Chapter 1500 The Advantage of Early Access

[AN: I changed my mind. His name is Dugu Baitian instead of Dugu Tianbai.]

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A handsome, muscular man with a burn mark on his chest slowly walked out of a blue pool. With a thought, a silk black robe with golden dragons on the cuff manifested on his body, along with a silver-white hairpin that meticulously and neatly arranged his jet black hair into a bun.

A mirror manifested before the man, and he looked at his appearance with piercing, hawk eyes that could easily intimidate anyone. The man slowly stroked his goatee, which gave him an air of nobility and authority. After ensuring his appearance was perfect, Dugu Baitian slowly walked out of the revival room.

"Alliance Leader," said an elderly man dressed in blue robes with a scar above his left eye.

"Ping Daitan, you did a great job in my absence," Dugu Baitian said with a smile as he patted his shoulder.

"I'm only keeping the reign for you, my lord," Ping Daitan bowed deeply. Although he was the Alliance Leader during the Two Suns Seven Moons Era, he knew his position and never grew too ambitious or forgetful. In fact, he was chosen for that position because of his situational awareness.

Dugu Baitian nodded: "What have I missed? I want a detailed explanation."

"I have left everything in your throne room."

"Good, lead the way." Despite his words, Dugu Baitian walked in front while Ping Daitan followed. They soon reached a large red room with a black gold throne and numerous books and scrolls on the floor. "It seems you haven't forgotten," Dugu Baitian said with a smile.

When he was young and first started cultivating, Dugu Baitian entered the Dugu Clan's library in search of a cultivation technique that suited him. He found an old communication jade talisman hidden in a corner, believing he had discovered a rare and ancient technique. Unfortunately, it was a prank by one of his uncles, and the talisman contained countless nude drawings and pictures. Ever since then, he preferred using books and scrolls instead of those damn talismans.

"How could I?" Ping Daitan smiled.

Dugu Baitian sat on his throne and read all the scrolls individually. He took his time since the information presented to him involved everything that had happened since his disappearance. Ping Daitan waited quietly, and Dugu Baitian took his time. By the end of this session, he held two things in his hand.

The first was a picture of Wang Wei in his right hand. After reading everything, he had already decided this man could not stay alive. All signs showed this person would be a Primal Paragon, which is not a big deal after the ultimate taboo. A few people had fortunate encounters, and there should be a few more Primals after a while.

The issue is that this man was another brilliant mind like Qiyuan, and he might be even more dangerous. The Dao Opening Sect cannot have two such talents. 'There is also his connection to Wu Hong,' Dugu Baitian thought. He still hasn't completely given up on acquiring her. As long as he can reach the next realm before her, she'll be his.

However, Dugu Baitian's primary concern now was a marriage alliance between the Dao Opening Sect and the Origin Seal Continent. These two factions are already too close for his comfort, so Dugu Baitian's last wish was an official marriage sealed through marriage.

Dugu Baitian put the picture away and looked at the scroll in his left hand. It was the list of the top five contributors in the battle against the Heaven Primarch. He looked at the list again, focusing on the only name from the upper dimension: Wang Fuxuan.

'Did I make a mistake back then?' Dugu Baitian thought. One of the turning points in his life was the First Origin War. A few million years after becoming the first Primal Paragon in the Golden Era, news of Yan Hai's ascension to the same realm as him soon spread. Then, before he could react, the Dao Opening Sect started an unprecedented war to switch the primary destiny of the world from the upper dimension to the lower dimension.

Dugu Baitian immediately opposed them, leading to a massive war. The First Origin War was the primary cause of the Grand Sect Alliance's creation. He gathered countless factions who wanted to oppose Qiyuan and his actions.

However, near the war's end, Dugu Baitian realized he might lose and made a selfish decision. He did not betray his side but retreated and pledged neutrality. His decision allowed him to recruit many factions from the lower dimension who were fed up with the war, those who also wanted neutrality, and those whom Qiyuan rejected for one reason or another.

That single decision allowed him to preserve most of his strength and build the largest faction in the world. However, it also ruined any chances the people of the upper dimension had of winning. Although Dugu Baitian knew he had made the correct choice, he sometimes wondered what could have been if he had waited and continued his previous course.

'There is no point in regretting now,' he thought to himself before putting the scroll away. "What is the situation with acquiring Black Heart?"

"Wang Wei said he's willing to exchange him but the price is to be negotiated. More importantly, the ambassador was too eager and might have revealed some information."

"Of course he did," Dugu Baitian muttered as he leaned on his chair. If he knew in detail what kind of person Wang Wei was, he would have personally chosen the ambassador for the meeting. Dugu Baitian tapped his finger on the armrest while thinking of his next move. A low-level member of the Heart Desire Palace is the perfect approach to study the item he discovered in the ultimate taboo, but he also did not want to reveal too much information.

