Duan Haoshan had never tasted Fire Dragon Brew before. His tolerance was limited, and after half a jar, his mind was clouded, leaving him drunkenly unaware of who he was. 1 Novel α..C organized Ji Changkong, however, had downed batches ten times stronger than this Fire Dragon Brew and drank this level frequently; half a jar for him was nothing significant, resulting only in a flushed face.

"What do we do with this one?" Seeing Duan Haoshan slumped over the table, Ji Changkong rubbed his temples and sought Bai Qingya’s opinion.

"He deserves it!" Bai Qingya hissed resentfully, then rose to urge him, "Forget him. When he sobers up, he’ll know what to do. Changkong, let's head back first. The Duan family is powerful; in Tianshui City, very few dare to cross him. Don't worry about him."

"Alright, I'll go settle the bill outside."

"He already settled it at the start. Hmph, he seemed to know he’d get drunk. Let’s go; we'll return to the inn first."

...

Half an hour later, Ji Changkong and Bai Qingya staggered back, having stopped along the way to purchase some cleaning supplies, arriving back at the inn before dark.

Bai Qingya didn't go to her own room immediately but followed Ji Changkong inside. After plopping onto a chair, she stated directly, "Chang Kong, if those people from today invite you to join their clans, absolutely do not agree. These great families and major sects have too many restrictions, and they constantly scheme against each other. Getting involved will do you no good in the long run."

"Sister Bai, so many major families and sects showed up today. Which one is the most formidable?" After brewing two cups of tea with the new set, Ji Changkong sat down, handed one to Bai Qingya, and asked in a deep voice.

She seemed incredibly familiar with those people. Ji Changkong had long wanted to ask this question, but the previous setting—that bustling manor—was inappropriate for such discussion. Here, in the quiet, was the right time.

Bai Qingya didn't answer immediately. After a moment of contemplation, she frowned, "The families and sects present today are actually not the most powerful. There are three great nations in the Central Lands, more than a dozen smaller kingdoms, and countless famous mountains and great rivers. The strongest among them are undoubtedly the two grandest sects."

"The Guiyuan Sect and the Qiankun Sect," Ji Changkong stated.

"Exactly, the Guiyuan Sect and the Qiankun Sect!"

Bai Qingya nodded, delicately sipping her tea. "These two supreme sects sit on high. Cao Xuanqi and Gu Dan have dominated the world for a hundred years; in the Central Lands, virtually no one dares challenge the authority of these two! Setting aside these two near-immortal figures, the Elders of the Guiyuan and Qiankun Sects, the direct disciples of Cao Xuanqi and Gu Dan, are all individuals whose cultivation realms are incomparably profound! As long as these figures exist, the transcendent status of the Guiyuan and Qiankun Sects cannot be shaken by any other sect or major family!"

"Beneath the Guiyuan and Qiankun Sects are the three Imperial Families: the Wu family of the Tianwu Kingdom, the Chu family of the Great Chu Kingdom, and the Huangfu family of the Shuiyun Kingdom. The three kingdoms are militarily strong, and the Wu, Chu, and Huangfu families have accumulated immense resources over years; their royal experts are like clouds, and their wealth is incalculable, far surpassing some so-called Heavenly Scholar Sects or large families! The only reason the three Imperial Families rank below the Guiyuan and Qiankun Sects is simply that none of them have produced a transcendent figure with profound magic power like Cao Xuanqi or Gu Dan!"

"Following the three Imperial Families are the Seven Great Families and the Six Great Heavenly Scholar Sects. The Seven Great Families are the Ye, Chen, Du, Yuchi, Yi, Murong, and Xiao families. The Six Great Heavenly Scholar Sects are the Shangqing Sect, Tianxin Sect, Xuanyang Cult, Yuehua Sect, Wuying Sect, and Wuwei Sect."

"The Chen family and Murong family among the Seven Great Families, and the Xuanyang Cult and Yuehua Sect among the Six Great Sects, are located in our Shuiyun Kingdom. The Ye family, Du family, and Tianxin Sect are in the Tianwu Kingdom. The Yuchi family, Shangqing Sect, and Wuwei Sect are in the Great Chu Kingdom. The remaining Yi family, Xiao family, and Wuying Sect are outside the three great kingdoms."

