Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

After Zhao Sheng verbally agreed to join the Spring and Autumn Alliance, Meng Quyi, pleased with the agreement, no longer considered Zhao Sheng an outsider.

As a Foundation Establishment Elder, Meng Quyi was eager to make a good impression on Zhao Sheng and began to detail the current state of the Spring and Autumn Alliance.

"The Spring and Autumn Alliance has a history of over six thousand years since it was founded by the Spring and Autumn Ancestor. Currently, besides Kong, the Late-stage Golden Core Alliance Leader, and two Golden Core Realm Supreme Elders, there are also several Foundation Establishment Realm Elders, island masters, and guest elders, totaling over forty persons."

In addition to this, the Spring and Autumn Alliance also has almost a hundred affiliated islands, and the smaller forces on the islands are considered part of the alliance's outer forces, with most island masters serving as guest ministers of the alliance."

"Mr. Meng, it's surprising that your alliance has three Golden Core predecessors; it seems your alliance is truly powerful!" Zhao Sheng said politely. The Spring and Autumn Alliance indeed possessed respectable power, making it a suitable temporary refuge.

"Oh, not at all! Taoist Zhao is too kind. Among the many forces in Shattered Star Sea, although our Spring and Autumn Alliance is one of the Thirty-Six Star Constellations, we merely scrape by due to our high membership; in terms of raw power, we are among the lowest of the top-tier, incomparable to other major sect forces.

However, our alliance, unlike those Cultivation Sects, does not have many strict rules and regulations constraining our disciples. Not only do we act more freely, but there are also many benefits.

Once one becomes a Foundation Establishment Minister, not only can they freely browse through the Book Collection Pavilion's cultivation techniques and secret manuals, but they also receive certain discounts when purchasing various cultivation resources from the shops established by our alliance.

Moreover, many of our Foundation Establishment fellow daoists regularly hold various experience-sharing meetings. And occasionally, our Alliance Leader and Supreme Elders also make appearances to give us some guidance, which is why our alliance has developed so prosperously."

At this point, Meng Quyi paused, then sincerely added:

"To be honest with Taoist Zhao, the Spring and Autumn Alliance is divided into nine major branches, and I very much hope that Taoist Zhao would consider taking up a position as a Minister Elder in the Foreign Affairs Hall. The Foreign Affairs Hall offers generous benefits and is desperately in need of talents, and behind it is the support of the Supreme Elder, Master Qi Feng. What do you think of this proposal?"

"I appreciate Mr. Meng's kind offer, and I ask for a few days to think it over. Once we arrive at Nine Virtuous Isle, I will definitely give you an answer," Zhao Sheng responded with a laugh.

Seeing this, Meng Quyi was not annoyed. Instead, he changed the subject and began to casually chat with Zhao Sheng about the many forces in the Shattered Star Sea and some of the recent major events.

Through this casual conversation, Zhao Sheng gained a deeper and clearer understanding of the situation in the Shattered Star Sea.

Overall, the innermost and most flourishing region of the Shattered Star Sea is the Inner Star Sea, which is governed by the so-called "One God, Four Saints, and Thirty-Six Star Constellations" among other Cultivation Forces.

"One God" refers to the Crownless King of the Shattered Star Sea, the Star God Palace. The Star God Palace is teeming with experts, its power unfathomable; each of its Supreme Elders is a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and the palace master is rumored to have crossed the Primordial Spirit Threshold and become a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, a rare occurrence in the Tianzhu Realm in a thousand years.

"Four Saints" refers to the Four Saints Island named after the four holy beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird. Each island houses one Immortal Sect noble family of Nascent Soul Level, each with a lineage exceeding ten thousand years and a population in the tens of millions, possessing incredibly profound heritage.

Rumor has it that each of the four major families possesses an Ancient Spiritual Treasure. The power of an Ancient Spiritual Treasure is heaven-defying; a Nascent Soul Ancestor wielding a Spiritual Treasure can contend against a Divinity Transformation True Monarch.

Thus, the four major families maintain a stable position, second only to the Star God Palace in the Shattered Star Sea.

Beneath the Four Saints are the so-called Thirty-Six Star Constellation Spirit Islands, each of which houses at least one Golden Core True Immortal.

If a Nascent Soul Ancestor is present on an island, it is known as a Heavenly Gang Spirit Island, named for the "Nascent Soul Ancestors who can break through the nine layers of Heavenly Gang Atmosphere and briefly fly into the Outer Void to gather Outer Heaven Mysterious Spirits." Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

And the Star Constellation Spirit Islands without a Nascent Soul Ancestor are known as Earth Evil Spirit Islands, deriving the name from the "Golden Core True Immortals who refine their cultivation and condense Divine Skills using the Earth Evil Spirit True found within the realm."

Most of the Thirty-Six Star Constellation Spirit Islands are home to Cultivation Sects, such as the Sky Sun Sword Sect and Zhenwu Mountain, which have been prominent in the past century, along with Qianyu Pavilion, Mystic Sky Sect, and others.

The Spring and Autumn Alliance, nominally one of the Thirty-Six Star Constellations occupying Nine Virtuous Isle, is in fact backed by the "Vermilion Bird" Gu Yan family.

And such Golden Core Level forces like the Spring and Autumn Alliance are required to pay a tribute to the Gu Yan family each year and take care of some unsavory tasks that should not see the light of day.

The Gu Yan family, in return, ensures that the Spring and Autumn Alliance is not swallowed by other major sectarian families.

It turned out that Meng Quyi was quite eloquent and witty in his speech.

And he was very candid about many of the internal details of the Spring and Autumn Alliance, making the tea-drinking and casual conversation between the two quite enjoyable.

...

Five days later, after the ship had passed through a thousand miles of sea and several islands, they finally arrived near a massive and bustling large island at midday.

Zhao Sheng and Meng Quyi stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at Nine Virtuous Isle.

"Haha, we're finally home! Brother Zhao, after you!"

Meng Quyi laughed heartily and with a flick of his wrist, suddenly produced a brightly glowing scroll from his sleeve. The scroll unfurled in mid-air, and he grabbed it with one hand while casting a spell with the other.

The scroll suddenly emitted a burst of white light, followed by the clear sound of a bird's cry. Then, a burst of rosy light swept out, transforming into a massive sea eagle over two meters tall with wings shimmering in blue.

Once the two men had climbed onto the back of the Spiritual Eagle, Meng Quyi shouted lowly. The eagle instantly spread its wings, stirred up a fierce wind, and took off into the sky, swiftly flying toward Nine Virtuous Isle.