Ye Moquan was lost in thought for a moment before letting out a bitter chuckle and finally setting down the ink brush in his hand.

His expression gradually regained its calm, but as he looked at the paper and brush on the table before him, his gaze was filled with complexity.

Later, two people came to request an audience.

A middle-aged scholar and a young student.

They were none other than his son and grandson—Ye Wei and Ye Feishan.

"Father, there has been no news of Second Sister,"Ye Wei said softly.

TheYe Clan Ancestral LandinJinzhouhad been completely destroyed, but fortunately, the clan’s younger generation had been evacuated beforehand, resulting in limited casualties.

However, several locations outside the ancestral land had been breached, suffering significant losses. AYe Clan Elderof theUpper Three Heavenshad even fallen.

Among them, the one with the highest cultivation and most central role was none other than Ye Moquan’s daughter, Ye Wei’s sister—Ye Han.

With the ritual broken and the backlash from the disrupted spiritual energy, Ye Han’s situation was likely dire. And in that case, the chances of her successfully breaking through and escaping…

"Keep looking, but keep it low-key,"Ye Moquan sighed deeply."For now, our clan needs a long period of recovery. All clan members must speak and act with caution."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both lowered their heads."Yes."

With aNinth Heavenexpert likeYe Moquanand the clan’s heirloom treasure, theChess Star Seal, theYe Clan of Jinzhoustill had a foundation to rely on.

However, Ye Moquan was severely injured, and the clan’sscholarly lineagehad been severed. This battle had dealt a devastating blow to their vitality, leaving them in a state not much better than theLin Clan of Youzhouhad been after their own downfall.

At least theLin Clan of the Northern Sectcould attempt to rebuild in their homeland, trying to restore their scholarly and spiritual heritage.

But for theYe Clan, returning toJinzhouwas not an option for the time being.

WithXuanyan Templein upheaval,Guanzhongoverrun by demons, and new disturbances emerging inZezhouto the south, theTang Imperial Familyhad seized the opportunity to intervene.

Having lost theBattle of Jinzhou, theYe Clanwas now forced to retreat.

TheThree Jin Regionswere deeply intertwined with theYe Clan—from noble families to local officials, their influence ran through countless channels.

Even if the imperial court, preoccupied with thedemon chaosinGuanzhong, chose not to immediately purge and reorganize theThree Jin Regionsto avoid widespread conflict, theYe Clan’scontrol over the area would still decline sharply.

Ye Moquan’s duel withXu Yuanzhenhad not merely cost him a move or two—it had cost theYe Clantheirancestral landandscholarly heritage.

Regardless of his personal reputation, theYe Clan’sprestige had suffered an irreparable blow.

If given time to recover, if they were allowed to remain inJinzhouand continue consolidating their influence, then—since their younger generation had not suffered heavy casualties—theYe Clanwould have had a chance to stabilize and rally support.

Just like theLin Clan of Youzhouhad managed to do.

Thanks to unspoken agreements,Prince Zhao’s Mansionhad turned a blind eye to the destruction of theLin Clan Ancestral Land.

Though they had gone through the motions of formal reprimand, they had not truly taken advantage of the situation to suppress theLin Clan, allowing them to remain a dominant force inYouzhou.

But inJinzhou, the imperial court would not grant theYe Clansuch an opportunity.

If they could avoid being completely uprooted and turned into anotherJiangzhouwithin a short time, that alone would be a small victory.

"One day, when we reclaim our homeland, I will personally go before our ancestors and offer my apologies,"Ye Moquan said.

"But right now, our priority is survival. As long as our lineage endures, there will be a day when we rise again."

Ye Wei responded firmly,"Through the rise and fall of ages, our clan has faced setbacks before. I will not let this shake my resolve."

The old man nodded slowly.

Ye Feishan spoke softly,"Neither theFour Seasons Military Ritualnor theWuyou Tribulationyielded their intended results. And then there wasFragmented Danxin…"

The turning point of the battle had been whenYe MoquanunleashedFragmented Danxin, only for it to fail to shakeXu Yuanzhen’sgrip on theLiheng Halberd—instead, he had been counterattacked byXu Yuanzhen’sownFragmented Danxin, leaving him wounded.

