Chapter 335: Chapter 225: Development_1

Jiangning Mansion, Wuzhe Lake.

A light boat floated on the lake.

Two people were on the boat, making tea and savoring its flavor.

Although there were continuous ripples and swaying, the teaport remained unaffected, not hindering the two’s enjoyment of the tea at all.

Once the tea was ready, its fragrance was rich and full-bodied. It might lack the refined taste of a gentleman, but it certainly suited the palate.

“Not bad, truly excellent!”

One person raised his cup, drank it like wine, and couldn’t help exclaiming, “No wonder the Wuzhe tea soup is so renowned.”

“The fame isn’t just about the tea soup, but also the Le Family’s Fairy Suhong!”

The other person took over the conversation, looking at the shimmering lake surface, and said somberly, “She survived the Demon Catastrophe and instead of perishing, her cultivation greatly increased. In just over a decade of leading the family, she’s become the dominant force in all of Jiangning and Wuzhe.”

“Such methods, such courage, why didn’t we see them in the past?”

“Could it be that life and death experiences, great terrors, can really help one break through, even to the point of rebirth?”

There was a hint of speculation in their words.

The one drinking tea nodded: “If it’s not a breakthrough from a brush with death, transforming completely, then it’s having a famous master, a great person’s guidance.”

“White Jade Capital?”

“It’s hard to say.”

“Nowadays with powerhouses rising in various parts of the Xing Country, each one is suspect upon scrutiny, but the Le Family is actually the least likely.”

“After all, they don’t engage heavily in alchemy, and although they recruit many disciples, they don’t use them as human cauldrons for cultivation. At least there is no obvious expansion for now.”

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak, who can assert the truth?”

“…”

A series of comments revealed their suspicion towards the current situation of the Le Family in Jiangning Mansion.

Ten years had passed since the Demon Realm disaster. Although its impact still lingered, life had to go on.

Therefore, Wuzhe Lake reverted to its original state, that familiar land of fish and rice known to the people.

At the grassroots, the ecology remained mostly unchanged.

But at the upper levels…

And although that Demon Realm appeared out of nowhere and lasted only a day and a night before dissipating just as mysteriously, it caused serious panic among the local noble families, gangs, and Qi Refinement cultivators.

Those who had the ability to move did so, leaving behind only those too weak to move, living in fear and unease, scared that the Demon Realm might appear again and engulf all life in the three domains and Wuzhe.

The Le Family was among them.

As the foremost noble family in Jiangning, they too suffered heavy losses due to the Demon Catastrophe; their Immortal Master was killed, and many elite Martial Artists were lost, leaving them with no choice but to remain in Jiangning, barely holding on and struggling to survive.

It was then that Li Suhong, the eldest daughter of the Le Family presumed dead, returned to take the helm.

After taking charge, Li Suhong carried out radical reforms, starting with the execution of several old and conservative family elders who abused their positions for personal gain. Then she opened the doors to recruit a multitude of disciples, gradually transforming the family into a Sect, seizing various resources in Jiangning, the three domains, and the five lakes of Wuzhe.

Under Li Suhong’s leadership, the Le Family thrived. They quickly filled the void left by other powers that had moved, not only restoring their past reputation as the foremost family of Jiangning but also showing signs of dominating the three domains and five lakes.

Years have passed since the Demon Catastrophe; the three domains and Wuzhe Lake were calm, prompting the surrounding powerful families and the few who had moved away to become restless. They were unwilling to abandon this rich and fertile land and started to return, each wanting a share of the pie.

However, the Le Family was strong, with Li Suhong’s cultivation making significant advances, attaining the Foundation Establishment Realm, no weaker than her master, Zhu Yang, the once-renowned Jiangning hermit. She also recruited a large number of disciples and had many fellow cultivators and friends to support her.

With these forces, Li Suhong led the Le Family to such dominating victories over all rival powers that she completely dissuaded them from encroaching upon the three domains and Wuzhe again.

At this stage of development, local powers would normally attract the attention of the royal court, which would then follow with necessary suppression both overtly and covertly.

However, the emergence of the White Jade Capital, which threw Great Xing Mountain into chaos, meant that they were too preoccupied with their own affairs to suppress the ambitious parties elsewhere.

Not just the Le Family of Jiangning but other local powers were taking advantage of the situation as well.

The Xing Dynasty’s royal court, akin to a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—barely able to save itself—could only turn a blind eye and a deaf ear.

Several more years passed, and ten years after the Demon Catastrophe, the Le Family had taken control of the entire lands of the three domains and Wuzhe Lake. While not a state within a state, they certainly were a dominant force in their own right.

This situation, unable to be contained or suppressed by Great Xing Mountain or any other force, naturally led to suspicion and speculation.

The Le Family?

White Jade Capital?

Could there be a connection between the two?

That’s hard to say, hard to say.

After all, now the royal court lacked strength, with powerhouses rising throughout Xing Country, any one of them could be suspected.

Unless there was compelling evidence, who could state the truth?

The two had come here merely to take a casual look, without any intention of thorough investigation.

After all, that was the White Jade Capital, which pushed Great Xing Mountain to the brink of crisis.

…

“Sister Le, there are two spies outside, from Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower.”

“Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower?”

“There’s no need to bother with them, let them be.”

“Understood!”

In the middle of Wuzhe Lake, on an island,

Li Suhong dealt with the matters at hand and then turned her attention to the center of the lake island.

At that moment, the island was surrounded by a glow of Spiritual Light, with clouds of mist like a sea, the signs of an active Formation.

In this world, where the demonic taints, the Prime Spirit becomes polluted. Not only do cultivators need to avoid battle, but tools also must be used sparingly.

Formations are even more so because they leverage the essence of heaven and earth, necessitating the mobilization of the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit to unleash the power of the Formation.

If used excessively, the buildup of Demonic Qi could transform a Spiritual Array into a Demon Array, or even a terrifying entity like the Demon Realm.

Therefore, cultivators of this world seldom delve into Array Formation, and even if they do, they rarely use it, unless it’s absolutely necessary and their lives are at stake.