Trouble Entering the City

The Wang family had eleven members in total. Apart from the patriarch and two elders, Wang Shouye and Wang Zhiming, and two juniors, Wang Daoyuan and Wang Daoxing, the remaining six were all elderly individuals with white hair.

These six were all from the "Zhi" generation, and they were all cultivators with low cultivation levels and no special skills.

Two of them were over one hundred and ten years old. The lifespan limit for Qi Condensation cultivators was only one hundred and twenty years. Cultivators often sustained hidden injuries from constant battles, affecting their lifespan, so it was rare for them to reach their lifespan limit. These two great-uncles could pass away at any moment.

The other four were slightly younger, but they were all over one hundred years old as well.

To put it bluntly, these six were cannon fodder. Whenever a conscription order was issued, the majority of those sent out by the family were cannon fodder.

The purpose of the sect conscripting cultivators from affiliated forces was to serve as cannon fodder for the sect's cultivators, reducing casualties among them.

The various families were not fools. For the sake of their continuation, they would not send out clansmen with good aptitude or special skills to their deaths. Instead, they would send out those who were older and lacked any particular skills to fill the numbers.

Of course, these cannon fodder would not die in vain. Once designated as cannon fodder, regardless of whether they lived or died, the family would provide Spirit Stones or resources. If they died in battle, the sect that issued the conscription order would also provide a death benefit.

Since they didn't have many years left to live anyway, they were willing to die in battle for the family, hoping their descendants would receive more resources and advance further on the path of cultivation.

Wang Zhian was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and could fly on his sword. Golden Goose City was over five thousand li from Jade Spring Peak, so he could make a round trip in half a day.

However, Wang Daoyuan and the other ten were Qi Condensation cultivators. Unless they had flying artifacts or spirit beasts, they could only travel on foot.

With ten Qi Condensation cultivators to look after, Wang Zhian naturally couldn't fly on his sword and had to walk with them.

But a Foundation Establishment cultivator was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even when walking, he was not someone the Qi Condensation cultivators could keep up with. The ten Qi Condensation cultivators could only activate Divine Movement Talismans and, under full exertion, barely keep pace with Wang Zhian.

The group traveled on foot, and to accommodate the six elderly great-uncles, they only covered seven to eight hundred li a day. Finally, they arrived at Golden Goose City on the seventh day.

Golden Goose City had a circumference of over ten li, which was not considered large among mortal cities. The city walls were built with stones mined from Return Goose Mountain, and they were densely covered with array patterns, giving off an impression of invincibility.

The city walls were thirty feet high, and massive crossbows were mounted on the battlements. The arrowheads gleamed with a cold light. Unfortunately, Wang Daoyuan knew nothing about artifact refining and couldn't tell what grade the artifacts were.

The group arrived at the city gate, where a large crowd was already queuing.

The crowd was divided into two lines. In one line, groups of ten or more, or dozens of people, wore identical clothing; they were all cultivators from forces affiliated with the Netherworld Sect. The other line had a chaotic mix of clothing. Some stood in groups of three to five, while others stood alone outside the crowd. It was barely even a queue. These people were rogue cultivators recruited by the Netherworld Sect.

The Wang family members wore white Taoist robes, which, apart from the Dragon Fish embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs, appeared simple and unadorned. Their numbers were not large, and they were at the back of the affiliated forces' line, not attracting any attention.

The line of rogue cultivators had a more troublesome time entering the city, needing to register their names, cultivation levels, and other information before being allowed in.

The line of family cultivators entered the city much more quickly. By presenting their conscription orders and proving their identities, they could obtain passes. Even so, with each family having anywhere from ten to dozens of people, registering them one by one was extremely time-consuming.

The Wang family waited in line for over two hours. Finally, only one family remained ahead of them.

Just then, a sharp eagle cry echoed from the sky. Looking up, they saw a bird appear in the western sky. Only its silhouette was visible; its specific features were unclear.

As the bird approached, it turned out to be a giant golden eagle, exuding the pressure of a Violet Mansion cultivator. The Qi Condensation cultivators in the queue all turned pale and struggled to circulate their spiritual energy to resist it.

