At that moment, Chen Yu sat to the side, gently sipping his tea and smiling at Chen Xiaojun as though looking at a child's naive remark. Within that calm smile was an indescribable undertone.
Chen Xiaojun grew a little embarrassed under his gaze and asked in confusion, "Am I wrong?"
Chen Cong cut in, "Of course you are. The continent has gone through tens of thousands of years of change. Sects across the world are as countless as stars, numbering in the thousands upon thousands. The situation is far more complicated than you imagine."
"Some sects have long histories and deep foundations. Naturally, they possess strength comparable to the Seven Great Sects."
Chen Cong paused, then continued, "However, these sects don't often show themselves in the Soul Master World. They choose to remain hidden, only stepping forward when the continent faces catastrophe."
"These sects are called semi-hidden sects. Among them, the nine strongest sects possess enough power to contend with the Three Upper Sects and Four Lower Sects. They are honored as the World-Protecting Nine Imperial Sects!"
Chen Yu also spoke at this point. "To put it simply, their way of survival is quite similar to what our clan used to be like. It's just that our clan has closer ties with the Soul Master World and shows itself more openly than they do."
Chen Xiaojun's curiosity was completely ignited. "The World-Protecting Nine Imperial Sects? Which nine sects are they, exactly? And what kind of situation are they in?"
Chen Cong was a little tired from sitting. He bent his neck from side to side before explaining, "The World-Protecting Nine Imperial Sects are also called the Border-Protecting Nine Imperial Sects."
"They are not located in the central regions of the Two Great Empires, but are scattered throughout border provinces and