Born with immortal seed

Chapter 646 The Moralist Sect

"Perhaps that ray beast is extraordinary. It's already magical that a beast can grow to the fourth rank. Maybe it has a connection to the Heavenly Demon Realm."

Yu Ziliang saw that the messenger was stammering and couldn't answer, so he helped explain.

After all, it was caused by a fellow disciple, so we have to cover it up to save face.

This Hong Da Zhenjun is of a higher generation than the Hongfa Laozu and belongs to the most steadfast sect of morality.

They are assertive in their external affairs and advocate for a return to the old ways when the Moral Sect established rules and regulated various sects during the medieval period when the demonic calamity was quelled.

He had spearheaded numerous actions to strip violating sects of their fiefdoms and prohibit their lineages, earning him a notorious reputation in the cultivation world.

The image of the Moral Sect as domineering, tyrannical, and difficult to communicate with in the eyes of cultivators throughout the cultivation world is basically created by disciples of this sect that prioritizes morality.

Within the Daode Sect, not all cultivators approved of this behavior.

If there were truly collusion with demons and acts that violated the natural order, that would be one thing. But to impose such a severe punishment merely for violations of rituals, the rules for selecting successors, and the laws promulgated by the Daode Sect seems rather inhumane.

However, a group of cultivators, represented by True Monarch Hong, stood at the commanding heights, holding onto the golden rules established by the founders at the beginning of the sect.

When it comes to debating and reasoning, he is absolutely not at a disadvantage.

At that time, the human race had just emerged from the chaos of slash-and-burn agriculture and escaped from the environment of being enslaved by natural gods and wild beasts, and still lived in clan groups.

There are hardly any cities, let alone a country.

Many clans still retain bloody and dark practices such as human sacrifice, worship of heaven, and raising of poisonous insects, and ordinary people in the tribe are just insignificant expendable resources.

It is common for people to sacrifice the lives of hundreds or thousands of people in order to cast a spell.

The creation of a spiritual treasure requires dozens of large-scale blood sacrifices, where blood and vengeful spirits are poured into it until that spark of spirituality emerges.

Human skin and bones, used to forge magical artifacts, are commonplace.

The Daode Sect was born in such an environment. The founders were all carefully selected immortals from the lower realms.

According to the regulations of the Moral Sect of the Immortal Realm, they were modified to suit the situation in the human world at that time and promulgated throughout the world.

Many of the regulations seem illogical today, but were very necessary at the time.

As humanity slowly emerged from that dark period, the golden rules of the Moral Sect remained unchanged.

Furthermore, due to the unique inheritance history and overwhelming strength of the Moral Sect in the entire cultivation world, many disciples harbor a condescending attitude towards other sects deep down.

Our sect stands out from the crowd in strength, and has repeatedly helped the world and saved humanity from dire straits.

Most disciples of the Daode Sect have similar arrogant thoughts and an uncontrollable sense of superiority.

They felt that forcibly correcting the practices of other sects was for their own good, and therefore they should be grateful and obey.

This is almost unbearable for cultivators who pursue longevity and transcend worldly affairs.

Furthermore, with the Daode Sect occupying the most fertile land in the entire Central Region of the Great Zhou, the conflicts of interest are deepening as the number of cultivators increases.

The relationship between the Daode School and those super sects is naturally not harmonious.

Yu Ziliang knew his senior brother Hong's personality very well, and he also learned about the incident from secret letters passed between fellow disciples.

The stingray must have comprehended the Great Dao of Pure Wind. Just when everyone thought its demonic energy was exhausted and it would be captured, blood filled its entire body, and its skin swelled up like a balloon, emitting a terrifying aura of destruction.

It seemed as if the demon's body would explode at any moment, turning everything within a ten-mile radius into dust.

This destructive aura clearly exceeded the original level of the ray beast, causing all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs to scatter in panic, lest they be affected by the blast wave of the beast's self-destruction.

Unexpectedly, the ray was just feinting. Even though it had entered a self-destruct state, it was able to exit, flapping its wings and merging into the breeze, flying far away.

With a few flicks of the fan, he vanished without a trace.

Hong Da Zhenjun realized he had let the great demon escape, and in recent days he has been attacking the coastal city like a madman.

As the first territory occupied by the outer sea demons, the entire city was transformed by the demons, becoming very similar to their deep-sea lair. Reinforcements from the outer sea and defeated soldiers retreating from the front lines all converged here.

These cities, having been modified by the overseas demon race, now possess the defensive capabilities of a fourth-order grand formation. Coupled with countless demon beasts, they are truly difficult to conquer in an instant.

In order to increase speed, the pursuing army abandoned the cumbersome large war artifacts and the difficult-to-activate secret treasures, and went into battle lightly equipped.

The remaining allied forces, led by several Great True Lords, chose to stop in front of the demon city, surrounding it without attacking.

