The Truth of the Cultivation World

After the two Daoists and Li Shizu had finalized their wager, one of them—the Daoist who had spoken earlier—suddenly seemed to recall something and asked the eccentric old man, “Senior Qiong, why have you come here? Is it possible that you are leading the Masked Moon Sect’s contingent this time?”

“Me, leading them? They would never rest easy if I did. Our sect’s leader this time is that girl Nichang. I’m just here for a look-see, to sniff out whether any formidable new talents have appeared among the various sects.” The old man glared at him and replied in an impatient tone.

“And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s all quite mediocre. If any of you really had a gifted disciple, I suspect your junior brothers would be loath to let them out. They’d be keeping them hidden away like a precious treasure. But they never stop to think! Without weathering a few major storms, natural talent is worthless. The moment they run into some demonic fiend, they’ll be slaughtered like sacrificial lambs.”

The old man seemed to hold a grudge against the various sects’ practices, wearing an expression that said, “You’ve all got it completely wrong.”

Li Shizu and the two Daoists showed no change in expression, but inwardly they were seething.

You old monster talk so lightly. Do you have any idea how hard it is for us to find a single disciple with decent talent? Send them to participate in this near-certain-death trial? Do you take us for fools? Besides, there are plenty of other places to gain experience. Why must it be the Blood Forbidden Land?

Of course, these thoughts stayed locked firmly inside their stomachs. They would never dare voice them in the old man’s presence. That would be asking for trouble. The two Daoists knew well enough to keep their mouths shut.

Once again, it proved the simple truth of the cultivation world: whoever has the biggest fist is the law.

The disciples of the two sects had overheard the entire wager concerning the forbidden land expedition. A ripple of restlessness passed through their ranks. The expressions on their faces shifted, a mix of emotions that made them look utterly bizarre.

Naturally, no one was foolish enough to jump out and accuse the three of impropriety. Even if someone wanted to, they could only fume in silence. A flick of those elders’ fingers would be enough to snuff out the lives of these fledgling cultivators.

Li Shizu watched the other two leave, then swept his gaze across the Yellow Maple Valley disciples. A cold tone entered his voice as he said something that left Han Li and the others utterly stunned.

“I know what you’re thinking. You believe that by wagering on your lives, we have shown you a lack of respect. Another cultivator might find a dozen excuses to explain himself. But I, Li, have never been fond of such pretenses. I will tell you plainly the true face of the cultivation world and its cruelty. Consider this a piece of advice from me.

“Listen carefully. In the cultivation world—whether righteous sect or demonic cult—everyone pursues the same goal: defying Heaven and letting the strong devour the weak. The only difference is method. The righteous sects advocate gradual progress, letting things take their natural course. Their techniques are milder, but they often wave the banner of ‘slaying demons and defending the Dao’ to carry out petty, villainous deeds. Most of them are hypocrites and false gentlemen. The demonic path, on the other hand, pursues explosive growth in magical power, favoring techniques of overwhelming might. Their cultivation methods are vicious, twisted, and opportunistic. They claim to follow their true nature and act as they please, but as their skills deepen, they grow increasingly extreme, lose their humanity, and degenerate into bloodthirsty savages.

“No matter what the sects claim—righteous, demonic, or otherwise—the rule they all follow on the ground is the same: the strong eat the weak. We cultivators are not ordinary mortals! A cultivator of a higher realm sees a lower one as an ant. A single careless word can lead to an instant kill. This happens all the time.”

Li Shizu paused here. His tone suggested he held no high opinion of either faction, righteous or demonic. This attitude left the disciples feeling confused. One of the bolder ones couldn’t help but ask:

“Grandmaster, is Yellow Maple Valley a righteous sect or a demonic one?”

“Hmph! Neither. And the same goes for the other six sects of the Yue Kingdom.” He twisted his lips into a cold sneer.

“You are young and have only recently joined the sect, so you have not been told the origin of the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world.”

“A thousand years ago, the Yue Kingdom was no different from anywhere else. The righteous and demonic factions were locked in opposition. Our current Seven Great Sects were nothing but insignificant minor schools back then. To survive, they played both sides, leaning toward whichever was stronger at the time. The major sects of both camps looked down on them. But then came a devastating war between the righteous and demonic forces. All their top experts were thrown into the fray. After the war, their strength was shattered, and they could no longer suppress minor sects like Yellow Maple Valley. Not long after, our seven minor sects joined forces and uprooted both the righteous and demonic powers in one fell swoop. We completely annihilated their lineages to prevent them from ever recovering.

“Many of the techniques you study today are spoils from those battles. That is how our Seven Great Sects came to dominate the Yue Kingdom. Whenever a righteous or demonic sect tries to invade this land, we seven unite to drive them out. We never give them a foothold. So the techniques taught by our seven sects include both righteous and demonic ones, as well as some unique to us. In terms of alignment, we are neutral sects.”

As he spoke, a trace of pride crept onto Li Shizu’s face.

“Until now, you have been training within the valley. Even those of you who have left the mountain have only wandered around this tiny patch of land called the Yue Kingdom. You have never encountered the true cultivation world, nor have you witnessed its dark, bloody side. But elsewhere in the world, the five great streams of cultivation—Buddhist, Daoist, Confucian, Demonic, and Demonic-adjacent—all coexist. The chaos there is far beyond your imagination. Murder and theft, the annihilation of clans and sects—these are everyday occurrences. In most places, the demonic side holds the upper hand. They kill without hesitation to establish their power, and they are drenched in blood.”

His expression grew stern and solemn. Then it softened slightly as he added coldly, “I have said this much to give you a small wake-up call, so you do not grow arrogant. Remember this: in the cultivation world, if your strength is inferior to another’s, do not waste breath on foolish demands for respect. So-called respect only exists between cultivators of roughly equal power. To demand it otherwise is to court death. Heh. I wonder how many of you who survive in a few days will truly understand these words.”

Han Li and the others were already stunned speechless. This revelation was utterly shocking to them.

“Now, about the wager. You should have heard it. This bet is extremely important to me. If we win, I will not treat you poorly. Every disciple who helps me secure victory will be generously rewarded. The one who contributes the most may be accepted into my personal tutelage after Foundation Establishment.”

Before the Yellow Maple Valley disciples had even fully digested his previous “advice,” they were jolted into excitement by this staggering promise.

To be taken as a disciple by a Core Formation cultivator—what did that mean? In all of Yellow Maple Valley, only a dozen or so people had enjoyed such fortune. This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!

Seeing the crowd stir with excitement, their faces lit up with eagerness, Li Shizu smiled faintly with great satisfaction.

As long as he won the bet, taking on three or four nominal disciples would be a trivial matter. He would just find a place to stash them, teach them a few superficial techniques, and be done with it.