278: Chapter 278 Joint Imperial Council of Cangwu Prefecture

Cangwu City · Gazing from the Lonely Peak

The clamor of the Dingding Ceremony had settled, and Cangwu City gradually grew quiet in the sunset's afterglow.

At the summit of a peak far from the hustle and bustle, Ling Hao stood with his hands behind his back, his dark ink-colored robes fluttering gently in the evening breeze, overlooking the massive city that had just undergone a drastic change and was now regaining its vitality.

Yu Linglong stood quietly a step behind him, her moon-white, chest-high ruqun accentuating her graceful figure. Her bare feet stepped upon the faint, golden lotus halo in the Void Realm, and the vermilion tear mole at the corner of her right eye added a breathtakingly stunning beauty to the twilight.

Ling Hao pondered in his heart.

His position as the co-master of Cangwu had been firmly established through the Dingding Ceremony and thunderous means. The wu tripod had been restored to its original state, suppressing the evil roots and preserving the Foundation of Cangwu Prefecture's Luck. And the name of the Moonshadow Sect had spread throughout Cangwu City, branded into the heart of every Cultivator and Mortal.

All three goals had been achieved.

A streak of light flew from afar and landed at the foot of the peak.

Zhu Rongyang was alone, biting the bullet, and walked up to the peak with heavy steps.

"Supreme... Supreme Moonshadow."

Zhu Rongyang cupped his hands in salute.

He regretted it. If he had known, he shouldn't have watched this Dingding Ceremony. Who knew that just watching it would put his life in danger?

He dared not look at Ling Hao again. His gaze shifted, and when it touched Yu Linglong's cold and stunning face, his body stiffened abruptly.

He recognized her! He remembered now! This Deputy Sect Master of the Moonshadow Sect, wasn't she from the Linglong Blessed Land...

The corners of Ling Hao's lips curled into a smile that was not quite a smile, and he said in a flat voice,

"It seems that Elder Zhu recognizes my Deputy Sect Master of the Moonshadow Sect?"

Zhu Rongyang felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his crown.

Deny it? In front of this person, quibbling would probably lead to a faster death! Cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and his voice trembled:

"Yes... I recognize her..."

Zhu Rongyang had almost foreseen his own end; he feared that he would be buried here today.

Ling Hao stepped forward slowly and raised his hand to pat Zhu Rongyang's shoulder casually. A force of Dao laws silently seeped into his body, instantly locking his Dantian and Niwan Palace, forming a Restriction.

Zhu Rongyang did not notice it at all.

"Rest assured, for now, I will not kill you."

Zhu Rongyang looked up in astonishment, almost unable to believe his ears.

Ling Hao withdrew his hand, shifted his gaze to the vast twilight, and changed the subject.

"You came to Cangwu, ostensibly for Disciple exchanges, but in reality, you were here to probe the truth about the wu tripod, right?"

Zhu Rongyang was silent for a moment, then nodded with difficulty.

"Yes!"

Ling Hao felt that the Restriction had no abnormalities and understood in his heart; he had guessed correctly.

Was it a coincidence that they learned about the anomaly of the wu tripod, or did the Golden Crow Holy Land have other channels? He suppressed this question for the time being.

Ling Hao turned around, his gaze like lightning, locking onto Zhu Rongyang: "I called you here just to have you take a message back. Once you hear it, you can get lost."

"Please instruct me, Supreme Moonshadow."

Ling Hao said coldly,

"Tell the Holy Master of the Golden Crow, the Linglong Blessed Land is under the protection of my Moonshadow Sect. The debt of the extermination and the hatred of the slaughter back then, this account will be settled properly by the Moonshadow Sect with your Golden Crow Holy Land!"

Zhu Rongyang's face turned deathly pale. He dared not say another word, bowed deeply to Ling Hao and Yu Linglong, and then turned into a streak of light, fleeing in panic.

The summit returned to silence, with only the soft sound of the evening breeze passing through the pine waves.

Ling Hao looked at Yu Linglong beside him and raised an eyebrow,

"Will you be angry if I handle it this way?"

Yu Linglong lazily brushed a strand of hair from her temple, the corners of her lips slightly raised.

"You are the Sect Master; you have the final say. Do as you wish."

A hint of mischief flashed in Ling Hao's eyes. He suddenly leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, and said ambiguously,

"I have the final say? I can do as I wish? Then... tonight, you call Ling Shuang, and Shuying, and come to Haoran Tower together."

