All seven remaining pillar guardians stood before them, some wounded, though not badly. Fierce killing intent still clung to them, and their clothes were spattered with blood, some their enemies’ and some their own.
They had clearly fought hard.
Their killing auras had yet to fade, but the seven senior brothers first looked toward Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie.
The new disciples had faced this challenge almost as soon as they arrived, which had worried everyone. Seeing them now, the seniors were both surprised and delighted.
They had battled Baiyun Mountain Domain for years and knew its methods and usual distribution of fighting strength. Apart from Junior Brother Xu looking rather exhausted, however, Junior Brother Yun appeared entirely unaffected. His strength was extraordinary.
Ke Hong, who was impatient by nature, asked at once, “Junior Brother Yun, Junior Brother Xu, how did you fare?”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “Fortunately, we have not failed our duty.”
They soon realized that the two newcomers had not only escaped serious injury but had defeated their opponents and held their pillar. They were not to be underestimated.
Honored Master Xing asked the others, “And how did you all do? If you lost, you’ll have no face before your junior brothers.”
Xu Ziqing felt this was a little inappropriate.
Their own victory was good news, but it would be unfortunate if it made one of their senior brothers unhappy.
He immediately learned that he was overthinking it.
Xie Feng and Guan Hengping shook their heads. “We both lost this time, but at least we made them suffer for their victories.”
Despite their words, neither showed the slightest resentment toward Xu Ziqing or Yun Lie.
In that instant Xu Ziqing felt even more affection for the Wuling Mountain Domain.
Ever since he began cultivating, his fortune had seemed good. Those he counted as elders and loved ones were mostly broad-minded people, and their openness helped broaden his own state of mind.
He would be only too happy to live harmoniously with those close to him.
Xing heard their answers and smiled. “It’s fortunate we won the challenge overall. Otherwise I’d have to deduct the resources from your shares.”
Xie Feng and Guan Hengping exchanged smiles and spoke together. “If that happened, we’d have no complaints!”
After a few more words, Domain Lord Hang invited everyone to sit by the spring, produced two bottles of fine wine, and shared them.
Xu Ziqing still had plenty of questions, but everyone was happy, so he accepted a cup and drank. When Yun Lie’s turn came, Xu Ziqing reached out, intercepted the cup, and drank it on his senior brother’s behalf.
The wine was sweet and crisp, and they drank three rounds.
The bloodlust stirred up by the earlier contest gradually dissipated, and everyone grew calm again.
Honored Master Xing slapped his forehead and laughed. “We’re so pleased today that I forgot how much our junior brothers still don’t know. Let me explain.”
Xu Ziqing welcomed the chance to listen.
After a moment’s thought, Xing asked, “The contest must have raised plenty of questions for you, Junior Brother Xu?”
Xu Ziqing nodded. “Indeed. I hope Honored Master will generously instruct me.”
Xing sighed. “I’ll explain the essentials first. When I’m finished, you can ask whatever remains unclear.”
Xu Ziqing agreed.
Xing said, “The Zhoutian Immortal Sect has abundant resources, but far more disciples. Never mind the great mass of outer-sect affiliates. The inner sect demands Golden Core cultivation for admission, yet even so, there are a million Golden Core cultivators here.”
Xu Ziqing drew a sharp breath.
A million Golden Core cultivators! What a terrifying number!
In their Qingyun Great World, the Wuling Immortal Sect was a giant, yet Golden Core Perfected Ones still enjoyed considerable standing and Nascent Soul ancestors even more. How could Golden Core cultivators be so plentiful here?
Remembering the Heaven-Challenging Battle, he realized that their enemies were all at least Nascent Soul. Against him and his senior brother, the lowest-realm guardians, Baiyun had even sent a Soul Transformation cultivator. Surely the other senior brothers had faced still more powerful enemies on their pillars!
And all those Nascent Soul and higher cultivators had come from just one mountain domain, which seemed almost powerful enough to rival an entire great sect from their own world.
Xu Ziqing calmed his racing heart and listened.
Xing continued, “When there are more than eight Nascent Soul cultivators, a group may occupy a mountain range and control a domain and its eight pillars. Of the thousands and tens of thousands of mountain domains, most belong to clans or schools native to the Qianyuan Great World. Only a small fraction house disciples recruited from subordinate second- and third-rank immortal sects of other great worlds.”
Xu Ziqing saw the logic.
The Qianyuan Great World was vast; the Zhoutian Immortal Sect was prestigious, with countless affiliated families and schools. Rich spiritual energy and countless treasures meant that local cultivators advanced faster at the same age and produced many more experts.
Those local family and sect disciples gathered Nascent Soul experts more quickly and naturally occupied more domains.
By contrast, subordinate sects came from worlds where spiritual energy was much thinner. Moreover, only cultivators who formed their Nascent Souls before age three hundred qualified for recruitment. Their numbers were small, and gathering even eight was difficult, so they controlled far fewer domains.
A thought stirred in Xu Ziqing. “Then Baiyun Mountain Domain must be rooted in the outer sect?”
