Chapter 2639 - Walker Of The Worlds

This was perhaps the first time Lin Mu had read about nobles who genuinely cared for the well-being of the commoners. ’So different compared to the Xiaofan world,’ Lin Mu thought to himself. The Shanxi Empire had been born out of peasant struggles, which meant the Imperial Family understood the suffering of the common people. They worked tirelessly to improve their lives, and in doing so, earned the people’s undying loyalty and faith. ’There aren’t many royals like this,’ Lin Mu reflected. ’Most other historical records I’ve read showed families eventually falling to greed and corruption.’ "It might be the same for the Shanxi Imperial Family too," Xukong’s voice echoed in his mind. "History is written by the winners, after all. Who knows what is fact and what is fiction?" This comment lifted a fog from Lin Mu’s mind, prompting him to reevaluate the records more critically. The more he thought about it, the more inconsistencies began to emerge from the account. "You’re right, senior," Lin Mu replied. "Some of these details don’t add up… the most glaring being the behavior of the Immortal Sects and their interactions with the Shanxi Empire." "So, you’ve noticed it," Xukong said with a hint of amusement. "Indeed. It wasn’t just the Overlords exploiting the people; the Immortal Sects do the same. Of course, there are differences—orthodox sects and unorthodox sects have distinct approaches. Even if the Shanxi Empire refrained from opposing the orthodox sects, they could have at least taken a stand against the unorthodox ones enslaving people." Lin Mu frowned. "There’s a clear bias toward the Immortal Sects." "There are even more inconsistencies. Can you identify them?" Xukong challenged. "The Forbidden Area," Lin Mu replied confidently. "Yes, that’s another one," Xukong confirmed. "Before I dig deeper, I need to cross-check more details," Lin Mu said, pulling out another set of books. "Geography… let’s see…" He quickly scanned through the shelves, searching for references to locations described in the historical records. These areas were prominent and well-documented, making them easy to locate. "Here it is." Lin Mu’s eyes lit up as he found what he was looking for. "The Sacred Shanxi Guidance Grounds. Located in the Imperial Capital, they are forbidden to all except members of the Imperial Family and select individuals chosen by them." He read further, noting down key details. "You’re right, senior. This isn’t as it seems," Lin Mu nodded. "The survival of those two brothers was no miracle." "Of course not," Xukong replied. "The array used in the so-called forbidden ground was the Soul Ensnaring Great Array. It’s not something even Fifth Tribulation Stage Immortals can endure for more than a few minutes, let alone mere Spirit Realm cultivators. "As for the loophole that was mentioned? It doesn’t exist. The Soul Ensnaring Great Array affects all souls, regardless of whether they were killed by it or not. They might have fooled the majority, as this array isn’t commonly known, but based on its description, there’s no doubt it’s the Soul Ensnaring Great Array—or perhaps an even higher-class array." "So, they had external help of some kind… the Immortal Sects?" Lin Mu speculated. "Quite likely," Xukong nodded. "The Overlords were indeed a wild card for the Immortal Sects," Lin Mu mused. "If it were possible to get rid of them, the sects would have done so long ago. The only thing stopping them would have been the challenge of splitting their resources. After all, they were already occupied with their own matters and the Beast Waves. "But what if they didn’t need to act directly? What if they could manipulate others to handle it for them?" "Go on," Xukong encouraged. "There’s no way the Immortal Sects didn’t know the secret of the Forbidden Area. They probably recognized it as an inheritance ground from the start. However, manipulating such a site isn’t something any random immortal can do—it would require expertise and a high cultivation base," Lin Mu reasoned. "Can you uncover more evidence?" Xukong sounded intrigued. "Let’s see what else I can find," Lin Mu said, excitement bubbling within him. Piecing together the truth of an empire through mere books was a new and thrilling challenge for Lin Mu. It felt like solving an intricate puzzle, one that pushed his intellect in an entirely different way. He spent hours combing through texts until he stumbled upon a book with promising information. ’Sects of the Shanxi Continent.’ With the Shanxi Empire’s expansion, most of the continent had fallen under their control. They had even renamed the land after themselves, much like other empires in the Rust Sky World had done. However, unlike some empires, the Shanxi Continent wasn’t fully unified. A handful of small kingdoms and independent territories—including the Immortal Sects—still retained autonomy. The number of Immortal Sects on the continent wasn’t small, totaling around three hundred, with both orthodox and unorthodox sects represented. Of these, the majority were minor sects, often led by a single Fifth or Sixth Tribulation Stage Immortal. "These smaller sects wouldn’t be involved," Lin Mu muttered, turning his focus to the older, more powerful sects with long histories. He flipped through the pages, scanning rankings and descriptions until he identified a few suspicious names. "Ghost Ridge Valley, Seven Mystics Immortal Sect, and the Twin Mountain Polarity Sect," Lin Mu read aloud. "These three have histories deeply intertwined with the Shanxi Empire. Their actions and influence need closer examination." All three sects in question had close links with the Shanxi Empire, with their members having become elders in those sects. Not only that, but the support received from those three sects outweighed any other sects. Though the most surprising fact was that these weren’t all Orthodox sects. In fact, only the Seven Mystics Immortal Sect was a so-called righteous sect. The Twin Mountain Polarity sect was a neutral sect that didn’t fall into either category while the Ghost Ridge Valley Sect was the extreme, unorthodox. They were a Ghost cultivation sect and harvested the souls of creatures to use for their own use!