Chapter 1557: Astonishing News

Ningyuan City is the capital of Laizhou Prefecture and its economic and cultural center.

In the backyard of the Prefectural Yamen, a dignified middle-aged man in a golden four-clawed python robe was conversing with an elegant old man. Both wore solemn expressions.

Laizhou boasted convenient waterways, leading to a flood of common Qin citizens entering the prefecture. This influx included merchants, peddlers, martial artists, and bandits, creating a diverse and problematic mix that put immense pressure on Wang Guobin, the Prefect of Laizhou. While ordinary people were relatively easy to manage, a significant number of evil cultivators seized the opportunity to cause chaos. The Myriad Immortals Bureau had limited personnel in Laizhou, forcing them to constantly rush from one emergency to another.

"Your Highness," Wang Guobin said through gritted teeth, "Another thirty-six villages, tens of thousands of common people, have been blood-sacrificed by evil cultivators. Those damned Qin evil cultivators!" He explained that the increasing casualties among the people under his governance severely impacted his political achievements.

The Great Qin Dynasty adopted a tolerant stance towards demonic cultivators, which was the main reason the other four major dynasties targeted it. The current imperial family of the Great Qin Dynasty ascended to power with the support of demonic cultivators, so their tolerance towards them was not surprising.

"I have already reported to the imperial court and requested more personnel," the middle-aged man said with a stern tone, frowning. "As long as the Great Qin Dynasty stands, evil cultivators will never disappear."

This was Zhou Tianbin, a member of the Great Yan imperial family and Zhou Yunxiao's clan uncle, cultivating at the ninth layer of Core Formation.

"By the way, Your Highness," Wang Guobin asked curiously, "You sent Master Chen to welcome the Azure Lotus Immortals. Are they really that powerful? Do they require Master Chen to personally invite them?" He didn't know much about high-ranking cultivators outside of the Great Yan Dynasty.

"Heh heh, you wouldn't know this," Zhou Tianbin chuckled, asking somewhat mysteriously, "Do you still remember the rogue evil cultivator, Soul Shatterer, who destroyed one hundred and eight towns three years ago?"

"Of course, I remember," Wang Guobin replied. "The Myriad Immortals Bureau spent three years and suffered hundreds of casualties among cultivators before finally apprehending him."

"If Soul Shatterer had encountered the Azure Lotus Immortals," Zhou Tianbin scoffed, his words filled with respect for them, "he wouldn't have lasted even three quarters of an hour, let alone three years."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Wang Guobin's eyes. Were the Azure Lotus Immortals truly that powerful?

"Young friend Zhou, you flatter us too much," a clear male voice suddenly interjected. "My wife and I are not as formidable as you describe." No sooner had the words fallen than Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan walked in. Wang Xin followed closely behind them, with Chen Ping at the very end.

Zhou Tianbin immediately stood up and bowed to Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, saying, "Junior Zhou Tianbin greets the two seniors." Wang Guobin also quickly stood up and performed a junior's bow, his expression respectful.

Wang Changsheng took out a light green jade slip and handed it to Zhou Tianbin, saying, "Young friend Zhou, Zhou Yunxiao is at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in the Western Desert. This is something he asked us to deliver to you."

"Yunxiao!" Zhou Tianbin muttered, slightly stunned, "Why did he go to the Western Desert?" He was slightly stunned, his brows furrowed. He took the green jade slip with both hands and immersed his divine sense into it.

"So that's it," Zhou Tianbin said with a reproving tone. "No wonder he went to the Western Desert. That boy is too impulsive, to actually do something so foolish!" Zhou Yunxiao, in order to meet the Seven Absolutes Blade Emperor, had indirectly caused the tragic deaths of a million common people and tens of thousands of cultivators. No wonder the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple wouldn't allow Zhou Yunxiao to meet the Seven Absolutes Blade Emperor.

"Young friend Zhou," Wang Ruyan asked telepathically, her tone sincere, "Do you know where Wang Wen, the Deputy Commander of the Myriad Immortals Bureau, is? We have something to discuss with him." Wang Wen was Wang Tianwen's alias in the Central Plains cultivation world, and not many people knew his true identity.

"Wang Wen passed through Laizhou half a year ago," Zhou Tianbin replied. "If I'm not mistaken, he's heading to Chongzhou to attend the Hundred Immortals Assembly hosted by the imperial court. It's said that True Monarch Haoyu will also be attending."

