When settled in Veluriyam Palace’s guest residences, the cultivators were overwhelmed by the formidable resources and inheritances at the sect’s disposal. Its otherworldly aura loomed greatly over their heads. Ah, how lucky would they be if they could cultivate in such a place!

Myriad Abyss Island had always nursed a bone-deep sense of superiority toward the human domain, but now they realized exactly how ridiculous they’d been.

Put simply, Myriad Abyss was nothing but an upstart born after the demon-sealing war, while the human domain was a colossus fallen on hard times.

The ancient Veluriyam Palace’s legacy alone could crush Myriad Abyss’ ten great sacred lands.

“Heh, gentlemen, you must have seen quite a lot while visiting the domain these past few days. Quite instructive, no?” asked Divine Kasyapa.

“Hah, don’t mention it. I feel foolish for ignorantly sticking to old, established preconceptions about the human domain.”

“At this rate, the domain will return to its past power in less than a century. To fight off the demons isn’t a pipe dream.”

“The cultivation environment here is a marvel to behold. Look at those old faces, they suffered inside Boundless Prison just like us, but now they’ve become cultivators of the ancient Veluriyam Palace. What a reversal of fortune!”

The said old faces were Lightford’s divine realm subordinates who’d surrendered after his death and become Jiang Chen’s followers. Nowadays, they’d joined the ancient sect’s upper echelons in quite a quirk of fate.

Deep down, most cultivators longed for a backer, a great tree to offer shade and solace. Why were so many reduced to the life of a wandering cultivator? Not because they wanted to. For whatever reason, they simply couldn’t find a suitable tree.

Who wouldn’t be tempted by the ancient Veluriyam Palace, the number one sect in ancient times, the greatest existence on the continent?

They couldn’t even 

dream

 of such conditions, not to mention the legacies, the techniques, the resources, and the unimaginable material benefits of such a faction.

To say they weren’t swayed would be a lie.

An Kasyapa chuckled, well-aware of their thoughts. “This is, after all, the number one sect in the world. Compared to its heyday, it might have recovered less than thirty percent of its might, so they must be keen to recruit heroes from all over. It’s too bad we’re so used to our freedom. Were it not for the strict rules and obligations of a sect, our self-nominations would likely be welcomed with open arms. I’m positive the young lord can use people like us.”

He was furtively spurring them on.

The man with the bald eyebrows grinned mischievously. “Hehe, freedom is fine and dandy, but a backer isn’t all that bad either.”

“That’s true. This Veluriyam Palace doesn’t seem all that restrictive anyway. Our old friends from Boundless Prison don’t look very busy to me.” 

An Kasyapa laughed boisterously. “What? Don’t tell me you’re tempted. Are you thinking of joining?”

“Err, let’s talk about that later. The marvelous environment here is one thing, but I’m more interested in how the young lord cultivates. It’s quite the riddle. His speed of progress defies common sense.”

“That’s right. If I could have just half his speed, that would already be an enormous boon.”

“This young lord truly has many secrets.”

“To be frank with you, I’m indeed considering joining.”

These fellows had already made up their minds. They were secretly anticipatory, but had to keep a stiff upper lip for appearances.

However, An Kasyapa read them like a book. With a knowing smile, he exclaimed, “We’ve stayed long enough. Guests like us shouldn’t outstay their welcome. Look at the young lord busying about from dusk to dawn. He’s so preoccupied, so we shouldn’t add to his troubles.” 

“Ah? Are we leaving?”

“Daoist Kasyapa, why are you in such a hurry? Our host hasn’t sent us away yet. We can’t go back to Myriad Abyss Island in any case, and the human domain is as peaceful a place as any.”

Kasyapa feigned astonishment. “No matter how lovely the domain is, this isn’t our home. We’re men of Myriad Abyss Island. We have to return, no matter the risk.”

“Now now, Daoist Kasyapa, Myriad Abyss cultivators are descendants from the human domain. We are merely returning to our roots. Technically, isn’t our home Boundless Prison anyway? We’ve spent half our lives there. Are we to return there?”

“That’s right, now that its spirit veins have been rejuvenated, the human domain is a suitable place to stay for divine realm cultivators like us.”

None of them seemed willing to depart.

Their yearning for Veluriyam Palace’s environment wasn’t the sole reason. The neat order reigning in the human domain also gave them a formidable sense of security.

In comparison, nowhere in Myriad Abyss Island was safe from demon devastation. Every second felt like living on the edge.

What if the demons targeted them one day?

In comparison, there was no trace of ravaging in the human domain. It remained pristine from the demonic outbreak.

From top to bottom, the domain readied itself for a future war against the demons. Its unity of purpose was becoming more apparent by the day.

Lack of cohesiveness and disunity were mankind’s greatest weakness.

If everyone could work towards the same goal, then with their long history, reproductive ability, and wisdom, humans were well-equipped to fight off the demons.

“Daoist Kasyapa, you seem rather close to the young lord. Why don’t you sound him out? If we join, can we enjoy high-level treatment?”

In the end, someone could no longer hold still.

Others also followed suit. “That’s right. Given what’s to come, fighting by ourselves is an impossible proposition. Becoming part of a leading faction like Veluriyam Palace is quite a decent alternative.”

“We would also bring glory to our ancestors by joining the greatest ancient sect, don’t you think?”

These fellows had discarded all semblance of pretense.

An Kasyapa looked at each of them in turn, his gaze dead serious. He said firmly, “Gentlemen, don’t decide on a whim. This is no trifling matter. We’re talking about the greatest ancient sect. Once you join, there’s no more room for regret.”

True enough, an ancient sect wasn’t a market where one could come and go as one pleased.

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