Apricot Grove Gardens.
The long river wound through the grounds, where flood dragons, serpents, fish, and dragons often thrashed through the water. The woods and wilds stretched far and wide, with tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves lurking within. This hunting ground was immense, and many youths galloped across it.
Most of the young men and women in the gardens were quite young. All were at Qi Refining, with none at Foundation Establishment. After all, under the rites of the Ancient Era, a Foundation Establishment cultivator had already crossed the threshold into true mastery and could govern a territory independently.
They all hailed from long-lived aristocratic clans and exalted immortal sects. Even the least of their backgrounds was a Purple Mansion power, while quite a few could trace their heritage back to Golden Core figures.
The future landscape of the Immortal Dao in Great Li would be determined by these young men and women.
Only two stood out above the rest.
One was a young man in black, with cold, stern features. He rode a black horse and held an iron bow, while the vermilion token hanging at his waist bore a single character:
Qi.
He looked nineteen, yet he was already at the eighth layer of Qi Refining. His progress was astonishing.
Reaching Foundation Establishment at thirty already marked someone as having the potential for Purple Mansion. Doing so at twenty was a rarity under heaven, yet this young man was certain to break through before thirty.
He cultivated Geng Metal. With autumn in season, its power flourished, so much so that every arrow he loosed found prey.
The Qi Clan, descendants of Emperor Zhao!
Most who bore this surname had taken refuge overseas to escape calamity. Only when Great Li rose and Qi Changsheng emerged to serve as Imperial