Chapter 262: Calm? Weird Waves (Part 2)
Chapter 262: Calm? Weird Waves (Part 2)
However, no matter which sect or individual, including Zhao Kuangyin, Han'e Fairy Taiyanren and others, they could not find Yunlong. Regarding this situation, everyone can only secretly lament that Yunlong's whereabouts are elusive and that the divine dragon has disappeared without a trace.
And because they suffered heavy losses and temporarily changed their plans, the various forces affiliated with the Demonic Path became more and more low-key and did not continue to make any big moves. After recruiting a large number of disciples, the major sects of the righteous path once again closed their gates. Even after three years, they found all the returning masters who were stationed abroad and did not know what to do.
The entire world of cultivation was filled with panic and tension, and there was an imminent storm. Even Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but asked the major sects of the Righteous Way for the reason many times through the disciples of the major sects of the Protector of the Country, but the answers he received were "Normal transfers within the sects have no special meaning."
This answer is not satisfactory. Moreover, according to some cultivators who have passed through the mountain gates of the major sects, during this period, almost every month the locations of the major sects will emit dazzling rays of light. The rays of light are mostly golden and crystal white. Even the mountain-protecting formation cannot completely cover it; accompanied by these strange lights, the growth rate of plants within a hundred miles of the mountain gate has accelerated significantly, and minor earthquakes occur from time to time.
Various strange phenomena have caused panic among many weak sects. They are either afraid or guessing. Could it be that the sects of the righteous path have been holding back for a long time and have seen that the demonic path is now weak, so they want to practice spells and prepare for war? The thought of these other cultivators made me feel horrified. Every huge battle between good and evil is a catastrophe for the world of cultivation. Almost half of the cultivators in the world of cultivation will be involved. The weaker the cultivators, the faster they will fall. The abnormal behavior of the major sects of the righteous path made them not think about the worst.
However, after three years of tension, the major sects of the Righteous Way have no other abnormal behavior, and people's hearts have gradually calmed down. After all, compared to the demons and monsters that make people talk about it, the major sects of the Righteous Way are somewhat domineering and arrogant, but they have not done anything that is known to everyone. Over time, other people who were originally nervous will become accustomed to such outrageous things.
The devil's path is low-key and the righteous path is hidden. Without the constraints of these two behemoths, the atmosphere in the world of cultivation seems to be much more lively. In addition, in recent years, the enthusiasm of mortals for cultivating immortals has not diminished. Almost all sects that have achieved success have aggressively recruited disciples and established branches.
In order to win over these cultivators, Zhao Kuangyin was very generous and rewarded the cultivators who made contributions to the Song Dynasty with cultivation materials, elixirs refined in the enshrinement courtyard, medium and low-level magic weapons, and even some sparsely populated places with dangerous terrain but rich spiritual energy. or sect. And if someone can complete tasks issued in the name of the Song Dynasty court, they can also get the various rewards mentioned above based on the difficulty of the task.
This has intensified the enthusiasm of these sects to participate in human affairs. They also know that the resources of the Song Dynasty are limited after all. Those cultivation materials and elixirs are just that, but the land is limited and the spiritual land will one day be given away. If Zhao Kuangyin is not generous, If I acquire more territory during the period, I’m afraid I won’t have so many opportunities in the future.
Driven by profit, those small and medium-sized sects even sent their only masters in the deity transformation and return to void stages to participate in human affairs and receive the tasks issued by the Song Dynasty court. In this way, the strength of the Song Dynasty court increased dramatically. Not only did various actions go smoothly, but also The cultivators who belong to various forces collaborated with each other to win over and suppress, which not only made most of the cultivators feel awe and admiration for the imperial court and established prestige, but also recruited a group of unsuccessful cultivators who were beneficial to the world. Rich military and political talents enriched the power of the Enshrined Court and the imperial court.
Under the wise leadership of the imperial court, the national power of the Song Dynasty was increasing day by day. The land continued to expand in all directions. In the wars between the Liao Kingdom in the north, the barbarians in the south, and the foreign races in the west, the territory expanded thousands of miles. The domestic security was good and the people were prosperous and stable. They were proficient in heaven and earth, and could control the wind and rain. Cultivators and officials participated in politics, the climate was favorable, food was harvested year after year, the population increased sharply, and it was like a prosperous age.
However, these are just appearances that can be seen by little people and the uninitiated. The truth hidden under the surface will always be known to only a few people.
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In the 40th year of Jianlong's reign, in Yangzhou, since the imperial court vigorously developed coastal trade ten years ago, navigation in coastal areas has also followed the fire. More and more businessmen have gone to sea to make money, and the huge benefits of shipping have also attracted more people to participate, thus providing Yangzhou with This coastal state capital attracted a large number of people and tax revenue. When the court had money, it expanded it on the basis of the town. With the donations from the maritime merchants, the reconstructed Yangzhou City has now become a giant city that can accommodate a million people. If you include the villages, towns, manors and floating population outside the city, Yangzhou alone has a population of more than 2 million.
Because it is located in the south, the climate is mild and the grain maturity rate is high, and most Yangzhou people are involved in shipping-related businesses, so there is never a shortage of food and money. Every day, no matter morning or evening, there will be merchant ships unloading and setting sail at the dock outside the city, and then the porters waiting on the shore will swarm to pick out the goods and make money with their own efforts.
Along the pier, there is a giant official road with a width of 20 meters and a length of 20 miles built of gravel, cinder, and rammed earth leading directly to Yangzhou City. Along the way there are teahouses, restaurants, inns and even villages dedicated to serving travelers. According to local people, this road is called "Ming Road" and was built since the Tang Dynasty. It was temporarily interrupted due to wars and was rebuilt after the situation stabilized. It took a hundred years for it to be built intermittently.
What is strange is that no matter which force occupies Yangzhou, they will not deliberately destroy Mingdao. Instead, they will send people to maintain and build it. Even in the chaotic era, no one broke this practice. Therefore, even though Mingdao has experienced ups and downs for hundreds of years, it still remains. It has remained almost intact and has become an important commercial road connecting Yangzhou City and the seaside wharf.
