Chapter 664 - 626: Tianxuan Internal Affairs Hall, Nobody Likes a Snake

Yang Chan and the others made their way to the mountainside. To be precise, it was only a small part of the Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain, for the summit was nowhere in sight—not even for someone with Yang Chan’s Cultivation.

It was said that the Blood Exchange Martial Saints of the Merak Sacred Land were cultivating in seclusion at the summit, seeking a breakthrough, though the truth of this rumor was unknown.

The Fifty-Eight Peaks of the Merak Sacred Land had all been established on this very Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain. Each was situated in an area with exceptionally dense Spiritual Qi. The earlier a peak had been established, the closer it was to the summit. Consequently, its Spiritual Qi was denser, its value was greater, and it was far more desirable.

Not everyone was qualified to practice Cultivation in such a place. The more suitable a location was for Cultivation, the fiercer the competition.

Liu Xuan’s Chiyu Peak was the most recently established and, therefore, the lowest-ranked of the peaks. Even so, it drew many watchful eyes and was coveted by many.

After all, within the Merak Sacred Land, there was a significant difference between the status of a Peak Master and that of an Elder. The Cultivation Resources they controlled were not the same. The exception, of course, was for the high-ranking Elders who wielded real authority; they were in a different league entirely.

Otherwise, an ordinary Elder had little more than the title itself, with no real power and only limited Cultivation Resources at their disposal.

However, to become an Elder of the Merak Sacred Land, one’s Cultivation had to be at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Level. This put Chiyu Peak in an awkward position, as there were no such Elders presiding over it due to how recently it had been established.

As for inviting other unoccupied Elders to preside, Liu Xuan’s Cultivation was not strong enough. He had no confidence he could keep them in line. On the contrary, he might have his authority undermined, becoming the Peak Master of Chiyu Peak in name only.

This was all based on a warning from the Merak Saintess. It was for this reason that he had even chosen to select Chiyu Peak’s disciples from his own Cyan Yuan Sect—he simply did not trust the people here.

’Rather than have a group of untrustworthy people stationed on Chiyu Peak, it’s better to choose from the Cyan Yuan Sect. At least with them, I won’t have to worry about loyalty.’

’If their Cultivation is a little low, so be it. They can improve slowly over time!’

Furthermore, Liu Xuan was constantly improving his own Martial Arts Cultivation. He hoped to use the Cultivation Resources from the Merak Sacred Land to complete his first Bone Marrow Cleansing as soon as possible. Once his strength was sufficient, he would naturally have the confidence he needed.

’In Liu Xuan’s opinion, having just one Advanced Pharmacist, Elder Hua, wasn’t enough. Now that he had Yang Chan, he could naturally use him to acquire even more Cultivation Resources.’

As a Peak Master, he controlled a considerable amount of Cultivation Resources. However, converting them into the Elixirs he needed had not gone smoothly. The Pill Pavilion might appear impartial, but that was merely the stance of its upper echelon. At the Advanced Pharmacist level, things were not so certain. This had resulted in him being unable to obtain the Elixirs he required for his Cultivation in a timely fashion.

Within the Merak Sacred Land, many people were working against him in the shadows. Clearly, they didn’t want him to have an easy time of it and were even plotting to seize Chiyu Peak for themselves.

The so-called rules had their limits. Moreover, if Liu Xuan’s Martial Arts Cultivation remained stuck at the Initial Stage of Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, unable to complete his first Bone Marrow Cleansing, his position as Peak Master could very well be usurped.

For the time being, his position was secure thanks to the Saint Master’s intervention. But if he failed to seize this opportunity, there were plenty of others eager to take his place.

Even though it was the newest peak, with a weaker foundation than the others, in the eyes of many in the Merak Sacred Land, it was still a hot commodity that everyone wanted a piece of.

"This is the Internal Affairs Hall. Since you have all just joined the Merak Sacred Land, you must be registered in the records. Only after you receive an Identity Token will you be considered a true disciple of the Merak Sacred Land."

Feng Anliang stopped at a fork in the road, then led the group to a halt before a tall pavilion.

Numerous disciples of the Merak Sacred Land were coming and going from the pavilion.

All affairs within the Holy Land were handled by the Internal Affairs Hall, which was overseen by the Second Elder. He was assisted by several other Elders, all of whom were Elders with Real Power. Their status was higher than that of an ordinary Peak Master because their authority covered a much wider range and they managed numerous duties. Furthermore, this Second Elder was a master who had undergone the Third Bone Marrow Cleansing. He was not far from becoming a Blood Exchange Martial Saint and was currently preparing for that very breakthrough.

Yang Chan watched from a distance. The sheer number of people coming and going already exceeded the entire population of the Cyan Yuan Sect. The Cyan Yuan Sect had nearly ten thousand members at the level of Official Disciple or higher, which was by no means a small number. But here, he saw more than ten thousand people entering and leaving the hall alone. What was truly shocking was that not a single one of them had a weak Cultivation.

’The Cyan Yuan Sect is nothing before a Holy Land like Merak. If the Holy Land wanted to take action, it would be over in an instant.’

’The disparity is incomparable, both in terms of high-end Combat Power and sheer numbers.’

’The population of the Merak Sacred Land, counting its outer cities and the people within the Profound Void Grotto Heaven, is no smaller than that of an Imperial Dynasty. They just haven’t established one themselves. If they were to contend for imperial power, it would be a truly terrifying prospect.’

’It is the terrifying power of dynastic fortune that keeps the major Holy Lands from meddling in the affairs of imperial power, let alone entertaining the thought of establishing their own Imperial Dynasty. They are afraid of following the same path as the Holy Lands that have already been annihilated.’

’However, even without imperial authority, the Merak Sacred Land’s status is even more transcendent. It holds the fate of the masses in its hands.’

’From what little I’ve seen, the cities under the Merak Sacred Land’s control are numerous and incredibly prosperous, even surpassing the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s Imperial Capital, White Jade City. And this is just a fraction of the whole; there is still so much more I haven’t seen.’

’Just this tip of the iceberg is enough to leave one breathless.’