This so-called welcoming feast was arranged in a flower garden, surrounded by vibrant blossoms, their fragrance intoxicating and refreshing.

A small round table of white jade had been brought in early, with Chen Ping’an and the Great Li Empress Dowager seated opposite each other.

On the table sat an eye-catching wooden box, which Nan Zan, being from Yuzhang Prefecture, immediately recognized as a food container crafted from her hometown’s timber.

A pot of wine, two pairs of green bamboo chopsticks, and a few cheap pastries served as accompanying dishes.

Nan Zan frowned. What was this? Did this former mud-legged commoner from a humble alleyway in a small town suddenly develop a penchant for contrived mystification just because he became a cultivator?

The young cultivator, whose identity remained veiled in mist, sat between the two.

It was like a long-standing feud between Jianghu factions. The tides had turned, and the now disadvantaged party dared not risk an all-out, irreconcilable conflict, yet was unwilling to lose too much face. They had to find a way to gracefully back down, so they invited a respected figure to mediate.

As for the young man in the yellow hat and green shoes, even though there was an empty seat, he remained standing behind Chen Ping’an, hands clasped in front of his abdomen, a smile on his face.

Chen Ping’an produced a Lamp-Lighting Talisman from his sleeve, an ordinary one. He lightly pinched the yellow seal paper between his fingers and placed it on the food container. The Lamp-Lighting Talisman began to slowly burn, reminding the Great Li Empress Dowager that her time to play dumb was limited.

Nan Zan raised an eyebrow, narrowing her alluring eyes.

Had sudden wealth made him lose his mind? It was one thing to flaunt his authority in the academy, where everyone echoed his sentiments, after all, it was the National Preceptor Cui’s seat of learning. But this was Great Li territory, where every cultivator and pure martial artist had to be registered with the Song Dynasty court. How dare he be so aggressive within the Great Li Imperial Palace?

She was about to telepathically communicate with the old ancestor of the Lu family, when she noticed him immediately shaking his head, signaling her not to be so reckless.

Once the other party determined that Nan Zan had provided an answer, what would there be to discuss?

Chen Ping’an was too skilled at playing the weakling. He appeared to be nothing more than a Golden Core cultivator, or a Wandering Realm martial artist. What a joke.

Moreover, the previous display of Fourteenth Realm aura was too bizarre, its origins suspect. Therefore, if Nan Zan communicated with him telepathically, it was highly likely they would be eavesdropped on.

Chen Ping’an’s visit to the Great Li Imperial City today, specifically requesting to see Empress Dowager Nan Zan, clearly indicated that his patience had run out.

Chen Ping’an folded his hands in his sleeves and actually began to close his eyes and rest.

The young cultivator smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself. My surname is Lu, my given name is Wei, as in clinging to the tail of a fine steed. Lu Jiang and Lu Tai are also from the Lu clan.”

This Lu family ancestor, having introduced himself, continued, “As Mountain Master Chen said on the way here, I have indeed cultivated in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven for many years, which far surpasses my earlier years in the family. So, you and I can be considered half-fellow countrymen.”

Nan Zan felt somewhat more at ease.

The existence of this Lu family ancestor was both a deterrent from that colossal family, reminding her that she was first and foremost Lu Jiang of the Lu clan, and only secondly Nan Zan of Yuzhang Prefecture in Great Li. But Lu Wei was also her greatest support, her backer.

Although Lu Wei was not the Lu family patriarch of the Central Earth, he was a great Yin-Yang cultivator only half a step away from ascension to the Celestial Realm. The depth of his cultivation and the lethality of his attacks did not lie in offensive magic treasures or mystical abilities, but in gaining the upper hand.

If she had a choice, Nan Zan would not want any connection with the Lu clan. A puppet on a string, her life not her own.

Nan Zan wished she were simply a direct descendant of the Nan family of Yuzhang Prefecture, with some aptitude for cultivation, married to a good man, and with two fine sons.

