Advance the future and become a martial saint on earth!

Beicang was one of the thirty-six vassal states of the Great Xuan Dynasty, belonging to the "White Mountains and Black Waters".

Long ago, before the Nine Dynasties, the Great Xuan Heaven was located in what was known as the "Red Land of Divine Continent". It is said that the Ancestral Human Emperor collected all the weapons in the world to forge a great artifact for human immortals, which was then distributed to guard the nine regions.

Therefore, it is also known as the ancient Nine Provinces.

The Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River are one of these continents.

Other examples include the Central Plains where Baiyujing is located, the Jiangnan region where Shizhujian Mountain is situated, as well as Sichuan and Jingchu.
All of them are among the 'Ancient Nine Provinces'.

However, as the world has changed and the realms have fought and fought each other for hundreds and thousands of years, the territory of the Red Land has shrunk considerably.

However, according to the law of a once-in-a-millennium calamity and the unification of all heavens, not long afterward, this 'Red Land Divine Continent' will also be affected by the rising spiritual tide, causing all the stripped territories to return.

At the same time, many heretics, immortals, Buddhas, and saints will also be fully revealed in this great world of 'human immortals and martial arts', vying for the top spot!
And right now, in Beicang!

This city, which governs all the prefectures, is the most important 'state and vassal town' in the easternmost part of the northern border.
Due to the matter of the 'Impermanent Origin Prefecture' which was born in Jiangyin Prefecture under its jurisdiction.
The storm had already begun, creating a huge upheaval!
In the vast state of Beicang, there are countless prominent clans and lineages spanning three generations.

However, the legacy of these great figures, which enjoyed a period of great prosperity, often fades away like fallen leaves in the wind after a century of trials and tribulations.

Only those whose wealth has lasted for three generations, whose families have produced high-ranking officials, who are born into wealth and privilege, who can secure a position in the mansions of a prefecture, and who can dabble in military, political, and commercial affairs, with their businesses spanning various prefectures, and who are even more powerful figures who manage their family businesses for generations and stabilize the world.
Only then can they be called 'powerful clans'!
With such a wealth of resources, there have been six families that have grown together since Beicang was established, known as the "Six Families"!
They supported powerful families and influential households, and received offerings from them;

He cultivated his own followers to create a false image of a martial saint, established the foundation of the true sect, and made them his supporters.

Within the gates of Beicang, a single call to arms could rouse the entire prefecture to its feet!
At the very least, they have weathered two or three hundred years of trials and tribulations.

Regardless of whether the Xuan Court is in decline or prosperity, regardless of whether the land of Changbai Mountain and Heilongjiang is governed by feudal lords or by regional military governors who have established their own governments and military commands, the Xuan Court remains in power.
Their power has never been affected. As the saying goes, "The feudal lords come and go, but the powerful clans remain."

Beicang is a street of powerful and wealthy families, where people chat and laugh and no ordinary people come and go. Pavilions and towers with upturned eaves can be seen everywhere.

at this time.

A muffled sound emanated from the main hall of a mansion inscribed with the name 'Qin Clan':

"How could the remnants of the Heavenly Blade sect that the Dragon Elephant True Sect, who became a giant, have become so powerful?"

"Judging from the appearance of the feudal lord Chen Xuanque, he intends to appoint this child as the first among the Xuan officials in this registration."

The lord, Qin Baisheng, had a stern face, took a sip of tea, and frowned deeply.

He looked at Qin Jinkui, the prodigy who had returned from Jiangyin Prefecture and was now bowing his head after participating in the Yuan Prefecture trip, and tapped his fingertips on the table, lost in thought.

Beside him, Dugu Cheng, the patriarch of the Dugu Clan, wore a gloomy expression:
"First?"

"Chen Xuanque really thinks highly of that brat!"

“Since he left Baiyujing to take up his post in Baishan Heishui and became the ruler of Beicang, he has never competed with us local clans for anything in the past few decades.”

"But ever since that brat showed up, not only did he defy public opinion and elevate the remnant of the ancestral court of swordsmanship to the position of true sect, but he also granted Xu Longxiang the rightful position. What is he trying to do?"

