**Chapter 233: The Covenant of Chasing Moon Province, The Golden Pavilion Reopens**
Given Su Yulong's temperament, he was likely to clash with Yan Ling once more. But how exactly that would unfold, Wang Yu couldn't guess.
After all, Yan Ling had been accepted as a disciple by the Frigid Blood Mountain Lord, placing her in a truly different position. There was only so much Su Yulong could do; the more probable outcome was that he would also be assigned a city to govern.
Or perhaps he would simply remain within the sect, becoming one of the inner sect elders, focusing on exploration missions.
In any case.
Wei Hao's group's visit had provided Wang Yu with a wealth of information. It also indicated that conflicts with the Yellow Springs Temple were likely to erupt in earnest around the Cloudveil Province area.
Judging by past experience, the probability of a conflict restricted to the younger generation was high. At the very least, Nascent Soul cultivators would not participate; otherwise, Wei Hao wouldn't have spoken of fortunes being hard to predict.
It was a crisis, but also an opportunity.
According to the traditions of the Heavenly Corpse Peak, after a failed competition, the nine defeated True Disciples would become subordinates of the victor.
When the victor eventually succeeded as the Mountain Lord, they would become his most capable lieutenants, naturally uniting the forces behind them. That Disciple Jiang might genuinely have pointed out a viable path.
However, this was also a trial for Wei Hao. If he couldn't pass it, his only fate would be to die on this Cloudveil border.
The inheritance of the Heavenly Corpse Peak differed from the other eight peaks. The victor of the Corpse Duel Grand Assembly, due to the unique nature of the **[Corpse King Ritual]**, had plundered the fundamental essence of the nine other formidable zombies to refine a "Corpse King" possessing immense potential.
Even if Disciple Jiang failed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, this Corpse King certainly would!
The status of a Nascent Soul seed within Heavenly Corpse Peak was even more secure because it represented a certain inevitability.
They were more readily viewed as successors compared to Nascent Soul seeds of other peaks. Of course, the Mountain Lord position would also inherit a title, such as Frigid Blood, Heavenly Corpse, Savage Ghost, and so on.
It was both power and a shackle.
As far as he knew, the Heavenly Corpse Mountain Lord was an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Apart from the Blood Nether Mountain Lord, the lords of the nine peaks were all at this level. Looking at the other Nascent Souls of the Heavenly Corpse Peak...
**[The Three Corpse Daoist]** and **[The Thunder Hound Lord]** were both late Nascent Soul Great Cultivators. Just these two alone, despite having fewer Nascent Souls than the Frigid Blood Peak or the Five Yin Peak, ensured Heavenly Corpse Peak remained the second strongest peak in the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect!
It was pure combat power supremacy.
Information about the strong within the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect was mostly public, except for the **[Blood Demon Hall]** of the Sect Master's lineage. The known number of Nascent Soul cultivators across the nine peaks wasn't huge.
Only around fifty or so, with the majority at the early stage.
The five major demonic sects all generally had this scale. The Refining Heaven Demonic Sect was the king among kings, rumored to have over a hundred and even a Transformation Spirit Venerable overseeing it.
Compared to the first-rate forces in Scarlet Kite, which might have one or two Nascent Souls, the five major demonic sects were overwhelmingly powerful, creating a tier gap. When compared to the Great Lake Region, aside from the Heavenly Void Sword Sect...
None of the seven major orthodox sects of the Great Lake Region individually surpassed any of the five demonic sects. They prevailed only because the Sword Sect was powerful enough and they were sufficiently united.
After seeing Wei Hao's group off, Wang Yu leaned back alone on a high platform, overlooking the entirety of Guiding Spirit City. He felt a touch of the loneliness that came with being at the top—perhaps he was getting a bit too full of himself.
Fighting for territory was something even street gangs did.
For hegemon-level powers, it was essentially a local conflict, just on a slightly larger scale. But such conflicts could also give rise to numerous strong individuals.
