Chapter 1286 - 22: Longyan’s Achievement! An Ye’s Return

Jiang Zhencang felt intense envy in his heart.

How does that saying go? Oh right, starting strong leads to soaring high.

If that were the case, perhaps the Saint Land would be more than twice as powerful as it is now, and he might already be in the mid-stage Lingxu Realm, possibly even suppressing the Yin Sha Sect with good luck!

Unfortunately, nothing in life allows for maybes!

In fact, it was precisely because Jiang Zhencang struggled due to his family’s waning strength and had to rely on his own perseverance at every step, feeling exhausted, that he hoped his disciple Yingxuan could have a higher starting point.

From the spectator seats.

For a time, all the major figures harbored their own thoughts.

In the Trial Ground, the progression of the candidates’ trials was also consistently advancing.

As Wang Lici and Wang Yingxuan developed and expanded like a snowball, growing stronger by fighting, other candidates also found their own ways to enter into a development stage.

For instance, Lvwei displayed an exceptionally high talent for planting, and after several failures, she finally cultivated cold-resistant plant seeds, as well as some seeds for defense and combat, which she began to promote externally.

Meanwhile, the future Empress Luqiu ventured out alone, seeking out bandit leaders for duels, and in return, instilling her ideology in them.

With her adept use of her "King’s Dominating Qi," she managed to subdue several bandit groups, making them bow to her as their empress, rapidly expanding and strengthening her forces.

She had mastered the emperor vibe so well that she seemed more like a reincarnated emperor than even Emperor Longchang.

Those bandit leaders, when pledging allegiance to her, felt they were destined to become key ministers, walking a noble path to titles and ranks, their hearts burning with fervor.

Even Bao Bucheng had his own unique approach. His exceptional skills in herbalism and alchemy allowed him to quickly develop various potions like hemostatic medicine and Dragon Blood Powder, forming the [Dragon Blood Army] in a short time!

As for Wang Liyao and Gongyang Strategy, they followed an all-rounded path, focusing on planting, development, construction, exploration, and warfare; while not the fastest in any aspect, they were the most stable. Such comprehensive development greatly reduced the likelihood of future setbacks.

Slightly different, Wang Liyao was more stable than Gongyang Strategy, with better attention to detail and a stronger sense of the larger picture.

Each Saint Son and Saintess candidate gradually overcame their first wave of crises. Though there were some distinctions in strength, the future still held a long road ahead, and it remained uncertain who would have the last laugh.

...

Meanwhile.

In the Land of the Far West.

Snow peaks towered, and evil qi stretched out, as if unchanged since ancient times.

Yin Sha Sect.

Not far from the Saint Hall, there stood a slightly shorter yet equally steep peak, known as "Snow Spear Peak."

The top of Snow Spear Peak was perpetually covered in snow, with piercing cold winds. Near the summit, there was a sizable evil acupoint, exuding evil qi year-round, blending into a dense chill.

With the evil acupoint as the core, a large mansion area had been built around it, crafted meticulously with yin spiritual wood, featuring ornate beams and painted eaves, full of grandeur.

For ordinary cultivators, living in such a place would undoubtedly be torment, leading to evil qi invading the body and causing intense pain soon after.

But for the disciples of the Yin Sha Sect, such a place was a Feng Shui treasure land, an excellent place for cultivation.

This was originally the residence of Qee Hongzhao during his early years as the Saint Son. After he became Sect Leader, the premises were sealed and never given to anyone else to reside in.

Now that Wang Longyan had arrived, Qee Hongzhao unsealed the place and had it meticulously renovated to serve as the future residence of the Saintess.

He even renamed the house "Minghuang Residence," indicating his high expectations for his disciple Wang Longyan.

At this moment.

In Minghuang Residence, several disciples dressed in Yin Sha Sect’s standard attire were watering the spirit plants in the garden. Their focused expressions, utmost care, and caution made it seem more like they were serving an ancestor rather than tending to spirit plants.

Beside them, a woman in a light purple gown watched their actions closely.

She had a gentle and charming face, exuding a delicate fragility, but her tone was extremely stern.

"Don’t blame me for not warning you; these ’Blue Purple Phoenix Bell Flower’ seeds were brought over by Junior Martial Aunt Ruobing from her hometown and are scarce. Each one must remain flawless. Put all your attention into this, and if a single petal is missing, you’ll pay with your lives!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples’ faces turned pale, and their actions immediately became even more cautious.

Due to the excessive concentration of evil qi within the Yin Sha Sect’s range, it was more suitable for a small number of Yin Sha Attribute spirit plants. Beyond that, not many types of spirit plants could survive, which made them far more precious here than outside.

The delicate varieties purchased from afar, which needed to be kept alive under an isolated array and could die off at any moment, weren’t worth mentioning. Even those that could survive being planted in the ground required meticulous care, as the slightest mishap might cause them to wither.

Here, even the water used to irrigate spirit plants was a specially prepared spiritual spring water, with dedicated disciples assigned in shifts to care for the spirit plants around the clock, twelve hours a day, cautiously overseeing them, fearing any errors.

After finally finishing tending to the spirit plants, the disciples breathed a slight sigh of relief, secretly wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

In the sunlight, the water-dampened spirit plants exuded a lush green hue, with clusters of blue and purple small flowers blossoming on slender stems, looking extremely eye-catching.