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Chapter 273 - Imperial Cultivators

Everyone looked toward the ground—and sure enough.

A spreading stain had formed beneath Yu Liangping. He had wet himself in sheer terror.

Yun Jin couldn't help but laugh a little. "Young Master Yu, there's no need to be this frightened. Don't worry, I don't plan to kill you."

The Yu family's justice, her third Senior Brother would take care of it himself. Once he resolved his bloodline problem, what right would Yu Liangping have to compare himself to her Senior Brother? Everything that had happened in the past would be settled by her third Senior Brother personally.

Yu Liangping's lips trembled. He didn't dare meet anyone's gaze. He already knew what kind of ridicule he would see. He was the heir of the Yu family. A disciple of the Yuehua Sect. And today, he had been utterly humiliated.

Yun Jin. It was all because of this Yun Jin standing before him.

Yu Liangping's expression twisted with fury. He barked, "Arrest these two!"

The Yu family disciples moved to surround them.

Yun Jin casually lifted her sword in front of her. Not a single person dared to make a move. The dust from the Sword Trial Stone was still scattered across the ground…

This was someone ruthless enough to destroy even the Sword Trial Stone. Even that Senior Brother of the Yu heir, Ma Yuanwu, probably couldn't have done something like that.

This Yun Jin… there was definitely something uncanny about her.

"What are you standing there for? Get them!" Yu Liangping shouted again, voice sharp with malice. "Yu Songnian is a useless cripple. No matter how powerful this woman is, she's still just one person!"

He had already sent word to his sect through a special method. The Yuehua Sect's people would be arriving shortly. As long as these disciples could stall for time, Yun Jin was as good as dead.

The Yu family disciples hesitated, then reluctantly began to move forward.

Yun Jin's face was expressionless as she gripped her sword and stepped toward them.

Just as the confrontation was about to erupt—

A hearty laugh echoed across the field.

"Everyone came here to break through the Sword Domain. What's the point of fighting?"

A cultured-looking middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd. Following close behind him was a beautiful woman dressed in brilliant red.

At the sight of the pair, Yu Liangping's gaze shifted slightly. He had seen this woman before—Feng Linglong, a sword prodigy from the Canglan Kingdom. Which meant the man beside her needed no further introduction.

He was most likely Feng Linglong's master, one of the national preceptors of Canglan, and a Mahayana-stage powerhouse—Qin Ping.

The moment these two appeared, a subtle smile curled on Yun Jin's lips. Just earlier, the system had warned her that a powerful figure was observing her in secret. So she had made sure to put on a display. As expected, the expert couldn't help but show himself.

"You came in person, Preceptor Qin. Why didn't you give us advance notice?" said a deep voice, as Mu Lan's figure suddenly appeared before Qin Ping.

Qin Ping offered a slight smile. "Elder Mu, you've been stationed in Lin City for years, and you never informed your own sovereign either, did you?"

Lin City, after all, lay within the territory of the Canglan Kingdom.

The Yuehua Sect had joined forces with the Yu family and turned Lin City into a mess. There was no defending their actions.

But Mu Lan didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. He simply smiled. "Preceptor, you misunderstand. Our Yuehua Sect is a cultivation sect. We're only here in Lin City for the sake of training. The Yu family's Sword Domain is rather intriguing. That's the only reason we've been interacting with them."

"Oh?" Qin Ping raised his brows. "Then today, we'll go ahead and break the Sword Domain. It'll save the Yuehua Sect the trouble of traveling back and forth."

He was directly telling them to withdraw from Lin City and stop interfering.

Mu Lan's face darkened. "The Yuehua Sect doesn't need the preceptor's guidance in how we conduct our affairs. If your sovereign has an issue, he's welcome to visit our sect and speak with us directly."

There was clear disdain in his eyes.

This world, aside from the great sects, also had kingdoms.

Initially, these nations were only meant to govern mortals. But if a kingdom was well-governed, prosperous, and its ruler well-respected, that ruler would begin to accumulate Luck.

And with Luck came cultivators.

