Chapter 1231

Zhongshan Commandery, the commandery governor's residence, roof.

The commandery governor's residence is the tallest building in Zhongshan Commandery; standing here, Governor Zhou can take in the entire scenery of Zhongshan Commandery at a glance.

Governor Zhou reached out, trying to grasp the distant cityscape, as if by stretching his hand he could control all of Zhongshan Commandery.

The night breeze blew gently, stirring his thoughts.

Recalling the performance of the barbarian bones at tonight's meeting, he unconsciously clenched his fists tightly, producing a creaking sound.

"With the barbarian bones present, this Zhongshan Commandery probably still isn't solely mine."

"My lord, the barbarian bones showed no respect for you at the meeting." Governor Zhou's personal guard stood behind him, speaking up for him.

Governor Zhou shook his head with a wry smile: "After all, he is a disciple who came out of the Wen Dao Sect, and also the current top scholar; being somewhat arrogant and not taking me, the commandery governor, seriously is normal."

A flash of coldness appeared in Governor Zhou's eyes: "But he also needs to know that I, Zhou Hai, spent a hundred years to reach this position today, relying not on kindness to others!"

"Even if he is a disciple of the Wen Dao Sect, this world ultimately belongs to the Great Xia; the Wen Dao Sect is merely one of the five immortal sects."

"Once in the Huangzhou bureaucracy, one must follow the rules of the Huangzhou bureaucracy."

His network of connections spreads throughout the Huangzhou bureaucracy!

Thinking of this, Governor Zhou unconsciously reached to touch the storage ring on his middle finger—this is his trump card for navigating the Huangzhou bureaucracy.

"Where is the storage ring?!"

Governor Zhou stared wide-eyed; his storage ring had disappeared at some unknown time!

This is something absolutely cannot be allowed to fall into others' hands!

……

After finishing the night shift, on the way back to the government office, Lu Yang gazed at the street, which was slightly livelier than usual in the morning, feeling puzzled.

"Old Meng, do you feel there are more outsiders coming to our county than before?"

Quyi County is not a tourist spot; logically, there shouldn't be so many outsiders coming.

"Indeed, there are many more; have you noticed these people are all cultivators—Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, all present?"

Compared to the number of ordinary people, cultivators are extremely rare; suddenly having this many cultivators arrive, this matter is probably not so simple.

After returning to the government office, the two decided to ask the barbarian bones.

"Oh, the increase in cultivator numbers is because the secret realm is about to open." The barbarian bones explained.

"Does our county have a secret realm too?"

"No, it's not that; there is a secret realm left by early Great Xia cultivators on a mountain not far from our county, called the Four Treasuries Secret Realm."

The barbarian bones came to the courtyard, pointing to a distant mountain; now it is morning, with a hazy mist, the mountain shrouded in mist, adding a touch of mystery.

"That is the mountain, called West Mountain; West Mountain's depths contain the secret realm."

"The Four Treasuries Secret Realm opens once every hundred years; the secret realm is divided into three layers, corresponding respectively to the Golden Core stage, Nascent Soul stage, and Spirit Transformation stage; cultivators of these three realms can all participate in the secret realm trials."

"The counties near West Mountain will see cultivators appearing, and it will become lively for a while."

"Only up to the Spirit Transformation stage." Lu Yang and the two felt somewhat regretful, still thinking that if there were a Tribulation Transcendence-level secret realm, they could enter and challenge it.

They would not interfere with the highest Spirit Transformation stage.

"Xiao Yangzi is really stupid; only immortals can construct Tribulation Transcendence-level secret realms."

"That's also true; such secret realms of this level are not so easily encountered."

"Even if encountered, there's no need to go." The Immortal Maiden said matter-of-factly: "Anyway, they are all built by immortals; if you want the secret realm's rewards, which immortal built the secret realm, this immortal can directly ask him for the rewards."

"Eh, that's not necessary either." Lu Yang, being thin-skinned, couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

Over the next few days, the number of cultivators coming to Quyi County increased; although cultivators are commonly seen, roughly because they don't want to provoke trouble before the secret realm opens, the cultivators all behaved themselves, and Quyi County's public order remained the same as usual.

Lu Yang and the two strolled the streets during the day, occasionally hearing exclamations.

"Quick look, that's Kongwen from the White Horse Temple; it's said he has already cultivated one of the Buddhist Six Divine Powers, the ability to read minds, so any scheme before him has nowhere to hide!"

"The Dachen Master of the Hanging Temple praises him highly."

Kongwen, wearing a kasaya, stood with one hand raised before his chest, reciting the Diamond Sutra, as if completely unable to hear the surrounding exclamations.

"The Azure Dragon Holy Son of the Sixiang Sect has also come; his Azure Dragon Combat Technique is unparalleled in the present age, able to contend with sword cultivators!"

"The Sixiang Sect also purchased dragon blood for him; after bathing in dragon blood, his Azure Dragon Combat Technique has already achieved minor success, making it difficult for magical treasures to injure him!"

The Azure Dragon Holy Son, muscular all over, with dragon horns on his head, is a dragon person, and behind him are many followers.

"The senior brother of the Listening to the Sea Sect has also come; since most of the Listening to the Sea Sect's high-level members were arrested, he has since become desolate; it is said the remaining high-level members have set aside their prejudices, no longer scheming against each other, and regard him as the seed of revival for cultivation!"

"Also, the holy maiden of the Seven Stars Holy Land; they all say she may become the next Seeing Seeing Seeing Seeing Seeing Lan Ting..."

"The chief disciple of the Asura Sect sect leader..."

Lu Yang and the two exchanged glances; it seemed they didn't recognize any of these people.

"Old, can't keep up with the times." Lu Yang sighed with hands behind his back; hearing the reactions of those around him, it seemed these people were all famous, yet he didn't know a single one, suggesting these people are all rising stars.

"Time flies and waits for no one." Meng Jingzhou also shook his head and sighed.

"No, these people are about the same age as us; there are even several older than us, such as this Azure Dragon Holy Son."

Meng Jingzhou used his divine sense to slightly probe and could determine these people's bone ages; they are all peers.

Upon hearing Old Meng say this, Lu Yang recalled that he and Meng Jingzhou had first seen the Azure Dragon Holy Son of the Sixiang Sect, but they had seen the Bai Hu Holy Son during their Foundation Establishment stage at the border of Great Xia.

At that time, Lu Yang had just learned the Arhat Fist and kindly gave the Bai Hu Holy Son a haircut.

"Peers reaching Spirit Transformation stage." Lu Yang still thought peers should have reached the Void Refining stage at least.

At the very least, the peers he has seen are all at the Void Refining stage—Barbarian Bones, Li Haoran, Tao Yaoyao, Seeing Seeing Seeing Seeing Seeing Lan Ting, Dachen Master, etc.

Even Zhao Po is at the Void Refining stage.

"Boss, two fried dough sticks." The two passed by a fried dough stall, feeling hungry.

"Ah, this is the downside of cultivating too fast—having no common ground with peers." The two sighed in succession; perhaps this is the price of reaching the Tribulation Transcendence stage.

Kongwen and two constables brushed past each other, pupils contracting sharply.

Because his mind-reading ability had just been formed, he could not yet control it well, and he constantly used it to hear the thoughts of those around him.

But the minds of these two constables were terrifyingly calm, and he could hear nothing of their thoughts!

Who are they?!

Lu Yang ate his fried dough sticks, noticing Kong Wen using his mind-reading ability on him, and he revealed an unfathomable smile.

The two brushed past Kong Wen, who stood frozen in place, his mind echoing with a mental transmission from one of them.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go spreading our business."

(End of Chapter)