Within the tranquil confines of the Pure Heart Abode, Chongxuan Sheng continued to unveil the history of the Sea-Catching Pavilion.

“The majority of sects currently thriving within the offshore archipelago were established only after that great battle where cultivators from the mainland ventured across the seas. Before that, almost every maritime sect was annihilated by the onslaught of the sea clans. Only one sect stood as an exception…”

Chongxuan Sheng paused, lost in thought for a moment, then amended, “No, to be precise, there were two.”

“Which two?” Jiang Wang inquired.

“One is Yang Valley, and the other is the Sea-Catching Pavilion.”

“Yang Valley?”

Jiang Wang was already familiar with the Sea-Catching Pavilion, but the name “Yang Valley” truly evoked a torrent of associations.

In the realm of myths, the place where the sun rose was known as “Yang Valley.”

The colossal overlord that had once unified the Eastern Domain also bore “Yang” in its name.

Its reach extended from the endless quicksands to the northwest, halted only by the Sword Edge Mountain before the Xia Kingdom to the southwest, and venturing into the Central Domain to contend with the Jing Kingdom in the west. In that era, the Yang Kingdom shone like the midday sun; to call it the kingdom of sunrise was no exaggeration.

Strictly speaking, the current offshore archipelago was once territory of the Yang Kingdom.

“The reason for my slight change in description regarding this sect,” Chongxuan Sheng explained with solemnity, “is because, while it was indeed founded as a sect after the mainland cultivators’ sea-going battle, its history of guarding the maritime frontier spans far longer than those years.

“Its predecessor,” he continued, “was a branch army of the Yang Kingdom tasked with guarding the sea. Its history of safeguarding the maritime frontier is almost as ancient as the Yang Kingdom itself. However, as the Yang Kingdom teetered on the brink of collapse, the last Yang monarch summoned a massive withdrawal of troops for a final desperate stand. This particular branch army alone refused to return to aid the capital.”

“Because they believed,” Chongxuan Sheng’s voice deepened, “that compared to the fleeting glory of the Yang Kingdom, there were things far more worthy of their protection – the peace of the human race’s maritime frontier!”

“It was precisely due to the early persistence of this branch army, the Sea-Catching Pavilion, and the original sects of the offshore archipelago that the later influx of mainland cultivators could arrive and drive the sea clans back into the Labyrinth World.”

“But after that battle concluded and the maritime frontier regained its peace, the commander of that army took his own life with a horizontal sword. With the Yang Kingdom fallen and the royal bloodline severed, he, as a general of the Yang Kingdom, felt he had failed his country’s grace. His surviving followers then inherited his will, continuing to guard the maritime frontier. Though they were all Yang people, with the Yang Kingdom destroyed, they established their sect under the name ‘Yang Valley,’ signifying their eternal vigil at the place of sunrise, lifting the coffin and guarding the gate! This was to show they had not forgotten their former country.”

Jiang Wang let out a long sigh. “Admirable and lamentable!”

“As for the Sea-Catching Pavilion…” Chongxuan Sheng continued, “Their history is even more ancient. According to legend, during the catastrophe that swept through the near ancient era, the sea clans staged a resurgence. The ancestor of the Sea-Catching Pavilion sat upon the Sky’s End Terrace. With one person and one fishing rod, he steadfastly guarded the maritime frontier, fishing for dragons at the Sky’s End! Thus, the world acknowledged the Sea-Catching Pavilion’s authority in the offshore archipelago. Even later, when the Yang Kingdom dominated the Eastern Domain, casting covetous eyes upon the world, they never expelled the Sea-Catching Pavilion.”

One person, one fishing rod, fishing for dragons at the Sky’s End!

What kind of grandeur was this? What kind of spirit!

“It makes one’s heart yearn for it, and regret not being able to witness it firsthand!” Jiang Wang sighed.

“Of course,” Chongxuan Sheng added, “this is merely a legend of the Sea-Catching Pavilion; there are no historical records to prove it, so its veracity cannot be determined. But it is true that the Sea-Catching Pavilion has made indelible contributions to resisting the sea clans over thousands of years.”

