Three Great Sects, Eight Great Aristocratic Clans

Jiang Sheng looked around again and found the entire main hall empty.

Apart from an incense altar and these red-candle formations, there was nothing else!

The Taiping River Palace looked magnificent and imposing, yet it felt like gold and jade on the outside, rotten stuffing within.

The feeling was strange, as though the things before him were the most valuable possessions in this river god's residence.

Before long, Qiao Xuan and Xu Xiao arrived as well. From their expressions alone, Jiang Sheng knew they had found nothing worthwhile.

Sure enough, Qiao Xuan said dejectedly, "I searched for ages, but everywhere was empty. Never mind spiritual herbs or treasures—I didn't even see any gold or silver."

Xu Xiao looked equally frustrated. "The same on my end. I searched and searched, but everything was bare. This place seems to be nothing but an empty shell."

"Don't fret, you two. Take a look at this first." Jiang Sheng pointed to the red candles and the formation.

Qiao Xuan glanced at it, then probed it with his spiritual sense in uncertainty. His expression promptly changed. "That fiend actually used children to sustain this formation! Why does this formation feel so strange to me?"

Suppressing her revulsion, Xu Xiao also examined it carefully before saying uncertainly, "This formation is truly peculiar."

"It clearly harbors something sinister, yet it appears vast and radiant, with a faint sense of compassion. There are even some unidentifiable auras..."

"This formation..."

Seeing Xu Xiao's hesitation, Jiang Sheng supplied, "Fellow Daoist Xu, are you suggesting that this formation does not belong to our Eastern Domain Continent?"

Xu Xiao nodded, then shook her head. "Daoist Jiang, forgive my limited knowledge. I dare not say for certain."

"The Eastern Domain Continent is so vast. On this stretch of the East Sea coast alone, there are seven kingdoms: our Qi Kingdom, along with the Wei Kingdom, Lu Kingdom, Yan Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom, Chu Kingdom, and Zheng Kingdom. The Eastern Domain Continent stretches hundreds of millions of miles in every direction, with countless living beings and more blessed immortal lands than one could ever enumerate."

"If you said this formation did not originate in the Qi Kingdom, I could agree with certainty. But I truly cannot say whether it originated outside the Eastern Domain Continent."

Jiang Sheng said nothing more. Xu Xiao was only an inner disciple of the Moon-Embracing Sect. Although she had been personally taught by a Purple Mansion Realm elder, the Moon-Embracing Sect was, after all, merely a local sect in the Qi Kingdom's Qing Province.

How many texts could a Golden Core Realm sect have accumulated?

As for Jiang Sheng, although he was an inner disciple of Penglai, he was still only an inner disciple, not a True Disciple.

Inner disciples like them could only be designated True Disciples by the Dao Sect after attaining a superior golden core and formally setting foot on the great path to immortality. Only then would the Dao Sect's various texts become available to them.

Before that, even dying while gaining experience outside the sect was no great matter.

Thus, Jiang Sheng actually knew little about such formations. He had merely sensed instinctively that this was unlike a Xuanmen formation, leading him to judge that it did not originate in the Eastern Domain Continent.

The three fell silent, looking at one another.

Qiao Xuan sighed. "Since our search came up empty, we might as well destroy this place completely, lest some other evil creature occupy it."

"Yes. Although we cannot establish this formation's origins, it certainly does not belong to the orthodox path of Xuanmen. There is no harm in destroying it." Xu Xiao clearly supported destroying the place as well.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Sheng said, "In that case, might the two of you leave the Flowing Light Jadewater Formation outside the cave abode to me?"

Qiao Xuan nodded. "You live in seclusion on Qingping Mountain, Daoist. You do indeed need a suitable formation. If you need it, please take it."

Xu Xiao added, "If you don't mind, Daoist Jiang, I can help you set it up."

Jiang Sheng smiled. "Then I would be discourteous to refuse."

The three then joined forces to destroy the incense altar and the sinister formation in the main hall, after which Jiang Sheng collected every formation flag belonging to the Flowing Light Jadewater Formation.

