...

Lingyun Holy Land, Lingyun Hall.

Since the end of the Holy Son Struggle, Jiang Zhencang has been stationed at the Changning Wang's Clan for years, and the affairs of Lingyun Holy Land have gradually been handed over to Wang Liyao. Thus, the current Lingyun Holy Land is entirely under Wang Liyao's control.

At this moment.

The monthly summary meeting is being held in the hall.

The peak masters, hall masters, and pavilion masters of the various lineages of Lingyun Holy Land are seated in their grand chairs, with spiritual fruits and snacks at their side, holding teacups as they report on the recent situations of their respective peaks while sipping tea.

In the main seat, a young woman in a blue robe sits upright, attentively listening to their reports.

She appears young, yet her demeanor is calm and authoritative, with a subtle air of authority that comes from long-standing leadership.

This woman is naturally Wang Shouzhe's eldest daughter, Wang Liyao.

The leaders of the various peaks and halls present are all Divine Realm Masters.

In the eyes of ordinary family members, they are like immortals in the clouds, whom one might not see even once in a lifetime.

Yet at this moment, these high and mighty Divine Realm Masters are respectfully reporting to "Little Holy Master" Wang Liyao and listening to her next instructions.

Their respect for Wang Liyao stems from three reasons.

Firstly, her identity as the Little Holy Master. With Jiang Zhencang gradually stepping back and relinquishing power, Wang Liyao is the leader of Lingyun Holy Land.

Secondly, Wang Liyao's bloodline talent is extraordinarily high.

After inheriting the Lingyun Codex, her bloodline talent was elevated to the level of a Peerless Prodigy of the third grade. Later, it was said that her family provided her with some resources, further enhancing her bloodline talent to the upper level of the second grade of a Peerless Prodigy.

This was already quite remarkable.

Recently, she received news from home, returned for a visit, and upon her return, her bloodline talent was directly elevated to the first grade of a Peerless Prodigy.

Such talent is rare not only in East Qian but throughout the entire Immortal Dynasty.

In theory, she is fully qualified to compete for the [Immortal Scripture]. Once she undergoes the baptism of the immortal essence nurtured by the Immortal Scripture over the years, she is destined to become the [Heavenly Daughter], and barring any accidents, she will become a True Immortal in the future.

Of course, since there are only two existing Immortal Scriptures in the Immortal Dynasty, Wang Liyao is merely qualified to compete for them, and whether she can obtain one depends on various other factors.

Even if she cannot obtain the Immortal Scripture, Wang Liyao is already equipped to advance to the mid to late stages of the Lingxu Realm.

Once she advances to the Lingxu Realm and conducts thorough research, she can further elevate the level of the Lingyun Codex, greatly benefiting the future development of Lingyun Holy Land.

The third and most crucial reason is that her family is incredibly wealthy!

Wang Liyao is a super second-generation wealthy. Since she ascended to the position of Little Holy Master, the Wang's Clan has started providing various loans to Lingyun Holy Land and has engaged in deep cooperation across various industries.

Moreover, as the Great Qian's tax revenue has increased over the years, the funding allocated to Lingyun Holy Land has also risen annually.

Since then, Lingyun Holy Land has begun to soar.

All the peaks and lineages have benefited, and with more funds, the scarcity of cultivation resources has eased, allowing them to recruit and train more disciples.

The more disciples they have, the stronger they become, and the stronger they become, the more money they can earn, creating a virtuous cycle.

In these times, who would go against money and resources?

The leaders of the various peaks and lineages are eagerly looking to Wang Liyao to lead everyone toward a bright future, naturally filled with enthusiasm.

"Little Holy Master," Yuan Dan Daoist of the Xuandan Pavilion stroked his beard, his face glowing with satisfaction, "The batch of pills you instructed has been completed ahead of schedule with the help of the disciples. However, the stock of basic spiritual herbs is running low, and we need to immediately allocate a batch of spiritual herbs from below."

"Rest assured, Daoist. The next batch of spiritual herbs is already prepared and will arrive at the Holy Land soon," Wang Liyao said gently. "But it will be hard work for you again."

"It's no trouble at all," Yuan Dan Daoist waved his hand modestly, "Contributing to the Holy Land's rise is not a hardship."

Recently, the Xuandan Pavilion has been making a fortune.

The word "prosperity" is evident all over them!

