It is said that every time The Northstar Pavilion wields the Seven Star Sword, a tremendous price must be paid, but the secrets behind this are never revealed to outsiders.

　　Ranked third is the Mirror Heaven Eight Trigrams of Hidden Mist Mountain, a divine artifact with boundless mystical uses.

　　Hidden Mist Mountain is also one of the Nine Heavens, and the Mirror Heaven Eight Trigrams is a legendary artifact said to have fallen from the Immortal Realm. Rumor has it that the only reason the Mirror Heaven Eight Trigrams is ranked below the Seven Star Sword is because the Ten Thousand Treasures Record was authored by The Northstar Pavilion. In terms of true power, it is certainly not inferior.

　　These distant divine artifacts are things one never encounters in daily life, and thus stir little feeling. The one Liam Carter sees most often is ranked fifty-seventh.

　　Phoenix Spirit Blood Jade.

　　Formed from the condensed essence blood of an ancient divine phoenix, wearing it nourishes the body, and when using magical powers, it grants the aura of the divine phoenix, greatly increasing killing power.

　　This treasure is embedded in the chest of his master, Charlotte Carter.

Chapter 008: Forming a Team

　　The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces records major events in the world of cultivation.

　　The most sensational event last month was when the head of Hidden Mist Mountain, Ethan Carter, emerged from seclusion and fought a great battle at Furnace Mountain against the left and right guardians of The Dark Lord Sect, directly slaying the Silver King and gravely wounding the Marquis of Purple Gold, who fled.

　　As one of the great demonic sects, The Dark Lord Sect has been growing ever stronger in recent years, even showing signs of coming into the open. This bold move by Ethan Carter dealt them a major blow. No one knows how the mysterious sect master of The Dark Lord Sect will respond.

　　Another event concerns one of the Ten Great Sects, Three Peaks Valley, where a new female disciple named Emma Reed has emerged, known for her ruthless methods. Roaming the southern lands, she has wiped out three evil witchcraft sects in just one month.

　　The key is that Three Peaks Valley itself is known for its mastery of witchcraft and poisons, straddling the line between good and evil. With Emma Reed so fiercely opposed to evil, one wonders if her fellow disciples are trembling in fear.

　　The Carter Sect also made an appearance in this month's Chronicles, though only in passing: the Jade Sword Peak Master of The Carter Sect, Henry Walker, recently slew a troublemaking flood dragon in the East Sea that had been endangering fishing boats.

　　Upon seeing this news, Liam Carter suddenly felt a pang of worry. His master has always been at odds with Henry Walker, and knowing her temperament, it's hard to imagine she would sit idly by while Henry Walker took the spotlight.

　　He wasn't worried about his master's safety, just a bit concerned for the East Sea's ecosystem...

　　As if sensing something in the air, just as this thought arose, a blaze of fire shot up in the distance toward the southeast, and a voice drifted on the wind: "I'll be away for a few days—take care of yourself!"

　　"..." Liam Carter fell silent for a moment.

　　Such a proud master.

　　Finally, there is the "Tales of the Martial World," the section most beloved by the people.

　　Compared to the serious and formal "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces," "Tales of the Martial World" is more entertaining, mostly gossip and side stories.

　　For example, the first item reports that the Emperor of Yu recently visited Shenglong Academy and tried to arrange a marriage between his youngest daughter, Princess Jingyang, and the academy's top disciple, Michael Bolton, only to be refused.

　　His reason: romantic entanglements would interfere with his studies.

　　Shenglong Academy is the foremost Confucian institution, backed by the imperial court, and ranks among the top of the Ten Great Sects. As the academy's top disciple, Michael Bolton is assured a brilliant future, whether he chooses to focus on cultivation or enter government service. This refusal, however, has suddenly cast his prospects into uncertainty.

　　The emperor is not the only father troubled by his daughter's marriage.

　　The lord of Thunder Fortress, one of the Ten Great Sects, has also announced that he is willing to offer ten great treasures as a dowry to recruit a worthy son-in-law for his only daughter, Lily Howard, yet no hero in the Nine Provinces dares to accept.

　　Of course, there is a hidden reason for this.

　　After all, this is the son-in-law of Thunder Fortress—even if he were a live-in son-in-law, there would be no shortage of outstanding young talents vying for the position.

　　The real reason no one dares to come forward is that Lily Howard has long declared that anyone wishing to marry her had better have a higher cultivation than hers, or else on the very first day, he will become food for her dragon-toothed mammoth.

　　Among the many anecdotes, Carter Mountain is mentioned only once.

　　It is said that the fairy of Carter Mountain, Emily Foster, was seen dining with Grace Carter of The King Sect at Drunken Moon Tower in Jiangnan, sparking rumors of a possible romance.

　　Of course, The Northstar Pavilion never fabricates baseless stories; until their relationship is confirmed, they will only use "rumored" to describe it.

　　Still, one can imagine that even this single piece of news is enough to break the hearts of many fans of Olivia Foster.

　　……

　　"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

　　"My Sophia Foster could never be stolen away by that rascal from The King Sect!"

　　"Olivia Foster! Please! Keep your love in The Carter Sect!"

　　"......"

　　On the vast white plaza in front of Wuliang Palace, desperate cries could be heard from time to time.

　　Occasionally, female disciples would retort.

　　"You all like Olivia Foster, but there's no need to belittle Grace Carter, is there? He's the ideal man—hardworking and kind!"

　　"Exactly, exactly! At nineteen, he's already the top contender for chief of The King Sect. When will you sour lemons ever catch up to him?"

　　"......"

　　The joys and sorrows of people do not connect; Liam Carter only found their quarrel noisy.