Jade Mountain Grand Commandery, Prefectural Residence
Xianjing Continent, Yushan County.
As the most prosperous prefecture in the continent, its level of prosperity far surpasses that of other prefectures, not to mention the presence of a near-legendary figure like the [Prefect of Dasheng] who oversees it.
The mere presence of the Venerable One of the Cosmic Birth Realm here is enough to give countless ordinary people a natural sense of security, thereby boosting the economic development of the entire prefecture.
The sheer size of the Nine Luminaries Division alone, given that this place is the core of the Xianjing Continent, is exceptionally vast.
At this moment, the sky was clear and the streets were bustling with traffic and people.
A silver-white Star Skiff streaked through the air and, after passing through several Array Formation of checks and verifications, successfully landed within the Nine Luminaries Division.
Although the Jade Mountain Nine Luminaries Division has never lacked distinguished guests, the Retainer General of other major prefectures are rarely seen.
Therefore, this silver-white Star Skiff, exclusively belonging to the Retainer General, immediately attracted a lot of attention, with people scrutinizing the two figures stepping down from the Star Skiff.
The man was young and handsome; one could tell from his appearance alone that he was a saint of extraordinary bearing. He wore a cloak embroidered with Silver Fish patterns, and his dark pupils seemed to contain a galaxy, all of which highlighted his noble status.
The Retainer General held a position in their jurisdiction almost equivalent to that of a prefect.
Even in the great Yushan County, such a person wields immense influence, as evidenced by the way several servants hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
In comparison, the woman beside the boy seemed rather ordinary, though her aura as a pharmacist was quite eye-catching.
A servant responsible for receiving guests respectfully stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble servant greets the Retainer General."
"No need for such formalities."
Ye Li handed over the Tiger Tally used for verification.
After confirming that everything was correct, he walked past the attendants and headed straight for the magnificent-looking governor's mansion deep within the palace grounds.
Xie Huaiwei took the Tiger Tally back from the servant, carefully put it away, and quickly followed.
"Lord Ye, shall we just go straight to the Prefect's residence like this?"
"Otherwise what?"
"Why don't we do something else first? Like wander around here a bit, in case the prefect is entertaining important guests..."
"Prefect Lin must have already given prior notice."
"That makes sense..." Xie Huaiwei nodded slightly, then quickly asked during the brief moment:
"Speaking of which, how much do you know about the [Jade Mountain Refinement] process?"
Just now on the Star Skiff, the young man had been meditating, occasionally glancing at the [Nine Luminaries Wind and Cloud Strategy] of the Xianjing Continent.
This is an essential functional Treasured Artifacts for home and travel, recording some major events that have recently occurred in the Xianjing Continent.
This meant she didn't have a chance to speak, so she could only try to explain herself as quickly as possible.
"Just pretend I don't know anything, and tell me directly."
Ye Li spoke calmly; he had asked the other party to accompany him in order to save time at this stage.
Naturally, they wouldn't waste such an opportunity to gather intelligence.
"I see."
Xie Huaiwei hesitated for a moment, realizing that the other party was trying to prevent any slip-ups.
After all, such a momentous event is something that even a newly appointed Saint of the Nine Luminaries Division would know about.
He then slowly began to speak, "The Jade Mountain Refinement is a unique grand event of the Nine Luminaries Division of our Xianjing Continent. Every time it is held, it receives great attention from all the prefectures."
"Because the conditions for participating in the Refinement are either significant contributions or extraordinary potential, and both happen to be extremely important figures who may become giants in the future."
"Therefore, it is very necessary to build relationships with them while they are still young."
Ye Li nodded slightly upon hearing this. This was somewhat similar to selecting a son-in-law before the imperial examination. If you didn't choose one, you wouldn't lose out, but if you did, you would make a huge profit.
"As for the content of the Jade Mountain Refinement, it is closely related to the Jade Mountain that has existed here since ancient times."
Xie Huaiwei laughed, "It is said that when the Great Sheng Dynasty was first established, two Venerables of the Cosmic Birth Realm fought a great battle in the Jade Mountain region. The battle was so fierce that the sky darkened and the sun and moon lost their light. In the end, they both died on Jade Mountain, their blood staining thousands of miles."
