Chapter 312 – Five Directors of Great Thousand Mountains, Mountain Lords Gather at Great Wilderness City

Real World, Immortal Alliance, Wildlands Province.

Because this edition of the Dao Academy Grand Competition was being hosted by Barren Wilderness Academy,

although there were still nearly half a year until the event,

the entire Great Wilderness City, and even the whole of Wildlands Province, had already become bustling.

This was not only because the Dao Academy Grand Competition attracted high social attention,

surpassing the annual college entrance exams in both entertainment value and competitive level,

but also because the competition served as an important occasion for major corporations and many sects to scout talent in advance.

Indeed, with the passage of time, the modern Immortal Alliance had incorporated many secular organizations that did not exist in the ancient Immortal Cultivation World.

The various corporations combining modern commerce with cultivators were highly representative examples.

The ancient Immortal Cultivation World did have similar organizations, as commercial activities existed in both ancient and modern times.

However, the integration of secular technology with cultivation abilities and their continuous application was a development that only emerged in recent eras.

This was also thanks to the Dharma-Ending Age that occurred between the ancient era and the Immortal Alliance period,

which allowed technology to advance rapidly.

Although the resurgence of Spiritual Qi and the emergence of more ancient Secret Realms

led to a renewed golden age of cultivation,

the power of technology also showed cultivators a new direction.

They did not abandon technological research;

instead, they incorporated cultivation power into it, creating an entirely new system: Spirit Energy Technology.

Although Spirit Energy Technology was a product of the last century,

semi-cultivation, semi-technology companies similar to those in Spirit Energy Technology had existed for hundreds of years.

The most representative examples were the major corporations backed by the Four Great Academies:

Shangqing Heavy Industries of Clear River Dao Academy,

Xuanhuo Heavy Industries of Lihuo Dao Academy,

Hundred Battles Biotech of Barren Wilderness Academy,

and Blackwater Shipyard of Profound Water Academy.

These were all renowned large corporations and enterprises within the Immortal Alliance.

Most importantly, these major corporations and enterprises not only provided opportunities for many Advanced cultivators to utilize their talents but also offered platforms for many ordinary people to showcase their abilities.

It is important to note that in this current era, while there are many who can cultivate, there are even more ordinary people who cannot.

However, this does not mean that those who cannot cultivate have no chance of success.

Research capabilities are also highly valued by the Immortal Alliance.

An ordinary expert in a critical field could be valued even more than a Golden Core or even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

While a Golden Core or Nascent Soul Stage cultivator can only protect the safety of one city or a few cities,

the research achievements of an ordinary expert in a critical field could potentially benefit the entire Immortal Alliance.

This is one reason why the Immortal Alliance is willing to invest significant effort in protecting ordinary people.

Only when the base of ordinary people increases will the proportion of Advanced research talents rise accordingly.

For cultivators, whose Lifespans are measured in centuries, their perspective on events also spans centuries.

Every decision is a long-term strategy looking a hundred years into the future.

Under the grand strategy of the Immortal Alliance, the development of these major corporations has flourished even more than in the purely technological era.

After all, their investors are cultivators with Lifespans of over a thousand years.Success or failure at any given moment holds little significance for cultivators.

As long as they achieve their goals within the planned timeframe, that is all that matters.

Unlike the Holy Lands and Sects that prioritize cultivation over worldly affairs, several major corporations are highly enthusiastic about competitions with high visibility and commercial value, such as the ‘Dao Academy Grand Competition.’

Therefore, during this time, aside from the aforementioned major corporations investing heavily in sponsorships, other companies also participate.

Even the city hosting the Dao Academy Grand Competition reaps considerable benefits.

In this way, from the Dao Academy organizing the competition down to the ordinary people living in the city, everyone benefits comprehensively.

It can be described as killing multiple birds with one stone.

However, this also means the Immortal Alliance is inevitably unable to oversee every aspect of the Dao Academy Grand Competition.

For instance… thoroughly investigating the qualifications of every company sponsoring the event.

Great Wilderness City, Tenfold Biotech.

Tenfold Biotech, a biomedical company that has risen to prominence in Great Wilderness City only in the past fifty years.

Despite its short development period, its growth has been anything but slow.

