289: If you can't beat them, join them!

Inside the Luo Huang Immortal Sect hall.

Lu Ming sat cross-legged on a cushion, a grey-white soul bead floating slowly at his fingertips.

Inside it were all the memories of Chu Guhong's life, extracted entirely by his human emperor banner.

After reading the contents, Lu Ming frowned deeply, his expression growing solemn.

"The Profound Spirit Domain is vast and boundless, with cultivation resources far richer than the Southern Wilderness Region. There are nearly a hundred Golden Core powers alone!"

That's right! There were as many as a hundred Golden Core powers!

However, most of these so-called "Golden Core powers" only had one or two Golden Core True Persons, and they were mediocre. A Sect like the Luo Huang Immortal Sect, with three Golden Core True Persons, was already considered a leader among them.

What was truly daunting were the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands!

What are the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands?

Simply put, they are the thirty-six Golden Core powers with the strongest overall strength.

They encircle the periphery of the Inner Domain, situated not only where Spiritual Qi converges but also acting as ancient powers with thousands of years of Legacy. They possess over a dozen Golden Core True Persons, and even have Cultivators at Golden Core Perfection guarding them, with unfathomable foundations.

And what is the Inner Domain?

It is defined by the existence of Fourth-Tier Spiritual Veins, which are only found in the Inner Domain.

There, Spiritual Qi is like a tide, and resources are like rain, but it is firmly divided by seven Nascent Soul level powers, which the world calls the "Seven Grotto-Heavens"!

"The Inner Domain is indeed a Holy Land for cultivation, but I cannot go there!"

Lu Ming shook his head with a bitter smile.

The structure of the Profound Spirit Domain is rigid. The biggest obstacle to reaching the Inner Domain is not the vast distance, but the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands!

They form a ring, arching around the Seven Grotto-Heavens like a high wall. While they desperately scramble to get in, they also do their utmost to prevent others from entering.

However, in Lu Ming's view, these Thirty-Six Blessed Lands are actually a "talent reservoir" carefully crafted by the Seven Grotto-Heavens.

The Seven Grotto-Heavens do not recruit Disciples from the entire vast Outer Domain, but screen them directly from the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands.

This creates a problem.

Those without a background, no matter how talented, struggle to enter; those with a background but insufficient talent will also be rejected.

Only by becoming one of the Blessed Lands does one have the qualification to send the most outstanding clan members into the Grotto-Heavens.

As for whether this might leave pearls covered in dust?

Lu Ming just smiled faintly at that.

Are you kidding? What the Seven Grotto-Heavens lack the least is Geniuses!

Furthermore, without the Grotto-Heaven Legacy, no matter how gifted or brilliant you are, you can only be trapped at the Golden Core stage for life!

This is why so many powers are so desperate to rank among the Blessed Lands.

Indeed, the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands are not immutable; over tens of thousands of years, who knows how many have been replaced.

And most Golden Core powers in the Outer Domain have this ambition.

But there is also a problem here: once you enter the Inner Domain, it means cutting ties with the past, with life, death, glory, and shame all tied to the Grotto-Heaven.

Yet even so, why do countless powers fight to the death for a position among the Blessed Lands, and are willing to send their best Disciples into the Grotto-Heavens?

Because they are after more than just that status; they are after invisible deterrence and long-term ambition.

For example, the Chu Family behind Chu Guhong, though only in the Outer Domain, is feared precisely because they have a branch of descendants residing in the Zixiao Grotto-Heaven.

Or take the Mu Family behind Mu Han, which was one of the Blessed Lands a thousand years ago, but fell due to sectarian infighting, leading to the collapse of the main Family in the Outer Domain overnight, leaving only a branch surviving in the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect.

"Mu Han stole the Opportunity and dared not return to the Sect, which is why," Lu Ming understood.

What he truly cares about is not just the density of Spiritual Qi in the Inner Domain.

