ragginovel Chapter 2505: The Master
Chapter 2505: The Master
Chapter 2505: The Master
"Auntie, Qian'er did everything as you instructed, and there were no problems, right?"
Princess Yuan dismissed everyone. A female cultivator walked out from the inner hall. She immediately stepped forward and embraced the female cultivator, looking charming and innocent.
The female cultivator is Yu Ying.
Yu Ying gently flicked Princess Yuan's nose, "You're becoming more and more capable; no wonder His Majesty values you so much."
“Hehe,” Princess Yuan turned around gracefully, leaning against the throne, her jade legs swinging gently. “Giving me the title of princess means you value me? I’m not stupid. You just want me to work for your grand ambitions.”
"You're already someone else's ancestor, yet you still don't behave properly!" The throne was wide, and Yu Ying sat down next to her, helping her tuck in the exposed hem of her skirt.
Princess Yuan lay directly on her lap, her waist and hips curving into a breathtaking shape. "Aunt, you still haven't told me how you escaped."
"You're not worried about your aunt's safety at all," Yu Ying said reproachfully.
"Aunt's spirit clone is still fine. If it had encountered any life-threatening danger, it would have been reborn by now," Princess Yuan said dismissively.
Yu Ying shook her head secretly. She knew her own situation best. If she had been swallowed by the false immortal mansion back then, that method might not have been able to help her escape.
So many experts are trapped inside, their fates unknown. Don't others have any backup plans?
Pulling herself back to reality, Yu Ying said softly, "When I first followed them into the forbidden area, I was quite cautious, deliberately lagging behind so that I could be the first to escape if we encountered danger ahead. Of course, I still have to thank a benefactor for ultimately managing to escape unscathed."
This was an excuse she had already prepared.
She paused, then said seriously, "Qian'er, don't tell anyone that your aunt is back!"
"Don't worry, Auntie, Qian'er knows what's important!"
Princess Yuan also put away her playful expression and asked solemnly, then changed her tone, "Aunt, is the noble person you mentioned the leader of the Five Thunder Sect?"
These days, Yu Ying has given her many strange orders that contradict His Majesty's decrees. She should have conquered Jiao Sheng Kingdom in one fell swoop, but instead, she deliberately lingered here, wasting time. She also threatened the surrounding countries to send troops, which clearly had no real purpose.
“You are quite clever,” Yu Ying nodded.
“Since the leader of the Five Thunder Sect is my aunt’s benefactor, we can no longer attack the Horned Sage Kingdom. But is His Majesty willing to give up?” Princess Yuan asked, frowning.
“In a few days, I will bring the leader of the Five Thunder Sect to meet His Majesty. I believe His Majesty will be sensible,” Yu Ying said, worried that Princess Yuan might underestimate Qin Sang and inadvertently offend him. “The fact that the Three Kings of Zhu Qian were ultimately trapped in the forbidden area is also related to that person.”
"what?"
Princess Yuan was stunned, "That person's strength..."
“Far superior to Aunt!” Yu Ying said in a deep voice, “When you see the sect leader in the future, remember not to be impolite.”
……
Just as the armies of Jiaosheng Kingdom and Yingshen Kingdom were locked in a stalemate, the ruler of Qionghua Kingdom actively lobbied neighboring countries to jointly send troops to attack Jiaosheng Kingdom.
Meanwhile, spies from various countries also reported that the Kingdom of Horned Life was being pressed forward step by step by the army of the Kingdom of Shadow God, and now it only had the ability to barely defend itself. This was only because the Kingdom of Shadow God did not want to pay too high a price.
The current Kingdom of Horned Life is like a sinking ship, and no one can board it at this time. However, surrendering to the Kingdom of Shadow Gods is not what they want either.
However, the current situation does not allow any nation to remain unaffected. Ambitious individuals have already sensed the impending chaos and recognized the reality. Regardless of whether the victor is the Horned Kingdom or the Shadow God Kingdom, both will attack them. The Shadow God Kingdom clearly has a greater chance of winning, and now they must be forced to choose sides.