Day after day, she had finally become a mother-in-law, having survived the disappearance of that Embroidered Tiger, and having watched her two sons become, one an Emperor, the other a Prince. She had taken the opportunity to transform from a demure Great Li Empress to an Empress Dowager capable of issuing edicts, able to participate in Great Li politics to some extent, rather than being like that naturally seductive daughter-in-law, whose so-called Empress status was nothing more than chatting about trivial matters with some honored ladies.

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes and asked, “Is Lu Hui, the Confucian scholar of the Earthly Branch lineage of Great Li, also a direct descendant of the Lu clan of the Central Earth?”

Lu Wei smiled slightly. As expected of a Sect Master who started from scratch, his thoughts were like swift swallows, accustomed to thinking what others could not.

Most people, even if they knew the path to success of this Mountain Master Chen, would probably focus more on his immortal encounters.

But Lu Wei was too familiar with the customs and inside secrets of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, knowing how difficult it was for a rootless orphan from a humble alley to reach this point.

Lu Wei’s role as a peacemaker today was sincere, without any concealment. He shook his head and said, “That child Lu Hui is just a collateral descendant. He is not quite the same as Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, and he still does not know his origins.”

Chen Ping’an said, “If I were that fisherman who casts his net by the abyss, I might have to recite an old saying several times a day, ‘The net of Heaven is vast, its meshes wide, yet nothing escapes.'”

Lu Wei nodded. “Golden words, I deeply agree.”

The old coachman who had driven Nan Zan to the alley to find Chen Ping’an had heavily invested in Ma Kuxuan of Apricot Blossom Lane, who later went to cultivate on True Martial Mountain.

As for the Feng family madam, although she and the old coachman were both ancient deities, she had no particular stance, offending no one, and making friends widely.

Lu Wei and that Dragon Ascendant, who had yet to appear before Chen Ping’an, had once jointly invested in the Song clan of Great Li, which was then just a vassal of the Lu clan.

During his time in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, Lu Wei’s most proud achievement was not secretly helping the late Great Li Emperor plan the location of the old Five Sacred Mountains of Great Li, but earlier, when Lu Wei personally cultivated two young people from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, carefully imparting knowledge to them. Later, these two became the most famous ministers of the Great Li Song Dynasty, Cao Hang and Yuan Xie, one civil and one military, the pillars of the country, helping Great Li through its most dangerous years, saving Great Li from being completely annexed by the Lu Dynasty, which at the time, the Great Li was a vassal state to.

However, to conceal his tracks, Lu Wei had asked Feng Yi to send the two out of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven.

With the gates of the continent plastered with images of Yuan and Cao as door gods, Lu Wei gained a great deal of landscape aura, greatly benefiting his Dao, and finally showing signs of loosening the bottleneck of the Immortal Realm.
Previously, at the Fire God Temple, Aunt Feng teased the old coachman, suggesting that if things got dire, he might as well reveal someone’s background for self-preservation.

Aunt Feng was referring to Lu Wei.

The old coachman remained somewhat tough, unwilling to lose face in front of Chen Ping’an, a mud-legged fellow he once looked down upon, so he didn’t do it.

However, the bigger reason was that the old coachman had always believed that the so-called Four Troublesome Ghosts of the mountains combined were no match for a fortune teller.

Seeing the two chatting amiably, Nan Zan began to feel uneasy.

Could she be regarded as a discarded pawn by the Lu Clan’s ancestor? Or would she be used as a bargaining chip in a transaction?

Lu Wei suddenly shifted his gaze, looking at the strange retainer behind Chen Ping’an, and asked with a smile, “Mountain Lord Chen, this fellow Daoist, who goes by the alias ‘Stranger,’ doesn’t seem to be a native of our Haoran, does he?”

An Qi Refining cultivator whose origins of the Great Dao and depth of cultivation even he couldn’t discern, was at least an Immortal Realm cultivator.

