Vampire Cultivation Notes

Chapter 218 The Four Seas of China

The Yu family competition is halfway over.

At this moment, an old man with a cane was led to Li Jieqing. He was a manager of the Bai family business association and used to be responsible for negotiating business with Li Jieqing.

"Where is your association president? Why isn't she here? Perhaps her family didn't send her an invitation?"

Li Jieqing was looking up to the Ningrong Mansion steward.

Upon seeing this, the old shopkeeper quickly explained, "We are grateful for the Ningrong Mansion's high regard for us, but our guild leader has been focused on seclusion recently, trying to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck, so he had no choice but to send this old useless fellow here."

"Breaking through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck—Is President Ningxue not solely focused on managing the Chamber of Commerce?"

"Lord Ningrong, you have been on the front lines for a long time and are unaware that our leader has been focusing on cultivation for a long time and has now completed the Qi Refining process."

"I remember her 60th birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"

"It's still a few years away," the old shopkeeper said, wiping his sweat. "That's why the guild leader sent word to me before I left, telling me to come to Ningrong Mansion to apologize. The sound-based restriction you requested hasn't been found yet."

"Only twenty years, no—"

Li Jieqing was about to say there was no rush, but he immediately realized that twenty years was a very long time for a Qi Refining cultivator.

His impression of Bai Ningxue, however, remained that of her when she was becoming plump.

"We have searched the capital and the merchant alliances, and now we are searching every prefecture and county. Perhaps we will be able to find a suitable book of prohibitions," the old shopkeeper explained.

Li Jieqing laughed and said, "I haven't seen it in the national treasury either, so let's search for it slowly."

"President Ningxue has done a great service for me, so please take this back to her." Li Jieqing raised his hand and used his magic to send over a jade bottle containing a pill.

"Could this be—!" The old shopkeeper held the jade bottle, unsure whether to accept it.

"That's right, it is—the Meridian Protection Pill."

Of course, it's the Vein Protecting Pill.

Although Li Jieqing had no shortage of Foundation Establishment Pills, he would not reveal any flaws.

He simply said, "Old shopkeeper, since Guild Master Ningxue is determined to break through to the next realm, then go back and tell her. If there's no rush, then wait a little longer. There have been some changes in the Eastern Lands, and many foreign cultivators have arrived. Perhaps some Foundation Establishment Pills will appear."

"I understand now—"

As it turns out, Chunyu Ju really did have some skills.

Despite being merely a cultivator from the East Sea, he managed to attract numerous foreign cultivators from all corners of the Divine Continent in just over half a month.

Foreign cultivators who had originally planned to hide upon landing in the Eastern Lands all revealed themselves and headed straight for the capital, thanks to Chunyu Ju's leadership.

Half a month later, the number of signatories had exceeded fifty.

Li Jieqing was in charge of receiving visiting cultivators in the capital. He was dazzled by the sheer number of visitors, and it was only then that he finally understood the divisions within the cultivation world.

The cultivation world is divided into the Divine Continent and the Four Seas.

Within the land of Shenzhou, the five mountains and five regions—east, west, south, north, and center—are divided, forming the land of humankind.

Among them, those forces that stand out from the crowd can use the name of a mountain as a substitute for their power. For example, the Dongtian Sect in the south of Dongshan Mountain is the most powerful in the eastern mountain region of Shenzhou.

Li Jieqing glanced at him and saw that the Dongtian Sect cultivator who came to report was a young man with a rather reserved demeanor. He was quite different from the other outsiders who were just Golden Core True Monarchs, but whose words and actions were arrogant and disdainful of the Eastern Immortal Cultivation World.

Li Zhu

Li Jieqing noted down the name of the foreign cultivator: Dongtian Sect. He had heard of this sect before, even if he didn't care about other forces in the Divine Continent.