As the shimmering water curtain vanished, the crushing weight of the river came surging in. The entire Taiping River Palace was reduced to ruins in an instant, then buried beneath the riverbed.

At that moment, the river god's true body also sensed the disappearance of a formation. He knew that the formation in Qingshan County had been destroyed.

"Jiang Sheng, just you wait!" The river god barely contained his rage. If he had not been unable to leave his formation, he would have gone to tear Jiang Sheng apart alive!

With one of his avatars destroyed along with its formation, the river god would need at least three additional years to condense his incense golden core.

Even so, he had to endure it. If he left the formation now, all his previous efforts would come to nothing!

"No hurry. I am in no hurry. Once I shed this mortal body and condense my incense golden core, I will come for my revenge!"

"Jiang Sheng, Cha Liangcai, that Xu Xiao, and all those traitors who betrayed me! None of you will escape!"

The river god's venomous voice echoed through his residence. His true body gradually calmed, and he continued absorbing strands of pure incense power, steadily tinting the grayish-white false core within him with threads of gold.

Most of the false core inside the river god had already turned golden. Only one small patch remained incompletely colored.

Once that final little patch turned golden as well, the false core within him would become an incense golden core.

The river god would then transform from a false-core cultivator with a lifespan of only six hundred years into a genuine Golden Core Realm True Person who could enjoy eight hundred years of life.

Only these last few years remained. It was merely another three to five years of waiting, and the river god had that much patience.

He had endured forty-eight years already. What were another three to five?

Meanwhile, Jiang Sheng, Xu Xiao, and Qiao Xuan returned to the shore. Xu Xiao accompanied Jiang Sheng to Qingping Mountain to set up the formation, while Qiao Xuan returned to the county office to continue recuperating.

Both Xu Xiao and Qiao Xuan had suffered serious injuries in their battle against the Purple Mansion Realm fiend. Even several months of recuperation might not suffice for them to recover.

Had it not been for the river god's cave abode, they would never have rushed over after only briefly tending to their injuries.

Yet none of them had expected the river god, who had lorded it over everyone for decades, to have an utterly empty cave abode.

His excitement having come to nothing, Qiao Xuan could only return in frustration to continue recuperating.

After Jiang Sheng brought Xu Xiao back to Qingping Mountain, she first helped him arrange the formation around the Daoist temple. Jiang Sheng then personally diverted a stream to encircle the temple, giving the formation its initial shape.

Once the formation was set up, Xu Xiao fell silent for a moment, then took a jade vial from her storage pouch. "Daoist Jiang, I found this in Young Master Kongxu's storage pouch."

Jiang Sheng took the vial, opened it, and sniffed. "A Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill?"

Xu Xiao nodded. "As you know, Daoist Jiang, the Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill is an excellent spiritual pill for opening the Purple Mansion. This pill could not have originally belonged to Young Master Kongxu. Otherwise, he would not have come here for Purple Yang Jade and risked battling a Purple Mansion Realm fiend."

"You mean the fiend gave him this Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill, Fairy Xu?" Jiang Sheng asked.

Xu Xiao's expression grew grave. "Yes, that is precisely my suspicion. Otherwise, I truly cannot understand why Young Master Kongxu suddenly betrayed us. Perhaps the fiend promised him other things as well."

Jiang Sheng inclined his head slightly. "Wealth has moved men's hearts since ancient times. For cultivators like us, cultivation resources are as precious as life itself. It is hardly surprising that Young Master Kongxu betrayed us for them."

"You may not know this, Daoist Jiang, but Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pills are rare throughout Qing Province. Countless Foundation Establishment Realm lineages and small sects long for them. Only the three great sects of Qing Province and those Purple Mansion Realm aristocratic clans can refine or stockpile such pills," Xu Xiao explained.

Jiang Sheng understood what Xu Xiao meant. The fiend in the Taiping River must have ties to one of the three great sects or a Purple Mansion Realm aristocratic clan. Otherwise, there was no explanation for where the Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill had come from.

