From Qin Yi’s words, Chen Mo roughly understood the layout of the sects in Jiu Zhou, which was basically the same as in the original plot.
Besides the Three Saint Sect, it was the Eight Great Sects that were the strongest. Among them, apart from "one Gu, one Witch, one Corpse, one Skill," the remaining four sects were all Martial Cultivators.
Originally, there were the Ten Great Sect, but the Moon Brilliance Sect and the Devouring Ghost Sect had already been exterminated by Consort Yu...
Mentioning Consort Yu, a shadow passed over Qin Yi’s eyes.
It was clear that the Empress’s bloody methods back then left quite a psychological shadow on the various sects.
*"I didn’t expect the Empress to be so famous in Jianghu. If I were to take out the Purple Phoenix Order now, I wonder what his expression would be..."* Chen Mo mused inwardly.
Qin Yi threw back his head and gulped down the wine in his cup, his rugged face slightly flushed, and asked, "I see Brother Yang wearing a Daoist robe. Is your Hard Gang still following Daoist traditions?"
Chen Mo’s aura was restrained, his face veiled in a thin mist, giving off an unfathomable feeling.
His speech and demeanor also didn’t seem like someone who came from a small place.
Qin Yi’s purpose in asking this was both curiosity and probing.
Chen Mo shook his head, "Small sect, mixed company of individuals, they’re all scattered people from Jianghu, can’t really call it a tradition."
Qin Yi asked again, "Then does Brother Yang have a Daoist title?"
Chen Mo nodded, "You can call me Master Xuanji."
Qin Yi savored it for a moment and praised, "The fourth star of the Big Dipper is Xuanji. This Daoist title aligns with the positions of heaven and earth, representing the stars. It’s truly grand and majestic!"
Chen Mo put down his wine cup and shook his head, "Brother Qin misunderstood. The reason I’m called Xuanji is because my jigi spins."
In the room next door.
Ling Ningzhi was sitting cross-legged in meditation, her Moon White Daoist robe moving without wind, exuding an aura of ethereal detachment.
Shen Zhixia sat beside her, cradling ginger braised pork trotters in her hands, her small mouth greasy from gnawing.
"It’s been three days out now. By the time the opportunity opens and considering the journey back, it’ll take at least another four or five days before I see Brother Chen Mo."
"But I already miss him..."
"I don’t know if Brother Chen Mo received my letter... What if in the days I’m not around, that General Li takes advantage and they kiss, what then?"
Thinking of this, Shen Zhixia sighed, feeling that the pork trotters in her hand didn’t taste as good anymore.
Ling Ningzhi opened her eyes, and said helplessly, "On this journey, I’ve heard you sigh dozens of times... You and your fiancé haven’t seen each other for ten years, and now just after a few days, you can’t stand it?"
Shen Zhixia pouted and huffed, "When the Daoist has someone she likes, she’ll understand."
Ling Ningzhi shook her head, "The dust of the world is a burden; only by cutting off emotional threads can you sense the heavenly secrets and step into the extraordinary... Eh?!"
Her words abruptly stopped as a strange feeling came over her, Ling Ningzhi’s beautiful eyes widened, her pretty face turning crimson, stammering, "You, what are you doing?!"
Shen Zhixia smiled slyly, "Looks like the Daoist’s emotional threads aren’t completely severed. You can’t even handle a touch from me. What if it were a man?"
"How could it be the same!"
Ling Ningzhi moved her hand away, looking at the greasy handprints on her Daoist robe, her usually unperturbed eyes flashed with shyness and annoyance.
*That girl—who taught her? She’s getting more and more outrageous!*
"Yes, it’s indeed different."
Shen Zhixia’s face flushed a little, and she quietly lowered her head to nibble on the pork trotters.
The room fell into silence.
At dawn, the people in the city flew in the direction of Cangyun Mountain.
Last night, the mountain range was bathed in radiant light soaring to the sky all night, and the phenomenon lasted longer than before. It was likely a signal that the opportunity was about to manifest.
When Chen Mo and Qin Yi arrived at the mountain peak, a large crowd had already gathered there, a sea of blackness, most of whom were Martial Artists carrying weapons.
Daoist Cultivators valued root bones more, and their training conditions were extremely harsh.
In contrast, the threshold for Martial Cultivators was lower, and their numbers naturally were greater.
But to reach a higher realm, Martial Artists had to put in several times or even tens of times more effort, requiring not only enough perception but also constantly refining their body, strengthening their Qi-Blood, condensing True Yuan...
Especially after the Pure Yang Realm, each breakthrough required consuming a large amount of resources.
If one’s talent was high enough, they might receive sect resources, but for ordinary Martial Artists, they could only hope for "opportunity creation."
Gazing at the tall stone monument emitting bright light not far away, Chen Mo narrowed his eyes slightly.
*"Great Power inheritance..."*
*"I wonder if it differs from the strategy of my past life?"*
At this time, a series of steady and slow footsteps sounded.
The atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned solemn, and everyone turned their heads to see a man in a dark robe walking leisurely towards them.
He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a tall and upright posture, a face as white as jade, sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, black hair tied with a jade belt, with a few strands falling to his forehead, looking handsome and impressive with a full presence.
"This is the current Chief of Martial Saint Mountain, the second on the Cloud Top Ranking, a true Heavenly Pride!"
"It’s over. With him here, it seems this opportunity won’t be ours."
Zi Lianji stood with his sword in his arms, his eyes slightly closed, ignoring the whispers around him, exuding a lofty and proud aura from head to toe.
Many female cultivators had shimmering eyes and blushing cheeks, wanting to strike up a conversation, but were driven back by this aloof aura.
Qin Yi frowned and said in a low voice, "I’ve heard Zi Lianji is already at the Fourth-Level Peak. If he can seize this opportunity, advancing further, he might become the youngest Grandmaster in Jiu Zhou!"
"Brother Yang, what do you think?"