598: Chapter 598 Control

Xuan Yangzi stood atop the immortal boat, his figure pausing for an almost imperceptible instant.

Even with his iron will and experience with great storms, facing this sudden, unannounced "instant kneeling" caused a flicker of absurd bewilderment to cross his mind.

He had envisioned the opponent surrendering under pressure, he had envisioned a small battle to apply force, and he had even envisioned striking like a thunderbolt to slay this scoundrel and establish his prestige...

But the only thing he hadn't anticipated was that the opponent would perform a "surrender" so vividly in such a dramatic, humiliating, and even slightly comical manner.

Beside him, Xiao Bai's eyelids lifted slightly, glancing down at the Hei Yan Old Ancestor who was kowtowing incessantly.

A thought was transmitted into Xuan Yangzi's Sea of Consciousness:

"It's him. Back when the Master flattened this place, this man was hiding ten thousand miles away peeping. He was so scared his Dao Heart failed and he pissed his pants."

Xuan Yangzi's mind stirred, and he understood instantly.

In the next moment, calm and control returned to his eyes. He calmly swept his gaze over the kowtowing Hei Yan Old Ancestor, then slowly raised it toward the clouds.

There, the Pavilion Master of Yun Miao Pavilion, Su Qingyue, had a shifting expression, her surrounding aura fluctuating; clearly, her heart was undergoing a violent struggle.

"Pavilion Master Su."

Xuan Yangzi's voice rang out. It wasn't loud, yet it carried the weight of a thousand tons, penetrating the Void Realm, every word crystal clear:

"The Black Rock Sect has surrendered. Will your Yun Miao Pavilion fight, or surrender?"

He didn't speak any threats, nor did he give any promises.

He simply stated the facts calmly and then gave the choice.

But it was precisely this calmness that made Su Qingyue feel a deeper pressure.

This meant the opponent didn't believe she had the qualifications to negotiate at all; she could only accept the outcome.

Behind her, the eight Earth Immortal Elders looked tense, their gazes all focused on her.

With Hei Yan Old Ancestor already surrendered, relying solely on their nine Earth Immortals to resist was almost equivalent to seeking death.

But if they didn't resist, would the ten-thousand-year Foundation of Yun Miao Pavilion really be handed over to others just like that?

Su Qingyue bit her lower lip lightly, her fair hands clenched tightly within her sleeves, her fingernails sinking deep into her palms.

Three breaths.

Five breaths.

Ten breaths.

Just when everyone thought this Pavilion Master might rather break than bend—

"Sigh..."

An extremely soft, extremely weary sigh drifted down from the clouds.

The tense aura around Su Qingyue slowly dissipated like a deflating balloon.

Her straight back seemed to slouch slightly at this moment.

"Yun Miao Pavilion is willing to surrender."

She closed her eyes, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremble, yet also the relief of the dust finally settling.

"From this day forward, everyone in Yun Miao Pavilion is willing to honor you as Master and follow your orders."

As her voice fell, the eight Earth Immortals behind her and the thousands of Yun Miao Pavilion Disciples below all breathed a collective sigh of relief, followed by a surge of endless complexity and confusion.

Xuan Yangzi nodded slightly, showing no surprise on his face.

"Since you are willing to surrender, put away all Formation Flags and Magic Treasures, seal your storehouses, and assemble in the Western Region to await reorganization."

"Yes," Su Qingyue answered in a low voice. Without another word, she turned and led her sect members to descend slowly, beginning to execute the orders.

The overall situation was decided.

Xuan Yangzi stopped looking toward Yun Miao Pavilion, his gaze falling back onto Hei Yan Old Ancestor, who was still kneeling on the ground, not daring to look up.

"Hei Yan."

"Junior is here! What instructions does Senior have?!"

Hei Yan Old Ancestor jolted and hurriedly responded, his tone fawning to the extreme.

"Take your people and assemble in the Eastern Region. Likewise, cease all resistance and seal your storehouses."