It was even possible that some faction had deliberately planted the fiend in Dongjun.

Otherwise, it was hard to understand why Dongjun's aristocratic clans and sects had turned a blind eye while the fiend tyrannized the region for so many years.

"Do you understand what I mean, Daoist?" Xu Xiao looked at Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng nodded. "Rest assured, Fairy Xu. I will act cautiously."

"And I am deeply grateful to you for setting up this formation for me. Life in the mountains is austere, and I have only a cup of plain tea to offer. Would you honor me with your company?"

Xu Xiao paused. Jiang Sheng's unexpected invitation surprised her a little, but she soon smiled. "Since you have invited me, Daoist Jiang, I would naturally be delighted."

"This way, Fairy Xu."

Jiang Sheng invited Xu Xiao into the Daoist temple, showed her the portrait of the patriarch in the front hall, then led her into a side hall.

He drew over clear spring water and fetched a stove. As he kindled it with his Foundation Establishment Realm true fire, a delicate fragrance began drifting from the teapot atop it.

After pouring the tea into a cup, Jiang Sheng pushed it toward Xu Xiao. "This is Mistveil Tea. I picked and processed it at Penglai's Ascension Platform before leaving the mountain. Please have a taste, Fairy Xu."

Xu Xiao nodded slightly, raised her sleeve to conceal her mouth, and took a sip. A glimmer of delighted surprise flashed in her eyes. "This tea steadies the mind and calms the spirit, making one exceptionally clearheaded. It feels as though I have entered an ethereal valley of mist, with a faint sensation of floating away to become an immortal. Extraordinary indeed."

Jiang Sheng smiled. "It is only an ordinary spiritual tea. If you like it, I can give you a few taels."

A spark shone in Xu Xiao's beautiful eyes. "Previously, you always called me Fellow Daoist Xu. Now you are calling me Fairy and offering me spiritual tea. Is there something you wish to ask of me, Daoist?"

Jiang Sheng remained composed, his eyes clear and his expression earnest. "I am newly arrived here. Apart from Qingshan County, I know little about the situation in Dongjun."

"Nor do I know which markets in Dongjun offer cultivation resources."

"After giving it some thought, I recalled that you are a personally taught disciple of the Moon-Embracing Sect, and that your sect leads Xuanmen in Qing Province. Thus, I can only ask you to enlighten me."

Xu Xiao smiled. "So you do have a favor to ask. Otherwise, someone as aloof and proud as you would hardly behave this way."

Then her expression grew serious. "This is a small matter. Naturally, I can clear up your doubts."

"Qing Province has three great sects: the Moon-Embracing Sect, to which I belong, the Azure Cloud Sect, and the Heavenly Sword Sect. All three have Golden Core Realm True Persons presiding over them, and they lead the orthodox path in Qing Province."

"Outside these three great sects, even the Azure Province Governor's Office has no Golden Core Realm True Person."

"Qing Province is divided into eight commanderies, each with a Purple Mansion Realm aristocratic clan."

"They are the Cha Family of Dongjun, the Wang Family of Guang Commandery, the Zhang Clan of An Commandery, the Han Family of Chang Commandery, the Zheng Clan of Gao Commandery, the Zhao Family of Sea Commandery, the Zhou Family of Long Commandery, and the Xu Family of Qing Commandery, where the provincial seat is located."

"Each of the eight commandery seats has cultivation markets where cultivators can trade resources. There are also restaurants and pill shops catering exclusively to cultivators, selling spiritual pills and the flesh and blood of demonic beasts..."

Watching Xu Xiao speak with such ease, Jiang Sheng asked curiously, "Fairy Xu, are you from the Xu Family of Qing Commandery?"

Xu Xiao nodded with a faint smile. "Indeed, I am."

"To be frank with you, Daoist Jiang, my father is the current head of the Xu Family. He has something of a reputation in the wider world."

"If you need any cultivation resources, I can accompany you to Dongjun Commandery City."

Here is the second update. I can't hold out any longer. Time for bed, time for bed.

(End of chapter)

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