Chapter 509

Chapter 509: Alliance Meeting

It was truly outrageous!

As Wang Chen looked at the smiling innkeeper before him, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

This inn, touted as the best in Wei Fa City, would be considered utterly subpar if placed in Wailing City.

Yet, staying here for just one day cost a staggering one hundred fifty spirit fragments!

The price was simply daylight robbery!

It should be noted that one hundred fifty spirit fragments was the price for a standard single room.

If one opted for a more luxurious suite, the cost would double!

And there was no room for negotiation!

Although Wang Chen wasn’t short on spirit stones at the moment, he had no intention of being swindled, so he paid three hundred spirit fragments.

He planned to stay here for two days.

Two days would be sufficient to get a good grasp of the situation in Wei Fa City.

Like most inns, this one, named "Immortal Guest Arrival," also offered food and drink.

The lobby was furnished with a dozen dining tables.

When Wang Chen returned to the lobby after inspecting his guest room, most of the tables were already occupied.

Several fellow cultivators from his group were present.

"Wang disciple brother,"

A robust-looking fellow disciple waved at him. "Come join us for a drink!"

Wang Chen hesitated briefly but then walked over.

This disciple was named Mou Guangji, a fifth layer Purple Palace cultivator and also an Entry Disciple.

Like Wang Chen, he had descended to the lower realm to train and earn merits for entering the veins.

Wang Chen had encountered him a few times before, so they were on nodding terms; this journey to the Underworld Realm made them feel a sense of camaraderie.

Mou Guangji was accompanied by five West Sea Sect disciples, all of them Purple Palace cultivators.

"Wang disciple brother, let me introduce you to…"

Mou Guangji was very enthusiastic and, as soon as Wang Chen took a seat, eagerly began introducing a few fellow disciples.

These disciples had joined the sect before Wang Chen, some originating from the local sect and exuding a lightly restrained air.

Others were quite courteous and didn’t put on airs.

Wang Chen exchanged polite pleasantries with them.

Mou Guangji inquired, "Wang disciple brother, which area for expansion did you choose?"

Wang Chen saw no need for secrecy, so he replied candidly, "Wu Jiu Wu."

"Wu Jiu Wu?"

A cultivator sitting diagonally across from Wang Chen perked up: "I’m Wu Ba Qi. Wang disciple brother, we’re neighbors! We should interact more and support each other in the future!"

Wang Chen was at a loss for words—could Wu Ba Qi and Wu Jiu Wu really be considered neighbors?

Nevertheless, he maintained a polite smile as he responded.

"Brother Wang, here’s the situation,"

Mou Guangji began without preamble. "We are all fellow disciples, and we’ve come to the Underworld Realm together to pioneer. It’s only natural that we support each other and share resources. That’s why I’m proposing the formation of an alliance meeting. Would you be interested in joining?"

He explained that, as newcomers to this endeavor, even though each had been assigned specific areas for expansion, conflicts of interest with earlier arrivals were inevitable.

Therefore, banding together for mutual support was essential.

This alliance meeting would function as a small, informal group, allowing members to come and go as they pleased. They would gather monthly in Wei Fa City to collect supplies, exchange information, or collaborate on solving problems.

While the alliance couldn’t be relied upon as a steadfast support system, it was certainly better than facing challenges alone.

Mou Guangji spoke with sincerity, and Wang Chen found the idea appealing, so he agreed to join.

Delighted, Mou Guangji personally poured Wang Chen a cup of spiritual wine. "More hands make lighter work; let’s toast to that!"

Though Mou Guangji appeared unassuming, he was in fact quite astute and harbored a measure of ambition.

His social skills were formidable, and he had swiftly rallied over a dozen fellow disciples to join the so-called alliance.

One table proved insufficient, so they combined three for the meeting, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Among the gathered disciples were several with considerable knowledge of the Underworld Realm, and the insights they shared proved invaluable to Wang Chen.

In the Underworld Realm, the greatest threats to pioneering cultivators were the magical spirits and evil spirits that roamed the land.

The realm was saturated with dark energy, and Malevolent Energy Areas were commonplace, giving rise to a host of bizarre evil objects and monsters, some of which possessed insidious abilities capable of inflicting harm without detection.

To establish a foothold in the Underworld Realm, the first priority was to construct one’s own Wei Hall.

Defensive formations were also indispensable.

Additionally, the Underworld Realm was periodically swept by bone-chilling winds, making it perilous to venture outdoors without the protection of specialized talismans or artifacts.

Failure to shield oneself could result in the infiltration of negative energy, which, at best, would damage one’s foundation.

In short, one must prepare for the worst before seeking success, and safety was paramount.

Some attendees seized the opportunity to hawk talismans, elixirs, and artifacts.

Wang Chen listened more than he spoke, observing the subtle expressions that flickered across the faces of other guests in the hall as they overheard the animated discussions.

The seasoned veterans regarded the newcomers with a mix of amusement and appraisal.

Over the next two days, Wang Chen explored Wei Fa City and engaged in several exchanges with his fellow alliance members.

Wei Fa City was vast, with numerous structures, yet its population numbered fewer than one hundred thousand.

Most of its inhabitants were considered "natives."

This term was not entirely accurate, as their ancestors had been disciples of the West Sea Sect, descendants of pioneering cultivators.

The youth Wang Chen had encountered upon his arrival was one such individual.

Those born here invariably possessed the root bone for cultivation and a unique constitution that allowed them to adapt more readily to the Underworld Realm’s peculiar environment.

However, their innate dark energy barred them from venturing to the Mountain-Sea Realm, confining them to Wei Fa City for generations, where they served the West Sea Sect disciples who came to explore.

Wei Fa City was the sole city established by the West Sea Sect in the Underworld Realm, serving as the pioneers’ base of operations.

Like all immortal cities, Wei Fa City was fortified with protective formations.

Under normal circumstances, these city defense formations remained dormant, activating only during severe attacks by evil spirits or the onset of bone-chilling winds, safeguarding the city’s inhabitants and cultivators.

Most of the time, individuals had to rely on their own means to fend off the pervasive dark energy.

The inn where Wang Chen stayed was costly precisely because it was equipped with formations that repelled the majority of dark energy, rendering it a comfortable refuge.

Similar accommodations existed within the city, but they came at a premium.

As for the native cultivators, their unique constitutions enabled them to resist dark energy’s corrosive effects, though they could not entirely prevent negative energy from infiltrating their bodies, resulting in lifespans roughly half that of ordinary cultivators.

On his third day in Wei Fa City, Wang Chen set out alone for his assigned areas for expansion.

In the Underworld Realm, the destructive power of artifacts was significantly constrained, and their use carried the risk of contamination by dark energy, making frequent deployment inadvisable.

Consequently, Wang Chen opted to forgo the flying artifact and even abandoned sword flight.

Sword flight was exceedingly perilous in this realm!