"In the selection of prefectural officials, if one ranks first, one is qualified to represent Beicang Prefecture in the selection of Baiyujing. If one can win a seat, one can be promoted to Baiyujing."

"That's something many powerful clans are proud of!"

"On a grander scale, if one could attain the strength and skill of the Young Dragon Stele's foremost warrior, or even the prowess of a young martial saint, after inscribing the words, one might even be able to step into the ancient Daoist court's legacy, the 'Peach Banquet,' and hope to gain unparalleled advantages and opportunities!"

"Although that brat certainly doesn't have that kind of ability, if he gets into Baiyujing because of this, he might just emerge from hiding. If it's someone else, then so be it; we can just give Chen Xuanque some face."

"But if the Dragon Elephant True Sect were to step forward, there's no guarantee that the old grievances wouldn't be brought up again!"

Dugu Cheng's face was somber.

The 'Dugu Clan' behind him, as well as Qin Baisheng's 'Qin Clan' and the 'Yuwen Clan' have been closely connected throughout history.

therefore
They have a blood feud with the Dragon Elephant True Sect!

Nearly a hundred years ago, after the last Great Mystic Lord Jiang Li, who was recognized by the Nine Provinces and whose destiny was sealed, fell.

To ensure their clans remained powerful and to secure their own positions as feudal lords, the three clans were extremely interested in the political turmoil in the Central Plains.

Since the fall of Xuanjun, those vassal kings have been vying to win over the Nine Clans and Ten Pillars, opening the gates of the realm, and recruiting immortals, Buddhas, and saints into the prefectures as legitimate rulers, all in order to ascend to the throne.

As a local powerful clan, although they had been wealthy for generations, they were still far inferior to the princes and nobles of Baiyujing, making it difficult for them to get involved in the center of the vortex.

Even so.
When Bai Yujing was purging the "Sun and Moon Pavilion," a force personally established by the former Xuanjun, they spared no effort in order to advance their careers and gain more influence in the power center.

As Baiyujing was under the jurisdiction of the Northern Garrison Command, which was subordinate to various prefectures and counties, it received an order from the Black Ice Platform, which was in charge of the garrison command, to exterminate the warriors of the Sun and Moon Pavilion.

The three powerful clans believed that the new emperor's ascension to the throne would soon reveal the truth.

Therefore, based on the principle of gaining some political favor, he searched the mountains and seas and toured the northern Cang region.

He then brutally murdered Ye Wenjiang, a brilliant disciple of the Dragon Elephant True Sect who had been known as "Ye Wenjiang" for nearly a hundred years and later joined the Sun and Moon Pavilion in Baiyujing, in a desolate, forgotten cave in a small mountain county.

And that matter
As luck would have it, it was those same people who gave the order.

This matter caused quite a stir back then, but it was nothing more than settling scores with the old guard from the previous dynasty, and there was no fear of any hidden dangers.

Even the patriarch of the Dragon Elephant True Sect was only at the level of a Martial Saint. Even if he had connections with the True Martial Mountain, he had already betrayed the sect, so why would the various factions care too much?

But the three valves never anticipated this, no matter how much they planned.
For decades, numerous vassal kings have fought tooth and nail for the throne of the Mysterious Lord, but none have been able to obtain the rightful succession and thus rightfully inherit the great throne.

To this day, Baiyujing is still 'empty and without a successor,' and can only be governed by various feudal lords and six officials, with orders issued from Baiyujing.

This is really awkward.

Even though they put in a lot of effort, they didn't get much benefit from it.

It wasn't a big deal originally.

But recently, the matter of the Dragon Elephant True Sect has resurfaced.

Moreover, Xu Longxiang has become a giant, and that brat Ji Xiu in his sect is making great progress in martial arts cultivation every day, showing a strong momentum to compete for the 'Young Dragon Stele', which cannot help but attract the attention of other sects!
The reason Qin Baisheng opposed Chen Xuanque, the feudal lord, last time, was that the 'ancestral court of swordsmanship' he used was just a pretext.

