Chapter 1012: Brotherhood - Pioneering (Side Story)

"Esteemed guests, dear friends and family, and all my fellow cultivators who have supported me through the years, thank you for coming to celebrate my wedding."

High above the clouds of Mount Shu, over a hundred thousand people looked up at Chu Liang as he hovered in the sky. His voice rang out clearly, echoing all the way to the ninth heaven. Yet, the expressions on the faces below were difficult to describe.

Even after ascending to the ninth realm, he hadn’t changed much. He still wore that same gentle smile that made him seem harmless, and his baby face remained just as youthful.

On an ordinary day, his face alone would have caused a stir. Cries of "Hallowed Chu" would have swept through the crowd like tidal waves.

But today was different. Many of the guests had been deceived in one way or another. Their reverence for the Hallowed One now mingled with frustration toward an unscrupulous schemer, creating a strange and conflicting feeling deep in their hearts.

They couldn’t help but wonder if the next time they shouted "Hallowed Chu," the tone might sound very different.

"I know many of you may have paid a hefty price for your invitation," Chu Liang said with a smile, hovering above the crowd. He swept his gaze across the sea of deadpan faces and gave a light wave. "Some of you might be feeling a little displeased. But fellow cultivators, don’t worry! This won't be a wasted trip."

He raised a thin sheet of gold foil in his right hand. "As a token of appreciation, every guest attending my wedding today will receive a Divine Ruins Voucher."

"Divine Ruins Voucher?" the crowd murmured, puzzled.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Excellent question, fellow cultivator," Chu Liang replied at once. "So, what exactly is it?"

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Although I am still young, I’ve been fortunate enough to ascend to the Profound Realm. That kind of power comes with a sense of unease. I feel that I should do something meaningful for the world. However, given my current status, even the smallest move could send ripples through the nine provinces, which makes it hard to act freely."

He smiled again. "After thinking it over, I’ve decided that aside from eliminating evil, my first major undertaking will be to pioneer the Divine Ruins."

His announcement instantly caused a stir in the crowd.

"Ah?"

The Divine Ruins were even larger than the nine provinces. Scattered throughout were countless rare treasures that had fallen from the higher realms, along with hidden domains and deadly terrain. Even cultivators at the eighth realm would find danger lurking at every step.

Over the years, many Hallowed Ones had thought about developing the lands of the Divine Ruins. However, the lands were cut off from the nine provinces by very strong barriers, and its harsh environment remained unchanged no matter how great the power of a ninth-realm cultivator.

After all, building was hundreds of times harder than destroying. A ninth-realm cultivator might be able to sweep through the Divine Ruins and wipe out its demons and evil spirits, but it was beyond anyone's ability to transform those thunder-lashed, barren lands into one where ordinary people could live.

But... just because the previous Hallowed Ones had failed didn’t mean Hallowed Chu would too.

After all, he was the first to become a Hallowed One through the Great Dao of Creation. His influence over the world far exceeded that of his esteemed predecessors. And as a member of the righteous human forces, he felt even more motivated to do this!

The development of the Divine Ruins was the first great endeavor Chu Liang had set his sights on!

The conflicts between the immortal sects and the nations all stemmed from the same root cause: a shortage of resources. Once the population grew past a certain point, competition became unavoidable. Even a Hallowed One could not put an end to these disputes. After all, the ninth realm itself had been born from fierce rivalry.

The Divine Ruins was a land rich in untapped resources. Throughout the long passage of years, mortals had only managed to claim a small fraction of what it held. Now, Chu Liang intended to unlock that potential and shape it into an entirely new world. With the power of his Great Dao of Creation, such a feat was no longer out of reach.

"All the spirit-stone coins you spent on those invitations, just treat them as wedding gifts to me," Chu Liang said with a smile. "I’ll match the amount with my own funds and set up a Divine Ruins Development Fund to support cultivation efforts in the Divine Ruins. If the venture turns a profit, the fund will distribute returns on a regular basis. So by giving me a gift today, you’re securing a generous return in the future. What do you say?"

With that, bright smiles finally appeared on everyone's faces.

Though the future of the project remained uncertain, no one ever questioned Chu Liang’s ability to turn a profit. Some even said he was better at making money than cultivating.

This was a chance to get rich alongside Hallowed Chu. It was the kind of opportunity people could only dream of. No amount of begging could make it happen.

Of course, it helped that they couldn’t get their spirit-stone coins back anymore. If Chu Liang had asked them to invest in the Divine Ruins Development Fund right from the beginning, and explained that it was a project which might last for centuries, not many would have been willing to put their money into something that long and uncertain.

Since the imperial court had no authority to order the immortal sects around in this matter, Chu Liang had turned to a clever little scheme instead.

If he had tried to use his authority as a Hallowed One to force the matter through, he might have achieved his goal. However, absolute power was effective in getting results, but it often provoked resistance. Once resentment took root, it would be difficult to carry out anything else in the future.

