Volume 1, Chapter 32: Disasters Are Ruthless, Yet Humanity Abounds

"Today's inauguration ceremony for the Foundation went very well; it was a complete success and a fantastic start for the future!"

"But, it is merely a start!"

"Subsequent development is of the utmost importance!"

"For the initial phase, our top priority is actually one thing," Wang Mu said earnestly.

Nie Tingting asked, "What is it?"

"The Ascension Assembly!" Wang Mu replied.

Nie Tingting was puzzled. "Haven't you already held the Ascension Assembly on the five surrounding major islands?"

"That is hardly anything," Wang Mu chuckled, shaking his head. "The islands of the Northern Territory are as numerous as the stars. These five islands are just the beginning!"

Wang Mu had already tasted the initial fruits of investing in mortals. To outsiders, this was reckless spending—a complete waste that was not worth it at all. But only Wang Mu knew the truth. He was using his resources exactly where they were needed most. Currently, the five islands he invested in, with a total of four to five hundred thousand cultivators, were helping him cultivate and providing him with benefits almost every single moment.

It had only been half a month since Wang Mu broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and he could already clearly feel that he was not far from the mid-stage. One must know that for an ordinary cultivator, breaking through from the early stage to the mid-stage takes anywhere from three to five years, or even eight to ten years; some might even stay stuck there for a lifetime. Furthermore, the quality of Wang Mu's mana surpassed that of an Earth Immortal, making his breakthrough significantly more difficult. Yet, his cultivation speed remained incredibly rapid. This was the benefit of having such a massive, inexhaustible supply.

However, Wang Mu still dared not relax. After all, he was not racing against ordinary cultivators, but against children of destiny blessed by the Heavens. Those guys never played by the rules. They were all cheaters! Therefore, five islands were far from enough.

...

Hearing Wang Mu's words, Nie Tingting’s beautiful eyes widened. "Young Master, you... you don't actually intend to hold the Ascension Assembly throughout the entire Northern Territory, do you?"

Wang Mu countered, "Why not?"

Nie Tingting found it unbelievable. "Even with the wealth of the Langya Chamber of Commerce, it would be impossible to support you in doing that!"

"You are wrong!" Wang Mu looked at her calmly and smiled faintly. "It is not the Langya Chamber of Commerce! What we must do is gather the wealth of the world and use it for the world! As long as the wealth of the world does not run dry, the Ascension Assembly will never cease!"

Gather the wealth of the world and use it for the world? What arrogance! Nie Tingting's red lips parted slightly, stunned by his words. Was this the grand plan he held in his heart? Did he completely disregard all other chambers of commerce?

"I am tired after a busy day. Read through the contents of this paper carefully, and ask me if there is anything you don't understand!" Wang Mu walked slowly down the steps with his hands behind his back.

"Young Master!" Nie Tingting's voice came from behind. "May I ask, why are you so insistent on holding this Ascension Assembly?"

Wang Mu looked back. The young girl in red, as vibrant as fire, stood atop the steps. Her eyes, clear as autumn water, were filled with emotion, staring directly at his. She seemed to be waiting with immense anticipation for the answer to come.

In this moment, Wang Mu knew he had to put on a show! He turned, returned to the desk, picked up a brush, and dashingly wrote a line on a blank sheet of paper:

"To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure life for the people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to open a path of peace for all generations!"

Seeing this line, Nie Tingting gasped. Her beautiful eyes shimmered, ripples of emotion surging within her, her heart feeling as if a thousand sea beasts were colliding inside. Her chest heaved violently, as if her heart might burst forth.

"As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility!" Wang Mu tilted his head, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and sighed. "Perhaps, this is the duty I must fulfill as the Young Master of the Wang family!"

With that, he walked slowly down the steps and, with a wave of his sleeves, exited the main hall. He left the girl standing alone in the dim hall, gazing at the direction he had departed, lost in thought for a long time, as if her heart had been struck by something profound.

...

Changlan Island. At the seaside docks, merchant ships were moored, and a multitude of mortals were busy loading and unloading cargo. Many fishermen returning from the sea were dragging heavy nets onto the shore, their faces filled with joy—it was clear they had a bountiful harvest, enough to keep their families fed and clothed for half a year.

