When Alex's na was ntioned, the young man leading the group wore a face of fury and frustration as he declared:
"Ever since Alex showed up, he's been using his financial advantage to monopolize nearly all the beautiful won, even taking every top courtesan from all the brothels!
As a result, we've been left with scraps, and the quality of our lives has plumted.
As cultivators, we must balance work and rest. Without proper relaxation, fatigue builds up, and inner demons are sure to erge.
Alex has taken over all the top resources for relaxation, leaving us unable to recover from our exhaustion.
How is this different from severing our path to cultivation?
That's why today, we must stand against Alex. Regardless of his background or cultivation level, we'll drive him out of this region. Otherwise, none of us will be able to cultivate in peace!"
The young man's righteous tone made it sound as though Alex had committed so grave cri, though all he had done was spend money to reserve the top courtesans in the area.
The other cultivators nodded in agreent:
"That's right, I agree! Alex is ruining the market by driving up prices. Not all of us can afford to compete with him!"
"We must drive him out and take back what's ours!"
With their grievances united, the group of cultivators marched toward the largest and most luxurious brothel in the area.
When they entered the establishnt, a madam hurriedly approached and blocked their path. She spread her arms and smiled nervously: "Oh my, what brings such fine gentlen here? This brothel has been fully reserved by Alex, and it's temporarily closed to the public!"
The young leader stepped forward, glaring at the madam: "Sister Huang, step aside. This is a matter between us and Alex. Today, Alex must leave this region!"
The madam, unwilling to lose her most generous patron, stood her ground and said with a forced smile:
"What are you talking about? There's no such thing as grievances here. Our dear Alex doesn't even know you, let alone bear any grudges against you!"
Hearing this, the young man's expression darkened:
"Those grievances began long before Alex ca to this brothel. His actions have festered in our hearts, turning into inner demons. If these inner demons erupt during our cultivation, they'll cause us great harm!
Today, we must find Alex and settle this karma. Or do you intend to block our path to cultivation?"
The young man and the dozens of cultivators behind him glared nacingly at the madam, ready to strike if she refused.
The madam had not anticipated that Alex's actions would escalate into such a situation. If she continued to block them, she risked offending not just Alex but also dozens of influential sects.
Offending Alex alone might have been manageable—after all, her Sect of Harmonious Joy could still protect her. But if she angered so many factions at once, not even her sect would be able to shield her.
Left with no choice, the madam sighed and stepped aside, saying with a hint of grievance:
"Fine, I'll move. But must you be so petty?"
With the path cleared, the young man snorted coldly and led the group toward the brothel's most luxurious private suite.
As the group marched upstairs, the madam quickly retrieved a transmission artifact and sent a ssage.
After completing her task, she let out a long sigh.
She had sent a warning to Alex, hoping he would leave quickly to avoid confrontation. She even suggested he retreat to the Sect of Harmonious Joy's headquarters, where the sect master herself would gladly receive him.
After all, how could any woman resist such a generous and handso patron?
---
In the brothel's most luxurious room, Alex received the madam's transmitted ssage. However, after hearing it, he remained unfazed.
What a joke, he thought. In this world, the only thing that could threaten is the Heavenly Dao itself. Even if the six sages of the Primordial Era joined forces, I could suppress them all single-handedly.
Even with two mountains of white snow in his hands and countless curses from envious fox spirits on his back, Alex remained unbeatable in the world.
He continued to indulge himself as music filled the air, wine flowed freely, and the atmosphere in the room turned intoxicatingly lively.
At that very mont, the group of dissatisfied cultivators arrived outside his room.
Hearing the sounds of revelry within, the leader, whose jealousy had reached its peak, paused to listen with a heart full of resentnt. After a mont, he gathered his cultivation strength and kicked the door with all his might, determined to make an example of Alex.
But things didn't go as he expected.
Instead of intimidating Alex, the young man ended up in an embarrassing predicant.
The mont his foot struck the door, a crisp cracking sound echoed, followed by his anguished scream:
"Ahhhh! My leg! My leg!"
The other cultivators stared in shock.
