Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 333: Chapter 224: Five Palaces_1

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Ten years later.

Xing Country, Northern Territory, White Dragon Ridge Mountain Range.

White Dragon Ridge, like a dragon, stretched for thousands of miles, linking the lands of three countries, thus divided into Dragon’s Head, Dragon’s Body, and Dragon’s Tail.

The Dragon’s Head, Great Xing also, where the Great Xing Mountain’s gate was located, though not the capital of the Xing Dynasty, held an even higher status than the capital.

Outside White Dragon Ridge, by the bank of the Black Water River, stood a Snow City, also under the jurisdiction of the Xing Dynasty, protected by Great Xing Mountain. Despite being in the remote snowy realm of the Snow Country, it had no shortage of residents; life thrived even amidst the extreme cold and desolation.

In the city, a bustling tavern hung its sign, busy with people coming and going.

Two signs were hung side by side, one reading Listening to the Wind and Asking the Rain, and the other Chasing Stars and Moon.

A woman dressed in white, carrying a sword, entered the tavern.

The tavern was noisy, filled with men and women of the Martial World, some with swords on their backs.

The woman in white paid no attention to them and headed straight to the second floor.

Upon reaching the second floor, it was much quieter. The hall had monks and Taoists, young and old, some scholarly students taking tea alone, as well as burly warriors drinking heartily, and even a few nuns could be seen.

The woman remained impassive and proceeded to the third floor.

On the third floor, it was even quieter. The hall was almost empty, save for a maid at the counter.

The woman approached and took out a jade pendant, pushing it toward the maid.

The maid examined it and then nodded, “Please follow me, esteemed guest.”

With that, she beckoned the woman to a room.

The woman, without saying much, followed and waited in the room.

“Please enjoy the tea, miss. The manager will arrive shortly.”

The maid served the fragrant tea and then respectfully withdrew.

The woman remained silent, quietly waiting.

Soon, a plump and charming woman dressed in red arrived in the room.

“Greetings, esteemed guest. My name is Hong Ling, the manageress of Listening to the Wind and Asking Rain Tower here. May I know what the esteemed guest requires?”

Even facing another woman, the manageress Hong Ling still maintained a coquettish demeanor.

The woman in white ignored her, coldly uttering three words, “White Jade Capital!”

“Hmm~!”

Hong Ling’s eyes sharpened, but the smile on her face remained, “Please wait a moment, esteemed guest!”

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Having said that, she got up and left.

The woman in white did not mind and waited quietly.

A moment later, Hong Ling returned, presenting a Jade Slip: “This is all the information our Tower has collected about White Jade Capital.”

The woman took the Jade Slip, explored it with her Divine Consciousness, and saw information surging forth.

White Jade Capital!

Power Introduction: A mysterious power that has risen in the Xing Country in recent years, frequently active.

Background and Identity: It first appeared ten years ago at the contest for the King of Ganoderma Grass at Dongyun Ridge, where Law Enforcement Elder Yuwen Feng of Great Xing Mountain and the ninth elder of Ice Polar Palace, Leng Han Yan, set a trap to kill the blood-handed butcher, Li Hongyu.

At the last moment, a mysterious person intervened on the battlefield, wearing an Azure Dragon mask, claiming to be the master of Yimu Eastern Palace of White Jade Capital, known as Azure Dragon, killed Li Hongyu with Yimu Divine Thunder, and then forced Yuwen Feng and Leng Han Yan to bow their heads, hand over the King of Ganoderma Grass along with several Demon Transformation Spiritual Objects, and then drifted away.

Since this beginning, in the past ten years, “White Jade Capital” has been frequently active in Xing Country. Apart from the master of Yimu Eastern Palace, Azure Dragon, there is also the master of Xinjin Western Palace, White Tiger; the master of Ding Fire Southern Palace, Vermilion Bird; the master of Kui Water Northern Palace, Black Tortoise; and the master of Ji Earth Central Palace, Qilin.

Following the Five Palace Masters are the Twelve Towers; however, currently, only the towers of “Martial,” “Craft,” “Sword,” and “Spell” have appeared before the public.

Ever since “Azure Dragon” emerged, forced back Yuwen Feng on Dongyun Ridge, and seized the Ganoderma Grass, White Jade Capital has been frequently active in Xing Country, repeatedly opposing Great Xing Mountain by snatching the Demon Transformation Spiritual Objects collected by Great Xing Mountain, and even openly attacking the official residences of Great Xing.

Today, Great Xing Mountain has listed it as a Demon Path Robbing Cultivator, is actively issuing warrants, and offers rewards, with substantial compensation for anyone providing clues about White Jade Capital, and an even greater reward for their annihilation.

