If the Ten Great Dynasties were to truly go to war against the Four Great Sects, the Sects would likely be the ones to suffer. Aside from them, there were the factions represented by the top three on the East Spirit Martial Arts List.
Ranking third on the Martial Marquis List was Qie Changgong’s Qie Celestial Alliance, which boasted a full seven of the top thirty Martial Marquises. Ranking second was Jiang Licheng, hailing from the Jiang Family, which had a legacy of over several hundred years in the East Spirit Realm. The clan continuously produced outstanding talents and had a myriad of powerhouses.
And ranking first was Xuanyuan Tibing, who was just one person!
However, in the East Spirit Realm, everyone implicitly viewed Xuanyuan Tibing as a faction in his own right, simply because he was Xuanyuan Tibing. Once entering the Martial Marquis Realm, he was invincible. Commanding a Million Soldiers to destroy Dongxuan. In all his life’s battles, he had never tasted defeat! For such a Human World Myth, his every move was enough to shake the very foundations of the East Spirit Realm. If he wanted to establish a faction, he only needed to say the word. Countless Martial Artists would bow in allegiance, and countless Iron Cavalry would flood into Xuanyuan City like rivers converging into the sea. How could such a person not be considered a faction?
Besides the Four Great Sects, the Ten Great Dynasties, and the Three Great Martial Marquis, there were actually Six Great Families in the East Spirit Realm. Although the Six Great Families could not compare to the aforementioned factions, they possessed profound foundations. This was because their ancestors had all produced Martial Marquis Powerhouses. The Patriarchs of the Six Great Families were also all Half-Step Martial Marquis existences.
On the Great Dao heading toward Piaoxue Palace, Lin Huang practiced condensing Array Seals with one hand while reading the "East Spirit Chronicles" in the other. Although the book did not provide a detailed introduction to the factions of the East Spirit Realm, it perfectly summarized the current situation.
The Imperial Dynasty wars. Aside from the Beiyan Dynasty, guarded by Xuanyuan Tibing, the other nine great Imperial Dynasties were engaged in endless warfare year after year. They would easily mobilize millions of troops, causing rivers of blood and plunging the people into misery and suffering.
Then there were the Sects’ covert struggles. Although the Four Great Sects appeared harmonious on the surface, they secretly resorted to all kinds of tactics and exhausted every method to fight for resources and talented disciples. Everyone wanted to become the leader of the East Spirit Sects! There were also the Noble Families’ disputes, Imperial Dynasties allying with Sects, Generals seizing power, and plagues that appeared every few decades.
The entire East Spirit Realm could be summarized with one word: "Chaos"—and a massive chaos at that. Although Lin Huang rarely paid attention to these matters, it did not mean he was ignorant of them. From the three-foot-high stack of intelligence reports on Qin Xuance’s desk, he could deduce many things.
"It’s a complete mess again!"
Reflecting on the situation in the East Spirit Realm, Lin Huang curled his lips. Since ancient times, power had always intoxicated people’s hearts. Whether it was the imperial courts or the Sects, they were all scheming on how to rule over all territories and dominate the world, yet those who suffered were always the common people.
Lin Huang muttered inwardly, not feeling too deeply about it. In front of a true powerhouse, these so-called factions could not withstand a single blow. This was proven back when his master, Xiao Yishan, single-handedly destroyed the Lingxiao Sect. And today’s Xuanyuan Tibing likely possessed that same capability. Therefore, instead of blindly pursuing power and factions, it was better to calm down and focus on Cultivation. After all, on this Azure Sky Continent, Martial Arts reigned supreme.
A Celestial Element Martial Artist might fear the Celestial Thunder Sect. But what about a Martial Marquis? Or even a Martial King? The Celestial Thunder Sect would likely have no choice but to bow in submission before them, as docile as a dog wagging its tail for mercy.
However, these things were still very distant for the current Lin Huang. He was only at the Realm of Human Element Ninth Heaven. Let alone the Celestial Element Realm, he would probably still need two months just to step into the Earth Element Realm. Although he had gained some enlightenment over the past few days, ever since he became Jia Wanjing’s coachman in the Xitang Dynasty, he had been dragged into a mysterious vortex and stepped into a grand conspiracy.