Following the Little Holy Master means having meat to eat.

Even the true disciple "Bao Bucheng" beside him has become noticeably plumper, resembling the laughing Buddha, and his gaze toward Wang Liyao carries a hint of flattery.

Previously, he was unaware of the heights of the heavens and dared to compete with Miss Liyao for the position of Holy Master, only to realize now that he had no chance against Wang Liyao.

"Little Holy Master," Heavenly Fire Master also said respectfully, "Our Heavenly Fire lineage's refining disciples wish to visit the Wang's Clan to experience the assembly line production model and learn about the forging of new battle armors."

"There's no need to visit the Wang's Clan," Wang Liyao replied. "I've already negotiated with Wang's Refining Headquarters to establish several production lines in our Holy Land and send specialists to guide us. We can take on some outsourcing work and settle accounts with the Wang's Clan. Rest assured, the outsourcing price won't be low."

Heavenly Fire Master was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Little Holy Master."

Other units like Green Emperor Valley, which were already wealthy, have become even more prosperous after collaborating with the Wang's Clan in areas such as spiritual rice, spiritual herbs, and spiritual plants.

Only the heritage lineages like Purple Sky Thunder Peak and Ming Wang Liuli Hall, which excel in combat rather than production, have relatively lower overall earnings.

Envious, they can only hope that Wang Liyao will allocate more resources to them.

As the meeting proceeded smoothly.

A blue spiritual bird flew into the Lingyun Hall like a bolt of lightning, flapping its wings and landing on Wang Liyao's arm.

She took the letter from the bird, read it carefully, and her expression gradually turned serious: "Fellow Daoists, it's time to take action. From now on, Lingyun Holy Land will fully prepare for the outer region battlefield."

Upon hearing this, Master Zixiao and several other strong cultivators were invigorated.

For these Basalt cultivators who excel in combat, the outer region battlefield is their stage to shine, and they believe that Little Holy Master Liyao will lead them to earn substantial merits.

"Pass down the order, [Spring Thunder Operation] is to be executed immediately, and the entire nation is to enter a state of mobilization."

"Yes, Little Holy Master."

The Divine Realm Masters all responded in unison.

...

Changning Garrison Town.

This emerging city, with only seven hundred years of history, has become renowned throughout the Great Qian due to the rise of the Changning Wang's Clan in the past two hundred years. Even people from many other countries and the Immortal Dynasty have heard of this name through various channels for various reasons.

The court intends to reform the local government system by establishing [county] level administrative units within certain regions, starting with the southern six guards of Longzuo Commandery, where Changning Garrison is located.

The temporary government office of Changning County is set up in Changning City.

From now on, Changning Garrison will no longer be [Changning Garrison of Longzuo Commandery] but [Changning Garrison of Changning County, Longzuo Commandery].

The jurisdiction of Changning County includes the southern six guards, with the chief official titled [County Guard], who must be at the Purple Mansion Realm, have established sufficient merits, and possess some experience in local governance.

The first County Guard of Changning County is appointed by Prince An, named [Wang Dingzu].

Yes, he is the third granduncle of the "Ding" generation of the Changning Wang's Clan, Wang Dingzu.

He has always developed within the military system and received "key cultivation" from the court's military system, with unwavering resource support from the Wang's Clan.

Now, Wang Dingzu is over two hundred and thirty years old, has reached the Purple Mansion Realm, and has become a prominent figure in the military system.

By appointing Wang Dingzu as the County Guard of Changning County, Prince An is clearly indicating that he does not wish to interfere in the affairs of the Changning region.

You, Wang Shouzhe, do not wish to be crowned king, nor do you want to manage affairs, preferring to be a "local emperor."

Then, let you, Wang Shouzhe, become a "local emperor" in the true sense, with absolute authority within Changning County, and naturally, you will be responsible for the development of the entire Changning County.

As a result, the six guards of Changning County have become a true special zone, where the Wang's Clan's status and influence far exceed that of the court.

At this moment.

In the County Guard's office of Changning County, the mobilization envoy from Longzuo Academy has arrived.

This "Spring Thunder Operation" is jointly initiated by the Purple Mansion Academy and the local government.

The mobilization envoy sent by the Purple Mansion Academy to Changning County is naturally Changchun Immortal, who has a good relationship with the Wang's Clan. He is also Wang Shouzhe's nominal master.

