A vast, unbroken plain stretched out beneath the sky. No hills broke the horizon, no gentle rises disturbed the flatness; it was as tranquil as a sea on a windless day.

This, then, was the renowned Central Great Plain.

Its very name clearly indicated its position upon the continent.

At the heart of the landmass, situated between East and West, lay this flat expanse, stretching for thousands of li.

The Great Plain was immense. Though it could not claim the boundless scope of the lands to the far east or west, it remained a crucial battleground fiercely contested by both sides. Both the Eastern World and the Western World had erected countless fortresses at the two ends of the plain to guard against invasion.

As the saying went, the wheel of fortune turned every thirty years; when one side waxed strong, the other inevitably waned. Countless brutal battles had stained the history of the Great Plain over the ages.

Every inch of the Great Plain’s soil was saturated with blood and the echoes of vanished lives.

When He Yiming arrived in this Great Plain, accompanying the procession from the Lingxiao Palace, the armies of the Great Shen of the East were already massed at the border cities, awaiting the arrival of powerhouses from every faction.

Within the entirety of Great Shen, the Lingxiao Palace stood as an unparalleled entity; their influence permeated the whole East. Even the Imperial family of the dynasty dared not provoke them lightly.

This was the power of Super Martial Artists. When an individual’s martial might surpassed the limits attainable by mere accumulation of numbers, such subtle shifts in power occurred.

※※※※

The scorching sun hung high in the zenith of the world. Its crimson light pierced the ground like flaming arrows.

In the grandest city nearest the great prairie, a short, stout middle-aged man waited ten li outside the gates, beneath a large parasol, for a full two hours.

Behind this stout man stood several distinct contingents, distinguishable by their varying attire. These groups numbered anywhere from thirty or fifty individuals to over a hundred. Their respective leaders had gathered beneath the shade of the parasol, seated together according to their established relationships, seemingly engaged in serious discussion.

Among these people were young and old, men and women. Most of the younger faces bore an undisguised air of arrogance. More astonishingly, though the elders sat in silence, a natural aura of steadfastness, solid as a mountain, emanated from them.

Exceeding twenty of these elders had already attained the Xiantian (Innate) realm—they were true Super Masters.

Yet, before the short, stout middle-aged man, every single person remained deferential, as if facing their direct superior.

The group sat beneath the parasol, slowly savoring the fine tea before them, exchanging desultory chatter.

Judging by their demeanor, one might assume they were here on holiday, but in truth, they had only one objective: to await the contingent from the main city of the Lingxiao Palace.

In the distance, finally, a column of horsemen appeared within their sight.

Upon spotting the riders, though their faces remained impassive, a silent thought echoed in unison among them: Finally, they have arrived.

The riders approached at incredible speed. The knights exuded a fierce, unstoppable momentum. As they galloped forward, the thundering sound of their hooves resonated across the Great Plain, seeming to strike up a magnificent, surging symphony.

The expressions of those waiting shifted slightly, but they quickly regained composure.

Soon, the mounted column drew within a hundred meters.

Suddenly, without any shouted command or discernible signal, the riders pulled simultaneously on their reins. The horses, which had been charging at full tilt, reared up on their hind legs and then settled down with perfect steadiness.

The hundreds of knights in the entire contingent executed this maneuver as if they were a single entity, and the spacing between their horses was nearly identical. This manner of arrival immediately stunned all onlookers.

The stout man was one thing, but those behind him, though their faces remained placid, inwardly felt a jolt of terror.

They began assessing the strength of this approaching force, a subtle unease creeping into their minds.

The stout man boomed with laughter and stepped out from under the parasol. He advanced with long, firm strides. Despite his bulk and seemingly clumsy frame, his speed was unimpeded.

He soon reached the knights who had halted their advance and called out loudly, "Yu Wuchang, Deputy Commander of the Great Shen Eastern Expedition, welcomes the brave warriors of the Lingxiao Palace. May I ask which brother is leading the team?"

He hadn't roared, yet his voice carried clearly to the ears of every single person. Most of the riders turned their gazes toward him. They were connoisseurs; upon hearing the level of strength implied by the stout man’s projection, a measure of their inherent arrogance dissolved.

In this world, there were indeed formidable individuals outside the Lingxiao Palace.

The lead knight abruptly raised his helmet and laughed robustly, "Old Yu, you didn't recognize this old fellow this time, did you?"

Yu Wuchang paused, then spoke with disbelief, "Wei Zongjin? You are leading the team personally?"

A ripple of murmurs instantly spread through the nearby crowd. Beneath the parasol, no one dared remain seated after the stout man had risen. The score or so Masters who had reached the Xiantian realm stared over, their gazes filled with profound shock.

