Three to four months had passed in the blink of an eye since Ji Yuan's breakthrough.
During this period, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes.
The entire Feiyun Prefecture had fallen into extreme chaos, on a scale far greater than the earlier rebellion of the insurgents.
With the core strength of various sects and factions decimated in the underground dojo, countless demonic cultivators, heretical cultivators, and even shadowy malevolent entities that had been lurking in the dark emerged one after another.
Even some monstrous beings residing in the deep mountains and desolate wilderness, including members of the demon race, joined the fray, unwilling to be left out.
A sect that had been passed down for hundreds of years undoubtedly accumulated immense heritage. Now, with over half of its strong practitioners lost, or even entirely annihilated, it naturally became a tempting morsel for certain entities, difficult to resist taking a bite.
Under the leadership of the Wangsheng Tower, a large number of fiends and demons who were usually on the run were now attacking the mountain gates of righteous sects!
In just a few months, over thirty sects had met with disaster. More than half of them could not withstand the onslaught. Not only was their accumulated heritage plundered, but the entire sect was also brutally purged by these fiends and demons!
Except for scattered disciples who were away from the sect, almost no one escaped. Some sects even had their lineage completely severed.
The remaining smaller half of the sects, while not completely annihilated, were severely weakened. They had few remaining disciples and even fewer elder figures capable of supporting the sect.
Even though they subsequently sealed their mountain gates, they could not escape the attention of those with ulterior motives, who still wished to seize an opportunity and gain something.
Meanwhile, several months prior, in Linfu County and the other four counties, many cultivators of unknown origin had quietly appeared.
However, under the deterrence of the cultivators of Xiaoyuan Mountain and the disciples of Xuantian Peak, no one dared to openly cause trouble.
Yet, subtle disturbances continued in secret. Some attempted to infiltrate important locations like the county yamen, while others even set their sights on the Water God Temple of Xiaoyuan Mountain and the residences in Hengshan County.
However, anyone who dared to make a move invariably disappeared without a trace, sinking into the riverbed without even creating a ripple.
But as time wore on, the pressure on everyone grew. Li Junxian and others guarding the residences had to allocate a significant portion of their strength to spread throughout the five counties.
These areas were now almost branded with their mark. Although still under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, they could be considered their foundation.
Especially for Ji Yuan, this was the source of his incense wish power, and any mishap was absolutely unacceptable.
Those under his command naturally understood this principle and would never stand idly by while fiends and heretics wreaked havoc in the five counties.
Fortunately, with their strength, and with experts like Li Buwei and Mo Yiyan stationed there, and with the participation of exceptionally talented Xuantian Peak disciples such as Zhao Yuebai, Lu Yuzhe, and Zheng Jiaxing, they managed to suppress the unrest.
Over three to four months, despite frequent unexpected incidents, they managed to overcome them with relative safety.
Even the common folk in the five counties barely felt the changes in their world.
Another five months passed, bringing the total time Ji Yuan had been in seclusion to over nine months.
Nearly a year had gone by, and the whereabouts of Zhao Yuansong and the other disciples of Jiuxuan Sect remained undiscovered.
Amidst the turmoil in Feiyun Prefecture, the fame of several prodigies and inner disciples of Jiuxuan Sect gradually spread.
Among them, a pair of golden boy and jade girl gained the most renown, with their legends even spreading to several other prefectures.
These two were Du Qingzhou of Yunxia Peak and Jiang Xinlan of Liuxia Peak.
Together, they led a group of inner disciples, quelling disturbances throughout Feiyun Prefecture, slaying many fiends and heretics, and rescuing numerous righteous cultivators.
Besides these two, the most renowned was Lin Yubai of Leize Peak, whose thunder techniques possessed immense killing power, and whose speed was incredibly swift.
Even cultivators in the early stage of the third realm found it difficult to gain any advantage against the phenomenon he had cultivated.
In addition, many other Jiuxuan Sect disciples had gained considerable fame.
In contrast, Zhao Yuebai and his companions who were guarding Linfu and the other five counties had no prominent reputation in the outside world, and this area received little attention.
Those with more information attributed the credit for maintaining peace in the five counties to the third-realm cultivators of Mingxin Pavilion.
"Do you have any complaints in your hearts?"
In a small courtyard within the residence in Hengshan County.
Tang Muxuan, with a smile on his face, looked at the younger generation before him, stroking his long beard.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuebai shrugged indifferently, perhaps not caring much, or perhaps being too young to feel anything about fame.
Lu Yuzhe, on the other hand, was even more unconcerned. For him, cultivation was the most important matter.
"Old sir, fame is something that will come when it is meant to come," Zheng Jiaxing said with a smile. "Rather, I feel that for now, the less attention we draw, the better."
Except for some particularly special individuals, which young person did not yearn to be known throughout the world and become the center of attention?
However, he was ultimately more steady and well-versed in the art of concealing one's strengths. Without sufficient power to back it up, he was unwilling to seek too much limelight.
Moreover, guarding the five counties was like guarding their own property. Even if it were more arduous, why would they have any complaints?
Zheng Jiaxing hailed from a wealthy merchant family in a county town. Having been exposed to business from a young age, he possessed a keen sense for business opportunities.
More than a year ago, he had sent word back home, instructing his father to abandon his concubines and come to the five counties to conduct business.
Not to mention, as time progressed, the five county towns, through everyone's efforts, had already established an inseparable connection.
Perhaps in some time, their imprint would be permanently established, becoming their foundation and the place from which they rose.
Even putting aside future prospects, just at present, the sustenance provided by the five counties to everyone each month was no small sum.
It was at least comparable to what an inner disciple of Jiuxuan Sect would painstakingly earn over a decade.
Once the people in this region fully recovered from the impact of the insurgents, and with proper management, the benefits they could reap would naturally be even greater.
Now that autumn was approaching its end, a harvest of spiritual rice and other crops had been reaped. If sold through Mingxin Pavilion, the profits would be substantial.
Even with this first planting, and not on a very large scale, it was already equivalent to the fruits of the peasants' hard work over the past several years.
Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
"Counting carefully, young Ji should be coming out of seclusion soon."
Tang Muxuan nodded with satisfaction and then looked in a certain direction.
Over nine months had passed; it was time for him to break through his seclusion.