Chapter 435: South Marquis Dragon Python

"It's over. All my life, I've followed the Northern Jin Sword Alliance through countless campaigns, only to find it was all for nothing in the end." Ji Wufeng sighed helplessly, a bitter smile on his face, as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I told you, Ji Wufeng, your selfish desires are too strong. They will ultimately blind you. If you can't let go of your emotions and desires, you'll never reach the pinnacle in this world. Power and ambition will lead you astray."

Ji Wufeng scoffed, "What we couldn't achieve, I don't believe you can either! Xu Yang, the day will come when you regret this. Even if the Northern Jin Sword Alliance declines, as long as Feng Xiu lives, you will end up just like us today. Perhaps you already understand that the divine lineage of Qilin Mountain has begun seeking representatives on the continent. Feng Xiu is undoubtedly the most brilliant among them. Once he truly qualifies to enter Qilin Mountain, none of you will stand a chance."

Xu Yang smiled. "Do you know why I didn't kill him when he led people to invade the Abyss of Ten Thousand Devils, but merely severely wounded him? It was to test your words, to see if this man can defy fate itself! I'm waiting for the day he grows powerful enough to challenge me."

The moment his words fell, the King's Sword, as if understanding its master's intent, descended from the heavens and pierced through Ji Wufeng's body in front of hundreds of thousands of Southern Empire soldiers.

"You two don't even deserve to die by my blade. End yourselves." The Sword Spirit, stepping proudly on Ji Wufeng's corpse, coldly stared at Ji Wufeng's two junior disciples behind him.

As esteemed elders of the Sword Alliance, to be insulted in such a way before death was too much. Before they could act, both old men were overcome with rage. They didn't even manage to spit out the old blood that surged in their chests before their eyes widened and they died on the ground, unable to rest in peace.

"Long live! Long live!"

*Swish, swish, swish!* The moment the battlefield fell silent, countless soldiers all around knelt simultaneously, shouting "Long live!" towards Xu Yang's position in the center of the battlefield.

As this scene unfolded, Long Kun and the others finally understood the true depth of Xu Yang's farsighted strategy.

Had he not used this method, the surrounding soldiers, holding torches, would likely have drawn their blades against Xu Yang and his companions.

Often, approaching the same situation with a different mindset and method can lead to a completely different outcome.

It must be said that this time, Xu Yang taught all his companions a valuable lesson with his formidable strength and extraordinary strategic mind.

A day later, the capital of the Southern Empire was easily conquered by the more than 300,000 border troops led by Xu Yang. Along the way, Xu Yang issued an order: as long as the citizens of the Southern Empire did not resist, not a single soldier would harm them.

As a result, Xu Yang, almost with the aura of a savior backed by a king's army, effortlessly reclaimed the Southern Empire. Everyone associated with the Northern Jin Sword Alliance was completely eliminated.

From that point on, the shadow of Northern Jin that had loomed over the Southern Empire completely vanished.

Inside the Southern Empire's imperial palace.

"Long Mang, from today forward, the Southern Empire will be renamed the Southern Domain of the Sky-Blue Empire, abbreviated as Southern Royal Capital. It will be your exclusive fief. You will be granted the title of Southern Duke, governing the entire Southern Domain and reporting directly to the Emperor's Heart Headquarters at Mount Qianyun. I entrust you with the vast southern expanse of the Three Thousand Dao States, stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles."

Long Mang immediately knelt on one knee, bowing to express gratitude for Xu Yang's benevolence.

In truth, everyone knew that Xu Yang had no interest in such superficial titles. The bestowed title would simply make it easier for Long Mang to manage affairs in the future. More importantly, Long Mang was not part of Xu Yang's core team; he was now primarily assisting Xu Yang with mundane matters.

After all, Long Mang was a beast-form. Unlike human cultivators who needed continuous combat and experience to improve their cultivation, beasts like him merely needed to eat and drink well, which already counted as a form of cultivation for them.

Upon returning to Mount Qianyun, Xu Yang spent a day specifically helping Long Mang cleanse its marrow, bringing it a step closer to truly transforming into a dragon.

As there were many matters to attend to in the Southern Domain, which was formerly an entire empire, Long Mang immediately became busy. Xu Yang did not linger, quickly departing with Long Kun and the other members of his team. Their next destination was the Northern Empire.

Before entering the Northern territories, Xu Yang already had a thorough understanding of the relevant intelligence for the region.

It is worth noting that the Northern territories differed from the South. Being closer to the barbarian frontiers of the entire Three Thousand Dao States, this region was home to numerous foreign and diverse tribes. They would frequently dispatch groups to harass the border, making the situation far more complex than in the South.

Previously, the Sword Alliance under Feng Xiu had only overthrown the former dynasty's rule before leaving the area shortly thereafter. They merely stationed a portion of their controlled military forces at the Northern border passes, without truly tidying up the mess they left behind.

Xu Yang led Long Kun and the others directly to the Northern border city, immediately meeting with the commanding general guarding the city.

The defending general, Murong Jian, was a true hero of the Northern Empire, known for his integrity and character. Regrettably, his ancestors were all from the Northern Jin Sword Alliance and had secretly conspired to betray the interests of the Northern Empire's original royal family to the Alliance, facilitating the Alliance's overthrow of the previous monarchy.

Murong Jian, however, was an anomaly who remained loyal to the monarch. As a result, he broke ties with his family and was directly expelled from the imperial capital's core by the Murong clan's high-ranking members, reassigned to the frontier.

From then on, until the capital was seized by the Sword Alliance and the Northern Empire's former ruler was tragically overthrown, Murong Jian was unable to return to the capital.

It was only after Xu Yang had acquired all this relevant information that he decided to head straight to the border and seek out Murong Jian, knowing he was someone who could handle responsibilities.

"General! A few people have arrived outside, saying they wish to see you."

A silver-armored guard entered the tent to report. Murong Jian was still cultivating and merely replied with two indifferent words: "Not seeing."

"General Murong, your vital energy has been stagnant in your Dantian and several key acupoints, like Taichong, for too many years. Its circulation is severely obstructed. If this continues, your decades of cultivation foundation might be ruined."

Xu Yang's voice clearly poured down from directly above. The sound wave was so powerful that it instantly pierced through Murong Jian's proud protective true essence, forcibly disrupting his intention to continue cultivating as if no one else was present.

"Who goes there? Show yourself at once."

Faced with Xu Yang's display, Murong Jian knew he couldn't be overly impolite. When a true master arrived, he would never act rashly and disrespectfully.

He slowly opened his eyes and rose. Xu Yang and his companions had already stepped into the tent.

"I wondered who possessed such a formidable presence. It is none other than Xu Yang, leader of the Sky-Blue Empire. Murong Jian offers his respects."

As he spoke, he respectfully cupped his fists and bowed to Xu Yang, acting with great courtesy.

Witnessing this, Long Kun and Ling Yao beside him couldn't help but exchange glances, their faces filled with disbelief.

They had originally thought that since he was associated with the Northern Jin Sword Alliance, he wouldn't be so courteous to their side.