224: War breaks out again

While they were chatting, a commotion broke out outside again.

When they went to the balcony to look, they saw a team in festive red approaching the palace, led by none other than Yunxiao.

However, compared to when he left, there were some additional items in the procession: a red sedan chair, which returned with Yunxiao.

“Wow, are they finally back?!”

Seeing this, they didn't even bother with mahjong and all rushed to the balcony to watch the excitement.

After the welcoming party entered the palace, Yunxiao turned and went to the sedan chair, pulled back the curtain, and when he turned back, a beautiful figure had appeared behind him.

Luxurious embroidery and fiery colors intertwined on the Chinese wedding dress, and long black hair cascaded down her back, symbolizing happiness, prosperity, and glory. The bride’s Phoenix coronet and robes, along with her auspicious ribbons, added a touch of charm and elegance.

This was, of course, Witch Cai Chan, whose hand Yunxiao held as they walked forward. From a distance, the two looked like a divine couple, perfectly matched.

“That brat, he really cleaned up nicely.”

Lin Xiao’s eyes held a smile as he watched this scene, and a sense of emotion unconsciously appeared on his face.

He had asked Yun Xuan how he felt earlier, but he himself felt the same.

Those who could be accepted as a Disciple by Lin Xiao, besides talent, also depended on whether he liked the Disciple.

Within Wuji Palace, there were countless seven-star Disciples, and quite a few eight-star ones, but Lin Xiao had only taken six Disciples over the years, including Yun Ling'er.

Having spent many years together, he had watched these Disciples grow up. Now that Yunxiao was getting married, his heart was filled with satisfaction, and he had a feeling of “my child has finally grown up.”

“Alas…”

Lin Xiao sighed softly, then turned and sat down at the table, looking at Yun Ling'er beside him.

“Ling’er.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Ling'er immediately snapped out of her excited state, turned to Lin Xiao, and softly said, “Yes, Revered Master.”

“I’m here.”

“Bring another table of desserts. I’m hungry.”

“Yes.”

Yun Ling'er smiled, looked outside the door, and after a soft call, it wasn't long before the palace maids brought plates and filled the table again. This time, however, it wasn't cooked food, but various kinds of desserts.

Lin Xiao picked up a bowl of steamed egg custard. This time, he didn't eat as he did before. Instead, he picked up a spoon, took a small bite, and slowly chewed it, all while sighing with emotion.

“Ling’er, it’s truly good to be alive.”

“Indeed.”

Yun Ling'er also smiled and agreed. She had already grown accustomed to her Revered Master's occasional inexplicable exclamations.

“Hey, are there desserts?”

Qing Luo floated from the side to the table, and when she saw the various desserts, her eyes lit up. She sat down, grabbed a cake, took a big bite, and her satisfaction was evident.

“Eat slowly, no one’s going to snatch it from you.”

Lin Xiao leisurely scooped a spoonful of egg custard and said earnestly, “Qing Luo, you are a dignified Quasi-Emperor, after all. You should eat with grace, grace.”

“…”

Upon hearing this, Qing Luo, whose mouth was still full of cake, immediately rolled her eyes.

“Palace Lord, you’re the last person who should be saying that.”

The two tables of banquets earlier, they didn't touch a single bite, it all went into the other party's stomach. That scene was much more exaggerated than her current state. Now he was pretending to be refined, as if he hadn't just wolfed down food so quickly earlier.

Of course, Qing Luo only dared to think this to herself. If she actually said it out loud, she would definitely be in trouble.

Next, the wedding proceeded as normal. Yunxiao and Witch Cai Chan slowly walked down the red carpet. Lin Xiao, meanwhile, ate while watching. By the time the two finished the ceremony and entered the palace, he had already finished four tables of food.

This terrifying appetite also made the palace maids serving the food click their tongues in amazement. He truly lived up to his title as a Great Emperor; even his appetite was so astonishing.

All in all, Lin Xiao basically didn’t stop all day. He was either eating or waiting to eat.

As for the others, some watched the excitement, others played, and they all spent a wonderful day happily.

The next day, when Lin Xiao woke up from the luxurious bed, he called for the Wuji Palace members to prepare to leave.

They had played enough, and it was time to go back, especially since only the Bone Cultivator family was currently in Wuji Palace.

During breakfast, Yunxiao brought Witch Cai Chan to bid farewell to everyone, and then apologized to Lin Xiao, stating that he might not be able to return for the time being.

