Qing Province, Southern Region.
Drunken Spring Pavilion.
Drunken Spring Pavilion was no longer what it used to be. It had become quite famous throughout the Cultivation World.
It was even more famous than some Holy Lands...
Although the Drunken Spring Pavilion in Cloud Sky City occupied an enormous area, with palace halls and pavilions linked by covered bridges to form a sprawling complex,
even so, there were simply too many people coming every day, and they couldn't accommodate them all.
Some cultivators even came from other provinces.
After arriving in Qing Province and visiting the Former Residence of the Great Emperor at Xuanqing Sect, they all wanted to experience the service that had won such high praise from the Great Emperor. What was it really like?
As a result, Drunken Spring Pavilion had no choice but to set a threshold and limit the number of guests it admitted each day.
Otherwise, who could keep up?
Even though many of the young women at Drunken Spring Pavilion were cultivators with their own cultivation, they still couldn't keep up!
For now, they could only add other kinds of performances to give everyone something to feast their eyes on.
At dusk that day, in front of Drunken Spring Pavilion,
a group of people in splendid clothes and with extraordinary bearing stopped at the entrance. Quite a few people recognized them.
"Gasp, isn't that Yan Shan of the Blood Spirit Sect?"
"He actually came too. He's a great cultivator in the Body Integration Realm! Looks like he really believes the Great Emperor's words!"
"Exactly. Look at the people behind Yan Shan. Those are all elders of the Blood Spirit Sect, along with a few honored guests."
"Come on, stop staring. The Blood Spirit Sect is famous for throwing its weight around!"
"Be careful they don't notice you. Getting beaten up would be the least of your worries."
Yan Shan didn't hurry inside. He had visited plenty of pleasure houses when he was young.
But as his cultivation and age had advanced, he had gradually gone less and less.
At that moment, he was having a rather different experience.
Yet when he saw how booming business was at Drunken Spring Pavilion, a feverish, greedy glint flashed in his eyes.
Yan Shan asked in a low voice, "Which sect owns this Drunken Spring Pavilion?"
The Great Elder, Lei Lie, knew at once what he was thinking. He shook his head and replied,
"I looked into it. They're quite mysterious, but it seems Lianhua Palace is involved."
Lianhua Palace!
Yan Shan's expression turned solemn, and a trace of wariness appeared on his face. They were all madwomen; it was best not to provoke them.
This faction wasn't from Qing Province, but came from elsewhere. It wasn't a top-tier power, but it was famous for being difficult to deal with.
Anyone who dared offend them would face endless retaliation. On top of that, they had connections everywhere and often called on powerful rogue cultivators for help, which made people wary of them.
Yan Shan was reluctant, but he had no choice but to put aside the idea of seizing Drunken Spring Pavilion.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Great Elder, this brothel business is booming. Our Blood Spirit Sect should get into it too."
Lei Lie replied, "Rest assured, Sect Master. We're already making arrangements."
A moment later, he added, "As for the girls, most were snatched from among the common folk. They cost us practically nothing."
Yan Shan grinned and nodded repeatedly. "Good! That's good!"
Just then, another commotion rose behind them. The group turned around.
They saw Yan Changkong and his entourage approaching.
As the Sect Master of Xuanqing Sect, Yan Changkong was now a prominent figure throughout Qing Province.
Everyone had to show him some respect.
In a way, Yan Changkong was now even more feared than Yan Shan.
After all, everyone knew that the Blood Spirit Sect, the number-one sect, was about to become a thing of the past.
Yet Yan Changkong was acting extremely modestly among his companions.
Yan Shan was slightly surprised. He looked more closely and saw what was going on.
The few people beside Yan Changkong were no ordinary figures. Their cultivation auras were powerful, and they carried themselves with an air of distinction!
Their clothes showed that some came from Jade Pool Holy Land, others from Primordial Holy Land, and still others from Ancient Clans.
Zhao Shanhe, commander of the Black Bird Guard of the Liyue Immortal Dynasty, was also among them.
Together, these powers could walk unhindered—not just in Qing Province, but throughout the Eastern Profound Continent.
As Yan Shan watched them, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He seethed with resentment.
He had contended with Yan Changkong for over a thousand years. Xuanqing Sect had been on the verge of being swallowed up, bit by bit.
But because of a single Diary, everything had turned to dust!
How could he not hate that?
Just then, Yan Changkong noticed Yan Shan and his party as well. The two met each other's gaze and gave a faint nod.
Liu Xiaoxiao, the manager of Drunken Spring Pavilion, hurried out in a gauzy gown and greeted them with a smile.
"Sect Master Yan, we've been waiting for you! Please, come right in!"
"We've prepared the finest private rooms for you, Immortals. If there's anything else you need, just let Xiaoxiao know."
Though business was booming at Drunken Spring Pavilion, Liu Xiaoxiao would never slight Yan Changkong.
They had only gotten a little reflected glory from the Great Emperor.
