Now, Xuanchi Island lay at a strategic point in the Cold Mountain Archipelago, like a dazzling pearl.
The island spanned nearly a thousand li. Though it could not compare with the vast expanses and populations exceeding ten million of Earth Pass Island and Earth Zen Island, it was still a large island of the high-grade second tier.
It lay only forty thousand li by water from the Cold Mountain Temple's Earth Zen Island. Dharma ships and cultivators came and went as thick as carp crossing a river, making it extraordinarily bustling and prosperous.
The island had a flourishing population, with over two million commoners living and raising their families there. From the fields to the market streets and alleys, everywhere seethed with human voices.
Moreover, the Cold Mountain Archipelago had strict rules. The Cold Mountain Temple expressly forbade cultivators from persecuting commoners without cause.
Three major powers held sway on Xuanchi Island.
A branch temple of the Cold Mountain Temple stood in the north, with red walls and golden roof tiles. Its monks observed strict discipline, and young śrāmaṇeras could often be seen traveling around the island, seeking alms and expounding the scriptures;
The island's interior was the territory of the Li pseudo-core lineage, whose mansions and towers stretched in unbroken clusters. Relying on their ancestor Li Ang's pseudo-core cultivation, the lineage's disciples could run rampant across the island, apart from where the Cold Mountain Temple's monks were concerned, and their businesses flourished everywhere.
In the south stood the Black-White Temple. Half the temple had white walls and plain tiles, while the other half had black tiles and carved beams. Its abbot, Master Xuanku, was also an expert at the Foundation Establishment peak, and his black-and-white Buddhist arts wielded considerable power;
Together, these three powers numbered more than two thousand,