Chapter 233: and ===GLOSSARY===

Cloud family main hall.

But need to translate exactly.

We must use glossary names exactly as provided: Gu Yuan, Gu Lin Tian, Gu Xuan Ce, Li Hentian, Sanqian Zhou, Lingzhou, Zhongzhou, Gu Family, Great Array, Zhou Tian Xing Dou Qian Yin Formation.

Also note: The line "Thus line: Sanqian Zhou" indicates that the place name should be rendered as "Sanqian Zhou". So we must use that exact term.

Now translate each line.

Let's go line by line.

Cloud Family Main Hall.

Cloud Family Main Hall.

Nine sect masters knelt on the ground, the hall silent except for their heavy breathing.

"Nine sect leaders knelt on the floor; the hall was silent except for their heavy breathing." Keep meaning.

Gu Yuan did not rush to have them rise.

"Gu Yuan did not rush to have them rise."

He played with the cracked void falcon egg in his hand, his gaze slowly sweeping over the nine people.

"He played with the Cracking Sky Falcon egg in his hand, his gaze slowly sweeping over the nine people."

"What was just said, I need you to do something..."

"'What I just said, I want you to do something…'"

The nine lowered themselves even further.

"The nine lowered themselves even further."

"This task is not difficult."

"'This task is not difficult.'"

Gu Yuan crossed his legs, his tone relaxed as if chatting about the weather: "After returning, have you all compile the vein maps, spirit aperture distributions, and law node positions of your respective states, and send them to Cloud State within three days."

"Gu Yuan crossed his legs, his tone relaxed as if chatting about the weather: 'After you return, compile the ley line maps, spirit aperture distributions, and law node locations of your respective provinces, and send them all to Yunzhou within three days.'"

Hai Wuya was the first to raise his head.

"Hai Wuya was the first to raise his head."

He is the Master of the Azure Wave Pavilion, having lived three million years, and knows the veins of Sea State like the back of his hand.

"He is the Master of the Bibo Pavilion, having lived three million years, and knows the ley lines of Haiszhou like the back of his hand."

He understands better than anyone what these things mean.

"He understands better than anyone what these things mean."

Vein map plus law nodes—this is the skeleton of a world.

"The ley line maps plus the law nodes—this is the skeleton of a world."

Mastering the skeleton lets one break bones.

"Master the skeleton, and you can dismantle the bones."

But he glanced at the terrifyingly absurd Gu family powerhouses in the hall, and that thought was instantly snuffed out.

"But he glanced at the terrifying Gu family powerhouses in the hall, and that thought was instantly snuffed out."

"I'll take care of it when I return," Hai Wuya said, bowing his head.

"'I will take care of it upon my return.' Hai Wuya kowtowed."

The old dragon lord, Longwei, twisted his tail twice behind him, wanting to say something, opening and closing his mouth, finally letting out a muffled grunt:

"The old Dragon Lord's tail coiled twice behind him, wanting to say something, his mouth opened and closed, finally a muffled voice emerged:"

"The veins of the Heavenly Dragon Ridge... some places bury the ancestors' shed skins; if we dig them up, will..."

"'The ley lines of Tianlong Ridge… some places bury the ancestral shed skins; if we dig them up, will…'"

"Don't dig."

"'Do not dig.'"

"Gu Yuan waved his hand: I won't move your ancestral grave."

"Gu Yuan waved his hand, 'I won't disturb your ancestral graves.'"

The old dragon lord let out a breath and quickly gave thanks.

"The old Dragon Lord exhaled in relief and hurriedly gave thanks."

The masters of the Ku Di Sect, Tai Xu Palace, and Huang Quan Sect, one after another, expressed their stance, their enthusiasm surpassing that of bidders at an auction.

"The masters of the Ku Di Sect, Tai Xu Palace, and Huang Quan Sect… each expressed their stance in turn, their attitudes more eager than bidders raising paddles at an auction."

After the nine all received their orders and withdrew, Gu Yuan finally put away his indifferent expression.

"After the nine received their orders and withdrew, Gu Yuan finally put away his indifferent expression."

"Dad."

"'Father.'"

He turned his head to look at Gu Lin Tian, taking out a palm-sized jade disc from his storage ring, densely covered with a reduced map of Sanqian Zhou.

"He turned his head to look at Gu Lin Tian, taking from his storage ring a palm-sized jade plate densely marked with a reduced map of the Three Thousand Provinces."