Over thirty people were seated on the golden eagle's back, including three Foundation Establishment cultivators and the rest at the Late Stage of Qi Condensation. This level of strength was more than enough to forcefully break through the Wang family's Jade Spring Peak.

The golden eagle landed, and the thirty-odd people dismounted. They were all dressed in golden Taoist robes and arrogantly strode past the queuing crowds, heading directly to the front to collect their passes.

The Wang family members, except for the brothers Wang Daoyuan and Wang Daoxing, were all seasoned veterans. Wang Daoyuan, having lived two lives, was naturally not provoked. Wang Daoxing, with his bad temper, was about to erupt but was held back by Wang Shouye and Wang Daoyuan.

The Wang family made no move, and the families behind them were too lazy to bother with them.

However, the Li family, who was at the very front of the line, was unhappy. The Li family had also intended to train their younger disciples and had brought many young people with them. Seeing someone so blatantly disregard their family, the young people couldn't swallow their anger.

A young disciple from the Li family couldn't help himself and stepped forward, angrily scolding, "Seeing as you are all from cultivation families, don't you understand the concept of coming first, going first? You truly disgrace our cultivation families."

The leader of the golden-robed group appeared to be in his forties. His appearance was quite distinctive, like a soccer ball placed on top of a basketball. Combined with his golden robes, if he had a copper coin in his mouth, he would have been a perfect Golden Toad, the kind displayed in shops to attract wealth.

Hearing the accusation, he turned and saw that it was just a young cultivator at the Center Stage of Qi Condensation. The "Golden Toad" couldn't help but become enraged, "You little brat, you haven't even grown all your fur, and you dare to shout here? You don't even know about respecting elders and hierarchy. I'll discipline you on behalf of your parents."

With that, he flung out a palm. A golden light shot directly towards the young man from the Li family who had spoken out.

The Li family's leader, who was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, stepped forward and blocked the golden light, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you have quite a temper. Even if my Li family's disciple made a mistake, it's not for you to discipline him. Moreover, what he said is not wrong."

The "Golden Toad" was momentarily speechless, his face turning red with embarrassment. His family's three Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward, intending to intimidate them with their presence.

The Li family only had two Foundation Establishment cultivators, and their Qi Condensation cultivators numbered only twenty, many of whom were young people at the Center Stage of Qi Condensation.

With one fewer Foundation Establishment cultivator and a complete disadvantage in Qi Condensation cultivators, the Li family would surely be defeated if a fight broke out.

The Li family patriarch was in a difficult position; he was now in a situation where he couldn't back down. If they fought, they definitely couldn't win, and his family's disciples would suffer heavy losses. If they backed down, it would be humiliating, and they would likely be extorted as well.

As he was caught between a rock and a hard place, a Foundation Establishment cultivator wearing a white Taoist robe and carrying a long sword stepped forward. He advised, "It is better to resolve disputes than to create them. We are all here to eliminate demonic beasts, so why make unpleasantness over a small matter? Let's not engage in infighting here and delay important matters."

This white-robed cultivator was none other than Wang Zhian. Wang Zhian and the Li family patriarch, Li Xinghe, were old friends. Seeing his friend in trouble, he naturally had to help.

The Wang family still held some sway within the Netherworld Sect, so stepping forward to mediate should resolve the situation.

Who knew that this "Golden Toad" was a hothead? Not only did he refuse to take the opportunity to de-escalate, but he became even more aggressive, scolding Wang Shouye, "You dare to interfere in this matter? It seems the Wang family has grown too bold. Don't think that by offering the Clear River Carp, the Netherworld Sect will take you seriously.

You remnants of the Zhao family dare to be presumptuous in front of me? My ancestor is an elder of the Netherworld Sect. Your Wang family is merely a dog raised by the Netherworld Sect. You dare to bare your teeth in front of your master; you must be tired of living!"

Before he finished speaking, the Wang family members were furious and took out their magic artifacts. Wang Daoyuan also drew his Profound Sun Sword and got into a ready stance, waiting for the patriarch's command to charge.

The golden-robed family's arrogance earlier was not directed at any specific family. But now, they were directly insulting the Wang family. If they endured this, the Wang family would never be able to hold their heads up in front of others again.

As soon as "Golden Toad" uttered these words, not only were the Wang family disciples enraged, but most of the family cultivators also felt displeased.