Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 276 The Spirit Court and White Spirit Mountain

We're all just ordinary folks, so there's no need to worry about formalities.

Although they fought in the middle, Li Qingshuang, as a disciple of the Spiritual Court and not a permanent resident of the Great Luo Palace, would not let this delay an opportunity for rapid cultivation and improvement.

We even need to make up for the lost time!

Fortunately, Gu Zhao and Li Qingshuang were both highly skilled, so staying up all night was no big deal for them. Moreover, the path of cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation, and one cannot overdo it at once.

So they still got up early and went out, without affecting their breakfast.

Some breakfast side dishes in the style of this world, paired with soy milk and fried dough sticks, as well as congee and xiaolongbao from another world, somehow give people a very rich and gorgeous feeling.

The embroiderer and Bai Ke each carried a wooden tray with several bamboo steamers on it. "Here are shrimp dumplings and barbecued pork buns!"

Gu Zhao nodded, "There's also Cantonese morning tea."

Li Qingshuang took a sip of soy milk, then picked up a crystal-clear shrimp dumpling, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Even the president of the Lingfa Court in Jiangzhou doesn't have such a luxurious breakfast."

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "Where is the Jiangzhou Spiritual Court now?"

“Jiangyang Prefecture,” Li Qingshuang said with a smile, “is right across from Changping Prefecture, separated by the Wanling River.”

Gu Zhao nodded. Of the eight prefectures in Jiangzhou, three are north of the river and five are south of the river. However, due to a great battle thirty years ago, both the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Lingfa Academy retreated to the north of the river.

"But the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits hasn't reappeared for thirty years, and you haven't said you'd come back?" Gu Zhao asked.

Li Qingshuang shook her head, "This is the order from the Heavenly Venerable of the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Great Sage of the Spiritual Court."

The two leaders of the Xuanwei Divine Sect are called Heavenly Venerables, who are deities, while the two chief deans of the Spirit Court are called Great Saints, who are Spirit Lords.

These four are the most outstanding masters of their time. Only by standing behind the Great Ning Dynasty can they deter the four corners of the world and prevent the Western Divine Kingdom, the Northern Wilderness, the Eastern Islands, and the Southern Mountains from entering the Central Plains and maintain peace.

Of course, this also required the assistance of other masters in the Central Plains, such as Chaoyang Island and Jishen Mountain in Yongzhou, as well as the Wanling Dragon King in the Wanling River.

It's just that the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits rebelled thirty years ago.

"Back then, the Supreme Celestial Venerable Tai Xuan fought a great battle with the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits. Although the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits was defeated and retreated, the Supreme Celestial Venerable Tai Xuan was also injured. He ordered the Xuanwei Divine Sect to withdraw from Jiangnan, and the Spirit Court also took back all its disciples in name."

Li Qingshuang said, "For the next thirty years, the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits went into hiding at the bottom of the Ten Thousand Spirits River. The disciples of the Divine Sect and the Spirit Academy did mention returning to Jiangnan, but they were all stopped by the higher-ups. Only a few scattered disciples of the Spirit Academy occasionally traveled in Jiangnan."

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Were they stopped by the higher-ups?"

Li Qingshuang nodded, "One reason is that Jiangnan still respects the imperial court, and the other is that they don't want to fall out with the Jiangnan forces and end up benefiting the southern mountains."

"The mountains of the south..."

“In the mountains of the south, demons and ghosts live together, evil gods and ghosts abound, and the mortals are fierce. Their customs are very different from those of the Central Plains, making it difficult for them to coexist,” Li Qingshuang explained. “Moreover, the great demons and ghosts in the mountains do not obey the government’s control, and there have been many conflicts in the past.”

Gu Zhao nodded. Productivity couldn't keep up, and there were conflicts in governance philosophies. "So now the Jiangnan region has become a buffer zone. The major powers on Chaoyang Island and Yazhou have connections with the forces in the southern mountains?"

“A buffer zone? That’s very fitting!” Li Qingshuang nodded, her eyes filled with a smile as she looked at Gu Zhao.

