CHAPTER 600: CHAPTER 585: SUPREME GLORY

At this moment, the news of Zhouyang, under the alias "Qingyun Wanderer," had only spread among the high-tier cultivators of the Six Paths Alliance, and the besieged Suyun Sect had yet to learn of it.

Therefore, upon discovering that Zhouyang had been injured while attempting to rescue their Suyun Sect, several Golden Core cultivators from the Suyun Sect, including Lin Yuxian, enthusiastically offered some high-grade healing items they were usually reluctant to use, to assist him in his recovery.

Zhouyang naturally accepted these benefits with a smile, refusing none of them.

No matter how one looked at it, his injuries from rescuing the Suyun Sect were a fact, so he accepted these items with a clear conscience, without any psychological burden.

With the help of these quality healing items and the close-aid treatment from his Dao companion, Xiao Ying, Zhouyang stabilized his injuries within half a month of closed-door meditation, unaffected in normal combat scenarios.

However, due to the incomplete recovery of his essence blood and the lingering hidden injuries on his body, it was wiser to refrain from easily utilizing his trump cards, "Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron" and "Azure Dragon’s Fury," for the time being.

Once his injuries were under control, Zhouyang did not rush to come out and meet with Lin Yuxian and other Suyun Sect Golden Core cultivators to discuss subsequent battle plans. Instead, he took advantage of this rare break to inspect the gains from his recent battles.

In recent days, seven Golden Core stage cultivators had perished directly by his hands.

Among these fallen cultivators, only one had self-destructed his Golden Core, destroying all his treasures, while the rest’s belongings fell into Zhouyang’s possession.

Indeed, since these cultivators came from sect clan backgrounds and were battling peers on the battlefield, they didn’t carry many spirit stones or spiritual materials, resulting in Zhouyang’s haul being less than when he killed Golden Core cultivators in the past.

But he had killed many Golden Core cultivators this time!

From the six Golden Core cultivators, the magical artifacts, spirit pills, spirit talismans, and other items they prepared for this war alone were a substantial gain.

After inspecting all the storage rings, Zhouyang found a total of fifteen Tier Five artifacts, even after dismissing six less valuable lifebound spiritual artifacts, he still gained nine Tier Five artifacts, including two Tier Five high-grade artifacts, three Tier Five middle-grade artifacts, and four Tier Five lower-grade artifacts.

Additionally, he collected over thirty Tier Four and Tier Five spirit pills, among which there were pills for healing internal and external injuries, restoring essence blood and primordial qi, detoxification, and a variety of others.

What pleased Zhouyang the most was that he found a Tier Five middle-grade spirit pill, the "Three-Turn Rejuvenation Pill," in one cultivator’s storage ring.

The role of the "Three-Turn Rejuvenation Pill" is simple: it swiftly restores the magical power of Golden Core stage cultivators.

With Zhouyang’s cultivation at the fifth layer of the Golden Core stage, a single "Three-Turn Rejuvenation Pill" could restore half his magical power in a quarter of an hour, and he had obtained three of these pills this time!

It was rare for alchemists to refine spirit pills capable of rapidly restoring a Golden Core stage cultivator’s magic power, as the required materials are typically precious and also suited for refining cultivation-enhancement pills.

Under these circumstances, considering value alone, using the materials for refining cultivation-enhancement spirit pills was evidently more worthwhile if not for personal use.

Thus, even if someone wished to purchase such spirit pills, they often couldn’t obtain them.

Apart from artifacts and elixirs, Zhouyang also amassed a good deal of spirit talismans, obtaining seven Tier Five middle-grade spirit talismans, sixteen Tier Five lower-grade spirit talismans, and nine Tier Four high-grade spirit talismans.

Finally, regarding spirit stones, although those Golden Core cultivators didn’t carry many middle-grade or lower-grade spirit stones, they did carry upper-grade spirit stones for supplementing magical power, enabling Zhouyang to acquire thirty-three upper-grade spirit stones, a considerable gain indeed.

So far, Zhouyang’s collection of upper-grade spirit stones numbered an impressive one hundred ninety-four!

With so many upper-grade spirit stones, few Golden Core cultivators could match him, and even some Nascent Soul stage cultivators who haven’t formed their Nascent Soul for long might struggle to come up with such a number.

Apart from the roughly ten percent sourced from the spirit stone mine the Zhou Family was currently developing, the rest were all acquired by Zhouyang over the years from vanquishing enemies.

"Robbing and arson truly results in enriching oneself, indeed an age-old truth!"

"There’s still the merit points yet to be calculated. I’ve killed so many Golden Core cultivators this time and aided the Suyun Sect in a brilliant counterattack. Surely the merit points accumulated have reached an astonishing number, allowing me to exchange them for various rare treasures from the Dao Alliance after the war!"

