txolops Chapter 2507 Presenting a Memorial at the Altar
Chapter 2507 Presenting a Memorial at the Altar
Chapter 2507 Presenting a Memorial at the Altar
Both sides attached great importance to this marriage, and Baihe and Yue'er's wedding was exceptionally grand.
The capital of the Kingdom of Jiaosheng was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, taking this opportunity to celebrate their previous great victory, a double celebration indeed.
The celebration continued late into the night.
Qin Sang built a Taoist temple near the altar and invited Yuan Zuo and Ning Ye, the ruler of Chi Rong Kingdom, to come.
Although both submitted to Qin Sang, there were differences. Yuan Zuo completely submitted and became Qin Sang's subject, while Ning Ye's marriage to Qin Sang made them more like allies, making it less unacceptable.
Currently, both the Crimson Fusion Kingdom and the Shadow God Kingdom have begun secretly constructing altars, but they are not in a hurry to merge with the Horned Life Kingdom. The three kingdoms will take advantage of the chaos to expand, annex, and strengthen their national power, waiting for the right time.
“After this incident, the envoys of the Five Kings of Zhu Qian must have already taken notice of the Five Thunder Sect and the Horned Kingdom,” Ning Ye said, sitting to Qin Sang’s right, taking a sip from his jade cup and pondering.
Although the Kingdom of Jiaosheng had won several great victories, it was still an insignificant small country in the eyes of the Five Kings of Zhu Qian. They intended to interfere in the power of the King of Dongjiao and others, and would not take the mere Kingdom of Jiaosheng seriously.
However, the fact that the Horned Blossom Kingdom first repelled the Shadow God Kingdom's allied forces and then formed a marriage alliance with the Crimson Melt Kingdom, regardless of how they did it, shows that the Horned Blossom Kingdom is no ordinary small country. The Five Kings' envoys, upon hearing of this, will surely look at the Horned Blossom Kingdom with new respect; a simple investigation will reveal that the Five Thunder Sect is no ordinary entity.
Before long, the Five Princes of Zhu Qian will likely send envoys.
"All who come are guests, so just be polite to them. Even if the Kingdom of Jiaosheng stands out, it is still just a small country. How could the kings and nobles of the Zhuqian Dynasty take it seriously?" Qin Sang chuckled. "On the contrary, you should be careful in dealing with them."
Yuan Zuo and Ning Ye both nodded in agreement.
The arrival of the five Zhu Qian kings to stir up trouble is a good thing; their first target will undoubtedly be the former subordinates of the three kings. Only by thoroughly muddying the waters can they fish in troubled waters. By the time the five Zhu Qian kings have free time, the chaotic world will likely have already arrived, and they will no longer have the opportunity to target them.
……
After discussing important military and national affairs, the topic naturally shifted to the secrets of the five superior nations, such as the national protective artifacts.
"Brother Ning, surely you harbor ambitions to take his place?"
Yuan Zuo smiled and looked at Ning Ye.
The two were longtime rivals, but now that they were both under Qin Sang's command, it was difficult to say that they were on good terms.
"The Five Kingdoms possess such profound resources that I dare not even dream of achieving them."
Ning Ye seemed oblivious to his mocking tone and said calmly, "I had similar guesses to Brother Yuan before. But upon closer reflection, nothing in this world comes for free. If you want to gain some kind of power, you have to pay the corresponding price."
Yuan Zuo's eyes flashed, he bowed slightly and said in a low voice, "It seems Brother Ning has also noticed?"
Ning Ye nodded silently.
Qin Sang looked around and asked, "What kind of riddle are you two talking about?"
Yuan Zuo straightened up, gave a slight bow, and replied, "It's related to the succession of the throne and even the imperial throne of the Zhu Qian Dynasty... As everyone knows, cultivators like us who have reached the Void Refinement stage have no physical or spiritual decline, and our lifespan is almost endless. The only thing we fear is the Heavenly Tribulation. The eight kings and emperors of Zhu Qian were almost all at the peak of the Void Refinement stage. With their strength and the aid of the national protective artifacts, unless they were weak-willed, they should have no problem passing through four Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, and they might even have a chance of passing through the Sixth Tribulation. They have lived so long, but none of them have actually sat on the throne or the imperial throne for that long. They all voluntarily abdicated. When a new king ascended the throne, the old king would publicly declare that he would go into seclusion to cultivate and break through the barriers. But since then, the whereabouts of these old emperors and kings have become a mystery, and they have disappeared without a trace..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Sang immediately understood, "You mean... lifespan?"
