302: Chapter 302 Borderlands

Seeing that the outcome was decided, the people of the Lingxiao Sect had no choice but to submit.

Yun Ling immediately collected a wisp of the Primordial Spirits from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, then ordered people to take the members of the Lingxiao Sect away to be pacified for a while.

He then said to Ye Jing, "Patriarch Ye, you have helped my Qingyun Sect a great deal these past few days. Why don't you follow me into the Lingxiao Sect to see if there are any weapons that suit you? You may take whatever you like."

It was clear that he was generously sharing the spoils of the Lingxiao Sect with Ye Jing as a reward.

It must be known that without Ye Jing, Yun Ling would have been murdered by Fan Lang long ago. Now, Ye Jing had fought on his behalf and beautifully defeated the Law Enforcement Elder, allowing Yun Ling to smoothly take over the Lingxiao Sect.

Yun Ling was in an exceptionally good mood.

Seeing this, Ye Jing cupped his fists slightly and nodded. "Since Sect Master Yun has extended such a gracious invitation, it would be rude of me to decline."

Yun Ling's lips curled into a smile, clearly satisfied with Ye Jing's straightforwardness. "Patriarch Ye, there's no need to be formal. You deterred the Lingxiao Sect single-handedly today; this contribution is worthy of any treasure here."

With that, he led Ye Jing into the Lingxiao Sect.

Ye Jing observed that the doors of the Lingxiao Sect were all constructed from heavy purple wood, and the surrounding decor was also very substantial.

As a Sect with a high status among the four Sects, the Lingxiao Sect had a profound foundation and a Legacy spanning a hundred years.

Within the Sect, there was a dedicated armory containing many Magic Treasures.

The Lingxiao Sect Disciples here had all been sent to the Qingyun Sect by Yun Ling, so there were only the two of them left in this vast Sect.

The two passed through several halls with carved beams and painted rafters. Yun Ling pointed at the buildings on both sides as they walked, his tone carrying a hint of emotion.

"The Lingxiao Sect's centuries-old foundation could have continued its glory, but it was ruined by Fan Lang's ambition. If not for Patriarch Ye's intervention, my Qingyun Sect and the Yueshuang Sect would have truly been swallowed by him."

Ye Jing said calmly, "The Sect Master of Lingxiao was blinded by greed and plotted to annex the four Sects; his downfall was inevitable. However, Sect Master..."

"Patriarch Ye, if you have something to say, just ask," Yun Ling said with a generous smile.

Ye Jing sighed, "I heard before that the four Sects are merely in the borderlands of the Canggu Realm. Is that true?"

Yun Ling was stunned for a moment, then a trace of sorrow appeared in his eyes. "Patriarch Ye, that's right. Everything you've heard is true. To put it bluntly, our four Sects are nothing more than dust on the outermost edge of the Canggu Realm."

He stopped walking, his tone deepening. "My Qingyun Sect has a Legacy of six hundred years. Our ancestor was a minor figure who was sent down to this low-tier region by a Nascent Soul expert to establish a Sect. According to the journals he left behind, this area we are in is called 'Luoxia Land'."

"This is the junction between the Canggu Realm and the mortal kingdoms. It is remote and desolate, with thin Spiritual Qi, making it extremely difficult for a Golden Core Cultivator to emerge."

Ye Jing frowned slightly and pressed further, "Since it's the border, what is the heart of the Canggu Realm like? Why have no Cultivators from the heartlands ever come here?"

Yun Ling gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "It's not that they've never come; it's just that those heartland Cultivators are either exiles or Loose Cultivators who wandered into Luoxia Land by mistake."

"As for the Disciples of those truly great immortal Sects, they don't deign to set foot here at all."

“As for the heartlands of the Canggu Realm, that is a true golden age of cultivation."

"There are immortal Sects with thousand-year legacies, Soul Transformation Stage powerhouses presiding over them, an endless supply of Heaven And Earth Treasures, and even opportunities to reach higher Realms. Compared to us, it's like the difference between clouds and mud!"

Ye Jing was shocked to hear this, not expecting the Canggu Realm to be so vast. He continued to ask, "Since Luoxia Land is so barren, why does that Nascent Soul Venerable still demand tribute from you? Do you still have to pay up?"

