Chapter 1271: Time to Settle the Score
Zhu Yi's Mirror Lake Knowledge Palace had been set up for quite some time already. Many people entered the palace to seek knowledge and many of them who achieved something returned to their hometowns, spreading the knowledge that they had with others.
Knowledge, and some practical skills, could be learnt by everyone through various channels.
Zhu Yi was able to benefit everyone by setting up the Mirror Lake Knowledge Palace. The more knowledge was spread among everyone, the more delighted he was. That's why he wasn't bothered that the external world knew about what was taught in the Knowledge Palace.
Moreover, the most advanced and sophisticated knowledge was in the Mirror Lake Knowledge Palace. It was also shared with the world. Those who adept in research within the palace always came up with new things and introduced cutting-edge knowledge.
The reputation of the palace grew alongside the Celestial Sect of Wonders and influence extended very far.
The Great Qin, Great Zhou and Royal House of the Northern Tribes controlled the secular world and they naturally noticed the changes that the Mirror Lake brought to this world. They also realized that the influence of the Celestial Sect of Wonders was getting stronger and stronger.
Although it didn't draw great passion like Buddhism did, it crept into every corner of the secular world.
It was still very early now and things were not very obvious yet. But as time passed, its impact on people wouldn't be questioned anymore. It would become as essential as water and air.
Knowledgeable people could tell this. And to cultivators, it was difficult to predict what would develop in the future.
After the Anti-Celestial Sect War, the Celestial Sect of Wonders and Great Void Sect were perched high up in the Divine Lands. The Great Zhou Empire and other powers in the Divine Lands wouldn't challenge the Celestial Sect of Wonders over the Knowledge Palace. Even if they hinted at others to watch and imitate the Celestial Sect of Wonders in this area, they couldn't stop the reputation of the Mirror Lake Knowledge Palace from growing.
But the Great Zhou Empire grew uncomfortable because Zhu Yi decided to choose the Great Zhou Empire as its first stop to set up a subsidiary of the Knowledge Palace. He didn't choose the Great Qin Empire that was slowly committing to the Celestial Sect of Wonders or the Royal House of the Northern Tribes that had always been on good terms with the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Although Zhu Yi was born in the Great Zhou Empire, everyone knew that both him and the Celestial Sect of Wonders didn't share a good relationship with the Great Zhou Empire.
Zhu Yi's junior, Yue Hongyan, arrived at the former ground of the Arctic State. It was now referred to as the Great Zhou Empire's Blizzard County.
What was a little off everyone's expectation was that the Great Zhou Empire had no intention of backing off in the Blizzard County. Great Zhou's Prince Youyun, Liang Jingcheng, brought the Mahayana level magic treasure Frontier Galleon to the Blizzard County.
After the War of the Two Worlds, the Divine Lands started to enter turbulent times again.
Zhu Yi reached Tianjing at this moment and caused the atmosphere to become tenser.
Although the situation at the Blizzard County had started to erupt into conflict, Tianjing was still relatively peaceful. Zhu Yi turned his manor outside of Tianjing into a library.
This library took on the structure of the Knowledge Palace and became the first stop of the Mirror Lake Knowledge Palace's global setup.
The Great Zhou Empire maintained its silence over Zhu Yi's actions and didn't intervene. But everyone knew that this was only just the start.
As expected, Zhu Yi's junior, Shi Tianhao, returned from the Barren Expanses. He followed Shi Zongtang and a few other Great Qin cultivators as they stepped foot into the Great Zhou's territories.
Liang Pan used the Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai to obtain the Great Qin's Draconic Energy during the War of the Two Worlds. The Great Qin Empire never forgot what they did.
If they only guided the Draconic Energy to Mount Baiyun, the Great Qin Empire could only swallow this bitter pill. But after Mount Baiyun was overwhelmed and a backlash was unleashed, the Great Zhou directed most of the backlash towards Xiling City. This was something that the Great Qin Empire couldn't accept.
Without external aid, Xiling City would've been a wreckage now. Shi Zongtang and many of the powerful Great Qin Empire cultivators would also be dead by now.
After this ordeal, the Great Qin Empire decided to turn towards the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
After the War of the Two Worlds ended, the Great Qin Empire decided to come straight from the Great Zhou Empire. With the fall in the Great Qin's strength, they were naturally unable to settle the score with the Great Zhou using their own abilities. But things were different with the Celestial Sect of Wonders around.
Outside of Tianjing City, Zhu Yi criticized a lot of Zhu Hongwu's ideologies and philosophies. He sent waves after waves of criticism towards the Great Zhou empire.
As the Grand Advisor of the Great Zhou Empire, Zhu Hongwu was also a leading philosopher and figure. Being criticized by Zhu Yi caused his reputation to take a huge hit.
To other cultivators, this was unimportant. But to Zhu Hongwu, this was something that he had to bother himself with.