This is the result of Gu Xuan Ce quickly obtaining the Sanqian Zhou map from the Yun family's treasury and doing a rapid geomantic appraisal.

"This was the result of Gu Xuan Ce's quick geomantic survey after obtaining the Three Thousand Provinces map from the Yun family's treasury."

Rough but the framework is formed.

"It is rough, but the framework is formed."

"The forces behind these nine sect masters are the top orthodoxies of each state, each governing one state, plus Yunshan's Cloud State, making ten states. But the core regions of Sanqian Zhou go far beyond these."

"'The forces behind these nine sect leaders are the top Dao lineages of each province, each governing one province; plus Yunshan's Yun Province makes ten. But the core provinces of the Three Thousand Provinces go far beyond these.'"

Gu Yuan's finger moved across the jade disc, pointing out several locations,

"Gu Yuan's finger slid across the jade plate, marking several locations,"

"Sword State currently has no leader among the dragons; Li Hentian's people are hiding in Burial Sword Mountain, afraid to come out. Dragon State's old dragon lord has already knelt. Sea State, Wasteland State, Mysterious State, Nether State... among those who just came, these six states have all been secured."

"'Jian Province currently has no leader; Li Hentian's people are hiding in Burial Sword Mountain, afraid to come out. Long Province's Dragon Lord has already knelt. Hai, Huang, Xuan, and Ming Provinces… among those who just came, these six provinces have all been taken.'"

He then pointed out several more locations, all radiating outward from Cloud State as the center.

"He then marked several more locations, all radiating outward from Yun Province as the core."

"Still remaining are Ice State, Demon State, Spirit State, Divine State, Holy State, and Heaven State. These six major states, whose sect masters did not come, either don't know the news or are watching and waiting."

"'The remaining provinces are Bing, Yao, Ling, Shen, Sheng, and Tian. These six major provinces have no sect leaders present, indicating either they are unaware of the news or are observing.'"

"Send people to take them."

"'Send people to seize them.'"

Gu Yuan's tone was very flat.

"Gu Yuan's tone was very flat."

Gu Lin Tian had no objection.

"Gu Lin Tian did not object."

He took the jade disc from Gu Yuan's hand and carefully studied the relative positions of the states.

"He took the jade plate from Gu Yuan's hand and carefully studied the relative positions of the provinces."

"Ice State and Demon State border Cloud State, so we can act on both simultaneously. Spirit State is the farthest, located in the southeast corner of Sanqian Zhou, with three small states in between, requiring a stepping stone."

"'Bing and Yao Provinces border Yun Province, so they can be acted upon simultaneously; Ling Province is the farthest, located in the southeast corner of the Three Thousand Provinces, with three small provinces in between, requiring stepping stones.'"

"Spirit State is not urgent," Gu Yuan shook his head,

"'Ling Province is not urgent.' Gu Yuan shook his head,"

"Although Central State is far, it is of great importance; the Boundary-Sealing Immortal Pillar has already been erected. Using Central State and Cloud State as anchors will suffice, and the more the better."

"'Although Zhong Province is far, it is of great importance; the Boundary‑Sealing Immortal Piles have already been driven in, using Zhong and Yun Provinces as anchors will suffice, and the more the better.'"

He drew a circle on the jade disc.

"He drew a circle on the jade plate."

"Sixteen states is my bottom line."

"'Sixteen provinces—my bottom line is sixteen provinces.'"

"If the origins of the sixteen states can be unified and coordinated, Uncle Xuan Ce's Zhou Tian Star-Drawing Array will have enough support points, so the relocation won't fall apart, after all Uncle Xuan Ce is not yet an immortal king."

"'If the origins of the sixteen provinces can be unified and allocated, Uncle Xuan Ce's Zhou Tian Xing Dou Qian Yin Formation will have enough support points; during relocation it won't fall apart, after all Uncle Xuan Ce is not yet an Immortal King.'"

Chi Xiao Immortal King is an immortal king.

"Chi Xiao Immortal King is an Immortal King."

That's why he can simply seize a major state.

"That is why he can seize an entire province in one grasp."

But Gu Xuan Ce is not.

"But Gu Xuan Ce is not."

He cannot directly move a major state.

"He cannot directly move an entire province."

Therefore, he needs the power of a great formation.