"Right now, he should be recuperating from his injuries, and once that's done, he'll be using all the merit he received for his achievements. We won't see him publicly for a while, so let's wait before sending someone else."

"As you wish," Ping Daitan nodded.

"One more thing: we must cultivate more talent for the alliance. Send words that we will enter [War Mode]."

Ping Daitan narrowed his eyes. War Mode meant more free distribution of resources and increased training for all alliance members. "Sir, I don't mean to question your decision, but the other Vice-Alliance members…" Now that the ancestors had returned, the Vice-Alliance position would be returned to the other four Primals.

"Don't worry about it. They'll agree with me," Dugu Baitian said confidently.

"In that case, I'll bring your order."

Dao Opening Sect, Wang Wei's Soul Network:

"Kid, don't you understand we are busy people?" Yan Hai was the first to complain.

"He wouldn't call us here if it weren't important," Wu Hong said.

"So, already defending your man?"

"So what if I am?"

"All those years of friendship mean nothing in front of your man, huh? I knew you were a snake," Yan Hai sneered.

"How about we let Wang Wei talk?" Qiyuan said after the others pretended to admire Wang Wei's technique in order not to intervene. Wu Hong and Yan Hai looked at each other, sneered at each other, before suddenly laughing.

"You know, she's right. You better not waste our time," Wu Hong said, making Wang Wei speechless. He did not say much, but showed them the scroll.

"Do you understand the implication of this?" Qiyuan said as soon as he finished reading.

"I wouldn't be showing it to you if I didn't," Wang Wei replied.

"We must take full advantage of this early access," Li Ming said.

"How much merit do we have in reserve?" Wang Chang asked.

"Let me check," Qiyuan said as he connected to his Ancestor Token and checked the sect's resources. "We have enough to cultivate 3 Peak Paragons and 15 new Paragons."

"That's a significant improvement, especially if you add the improvement from the taboo," Wang Chang nodded.

"We need to enter War Mode to prepare for the catastrophe, and that should also raise our strength," Yan Hai added.

"What about our allies? Maybe we can allow them to benefit from this early access," Li Ming suggested.

"But would that provoke Heavenly Dao?" Yan Hai asked.

"Since it didn't prevent Wang Wei from sharing, then there should be no problem. Of course, to be safe, it's probably best to hide the scroll from the public for as long as possible," Qiyuan commented.

"Fair. On another thought, do you think it would be best to save to buy something on the Primal Tier?" she continued.

"You saw the exorbitant prices?" Qiyuan smiled wryly. "It's best to wait for the catastrophe, as there will be plenty of opportunity to acquire more merit."

"It's really a scam," Yan Hai complained, and the other agreed.

"Why are you so quiet?" Wang Wei asked his future wife, and she sighed:

"I used most of my merit reserves to train people before the taboo," she revealed.

"So, you're broke," he said, and she glared at him.

"And I'm guessing you're thinking of some unlawful way to get merit," Wang Wei smiled.

"Unlike you, I was not born with a golden spoon in my mouth, so I have to sometimes be creative when gathering resources," she replied without a hint of shame.

"Alright, as your husband, I cannot allow you to do things that could ruin your reputation."

"You have a way?" Wu Hong asked.

"You need to start thinking like a businessman in this type of situation. And business is all about supply and demand. What is it that you have that only you can provide and is extremely valuable? It's also recent and relevant to the upcoming catastrophe."

"You're talking about news about the gate," Wu Hong said with shining eyes.

"That's right. You can sell the news and only take merit. I suggest you don't set an exact price and charge based on the faction."

"That's not a bad idea," Wu Hong smiled.

"Excuse us, but what gate are you talking about?" Qiyuan asked.

"It's something—"

"Don't tell him for free. Even if he's an ally, just sell it at a discount," Wang Wei said, making everyone speechless.

"Boy, have you already forgotten your origin?" Yan Hai asked with gritted teeth.

"Ancestor, you can't blame me for this. Look at my wife. She's living in abject poverty. She hasn't changed her hair, bought new perfume, rouge, or a new hanfu in countless yuan epochs. As her husband, it's my job to advocate for her business and ensure she has the prettiest clothes and best make-up."

Everyone looked at him, unable to process the words coming out of his mouth. Then, Wang Chang started laughing maniacally. "I never thought you were such an interesting person. Eternity can be so dull, but I doubt that will be the case with your presence."

"I agree," Qiyuan smiled.

"Don't encourage him," Yan Hai said, and Li Ming just gently nodded. Wu Hong rolled her eyes before telling them about the gate. Wang Wei complained under his breath that she would make a terrible businessman without the mentality of profit above everything.

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