Liangfu Hill.
This hill lay at the foot of Great Tai Mountain. Neither tall nor imposing, it had white rocks, green pines, and an evenly formed mass, looking for all the world like an imperial throne set down here, or a vast palace standing erect.
Before the mountain lay a great lake of dark jade, with a long bridge across its center. Mist wreathed it on all sides, and two figures could be seen walking along the bridge.
Xu Xuan wished to take in the sights here. With a brief sweep of his senses, he found that the spiritual energy was no less abundant than in a grotto-heaven-perhaps even more so.
Mount Tai held many blessed lands and swaths of secret realms, but all were guarded by officers of the Nether Office, who forbade anyone from barging in. Yet they did not lead large parties inside to harvest their resources either; they seemed more like caretakers.
"This is a sacred land of wu earth. Aside from the Nether Office, what Dao lineages once stood here?"
Xu Xuan had intended to ask, and Fan Ju answered, "Great King, there were many indeed. Apart from the emperors of the Ancient Era who came here to perform the rites of Heaven and Earth, there were also many Immortal Dao lineages... the Supreme Altar's Divine Altar Palace, Fu Xuan's Azure Emperor Monastery, even Purple's Immortal Purple Terrace and clear qi's Great Abundance Sect, among others. These were all lineages whose founders had ties to immortals and True Lords. But now, either they have no successors and their lineages have broken off, or they moved away long ago, leaving only ruins."
This direct disciple of the Nether Office paused, surveyed their surroundings, and pointed toward an Azure Gold and dark peak to the east, where