Chapter 1411: 1379: The Immortal Artifact Sect's Rule Over the Lower Domain

Chapter 1411: Chapter 1379: The Immortal Artifact Sect’s Rule Over the Lower Domain

In a corner of the Thunder Marsh Domain, colorful clouds filled the sky as the Immortal Artifact Sect Envoy descended.

At this time, the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Sect and the Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain Void Refinement did not go to meet them; they simply sent disciples respectfully to greet and accompany them.

The Mud Swamp Demon City also sent a team led by many Nascent Soul Cultivators.

This was because the Immortal Artifact Sect Envoy had just crossed the domain barrier and was severely injured. Any approach by a Void Refinement Cultivator would be directly regarded as malicious and rebellious.

If the two major sects did not want to initiate a rebellion now, they would not make any moves that could be misunderstood.

“I wonder how strong the Immortal Artifact Sect Envoy is…”

Jiang Ding looked towards the distant colorful clouds and murmured to himself.

By conventional reasoning, these cultivators handling such mixed tasks must not be top tier Refining Void Cultivators from the Immortal Artifact Sect and cannot be Heavenly Pride of the Refining Void, as such crucial combat power would not appear in these routine administrative affairs, even if they were lucrative.

This question has also been carefully considered by the Mud Swamp True Venerable, who was born as a Loose Cultivator and always acted fearlessly.

His inference was that the power of the Immortal Artifact Sect Envoy must be extremely strong and possessed certain extraordinary measures for deterrence, otherwise they could not make the many true sects respectfully contribute more than eighty percent tribute every thousand years.

Cutting off one’s financial resources is like killing one’s parents.

Not to mention that the wealth of the Cultivation World is directly related to power, longevity, dreams, and the great Dao, which are interconnected with everything; not every cultivator is rational and can remain calm and weigh pros and cons at every moment.

This kind of heavy tax cannot be enforced by mere prestige.

“I hope he can do business honestly; otherwise, I will give him a good beating.”

Jiang Ding thought quietly.

To kill, for now, is not an option, as it would mean a rupture with the colossal Immortal Artifact Sect, triggering even more intense conflict.

In this world, there are always many things beyond one’s control.

The injuries the Immortal Artifact Sect Envoy sustained crossing the domain barriers could likely be healed within thirty years, by which time he would start truly engaging, meeting with the Void Refinement True Venerables from all sides, reasserting the prestige of the Immortal Artifact Sect.

…

In the Immortal Sect Palace within the Thunder Flame Domain’s domain barrier.

An elder with a cold and stern appearance sat cross-legged.

The middle-aged cultivator beside him was the opposite, with a smiling face and extreme affinity, making anyone who saw him feel good.

These two were naturally the Immortal Artifact Sect’s Tributor, Cai Shan Venerable, and the Heavenly Work Tower manager, Duofu True Venerable.

One was responsible for taxes, directly collecting Lower Domain tributes, while the other used commerce to impose once again over the Lower Domain, implementing the Immortal Artifact Sect’s policy of strengthening the core and weakening the branches in a more gentle and subtle manner.

Naturally, within this, there was also some convenience satisfying their own needs, which was only expected; the high-level Immortal Sect was aware of the elder’s hardships below and, as long as it wasn’t too excessive, they wouldn’t mind.

Before them, a faceless, white-armored mechanism puppet knelt on one knee, reporting, known as the renowned ‘Sleepless Puppet’ of the Immortal Artifact Sect.

It is said to be one of the pinnacle masterpieces of the Immortal Artifact Sect’s mechanism puppets, specializing in stealth and reconnaissance, capable of disguising itself as stones, vegetation, cultivators, disciples of various sects, even the progeny, wives, and children of sect elders and sect ancestors, undetectable even by Void Refinement True Venerables, extremely fearsome.

In the numerous domains, very few matters are unknown to the Immortal Artifact Sect’s Sleepless Puppets.