"Nascent Soul Legacy, Fourth-Tier Cultivation Techniques—these are things only the Seven Grotto-Heavens can touch."

Lu Ming slowly curled his fingers, and the soul bead shattered quietly.

The Seven Grotto-Heavens—he is determined to go!

But not now.

As for forcing his way through the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands?

That is no different from seeking death! Lu Ming immediately dismissed this thought.

He is very strong now, that is true, with a Peak Third Tier Magic Treasure, the human emperor banner, as his reliance; destroying a power like the Luo Huang Immortal Sect is easy.

But that is all.

Because within the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, not only are there Great True Persons of Golden Core Perfection guarding them, but their foundations are also not to be underestimated.

Lu Ming does not believe they lack Peak Third Tier Magic Treasures; they might even have treasures bestowed by Nascent Soul Cultivators, which he certainly cannot shake on his own.

"The time is not ripe, and there is no point in being anxious."

Lu Ming let out a breath, his mind gradually stabilizing.

He is only at the Mid-stage Golden Core now, and there is still a long way to go before Golden Core Perfection.

So what he truly lacks now is "talent"—enough, strong enough souls and Essence Blood to help him Cultivate!

But for him, Early Golden Core Stage is no longer enough.

The goal must be set on the same level, Mid-stage Golden Core, or even aiming for Late Stage Golden Core and Great Perfection.

But as a newcomer, he does not dare to be as reckless as he was in the Southern Wilderness Region.

After all, the Profound Spirit Domain has orderly rules, and high-level Cultivators are deeply intertwined. If he were to slaughter like this again, it would inevitably attract attention or even draw a siege from Cultivators.

After all, even a small Luo Huang Immortal Sect might involve the Chu Family, one of the Blessed Lands. Who knows who else is hiding behind others!

"An individual is ultimately too conspicuous."

Lu Ming suddenly realized this problem, and a thought began to sprout in his mind.

"Why not establish or support a Family, let them fight for me, while I hide behind the scenes and reap the rewards."

And the reason for doing this is simple.

That is, to draw hate!

External warfare will inevitably offend many people for the sake of profit, and he just happens to need a large amount of "talent" to assist his practice.

And this way it is much more logical! That is, to point his sword at the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands!

This move is not uncommon in the Outer Domain; countless Golden Core powers harbor the ambition to be promoted to Blessed Lands, and mutual slaughter and annexation are the norm.

And this is precisely another goal of Lu Ming.

Although he had thought about specifically offending one Blessed Land and then using the golden book to crazily target them until they were completely wiped out.

But then what?

Then new powers would quickly fill the vacancy and become one of the new Blessed Lands!

So instead of benefiting others, it is better to occupy that position himself.

That's right, his main strategy is: "If you can't beat them, join them"!

In this way, not only will he have a stable channel to obtain "talent," but he can also use this Family to rise to the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, and then use the Blessed Land as a stepping stone to enter the Seven Grotto-Heavens, which is much safer than charging in alone.

It's just that the path of this Family must lean towards the Demonic Path.

Otherwise, if it were a Righteous Path Family, and his old opponents were all drained of Essence Blood and had their souls devoured, even a fool would guess what was going on.

By then, what he would face would likely be the liquidation of the Righteous Path forces.

Therefore, he must go to the territory under the jurisdiction of the Demonic Path Grotto-Heaven.

Only there can Lu Ming perfectly integrate without any sense of dissonance!

What's more.

"This place should not be stayed in for long."

Lu Ming stood up and looked at the Immortal Sect outside the hall, which had already turned into a ghost realm.

Although Chu Guhong was not valued by the Chu Family, he was ultimately surnamed Chu. Living here for a long time would inevitably involve their Karma.

It is better to flee now and head to the territory under the jurisdiction of the Demonic Path forces among the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands.

There, he can secretly grow stronger by taking advantage of the Demonic Path conflicts, accumulate grain widely, and delay declaring himself king.

Once his power is established, the position of the Blessed Land will be within his grasp!