From that moment on, he had fallen behind, step by step, and could never recover the upper hand.

TheYe Clan of Jinzhouhad prepared extensively for this battle.

Yet events had unfolded in a completely unexpected way.

Every move had gone wrong—until they plunged into the abyss.

"IfFragmented Danxinhad failed because of someone likeLin Yuweileaking information, that would still be understandable. But what about everything else?"Ye Wei furrowed his brow."Surely not every single plan was betrayed?"

A single leak could be attributed to human error.

But if every plan had been compromised, it was beyond comprehension.

The preparations had been divided among different groups, with each individual responsible for their own part. EvenYe WeiandYe Feishanonly knew fragments of the overall scheme.

The only one who understood the full picture wasYe Moquanhimself.

"Those with profound cultivation can, through intuition, attune themselves to the natural world and gain insights akin to divination,"Ye Moquan said with a slight nod.

As aNinth Heaven Grand Scholar, he knew this better than anyone.

"But if there truly was someone capable of such precise foresight, their cultivation level would be beyond imagination,"Ye Moquan said."If such an opponent existed, we might as well surrender outright."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both frowned, unable to make sense of it all.

"For now, we will step back, lie low, and observe,"Ye Moquan said.

Then he instructed Ye Wei,"Even so, we must quietly conduct a thorough internal review—just in case."

Both father and son acknowledged his command.

"Father, inGuanzhong,Pure Yang Palacehas fallen. GrandmasterHuangand part of his sect have retreated to theOld Capital. Meanwhile,Snow Bearand someGrand Demonshave moved toward theOld Capital, whileAzure Wolfand another group ofGrand Demonsare rampaging throughGuanzhong."

Ye Wei continued,"That said, theShushan SectandFang Family of Jingxianghave already enteredGuanzhong, and a division of theDivine Strategy Armyfrom the capital has been deployed."

TheTang Dynastyhad originally established its capital inChang’an, inGuanzhong.

However, due to changes in the flow of theearth veins’ spiritual energy, the third emperor of theTang Dynasty—Zhang Qilong, father ofZhang Wantong—relocated the capital toZhongzhou, founding a new imperial city,Luoyang.

Since then,Chang’anhad been referred to as theOld CapitalorWestern Capital, still guarded by the imperial family. TheTang Emperorwould also occasionally return toChang’an.

TheSnow BearandAzure Wolfthat Ye Wei mentioned were the two dominantGrand Demonsof theNorthern Frontier, both equivalent toNinth Heavenhuman cultivators—savage and ruthless.

The two typically ruled over separate domains, one in the east and one in the west, and rarely cooperated.

For them to join forces now, aided by unseen forces, silently crossing theGreat RiverintoGuanzhonghad caughtPure Yang Palacecompletely off guard.

And it had also exposed the truth—Grandmaster Huang Xuanpuhad never fully recovered from his injuries.

"As of now, we can confirm that aside fromGrandmaster Huang,Pure Yang Palacehas only three remainingEighth Heaven Infant Transformationcultivators. Two of them,Guan JingandLü Jinduan, had previously traveled toJinzhoubut have since returned toGuanzhong. Additionally, there are sevenSeventh Heaven Nascent Soulcultivators, though most are injured,"Ye Wei continued.

He paused briefly before adding,"Among them,Yue Xilingis a special case. Before theNorthern Frontier Grand Demonsattacked the mountain, he had already left for secluded cultivation elsewhere. He has yet to resurface during thisGuanzhongchaos."

If he had entered deep seclusion, given his prior progress and natural talent, then asPure Yang Palace’smost outstanding successor of the younger generation, he was most likely attempting to break through to theEighth Heaven Infant Transformationstage of theDaoist Alchemical Sect.

If he succeeded,Pure Yang Palacewould then have fourEighth Heavencultivators and sixSeventh Heavencultivators.

A small consolation in the face of disaster.

However, suffering two catastrophic blows within just over a decade had already drainedPure Yang Palaceof the foundations it had built up over centuries.

