Chapter 692: East Continent

From above the clouds, the East Continent was mostly a landscape of overlapping mountain ranges, as if the very heavens and earth were propped up by these peaks.

The central region of the Eastern Continent had a few plains, crisscrossed by rivers—clearly a fertile land. Towns appeared every few dozen kilometers. Most were built against the rare mountains that rose from the plains, defended by surrounding fortresses, a clear sign that this place was no stranger to war.

According to the Daoist Palace’s archives, the plains were likely home to the ‘River Country Tribe Alliance’.

This was a loose confederation of several dozen settled tribal towns. They worshipped the First Sect and were united against outsiders, but internal tribal wars were frequent. This fostered a prevalent martial culture and gave them rich combat experience. It was precisely this nature that allowed them to occupy the vast, fertile lands in the center.

The western mountains were the domain of the Business Alliance. Though a land of overlapping mountains, it was extremely rich in resources. The people here believed in ‘First Heaven’ and possessed an extreme ideology of the Righteous Dao. However, this ideology was only for the common folk; the rulers used it to control their subjects and launch wars against others.

Thus, while they appeared to hate evil with a passion, war never ceased, and most of it was internal. Their cities were scattered throughout the mountains, and the Business Alliance’s high command had very little control over them. The only territories that truly belonged to the Business Alliance were the ports on the western coastline.

On the eastern coast, to the east of the River Country Tribe Alliance, was a small, peaceful coalition known as the ‘Eastern Alliance’. They worshipped the Moon God, whose emissaries often walked the mortal realm. Yet, these emissaries never interfered in worldly affairs, preferring only to record cultural events. Some Cultivators of the Eastern Alliance could awaken the power of the Moon God, so despite being weak, no one dared to cross them.

Finally, the north, like the west, was also a vast expanse of mountains. Countless tribal settlements were scattered among these peaks. There was no unified alliance here, as the mountains were filled with the cave abodes of Mystic Sect Cultivators.

However, on the western coastline, there were a dozen or so cities known as the ‘Western Alliance’. They followed the First Sect. Much like the people of the Eastern Alliance, they were mild-tempered and rarely involved themselves in the disputes of other regions.

“This place is wonderful! Great scenery, lots of rivers… there must be tons of fish and shrimp!”

Yu Lian’s voice rang out in Yunhai.

The ever-silent Mansu heard this, and his voice also echoed in Yunhai. “To the common people here, this beautiful scenery is useless. Sometimes, it even brings them fatal disaster.”

He wasn’t wrong. The order on the Eastern Continent was incredibly fragile, barely enough to keep the spiritual energy from falling into chaos. It was still at the level of the earliest tribal civilizations, without even national laws. Below were the ruling classes of the various tribes, who could arbitrarily start wars and enslave the populace. Above them were the high-and-mighty Cultivators, in whose eyes the common people were nothing more than two-legged sheep.

“In thousands of years, has no one ever thought of ending all this conflict?” Wang Ping asked curiously.

“To end the conflict here, you must first resolve the issue of the various sects’ beliefs. This actually falls under the purview of the Daoist Palace. If you have a mind to do this, Fellow Daoist, I will support you with all my strength,” Mansu replied with complete rationality.

“Fellow Daoist, you seem to care more about this continent. Why don’t you do it yourself?”

“I am a member of the Star God Alliance!”

As the two chatted, they approached the central coast of the East Continent. Peering through the clouds, they could see several coastal cities. Their buildings were mostly constructed from massive stones, making them look like fortresses. This must be the territory of River Country. Outside these fortress-like cities were vast stretches of farmland. These fields were partitioned by rammed-earth walls at regular intervals, with massive stone watchtowers further out.

As they neared the port, Wang Ping sensed several probes of Primordial Spirit Consciousness. Yu Lian spoke in human tongue, “These probes are full of malice.”

The next moment, several figures appeared above the clouds. At the same time, an energy that locked down the heavenly secrets enveloped the space around them. This was likely some kind of Defense Array from the town below.

Yu Lian’s massive body came to a halt in Yunhai. Wang Ping, perched on her head, looked at Mansu, who had also stopped beside them. “What’s the usual way to handle a situation like this?”

“The Daoist Palace’s authority is useless here. They respect strength above all else. We just need to make them understand that we are stronger than them!”

Mansu had just finished explaining when Yu Lian spoke impatiently, “There’s someone looking at me with greed in his eyes. And he’s just a weak little life form. Can I kill him?”

Wang Ping and Yu Lian’s minds were connected. Following her line of sight, he saw a middle-aged man in iron armor staring at Yu Lian, his face filled with avarice. That was a Cultivator who had merged with some kind of Demon Soldier. Half of his mind was consumed by madness, which was perhaps the root of his inability to control his emotions.

But he only had a Second Realm Cultivation. He was just asking to die.

“If that’s the case, then he’s sealed his own fate!” Mansu’s cold voice rang out.

Hearing this, Yu Lian wasted no more words. She opened her great maw and spat out a breath of Water Spirit Qi. A blast of frigid air flashed past. The leader of the opposing group instinctively tried to resist, but he quickly found his vital energy locked in place. Then, a bone-chilling killing intent enveloped him.

Immediately after, he felt a piercing cold. Before his shocked eyes, the half-mad Demon Soldier Cultivator behind him was completely frozen solid. The man’s greedy expression was preserved in the ice, but an instant later, both the expression and the frozen body shattered into icy dust that scattered in the air.