Rather than waiting for someone to attack, it's better to surrender early.
The ruler of Qionghua Kingdom came to persuade them, and after a little hesitation, the other countries seized the opportunity to send troops. More and more cultivators flocked to Jiaosheng Kingdom, and no matter how you looked at it, Jiaosheng Kingdom's situation was precarious.
Within the Kingdom of Jiaosheng, at a critical juncture of survival, the Five Thunder Sect united as one and dispatched disciples down the mountain to widely publicize the enemy's atrocities, inciting fear and anger among the populace and igniting widespread indignation. Ordinary people, and even many cultivators, of Jiaosheng prayed for a savior to appear and rescue them.
Princess Yuan seemed determined to wait for all the surrounding immortal kingdoms to make their choices, and was reluctant to launch a general offensive. Meanwhile, the army of Jiaosheng Kingdom fought a desperate battle, and managed to fight them to a standstill.
At this time, Qin Sang and Yu Ying had already entered the territory of the Shadow God Kingdom.
Yu Ying recounted the history of the Shadow God Kingdom. In the early days of its founding, the Great Ancestor would carefully select and recruit small tribes with talent for spiritual cultivation, and create low-grade cultivation techniques based on their tribal traditions to teach them, making them dependent on the royal family. It wasn't until an ambitious Shadow God Kingdom ruler emerged that all were accepted without question.
All things in the world, though ever-changing, remain fundamentally the same. A kingdom like the Shadow God Kingdom is essentially no different from a sect, with the royal family as inner disciples and other tribes as lower-level disciples. A kingdom like the Heavenly Fox Kingdom can be seen as a huge family, maintained by the bloodline of the fox clan.
Therefore, the various kingdoms of half-demon can be regarded as a unique landscape formed by the coexistence of sects and families and the fusion of the customs of demons and humans, except that they are all given the name of 'immortal kingdom'.
They headed straight for the capital, with Yu Ying leading the way, rendering the capital's defenses virtually useless against them.
Jade Shadow Dojo.
Suddenly, a streak of light descended from the sky, and a person stepped down from the imperial carriage. This person wore an imperial crown, had a broad and full forehead, eyes like bright stars, a nose like a hanging gall, thick lips with distinct features, an imposing presence, and eyes that held a cold edge. He had the appearance of an emperor.
This person is none other than the ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom, whose name is Yuan Zuo.
He strode into the temple and saw a woman standing before him, who gave him a graceful bow and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Fellow Daoist Yu, there's no need for such formalities. I've been truly restless and unable to eat or sleep since you've been missing for so long!"
The King of Shadow God Kingdom breathed a long sigh of relief. Although Yu Ying wouldn't obey him in everything, her demise would be a huge loss for the Shadow God Kingdom. Even though Yu Ying's spirit had remained safe and sound, her long absence was inevitably worrying.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I was able to return safely thanks to the help of a fellow Daoist, whom I was just about to introduce to Your Majesty." As she spoke, Yu Ying turned slightly to the side, and a person stepped out from behind her.
"Who?"
The ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom frowned slightly, sensing something was wrong.
"My Buddhist name is Qingfeng, and I am the leader of the Five Thunder Sect. I have long admired Your Majesty's reputation," Qin Sang said, bowing slightly.
"The Five Thunder Sect?" The King of Shadow God Kingdom's expression changed drastically as he glared at Yu Ying. "Yu Ying, how dare you invite wolves into the house!"
Yu Ying lowered her eyes, refusing to look at him, and remained silent.
"Somebody come!"
The ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom roared in anger.
He never imagined that Yu Ying, given her nature, would betray him and the Shadow God Kingdom. Yu Ying had no desire for power or profit; otherwise, the throne would surely be hers. Betrayal would bring her no benefit. To prevent news of Yu Ying's return from leaking, the Shadow God Kingdom's ruler left his personal guards outside, leaving him now isolated and powerless.
