Chapter 434: Chapter 432: Storm Approaching Cyan Wolf Ridge is extremely powerful, and it takes the combined forces of the human nations, such as Zhao Kingdom, Chu Kingdom, and Yan Kingdom, to barely resist it. This time, the brazen attack by the Great Demons has left the disciples both worried and angry, their emotions inexplicably high. "Cyan Wolf Ridge is too arrogant, completely disregarding our sect! If we really fight, we might not be afraid of those demons!" "Hey, they’re arrogant because they have the power to be. Do you know how many Great Demons there are in Cyan Wolf Ridge? I’m telling you, one hand might not be enough to count them!" "Our Corpse-Driving Sect also has a Golden Core Master, unrivaled in the same realm, fighting five at once isn’t impossible!" "Damn it, do you believe that yourself? I think if there’s a misunderstanding, we should explain it properly, there’s no need to fight at all." "Damn your mother, are you scared, coward?" "You bastard, say that again and see what happens?" As soon as Lou Yi returned to the Corpse-Driving Sect, he heard discussions everywhere. Many disciples were arguing fiercely, and there were quite a few who wanted to let off steam by dueling with corpses. The arguers mainly divided into two factions: the Conservative and the Radical. The Conservative faction believed that the Corpse-Driving Sect didn’t need to confront Cyan Wolf Ridge head-on. After all, it was spread that the Young Wolf Lord was killed by an unknown Body Cultivator, having nothing to do with the Corpse-Driving Sect. The Radical faction, however, thought that since they had already come to their doorstep, bowing down was too soft and might not be effective anyway. Both sides stuck to their own views, and lively debates could be heard in all areas of the sect. Lou Yi listened to the various disputes all the way back to Wendao Peak. "Lou Timberhead, you finally decided to come back!" As if having a dog’s nose, Bi Yaoyao found him angrily as soon as Lou Yi returned, "Did you go out and have fun without me?" "I was handling serious business." Lou Yi was somewhat speechless, "By the way, I see everyone in the sect is talking about the dispute with Cyan Wolf Ridge, are we really going to fight?" "Hard to say, I asked my dad, but he wouldn’t tell me anything." Bi Yaoyao was even more annoyed upon hearing this, "I guess he doesn’t know either." "Isn’t it said that the Young Wolf Lord was killed by a mysterious Body Cultivator, why would Cyan Wolf Ridge still trouble our sect?" "My father said it’s not really related. Cyan Wolf Ridge has been calm for thousands of years, its internal conflicts have long been saturated, and they need a place to vent. Even without the Young Wolf Lord incident, they would find a way to trouble us humans. Now they just conveniently picked our sect..." Upon hearing this, Lou Yi let out a breath, and the guilt in his heart lessened a bit. Of course, Cyan Wolf Ridge targeting the Corpse-Driving Sect was partly Lou Yi’s responsibility, but he couldn’t bear the full weight of it now. A moment later, Rong Xuejian, the little fatty Dai Xiang, and a few others came over. A small group gathered to discuss the recent major events. "If a fight really breaks out, our sect can only defend and wait for the other three sects to come to our aid." Rong Xuejian sighed. "That’s right, our sect has only one Golden Core, and six Fake Pills..." The little fatty Dai Xiang was also quite pessimistic. This time, to drive away the clan leader of the Iron-backed Wolves, the Corpse-Driving Sect had revealed almost all its foundations. The Golden Core Master is the Supreme Elder of the sect, reportedly the master of the current Sect Leader, Three Corpses Daoist, with profound cultivation but unable to support by himself. Among the six Fake Pill Giants, there’s even the previous generation Sect Leader, whose strength far surpasses ordinary Foundation Establishment, but there’s still a considerable gap compared to Golden Cores or Great Demons. "What level of strength do the Fake Pill elders have compared to the peak of Foundation Establishment?" Lou Yi asked curiously. "I’ve heard my dad say that some top Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, who aren’t confident in overcoming the tribulation, choose to take the Fake Pill path. Their lifespan wouldn’t be much less, but Fake Pills can never break through further." Bi Yaoyao started explaining, and the others pricked up their ears to listen. "Fake Pills’ strength far exceeds the peak of Foundation Establishment, and by burning themselves, they can even fight a Golden Core, but it only lasts for a short while before turning to ashes. It mainly serves as a deterrent and won’t be deployed unless absolutely necessary..." Lou Yi understood. A Golden Core is a long-lasting powerful weapon, the core. Fake Pills are one-time weapons, auxiliary, used up and they’re gone. "With so many Fake Pills, Cyan Wolf Ridge shouldn’t easily declare full-scale war, the initial stage will only see battles erupt among lower realm cultivators." The little fatty Dai Xiang, having listened, seemed relieved, "After all, Cyan Wolf Ridge has many enemies, and I’ve heard that the struggles among the Demon Clan are far more brutal than ours." "Difficult, it can just exhaust our sect to death, the timing is too unfavorable now." At some point, Lou Yi’s senior sister