The Immortal Sect appears to let the Lower Domain run free and unrestricted, only collecting taxes every thousand years or conscripting Taoist Soldiers to battle far away; there was nothing more, seemingly very lenient.

However, this is merely an illusion; there are also various strict monitoring methods.

“…The Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain shows trends of unifying the Thunder Flame Domain, while the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Sect is unable to resist.

… Suggest sect intervention…

… If necessary, conscript Taoist Soldiers from nearby domains, dispatch inner sect disciples to command, annihilate the Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain or order the Blood Lake Ancestor to commit suicide, cleanse the cultivator line of the current ancestors as a warning to others…”

“… Thunder Flame Domain has experienced favorable weather for a millennium, with substantial production of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and an estimated tax increase of fifteen percent over the previous millennium…”

“… The Mud Swamp True Venerable in Mud Swamp Demon City seems to be searching for something recently, purchasing various mid-to-low tier cultivation methods, secret techniques, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in large quantities, unable to determine the purpose…”

The Sleepless Puppet reported to the Immortal Artifact Sect’s Tributor.

With all the changes in the Thunder Flame Domain over the millennia, from resources to political situations, and even details about reductions in some Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure outputs, were more comprehensive than even the two major true sects likely knew.

After the report, the Sleepless Puppet disappeared silently.

This was something between life and mechanism puppet, resembling the Earth God of myth; if not summoned, they would not proactively appear and were one of the important assets of the Immortal Artifact Sect.

“Infinite Spirit Venerable!”

“This Blood Lake truly does not know how to appreciate kindness!”

The cold, stern elder Cai Shan Venerable had a voice filled with murderous intent: “I have told him as early as a thousand years ago, in consideration of the Blood Puppet Elder who founded the sect a hundred thousand years ago, I can acknowledge the territories he had then taken over from the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Sect.”

“But one cannot do so repeatedly!”

“It seems he treated my advice as wind past his ear.”

The Blood Puppet Elder, a former outer sect elder of the Immortal Artifact Sect, established the Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain a hundred thousand years ago to house his direct disciples and relatives.

This was common within the Immortal Artifact Sect’s sphere of influence.

Even the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Sect, going back over a hundred thousand years, may well be connected by blood or marriage to some Immortal Artifact Sect practitioner.

“Infinite Spirit Venerable!”

“Ha-ha, it looks like this Blood Lake Daoist is not far from the peak of Void Refinement.”

The Heavenly Work Tower manager Duofu True Venerable smiled: “This Daoist is now likely seeking the Harmonization Realm, starting to ignore the rules of the Immortal Sect.”

“Him, Harmonization?”

“Wishful thinking.”

Cai Shan Venerable sneered lightly.

This was not contempt for the Lower Domain Refining Void, but given the talent and foundation of the Blood Lake Ancestor, even if allowed to break through Harmonization, there would be hardly any chance; it was virtually impossible.

“However, if let be, the order of the Thunder Flame Domain would be disrupted, and it would also incite many Lower Domain Refining Void to imitate.”

“It must be crushed with thunderous force.”

Cai Shan Venerable’s face revealed murderous intent, making a decision.

The Immortal Artifact Sect Tributor had such authority; they could act decisively as long as the final result was good. If the order of the Lower Domain did not descend into chaos, and short-term and long-term tax revenues did not decrease, they would be considered meritorious.

Buzz!

At this moment, a messaging talisman in Duofu True Venerable’s hand flickered; he took it and handed it to Cai Shan Venerable.

“Senior Brother, have a look; this is a message from the Inner Sect Elder of the ‘Spirit Puppet’ line, Senior Brother Mu Gui.”

“Senior Brother Mu Gui’s ancestor was precisely the Blood Puppet Elder.”

Duofu True Venerable sighed slightly.

“A message from Mu Gui Venerable?”

Cai Shan Venerable furrowed his brow.

After a long time, he retracted the order issued to the surrounding domains, halted the conscription of sect soldiers from nearby true sects, and cancelled the operations of many Immortal Artifact Sect Inner Sect disciples gathering in the Immortal Sect.