Lin Xiao naturally had no objections to this. Since they had just gotten married, he wanted the two young ones to enjoy their honeymoon and spend some time together. Anyway, there was nothing for him to do in Wuji Palace during this period, so they could stay if they wanted.

After breakfast, Lin Xiao led the group on their journey. This time, the procession back was much grander than when they arrived.

As Wuji Palace was leaving, the Demon God Hall, Hu family, Domain Lord's Mansion, Star Moon Gate, and other affiliated forces naturally couldn't stay behind either. They all brought their people and followed, leaving the Mobei Dynasty in a mighty procession.

With the conclusion of Yunxiao’s grand wedding, the entire Tianxuan Continent seemed to settle into a period of calm, but only the various major forces knew that undercurrents were still stirring.

After Lin Xiao returned to Wuji Palace, he reverted to his usual leisurely state, while everyone else got busy.

With this grand wedding, the situation of the Southern forces was also revealed. About 30% of the forces, upon receiving invitations, came and, after the wedding, actively sent people to Wuji Palace to express their willingness to surrender.

As for the other 70%, there was no need to say more.

In response, Qing Luo immediately began to mobilize the army. For her, who couldn't sit still, expanding territory was simply too much fun.

Of course, it wasn't just her; Hu Qianxue and Qin Wudao also got busy. In this major battle, their Starfall Pavilion and Hundred Flowers Valley were the main forces. They were all eager to show off their skills when the time came.

Besides the few mentioned above, there was also Kaido. He had set off on his journey to find the ancient Secret Realm or ruins on the second day of returning to Wuji Palace.

According to Lin Xiao’s analysis, these ancient Secret Realms might contain powerful creatures or humans, which was incredibly attractive to him, a battle maniac.

After a month passed like this, the originally calm Tianxuan Continent became lively again due to the emergence of a piece of news.

Wuji Palace had finally sent out its troops!

The spies from various forces ambushed outside the Bone Spirit Mountain Range witnessed countless Wuji Palace Disciples flying out on swords under the leadership of Qing Luo, along with the Hu family, Star Moon Gate, and others.

Even the Demon God Hall, located at the northernmost end of the Tianxuan Continent, had made a move. White Pian, the Hall Revered Master, personally led an elite army of ten thousand Yao Race members southward. The target was naturally self-evident.

In response, the Southern forces who had not surrendered immediately panicked. They never expected Wuji Palace to act so quickly.

A month ago, they were sending out invitations; a month later, they were sending out troops—a death warrant!

In their panic, they could only hastily set up those grand formations, led by the sole remaining Quasi-Emperor, preparing to intercept the main force of Wuji Palace in a mountain range.

But soon, heartbreaking things happened.

When the two armies clashed, the ancient grand formation, which was like a lifeline to the Southern forces, couldn't hold out for even an hour. It shattered under the relentless bombardment of the Wuji Palace army.

The leading Quasi-Emperor, under the combined assault of Qing Luo and White Pian, didn't even last half a day before spitting blood across the sky.

The battlefield below was even more needless to say, completely presenting an overwhelming advantage.

Even an Outer Sect Disciple who could enter Wuji Palace was considered a Genius in the outside world.

Three thousand Heavenly Venerates, led by Hu Qianxue, Qin Wudao, and others, tore through the fragile defenses of the Southern forces like sharp swords, encircling them, then dividing into countless small pieces, and continuously devouring them until nothing remained.

As the twilight glow of dusk fell across the sky, this battle, which had been watched by countless forces, also came to an end. Looking at the countless corpses of the Southern forces on the ground, it was clear who had won and who had lost.

“Tch.”

On the high slope, Qin Wudao slammed his staff heavily to the ground and disdainfully said, “I thought they were stronger. With this little strength, they still can’t see the situation clearly. How boring.”

“Indeed.”

Beside him, Hu Qianxue also stroked her fox tail and agreed.

Originally, they had placed great importance on this major battle, after all, they represented the face of Wuji Palace outside, and losing was definitely not an option.

Unexpectedly, these Southern forces, perhaps having been too comfortable for too long, had combat power that was simply too poor to bear looking at.

Hu Qianxue specifically chose a Great Saint Realm Fourth Heaven opponent, three levels higher than herself, expecting a thrilling battle.