These cultivators had come from the mortal world and lived among the common folk. Their bonds to the mundane were deep. Even after stepping onto the immortal path, they refused to let go of worldly affairs. They claimed to seek the welfare of mortals.

To orthodox cultivators, this was laughable. Wasting their precious lifespan on petty concerns was utterly beneath them. In fact, the four Holy Lands had once issued a rule targeting this very trend of "imperial cultivators."

Any sovereign or official who set foot on the path of cultivation would be forbidden from managing mortal affairs after fifty years.

So most rulers and ministers were replaced every fifty years.

Those who stepped down focused on cultivation. Although barred from mortal governance, many chose to remain in their homeland. Some formed enforcement squads to handle affairs related to cultivators and demons.

Because anything involving cultivators or demonic practitioners was considered outside the realm of "mortal matters," it wasn't bound by the fifty-year limit.

Others simply stayed behind to cultivate in peace.

They understood this well:

Only by strengthening their own kingdom's foundation could they secure a voice in this sect-dominated world and fight for more rights on behalf of their people.

Qin Ping was a prime example of such an exceptional talent from the Canglan Kingdom. A thousand years ago, he had served as a brilliant statesman, beloved by the people and saturated in Luck.

After retiring, Luck pushed his cultivation forward at an astonishing pace, and now, he had reached the Mahayana stage.

Qin Ping might be powerful—

But he was only one man.

The Canglan Kingdom had perhaps three Mahayana-stage cultivators. Qin Ping was their greatest asset.

But the Yuehua Sect?

They had more than ten Mahayana cultivators—and even greater backing from the Qingxiao Pavilion above them.

These mortal kingdoms thinking they could challenge the sects? Pure delusion.

Mu Lan looked utterly confident. The truth was, the kingdoms had grown too strong lately, and Qingxiao Pavilion was preparing to harvest their Luck.

That was why the Yuehua Sect had dared to move into Lin City so openly. And Canglan had tolerated it for years, fully aware of the situation.

So now Qin Ping's words—well, they were just words. Let's see if he actually dared to follow through.

Seeing the defiance in Mu Lan's gaze, Qin Ping merely smiled and said mildly, "Elder Mu, that's a matter for another time. For now, let us focus on breaking through the Sword Domain."

"Oh? It seems the Preceptor has great faith in his disciple," Mu Lan chuckled.

"Linglong has trained in the sword for many years. She's shown a bit of talent," Qin Ping replied calmly.

He knew the Yuehua Sect had spent years preparing. Most likely, Ma Yuanwu would be the one to shine.

Feng Linglong was probably just there to serve as contrast.

Still, he had to come.

First, because this was Canglan's territory. The Yuehua Sect had acted discreetly before, but now they were being brazen. If the kingdom stayed silent, it would look like they were submitting.

Second, because entering the four Holy Lands was already difficult for those from the imperial dynasties. Feng Linglong needed a chance to make a name for herself. The Sword Domain must hold something special, if the Yuehua Sect was willing to invest so much. If she could break it, her reputation would soar, and perhaps one of the Holy Lands would extend an invitation.

Mu Lan gave a faint smile. "Since the Preceptor is so confident, and the Sword Domain is a grand event for all sword cultivators, the Yu family and I welcome your participation."

Qin Ping nodded, then gestured toward Yun Jin and Yu Songnian. "If this is truly a gathering of all sword cultivators, then these two clearly meet the standard. Why not put grievances aside for now and work together to break the domain?"

Yun Jin nodded enthusiastically. "Mmm! We'll listen to the senior's arrangements. We won't bicker with the Yu family for now."

Qin Ping was briefly stunned. The little girl's response came so naturally, it was almost comical.

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The original text is this "王朝修仙者" (Wángcháo xiūxiān zhě).

王朝 (wáng cháo) means "dynasty" or "imperial court."

修仙者 (xiū xiān zhě) refers to a cultivator.

And I choose Imperial Cultivator rather than Dynastic Cultivator. Because Dynasty or Dynastic Cultivator for me leaves an impression about cultivation within a dynastic setting.

While 'Imperial' for me is emphasizes about serving or ruling within a dynasty. So I choose this.

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