"A storm is brewing..."
...
...
Over the next three months, True Disciples from the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect visited one after another. Some Wang Yu had heard of, others he was hearing about for the first time.
Five of the nine newly-appointed city lords came, each bringing a large contingent of elite subordinates, clearly well-prepared. Unlike when Wang Yu took over Guiding Spirit, arriving alone.
To varying degrees, they could all be connected to the families of the three young masters. City Lord Wang had always been amiable, so he provided each with a copy of the intelligence.
The four new city lords who didn't come didn't really matter; it was their loss.
Guiding Spirit City's geographical location was crucial. The new nine cities were east of the **[Eastern Extreme Capital]**. One had to go around the ancient ruins to reach Guiding Spirit City.
Once conflict erupted, the nine cities would face immense pressure.
Only Guiding Spirit could provide first-line support. The other two directions, whether north or south, were too far away, as the nine cities formed a crescent-shaped territory.
They encircled the **[Eastern Extreme Capital]**, while Guiding Spirit was positioned symmetrically opposite the two tips of the crescent. Whether for support, logistics, or communication, it was difficult to bypass.
Given this strategic importance, Wang Yu found it hard to imagine what those four were thinking. Did they have other transportation channels or wilderness relay stations?
However, none of that was important anymore.
All Wang Yu could do was continue increasing the city guard's budget and stockpile more expendable items like talismans and magical artifacts.
In this regard, the migrating population from Three Thatched City played a significant role. Nearly everyone knew how to make talisman paper, and there were many first-grade talisman masters, multiplying talisman production several times over.
There were hints of Guiding Spirit becoming a second Three Thatched City.
On this day.
Jin Miaoshan, who had disappeared again for a period, sent him a message. Besides compensating for the damages caused by Master Tranquil Water, she also informed him about the **[Abyssal Sunken Silver]** mineral deposit incident.
—It had blown up!
The Golden Pavilion and the Yellow Springs Temple had a direct confrontation. The truth came to light, and as expected, it provoked the other side's fury. Having been outmaneuvered and feeling their face had been severely damaged, they vowed to retake the ceded nine cities.
Nascent Soul experts from Cloudveil and Netherflow Provinces clashed. After a single bout, there were no casualties.
Thus, the conflict was relegated to the younger generation.
A twenty-year covenant was established, centered around fierce competition for the nine cities. This crescent-shaped territory was designated a war zone and renamed—**[Chasing Moon Province]**!
Anyone, upon entering Chasing Moon Province, could freely engage in killing and conquest. At the end of the twenty-year period, whoever held the nine cities would gain ultimate ownership.
Both factions made a pledge: the ultimate victor would be exempt from Sacred Tribute payments for five hundred years and possess the highest degree of autonomy.
It was essentially a form of enfeoffment.
After delivering this news, Jin Miaoshan also told him the Golden Pavilion would reopen in Guiding Spirit, also capped at the third-grade level, with her personally overseeing it.
Unsurprisingly, she was here to profit from the war.
With the conflict confined to Chasing Moon Province, Guiding Spirit's already excellent strategic importance was elevated further. The new city lords appointed by the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect would almost all need to pass through this transit point.
However, City Lord Wang's enthusiasm for participating remained low.
How much profit could be made depended entirely on Guiding Spirit's production capacity. Moreover, those True Disciples with backgrounds would undoubtedly prefer to mobilize resources from their own clans.
Using Guiding Spirit's route was the overt line.
It would be better for Core Formation cultivators to use high-capacity spatial artifacts and travel covertly along hidden routes, making them less susceptible to attack and ensuring strategic resources were used with confidence.
Therefore, while the struggle for Chasing Moon Province seemed like a chance to make a fortune, in reality, it would only yield modest profits. Once the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and the Golden Pavilion got involved, Guiding Spirit's share would shrink even further.
After all, this was the cultivation world; one couldn't view it through the lens of a past life. Guiding Spirit didn't even have the qualifications to enter the fray. How could Wang Yu get excited?
