands of troops from the Immortal Palace pressing in, even hundreds of thousands of pigs couldn't be defeated so easily, could they?

So the Immortal Palace army, upon hearing of the defeat of the Northern Divine Cult's experts, felt the situation was excellent and the advantage was in their hands. Extrapolating this to others, they assumed that since the Northern Divine Lords had fled, the current Divine Cult army would surely also collapse. Therefore, this was the perfect opportunity to achieve glory! The generals, feeling confident in their abilities, declared that the fate of the world and the Immortal Palace rested on this battle, and that no one else could take it! They rallied their troops, fought a battle, and were then defeated.

... Well, we lost. We don't know how we lost yet. Some say it's because Wen Tianjun came again, but he underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly before reinforcements arrived, resulting in his encirclement. Others say it's because there was a traitor among us. In any case, the Immortal Palace army fought a great battle with the Divine Sect at Juelong Ridge and was defeated.

This time Wen Tianjun has also disappeared, the Three Enclosures have begun a fierce impeachment and factional struggle, and Yuntai Peak has blocked information. The unorthodox schemers can no longer even get specific information.

The great war between Zhen Country and Kun Country has captured the world's attention, but that doesn't mean other places are safe. It's just that the scale of mobilization isn't on the level of hundreds of thousands, so it's not worth paying attention to.

The only good news is that Lou Guan's lineage helped break the Ten Ultimate Formation. Because of the Nangong Family's rebellion, they did not continue to pursue the Divine Sect. General of the South has already urgently led his disciples back to Li Country to take charge.

Perhaps the Xuanmen Immortal Palace was somewhat wary of the rise of Ink Bamboo Mountain in the past, but now, looking at other places, well, forget about the possibility of it becoming a future threat. If things continue like this, there's no future for them. The collapse of the Li Country along with them would be a huge help...

Li Fan looked at the Blue Fatty's battle report and was speechless.

Do you think there are really any fools among these Three Great Sects? Probably not, since fools have long been eliminated.

It can only be said that the people of the Immortal Palace are blinded by greed, the people of the Profound Sect are ruthless, and the people of the Divine Cult are unscrupulous—they are all vicious people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. I really don't know what kind of bizarre matching mechanism brought them all together...

For Ink Bamboo Mountain to compete with such a group of exceptionally intelligent scoundrels is truly a long and arduous journey...

Putting aside worldly affairs for the moment, Li Fan himself felt a headache coming on looking at this mess. However, judging from this, the Penglai Nine Truth Sect, who were currently in the middle of the situation, were probably just as overwhelmed and probably wouldn't even notice that the Huan family members had been rescued. Now was the time for him to take action.

In this way, Gonggong mingled with the fish for several days. Li Fan, relying on his Gu Guan Method, sensed fishing and cargo ships passing by in the distance, knowing that they were probably approaching the territory of Penglai Mountain. He then rolled over and transformed into a muscular man with red hair, golden eyes, broad shoulders, long legs, and brown skin, his face modeled after the pirates he had seen before. He then disguised himself, donned the protective clothing of the Divine Cult, and deliberately tattooed a red scorpion on his shoulder. He carried the Huan family's harpoon and had a fire axe hanging from his waist as a weapon. A completely new disguise was thus created.

Li Fan reflected on his previous trip to Xun Kingdom. He realized that his first time impersonating 'Li Yaoshi' was a bit careless, and he gave himself away too much. In fact, he hadn't tried hard enough to hide it, Yang Sheng and Gray-Headed Man had both seen through his true identity. He could only say he was lucky that those who offended him were dead, but if he had been targeted by enemies, he would probably have encountered trouble like the Huan family sooner or later.