"And the paths they cultivated were mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining, and the Jade Mountain region, after being baptized by their Treasured Blood, also gained immense divine power."
"Once the cleansing process begins, any living being that steps into it will be torn apart by the power of the two Venerable Ones. The longer one endures within it, the better the cleansing effect will be."
"Any cultivator at or below the Dao Evolution Realm will benefit from this, and their chances of breaking through to the Cosmic Birth Realm in the future will increase accordingly."
"I've heard that our current Prefect Cao of the Xianjing Continent underwent rigorous training before successfully entering the Cosmic Birth Realm a few years ago, becoming a prefect capable of guarding Xianjing Continent."
"However, such rumors are never credible."
"All you need to know is that this [Jade Mountain Refinement] is highly sought after within the Nine Luminaries Division of our Xianjing Continent. Even people from other continents try every means to obtain the corresponding quota."
At this point, Xie Huaiwei sighed slightly, genuinely wondering how the Dragon Pool County had managed to secure such a coveted spot.
Furthermore, he transferred this spot to his own captain. This contribution alone is enough to show Ye Li's current treatment in Longtan Grand Commandery.
"I see."
Ye Li listened patiently and finally gained a clear understanding of this refinement process.
No wonder Lin Huaijin wanted him to perform well this time. Given the high level of attention [Jade Mountain Refinement] receives, if he can truly perform exceptionally well, he can indeed gain considerable prestige within the prefecture.
Is this what they call creating momentum?
Silently speculating about the reasons, he and Xie Huaiwei gradually approached their destination, arriving at the magnificent prefect's mansion, which looked exceptionally solemn.
Dozens of armored servants stood before the gate, but even as Ye Li approached, they made no move to greet him.
Instead, Xie Huaiwei quickly stepped forward and handed over the Xuan Tie Tiger Tally:
"My master wishes to see Prefect Cao. Trouble if you could go in and inform him."
"A close confidant of the Longtan Grand Commandery?" The guard who received the Tiger Tally was somewhat surprised, but quickly composed himself and said apologetically:
"The preparations are imminent, and the Prefect needs to attend to some matters today. I hope you two can stay at the office for a few days and come back another day."
"My master is here to participate in the Jade Mountain Refinement." Xie Huaiwei's lips curled up slightly, and even her tone became more arrogant.
Upon hearing this, the servants at the gate were all taken aback.
They had naturally heard of the sixteen prefectures of Xianjing and the Longtan Grand Commandery, but hadn't they just changed prefects? How could a deputy general who was qualified to participate in the training suddenly appear?
Despite the fear, with the Tiger Tally here, it was unlikely that the other party was lying.
The guard immediately cupped his hands in greeting. "Please wait a moment, I will go in and inform them."
Having said that, he strode into the mansion, his steps hurried.
Logically speaking, ordinary Retainer General were not people who deserved too much attention from the guards of the prefect's mansion.
But those who can participate in the [Jade Mountain Refinement] are a different story.
This means that not only is the prefect himself quite influential, but the subordinate general in front of them is also a person with great potential; otherwise, it should be the local prefect himself who has come to participate in the training...
As the guards disappeared into the mansion, a long-browed man who seemed to be chatting with his companion suddenly stopped talking in the distance.
With less than three days until the purification ceremony, the venerable prefect is busy with the matter.
At this point, the fact that a guard could still be sent in to report their arrival suggests that even a fool could guess their true intentions.
After confirming that he was not mistaken, the man quickly turned around and headed towards the deputy general's residence, which was further away.
Until he completely disappeared.
Ye Li glanced in the direction he had been standing, his eyes flashing.
"What's wrong?" Xie Huaiwei asked, puzzled.
"Fine."
Ye Li withdrew his gaze and chuckled softly, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
It seems that neither Lin Huaijin nor Xie Huaiwei exaggerated; this opportunity for [Jade Mountain Refinement] is indeed exceptionally rare.
I've come to the right place.