Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

This tactic was truly insidious.

Fortunately, opinions within the White Lotus Sect were not unified; many were displeased with the current situation. An immature uprising would only waste their accumulated manpower and resources. It's just unknown how much the Future Maitreya will be able to salvage, Lei Jun mused. Moreover, it's uncertain why they appeared near Xianliu Mountain in the first place. A mere coincidence?

Lei Jun shook his head slightly. Lacking further information, he couldn't make a judgment. He did not dwell on it, deciding to set aside these thoughts for the time being and focus first on what was certain.

On this day, after patrolling the surroundings of Xianliu Mountain again and finding no traces of the Lin Clan aggressively infringing, Lei Jun returned to his meditation chamber in Xianliu Palace. As midnight approached, his thoughts refocused on the True One Altar Cave Heaven. This time, he immersed himself in the starry sky of the Celestial Book.

Lei Jun had missed an earlier gathering, having been busy with the refinement of the Great Five Elements Creation Qi. But this evening, once again, the four of them were present.

"Jinyao, it's been a while. I hope all is well," YueYao greeted.

Lei Jun replied, "All is well. Thank you for your concern."

Riyao announced, "Everyone is here. Let's begin."

YueYao said, "Same rules as always. Take what you need, exchange information for information, or trade goods for goods, as you like. If there is mutual trust, we can also assist each other."

Riyao stated, "The information I want to exchange today concerns the Blood River Sect of the Southern Wilderness."

"The Blood River Sect?" Mu Yao asked.

Riyao confirmed, "Yes. Does anyone have knowledge of the Blood River Sect's current movements? Preferably the latest actions of their Sect Leader, Wei Ancheng."

YueYao replied, "I don't have any."

Mu Yao added, "Neither do I at the moment."

"I don't have any either," replied Lei Jun thoughtfully.

In fact, Riyao's concern was something that interested many. Over the past few years, there had been too much bloodshed in the world. Such an environment was exactly what the Blood River Sect reveled in. Even if they weren't directly responsible for the slaughter, scenarios akin to rivers of blood were immensely beneficial to their cultivation. Furthermore, they could fish in troubled waters amidst the chaos.

The Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, where Lei Jun resided, was a prime example. A few years ago, they had clashed with the Jiangzhou Lin Clan and the Yellow Sky Sect. Even the Blood River Sect had personally entered the fray to take advantage, directly confronting the Celestial Master Mansion.

Then came the great wars in the Western Regions. There, Human Race cultivators and Great Demons fought earth-shatteringly, with a ferocity far more gruesome than in the previous conflicts on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Countless Human Race experts from the Upper Three Heavens and top-tier Great Demons were killed or wounded. Rumors had it that the Blood River Sect also appeared then. However, they acted more discreetly, not rashly provoking other Human Race experts, and even participated in battles, killing some Demon Spirits. In such an environment, any Blood River Sect cultivators who survived and returned from the battlefield were bound to make substantial progress.

What caught the attention of others was that the contemporary Sect Leader of the Blood River Sect, Wei Ancheng, had successfully navigated this turmoil. Many knew him as the bloodstained and infamous Demon Lord, 'Blood Demon'. Since then, there had been no news of Wei Ancheng. Even other members of the Southern Witch Sect were on edge. That bloodthirsty and sinister lunatic was most likely hiding away, slowly digesting the bountiful results from the campaign in the Western Regions. Once he emerged from his seclusion, it was difficult to predict what might happen.

Other experts from the Blood River Sect had also made a fortune.

Following the internal turmoil on Mount Shu and the resulting great battle, the Blood River Sect's presence was noted in Bashu, their movements elusive yet noticeable. The war had caused heavy losses among many forces within the Great Tang. For the Blood River Sect, however, it was one harvest after another, allowing them to accumulate resources voraciously. This dynamic, where they grew stronger as others weakened, was indeed a cause for concern.

As far as Lei Jun knew, while the Celestial Master Mansion's current war with the Jiangzhou Lin Clan had intensified, both sides remained cautious. They were guarding against other foes and surprise attacks by Great Demons. Among those they guarded against, the Blood River Lineage was naturally included. However, unlike the last great battle on Dragon Tiger Mountain, this time, there had been no sign of the Blood River Sect's disciples.

When things are out of the ordinary, it often means something sinister is afoot. This led Lei Jun to speculate that the members of the Blood River Sect might be targeting other goals. Perhaps they were no longer content with merely fishing in troubled waters and taking advantage of chaotic situations. Their expanded power might have emboldened them to actively seek and create their own prey, only that they hadn't yet made their move.

He wondered if the Blood River Sect's shadow also lurked behind the White Lotus Sect's current uprising in Huai Mountain...

Riyao didn't receive the answers he sought and, although he didn't immediately "log off" or leave, he said no more.

At this moment, YueYao turned to Lei Jun and asked, "Jinyao, I have a question for you."

Lei Jun responded, "Please, go ahead."

YueYao said, "I remember last time, you mentioned you had two pieces of information to trade. One, concerning a treasure of the Spiritual Soul, was traded to Riyao, so there's no need to discuss it further. But the other, I recall, was related to the White Lotus Sect, was it not?"

Lei Jun affirmed, "That's correct."

YueYao then asked, "Are you still planning to offer that piece of information for exchange?"

Some time had passed, and the White Lotus Sect had already risen in revolt. The Future Maitreya had also appeared in more than one place. One could say that the piece of information originally provided by Xu Yuanzhen had lost its timeliness.

Nevertheless, Lei Jun calmly stated, "Let me clarify beforehand that the truth of this news still needs further verification. If any friend is interested, I am willing to trade."

YueYao inquired, "Oh? Then, may I ask what kind of information you're looking for in return?"

Lei Jun asked, "Do you have any news regarding the Five Clans and Seven Families?"

YueYao responded, "I have a piece of information related to the Suzhou Chu Clan. Would that be acceptable?"

Regarding YueYao's identity, numerous speculations instantly flashed through Lei Jun's mind.