It was an old custom for the new saints to head to the Upper Worlds and pay a visit to Emperor Xia. Despite the Nine States being ruled under Emperor Xia's orthodoxy, only those who had proved their worthiness and became saints were deemed qualified to meet Emperor Xia himself. It was also a ritual of sorts in itself.
The news washed all over the Nine States before they returned. It was especially so in the case of the Barren State, where the news was all the rage at the moment. Five saints emerged from the Barren State and all of them hailed from the Holy Zhi Palace. It was deemed an insane achievement. The Holy Zhi Palace had once poured just about everything into nurturing one saint, as they had been forgotten by the rest of the Nine States for having no saints in their midst.