At the same time, it cut off the city's retreat route to the open sea, ensuring that few demons would be able to escape when the city fell.

Then, simply wait quietly for the arrival of the next few waves of reinforcements. Once the main army is assembled and the large-scale war artifacts suitable for siege are in place, a thunderous offensive can be launched.

But Hong Da Zhenjun was different; disregarding casualties, he launched a direct and forceful attack.

At the same time, he took the lead and even summoned his Nascent Soul Realm to forcefully break through the city's restrictions, risking a great loss of his own true essence to remove these two obstacles.

As a result, over a hundred members of the Daode Sect were killed or wounded.

"Transfer the three large armies that were subsequently transferred from the Central Region here, here, here... Give them a month. I want to ensure that no more demon strongholds appear in the Eastern Region."

Bai Zichen stood up, behind him was a huge map of the ancestral continent, more precise and detailed than the feng shui map that the Daode Sect used as a battle map.

Especially the content that delves into the outer seas.

The finger pressed heavily on three areas, where deep red dots flashed, and other areas had light red stripes.

This is a map that was searched from the archives of Lankeshan. Bai Zichen saw it when it was being collected and cataloged, and then put it in his Qingxia Cave.

It is a dragon pearl left behind by a mirage dragon. The crafting technique is not complicated, and the function can be achieved in a spiritual weapon.

The difficulty lies in understanding both the inland and the open sea, including various mountains and landforms, as well as forbidden areas of sects.

Only a sacred land of the demon race, like Rotten Mountain, located inland, has the ability to do this.

This image can be magnified to a length and width of several hundred feet, and it is unknown how much effort was put into its creation. The function of the Mirage Dragon Pearl is reflected in this.

"In addition, we have summoned representatives from various super sects to Rotten Axe Mountain. The topic of discussion is to strike at the heart of the enemy and recruit another 500,000 cultivators for an expedition to the outer seas!"

"Yes, immediately issue a decree to all the sects."

Yu Ziliang's expression turned serious, and he answered earnestly.

This was within the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Expedition, and the decision was within his expectations.

Many sects in the Central Region are weary of this protracted war and just want it to end as soon as possible.

But many more sects covet this undeveloped new world of the outer seas, a world brimming with opportunities.

Rather than struggling and dying in the Central Region, it's better to go to the outer seas and try your luck.

Sects whose techniques are adapted to aquatic environments are even less likely to refuse.

Furthermore, sects outside the Central Region were not significantly affected by the war between the two races.

With new temptations now available, the desire to send troops will be very strong.

Even the Moral Sect itself supported going to sea to crush the demon race in one fell swoop.

Firstly, this is a long-cherished wish of Cunsi Peak, and it is estimated that the entire peak will be mobilized and spare no effort.

Secondly, upholding the status of the human race and combating the demon race have always been the tenets of the Moral Sect.

Even if the mortal realm continues to decline and drifts further and further away from the immortal realm, it will not change in the slightest.

As for the shift of control from the Daoist Sect to Bai Zichen, since neither the Daoist lineage master nor the Hongfa Patriarch expressed any objection, it was even less likely that the disciples below would jump out to oppose it.

A month later, the last demon city was captured, and the Eastern Region, which had been occupied for a century, finally returned to the hands of the human race.

But how many of the cultivators standing on this land today were once familiar faces from the Eastern Region?

A considerable number of remaining demonic beasts roam the Eastern Region. The Eastern Expedition Demon Extermination Command has issued merit rewards, granting merit for each demon slain.

This is intended to attract rogue cultivators from the Central Region to this place, accelerate the demon-slaying process, and bring the Eastern Region back on track as soon as possible.

In the same month, the merits of the Eastern Expeditionary Army were made available for exchange, sparking heated discussions.

On the exchange list, the most popular items were still the spiritual veins and blessed lands. All the fourth-order unclaimed spiritual veins in the Eastern Region were exchanged out in just three hours after verification, and they found new owners.

Clearly, these spiritual veins have long been thoroughly studied and understood, allowing them to act decisively once a target is identified.

The exchange participants are mainly from the Nascent Soul sects in the Central Region, or several sects working together to build branch academies and training grounds.

Or perhaps they would take a desperate gamble, clearing out their assets in the Central Plains and relocating their entire clan to the Eastern Regions in hopes of seizing an opportunity to grow and prosper.

Even two quite famous cultivation families have become members of this group.

That's understandable. In an environment like the Central Region, sects whose ancestors never produced a Nascent Soul cultivator would definitely be constrained and unable to fully utilize their abilities.

Cultivation families are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, dependent on others, so it's not surprising that they made such a choice.

What's more intriguing is how these cultivation families managed to amass such a large amount of merit points.

It can only be said that the success of these two cultivation families is due to their united efforts, with no personal merits being hoarded, and the collective hard work of the entire clan at all costs.

