Volume Six: The God-King Returns to the Shattered Continent, Chapter Twelve

Although it was already May, the temperature on West Qi Continent remained pleasantly mild. The wind, sweeping in from the vast grasslands, carried with it the fresh fragrance of green grass.

On the official road, three carriages traveled side by side, moving steadily without haste. Inside the spacious middle carriage, three individuals were engaged in lively and cheerful conversation.

“Just now, when we parted outside Tianshui City, I saw you shed tears,” Su Mengling remarked as she poured freshly boiled mountain spring water into a teapot filled with early spring tea leaves. Instantly, the refreshing aroma of the tea wafted through the carriage, mingling with the rising steam.

“No, that’s not true. The wind was too strong, and some sand got into my eyes,” Yu Changsheng stubbornly replied.

“You won’t admit it, but I saw it clearly,” Su Mengling said, placing a cup of the freshly brewed tea on the low table beside Zhuo Hua.

Yu Changsheng stretched out his hand and beckoned Su Mengling to pour a cup for him as well.

With a sharp slap, a fan used to stoke the tea brazier struck his face.

“If you want tea, brew it yourself. Do you expect this young lady to serve you?” Su Mengling glared sharply, causing Yu Changsheng to instinctively shrink his neck.

“Very well! Very well! Changsheng is lonely and helpless, without parents or anyone to care for him. He must rely on himself for everything!” With that, he climbed to the tea table and poured himself a cup.

“By the way, what exactly are you planning to do at the Cloud Summit Palace?” Su Mengling asked.

“To take the academy entrance exam.”

“The academy? The Cloud Academy of the Cloud Summit Palace?” Su Mengling expressed surprise.

“Yes! Lord Yuan said I have good aptitude, have read many books, and possess battlefield experience. I should try for the academy. If admitted, at worst I could enter the ranks of Cloud, Rain, Wind, and Snow.”

“The Twelve Guards of the Cloud Palace! That’s already quite an achievement,” Su Mengling said, a hint of envy and even jealousy in her voice. “For the lower three clans, joining the Twelve Guards is considered an excellent fate. It’s a pity for us Puren, who don’t even have the qualifications to enter the academy.”

“There is no ranking among the Seven Clans of the Immortal Descendants!” Zhuo Hua, who had been quietly reading, finally spoke.

Yu Changsheng and Su Mengling exchanged glances, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“Speak freely,” Zhuo Hua said, seeing through their thoughts.

Yu Changsheng tentatively asked, “Does Lord Yuan truly not know about the division between the upper four and lower three clans among the Seven Clans of the Immortal Descendants?”

“Whether to speak or not?” Zhuo Hua closed his book and said seriously.

“The Lan Clan and Tian Clan united through marriage long ago, sharing the same bloodline and advancing or retreating together. Everyone knows this. They have abundant talent and strong power, continuously annexing surrounding minor states, forming a vast alliance that no one dares to provoke,” Yu Changsheng began.

He glanced at Zhuo Hua, who showed no reaction, so he continued, “The rise of the Ri Clan and Nuan Clan is a matter of the past four or five centuries. It is said they have backing within the Cloud Palace, and their strength has steadily grown. However, they still cannot rival the Lan-Tian alliance, and the Lan and Tian clans are unwilling to confront them directly. Thus, the four clans formed a new alliance, deterring the minor states outside while balancing and restraining each other internally.”

Seeing Zhuo Hua nod slightly, Yu Changsheng went on, “But the other three clans were not so fortunate. Since the creation, the Yu Clan primarily produced ingenious craftsmen, but most lacked high cultivation. Becoming such a craftsman required enormous expenses, affordable only by kings or great merchants. Yet, they could not compete with the upper four clans in territorial conquest. So, more and more Yu Clan members took to commerce, eventually becoming renowned merchants, giving rise to the notion of the Yu Clan as great traders.”

At this, Su Mengling interjected, “Even in our remote small city on West Qi Continent, we know of your world-famous South Yan Continent Yu Clan merchant caravans.”

“And what of the Sheng Clan and Yan Clan?” Zhuo Hua inquired.

Yu Changsheng cleared his throat, lifted his teacup, and drank it down in one gulp. “These two clans have long guarded the bitterly cold lands, vast and sparsely populated. Aside from battling demons, monsters, and barbarian tribes, they have few other pursuits. They truly live on the edge of the blade. Compared to the people of Central Divine Continent, they are considered poor and destitute.”

“Nonsense! Our Xuanyuan Immortal Descendant clan has always been united. When did we become a scattered and divided people?” Zhuo Hua exclaimed angrily, throwing his book onto the floor.