Clearly, the name Wei Zongjin struck great fear into their hearts.

The name Wei Zongjin might be rarely mentioned among the younger generation now, but for these veterans, it resonated like thunder.

When they first embarked upon the martial path, this name had shone as brightly as the midday sun in the sky.

A young man lightly tugged the sleeve of an old man nearby and whispered, "Great-Grandfather, is this person famous? How does he compare to Senior Jin Zhanyi?"

The old man’s face twitched twice, and he replied in a grave voice, "Senior Wei is Jin Zhanyi of a hundred years ago."

This statement evidently voiced the consensus of everyone who understood the situation. They inwardly sighed: the Lingxiao Palace truly deserved its reputation as the premier house of Great Shen; such powerhouses appeared one after another, seemingly endless.

Wei Zongjin sprang down from his horse. "What? Am I not allowed to come?"

Yu Wuchang quickly shook his head. "Of course you can come. But I am surprised. Didn't you announce your retirement a century ago to focus solely on breaking through to the Venerable Realm?" His gaze swept over Wei Zongjin, and he asked hesitantly, "Have you broken through to Venerable?"

Wei Zongjin’s aged face flushed slightly. "The past is not worth mentioning. We have traveled hard; please settle the children quickly."

Yu Wuchang laughed loudly, waving his plump hand. Attendants immediately stepped forward to escort the two groups into the city.

Only then did the original assembly, gathered under the parasol, approach to pay their respects, led by the elders among the twenty-plus Xiantian Masters.

Although the younger members were typically arrogant, in this setting, they were struck mute, lacking even the standing to approach and speak, forced instead to wait quietly some distance away.

Wei Zongjin smiled slightly. "Brother Yu, you haven't changed a bit; still fond of putting on airs."

Yu Wuchang shook his head with a wry smile. "Brother Wei, you jest. If I had known you were leading this time, I would have come alone." He paused, puzzled. "I heard the team was to be led by that prodigious young man from your sect, the Jin boy. Why is he not here?"

Wei Zongjin shook his head. "Junior Brother Jin is uncomfortable meeting strangers; he has already traveled ahead to your residence."

Yu Wuchang was momentarily stunned, then a knowing smile touched his lips. "Ah, that's an old tradition in your sect. Wasn't that how you acted when you were younger?"

Wei Zongjin shot him an annoyed glance. The two mounted their horses and rode side-by-side, paying no heed whatsoever to the assembly beneath the parasol.

However, the more they acted this way, the more restrained the waiting crowd became, lowering their postures as they escorted the two towards the city gates.

A moment later, the large group had departed, and the area beneath the parasol became empty once more, even the large parasols having been disassembled and carried away.

As everyone left, two figures suddenly materialized in the open space.

"Brother He, was I wrong?" Jin Zhanyi asked, sounding slightly smug. "If we had stayed here, wouldn't we have been pestered to death by those people?"

He Yiming smiled wryly. To be honest, he too disliked dealing with such formalities, so he didn't mind Jin Zhanyi's choice.

"Brother Jin, are those people the aristocratic families of Great Shen?"

"They must be envoys from the families closer to the West," Jin Zhanyi replied casually. "The Western families in Great Shen are the fastest evolving clans. In these families, producing just one Xiantian powerhouse is generally enough to establish a lineage lasting several centuries. However, these clans pale in sustained development compared to those further inland; few families last longer than a thousand years."

He Yiming nodded slowly. Great Shen was indeed different from the Northwest.

A noble family founded by a single Xiantian Master lasting only a few centuries was almost unimaginable among the established clans of the Northwest.

It was then that He Yiming truly grasped that different regions possessed entirely distinct characteristics, and one could not generalize.

A flicker of disdain crossed Jin Zhanyi’s face, and he turned serious. "Brother He, the families here are not remotely comparable to the great inland clans. If you venture inland later, you absolutely must not confuse them."

He Yiming’s spirit sharpened, and he inquired, "How powerful are the inland families?"

"Very powerful," Jin Zhanyi stated sincerely. "The inland families boast super-clans with histories spanning thousands of years. These families possess deep foundations and harbor hidden, top-tier experts unknown to the outside world." He hesitated. "It is rumored that some families even harbor experts at the Venerable level. They truly cannot be underestimated."

He Yiming gasped, drawing a sharp breath. A family—not a martial sect—housing a Venerable-level master was astonishing.

He gazed toward the Northwest, feeling an immense sense of awe and regret.

The true strength of Eastern Great Shen was clearly incomparable to that small corner of the Northwest.

Ps: What should I say? Five chapters today again, asking for some recommendation votes ^_^ Thank you!