Within the Divine Continent, in addition to the division of the land into five regions and five domains (east, south, west, north, and center) by the human race, there is also a division into four wildernesses that are roughly under the control of the demon race: the Great Eastern Wilderness, the Great Southern Wilderness, the Great Northern Wilderness, and the Great Western Wilderness.

This is similar to the overseas regions. For example, the East China Sea cultivation world, which Li Jieqing is more familiar with, is divided into the Inner East China Sea and the Overseas East China Sea. The Inner East China Sea is the territory of the human race, while the Overseas East China Sea is the territory of the demon race. Therefore, when Ruyi Sect went to Xiaoxin Island, which is located in the Overseas East China Sea, it was called pioneering.

In fact, Li Jieqing used to think that although demonic beasts were fierce, the cultivation world should still be dominated by human cultivators.

But recently I've really seen something eye-opening. According to the division of the four seas of China, the power of the human race and the demon race is actually almost equal.

As is well known, a balance can only be maintained by three forces. With the human and demon forces so close together, there must be a lot of friction between them.

For example, this time the Blood Heart Cave Heaven ascended. It was originally the Mie Meng Bird that was causing trouble. The foreign cultivators who followed invaded the Blood Heart Cave Heaven. All of them were cultivators. I didn't see any demon beasts being sent in to rob and loot.

This is the result of a battle that took about twenty years between the human and the transvestite sides.

"I've overheard quite a bit of information—these are all cultivators with impressive backgrounds. I wonder if I can slip through their fingers and infiltrate their ranks?"

Li Jieqing recorded all the Foundation Establishment cultivators who appeared from outside the region. He sent one copy to the imperial court to report on the progress of the competition, and kept one copy for himself to study carefully.

He has a thousand faces and can transform into an outsider cultivator to infiltrate the ranks. It shouldn't be a problem for him to gather more information about the outside world.

However, there's a fear that someone with exceptional skills might see through his disguise.

Currently, the invited cultivators are not yet at the Great True Person level, but are only at the early or middle stages of Foundation Establishment. However, since many immortal sects from all over the world gather here, the disciples they send are certainly not simple.

Even without a Grandmaster, these outside cultivators in the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment dare to come to Blood Heart Cave Heaven because they have other support, and who knows how many hidden talents they have in secret.

Li Jieqing had been researching for several days but had not yet found a good entry point to infiltrate the group of outside cultivators when the Colorful Tournament was held first.

A humble phoenix tree was sent to the skies above the capital. Its canopy, like a magnificent canopy, cast a large shadow over the city from high above the clouds.

The humble phoenix tree is a second-tier spiritual plant. This tree does not take root in mountains, rivers, or rocks, but grows specifically in the clouds, and has the effect of attracting phoenixes to roost.

The humble phoenix tree takes root in the clouds, growing one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) every ten years, reaching a height of one thousand zhang (approximately 3.3 meters), which is the third stage.

The humble phoenix tree, which was transported by the Eastern Court, is 990 feet tall and is a near-third-tier spiritual plant.

Within the Blood Heart Cave Heaven, this Humble Wutong Tree was originally the nest of a pair of second-tier white phoenixes, but it was seized by Eastern cultivators during their exploration of the Demon Realm hundreds of years ago and placed in the national treasury.

The reason why the pair of white phoenixes obeyed the orders of the demon emperor dragon turtle to fight to the death in the Eastern Land was to seek revenge.

The humble phoenix tree was generally not used by the Eastern Lands court. It was only today, due to the unprecedented changes in the Blood Heart Grotto, that it was taken from the national treasury to be used as the venue for the Celebration of the Colors.

On the majestic Wutong tree standing above the capital, one Foundation Establishment cultivator after another descended, marveling at its beauty.

Some even secretly reached out and plucked branches and leaves to take away.

Blood Heart Cave has not appeared in the world for a thousand years. Sure enough, it has nurtured top-quality treasures. Just being able to take away this Humble Wutong Tree will make their trip worthwhile.

"—A Golden Core True Monarch needs such spiritual objects to enhance the foundation of his Golden Core cultivation, both internally and externally. If I were to offer them up, he would surely be qualified to graduate."