With so many Nascent Soul cultivators, it was unlikely to have come from the middle or lower three thousand worlds.
Xing smiled. “Correct. It is the Baiyun Sect’s power inside the inner sect.”
Because of the Zhoutian Immortal Sect’s authority, affiliated schools in the outer sect dared not include the character for “Immortal” in their names, however qualified they might otherwise be.
Xing finished explaining. “As you know, after forming a Nascent Soul, every further step requires resources. Inadequate supplies can halt cultivation; in severe cases a Dao foundation might be damaged and a realm lost. The sect must support so many Nascent Soul cultivators, and even greater experts pursuing immortality consume more still. How could it supply everyone without limits? It must make choices and impose some controls.”
Xu Ziqing inhaled deeply and nodded.
That much was certainly reasonable.
The sect protected its disciples, and disciples should also demonstrate their strengths. Giving every person an equal share regardless of merit would itself be unfair.
Xu Ziqing could now anticipate some of what was coming.
Because resources were limited, the sect fixed a monthly allowance for each inhabited mountain domain. If it was insufficient, the domain could compete for more.
The competition took the form of the Heaven-Challenging Battle.
There were eight heavenly pillars, with no limit on the number of guardians stationed at any one pillar or the number of challengers visiting it.
There was only one condition: once the fighters had ascended the pillar, their numbers could not be altered. If two guardians were present and seven or eight challengers arrived, only two could fight at once, though challengers could rotate at will. There were no restrictions on cultivation realms, or even on killing.
Xu Ziqing sighed inwardly. Wasn’t the main sect being far too cruel, allowing its own disciples to slaughter one another?
Such rules would inevitably make the fighting vicious, and some people might kill deliberately.
No wonder the first two Nascent Soul opponents had attacked him and Senior Brother with lethal force. Although they had killed those men in return, the dead were still fellow sect members, and it troubled him.
These rules would also encourage endless challenges and struggles over resources. Domains like Baiyun, seeing how few members Wuling had and taking advantage of it, could return again and again. Weaker domains might see almost all their resources seized.
Countless disciples might be killed before they had even matured, though they were entirely innocent.
Was the sect not essentially raising poisonous creatures in a jar and letting them devour one another?
How could such a vast institution treat its disciples this way?
It was far too ruthless, too lacking in human compassion.
Moreover, Wuling had very few members. If several more powers like Baiyun attacked it, the domain could be put in grave danger.
Now that he belonged to the domain, Xu Ziqing could not help worrying.
Xing and the others noticed his expression, exchanged glances, and started laughing.
Xu Ziqing realized they had seen through his thoughts, but could not understand why they laughed.
Gongye Feibai said, “The rules sound harsh, but they don’t really leave us without a way to survive.”
Ke Hong added, “You imagine the rules let everyone act without restraint. But anyone with sense won’t make enemies everywhere and bring trouble upon himself. As for someone truly stupid enough to do that, how far could a petty villain really rise?”
Xu Ziqing paused. A vague idea stirred in his heart, but he could not yet grasp it.
Senior Brother Hu Zhang said, “Apart from a short-lived domain so weak that it has only a handful of Nascent Soul guardians left, what domain doesn’t have experts like Honored Master Xing? If you leave your opponents no way out, they may fight to mutual ruin. Their great cultivators can strike your weaker disciples, inflicting terrible losses. If your domain is weakened, others can divide it among themselves. You have to leave yourself a way out!”
At that, Xu Ziqing understood.
Indeed, cultivating immortality meant cultivating one’s mind above all. The sect’s rule allowing disciples to contest resources might also be a test.
If everyone fought honestly and exercised restraint, their contests could be friendly enough and even foster mutual improvement. Those who delighted in killing or bullying the weak, however, were ruled by greed. Growing more obsessed, they would develop heart demons and might perish in some future challenge or trial.
Few cultivators who reached such realms were truly stupid unless blinded by heart demons.
Even if there were no cultivation-level limits, would a domain really send an Out-of-Body expert against a young Nascent Soul? Even if that expert won, what would become of his dignity? Who would then confront the powerful opponent he ought to be facing? Even if a domain had an extra Out-of-Body cultivator, could it be sure that its enemy’s great cultivators would not retaliate against its juniors? If an outraged expert fought desperately and killed one of their own, they would regret it bitterly. A different domain might then challenge while their strength was depleted and profit at their expense.
Thus every challenger wanted to overpower the enemy without ruining his own side.
Commonly, a strong mountain domain facing a weaker one dispatched several cultivators of similar realms, together with one or two experts a realm higher. This improved the chances of victory and let the stronger cultivators protect their disciples from being killed. Once a combatant openly conceded, the opposing domain was forbidden to continue striking lethal blows.
Xu Ziqing’s heart tightened.
If that was so, why had Baiyun attempted to kill him and Senior Brother so openly? If they had been ordinary cultivators, the enemy might have forced them to concede before they could counterattack. They would then have been obliged to suppress their anger and watch their opponents return to plan another killing!