During their time leading the way, Lu Wei had quietly performed a deduction, but unfortunately, it was all tangled mess, without a trace to be found.

Lu Wei didn’t dare to deduce too much, fearing to stir up trouble and cause unnecessary problems for himself.

However, deep down, Lu Wei felt that this “Stranger” of unknown origin, behind that gentle and courteous smile, hid extreme murderous intent.

Chen Ping’an introduced, “Senior Lu is highly respected on the mountains, and his years of cultivation are there for all to see, so you can just call him Xiao Mo. Monks don’t speak of their names, and Daoists don’t speak of their age; each has its own reasons. As for where Xiao Mo comes from and where he cultivates, Xiao Mo is a wandering rogue cultivator, so he doesn’t talk about his lineage.”

Lu Wei chuckled it off. He could only rely on a trace of wild aura on the other party’s body to make some useless guesses. Either he was an old sword immortal from the Great Wall of Sword Qi who had been hiding in the wilderness for many years, immersed in too much foreign fortune, or he was simply a demon cultivator who had taken the initiative to pledge allegiance to the Great Wall of Sword Qi!

Similar to that old deaf man.

And the demon cultivators of the Ascension and Immortal Realms in Haoran were almost all known on the mountain peaks, such as Guo Outing of Iron Tree Mountain, with the Daoist name Youming, and Liu Daochun, Junior Brother of Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, though he seemed to have changed his name to Liu Chicheng now. Lu Wei didn’t think any of them fit the image of this “Stranger” before him. One should know that Lu Wei was one of the top aura observers in the world, and the so-called mountain and water camouflage of ordinary immortals had no effect on Lu Wei at all.

Since Chen Ping’an had served as the last Hidden Official for many years, both publicly and privately, he should indeed have such a sword-skilled retainer by his side to take his place and save his life.

“The sun and moon shine together, all are fellow Daoists.”

Xiao Mo smiled warmly, his voice mellow, and said in the most authentic Middle Earth Divine Continent’s elegant language, “So Senior Lu doesn’t need to distinguish between native and foreign. Just treat me as a junior on the path of cultivation.”

Lu Wei looked at Chen Ping’an and sighed inexplicably, “Sages are the substitutes of heaven and earth.”

Raising his wine cup, Lu Wei drank it all in one gulp, “Heroes are the manifestations of stars.”

Chen Ping’an turned a deaf ear, only glancing at the slowly burning lamp charm. Suddenly, he pinched a mountain incense from his sleeve, which he had recently bought from Cai Jinjian of Cloud Peak Mountain.

He lightly tapped the stone table with the mountain incense, as if lighting incense in an incense burner, or rather… offering incense to Lu Wei, who was so close.

He was reminding this old Lu Clan senior who had been dormant in Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven for many years that the “half-fellow countryman” relationship between them only amounted to this much incense.

Whether Lu Wei was going to reason with him, move him with emotion, or spew nonsense in a serious manner, manipulating some mysterious theories of fate, he only had the time it took for an incense stick to burn.

Once that time was up, he didn’t want to see Senior Lu’s face again.

Otherwise, it would be tantamount to a sword duel.

Lu Wei remained calm, not taking it to heart.

The old immortal’s cultivation was undoubtedly profound.

Nan Zan, on the other hand, was so annoyed that her pretty face flushed slightly, and her eyes widened as if curses were already on the tip of her tongue, about to blurt out.

She was actually secretly pleased. If she could drag the entire Middle Earth Lu Clan into the water, she didn’t believe that this Mountain Lord Chen would still dare to act on impulse.

In her opinion, the beneficiaries of the world would definitely desperately protect their vested interests, which was a simple and obvious truth.

All protective charms were also shackles. The more identities and titles Chen Ping’an had, the more he would be wary of going for a mutually destructive outcome with anyone.

