Chapter 556 Guide through the branch
There had been countless arrays that obscured the branch from the outside view. From what Yang Qing heard it was powerful enough to fool even the senses of seventh-stage domain experts.
Thanks to the command token he was given as the branch chief, all the powerful arrays covering every inch of the branch were under his control.
Yang Qing felt an odd sense of safety and power when he held the smoothened-out deer horn artifact, which was the command token of the Deer Mountain Range Branch.
Once inside, the branch was just as he had left it when he last visited it a month ago, the verdant mountain that had a faint colorful mist surrounding it, lush vegetation, an inland lake with recreated tributaries, the branch building itself and its accompanying facilities, and the dense spiritual qi that was so dense that it condensed to spiritual dew that was light blue.
Yang Qing couldn't help but sigh at the view. The sigh was one of admiration but also self-realization about the fragility of life in comparison to the things around it.
How many branch chiefs, inquisitors, and administrative personnel had this branch seen, he wondered. A constant spectator to the changes around it while it remained perfectly in place like an eternal record or mark, remaining unchanging, despite those within it changing.
He couldn't help but feel time and life in and of itself was cruel that way. When one lived, provided they made something of themself, they would feel that things revolved around them but things soon change the moment they die or lose relevance. Their records and presence that they thought would never be erased would end up being buried in obscurity in the never-ending sands of time.
No matter how brilliant a life you live, if enough time passes by, you will be forgotten. The world is more liable to remember a river, a desert, or a unique barren mountain more easily than it would the deeds of someone.
The Southern Continent with all its richness was likely inhabited by hundreds if not thousands of organizations of the same caliber as the two holy lands, however, with all their splendor and power, no one in this day and age knew anything about those organizations. If they wanted to find out, they would have to dig deep, far and wide to find the barest of information, and even then whatever information they find would not be worth the time and effort it would take to dig up.
lightsnοvεl.cοm The living, whether they cultivate or don't, all know the Blue Origin Ocean but you would be hard-pressed to find if any one of them has ever heard of the Primeval Cauldron Sect, The Purple Sky Pavilion, The Heavenly Thunder Sect, The Undying Torch Sect had been some of the few organizations that Yang Qing read about that had enough power to rival the current holy lands.
The information he read was no more than broken tablets, worn-out scrolls, and rumors whose information contained only the names of these organizations and that they had unfathomable power. It had nothing else of note or value other than they once existed.
They likely had enough power back in the heyday to overturn the skies and earth over the Southern Continent, but now, how many even knew they existed?
"We are nothing more than living remnants passing by in this book, and while I am still breathing I intend to live it page by page doing the things that move my soul until my numbers end or the script changes.
As for creating and leaving legacies, I leave it to those much braver and adventurous than I..." Yang Qing muttered to himself as his gaze cleared up.
"Are you getting sentimental, boss.." said Luo Meili standing by his side.
"Well, I am getting on in my years, it comes with the territory..." Yang Qing pompously said as he clasped his hands behind his back trying to mimic the expert look Lei Weiyuan always had whenever he was waiting to catch him late for work.
His posture was perfectly executed however, it lacked the imposing sage-like aura Lei Weiyuan had. All it did was cause the two ladies by his side to chuckle.
On his left was the simple-looking Su Jinjing with the deeply penetrating eyes, and beat-up spear that she swaddled like a baby, and to his right was the mature-looking Luo Meili with a gentle look except for the fact that she used three polished bones to hold her hair.
As they were headed toward the branch's courtyard, two figures suddenly appeared before them. One of them was a lady who looked to be in her late thirties. She had silk long flowing silver hair that reached her back, black eyes, and a beauty in her own might that was further boosted by the solitary aura she was releasing. She had on simple white robes that had red and black cylindrical patterns on the sleeves and a gold talon emblem embroidered on the chest area of her coat.
Next to her was an elderly-looking man who managed to perfectly pull off the sage-like look Yang Qing had been trying to pull.
He had tied his hair in a half ponytail that was grey with not a strand out of place and a small stubble on his face that gave him an added mature charm. He had a warm kindness to his eyes that made him seem easily approachable. He had on black and white robes and was currently smiling at Yang Qing and his team.
Yang Qing hurriedly stepped forward as he cupped his fists in greeting.
"Greetings Senior Yen Xu, and Senior Mo Guang, my name is Yang Qing and this is Luo Meili, Su Jinjing, Ellie, Bolin, and Haishi.
We will be in your care from now on, and will try not to be a burden.."
"Hohoho, I am the one who hopes I will not be a burden, Judge Yang Qing, it should be Branch Chief Yang Qing now. I am Mo Guang and it's a pleasure to meet you and your team.
The Judicial Review Committee already filled me in, so I will guide you on the ins and outs of the area though I will be handling most of everything except the cases, of course. If you have any questions or concerns at any time during your stay here please don't hesitate to ask.." said the elderly man.
"Thank you senior Mo Guang.." the trio simultaneously said as they cupped their fists in gratitude.
"Nice to meet you all too though I wish it was under pleasant circumstances. The whole mountain range has already been cleared so don't be wary during your stay here.." said the silver-haired lady by the name of Yen Xu.
"I thank you for your care.." said Yang Qing as he cupped his fists at her.
She was the gold eagle guard attached to the branch. She was one of the reasons Yang Qing could be at ease within and outside the branch. Other than being informed about her particulars beforehand, the talon emblem on her sleeves showed she was a domain expert.
The gold eagle had four divisions; the wing which was made up of palace realm experts, the talon was made up of domain experts, the beak which only had one person who was a soul formation expert in charge of the whole gold eagle guards, and the eyes which were the eagle guards recruits. They were usually deployed to the small branches in areas declared moderately safe to build their experience.
"After the tour, meet me by the bullfrog sculpture.." Yen Xu said as she vanished into thin air.
"Where do you want to start?" Mo Guang gingerly asked.
"We will follow your lead, Senior Mo Guang.."
"Mmmh okay then. Let's start with the subsidiary facilities before we make our way to the main pavilion.."
With the Mo Guang taking the lead, they went to various facilities outside of the main pavilion. There was a battleground that was inlaid with arrays that could mimic certain conditions and there was even an array that could reproduce different opponents of different cultivation levels and races.
Other than the battleground arena, there were spiritual qi refinement pools spread around all over the branch. These were areas where the spiritual qi had been purposefully concentrated and gathered to form small pools with lotus platforms on them. It was the best area for spiritual qi replenishment and circulation of their main arts.
Next to the refinement pools were the meditation spots. Various artifacts and natural resources at the monarch grade had been used in the creation of those spots. They cleared the mind while calming the senses. They were perfect for deciphering the profundities of their cultivation art.
Other than that there was a herb garden and a herb repository that was used to store said herbs and other ingredients and it also had an alchemy refining chamber attached to it.
Yang Qing and the rest were continually awed by what they saw, the effect was especially large on Haishi and Bolin. They couldn't believe the level of opulence they were seeing. The only one who seemed unperturbed was Ellie. Yang Qing had a few guesses as to why. She was a glutton, but to her dismay, the lake around had nothing but spiritual plants growing in it. There was no fish in there, which left her deflated all throughout the tour.
When they reached the main pavilion it was like they had been transported to another world. Space expansion runes had been inscribed into the whole pavilion to create space for different halls like the library, their rooms, individual alchemy and artifact refinement halls, more meditation and cultivation chambers, and the one room Yang Qing was looking most forward to, the kitchen.
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