One by one, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from all corners of the land stroked the branches and leaves of the humble phoenix tree, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Taking the Ruyi Sect of the East Sea as an example, in its internal divisions, both Qi Refining cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators are only disciples.

Those whose names are listed in the Immortal Sect's inner circle are disciples. Once an inner disciple's Qi cultivation breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage, they can formally become a disciple and cultivate the supernatural powers transmitted by the Golden Core True Monarch.

Those who are taught by inner sect foundation-building disciples but not formally enrolled in the sect are outer sect disciples. They are basically focused on Qi cultivation and do not have the means to break through to the next level.

As for the menial servants, they served the disciples of the Immortal Sect, both inside and outside the sect. They didn't even have a proper identity and were considered unworthy of mention as extra-official staff.

As for the true disciples of the Immortal Sect.

That is, after an inner disciple graduates from the Golden Core True Monarch's tutelage, and has established a solid foundation for Dao, with the potential to form a Core, he can then receive the true teachings of the Immortal Sect and become a true disciple.

Chunyu Ju's arrogance, and his willingness to call upon other cultivators from all over China to come to the capital, stemmed from his status as a true disciple of the Ruyi Sect.

Within other immortal sects in the cultivation world, the division of disciples is largely the same as that of the Ruyi Sect.

Becoming a disciple of a Golden Core True Monarch is like entering a sea of ​​suffering, where one has no control over their own destiny. Even if one has already established a foundation in the Dao, if the Golden Core True Monarch above does not release one, one will be unable to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Only by receiving the true teachings of the immortal sect can one escape the sea of ​​suffering and attain true freedom.

Now, a great gift that could win the favor of a Golden Core True Monarch is right in front of us. If we seize it, we can escape the sea of ​​suffering. Who wouldn't be envious?

He will then be like Chunyu Ju, living a carefree and unrestrained life as a true disciple of the immortal sect.

At this moment, the canopy of the Fiery Sycamore tree parted, and a voice came down.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar as guests, please take a seat."

It was that group of cultivators from the grotto-heavens.

The visiting cultivators standing on the trunk and branches of the humble phoenix tree noticed what was above them; some were expressionless, while others sneered.

Let's see what these natives are up to.

The group took off again one after another. There were 53 people registered by Li Jieqing earlier, but now there are 65 people showing up. Obviously, the actions of the Eastern Court in the past few days, as well as the display of the humble phoenix tree, have drawn out some people who were hiding in the shadows.

These sixty-five people passed through the canopy as if it were nothing, and in an instant they arrived at the top of the humble sycamore tree.

On the treetop, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Eastern Court had been waiting for a long time, lined up on both sides.

On the left, a person in splendid attire holds a jade tablet, with wide, flowing sleeves.

On the right side, a beast-armored figure leads a battle banner, his cloak billowing in the wind.

Two rows of twenty-one cultivators stood in neat formation, and then Shan Quan, a Grand Master of the Eastern Lands Royal Family, stepped out from among them, wearing a golden crown and bowing slightly.

"Please be seated, everyone."

Above the tree canopy, ten groups of Taoist soldiers stood in formation, sometimes hidden and sometimes visible, standing among the clouds like heavenly soldiers and generals, with banners waving.

If it weren't for the need to deal with the invasion of the demon realm at the front lines, the Eastern Court's forces could have been even larger, allowing them to seize the initiative and intimidate outsiders.

As expected, the visiting cultivators, who had initially shown signs of impatience, changed their attitude upon seeing this scene and became secretly on guard.

"These indigenous people living in cave dwellings must be incredibly wealthy—"

As the one who guided the competition, Chunyu Ju of Ruyi Sect swept his divine sense inside and outside the Xuxin Wutong Tree. When it was blocked by a group of Taoist soldiers in the sky, he did not care. He simply bowed to Shan Quan and then sat down to the side.

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