Although Gu Zhao is young, he is indeed worthy of being a sect leader. His insight into problems is sharp, accurate, and to the point. "There is another one, the Myriad Spirits Dragon King," Li Qingshuang said. "After my breakthrough in cultivation this time, I also learned some things after returning. It is said that the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court are unwilling to go south to Jiangnan, which is also related to the Myriad Spirits Dragon King. However, even the dean of the Jiangzhou Spirit Court does not know the specifics."

"It seems there are still many secrets surrounding that battle thirty years ago?" Gu Zhao asked.

“That should be the case,” Li Qingshuang said.

Gu Zhao thought for a moment, "Is Jiangyang Prefecture the capital of Jiangzhou? I remember there is a Bailing Mountain in Jiangyang Prefecture, and the mountain master is a lark."

Li Qingshuang looked up and her gaze toward Gu Zhao was somewhat strange. She said in a low voice, "I come from Bailing Mountain. The mountain lord is highly skilled and is not only the number one expert in Jiangyang Prefecture, but also the number one beauty in Jiangzhou."

The women sitting around him all looked at Gu Zhao.

As a sect that has been in seclusion for hundreds of years, the Daluo Palace has only recently emerged from seclusion and is actually unaware of many things in the world. However, Gu Zhao, as the master of the Daluo Palace, did not even know about Chaoyang Island and Jishen Mountain before, so how did he know about Bailing Mountain?
The women looked at Gu Zhao with strange expressions.

"Ahem!" Gu Zhao couldn't help but cough twice, pointing at Bai Ke, "She told me!"

"Huh?" Bai Ke looked up in confusion, then decisively denied it, "I didn't say that!"

Bai Ke blinked, took a bite of her char siu bao, and said innocently, "I'm just a fox that hasn't taken human form yet, how could I possibly know anything about Wanling Jiangbei?"

Gu Zhao, “…”

"So Qing Shuang comes from Bai Ling Mountain." Zhuo Qingyan shook her head and chuckled, tapping Bai Ke's forehead, and asked on Gu Zhao's behalf, "Does the Spirit Academy also recruit disciples from other sects?"

“They were recruited.” Li Qingshuang nodded. “The Xuanwei Divine Sect is mostly composed of ghosts and gods, while the Lingfa Academy is full of spirit lords. Most of them joined halfway through their careers, so it’s difficult to cultivate them from a young age.”

Gu Zhao could understand. Just like how the inner disciples of the Great Luo Palace also recruited many unorthodox mages from outside, but with the Five Thunder Token, their character could be guaranteed. He guessed that the Spirit Court also had similar methods.

"The master of Bailing Mountain is the number one expert in Jiangyang Prefecture. How much skill does she possess?" Gu Zhao asked.

“I don’t know.” Li Qing Shuang shook her head. “Who would go around talking about their cultivation level? It’s just that she fought with Mo Jiao during the great battle thirty years ago, and the battle ended in a draw.”

Gu Zhao understood and glanced at Bai Ke, "She clearly has over three thousand years of cultivation, and you're telling me she only has a thousand years."

Bai Ke retorted indignantly, "Three thousand years of cultivation is still a thousand years of cultivation."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and even the embroiderer couldn't help but place another steamed bun in Bai Ke's hand, saying, "You should eat something!"

Bai Ke realized she had let something slip, so she promptly stuffed the bun into her mouth.

"Why are all the sects and cults south of the Wanling River evil and heretical, while all the sects north of the Wanling River are virtuous and kind-hearted?" Xiu Niang couldn't help but ask.

As Gu Zhao helped establish the Daluo Palace, the embroiderer's knowledge and experience also broadened.

It's not that there aren't good people in Changping Prefecture; otherwise, where would all those inner disciples of Daluo Palace come from? But apart from Biyue Palace, this powerful force in one region doesn't seem to have a single good person!
“Because of that battle thirty years ago, many people died.” Li Qingshuang glanced at the embroiderer, then shook her head and chuckled. “Besides, who told you that everyone in Wanling Jiangbei is a good person?”

"Ah?" The embroiderer was puzzled.

Li Qingshuang sighed, "Otherwise, why would the Spirit Court need to inspect the entire world? Otherwise, why wouldn't the Xuanwei Divine Sect have the resources? Otherwise, why would Wanling Jiangnan rebel?"

(End of this chapter)