330: Chapter 331 The Decaying Empire

Simultaneously.

Lin Muyang, along with Lilia, Gui Wanwan, and Feng Ling, hovered silently in the night sky above Canglan City, the imperial capital of the Canglan Empire, like four specks of dust. Beneath their feet sprawled a colossal city stretching for dozens of miles, its lights twinkling like a sea of stars—a monumental creation born from the condensed power and desires of human civilization.

Deep within Lin Muyang's eyes, an invisible field of perception, as precise as the most advanced scanner, swept downward. It penetrated architectural barriers, skimmed over bustling streets, delved into opulent palaces and filthy alleys, capturing every detail—the pulse and fabric of this imperial heart—with flawless clarity.

What he saw was a rigid, brutally stratified social structure, akin to a vast and intricate pyramid, each layer steeped in different hues and destinies.

At the pinnacle were the royal family and the top nobility. They resided within the imperial city and inner districts, in magnificent palaces and luxurious mansions reinforced by magic. Dressed in finery and consuming exquisite food, they enjoyed the purest magical energy environments. Their offspring received the finest education from childhood, possessed the most abundant resources, and practiced combat Aura or studied magic as naturally as eating and drinking.

Their lives were filled with banquets, hunts, art appreciation, and power games. Beneath the glamorous surface lay bottomless desires and an icy indifference that viewed the lower classes as playthings and property. The Canglan Emperor, Tian Qing, stood as the indisputable apex of this pyramid.

Beneath them lay the vast noble and warrior classes. They formed the empire's skeleton and claws. The nobles held fiefs, estates, private armies, and controlled local administration and parts of the military. The warriors pledged allegiance to the royal family or nobles, gaining status, wealth, and glory through martial prowess. They constituted the empire's core ruling force, the staunchest defenders of the existing order.

Their lives were far more comfortable than those of commoners, yet they constantly faced battles, missions, and power struggles among the upper echelons.

Further down were the commoner class, which comprised the vast majority of the population. They lived scattered in the outer city and surrounding satellite towns, engaged in the most arduous foundational labor: farming, handicrafts, petty trade, and servitude. Their dwellings were crowded and crude, their food barely sufficient, their clothing plain or even ragged.

For the overwhelming majority among them, cultivation was an unattainable luxury. The exorbitant tuition of magic academies, the entry requirements of warrior academies, and the cost of purchasing basic cultivation resources were enough to bankrupt a commoner family. Many commoner children suffered from malnutrition from a young age, struggling to even develop a healthy physique, let alone embark on a cultivation path requiring substantial material support.

To be fortunate enough to awaken some talent, be noticed and nurtured by a minor noble or merchant guild, and thereby ascend to the warrior class was a miracle countless commoner families dreamed of but had a vanishingly small chance of achieving. Most commoners spent their entire lives struggling for tomorrow's meal, surviving with difficulty under the burdens of taxes, corvée labor, and the occasional threat of monsters or bandits.

And beneath these three layers, there seemed to exist even darker corners—the pariahs and slaves who had lost their land, fallen into debt, or offended the powerful. They were not even considered complete human beings, their living conditions even more wretched.

"The royal family and nobles indulge in extreme luxury, controlling absolute martial power and resources; the warrior class clings to them, becoming tools of rule; the commoner class bears heavy burdens, barely surviving, with upward mobility narrow to the point of being sealed; the bottom layers drift in despair..." Lin Muyang silently summarized in his heart, a slight frown creasing his brow.

This rigid stratification, maintained by violence and resource monopoly, had long sown deep-seated contradictions. The exploitation of the lower classes by the upper echelons, the resentment of commoners towards the powerful—these were like magma surging underground. Only because the upper class firmly controlled world-shattering martial power did a superficially fragile balance persist. Once that martial suppression cracked, the fury accumulated over centuries would likely devour everything in an instant.

"What a... headache-inducing structure." Lin Muyang gently rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He was no sociologist, nor was he interested in overthrowing and rebuilding a complex social system. Managing a world, balancing countless interest groups, and reconciling deep-rooted conflicts required far more mental effort and time than could be solved by sheer force alone.

That was an immensely complex systematic project, involving economics, culture, education, livelihood, and every other facet. It was neither his strength nor his desire.

His purpose here was clear: to resolve the survival crisis of the Sunlight Elf Clan and secure a long-term, stable future for Lilia's people. As for the mess inside the human empire, he had no interest in taking it on.

"At the very least, the royal family of this Canglan Empire must be eradicated." Lin Muyang's eyes turned cold as he made the decision. They were the most active promoters and beneficiaries of slave-catching and elf oppression, one of the sources of hatred.

Eliminating them would both avenge Lilia and countless elves and fundamentally dismantle the Canglan Empire's threat to the Elf Race. With the loss of its supreme ruler, the empire would inevitably plunge into internal strife and power struggles, leaving it with no spare capacity for large-scale external military campaigns in the short term.

Moreover, doing so would present an opportunity for this decaying empire to be reborn anew, to be broken and then rebuilt.

"As for what comes after..." Lin Muyang looked at Lilia beside him, who was gazing down at the city with keen interest, yet her light green eyes held a sorrowful ache for her kin's plight. He already had a plan in mind. Stabilizing the situation, establishing a new order, ensuring the safety of the Elf Race... these troublesome follow-up matters could perhaps be handed over to Lilia and the clansmen she trusted.

Lilia would possess deterrent power from his support, and the Sunlight Elf Clan itself had some administrative experience. Having them establish a new, relatively just order led by elves in this region might be a viable option. He could provide Lilia with the necessary martial support, but he wouldn't interfere much with the specifics of governance.