Unexpectedly, the roar was like a stone sinking into the sea, and there was silence outside the temple.
The King of Shadow God Kingdom suddenly felt darkness before his eyes, and was plunged into the night. In the darkness, stars rose slowly, and his personal guards appeared among the stars, running around like headless flies, but they could not get out of this star field. Their panicked expressions could be clearly seen.
The stars shifted, enveloping the entire training ground, and even the ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom was drawn into the sword formation.
The Shadow God Kingdom's ruler was not as strong as Yu Ying. Qin Sang did not need to use any other supernatural abilities; she only needed to use her sword formation to keep the Shadow God Kingdom's ruler busy.
'Shuh! '
The starlight faded away.
The temple was restored to light, and the King of Shadow God Kingdom staggered to the ground, his dragon robe torn and disheveled.
Although he was disheveled, his expression showed little panic or fear, and his composure remained undiminished. He looked at Yu Ying and asked, "Have you already pledged allegiance to this person?"
Yu Ying nodded.
"it is good!"
The King of Shadow God Kingdom exhaled a breath of turbid air, "If the Sect Leader has the ambition to conquer the world, I am willing to follow him like a fly!"
Seeing the King of the Shadow God Kingdom submit so easily, even Yu Ying, who knew his temperament, was somewhat surprised.
Qin Sang gazed into the eyes of the Shadow God Kingdom's ruler and asked with some curiosity, "With your talent and cultivation, the Great Dao is not necessarily out of reach. Why are you so fixated on dominating the world? Is power so tempting that it is more important than the Great Dao?"
"The leader doesn't know?"
The ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom frowned deeply.
Qin Sang and Yu Ying exchanged a glance. Yu Ying asked in surprise, "What other secrets are you hiding from me?"
The ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom hesitated for a moment, then asked in return, "The Great Dao is important, and power is also tempting. If the two could be combined, like drinking fine wine, wouldn't that be wonderful? Has the leader not heard of the guardian artifacts of the Five Superior Kingdoms?"
"Is that all there is to it?" Qin Sang pressed.
The national protective artifact is indeed very powerful. Unless there are special circumstances, wielding the national protective artifact is equivalent to having an extra talisman. But his intuition told him that it was not that simple.
"The Zhu Qian Dynasty had eight kings from its founding, and they remain the same eight kings to this day. I have checked their genealogy, and not only has their tribe remained unchanged, but even their internal clans have not changed. All the kings and marquises of each generation are direct descendants of the previous kings. Other great kingdoms are the same, but within our clan, several major clans take turns holding these positions. The world should rise and fall in an orderly manner. What virtue or ability do they possess that allows their descendants to continuously produce geniuses, ensuring the perpetuation of their lineage and their enduring prosperity?"
The King of Shadow God Kingdom continued, "It's not just my speculation; there are indeed some rumors circulating among the emperors of various kingdoms recently. Whether it's a method to directly improve cultivation or a way to perfect one's cultivation technique, the Five Superior Kingdoms certainly possess a great secret that no one knows about!"
Qin Sang recalled the Yue Ling Shuang and others he had killed; they were either at the peak of the Void Refinement stage or close to it, and their combat strength was not bad.
It's hard to say whether their natural talents were superior or inferior, but if all eight Zhu Qian kings throughout history had such high levels of cultivation and strength, and came from the same clan as direct descendants, it's enough to explain something.
"Even though Yu Ying and I possess some talent, achieving perfect cultivation requires immense good fortune. Further breakthroughs are extremely unlikely!" The King of the Shadow God Kingdom sighed, then exclaimed with renewed enthusiasm, "By replacing him, we can easily reach perfection and have a chance to compete for the Fusion Realm. If we can unify the half-demon kingdoms, we might even be able to directly enter the Fusion Realm and ascend to the heavens in one step!"
Having said that, he looked at Qin Sang with fervor, "I only ask to wield the national treasure, I don't care whether I'm an emperor or a king, I've always longed for a wise ruler. Now that I've met the leader, I have found a wise ruler, please serve me!"
