The Great Dao Is Ruthless! Times Have Changed!

White Cloud Temple, Cloud Sword Mountain Range.

After Shi Jian went into seclusion, the sect's fundamental approach changed drastically, shifting from outward expansion to inward defense.

The old Daoist Yun Du was shrewd and knew the principle that a tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind. He ordered the peaks to shrink their defenses and station heavy troops in the northern part of Abundant Prefecture and the mainland of Ming Province.

At the same time, he opened his doors wide and accepted many disciples.

The previously stringent screening process for Spirit Root has been relaxed somewhat.

Rogue Cultivator cultivator with Four Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Roots roots, as long as they have a clean background and are diligent, can enter the outer sect to do odd jobs.

The saying goes, "Many hands make light work." Now that the sect's businesses have expanded so much—like the White Cloud Temple branch in Transformation Province, the Zhao Household Chamber of Commerce in Yuan Province, and the Beidi branch in Abundant Prefecture —these are all extensions of the White Cloud Temple, requiring a massive workforce...

Furthermore, White Cloud Temple is constantly growing in size.

Yun Du was well aware of the situation, which is why he recruited many disciples. These disciples would be used as cannon fodder to fill in the gaps in the future!

White Cloud Temple is not what it used to be.

Similarly, White Cloud Temple is no longer the White Cloud Temple it once was. The White Cloud Temple of the past was just a dutiful Golden Core sect, neither too high nor too low, neither too strong nor too weak, with an orderly lineage.

Today, White Cloud Temple is no longer the one-man hall of Yun Du.

In the following years, the number of disciples inside and outside White Cloud Temple more than tripled, reaching nearly ten thousand!

The Southern Mountain Range is dominated by the orthodox White Cloud Temple.

Most of the disciples and the lineage are located here, with the Yun Clan lineage as the main force and dozens of smaller lineages as auxiliary forces.

In the weapon-refining hall, the furnace fire burns all day long.

Nowadays, weapon crafting, beast taming, and alchemy are among the most profitable businesses of White Cloud Temple. Thanks to the massive amount of ore mined from the Evil Water Marsh, the weapon crafting hall's skills have advanced by leaps and bounds.

In recent years, they have also developed the ability to independently forge flying boats and warships.

At this moment, a commercial spirit boat, thirty feet long, was moored on the Sword-Washing Terrace.

The hull is made of century-old ironwood, with the outer layer covered with refined black rock gold, engraved with wind-controlling and sturdy array patterns.

This is the first batch of large commercial spirit ships independently crafted by White Cloud Temple. Named "Cloud Piercer," it can be considered a top-grade magical Law Artifact.

Sun Qiming stood on the deck and turned to look at the head of the weapon-refining hall beside him.

"How long does it take for this boat to make a trip to Transformation Province?"

"Reporting to Elder Sun, the cargo is fully loaded and the journey is smooth; it should take half a month."

"If we encounter a layer of strong winds along the way, we'll have to take a detour, which will add another five days to our journey," the Refining Hall Master replied, wiping his sweat and bowing his head.

"Can we defend against the Bandit Cultivator along the way?"

"The ship is equipped with three Spirit Stone cannons, all of which are high-grade Law Artifact, capable of withstanding a single blow from Foundation Establishment cultivator. Combined with the Turtle Shell Array, it can withstand an attack from Foundation Establishment Late Stage for half an hour."

"With Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge and an ample supply of Spirit Stone, it's enough to withstand an attack from three Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously."

Upon hearing this, Sun Qiming nodded slightly.

With the trade routes connecting Abundant Prefecture, Transformation Province, and Yuan Continent, the spirit medicine and animal materials from White Cloud Temple were continuously transported out, in exchange for a massive amount of Spirit Stone and rare elixirs.

As businesses grow, naturally many people become envious. Although major sects haven't personally taken action to cause trouble in recent years...

But some desperate, rogue Rogue Cultivator are capable of anything.

It's best to be cautious; better safe than sorry.

"Send more manpower; at least two Foundation Establishment cultivators should escort each merchant ship."

