"Troublesome times indeed!"
This was Han Li's first thought after listening to the report.
The strength of the White Lotus Cult and the thunderous methods of the Daqian Empire left Han Li profoundly alarmed.
The White Lotus Cult was clearly just cannon fodder, used to test the chess pieces of the Daqian Empire, yet the strength of this chess piece was unexpectedly strong.
Not only did they have seventeen God Refining Realm masters and four Hollow Void Stage Grandmasters, they even had a Grandmaster Wanxiang, what kind of joke was this?
Such strength was superior to any of the Four Great Sects of Leizhou, and to Han Li's knowledge, Tianxuan Mountain, Sword Cleansing Pool, Hehuan Sect, and True Sun Sect all did not have a Grandmaster Wanxiang.
Across the entire Daqian Empire, there were dozens of major sects, but those with a Grandmaster Wanxiang in residence wouldn't exceed ten.
What this meant was that the mastermind behind the scenes was using a major sect that ranked in the top ten of the Daqian Empire as a pawn, prepared for complete sacrifice—truly a staggering move.
Even the official Grandmasters Wanxiang of the Daqian Empire numbered only around twenty, with the strongest foundation being in the True Martial Realm, but Emperor Wu had been in seclusion for several hundred years, and it was unknown to the outside world if he was still alive.
Grandmasters Wanxiang were too valuable to be used as cannon fodder. Such a move suggested that the hand behind the scenes might be more powerful than the Yinyang Sect, Kurong Sect, and Ancient Empire could manage.
The profound foundation and thunderous approach of the Daqian Empire also shook Han Li. Just how strong the Daqian Empire was remained unclear to anyone, hence the need for testing, and now the results of the White Lotus Cult's provocation were out.
Although the Daqian Empire was not as flourishing as it had been during the era of the previous emperor, its foundation remained intact, and its formidable strength was still able to firmly suppress the entire territory.
In the attacked Huozhou, the Daqian Empire boasted three combatants at the Hollow Void Stage—the Protector General, the leader of the Jingye Office, and the Slaughter God Army; and there were only three sects in the entire Huozhou that had Hollow Void Stage Grandmasters.
In the eighteen provinces of Da Qian, each province had at least this configuration, and then for every three provinces, there was a Grandmaster Wanxiang stationed there; the number of Grandmaster Wanxiang in Emperor Wu's City, where the emperor himself resided, was even greater.
"It seems the foundation of the Daqian Empire is still very deep," Han Li remarked with some amazement, though it was within what he had expected.
The Daqian Empire was still at the end of its zenith, basking in the remnants of the brilliance of the former emperor's era and had yet to decline. The current Emperor Qian was only capable of maintaining the status quo due to his limited ability.
If the next ruler, or perhaps one after that, turned out to be a formidable and visionary Emperor Qian, it was possible that the empire could rise to glory once again.
This was precisely what the mastermind behind the scenes did not want to see, which is why they caused trouble during the reign of the current Emperor Qian, gradually whittling down the empire's strength. Even if a sovereign capable of revival emerged, it would be difficult to reverse the tide or support the shaky foundation.
Regardless, Han Li preferred that the mastermind behind the scenes would stop causing trouble, for if the entire Daqian Empire was affected, he could not remain uninvolved. Times of war and chaos were most prone to problems and greatly hindered his personal development.
"Better to keep a low profile. I cannot afford to be drawn into these power struggles; otherwise, I wouldn't even know how I died," Han Li decided.
The greater the risk, the greater the opportunity. Large-scale and protracted conflicts are more likely to give rise to higher-leveled powerhouses, and many formidable cultivators also emerge and stand out with opportunities obtained during such struggles.
But Han Li was different. He only needed to consolidate his position, develop in peace, and focus on the well-being of future generations to grow stronger. He had no interest in getting involved at all.
....
The influence of the White Lotus Cult had now thoroughly spread, eliciting various responses from all parties.
The various Sects within the Daqian Empire, seeing the Empire still held strength, continued to rest and recuperate, diligently developed their Sects, and trained outstanding disciples, in hopes of producing a cultivator who would reach the True Martial Realm or even the Divine Yuan Realm.
