NOVPUBThe People's Emperor Hall is revered across the Nine Provinces, holding a transcendent status. One of its duties is to mediate between various factions to prevent deadly conflicts among cultivation forces that could lead to widespread devastation.
When one reaches the peak of cultivation, a single thought can overturn mountains and seas. If two such individuals were to battle to the death, the resulting damage to the Nine Provinces would be unimaginable.
There are historical precedents for this. When the old People's Emperor passed away and the new one had not yet emerged, a conflict arose between an ancient sect and an imperial dynasty. This conflict escalated into an irreconcilable war, engulfing half of the Nine Provinces. Anyone who dared to intervene was annihilated by the combined forces of the ancient sect and the dynasty.
It wasn't until the new People's Emperor, Jiang Li, ascended to the throne, carrying the will of all beings, that he slew the leaders of both the ancient sect and the dynasty, thus quelling the massacre in the Nine Provinces.
The Nine Provinces are dotted with dynasties and sects, competing and promoting each other. This was the policy set by the first People's Emperor and has been repeatedly validated by successive emperors.
Cultivators seek immortality but also have a fierce and combative nature. Simply suppressing them is not a long-term solution; they need a path for their struggles. Therefore, the People's Emperor Hall does not suppress other forces but instead provides various forms of assistance, encouraging competition. As a result, the Nine Provinces have never lacked for geniuses.
This is why there are so many countries in the Nine Provinces.
The basic structure of the continent is formed by thousands of small countries and the nine great dynasties.
A dynasty can only be considered great if it has a national fortune that lasts for ten thousand years without decline.
Jiang Li's hometown is located in the Great Zhou Dynasty, in an unremarkable small city on the plains, devoid of scenic mountains and rivers, and without any mineral veins or spiritual treasures. If it weren't for Jiang Li's hometown, even the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty wouldn't know about this small city.
In Jiang Li's memory, the strongest person in the small county was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Jiang Yixing, who once had the chance to break through to the Golden Elixir stage, was naturally considered an extraordinary genius.
...
Jiang Li stood at the city gate, staring blankly at Qingcheng, which bore no resemblance to his memories.
The once short, moss-covered Qingcheng had disappeared, replaced by towering city walls built of steel and stone, and gates wide enough for any size of exotic beast mount to leisurely enter.
Young adventurers roamed the streets, parents brought their children to bask in the People's Emperor's aura, and cultivators hoped for the People's Emperor's blessing to break through bottlenecks. All these factors turned the once unremarkable Qingcheng into a low-key yet rich city from the moment Jiang Li became the People's Emperor.
Even the gate guards were Golden Elixir stage cultivators.
Because of this, the city gate was bustling with people.
Upon entering Qingcheng, the first thing one saw was a massive bronze statue. The statue depicted a dignified man holding a long halberd, gazing in all directions, like a celestial being surveying the mortal world.
It was none other than the People's Emperor, Jiang Li.
Jiang Li had thought that returning here would be like "asking a guest where they came from," with no one recognizing him. He wore a straw hat, and under its shadow was his true face, identical to the bronze statue.
Unexpectedly, the reality was "who in the world does not know you?" Many people were worshipping around the bronze statue, and Jiang Li could even feel the faith power emanating from it. He quickly used a spell to change his appearance.
"Excuse me, where is the Jiang family?" Jiang Li casually asked an elderly man.
The man looked quite old and walked slowly.
Of course, his actual age was still younger than Jiang Li.
"You must be from out of town, young man. Who in Qingcheng doesn't know that the Jiang family is right in the center of the city, next to the City Lord's mansion?" The old man smiled and pointed, "It's over there."
The old man's accent was heavy, making it hard for outsiders to understand, but Jiang Li, being a native of Qingcheng, had no trouble.
"I heard that the Jiang family used to be a small family located in a corner of Qingcheng. After Jiang People's Emperor ascended, many cultivators came here to explore the reasons for his strength. The Jiang family seized the opportunity and became the largest family in Qingcheng."
"Although the Jiang family didn't move their residence, as Qingcheng expanded, their location gradually became the center of the city."
The old man looked around and, seeing too many people, pulled Jiang Li into a corner and whispered, "There's a rumor that the Jiang family controls the entire Qingcheng, even deciding who becomes the City Lord."
"The Great Zhou Dynasty governs by law. How could such a thing happen?"
Jiang Li shook his head, dismissing the old man's claim.
The Great Zhou royal family is well-versed in the Path of Time and can trace events back in time, revealing the truth of any matter. He had met the previous and current rulers of the Great Zhou, both of whom strictly adhered to the law, setting an example for their subordinates to follow. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Jiang Li had traveled through the Great Zhou, experienced its customs, and had disputes with local authorities. The government always resolved these disputes based on facts, without favoritism due to local power.
Among the nine great dynasties, only the Great Zhou is unique in binding national fortune with the law, governing the country by legal standards. If the ruler knowingly allows someone to break the law without punishment, the national fortune would be affected, and in severe cases, it could even crush the ruler!
The other dynasties all revered martial strength, and the law could be openly or secretly trampled upon.
Jiang Li believed that the Jiang family could influence the City Lord but found it unreasonable to think they could decide who becomes the City Lord.
Seeing that the old man knew something, Jiang Li continued to ask, "Is the Jiang family's ancestor, Jiang Yixing, still alive? What is his cultivation level?"
"I don't know about that." The old man shook his head. "But if you want to visit the Jiang family, it's best to wait a couple of days. They are currently in the middle of their ancestral worship, closing their doors for nine days and not seeing outsiders. Today is the seventh day."
"To think I would encounter the once-in-a-decade ancestral worship. I don't know if my luck is good or bad," Jiang Li chuckled. The Jiang family indeed had a tradition of ancestral worship every ten years. When his original self died at eighteen, he had only experienced it once.
The old man looked at Jiang Li strangely and slowly said, "According to the elders, the Jiang family originally worshipped their ancestors every ten years. But since Jiang People's Emperor ascended three hundred years ago, the frequency increased to every five years, and now it's every year."
The old man respectfully asked, "Senior, what is your cultivation level..."
To live for three hundred years, one's cultivation level must be at least at the Elemental Infant stage.
Jiang Li smiled faintly, not answering the old man's question. Instead, he thanked him and walked towards the Jiang family's mansion.
The Jiang family had their gates tightly shut and their protective formations activated, indeed showing signs of ancestral worship.
Despite the protective formations and several Golden Elixir stage cultivators guarding the area, Jiang Li could easily enter if he wished.
As the People's Emperor, he would naturally be welcomed by the entire Jiang family. However, Jiang Li had no fondness for them. He hadn't returned in the five hundred years since he left, and even so, the Jiang family still had the audacity to flaunt his name in Qingcheng, completely forgetting how they had once coldly bullied the original owner of this body.
If he showed up now, the Jiang family would likely be ecstatic and seize the opportunity to boast.
Jiang Li casually cast a spell to conceal himself and walked boldly into the Jiang family mansion.
