"Report to Your Majesty."

Wang Li strode into the tent to report, "A group of cultivators from the Twelve Upper Sects has arrived outside, likely dispatched by the holy command to support the battlefield."

"Just in time."

Chen Sansi put down the letter in his hand, "Let them all come in."

At this crucial moment, such a large group of disciples from the Upper Sects has appeared.

According to the letter, there is even a current Saint Heir of the Holy Sect among them, having reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Instead of going to the scarce battlefronts, they have come to Guangren Dao, which doesn't seem to be purely for battlefield support.

Nascent Soul...

The bustling footsteps outside can be heard even before they get close, exuding a powerful pressure.

But as they got closer to the tent, the other party seemed to deliberately restrain their Divine Sense and Mana.

The curtain lifted, and a cultivator stepped into the tent with steady steps.

This cultivator appeared to be just over twenty, wearing a moon-white wide-sleeved Taoist robe with a cloud pattern, overlaid with a dark star-patterned cloak, with a Daoist topknot casually held up by a green bamboo branch, and a half-broken Jade Pure Lotus Crown slanted into it.

Behind him, seven or eight cultivators followed one after another.

The young cultivator lifted the wide robe, bowing properly, "I am Mu Qingming of the Kunxu Sect, paying respects to Emperor Tianwu, Your Majesty."

Upon his introduction, even many cultivators from Sky Wall City turned to look.

People in the entire Cultivation World, more or less, have heard of this person's name, Mu Qingming, the Kunxu Saint Heir, who reached the Nascent Soul stage at merely a hundred and ten years old and tops the Tianshui list of prodigies.

This signifies that if there is anyone among the millions of people under the heaven who is most likely to attain immortality, it is undoubtedly this person.

Under Mu Qingming's lead, the other Core Formation cultivators followed suit.

"Qingxuan Mountain, Sima Baopu."

"Trinity Pavilion, Gongsun Shoujing."

"Fuyao Hall, Xie Yunchi."

"Nine Nether Alliance, Lin Xuzhou."

"Heavenly Sword Sect, Pei Ji."

"..."

Out of courtesy, Chen Sansi clasped his hands in return, "Chen Sansi of Great Han Tianwu, a pleasure to meet you, Daoist friends. The safety of Guangren Dao will be in your hands henceforth."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he dismissed most people, leaving only the members of the Three Heavens Sect in the tent to discuss the Spiritual Grain tax issue.

"Can't the Spiritual Grain tax be reduced a bit more?"

Under the emperor's instruction, Wang Zhi said, "The thirty percent is barely enough to keep people from starving, but it's just scraping by."

"It cannot be reduced any further."

Pei Ji, elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, firmly rejected the proposal, saying, "Tianwu Daoist, have you not done the calculations?

"The Tianshui Thirty-Six Immortal Sects, plus more third-rate, unclassified sects, cultivation families, and the even more numerous loose cultivators, aggregate to what, millions?

"All these people need to consume elixirs daily, even if it's just one Fasting Pill, it requires dozens of pounds of Spiritual Grain to refine.

"Now that a war between righteousness and demons has broken out, the consumption of elixirs is increasing day by day!

"Thirty percent is already the limit. If it's reduced further, the sects might collapse first."

"These commoners are truly despicable!"

Shen Qingya, an outer elder of the Purple Sun Palace at the Core Formation Realm, said angrily, "The disciples of each sect painstakingly cultivate to protect them, yet?

"Without the Thirty-Six Sects, these ants would already have become blood meals for the Demon Path!

"They, however, are unwilling to even help plant Spiritual Grain, and turn around to betray us, such lowliness and baseness to the extreme!

"According to me, not even a ten percent reduction in Spiritual Grain should be allowed, and wherever troubles arise, we should preemptively burn it all to the ground!"

"This Daoist friend."

Wang Zhi interrupted, "It's not a matter of willingness, but the only way to stop the rise in blood demon numbers.

"Moreover, this is originally the karma you have sown.

"In our Great Han Sky Wall City, although there are over ten thousand cultivators, we never need to collect a Spiritual Grain tax, yet don't we operate just fine?"

"You, sir, speak very easily from your position."

Shen Qingya sneered, "How many do you have in total compared to the many cultivators in Tianshui?"

He turned to the emperor, "Tianwu Daoist, may I ask if your Sky Wall City intends to continue recruiting disciples in the future? If so, one day, you will also face Spiritual Grain scarcity, and then, will your Han Dynasty increase the Spiritual Grain tax?!"

"What the Daoist friend says is indeed an issue, I will act cautiously in the future."

Chen Sansi replied frankly, "But this does not solve the current problem, I still hope the Three Heavens Sect can consider whether it's possible to reduce the Spiritual Grain to ten percent, or two percent."

"Tianwu Daoist."

The Kunxu Saint, top of the prodigy list, Mu Qingming spoke slowly, "The matter of cutting Spiritual Grain cannot be accomplished overnight, even if it should be reduced, it must be done gradually.

"However, I can make the decision to first eradicate the Spiritual Grain in Guangren Dao entirely, ensuring the safety of our rear line, how about it?"

"That would be good as well."

Chen Sansi reached an agreement with him.

He knew that further argument would be meaningless if indeed the Spiritual Grain in Guangren Dao could be eradicated, it would be adequate for the current situation.

"There is no time to delay."

Chen Sansi ordered: "Wang Zhi, Rong Yanqiu, you two go now and take action, I do not wish to see new blood demons appearing in Guangren Dao."

The two accepted the order and left.

Mu Qingming spoke again, "Tianwu Daoist, there are a few words I'd like to speak with you privately, if possible."

In the tent, soon only the two of them remained.

"Daoist Mu."

Chen Sansi gestured invitingly, "Feel free to speak directly."

"I am here on behalf of my master, to discuss with you matters regarding the Eastern Continent."

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