However, the activities of White Jade Capital are mysterious; from the Five Palace Masters to all in the Twelve Towers, they wear strange masks when they act, not only concealing their appearance but also their mana.

As a result, no one knows the identities of the Five Palace Masters, and to this day, no one has captured anyone from the Twelve Towers alive. The reward and warrant issued by Great Xing Mountain have had little effect, and they can only send Golden Core Cultivators to confront them directly.

But given White Jade Capital’s formidable strength, elders from Great Xing Mountain have repeatedly lost to the Five Palace Masters. Although the warrants are still in place, in reality, they have already switched from offense to defense, and are at a disadvantage and on the defensive.

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Organizational Structure: Named after the poem “Celestial White Jade Capital, Twelve Towers, and Five Cities,” within the capital are five cities and twelve towers, all members conceal their true faces with facial coverings, and at the same time, the facial masks symbolize their identity in White Jade Capital.

Sect Headquarters: Unknown (but according to claims, there is a Celestial White Jade Capital, within which are the five cities and twelve towers, each with distinct responsibilities)

Five Cities Structure: Divided into east, west, south, north, and center, representing wood, gold, fire, water, and earth, the Five Elements; within the five cities are five palace masters, symbolized by the Five Divine Beasts True Spirits of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Qilin.

Yimu Eastern Palace: Palace Master Azure Dragon, cultivation unknown, strength unknown, Thunder Series Spell Cultivator, cultivates “Yimu Divine Thunder,” once displayed at Dongyun Ridge. With a single strike, he turned Golden Core Cultivator Li Hongyu from the Ice Polar Palace’s Heavenly Network into powder, leaving no corpse.

He then forced back Great Xing Mountain’s Yuwen Feng and Ice Polar Palace’s Leng Han Yan, snatching several Demon Transformation Spiritual Objects, including the Ganoderma Grass.

Over the past ten years, he has frequently taken action against the elders of Great Xing Mountain and Ice Polar Palace. With unbeatable Divine Thunder, no one could stop him. Several ambushes by Great Xing Mountain and Ice Polar Palace were broken by him, and he even killed several of their men. As of now, five Golden Core Elders of the two sects have died under his thunder.

Xinjin Western Palace: Palace Master White Tiger, cultivation unknown, strength unknown, Swordsmanship Cultivator, cultivates “Xinjin Sword Jue,” first appeared in Nanlong Prefecture’s Hundred Herbs Forest, with indomitable Sword Qi cutting in all directions, overpowered local cultivators of Nanlong. He also slew two Searching Immortal Envoys from Great Xing Mountain along with one Golden Core Elder, taking away the Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence—a Demon Transformation Spiritual Object—and killed a Golden Core Demon Object that appeared unexpectedly, with extremely fierce killing methods.

Ding Fire Southern Palace: Palace Master Vermilion Bird, cultivation unknown, strength unknown, Lightning and Fire Spell Cultivator, cultivates “Ding Fire Divine Thunder,” first appeared at Dry Bones Mountain. Battled with the master of Dry Bones Mountain, the Golden Core Robbing Cultivator “Tomb Taoist Man,” eventually refining Dry Bones Mountain with fire, thundering down the Myriad Ghost Tomb, annihilating the Tomb Taoist Man and his subordinates, the Evil Ghosts, and seizing the Thousand-Year White Jade Skeleton—a Demon Transformation Spiritual Object. He is a formidable Lightning and Fire Grand Cultivator.

Kui Water Northern Palace: Palace Master Black Tortoise, cultivation unknown, strength unknown, Body Training Cultivator, cultivates “True Martial Battle Body,” first appeared at Canglan River. He aided the disciples of Martial Tower who were ambushed by Great Xing Mountain, using only his fists to forcefully resist the water and fire envoys from Great Xing Mountain. He remained unscathed and shattered the Golden Cores of both envoys with his bare hands. He also single-handedly subdued the transmuted Water Fire Demon Infant, incredibly strong in defense, terrifying in combat power.

Ji Earth Central Palace: Palace Master Qilin, cultivation unknown, strength unknown, Spiritual Treasure Cultivator, possesses “Jitu Qilin Seal,” first appeared at the capital of the Xing Dynasty. With the Jitu Qilin Seal, he bombarded the great formation of the palace, successfully breached the formation, forced out Supreme Elder Yuwen Cang of Great Xing Mountain, and in the end crushed late Golden Core Cultivator Yuwen Cang, who was nearly a Mature Demon Infant, under the Qilin Seal, shattering both his body and the infant within.