Cloud Prefecture

Biodata

History

Accord with the Barbarian Ancestral Land

As Evil Spirit attacks intensified, Cloud Prefecture and the Barbarian Ancestral Land reached an agreement. Cloud Prefecture personnel were attached to every Barbarian support team, and its methods enabled rapid travel that would otherwise take more than three days by Sky Whale. 87

The pact did not erase the two peoples' history of conflict. Cloud Prefecture representatives remained aboard their Sky Whale during the battle at Barbarian Bull Village, while the barbarians fought below; this reinforced local distrust of their supposed allies. 88

The arrangement was fundamentally transactional. Cloud Prefecture sought resources and business opportunities, while the Barbarians received supplies and specialized assistance. Its representatives offered medicine, antidotes, weapons, farming tools, seeds, talismans, and other goods in exchange for evil objects, medicinal herbs, ores, Barbarian Beast materials, and hides. 88 94

Border Trade and Expansion

Cloud Prefecture merchants recognized the profit in trade with the Barbarian Wasteland, particularly after Lu Chen began attracting followers and investment as a Barbarian Prince. 247

Ji Hongdie advised Lu Chen to select territory bordering Yun Zhou specifically because it would allow merchants to trade without risking deep travel into the Barbarian Wasteland. The route became a foundation for investment in Chen Village and the transport of supplies from Yun Zhou. 317 332

Evil Spirit Crisis

During Moonfall, a blood-colored blazing sun and a sword cry from Yun Zhou struck the fallen God Kingdom, preventing its direct impact on Border City. 293

As Weird Realms worsened along the border, Yun Zhou negotiated directly with Lu Chen for military assistance. Ji Hongdie secured weapons, armor, medicinal pills, and talismans in exchange for his support in clearing the border realm. 391

Yun Zhou maintained fortified positions within its Weird Realms and used strategic sand tables to track territory controlled by humanity and by Evil Spirits. Its defensive strategy depended on holding fortresses, expanding human activity, and preventing Evil Spirit Qi from spreading. 392

Lu Chen's successive campaigns changed Yun Zhou's position from wary political maneuvering to open support. The Yun Zhou King ordered officials to satisfy his material demands, while Heavenly Martial City offered Sun Power absorption, custom equipment, and supplies. 472

After Lu Chen cleared the remaining Medium Weird Realms in Yun Zhou, the royal court declared that none remained within its territory and turned its attention toward restoring production and rebuilding abandoned towns. 520

Society and Military

• Cloud Prefecture society is divided into commoners, merchants, officials, soldiers, and other social classes. 100
• Its standing army trains specifically for warfare, giving it an advantage in discipline and combat specialization over Barbarian hunters who train while surviving in the wilderness. 100
• Yun Zhou combatants commonly cultivate attribute-based spiritual energy, particularly wind, water, metal, fire, and earth. Its tournament fighters favored wind for speed, water for agility, and metal for sharpness and precision. 269 271
• Talisman Arts are a notable Yun Zhou specialty; paper slips can expand into animated paper figures capable of carrying unconscious people away. 99
• Yun Zhou possesses large-scale formations, including Tianwu City's Great Array, which gathers Sun Power and energy from earth veins. 459

Notable Locations

Relationships

• Barbarian Ancestral Land — Allied against Evil Spirits through a practical agreement involving Cloud Prefecture support teams, technology, goods, and Barbarian resources; the relationship remains burdened by older hostilities. 87 88
• Barbarian Wasteland — A neighboring region and major trade partner. Yun Zhou merchants profit from border commerce, while Barbarian strength is valuable in clearing Evil Spirits and Weird Realms. 317 391
• Lu Chen — Initially treated as a Barbarian outsider to be manipulated or recruited, then became Yun Zhou's crucial ally after repeatedly clearing its Weird Realms. 88 94 391 472
• Brocade Cloud Merchant Guild — A Yun Zhou merchant organization represented by Ji Hongdie; it trades with Barbarian villages and attempts to recruit powerful figures such as Lu Chen. 108
• Lan Family — A major Yun Zhou family involved in border defense, trade, and negotiations with Lu Chen. Lan Ye and Lan Ba became increasingly cooperative after witnessing his power. 391 392 443
• Central Continent — Connected through trade, cultivation techniques, political exchange, and the Human Rankings event, which Yun Zhou hosts to strengthen relationships with outside powers. 443