Chapter 13: The Disappointing Wen Ping
Upon hearing this, all smiles were wiped from Wen Ping’s face.
Twenty years ago, the Reliance Sect was just a camp set up by a bunch of ruffians. They were being hunted down and fled here to Cangwu City to hide, and it was Wen Ping’s father who chased their pursuers away and gave them a space to live.
The previous city lord of Cangwu City was named Mo Du, and he was someone who had an extreme dislike for people with unknown origins.
However, Wen Ping’s father repeatedly persuaded him by saying words like only by having magnanimity and tolerance for others would Cangwu City become richer and stronger. Only then did the Reliance Sect’s people manage to build a camp at the boundaries of Cangwu City, gaining the right to interact with the people in it.
And ten years ago, they suddenly decided to construct a sect with the name ’Reliance Sect’.
They started off by relying on someone.
But they wanted to end off by being a source of reliance.
As the saying goes, a mountain cannot have two tigers. If two sects existed in the same city, there would surely be a split in resources. At that time, there were at least three merchant associations that decided to support the Reliance Sect. However, the Immortal Sect merely watched and didn’t make things difficult for them.
This was because Wen Ping’s father had a large heart for tolerance and permitted the development of the Reliance Sect.
However, when the Immortal Sect was besieged by difficulties, the Reliance Sect suddenly showed a completely different attitude. Not only did they seize the ’marketplaces’, but they also disrupted their benefactor’s businesses, even poaching away more than half of the experts from the Immortal Sect half a year ago.
Wen Ping’s father’s life ambition was to build a more harmonious Cangwu City, but the Reliance Sect had completely different thoughts. It was only then did Wen Ping realize that their previous calmness was fake. They were just waiting for the Immortal Sect to give them a ’chance’ to show their true colors.
Half a year later, they started to scheme and plot.
This was truly intolerable!
Just when Wen Ping sank into his thoughts, Shi Hua who was at the side suddenly asked, "Wen Ping, are you listening?"
"I’m listening."
"You’re on your own. Currently, the Reliance Sect’s momentum is unstoppable. They will actualize their plans not too long from now."
"The people from the city lord manor...they can’t possibly not interfere, right?"
Wen Ping remembered that back then, his father had jointly discussed with the city lord and set a rule together. Conflict between sects would not be allowed to happen.
By doing so, even if he wasn’t the sect leader anymore, both sects would still be able to exist in harmony.
If the Reliance Sect really did something like this, the people from the city lord manor would surely not stand aside neutrally to watch.
Shi Hua shook her head and said, "The rule of the city lord manor is indeed advantageous to the Immortal Sect. War isn’t permitted between sects, but there’s something called the Hundred Sect Alliance."
"Hundred Sect Alliance?"
"Also, their jurisdiction allows them to help star-ranked sects swallow up unaffiliated sects. As long as the Reliance Sect pays them 30% of the gains, that will do."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I especially went to understand the Hundred Sect Alliance. Alright, let our chat stop now. I’m now someone from the Reliance Sect, so I shouldn’t be telling you so much."
"You can come back. The current Immortal Sect is no longer the one in the past." The current Immortal Sect had a cultivator at the thirteenth level of Body Refinement presiding over it. As a 1-star sect, the Reliance Sect’s strongest experts were also merely at the thirteenth level of the Body Refinement Realm.
Moreover, there was the existence of the gravity field. Its power of ’disciple retainment’ would surely not be inferior compared to the majestic Immortal Sect of the past.
Shi Hua tactfully declined. "Nope, I’m living pretty well in the Reliance Sect."
"Alright then."
Wen Ping also wasn’t disappointed.
To put it more accurately, he already knew Shi Hua would give this answer.
The more they chatted, the more Shi Hua felt like leaving. It also grew increasingly difficult for Wen Ping to try and make her stay.
After that, Shi Hua randomly asked, "Why is the current Immortal Sect different from before?"
Wen Ping smiled and hurriedly explained, "I recently recruited a cultivator at the thirteenth level of Body Refinement as an elder and also accepted a disciple who barely managed to cultivate to the fifth level of Body Refinement at 15 years old."
"Is that so?"
"Mn. In any case, the current Immortal Sect can absolutely surpass the Reliance Sect once again."
However, he didn’t know what Shi Hua was currently thinking.
Shi Hua felt that Wen Ping was merely bragging. It had been a year, and she had thought that Wen Ping had grown up.
Since Wen Ping had started wearing the sect’s uniform, he should have matured and known that he was no longer the young sect leader of the Immortal Sect.
However, she didn’t expect him to still be so childish.
He was bragging without determining whether it was logical or not. Leaving aside if Wen Ping had the ability to recruit a cultivator at the thirteenth level of Body Refinement or not, wouldn’t the Reliance Sect have moved earlier and finished recruiting all experts of that level within Cangwu City?
Cultivators at the thirteenth level of the Body Refinement Realm were either elders or sect leaders of 1-star sects. They could also be powerful elders of some major clans and wouldn’t act casually unless their clans were on the verge of being wiped out.
If they stepped out, they alone could control the wind and clouds of Cangwu City, so why would they join a starless sect that had declined?
Shi Hua then spoke, "Why don’t you apply to upgrade your sect’s star-rank then?"
"Star-rank upgrade?"
"The Hundred Sect Alliance has a branch in Cangwu City. You can head there in the capacity of the Immortal Sect Leader to pass your information and request them to upgrade your sect’s rank. Three months later, the Hundred Sect Alliance will send someone to Cangwu City to carry out an investigation. During that time, they won’t be able to help the Reliance Sect with their request. If that’s the case, the Reliance Sect won’t be able to defy the will of the Cangwu City Lord, and you guys will have three months’ worth of breathing time to plan an exit."
"Don’t tell me you want me to sell the Immortal Sect away and find another path out?"
"That’s indeed what I mean."
"Muddle-headed." Wen Ping helplessly laughed.
But after that, he began to pay attention to Shi Hua’s words seriously.
Currently, the Immortal Sect’s prowess was truly limited. Other than Yun Liao and the recently joined Yang Lele, they had no one else.
Once the Reliance Sect attacked, what could they use to block them?
However, if they had three months of breathing time, the Reliance Sect wouldn’t dare to openly attack.
After that, with the Super Sect System on his side, Wen Ping should be able to pull strongly against this crazy tide.
Although he didn’t know much about the Hundred Sect Alliance, he knew that a normal 1-star sect needed to have one elder at the thirteenth level of the Body Refinement Realm and 100 disciples. Moreover, these disciples didn’t need to be official disciples. Apprentice disciples could do so as well.
There was a BUG in the system, and its standard of recruitment actually only applied to official disciples. Hence, there were no restrictions when it came to accepting apprentice disciples.
By doing so, the requirement of 100 disciples could be easily solved.
Wen Ping then asked, "Shi Hua, can I ask you a question? How do I go about with the application and what information do I need to upgrade my sect’s star-rank?"
"Have you really decided to do this?"
"Why not?"
"Alright then, I will go and help you prepare the information tonight. Let’s meet again tomorrow morning, and I’ll bring you to the Hundred Sect Alliance."
"Many thanks then."
"No problem, it is just a slight effort."
Actually, Shi Hua still wanted to say something, but she didn’t do so. (I’ve done my very best to help you.)
She didn’t owe Wen Ping anything and only decided to help because they were acquaintances.
However, she really wanted to ask Wen Ping. (So what if you got three months of breathing time? What can you do?)
(Why are you still so childish?)