Published: March 3, 2025
Chapter 853: Civil and Military Affairs
After issuing the proclamation, the Yuan Yang Sect quickly absorbed the Heavenly Harmony Sect and Piao Xue Pavilion, resulting in a dramatic expansion of its territory.
Compared to before, it had nearly tripled!
As one of the few sects that emerged from the chaos of the war between humans and demons, the Yuan Yang Sect's power surged significantly, gaining fame throughout the Seven Nations Alliance and even the Tian Nan cultivation world.
With the successive destruction of two major sects and the complete suppression of another two, the news sent shockwaves throughout the cultivation world.
To all cultivators, it seemed that the Yuan Yang Sect unifying half of the original Yan State was merely a matter of time.
It was obvious to discerning individuals that both the Purple Rainbow True Lord and Elder Qingxu, as Yuan Ying true monarchs, were far from being Liu Yu's match.
The drastic increase in territory meant that the Crescent Moon Valley and Qingxu Sect posed no real threat; to some cultivators, the Yuan Yang Sect appeared to have the momentum to sweep across the original Yan State.
After all, the other half of the Yan State was still in a state of mutual checks among several major sects.
If the Yuan Yang Sect took a period to recuperate and then subdued the Qingxu Sect and Crescent Moon Valley, they would hold a tremendous advantage against the major forces of the other half of the Yan State!
Despite the external chatter, the rapid expansion of territory brought numerous challenges to the Yuan Yang Sect.
The biggest issue was "wide land but sparse population."
Although there was ample territory and many resource points, there weren't enough disciples to secure them.
Given the current situation, the Yuan Yang Sect had no choice but to compromise and, through a resolution by the Golden Core Elders, collaborate with local cultivation forces.
They agreed to share some benefits in exchange for stability in governance.
In this context, while the territory suddenly expanded significantly, the lower-tier disciples of the Yuan Yang Sect were insufficient in number.
Originally around twenty thousand, after suffering losses from continuous battles, only about fifteen thousand remained.
Even if all were dispatched to guard resource points, it was still not enough.
It was precisely because of this that Liu Yu chose not to continue his offensives after absorbing the Heavenly Harmony Sect and Piao Xue Pavilion.
On one hand, he was concerned that overextending might provoke other Yuan Ying forces and even the Heavenly Thunder Palace.
On the other hand, to defend such a large territory, the sect’s cultivators were indeed stretched thin.
If they did not increase recruitment, the foundation of their rule would be unstable, leading to many strange problems in the future.
Thus, under his directive, while many cultivators speculated that the Yuan Yang Sect would unify half of the original Yan State, the sect suddenly halted its expansion.
They began recruiting disciples while consolidating their existing territory to stabilize their foundation of governance.
Under Liu Yu's coercion, realizing the vast disparity in power, the Purple Rainbow True Lord sent a messenger to pay a visit, expressing a willingness to submit.
Meanwhile, the Qingxu Sect directly bowed in submission, willing to offer a large quantity of cultivation resources every ten years, hoping to appease the Yuan Yang Sect for the continuation of their sect’s legacy.
However, there remained lingering animosity, and the “old demon Qingyang” had a history of revenge.
Thus, after Elder Qingxu escaped from that battle, his whereabouts became extremely mysterious, suspected to no longer be within the Qingxu Sect.
Instead, he was thought to be hiding outside, remotely directing the sect's disciples.
Even when the Yuan Yang Sect accepted the offerings and expressed willingness to accept the Qingxu Sect's submission, this person did not show himself for a long time.
Time passed unknowingly.