Upon the Verdant Expanse, where the borders of Yong and Pei provinces blurred, walked two figures of ethereal grace. Maidens both, they ascended a hidden mountain with measured steps, side by side in leisurely converse.

The first, a woman wreathed in the mists of power, her features shifting like cloud and water, wore the raiment of a Daoist priestess. Her robe, a cascade of shimmering blue, seemed to hold within its folds the endless peaks of forgotten mountains. This was Wuzhou, one of the rare immortals who had ascended to the Fourteenth Realm, a participant in the ancient Council of the Riverbank.

Beside her walked a maiden of captivating beauty, a queen adorned with the dragon crown and the Imperial yellow robes of kings. This was Zhu Xuan, the reigning monarch of the Yu Fu Dynasty in Yong province. In the Verdant Expanse, the ascent of women to the throne was a matter of course, a reflection of the land’s mystical harmony.

Perched upon Zhu Xuan’s shoulder was a swallow of deepest violet, while about her swirled a golden carp, its form flickering between reality and illusion. From its snout sprouted two whiskers, undeniable and draconic. In this world, the Golden Carp and the Violet Swallow were creatures touched by the divine, their paths to enlightenment made smoother than most. Legend held that should they reach the highest heights of the Great Dao, the carp might undergo a fish-dragon transformation, ascending to true dragonhood, and the swallow might shed its mortal coil to become the mythical Vermillion Bird. Carps were numerous, but Vermillion Birds were the rarest of wonders.

Together, they “ascended the mountain.”

But this was no ordinary ascent. This mountain was a hidden range beneath the Great Torrent, a fathomless chasm of water and wonder.

*Oh, the Green Expanse stretches deep, a bottomless well, where sun and moon light the golden and silver towers.*

And stranger still, the temples and shrines dedicated to the Mountain Gods were built within this subaqueous realm – a sight unique to the Verdant Expanse.

Lofted pavilions, painted crimson, rose in splendor amidst the swirling mists and emerald vapours.

The mountain’s summit dipped slightly, forming a basin that locals, with crude wit, dubbed the “Washbasin.” Within this basin, a particular shrine, dedicated to the Mountain Gods, had earned the nickname “Vanity.”

Such names were said to have originated from the travels of Sun Huaizhong, the venerable Master of the Profound Capital Temple, and had quickly spread throughout the neighboring provinces, turning the old master into a living gazetteer of mountains and streams.

Wuzhou chuckled, “I hear Old Lu the Third promised you a First-Rank Offering for your Yu Fu Dynasty?”

Zhu Xuan nodded. “And so, the position remains vacant. Now that Headmaster Lu has returned to the Jade Citadel, he must give me an answer, or at least a timeline. This endless waiting does little good.” It seemed that those who knew Lu Chen were rarely concerned with his rank or power within the Jade Citadel.

Wuzhou smiled. “Does this mean Yong province is seeking to birth a second true dragon?”

In the Vast Expanse, the True Dragon King, Zhu, already reigned supreme.

The Verdant Expanse, with its landscape of nine mountains and one river, could not compare with the Vast Expanse’s abundance of water, making the raising of a true dragon a difficult task indeed.

After the battle for the heavens, the most powerful Jiao-dragons were kept in the Vast Expanse, which offered vast seas for them to be protected, establishing dragon palaces in the four seas and various water estates.

Zhu Xuan demurred. “I dare not aspire to such heights.”

Wuzhou offered counsel. “You might try to entice Qi Gu instead. While the gift of martial fortune after his breakthrough is significant, the true prize is the rogue king, Yuan Lu. His path holds great promise. If you can secure Qi Gu, his friendship with Wang Yuanlu might be a boon – two for the price of one.”

It was clear that Qi Gu and Wang Yuanlu were both men who prized loyalty and old bonds. If Qi Gu became the Royal Offering for the Yu Fu Dynasty, and Wang Yuanlu followed, serving as the Abbot of some Ten Directions Grove within the realm, it would be a tremendous boost to the dynasty’s burgeoning power.

Zhu Xuan’s brow furrowed. “Qi Gu has been evasive. He seems tempted, but refuses to commit, saying he must first return to his homeland in Wu Ling County.”

Compared to the Azure Divinity Dynasty of Bing province, the Yu Fu Dynasty was lacking in terms of the top Daoist fighters. The province was small and like the bottle continent of the Vast Expanse, their resources were stretched to the limit. However, the return of the Primordial Master of Yin, put one of the Fourteenth Realm in the Dynasty’s court.