It was better to think about how to protect his hard-won achievements from destruction. Jin Miaoshan's arrival had both advantages and disadvantages. The upside was naturally the market's imminent revitalization and the second round of competition with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
One of the many downsides... was Jin Lin!
He was certain that with Jin Miaoshan's arrival, this persistent, sticky nuisance would stir up trouble in his Guiding Spirit City again. He had to guard against it.
As the news spread, Guiding Spirit City began tightening security.
Han Jia also started visiting the City Lord's Manor frequently, hoping to secure some policy support from Wang Yu. After all, this time he was facing Jin Miaoshan, not a small fry like Ye Qing.
Wang Yu flatly refused. Friendship was one thing, but he never interfered in such Developement. This kind of thing only benefited Guiding Spirit.
Another month later.
Wang Yu, Qing Yang Zhenren, Golden Flower Granny (stationed at the Guiding Spirit Market), along with a contingent of imposing city guards in armor, all gathered at one of the eastern city gates—the **[Gazing at the Capital Gate]**!
At Jin Miaoshan's request—and for a hefty sum of spirit stones—City Lord Wang was to assist her in creating a grand spectacle for the Golden Pavilion's reopening, hence this welcoming party.
Secretly.
Han Jia of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion complained to Wang Yu via sound transmission.
"City Lord Wang, didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in the competition between us..."
Wang Yu gave an awkward smile, located Han Jia's position, and transmitted back, "Brother Han Jia, Fellow Daoist Jin offered three hundred thousand spirit stones just for me to welcome her. Such a profitable deal."
Han Jia: "...What a sucker!"
Wang Yu chuckled: "How about it—would you like to do the same, brother? Three hundred thousand spirit stones, you also enter through the **[Gazing at the Capital Gate]**, and I'll welcome you both."
Han Jia fell silent. Such an expense was truly unnecessary, so he declined. "The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has been established in Guiding Spirit for so long. Doing something like this would make us a laughingstock."
"Impossible!!!" Wang Yu thumped his chest with a loud *thump thump*. "Just say you're bringing in a shipment of goods from outside. The City Lord of Guiding Spirit personally welcomes you—so much face."
Han Jia sighed faintly and didn't respond further.
Wang Yu showed no sign of regret over the failed transaction, standing at the city gate as if nothing had happened.
Their conspicuous gathering naturally drew a larger crowd; no less than a thousand cultivators gathered, discussing among themselves.
"Is that... the City Lord of Guiding Spirit?"
"It seems so."
"Who is he waiting for with such a grand display? That Core Formation Golden Flower Granny from the market is here too."
"Guiding Spirit's number one retainer, Qing Yang Zhenren, is also here. Could it be a big shot from the Sacred Sect? Lots of strangers have been arriving in Guiding Spirit lately."
"Ah, you don't know? I heard a nine-city alliance was formed east of here by the Sacred Sect. They even changed the territory's name to Chasing Moon Province."
"To fight the Yellow Springs Temple?"
"Probably. I heard they set a twenty-year covenant. When it ends, whoever holds the cities gets to keep them."
"Such a thing?!! What if I captured one..."
"—It would be yours!"
"Even rogue cultivators?"
"Of course."
Wang Yu listened from the side. He genuinely hadn't known some of this information. He didn't expect random passersby to be so well-informed; even rogue cultivators could compete.
This was going to be troublesome. While most rogue cultivators were weak, there were formidable individuals among them, albeit extremely rare.
Just then, on the distant horizon.
A resplendent, golden-canopied treasure carriage was approaching through the air, pulled at the front by four golden-scaled, single-horned beasts resembling four-legged qilin.
These were **[Golden Scale Beasts]**!
Rumored to possess a trace of the true spirit Qilin's bloodline, though it had grown too diluted to allow a reversion to ancestry.
"Stay alert."
**(End of Chapter)**