Three thousand branch halls!
When Jiang Chen heard that number, he couldn't help but smile wryly. Did that many branch halls really mean anything?
Drawing on his experience from his previous life, Jiang Chen knew full well that what made a power strong wasn't the breadth of its territory or the size of its domain. It was whether that force possessed a spiritual spark—a powerful system of inheritance that drew every member into its orbit, binding their lives and deaths around that legacy. Only such a force could achieve true and lasting strength.
Blind expansion—seizing territory and pushing borders outward—might look impressive on paper, but that kind of paper strength was utterly useless when it mattered most.
If a sect's core inheritance collapsed, all the territory in the world was just so much froth. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
"The higher-ups of the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect are either lunatics or madmen. Forget three thousand branch halls—even thirty thousand would be meaningless if they couldn't command genuine loyalty. All of it would be froth."
Jiang Chen shook his head with a soft sigh. He knew that compared to the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, the Treasure Tree Sect was far too insignificant.
Under the iron fist of a first-grade sect like the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, no matter how united or defiant the Treasure Tree Sect might be, it simply couldn't hope to withstand them.
The real question was how much the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect was willing to invest in establishing this branch hall.
Huang'er was secretly surprised. If anyone else Jiang Chen's age had spoken these words, she would have dismissed them as empty boasting—pretentious talk meant to sound profound.
But coming from Jiang Chen, everything he said felt natural and effortless, the product of genuine contemplation rather than hot air.
"If Elder Shun could hear your insights, he would certainly consider you a kindred spirit, Young Master Jiang. It's true—the truly formidable forces in this world aren't those arrogant sects with tentacles reaching into every corner. They are the hidden powers that stay concealed. And when such forces finally move, the sun and moon change color, mountains and rivers shatter, and even the very order of things can unravel..."
"Oh?" Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "Miss Huang'er, are you saying the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, even as a first-grade sect, isn't the strongest power on the Divine Abyss Continent?"
Huang'er gave a soft laugh and nodded slightly.
But she didn't elaborate further. It wasn't shyness or an affectation of mystery—she simply didn't want to say too much and risk disrupting Jiang Chen's Dao heart.
Then again, Jiang Chen's curiosity was purely about the composition of this world. As for how powerful these forces were, he genuinely wasn't that concerned.
After all, no matter how mighty a force might be, it was still just one continental plane. And no matter how powerful a single plane might be, it existed beneath the Myriad Heavens.
"You shouldn't worry too much, Young Master Jiang. A genius like you is only held back by the limitations of the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. If you had been born in the Upper Eight Regions, you would surely already be famous throughout the world. But one's origins only matter in the early stages. The path of martial cultivation is long—with your talent, you'll inevitably catch up and become one of the figures who shape the destiny of the Divine Abyss Continent."
Huang'er said this partly to praise him and partly to encourage him, worried that his spirits might be dampened.
Jiang Chen flashed a carefree smile. "There's no need to worry about me, Miss Huang'er. I've never troubled myself over my origins. And I strongly agree with what you said—birth is never the issue. The road of martial cultivation is long, and the one who starts running first doesn't necessarily reach the finish line."
Seeing Jiang Chen's such open-minded attitude, Huang'er smiled brightly. She had been worried about affecting his Dao heart, but it seemed she had been overthinking it.
Just as they were talking, Gouyu's voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
"Sister Huang'er, is my young master here? Elder Chonglou and Elder Qianye are looking for him."
"It's Sister Gouyu."
Huang'er rose gracefully, walked to the door, and opened it, then took Gouyu by the arm and led her inside.
"Young master."
Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "Keep Huang'er company for a while. I'll go see what the elders want."
Huang'er smiled without a word, watching Jiang Chen's retreating figure with a gentle smile on her face.
Gouyu giggled. "Sister Huang'er, the way you're watching my young master—have you taken a fancy to him?"
The two young women had spent enough time together that, despite their vastly different personalities, they had gotten along remarkably well.
Gouyu was bold and spirited, decisive and straightforward, daring to love and hate openly, never mincing her words.
Huang'er was poised and gracious, understanding and considerate, giving everyone around her a warm, spring-breeze feeling.
When Gouyu teased her like this, Huang'er merely gave a soft laugh. Her lively eyes, framed by long lashes that fluttered a few times, were as clear as autumn water—free of any impurity. There was no anger, no melancholy, no vexation.
"Sister Gouyu, your young master is no ordinary fish in a pond. I'm sure countless maidens across the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance are already besotted with him. Would you really want to add to his troubles?"
Her tone was light and playful, but she deftly deflected Gouyu's teasing.
Gouyu sighed softly. "I can't speak for other maidens. But Elder Chonglou's closed-door disciple, Consort Dan, is deeply devoted to my young master. Only, she's been nowhere to be seen lately—no one knows where she's gone."
Gouyu and Consort Dan had once exchanged sharp words at the Jiang residence, but Gouyu knew Consort Dan bore no real malice, and she didn't dislike her.
In truth, when Gouyu had confessed her feelings to Jiang Chen, her admiration and affection had been real, but it had been driven even more by gratitude and a promise made before the Hidden Dragon Examination.
Now, having had time to calm down, Gouyu had gained a clear understanding of her own position. She knew that the gap between herself and Jiang Chen was not a small one.
In all fairness, no matter which angle she looked at it from, she was not a suitable match for Jiang Chen.