According to his age, he should have reached his limit long ago, but due to the Longevity Tree, his lifespan is longer than that of a typical Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Additionally, after the Longevity Tree advanced to the ninth rank, it granted him a wave of longevity.

As a result, Changchun Immortal now shows signs of rejuvenation, resembling an old immortal with a youthful face and white hair.

Of course, in terms of single combat power, Changchun Immortal remains at the bottom among the immortals of Longzuo Purple Mansion Academy.

With the arrival of the mobilization envoy Changchun Immortal, mobilization orders were delivered to various families by the government and academy disciples.

Simultaneously, various promotional materials and slogans spread throughout Changning County through various channels.

For a time, the entire Changning County was in an uproar, with families of all sizes accepting mobilization and beginning to coordinate internally based on their circumstances and official needs.

...

To the west of Changning Garrison Town, there is a fertile delta area known as [Ningxi Town].

The two main powerful families in Ningxi Town are the Ningxi Party Clan and the Ningxi Liang Clan.

The Ningxi Liang Clan was once quite impoverished and had marital ties with the Wang's Clan's old enemy, the Ping'an Liu Clan. As a result, when the Ningxi Liang Clan's Lingtai Ancestor Liang Haofeng made a foolish mistake by siding with the Liu and Zhao Clans during a decisive battle.

Fortunately, Liang Haofeng realized his mistake in time, not only admitting his fault and offering compensation but also going to great lengths to establish a good relationship with the Changning Wang's Clan. As a result, the Wang's Clan not only did not make things difficult for the Liang Clan but also cooperated with the Ningxi Liang Clan in grain and spiritual seed cultivation, gradually helping the Ningxi Liang Clan recover.

Liang Haofeng, being wise, wholeheartedly embraced the Wang's Clan, sending generous gifts during festivals or major events held by the Wang's Clan. Additionally, he married his direct descendant, Liang Muqing, into the Gongsun's Clan, forming an indirect alliance.

Decades passed.

The former Lingtai Ancestor Liang Haofeng had long since passed away, and the current Liang Clan's ancestor is named "Liang Hongxuan."

In his youth, he was a "talent" and even attended the "Ancestor Long Yan's" Celestial Banquet, witnessing Binglan's display of power with the Profound Ice Flood Dragon.

After being deeply impressed by the Wang's Clan at the Celestial Banquet, Liang Hongxuan returned home and dedicated himself to diligent cultivation.

Benefiting from the great dividends of Changning Garrison's development, the Liang Clan's foundation grew rapidly, and at a critical moment, they chose to support him as a small prodigy, tightening their belts to assist his cultivation.

Liang Hongxuan did not disappoint, successfully advancing to the Celestial Realm at the age of one hundred and forty, elevating the Ningxi Liang Clan to a seventh-grade family.

However, due to the Wang's Clan's continued association with the name Changning, even after advancing to the seventh grade, the Liang Clan still refers to themselves as the "Ningxi Liang Clan" and dare not call themselves the "Changning Liang Clan."

In the thriving main residence of the Ningxi Liang Clan.

Now over one hundred and eighty years old, Liang Hongxuan is in the family shrine, offering ancestral worship. Behind him is a large group of clan members, including Lingtai Realm elders, showcasing the prosperity of the Ningxi Liang Clan.

Having advanced relatively late, Liang Hongxuan, though twenty years younger than Wang Shouzhe, already shows signs of aging, with graying temples and slightly loose skin, but his eyes are bright, and he is full of energy, likely to live another one hundred and seventy to eighty years without issue.

"Ancestors above," Liang Hongxuan recited the ancestral prayer in a deep and solemn voice, "Our Ningxi Liang Clan has thrived and prospered under the grace of the Changning Wang's Clan, with flourishing descendants. Now, the Little Holy Master of the Holy Land, Miss Liyao, has personally issued a mobilization order, summoning troops for the outer region battlefield. As a descendant of the Liang Clan, I dare not forget the great kindness of the Wang's Clan, nor the responsibility of the human race."

"Today, I, the unworthy descendant Liang Hongxuan, will personally lead thirty-three Lingtai elders and family guards of the Liang Clan to join Miss Liyao's call to arms, heading to the outer region battlefield to slay enemies. May the ancestors bless us."

"May the ancestors bless us."

The Liang Clan members behind him echoed in unison, their expressions and gazes solemn.