"True Monarch Haoyu?" Wang Ruyan asked curiously. "Is that the fellow daoist whose Nascent Soul emergence manifested the sage Confucius's Dharma Idol?" On the day they formed their Nascent Souls, many other cultivators also triggered unusual phenomena upon their Nascent Soul emergence. These included Gongsun Yang of the Myriad Beasts Island, Taiyi Immortal Sect; Han Tianxuan of the Eastern Barrens, Taiyi Immortal Sect; Song Xiruo of the Three Flames Palace, Northern Frontier; and True Monarch Haoyu of the Central Plains.

It was said that True Monarch Haoyu possessed a demon bloodline, making him a half-demon. He had studied Confucianism since childhood and had received guidance from a Nascent Soul Confucian cultivator, which led to the unusual phenomenon during his Nascent Soul emergence.

"That's right," Zhou Tianbin confirmed. "True Monarch Haoyu is hailed as the foremost genius in a thousand years. He has already cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage, and it's said he's not even three hundred years old. His cultivation speed is second only to the Seven Absolutes Blade Emperor." Zhou Tianbin's face was filled with envy. To reach the late Nascent Soul stage by three hundred years old, there were only a handful in the Eastern Barrens Realm.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were dumbfounded. They were already over four hundred years old, yet had only reached the middle Nascent Soul stage. True Monarch Haoyu, under three hundred years old, was already in the late Nascent Soul stage—truly a prodigy.

"The Hundred Immortals Assembly?" Wang Changsheng said with a smile. "It seems we need to make a trip to Chongzhou. We hope to befriend True Monarch Haoyu." Since they had come to the Central Plains cultivation world, it would be too great a pity not to befriend True Monarch Haoyu.

"Besides the native cultivators from the Central Plains Dynasty," Zhou Tianbin continued, "it's said that seniors from the Northern Frontier and Eastern Barrens will also participate. The Hundred Immortals Assembly is a grand event held by our Great Yan Dynasty once every five hundred years. Its purpose is to exchange cultivation methods, trade cultivation resources, and forge connections with fellow daoists. The two seniors must not miss this opportunity." Every five hundred years, the Great Yan Dynasty would host such a grand event. Due to the large number of Nascent Soul cultivators participating, it was also known as the Hundred Immortals Assembly.

"By the way, young friend Zhou," Wang Changsheng casually asked, "Do you know anything about the situation in the South Sea? Has there been anything unusual there recently?" They had been away from Azure Lotus Island for nearly ten years and were unaware of their family's recent situation.

"The South Sea?" Zhou Tianbin's expression turned somewhat peculiar. "There actually is something." It seemed the Azure Lotus Immortals had been traveling abroad and were unaware of the situation in the South Sea.

"What?" Wang Ruyan pressed, "Did something happen in the South Sea?" Logically, with Wang Qingling, Ye Haitang, Wang Qiuming, Wang Mengbin, and the fourth-tier puppet beast on Azure Lotus Island, nothing untoward should have happened.

"Zhang Wuchen of the Zhang family on Azure Carp Island is Situ Mei, the Deputy Palace Master of the Moon Palace within the Sun and Moon Palace," Zhou Tianbin slowly revealed. "She assisted evil cultivators in breaking into the Puppet Emperor's Tomb and released the Netherworld Spider. The Sun and Moon Dual Sages found Situ Mei on Golden Lotus Island and killed her companion, but Situ Mei managed to escape. The Sun and Moon Palace, Ten Thousand Swords Sect, and Ouyang family, three major forces, have joined forces and are offering a reward of ten million spirit stones for Situ Mei's capture. The Sun and Moon Palace's rewards are particularly generous, including islands with fourth-tier spirit veins, spirit treasures, Nascent Soul forming spiritual items, spirit stones, and more, allowing several choices." The Great Yan imperial family was also very interested in this and had sent people to apprehend Situ Mei. According to intelligence, Situ Mei was already severely wounded; as long as she dared to show herself, she would surely die. What he said were not secrets.

"What?" Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan exclaimed, startled. "Zhang Wuchen is Situ Mei, the Deputy Palace Master of the Moon Palace within the Sun and Moon Palace?" They had been avoiding the Sun and Moon Palace at every turn, never expecting that Situ Mei, the Deputy Palace Master of the Moon Palace, had been so close to them. This news was truly shocking.

"It's absolutely true, Senior Wang," Zhou Tianbin stated honestly. "The apprehension operation took place on Golden Lotus Island. I heard that more than half of the market was destroyed. As for more specific details, this junior is not clear."

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's expressions turned grim. While the destroyed market could be rebuilt, Situ Mei was a menace. If she were to recklessly implicate the Wang family, they might be dragged into trouble.