Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 769 - 752: Turbulence Rising

Land of the Far West.

After several hundred years, Zhouyang once again stepped onto this war-torn land.

After receiving a letter from Yin Hanguang, he first made a trip to the Wilderness Jungle to retrieve the [Vermilion Bird Fan] from Zhu Zizhen, then let Lan Daoist fly him on the journey while refining this magical artifact along the way.

Unexpectedly, by the time he arrived at the Westernmost Cultivation Realm, the war between the [Anti-Light Alliance] and the Great Brightness Immortal Palace had already broken out.

This time, it was the [Anti-Light Alliance] that initiated the war, led personally by Lei Wanpeng, a cultivator of the Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortal" realm.

Faced with Lei Wanpeng, who seemed fearless of death, the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace could only retreat, relying on arrays to buy time.

Within less than three months, the [Anti-Light Alliance] had already seized several dozen spirit mountains, pushing the front line forward by hundreds of thousands of miles.

Despite not having met Yin Hanguang yet, Zhouyang could already imagine how exasperated his old acquaintance must be right now.

Back then, Yin Hanguang was able to ascend to the position of Palace Master of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace by leveraging external assistance. Although his cultivation has now reached the late-stage Nascent Soul, securing his position, he still couldn't command the same respect as the former palace master with sheer cultivation prowess.

Now, with Lei Wanpeng stirring things up, some elders within the Great Brightness Immortal Palace might have other thoughts.

Perhaps Yin Hanguang foresaw this, which is why he urgently sought Zhouyang's help.

In this regard, Yin Hanguang truly has good fortune, always having noble helpers in moments of crisis.

After gathering some information, Zhouyang quickly communicated with Yin Hanguang and got in touch with him, then followed his guiding message to rendezvous at the front line.

It wasn't long before he met Yin Hanguang and many elders of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace on a Tier Six Spirit Mountain.

"Elders, allow me to introduce Fellow Daoist Zhouyang to you. Some of you might have heard of Fellow Daoist Zhou's reputation, but I'm certain none of you are aware of the major feats he has accomplished in recent years!"

Just as Zhouyang expected, Yin Hanguang viewed his arrival as an opportunity to restore his own prestige. As soon as they met, he recounted Zhouyang's "glorious achievements" to all the elders of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace.

These Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Westernmost Cultivation Realm had rarely left their home realm to explore the outside world, so their understanding of external affairs mostly remained at the level of written records.

Although Zhouyang had once made a name for himself in the Westernmost Cultivation Realm by killing a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator of the Haoyang Sect,

since he hadn't been seen in person and no subsequent news about him surfaced, those events from hundreds of years ago were not something anyone outside the directly involved parties would remember.

It wasn't until Yin Hanguang exaggeratedly recounted Zhouyang's past achievements that these elders of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace truly remembered his name deeply.

"The fact that the Palace Master could enlist a formidable figure like Fellow Daoist Zhou is indeed a blessing for our Great Brightness Immortal Palace. As the Palace Master stated, with a strong ally like Fellow Daoist Zhou, Li Wanpeng and his ilk surely cannot cause any further turbulence. I hereby wish in advance for the Palace Master and Fellow Daoist Zhou to vanquish our enemies and elevate the prestige of our Immortal Palace!"

A Great Brightness Immortal Palace elder, clad in a platinum magic robe, suddenly stepped forward with a smile, bowing to Zhouyang and saying these words that made Zhouyang furrow his brows.

Although Zhouyang had prepared himself for facing off against Lei Wanpeng when he received Yin Hanguang's message, that didn't mean he was willing to be ordered around and used.

This elder of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace was himself a cultivator of the Nascent Soul Seventh Stage and should have been a main force against Lei Wanpeng.

Yet, from his words now, it was evident that he was directly shifting the responsibility and danger that should have been his own onto Zhouyang.

What did he take Zhouyang for?

Furrowing his brows, Zhouyang looked at him and said, "This fellow Daoist must be joking. I came to help simply because I owe Fellow Daoist Yin a favor, not specifically to risk my life against Lei Wanpeng!"

"Old man, it seems Fellow Daoist Zhou is the one joking here. Didn't our Palace Master just mention that he once helped Fellow Daoist Zhou take down a Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul expert? How come now that it's your turn to assist, it's met with such a perfunctory attitude?"

"Elder Lin, mind your words!"

Yin Hanguang's face changed, and with a look of anger, he immediately reprimanded the elder who spoke.

With a gloomy face, he glared at the outspoken elder and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou was invited by me, Yin, to assist. How to arrange his involvement in the battle is naturally my affair, not for others to meddle in. Elder Lin, don't you think you're overstepping?"