Xuanqing Sect, however, was the Great Emperor's true, proper sect. No matter what, they couldn't afford to offend Yan Changkong.
Liu Xiaoxiao respectfully led Yan Changkong and his group inside, chatting and laughing with them.
By comparison, Yan Shan and his party were completely ignored.
Normally, whatever the circumstances, the Blood Spirit Sect's standing in Qing Province meant they could never have been treated this way.
But Liu Xiaoxiao was deliberately giving Yan Shan's group the cold shoulder.
She had been in Qing Province for hundreds of years and knew a little about the enmity between the Blood Spirit Sect and Xuanqing Sect.
If she wanted to curry favor with Xuanqing Sect, she naturally had to choose sides.
Besides, Liu Xiaoxiao truly wasn't afraid of the Blood Spirit Sect.
Yan Shan watched Yan Changkong and the others disappear inside. He could no longer hide the anger on his face.
"Let's see how many more days you can keep gloating!"
Lei Lie, standing beside him, was also seething with rage. "Rest assured, Sect Master. I've already made contact with the people of the Killing Pavilion. It won't be long before we get results."
Yan Shan nodded. He no longer felt like enjoying himself at Drunken Spring Pavilion, so he turned and said, "Come on, let's go somewhere else!"
His face remained terrifyingly dark.
Recently, Yan Shan had also heard rumors that several of the great powers intended to form an alliance with Xuanqing Sect.
This was no small matter. Once Xuanqing Sect allied with those powers,
they would become a formidable deterrent to every other sect without even lifting a finger.
Who in Qing Province would dare deny Xuanqing Sect's lofty standing after that?
Even if they eliminated Yan Changkong, the Blood Spirit Sect would probably be stuck in second place for a thousand years, never again able to contend with Xuanqing Sect!
That was why Yan Shan was so furious.
Yan Shan even said indignantly, "The Immortal Great Emperor still hasn't shown himself!"
"Who knows? Maybe he died somewhere. Hmph, if he's dead, all the better!"
The elders beside him all agreed wholeheartedly.
The Immortal Great Emperor was perfect in every way. The only problem was that he didn't belong to the Blood Spirit Sect.
So, for their interests, the only good outcome was for him to be dead.
Aboard a huge flying ship,
Jiang Youlong paced back and forth across the deck. After a moment, he stopped and said gravely, "A Holy Land from Central Province!"
"Six thousand years ago, she was a Saintess. Now she's a cultivator in the Mahayana Realm. As for who this person is, the answer is obvious!"
Jiang Youlong's expression turned grave. He said in a low voice, "The current Holy Venerable of Jade Pool Holy Land, Yuan Ruoyu!"
Hua Hongyi and Zuo Qingtian had already guessed as much.
But even hearing Yuan Ruoyu's name now still made their hearts tighten.
Their expressions shifted as well.
Who was Yuan Ruoyu?
She was the current Holy Venerable of Jade Pool Holy Land, and one of the very strongest cultivators in the Cultivation World today.
A cultivator at the peak of the Mahayana Realm!
She was also widely recognized as one of the cultivators most likely to ascend when the Gate of the Immortal Realm opened again.
Hua Hongyi furrowed her brows and gave a bitter smile. "Are the Immortal Great Emperor's women all this powerful?"
The Immortal Great Emperor had already given them enough trouble.
They had finally followed the trail of his woman and found some clues, but they hadn't expected her status or her strength to be so far beyond anything they'd imagined.
Even the clans behind the three of them wouldn't dare casually offend Jade Pool Holy Land.
And to think the person they had to deal with was its current Holy Venerable!
Hua Hongyi was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Ruoyu, Ruo Yu—we really should have figured it out sooner!"
"Now it makes sense why Jade Pool Holy Land has been secretly protecting Xuanqing Sect."
Zuo Qingtian stood quietly to the side without a word.
When it came to thinking things through, he had never been much for making decisions. Without thinking, he looked to Jiang Youlong.
Hua Hongyi asked, "What do we do next?"
Jiang Youlong looked troubled. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "This is beyond our ability. There's nothing we can do!"
"Wait."
"The people above must have received the news too. For now, all we need to do is wait quietly. Someone will take action!"
Hua Hongyi nodded. "We can only do that."
Suddenly, she smiled brightly, her voice turning alluring. "Sigh, shouldn't we balance work with rest too? Why don't we go experience the charms of the pleasure quarter?"
Zuo Qingtian burst out laughing. "Can you handle it?"
Jiang Youlong smiled and was just about to speak when he suddenly sensed something. He flipped his hand, and a scroll appeared in it.
At the sight of it, Hua Hongyi and Zuo Qingtian immediately fell silent.
They stared over, their expressions tense.
Jiang Youlong took a deep breath and slowly unrolled the scroll in his hand. A line of writing appeared on it out of thin air.
"By special decree of the Immortal Court, Yuan Ruoyu is to ascend immediately!"
All three drew a deep breath. Then, another line appeared.
"If she disobeys, seize her and bring her in at once. No delays!"
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