Wuzhou favored the Yu Fu Dynasty for several reasons. It was once her place of cultivation, though little of it remained, and the first divine weapon she crafted was given to the founding emperor of the Yu Fu Dynasty, a man with great talent that Wuzhou was romantically involved with. The main reason however, was that Wuzhou had hopes for Zhu Xuan’s path. She was already an immortal at merely a hundred years old, and in four or five centuries, with the aid of the world, Zhu Xuan could ascend, as a dragon. If this happened, the Yu Fu Dynasty’s prosperity would grow.

For a cultivator who had reached the fabled Fourteenth Realm, becoming one with the Dao, the path ahead could become… awkward, even boring.

Wuzhou smiled. “The future is forged by human actions.”

Zhu Xuan nodded. “Do your best and listen to fate.”

Wuzhou said, “If I were you, I would travel with them to the Azure Divinity Dynasty. Treat it as a pleasure trip.”

Zhu Xuan replied, “It is a good idea, but impossible.”

For the state was built on offering and military. Yong province was small and the Dynasty was the only power, so there were rarely battles. The religious rituals, however, were too much to handle, and the slightest mistake could be disastrous. The sheer number of rituals, each more complex than the next, left Zhu Xuan exhausted. Each year, she spent months on a ritual or heading to one. She couldn’t trust others with the rituals, so she had to carry the Dynasty on her back. Fortunately, she reached immortality before her father abdicated the throne.

Wuzhou teased, “Your Yu Fu Dynasty lacks a worthy Prime Minister, to oversee the state for you.”

Prime Minister Yao Qing, was any king’s dream.

Near the summit, Wuzhou stopped, squinting at the sky. Her gaze pierced the water, reaching the north.

“The Big Dipper, the Celestial Sphere, the beginning and end can be found within.”

Being a Daoist and a monarch, Zhu Xuan knew that the temple was looking at the ancient Zi Wei Encampment.

*Zi Wei above the big corner, the Imperial seat carries it. The market sits in between, hanging down, tethering lines.*

Zi Wei Encampment was in the center of the northern sky, using the North Star as its center.

It was said that the fates were created within that Palace.

Wuzhou continued her walk. “Mounts Liangjing, the Great Tide, the affiliated mountains, and someone else. It’s a great coincidence.”

“Chao Ge has planned a long game.”

Zhu Xuan frowned, “Was that why Xu Juan had to die, to become a divine ghost? Did Chao Ge and Mount Liangjing plan it all?”

Wuzhou smiled, “Maybe Chao Ge planned it, or maybe she stumbled upon it. During her seclusion, she likely saw an opportunity. Perhaps her chance for Harmony lies in fortune. I do not specialize in divining, but you can ask Headmaster Lu, who is proficient in it.”

Putting aside the process, it was good that the Great Tide and Mount Liangjing have worked together, which gave Xu Juan the advantage of being the head of both sects.

*When the Palace is in Harmony, the Phoenixes will appear, songs will be sung.* This meant that Chao Ge would have success for wedding Xu Juan.

*When the Palace is filled with Stars, good fortune will appear.* This meant that Mount Liangjing and the Great Tide have become powerful. *When the Palace is straight, the Emperor will appear, and the sky will open for war.*

Wuzhou said, “We cultivators must find things to do, especially when we hit a wall. Like me, I have come here.”

With the decline of the three religions, the military has risen to take its place.

From the invasion from the wilds, to the counterattack by the Vast Expanse, the fourteen provinces of the Verdant Expanse was also in chaos. Perhaps, a small spark would lead to a blaze.

Who would win in a war?

Those who would win would be the hidden cultivators.

In the military, there was a competition of Paths.

That was why the Middle Earth Saint changed the warriors in the temple, since it had an impact on this war.

If Zhou Mi had left a master in the world, it would be to help Zhou Mi.

For example, Zhou Mi left behind a swordmaster, to climb to the Fourteenth Realm, or a military cultivator, to create chaos.

No one could guess what Zhou Mi had in mind.

A swordmaster would be of great help, but risk. For while the Vast Expanse would lose one genius, the Verdant Expanse’s Profound Capital would gain Bai Ye.

Bai Ye, who has twice stopped Zhou Mi.

Zhu Xuan asked, “Is there anything that I can do to help you?”

Wuzhou chuckled.

Zhu Xuan realized that was a faux pas.

“You are well intentioned, but it is not necessary.”

Zhu Xuan was about to say something.

Wuzhou said, “You will not give away the Breaker, and I do not need it.”

Zhu Xuan offered the divine weapon as a condition to Qi Gu, for three centuries.

The weapon was a token of Wuzhou’s affection for the founder of the Yu Fu Dynasty.

Wuzhou was in need of divine weapons, but she did not want that one.

There were eighteen divine weapons left in the Verdant Expanse.

Most were lost during the climb to the Heavens, with the few being dug up by the White Jade Citadel.