SinceHuang Xuanpuhad taken over as sect master,Pure Yang Palacehad steadily risen to become the foremost sanctuary ofDaoism—even the most prestigious sect in theTang Dynasty.

But now, while it had not yet fallen to the same depths asTianshi Mansionhad in the past, its momentum had been completely halted.

A fellow fallen brother.

However…

"What aboutWang Xuan?"Ye Moquan asked.

"AfterPure Yang Palacefell, his whereabouts became unknown. Right now, withGrand Demonsrunning rampant, we have yet to receive definite information. However…"Ye Wei hesitated for a moment before continuing,"NeitherSnow BearnorAzure Wolfhave confirmed exactly who thePure Yang Palacetraitor was. They only know that it was anUpper Three Heavenscultivator of theDaoist Alchemical Sectwho collaborated with them from within."

Yes.

Such an outcome had even caughtYe Moquan,Ye Wei, and the others off guard.

They, too, had not expected theBattle of Zhongnan Mountainto be decided so quickly—nor with such an outcome.

While the result was favorable, the fact that they had not fully grasped the process left them deeply unsettled.

Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei.

Ye Wei gently shook his head. "NeitherQingzhou,Suzhou, norJingxianghave claimed responsibility forWang Xuan.

"We still don't know if it wasWang Xuanhimself, someone else withinPure Yang Palacewho had a personal vendetta againstHuang Xuanpu, or if another external force intervened…"

Then Ye Wei lifted his gaze."However, something was definitely off atVajra Monastery.Vast Void Templesuffered a crushing defeat there!"

"Details?"Ye Moquan asked.

"Still waiting on confirmation, but for now, we know that the area within a hundred miles ofVajra Monasteryhas been completely shrouded in goldenBuddha’s Light.Vast Void Temple’sYuanmiewas nearly trapped inside and barely managed to escape."

Ye Feishan, standing nearby, looked astonished. He had not yet had time to review this intelligence before accompanying his father to see his grandfather.

Now hearing Ye Wei's report, he was startled."TheDiamond RealmofVajra Monasteryshouldn’t cover such a vast area. If that’s true…"

Vajra Monasterywas one of theFour Great Buddhist Holy Lands, yet it was the most secretive and closed off.

During theWestern Wasteland Demon War,Vajra Monasteryhad also suffered severe losses.

And when they recently welcomed their new abbot, they had been besieged byWhite Lotus SectandVast Void Temple, suffering heavy casualties and subsequently sealing their gates.

To be sure,Vajra Monasterypossessed an extraordinary lineage. TheAbbot Anointment Methodthey practiced allowed each successive abbot to rapidly ascend to theUpper Three Heavensin record time.

EvenTang XiaotangofTianshi Mansionmight not surpass aVajra Monastery Abbotin terms of cultivation speed.

However, this method was highly specialized and could only be passed down from abbot to abbot—ensuring that there could be only one recipient at a time.

Moreover, it was a technique focused on rapid advancement.

Its ultimate potential still depended on the individual inheritor.

While the new abbot ofVajra Monasteryhad progressed quickly, there had been no reports that he had surpassedYuanmie, the new abbot ofVast Void Temple, in just a few short years.

Yuanmiehimself was already one of the most outstanding young talents of his generation.

Not only had his cultivation advanced rapidly, but his combat prowess was also exceptional.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to force theSilent Dharma King, anotherEighth Heavenmaster, to relinquish his position withinVast Void Temple.

ForYuanmieto probeVajra Monastery’s defenses, he must have been extremely confident and well-prepared.

Even if he could not defeatVajra Monastery, he had been certain that he could retreat safely.

Yet now, he had suffered a humiliating setback.

This only confirmed the long-standing suspicions many had aboutVajra Monastery—

That place… was hiding something.

"With this development, His Majesty will be even more restless,"Ye Moquan unexpectedly smiled.

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both seemed deep in thought.

"Continue closely monitoring theWestern Wasteland,"Ye Moquan instructed.

"Yes, Father,"Ye Wei replied.