Yuan Zuo responded, "Since they won't die under the Heavenly Tribulation, this explanation is the most reasonable. For example, they are different from us and will show signs of decay. Of course, it is also possible that they angered the heavens for some reason, causing their Heavenly Tribulation to be stronger than that of ordinary people... In short, there is a problem."
"Don't jump to conclusions!"
Ning Ye interrupted Yuan Zuo, "The former kings have simply stopped appearing; they may not have perished. Perhaps they are truly in seclusion. Since the beginning of the Five Kingdoms era, the five kingdoms have been divided into five directions, mutually restraining each other. The balance has never been broken. There have been occasional frictions, but there has never been a true period of chaos. The former kings have had no need to intervene. However, if chaos were to arrive and the former kings still did not appear, it would be certain that something had happened to them."
Among the various demon kingdoms, none can compare with the Five Supreme Kingdoms in terms of foundation and resources. Therefore, the chaos could only be initiated by the Five Supreme Kingdoms.
Countless eyes are fixed on the forbidden area. The five supreme kingdoms are already riddled with internal conflicts, and this could very well ignite a full-blown explosion. The five supreme kingdoms are certainly aware of this, but the course of history is beyond human control.
"Knowing there will be a price to pay, you still want to fight for it?" Qin Sang looked at Yuan Zuo.
Ning Ye also said, "Since the founding of the Zhu Qian Dynasty, no emperor or king has ever achieved the position of a Unity Realm expert. If even one country had a Unity Realm expert, the balance of the five supreme nations would probably have been broken long ago... This shows how difficult this hurdle is!"
"Fight! Of course we must fight!"
Yuan Zuo slammed his hand on the table, his face resolute. "To fight is a slim chance. To not fight is to have no hope at all!"
Qin Sang nodded slightly.
Ning Ye gave Yuan Zuo a deep look, but didn't say anything more sarcastic.
For a moment, the room fell silent. Qin Sang had not completely sealed off the barrier, and the sound of string and wind instruments could be heard coming from outside.
The typhoon has passed, the sky is clear and the moon hangs high in the sky.
The three raised their cups to gaze at the moon, and for a moment they were all somewhat mesmerized.
……
After the celebration, the entire Kingdom of Jiaosheng threw itself into intensive development, with new and old territories bustling with activity.
After finishing the preparations, Bai Ying'er personally led her favorite disciples to travel between the Crimson Melt Kingdom and the Shadow God Kingdom, searching for talented tribes and disciples. After investigation, they were recruited into the Five Thunder Academy to cultivate thunder magic.
The two countries secretly cooperated, and anyone chosen by Bai Ying'er, unless they were too prominent and required some maneuvering, was never hindered. Those smaller clans, even entire clans, were sent to the Horned Kingdom, and were even given cultivation materials as a bonus.
With two powerful nations allowing the Five Thunder Sect to freely select disciples, it's easy to imagine how rapidly the Five Thunder Sect grew.
With more disciples, the speed of building the altar will also increase.
Meanwhile, the situation around Jiaosheng Kingdom became increasingly strange. Qionghua Kingdom followed in the footsteps of Lingmo Kingdom, proving once again that those who provoked Jiaosheng Kingdom and the Five Thunder Sect never had a good ending. Moreover, Yingshen Kingdom's complete lack of response made the smaller countries that pinned their hopes on Yingshen Kingdom uneasy.
Peace negotiations arrived like snowflakes, but they were all put aside.
Meanwhile, letters seeking help were also delivered to Yuan Zuo's desk, and he dealt with them according to the established plan.