But all he could do right now was focus on his Cultivation. Only by improving his strength as soon as possible could he have enough power to cope when the conspiracy within the vortex was finally unveiled. Moreover, in Piaoxue Palace two hundred miles away, a woman of Unparalleled Charm was waiting for him to protect her.
In the chilly night, Lin Huang looked up in the direction of Piaoxue Palace. His expression was calm, but deep in his heart lay a profound excitement, as if an intense emotion was on the verge of erupting at any moment. In Lin Huang’s eyes, the time he had been separated from Lin Cangxue wasn’t three years, but seventeen years!
Back then, whenever he was hunted by Liu Cangsheng to the point of having no way out, he would think of his sister, Lin Cangxue. Her every frown and smile would appear right before his eyes. Lin Huang’s greatest regret and agony back then was that such an East Spirit Legend, a woman of Unparalleled Charm, had ruined her life’s destiny all for the sake of her worthless younger brother.
Thinking of this, Lin Huang’s nose tingled slightly, and the conviction in his heart grew firmer. His deep voice echoed in the night sky like a vow beneath the moon, "What you have lost, I will take back for you. What you cherish, I will protect. The Legend belonging to Lin Cangxue will never fall!"
The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the night was as dark as ink.
In Piaoxue Palace, a woman of Unparalleled Charm dressed in Baiyi stood quietly atop the palace. Her pure face was as pale as snow, and the chilling wind fluttered her black hair and dress, making her appear somewhat desolate. Her cold eyes concealed the sorrow in her heart as she gazed at the Blood Triangle a thousand miles away, holding a trace of anticipation. However, her tightly clenched jade-like hands completely exposed her inner worries.
She just stood there quietly under the bright moon, letting the freezing wind sweep past her frail body. In this cold, moonlit night, she looked like a peerless beauty standing solitary in the world, gazing longingly toward the direction from which Lin Huang would approach Piaoxue Palace.
Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and another person appeared behind the woman.
"Master!" Looking back at Shen Diexin, a faint smile finally graced the woman’s face. Yet beneath that smile, an indelible sorrow lay hidden.
Shen Diexin draped a cloak over the woman’s delicate body. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her gentle voice carried a deep sense of pity. "A disciple just sent word that a young man has appeared within the territory of Piaoxue Palace. Based on his appearance, it should be Lin Huang. You should go back and rest early."
"I’m fine, Master. I will wait a little longer!" Lin Cangxue beamed, like melting snow on the heavenly mountains. Her voice was filled with joy. "I think Xiaohuang must miss me too. Since I cannot go down the mountain, he will be happy if I am the first person he sees when he arrives."
"You! Your whole life has been hindered by this younger brother of yours!" Shen Diexin brushed a strand of hair from Lin Cangxue’s temple, feeling both angry and pitiful. "If not for him, you would have long since become a Celestial Element Realm existence. Perhaps you could have even stepped into the Martial Marquis Realm this year."
"But I am his sister. Aside from Grandpa, I am his only family. With our mother not around, an older sister protecting her younger brother is an undeniable truth, as immutable as a Celestial Scripture."
Lin Cangxue smiled. Even though her Martial Soul had shattered and she could no longer continue her Cultivation, and even though she had suffered the mockery of everyone in the palace over the past two years—feeling lost, sorrowful, resentful, and helpless... she did not regret it! Because he was her, Lin Cangxue’s, younger brother. Born of the same mother, their bloodlines were connected. His name was Lin Huang.
In this world, other than herself, absolutely no one was allowed to bully him. Otherwise, they would have to answer to the Three-Foot Cyan Blade in her hand, even if she had already fallen from grace... But so what!
Shen Diexin looked at the woman in front of her—who appeared delicate but was actually incredibly stubborn and proud—and finally let out a sigh. She pulled the shivering woman, trembling slightly from the cold, into her arms with a face full of helplessness. "Master will wait here with you for him, alright!"