54: Kangguo Baiyujing

Kang Country, 175th Year of Shengde. (6th Year of Huangtian)

June 19th.

The first light of dawn broke through.

As the eastern horizon was tinted with pale gold, the capital of Kang Country—'White Jade Capital'—a giant city regarded by countless as a Mortal immortal realm and the heart of the continent, was slowly waking from a deep night.

Roosters crowed, dogs barked, and the sounds of people gradually rose.

Tens of thousands of people formed long queues, waiting for the city gates to open.

"Old Li, you're late today!"

"Sigh, something happened at home."

Old Li, pushing a small tofu cart, responded with a beaming smile.

"Look at you, smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum. Could it be some happy occasion?"

"Hehe."

Old Li chuckled without replying, then turned and pointed at the opening city gates, saying, "The gates are open, I'm heading in first."

With that, he hurriedly pushed his small cart and followed the flow of people.

*Whoosh—*

Small street vendors like him had to rush into the city to seize a good spot.

Before the crowd stood a suffocatingly high wall.

A giant shadow that seemed to sever the earth and divide the firmament!

The city walls were cast from countless black boulders and a type of spirit-patterned metal that shimmered with a dim golden light.

The top of the wall was as wide as a gallop-way, and the figures of armored guards with sharp weapons were like silhouettes pinned beneath the sky, silently patrolling.

The morning light fell on the wall but failed to illuminate it, instead being swallowed by the deep, cold, and hard black luster, occasionally reflecting a few heart-palpitating glimmers.

It had a circumference of three hundred miles and a height of thirty zhang!

Like a dormant ancient black dragon, it guarded the continent's largest city, which housed millions of Mortals and a small number of Cultivators.

Impregnable and unshakable!

A thousand years!

Since the day this city was built, it had never been breached.

After half an hour of slow moving, Old Li finally crossed the ten-zhang-high giant city gate and entered the city.

*Whoosh—*

The crisscrossing streets were wide enough for twenty horse carriages to drive abreast. At this moment, they were filled with a dense flow of people and carriages like ants, and the boiling, sky-piercing clamor crashed into his ears.

Houses stretched on continuously, with upturned eaves and bracket sets.

Pavilions and terraces were scattered like undulating mountains. Occasionally, streaks of light from escape techniques rising from the center of the city made countless people stop and stare, exclaiming in surprise.

Of course, most of those who exclaimed were hicks from out of town.

The locals were used to such scenes.

Those were the Immortal Masters of the royal Family and great clans.

"Sigh, it would be great if my grandson could also become an Immortal Master in the future."

Old Li thought happily to himself.

This morning, he had gained a grandson... In the innermost core of White Jade Capital, the royal palace stood majestically.

It occupied a full ten square miles of land. The towering palace walls were even more exaggerated than the outer city's, overflowing with spiritual light.

There were countless halls within the palace. The golden roof of the highest 'Hall of Sustaining Heaven' was over a hundred zhang above the ground; standing here, one could already overlook the entire city.

Among the jade buildings and pavilions, exotic flowers and rare grasses bloomed eternally.

Rare birds and spirit cranes danced gracefully, and the gurgling spiritual springs brought in turned into jade-belt-like streams flowing through the palace.

This was the residence of the Kang Royal Family—the 'Kang Clan,' recognized as the continent's number one cultivation Family.

It was also the center of supreme power that controlled this vast Dynasty.

At this moment, deep within the palace, in a side hall that was not particularly grand but very quiet, the elderly King Kang was having breakfast with the Crown Prince and the Imperial Grandson.

The person at the head wore casual clothes, a simple black silk robe, with only the cuffs embroidered with the Kang Clan's unique Coiling Dragon Swallowing the Sun Pattern in dark gold thread.

It was the current King Kang.

Having been on the throne for 175 years and being over two hundred years old, his face looked like that of a fifty or sixty-year-old. His cultivation at the Mid Dao Foundation Realm Peak would probably bring him another twenty years of Lifespan.

He was slowly bringing a spoonful of crystal-clear Spirit Medicine porridge, which emitted an inviting spiritual essence, to his mouth.

Two people sat below him.

Crown Prince Kang Yan appeared to be a serious and upright middle-aged man. His features were seventy percent similar to King Kang's, his aura was heavy and calm, and his cultivation had reached the Early Dao Foundation Stage.

Only one hundred and eight years old, he was in his prime and full of drive.

The younger one was Imperial Grandson Kang Yu.

With a face like carved jade and eyes containing refined light, his Peak Qi Refining cultivation at only twenty-nine years old was enough to look down on his peers, and he was expected to compete for the title of the continent's number one Prodigy.

If he could Breakthrough to the Dao Foundation within twenty years, then this generation of King Kang would even present the beautiful story of 'three generations of Dao Foundation'.