As cultivators, their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even if they kicked solid rock with full force, the rock would shatter while they remained unhard.
Yet here was their leader, his leg broken from kicking what appeared to be an ordinary door.
"Could this door be forged from celestial black iron?" soone muttered.
Examining it closely, the group confird it was nothing but an ordinary wooden door.
There was only one possible explanation: a spell had been cast on the door, and the leader triggered it, resulting in his injury.
But their leader was one of the strongest among them. What kind of spell could injure him? Could Alex be more powerful than their leader?
That didn't make sense. They had repeatedly probed Alex's strength in secret and concluded he was a diocre cultivator, one of the weakest among them.
While they stood puzzled and their leader groaned in pain, the previously impenetrable door suddenly opened on its own.
What greeted them was a stunning sight: Alex, surrounded by a group of beautiful won, sitting in a grand chair like a king looking down at his subjects.
Alex's calm voice broke the silence:
"What brings you all here?"
The earlier display of power had already convinced the cultivators that Alex was far from ordinary. Veterans of the cultivation world, they understood the importance of self-preservation and hesitated to act rashly.
No one dared to answer imdiately.
Finally, the leader, clutching his injured leg, stood up with difficulty. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he accused Alex: "Alex, over the years, you've used your wealth to monopolize the market, hoarding all the resources for yourself. We've been left with no way to relax or relieve the pressures of cultivation. Do you realize the harm you've caused?"
Alex smiled faintly and replied, "Everything between and these ladies is mutual. How can there be any cri in that? Ladies, isn't that right?"
The courtesans giggled and nodded in unison, their movents srizing.
"That's right, that's right! We adore Alex! He's generous, charming, and treats us so well. How could he possibly be at fault?"
Seeing the courtesans stand by Alex, the leader's face darkened further.
"Alex," he growled, "think carefully. Will you leave this place or not? If you insist on staying, you'll make enemies of all of us and the powerful factions behind us.
Rember, everyone who frequents this brothel is soone of status, with connections reaching even the lofty Celestial Court. Offending us is not a wise move.
You need to understand that in the cultivation world, strength and backing are everything. What do you have besides so good looks and a bit of money?"
Alex leaned back in his chair and replied coolly, "I have money."
From behind the leader, soone muttered under their breath, "What's so great about having money?"
Alex's lips curved into a smile.
"Apologies," he said. "Being rich is a big deal. Ladies, don't you agree?"
The won surrounding him nodded enthusiastically, their laughter ringing like silver bells.
The courtesans erupted into laughter again, their delicate shoulders trembling. "Exactly! Rich and handso Alex is simply the best!"
Alex spread his hands with a calm smile. "Apologies, but being rich really is incredible."
For a mont, no one in the crowd could refute him.
Seeing their hesitation, the leader's expression darkened further. He knew ti was running out. If they didn't act quickly to drive Alex out, morale would collapse entirely, and Alex might truly solidify his control over the region.
If that happened, Alex would monopolize nearly all resources in the area, leaving them to scavenge whatever scraps he decided to leave behind.
The leader clenched his jaw. The situation was particularly dire for him—he practiced a dual-cultivation technique that required nurous female partners to balance yin and yang. With Alex monopolizing the resources of Hehuan Sect, where could he go to find such affordable and effective cultivation opportunities?
Finally, he issued a final ultimatum, his tone laced with nace:
"Will you leave or not? This is your last chance!"
Alex took a sip of tea handed to him by one of the courtesans and leaned back lazily. "Oh? What now? Are you planning to use force?"
The leader brandished his life-bound flying sword, his expression righteous. "Of course! A fiend like you, disrupting public order, must be eradicated!
Everyone, attack together! He's just one man—we'll form a formation and defeat him!"
But before he could finish his rallying cry, Alex casually extended a single finger toward him.
In the eyes of the cultivators, that finger seed to grow larger and larger, emanating divine power so overwhelming it felt like an entire mountain crashing down on them.
They tried to resist, but the sheer force rendered them powerless. They could only watch helplessly as the colossal power crushed them.
