Star Martial Soaring Cloud

"The Great Qian Dynasty?" Wang Xiao was slightly surprised upon hearing this answer, but then felt relieved.

As long as it is not a puppet dynasty, the power of any dynasty should not be underestimated.

The Great Qian Dynasty rose to power at a critical juncture when the fate of the Nine Provinces was hanging by a thread, turning the tide and saving the crumbling empire.

It has the power to quell internal strife and defend against foreign invaders, thus reshaping the backbone of the Chinese nation.

This dynasty was certainly not a puppet regime; it was right to call it the strongest in the Nine Provinces.

If it doesn't want to appear on any ranking list, it can easily do so.

"Could the disappearance of Confucian sages also be related to this?"

Wang Xiao recalled the Confucian sage Xiao He mentioned—the Great Qian Dynasty could not only hide itself from all the rankings, but also had the power to silence the Confucian sage.

"No, the Great Qian Emperor has also disappeared! The Great Qian might target the Confucian sage, but there's no reason for them to harm their own ancestor. Could it be that there exists a power above the Great Qian Dynasty that exists throughout the Nine Provinces?"

Seeing Wang Xiao deep in thought, Su Qinhe continued, "In the Great Qian Dynasty, Generals Li Guang and Feng Tang are renowned experts at the Divine Sense Void Realm. General Li Guang guards Loulan, resisting the invasion of the demon race, and has achieved numerous military exploits over the years without ever suffering a defeat; General Feng Tang guards the first pass under heaven—Shanhai—to defend against foreign races from overseas, deterring them from crossing the line. Conservatively speaking, the Great Qian Dynasty has at least three experts at the Divine Sense Void Realm."

"Three out of ten again? And all of them are Senior Brother Li Guang. The Great Qian Dynasty and Seven Star Mountain must be connected." Wang Xiao took the initiative to bring up Seven Star Mountain to Su Qinhe. As expected, Su Qinhe was also hearing about it for the first time.

"Has Seven Star Mountain also disappeared?"

What is the connection between the Confucian sage, the Great Qian Dynasty, and Seven Star Mountain?

"Why do I feel like my master and fellow disciples are hiding many things from me?"

"When Senior Brother Li Guang was serving as an official in the Daqian Dynasty, he met Senior Brother Song Qing in Zhongyun City. Song Qing seemed to be at odds with the Daqian Dynasty, yet he was also raising military supplies for Senior Brother Li Guang..."

Wang Xiao's thoughts were in turmoil, and the more she thought about it, the more confused she felt.

Su Qinhe paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides the Great Qian Dynasty itself, the Yun family of the Northern Plains and the Ye family of the Southern Frontier are also powerful forces with deep foundations—both families were founding heroes of the Great Qian Dynasty. When the Great Qian Dynasty was founded, the ancestor of the Yun family led an army to the north to fight against the foreign tribes, recovering thousands of miles of land in the Northern Plains and firmly establishing a foothold there; while the ancestor of the Ye family led an army to the south to quell the witchcraft turmoil in the Southern Frontier and bring the Southern Frontier into the territory of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"For some reason, fifty years ago, the Great Qian Dynasty, which never conferred titles of kings or marquises, suddenly broke with tradition and conferred the title of King of the Northern Plains on the ancestor of the Yun family and the title of King of the Southern Frontier on the ancestor of the Ye family, allowing the two families to inherit the throne for generations and guard the Northern Plains and the Southern Frontier. It was from that time that the land of the Nine Provinces was divided into five regions—Eastern Coast, Central Province, Western Wilderness, Northern Plains, and Southern Frontier, which was not the case since ancient times."

"Huh?" Upon hearing the origin of the Five Regions, Wang Xiao was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "The counties have returned to their original state of fiefdom?"

He responded to Su Qinhe verbally, but his mind was still filled with doubts.

"Fifty years ago, wasn't that the centenary of the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

"Both the Confucian sage and the founding emperor of the Qianlong Emperor disappeared in this year!"

"What exactly happened this year?"

"It seems the only way to find out is to go back to Seven Star Mountain and ask our master. Fifty years ago, Senior Brother Li Guang and Senior Brother Song Qing were just born!"

"Originally, the entire Nine Provinces were under the actual control of the Great Qian Dynasty. After the conferment of kingships, although the Northern Plains and Southern Frontier nominally recognized the Great Qian Dynasty as the ruler of the Nine Provinces, they had long since become autonomous. After fifty years of development, their respect for the Great Qian Dynasty is probably only a little bit left."

