Immortal Path Space - Chapter 310: Chaos

Wang Hong had been in Azure Void City for a month, unable to contact the outside world. During this time, he had seen numerous cultivators arriving from outside the city, and they were somewhat informed about the current situation in the Cultivation World.

However, due to the need to prevent spies from infiltrating the city, not just anyone could enter Azure Void City. The city’s security was incredibly strict.

Many loose cultivators who had chosen to leave Azure Void City earlier to avoid conscription were now regretting their decision. Except for a few who had joined the Treasure Hunters, most of them were now filled with regret.

Even those who had joined the Treasure Hunters lived a precarious life, as they were constantly required to be ready for battle. They had to be wary of their fellow companions as well. Some individuals, after getting injured, became targets for their comrades’ treasure hunting. In this group, there were no virtuous individuals.

Azure Void City had been sealed off for a month initially to prevent leaks of information, but it seemed that the Demon Clan had still found out about it. This measure indirectly saved the lives of those who couldn’t leave the city.

After Wang Hong learned about the situation outside, he could understand the Demon Clan’s presence, even though he held a grudge against them. With opposing positions and as enemies, any means were justifiable in their fight. The goal of battle was to eliminate the enemy, without any moral constraints.

However, he held a deep hatred for the Treasure Hunters who were causing chaos throughout the entire Cultivation World. The current situation made all East Zhou cultivators connected by the same thread, where their fortunes and misfortunes were shared. These individuals, at a time when they should contribute, were all hiding and afraid to confront the Demon Clan.

Now, East Zhou was internally vulnerable, and these individuals, driven by personal gain, were shortsighted, causing chaos in the entire Cultivation World and destabilizing the rear lines. If the front lines were to falter, the entire East Zhou would fall, and everyone would be doomed.

Although Wang Hong was not a saint, this matter concerned the bigger picture, affecting the safety of every individual, including himself and his business.

Wang Hong left the city with ten Foundation Building stage subordinates, fully aware that traveling alone outside the city would make him a target for the Treasure Hunters.

He needed to check on his two bases personally, even though he believed they were safe. Seeing them with his own eyes would put his mind at ease.

On the way, he witnessed a scene of devastation. There were many spirit fields outside the city where Spirit Grain, Spiritual Herb, spirit fruit, and other items were grown, guarded by cultivators. Now, these fields were ruined, with all the Spirit Grain and Spiritual Herb harvested, whether mature or not, not a single one left. It was as if locusts had passed through.

Most of the spirit fruit trees had been uprooted, leaving behind only large craters. The few remaining spirit fruit trees had also been knocked down.

These external spirit fields were the foundations painstakingly built by many generations of powers within the city. To rebuild them would take decades or even centuries.

After the Treasure Hunters’ rampage, even if they eventually defeated the Demon Clan, the East Zhou Cultivation Realm would suffer a significant loss of vitality. There would be a shortage of usable Spiritual Herbs for a long time.

As he walked this path, he couldn’t find a single intact spirit field, which worried him.

Finally, he reached his Mountain Valley base and found everything was safe, which was a relief. Upon hearing Luo Zhongjie’s report, he learned that two waves of Treasure Hunters had come in the past month with intentions to attack the base. However, Luo Zhongjie and his men had managed to kill both groups. The second group of Treasure Hunters had engaged them outside Mountain Valley and escaped with just over ten survivors.

These ragtag individuals were courageous and skilled when they had the upper hand, but once they were defeated, they abandoned their comrades and fled for their lives.In Mountain Valley base, there were usually around two to three dozen Foundation Building cultivators stationed there. Most Treasure Hunter groups consisted of about ten to twenty people. While having more people made each robbery easier, it also resulted in reduced profits.

However, recently, many Treasure Hunters were fighting each other, merging forces, and growing in size, squeezing out the smaller groups that couldn’t survive.

After inspecting this base, Wang Hong traveled alone to Liu Changsheng’s base. Here, he had more Foundation Building cultivators hidden, totaling over forty people, which made it difficult for ordinary Treasure Hunters to challenge them.

He learned that a batch of Treasure Hunters had also come here, but they had all been annihilated, leaving no survivors. Besides guarding this base, Liu Changsheng’s group had been sending people out to gather information.

Wang Hong found out that there used to be many small and medium-sized factions near Azure Void City. Except for a few who had received advance notice and retreated with their personnel and resources into the city, most of the small factions had been wiped out in the past month. Even some of the medium-sized factions had been occupied by Treasure Hunters.

The strength of Wang Hong’s two bases could place them among the medium-sized factions, but the Foundation Building cultivators within his bases were currently in hiding, and outsiders were unaware of their existence, which is why they hadn’t been conscripted.

Now, Treasure Hunters were scattered all around the area, occupying the places they had taken over.

Additionally, there were several forces consisting of lurking Demonic Beasts in the vicinity. These forces were even more ruthless, not only killing for treasures but also leaving no trace of destruction behind.

“East Master, based on our intelligence analysis, these Treasure Hunters are constantly merging with each other. There will come a day when they form a massive force. Currently, there are hundreds, nearly a thousand Treasure Hunters around Azure Void City. If these large Treasure Hunter groups form, I’m afraid our base won’t be able to stop them,” Liu Changsheng said with concern.

Wang Hong pondered for a moment, harboring no affection for these Demon Clan infiltrators and Treasure Hunters. To say he despised them wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

With the power he currently controlled, counting both overt and covert forces, he had over a hundred Foundation Building cultivators. With this strength, dealing with the current Treasure Hunters would be more than sufficient.

The concern now was that these Treasure Hunters were continuously merging and expanding, making them a potential threat in the future.

“In that case, let’s take the initiative! We’ll clear out all the Treasure Hunters in this vicinity,” Wang Hong finally made a decision. These Treasure Hunters were like a malignant tumor in the Cultivation World, contributing nothing, acting selfishly, and causing chaos throughout the realm.

Rather than waiting for them to come knocking, it was better to seize the advantage they currently had and eliminate the danger in its infancy.

“You’re responsible for the security of the two bases. For Mountain Valley base, you must act covertly, ensuring they don’t find out. Additionally, send some people to collect and transmit information discreetly.”

“Understood, East Master. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

“No, that’s all. You don’t need to concern yourself with anything else. Consider yourself as unrelated to the Mountain Valley base’s two forces.”

After giving these orders to Liu Changsheng, Wang Hong continued his journey alone, quietly making his way to the Mountain Valley base. He couldn’t afford to draw attention to himself, as it might attract the attention of the Treasure Hunters.

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