Further down the line, cultivation techniques and various lineages become more popular.

Elixirs, magical treasures, and other items are all ranked in order of preference, but the most neglected items are undoubtedly materials from demonic beasts.

Even though the price of the true feather essence blood from the transformed great demon has dropped by a third compared to the past, no one is paying attention.

Three months later, after countless rounds of negotiations, the plan to launch an expedition to the outer seas was finally approved by the Sword Lord of Time.

With the decree issued, all sects sprang into action, and airships shuttled back and forth on the route between the Central Region and the Eastern Region, creating a bustling scene.

The coastal city, now cleared, is piled high with resources. Due to the specific objective of the campaign, ships are already moored on the sea.

It's impossible to make cultivators travel for months by air before engaging in battle with the demon race. Large ships play a crucial role in the open sea.

For example, the Five Virtues Ship at the very center was built using an unknown amount of wood, all of which were high-grade spiritual wood that would not sink in water or burn in fire, and could be exempt from some of the damage caused by the five elements.

This is the main ship built during the era of Cun Sifeng. It can carry 10,000 people and is equipped with seven array restrictions.

It can withstand sea storms, transformed demons, underwater currents, and so on, ensuring the stability of the ship under different circumstances.

Several businesses have already taken notice and set up shops in the coastal city.

Clearly, they are optimistic about the expedition to the outer seas, having even killed a Nascent Soul Demon Lord, and with the Sword Lord of Time personally leading the expedition.

Even if we can't succeed in one fell swoop, it shouldn't be a problem to recover all the islands in the near sea.

……

Rotten Axe Mountain.

As the army withdrew and headed towards the coast, the mountains became noticeably quieter.

Instead, cultivators in maple-patterned green robes appeared on Rotten Axe Mountain, each full of energy and radiating satisfied smiles.

Regardless of their level of cultivation or age, they are all full of optimism and confidence.

"Senior Brother Wei, this is a list of people to be assigned. Fifty disciples are needed... The formations in my and my senior brother's cave dwellings need to be modified, and we haven't been assigned yet. Is there something missing?"

After paying her respects at Qingxia Cave, Ma Ruoxi immediately ran to Wei Dao's place.

"It's not that I forgot about you, but there are just too many things to deal with. I regret not bringing more disciples with me; there's no guarantee of safety for cultivators recruited on short notice."

Wei Dao shook his head with a wry smile. In just over a month, he had already grown a few strands of gray hair at his temples.

"Since the ancestor has agreed, I will arrange for array masters and disciples to handle this for you tomorrow."

After receiving the message from Ancestor Bai, the Qingfeng Sect attached great importance to it. Unfortunately, Ancestor Ge Cang was in seclusion and could not be consulted, so they had to make their own decision.

In any case, with the demon race suffering a great defeat and the White Ancestor enjoying immense prestige, even the most audacious cultivators dared not act recklessly in Liang Kingdom.

Other sects in the Northern Region would be even less likely to provoke conflict at this time; they would only retreat.

Several Nascent Soul True Monarchs personally visited to inquire whether they could join the demon-slaying army, wanting to contribute their efforts.

Under these circumstances, the Qingfeng Sect managed to muster a team of five Core Formation Real Persons and a thousand disciples.

As a result, there are now large vacancies in the sect's territory, and many positions are unable to operate due to lack of personnel.

The small number of people who came to Rotten Axe Mountain were like stones thrown into the open sea, leaving no trace.

This was once a sacred land of the demon race, and the number of demons that could transform into human form alone was enough to make all the super sects outside of the Moral Sect blush with shame.

After meeting Bai Laozu once, Wei Dao was entrusted with an important task.

A complete set of breakthrough pills and Nascent Soul pills reignited the passion in his once dormant heart.

If given the chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, let alone living to less than four hundred years old, even if one were to hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening, most people would be willing to achieve it today and pass away tomorrow.

This is a super-powerful secret transmission, a privilege that not everyone can enjoy.

The main ingredient for refining the Nascent Soul Pill is the heartwood of a spiritual bamboo or a ten-thousand-year-old wood, and only one in a million bamboo plants is likely to be produced.

In recent years, the production of raw materials has decreased significantly, resulting in a reduction in the number of pills produced.

Many sects hope to expand into the outer seas to fill the shortage of such high-level spiritual objects.

"If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask, Senior Brother Wei."

Ma Ruoxi felt secretly ashamed. After arriving at Lankeshan, she realized that she was of no use at all.

Those who came to see the master were all at least Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and there were even quite a few Great True Monarchs.

Each person showed a hint of surprise upon learning her identity, but quickly became very polite.

This made her realize that, in the eyes of cultivators in the Central Region, she was simply not worthy of becoming a master's disciple.

(End of this chapter)