Although Li Fan didn't intend to offend the other side too much during his trip to Penglai, a fight was still a possibility. Besides, he had already killed a Penglai expert using Li Yaoshi's face, and the expert's crane had escaped, while Yue Po had also revealed his identity. The opponents were all treacherous and ruthless Xuanmen masters. Even though the Divine Sect's Ah Xiba had been quite cautious, he was still pursued. To avoid being ambushed, no amount of caution was excessive.

So, his first public persona is that of a rogue cultivator from the South China Sea, a lone pirate who escaped after his fleet was wiped out in the chaos of battle. His second persona is that of Huan Delang, a descendant of the Golden Scale Palace seeking revenge for his family. His third persona is that of 'Red Scorpion' A Xiba, a spy for the Divine Cult. In short, if he were to kill someone, he would try to mislead the target into seeking revenge in the direction the people of Penglai desire, so that they wouldn't trace it back to him, Li Fan.

Having made these preparations, Li Fan cautiously navigated the water, approaching nearby islands to gather information.

The situation in the East Sea is different from that in the South China Sea. There are no local powerful clans like those in the Ten Continents and Seven Islands, and it is not a paradise where rogue cultivators can come and go at will and freely conduct maritime trade.

The East Sea only recognizes the Supreme Nine Truth Sect. The islands in various places are either Penglai's medicine gardens or Penglai's mines. Everything that flies in the sky or swims in the sea belongs to Penglai. There is no chance for you, an outsider, to take it randomly.

If you don't want to die, don't mess with other people's things. That's the advice for dealing with the Xuanmen (Daoist) sect.

Of course, while all Xuanmen sects are domineering, there is still room for negotiation. The simplest and most common way is to volunteer oneself and become a guest elder in the Outer Sect.

That's why it's tough being a rogue cultivator; you're ostracized and unwelcome everywhere.

The most awkward position is that of a rogue cultivator at the Golden Core stage. Ordinary folk forces look down on them, while powerful forces can't get them in. Some with good comprehension can even stand in long lines and fight tooth and nail to get into the orthodox sects. But those with less talent can only take orders and do quests in the Outer Sect, slowly accumulating the sect's reputation and climbing the ranks.

But no matter how many tasks you do or how much you contribute to the sect, it's useless. Anyone who's been in a large organization knows that without a powerful patron, connections, or the ability to curry favor with the big shots, it's impossible to enter the core. You're just used as a laborer. If it weren't for the fact that the Divine Sect is exceptionally good at rewarding and punishing, attracting most of the independent cultivators from the Central Plains, perhaps the shortage of manpower in the Xuanmen wouldn't be so severe.

However, if a rogue cultivator manages to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, their treatment will be slightly better, especially for body-refining martial artists. If they join one of the Twelve Countries, they might be able to become a minor general. If they go to the Xuanmen, they'll at most become a protector, or a high-level henchman. Of course, without an introduction, they'll probably still be excluded from the circle. It's even quite normal for them to be treated like spies on the spot.

However, we are currently in a chaotic world, and manpower is scarce everywhere. Li Fan estimated that Penglai would definitely need a rough and uncouth martial artist. He didn't need to rise to a high position in Penglai; he just needed to obtain a legitimate identity so he could openly infiltrate the three islands of Penglai, search for Amao and the others, and then make his escape once he had rescued them.

Therefore, Li Fan revealed the aura of the Gonggong Dao Body Nascent Soul, and did not rashly land on the island. Instead, he followed etiquette and waited for the Golden Core Stage cultivators stationed on the island to notice him before flying out to meet him.

Li Fan then clasped his hands in a fist salute and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I am a rogue cultivator from the South Sea, known as the Red-Haired Ghost Li Tang! I have recently been in seclusion cultivating and have made a breakthrough, achieving mastery of my divine skills! I have heard that the Penglai Immortal Sect is recruiting, and I would like to recommend myself to serve under their tutelage! Please introduce me!"

The previous chapter on the cultivation setting of the Tai Su Dao Body had some errors and contradictions with the preceding text, so it has been revised. Thank you to all readers for your reminders and support.