"Yes, yes, yes! Junior understands! I will absolutely comply! Please rest assured, Senior!"

Hei Yan Old Ancestor kowtowed like a woodpecker, then immediately turned around. Facing the seven Earth Immortals and over a hundred True Immortals behind him who were still dazed, his face hardened as he barked sharply:

"What are you still standing there for?! Didn't you hear Senior's instructions?! Put away your weapons!! All of you get back to the Eastern Region and assemble honestly!

Whoever dares to be a step slow or hides selfish intentions—there's no need for Senior to act, this Old Ancestor will skin him alive first!"

The seven Earth Immortals were stunned again by the speed of his face-changing, but looking at their own Old Ancestor...

With that sycophantic look of wanting to rip out his own heart to show his loyalty, how could they dare to hesitate for a moment?

They hurriedly responded in unison and began to drive and organize their subordinate Disciples in a flurry.

"Quick! Quick! Everyone move!"

"Put away that broken Formation Flag! Have you no discernment!"

"The storehouse! Keep a close eye on the storehouse! If a single Spirit Stone is missing, I'll twist your head off!"

Hei Yan Old Ancestor even personally joined in, like the most diligent overseer, flying back and forth within his own camp with spit flying everywhere.

He disciplined the group of originally murderous Black Rock Sect members until they were like quails, retreating toward the Eastern Region with high efficiency.

That eager appearance of wanting to pack up all his belongings and offer them with both hands immediately left the people of Azure Profound Sect speechless.

Shi Wanshan's mouth twitched as he whispered to Ye Guying beside him:

"This old fellow... has he found a sense of mission in surrendering?"

Ye Guying was expressionless: "Knowing the times and being good at performing, he is quite a character."

Only, those words "quite a character" sounded like they carried a different flavor no matter how one heard them.

Xuan Yangzi watched Hei Yan Old Ancestor's jumping figure, an imperceptible ripple flashing in his eyes.

Although Hei Yan Old Ancestor and Su Qingyue had surrendered, the Earth Immortal Elders under them each had their own thoughts. If not completely controlled, they would surely become hidden dangers in the future. He spoke indifferently:

"Wait."

The two who were about to leave stopped abruptly. Hei Yan Old Ancestor hurriedly turned back and kowtowed:

"Senior's instructions!"

Xuan Yangzi's gaze swept over the two and the surrendered Earth Immortals in the distance, saying indifferently: "Open your minds, do not resist."

Though the crowd had doubts, they did not dare to disobey.

Xuan Yangzi's fingertip moved slightly, dividing into seventeen hair-thin threads of light.

Eight of them flew toward Yun Miao Pavilion, entering the foreheads of the eight Earth Immortals led by Su Qingyue.

Nine shot toward the Black Rock Sect. Except for Hei Yan Old Ancestor, even the Earth Immortals behind him were not missed.

Those surrendered Earth Immortals only felt a slight numbness in their foreheads that vanished in an instant, but their eyes now held more loyalty.

Xuan Yangzi withdrew his fingertip and said deeply: "Go, act according to the instructions."

The two bowed again before truly leading their people away.

"Shi Wanshan, Ye Guying."

"Present."

"Each of you take a team to the assembly points of Yun Miao Pavilion and Black Rock Sect. Supervise their reorganization and conduct an initial inventory of resources.

I'll have Seniors Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai oversee things respectively."

"As the Sect Master commands!"

Shi Wanshan and Ye Guying responded in unison. Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai also nodded slightly, their figures flashing as they flew toward the Western and Eastern Regions respectively.

An order was quickly issued, and the massive machine of the Azure Profound Sect began to operate efficiently again, starting to fully take over this newly-subjugated immortal domain.

Surrender was only the first step.

The real work of digestion and integration, eliminating unstable factors, and truly turning these broken immortal domain fragments into the territory and Foundation of the Azure Profound Sect would be the long and meticulous task ahead.