Chapter 861: Submission |
In the upper echelons of the North Sweeping Grand Army of the Dali Dynasty, many suggested launching a massive offensive to pursue Jade Sword Sect while they were weak. Even if they couldn't completely annihilate Jade Sword Sect, they could inflict heavy damage and eliminate its main forces.
Their argument had merit, as leaving a potential enemy alive could lead to future troubles.
For cultivators, thousands of years were nothing, and they would never forget past grievances.
Jade Sword Sect's decision to abandon its ancestral heritage and retreat overseas must be borne from deep resentment.
In the future, given the opportunity, they would undoubtedly return and cause trouble for the Dali Dynasty.
To prevent future threats, they had to uproot the problem and eradicate it entirely.
The commander of the North Sweeping Grand Army, Zhang Wei, held the rank of Grand Marshal and vetoed the proposal against the majority's opinion.
It wasn't that he wanted to spare Jade Sword Sect, but he didn't want to create unnecessary branches and complications.
With the strength and resources of Jade Sword Sect, once a war broke out, it would not end quickly.
In his position, Zhang Wei knew many of Dali Dynasty's secrets and keenly understood the weight of his responsibilities.
His most crucial task now was to conquer the entire Jiuqu League as quickly as possible, incorporating this vast territory under the rule of the Dali Dynasty.
Even if some regions maintained semi-independent status, as long as they nominally acknowledged Dali Dynasty's sovereignty, Zhang Wei could accept it reluctantly.
In reality, if Jade Sword Sect hadn't fled in haste but stayed to negotiate with the Dali Dynasty, they might have surrendered under more lenient conditions.
This was a secret known only to a few trusted vassals within the Dali Dynasty, those who were favored by Ba Wudi the most. The more extensive the territory ruled by Ba Wudi's Dominating Grand Dao, and the more subjects he had, the greater his control over the power of the Grand Dao.
Ba Wudi had been striving to achieve the Yang God realm for a long time, and his breakthrough to the Return to Emptiness realm was getting closer.
At such a critical juncture, there could be no room for carelessness.
The Holy Land Sects would not sit idly by and watch Ba Wudi become a Return to Emptiness great power; they would undoubtedly try to sabotage him.
Zhang Wei needed to conquer the Jiuqu League quickly to save time for Ba Wudi.
He was aware that such a conquest might not be complete and could leave some potential problems for the future. However, once they had the opportunity, they could gradually reorganize and remove all resistance.
The top priority for the Dali Dynasty was to ensure Ba Wudi's success in becoming a Return to Emptiness great power.
Once he succeeded, the Dali Dynasty would gain the confidence to stand on equal footing with those Holy Land Sects.
Perhaps, the Dali Dynasty itself might become the new Holy Land.
Due to Zhang Wei's strict orders, the North Sweeping Grand Army of the Dali Dynasty had not made any moves yet.
As Jade Sword Sect's withdrawal was almost complete, the North Sweeping Grand Army advanced into the northern territories of the Jiuqu League one by one.
Along the way, all the cultivation forces surrendered without resistance, pledging their allegiance, joyfully welcoming the army.
The North Sweeping Grand Army easily swept through the northern part of the Jiuqu League, occupying strategic points effortlessly.
Jade Sword Sect's retreat was hasty, and they only took away the more portable resources. The spirit veins, spirit fields, and mineral deposits were left untouched and intact for the North Sweeping Grand Army.
Even Jade Sword Sect's mountain gate mostly remained intact and fell into the hands of the North Sweeping Grand Army.
Just as the North Sweeping Grand Army was celebrating this easy victory, a tremendous trouble suddenly descended upon them.
At the border between the Yuan Tu Great Prairie and the Jiuqu League, Fei Guo True Monarch of Jade Sword Sect led a large army of cultivators in a standoff with the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's forces.
These cultivators were not fools; they quickly discovered that the cultivators of Jade Sword Sect had disappeared without a trace. After the initial panic, most of them scattered and returned to their respective homes.
The Barbarian Clan's army on the opposite side noticed the emptiness and immediately launched a fierce attack. With little effort, the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan army destroyed the enemy's resistance. They advanced towards the heartland of the Jiuqu League, breaking through several strongholds with minimal resistance.
With Jade Sword Sect's retreat, the entire Jiuqu League had already submitted to the Dali Dynasty. Regardless of whether it was the southern or northern regions, the Jiuqu League had become the territory of the Dali Dynasty.
The Dali Dynasty would not tolerate the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's wanton behavior and senseless destruction on their own soil. By occupying the Jiuqu League, the Dali Dynasty now faced the trouble of dealing with the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan.
With their locust-like behavior, wherever the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan passed, they would plunder everything and leave devastation behind. The Dali Dynasty couldn't afford to be complacent and immediately organized a large army to counter the Barbarian Clan's forces.
Regardless of their previous relationship or any collusion, now the Dali Dynasty and the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan were enemies.
Meng Zhang had been closely monitoring Jade Sword Sect's movements and initially had some worries. However, after receiving information from Wen Dong True Monarch, he learned that Jade Sword Sect had already retreated overseas. At this point, Meng Zhang could finally put his mind at ease.
Taiyi Sect's alliance with the Dali Dynasty no longer needed to be concealed. Even before the North Sweeping Grand Army of the Dali Dynasty entered the northern part of the Jiuqu League, Taiyi Sect had already displayed the Dali Dynasty's banner, expressing their submission.
As the Dali Dynasty's North Sweeping Grand Army entered the northern region of the Jiuqu League, they received everything left behind by Jade Sword Sect. The entire Jiuqu League had almost completely submitted.
Despite the numerous cultivation forces in the Jiuqu League, hardly anyone dared to challenge the Dali Dynasty. At most, they would follow Jade Sword Sect's example and abandon everything, migrating to other places.
For example, the fragmented Azure Origin Sect had migrated from the northern part of the Jiuqu League to the Grand Crossing Cultivation Circle. After losing their Primordial Spirit True Monarch, they had fallen to a Gold Core sect.
Those who were unwilling to surrender to the Dali Dynasty like the Azure Origin Sect fled again and migrated to the Grand Dust World, hoping to find a place to settle.
With the vastness of the Grand Dust World, it was hoped that they could find a safe haven.
The Dali Dynasty was busy integrating the territories and had no spare time to deal with those who fled, let alone the intention to eradicate them. A group of defeated dogs had escaped; could they still pose a threat to the Dali Dynasty?
Especially after the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's invasion of the Jiuqu League, the Dali Dynasty's North Sweeping Grand Army had to shift its main focus to dealing with the Barbarian Clan.
Taiyi Sect was originally in a standoff with the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's forces and became exceptionally vigilant at this moment.
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