Wang Qiupo of Tianliang

An item capable of influencing—or even altering—the mind of a Dao Integration cultivator was bound to be a supreme treasure of the highest order. After all, with the Longevity Heavenly Venerables unseen, Dao Integration cultivators stood at the very pinnacle of power in the Xuanhuang Realm. Thus, even though Li Fan had lived through countless cycles of reincarnation to this day and learned innumerable secrets of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, he still did not know whether the Alliance possessed anything comparable to the Truth Enticement Fruit. Therefore, if he wanted to resolve the hidden concern regarding Jiang Yushan, he still had to turn to the Five Elders Association! Fortunately, Li Fan had already thought of the bargaining chip he would use in this trade with them. As for how to establish contact with the Five Elders Association... Over this period, disciples of the Medicine King Sect had scattered across various parts of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to gather intelligence. Following Li Fan's instructions and utilizing the methods previously known to him for contacting Five Elders Association spies, they had indeed pinned down a group of suspicious individuals. After reviewing the roster of these cultivators one by one and combining it with what he had witnessed in previous lives, Li Fan ultimately confirmed the identity of one spy. Wang Qiupo of Tianliang Province. Although this Wang Qiupo was only at the Golden Core realm, he was already eight hundred years old. Possessing a lifespan ceiling far exceeding that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators, his hair was now completely white, yet he remained vigorous and full of spirit, showing no signs of decrepitude. Because he had lived for so long, those from his era who were still alive in the world had all reached the Soul Formation or Dao Integration realm. They held key positions throughout the Immortal Alliance. As the saying went, if not for the monk's sake, then for the Buddha's. Even though Wang Qiupo possessed no great abilities, his network of connections was extraordinarily wide. Hence, even the Castellan of Tianliang City treated Wang Qiupo with utmost courtesy. Who could have ever imagined that such a figure was actually a spy for the Five Elders Association? This mole had been planted far too deeply and for far too long. So much so that in his previous life, when Wang Qiupo perished, the Five Elders Association took the initiative to reveal his identity, intending to mock the Alliance mercilessly. To save face, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals went so far as to issue a direct gag order, suppressing all news of the matter. Li Fan had only heard by chance back then that a deeply hidden spy had caused the Alliance to lose immense face, but he had not known the specific name. It was only in this life, by combining the reports from the Medicine King Sect disciples regarding Wang Qiupo's abnormal movements with his knowledge from past lives, that he had deduced it. "It seems Wang Qiupo isn't far from dying of old age." After pondering for a moment, Xu Bai drifted away from the Valley of Longevity. Stepping into the white mist, it was not long before he encountered a Puxian True Boat. The other party did not notice Xu Bai, flying straight toward the depths of the mist. "More and more people are passing by. Who knows how much longer this place can stay hidden." The thought flashed through his mind, and once Xu Bai emerged from the white mist, he headed straight for Tianliang Province. Tianliang Province lay northwest of Tianling Province. It was renowned for perpetual autumn throughout its lands. Supposedly, the lingering killing aura from a great ancient war had remained for hundreds of millions of years without dispersing, causing all living things to wither and fail to grow normally, which gave rise to this peculiar landscape. Wang Qiupo did not live within Tianliang City. Instead, he had built a thatched cottage at the foot of Mount Liang outside the city, residing there. Although he lived in seclusion, sycophants eyeing his network of connections still arrived in an endless stream to pay him visits. Most of them, however, were shut out at the door and left dejectedly. When Xu Bai arrived, a long queue had already formed before Wang Qiupo's gate. Over a dozen cultivators were waiting. Xu Bai's arrival instantly drew their gazes. Some cultivators even offered on their own initiative to swap places in line with him. Xu Bai first thanked them for their goodwill, then smiled and declined. This gesture immediately won the favor of the crowd, who began to explain the situation to him. "Old Wang has been in a terrible mood lately for some reason. He's turned away a hundred visiting cultivators in a row." "Old Wang has an eccentric temper; no one can guess what's going through his mind. But none of us give up easily. Who knows—when your turn comes, maybe his mood will suddenly improve? After all, there's precedent for that!" "Indeed. That was a young Foundation Establishment cultivator who used to be a complete nobody. After receiving Old Wang's recommendation, he soared to success in a single leap, taking up a post directly within the Immortal Alliance's hierarchy." ... The crowd chatted animatedly among themselves. Meanwhile, amidst Wang Qiupo's repeated angry shouts of "Not seeing anyone!", the queue continued to shorten. Those turned away left either dejected or with anger simmering on their faces. Yet none dared to utter a disrespectful word. Otherwise, Wang Qiupo would not even need to lift a finger—the other cultivators waiting outside would eagerly step forward and teach the offender a lesson just to curry favor. Xu Bai remained unperturbed, waiting quietly and patiently. When it was finally his turn, he stepped up to the door and heard a slightly deep voice drift from within: "Brat, what have you come for?" Clearly, Xu Bai's cultivation was slightly higher than Wang Qiupo's. Yet Wang Qiupo still addressed him this way. The cultivators present were not in the least surprised. Xu Bai took no offense either. Instead, he cupped his hands and said with a smile, "I have come..." "...to see Senior off to your grave!" His voice rang out like a great bell, reverberating across the foot of Mount Liang. The cultivators present were utterly stunned. They stared blankly at Xu Bai, their eyes filled with disbelief. They could hardly believe that someone so striking could utter such insolent words. Many cultivators even looked dismayed. "Damn it, this is going to infuriate Old Wang completely. We might not be able to see him for months now!" However, events unfolded far beyond everyone's expectations. First, a deathly silence fell over the thatched cottage. Then, Wang Qiupo's hearty laughter burst from within. The door swung wide open with a bang, and Wang Qiupo abruptly cut short his laughter. "Interesting. Come in, brat. I'd like to see what gives you the nerve to talk so big!" Xu Bai remained completely composed, stepping unhurriedly into the cottage. Then the door closed once more, completely cutting off everything inside from the outside world. "You certainly have a fine set of looks. Brat, you..." Wang Qiupo looked Xu Bai up and down, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Bai cut him off: "Do you know you haven't much time left to live?" Wang Qiupo's eyes narrowed instantly. "You..." "Do you wish to die in a foreign land, or do you wish for the fallen leaves to return to their roots?" Ignoring his reaction, Xu Bai asked again. Wang Qiupo sprang up violently from the rattan lounger where he had been reclining, his movements so swift that they betrayed not the slightest trace of old age. "Young man, what on earth do you mean?" His right hand gripped a wooden crutch tightly, bracing it against the floor, a dangerous gleam flashing in his eyes. "Where is your homeland? The Carefree Paradise? The Country of Truth? Or the Heavenly Realm of Humanity?" Fearless, Xu Bai looked him dead in the eye, delivering each word deliberately. In an instant, violent spiritual energy gathered around Wang Qiupo, and the wooden crutch in his hand flared with cyan light. It was as though he was already prepared to fight to the death. Yet right at this moment, a single sentence from Xu Bai made him instantly change his mind. "Do you want to go home?" "We, the Heaven-Overturning Society, can help you." Xu Bai offered a sincere smile.