To the courtesans, it was a simple and elegant gesture. Alex had rely pointed his finger, and the so-called elite disciples of various sects were instantly reduced to nothing but a cloud of blood mist. With a casual wave of his sleeve, Alex dispersed even the faint traces of their existence.
In the blink of an eye, the dozens of cultivators vanished entirely—no blood, no remains, nothing.
One of the courtesans, who was slightly more knowledgeable, stared in stunned disbelief.
"That...those were the elite disciples of major sects! So of them were even close to the realm of immortals. And yet... Alex wiped them all out with just one move!"
Her voice trembled as she concluded, "This can only an... Alex has already reached the realm of immortals!"
For soone of Alex's strength, ascending to the Celestial Court and holding a prestigious position would have been effortless. And if he chose to remain in the mortal realm, he would undoubtedly beco the patriarch of a powerful sect.
The courtesan was awestruck. Who could have imagined that the man they had entertained all this ti was of such extraordinary status?
However, she quickly collected herself. Without hesitation, she resud peeling fruit with her delicate jade-like fingers and gently fed it to Alex, as though nothing extraordinary had occurred.
Everything returned to normal, as if the dozens of elite disciples had never barged into the room.
The only noticeable change was the way the courtesans looked at Alex—their gazes now carried a mix of reverence and admiration.
The most knowledgeable of the courtesans hesitated for a mont before whispering,
"My lord, it might be wise for you to leave this region soon."
Alex stretched lazily, a relaxed smile on his face. "Oh? And why is that?"
The lead courtesan explained cautiously, "My lord, I know your strength is extraordinary, and you may have even reached the rank of a wandering immortal. However, the individuals you just eliminated were elite disciples of various sects, and many of those sects are backed by immortals themselves.
Sooner or later, their sects will learn what happened here, and their immortals may co together to hunt you down."
She assud her explanation would make Alex at least sowhat concerned. But to her utter surprise, Alex remained as unbothered as ever.
He leaned back with a carefree smile and replied, "Just a few wandering immortals? They're nothing more than foot soldiers in the Heavenly Court—not worth ntioning.
Now, co over here! Let's keep the music playing and the dancing going!"
The courtesans were stunned by his nonchalance. Could it be that Alex wasn't rely at the level of a wandering immortal but sothing even greater—a celestial immortal?
Their respect for him grew deeper, and their gazes were now filled with awe.
Ti passed, and just as the courtesan had predicted, the sects did indeed send immortals to avenge their fallen disciples.
Yet, when those immortals arrived, Alex disposed of them with a flick of his fingers. Crushed instantly, they left no room for retaliation. After that, no sect dared to seek vengeance, and the matter was resolved without further incident.
---
One day, while Alex was enjoying the warmth of his luxurious haven, surrounded by beauty, his gaze suddenly shifted toward the distant mountain of Fangcun. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh? It's about to begin," he murmured to himself.
---
anwhile, in Fangcun Mountain, Sun Wukong had been training diligently ever since becoming a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi. Despite his relentless efforts, he grew increasingly frustrated. Bodhi seed to teach him only superficial techniques and never imparted true mastery.
One day, during a sermon in the great hall, Patriarch Bodhi sat at the head of the gathering. The old man, with his youthful face and white hair, exuded wisdom as he chanted esoteric scriptures.
Golden lotuses blood throughout the hall as profound truths spilled from his lips: "Comprehend the apparent and the hidden; seek enlightennt and ditation.
Embrace the soundless and eternal; achieve balance in spirit and essence.
With unwavering faith, one may extend their lifespan to rival the heavens.
Perfect the foolish mind, and ascend as a Buddha or an immortal..."
The sermon was so profound that the disciples struggled to grasp its aning. Yet, one monkey danced and jumped on his ditation cushion, clearly elated.
Sun Wukong's antics did not go unnoticed. Bodhi glanced at him and asked calmly, "Wukong, why do you leap and prance about during my lecture? Do you not hear my teachings?"
Caught off guard by the question, Sun Wukong quickly stopped his antics, straightened up, and replied respectfully, "Master, your teachings are so wondrous that I cannot help but rejoice! Please forgive this disciple's rudeness."
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