Having persuaded Feng Taiji and the others, the ceremony of abdication and enfeoffment still needed to take place. This was the formal ritual wherein the former rulers of the Seven Kingdoms would step down, followed by enfeoffment from Great Qian.

The entire process was overseen by Cifang, a man of Buddhist faith, yet it was conducted with surprising solemnity and proper form. Only after this step would the Seven Lotus Kingdoms truly become vassal states of Great Qian.

And just a few days later, beneath the Yuanjing Palace, countless people had already gathered. Some came bearing various rare treasures, hoping to exchange them for coin.

The vast majority, however, were here to join the Three Teachings proclaimed by Zong Shou. At this time, the Lotus Realm was much like the Cloud Realm twenty thousand years prior—both martial arts and spiritual techniques were exceedingly rudimentary, and there was nowhere to learn.

Zong Shou, however, had without any warning, flung open a door for them. Whether it was genuine or not, they all had to try.

The bustling prosperity beneath Yuanjing Palace brought the greatest joy to the elders of the Kongqi and Danquan Sects. These two sects specialized in artifact refining and alchemy, making the exchange of spiritual materials highly profitable.

Many refiners and alchemists had accompanied the delegation. In just a few days, they were earning fortunes.

Naturally, some also came solely for worldly wealth. These were precisely the things cultivators cared about the least.

As for accepting disciples, the leading figures of the Sword Sect and the Cang Sheng Dao were initially quite resistant. But then, on one occasion, a cultivator from the Wujue Manor happened upon a boy of supreme talent among a group of nearby refugees, and immediately took him as a disciple.

The entire Yuanjing Palace instantly erupted in excitement. The difference between the people of the Lotus Realm and the Cloud Realm was indeed negligible.

Even if there were variations, they were mere differences in leyline positions, easily adjusted. In many other aspects—such as comprehension, root potential, and character—the realms were similar.

The Yuan Soul was also composed of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, with no discernible difference whatsoever. In other words, the inhabitants of this realm were not without the chance to ascend to the supreme Saintly Realm.

Even if their future achievements were limited, for the sparsely populated Cang Sheng Dao and the Sword Sect, this was a considerable augmentation of manpower. Their initial reluctance transformed into fervent enthusiasm, with full commitment, in just a few days.

They even began to quarrel before Zong Shou over the quotas for disciples. Over the course of more than ten days, they had indeed managed to recruit several dozen exceptionally talented disciples.

It was just a pity that most of those sent to Yuanjing Palace at this time were the offspring of nobles, and furthermore, they were mostly from the less favored collateral or secondary branches of the families. The powerful figures of the Seven Kingdoms, wishing to curry favor with Yuanjing Palace and eager to test the waters, were fearful of taking risks.

Thus, they only sent their illegitimate or peripheral children. This action greatly displeased Feng Taiji and the Spirit Realm elders of the Cang Sheng Dao.

Consequently, they conceived the idea of emulating the Buddhist sect by establishing branch academies in spiritual locations across the Seven Kingdoms, in order to conduct a wider search. However, because they had not yet fully stabilized their foothold, this plan was temporarily shelved.

The true test would only arrive a month later. But if it was before, the Three Teachings had merely held a dismissive attitude toward the Lotus Realm, thinking that plundering what they could would suffice.

Now, however, they possessed a genuine will to fight to the death. "They say heroes emerge in chaotic times, and outstanding figures reveal themselves in peril.

The Lotus Realm is currently steeped in suffering. From what I observe, your realm possesses far too many individuals of exceptional talent capable of achieving success on the cultivation path—no less than our Cloud Realm a century ago—" Above Yuanjing Palace, Zong Shou stood leaning against the railing, watching with keen interest the large marketplace that was already beginning to take shape below.

Previously, there were only a few inns and houses here, meant to accommodate those visiting the Nine Stillnesses. Now, continuous structures stretched for ten thousand zhang north and south, with hundreds of thousands of people gathered in this place.

