Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1126 - Dynamics of the azure sapphire kingdom (2)

1126: Dynamics of the azure sapphire kingdom (2)

1126: Dynamics of the azure sapphire kingdom (2)

As Yang Qing sifted through the information, he couldn’t help but smile in appreciation.

This was exactly why he had reached out to the Flying Shadow Hawks—the quality of the report was impeccable.

It had everything he needed, so thorough and well-detailed that if someone told him it had been written by the noble family heads themselves, he would have a hard time refuting it.

Quickly pushing aside his wandering thoughts, he refocused on the information at hand.

Aside from the Five Great Noble Families, there were also the Eight Minor Nobles, which included the Dong, Qing, Cheng, Luo, Yi, Hou, Zhao, and Huang families.

Though those eight were dubbed the Eight Minor Nobles of Azure Sapphire Kingdom, that title was a misnomer for their true abilities when evaluated in a larger context.

Had they existed anywhere else but the Azure Sapphire Kingdom, with the power they possessed, they could have been considered a major power.

Take the weakest of the eight—the Huang family.

They had thirteen palace realm experts, with their strongest reaching the sixth stage of the palace realm.

That level of power alone placed them far above the entirety of the Red Maple Empire before its domain-level founder came into the picture.

And that was just the weakest among them.

One could only imagine the strength the other seven possessed…

and then, there were the Five Great Noble Families.

Reading through their power dynamics, Yang Qing could see why these five families had earned their title.

For one, every single one of them had multiple late-stage palace realm experts, and they collectively boasted more palace realm cultivators than the rest.

That was to be expected—after all, they were the biggest beneficiaries of the noble families that had fallen.

Most of the conquered territories and resources had been devoured by these five, while only scraps and leftovers trickled down to the Eight Minor Nobles.

The strength gap among the Five Great Noble Families was relatively even, unlike the Eight Minor Nobles, where a significant disparity existed between the weakest and the strongest.

The Huang family, at the bottom, couldn’t compare to the Dong family, which sat at the top.

The Dong family alone had a seventh-stage palace realm expert and a total of fifteen palace realm cultivators.

While that number wasn’t far off from the Huang family’s thirteen, the difference in quality was immense.

The Dong family had more mid-stage palace realm experts, with three even reaching the sixth stage—the same level as the strongest member of the Huang family.

But that same dynamic didn’t hold among the Five Great Noble Families.

Their overall strength and composition had been more or less equal.

At least…

it had been.

That changed fourteen months ago.

Yang Qing wasn’t sure if the other noble families were aware of this or if it was a secret known only to the Order, which had been closely investigating the matter for years.

Given the weight of the situation and the current climate of the Azure Sapphire Kingdom, Yang Qing leaned toward the latter.

It was likely that they had no idea that the Wan family head, Wan Cheng, had already reached the peak of the palace realm and had gone into seclusion thirteen months ago to attempt a breakthrough to the domain realm.

According to the Flying Shadow Hawks member who uncovered this information, Wan Cheng’s chances of success were estimated to be at least 60%.

That percentage alone spoke volumes.

It suggested that his accumulations were solid, and had he been attempting a breakthrough to any realm other than the domain realm, his success rate would have been nearly guaranteed.

But breaking into the domain realm was a different matter entirely.

That threshold was infamous for claiming the lives of even the most well-prepared cultivators.

To be given a 60% chance was a testament to Wan Cheng’s foundation and abilities.

If he succeeded, then the plan the other nobles had devised—to fracture the kingdom completely and rule their territories independently—would be as good as dead in the water.

This was why Yang Qing believed the other noble families were likely unaware of Wan Cheng’s true strength or current state.

He most likely possessed an artifact that concealed his cultivation, even from the senses of other late-stage palace realm experts.

“The negotiations for a truce couldn’t have come at a better time,” Yang Qing muttered.

A truce meant less chaos, and less chaos meant fewer reasons for Wan Cheng to intervene or hold the fort.

That allowed him to focus entirely on preparing for his breakthrough to the domain realm.

Yang Qing couldn’t help but wonder if Wan Cheng’s use of the Bluefin Spine-tailed Swift Escort Agency for his business dealings had been more than just a convenience.

Perhaps it was a cover—something to keep the other nobles’ eyes on the shifts in his territory rather than on him personally.

Regardless of whether that was true, the revelation about Wan Cheng’s strength changed things where Bai Chen was concerned.

For one, it allowed Yang Qing to officially rule out the Wan family as a suspect in Bai Chen’s disappearance. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Earlier, Yang Qing had entertained the idea that the Wan family might have been involved—his suspicions not resting on Wan Cheng himself, but rather, other members of the clan.

Given what he had seen in countless other cultivation clans, he had considered the possibility of factional strife, where someone within the Wan family might have acted against Bai Chen to weaken the clan head’s position.

However, Wan Cheng’s strength completely debunked that theory.

His sheer strength alone ensured that no one within the clan would dare act against him, and with his imminent breakthrough to the domain realm already in sight, internal dissent was even less likely to fester.

The clan would undoubtedly be united under one banner—after all, producing a domain expert was not only securing a legacy but also producing a dynasty.

If Wan Cheng succeeded, the landscape would change drastically, not just for him but for his entire clan.

It was only natural that they would throw their full support behind him to ensure his breakthrough.

“Things are about to change there…” Yang Qing muttered softly, sighing as he finally understood why the Azure Sapphire Kingdom’s report was so up to date.

With the number of silent waves brewing in the Azure Sapphire Kingdom, it was only natural that the Order would keep a close watch.

That thought was only further reinforced when Yang Qing read about the royal family.

Just like the Wan family, they had concealed their true strength—perhaps even more so.

Not only did they possess two quasi-domain experts, but they also had seven peak-stage palace realm experts, yet they had remained inactive.

Despite their overwhelming strength, they had yet to make a move.

Yang Qing didn’t even need to guess their intentions.

Just like Wan Cheng, they were likely biding their time, aiming to produce a domain expert and settle things once and for all.

Who knows—perhaps that was precisely why Wan Cheng had chosen to attempt his breakthrough.

Maybe he sensed the royal family’s hidden power and realized he needed to act before they did.

One thing was certain—change was coming to the Azure Sapphire Kingdom.

Would the kingdom gain a new ruler, or would the previous one reclaim what was theirs?

Only time would tell.