Qin Sang gave him a deep look. It seemed that she had misunderstood the King of the Shadow God Kingdom and the emperors of the half-demon kingdoms. No matter what race or origin a cultivator was, they all had the heart to pursue the Dao.
The ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom—this was the path of fusion he had chosen for himself, his great path. Even if it was just an unverified rumor, even if the possibility of replacing the Five Supreme Kingdoms was extremely slim, he still devoted all his efforts to it.
"I don't believe such rumors, but I do intend to contend for the world. If you can achieve unparalleled merit, what difficulty would it be to give you a national treasure?" Qin Sang said calmly.
To some extent, the ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom might be more loyal to Qin Sang than Yu Ying. But if Qin Sang shows signs of fatigue and is defeated by others, he would abandon her without hesitation.
Of course, Qin Sang was confident in managing this person.
"Yuanzuo is willing to be the vanguard and help the leader achieve his hegemony!" The King of Shadow God Kingdom bowed deeply, his tone impassioned.
The process went much more smoothly than expected, and Yuan Zuo was extremely enthusiastic, taking the initiative to offer suggestions and strategies. He proposed merging Ying Shen Kingdom into Jiao Sheng Kingdom, with both sides launching joint military campaigns to seize the vast territory in the middle in one fell swoop, making Jiao Sheng Kingdom the strongest vassal state under the Zhu Qian Dynasty.
"The situation is still unclear, so we must not act rashly. The two countries should maintain their hostility and continue to accumulate strength, waiting for the right opportunity..."
Qin Sang dissuaded the ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom and revealed her own plan.
Yuan Zuo, mindful of his duty as a subject, listened attentively, nodding frequently. Finally, he tactfully offered his opinion: "I wonder when the opportunity the Master speaks of will arrive? Opportunities are fleeting, and undercurrents are already surging outside. If we continue to wait and watch other countries grow stronger, I fear they will seize the initiative, leading to countless troubles in the future."
"It won't be long," Qin Sang said meaningfully. "Recently, among the remaining five Zhu Qian kings, has any of them tried to win you over?"
"The envoys of the five kings are all in the city. I originally intended to play both sides and gain some benefits first. I don't know how to deal with them later. Please give me your instructions, Master." Yuan Zuo bowed and asked for instructions.
"You are still the ruler of the Shadow God Kingdom, and you know better than I how to handle these matters. I only have two things for you to do: first, search far and wide for auspicious and spiritual lands to build the Thunder Tower; second, secretly help my Five Thunder Sect recruit disciples..."
We will not annex the Shadow God Kingdom for the time being, but we can develop our Daoist sect there first. Next, Qin Sang will have Bai Ying'er send some disciples over.
"Yes! I will make arrangements now!"
Despite being the ruler of a nation, Yuan Zuo showed no sign of humiliation at being subservient, and instead appeared quite enthusiastic. Whether his intentions were genuine or not, Qin Sang couldn't help but admire him, thinking, "What a man who can be both flexible and resilient!"
The most urgent task now is to withdraw the army that has been conquering the Kingdom of Kakusho.
As the ruler of the kingdom, Yuan Zuo personally orchestrated a scheme, provoking powerful enemies abroad and constantly making enemies, while internally exposing traitors. This proved remarkably effective. Before long, he created the illusion that the Shadow God Kingdom was beset by internal and external troubles and instability.
How can an army be at ease to wage war when its rear is unstable?
Soon after, Princess Yuan received a message, which caused unrest among the troops.
At this time, the army of the Shadow God Kingdom gathered reinforcements from various countries and won one victory after another on the battlefield. Judging from this momentum, it would not be long before they could destroy the Horned Life Kingdom. Unexpectedly, this unexpected change occurred. Despite the desperate attempts of the King of Qionghua Kingdom and others to persuade her to stay, Princess Yuan insisted on leading her army back.
With victory seemingly in sight, the powerful reinforcements suddenly withdrew, leaving all the nations dumbfounded.