In the secret chamber, Zhouyang’s eyes shimmered, feeling quite satisfied as he thought of the gains he made during this war.

Master Cyan Yang was indeed correct; for cultivators with strength like his, war is indeed a shortcut for rapidly accumulating cultivation resources.

As long as he can keep winning and survive until the end of the war, the harvest he will achieve will certainly be envied by countless people.

After checking various gains, Zhouyang finally walked out of the secluded chamber, then together with his Dao Companion Xiao Ying, went to visit the Golden Core Stage cultivator Lin Yuxian from the Suyun Sect, to inquire about the next plan of the others.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, during your seclusion for injury recovery, the scoundrels from the Six Paths Alliance have received reinforcements. Now the number of Golden Core Stage cultivators outside the mountain has not decreased but increased, reaching twelve in number!"

"However, the good news is that the reinforcements organized by the Dao Alliance have finally arrived in Chang Country, and are currently assisting the most critical situation of the Qianyuan Sect. They should arrive here soon."

"So our plan is still to hold on and wait for aid, continuing to rely on the Mountain Protection Array to defend the mountain gate, and waiting for reinforcements before launching a full counterattack!"

Within the Suyun Sect, facing Zhouyang and his wife’s visit, Lin Yuxian, after receiving the couple, spoke out about the recent changes in the situation and the plans going forward.

Honestly, this change in situation somewhat caught Zhouyang off guard.

After hearing Lin Yuxian’s words, he pondered slightly and then asked with a puzzled expression: "Fellow Daoist Lin, ideally, even after losing Elder Lu Xuanji and several elders from the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, we should still not be too inferior to the Six Paths Alliance in terms of top-tier combat strength. But in terms of Golden Core Stage cultivators, we shouldn’t have a significant discrepancy with them, right? Why have the number of Golden Core Stage cultivators they deployed during this war exceeded ours by so much?"

It has been over a month since the war began. With the speed of Golden Core Stage cultivators and the teleportation arrays set up at various places by the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and Yuqing Daoist Sect, the Golden Core Stage cultivators from the Profound Purity Dao Alliance should have had enough time to reach Chang Country to join the battle.

This was the reason for Zhouyang’s question.

"You might be unaware, Fellow Daoist. Although the number of Golden Core Stage cultivators of our Profound Purity Dao Alliance is not much less than that of the Six Paths Alliance, the enemies targeting us are not limited to just the Six Paths Alliance alone!"

"According to the known information, besides the Six Paths Alliance, three major sects, Nine Yang Sect, Yin Profound Sect, and Beast Taming Sect, have also sent cultivators to join the war and take advantage of the situation, so the Dao Alliance is unable to spare enough strength to support us!"

Lin Yuxian’s face revealed a bitter smile, full of helplessness, as she explained the reason to Zhouyang.

Zhouyang’s expression immediately changed.

"Even the Beast Taming Sect joined the fray?"

He murmured to himself, suddenly feeling somewhat apprehensive.

Intuition told him that the Beast Taming Sect joining the fray was more related to his previous killing of several high-tier cultivators from their sect, at least the excuse they used would surely include this line.

Though it wasn’t entirely his fault, considering he did it to protect himself back then, it was the people from the Beast Taming Sect who were overly oppressive, leading to those tragedies.

Yet if Beast Taming Sect’s participation causes significant losses to the Profound Purity Dao Alliance in the war, he, as the "prime culprit," wouldn’t avoid criticism afterward and face punishment.

To avoid being blamed afterward for this matter, the best response would be to earn great merit in this war.

As long as his merits are unmatched, with Master Cyan Yang speaking in his favor, even if someone uses this excuse to attack him, he could offset the fault with his merit and avoid punishment.

Thinking of this, he nodded to Lin Yuxian and said, "I understand. Since your esteemed sect decided to hold fast and await aid, we shall certainly contribute our modest efforts."

After saying this, he paused, suddenly cupped his hands in salute and said, "But I have an unworthy request I hope Fairy Lin could agree to; as my disciples suffered significant injuries defending Chongxuan Mountain in the battle, I wish Fairy Lin could arrange a place for them to peacefully recuperate."

Upon hearing his request for merely such a small matter, Lin Yuxian immediately agreed readily: "This is a trivial matter; don’t worry, I will immediately have some quiet courtyards arranged for your disciples to recuperate peacefully. As long as the Mountain Protection Array holds, they shall absolutely not be conscripted for battle!"

"Then I thank Fairy Lin first."

Zhouyang expressed his gratitude, chatted a bit with Lin Yuxian about assisting in defense operations, and then took his Dao Companion Xiao Ying and left.

