66: Wanyu Palace submitted

"Eliminated over 300,000 enemies, tyrant points +899."

"Conquered Qingmu City, the people within the city are filled with resentment, tyrant points +999."

"Enslaved 200,000 captives into a slave army, tyrant points +999."

... "Accumulated tyrant points: 5768."

After the dust settled, Xia Xuan glanced at the harvest record.

Among the several gains approaching a thousand tyrant points, slaughter yielded the least.

This was also related to the strength of Qingmu City's defenders.

They were not comparable to the elites of the Wu Dynasty's four major military camps, who were almost all Innate.

Among Qingmu City's defenders, the proportion of Innate Realm cultivators was pitifully small; the main force consisted entirely of Acquired Realm soldiers, or even ordinary soldiers who had never embarked on the path of Cultivation.

The 300,000 fallen soldiers, after being transformed by the Netherworld Lair, converted into 100,000 Ghost Soldiers, and a small number of Netherworld Iron Armors and Netherworld Elites.

They enslaved the 200,000 slave soldiers, firmly controlling Qingmu City, eliminating the need for Xia Xuan to waste a single soldier to guard it.

Inside the imperial carriage's palace.

Fairy Xuanzha's expression was still cold, but slightly stiff.

"What? Has Fairy still not recovered?"

Xia Xuan rested his head on Red Bell's jade lap, smiling as he looked up at the cold and beautiful woman so close to him.

"I..."

Fairy Xuanzha's crimson lips moved, but she was speechless.

A hint of panic was hidden in her eyes, and she deeply regretted her impulsive agreement to Xia Xuan's gamble.

Recalling it, Xia Xuan's confident demeanor either meant he truly had the strength, or he intended to play a trick on her.

How could such a shameless person lose?

If it were the latter, she could still despise Xia Xuan, but the reality was that she had lost.

Xia Xuan had won fair and square.

She lost due to overconfidence and the Wu Dynasty's foundation.

The Divine Artifact capable of affecting Qingmu City's grand formation was at least a semi-Divine Artifact.

"Fairy, you're not trying to renege on our bet, are you?" Xia Xuan asked with a smile.

"I will!" Fairy Xuanzha squeezed out this single word through gritted teeth.

Afterward, she looked at Xia Xuan again, her attitude somewhat changed, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "After Myriad Desires Palace pledges allegiance to the Wu Dynasty, all Elders and Disciples within the Palace will be Your Majesty's subjects. I hope Your Majesty understands the etiquette between ruler and subject, and treats your subjects with courtesy."

"I have always been very reasonable."

Xia Xuan reached out and grabbed Xuanzha's fair wrist, withdrawing the Seal set by his human emperor body. "How is it?"

Xuanzha's cold expression showed a hint of surprise. Her Divine Dharma Aspect Cultivation had fully recovered, and her entire demeanor improved, like a spiritual pearl no longer covered in dust, possessing an extraordinary immortal grace.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She hesitated for a moment, then politely thanked him.

"Since you are a subject, you are no longer free. You shall temporarily remain by my side. As for the other Myriad Desires Palace Elders and Disciples, starting today, they shall proceed to the Eastern Palace's Bronze Sparrow Terrace to guard it, with a rotation every so often."

"Understood." Xuanzha nodded gently. Although allowing her Sect to pledge allegiance to an Imperial Dynasty was a disservice to her Ancestral Masters, the Xuan Emperor's demands were not excessive.

With chaos approaching, Myriad Desires Palace, relying on the Wu Dynasty, might be able to endure better.

"Your Majesty."

Mu Wan'er looked at Xia Xuan with affectionate eyes. For some reason, a faint sense of crisis arose in her heart, as if she feared she couldn't compare to the Myriad Desires Palace's past Saintesses and would be replaced.

Fortunately, His Majesty was not someone who would abandon her after using her. He still remembered her grievances with the Marquis of Iron Blood, and had specifically brought her along on this expedition.

Xia Xuan met Mu Wan'er's gaze, a smile appearing on his lips. "Xuanzha, your first task from me is to carefully and thoroughly evaluate how well Wan'er has Cultivated the Myriad Desires Profound Method."

"You must not close off your six senses."

Xia Xuan waved his hand, dismissing the palace maids from the imperial carriage's palace. Mu Wan'er, her face flushed, pulled shut the layers of curtains... "Indulged in absurd pleasures, unable to extricate himself from beauty, tyrant points +100."