Of the relics, the best was in the Azure Cloud Tower, an ancient armor that had been sealed for millennia.

The other was with Wuzhou. She was the weapon, since she was a God of Creation.

When she was young, she had obtained the power of a God of Creation.

Wuzhou created many weapons.

She was the number one craftsman.

At Xu Juan’s wedding, she offered the trade to Yu Dou, but was rejected.

Wuzhou said that she could take the armor from the Jade Citadel, and in turn, she would help solve an issue in the world, whoever it was.

But Dou the Second would not budge.

Most likely, he would save the weapon for Shan Qing, as a gift.

Of the remaining fifteen weapons, was Wu Shuangjiang’s sword, the Ancient Gallows.

Wuzhou wasn’t too surprised by Yu Dou’s decision. However, why did Azure Cloud refuse?

Why not give a sword to Wu Shuangjiang? Was he just going to let it gather dust?

Wuzhou tried to trade with the Stork Tower, but was also rejected.

After her calculations, Wuzhou realized that it had to do with Wu Shuangjiang.

Wuzhou was not the best when it came to calculations.

The issue with these weapons, was that they were hard for cultivators to refine, unlike the four swords that couldn’t be refined by Yu Dou.

When a cultivator obtained a weapon, they risked the loss of their minds, becoming evil. The White Jade Citadel has recorded twenty such issues.

Yet, when martial artists obtained them, there were no issues.

Ruzhou’s Lin Jiangxian, Runyue Peak, and Bing Province’s Bai Ou all have divine weapons.

Jiang Zhaomo of the Violet Pavilion also seemed to have a weapon.

On the other hand, cultivators had to be careful.

Once, a great Ascendant nearly opened the gates to the outer demons.

Had Yu Dou not been there, the cultivator would have succeeded.

Headmaster Kou Ming then healed the old cultivator, turning him into the Lord of the City.

Kou Ming once worked with Lou Guan, who was taught by the Dao.

Wuzhou said, “I may be going to the Wilds.”

“There, there is an old being, and we have an issue with each other.”

Wuzhou poured herself a cup of wine, melancholy, “There are few old friends left.”

Yao Kejiu, the predecessor of the City, was of the same generation as Gao Gu.

The City and Profound Capital both had Peach Forests.

Yao Kejiu was also one of the few that was friends with Sun Huaizhong.

Yao Kejiu was not an insider of the Jade Citadel.

He had made a mistake.

If Kou Ming hadn’t been there, Yao Kejiu would have died by Yu Dou’s sword.

Kou Ming took Yao Kejiu to the City, which received criticism.

Since no one could trust him, they said that he was no different from the outer demons.

The Daoist slowly atoned, until it was all erased.

The Daoist then left, to drink away his sorrows at a bar.

He felt as carefree as he did when he was an ordinary citizen, as if all was well with the world. He was drinking his wine while watching the pouring rain.

*Walking forward, evil will be no more.*

The Daoist said, *Home, home.*

Three men sat at the table.

They were Sun Huaizhong, Lu Chen, and Gao Gu.

They hadn’t planned it, but arrived there.

Most likely, Daoists had more to their life.

Finally, Yao Kejiu went to the Sword Wall, as one of the holy ones.

He didn’t come back.

He didn’t want to.

Leaving was like abandoning your home.

Wuzhou and Zhu Xuan stood at the summit, by the small stone bridge. It was named the Return Dragon Bridge.

On the other side, was the shrine, decorated with jade glazed tiles and red doors. It looked to be in control of the water, able to decide the fortune of the lands.

Next to the shrine was a camphor tree. It was said that it determined the fortune of the four lands. If the tree recovered, fortune would strike. If it took years to heal, danger was imminent. If it didn’t heal, the province would fall.

Zhu Xuan had been holding a big ritual, to determine the fate of the four lands.

Although the mountain was in their territory, the Dynasty had to obey to the Jade Citadel.

Wuzhou asked, “Which branches are you going to cut?”

If Zhu Xuan only cut one branch, that would be fine. But if she cut more, the other nations would not be happy.

Zhu Xuan said, “All four.”

Wuzhou laughed, looking at the charming Zhu Xuan.

She was like herself from before.

Fearless.

At the conference, Wuzhou was the first to suggest to kill Zhou Mi.

The Green Expanse had powerful women.

There was Wuzhou, and the First Deputy of the Jade Citadel, Wei Furen.

There was also the reclusive Princess, from the Profound Capital, who was the strongest swordswoman before Sun Huaizhong.

Chao Ge, from Mount Liangjing.

Of the warriors, two were also women, who simply did not have the recognition of Bai Ou.

Wuzhou then looked at the temple.

If Wuzhou wasn’t wrong, one of the most dangerous weapons, lay inside the shrine.