During the days Zhouyang was in seclusion recovering, Zhou Ronghua and others were also recuperating in courtyards arranged by the Suyun Sect. Yu Yunshan and Zhou Shengyu, Xiao Ying’s two official disciples each had a separate courtyard, while Zhou Ronghua and seven or eight registered disciples shared one courtyard.

From the arrangement by the Suyun Sect, one can see the significant difference between the official disciples and registered disciples of Golden Core Stage cultivators.

Of course, this cannot wholly be blamed on Suyun Sect’s intentional differential treatment. The reality is that the mountain gate has attracted a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Purple Mansion Cultivators, causing the various courtyards and residences on the mountain to be completely full. It is impossible to have each Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator residing in a single courtyard as they would in ordinary times.

Indeed, with the power of cultivators, they can easily rebuild a residence on the spot. Within the mountain gate of Suyun Sect, even building thousands of courtyards would not make it feel crowded.

But the problem is, this is the mountain gate of the Suyun Sect, representing the face of the sect. After many years of development, every part of the mountain gate has been fully utilized, with some places even hiding some unknown secrets of the Suyun Sect.

If it were just to make these Foundation Establishment Cultivators live comfortably, destroying these development achievements and allowing sect secrets to be spied on would be too costly.

Therefore, except for Purple Mansion and Golden Core Stage cultivators who always have an independent cave abode on the mountain, Foundation Establishment cultivators, unless they are official disciples of Golden Core Stage cultivators like Ye Yunshan and Zhou Shengyu, can only squeeze three to five people into one courtyard.

Using the word "squeeze" is somewhat inappropriate, because even with five people in a courtyard, each can have their own room, so it’s not exactly crowded.

The term "squeeze" actually describes the restriction on a single cultivator’s private space, making it inconvenient to do some private matters.

Fortunately, in this regard, the Suyun Sect has also endeavored to take care of these Foundation Establishment cultivators, placing cultivators from the same sect and clan together in one area of courtyards and allowing them to arrange the residents of a particular courtyard by themselves.

Therefore, Ye Yunshan was able to bring her Dao Companion Wang Yanzhang to live in her courtyard, and Zhou Shengyu also invited Zhou Ronghua and a few injured Zhou Family cultivators to recuperate in his courtyard.

After returning from a visit to Lin Yuxian, Zhouyang went directly to the disciples’ courtyard to visit and encourage the disciples injured in the war.

He first went to Zhou Shengyu’s courtyard and called all the Zhou Family cultivators there for encouragement and comfort.

"The cruelty of warfare among cultivators is something you must have deeply felt this time. A thousand spoken words don’t compare to personal experience. No matter how much was said to you in the clan before, you wouldn’t have a lasting impression. Only by personally experiencing such events can they be etched in your memory."

"Compared to the outside world, the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm is colorful, but it is also full of helplessness and danger. For example, in this defense of Chongxuan Mountain, facing the attack of strong enemies, even I, as a strong ancestor, could not take care of you juniors, and could only let you find your own paths to survival."

In the courtyard, Zhouyang looked at the Zhou family juniors and instead of immediately praising them, he first gave a serious lecture.

Seeing that after his words, these juniors showed thoughtful expressions pondering his message, he then shifted his tone, expressing with comfort and praise: "But fortunately, you did not disappoint me. Your performance in this war did not betray the family’s usual teachings and did not let me down; you have lived up to your surname, unworthy of your surname!"

"Especially you, Ronghua and Rongxiang, who ultimately overcame the fear of death, suppressed the desire to escape, adhered to clan rules, and gave the chance of survival to Shengyu and Sheng Ying. This makes me very gratified and happy!"

"If every cultivator of the Zhou Family can be like you, can focus wholeheartedly on the prosperity and glory of the clan, disregarding personal life and death and striving selflessly, how can the Zhou Family not flourish? How can it not grow stronger?"

"Previously, I was always worried about one thing, worried that you juniors of the Zhou family growing up in peaceful times were not up to the task of prospering the family, like flowers in a greenhouse, unable to endure the hardships of wind, frost, rain, and snow, unable to withstand any setbacks!"

"But now, I know I can put this worry aside because you are worthy of the blood flowing in your veins, worthy of the surname you bear. What the heroic ancestors of the Zhou family could do, you juniors can also achieve, perhaps even better!"

This passionate rhetoric, coming from Zhouyang, the most revered person among all Zhou family cultivators, has a great effect on all the Zhou family cultivators in the courtyard.

It was apparent that Zhou Ronghua and the others, whose complexions were pale and spirits weak due to the aftermath of the "Blood Boiling Technique," immediately looked invigorated, as if they had consumed some great tonic, their faces flush with excitement and enthusiasm.

They knew very well how rare praise from Zhouyang, the Zhou family’s esteemed ancestor, was. Since Zhouyang successfully formed his core, aside from Zhou Tongxuan receiving praise for risking his life to slay the rare demon beast, Jade-faced Fox Wolf, no other Zhou family junior had been so praised.