Two years later, the Kingdom of Jiaosheng had digested its gains in the Kingdom of Qionghua, and the strength of the Five Thunder Sect was growing day by day. So they took the initiative to raise an army and launched another war of revenge, attacking the Kingdom of Huansha, a neighboring country of Qionghua.
The strength of Huansha Kingdom was not as great as that of Qionghua Kingdom, while Jiaosheng Kingdom was no longer what it used to be. After three defeats in three battles, the ruler of Huansha Kingdom led his troops to surrender.
At this point, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the Horned Kingdom harbored ambitions, especially since it did so under the guise of revenge, making it all the more legitimate. After the destruction of the Illusion Sand Kingdom, many smaller kingdoms voluntarily submitted to it. However, some stubborn individuals remained, intending to form an alliance to oppose it, and still harboring hopes for the Shadow God Kingdom.
During this period, three of the five kings of Zhu Qian sent envoys to make contact. However, as Qin Sang and the others had predicted, they did not attach much importance to the Jiao Sheng Kingdom.
Regardless of external circumstances, the Kingdom of Kakusho is following Qin Sang's will and moving forward step by step.
If this momentum is maintained, the rise of the Jiaosheng Kingdom is a foregone conclusion, but it is still far from Qin Sang's goal.
……
Jingtan.
Qin Sang sat cross-legged in meditation, silently circulating her profound inner energy, and was cultivating.
More than ten years have passed since the war that destroyed the Qionghua Kingdom. In these ten years, one immortal kingdom after another has been annexed by the Jiaosheng Kingdom, all of which were 'enemies' from back then. Every time a kingdom is destroyed, the people cheer and rush to the mountain to worship the leader of the Five Thunder Sect.
But no one has forgotten that their greatest enemy is the Shadow God Kingdom, and that the Shadow God Kingdom has never given up over the years, resorting to all sorts of schemes and tricks to stir up trouble.
With constant propaganda, the hatred of the Kingdom of Horned Life towards the Kingdom of Shadow God grew day by day, and the two countries were destined to fight.
The Shadow God Kingdom was the strongest opponent and enemy that Qin Sang chose during the early stages of the rise of the Horned Kingdom.
Back in the Misty Sea, Qin Sang's protection of Qingyang could be considered a natural and genuine act. Now, however, he makes no attempt to conceal it, treating Jiaosheng Kingdom and its people as mere tools for cultivation.
Back when he was practicing the Hinayana path, Qin Sang could use any cultivation method or external object as a tool to improve his cultivation, and he still does now.
However, despite this, his cultivation level was actually increasing.
Suddenly, a sword light flashed in the sky above the altar, and the sound of swords echoed endlessly. Stars lit up one after another, and the Taiyin Star and the five planets appeared simultaneously above the four star fields, their starlight dazzling.
While cultivating, he also did not neglect to comprehend the Four Symbols and Nine Luminaries Sword Formation.
When attempting to break through to the Integration Stage in the future, one must not only reach the peak of cultivation but also have a certain understanding of the Law Domain.
Qin Sang's current understanding of the Sword Domain originated from the teachings of Master Tianyue, and his own understanding of it is still very limited. He only knows the surface of many things but not their underlying principles. Only by completely integrating it into his own swordsmanship and using the Four Symbols and Nine Luminaries Sword Formation as the foundation to unleash the Sword Domain will it become his own.
Both were carried out simultaneously without contradiction, and Qin Sang never relaxed for a moment.
Practicing the Mahayana path will only become more complicated. One cannot focus on governing the country like an ordinary emperor, nor can one maintain a life of 'solitary cultivation' like a Hinayana practitioner; it's difficult to balance both. Currently, Bai Ying'er and others can share the burden, but once the five powerful nations confront each other, Qin Sang can no longer remain comfortably in the rear. How to balance these two aspects is something he must figure out himself.
For more than ten years, Qin Sang has also been doing another thing, which is preparing for the restoration of the altar.
When he returned from the altar, he was considering how to repair it. External items were necessary, and some of them were extremely valuable. Qin Sang asked Ning Ye and Yuan Zuo to keep an eye out for them, and with the help of the five kings of Zhu Qian, they recently obtained the whereabouts of the last spiritual item from the Zhu Qian Dynasty.