In just fifty years, Tenfold Biotech has achieved what many companies never accomplish in a lifetime, becoming a renowned first-tier company not only in Great Wilderness City but throughout the entire Wildlands Province.

At this moment, on the top floor of Tenfold Biotech’s skyscraper, the company’s chairman, Chang Chengrong, stood trembling at the edge of the conference room, head bowed in fear.

As the chairman of a first-tier company, Chang Chengrong could interact with a Golden Core Stage cultivator as an equal.

Yet now, he stood at the very periphery of the conference room like a minor underling.

It was clear that the individuals present in the conference room were anything but ordinary.

There were only ten people in the conference room at the moment.

Though these six individuals varied in gender and appearance, with some looking no different from ordinary passersby, the aura they exuded brought an indescribable sense of pressure.

Six Nascent Soul Stage cultivators—and not ordinary ones at that.

Such were the people currently gathered in Tenfold Biotech’s conference room.

“To have the Director summon all of us, it seems the time to act has finally come?”

At the conference table, an old man wearing a straw hat, who resembled a farmer, grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

Hearing this, a man in a suit, who looked every bit the elite gentleman, spoke discontentedly, “Damn it, after all these years, I’d almost forgotten why the Director sent me to this Great Wilderness City. What a fucking mess.”

Despite his refined appearance, his words were coarse and vulgar, starkly contrasting with his demeanor.

“How uncouth. And to think you’re a star lawyer in Great Wilderness City. Did you win all your cases by cursing like a street brawler?”

A noblewoman in red among the ten expressed her displeasure at the lawyer’s crude language.

The lawyer raised his head, his gaze fierce as he glared at the noblewoman.

For a moment, it seemed as if a vicious and ruthless jackal had materialized behind him.

“Red Spider, what I say is my own damn business. What’s it to you, woman?”

“Hmph!”

The noblewoman, Red Spider, set down her red tea and elegantly removed her gloves.

In the next instant, a chilling aura radiated from her.Even the eyes of the noblewoman Red Spider transformed into compound eyes, and a massive phantom of a crimson venomous spider materialized behind her.

“If you cannot speak like a civilized person, I shall teach you how.”

For a moment, the black jackal phantom hovering near the conference room ceiling and the crimson spider phantom stood in tense opposition, the atmosphere thick with imminent conflict.

Among the ten individuals present, eight others reacted variably—some crossed their arms behind their heads with utter indifference, seemingly unconcerned about the dispute between the two. Others furrowed their brows, clearly displeased that this confrontation had erupted at such a critical juncture. Most, however, turned their gazes toward the head of the conference table, awaiting a word from the person seated there.

Finally, as the murderous intent between Jackal the lawyer and the noblewoman Red Spider grew palpable, the man at the head of the table spoke.

“Silence.”

Though merely two simple words, both the arrogant Jackal and the venomous Red Spider immediately fell quiet, demonstrating their profound fear of the speaker.

With order restored, the man at the head rose to his feet. As he stood, everyone felt as if a towering mountain had loomed before them—his staggering height reached three meters, complemented by wild golden hair, golden eyebrows, and bulging muscles. This simple movement alone exuded terrifying pressure.

The golden-haired man approached Jackal, looking down at him from his great height. Confronted with this, Jackal’s earlier arrogance vanished, his pupils contracting in clear fear. Before he could speak, the golden-haired man seized Jackal’s head and slammed it violently into the table.

“Whoa!”

A bystander who reveled in chaos whistled mockingly at the sight of the solid wood table cracking instantly, then stepped back to observe.

The impact was so powerful that it not only shattered the table but also sent violent tremors through the floor, sending debris flying and damaging furniture and walls, leaving the area in disarray.

“Jackal, next time, keep your foul mouth shut until I speak. Understood?”

Pinning Jackal with one hand, the golden-haired man’s pupils shifted into golden feline slits. Simultaneously, a majestic golden lion phantom emerged behind him, effortlessly suppressing Jackal’s jackal phantom.

Under this overwhelming force, Jackal struggled to say, “But it was—”

Thud!

Before he could finish, the golden-haired man exerted pressure again. The next moment, the solid concrete floor exploded, and Jackal’s head was driven deep into the rubble, his body contorted like a shrimp.