After taking control of the Imperial Dynasty, the impact of his actions was amplified, and the tyrant points gained from his daily "Cultivation" were more than before.

Xuanzha, restricted, watched the theoretical and practical application of the Myriad Desires Profound Method for two full hours.

To Xia Xuan's surprise, after an initial brief emotional fluctuation, her expression became exceptionally calm, as if unaffected by external matters.

Xia Xuan asked curiously, "Does Cultivating the Myriad Desires Profound Method to its end lead to the Dao of severing emotions and desires?"

"Does Your Majesty not know?"

Xuanzha said coldly, "Those who Cultivate the Myriad Desires Profound Method, after achieving the Divine Dharma Aspect, will have such worldly emotions and desires completely severed.

Those Disciples who betrayed Myriad Desires Palace, each Dual Cultivation session harms themselves to benefit others, sinking into worldly desires, and will eventually turn into a pile of white bones. Only by severing emotional ties can one pursue the Great Dao."

As she spoke, she glanced at Mu Wan'er and said coldly, "Don't you know that after each time, your life force is draining away, not only will you turn into withered bones faster, but you will also have no hope of reaching the Divine Dharma Aspect in your lifetime?"

"Ah?" Mu Wan'er, whose skin glowed with a rosy blush, felt her Cultivation steadily rising within her, and tilted her head in confusion. "But Palace Master, Wan'er has already condensed her Divine Dharma Aspect."

As soon as her voice fell, a brilliant, pure white jade divine halo appeared behind her.

"Impossible." Xuanzha had just denied it when she saw this scene.

The aura emanating from the white jade divine halo was pure and sacred, and exceptionally stable.

Xuanzha's expression froze. "Are you a special Physique?"

"Wan'er is merely a mortal."

Mu Wan'er blinked at Xuanzha and retorted, "Didn't the Palace Master say that after each time, life force would drain away? But why is Wan'er's spiritual embryo still at Perfection, pure and flawless, and after each time, her comprehension of the Dao and her Cultivation become even more refined?"

Xuanzha's mind wavered, and she looked at Xia Xuan. "Is Your Majesty a special Physique?"

"Fairy Xuanzha will know if she tries it herself in the future."

Xia Xuan smiled, leaving behind flirtatious words, and turned to leave.

Xuanzha's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Though she felt nothing in her heart, a seed of curiosity had been planted... Heavenly Fox Kingdom.

Qingqiu Prefecture, outside the Fox Clan Royal City.

300,000 Jade Luan Army soldiers slowly advanced, surrounding a super array shrouded in layers of mist.

Above the vast cloud sea, on a Jade Luan imperial carriage.

Shangguan Yue, dressed in black and white brocade, looking radiant, held a spiritual brush and was freely applying ink, painting a landscape ink wash painting.

At this moment, a female general suddenly flew into the sky, respectfully stood aside, and handed over a secret letter: "Lord Shangguan, the Jinmu Kingdom royal family is requesting aid."

"How is the war progressing?" Shangguan Yue did not take the secret letter, continuing to wield her brush, refining her painting.

The female general reported through gritted teeth, "Three prefectures of the Jinmu Kingdom are covered by the Wu Dynasty's Spirit-Obscuring Array, obstructing spiritual talismans and communication. The war report was delayed by two days before reaching us.

Currently, Qingzhou has completely collapsed, and the Wu Dynasty's million-strong army has split into three routes.

The first route, a White Robe Army of seven thousand, broke through thirteen city gates and sixty-four passes within two days, coordinating with the Hundred Battles Camp to completely control Qingzhou.

The second route, the Wu Dynasty's 300,000 Southwestern Border Army and 200,000 Great Wall Army, have also taken Muzhou.

The last route, 100,000 Heavenly Martial Army with 80,000 Ghost Soldiers as vanguards, has already reached the Jinmu Royal City."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yue paused her brush, looked up, and a smile appeared on her lips. "Interesting. I originally didn't want to attack the Wu Dynasty too early to avoid attracting the Yun Kingdom's attention, but I didn't expect them to have some foundation.

Issue an order: withdraw from the Heavenly Fox Kingdom and go meet the Wu Dynasty's Heavenly Martial Army. Then, let's see what hidden cards the newly enthroned Xuan Emperor possesses."