Chapter 740: Far Traveler, The Way and the Sun and Moon Endure

Xu Qing had already met his old acquaintances from Southern Phoenix Continent.

A month had quickly passed since his return to Fenghai County. During this month, under the strategic planning of Marquis Yao and Seventh Master, the Saint Lan Great Continent and half of the Black Spirit Great Continent had completed the transfer of authority and integrated, essentially becoming a single entity.

While unified governance was established by Fenghai County, seventeen massive bridges were also constructed over the Siyin Long River, which bordered the Moon Worship Great Continent. These bridges spanned the river, tightly linking Saint Lan and Moon Worship. From then on, merchant caravans from both continents had the option of land transport in addition to river transport. This arrangement would be more convenient for lower-level cultivators. Teleportation arrays were also constructed and interconnected.

Consequently, to a certain extent, Xu Qing now directly and indirectly controlled two and a half great continents in the southern region of the Wanggu Continent. This level of influence was rare among the myriad races of the Wanggu Continent. For the current human race, this development had surpassed the typical domain of feudal lords and caused considerable apprehension among many foreign races.

Concurrently, this expansion of territory led to new divisions of power across various counties and prefectures. Most of the significant personnel changes involved individuals from Fenghai County's original staff. Grand Duke Saint Lan offered his full cooperation, ensuring the unification proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Ultimately, a Continental Government was established. Xu Qing was elected as the Continental Lord. This position was not primarily based on his cultivation level, but rather on his unique ability to connect with Moon Worship, suppress Grand Duke Saint Lan, and command the fervent devotion of the Black Sky tribe's priests. Without him, it would have been exceedingly difficult for Moon Worship, Saint Lan, and Black Spirit to become a cohesive entity.

The governance of a great continent was not a singular responsibility and often could not be dominated by an individual's will. Therefore, a Council was established within the Continental Government. Marquis Yao, the Emperors of the Three Nations of Saint Lan, Pope Yousang, representatives from the Moon Worship faction, and several influential clans from within the continent were all appointed as Council members. They would deliberate and decide on all matters concerning these two and a half great continents, subsequently submitting their resolutions for review to the higher-tier Elder Council.

The Elder Council comprised a select few members: Grand Duke Saint Lan, Old Ninth, and a High Priest of the Black Sky tribe whose body was wrapped and sealed in strips of cloth. Additionally, Seventh Master was also elected as a member of the Elder Council. Following these four, the Crown Prince and Xu Qing also served on the Elder Council.

Under this structure, the Saint Lan Great Continent, the Moon Worship Great Continent, and half of the Black Spirit Great Continent began a genuine period of recuperation and development. Their combined strength was now sufficient to ensure their self-preservation.

Subsequently, a long journey was about to commence. Xu Qing and Ning Yan were slated to travel to the Imperial Capital Great Continent of the Human Race, where they would be received by the Human Emperor. This expedition differed significantly from Xu Qing and the Captain's previous clandestine trip to Moon Worship. Back then, they had to remain hidden, and their status and position were vastly inferior to their current standing. Now, however, Xu Qing's identity and the formidable forces he represented made it impossible for him to travel alone or in haste. Therefore, his departure necessitated an escort.

Thirty thousand battle-hardened Sword Holders from Fenghai County would accompany them to the Imperial Capital Great Continent. The contingent would be personally led by Li Yunshan, the Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace. Kong Xianglong was also part of the delegation. Zi Xuan was also among the companions. Wu Jianwu initially had no desire to go, but unable to resist Ning Yan's fervent persuasion, he reluctantly agreed to accompany them. Naturally, one more person was indispensable: the Captain.

And so, with everything proceeding smoothly in the Saint Lan Great Continent, the group embarked on their journey to the Imperial Capital Great Continent.

The Imperial Capital Great Continent was incredibly distant from the Saint Lan Great Continent. Its central location on the Wanggu Continent was due to Ancient Emperor Xuanyou's unification of Wanggu in ancient times. In the past, it was venerated by myriad races, regarded as the pinnacle of the Wanggu Continent, and a sacred land. Not only was its domain significant, but its geographical features were also distinctive. Traveling there by conventional means would require an immense amount of time and navigating through the territories of countless races, making it an extremely arduous journey. Therefore, reaching the Imperial Capital Great Continent necessitated not only multiple ultra-long-distance grand teleportations but also adherence to a fixed route.

This route, an ancient path, had existed since the era of the Ancient Emperor. The seven enclaves of the human race were constructed along this ancient path, which explained how the Seventh Prince and King Tianlan's army could travel from the Imperial Capital to Saint Lan in a short period. However, activating the super teleportation arrays in these seven enclaves required mutual consent from both ends. Unilateral activation was insufficient for teleportation. Consequently, the usage of the teleportation arrays differed depending on whether one was traveling from or to the Imperial Capital. The former, being a more powerful operation, allowed for immediate teleportation from all counties along the route, with the fastest preparation and activation times, and possessed the authority to bypass bilateral control. The latter, however, did not possess this privilege.

Each activation of such a cross-continental super teleportation required extensive preparation and incurred enormous costs, all of which Xu Qing and his party were responsible for. Fortunately, they possessed an imperial decree, and given the Saint Lan Great Continent's exceptional current status, communication was significantly facilitated.

Such teleportation arrays also existed within the Saint Lan Great Continent. One, originally constructed in Anping Prefecture of Fenghai County, occupied nearly half of the prefecture's area. Over the years, this array had only been activated once. That single activation was for the arrival of the Seventh Prince, who alone possessed the authority to use it at that time. Following that, this super teleportation array fell into disuse as the Seventh Prince showed no desire to utilize it. Consequently, a second one was constructed within the Saint Lan Great Continent. King Tianlan's past arrival had utilized the teleportation array built by the Seventh Prince.