"The Seven Great Families and the Six Great Heavenly Scholar Sects possess immense strength and numerous experts. They hold many marvelous Heavenly Scholar secrets and secret techniques, often seeing brilliant young talents emerge suddenly. The older generation of experts have spent years cultivating, focusing on enhancing the strength of their families and sects, causing the influence of the Seven Great Families and Six Great Heavenly Scholar Sects to grow ever stronger, towering over ordinary people like mountains."

"To qualify for the ranks of the Seven Great Families or Six Great Heavenly Scholar Sects, one not only needs powerful strength but also a history spanning more than a century! There are many minor families and sects whose strength might not be significantly inferior, but because their establishment time is too short, they cannot be included. For instance, the Duan family where Duan Haoshan belongs, and the He family of Blood Rain Mountain, are examples of families with outstanding strength but are not counted because they have only risen within the last few decades."

"These major families and great sects have their own methods for recruiting disciples. Every year, specialized personnel travel throughout the kingdoms, selecting children with exceptional innate potential to take back for instruction, sparing no effort to vie for every bit of resource. They absolutely do not need to recruit masters through the methods we saw today."

Bai Qingya’s narrative unfolded, allowing Ji Changkong to grasp the structure of the world for the first time with clarity. Zhongli Jingyi, Zhongli Hui, and Yu Ziling had discussed the general state of affairs with him before, but they mostly spoke of interesting tidbits concerning the Southern Barbarians, Northern Nomads, Western Regions, and Eastern Sea. It seemed the three rarely visited the Central Lands and were not perfectly clear on its conditions.

Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun had mentioned some things regarding this aspect, but not as clearly as Bai Qingya had explained.

"If what you say is true, then the families and sects at that manor today should be weaker than the Seven Great Families and Six Great Sects?" After a while, Ji Changkong smiled and asked.

"That's right; they are indeed far inferior to the Seven Great Families and Six Great Sects," Bai Qingya smiled back.

"So, they are just some minor sects and minor families. Heh, it seems my knowledge is truly shallow; I thought they were quite formidable." After saying this, Ji Changkong fell silent, not uttering another word.

Seeing that he had lost interest in talking, and feeling that she had spoken too much at once, Bai Qingya recognized that he needed time to process the information. She sensibly rose, bid Ji Changkong farewell, and left his room.

The Guiyuan Sect and Qiankun Sect stand supreme! The Three Imperial Families control the politics of their three kingdoms! The Seven Great Families! The Six Great Sects possess immense power!

Then, what about the Ji family?

The once glorious and prosperous Ji family—does anyone still remember? The Ji family from which a 'Xuanyuan' emerged every five or six hundred years—does anyone still know? Perhaps they have long been forgotten?

After a long, long time, Ji Changkong’s expression became resolute, and he softly murmured, "Ji family, Ji family, Ji family!"

...

Deep in the night, sitting upright on the edge of his bed, Ji Changkong focused on his quiet cultivation.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Faint sounds drifted from the corridor. Two figures approached stealthily, stopping outside Ji Changkong's door.

Crack!

With a sharp sound, the inner frame of Ji Changkong's door splintered as two Heavenly Scholars wearing bamboo hats suddenly burst in!

"Two skulking figures, what business do you have?" Ji Changkong, sitting motionless on the bed edge, suddenly barked.

He could sense that these two were merely Three Talents Heavenly Scholars, so he felt no fear, wishing first to gauge their intent.

"Ji Changkong, you can command the fierce beasts of the Cloud Dream Marsh. Our master wishes to ask for your assistance in a matter," a grim voice came from one of them.

Hearing this, Ji Changkong immediately understood that someone who had previously seen him in the Cloud Dream Marsh must have recognized him at the manor today.

Back in the Cloud Dream Marsh, there were too many powerful figures hidden in the shadows. He had been rushing to find the Old Mother of Wushan, Zhao Meilan, and others, rampaging arrogantly with the Cloud Dream fierce beasts, paying no heed to caution. Many hidden Heavenly Scholars had witnessed his appearance.

"Sneaks hiding their faces, I have no interest in talking with you!" he rejected crisply and decisively.

"Heh heh, brat, this is Tianshui City, not the Cloud Dream Marsh! There are no Cloud Dream fierce beasts for you to command here! Don't force us to use harsh measures when a toast is offered!" the person sneered lowly.

"I happen to prefer the harsh measures!"

With a fierce roar, Ji Changkong leaped up, striking first.

...