If they were still in the Boundless Desert Sea Cultivation Realm, just this honor would be enough to make them the envy of their peers, enough to make many elders look at them with new eyes, enough to elevate their status within the family by several levels.

"Ancestor, you overpraise us. What we juniors did at that time was merely to fulfill the duty of a Zhou family cultivator!"

"Growing up listening to the stories from elders about how you and the previous ancestors sacrificed themselves to pave the way for future generations in the Zhou family academy, we juniors were often moved to tears, deeply shocked, and extremely grateful for the sacrifices and contributions of these ancestors, aspiring to emulate them by contributing our meager efforts to the family’s prosperity and strength."

"Compared to the sacrifices and efforts those ancestors made during the family’s most difficult times, what we did was nothing!"

"If at that time, we juniors had been selfish and only cared about escaping, that would truly have been disloyal to the family’s teachings and nurturing over the years, unworthy of your trust, and more importantly, unworthy of the ancestors who sacrificed their lives for the Zhou family’s prosperity, a disgrace to be descendants of the Zhou family!"

Zhou Ronghua looked at Zhouyang with excitement and a slight sense of shame, responding enthusiastically to the praise from the clan’s elder.

This was probably the most eloquent statement he had ever made in his life. In just a few words, he laid bare his heartfelt loyalty to the clan before Zhouyang, the clan elder.

And his heartfelt words indeed surprised and delighted Zhouyang, who now saw him in a new light.

Over the past decades, Zhou Ronghua had given Zhouyang the impression of being quite ordinary, without any characteristics worth special attention, rather mediocre.

Compared to this Zhou clan junior, Zhouyang even valued Wang Yanzhang, an outsider, more. He admired Wang Yanzhang’s chivalrous spirit, believing that as long as such a person wasn’t overshadowed, he would certainly achieve something in the future.

But now, he pleasantly realized that the unremarkable junior from his own family, who he had ignored, also had qualities worth noting.

At least in this war, that heartfelt loyalty to the clan and the actions considering the clan’s greater good were not something an average person could achieve.

Don’t be fooled by his previous flattering words about Zhou Ronghua and the others, making it sound as if all the Zhou clan juniors were just like Zhou Ronghua, willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

He was well aware that such a thing is simply not possible.

Even in the hardest times for the Zhou clan, those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the clan’s grand cause are not in the majority.

Often, the so-called self-sacrifice is merely forced helplessness in difficult situations.

And it is precisely because of this that the worthiness of Zhou Ronghua and the few others stands out.

He looked at Zhou Ronghua and the others with admiration, nodding repeatedly in satisfaction, and said, "Cherishing the martyrs and being grateful to the predecessors is the clan’s teaching to the juniors. The fact that Ronghua and the others can implement this teaching through your actions, learning from and paying respects to those heroic ancestors, is a spirit worth learning for all Zhou clan cultivators!"

After saying this, he pondered briefly and then decisively made a decision, "I have decided that the next time I return to the clan, I will bring you back, allowing you to personally share your experiences with all clan cultivators and encourage all clan juniors to follow your example!"

This represents supreme honor!

To serve as a model and encourage all clan cultivators to learn from is an honor that presently only Zhouyang, the clan elder of the Zhou clan, possesses.

Even Clan Leader Zhou Guangxiang, who has sat at the position for over two hundred years, has not attained this honor.

Therefore, Zhou Ronghua, Zhou Rongxiang, and several others nearly fainted with excitement and surprise upon hearing Zhouyang’s decision. They truly never dreamed that one day they would receive such a great honor!

It can be foreseen that if this happens, their names will surely leave a prominent mark in the clan’s history.

Their names will, like Zhou Minghan, Zhou Xuanhao, and other heroic ancestors of the Zhou clan, become familiar figures for all Zhou clan members in the coming millennia. Their heroic deeds will also become a mandatory lesson in the Zhou clan’s school!

To receive such honor while still alive, they truly feel fortunate, and could die without regrets!

Thump! Thump!

Zhou Ronghua and several others fell to their knees, their expressions extremely excited, facing Zhouyang, kowtowing three times with loud bashes, trembling in their voices as they shouted, "Ancestral clan’s great benevolence, we juniors have no way to repay, only by sacrificing this useless body to the clan, vowing utmost devotion in return for ancestral and clan’s great benevolence!"

"This is what you deserve, do not thank me, please rise."

Zhouyang personally stepped forward, helping each person up, and even kindly patted their shoulders.

This gesture, in their eyes, incited more excitement.

Meanwhile, those Zhou family cultivators not among them were so envious their eyes were about to pop with regret, wishing they were among them.