Going to the outer region battlefield is a significant matter, and any misstep could severely damage the Liang Clan, taking a century to recover.

"Zhentu," Liang Hongxuan looked at a middle-aged man behind him and said solemnly, "After we set out, you will protect the family, exercising restraint and patience in all matters. If you encounter difficulties you cannot resolve, seek help from your ancestor Muqing; she still has some influence in the Gongsun's Clan."

"Yes, Father," the middle-aged man replied with a serious expression, "I will not disappoint your trust."

This middle-aged man, named "Liang Zhentu," is the second Celestial ancestor of the seventh-grade Liang Clan and one of Liang Hongxuan's sons.

"Great Ancestor."

At this moment, a young-looking man squeezed through the crowd, anxiously saying, "I must go to the outer region battlefield this time. If you don't take me, I'll register as a loose cultivator at the recruitment point!"

"Ridiculous!" Liang Zhentu scolded, "Liang Pingnan, you are the family's hard-earned Celestial seed, with talent reaching the second grade of a small prodigy. You are the family's future hope and foundation. Our Liang Clan relies on you for continuity and growth."

"Your ancestor Hongxuan's journey has two purposes: to repay the Wang's Clan's kindness on the outer region battlefield and to earn enough merits to exchange for a Wuji Baodan to help you become a prodigy."

"Great-grandfather, please calm down!" Liang Pingnan hurriedly bowed, "I know the family is protecting me, but Miss Liyao's mobilization order indicates that the outer region battlefield is in dire need. What am I, a mere fourth-level Lingtai small prodigy, compared to the countless prodigies and great prodigies from the Wang's Clan heading to the front lines? If I fear death, how can I be worthy of becoming a prodigy?"

"You..."

Liang Zhentu was furious and was about to suppress this "unworthy descendant" when Liang Hongxuan raised his hand to stop him.

"Pingnan's words have merit. I heard that the Wang's Clan's Ancestor Luo Qiu and Ancestor Luo Jing earned merits on the outer region battlefield in their youth. Very well, our Liang Clan has courage and spirit; let Pingnan accompany me. I'll keep an eye on him."

"Yes, Father."

Liang Zhentu reluctantly complied.

After the ancestral worship, Liang Hongxuan, the Celestial ancestor of the Ningxi Liang Clan, personally led thirty-three, no, thirty-four Lingtai elders to the recruitment point at the Changning County government office to register.

But they hadn't gone far when they encountered the Ningxi Party Clan's Celestial ancestor, "Ancestor Wen Zhuo," who was also leading over thirty Lingtai cultivators to register.

The two sides greeted each other and decided to travel together.

The Ningxi Liang Clan and Party Clan are just a microcosm of the vast Changning Garrison. Under Wang Shouzhe's "common prosperity" development philosophy, the families that have survived in the Changning region have benefited immensely.

At this critical moment, how could they not respond to the call?

When Liang Hongxuan and Party Wenzhuo led their clansmen to the Changning County government office, the area was already crowded, with most being Lingtai cultivators and a few Celestial cultivators.

These were people from countless small and medium-sized families, and many were Lingtai cultivators who hadn't established families.

"......"

Seeing this scene, Changchun Immortal, sent by the academy to oversee the situation, was increasingly astonished and turned to Wang Dingzu, saying, "Dingzu, how can there be so many Lingtai cultivators? This massive crowd must number at least two or three thousand, right? Could it be that all the Lingtai cultivators in Changning Garrison have come?"

In a typical rural garrison town, having a hundred or so Lingtai cultivators from various families would be considered good.

Changchun Immortal knew that Changning Garrison was well-developed and would have a considerable number of Lingtai cultivators, but this was a bit too exaggerated.

"You may not know, Immortal," Wang Dingzu replied with a smile, "My fourth nephew, Wang Shouzhe, proposed a nationwide Qi Refining Realm plan long ago. Currently, within the Changning Garrison area alone, Basalt cultivators account for eighty percent of the total population."

"And the total population of Changning Garrison is quite astonishing, exceeding five million. With millions of Qi Refining Realm cultivators, it's normal for the number of Lingtai cultivators to be a bit higher."

"A bit more..." Changchun Immortal was shocked by the data, "How many more?"

"Uh... The total number of registered Lingtai cultivators is forty-seven thousand nine hundred and fifty-three!" Wang Dingzu had just reviewed the census records today, so he recited the numbers fluently.

