More and more people had arrived at Four Corner Village, including plenty of master cultivators from some top forces. These visitors were attracted here since the injunction was lifted and the rules had changed. Their arrival turned the village into an even more crowded and bustling place, which was not easy for some villagers to get used to.
The village was packed with cultivators from the Outer Realms. All of them possessed great abilities, which brought tremendous pressure on common folks living in the village.
Ye Futian and Old Ma were having a casual chat while sitting in the yard.
“There are more and more people in the village. It’s not a good thing. Four Corner Village will not be the same Four Corner Village if this goes on,” Old Ma said slowly. “Besides, most villagers have just begun to cultivate. Being surrounded by a large number of powerful cultivators from the outside makes them feel stressed, especially since these outsiders have been quite active in the village.”
“The outsiders all want to collaborate with the villagers, particularly the ones who inherited the Divine Techniques,” Ye Futian replied.
“The last Divine Technique of the seven Divine Techniques should come out soon. By that time, the seven inheritors of the Divine Techniques will pass judgment together on affairs concerning Four Corner Village. What’s your plan when the time comes?” Old Ma asked.
“If they want Four Corner Village to become an independent force, they have to close the village to the outsiders first. They might face a lot of pressure if that’s the plan,” Ye Futian said. “Unless the master…”
Ye Futian still couldn’t get the measure of many people in Four Corner Village. However, even with its great legacy and strong tradition, Four Corner Village could hardly overpower all the strong cultivators from all over the domain. On top of that, the Muyun family…
Ye Futian could agree to ally with the Muyun family. Nevertheless, according to Muyun Lan’s proposal, Ye Futian would be nothing more than a refugee hiding under Four Corner Village’s protection. The Muyun family would be in charge of the village, and no one knew what they would do. Ye Futian couldn’t even be certain that the Muyun family would keep their promise and let their conflicts in the past slide.
At this moment, some people came to Old Ma’s house. A voice rang out outside of the yard, “Is Mr. Ye here?”
“Yes, please come in,” said Ye Futian. The person was clearly asking only for the formality. They were already outside and could see Ye Futian in the yard.
As soon as Ye Futian answered, several people walked in. The head of the group was a middle-aged man with a stately bearing. Even without the perfect Great Path, he seemed to be a ninth-order Renhuang and a master cultivator who stood at the top of the food chain. He smiled and spoke to Ye Futian, “We came from the Shangyu Deity Nation and would like to collaborate with Mr. Ye.”
The Shangyu Deity Nation was one of the top forces in the Upper Third Heaven of the Shangqing Domain. It possessed formidable power and had a rich heritage. According to the legend, the Shangyu Deity Nation had a long history and had been a domineering power in the Divine Prefecture since millions of years ago. Even though it fell into decadence often, it was revived and revitalized each time by some remarkable leader who came out of nowhere.
“Collaborate how?” Ye Futian asked.
“Four Corner Village is now a gathering place for a variety of people. Many of them came here with ulterior motives. The Shangyu Deity Nation is willing to help Mr. Ye gain control of the village. Together, we can accelerate the village’s development and grow its power. The Shangyu Deity Nation will be Four Corner Village’s close ally.” Instead of talking out loud, this person transmitted his voice directly to Ye Futian. Even Old Ma couldn’t hear him.
The outsiders had been inquiring about the situation in Four Corner Village. Ye Futian was quite popular among the villagers and had a great fortune. He helped several teenagers in the village start cultivation and even inherited the Divine Techniques.
At this point, many people in Four Corner Village already forgot that he was an outsider. They all treated him as a member of the village. Therefore, Ye Futian had a good chance to gain control of Four Corner Village. Nonetheless, the Nanhai family and the Muyun family still posed a threat and might hold the village in check.
For that reason, if the Shangyu Deity Nation threw its weight behind Ye Futian and handled the Nanhai family on his behalf, they could relieve Ye Futian from the pressure and boost the villagers’ confidence. In that case, they could kick the Muyun family out and join the game themselves.
