novelzi Chapter 189 Reach The Redwood Island
Chapter 189 Reach The Redwood Island
Until then, these civilians might embark on the path of cultivation under the guidance of casual cultivators.
This is also the largest source of casual cultivators in the Ten Thousand Star Sea.
Family cultivators, on the other hand, use bloodlines to maintain continuity, producing offspring and training them as cultivators.
The advantage of this approach is that family members are tightly bonded, fostering unity and a strong sense of loyalty.
In contrast, casual cultivators rely on ordinary civilians or, in some cases, slaves.
Before their death, a casual cultivator might accept a few disciples to pass on their teachings. However, since there is often little emotional bond between master and disciple, these relationships tend to dissolve over time, with disciples gradually drifting apart.
If the casual cultivator leaving behind the inheritance was immensely powerful—such as a great immortal—their legacy could evolve into a sect instead of disappearing after a generation or two.
That said, in the world of immortal cultivation, even sects are not immune to decline and extinction.
For instance, the Qianyuan Sword Sect was originally established by a Mahayana Immortal, and over time, it grew to its current prominence. Explore more stories at empire
Similarly, some powerful cultivation families rival the strength of sects.
In truth, every type of cultivation force—whether family or sect—has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Family-based cultivation forces benefit from unity and loyalty among their members, but they are often criticized for being selfish and self-serving.
In contrast, sect-based forces are more inclusive and open. They accept talented cultivators from within their territories, regardless of bloodline, as long as they meet the criteria and are of appropriate age.
This inclusivity gives sects a broader pool of disciples to choose from, which is a significant advantage over family-based forces.
Moreover, the inheritances of sects are typically well-preserved and robust. As a result, sects are generally more powerful than family forces in the cultivation world.
For example, sects like the Qianyuan Sword Sect, Xuanyang Sect, Qinghui Taoist Sect, and Qianji Palace are some of the most notable and powerful in existence.
However, as the sect's power expanded, it revealed certain drawbacks—chiefly, an imperfect system. Once a sect grew to a certain size, it often relied on family powers to govern the territories under its control.
This inevitably led to instability in its rule.
Even though the Qianyuan Sword Sect maintains an iron grip over the Ten Thousand Star Sea, this stability exists only because its strength remains unrivaled.
The moment the Qianyuan Sword Sect shows signs of decline, the major families in the Ten Thousand Star Sea will undoubtedly begin to disobey its laws in secret.
This phenomenon is not unique to the Ten Thousand Star Sea. The family powers under the jurisdiction of other sects face the same challenges.
Some might ask:
In that case, why not abolish the family system entirely and bring all territories directly under the sect's rule?
Such an idea may sound appealing, but in reality, it is impossible to implement.
This world bears some similarities to the ancient societies of Luis' previous life, but its fundamental nature is entirely different.
The key difference is that this world revolves around the principle of individual power.
Humans are inherently contradictory creatures.@@@@
But since Hartmann Island was located within the region, the Zhou family naturally had to coordinate and plan the spheres of influence between the two families to ensure harmony in the future.
In reality, the so-called Western Defense Zone was more like the Hartmann family's sphere of influence than a true military zone.
Now, with Hartmann Island at its center, the Hartmann family's domain extended over a sea area with a radius of more than 10,000 miles.
Compared to when Luis first arrived and conquered Anyu Town, the Hartmann family's influence had expanded more than a thousandfold.
"Boom!"
The flying warship sliced through the sky, its massive frame glinting under the sunlight.
Soon, one after another, the flying warships landed in an orderly manner on Redwood Island.
Beams of light descended from the ships as the cultivators disembarked. When they surveyed the scene before them, their expressions quickly shifted to surprise.
The island was completely deserted.
For cultivators, even at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, it was standard to practice in locations equipped with at least a first-level spiritual vein. To find themselves on a barren island with no spiritual veins felt jarring to those accustomed to high-level resources.
Noticing the disappointed looks of the cultivators, Luis stepped forward to address them.
"Though the island beneath us is a deserted one, its size is impressive," Luis said, his tone calm but authoritative. "It's not much smaller than Lingbei Island, Jinwu Island, and other major islands. It's perfect for serving as the base of our Western Defense Zone."
He paused, scanning the crowd before continuing. "And as for spiritual veins—those can be cultivated. All it takes is a supply of spiritual stones. I plan to develop a third-level spiritual vein here, ensuring that our garrison has ample resources!"
The crowd buzzed at his words.
"A third-level spiritual vein?" one murmured in astonishment.
"That's on par with Guang'an Prefecture Immortal City and Lingzhou Immortal City!" another exclaimed.
"Exactly! We're one of the five major defense zones—we shouldn't settle for anything less!"
"And think about it," someone else chimed in. "We're the smallest defense zone in terms of numbers, which means fewer people sharing the spiritual energy. More resources for each of us!"
"Well said!"
The murmurs of disappointment shifted to excitement and optimism as morale quickly lifted.
Luis, satisfied with their reaction, gave a slight nod.
In truth, there was another critical reason why he had chosen Redwood Island as the base for the Western Defense Zone: its proximity to Hartmann Island, his family's stronghold. At only 400 miles away, it was within a few hundred breaths of travel at his speed.
This closeness provided a strategic advantage. If an issue arose on Redwood Island, the Hartmann Island knights could arrive swiftly—even if Luis himself were away.
With such considerations in mind, Luis knew that if he were asked to command another defense zone, he would refuse without hesitation.
"Thank you, Commander!"
"."
When they heard that Luis was going to set up a Spiritual Vein for them, everyone became excited.