Chapter 1192: A Soul's Thousand-Year Homecoming
Chapter 1192: A Soul's Thousand-Year Homecoming
Although the Sage Dynasty of Great Qi was expanding its strength at a staggering rate, it was still far from ready to go head-to-head with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance or the Five Elders Council. Therefore, the initial phase of their plan remained focused on infiltration and subversion.
In the great upheaval that had shaken the Xuanhuang Realm over six months ago, the Immortal Alliance had lost a considerable number of its rank-and-file cultivators. Rumors were already circulating that the Alliance planned to expand its recruitment during the upcoming entrance examinations to compensate for these losses.
Li Ping had already selected a group of promising candidates, preparing to seize this opportunity to plant them within the ranks of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
While low-level cultivators might seem insignificant, they could act like termites, slowly eating away at the Alliance's internal structure. As time went on, and as their cultivation and accomplishments grew, so too would their positions, allowing them to cause progressively greater damage and exert more influence.
The investment was minimal, yet the potential returns were immense. It was a strategy where more was always better.
The network of golden source power would ensure these agents could not only infiltrate the Alliance successfully but also remain under his complete control from start to finish.
It allowed for the exchange of information, and even resources, without any need for physical contact.
This method of communication was far more covert and secure than anything the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance or the Five Elders Council employed; they would never detect it.
All of the most promising cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm over the next century had to be brought under his control. If they could not be made to serve him, they were to be eliminated at the earliest opportunity.
He could even take it a step further, pinning the assassinations on the Five Elders Council.
Then, he could simply sit back and watch the tigers fight...
While employing various stratagems to weaken the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, Li Ping had no intention of slowing the Sage Dynasty's own development.
Once the population of the You Clan reached a sufficient size and enough pure golden source power had been gathered, Li Ping planned to use it to enhance the Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits Array. He would transform the Great Qi's small world into a truly impregnable fortress, hidden and adrift in the void.
He could feel it. Ever since brilliant minds from the Xuanhuang Realm like Master Yin and Ou Daozi had come to serve him in the Great Qi, the dynasty's destiny, which had stagnated at a bottleneck, now showed signs of another breakthrough.
This was a classic case of one power waning as another waxed; he had literally devoured the good fortune that once belonged to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Still, it wasn't enough to trigger the next stage of advancement.
Devouring fortune from the outside world required time and accumulation, but the inherent limitations of the Great Qi small world itself were also a major constraint. Perhaps, he mused, it was time to consider upgrading the world itself.
With a thought, Li Ping returned to the Sacred Emperor's throne.
Moments later, Sun Erlang, wreathed in a chilling, murderous aura, appeared before him.
The courageous youth of yesteryear had matured into the Sage Dynasty's god of slaughter, a name that struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it.
As the commander of the Sage Dynasty's imperial army, he had conquered countless worlds. Over the years, an untold number of souls from other small worlds had met a gruesome end at his hands.
"Greetings, Master!" Sun Erlang declared, dropping to one knee.
"How goes the construction of the Myriad Worlds Spirit Array?" Li Ping inquired.
"Eleven are complete. Six are still under construction," Sun Erlang replied, his words clipped and precise as he simultaneously transmitted the detailed report via his divine sense.
"For now, halt the conquests. We have expanded too quickly and need time to consolidate our gains. In those new worlds, any who harbor the slightest thought of resistance are to be killed without mercy. I don't want our own backyard catching fire when the real war with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance begins."
The implication in Li Ping's words sent a jolt through Sun Erlang.
Although he had always known his master's ambitions were vast, this was the first time Li Ping had explicitly mentioned a plan of conquest against the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. For Sun Erlang, who had grown bored of subjugating lesser worlds—a task as easy as slicing through melons—the prospect was instantly electrifying.
Li Ping saw through Sun Erlang's thoughts at a glance.
"When all you've seen are sheep, it's easy to believe the world is full of them," he said coolly. "Never mind the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—there are hidden worlds within the Xuanhuang Realm that our Sage Dynasty could not hope to match in its current state." He then pointed a finger toward Sun Erlang.
"I want you to take a journey to this location. It is the hidden sanctuary of the ancient Tai Yan Sect. See if you can persuade them to join our cause."
"The Tai Yan Sect..." Sun Erlang murmured, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Go," Li Ping instructed. "The place is... unusual. You'll understand when you arrive. Do not force the issue. My only goal is for you to temper some of that arrogance in your heart."
His approach to mentoring Sun Erlang was different from his strategy with Ou Shangtian. When Sun Erlang's path began to stray, Li Ping chose to intervene directly and set him straight.
This was partly due to his deeper bond with Sun Erlang, but also because he needed a powerful eldest disciple capable of keeping the others in line.
It was only natural that he would invest more effort in his training.
"I hope the boy learns something from this trip to the Tai Yan Sect," Li Ping mused, seated upon his throne.
Following the Sacred Emperor's instructions, Sun Erlang made his way to the tomb of Yi Xing.
After gathering the man's skeletal remains and the white papers scattered across the ground, he proceeded directly toward his destination.
"I never imagined there was a tomb of an ancient cultivator right here in Great Qi's territory," he pondered along the way. "I wonder what purpose these papers serve, that Master specifically told me to collect them." He studied them carefully but could find nothing remarkable about them.
Pushing his confusion aside, Sun Erlang soon arrived at his destination.
Taihua Province, Taixuan Mountain.
"Master said the entrance to the Tai Yan Sect is hidden somewhere within this mountain?" he wondered.
He searched the entire area but found no trace of a spatial passage, leaving him in a bind.
He could, of course, simply tear a path through the mountain with brute force, but that hardly seemed appropriate for an envoy sent to persuade them to join an alliance. Damaging their home would be a poor start...
After some consideration, Sun Erlang decided against acting rashly.
Instead, he found a spot on Taixuan Mountain with auspicious geomancy.
He dug a simple grave and took out Yi Xing's bones.
Just as he was about to lay them to rest...
A figure appeared silently behind him.
*He's here*, Sun Erlang thought, though outwardly he feigned alarm. "Who's there?!" he demanded, whirling around.
The figure ignored Sun Erlang, his gaze fixed on Yi Xing's skeleton.
He seemed lost in memory, remaining motionless for a long time.
Sun Erlang was no fool; he knew not to disturb someone whose power felt so profound.
He simply waited in patient silence.
"If only you had waited a few more years, big brother," the figure finally sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "Perhaps everything would have been different."
With a wave of his sleeve, Yi Xing's bones vanished. He then turned to Sun Erlang.
"Young man, what brings you here?"
Sun Erlang looked at the man's face, which appeared to be as young as his own. After a moment's hesitation, he stated his purpose plainly.
(End of this chapter)
Comments