Lu Wei said, “The Lu Clan is too big, with flourishing branches. Not to mention the differences in the Great Dao and conflicts of interest between the direct lineage and the other branches, even within our direct lineage, there are constant disagreements. That’s why outsiders say that the Lu Clan’s ancestral hall meeting is definitely the most mentally exhausting.”

The first half of Lu Wei’s words was indeed not boasting, and the second half was not insincere. The Lu Clan’s scholarship occupied half of the Yin-Yang School’s territory. At its peak, one family had one ascendant and three immortals. If it weren’t for the elusive Zou Zi, the Lu Clan’s position in Haoran would be even higher.

Zou Zi spoke of the heavens, while the Lu Clan spoke of the earth.

To give an example, it was like Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden in Precious Bottle Continent two hundred years ago, who single-handedly suppressed all the peak sword cultivators of the entire Upright Sun Mountain.

The sun, moon, and stars govern the seasons, and mountains and rivers drive the earth’s Qi. When heaven and earth, yin and yang, intermingle, all things are born within. Heaven reveals omens, and sages choose them. Geomancy is in accordance with the Dao of Heaven, and geography is in accordance with the Dao of Earth. Therefore, geomancy is the top-class study of heaven and earth in the world. The two Qi of heaven and earth are scattered by the wind and stopped by water, which is called Feng Shui. Therefore, Feng Shui is the most important of Earth Studies.

In fact, the geomancers and aura observers of the Lu Clan were no less skilled in observing celestial phenomena and gathering wind and water.

Moreover, the Yin-Yang School’s Lu Clan had an extremely hidden duty: to assist Fengdu, so that people would be in the Yang world, and ghosts would be in the Yin world, so that the Yin and Yang would eventually be separated and not interfere with each other.

Lu Wei’s face showed a hint of regret, “So many things, in the eyes of outsiders, the Lu Clan does very inexplicably, often contradicting themselves.”

“For example, in the matter of the late Emperor of Da Li, in my opinion, the Lu Clan disciple from a collateral branch was too hasty, and his modification of the stone arch bridge into a covered bridge was against the Dao of Heaven and against human ethics.”

Back then, the Yin-Yang cultivator from Middle Earth Divine Continent was, on the surface, helping the Da Li Dynasty imitate the Jade Capital, along with the Mo family branch to which the wandering knight Xu Ruo belonged.
The late Emperor of Great Li secretly cultivated, violating the rules set by the Literary Temple, and ascended to the realm of Earth Immortal. As a result, he almost became a puppet. When the matter was exposed, that Yin-Yang cultivator attempted to flee far away, but was killed by the princely vassal Song Changjing within the capital city.

Chen Pingan smiled, “Seems like it’s missing a ‘now that things have come to this’? When the melon is ripe, it must be placed in a basket, or it will rot in the ground? So that person was acting presumptuously, creating havoc, and you all are cleaning up the mess, ultimately making amends for your misdeeds, is that right? I’ve learned a lot from this method of shirking responsibility.”

Extending his hand from his sleeve, a finger pressed against a green bamboo chopstick on the table, gently sliding it towards the edge. The chopstick hung slightly in the air before Chen Pingan stopped, coldly saying, “Everything you did back then was wrong, but in hindsight, there’s always justification. You Land Clan of the Central Earth are so skilled at picking and choosing, why not become chefs?”

Lu Wei glanced at the chopstick, his eyelids twitching slightly.

In that instant, that single action caused Lu Wei’s heartstrings to tighten.

This was by no means the aura of a Jade Pure Realm sword cultivator.

The problem was that, according to the secret family letter, Chen Pingan had already returned that fourteenth realm Daoist magic, and after returning to the city walls from his travels, he seemed to be seriously injured.

Nan Zan wore a look of gritted teeth, worthy of Lu Jiang indeed.