The real, underlying reason.
It was because Ji Xiushen bore the legacy of two families; he was not only a remnant of the Sword Court but also a Dragon Elephant Daoist!

This put him in a terrible predicament. No one wanted to see him rise to power, especially considering the intelligence they had gathered.
That kid surnamed Ji came from the same small mountain county where his family once fought and killed 'Ip Man Kong'!
He once used a martial art that was well-known and recorded by many people. There was a style called "Ye Long Xiang Shou". If I'm not mistaken, it is most likely that he is the successor of Ip Man Kong!

Otherwise, Xu Longxiang wouldn't value him so highly!

To put it bluntly, the remnants of the Sword Dao Ancestral Court are the Wang Quan family, the Divine Weapon Altar, and those from Jiangnan Sword Mountain who either embezzled others' inheritances, coveted the sealed mountain gate's secret treasures, or have centuries-old feuds with the Nine Clans and Ten Pillars—those are not worth paying attention to.

If there was no past enmity or recent grudge, what business is it of these powerful families of Beicang?

He ranks first among the Xuan officials and is going to Baiyujing to inscribe something; let him go. Perhaps the various clans will openly or secretly lend a helping hand and give him some benefits. After all, if he truly rises to prominence in the future, why not repay the favor?

Can be biased.
This feud is not only huge, but very serious!
To kill a martial arts master you've never met is a crime that goes far beyond deep-seated hatred.

Therefore, how could Qin Baisheng allow him to take the lead?

Without a second thought, we must pin him down and keep him pinned down in that corner of the mansion!
Originally, the selection of Xuan officials and the emergence of the Yuanfu of the Impermanent Laws was a great opportunity to see if they could take advantage of this chance to eliminate them, but plans can't keep up with changes.
These successive major changes were unprecedented, even for the various powerful clans who had been stationed in Beicang for a long time.

"Lord of the clan, Uncle Dugu."

"This was truly an accident. In terms of martial arts skills, that kid is definitely inferior to me and Brother Dugu, but he just happened to be lucky."

"Even when that Demon Lord was born, he couldn't be subdued. Instead, he obtained the King's Power Blade and the Lord of Qishan Jiang intervened, managing to escape danger and turn misfortune into good fortune!"

"It's truly infuriating!"

"If we say he ranks first in this 'selection of Xuan officials'..."

"I absolutely refuse to accept this!"

Qin Jin Kui, the proud heir of the Qin Clan, who had returned empty-handed from his trip to the "Impermanent Yuan Mansion of All Laws," listened to the two clan leaders' conversation and became increasingly resentful.

It's perfectly normal that the True Person of the Xuanfu Sect was willing to sever his own cultivation to enter the Yuan Mansion, so it's no wonder they were no match for him.

But everyone else became mere supporting characters, and in the end, Ji Xiu reaped the rewards.
This truly made Qin Jinkui's blood boil, and as he sailed back to Beicang on the large ship, he became angrier the more he thought about it.

If it were a loss due to martial arts, that would be one thing, but in the end, it was simply bad luck.
This is hard to accept.

Especially since beside him was Dugu Qi, the youngest son of Dugu Cheng, the head of the Dugu clan. He was fine until he heard Ji Xiu's name; otherwise, the mere mention of Ji Xiu's name would have been enough.
His mind was filled with images of Bai Shuo from the Water Lord's Mansion, who was cold and indifferent to him but doting on Ji Xiu, showing him tenderness and affection. Just thinking about it made his eyes red.

"How can that kid deserve to be number one?!"

"When he entered the Yuan Mansion, he hadn't even forged his Martial Body yet!"

"If a fight really breaks out, I can kill him with one hand, why would I need weapons!"

"Such a talent has won the favor of the Dragon Princess of the Water Lord's Palace."

boom!
Just thinking about it made him furious and resentful.

For generations, the Dugu clan has formed marriage alliances with the Shui Jun family, and those they seek to marry are all of mixed blood or from collateral branches.

Finally, in this generation, the Dragon King relented and promised to marry a direct descendant.

