The Nine Provinces Palace is honored by all, with a transcendent status, and one of its duties is to mediate between various forces to prevent deadly conflicts between immortal sects and the devastation of sentient beings.
At the pinnacle of cultivation, a single thought could overturn mountains and seas. If two peak-level cultivators fought to the death, the harm they could bring to the Nine Provinces continent would be immeasurable.
There were historical precedents for such events. When the old emperor died and the new emperor had not yet been produced, conflicts arose between the Ancient Sect and the Imperial Dynasty. It escalated into an irreconcilable conflict, culminating in a bloody battle that swept across half of the Nine Provinces. Anyone who dared to advise was jointly annihilated by the Ancient Sect and the Imperial Dynasty.
It was not until the new Emperor Jiang Li ascended and fulfilled the wishes of all beings, killing the leaders of the Ancient Sect and the rulers of the Imperial Dynasty, that the calamity of the Nine Provinces was finally quelled.
The Nine States Continent is home to empires and sects, competing and promoting one another, a principle established by the founding emperor and the result derived from consecutive emperors' scrutiny.
People in the path of cultivation seek longevity and are also brave and combative. Unilateral suppression is not a long-term strategy, as cultivators need a path of competition. Therefore, the Emperor's Palace did not suppress other forces but instead provided various assistance, encouraging these forces to compete. It is for this reason that geniuses in the Nine States have always emerged in abundance.
It is for this reason that there are so many countries on the continent of Nine States.
Thousands of small countries constitute the basic pattern of the continent's nine empires.
Prosperous national fortune, lasting prosperity, can truly be called a great empire.
Jiang Li's hometown is located in the Great Zhou Empire, but it is just an inconspicuous small city in the Great Zhou Empire, situated on a plain, without beautiful scenery or mineral treasures. If it were not for Jiang Li's hometown, perhaps even the people of the Great Zhou Empire would not know about such a small city.
In Jiang Li's memory, the strongest person in the small county is only at the Foundation Building stage.
And Jiang Yixing, who once had the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core stage, is naturally considered a remarkable talent.
......
Standing at the city gate, Jiang Li stared blankly at the Qingcheng that bore no resemblance to his memory.
The once small, moss-covered Qingcheng had disappeared, replaced by towering walls built of fine steel stone and gates allowing any kind of exotic mount to leisurely enter the city.
As young rangers roamed the rivers and lakes, parents brought their children to absorb the aura of the Emperor, and practitioners hoped for the Emperor's blessings to break through bottlenecks. All these factors led the inconspicuous Qingcheng, from the moment Jiang Li became the Emperor, to become a low-key yet profound city.
Even the guards at the city gate are cultivators at the Golden Core stage.
As a result, the city gate is extremely lively with people coming and going.
Upon entering Qingcheng, the first thing that meets the eye is a huge bronze statue, depicting a man holding a long spear, gazing in all directions like a god inspecting the mortal world.
It is precisely the Emperor Jiang Li.
He thought that returning here would be a case of "Who recognizes the guest?", where no one would recognize him. Wearing only a straw hat, his true appearance was identical to that of the bronze statue beneath the hat's shadow.
To his surprise, however, it was actually "Who in the world doesn't recognize you?". There were quite a few people paying their respects around the bronze statue, and Jiang Li could feel the power of faith coming from the statue. He quickly used a spell to change his appearance.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the Jiang family is?" Jiang Li casually asked a passerby.
The person looked quite old, walking slowly.
Of course, in actual age, Jiang Li was older.
"Young man, you are not from around here, are you? Who in Qingcheng does not know that the Jiang family is right in the center of Qingcheng, next to the Lord's Mansion," the old man said with a smile, pointing a finger, "it's right over there.”
The old man had a heavy accent, making it difficult for those not from the local area to understand, but Jiang Li was a native of Qingcheng, so it was not a problem.
"I heard that the original Jiang family was just a small family located in a corner of Qingcheng. Later, after Jiang Emperor ascended, there were constant cultivators coming here to explore the reason for the Emperor's strength, and the Jiang family took advantage of this to become the largest family in Qingcheng," the old man said, looking around and lowering his voice, "Rumors say that the Jiang family controls the entire Qingcheng, even who becomes the Lord of the city is decided by the Jiang family."
"The Great Zhou Empire governs according to laws; how could this be the case?" Jiang Li shook his head, denying the old man's statement.
The Great Zhou royal family is proficient in the way of time, able to trace history, and can reveal the truth behind anything. He has met the previous and current rulers of the Great Zhou, both strictly adhering to the laws, never crossing the line. The lower ranks should also abide by the law.
Jiang Li has also traveled through the Great Zhou and experienced the local customs. He has had disputes with the local power, which were resolved by the authorities according to the facts, without bias due to the local power.
Among the nine empires, the Great Zhou Empire is particularly unique, binding national fortune with the law. If the ruler knowingly fails to punish those who violate the law, the national fortune will be affected, and at worst, the national fortune may even crush the ruler to death!
The other empires all advocate for martial power, and the law can be disregarded at will.
Jiang's family can influence the Lord of the city, he believed, but it is unreasonable to say they can decide who becomes the Lord.
Seeing that the old man knows something, Jiang Li continued to ask, "Is the Jiang family's ancestor Jiang Yixing still alive, and what is his cultivation level?"
"Well, I don't know about that," the old man shook his head, "but if you want to visit the Jiang family, it's best to wait for a few days. It's the Jiang family's ancestral sacrifice recently, a nine-day closure; no outsiders are allowed, and today is the seventh day."
"I didn't expect to coincide with the ancestral sacrifice, I don't know if my luck is good or bad," Jiang Li chuckled. The Jiang family indeed has a tradition of ancestral worship, once every ten years, and he only experienced it once when the original owner of this body died at the age of eighteen.
The old man looked at Jiang Li strangely and said, "I've heard from the older generation that the Jiang family used to hold the ancestral sacrifice every ten years. Since Jiang Emperor ascended to the throne three hundred years ago, the sacrifice has become increasingly frequent, from every ten years to every five years, and now to every year."
The old man asked respectfully, "Your cultivation...are you..."
To live for three hundred years, the cultivation level must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage.
Jiang Li smiled faintly, not picking up on the old man's conversation, and thanked the old man before walking toward the Jiang family mansion.
The Jiang family had sealed the main gate and activated an array, a clear sign of the ancestral sacrifice.
Although there were formations protecting the place and several Golden Core stage cultivators guarding in all directions, it was still very easy for Jiang Li to enter. As the Emperor Jiang, he would naturally be welcomed by the Jiang family. However, Jiang Li did not want to do that. He had no fondness for the Jiang family, and he had never returned here in the five hundred years since he left the family. Nonetheless, the Jiang family still shamelessly used his name to oppress and bully the original owner of this body. Now that he had reappeared, the Jiang family would probably be overjoyed and take the opportunity to publicize.
Jiang Li casually cast a spell to conceal his figure and swaggered into the Jiang family.