Lu Wei sighed, “Regarding the Natal Porcelain matter, Lu Jiang can make another concession. As long as Mountain Master Chen agrees to a small matter, Nan Zan will hand over the fragments, returning them to their rightful owner.”

Chen Pingan remained expressionless, glanced at Nan Zan, whose acting was not quite polished, then squinted at Lu Wei, saying indifferently, “Judging by your tone, are you planning to take everything upon yourself today?”

Chen Pingan was clear about the calculations of the Land Clan of the Central Earth, he had seen through it all in the capital city.

Don’t forget who Chen Pingan borrowed that Daoist magic from. He wore Lu Chen’s lotus crown on his head.

You, Lu Wei, want to imitate Master Zou?

Chen Pingan shook his head, “Taking everything upon yourself, can you, Lu Wei, shoulder it? If you can’t handle it, can your Land Clan of the Central Earth bear the consequences?”

No matter how good Lu Wei’s self-cultivation was, his expression became somewhat unnatural upon hearing this.

This sentence touched one of Lu Wei’s greatest anxieties in his life. In the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, he had once been driven to the point of begging for death by a scholar.

Lu Wei was clearly unwilling to give up, “Whether it’s the Great Li Dynasty or the Treasure Bottle Continent, I, Lu, am ultimately an outsider, just a passerby. Mountain Master Chen is different.”

“If a small matter that could have been mutually beneficial, an unnecessary dispute driven by emotion, were to escalate into a major conflict, with war breaking out, mountains and rivers collapsing, and countless lives being lost? Moreover, the war between the two continents is imminent, and if the situation in Great Li changes, the Treasure Bottle Continent will follow suit. If there are further unexpected events in the Treasure Bottle Continent, it will have far-reaching consequences. Everything has its own phase, and people have their own words. Our Land Clan has the ‘Earth Mirror Records’. Spring brings great floods, fish walk the path of men. Autumn brings war and division, people walk the path of birds. The consequences are unimaginable. Does Mountain Master Chen want to turn the Treasure Bottle Continent, which is now free from external threats, into another Tongye Continent?”

Lu Wei’s expression was sincere, lamenting, “Those who saved the Treasure Bottle Continent from disaster were Mountain Master Chen’s two elder brothers.”

Staring intently at the young man before him, Lu Wei said in a deep voice, “The one who continues the legacy of the Sword Qi Great Wall is Chen Pingan, the last Hidden Official!”

Lu Wei finally shook his head to himself, “Such a good situation, why ruin it at the last moment? Such a bright future, why destroy it in an instant?”

Chen Pingan asked, “Judging by your posture, it seems you’ve already taken the position of Grand Preceptor for the new Great Li Dynasty.”

Lu Wei smiled wryly, “I dare not.”

Chen Pingan laughed, “Did I agree?”

Lu Wei was speechless.

At that moment, Lu Wei felt a slight daze.

The young man in the blue robe before him seemed to have two personas overlapping each other.

Xiao Mo immediately chimed in, “Immortal Lu hasn’t asked about this matter, and Young Master hasn’t agreed.”

Chen Pingan leaned forward slightly, actually extending two fingers to extinguish the stick of mountain incense standing on the table.

Therefore, in an instant, a ray of azure sword light fell straight down.

Nan Zan closed her eyes almost instinctively.

When she opened them again, she saw that in the place where the Land Clan’s ancestor had been, a golden talisman that had been cut in half floated gently to the ground.

At the same time, Nan Zan noticed that the green chopstick was missing from the table next to Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan was not at all surprised.

It was one of the great talismans created by the Land Clan of the Central Earth, called the “Truth Talisman”, also known as the “Corpse Severing Talisman”, which was superior to the Puppet Talismans and Substitute Talismans of the mountain sects, because when a cultivator used this talisman, it was almost indistinguishable from their true body, only dropping one realm.

However, there were two limitations. One was the number of talismans, which would never exceed three at the same time. The other was that the distance between the cultivator’s true body and the talisman would not be too far. With Lu Wei’s Immortal Realm cultivation, it wouldn’t be too far at all.