Lü Tianran and senior brother Liu Qi walked over. Lü Tianran sighed helplessly, "The Supreme Elder has already lived over seven hundred years, not far from the end." Upon hearing this, everyone shivered. "And our Sect Leader, Three Corpses Daoist, was originally preparing to break through in the coming years; now it must be sped up." The usually silent senior brother Liu Qi uncharacteristically said a lot, "Cyan Wolf Ridge will definitely try its best to stop it. Once our sect loses a Golden Core to hold the fort, it will be like duckweed without roots, and no amount of Fake Pills will help." "Won’t the other human sects intervene? Like the Red Sun Sect and True Blood Sect?" Dai Xiang said unwillingly, "If our sect falls, it won’t bring them any good either!" "If it wasn’t the Three Corpses Daoist who was breaking through, perhaps they would intervene," Bi Yaoyao said hesitantly. "I heard from my father that the Three Corpses Daoist is unrivaled in talent, having cultivated three unprecedented Lifebound Corpses. Once he breaks through, our sect will have four Golden Core level combat powers. The Red Sun Sect and others certainly won’t want to see this happen, as it would disrupt the balance between major forces..." "Damn..." Upon hearing this, Lou Yi and the others were flabbergasted, realizing that being too gifted could also have drawbacks. Next, Lou Yi and the others quietly listened to Bi Yaoyao and Lü Tianran explaining various knowledge about Golden Cores and Fake Pills. Bi Yaoyao’s father is a Sect Elder, and Lü Tianran has been following Elder He for many years, both knowing a lot of information unknown to ordinary people. According to them, when cultivators push their cultivation to the extreme of Foundation Establishment, and wish to break through to the Golden Core and become a Master, they must face three major tribulations: the Thunder Tribulation, the Human Tribulation, and the Demon Tribulation. The Thunder Tribulation is a punishment from heaven and earth. Cultivation defies heaven, and to break through and have more lifespan, one must endure the baptism of heaven. This tribulation is extremely terrifying, facing the might of heaven and earth; any slight misstep could lead to utter destruction of the divine soul, making even reincarnation a fantasy. Only by surviving the Thunder Tribulation can one condense a Golden Core and become a Master with divine skills. The Human Tribulation occurs when one is breaking through, as enemies will try to stop them. There are many historical cases where cultivators, after barely surviving the Thunder Tribulation, are severely wounded and meet their demise due to enemies obstructing their path. As for the Demon Tribulation, it’s even less surprising. Humans and demons are natural enemies; the Demon Clan would not want to see any more Golden Cores among the Human Race. Thus, many cultivators without confidence aren’t brave enough to even attempt the Thunder Tribulation. However, the Corpse-Driving Sect has deep foundations, and for Foundation Establishment peak cultivators, there’s a second option: achieving a Fake Pill. "My father said that the path of the Fake Pill is chosen by those who have no hope or confidence in overcoming the tribulations. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not take this path." Bi Yaoyao said, "Moreover, not everyone can achieve a Fake Pill; it’s said to be related to the number of small worlds controlled by the sect." "Small world?" Lou Yi heard an unfamiliar term and quickly sought to understand it. "Golden Core Masters can travel in the sea of clouds and have the chance to discover small worlds attached to our world, also called small worlds," Lü Tianran explained. "Each small world contains abundant resources and is the foundation of a sect. Each small world can support one Fake Pill cultivator." As for how they are supported, that’s too advanced, and none of the people present understood. Lou Yi, however, had significantly expanded his knowledge. At the same time, his sense of crisis intensified. Obviously, the strength of the Corpse-Driving Sect was quite inferior to the Cyan Wolf Ridge. A great war between the two sides was highly likely. Though in the early stages, high-realm cultivators and demons wouldn’t participate. But under a collapsed nest, no egg is unbroken. Lou Yi feared that if he didn’t quickly enhance his strength, he might be easily crushed by a Great Demon. ’I must quickly find the fourth martial path or seek the inheritance of ancient martial cultivators...’ ’Also, I must search for key items for talent or cultivation technique advancement.’ In the coming days, Lou Yi cultivated while accumulating energy, and through the Four Seas Association and Bi Yaoyao, he searched for heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Although the situation was temporarily calm, internally, the Corpse-Driving Sect was already preparing for action. The sect issued an order, summoning disciples to the border of the Zhao Kingdom to defend against enemies. The contribution rewards were several times the usual tasks, to motivate the disciples. War is both a test and an opportunity; through trials, people grow faster, and after every great battle, heroes emerge. Thus, three months later, in the border area where the Zhao Kingdom and Cyan Wolf Ridge meet, a significant disturbance finally appeared. ...