There were five main kingdoms in the Dadangar subcontinent.
These kingdoms housed many counties within their borders, as well as several vassal states.
Each of these five kingdoms was governed by a 3rd-order sect from the shadows.
For instance, the Rokur Kingdom was overseen by the Purple River Sect, while the Isla Kingdom was under the jurisdiction of the Sun Ocean Society, considered the true hegemon within Isla’s borders.
In addition to the five kingdoms, there was a neutral state known as Haan Di, governed by a Core Formation lord.
The five sects utilized Haan Di as a platform for communication and negotiation. Although considered neutral, Haan Di held significant authority among the five sects.
The discovery of new Spirit veins in the islands of the Dadangar Western Archipelago inevitably led to conflicts among the five sects. Each sect sought control over the top-class Spirit veins found in some of the islands.
When it seemed like a full-fledged war between all five sects was imminent, the neutral state Haan Di stepped in. It prohibited any sect from directly controlling the new Spirit veins emerging in the Dadangar Archipelago. The deal was clear: anyone attempting to violate this rule would face retaliation from the remaining forces.
Yet, how could the Purple River Sect of the Rokur kingdom and the Sun Ocean Society of the Isla kingdom remain silent? Especially when these two kingdoms had direct access to the Dadangar Western Seas. They were the only ones with sea access, while the other three kingdoms and the neutral state Haan Di were landlocked.
Although Haan Di had prevented direct intervention by the five major sects, they could still send covert representatives to gain access to these new cultivation lands. Alternatively, they could manipulate existing organizations on the islands to align with their interests.
The direct confrontation between the five major sects was averted thanks to Haan Di’s intervention. However, it led to a cold war-like state among them, and the Rokur and Isla Kingdoms were no exception.
The Purple River Sect devised a plan to select candidates from outside the sect within the Rokur Kingdom to act as their representatives in claiming the islands. By doing so, they wouldn’t breach the agreement struck with Haan Di. And at the same time, they would be able to harvest the resources available in the seas.
The sect could claim various resources grown on the islands through these candidates, whom they covertly supported. In exchange, the caretakers of these islands would receive protection from the sect. It was a classic case of quid pro quo.
This arrangement was advantageous for both the Purple River Sect and the Sun Ocean Society. With easy access to the seas, they could better manage the newly emerged cultivation lands and support them effectively.
While the other three kingdoms and their associated sects were aware of the Purple River Sect and Sun Ocean Society’s plans, they were powerless to act against them.
They could only attempt to emulate their strategies to derive some benefits from the islands. However, lacking easy access to the seas made it challenging for them to achieve the same level of success as their counterparts.
In short, the world of Dadangar remained restless and in a constant state of flux, as always. New alliances formed between various organizations, old deals were forgotten, and erstwhile conflicts faded away, only to be replaced by new ones.
Peace and war were fleeting existences, mere stops in human history. Neither was permanent; neither could endure.
Change remained the only constant among mortals and Spirit cultivators.
***
Jiren’s Spirit Garden. Purple River Gate. Cultivation World Dadangar.
Aksai returned to the place he had first visited twelve years ago for a private exchange meeting. Over the years, he had frequented this location for similar gatherings among late-stage Spirit Refiners of various backgrounds.
The Spirit Garden appeared largely unchanged, still boasting its serene pond inhabited by Spirit fish and a nearby gazebo.
The open hall with its white marble-like pillars and pyramid roof remained intact.
Aksai waited by the pond. Looking at the Spirit fish in contemplation as he fed te
Following the recent exchange meeting, most Spirit Refiners had departed, leaving only a select few cultivators engaged in discussions within Jiren’s Spirit garden.
Invited to remain at the Spirit farm after the meeting’s conclusion, Aksai accepted the offer, curious about the ongoing discussions.
Not every day proved fortunate for Aksai; the exchange meeting yielded little for him beyond a wood-element Spirit spell, which he acquired in exchange for some 2nd-order Spirit cultivation resources cultivated within the Everwood farm.
Thankfully, Aksai could still earn plenty of Spirit stones from drifting as well as well-established Spirit cultivators by offering them Everwood farm produce.
From Spirit fish to Spirit grass, he sold a variety of items to Spirit cultivators, earning a sizable income at each exchange meeting.
Aksai also processed Flesh Pumpkins to resemble demon beast meat and sold them at a premium to Spirit cultivators, labeling them as genuine demon beast meat. This trade enabled him to make a small fortune that he accumulated over 12 years.
***
While Dadangar’s five kingdoms boasted many demon beast types, obtaining meat from 1st-order demon beasts was challenging, as they were only found in select regions.
Venturing into these demon-beast territories required seasoned hunters willing to risk their lives. Only the late-stage Spirit Refiners dared to go to these regions all by themselves. The mid-stage Spirit Refiners had to go in groups to raise their chances of survival.
As such, consuming demon beast meat became a symbol of prestige, commanding exorbitant prices due to its rarity and mild Spirit cultivation benefits.
The demon beast meat was treated as one of the rare cultivation resources because of the variety of ways it could be used. Some alchemy experts could use the meat as a raw ingredient to concoct elixirs while others could use it to create various types of talismans.
Despite the lucrative returns, Aksai wouldn’t dare venture into demon beast territories, even for thousands of Spirit stones. However, he had no qualms about posing as an experienced hunter to sell Flesh Pumpkins as genuine demon beast meat.
Fortunately, discerning Spirit cultivators couldn’t distinguish between the two. Upon analysis with their Spirit Sense, they found Flesh Pumpkin meat to be indistinguishable from genuine demon beast meat.
Aksai profited handsomely from selling demon beast meat at exchange meetings without ever having to hunt wild demon beasts.
Thankfully, in this world, there was no one to sue Aksai for selling “vegan meat” as organic meat.