"Tell the Foundation Establishment brothers who are rhyming: don't be reckless in times of trouble. Lost goods can be earned back. The most important thing is to stay alive. Even if it means sacrificing those Qi Refining disciples, it doesn't matter. Preserving yourself is the priority."

"Yes, Elder Sun."

After instructing the merchant ships on their defenses, Sun Qiming flew back to the main peak on his sword.

Today, the sect has a major event.

As White Cloud Temple continues to grow stronger, the number of non-Buddhist cultivators is also increasing. Among them is an elder from another family named Chang He, who is about to Core Formation today.

Chang He has been a member of the sect for over 120 years and possesses Dual Spirit Roots.

He had been Foundation Establishment Perfection for twenty years, and his lifespan was more than halfway over. Unwilling to stop there, he decided to take a gamble.

In the Southern Mountain Range, there is a sacred place called Cold Pool Cave.

At this time and place, the celestial phenomena are changing.

The Spiritual Qi gathered into a funnel and poured into the cave abode. The old Daoist Yun Du and Sun Chengzu stood side by side on the cliff, watching the rolling spiritual clouds, both of them expressionless.

"Without the Heaven and Earth Qi, it will be difficult."

Sun Chengzu placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his tone calm, as if he had long been accustomed to life and death.

Yun Du sighed, "That's how cultivation is; if you don't advance, you regress. Rather than waiting to die in vain, why not take a chance? What if you succeed?"

"Just in case?"

Sun Chengzu shook his head and sighed, "Senior brother, in the cultivation world, there aren't so many 'what ifs'; more often, it's a matter of nine deaths and one life."

"Without the assistance of the Heaven and Earth Qi, those who can survive this calamity through their own natural talents are few and far between throughout history, perhaps less than one in ten."

Before the words were finished, a shrill scream echoed from inside the cave abode.

The sound, filled with despair, the agony of flesh being torn apart and bones being broken, pierced through the isolation array and resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

The Spiritual Qi funnel collapsed, and the extraordinary phenomena of the Great Dao ceased.

The Daoist energy between heaven and earth collapsed, and the clouds in the sky lost their support, turning into a bloody storm.

Cold Pool Cave, Chang He was no longer human.

Half of his body was shriveled and withered, while the other half was swollen like a ball. His vital energy was running rampant within him, severing his meridians and turning into pus and blood...

"I am not reconciled! How unjust is the justice system!"

Chang He roared to the sky, his eyes filled with tears of blood. He clutched his chest tightly, trying to hold onto the life force that was slipping away from his body.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, Chang He's physical body, unable to withstand the violent spiritual energy, shattered instantly, his flesh and blood flying out and transforming into countless clouds that drifted across the world...

Thus, he Death Dao and his spirit vanished, his body completely Dao Dissolution clouds and mist, leaving not even his soul behind. He died a truly tragic death.

Yet another cultivator attempting to attain the Cloud Dao Golden Core stage has perished here.

And this time, the one who died was a genius with Dual Spirit Roots. It's truly a pity; one can only say he was born at the wrong time...

The old Daoist priest Yun Du closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Give him a proper burial, preserve his wealth and legacy, and ensure his descendants in the sect are well-fed and clothed for three generations."

Sun Chengzu also sighed and said:

"This is the second one this year. First Elder Li, then Chang He. Without the Heaven and Earth Qi and earth, forcibly Core Formation is nothing more than adding another handful of dust to the pile."

"I had hoped to witness the sect's growth, but instead, I've only brought more sorrow."

"Senior Brother Yun Du, now that this matter is settled, I will return to Abundant Prefecture to oversee the northern region. I will come back to see you in a few years."

After saying this, Sun Chengzu bowed and turned to leave.

It transformed into a streak of sword light and vanished into the distant sky.

The entire White Cloud Temple was utterly silent, as if struck by lightning.

The path to the Golden Core is incredibly cruel. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who harbored illusions were utterly disheartened by these two devastating defeats.

If you're not destined for it, stop dreaming about it as soon as possible...

Truly, the Dao Path enlightenment is ruthless and fraught with peril.

The path to the Golden Core is ultimately an insurmountable chasm, truly awe-inspiring; survival means success, failure means annihilation!