Changchun Immortal was deeply shaken.

He had always thought that, excluding the militia, Changning Garrison would have at most a few thousand Lingtai cultivators, but he never expected that Changning Garrison had developed such a foundation quietly.

And this had taken just over two hundred years.

"This is all thanks to Shouzhe," Wang Dingzu, who had experienced it all firsthand, was well aware of the challenges involved and was filled with emotion, "Nationwide education, nationwide Qi Refining, loans for [Enlightenment Pills] and [Blood Refining Pills], continuously reducing the cost of various auxiliary cultivation pills, relying on generations of Qi Refining cultivators to gradually improve the bloodlines of future generations. None of these tasks are simple, and only someone with great courage could accomplish them."

Most importantly, Shouzhe not only didn't lose money in the process but also made money, expanding the pool and benefiting more people.

The accumulation of so many Lingtai cultivators was also due to Shouzhe's extensive issuance of loans for advancing to the Lingtai Realm.

When someone with potential advances to the Lingtai Realm, they do incur a significant debt, but Lingtai cultivators have strong earning potential, and the Wang's Clan offers many earning opportunities, so they can naturally repay it.

This is a win-win situation for both the Wang's Clan and the cultivators advancing to the Lingtai Realm.

And in this, the Wang's Clan wins twice. After all, the fastest way to repay the loan is to work for the Wang's Clan.

"The only thing lacking now is time," Wang Dingzu continued, "Shouzhe's Celestial loans have just begun, and the integrated industry of spiritual herb cultivation and pill refining has just started to develop. The current production can only support a small number of elite Lingtai cultivators advancing to the Celestial Realm. If Shouzhe had another hundred years, Changning Garrison would be a different scene."

"Shouzhe, that kid, I knew he was extraordinary from the first time I saw him," Changchun Immortal, hearing this, was comforted and smiled, "That's why I broke the rules and took him as a disciple back then. It seems my judgment was indeed unique~"

Wang Dingzu couldn't help but smile.

He had heard that you, Elder, took him as a disciple because he was good at fighting and wanted him to stand up for Changchun Valley.

Suddenly.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

"The Shanyang Gongsun Clan has arrived, and that imposing golden light in the sky must be Ancestor Mang of the Shanyang Gongsun Clan!"

"The Shanyin Liu Clan has also arrived, and that vast, water-like light... The person should be Ancestor Yuanbai of the Liu Clan, and there's another Purple Mansion light, the vast aura should be Ancestor Zhisheng, right?"

"The Shanyin Liu Clan actually sent two Purple Mansion cultivators, truly worthy of being the maternal family of the Wang's Clan's main wife."

Amidst the crowd's commotion, one after another, imposing Purple Mansion lights flew in from the distant sky, quickly descending.

Among these Purple Mansion cultivators were those from the Yingxiu Lu Clan, the Changning Xu Clan, the Donggang Chen Clan, the Jinsha Xu Clan, the Changning Lei Clan, and others, totaling eleven Purple Mansion cultivators descending from the sky.

For a moment, the entire entrance of the county government office was filled with their overwhelming Purple Mansion aura, and even the previously cheering crowd fell silent.

However, before Wang Dingzu and Changchun Immortal could step forward to greet them.

Suddenly.

Two even more dominant Purple Mansion lights broke through the clouds and roared in.

It wasn't until they reached the square in front of the county government office that the two lights came to an abrupt halt, and then the lights dissipated, revealing two figures descending gracefully from the sky.

These two figures, a man and a woman, appeared quite young, resembling youths.

The man had a steady demeanor, a composed manner, and moved with an air of elegance, resembling a noble scion.

The woman, dressed in red, wore soft armor and carried a whip at her waist, appearing both alluring and valiant.

Both exuded an aura of power and authority, commanding respect.

These two were familiar to everyone, and someone immediately recognized them: "It's Ancestor Luo Tong and Ancestor Shoucheng of the Wang's Clan!"

Instantly, the crowd stirred again.

Even the eleven Purple Mansion cultivators who had just landed turned to greet them.

Seeing this scene, Changchun Immortal couldn't help but twitch his mouth, filled with emotion.

Is this the strength of a single garrison town?

Even an entire commandery can't muster such a scale of Purple Mansion combat power, can it?

...