Xiao Mo placed one hand behind his back and lightly flicked his wrist with the other, condensing a snow-bright longsword with sword qi. While looking around, he couldn’t help but sincerely praise, “Young Master’s sword has broken free from the confines of sword techniques, and is close to the Dao.”

These were Xiao Mo’s heartfelt words.

Any technique that could break through the limitations of realms was close to the Dao.

“Xiao Mo, find Lu Wei’s true body.”

Chen Pingan beckoned, grabbing the talisman that had been split in two in his hand. As expected, it was a talisman made by melting and refining golden essence copper coins, imitating a certain natal divine ability of an ancient deity.

Xiao Mo nodded, twisting his wrist, and the longsword instantly transformed into millions of snow-white threads, disappearing in an instant, as if spreading an invisible net over the entire Great Li capital.

Nan Zan only saw that the young follower beside Chen Pingan still had a smile on his face. At this moment, he seemed to be listening intently. Noticing her gaze, this “Xiao Mo” even nodded politely to her.

A chill ran down Nan Zan’s spine, giving her goosebumps.

Chen Pingan placed the two halves of the talisman together on the table, taking advantage of the fact that the spiritual energy of the talisman’s core had not yet completely dissipated, he lowered his head and carefully examined it, not forgetting to remind the Great Li Empress Dowager, “Drinking can embolden you.”

In various places in the Great Li capital, rays of talisman light lit up one after another, fleeing far away in four directions, as swift as shooting stars.

It seemed to be one true body and three talismans, appearing in sequence, with varying speeds of escape, all of which were distractions.

Xiao Mo ignored them all, instead squatting down, bending his fingers, and knocking on the ground, laughing, “Come out.”

His five fingers were like hooks, and with a sudden pull, he grabbed Lu Wei’s true body by the neck and dragged him out of the ground.
These mystical Yin-Yang masters and Qi cultivators truly are inept at fighting.

The sound of the zither strings was so loud in Xiao Mo’s ears that it was like thunder.

And what was worse, this fellow had the audacity to use earth-burrowing techniques. Was he playing around?

Otherwise, it would have taken a few blinks of an eye to find the true form of this old senior Lu.

Xiao Mo carried the old immortal, walking slowly back to where the latter had been, and gently set him down.

Standing behind Lu Wei, Xiao Mo placed his hands on the other’s shoulders and complained, “My young master didn’t tell you to leave, so please don’t act on your own initiative, Senior. Let this be a lesson.”

Xiao Mo then brought two fingers together and lightly spun them. The four talismans that had fled thousands of miles away were like kites drawn back by an invisible thread, returning to his hand.

Glancing at his young master, Chen Ping An allowed the talisman on the table to dissipate on its own, then looked up and shook his head with a smile, “We’re not related, and it’s not a holiday. There’s no need for gifts.”

Xiao Mo had no choice but to bend down and lift the old immortal’s sleeve, casually tossing the four talismans inside.

If his young master wasn’t present, Xiao Mo would have made Lu Wei eat them all.

Lu Wei, wearing a stiff expression, said, “At worst, it’s just a matter of a life-extending lamp in the Lu Clan ancestral hall. From now on, I hope Mountain Master Chen takes care of himself.”

In truth, within this Lu Clan ancestor’s miniature world, ten thousand strands of sword qi raged.

Sweat beaded on Nan Zan’s forehead.

Chen Ping An smiled, picked up the last chopstick with his left hand, then reached out with his right palm, gently pressing against the underside of the table. He suddenly lifted it, causing the table to flip in the air, then pressed down on it again.

The delicacies from the food box were scattered all over the ground, the wine pot shattered, and wine spilled everywhere.

Chen Ping An’s “table-flipping” action greatly startled Nan Zan. This time, her pale face was no longer an act.

