Chapter 2: Leaving Home as a Boy, Returning as a Legend
The Human Sovereign Hall was revered across the Nine Provinces, holding an exalted status. One of its key responsibilities was mediating conflicts between various cultivation forces, preventing large-scale battles that could leave the land in ruin.
At the peak of cultivation, a single thought could overturn mountains and seas. If two such individuals were to engage in a life-or-death struggle, the devastation upon the Nine Provinces Continent would be unimaginable.
History had already seen such an event. When the previous Human Sovereign passed away and a successor had yet to rise, a bitter conflict erupted between an ancient sect and an imperial dynasty. Unable to resolve their differences, they went to war, unleashing their full might upon each other. The battle consumed half of the Nine Provinces, and those who dared to intervene were swiftly eradicated by both sides.
It wasn’t until Jiang Li ascended as the new Human Sovereign that the chaos was quelled. Carrying the will of the people, he personally struck down both the sect’s grandmaster and the emperor of the dynasty, bringing an end to the slaughter.
The Nine Provinces Continent was home to numerous imperial dynasties and cultivation sects, constantly competing and pushing each other forward. This was a policy set by the First Human Sovereign and reinforced by his successors over generations.
Cultivators sought longevity, but they were also battle-hardened by nature. Suppressing them completely was not a long-term solution; they needed an outlet for conflict. The Human Sovereign Hall did not suppress other factions but instead provided support, encouraging competition among them. Because of this, the Nine Provinces had never suffered a decline in talent—geniuses emerged generation after generation.
This was also why the Nine Provinces Continent was home to so many different nations.
The land was divided into over a thousand small nations and nine great imperial dynasties, forming the continent’s fundamental structure.
Only those dynasties with ten thousand years of national fortune, remaining unshaken through the ages, could be considered true great dynasties.
Jiang Li’s hometown was within the Great Zhou Dynasty, though it was merely an unremarkable small city—a flatland settlement without breathtaking landscapes, spiritual mineral veins, or rare treasures. If not for Jiang Li’s origins, even the citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty might not have known of its existence.
In Jiang Li’s memory, the strongest cultivator in this small town was merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
By those standards, Jiang Yixing, who once had the potential to reach the Golden Core Stage, was considered an extraordinary genius.
Jiang Li stood at the city gate, staring blankly at Qing City, which looked nothing like the place he remembered.
The old, moss-covered walls were gone. In their place stood towering steelstone fortifications, with a massive city gate wide enough for any beast mount to leisurely stroll through.
Young warriors roamed the streets, parents led their children to bask in the presence of the Human Sovereign’s aura, and cultivators sought his blessings to overcome their bottlenecks.
Ever since Jiang Li ascended as the Human Sovereign, this once insignificant city had transformed into a humble yet profound place.
Even the guards at the city gate were Golden Core cultivators.
Because of this, the entrance to Qing City bustled with countless travelers.
The moment Jiang Li stepped inside, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive bronze statue—a noble-looking man wielding a long halberd, his gaze sweeping in all directions like a celestial deity overseeing the mortal realm.
It was a statue of himself.
Jiang Li had expected to return quietly, as a nameless traveler, but reality was the opposite.
He had thought it would be “a stranger comes from afar, unknown to all.”
Instead, it turned out to be “who in this world does not know my name?”
Many people had gathered around the bronze statue, paying their respects. Jiang Li could even feel traces of faith energy emanating from the site.
Alarmed, he quickly cast a spell to alter his appearance.
“Excuse me, could you tell me where the Jiang family is?” Jiang Li casually stopped a passerby and asked.
The old man he approached walked slowly, his posture showing his age.
Of course, in reality, Jiang Li was far older.
“You must be an outsider, young man. Everyone in Qing City knows the Jiang family is right in the city center, next to the City Lord’s Mansion.” The old man chuckled, raising a finger. “Over there.”
His heavy local accent would have been hard for outsiders to understand, but Jiang Li, being a native of Qing City, had no trouble.
“I heard the Jiang family used to be just a small clan, located at the edge of Qing City. But ever since Jiang Li became the Human Sovereign, cultivators have flocked here, trying to uncover the secret of his power. The Jiang family seized the opportunity, made the right moves, and rose to become the most powerful clan in Qing City.”
“The Jiang family never moved their residence, but as Qing City expanded, their location gradually became the heart of the city.”
The old man glanced around and, seeing too many people nearby, pulled Jiang Li aside to whisper.
“There are rumors that the Jiang family controls the entire Qing City—even the City Lord is chosen by them.”
“The Great Zhou Dynasty governs by the rule of law. How could something like that happen?”
Jiang Li shook his head, dismissing the notion.
The Great Zhou royal family had mastered the Dao of Time, allowing them to peer into the past and reveal the truth of any matter. He had met both the previous and current emperors of Great Zhou—they strictly adhered to the law, never overstepping their bounds. With such leadership at the top, those below naturally followed suit.
Jiang Li had traveled extensively across Great Zhou, witnessing its customs firsthand. Even when he had conflicts with powerful figures, the government had always judged cases fairly, without favoritism.
Among the Nine Great Dynasties, only Great Zhou was unique in this way, binding its national fortune to its laws. If an emperor knowingly allowed someone to violate the law without punishment, the national fortune would suffer. In extreme cases, it could even crush the emperor to death.
The Jiang family influencing the appointment of the City Lord? That he could believe.
But choosing whoever they wanted? That was unlikely.
Seeing that the old man knew quite a bit, Jiang Li pressed further.
“What about the Jiang family’s ancestor, Jiang Yixing? Is he still alive? What’s his cultivation level?”
“That… I wouldn’t know.” The old man shook his head. “But if you’re planning to visit the Jiang family, you should wait two more days. Right now, they’re holding their ancestral worship ceremony, and the clan is sealed off for nine days. Today is the seventh day.”
“Didn’t expect to arrive just in time for the Jiang family’s once-in-a-decade ancestral ceremony. Guess my luck is either really good or really bad.”
Jiang Li chuckled. His original host had only experienced one ancestral ceremony before his death at eighteen.
The old man gave Jiang Li a strange look and murmured, “The elders say the Jiang family used to hold ancestral ceremonies every ten years. But ever since Jiang Li became Human Sovereign three hundred years ago, they’ve been doing it more frequently—from once every ten years to once every five years, and now… once a year.”
Then, the old man respectfully asked, “Senior, may I ask your cultivation level…?”
Anyone who had lived three hundred years had to be at least Nascent Soul Stage.
Jiang Li simply smiled, ignoring the question, and instead thanked the old man before making his way toward the Jiang family’s mansion.
The Jiang family estate was sealed shut, protected by powerful formations, and guarded by several Golden Core cultivators.
With his status as Human Sovereign, Jiang Li would have been warmly welcomed.
But he had no intention of revealing himself.
Instead, he cast a concealment spell and strolled in unannounced.