The restrictions were suddenly triggered.
Qin Sang awoke, put away the sword formation, and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"
Yu Ying's voice came from outside, "Reporting to the Sect Master, I have brought back that Yu Chen Yuan Crystal."
Qin Sang was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately ordered Yu Ying to bring it in. Upon receiving the wooden box, she saw a dull gray crystal that looked unremarkable but had taken an unknown amount of effort to produce.
After Yu Ying withdrew, Qin Sang immediately began refining the spiritual objects, and it took her more than half a year to complete the refining process.
That morning, Qin Sang left the pass, taking only Zhuque with her, and quietly departed from Jingtan.
Flying over the Kingdom of Horned Blossom, Qin Sang saw a thriving scene below, completely different from the Kingdom of Horned Blossom in her memory.
He and Zhuque flew out of Jiaosheng Kingdom and, after several twists and turns, returned to Cangwu Kingdom. This time, they clearly felt that the atmosphere in Cangwu Kingdom was far more tense than last time, as if a great war was about to break out.
The five supreme kingdoms have shown greater resolve than expected, and they remain locked in a standoff outside the forbidden area. Of course, for the upper echelons of these immortal kingdoms, whose lifespans are long and enduring, a mere ten years is but a fleeting moment.
Qin Sang occasionally communicated with Xian Ying and learned that they had been waiting, but there hadn't been a good opportunity, and this situation might continue for some time.
However, unlike the other four kingdoms, the forbidden area was located near Cangwu Kingdom, yet only Cangwu Kingdom suffered no losses, which inevitably aroused suspicion.
With Cangwu Kingdom facing pressure from four countries simultaneously, it's no wonder that its territory presents such a scene.
Qin Sang hadn't forgotten that the lake where the altar was located had an owner. This time, the opening of the altar to present a memorial would cause quite a stir, and it would be difficult to completely cover it up. This time, he planned to find a way to deal with the owner of that Taoist temple, and preferably subdue him.
They traveled quickly and soon arrived near the temple.
Qin Sang did not rush in, but carefully investigated and received unexpected news.
The master of the temple is not here at the moment. Back when the forbidden area was in turmoil and the Cangwu Kingdom deployed troops in the southern border, this person was ordered by the emperor to rush to the forbidden area and still leads the army to guard the southern border.
It was only then that the nearby cultivators learned of that person's true identity.
This is good news, saving Qin Sang a lot of trouble. Otherwise, if something went wrong when dealing with this person, there would be no way to clean up the mess.
Since the master was not there, Qin Sang no longer needed to worry and immediately sneaked into the dojo to begin making arrangements.
The master left some people to guard the dojo, but their cultivation levels were not high, so it was not difficult to deceive them. Therefore, Qin Sang did not take action against them and maintained the status quo.
After setting up outside, Qin Sang submerged into the lake, landed beside the altar, took out the refined spiritual items, and activated them one by one with hand seals, placing them into the altar.
As these spiritual objects merged with the altar, the cracks in the altar began to shimmer with spiritual light. Runes continuously appeared in the light, some of which were broken or incomplete. Fortunately, there were not many of them. Qin Sang studied the runes and repaired them as he went.
As time went by, the cracks gradually shrank until they were almost invisible.
'Shuh! '
A beam of light burst forth from the altar, causing the bottom of the lake to tremble.
The pillar of light dissipated, and looking at the altar again, it was as weathered as before, but all the cracks had been healed.
At this moment, Qin Sang took out the Gengchuzhidugong Seal and gently rubbed it a few times with her hand.
After all, this was the first time he had used the Dao Court's official altar-governing and capital seals, and he was unsure what changes might occur, but it was impossible to back down now.
"go with!"
Qin Sang threw out the seal of Geng Chu Zhi Du Gong.
As soon as he held it in his hand, he felt the altar and the treasure seal attracting each other. The treasure seal left his hand and, without Qin Sang's prompting, transformed into a beam of green light and automatically entered the altar.
Qin Sang rose gracefully and sat cross-legged above the altar, closing her eyes.