Ye Feishan glanced outside at the gardens ofPrince Zhao’s Mansion, then quietly asked,"Grandfather, our clan has sacrificed the ancestral land… what aboutHis Highness Prince Zhao?"

Ye Moquan suddenly fell silent, his gaze momentarily unfocused.

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan did not look at him directly and thus failed to notice.

After a moment of daze, Ye Moquan's gaze sharpened again."TheFierce Valor Essencehas been condensed into aJade Tabletand has been handed over to His Highness."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both nodded slightly.

The destruction of the ancestral land was an incalculable loss to theYe Clan of Jinzhou.

If there had been any other choice,Ye Moquanwould not have allowed it.

But when truly forced into a corner, he had to find a way to salvage something.

What troubled the nobleConfucianfamilies was thebarbarianinfluence—the strange and mysteriousmartial intent.

By forcibly reversing his own ancestral land’sformation, usingConfucianism to counter Martialism,Ye Moquanhad pushed everything to the extreme, birthing a new existence.

An existence beneficial tomartial artists.

Sacrificing the literary heritage ofJinzhouand theYe Clan’s scholarly lineagehad come at an enormous cost.

But what was done was done.

There was no choice but to look forward.

"WithGrand DemonsandVajra Monasteryboth stirring trouble, that is indeed an advantage for us. But from here on, we must tread carefully.

"While keeping a low profile, we must be vigilant about everything."

Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei, then at the younger Ye Feishan, before saying,"From now on, the clan’s affairs—large and small—will be in your hands."

His gaze shifted back to Ye Wei."My injuries are severe. I must focus on recovery. In the coming days, prepare yourself—I will pass theChess Star Sealto you."

Ye Wei looked up at his father.

His father’s words clearly did not mean meretemporary stewardship.

This was an official transfer of theYe Clan’s heirloom treasure—

Which meant he was being named thenew Clan Leader of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.

Ye Moquan was merely a guest atPrince Zhao’s Mansion.

TheYe Clanhad withdrawn fromJinzhouin advance, but with such a large population, it was impossible to relocate everyone toYouzhou.

There were several potential places for resettlement, one of which wasCangzhou.

However, it was rather close toQingzhou.

Back in the day, theYe Clan of Jinzhouhad originally split off fromQingzhou.

Now, returning there was out of the question, but having suffered a severe setback, even moving toCangzhouwould be anything but a triumphant affair.

But asYe Moquanhad said before—

For a long time to come, they would have to remain in hiding.

…

Tianle Mountainno longer resembled the towering peak it once was, having been reduced to an uneven valley floor.

Besides members of theYe Clan of Jinzhousearching for any signs of life or death amongYe Hanand the others, there were also outsiders quietly approaching the site.

A woman in hemp sandals and plain robes appeared at the base of the formerTianle Mountain.

It was none other thanWei Qiyue, theSupreme Elder of the Shushan Sect.

She circled around the mountain ruins in silence, lost in thought.

During the battle at theYe Clan Ancestral LandinJinzhou, she had seen, from a distance, theTianshi Swordflying towardTang Xiaotangand merging with her.

At that moment,Wei Qiyuehad completely disregarded the ongoing fight betweenXu YuanzhenandYe Moquan.

That technique was entirely unlike anything practiced by theTalismanic Branch of Daoism.

From afar, it looked no different from theirShushan Sect’sflying sword techniques.

With theYe Clan Ancestral Landdestroyed, the battlefield had descended into chaos.

Instead of getting entangled with thedemon clansor other forces,Wei Qiyuehad quietly left the area.

Following the direction from which thePurple Thunder Sword Lighthad come, she had backtracked all the way here toTianle Mountain, now in ruins.

Members of theYe Clanwere lurking about, seemingly searching for someone.

That meant theYe Clan of Jinzhouhad certainly set up something here—

Only for it to be destroyed.

And if she followed the same trail further, the one who had ruined this place was likely the same person who haddelivered the Tianshi SwordtoTang Xiaotangfrom a thousand miles away.

Who was it?

As anEighth HeavenSupreme Elder of the Shushan Sect, specializing in artifact refinement,Wei Qiyuesearched carefully for a long time but found nothing.