As the youngest son of the Dugu clan leader, this opportunity naturally fell to Dugu Qi. He wanted to marry the noble and precious dragon girl the moment he saw Bai Shuo, but he had no chance at all.

This really made him so angry he wanted to grind his teeth.

Looking at his youngest son, Dugu Cheng felt an even greater headache coming on.
"Ever since I came back, I've been thinking about it constantly."

"What kind of foundation does the Dongcanghai Sea Lord's Palace possess? It's comparable to the Heavenly Pillar Grand Chamber!"

"What kind of bloodline the White Dragon Lord wants to grant is entirely up to him. You are extremely fortunate to have even received an invitation!"

"That Bai Shuo has already received a title. Given that old Dragon Lord's attitude of waiting for the right price, he can only dream of becoming one of the Nine Clans and Ten Pillars, a Young Dragon Nominated, or a descendant of an outsider king or a Dao Child!"

"If it weren't for an unprecedented event, which would have happened in the last few years, even this invitation and the promised marriage would be something the Dugu family, with its status, couldn't possibly desire. And yet you're being picky."

Fortunately, this large clan did not need him to shoulder the burden. According to the written custom of Beicang, or even the major clans in each state, the eldest son of almost every clan was sent to the "Ten Pillars" for further study through various connections.

For example, in the Dugu clan, the eldest son of Dugu City, at the age of thirty, became a pillar of the clan, skillfully managing relationships within the family. This is a common practice among these powerful clans.

So let the youngest son be a marriage prospect, and let him be.

Although his son was dim-witted, his words struck a chord with Dugu Cheng, who immediately looked at Qin Baisheng:
"Lord Qin, if Chen Xuanque were to hold the 'Grand Ceremony for the Succession of Xuan Officials,' and truly appoint the top cultivator of that season, record their name in the Jade Capital, and make them the top Xuan Official among all the states to participate in the Xuan Capital Grand Examination?"

"Then don't blame us, the six powerful clans, for sue him and making him lose face!"

Qin Baisheng nodded upon hearing this:
"That's how it should be."

"I see that these brats have made a wasted trip and are all angry. Although Lord Jiang of Qishan has a great reputation, the inheritance that kid carries is also a source of trouble."

"I immediately wrote several letters and used my connections to send them to the Divine Weapon Altar, the Wang Quan family, and the Jiangnan Sword Mountain."

"No matter how powerful the Qishan Jiang Clan is, can it be more powerful than the ancestral court of the sword path back then?"

The two were chatting.

Suddenly, outside the courtyard, the head of the Yuwen clan strode in, chatting and laughing:

"Everyone."

"Are you worried about the 'Dragon Elephant True Sect'?"

"No need to worry, the Dragon Elephant lineage will definitely not be able to rise again this time!"

"The Left Dragon Serpent Mountain Master, who is stationed at the Divine Weapon Altar in Trapped Sky Mountain, and the direct descendant elder of the Wang Quan family, who firmly holds the third position in the clan."

"They have all arrived in Beicang, and everything they have done is in accordance with this boy!"

"If he dares to come to 'Beicang'..."

"A trap has been set, we await him!"

"Even if that scoundrel Xu Longxiang becomes a giant, so what?"

"If a dragon is meant to coil, then a tiger is meant to lie low. Just like when I killed his disciple back then, I could only remain silent!"

The following day, Ji Xiu, who had mastered the "Nine Dragons and Nine Elephants Suppressing Prison Mystic Art" on Jin'ao Island, was full of energy and vitality.

And on this day...
He specially wore a white robe, which was very eye-catching. Without hesitation, he became a giant and wanted to lead the Dragon Elephant lineage into Beicang, so that this prefecture would have another legitimate Xu Longxiang, riding the dragon out to sea!

However, it was only a little over a day.
Then we arrived at the border between Beicang and Jiangyin —

Dragon Elephant Mountain Gate!

This was Ji Xiu's first visit.

And the moment he arrived and stepped inside.
The head of the three lineages, the true inheritor of all teachings, and a young disciple.
The mountains and fields were covered in white mourning clothes! (End of Chapter)