“Answer only ‘yes’ or ‘no.'”

Witnessing Jackal’s humiliation, the others wore expressions of amusement, none showing any sympathy—proof of his poor standing among them.

Outmatched and overpowered, Jackal ultimately yielded.

“Yes, I… understand.”

Satisfied with this response, the golden-haired man released him.

He then turned to the petrified chairman of Wan Chong Biotechnology cowering in the corner and commanded in an unwavering tone, “Leave now. Return only when summoned.”

“Yes, yes.”The chairman of Wanchong Biotechnology nodded hastily, practically scrambling out of the conference room on all fours.

It felt as if he were fleeing some terrifying den of demons.

Considering the peculiarities of the ten individuals in the conference room, calling it a den of demons seemed entirely appropriate.

Once this outsider had left, the meeting of the ten finally began to address the main agenda.

The golden-haired man returned to his original seat and sat down with imposing authority.

As for Jackal the lawyer, though he had been slammed headfirst twice in succession, his forehead showed no trace of injury.

The only unusual detail was the back of his head, where the golden-haired man had grabbed him.

Upon closer inspection, one could even see five distinct strip-shaped swellings on the back of his head.

This revealed that the damage inflicted by the golden-haired man’s grip was far greater than the two dramatic slams.

However, thanks to the golden-haired man’s dominance, the previously lax atmosphere in the conference room fell completely silent.

It finally began to resemble a proper meeting.

The golden-haired man scanned the room and then spoke.

“You are all Mountain Lords, and before coming here, you naturally received the decree personally transmitted by the Director. Therefore, I won’t repeat certain matters.”

“What we must discuss now is solely how to enter the Great Wilderness Pagoda and welcome back the Grand Director.”

“After all, only the Grand Director has the ability to awaken our Master. If we cannot bring him back, our Great Thousand Mountains will forever be confined to the mountains, unable to set foot in these fertile lands.”

“And if we cannot devour the ‘Azure Dragon’ of this Divine Land, the Nascent Soul will be the limit for all of us. Until our Lifespans are exhausted, we will advance no further.”

“So, aside from informing you of the specifics of the upcoming operation, I am also here to warn you.”

“No matter how long you wear this human skin, it remains just a skin. You cannot become human.”

With that, the golden-haired man closed his eyes, as if giving everyone time to reflect.

The Grand Director mentioned by the golden-haired man was a unique title within the Great Thousand Mountains.

In the Great Thousand Mountains, the Grand Director also meant the Sect Leader of the Great Thousand Mountains.

After hearing the golden-haired man’s words, the expressions of those present varied greatly, clearly indicating that each had their own thoughts.

However, perhaps due to some apprehension, none of them ultimately voiced any objections.

The golden-haired man waited for three minutes, confirming that no one raised any dissent.

He reopened his eyes.

This time, he smiled.

But his rugged and domineering appearance made his smile anything but reassuring—instead, it evoked even greater fear.

It was like a beast revealing joy before feeding.

“It seems you all think the same as I do and have not been corrupted by the dazzling world of the Immortal Alliance.”

“Good. Then I will now relay everything the Earth Director transmitted to me.”

“As for the timing of the operation, it will be during the Dao Academy Grand Competition.”

“Because our planted agents have already persuaded the higher-ups of the Barren Wilderness Academy to hold the final stage of the Dao Academy Grand Competition within the Great Wilderness Pagoda.”

“At that time, it will be the perfect opportunity for us non-academy individuals to enter the Great Wilderness Pagoda.”

“I hope everyone will fulfill their duties and not disappoint me or the five Directors. Understood?”

Though his tone was ostensibly consultative, to the Mountain Lords, it was filled with nothing but threats.

And in that moment, the Mountain Lords finally recalled the terror of being dominated by the five Directors.It was an absolute suppression, both in terms of cultivation and the very essence of life.

Even after all these years, the mere recollection of it sent shivers down their spines.

Under the oppressive authority of the Five Directors, the Mountain Lords exchanged glances before nodding in unison and replying, “Yes.”

Upon receiving this affirmative response, the golden-haired man smiled even more brightly.

(End of Chapter)