Although the Shangyu Deity Nation had enjoyed a good fortune for many years, they were pressured and threatened by new groups rising to power. The Nanhai family, in particular, had been forging ahead in recent years. They took in Muyun Lan as their son-in-law while Muyun Lan’s younger brother, who was still living in Four Corner Village, would also become an extraordinary cultivator in the future.
The Shangyu Deity Nation also needed to join forces with exceptional and promising cultivators. They would become even stronger if they could reign over Four Corner Village.
“What’s the price?” Ye Futian also transmitted his voice back rather than speaking out loud.
“There is no price, Mr. Ye. We only need you to permit people from the Shangyu Deity Nation to enter Four Corner Village to cultivate after you are put in charge. The village is a magical place blessed by Gods, and the Shangyu Deity Nation hopes to share its good fortune. Besides, the Shangyu Deity Nation is happy to provide shelter for any villager who wants to travel around the Outer Realms. We are looking forward to becoming a strong ally of Four Corner Village,” the person replied.
Only a top force would dare to make such an offer. The situation in Four Corner Village was complicated and unclear at this hour. Anyone who controlled the village would have a target on his back.
Ye Futian nodded slightly without explicitly accepting or rejecting the proposal. He said, “I’m sure you know that I’m not a native villager. I came from elsewhere, just like you did. Even though I have been highly involved since my arrival, I don’t hold sway over the future of Four Corner Village. The villagers trust the master the most. He has already said that the seven inheritors of the Divine Techniques will rule the village together. If you have any plan in mind, you can discuss it with them when the time comes.”
The man looked at Ye Futian and more or less understood what he meant. Then, he nodded and said with a smile, “In that case, we will wait for a little longer. Sorry to bother you, Mr. Ye.”
He nodded slightly at Old Ma as well and left with his people.
After that, other groups also came to look for Ye Futian and proposed to collaborate with him. Some people wanted to ally with the entire Four Corner Village, while some were only interested in obtaining the Divine Techniques.
“It’s a touchy situation.” Ye Futian walked out of the yard and went to the ancient tree. The teenagers obediently followed his instruction and were sitting in front of the tree to cultivate. Even some outsiders obtained cultivation opportunities.
Nonetheless, they couldn’t acquire the Divine Technique simply through comprehension.
“Mr. Ye.”
“Hello, Mr. Ye.” The teenagers greeted Ye Futian one after another upon seeing him walking over. They all respected him a lot.
Ye Futian nodded at them, smiling gently. He either patted them on the shoulders or rubbed their heads when he walked past them.
“Mr. Ye, five more people can cultivate now.” Fang Cun came to Ye Futian and reported excitedly. More and more young people came to the ancient tree to cultivate. It seemed that all the teenagers in the village would be able to cultivate together before long, just like the master said.
“Not bad.” Ye Futian nodded and said, “You need to work hard too.”
“I know,” Fang Cun said, “I can wait for them.”
Ye Futian flicked Fang Cun on his forehead. Then, his eyes fixed on a young man nearby. Duo Yu had been sitting there in silence. Wisps of energy were swirling around him. There was abundant energy of the Great Path flowing into his body, cleansing and transforming him.
This Space World was established by the spirits of ancient Gods. The young men cultivating here were gradually influenced and transfigured by the energy within. This small area in Four Corner Village was an independent world built by the will of the Great Emperor.
And the ancient tree was the root of this world.
Ye Futian quietly stood next to the ancient tree. He leaned against the tree and looked at the young men with a smile. The young men felt like the world became clearer in an instant as an invisible jolt of energy was injected into their bodies.
Ye Futian left moments later. Shortly after his departure, an extraordinary phenomenon appeared in the sky above Four Corner Village. Ye Futian, who was already back in Old Ma’s yard, looked up. It was the direction of the ancient tree.
He cracked a smile when he recognized the extraordinary phenomenon in the sky. All seven Divine Techniques had come out.
“Duo Yu…”
“It’s Duo Yu.” Many people exclaimed in surprise over there. They didn’t expect the inheritor of the last Divine Technique to be Duo Yu.
The outsiders also stared at the extraordinary phenomenon. Finally, all seven Divine Techniques had emerged.
What kind of changes would happen in Four Corner Village in the future?
At this moment, the entire village was filled with tension.