Unexpectedly, Hu Qianxue immediately gained the upper hand. The Great Saint Realm opponent was dazed, and when he saw his Sect collapsing below, he wanted to flee. His Battle Intent was almost nonexistent.

On the contrary, Hu Qianxue's Battle Intent was high, and she became stronger with each battle, ultimately slaying him across Realms from a distance.

Qin Wudao's side was similar. The Great Saint Realm Cultivator he encountered was like a weakling, getting knocked out by two of his sticks. In the end, he naturally died and his Dao dissipated.

Although they won, both felt somewhat disheartened. It was boring, too boring.

“Alright, you two.”

Just then, Qing Luo descended from the sky, accompanied by White Pian, and slowly spoke to the two of them.

“Next, we’ll split into two groups. Which one will you two go with?”

“I’ll go with Elder White Pian.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Qianxue immediately flashed to White Pian’s side and stood there, giggling.

After several years of getting along, Hu Qianxue had grown quite fond of You Bao’s aunt, who was also a Yao Race member like herself.

“Tsk.”

Seeing this, Qin Wudao turned his gaze to Qing Luo and grinned, “In that case, please take care of me, Elder Qing Luo.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Follow me, and you won’t lack good food.”

Qing Luo patted her flat chest, then soared into the sky again, her voice echoing from above.

“Alright, let’s go. Time is of the essence.”

With a command from Qing Luo, the overall commander, the massive army immediately split into two, and each team had a Quasi-Emperor overseeing it.

In the South, which no longer had Quasi-Emperor guardians, this meant they could practically walk unimpeded.

As expected, in the battles over the next few days, the two teams from Wuji Palace, if not completely unopposed, were very close to it.

They mostly encountered Cultivators who had fled from the previous major battle. These scattered soldiers posed no threat to them at all.

What’s more, didn’t 30% of the Southern forces choose to surrender to Wuji Palace earlier? As local experts, they actively volunteered to lead the way, which was like adding wings to a tiger for Qin Wudao and other directionally challenged individuals.

The next few days were a nightmare for the Southern Sects.

The two teams from Wuji Palace marched triumphantly into their Southern Realm, and almost every day, they would hear news of a certain Realm being occupied, or a certain force being attacked at their Sect.

This also made the various forces feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles, and at the same time, they cursed those Southern forces who actively led the Wuji Palace teams. But afterwards, they fell into dejection.

They couldn’t stop all of this, so they could only watch these things happen, shrinking back into their Sects and activating the protective Sect formations, which were said to have been passed down from who knows what century, waiting in fear and trepidation for the arrival of Wuji Palace.

On the other side, Qin Wudao and Hu Qianxue were ecstatic. Every time they conquered a Realm and plundered its treasury, it was the happiest time of their day.

Centuries of accumulation, when combined, amounted to astronomical figures on the outside, but now they were all in their pockets.

This also made the two of them clearly realize a truth.

Why develop honestly when you can just take what's already there so much faster!

The Cultivation resources they had obtained in just these few days were enough for Starfall Pavilion and Hundred Flowers Valley for ten thousand years, with plenty to spare.

Of course, it wasn't just them; the other forces such as the Demon God Hall, Hu family, and Damo Zen Temple also gained significant benefits, earning a fortune. This made Sect Head Hu Yuxuan, Xǔ Chǔ, and others happy every day, even smiling in their sleep.

This also made them fortunate to have made the correct choice in following Wuji Palace.

Seven years ago, they were merely third-rate forces on the Tianxuan Continent. After following Wuji Palace, in just a few short years, they had climbed countless ranks.

And now that Wuji Palace was about to unify the Tianxuan Continent, they were undoubtedly loyal subjects who had followed the Dragon!

With this thought, the major forces fought with exceptional effort. Unification was imminent, and if they didn't seize this opportunity to earn some military merits now, such opportunities would be almost nonexistent once peace reigned.

On one side was the highly motivated Wuji Palace and its affiliated forces, and on the other were the defeated Southern forces who were also backstabbing their neighbors. The outcome, naturally, was self-evident.

Half a month later, when the two teams from Wuji Palace converged in the southernmost Realm, Ruo Shui Domain, the entire Southern forces were completely annihilated.

This also meant that the entire Tianxuan Continent now had only one voice.

This news, spread by countless forces, quickly spread throughout the entire Tianxuan Continent.

The Cultivation world was shaken, and all Cultivators understood what this meant. This vast world was now subtly imprinted with three invisible names.

Wuji Palace.