Suddenly, a dull rumble of thunder echoed in the clear blue sky. A few fishermen looked up in confusion; there wasn't a single dark cloud in the sky, so where did the thunder come from?

As if sensing their thoughts, the sky darkened the very next moment. A massive black cloud drifted in from the distance, blotting out the sun. Between the sky and the sea, darkness fell, and the air was filled with a suffocating pressure.

"Wave... wave..." A young, dark-skinned man suddenly pointed at the distant black cloud, his expression terrified, unable to speak clearly.

"What wave?" Someone beside him shielded his eyes, squinting into the distance. After looking closely several times, his expression changed instantly. That which covered half the sky was no cloud. It was a giant wave, countless miles high, connecting heaven and earth, sweeping toward them from the distance. The wave was pitch black, like ink, and within it, countless massive shadows seemed to be moving, creating an indescribable sense of oppression.

Everyone’s faces turned to terror. Those were no ordinary waves! The seawater hid countless gargantuan creatures! They were Sea Demons!

"The Sea Demons are attacking the island!" someone screamed. The entire beach descended into chaos; people were running, shouting, and falling. But they were too slow—how could they outrun a wave that touched the sky?

In the blink of an eye, billions of tons of seawater fell from the heavens, shattering the island's defensive formations. An unimaginable amount of water crashed onto the island, and the overwhelming horde of Sea Demons rode the waves onto the land. The disaster had begun.

...

The islands of the Northern Territory are as numerous as the stars, and the number of cultivators is vast. But aside from a few areas like the Beiming Sacred Ground and the Langya Chamber of Commerce, most places are not the domain of humanity. In this endless sea, the true protagonists from ancient times to the present have always been beneath the waves.

Sea Demon attacks on human islands were not uncommon in the Northern Territory; there were countless cases every year. This time was no exception, save for the fact that the invading demon race was slightly stronger; there was nothing else special about it.

The cultivators on the island fought for an entire day and night. Finally, they drove the Sea Demons back, and the tide receded, leaving behind a landscape of ruin and devastation. The surviving mortals wept bitterly, looking at the mutilated corpses of their loved ones. Those who managed to find two surviving relatives often discovered them mortally wounded, with only a final breath left—hardly different from being dead.

A small sect, now reduced to ruins, saw a young cultivator struggling to stand. He looked at the devastation, his eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow.

"Senior Brother... Senior Sister... Master?"

"Where are you?"

"Answer me!"

He had only recently entered the world of cultivation and joined this small sect. The sect was not large, with only twenty-some members including his master, but it was warm. All his senior brothers and sisters took care of him, teaching him cultivation, how to hunt demon beasts, and even paying out of their own pockets to buy him robes and pills. But now, everything was gone. Covered in blood, he crawled through the collapsed mountain gate, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Finally, he found a familiar figure. It was the Senior Brother who had cared for him the most—once dashing and elegant, he now had a severed arm, his dantian torn apart by something unknown, and he was on the verge of death. He wanted to save his senior brother, but he was utterly helpless.

Several streams of light flew across the sky; they were the high-level cultivators from the island's largest faction. Seeing them, he felt a glimmer of hope. His eyes lit up, and he knelt on the ground, calling out loudly. But they merely glanced at them indifferently and did not stop for even a moment.

This happened several times. He despaired, the light in his eyes fading away.

"Do not... waste your effort..." the senior brother gasped, his life flickering out. "In the world of cultivation... life and death are destined... it has nothing to do with anyone else..."

"No!" the young cultivator wailed, pounding the ruins, shouting to the heavens: "I beg you, someone, please come and save us... save us..."

*Rumble!*

A low, deep roar echoed from the sky, like the growl of an enraged beast, approaching from afar. The young cultivator looked up in astonishment to see huge flying ships breaking through the clouds in the distance. Each ship bore a banner:

"Langya Charity Foundation, together with all our fellow Daoists from Tianjue Island, wishes to help our brothers in the disaster zone overcome this crisis!"

"Sailing through the storm, building our home together!"

"Disaster is heartless, but humanity is kind!"

"..."