Hearing this, Elder Lin was astonished and said, "What do you mean by this, Palace Master? Is there something wrong with me considering the safety of the Immortal Palace? Didn't you use the Immortal Palace's Inheritance Immortal Artifact when assisting others back then? As the master of the Immortal Palace, do you intend to separate yourself from it?"

These sarcastic questions, not only for Yin Hanguang, even Zhouyang felt the urge to confront Elder Lin.

It seems the Great Brightness Immortal Palace's internal politics were even more complex than anticipated!

Coldly observing Elder Lin, who dared to sarcastically mock Yin Hanguang face-to-face, Zhouyang suddenly felt some pity for Yin Hanguang.

Evidently, Yin Hanguang, the Palace Master of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace, wasn't as glorious as one might imagine.

The internal struggle within the Great Brightness Immortal Palace was indeed intense.

Yin Hanguang hadn't expected that Elder Lin, who never got along with him, would choose this moment to undermine him, disregarding both his position as Palace Master and the interests of the Immortal Palace.

His face was extremely unsightly, and his frustration was visibly mounting.

However, just as he was about to lose his temper, his expression suddenly shifted, and with a sinister demeanor, he forcefully contained his anger, looking sternly at Elder Lin and said, "Elder Lin, have you said enough? If so, then step down. We are planning to host a banquet to entertain Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

Unexpectedly, he managed to swallow his anger without an outburst, and Elder Lin, upon hearing his words, was slightly surprised.

In his eyes was a flash of light, and with an expressionless face, he said, "If the Palace Master is so unwelcoming to this old man, then I'll leave. However, I still say this: the Palace Master should not abuse his authority and misuse public resources. If so, as the supervisory elder of the Immortal Palace, I will convene all the elders to hold a council meeting to judge the Palace Master!"

With those words, he turned and left.

And after Elder Lin left, among the eight or nine elders who originally came with Yin Hanguang to welcome Zhouyang, nearly half followed him out, leaving only four elders remaining.

Seeing this scene, Zhouyang seemed to understand why Yin Hanguang was so helpless against Elder Lin.

In any cultivation realm, there would never be a position like that of an emperor, immune from any form of discipline.

The power of the Palace Master of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace is immense, yet the Elder Council, composed of many Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, can still exercise checks and balances on the master. In critical times, they can even vote to strip the Palace Master of their title.

Yin Hanguang's current situation is that he cannot control the majority of the Elders within the Elder Council, nor can he earn their respect through cultivation prowess. Thus, he must tread carefully in everything, constrained everywhere, for fear of someone taking the opportunity to usurp his position as Palace Master.

As Zhouyang contemplated these matters, Yin Hanguang watched Elder Lin's departing figure, gritted his teeth, and then forced a bitter smile, saying, "Pardon my embarrassment, Fellow Daoist Zhou. I'm truly incompetent and feel deeply guilty for failing the expectations of the former Palace Master and my fellow sect members who support me!"

Zhouyang waved his hand and replied in a calm tone, "No problem, Fellow Daoist Yin. I understand your difficulties and won't make things harder for you."

"Your words, Fellow Daoist Zhou, make me feel even more ashamed. Please follow me, and we can discuss matters in more detail at the banquet."

With a bitter smile, Yin Hanguang slightly shook his head, extended his hand, and led Zhouyang into a palace on the mountain, where they discussed matters concerning the enemy in detail.

After a thorough discussion, Zhouyang received intelligence on Lei Wanpeng and several Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators of the Anti-Light Alliance from Yin Hanguang. These documents contained detailed information about the divine techniques and magical artifacts practiced by these individuals.

With the resources of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace, gathering such information wasn't difficult.

However, for Zhouyang, this information could only serve as a reference, as most people at the Nascent Soul Stage cultivation level conceal a few trump cards.

If one mistakenly assumes that the intelligence represents the full strength of the opponent, experiencing a major setback during confrontation is inevitable.

"Lei Wanpeng lacks a Tier Seven Immortal Artifact, which is a weakness of his. However, his Thunder Escape Technique is remarkably formidable. Unless Yin Hanguang can immobilize him, hitting him with the Vermilion Bird Fan would be quite challenging."

"Moreover, the intelligence states that Lei Wanpeng's Ten Thousand Transformations Celestial Spirit Divine Thunder has been cultivated to the Perfection Realm. One strike of his Divine Thunder previously killed a Nascent Soul Third Layer Cultivator from the Great Brightness Immortal Palace. Such formidable attack power is terrifying indeed; I might not withstand several blows."

"To make matters worse, the intelligence mentions that Lei Wanpeng had already mastered the Celestial Spirit Shield, the most formidable defensive divine technique of the Celestial Spirit Sect, to the Perfection Realm. He once survived an all-out attack from Master Chihua, who had Nascent Soul Ninth Layer cultivation, when he was only at the Nascent Soul Seventh Stage!"

