Although the elder sister was calm and steady, she was very particular about hierarchy, giving people an even stronger sense of distance.
The group of three walked toward the reception hall.
After a short while.
“So it is Deputy Sect Master of the Ink-Water Sect in person. My two disciples were ignorant and failed to receive you properly.”
“Not at all, not at all. City Lord is too serious.”
One had to admit that after the fall of the Tuoba Clan and the Bai Clan, Jade Spirit City, under Wang Yu’s rule, truly flourished. Compared to the past, it was full of vitality.
Many of his policies gave up a portion of benefits in order to make the entire Jade Spirit market more prosperous and thriving. This allowed this young alliance of interests to beco even more stable.
So people had already begun to sincerely acknowledge Wang Yu’s rule.
The deputy sect master before them wore a simple green robe and carried a pear-flower carved case on his back.
This was the Ink-Water Sect’s secret art. Within it were stored scrolls created during their cultivation of the Dao of Painting. Each contained imnse power, able to transform illusion into reality and spiritual sense into artistic conception.
Not only were they symbols of artistic cultivation and inner realm, they were also battle thods, very similar to talismans. Each scroll was a profound hidden trump card.
However, these painting treasures had to be kept close, nurtured by one’s unique ink true essence to maintain their power.
The longer they were nourished, the more stabilized they beca. Once fully ford, they could be stored in a storage bag or passed on as inheritance to later generations, much like advanced talismans.
The deputy sect master was known as Cultivator Qingyang.
He was at the peak of Foundation Establishnt. Rumor had it that with just the right Core Formation spiritual object or assistance from a superior-grade Core Formation Pill, he would have an eighty percent chance of successfully breaking through.
In this region, his reputation was not inferior to the old ancestors of Jade Spirit City’s three great clans.
The Ink-Water Sect was founded a thousand years ago by a rogue cultivator who had obtained a painting inheritance from the Ancient Ruins. They had yet to produce a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Combining this with the intelligence provided by Guan Yingxue, their intentions were self-evident.
Daoist Qingyang humbled himself greatly, rising to bow and say, “This ti, I believe the City Lord can already guess the reason. The Ancient Ruins hold imnse opportunities. May my Ink-Water Sect join in and occupy a portion of the building complexes.”
Wang Yu remained silent, deep in thought.
The ancient history of this realm was divided into two stages.
From ten thousand to fifty thousand years ago was the Ancient Era. Records from this period were relatively complete, allowing a rough reconstruction of historical events.
From fifty thousand to one hundred thousand years ago was the Archaic Era. At that ti, the world was ruled by a glorious Immortal Dynasty, said to have ties to immortals themselves. However, piecing together its complete history was difficult.
Many great events were recorded only vaguely or intermittently.
As for beyond one hundred thousand years ago, it was the Lost Age. No surviving texts or ancient records ntioned that period.
The Ancient Ruins were remnants of the Archaic Immortal Dynasty.
The one near Jade Spirit City was the ancient capital known as Eastern Extre Capital,. Its territory was imasurable, yet only a small portion was exposed above ground today.
Every day, cultivators entered the ruins to explore and seek treasures.
Recently, unknown disturbances had triggered unusual phenona, stirring the surrounding powers to take action.
“This matter is of great importance. Not only the powers near Jade Spirit City, but even the Yanluo Ghost Market and Yellow Spring Monastery may be drawn in. I must make a careful decision,” Wang Yu said.
Daoist Qingyang nodded.
“Qingyang understands. However, I would like to see what knowledge the successive City Lords of Jade Spirit City left regarding the Ancient Ruins. I imagine there must be quite a collection.”
“Oh?”
Wang Yu smiled. The old man had finally revealed his true intent.
Cooperation was only a secondary goal. His true aim was to gain access to the City Lords’ exploration records. The Ink-Water Sect likely had their own as well.
“That is simple. Daoist Brother Qingyang can exchange the Ink-Water Sect’s intelligence for ours. Every generation of Jade Spirit City Lords ca from the Exalted Sect. Their thods need no elaboration from . The value of our records will surely exceed yours.”
This was true. Daoist Qingyang only hesitated briefly before nodding in agreent.
“City Lord is indeed straightforward. Then let us exchange.”
“Follow .”
In intelligence exchange, neither side truly lost. What mattered was how well the information could be used.
Since the Ink-Water Sect had once benefited from the Ancient Ruins, they must know many secrets. Perhaps their founding ancestor left behind valuable records.
Wang Yu did not necessarily intend to explore personally. He still had many rivals even within the Foundation Establishnt stage. The recent phenona had drawn too many cultivators, and there would surely be Core Formation cultivators inside.
There might even be reclusive Nascent Soul old monsters. He could not afford to join the chaos unless the crowd dispersed and the ruins quieted down again.
After a while.
From the records chamber, they brought out twelve jade slips of intelligence. Each had been left behind by one of the twelve distinguished City Lords of Jade Spirit City.
Wang Yu had already read through them.
The main focus was on the restoration and speculation of the terrain of the Eastern Extre Capital. As one of the four great capitals of the Ancient Immortal Dynasty, it was equivalent to the capital of a nation, complete with an imperial city.
It was simply that the ruler of the Immortal Dynasty seldom ca here. The standards, however, were still those of a central capital.
The portions currently revealed on the surface were mostly ordinary structures such as residences, ancient streets, watchtowers, entertainnt houses, and horse trading shops. Yet even within these places there might be hidden opportunities.