The person listening to him now was a man in his thirties. He was the one who had caught Zong Shou's eye for a long time in the main hall of Yuanjing that day.

His expression was placid now as he stood respectfully behind Zong Shou, his demeanor neither too forward nor too humble, striking exactly the right balance. Hearing Zong Shou's words, he shook his head slightly.

"Whether the Lotus Realm has many talents, Zhuang Yu does not know. But I do know that without the Immortal Sovereign's benevolence this time, these people would likely have lived their entire lives in mediocrity, turning to dust in at most seventy or eighty years.

The Great Virtue of the Immortal Sovereign is nothing short of a second creation for them. The people of my Lotus Realm will certainly be grateful for eternity!" His tone carried genuine admiration.

"Is that so? Does that include you, Zhuang Yu?" Zong Shou chuckled lightly, then heard only silence behind him.

He did not mind, and continued to ask, "I heard that for the past ten years, the entire eastern front of the Great Lin Kingdom was maintained solely by you, Zhuang Yu? Is the Layman of the Nine Stillnesses highly dependent on you?

You are considered a rare, great general in the Lotus Realm—" Great Lin bordered Xuan Kingdom, being slightly larger geographically, encompassing eight provinces. However, because the majority of its border lay to the east, it was frequently embroiled in conflict, making it the weakest of the Seven Kingdoms.

Yet, this situation changed a decade ago. Zhuang Yu emerged from obscurity, a commoner who distinguished himself in a major battle.

At twenty-four, he commanded thirty thousand troops and decisively defeated an enemy four times his size. After that, he was unstoppable, achieving continuous victories.

This deterred the nations under the jurisdiction of Hong Jiuchen of the Nine Du Immortal Court from daring to invade from the west. It also brought immense joy to the Nine Stillnesses, who even broke precedent to reward him with several sets of cultivation methods circulated from the outer domains.

"I dare not accept the Immortal Sovereign's honor!" Zhuang Fan stated calmly, "But Zhuang Fan believes he does indeed possess some skill in leading an army." His words were not filled with arrogance, but confidence. Zong Shou nodded slightly.

"Indeed! After learning of this, I specifically reviewed several of your battle reports.

I found something quite interesting: in the last three years, you, Zhuang Fan, had the opportunity for overwhelming victory in four consecutive battles. Yet, you were exceedingly restrained, securing minor gains and then withdrawing from further engagement—" Zhuang Fan's gaze instantly sharpened like a needle, piercing directly at Zong Shou's back.

Zong Shou, however, seemed utterly unconcerned, acting as if he hadn't noticed. "Is this an attempt to nurture your enemy to raise your own standing, or perhaps fear that the Nine Stillnesses will discard you once the task is done?

Or has Zhuang Fan suddenly developed a great sense of benevolence?" Zhuang Fan was about to offer a defense when he noticed Zong Shou's cool gaze suddenly turn back, laced with a hint of cold mockery. "If you wish to argue, there is no need.

You should know that for people like you and me, once we have determined the truth, evidence becomes irrelevant. Your tactics may deceive the Nine Stillnesses, but they cannot deceive me!" Cold sweat immediately beaded on Zhuang Fan's forehead.

After a long pause, he cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, "I did not expect Your Majesty to also be a master of military strategy! It is true, but this minor official was also forced into it—" "Forced, or rather, ambitious?

Secretly mustering troops and concealing your population. What is your intention, Zhuang Fan?" Zong Shou let out a cold sneer, chillingly severe: "With your talent, you are ten times superior to He Daoren.

You command three times his military strength. Are you resentful of me now?

For not only failing to select you as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, but also stripping you of all your military authority?" Zhuang Fan shuddered, his face paling. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and spoke, "The Nine Stillnesses have been ruthlessly plundering and taking whatever they wish in my Lotus Realm.

Several of my close relatives perished as a result. Even if I harbor rebellious thoughts, they are justified!" (To be continued)RQ

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