"But that means Lilia won't be able to stay with Brother Muyang all the time..." Sensing Lin Muyang's gaze, Lilia turned her head, her small face immediately showing a dejected expression. She threw herself over, hugging his arm, her voice muffled. "Managing such a big place will definitely take so, so much time... I want to keep adventuring in other worlds with Brother Muyang forever."

Seeing her aggrieved little look, Lin Muyang's heart softened. He reached out and ruffled her smooth silver hair, comforting her gently. "Silly, it's not like you have to stay here forever. Once the situation stabilizes, I'll have Jialiya leave a necromantic legion for you. With them, it'll be enough to suppress any troublemakers and maintain basic order. Then, the specific administrative affairs can be handed over to your father and the trusted elders of the clan. You'll just need to exist as a deterrent force at critical moments. Once everything is on track, you can naturally come back to me anytime."

"A necromantic legion?" Lilia's eyes lit up, her dejection vanishing, replaced by eager excitement. "Right! Jialiya's necromantic legions are the best! Tireless, absolutely obedient, and there are so many of them! If we hand them over to my father to command, let's see who would dare disobey!"

In the history of Velos Continent, while necromancy existed, a fully organized, controlled, and formidably powerful necromantic legion had never appeared. The sudden emergence of such a terrifying and bizarre army would likely carry greater psychological deterrence than ten emerald dragons. It would be enough to make any ambitious schemers or neighboring countries weigh carefully whether to provoke an elven force capable of controlling an undead calamity.

Of course, this action would inevitably cause continent-wide panic and censure, possibly even leading to a joint crusade by other human empires. But Lin Muyang didn't care. What he wanted was to establish sufficient deterrent power in a short time, securing a stable foothold and development period for the Sunlight Elf Clan. Once Lilia's talent ascended to the divine rank with the help of the plane core, her own power would become an even greater stabilizing force. As for long-term reputation and diplomacy... that was a matter for later, to be managed gradually.

"Mm, that's the plan." Lin Muyang nodded, setting the preliminary strategy. First, eliminate the Canglan Empire's royal family—the greatest threat and source of hatred—with thunderous force. Then, stabilize the basic situation with absolute martial power. Finally, return the daily governance rights to the Sunlight Elf Clan. Simple, direct, effective.

Just as his thoughts raced and the plan was set, movements in the imperial capital below caught his attention.

"It seems their griffin knights are beginning to gather on a large scale?" Feng Ling's molten-gold eyes looked toward a vast military camp outside the imperial capital. There, lights blazed brightly, magical glows and torches forming a continuous expanse, illuminating dense crowds of figures and the outlines of massive flying creatures.

Several enormous flying dragons could be vaguely seen circling at low altitude, emitting low, deep roars that mingled with the sharp cries of thousands of griffins on the ground. Even from high above, one could sense that Aura of solemnity and restless agitation.

"There are also several Dragon Rider Auras." Gui Wanwan added. She was particularly sensitive to life and death Auras and could clearly distinguish the far more potent life flames emanating from the backs of those flying dragons compared to ordinary knights.

It appeared the Canglan Emperor was moving quickly. Not long after the Third Prince's death, the army of vengeance was already assembling, preparing to descend upon the Azureblue Forest.

"Perfect." Lin Muyang's eyes turned icy, a faint, indifferent curve lifting the corner of his mouth. "Saves us the trouble of going in and searching for them one by one. Let's go. Let's give their expedition... a little parting gift."

With a thought, he maximized the effects of the Divine Concealment and Aura-concealing halo enveloping the four of them. Their forms transformed into four phantoms completely undetectable by the naked eye and ordinary senses, like a breeze merging with the night, drifting silently toward that clamorous military camp.

Imperial Capital, Dragon Wing Legion Assembly Grounds.

This was the main camp of the Canglan Empire's most elite aerial force—the Dragon Wing Griffin Knight Regiment—and also the usual station for several of the empire's Dragon Riders. At this moment, the atmosphere on the massive training ground at the camp's center was grave and fervent.

Over three thousand fully armed griffin knights had already formed ranks. Their mounted griffins pawed the ground restlessly, while the knights wore solemn expressions, gripping their lances or heavy crossbows tightly. On the high platform at the front of the training ground, a middle-aged man clad in icy-blue dragon-scale armor, with a stern face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's, was delivering a pre-battle mobilization. He was Kanna, a veteran Dragon Rider of the empire and also a member of the royal family's collateral line.

"...The elves are vile! To dare ambush His Highness Tianyi—this is the most unforgivable blasphemy and provocation against the empire, the royal family, and the name of Canglan!" Kanna's voice, infused with combat Aura, swept over every knight's eardrums like a winter gale. "His Majesty has decreed: this debt must be repaid! This hatred must be avenged! We, as the empire's sharp blade, masters of the sky, shall use elven blood to honor His Highness's heroic soul! Use the fires of the forest to cleanse the filth of rebellion!"

He abruptly drew the legendary frost-emanating sword, Frost Scar, from his waist and pointed it toward the southern night sky. "Target: Azureblue Forest! Trample the Sunlight Tribe flat, leave not a single soul alive! Use their screams and wails to let the entire continent know the consequences of provoking Canglan!"

"Long live the Empire! Long live His Majesty!" Below, three thousand griffin knights roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens, their killing intent soaring! Their mounted griffins also raised their heads in long, piercing cries. For a moment, dragon roars, griffin shrieks, and furious shouts intertwined, a terrifying Aura of war permeating the surroundings.