Chapter 2282: Noble Families Within Noble Families

"Hmm?" This greatly surprised He Lingchuan. "What do you mean by 'Sky Demon components'?"

"Body tissue, skin, blood, bones, teeth—these are all 'components'," Dong Rui said, pointing to the soil sample he had brought. "This sample contains Sky Demon material, but I haven't been able to identify which type it is yet."

"The soil contains parts of a Sky Demon?" He Lingchuan suddenly recalled. "Wait, like Ashmona?"

Dong Rui snapped his fingers. "Very similar."

Ashmona was once the demon puppet of Cao Wendao, master of the Red Hut. Its true form was an earth spirit mutated by the contaminating blood of a Sky Demon.

"So, that mountain peak also developed these anomalies due to Sky Demon contamination?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Strange. Qixia Sect is a proper immortal sect. Why would they use Sky Demon methods?"

"There's more," Dong Rui continued. "My analysis of this soil shows its composition is far more refined than Ashmona's. This means the Sky Demon power affecting it is much stronger than the source that contaminated Ashmona."

"Ashmona's accidental mutation came from a dead minor Sky Demon," He Lingchuan recalled clearly. "That young Sky Demon was killed by True Immortal Qu Yu of Minghui Sect right after birth, so it wasn't particularly powerful itself."

He thought for a moment and then added, "Getting back to the point, during the ancient war between immortals and demons, it's not surprising that immortal sects possessed some Sky Demon artifacts, and Sky Demons had some immortal relics. They were likely spoils of war. However, we still need to find a way to break this."

Following this, he summoned Liu Qingdao of the Bingyuan Directorate.

Liu Qingdao was now the head of the Bingyuan Directorate and preferred to be addressed as Elder Liu.

Another negative consequence of the blocked Ice River was not mentioned in the urgent report, but He Lingchuan would not overlook it.

When Liu Qingdao hurried over, the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities handed him the report to read, then said:

"It's not just Wei'an City in distress. Qixia Sect forcibly diverted the Ice River's water, directing it straight into the Salt River. Within six or seven days at most, the Salt River will completely overflow, and once the flood crest passes, seven or eight cities along its banks could suffer severe flooding."

The Ice River has a considerable flow, but the Salt River's channel is too narrow to accommodate the entire volume of such a large river!

The flooding of the Salt River was an old problem. Cang Yan had originally planned to undertake water conservancy projects on the Salt River this year, with project plans and budgets already prepared, but Qixia Sect preempted them.

If the Salt River problem isn't resolved, it won't just be Wei'an City that suffers, but several other cities along the Salt River as well!

By then, some regions would be parched by drought while others would be overwhelmed by floods.

"Again!" The Soul-Capturing Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms couldn't help but curse. "How do these great immortals and powerful demons, fresh out of seclusion, all believe they're supreme, that they can simply twitch a finger and turn Cang Yan upside down, expecting everyone to then kowtow to them?"

They don't even bother to do any research before trying to act superior!

"Qixia Sect still seems to have some methods, unlike certain powerful demons who start devouring people the moment they emerge from seclusion, or some immortal sects who immediately try to seize cities and territories upon their return." He Lingchuan noted that Cang Yan had personally experienced all of this, especially in recent years when the human realm had just entered the Middle Ancient period, and these entities began emerging one after another, catching various nations off guard and overwhelmed. This was the "Awakening Period" that Emperor Mou had warned him to pay close attention to, though it later proved that even Emperor Mou had underestimated its impact.

Many demon races and immortal sects were accustomed to acting as they pleased before their seclusion. They paid no heed to the changes in the world's eras. Upon emerging, ravenously hungry, their first priority was to replenish themselves or acquire resources, inevitably disrupting the existing order and clashing fiercely with local authorities.

The consequences of such conflicts often led to widespread suffering and devastation, with the local populace bearing the brunt of the hardship.

This was precisely what Cang Yan wished to avoid most.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror huffed, "This Qixia Sect might not openly declare war, seeming a bit more refined on the surface, but diverting the river and cutting off the flow actually causes far greater harm. They're utterly hypocritical villains with wicked ambitions!"

While other immortal sects and demon races might inflict harm on one area, Qixia Sect, fresh out of seclusion, was intent on harming the populations of several cities.

The Bingyuan Directorate was specially established by Cang Yan to deal with problems involving immortals and demons. Its purpose was to handle supernatural forces: negotiate if possible, persuade if possible, absorb if possible. If none of these worked... then they would adapt to the situation, often requiring coordination with the army.

Liu Qingdao was originally the third most important figure in the Illusory Sect, with cultivation close to that of Xiao Wencheng, the former sect master. He was skilled at managing sect affairs, had a calm and straightforward nature, and diligently completed any task assigned by his superiors, whether it was the former True Immortal Qianhuan or the current Great Emperor of Nine Serenities. He Lingchuan thus felt confident in making him the head of the Bingyuan Directorate.

Of course, as an ancient immortal who had survived from antiquity and a legitimate remnant of a prestigious sect, Liu Qingdao also had a significant advantage: his exceptionally rich experience, making him like a living dictionary of the ancient era.

Coincidentally, the Celestial Centipede incident from two days prior had revealed Qixia Sect as the mastermind. Liu Qingdao was already investigating, so when the Emperor mentioned it, Liu Qingdao immediately replied:

"Your Majesty, this Qixia Sect is different from the immortal sects we've dealt with in the past; they should not be underestimated."

"How so?" He Lingchuan had vaguely heard of Qixia Sect, but countless sects had appeared throughout history, and many had very similar names—Qixia, Yanxia, Chixia, Qiyun, and so on. He couldn't be blamed for not bothering to remember them all.

These immortal sects were too uncreative with their names.

Liu Qingdao began, speaking of events three thousand years ago: "Towards the end of the Immortal-Demon War, around the time the Dragon God impacted the Tianluo Star, the entire human realm had fragmented. Six major immortal sects and demon venerable lords established three sanctuaries, also known as 'Oases'. They used their supreme power to create barriers, protecting the living beings within these oases from the catastrophic external environment."

The fate of beings outside the oases need not be elaborated upon.

"Many years later, the external environment gradually stabilized; there were no longer widespread fires or sky-obscuring poisonous smoke. Only then did the immortal sects and demon venerable lords remove their barriers, allowing life to return to the human realm," Liu Qingdao continued. "One of these six major immortal sects was called 'Yuanshan'. Due to the immense loss of powerful cultivators within the sect, it had already declined by the early Middle Ancient period. However, its branch, Qixia Sect, was able to inherit its legacy and continued through later generations."

"A branch of one of the six major immortal sects?" He Lingchuan mused. "That gives them some significant background."

No wonder Qixia Sect was so arrogant, wanting to show the local rulers who's boss right after emerging from seclusion.

"Therefore, against the backdrop of only one out of a hundred ancient sects surviving, Qixia Sect can be considered a major sect among major sects, a truly prestigious and legitimate lineage," Liu Qingdao stated. The premise of his remark was that supernatural forces in ancient times were truly countless. During their peak, when spiritual energy was exceptionally abundant, there might have been an immortal sect or a demon tribe every dozen or so mountain peaks.

He Lingchuan smiled. "I'm not interested in its lineage. What famous figures are in this immortal sect, and what powerful methods do they possess?"