"Fast speed, strong attacks, and no shortcomings in defense — such an opponent is exceedingly difficult to deal with. It's uncertain whether Yin Hanguang's words are reliable!"

In a temporary cave dwelling, Zhouyang meticulously reviewed the intelligence documents given by Yin Hanguang, harboring little confidence for the impending great battle.

He had never witnessed Lei Wanpeng in action but had observed the Thunder Feather Demon King in combat several times. It seemed logical that two individuals with similar cultivation levels and divine technique attributes would share many similarities.

Upon self-reflection, Zhouyang realized that if he were to face the Thunder Feather Demon King alone, even with the Vermilion Bird Fan in hand, the odds would likely be stacked against him, making it difficult to withdraw unscathed.

During the previous banquet, Yin Hanguang mentioned that he had a method to restrict Lei Wanpeng's Thunder Escape Technique, putting Zhouyang at ease for the offensive.

However, Zhouyang dared not fully trust these words, for Lei Wanpeng was no fool and unquestionably had allies. Whether Yin Hanguang's methods would work was something no one could predict.

Thus, Zhouyang needed to prepare thoroughly, including plans for retreating if Yin Hanguang's efforts were to fail.

He was only assisting to repay a favor and was not interested in risking his life for the Great Brightness Immortal Palace. Should the situation prove irreversible, he would not foolishly remain on the battlefield to meet his doom.

Fortunately, the presence of Lan Daoist was still unknown in the Westernmost Cultivation Realm.

Zhouyang planned to decide whether to ask for assistance based on the circumstances when the time came.

The war progressed swiftly, leaving Zhouyang little time for rest before being dragged onto the battlefield.

This time, both sides formally exchanged challenge letters, engaging in a massive melee among Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Nineteen Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, including Zhouyang, were fielded by the Great Brightness Immortal Palace, while the Anti-Light Alliance deployed seventeen Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Under the current circumstances in the Westernmost Cultivation Realm, these thirty-five Nascent Soul Stage cultivators constituted almost eighty percent of the total nascent soul cultivators.

Aside from the large-scale battle against Demon Cultivators on the Beiting Continent cultivation realm, this was Zhouyang's second involvement in such a large-scale conflict.

In fact, he was the only one among all the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators on either side today who had previously participated in a battle of this magnitude.

The others, even Lei Wanpeng who had lived for over three thousand years, were experiencing such a large-scale war for the first time.

To prevent disaster for low-tier cultivators and ordinary mortals, the duel ground for the powerful on both sides was deliberately set within the Eastern Endless Desert Sea.

High above the vast Desert Sea, a dazzling white light came from the west, crossing hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye to appear over the Desert Sea.

If a Golden Core Stage cultivator focused their eye power and looked closely, they would see that the dazzling white light enveloped an extraordinarily beautiful white flying ship.

The white flying ship appeared only a few feet long, with its unknown material white planks intricately carved with patterns of exotic beasts and birds, interspersed with golden talismans dotting its surface.

Anyone knowledgeable about such artifacts would undoubtedly be shocked at the sight of this white flying ship. It was none other than the vehicle of the Palace Master of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace, the Vessel of Light, a Tier Six High-Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact.

At this moment, Zhouyang and all the Great Brightness Immortal Palace Nascent Soul Stage cultivators participating in this battle sat cross-legged inside the flying ship, calming their minds and awaiting the battle's onset.

Soon, the white flying ship stopped midair over a part of the Desert Sea.

Without stepping outside the ship, merely sensing the potent energies from hundreds of miles ahead informed Zhouyang and the others that they had reached their destination.

Indeed, before Zhouyang could rise, Yin Hanguang took the initiative, stood up, and clasped his hands toward the cultivators inside the ship, saying, "Elders, we have arrived. The outcome of this battle is closely linked to the thousand-year rise and fall of our Immortal Palace. Regardless of any internal differences among us, I hope everyone can put aside grievances temporarily and unite against the external threat!"

Yin Hanguang was clearly addressing those words to Elder Lin and his group.

For a moment, about a dozen cultivators who sided with Yin Hanguang, including Zhouyang, all turned their gazes toward Elder Lin.

Faced with their scrutiny, Elder Lin responded with an unchanged expression and a slight smile, "The Palace Master is indeed correct; this old man shares the same sentiment. Regardless of who will helm the Immortal Palace in the future, the rebels of the Anti-Light Alliance must not gain power!"

"With Elder Lin's words, I am relieved," Yin Hanguang acknowledged contently, immediately sweeping his wide sleeve, retracting the flying ship and releasing everyone outside.

Once outside the flying ship, Zhouyang looked up and immediately spotted the fifteen or so Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Anti-Light Alliance suspended a hundred miles away.

Among these individuals, the most striking figure was undoubtedly the "Master Celestial Thunder" Lei Wanpeng, standing inconspicuously yet overwhelmingly conspicuous at the center.