The Qinghe Province
The Qinghe Province was SMALL.
Forgotten.
Located at the far southern edge of the Four Great Rivers Region, where the rivers converged before flowing into the sea.
Poor territory.Few spiritual resources.Few opportunities.
The entire province was divided among small sects.
Each controlled peripheral cities and minor trade routes.
Surviving on scraps.
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The Four-Leaf Clover Sect?
A local hegemon.
It controlled:
The Eastern Heshi Subdivision
Three mortal cities
A spirit crystal mine (recently discovered)
Trade routes to the Cloud Prefecture
Nothing impressive.
Its constant rival: the Blazing Battle Sect.
Same size.Same power.Same territory (Western Heshi).
They disputed borders, resources, and influence.
Small wars.Skirmishes.
Nothing that ever changed the map.
---
But above them—
FAR above—
stood the true power.
The Vushin Martial Temple.
A colossus.
Absolute hegemony.
It controlled the ENTIRE SOUTH of the Four Great Rivers Region—
From the headwaters of the Zan RiverTo the point where the four rivers merged.
A VAST territory.
Seven provinces.Hundreds of smaller sects.
All vassals.
And Qinghe?
Just the smallest among them.
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Vassalage meant:
Annual tribute (resources, pills, treasures)
Absolute obedience (orders were not negotiable)
Prohibition of growth (no sect was allowed Nascent Soul cultivators)
In exchange:
Protection (the Temple prevented invasions from other sub-regions: North, East, and West) Stability (internal wars were tolerated—but never encouraged)
Why did no one challenge Vushin?
Simple.
They had:
Temple Patriarch: Nascent Soul Realm (capable of destroying cities)
And who knew how many more hidden powerhouses…
The Four-Leaf Clover Sect?
3 Elders: Foundation Establishment 5 Elders: Qi Absorption (levels 7–9)
It wasn't competition.
It was an ant facing a dragon.
In Qinghe—and throughout the entire southern region—influence wasn't measured by territory.
But by powerhouses.
How many Foundation Establishment cultivators did you have?How many Core Formation?
That defined your place.
Four-Leaf Clover Sect: 3 Foundation (small)
Blazing Battle Sect: 3 Foundation (equal)
A perfect stalemate.
That was why their rivalry never ended.
Never resolved.
A fragile balance.
Mutual restraint.
No one grew too strong.
No one became an unstoppable threat.
Until—
Sai's sermon changed EVERYTHING.
That day:
Dozens of disciples broke through long-standing bottlenecks
Three advanced entire cultivation levels One Elder crossed from level 7 to level 8
Another felt… the possibility of touching Foundation Establishment
An ABSURD phenomenon.
Too large to hide.
Spies saw it.
From ALL neighboring sects.
Reports were sent—urgent—to every sect in the forgotten Qinghe Province.
Contents:
"The Four-Leaf Clover Sect has acquired a Guest Elder.Profound knowledge.Terrifying pedagogical ability.Disciples advance in DAYS what would normally take YEARS.If this continues…the balance will be broken."
The Blazing Battle Sect received the report.
Read it.
And trembled.
Because they understood:
If the Clover Sect gained ONE MORE Foundation Establishment cultivator—
The stalemate would end.
True war would begin.
The other provinces, however…
Qinghe was too small to care about.
What they didn't know—
Was that this small stone cast into the lake
Would create untamable ripples across the entire region.
---
Spring Flower Palace
Four-Leaf Clover Sect
Sect Leader Lin Yao sat with the three founding Elders.
Elder Mu Chen: thick brows, a ferocious stare, an aura as scorching as his explosive temper.
Elder Guo Zhen: calm and unshakable, graying hair tied in a simple knot, eyes deep and calculating.
Elder Han Xun: perpetually tired, as if bearing centuries on his shoulders, his silent presence demanding absolute respect.
Lin Yao took a deep breath.
"Elders… forgive my presumption."
He paused.
"How did you manage to convince Elder Sai to settle here?"
He watched them carefully.
"He clearly possesses a background we cannot afford to offend."
A vein pulsed on Mu Chen's forehead.
"And you think we don't know that, boy?!"
His voice thundered.
"Obviously we had no choice!"
Lin Yao swallowed hard.
"E-Elder… what do you mean?"
He braced himself—
For reprimand.
Or worse.
Guo Zhen stepped forward.
"Elder Mu, allow me to explain to the Sect Leader."
His tone was controlled.
"Your temper is clearly not at its best today."
"Guo Zhen!"Mu Chen's aura rippled through the hall.
Han Xun let out a long sigh.
Decades.Centuries.
Nothing changed.
Those two still behaved like immature disciples.
"Yao'er…"
His voice was weary.
"On the day Guest Elder Sai appeared, we received him with caution and respect."
Pause.
"Even so… we did not expect that—"