The Eight Hundred Feudal States an eight hundred royal cities. Even if there were truly a world-shattering hero capable of sweeping across the lands, it would be impossible to completely conquer and unify them.
Potential adversaries, as long as they unite, can conserve their strength, bide their ti, and have a chance at turning the tables.
"The Queen Mother of the West has played a clever ga."
Ye Qingzhou only analyzed briefly before understanding the Queen Mother of the West’s strategy.
The Eight Hundred Feudal States exist to keep these feudal countries constantly at war, and the guaranteed fallback chanism of the royal cities allows the defeated to have the capital to start over.
Under such high-intensity internal competition, the surplus population exceeding the internal capacity of the Grotto Heaven would be consud by warfare.
Moreover, the Path of War that the Queen Mother of the West carries could draw strength from this, continuously growing stronger, a double win, with the Queen Mother of the West winning twice.
"The Kunlun Grotto Heaven is truly a paradise for the strong, a hell for the weak."
Ye Qingzhou shook his head in awe. He loved the Martial Dao but disliked war.
"Isn’t this too cruel?"
Huang Liwen listened to the conversation between Ye Qingzhou and Qiong Jie, feeling shivers down his spine, and couldn’t help but sympathize with the lower-class people within the Kunlun Grotto Heaven.
Undoubtedly, this is a country filled with the social Darwinian system, vividly interpreting the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.
In the Kunlun Grotto Heaven, the weak’s everything eventually only serves as the kindling for the strong’s progress.
But Ye Qingzhou felt a sense of urgency from this and couldn’t help but speculate, "The Queen Mother’s rampant militarism is likely not only to elevate her own cultivation but to fend off so unknown powerful enemy as well."
Huang Liwen saw the harsh survival rules within the Kunlun Grotto Heaven, but in Ye Qingzhou’s eyes, it was a gigantic military camp.
The Eight Hundred Sealed Countries are venues for military training.
And through these sealed-off millennia, the Queen Mother of the West has continuously poured fresh blood into it, honing stronger armies and cultivating martial arts powerhouses with advanced cultivation.
This colossal force, as overwhelming as Mount Tai, must not be intended for conquering Blue Star.
While the three were chatting, two small figures entered the weapons shop carrying lunch boxes.
"Ye Long Brother!"
A tender girl’s voice, crisp like an oriole.
Ye Qingzhou looked over at the sound and saw a little girl just over a ter tall, cute and innocent-looking—it was the landlord’s daughter, Yinn Yulan.
"I brought you food."
The little girl’s face was flawless, with big, bright eyes, suggesting she would be a beauty in the future. Even among the Rakshasa race, her looks were outstanding.
Following Yinn Yulan was her brother, Yinn Guangwu, with an ugly-cute appearance.
The two were ten and eight years old, respectively, which on Blue Star would make them elentary school kids, likely unburdened by worries beyond howork.
But in the Kunlun Grotto Heaven, many children had to help with work from the age of six.
As for schooling, only after turning ten could they be selected by Martial Arts Academies established in various places, stepping onto the Martial Dao path to beco Martial Artists with bright prospects.
Ye Qingzhou noticed Yinn Guangwu’s dejected deanor and asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Were you bullied?"
"Brother failed the academy examination."
Yinn Yulan put down the lunch box and stated word by word.
The siblings had no background; their father worked as a coachman for nobles in the Inner City, and their mother did odd jobs like laundry and cooking to make ends et. Even the house rented to Ye Qingzhou was painstakingly saved up by their ancestors.
Therefore, Yinn Guangwu’s only hope to stand out was to pass the exam, enter the Martial Arts Academy, and embark on the path of Martial Dao.
The academy held exams twice a year. Failing the spring exam ant waiting for the autumn exam.
If he failed the autumn exam too, he would have to wait for the next year.
Failing consecutively for five years would basically an a severed connection with the Martial Dao.
Failing to beco a Martial Artist ant only sinking to the bottom of society—that’s the harsh reality of the Kunlun Grotto Heaven, not just in the Rakshasa Woman Kingdom but the other Sealed Countries as well.
Yinn Guangwu was tasting the bitterness of failure for the first ti, so he was very downcast.
Seeing this, Ye Qingzhou comforted him, "Winning and losing are common in military affairs. Maybe you’ll succeed next ti? No need to be disheartened; in life, there are wins and losses. As long as you don’t lose heart, losing isn’t that big of a deal."
This "chicken soup for the soul" instantly uplifted the uneducated Yinn Guangwu, who found Ye Qingzhou’s words quite reasonable: "Have you ever lost, Brother Ye Long?"
"No."
"..."
Yinn Guangwu suddenly felt bad all over.
He felt wronged and wanted to cry!
Seeing this, Huang Liwen couldn’t help but mock Ye Qingzhou, "Why blurt out the harsh truth? He’s still a child."
Then he squatted down and, smiling, encouraged Yinn Guangwu, "Want to teach you martial arts? I’m quite good!"
With that, he rolled up his sleeves and flexed his giant bicep.
He at least had professional-level strength now. On Blue Star, he certainly qualified to open a class.
But Yinn Guangwu disdainfully shook his head and refused, "I don’t want to."
"Why not?"
"You’re weak. I want Uncle Qiong to teach martial arts."
"Haha, no problem; I’ll teach you a powerful sword technique!"
Qiong Jie, despite his ugly and fierce appearance, had quite a good personality. He imdiately drew his sword and perford a sword dance, causing Yinn Guangwu to clap enthusiastically.
"Hey, you little brat!"
Huang Liwen watched, feeling utterly exasperated. His kind intentions were thoroughly rejected!
Subsequently, mutterings like "rude" and "no taste" that went over their heads filled the weapon shop with joyful laughter.
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