Chen Ping An asked, “Mountains and rivers shattered? Are you two overestimating yourselves?”

Looking at the Great Li Empress Dowager, who was finally no longer acting, Chen Ping An said, “Actually, you’re not having a hard time at all. The ones who are truly suffering are your two sons who exchanged names.”

Shifting his gaze to Lu Wei, Chen Ping An asked, “Do you really want to die once? Think about it carefully first, but when you speak later, remember to choose your words carefully.”

Nan Zan remained silent.

So did Lu Wei.

The reason for today’s banquet was that they had conducted a meticulous deduction, listing a long string of names.

巡狩使 Cao Ping, Guan Yiran, Liu Xunmei, Yuan Huajing (a Yuan clan disciple and also an Earth Branch cultivator), Yu Mian (Nan Zan’s daughter-in-law), and Yu Yu (that foolish young girl).

Liu Jia, Zhao Duanming, and the Heavenly Waters Zhao clan.

The Great Li military might not acknowledge some closed-door disciple of the Sage of Culture, or some down-on-his-luck Mountain Lord Sword Immortal from Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

But they recognized the “Hidden Official” title. They recognized it deeply. Because both sides were people who had crawled out of piles of corpses.

And there was an even simpler reason: without the obstruction and delay of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Great Li iron cavalry would suffer even greater losses. Even if all the trees in Yu Zhang County were felled to make coffins, it still wouldn’t be enough.

In addition, when Chen Ping An first arrived in the capital, he led the heroic souls of the battlefield back to their homeland. The Great Li Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, even if they didn’t say anything, had a scale in their hearts. Was this Chen Sword Immortal hypocritical, a false gentleman? Was he trying to win the favor of the two ministries of Great Li? From the officialdom to the battlefield, Great Li sincerely admired pragmatism.

Moreover, there was also Mount Pi Yun, which was as close as brothers with Fallen Phoenix Mountain; the Northern Mountain Deity, Wei Bo; the Southern Mountain Deity, Fan Junmao; and the Sun family of Old Dragon City.

Yuan Tianfeng of the Directorate of Astronomy had, in fact, already expressed his attitude in his own way.

And that scheming Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who was a close friend of the Elderly Master Guan of the Ministry of Appointments, both of whom were scholars at the old Great Li Cliffside Academy.

The martial officer on duty at the Imperial City Gate, responsible for stopping people, came from the Ma clan of Poyang, a Pillar of State. Although he wasn’t a big figure in the Ma clan, his attitude towards the young Sword Immortal largely represented the Poyang Ma clan’s view of Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

The female array master of the Earth Branch lineage, Han Zhoujin, although she came from Qingtan Blessed Land under the jurisdiction of the God Decree Sect. However, Han Zhoujin’s patron was the Zi Zhao Yan family. The Zi Zhao Yan family had poured a great deal of incense offerings, connections, and natural treasures into Han Zhoujin.

That middle-aged Daoist from the Chong Xu Bureau in the Great Li capital came from the White Cloud Temple in Qingluan Kingdom.

The Vice Minister of Rites in the secondary capital, Liu Qingfeng; Wei Liang; the True Realm Sect of the Book Brief Lake; Liu Laocheng; Liu Zhimao; Li Fuqu; the Wind and Snow Temple; the Wind and Thunder Garden…

In fact, there were an even greater number of figures in the court, immortal masters on the mountains, and generals on the battlefield, who were swept up in this “great net” that had spread from Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

If you added other continents, the Central Earth Literary Temple, and the Ascension City of the Five Colors World… then the size of the chessboard and the number of pieces would only become more exaggerated.

In fact, the table in front of Lu Wei and Nan Zan was a game board that encompassed the entire Great Li Song clan.

The one playing the game…

… was the Green-Clad Seated Hermit.

At this moment, Nan Zan inexplicably had a feeling that the young man across from her seemed to be saying: From today on, I am the Great Li National Preceptor.