Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2640  Ghost Ridge Sect And The Lacking Influence Of The Temple

The Ghost Ridge Valley Sect wasnʼt merely one of those unorthodox sects labeled as such for practicing slightly ”negative” techniques. Their practices were utterly vile, involving the harvesting of souls from humans and creatures alike, as well as enslaving them for their purposes.

Lin Mu could understand the Shanxi Empire supporting or interacting with the Seven Mystics Immortal Sect and even the Twin Mountain Polarity Sect, but the Ghost Ridge Valley Sect was a line that should never have been crossed.

”So, they openly support them too?” Lin Mu raised his brows in disbelief.

”A Ghost Cultivation sect,” Xukong remarked. ”Someone like them would certainly possess the expertise to manipulate the Soul Ensnaring Great Formation Array.”

”Itʼs highly probable that they were the original owners of the inheritance ground as well,” Lin Mu reasoned.

He searched for more clues but found nothing concrete to confirm his suspicion.

”Hmm… Their sect is located quite far from the inheritance ground—almost at the edge of the empire,” Lin Mu observed as he studied the maps.

In contrast, the Seven Mystics Immortal Sect and the Twin Mountain Polarity Sect were situated much closer to the capital. The Twin Mountain Polarity Sect was a mere five hundred kilometers from the spatial city, while the Seven Mystics Immortal Sect was about eight hundred kilometers away.

”Do they have any involvement with Ram Orchard City as well?” Lin Mu wondered, turning to the records for answers.

After just a few minutes of reading, he found what he was looking for.

”Looks like they donʼt. There are thirteen sects involved in the council of Ram Orchard City, which also played a role in its founding, but none of them include the three sects supported by the Shanxi Empire,” Lin Mu noted.

ʼIs this why the environment of the city is so peaceful?ʼ he mused.

Even so, Lin Mu knew appearances could be deceiving. What seemed peaceful on the surface often hid dark undercurrents flowing beneath.

He continued reading and immersed himself in the texts for the next six hours. By the time he finished, the tea pot beside him was empty. Dou Qi returned just then, her footsteps light.

”Would you like another pot?” she asked sweetly.

”Sure. Bring me two—one of the signature tea and another of your personal recommendation,” Lin Mu requested, having enjoyed the tea immensely.

”Of course,” Dou Qi nodded, disappearing to fetch his order.

Ten minutes later, she returned with two steaming tea pots. These, too, were immortal tools designed to maintain the tea at the perfect temperature for hours.

”This is our Sweet Jasmine tea. Itʼs one of our most popular offerings,” Dou Qi said, placing the pots before him.

Lin Mu began with the Sweet Jasmine tea and found it delightful. Its natural sweetness came from the Jasmine flowers, which seemed to brim with a subtle amount of Wood Elemental Immortal Qi.

After finishing a cup, he poured himself another and returned to his reading. Dou Qi, watching his focus, couldnʼt help but ask, ”Are you new here?”

”Yes, I arrived just a day ago,” Lin Mu replied with a nod.

”I see. If youʼre interested in geography, I recommend visiting the second floor. The books there are far more detailed. The ones on the first floor are mostly for lighter reading,” she suggested.

”Oh? Iʼll check it out then,” Lin Mu said, rising from his seat.

The second floor was significantly larger, with even more shelves packed tightly together. The rows were narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Lin Mu headed to the geography section, where a single bookshelf stood. The books here were much thicker than those on the first floor.

After picking out several volumes of interest, he looked for the history section but couldnʼt find it.

”Huh, no history section,” Lin Mu murmured, noting instead an abundance of travelogues, location-specific records, and even a few storybooks recounting legends of the Jui World.

This time, he selected around fifty books before returning downstairs.

Opening the first book, he found a detailed map of the Shanxi Empire. Lin Mu quickly recorded it into a jade slip, flipping through the pages to find even more maps. Some depicted other kingdoms within the Shanxi Continent, as well as maps of certain sects.

While the maps of the sects werenʼt particularly detailed, they still provided insight into their divisions and specialties.

”The Temple of the Four Guardian Beasts is quite far,” Lin Mu remarked as he studied one map. ”And there are only two temples on the entire continent? Thatʼs surprisingly low.”

Typically, the Temples of the Guardian Beasts were situated in prominent locations like capitals, yet the Shanxi Continent had only two. One was located in a small northern city, while the other, a smaller temple, was in the Shuii Kingdom, over two thousand kilometers away to the east.

The Shuii Kingdom occupied a fertile river delta where seven rivers converged, making it a prime location for agriculture and trade. Despite being only a few hundred kilometers in size, the kingdom was incredibly wealthy, its riches rivaling half the territories of the Shanxi Empire.

ʼI suppose this is why theyʼve managed to maintain their independence and avoid conquest by the Shanxi Empire,ʼ Lin Mu thought.

He read further and discovered that the Shuii Kingdom supplied resources to many Immortal Sects, with the sects holding major stakes in the kingdomʼs economy.

ʼThe sects wouldnʼt want an independent power like this falling under the Shanxi Empireʼs control,ʼ Lin Mu surmised. ʼIf it did, the empire might become too strong for their liking.ʼ

Lin Mu also wondered if this was why the Temple of the Guardian Beasts hadnʼt been given a firmer foothold in the Shanxi Continent. It didnʼt take a genius to realize that the Shanxi Empire probably didnʼt want their influence to grow strong either.

After all, the Temple of the Guardian Beasts was a righteous power and the true backing of the Immortal Court. With them present, it would be hard for the Shanxi Empire to support to the unorthodox sects.