"Now picture this. Hundreds of years from now, the Divine Ruins will be just like the nine provinces of today. No, it will be even better. The spiritual qi will be richer, spirit plants will grow in abundance, and the cities will flourish. Your children and grandchildren will live in that land with ease and joy," Chu Liang said, painting the vision in their minds. "They won’t need to toil for their cultivation or work just to survive. And all of that will be because of you, the ancestors who made this investment today. One day, these Divine Ruins Vouchers will be worth hundreds or even thousands of times more than they are now.

"My friends, the road to the Divine Ruins begins tomorrow."

...

"Aaagh!"

As thunder rumbled across the sky, a scream of agony echoed from the distance.

Chu Yi, slender and dressed in a yellow combat outfit, frowned as he looked ahead. "Another one got struck?"

Lu Jiangtong stepped forward to report. "Yes. Another one was killed by lightning. One of the diabolical cultivators tried to start a rebellion during the chaos, but we’ve already taken care of it."

"This damned place..." Chu Yi muttered as he stared into the distance.

The sky was heavy with dark clouds that swallowed the sun and moon. The ground was dry and cracked, with barely any plant essence left. Most of the plants in sight had turned into demonic entities. Nine out of ten creatures they encountered were man-eating monsters.

Every three li, they would come across eight hidden realm fissures. Half of them dragged the group into withered and barren places, while the other half led straight into deadly danger zones. Their team was fairly strong overall, but even so, after just three days of travel, they had already faced several major crises.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that every step forward came with a risk to their lives.

The reason he was here at all was because Chu Liang had come looking for him a few days earlier.

After the fall of the Noble Dharma, Chu Yi found himself in an awkward position. He had played a part in eliminating the Noble Dharma, but he had also made serious mistakes in the past. Although he was closely connected to Silver Sword Peak, the Yu Dynasty still wanted him removed.

When Chu Liang came to find him, Chu Yi was on the run from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau and had taken refuge in the Ruins of Return in the South Sea.

At the time, he wasn’t sure whether his senior brother had come to kill him or to save him. What he never expected was for Chu Liang’s first words to be, "Do you still want to be emperor?"

Chu Yi blinked, struggling to make sense of the question. Chu Liang’s thoughts were always a mystery he could never hope to unravel.

To Chu Yi’s surprise, Chu Liang continued, "I know a great place. The land is vast and full of resources. I also have some men under my command. They are strong cultivators who fear no battle. I’ll give both the land and the men to you. Any territory you conquer can become your own. You can build a kingdom there. What do you say?"

When Chu Yi heard this, he was filled with disbelief and was on the verge of tears. "You’re giving me soldiers, land, and even a kingdom?"

He asked himself honestly. He had always looked up to Chu Liang more than anyone, but their relationship had never been simple. He didn’t believe he deserved this much from Chu Liang...

"Senior Brother..." Chu Yi fell to his knees right then and there. "You’ve already become a Hallowed One, but you still remember me. You’re the one I care about most in this world!"

Chu Liang quickly helped him up and said with a gentle voice, "Come on, get up. There’s no need for that. You’re my only junior brother. Of course you were the first person I thought of when something good came along."

Even as a child, Chu Yi had learned one thing. There were no free meals on Silver Sword Peak. If you wanted a bowl of rice, you had to earn it by doing chores. That lesson had been carved deep into his bones, and now the memory came rushing back.

No matter where they were, as long as Chu Liang was there, it still felt like Silver Sword Peak.

The land Chu Liang gave him was indeed vast and rich in resources. But it was also a place where fire rained from the sky and lightning struck the ground without pause. Not even a cactus could grow thorns there! This was the land of the Divine Ruins in the northwest!

The men Chu Liang gave him were indeed powerful and fearless in battle. But they were all demons and evil spirits he had captured recently. They could fight, sure, but one would have to beat them into submission first!

Chu Liang had indeed told him to build a kingdom. But compared to the Divine Ruins, even the savage lands of the Far West ruled by the demon race felt like paradise. At least in the Far West, once you figured out food and water, you didn’t have to worry about dying at any moment. Here, danger could strike from any direction, and a person who seemed perfectly fine one moment could drop dead the next.

If this were his kingdom, who in their right mind would want to live with him?

No wonder Chu Liang had said he thought of him first. Developing the land in the Divine Ruins required more than just powerful cultivation. It also needed brains, charm, and the kind of presence that could keep all kinds of people in line. Without someone like Chu Yi, not even an eighth-realm cultivator could achieve it.

But still...

Chu Yi couldn’t help but think.

"I’m still just a kid!" His eyes filled with tears as Chu Liang’s figure rose once more in his mind.

He really is the best senior brother anyone could ask for... the person I love most in the world!

Chu Yi screamed inwardly.