Chapter 74

During the journey home, Yang Lingrui learned some details from Zhao Qi.

The reason only Zhao Qi could be sent for the rescue mission was because Old Yu and Yang Linghu—who had reached third-level Gathering Qi—were deployed to the northern front mining area.

"Are people targeting our mines again?"

"Not this time. Strange disturbances occurred in the Zhang Family’s Sanglu Valley. The mayor of Qinghe Town came requesting aid, so Master went there with Senior Brother Linghu."

"Sanglu Valley? Disturbances?"

Yang Lingrui’s brow furrowed.

This confirmed his earlier suspicions—the Zhang Family had sealed their valley for nearly three years.

For cultivators, isolation posed no issue since they could sustain themselves with minimal sustenance when spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant.

But what about ordinary people?

The Zhangs chose Sanglu Valley precisely for its defensible terrain.

Natural cliffs and narrow access points made invading their territory difficult.

Yet this geographical advantage came at a cost—their limited farmland forced them to purchase most supplies from Qinghe Town.

Though smaller than the Yang Family, the Zhang household still contained over a hundred members including servants.

How had they survived during the valley’s closure?

"The Qinghe Town mayor likely returned to Sanglu Valley yesterday," Zhao Qi added. "He should’ve joined Master and Senior Brother by now."

Dread coiled in Yang Lingrui’s gut.

"This isn’t ordinary trouble," he thought. "Something disastrous must’ve happened there."

Zhao Qi pushed through exhaustion, finally delivering Yang Lingrui to the Yang Family compound after three days of forced marching.

Yang Lingqing immediately escorted him to the ancestral hall where Chen Yang administered treatment.

The Healing Beam’s radiance mended Yang Lingrui’s wounds visibly.

"Shame about this Mystic Iron Soft Armor," Yang Lingrui sighed, examining the damaged gear intended for Elder Yu.

"Armor can be replaced," Yang Lingqing said from her meditation cushion. "Your survival matters most."

She’d gladly sacrifice every family treasure if it meant her brother returned alive.

"Important news—"

Yang Lingrui produced Yang Guanfeng’s letter. Tears welled in Yang Lingqing’s eyes as she read it. "The Elder’s safety relieves me, but how bitter—guarding the frontier yet still worrying over family matters."

While recuperating, Yang Lingrui recounted his entire journey. Chen Yang listened closely, tension gripping him during the account of the family meeting.

"The families truly live up to their reputation," Chen Yang realized. "They detected my tampering with Yang Lingrui’s sea of consciousness. Thank fate Su Lingyun overcomplicates things—a simpler mind might’ve raided our compound, dooming us all."

This marked Chen Yang’s first encounter with a major cultivation family’s influence.

Yang Lingrui attended the ceremonial gathering and returned not only with spiritual treasures but also crucial information about this realm.

This gave Chen Yang a clearer grasp of the world’s structure and the Zhuhu Dynasty’s scale.

The realm was called the True Essence Realm, divided into four continents and five regions.

These were the Canglan, Liyang, Qingyue, and Youzhu continents, along with the five domains of East, South, West, North, and Center.

Geographically, the four continents lay within the four directional regions.

Natural barriers like chasms and hanging rivers separated the continental borders from the regional domains, leading these landmasses to be designated as distinct states.

The Zhuhu Dynasty occupied a pocket in the Eastern Region’s northwestern corner of Canglan State.

Five dynasties dominated this area – Tianyou and Eastern Wilderness previously mentioned, plus western Moling and southern Yun Chu.

Besides dynasties, several major sects and great families with True Intent cultivators existed here.

Zhuhu’s position proved awkward, being entirely surrounded by four stronger dynasties.

Survival alone would’ve been impressive under such circumstances, yet Zhuhu had conquered neighboring states and established itself as a dynasty. Its founding emperor truly deserved to be called an extraordinary hero.

Zooming in, the dynasty comprised eighteen cities including Moon Watching City.

Safe in the dynasty’s peaceful heartlands, City Lord Song Kaiyang only needed cultivation at the late stage of Condensing Essence.

But critical locations like Qiulu City – where Gao Hui and Cheng Yi once served – had dynasty cultivators of the Spirit Communication Realm guarding them.

Sects seeking stability generally avoided turbulent border areas, creating distinct power dynamics.

In central regions, sect powers often overshadowed local dynasty cities, forming relationships like Moon Watching City and Solitary Moon Mountain.

At border zones however, dynasty cities took command with nearby small sects obeying their orders.

Though stronger sects appeared to benefit from operating freely within the dynasty, Chongtian City’s presence and the True Intent national master at the capital ensured all sects remained wrapped within the dynasty’s control.

Great families scattered across the realm navigated between dynastic and sect interests. Their success in playing both sides or failing miserably depended entirely on their skills.

That Zhuhu could maintain order amidst these tangled powers stemmed from one factor – a middle three realm cultivator strong enough to suppress all dissent.

Under this framework, both sects and families had to compete within dynasty-set boundaries.

Some established groups like Solitary Moon Mountain and the Su Family maintained connections to main branches in Canglan State’s northwest, creating higher-level power balances across multiple dynasties.

This explained Yang Lingqing’s earlier comment: "Power structures always nest within larger ones. The web of interests here makes our Yang Family’s affairs seem simple by comparison."

"The Li Family’s truly in dire straits, but Li Cheng’s decent character holds. Even in their collapse, he never pressured you." Though never meeting Li Cheng, Yang Lingqing approved of him based on Yang Lingrui’s account.

"I wonder if he’ll survive their downfall. When our family grows stronger, we must repay his kindness," she added.

As Yang Lingrui described his return journey, Yang Lingqing pondered the mysterious Tiangong Pavilion. Neither she, the Yang Family, nor even Old Yu understood much about this organization beyond its neutral stance in selling information.

The trio who first hunted Yang Lingrui had paid two hundred spiritual crystals at Tiangong Pavilion for intel about his spiritual treasures and plant.

"That wooden technique cultivator’s reaction to the Mystic Iron Soft Armor shows they knew about two treasures but not specifics," Yang Lingqing deduced. "The plant info came from the Immortal Patrol Office – common knowledge among their staff. Tiangong Pavilion likely bought it early from these sources."

"Two treasures and one plant means they missed your other spiritual crystals and artifacts." Her analysis continued.

Tiangong Pavilion’s spies reportedly blanketed the realm, with their main base in the central region – an unimaginably vast operation. Though capable of monitoring all Zhuhu Dynasty’s territory, the remote fledgling kingdom hardly justified such effort without specific paid requests.

"Tiangong Pavilion only gathered surface-level intel from public areas during the gathering," Yang Lingqing concluded. "They didn’t penetrate exhibition halls, family pavilions, or deeper networks."

Yang Lingrui found this reasonable. Tracking basic details for so many cultivators already strained resources. Deeper investigations would’ve been prohibitively expensive.

Thus while Tiangong Pavilion might have noted Pei Xuejian taking him away, subsequent events at the Su Family remained hidden. Su Lingyun’s discreet compensation suggested they’d keep this quiet too.

"Our greatest fortune lies in the Su Family mistaking us for another power’s pawn rather than growing suspicious!" Yang Lingqing exclaimed. "When others investigate us through Tiangong Pavilion, they’ll find your meeting with Su Lingyun and assume we’re under Su protection. This mutual misunderstanding creates breathing room for us to grow unnoticed!"