Almost on the very next day after Chong Guang’s reincarnation, Qingcheng Feixue True Person personally came out of seclusion to oversee the situation and summoned Yinshan True Person and Lü Yang to Sacred Fire Cliff.
"This time going south, Yuan Tu will take the lead."
Qingcheng Feixue True Person sat at the main seat, speaking calmly, "I will personally oversee this and ensure that no Golden Core True Person will interfere in this southern expedition."
"Besides that, most of the Great True Persons at the peak of Foundation Establishment will not participate either."
"Everyone has their selfish motives. With Chong Guang leading the way, they would rather see him take the risks and would not seriously try to stop him."
"As for the late-stage Foundation Establishment Great True Persons, most of them seek perfection and will not get involved either."
"Moreover, Chong Guang already made arrangements."
"Even if a Great True Person really joins the battle, you don’t need to worry. Someone will handle them. Your opponents will only be those at the middle or early stages of Foundation Establishment."
Upon hearing this, Lü Yang let out a breath of relief, "Disciple accepts the order."
Chong Guang True Person’s arrangements were indeed reassuring.Without forcing him to challenge beyond his level and only facing middle and early-stage opponents, he did have some confidence!
"Very good."
Qingcheng Feixue True Person nodded, and between her embroidered brows, a hint of killing intent suddenly emerged, "This time, I want you to invade 【Kingdom of Qing】, destroy their sects, and strip away their spiritual veins!"
Of course, Chong Guang True Person could not have dispatched only the two of them to go south.
In fact, they were more like the ones in charge.
And with Qingcheng Feixue True Person personally issuing the order this time, the scale far exceeded the past extermination of Divine Martial Sect.
With a single order from the True Person, all of Jiangbei responded.
It was obvious that Chong Guang True Person had been preparing for this long ago.
Now, 【Kingdom of Qing】 had already been surrounded airtight by various large and small sects from Jiangbei.
The two sides had been in a standoff for several months, like a powder keg waiting for someone to ignite the situation.
On the way, Lü Yang did not forget to consult with Yinshan True Person.
"Although True Person ordered me to take charge this time, I am still young and lack sufficient experience, far inferior to Senior Brother Yinshan in steadiness and wisdom."
"Therefore, I ask Senior Brother to give me more guidance and help me fill in the gaps."
". Yuan Tu, you speak too seriously."
Yinshan True Person waved his hand, but judging by his expression, he was clearly quite pleased.
Obviously, Lü Yang’s respectful attitude made him feel honored.
Moreover, the two of them were already like branches from the same root, so Yinshan True Person did not hold back.
Returning the favor, he said:
"Junior Brother, do not underestimate this 【Kingdom of Qing】."
"Senior Brother Chong Guang and I once divined the heavenly secrets and studied it carefully."
"This so-called wonder is truly operated by Dao Court like an iron bucket."
"Or rather, this is how Dao Court’s system works."
"They might fall short in external expansion, but when it comes to defending their own territory, 【Kingdom of Qing】 is like an eternal kingdom whose rules are hard to overturn."
"Dao Court’s system acts as Heaven’s hunting law?"
Lü Yang frowned slightly.
Until now, he had not truly visited territories under other powers’ rule.
In fact, he had not even properly explored Jiangbei.
This was indeed an opportunity.
Thinking of this, Lü Yang looked at Yinshan True Person again with curiosity and asked:
"Senior Brother, please explain further. What exactly makes this 【Kingdom of Qing】 or Dao Court different?"
Yinshan True Person fell silent for a moment before continuing:
"In a word, it is a cultivator’s purgatory, a mortal’s paradise."
"Words on paper always feel shallow. If I just tell you here, you won’t fully grasp it."
"You’ll understand once you see it with your own eyes after we arrive."
Jiangbei, 【Kingdom of Qing】.
This wonder spanned five provinces, governing over a million people.
Beyond this place was the 【Great Long River】 that divided the four great regions of East, South, West, and North.
Lü Yang and Yinshan True Person quietly arrived here riding their escape light.
However, they did not immediately meet with the various forces of Jiangbei gathered here.
Instead, they first went to a sparsely populated city, which was currently under the control of a Demon Sect from Jiangbei, the Xiangqu Sect.
"This place was originally under 【Kingdom of Qing】’s rule."
Yinshan True Person explained, "Although they have been driven out now, the influence of 【Kingdom of Qing】 still lingers, and it has not fully recovered to this day."
"Ha ha..."
Lü Yang showed a look of surprise.
Then, he suddenly reached out his hand, retrieving a book from a household in the city.
The book had only two large characters on its cover: 『Dao Canon』!
"Dao Court governs the world by using the 『Dao Canon』 to select scholars."
"Mortals must pass the imperial examinations to become cultivators."
"If they do not have scholarly titles, they are nothing more than wild fox Zen."
"Therefore, the first step in cultivation is to study the 『Dao Canon』 and take the 【Child Scholar Exam】."
"Next comes 【Scholar】, 【Recommended Man】, and 【Presented Scholar】."
"However, these are all just preparatory titles for cultivators, in name only, without real cultivation."
"Only by obtaining the title of 【Presented Scholar】, and then networking with masters and friends, finally receiving a Dao Court appointment and being granted an official position, can one be considered truly stepping into the path of cultivation."
"Yet even so, under Dao Court’s rule, these titled mortals are not to be trifled with."
"This is because Dao Court forbids all unauthorized cultivation!"
"Below Foundation Establishment, if a cultivator does not have a title or official status from Dao Court, even if they have reached the peak of Qi Refining, they cannot display any supernatural abilities."
"Because in Dao Court, even the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth has an owner."
"Every bit of spiritual energy belongs to Dao Court."
"Any cultivator without a title who absorbs Heaven and Earth’s spiritual energy is committing theft of public property and will be executed along with their entire clan."
"In such circumstances, even a titled mortal’s angry shout can cause an illegal cultivator to collapse helplessly on the ground."
The 『Dao Canon』 even specifically described such a case.
It told of a ninth-rank county magistrate in 【Kingdom of Qing】 who was once hated by an illegal cultivator.
That cultivator had refined a flying sword with the intent to assassinate the magistrate.
However, the magistrate subdued him with a single shout, causing his magic to dissipate.
In the end, the cultivator was beaten to death by government soldiers.
"... What a Dao Court!"
Seeing this, Lü Yang finally understood Yinshan True Person’s earlier description.
Such governance truly deserved to be called a cultivator’s purgatory!
As for a mortal’s paradise...
"I don’t think so."
Lü Yang’s gaze deepened.
Admittedly, under Dao Court, the common people lived in peace with favorable weather.
However, their social classes had completely solidified, with almost no room for advancement.
At its core, it was still the same as herding livestock.
"It’s just that Dao Court’s methods look more refined on the surface..."
Does feeding livestock until they are fat and round make them any less livestock?
In the end, they were still to be slaughtered!
In fact, when it came to the slaughter, the people under Dao Court’s rule couldn’t even resist!
One must know that even in Jiangbei, under the Primordial Saint Sect, there had been major sects that produced True Persons.
If the people of Jiangbei were herded like livestock, they would resist.
However, in Jiangdong, such things would never happen.
With just a single decree from the Dao Court Emperor, no matter how many people died, there would be no resistance.
Under Dao Court’s rule, the high-born held absolute power over the life and death of the low-born!