This was also the case with the three major Sects of Huozhou. Although they had stood by during the chaos caused by the White Lotus Cult, the Daqian Empire dared not openly act against them, at least not publicly, as this would unite all the major Sects in common enmity, which was a consensus.
On the other hand, in the Imperial Capital of the Daqian Empire, upon receiving news that the White Lotus Cult had nearly been eradicated, Emperor Qian and the ministers immediately convened a meeting.
A portion of the meeting's outcome was soon leaked; the decree commanded the Protector General of Sanzhou, Wan Guiyuan, to continue searching for any remnants of the White Lotus Cult. It was crucial to completely exterminate the cult, preferably capturing the No Life Matron and bringing her back to the capital.
The Jingye Office of Sanzhou would be mobilized to assist in the search for the remnants of the White Lotus Cult. Once their whereabouts were discovered, the Sanzhou army would be dispatched to strike with thunderous force.
In addition to targeting the White Lotus Cult, the Daqian Empire had other moves to make—subtly sanctioning the three major Sects of Huozhou, trying to limit their ability to recruit disciples, and intercepting the talented youth in various regions as early as possible...
Publicly, the Daqian Empire awarded a substantial cultivation resource reward to the Loose Cultivator Grandmaster who had lent assistance during the turmoil caused by the White Lotus Cult, an amount that would make most Gurus in the Void Realm envious.
...
In Qianyuan Divine Province, the land stretches vast and boundless, extensive and endless.
After ancient times, the Divine Continent underwent a hundred thousand years of turmoil, finally forming a pattern of eight domains: Barbarian Region, Buddha Domain, Sword Domain, Demon Domain, Mysterious Region, Devil Region, Dao Domain, and Chaotic Domain.
Beyond the Divine Continent lie two seas, the East Sea and the South Sea.
The waters of the two seas are vast and endless, dotted with countless islands and teeming with numerous people, even larger than half of the Divine Continent. However, the spiritual energy is slightly thinner here than on the Divine Continent by one-third.
The current structure of Qianyuan Divine Province consists of the eight domains and two seas, which are far from tranquil, filled with strife.
The cultivators of the two seas wish to establish themselves on the Divine Continent and claim vast territories for development, which the native powers of the eight domains naturally do not approve of, as it would mean a loss of their interests.
When it comes to the issue of the cultivators from the two seas, the eight domains are nearly unanimous in their external stance. However, within the Divine Continent, the eight domains are filled with incessant disputes, as each domain seeks expansion and the encroachment of other domains' territories.
The top powers of the eight domains constantly scheme, placing their pawns and intervening in other domains' conflicts, mutually restraining each other, with tensions running high.
Several domains are already unified—in the Buddha Domain lies the Buddhist Sect's base, in the Dao Domain lies the Dao Sect's base, in the Devil Region lies the Demon Clan's base, along with the Barbarian Clan of the Barbarian Region, the Demon Clan of the Demon Domain, and the swordsmen and knife-wielders of the Sword Domain.
The Mysterious Region is dominated by imperial dynasties, among which are four great empires. The strongest, the Ancient Empire, has the power to unify the Mysterious Region but is restrained by other domains who continuously meddle and plant their stakes in the region.
One of the Eight Great Forces of the Mysterious Region, the Kurong Sect, comes from the Buddha Domain, the Yinyang Sect from the Devil Region, the Qitian Teaching from the Dao Domain, and there is also the neutral Emperor Wu's City.
Although the Ancient Empire aspires to unify the Mysterious Region, it has not been able to do so. The other domains won't allow it and continuously interfere, planting their flags within each empire.
The last, Chaotic Domain, is the most tumultuous among the eight domains of the Divine Continent. Various forces are present, congregating Human Clan, Demon Clan, and Barbarian Clan—Buddhist, Devil, Daoist, swordsmen, and knife-wielders clash fiercely, and even the four great empires of the Mysterious Region get involved.
Besides, there are numerous forces without backgrounds, either native to the Chaotic Domain or having fled there—utter chaos prevails, with no semblance of law, as conflict and slaughter are rampant.
Without sufficient power, one simply cannot survive in the Chaotic Domain.
However, alongside the chaos, the Chaotic Domain is a prosperous place, nearly every major force of Qianyuan Divine Province is represented here, and even the cultivators of the two seas can trade in this region.