One after another, the disciples selected by the various provinces arrived. Most stayed in the Sword Manor's outer courtyard, though some lodged with friends. Yet the outer courtyard grew no livelier for it. Everyone seized the time to hone themselves, rather than cultivate connections and expand their networks as ordinary cultivators would.
Every member of this group was among the finest disciples of their province. This contest of the Dao concerned the Quanzhen Sect's overall strategy. It might not truly determine the direction events would take, but it could determine whether the next, higher-level confrontation would begin immediately.
The Quanzhen Sect hoped to delay matters, allowing the Anhe Daoist Sect to rally its will to resist; the Wu Sect hoped to strike while the iron was hot and subdue the Anhe Daoist Sect in a single push. The contest between these junior cultivators would measure the reserves of the southwest's two great powers, providing a rough gauge of their respective strength.
This was a necessary step before the major Xiuzhen powers on the Brocade Continent collided: probing, intimidation, and retreat by the weaker party. Such methods seemed thoroughly unsatisfying, dragging everything out, but they were a prerequisite for avoiding widespread unrest. Although everyone knew signs of turmoil were already faintly emerging across the continent, no one wanted to become the instigator, condemned by a thousand pointing fingers.
... The favored sons of heaven from the Jade Capital finally arrived.
Every sect and faction had an internal ranking, though some attached great importance to it while others treated it lightly. Strength was constantly changing, after all. Today's supposed easy prey might rise as an unexpected force tomorrow. Cultivation was a serious process, but it was also a process that created miracles. Anything could happen.
Especially at the middle and lower stages,