Chapter 368

As for the main materials for refining the Nine Tripods, there is no shortage.

The core Qianyuan Gold Mother, the Phoenix Spirit's Phoenix Nest Mountain Range still has surplus.

As for other auxiliary materials, one can go to the Canal Dragon Palace, or with the help of the Dragon Palace, purchase from caravans at the various waterway divine gates.

As for the main tripod, Zhang Jian already possesses it.

His natal spirit treasure, the Qianyuan Gold Tripod, can serve as the core to suppress the dragon veins.

This natal magic artifact has now absorbed dragon vein qi as vast as an ocean; one only needs to successively elevate the corresponding prohibitions, and it can advance.

"However, the refining methods still need improvement, otherwise even a skilled housewife cannot cook without rice!"

On the dragon throne, Zhang Jian sighed slightly, deeply feeling that time is insufficient.

……

While Zhang Jian was handling court affairs on one hand and endeavoring to prepare the various equipment for refining the Nine Tripods on the other.

Meanwhile, in the two realms region, numerous immortal sects and Dao lineages were also paying attention to this grand Northern Expedition war on the fertile lands of Dongzhou.

For the heretical sects of the two realms region, the division of Dongzhou's fertile lands is naturally the best outcome; otherwise, if Dongzhou's fertile lands were to see a unified dynasty, especially one with a cultivator walking the Sage King Great Path as a primordial spirit, it would inevitably affect the interests of numerous heretical sects.

However, this time is different from ten or so years ago.

Although the Great Qian's refining of the Uniform Golden Men, seeking to walk the Sage King Great Path and form a Sage King lineage, is formidable, numerous heretical sects still feel no fear.

Because the Great Qian only has a few heretical sects supporting it.

The Dongshen Guan is strong, but only its ancestral master is strong.

Moreover, the dragon veins are shattered, and the dragon souls have collapsed.

This is equivalent to losing the dynasty's greatest protective talisman.

The Mandate of Heaven has been lost, and calamity will naturally descend, leading to the dynasty's destruction.

But the present Great Xia is different; not only is the Xia Emperor mighty and overbearing, the dragon veins are stable, and behind him clearly stands the 'label' of the Tongshan Dao Lineage.

The Tongshan Dao Lineage is not a prominent sect, but the prestige of its Sage King Dao Lineage still remains.

Moreover, it is said that the Tongshan Dao Lineage also has a 'backer' in the heavenly realm; many major sects, such as the Shangqing Sword School and the Five Elements Immortal Sect, though inclined to intervene, mostly harbor apprehension and dare not act, only able to watch as Great Xia devours Dongzhou.

……

Outside Dongzhou, in a grand Daoist temple, the Slay Demon True Monarch presides here; before him is the Jue Ming Daoist who departed together, the two sitting opposite each other, occasionally discussing the Dao, which is quite pleasant.

At this moment, a stream of light broke through the void and arrived in an instant, taken by the Jue Ming Daoist.

After briefly browsing it, the Jue Ming Daoist handed it to the Slay Demon True Monarch.

"Slay Demon Junior Sister, can you now rest assured?"

The Jue Ming Daoist slightly stroked his beard, his expression showing some smile.

The Tongshan Dao Lineage sent news; as several elders of the sect disseminated their influence, the Five Elements Immortal Sect, the Shangqing Sword School, and several demonic sects finally abandoned their support for Northern Chu and their plan to counter Great Xia, thus tacitly accepting Great Xia's annexation of Northern Chu.

This is undoubtedly good news.

Not only for Great Xia, but also for the Tongshan Dao Lineage.

The Slay Demon True Monarch let out a light snort.

"If these fellows know their place, otherwise I would not mind opening a great slaughter!"

A hint of chill appeared between her brows, then she continued.

"Sect Master, our Tongshan Dao Lineage has lain dormant for too long; if we do not stir ourselves, these immortal sects and Dao lineages will still think our Tongshan Dao Lineage is some soft persimmon, and even a few 'small sects' dare to challenge us; if it were a thousand years ago, our Tongshan Dao Lineage would expand if we wanted to, and would still need to dispatch several senior brothers to go forth and divide them?"

