Chapter 131: More Harm Than Good

"What are you yelling about!"

Li Fusheng emerged from his room, eyes bleary with sleep. He looked at Wang Changsheng and said in a deep voice, "I haven't slept in years. What do you want?"

"You're in the mood to sleep?" Wang Changsheng was rendered speechless.

Since Wang Changsheng began his cultivation, he had never truly slept in the conventional sense; even when exhausted, a simple session of meditation was enough to recover.

"What is it?" Li Fusheng asked.

"Do you know about the God of War Tomb?" Wang Changsheng immediately asked.

"I do," Li Fusheng replied softly.

Immediately after, as if something had occurred to him, he began counting on his fingers, his expression darkening. "The fifty-year mark is almost here!"

"Tell me about the God of War Tomb. What exactly is it?" Wang Changsheng urged.

"The God of War Tomb..."

At the mention of the name, Li Fusheng’s expression turned solemn; clearly, the place held some trepidation for him.

"Why? Did Caiyun ask you to enter the God of War Tomb?" Li Fusheng asked, frowning.

Wang Changsheng nodded. "Yes, she told the Corpse Refining Sect to participate and to join forces with the Cloud Palace Peak."

"So, Caiyun has agreed to form an alliance with the Corpse Refining Sect?" Li Fusheng’s eyebrows shot up.

"No," Wang Changsheng corrected him immediately. "It’s only a temporary alliance while we are inside the tomb!"

"Don't!" Li Fusheng said sharply.

"Why not?" Wang Changsheng asked, looking confused.

"Do not trust any talk of an alliance. Otherwise, whether you can walk out of the God of War Tomb alive will be a mystery!" Li Fusheng warned.

Wang Changsheng’s confusion deepened. Was Li Fusheng exaggerating?

"Is the God of War Tomb really that dangerous?" Wang Changsheng asked.

If it were truly that perilous, he would have to reconsider participating. The tomb contained spiritual herbs and elixirs, but those held little value for the Corpse Refining Sect. As for the so-called "inheritance," the sects of the Shentian Realm had entered many times over the years with nothing to show for it; he doubted his own disciples would fare any better.

"The danger in the God of War Tomb is not the environment, but the cultivators themselves," Li Fusheng said grimly. "With my level of strength, I wouldn't guarantee that I could return alive. What do you think?"

"Explain it to me. What is the deal with the God of War Tomb?" Wang Changsheng asked with a frown.

Hearing the request, Li Fusheng held out his hand with a smirk.

"What are you doing?" Wang Changsheng asked, puzzled.

"Spirit stones, of course!" Li Fusheng said. "I am a businessman, Wang. How can you expect me to give away information without spirit stones?"

"You!"

Seeing Li Fusheng’s attitude, Wang Changsheng felt his anger flare. "You really are an insatiable ingrate!"

With that, he slammed a medium-grade spirit stone onto the table.

"Not enough," Li Fusheng said immediately.

"A medium-grade spirit stone, and you’re still complaining?" Wang Changsheng nearly jumped out of his skin.

"When I, Li Fusheng, open my mouth, a single medium-grade stone is certainly not enough," Li Fusheng said with a smirk. "The things I say are highly classified; you won't find this information anywhere else."

"How much do you want?" Wang Changsheng asked.

"One hundred medium-grade spirit stones," Li Fusheng said airily.

"Why don't you just rob me?!" Wang Changsheng couldn't help but jump up.

One hundred medium-grade spirit stones? That was ten thousand low-grade stones! Li Fusheng really had the nerve to ask for that much.

"Don't panic. The information I provide might just save your life at a critical moment," Li Fusheng said with a smile. "You know, saving a life?"

"Once you're dead, what use will those spirit stones be?" Li Fusheng acted as if he had already won.

Wang Changsheng’s expression turned extremely dark.

"Fine."

In the end, Wang Changsheng took out one hundred medium-grade spirit stones and placed them on the table. Li Fusheng immediately swept them away. There was no helping it; the information Li Fusheng possessed was far beyond what Wang Changsheng could access. If he wanted to know more about the tomb, he had to pay.

"Speak," Wang Changsheng said coldly.

