The Wang Clan's party numbered eleven. Aside from the clan head, the two elders Wang Shouye and Wang Zhiming, and the two juniors Wang Daoyuan and Wang Daoxing, the remaining six were all white-haired old men.
These six all belonged to the Zhi generation. Their cultivation was low, and none possessed any particular skill; they were elderly cultivators.
Two of them were already over one hundred and ten years old. The upper limit of a Qi Refining cultivator's lifespan was only one hundred and twenty years. Cultivators spent their lives fighting others, and hidden injuries were inevitable, affecting their lifespans. Thus, few cultivators lived to their natural limit. These two granduncles could achieve nirvana at any moment.
The other four were somewhat younger, but they too were over a hundred years old.
To put it bluntly, the six of them were cannon fodder. Whenever a conscription came, most of those sent out by the Lineage were cannon fodder.
When sects conscripted cultivators from their subordinate forces, their purpose was to use them as cannon fodder for sect cultivators, reducing the sect's casualties.
The various Lineages were no fools either. For the sake of their continued existence, they could not possibly send out clansmen with decent talent or useful skills to die. They always dragged out those who were old and lacked any particular skill to make up the numbers.
Of course, this cannon fodder would not die for nothing. Once someone was designated cannon fodder, whether they lived or died, the Lineage would provide a sum of Spirit Stones or resources. If they died in battle, the sect that had issued the Conscription Order would also grant compensation.
They did not have many years left to live in the first place. So that their descendants could obtain more resources and travel farther down the path of immortality, they were willing to die for the Lineage.
Wang Zhian was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and could use Sword Flight. Golden Goose City was over five thousand li from Jade Spring Peak, and he could make a round trip in half a day.
However, Wang Daoyuan and the other ten were Qi Refining cultivators. Unless they possessed flying artifacts or flying spirit beasts, they could only travel on their own two legs.
With ten Qi Refining cultivators to look after, Wang Zhian naturally could not use Sword Flight and could only travel on foot with them.
But Foundation Establishment was Foundation Establishment after all. Even walking, he was not someone Qi Refining cultivators could keep up with. The ten Qi Refining cultivators could only activate Divine Movement Talismans and push them with all their strength to barely keep pace with Wang Zhian.
The party traveled on foot. To accommodate the six elderly granduncles, they covered only seven or eight hundred li each day, finally arriving at Golden Goose City on the seventh day.
Golden Goose City had a circumference of more than ten li, which was not particularly large even among mortal cities. Its walls were built from rock quarried from Return Goose Mountain, densely engraved with formation patterns that gave off an indestructible air.
The city walls stood ten zhang high. Giant Crossbows were mounted atop the battlements, their arrowheads gleaming with a cold light. Unfortunately, Wang Daoyuan knew nothing about artifact refining and could not tell what grade of artifacts they were.
When the party reached the city gates, a large crowd was already waiting in line ahead of them.
The crowd was divided into two lines. In one line, groups of ten or several dozen people wore identical clothing; they were all cultivators from forces subordinate to the Netherworld Sect. The other line was a chaotic jumble of clothing. Some stood in groups of three or five, while others stood alone beyond the crowd. Calling it a line was somewhat of a stretch. These people were Rogue Cultivators recruited by the Netherworld Sect.
The Wang Clan party wore plain white Daoist robes, marked only by dragonfish embroidered in gold thread at their cuffs. Their numbers were small, and they took their place at the very end of the subordinate forces' line without drawing any attention.
It was rather troublesome for the Rogue Cultivators' line to enter the city. They had to register their names, cultivation levels, and other information before they could enter.
The Lineage cultivators' line moved much faster. They only needed to present their Conscription Orders to verify their identities before receiving entry tokens. Even so, each Lineage had at least a dozen and sometimes several dozen people, and registering them one by one took considerable time.
The Wang Clan party had waited in line for over two hours when only one Lineage remained ahead of them.
At that moment, a piercing eagle cry rang out from the sky. Looking up, they saw a bird appear in the western heavens, though they could only make out its outline and not its exact features.
As the bird approached, it proved to be a gigantic Golden Eagle, radiating the pressure of a Violet Mansion Cultivator. The Qi Refining cultivators waiting in line all turned pale and barely managed to circulate their spiritual power to resist it.
More than thirty people sat on the Golden Eagle's back. Three were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while the rest were all at the Late Stage of Qi Condensation. Such strength was enough to forcibly break through the Wang Clan's Jade Spring Peak.