When Shi Tianhao and Shi Zongtan arrived outside Tianjing, Lin Feng finally said something on Mount Yujing.
Although he didn't leave the mountain, his voice resonated, "During the War of the Two Worlds, the Divine Lands should have teamed up together to resist the demons. But the Great Zhou Empire schemed against Xiling City and almost destroyed the Great Qin Empire. They are a humiliation of the Divine Lands."
The Great Zhou Empire rebuked such claims and accused the Celestial Sect of Wonders for bullying them because they were weaker.
But it's a pity that most sect and powers expressed their sympathy for the Great Qin Empire and Celestial Sect of Wonders. A few of them remained silent and acted as bystanders to the entire situation.
Even the Vast Sea Sword Sect and some independent cultivators in the East Sea didn't express their support for the Great Zhou Empire.
The Great Void Sect and Mount Shu Sword Sect sealed their mountains. In the Divine Lands, the Great Zhou Empire suddenly became the common enemy.
When the Great Zhou Empire expanded aggressively previously, their methods were brutal and cruel. They would massacre the smaller states around them if they resisted. It seemed like they were going to pay for their past crimes now.
After Lin Feng spoke, Yue Hongyan made her move and chased away the cultivators and supervisors of the Great Zhou Empire that guarded the Blizzard County. Liang Jingcheng and the Frontier Galleon were suppressed by the Saros Magical Tree under Mount Lan too.
The situation turned extremely tense in an instant.
A majestic and mighty imperial palace floated above Tianjing. Purple light dragons gathered towards the imperial palace from all directions. The Draconic Energy from the vast expanse of Great Zhou territories supplemented and engulfed Tianjing.
It was the destiny level magic treasure, Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai.
The Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai which had restored to its former peak appeared even more dominant under the support of the Draconic Energy. Its might was boundless and it ruled the Six Forms.
Beams and beams of light lit up in Tianjing and formed a huge formation. This formation covered the entire city. Smaller formations also revolved above the city walls and city constructions. They supported the larger formation and formed a single entity.
The Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai and Tianjing's formation combined together. They guided the Draconic Energy. Over here, Zhu Yi would find it difficult to gain an upper hand even with the Higan Golden Bridge.
Although Shi Tianhao was also here, streaks and streaks of mana still shot into the sky within Tianjing. They created yet another formation that enhanced the powers of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai and Tianjing as it revolved.
Zhu Yi, Shi Tianhao and Shi Zongtang were no strangers to this second formation.
It was the Almighty Celestial Destroyer Formation set up by the Great Zhou's Divine Martial Army. Although the War of Buddha Annihilation destroyed the Great Thunderclap Temple, the Great Zhou's Divine Martial Army also suffered heavy losses. Liang Pan and his subjects also put a lot of effort into restoring the Divine Martial Army all these years. It seemed like their efforts were working now.
But Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao both remained calm. They didn't seem to be troubled by the Divine Martial Army or the second formation.
The Great Zhou subjects didn't appear complacent either. They all wore serious looks on their faces.
In void space above Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao, a bigger and more complex formation than the Tianjing's guardian formation was slowly revolving.
Boundless radiances were emitted and an independent world seemed to separate the Divine Lands and covered Tianjing. It appeared to be in a standoff against the Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai and Tianjing.
Streaks and streaks of flowing radiances created a formation pattern. As the formation was initiated, black and white subtly intersected. The immense power concepts of Heaven & Earth, Life & Death, Yin & Yang, Light & Darkness, Eternity & Instant and Reality & Illusion seemed to be contained within the formation. They evolved and seemed to create destiny.
Inside that formation, 12 light circles floated as they circled around a greenish-black crucible.
All the images of the Divine Lands seemed to be present within the crucible. There were no doubts about it.
This four-footed, squarish crucible appeared to be very dense although it floated in void space. It seemed as if it carried the entire weight of the Divine Lands.
It was the destiny level magic treasure, Crucible of the Divine Lands!
Whereas the huge formation was the Celestial Sect of Wonder's Two Elements of Creation Formation.
Although Lin Feng was on Mount Yujing, he allowed Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao to bring along the Crucible of the Divine Lands and Two Elements of Creation Formation to Xiling.
Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao's junior, Li Yuanfang, also returned to the Greater World and came to Tianjing.
As they saw the Two Elements of Creation Formation, which wasn't restricted by geography, the Great Zhou Empire subjects turned extremely depressed and annoyed.
However, a figure walked out slowly from a passageway in the northern direction that was connected to a Middle World.
This person was donned in an embroidered costume and wore a purplish-gold crown on his head. The two streaks of hair to the sides of his face were slightly white. His hands were white and clean.
As he inhaled and exhaled, it seemed as if a universe was being created and destroyed in his body.
There were already Great Zhou Empire cultivators waiting for him there. When they saw this middle-aged man appearing, they greeted him hurriedly, "Congratulations to Grand Advisor for exiting your retreat."