This was the foundation of the continent's number one cultivation Family.

However, at this moment, this noble Imperial Grandson seemed somewhat distracted, his gaze occasionally flitting toward the hazy morning light outside the side hall.

"Yu'er."

King Kang put down his jade spoon, looked at his favorite grandson, and asked softly, "You are distracted today. What are you thinking about?"

Kang Yu quickly gathered his thoughts and replied respectfully, "Grandfather, I wouldn't dare neglect breakfast. It's just that I feel a bit uneasy today..."

"Uneasy?" King Kang took up the conversation, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Are you worried about the Qingyuan Sect?"

"Uh... Yes."

His gaze turned to Kang Yan. "Yan'er, is the time for the joint action with the various families confirmed?"

Kang Yan immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks and said solemnly:

"Reporting to Father, it has been confirmed. It will be in five days!"

King Kang nodded slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the silk sleeve of his dragon robe as he looked at the young Imperial Grandson again: "Yu'er, without True Person Yanling, the Qingyuan Sect is nothing to fear."

"This time we have over thirty Dao Foundation Cultivators. It can be said that except for the Qingyuan Sect, more than half of the world's forces are involved. No matter how powerful the Qingyuan Sect is, what can they do when the whole world rebels?"

Kang Yu lowered his head to receive the teaching: "I will keep your teachings in mind, Grandfather."

King Kang added: "Yu'er, do you know why so many fellow Cultivators want to rebel against the Qingyuan Sect?"

"This... I do not know."

Kang Yu shook his head.

He felt that True Person Yanling was quite good, so he didn't want to target the Qingyuan Sect. Unfortunately, it wasn't his turn to call the shots in Kang Country.

"Because he... cut off the hope of those who came after!"

A flash of hatred crossed King Kang's eyes.

"Cut off hope?"

Kang Yu still shook his head in confusion.

He didn't understand. Hadn't True Person Yanling maintained the order of the Cultivation World and often preached to resolve everyone's doubts?

"Preaching? Maintaining order?"

King Kang seemed able to hear his grandson's thoughts and sneered directly, "Can it make someone Breakthrough to Profound Fetus? If one could Breakthrough to Profound Fetus just by listening to sermons, then what would we need Resources for?"

"Maintaining order seems like bestowing grace upon the world, but in reality, it means the Qingyuan Sect can stay high and mighty forever!"

"My grand Kang Country goes out to compete with a few small forces for some Spiritual Veins and mineral veins. What does that have to do with the Qingyuan Sect? They just have to jump out and criticize us from the moral high ground."

"We other Dao Foundation forces have no room to grow or gather Resources. In this world, besides the Qingyuan Sect, it's impossible for any other Immortal Master to be born!"

"What True Person Yanling does seems upright and honorable, but in fact, it locks down the possibility of all Dao Foundation Cultivators in this world taking another step forward."

The young Imperial Grandson Kang Yu began to understand a bit.

He was greatly shocked.

"Yu'er, now tell Grandfather, what is the essence of what True Person Yanling and the Qingyuan Sect are doing?"

Kang Yu pondered for a few breaths and spoke somewhat hesitantly:

"It seems to be... bestowing grace upon the bottom-level forces and Loose Cultivators to maintain the basic foundation. Then locking the upper limit of the development of mid-to-high-level forces to ensure the eternal status of the Qingyuan Sect?"

"Hahaha, Yu'er is right."

King Kang finally laughed happily, and Crown Prince Kang Yan followed suit.

If it weren't for the Qingyuan Sect stopping Kang Country from plundering Resources and strengthening itself, King Kang would at least have a Dao Foundation Peak cultivation by now and would have an opportunity to charge for the Xuantai True Person realm!

How could he not hate them?

However, they all selectively ignored a possibility.

If True Person Yanling really only wanted the Qingyuan Sect to be the sole ruler of the world for generations, he could have directly acted to wipe out Kang Country, the Blazing Sun Palace, and so on... Who could have stopped him?

After the laughter, King Kang finally exhorted earnestly: "Yu'er, remember your position!"

"Position determines behavior!"

"If you were a Loose Cultivator or someone from a small Qi Refining force, then you should indeed be grateful to True Person Yanling and the Qingyuan Sect!"

"But you are the Imperial Grandson of Kang Country!"

"The Qingyuan Sect is not your benefactor, but the tiger blocking your way from going further!"

Kang Yu left his seat, knelt on the ground, and shouted:

"I will keep it in mind!"

"Good!"

King Kang satisfiedly picked up the Spirit Medicine porridge again, prepared to eat some more.

But at this moment, a sudden voice made him freeze in place.

As if struck by five thunderclaps, his heart suddenly twitched.

"So... that's the kind of person I am in your heart."