"As for the eastern and western regions of Dongbin, Zhongzhou, and Xihuang, with the rise of the Xuanyuan family, they have been expanding their influence and recruiting cultivators in Zhongzhou, and the Great Qian Dynasty's control over Zhongzhou has been gradually weakening."

As she continued speaking, Su Qinhe's expression grew increasingly solemn, and her tone became low: "What is even more worrying and frightening is that the current emperor—Emperor Jinghe—is now fifty years old, yet he still has no heir."

"What?" Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao could hardly remain calm. He hadn't expected the situation in Kyushu to be so complex. He subconsciously asked, "Is Emperor Jinghe a cultivator?"

When an emperor has no heir, undercurrents must already be swirling in the court.

Once Emperor Jinghe dies without a legitimate successor, the Nine Provinces will inevitably descend into chaos.

At that time, alien races and demons will surely take the opportunity to invade, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Su Qinhe shook her head and replied, "I don't know. But even if he is a cultivator, it would be very difficult for him to enter the Dragon Gate Divine Realm."

She understood Wang Xiao's concerns—once one steps into the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, one becomes extraordinary and one's lifespan greatly increases. If one can reach this realm, fifty years old will only be the appearance of a young man, and there will be no need to worry about offspring or lifespan.

Even if one fails to reach the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, as long as one is a cultivator, the probability of dying a natural death is always higher.

"In truth, stepping into the Dragon Gate Divine Realm is already an achievement of transcendence, but this step is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Countless cultivators spend their entire lives without being able to cross this insurmountable chasm. Those of us who have the potential to enter the Dragon Gate Divine Realm are already among the best in the cultivation world—which is why Yan Zixi and I were chosen as successors of the Wind and Rain Pavilion so early on. It's not that Emperor Jinghe lacked cultivation talent, but rather that he chose the path of the emperor, leaving him with no extra time..."

Wang Xiao nodded. He understood perfectly well what Su Qinhe hadn't said aloud.

Cultivation always requires a lot of time, and his current level of cultivation is the result of ten years of arduous training.

They could seclude themselves for years, devoting themselves to the Tao; but Emperor Jinghe could not—a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day.

Li Guang was able to enter the court as a general after stepping into the Divine Realm, but Emperor Jinghe could not. Because some people are born to be rulers.

"Since the Yun family of Beiyuan, the Ye family of Nanjiang, and the Great Qian Dynasty are so powerful, why didn't I see any of their people on this trip to the Demon Island?" Wang Xiao asked, voicing his doubts.

Upon hearing this, Su Qinhe smiled gently, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Firstly, they don't need to come in person at all. This time, all the major forces entering the island, no matter how many Immortal Ephemeral Flowers they harvest, have to hand over 50% to them."

"Secondly, and most importantly, Demon Island is far too dangerous, with risks that are simply uncontrollable. For them, it's not worth taking such a risk. The Immortal Ephemeral Flower that we desperately crave is utterly insignificant in their eyes. The resources they have accumulated over generations are enough to allow their fortunate members to steadily advance to the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. There's no need for them to come to a perilous place like Demon Island and gamble on an uncertain future. After all, we only have one life."

"Their lives matter, but ours don't?" Wang Xiao's tone was tinged with indignation.

Since he began his spiritual practice, although he had been guided by a famous master, every step he took was extremely difficult, and he even risked his life several times.

He needed the Eight Elements Stone, so he had to travel to Lishan to participate in the trial; for the sake of the Immortal Ephemeral Flower, he ventured alone into the Demon Island.

But those scions of noble families...

This stark contrast fueled a strong sense of resentment within him.

This resentment did not stem from jealousy of their family's heritage, but rather from disdain for their path of cultivation.

"That's not entirely true," Su Qinhe shook her head gently, her tone objective. "Their generations of accumulation have given them choices. The reason we have to fight with all our might, even risk our lives, is because we have no way out; while they don't need to gamble, they can simply live peacefully and, through the opportunities of their families, be pushed into the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. This is the difference in birth, and it is also the coldest reality in the cultivation world."

"Generational accumulation is understandable, but shouldn't there be some fairness in terms of opportunity? Are they all cultivation geniuses? I doubt it. It's just that they have enough resources to compensate for their lack of talent, allowing them to avoid many detours. This isn't fair competition at all; it's a monopoly of cultivation resources by powerful families!"

Su Qinhe fell silent. She couldn't refute Wang Xiao's words and had to face the cruel reality.

Wang Xiao himself was aware of this.

The differences between people may stem from their knowledge, experiences, and pursuits, but in many cases, they are already predetermined from the moment of birth.

People are born different.