The Jue Ming Daoist glanced at the True Monarch.

"The seclusion of immortal sects is temporary; seclusion is merely to digest the benefits gained, allowing disciples to grow using these benefits; when the time comes to manifest as a prominent sect, the Tongshan Dao Lineage will naturally arise as circumstances demand!"

The Jue Ming Daoist sighed and then said.

"You also need not worry about having nothing to do; recently, your Wuliang Senior Brother discovered that an extraterritorial demon has appeared in the two realms region; likely there is a gate to the extraterritorial hidden within the two realms region, which probably requires you to handle it!"

Upon hearing this, the Slay Demon True Monarch raised her eyebrows.

"Which demon sect did this?"

The Jue Ming Daoist laughed: "The Blood Shadow Demon Sect, that is a Gate of Shura!"

The Slay Demon True Monarch's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not care.

The conduct of demonic sects and other heterodox paths is generally different; cultivators seek longevity and ascension, and after obtaining it, they enjoy ease and freedom.

What demonic sects seek is unrestricted tyranny; ultimately, to dominate heaven and earth, for power they can engage in slaughter without limits.

They can also seek to obtain deeper magic, to please extraterritorial gods and demons, to demonize one realm and achieve boundless divine powers; if they can poison one realm and drag it into the boundless blood sea, they can naturally gain the favor of those mighty demon kings in the endless blood river.

They do this relentlessly, never tiring of destroying people!

However, becoming a demon king usually has no future; no matter how well done, in the end they are merely the side dish in the eyes of those mighty demon kings deep in the endless blood river; one day, if they are unhappy, they will say 'cut' and cut them down.

But the immortals are different; immortals band together, those ancient immortal emperors and Daoist sovereigns also observe propriety, and will not cut down the 'leeks' of their subordinates!

Therefore, every so often, a portion of old demon kings 'abandon darkness for light,' unwilling to continue mingling with the ghosts above.

The Slay Demon True Monarch laughed: "Leave it to the disciples to handle; it just so happens that we can use these demon heads to sharpen the edge of a few young disciples!"

The Jue Ming Daoist slightly nodded.

……

With Zhang Jian, this manifest Xia Emperor, suppressing numerous demon sect cultivators in Northern Chu on the surface, and the Tongshan Dao Lineage secretly suppressing the two realms region, the barbaric region, and other surrounding regions' demon gods, the campaign to destroy Chu proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Around three months later, An Ling once again arrived at the gates of Guangyuan City.

Along the way, most of the garrison commanders at the various checkpoints surrendered upon hearing the wind.

The capture of the Chu Emperor Huan Xuan shocked most of the Northern Chu court into surrender; the small portion of resistance was also broken by the Northern Expeditionary Army.

Meanwhile, the Second Route Marshal Wang You also supported the Northern Expeditionary Army from another direction, attacking cities and seizing strongholds, recovering the cities of Northern Chu.

The two routes advanced together.

And upon entering Guangyuan City, this time the expeditionary army found that the resistance on the city walls of Guangyuan City was also sparse and scattered.

The Northern Expeditionary Army entered Guangyuan City without much effort.

After Chu Emperor Huan Xuan was captured alive, the remaining civil and military officials in Guangyuan City had already fought several internal struggles over power and profit.

Many members of the Northern Chu royal family were caught up in it and had already been subjected to several purges.

With this, how could Guangyuan City still organize any effective defense?

By this point, the Great Xia Northern Expeditionary Army had taken only a little over three months to topple the Northern Chu regime, which had stood in the northern lands for more than five hundred years.

This scene moved countless aristocratic clans to sigh, and they could not help but form a thought.

Could it be that the Mandate of Heaven truly belongs to Great Xia?

Although the Chu capital Guangyuan City had fallen, resistance in the various commanderies of Northern Chu remained scattered. After An Ruoming left a detachment to garrison Guangyuan City, he joined forces with the Second Route Marshal Wang You and began to continue sweeping through the Northern Chu commanderies, clearing obstacles to complete this unparalleled achievement.

At the time of Northern Chu's fall, a grand aura swirled above the skies of Haojing City.

The auspicious omen shot straight into the clouds, illuminating the heavens.