The Golden Eagle landed, and the thirty-odd people climbed down from its back. They wore golden Daoist robes and, with their noses in the air, strode past everyone waiting in line to collect entry tokens directly from the front.
Apart from the brothers Wang Daoyuan and Wang Daoxing, the Wang Clan members were all seasoned old hands who had weathered countless trials. Wang Daoyuan had also lived two lives, so naturally he was not provoked. Wang Daoxing had a bad temper and was about to flare up when Wang Shouye and Wang Daoyuan held him down.
The Wang Clan made no response, and the Lineages behind them could not be bothered to pay the golden-robed group any mind.
But the Li Family at the front of the line was displeased. The Li Family had also brought many young people to temper their younger generation. When someone so utterly disregarded their Lineage, the young people could not swallow this indignation.
One young Li Family disciple could not endure it any longer. He stepped forward and angrily rebuked them, "You are cultivators from a cultivation Lineage as well. Do you not even understand first come, first served? You truly disgrace all cultivation Lineages."
The golden-robed man leading them looked to be in his forties, and his appearance was quite distinctive. He looked like half a football set atop a basketball. Combined with that golden robe, if he had a copper coin clenched in his mouth, he would have been the very picture of a three-legged Golden Toad, fit to be placed in a shop to attract wealth.
Hearing someone accuse him, he turned and saw that it was merely a young man at the Qi Refining Mid-stage. The "Golden Toad" immediately flew into a rage from humiliation. "You little bastard, your feathers have not even grown in yet, and you dare yell and shout here? You do not even know the difference between elder and junior, high and low. I'll teach you a lesson in your elders' stead."
With that, he swung out his palm. A flash of golden light shot straight toward the young Li Family disciple who had spoken out.
The Li Family's leader was its clan head, also a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. He raised a hand to block the golden light and said, "Fellow Daoist, what a temper you have. Even if my Li Family disciple has done wrong, it is not your place to discipline him. Besides, he was not wrong."
The "Golden Toad" was left speechless, his face swelling red. Three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from his Lineage stepped forward, intending to use their power to crush the other side.
The Li Family had only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and merely twenty Qi Refining cultivators, many of whom were young people at the Qi Refining Mid-stage.
They were short one Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and their Qi Refining cultivators were at a complete disadvantage. If battle broke out, the Li Family would undoubtedly be utterly defeated.
The Li Family clan head was in a difficult position. He was now riding a tiger and could not get off. If they fought, they would certainly lose, and the Lineage's disciples would suffer grievous losses; if he yielded, they would lose face and still be extorted for a sum.
As he wavered between two difficult choices, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in white Daoist robes, with a long sword on his back, stepped forward. He tried to mediate, saying, "It is better to settle enmity than forge it. We have all come to wipe out Demon Beasts, so why make trouble over such a trivial matter? Do not let internal conflict arise here and delay the greater cause."
This white-robed cultivator was Wang Zhian. Wang Zhian and the Li Family clan head, Li Xinghe, had been friends for many years. Seeing his old friend in trouble, he naturally had to lend a hand.
The Wang Clan still had some standing in the Netherworld Sect, so stepping forward to mediate should have resolved the situation.
Who would have thought that this "Golden Toad" was a blockhead? Not only did he refuse to take the offered way out, he instead pushed things further, shouting at Wang Shouye, "You dare interfere in this matter too? It seems the Wang Clan's wings have grown hard. Do not think that just because you offered up Clear River Carp, the Netherworld Sect holds you in any regard.
"You Remnants of the Zhao Clan dare act so wildly before me? My ancestor is an elder of the Netherworld Sect. Your Wang Clan is nothing more than a dog raised by the Netherworld Sect, yet you dare bare your fangs before your master. You are truly tired of living!"
Before his words had even faded, the Wang Clan members erupted in fury and drew their artifacts. Wang Daoyuan also pulled out the Profound Sun Sword and assumed a fighting stance, needing only a word from the clan head before charging forward to kill.
Previously, the golden-robed Lineage's arrogance had not been aimed at any particular Lineage. But now they had directly insulted the Wang Clan. If they endured this, the Wang Clan would never again be able to hold their heads high before others.
The moment the "Golden Toad" spoke those words, it was not only the Wang Clan disciples who were enraged. Most of the Lineage cultivators felt deeply displeased as well.
Before you continue