Hearing this, the bitter smile on Yun Ling's face deepened, his tone filled with awe and helplessness.

"Patriarch Ye may not know, but a Nascent Soul Venerable is the heaven of our Luoxia Land. His name is Ming Hui, and he belongs to the Buddha Realm, one of the ten immortal Sects established in the Canggu Realm."

"Although our Luoxia Land is remote and barren, it is the only passage from the Canggu Realm to the mortal world, and it is right next to the Buddha Realm. Thus, it naturally became part of the Buddha Realm's jurisdiction."

"Along with our four Sects, the surrounding cultivation families of various sizes and the gathering places of Loose Cultivators are all his 'vassals'."

"That Ming Hui is the guardian stationed here. Calling him a guardian is just a way of saying he rules this territory. Tributes must naturally be paid, and we wouldn't dare to be the least bit negligent."

Ye Jing's brow furrowed tightly, a chill rising in his heart.

He gathered his courage and asked, "Sect Master Yun, there is one more thing I don't understand. Since we are vassals, why doesn't he just annex the four Sects instead of going through the trouble of collecting tribute?"

"With their Nascent Soul Stage strength, wiping out us Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Cultivators would be as easy as lifting a finger."

"Annex? They don't care to."

Yun Ling shook his head, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

"In their eyes, we Cultivators of Luoxia Land are like livestock being raised. Keeping us is more useful than direct annexation."

"The tribute from our Sects might be insignificant to him, but many small amounts add up to a considerable gain. More importantly, having us Cultivators rooted here allows us to watch over the borders of Luoxia Land for him. Why wouldn't he want that?"

Speaking of this, Yun Ling thought of Fan Lang and sighed helplessly. "Fan Lang of the Lingxiao Sect was ambitious and wanted to annex the four Sects."

"He felt his strength was growing and plotted to escape the control of the Nascent Soul Venerable. But in the end, he was too naive. Before the Venerable could even act, he fell into our hands."

Having said all this, Yun Ling felt the stagnant Spiritual Qi in his body and couldn't help but sigh again. "It's a pity that my cultivation has stalled. I don't know how much longer I can support the Qingyun Sect."

Ye Jing fell silent. He thought about how the only Golden Core Cultivators left in Luoxia Land, besides Gui Suer, was Yun Ling.

Furthermore, the Qingyun Sect now had no successors. If the Qingyun Sect also fell, he wondered if other small Sects would swarm in like ants to devour it bit by bit.

During their conversation, they arrived at the armory where the Lingxiao Sect kept its weapons.

Ye Jing glanced around casually and saw that everything inside was just the most Low Grade Spiritual Artifacts; there was nothing special.

However, as a Sect Master, the experienced Yun Ling discovered a Teleportation Formation in the weapon room. For safety's sake.

Yun Ling reached out and used his spiritual power to enter the Formation. After probing for a moment, he said to Ye Jing, "This is an ordinary Formation. It seems to lead to a stone chamber that only a Golden Core Cultivator can open."

With that, Yun Ling immediately used his spiritual power to activate the Formation and then said, "Patriarch Ye, come with me."

Seeing that Yun Ling was fine standing within the Formation, Ye Jing stepped up.

The Formation shimmered with light, and pale green spiritual power enveloped the two of them. The surrounding light and shadows distorted, and in an instant, they landed on solid ground inside a sealed stone chamber.

The four walls of the stone chamber were built from mysterious black rock, their surfaces carved with blurred ancient patterns. Despite the erosion of time, one could still glimpse the sharp spiritual power from when they were first inscribed.

The air was filled with a faint Spiritual Qi and a subtle, ancient aura, completely different from the restless atmosphere of the armory outside.

Yun Ling waved his hand, and spiritual power burst forth. Several clusters of translucent white flames ignited out of thin air, suspended in mid-air to illuminate the stone chamber.

Ye Jing looked up and saw a half-man-high jade platform standing in the center of the stone chamber, covered with a dark red brocade.

Resting quietly on the brocade of the jade platform were a longsword and an ancient jade pendant. Besides these, there were a few mottled wooden boxes piled in the corner of the stone chamber, with no other unusual phenomena.

"It seems this is the true treasure vault of the Lingxiao Sect."

Seeing this, Ye Jing finally became interested.