It was as if, in the Ancient Immortal Dynasty, everyone could cultivate.
Deeper underground one would encounter a whole street of governnt offices. Tea Horse Bureau, River Transport Bureau, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Appointnts, Court of State Ceremonials, and so forth. Many nas unfamiliar to people of the present era, yet Wang Yu could understand them, for he had studied history in his original world.
In this world’s history, after the Ancient Immortal Dynasty, the concept of “nation” never appeared again. The world beca completely ruled by cultivators. The thod of using spirit veins to forge cities was also a legacy of the late ancient era.
The Taihu Spiritual Domain and the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain were vast beyond asure. One was ho to more than one hundred billion humans, the other had just over one billion, a land truly vast yet sparsely populated.
But Wang Yu always felt it was too small. Especially after learning that the Endless Icefields in the far north were a peril that even Nascent Soul cultivators could not cross, he began to think the continent itself was sowhat limited.
The more he compared it with the power of cultivators, the stronger this feeling beca. He could not explain it, nor could he understand where his own thoughts ca from. It felt like instinct, or perhaps so sudden inspiration.
At this mont, Wang Yu’s thoughts drifted.
“City Lord?”
Daoist Qingyang called softly. Only then did Wang Yu co back to himself, realizing that he was holding twelve jade slips.
The other party had already handed over their intelligence, yet he had not delivered his own.
“Apologies, I suddenly rembered sothing.”
“No matter, no matter.”
Having received the jade slips of intelligence from the successive City Lords of Jade Spirit City, Daoist Qingyang was sowhat excited. He clasped his fists toward Wang Yu and bowed.
“I wonder if the City Lord has a quiet chamber for guests. I will by no ans take this precious intelligence outside the City Lord’s residence, nor secretly copy it away.”
Such information, of course, was best kept to the fewest people. Judging by Daoist Qingyang’s attitude, he likely would not even inform Ink-Water Sect. Could it be he truly sought a chance at Core Formation?
“There is naturally a quiet chamber. Yingdong, take this guest to temporarily reside at the Strange Stone Courtyard.”
“Yes, Master.”
After sending the man away, Wang Yu examined the intelligence of Ink-Water Sect on his way back. Their exploration was not as broad as the City Lords of Jade Spirit City, yet they had made in-depth research into one aspect.
At the end of the governnt office street, Ink-Water Sect had discovered a place called the Worthy Academy. Within it there was a small departnt nad Painting Office.
It was here that they obtained fragnts of inheritance and clues regarding the Dao of Painting. Through repeated explorations, they reached the gates near the imperial palace, and beneath the imperial city they found the Artisan Academy.
In addition to stoneworkers, woodworkers, shipbuilders, and lacquer artisans, there were also “painters” and “imperial painters,” all categorized as craftsn.
The founder of Ink-Water Sect had inherited the painter’s legacy. In his speculations, the imperial painter, judging from the title alone, very likely held a Nascent Soul level inheritance in the Dao of Painting.
Then, a wave of reckless deaths began.
Perhaps because they had disturbed the imperial city, from that mont on the entire Eastern Extre Capital grew especially dangerous, including governnt streets and even the outer residential quarters.
Deadly dangers multiplied.
Ranging from chanisms and restrictions to formations and monsters.
At the most perilous tis, even Core Formation cultivators would perish. The final ssage left behind by Ink-Water Sect’s founder was that he had entered the ruins of the Eastern Extre Capital.
Reading all this, Wang Yu gained clearer understanding of how to obtain inheritances within. Over the years, more than just Ink-Water Sect had benefited from the place.
Thus, with this anomaly manifesting, even more cultivators would be drawn in.
If even an Artisan Academy might contain a Nascent Soul inheritance, then should the imperial city itself be triggered, it would beco a grand opportunity that shook the entire Crimson Kite Demonic Domain.
Not only nearby sects and cultivators, even the demonic overlords of the Heaven Refining Demon Sect would co to fight for it. This force corresponded directly with the Heavenly Void Sword Sect.
The few Spirit Transformation cultivators still in existence were all within these two sects.
“Too dangerous.”
The jade slip of intelligence concluded with a summary of the monsters, chanisms, restrictions, and formations inside the ruins, as well as one “relatively safe” path that Ink-Water Sect had charted.
Retracting his divine sense, Wang Yu made his decision. He would not go.
The ruins of the Eastern Extre Capital were only a few thousand li from Jade Spirit City, not far at all, yet what was involved was far too great. Sotis the local snake could not match the dragon crossing the river.
With a city in hand, and the ability to purchase whatever resources he needed through the Big Chamber of Comrce, there was no need to risk his life.
Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, when to suppress greed, was also part of the path of cultivation.
There was no need to seize everything.
He had not yet mastered the inheritances he already held. To continue being greedy would only lead to ruin.
Wang Yu would take risks only when great rewards could be secured and when it was unavoidable. Then he would make all preparations and face the challenge.
The dangers of the Eastern Extre Capital were a typical example of sothing unnecessary.
Besides, the ancient ruins had remained for countless years without anyone clearing out the imperial city. This ti would be no different. Once the chaos settled, Jade Spirit City lay right at the edge.
He could go whenever he wished. Why fight with others now?
With that thought clear, Wang Yu put aside the matter. He focused on cultivation and on managing his city, as though nothing had happened.
A few days later, many visitors arrived.
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