"So he needs the power of the Great Array."

Borrowing the great formation...

"Borrowing the Great Array…"

Gu Xuan Ce can accomplish many things that are normally impossible...

"Gu Xuan Ce can accomplish many things that are normally impossible…"

"For example, in one breath, move dozens of major states!"

"For example… in one breath, move dozens of major provinces!"

"This... would barely be enough for the Gu family to develop for a while."

"This… would barely suffice for the Gu family's development for a time."

Gu Lin Tian glanced at his son.

"Gu Lin Tian glanced at his son."

He was shocked by his ambition.

"He was startled by his ambition."

"Sixteen states—neither too many nor too few."

"Sixteen provinces—neither too many nor too few."

"If each major state in Sanqian Zhou were as numerous as the Thunder and Fire States..."

"If each major province of the Three Thousand Provinces were as numerous as Lei and Huo Provinces."

"then the entirety of Sanqian Zhou would be roughly equivalent to three times the Primordial Immortal Realm."

"Then the entirety of the Three Thousand Provinces would be roughly equivalent to three times the Taigu Immortal Realm."

"And sixteen states..."

"And the sixteen provinces…"

"equal to the territory of the Primordial Immortal Realm, capable of increasing it by about half!"

"Equal the territory of the Taigu Immortal Realm, enough to increase it by about half!"

"Alright," Gu Lin Tian declared, "how should we divide the manpower?"

"'Alright.' Gu Lin Tian slammed the board, 'How should we allocate manpower?'"

"War Uncle will lead a team to Ice State and Demon State; these places have many demons and beasts, suiting him."

"'War Uncle will lead a team to Bing and Yao Provinces; these places have many demonic beasts, suiting him.'"

Uncle Linjiang went to Divine Province and Holy Province, those two places have many orthodox lineages, they need someone to hold the fort so they don't start fighting. Uncle San of the Blood Dao went to Heavenly Province; I remember him saying that Heavenly Province has a very powerful Slaughter Dao inheritance, and he wants to go check it out.

And you?

I'll go take charge of Zhongzhou.

Gu Yuan leaned back against the chair,

"The World Tree is inside my body; the Boundary Wall's sealing immortal pillars in Zhongzhou need me to constantly resonate with them. And——"

He smiled.

"If the local bosses knew that helping me set up the formation could earn them pills to break through to the Sovereign Lord realm, they'd work much more eagerly."

Gu Lin Tian also smiled.

Sanqian Zhou is filled with immortal substances everywhere; that's why these Sovereign Lord-level beings, who haven't even reached the Saint realm, can live for a million years.

The Gu Family trades worthless Sovereign Lord breakthrough pills for immortal substances, and for their hard labor.

Quite a good deal, right?

"What about the old ancestor?" Gu Lin Tian asked.

Gu Yuan put away his smile, his expression turning serious.

"Grandfather is outside the Boundary Wall. His mission is most crucial—not just shielding the heavenly secrets."

He did not continue.

But Gu Lin Tian understood.

……

……

The news spread faster than Gu Yuan had anticipated.

It wasn't that the nine Sovereign Lords went back and loudly proclaimed it.

But rather, their movements were too big to hide.

Upon returning to the Bibo Pavilion, Hai Wuyai immediately ordered the whole pavilion to lock down the mountains, had all elders and stewards assemble, and began to survey the earth veins of Hai Prefecture.

At the same time, the vassal sects of the Bibo Pavilion were required to submit, within six hours, detailed maps of all spiritual apertures and earth-vein routes within their territories.

The commotion let half of Hai Prefecture know about it.

The Old Dragon Lord was even more straightforward.

He didn't even wait to return to Heavenly Dragon Ridge; midway he unleashed his dragon might, summoning all the leaders of the minor sects along the way to the outskirts of Heavenly Dragon Ridge, without a word of nonsense, he threw down the line: "There's work to be done; do it well and you'll be rewarded; do it poorly and your clan will be exterminated," then turned and left.

The efficiency was astonishing.

Because these Sovereign Lords knew all too well.

The Gu Family promised a breakthrough beyond the Sovereign Lord realm.

What is that?

That is a position second only to the Remnant Immortals of Sanqian Zhou.

And the Remnant Immortals are dead.

Even if it seems a new ruler has appeared……

That is still one's own strength!

To them, it is a treasure they could never even dream of.