Although Lu Chen had already relinquished control over the political affairs of Great Sum, with all matters being handled by Lu Changfeng and the other officials, his grip on the empire remained very firm.
Especially the Brocade Guard, which was still under his command, had expanded its reach. Members of the Brocade Guard were now present within all the major Sects, and Lu Chen was well informed about their movements.
In recent years, the influence of Sects over Cultivators had waned significantly, and the number of talented Disciples they could recruit had become fewer and fewer, to the point where many Sects struggled to recruit any Disciples at all.
Even though Su Hanyan was the Emperor's woman, the plight of the Misty Immortal Sect wasn't much better. The first choice of Cultivators in their cultivation path was now the Cultivation Academies, followed only then by the major Sects' influence.
