Da Xuan Martial Saint

Yu State.

Seven Profound Sect.

The courtyard behind the Main Peak Hall.

Elder Qi Zhiyuan, the acting sect master, was sitting under an ancient pine tree, holding a book in his hands.

Next to Qi Zhiyuan stood a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a Seven Profound protector, who was respectfully reporting various pieces of intelligence from the outer states.

"...above all, the remnants of the Haoran Sect and the main force of the Green Lotus Sect were completely defeated by the Northern Garrison army, and the remnants of the Green Lotus Sect have withdrawn from Han State. Now, the North Garrison Government has taken over and governs the three states of North State, Han State, and Youzhou."

Listening to the protector's report, Qi Zhiyuan set down his book and slowly said, "The conquest of Youzhou means the North Garrison Government will likely not deploy troops again soon. However, through this battle, the North Garrison has strengthened by a third." Read exclusive adventures at empire

North Garrison Government.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

It nominally governs the eleven states of the Cold North Path and also restrains that 'King of North Garrison' seated at the border of North State. However, as the Da Xuan Dynasty Court gradually declined, the North Garrison Government had in practice existed in name only.

Nowadays, the North Garrison Government has degenerated into a flag manipulated solely by the King of North Garrison. Under the guise of the North Garrison's banner, it dispatches troops to various state governments, and within a decade, it has successively crushed the Haoran Sect, Northern Cold Sect, and the Green Lotus Sect. Today, it firmly controls the three states of the Cold North Path, becoming the most powerful force in the Cold North Path.

"Elder Qi, that ambitious man, I fear his sights are set beyond just these three states..."

The worried protector next to him said.

Although Yu State does not adjoin North State, Han State, or Youzhou, now that all three states fall under the rule of the North Garrison Government, there might come a day when Yu State also becomes a battlefield.

In fact, when the North Garrison Government attacked Youzhou, the Green Lotus Sect had also sought help from the Seven Profound Sect. But considering the distance to Youzhou and that the taking of Youzhou by the North Garrison Government posed no immediate threat to Yu State, even though the North Garrison advanced aggressively, it wasn't necessary for the Seven Profound Sect to travel thousands of miles to assist, especially without any benefits.

Moreover,

Sects like the Haoran and Green Lotus, large as they were, were not easily destroyed. Even the Haoran Sect, initially conquered in North State, still maintained an intact sect organization. They merely lost control over the North State and had to relocate. Later, they joined forces with the Green Lotus Sect to resist the North Garrison's military front.

Besides, the neighboring states of Bitter State and Song State, held respectively by the large sects 'Endless Temple' and 'End of the World Sea Pavilion,' remained ambiguous in their stance. This was another reason the Seven Profound Sect chose to observe the battle in Youzhou from a distance.

After all,

If the End of the World Sea Pavilion or the Endless Temple had already secretly allied with the North Garrison Government, then traveling thousands of miles to support the Green Lotus Sect would be akin to walking into a trap. Although it's unlikely for the old monks of the Endless Temple, the stance of the End of the World Sea Pavilion is uncertain.

Furthermore, the internal affairs of the Seven Profound Sect were not united. Many elder peak masters and elders had no interest in the chaotic situations of the states in the Cold North Path and harbored no competitive ambitions. Even the sect master is often in seclusion, not handling sect affairs, leaving everything to Qi Zhiyuan, the 'acting sect master.' This is why the Seven Profound Sect has sealed its gates and stopped interfering with state matters for many years.

"Everyone knows the heart of the King of North Garrison, but what can be done about it?"

Qi Zhiyuan said somberly, "Uniting the Cold North Path isn't something that can be accomplished quickly nor simply achieved by brute force. Even in the heyday of the great Da Xuan, there still existed many sects across the land. What does the North Garrison amount to now? Moreover, even if the time comes when a choice must be made, can you clearly see which side is the right one?"

"This..."

The protector showed a hesitant expression.

Indeed, the world was in chaos, except for the relatively stable Eleven States of Jingji Road where the Central Prefecture lay. Everywhere else was like the Cold North Path, if not more chaotic.

In the Cold North Path, Eleven States harbor many sects like the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, each with different ideas—some radical, some conservative—all significant forces in the land, forming a complicated mess.

The North Garrison is ambitious, and the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion likewise acts mysteriously. The Heavenly Sword Sect, however, focuses solely on martial arts. The motives of the Hehuan Sect and Blood Concealment Pavilion are even more difficult to fathom. Currently, the Seven Profound Sect and the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion subtly oppose each other, and indeed, they can spare no effort for others.

"Block soldiers with generals and stem water with earth; don't think too much. The momentum of the world is such. At worst, we'll merely return to the days when all sects had to obey imperial orders. What's the worst that could happen?"

Qi Zhiyuan shook his head and said.

A great sect like the Seven Profound Sect, standing at the pinnacle in a state, is hardly easy to destroy with just one or two battles, as long as the sect's heritage continues and it possesses top martial arts masters with a deep foundation.

Why didn't the North Garrison Government eradicate the Haoran Sect and Green Lotus Sect completely when it pacified the three states?

The Haoran Sect also has a Blood Exchange Realm presence!

It's easy to kill ordinary disciples, but very difficult to kill such supreme experts. Once one is truly provoked and strikes without restraint, even the North Garrison would find it difficult to handle. It's better to preserve the general structure of sects like the Haoran and Green Lotus. This keeps these supreme experts wary and prevents them from acting rashly, achieving a sort of tacit agreement among them.

Of course, if a sect doesn't have a supreme Blood Exchange Realm presence, then indeed, it might face extinction. But that's just a possibility... Like the Blood Concealment Pavilion, which has existed for hundreds of years previously, branded illegal by the Da Xuan Dynasty Court and subjected to various crackdowns, yet it was never completely wiped out despite hundreds of years of purges. Now, in these turbulent times, it immediately surfaces again.