At first, she thought she had the wrong location, but continuing along the trail, she still came up empty-handed.

"Such a cautious individual, with an even more formidable level of cultivation and strength than I initially expected…"Wei Qiyuefelt a twinge of unease.

She stood nearTianle Mountain, pondering for a moment before raising a hand.

A flying sword, only about a foot in length, floated before her.

She ran her fingertip lightly along its blade.

A layer of flowing light immediately surfaced, as if embedding words within it.

This was theShushan Sect’ssignature long-range communication method—Flying Sword Transmission.

Of course, otherartifactscould also be used for this purpose, but only those that had been refined and nurtured by the cultivator for a long time.

With a wave of her hand—

The flying sword trembled in place, then with a flash of light, shot off into the distant sky.

Wei Qiyuewatched her flying sword disappear, her gaze dark and contemplative.

…

Lei Jun left theBroken Dragon Ravinearea and attempted to contactXu YuanzhenandTang Xiaotangagain.

Well—

HisSenior Sisterwas already chasing theThousand-Leaf Butterfly Kingall the way out to sea.

By now, Lei Jun was entirely accustomed to her impulsive nature—when she decided to do something, she did it immediately.

What did surprise him, though, wasYe Moquan’scurrent predicament.

"He hasn’t lost his chance at recovery, but the damage to his soul will continue to persist and worsen,"Xu Yuanzhensaid casually, as if she were discussing the size of the ocean waves.

"So it’s not just an injury—it’s an irreversible transformation of his very soul."

"Exactly."

As expected of you… Lei Jun shook his head with a chuckle.

People were simply different.

If it had been him, and he had the opportunity to finishYe Moquan, he would have done so without hesitation.

But since the one with the power wasXu Yuanzhen, she naturally made the call.

That being said, theYe Clan of Jinzhouhad preemptively dispersed their forces, keeping their losses relatively low.

Ye YanandChu Xiuyuanwere still around—whether one called it guarding againstGrand Demoninvasions from the coast or watching for further actions from theTang Imperial FamilyandTianshi Mansion, both explanations were valid.

At the same time, with theEmpressandXu Yuanzhenaround, thearistocratic familiescouldn’t make any overt moves.

Aside fromXu Yuanzhen, who had her own peculiarities, both theTang Imperial Familyand the noble clans had already begun shifting their attention westward.

Pure Yang Palacehad fallen at an alarming speed—Guanzhongwas in crisis.

A strange transformation had taken place atVajra Monasteryin theWestern Wasteland.

These were completely unexpected developments for both sides.

And the unknown was always the most unsettling.

Thus, withXu Yuanzhenaway andMount Longhumomentarily at peace,Lei JunandTang Xiaotanghad the freedom to move about without needing to return to the mountain immediately.

EvenTang Xiaotangwas intrigued by the situation in the west—after leavingYouzhou, she had no plans to return toMount Longhudirectly. Instead, she intended to head towardGuanzhongand theWestern Wasteland.

Lei Jun was interested as well, but at the moment, he had some theories that he needed to test.

Having gathered some of theYe Clan of Jinzhou’smaterials for theWords as a Facetechnique, he had been conducting research and had already developed some ideas.

To put his theories into practice, he not only needed rarespiritual materialsfrom his sect, but also a specific kind ofenvironmental support.

After theLin Clan of Jiangzhouhad been written into history, theTang Imperial Familyhad taken direct control ofJiangzhou.

Meanwhile, some of theblessed grotto-heavensinMount Kuangluthat had once belonged to theLin Clanhad been absorbed intoTianshi Mansion.

Among them, the environment ofLan Yue Grottowas precisely what Lei Jun needed for his experiment.

It was good thatYe Moquanhad likely been turned into anold man with dementiaby hisSenior Sister.

But that was a gradual process—it wouldn’t have an immediate, dramatic effect.

Despite the deaths ofYe HanandYe Zhenxing, theYe Clan of Jinzhoustill had plenty of high-level experts left.