Chongxuan Sheng lightly patted his head, as if feeling a headache himself. “In short, the Sea-Catching Pavilion boasts a glorious history, immense contributions, formidable strength, and possesses first-tier influence in the offshore archipelago. The possibility of you shaking their already decided sea sacrifice ceremony is almost nil.”

“While my uncle does operate within the offshore archipelago, firstly, we are not close, and secondly, my Chongxuan family’s influence in the seas is truly insufficient. Even Chongjia Island was merely exchanged from the Tian family’s hands, and we only have development rights for ten years. Even if I stake everything, there’s no way I can stand at the same gambling table as the Sea-Catching Pavilion in the offshore archipelago.”

Chongxuan Sheng’s uncle, Chongxuan Minghe, was the fourth son of the old Marquis Chongxuan Yunbo. He frequently engaged in overseas ventures and rarely returned to Linzi.

His third brother, Chongxuan Mingshan’s death, was largely the responsibility of his second brother, Chongxuan Mingtu. Thus, towards Chongxuan Mingtu’s son, Chongxuan Sheng, he inevitably harbored complex emotions. Over the years, he hadn’t actively bullied Chongxuan Sheng, but neither had he been particularly close.

Their last interaction was also due to Jiang Wang’s matter. When Chongxuan Sheng was gathering information on the sea sects, he specifically entrusted him. At that time, he had not refused.

But this time was different. A sect leader from a sea sect, having left the offshore archipelago, Chongxuan Minghe might not have cared and could have handled it casually. But involving the entire Sea-Catching Pavilion, he would be powerless even if he were willing, or perhaps he wouldn’t be willing at all.

Given Chongxuan Sheng’s background and wisdom, both agreed that this matter was almost impossible.

This meant that saving Zhu Biqiong was indeed a difficult undertaking.

More than anyone, Jiang Wang trusted Chongxuan Sheng’s wisdom and affirmed his judgment.

But he held his sword in both hands, resting it across his knee, and simply stated, “Zhu Biqiong suffered this punishment because of me. Without her intelligence, I would have been unable to counter-kill the sea sect leader at that time.”

His voice was calm, a calmness that only amplified its firmness. “Even if there is no possibility, I must still exhaust my abilities.”

Chongxuan Sheng remained silent for a very long time before finally saying, “An ant attempting to shake a tree is futile. To shake a large tree, one must borrow a strong wind.”

He was reluctant to say these things, unwilling for Jiang Wang to go to such lengths for a mere Zhu Biqiong. But even more so, he did not wish to see Jiang Wang futilely endanger himself.

After all, it was precisely this Jiang Wang, a man who kept his word and valued emotion and righteousness, who had initially earned his trust and substantially accompanied him all the way to this point.

So, he finally offered his suggestion: “Yang Valley suffered too greatly in the Labyrinth World; their strength has always been difficult to develop. Other sects lack foundation and even less prestige. In reality, nowadays, in the offshore archipelago, only the voice of my Great Qi can compare with the Sea-Catching Pavilion. But the voice of Great Qi is not your voice or my voice. Neither you nor I remotely represent Great Qi.”

So, who could better represent Great Qi?

At Jiang Wang’s current level, he still didn’t possess the qualification to see His Majesty at any time. They needn’t consider the Emperor, who represented Great Qi the most. The same applied to figures like the Town Country Grand Marshal or the Prime Minister of Great Qi.

Those he could contact were merely a few princes and princesses of the Jiang royal family.

Princes like Jiang Wuyong, who were beyond hope, were certainly not options.

Those qualified to, to some extent, represent Great Qi and issue a voice were only those several “Palace Masters.”

However, leaning towards princes with aspirations for the dragon throne was, for the Chongxuan family, a very dangerous and detrimental course of action. The Chongxuan family’s own foundation of strength fundamentally had no need to support any contender for the throne.

Thus, only Jiang Wang himself could step forward, making a request in his personal capacity. Chongxuan Sheng and the Chongxuan family behind him would not play any role in this.

This, then, was the time to witness his personal value.

Or rather, it was the time to witness his value in the hearts of the people of Qi Country. That kind of value might not be entirely equivalent to Jiang Wang himself, but it was undoubtedly more recognized, more persuasive.

For a promise from Jiang Wang, who would be willing to bid?

How much would they bid?