"The God of War Tomb is a small world discovered about a thousand years ago. It houses the remains of a powerhouse known as the God of War..." Li Fusheng began to explain.

As Li Fusheng spoke, Wang Changsheng’s understanding of the tomb deepened. Initially, it had been a small world rich in cultivation resources, but within a few years of its discovery, most of those resources had been scavenged.

Much of what Li Fusheng said matched what Caiyun had told him. The dispute over the spoils had led the Golden Core masters to intervene, nearly shattering the world itself. Now, the tomb could only withstand the presence of those at the Foundation Establishment level.

"Given the current state of the tomb, if a Golden Core master were to step inside, it would likely cause the whole thing to collapse," Li Fusheng said solemnly. "They wouldn't even need to fight; the very aura of the Dao flowing from a master would be more than the tomb could bear."

"Then what is the point of entering now?" Wang Changsheng asked. "Surely not everyone is just chasing a phantom inheritance?"

"The inheritance is part of it," Li Fusheng said. "The tomb is rich in spiritual energy, which is perfect for cultivation. But more importantly, such high concentrations of energy suggest the presence of a spiritual vein—possibly even a top-grade one."

"A top-grade spiritual vein?" Wang Changsheng was shocked.

He was no longer a novice; he knew that a top-grade spiritual vein was the exclusive domain of Golden Core masters.

"Inheritance, top-grade spiritual veins, high-tier elixirs," Li Fusheng listed. "Finding just one of these would be enough to drive any cultivator mad."

"So, the God of War Tomb is worth the trip after all," Wang Changsheng concluded.

"You had better think carefully," Li Fusheng countered. "The God of War Tomb gatherings have evolved into something much more."

"What do you mean?"

"The tomb has become a slaughterhouse," Li Fusheng said grimly. "Every time it opens, an uncountable number of cultivators die inside."

"What?" Wang Changsheng was stunned.

Wasn't it just about finding herbs and looking for treasures? How had it turned into a slaughterhouse?

"When the tomb opens, every major sect and faction sends powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators inside specifically to kill," Li Fusheng explained. "The goal is simple: murder."

"Why?"

"Some major sects want to suppress smaller ones, and some smaller ones want to cut the roots of the major ones..." Li Fusheng began to elaborate.

As he listened, Wang Changsheng’s expression shifted constantly. He finally understood the true purpose of the God of War Tomb.

Having been opened so many times, the benefits were mostly exhausted. Now, the tomb served as a stage for a deadly game. The rise of one sect was always accompanied by the demise of others.

The tomb was an opportunity for a sect to rise by systematically eliminating the talented disciples of their rivals. By creating a generational gap in other sects, they could easily eliminate them.

"The Cloud Palace Peak rose to power so quickly largely because of the God of War Tomb," Li Fusheng said. "Every time it opens, they act as executioners, wiping out the disciples of other sects."

"Do you see why I told you not to form an alliance?"

Wang Changsheng nodded. "I understand now."

The Cloud Palace Peak was powerful in the Shentian Realm; many sects were already united against them. If the Corpse Refining Sect joined forces with them, they would become the target of countless other factions. While their combined strength would be formidable, even the strongest could be brought down by sheer numbers.

"If it were just the Cloud Palace Peak, they might not be enough to unite everyone, but if you join them, you will force all the other sects to band together against you," Li Fusheng analyzed. "Not to mention, the Corpse Refining Sect already has plenty of enemies."

"So, an alliance between the Cloud Palace Peak and us brings no benefit," Wang Changsheng said. "Then why would Caiyun suggest it?"

Li Fusheng smiled thinly. "It's simple. You don't know the situation, and you don't understand the tomb. You are meant to be cannon fodder—very strong, high-quality cannon fodder."

"Once you lose your utility, the Cloud Palace Peak will kick you to the curb without a second thought. And afterward, they will still face the same enemies they always had, without any additional pressure. Who knows? You might even solve a few of their problems for them before you're gone."

Li Fusheng looked at Wang Changsheng. "So, while it is necessary for the Corpse Refining Sect to participate, I do not recommend an alliance with the Cloud Palace Peak. For you, it is all risk and no reward."