"They really are experts at infighting, each with tricks of their own."
"But I can't concern myself with all that. Grand Preceptor Hu is away on campaign. At most, he'll return to the Imperial Capital to clean up the mess when court discipline has collapsed and the officials can barely scrape by."
With a faint smile on his face, Hu Ze closed the secret report.
The next day, his subordinates reported that they had excavated the mountain range and built an Array Platform according to his orders, drawing in the Blessed Land's Spirit Veins in this region.
Here in the eastern region, amid the earth veins of the provincial prefecture known as the Sand Kingdom, Li Chen had discovered an excellent site blessed with favorable feng shui. He could use prayers for blessings and relief from disaster as a pretext to hold a Deification Sacrifice Ritual, harvest incense and fire prayer power, and gather fortune for his own use.
Under the guidance of the city's geomancer, Hu Ze's Avatar ascended the platform. Li Chen used Primordial Spirit Projection to possess him and personally preside over the ritual.
He now enjoyed the high rank and generous emoluments of a senior Imperial Court official, the reigning dynasty's Grand Preceptor. He also held a royal banner bearing an imperial mandate and the standing of an entrusted regent, making his will all but equivalent to official law.
At his command, the qi channels of mountains and rivers stirred. Every official of the provincial prefecture and all its common people obeyed, and even the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth on the Righteous Qi Continent trembled in response.
Light shone, and upon the offering table, the Artifact Spirits of several Magical Treasures crafted by Puppet Dao Masters glowed, suffused with an aura like that of