EvenElder KongjianofXuanyan Temple—aBuddhist Eighth Heavenelder who had converted but still remained loyal to his clan—was among them.

That man was pretending to be dead, but Lei Jun hadn’t forgotten about him.

With that in mind, it was best to prepare sooner rather than later.

Additionally, with his newly accepted first disciple now at a crucial stage in their cultivation,Lei Jundidn’t want to be away from the mountain for too long.

After considering his options, he decided to temporarily set aside his curiosity aboutVajra MonasteryandPure Yang Palaceand head toMount Kuanglufirst to conduct his research on theWords as a Facetechnique.

"Have fun,Little Senior Sister."

Lei Jun added,"But don’t forget—at most, you have half a year. By the fifteenth of the first month, make sure you return to the mountain. It’s time for theTalisman Conferral Ceremony."

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget."

This would be her secondTalisman Conferral Ceremonysince taking over asTianshi.

She still found the once-every-six-yearTalisman Conferralrather fresh and interesting.

As for the once-every-three-yearInitiation Ceremony—she was already sick of it and had no intention of personally hosting it again.

"When is Senior Sister coming back? After watching her fight that old fox from the Ye Clan, I want to spar with her even more!"

"That’s uncertain. You know how Senior Sister is,"Lei Jun replied."But given the gap in your current cultivation levels, there’s no rush, is there?"

Tang Xiaotang was indifferent."That doesn’t matter. There are some things I can only test under these conditions."

"I see. Well, I’ll notify you when Senior Sister returns to the mountain."

Satisfied,Tianshi Tangended the transmission and set off westward."That’s perfect."

Meanwhile, Lei Jun continued south, contacting his master, Yuan Mobai.

As they discussed his journey toJinzhou, Lei Jun also asked his master to coordinate the delivery of thespiritual materialshe needed toMount Kuanglu’s Lan Yue Grotto, so they would be ready by the time he returned.

At the same time, Yuan Mobai relayed the latest gathered intelligence to Lei Jun.

"The Empress is preparing to leave the capital,Luoyang, and personally travel to theOld Capital, Chang’an?"Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

Since theEastern Sea Demon Suppression, this would be the second time theEmpresspersonally led a campaign.

But this didn’t seem to be solely about theGuanzhong demon crisis.

"The area surroundingVajra Monasteryhas transformed. For hundreds of miles, theDiamond Formhas manifested, with continuous Buddhist chants resonating outward, drawing in devotees from all directions,"Yuan Mobai said slowly."Such a phenomenon has never occurred since the monastery's founding."

Lei Jun mused,"Even ifVajra Monastery’scurrent abbot advanced rapidly through anointment, he shouldn’t be capable of such feats so soon. And if he isn’t the one behind this, then…"

"Vajra Monastery has always been shrouded in mystery. Even its founding patriarch’s origins were unknown,"Yuan Mobai continued."This sudden transformation may be linked to the monastery’s origins."

Lei Jun pondered."Master, when I was on duty in our sect’sDecree Pavilion, I once came across an old reference… to theNine Heavens and Ten Earths."

"Not impossible,"Yuan Mobai replied.

The so-calledNine Heavens and Ten Earthswere independent realms, where the sun and moon cycled, andspiritual energyflowed freely—surpassing even the mortal realm, akin to true paradises.

Individually, they were not as vast as the mortal realm, but each contained its own extraordinarynatural laws, capable of infinite variations.

Previously, Yuan Mobai and his group had inadvertently entered theJiuli Secret Realm.

As a bridge, theJiuli Secret Realmwas likely connected to other worlds. However, due to time constraints and the uncertain situation, they had not dared to linger long enough to uncover what lay beyond.

Lei Jun and his master both suspected that on the other side of theJiuli Secret Realmwas one of theTen Earths—theLand of the Deep Sea.

Long ago, when theJiuli peoplewere forced to retreat southward, they continued withdrawing until they finally disappeared into theDeep Sea, vanishing without a trace.

And in the years that followed, theNine Heavens and Ten Earthsgradually faded from history, sealing themselves off from the mortal world.

Both theNine HeavensandTen Earthsbecame nothing more than myths and legends—forgotten by all but a select few.

