Chapter 902: Western Shore
The western shore was dotted with Daoist temples and cultivation families, and the population was quite large, yet the cultivators lived in pitiful conditions. There weren’t even enough Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators to count on two hands in this vast western shore region, let alone any Foundation Establishment Realm ones.
The Azure Pond Sect didn’t bother controlling Daoist He, but these small families had no such privileges. They had to offer tributes to both Daoist He and the Azure Pond Sect. After five hard years of cultivating their Spirit Paddies, they still couldn’t produce enough to meet both sides’ demands.
So they had no choice but to scrape together Spirit Stones using every means possible. This meant either risking their lives in Mount Dali, serving under the Li or Yu Families, or even crossing the lake into the Wilderness to become outlaws and send spoils back home.
These heavy burdens left cultivators of the western shore with no time for cultivation at all. On the rare occasion someone reached the Qi Cultivation Realm, they were sent to Daoist He’s temple to forge dharma artifacts. Thus, for nearly two hundred years, not a single cultivator had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. In truth, there wasn’t anyone with the chance to try.
Thus, as Li Xizhi and his group traveled, what they saw was truly lifeless. Some cultivation families had only one cultivator, who had to go out and risk their life, while mortals managed the household.
However, the Li Family was no stranger to the struggles of the lower class, and Li Qinghong remarked, "At least the mortals here live quite well. Every family is eager to have cultivators, and Daoist He doesn’t demand blood food. He only hopes to raise more people and awaken more spiritual orifices, to gain another laborer."
Only Yang Ruizao, raised in privilege and comfort since childhood, looked closely and furrowed his brows, never relaxing them as he sighed, "Moongaze Lake is truly a desperate land that somehow keeps producing talent."
As they continued riding the wind toward Nine Gates Mountain on the western shore, an elderly cultivator flew out to greet them. Dressed in Daoist robes, he initially looked calm, but as he approached, his pupils widened suddenly, "Four Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators?! And two of them are at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm?!
"This is bad! The Li Family has come to attack!"
His legs gave out, and he dropped into a full bow, trembling as he said, "Greetings, esteemed seniors!"