Yu Linglong was stunned at first, then reacted. She rolled her eyes with extreme elegance and scolded,

"You lecherous Sect Master, you have an insatiable lust! You think about these things all day long!" She made a gesture to push him away.

Ling Hao shook his head with a straight face,

"What are you thinking about? I have serious matters to discuss with you all."

He paused, his voice becoming solemn, "I want to, like the Wutong Divine Dynasty, integrate the entire southeastern territory of Cangwu and establish one — the Tianyuan Immortal Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the laziness in Yu Linglong's eyes faded, and her face showed surprise.

Integrate the southeast of Cangwu and establish an Immortal Dynasty? He wants to...

Just as she was about to think it through, she felt her waist tighten, and a mischievous hand was quietly sliding along her waistline towards her chest. Her cheeks flushed, both shy and annoyed. With a slap, she pushed away the hand that was making mischief and glared at Ling Hao with her beautiful eyes:

"I'd be a ghost to believe you! You have no seriousness even when discussing official business!"

Three days later · Cangwu Yuji Platform.

Inside the solemn and magnificent hall of the Yuji Platform, the highest authorities of all Sects and aristocratic families of the fifth rank and above in Cangwu Prefecture were gathered. Ling Hao sat high in the main seat, dressed in dark ink casual attire, naturally exuding majesty.

After in-depth and constructive discussions, representatives of all parties reached an important consensus at this "Cangwu Prefecture Comprehensive Defense and Development Joint Deliberation."

The Yuji Platform issued a decree to the entire prefecture:

1. Establish the core: The Moonshadow Sect, the only ninth-rank Supreme Sect in Cangwu Prefecture, with Sect Master Ling Hao as the current co-master of Cangwu Prefecture, ruling the entire prefecture.

2. Promote the system: The "world-suppressing monument" and "resonance dao tower" collaborative defense system created by the Moonshadow Sect is the cornerstone for resisting demons (True Demon Realm), purifying erosion qi, stabilizing the space, and benefiting the people.

From this day forward, all Sect territories, aristocratic family fiefs, and city-state Domains within the prefecture must fully cooperate with the layout and maintenance of this system, without obstruction. Violators will be regarded as rebels.

3. Reshape the rules: The Cangwu Yuji Platform is the highest decision-making and coordination hub for the entire prefecture. The old governance rules of the prefecture are abolished. New regulations will be led by the Moonshadow Sect, in coordination with all parties to discuss and revise, ensuring smooth government decrees, resource integration, and joint resistance against foreign insults.

The decree stated clearly that Cangwu Prefecture needs to unite closely around the Moonshadow Sect more than ever.

All parties must, under the strong leadership of the Moonshadow Sect, work hand in hand to effectively implement the "Cangwu Prefecture 'Monument-Tower Integration' Collaborative System Action Outline," ultimately achieving the grand goal of "more efficient demon resistance and faster development," and jointly create a more stable, prosperous, and powerful future for Cangwu Prefecture!

After the decree was read, the hall was silent, and the authorities of all parties were digesting this major resolution that was about to change the landscape of Cangwu Prefecture.

Ling Hao, sitting high in the main seat, scanned the audience with a calm gaze. After letting everyone settle down a bit, he spoke slowly.

"In addition, there is one more matter that needs to be discussed with everyone."

He paused slightly, and seeing that everyone's attention was focused, he continued:

"This seat intends to integrate the various immortal kingdoms and Sect territories in the southeastern territory of Cangwu to establish a unified Immortal Dynasty — the Tianyuan Immortal Dynasty."

Once these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence, to the point where a needle could be heard dropping.

Integrate the southeast and establish an Immortal Dynasty?

The representatives of the various forces looked at each other, exchanging glances.

Their gazes involuntarily fell upon the two people standing at the very front — Wan Shou Mountain Master Zheng Nanxun and Wutong Empress Su Fengyi.

Zheng Nanxun felt the gazes of the crowd, opened his tiger eyes, and responded in a loud voice.

"Wan Shou Mountain, agrees!"

Immediately following, Su Fengyi's clear and melodious voice also rang out,

"Wutong Divine Dynasty, seconds the motion."

With the two giants expressing their stances one after another, after a brief silence, a chorus of agreement immediately sounded in the hall.

"We second the motion!"

There was no voice of opposition; at least on the surface, all representatives of the forces expressed their approval at this moment.

Ling Hao looked at the people below who had reached a consensus, a faint smile appearing on his face.