However, asspiritual energysurged once more, signs of their reappearance seemed to be increasing.

TheJiuli Secret RealminSouthern Wastelandhad been discovered, possibly leading to theDeep Sea.

Thesecret realmwhereXu YuanzhenandHuyang Prince Zhang Ruihad ventured also seemed to be a gateway to another world.

And now,Vajra Monasteryhad undergone such an unprecedented transformation.

"In the past,ShambhalaandMount Sumeruof theNine Heavens, as well asAvīciof theTen Earths, were all associated withBuddhism,"Lei Jun murmured.

"Xu Yuanzhen’s discoveries—and the strange martial and Confucian techniques you uncovered—are unprecedented not only in theTang Dynastybut in all recorded history,"Yuan Mobai said."Perhaps they, too, originated from theNine Heavens and Ten Earths."

Lei Jun suddenly asked,"Master, what about ourDaoist Sect?"

Yuan Mobai’s tone remained calm."Kunlun, Penglai, and Huangquanhave been absent for thousands of years. What they have become now, no one knows."

Lei Jun nodded in silence.

Changing the subject, he remarked,"That old fox,Ye Moquan, taking refuge inPrince Zhao’s Mansion—that’s as good as making a public announcement."

Prince Zhao’s Mansionhad long maintained close ties with theYe Clan of Jinzhouand had even smoothed relations with theLin Clan of Youzhouthrough their mediation.

Such rumors had been circulating for some time.

But private dealings were one thing—publicly placingYe Moquanunder their protection was another matter entirely.

AlthoughPrince Zhao’s Mansionmight claim it was a personal favor, the fact remained:

By shelteringYe Moquan,Prince Zhaohad openly revealed divisions within the imperial family.

Yuan Mobai sighed."His HighnessPrince Zhaoremains unwilling to let go."

Lei Jun contemplated."TheLin Clan of Youzhouand theYe Clan of Jinzhouwere supposed to be his strongest allies, yet now both have suffered heavy losses…"

Yuan Mobai replied, "If that weren’t the case, theEmpresswouldn’t feel so confident about leaving the capital for the west.

"With bothLin Clansand theYe Clan of Jinzhouweakened—and considering the prior downfall of theXiao Clan of Longxi—nearly half of the formerFive Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clanshave been crippled.

"This is the weakest the aristocratic families have been in centuries.

"Before departing, Her Majesty officially established thePolitical Affairs Hallwithin theChancellery, granting more officials the right to participate in policymaking."

Lei Jun understood immediately."Stripping power, dividing authority… even outright usurping control."

By setting up thePolitical Affairs Hallwithin theChancellery, theEmpresswas undoubtedly fragmenting and consuming the power of theLeft and Right Chancellorsof theMinistry of State Affairs.

She was splitting thePrime Ministerial Authority.

"But with theEmpressgone, what happens to the capital?"Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai answered, "TheCrown Princehas come of age. In theEmpress’sabsence, he will act as regent, overseeing daily state affairs.

"All results and urgent matters will be sent to theOld Capital.

"TheEmpressintends to remain inChang’anto quell the demon chaos and assert dominance over theWestern Wasteland."

TheEmpresshad no children of her own. With theCrown Princenow an adult, it was inevitable that he would be entrusted with governance in her absence.

How long this arrangement would last depended on how theGuanzhong demon crisisandWestern Wasteland Buddhist upheavalunfolded.

Ending his conversation withYuan Mobai, Lei Jun continued on his journey.

Traveling south from theThree Jin Regions, he slowed his pace as he passed throughZhongzhou.

Observing the land closely, he was struck by an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

It was as if he had seen this terrain before.

Indeed—

Themysterious realmhe had entered through theGreat Black Mountain’s portal, the one whereXu Yuanzhenhad ventured—

The landscapes within thatotherworldly realmbore an uncanny resemblance to vast portions of the mortal world.

It was as if an entire piece of land had been carved out of reality.

Yet now, as Lei Jun gazed across the expanse ofZhongzhou, there was no trace of such a phenomenon anywhere.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com