At this very moment, Xu Qing and his party stood upon this massive teleportation array, the one built by the Seventh Prince. The array covered an area equivalent to nearly half a prefecture, its borders stretching beyond the eye's reach. Its surface was entirely paved with green jade, intricately carved with countless runes. As the green jade began to glow and the runes shimmered, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth, echoing in all directions. The vast formation became enveloped in dazzling light. The light it emitted was as intense as the sun, brilliantly dazzling, and simultaneously, the array accelerated its operation.

Just as the array was about to activate, among the crowd, the Captain's face was alight with anticipation. He had his own plans and arrangements for this journey to the Imperial Capital Great Continent. "Ah, the Imperial Capital Great Continent! I haven't visited it in this lifetime. Though I went a few times in previous lives, every attempt at tomb raiding ended in failure. This time, let's see if I can succeed." The Captain licked his lips, a glint of madness in his eyes.

Standing beside the Captain, Wu Jianwu saw the peculiar gleam in his eyes. He let out a cold huff and proudly raised his head. "With a boiling inferno in my heart, I journey to the Imperial Capital to revere the ancient heroes!" The primary reason he agreed to accompany Ning Yan was his fervent desire to visit Ancient Emperor Xuanyou's imperial palace and search for any poetic remnants left by the ancient emperor. He believed his poetry had reached a bottleneck and felt he needed to seek out more traces of the Ancient Emperor to truly emulate the ancient figure he revered. As he considered this, a distinct gleam also appeared in Wu Jianwu's eyes.

Ning Yan noticed the particular light in the Captain's and Wu Jianwu's eyes, but he paid it no heed. At that moment, his own emotions were turbulent, filled with many reflections. Reflecting on the reasons for his past secret escape and the coldness of the Imperial Capital, he harbored no real desire to return. However, not going back was clearly an unrealistic option. "With Elder Brother here, I should be fine," he thought. Ning Yan took a deep breath, his gaze instinctively falling upon Xu Qing, who stood a short distance away.

Beside Xu Qing, in addition to Zi Xuan and Kong Xianglong, Li Yunshan, the Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace, was also present, addressing Xu Qing. "Continental Lord," Li Yunshan began, "the journey to the Imperial Capital Great Continent involves seven super teleportations, passing through six other human counties, until the final teleportation into the Imperial Capital Great Continent. These super teleportations can cause considerable discomfort, so a brief rest will be necessary after each jump. The destination of our first teleportation is Tai'an County, situated within the Aodong Great Continent. This continent has significant conflicts with our human race, so Tai'an County has, in reality, never truly been 'Tai'an' (peaceful) for many years." Li Yunshan had thoroughly researched the route after being assigned responsibility for the delegation's security. His demeanor and words now exuded composure. "Nonetheless, Tai'an County and our Fenghai County have occasional interactions, and communication for this trip has been smooth. They have already granted us the necessary permissions for teleportation. Next, the teleportation array is about to activate. For safety's sake, this teleportation will be conducted in three waves. The first will consist of this old man leading the Sword Holders, the second will be the Continental Lord's close associates, and the final wave will be the Continental Lord himself."

Xu Qing nodded politely, offering no objections to Li Yunshan's arrangements. As he gazed at the familiar landscape, a sense of anticipation for the journey to the Imperial Capital stirred within him. Zi Xuan, standing by his side, smiled gently and took Xu Qing's hand. As Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and turned to Zi Xuan, a torrential surge of green light erupted from the array. The rumbling intensified to an unprecedented degree as the first wave of teleportation commenced. The wind generated by the array's operation lifted Zi Xuan's dark hair, allowing her exquisite features to be more clearly etched into Xu Qing's vision.

After a prolonged moment, as the tempest subsided, Zi Xuan's voice softly reached him. "Xu Qing," she murmured, "I have a premonition that this journey to the Imperial Capital will hold extraordinary significance for you." Zi Xuan gazed into Xu Qing's eyes, offering a gentle smile. Then, her figure, along with those of the Captain, Ning Yan, and the others, vanished from the array with the second flash of green light.

Finally, only Xu Qing remained standing within the entire array. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. From the sky, Old Ninth's figure materialized, gazing intently at Xu Qing. He would not accompany Xu Qing to the Imperial Capital. Just as a fledgling must leave the nest to truly grow, a higher level of sublimation is sometimes achieved only by letting go. He had already conveyed this understanding to Xu Qing. Xu Qing understood. He cupped his fists, bowed towards the sky, and then bowed again in the direction of Fenghai County. Green light surged, transforming into a sea of radiance that engulfed everything.

After a considerable time, as the sea of light dispersed and the array quieted, Xu Qing's figure was no longer present. Old Ninth turned and walked towards Moon Worship.

Meanwhile, in a pavilion within Fenghai County's capital, Seventh Master stood gazing in the direction of the teleportation array. A melancholic expression settled upon his face, akin to that of a parent watching their children depart on a long journey. "Elder Brother courted death in his previous lives; he should be well aware of the Imperial Capital's complexities, so there's no need to worry about him. If he insists on tempting fate, then death is his own consequence. As for Fourth Junior Brother... he truly ought to visit the Imperial Capital. There are some historical facts about the Wanggu Continent that, if I tell him, will leave a deeper impression than anything he might discover in the Imperial Capital. Especially regarding Xia Xian." Seventh Master murmured, then closed his eyes.