Chapter 1207: Old, Can't Keep Up with the Times

On the rooftop of the Prefectural Residence in Zhongshan Prefecture, Prefect Zhou stood, enjoying an unobstructed view of the prefecture’s beautiful scenery. The Prefectural Residence was the tallest building in Zhongshan Prefecture. Prefect Zhou reached out, as if to grasp the nearby streetscape, seemingly capable of controlling the entire Zhongshan Prefecture with a mere gesture.

A cool night breeze swept by, stirring his thoughts. He recalled Mang Gu's behavior at the meeting that night, unconsciously clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked. "With Mang Gu around, Zhongshan Prefecture can hardly be considered solely mine."

"My Lord, Mang Gu truly showed you no respect at the meeting," Zhou Hai's personal guard commented, standing behind him and expressing indignation on his behalf. Prefect Zhou shook his head with a slight smile. "After all, he's a disciple from Wendao Sect and the current top scholar. It's normal for him to be a bit arrogant and not hold a mere prefect like me in high regard."

A flicker of coldness crossed Prefect Zhou's eyes. "But he also needs to learn that I, Zhou Hai, spent a hundred years to reach this position, and it wasn't by being charitable! What if he is a disciple of Wendao Sect? This world ultimately belongs to Great Xia, and Wendao Sect is merely one of the five Immortal Sects. Once you enter the official circles of Desolate Province, you must abide by their rules."

His network extended throughout the officialdom of Desolate Province! Thinking of this, Prefect Zhou instinctively reached for the storage ring on his middle finger. It was his trump card, allowing him to navigate the political landscape of Desolate Province.

"Where is my storage ring?!" Prefect Zhou's eyes widened in alarm. His storage ring had vanished at some point! That was something absolutely no one else could possess!

After his night shift, on the way back to the yamen, Lu Yang looked at the slightly more bustling streets than usual for an early morning and felt a sense of puzzlement. "Old Meng, don't you think there are more outsiders in our county than before?" Quyi County wasn't a tourist attraction, so it shouldn't logically attract so many outsiders.

"Indeed, there are quite a few more. Haven't you noticed they are all cultivators, including those at Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation stages?" Compared to the number of mortals, cultivators were extremely rare, so the sudden influx of so many cultivators suggested the situation was not as simple as it seemed. Upon returning to the yamen, the two decided to ask Mang Gu.

"Oh, the increase in cultivators is because a secret realm is about to open," Mang Gu explained. "Our county has a secret realm?" "Not exactly ours, but there's a secret realm not far from our county, on a mountain. It was left by cultivators from the early Great Xia period and is called the Four Vaults Secret Realm."

Mang Gu stepped into the courtyard and pointed to a distant mountain. It was early morning, and a faint mist enveloped the mountain, adding a touch of mystery. "That's West Mountain; the secret realm is deep within it. The Four Vaults Secret Realm opens once every hundred years. It has three levels, corresponding to the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation stages. Cultivators of all three realms can participate in its trials. Counties near West Mountain will see an increase in cultivators, making things lively for a while."

"Only up to Spirit Transformation stage?" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou expressed some regret. They had been hoping for a Tribulation Transcending-level secret realm to explore. They wouldn't bother with anything that only went up to the Spirit Transformation stage.

"Xiao Yangzi, you're so silly. Only Immortals can create Tribulation Transcending-level secret realms," the Immortal Fairy said. "That's true; secret realms of that level aren't easily encountered." "Even if you did encounter one, there's no need to go," the Immortal Fairy stated matter-of-factly. "Since they're all built by Immortals, if you want the secret realm's rewards, I can just go directly to the Immortal who built it and ask for them." "Uh, there's no need for that," Lu Yang, being thin-skinned, couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

Over the next few days, more and more cultivators arrived in Quyi County. Although there were many cultivators, perhaps because they didn't want to cause trouble before the secret realm opened, they all remained law-abiding. The public order in Quyi County remained as usual. During the day, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou strolled through the streets, occasionally hearing exclamations.

"Look quickly, that's Kong Wen from White Horse Temple! It's said he has mastered the Mind-Reading ability, one of the six Buddhist supernatural powers, so no trick can hide from him! Even Master Shi Chan of Xuankong Temple speaks highly of him."

Cloaked in a kasaya, Kong Wen held one hand upright before his chest, chanting the Diamond Sutra, seemingly oblivious to the exclamations around him. "The Azure Dragon Holy Son from Four Symbols Sect has also arrived! His Azure Dragon Combat Art is considered peerless in this era, capable of rivaling even sword cultivators! Four Symbols Sect even acquired dragon blood for him. After bathing in it, his Azure Dragon Combat Art has reached minor completion, making him difficult to wound with magical artifacts!"

The Azure Dragon Holy Son, a dragon-human with prominent muscles and dragon horns on his head, was accompanied by numerous followers. "The Senior Disciple of Listening Sea Sect has also come! Listening Sea Sect has been in decline since most of its high-ranking members were arrested. It's said that the remaining leaders cast aside their rivalries and are cultivating him as their hope for a revival!"

"And the Holy Maiden of Seven Stars Sacred Land; everyone says she might become the next Lan Ting..." "The Closed-Door Disciple of the Asura Sect Master..." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged a glance, seemingly recognizing none of these individuals.

"I'm getting old, can't keep up with the times," Lu Yang sighed, with his hands behind his back. Judging by the reactions of those around them, these people seemed very famous, yet he knew none of them. They must be rising stars. "Time truly leaves no one behind," Meng Jingzhou also shook his head and sighed.

"Wait, these people are around our age. Several are even older than us, like this Azure Dragon Holy Son," Lu Yang mused. Meng Jingzhou, with a slight spiritual scan, could determine their bone ages; they were all peers. Hearing Old Meng, Lu Yang remembered. They were seeing the Azure Dragon Holy Son of Four Symbols Sect for the first time, but they had encountered the White Tiger Holy Son at the Great Xia border when they were at the Foundation Establishment stage. At that time, Lu Yang had just learned the Arhat Fist and, out of kindness, even shaved the White Tiger Holy Son's head.

"Our peers are only at the Spirit Transformation stage?" Lu Yang had thought cultivators their age would at least be at the Void Refinement stage. At the very least, all the peers he knew, such as Mang Gu, Li Haoran, Tao Yaoye, Lan Ting, and Shi Chan, were at the Void Refinement stage. Even Zhao Po was at the Void Refinement stage.

"Boss, two fried dough sticks please," they said, their appetites piqued as they passed a fried dough stick stall. "Ah, this is the downside of cultivating too fast; we have nothing in common with our peers," they both sighed one after another. "Perhaps this is the price of reaching the Tribulation Transcending stage."

As Kong Wen brushed past the two constables, his pupils suddenly contracted. Because his Mind-Reading ability was newly acquired, he couldn't control it perfectly and was constantly using it to hear the thoughts of those around him. But the minds of these two constables were eerily calm; he couldn't hear their thoughts at all! Who... were these people?!

Lu Yang, eating his fried dough stick, noticed Kong Wen observing him with his Mind-Reading ability and gave a profound, enigmatic smile. As the two brushed past Kong Wen, he froze, one of their transmitted messages echoing in his mind. "If I were you, I wouldn't mention what you saw to anyone."