Chapter 202

"Whether you submit or not, it is no longer up to you."

His voice carried not a trace of emotion, like nine-layered icy frost, instantly freezing the last shred of her pitiful pride within Li Qiushui's heart.

Before the words had even finished!

A force of demonic energy far more vast, far purer, and far more mysteriously unpredictable than any before surged violently from Ning Chuan's body!

Celestial Serpent's Illusionary Gaze!

Celestial Serpent's Soul-Subduing Chant!

Two spiritual Secret Techniques activated simultaneously!

Ning Chuan's pale golden dragon pupils seemed to transform into two black whirlpools capable of swallowing all, emitting an invisible yet soul-twisting spiritual pressure!

At the same time, a low, supremely majestic dragon roar, like evening temple bells and morning temple gongs, exploded directly within Li Qiushui's mind-sea!

Under this dual assault, Li Qiushui felt as if her soul were being torn apart completely!

She let out a pained groan, her eyes instantly clouding with confusion and glazed emptiness!

At this moment!

Ning Chuan opened his serpent's maw once more, and a drop of black-golden serpent blood, more condensed and imbued with his primordial will than any he had previously given to Huang Rong or Zhao Min, shot forth like lightning!

It struck with pinpoint accuracy into Li Qiushui's slightly parted cherry lips!

"Boom!"

The serpent blood entered her body and instantly exploded into a tyrannical energy, raging wildly through her veins!

And Ning Chuan's powerful spiritual force seized this opportunity to utterly shatter the last vestige of resistance in her soul!

Deeply etching into her soul's origin the spiritual imprint of absolute loyalty and submission!

Moments later.

Li Qiushui's clouded, glazed eyes gradually regained clarity.

But her gaze toward Ning Chuan had undergone a cataclysmic transformation!

The lingering resentment and venom were gone without a trace.

In their place stood the same profound reverence, worship, and… absolute loyalty and submission as Xiao Xiao Yuanshan, Dai Dai Qisi, Zhao Min, and others—emanating from the depths of her soul!

As if Ning Chuan were the sole deity in her life!

Seeing this, Ning Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

He shifted his intent, lifting the demonic energy seal that had blocked her cultivation base.

Li Qiushui felt her inner force refill, fuller and purer than before.

And the absolute obedience toward Ning Chuan, rising from the core of her soul.

Without hesitation, she immediately knelt before Ning Chuan, prostrating herself fully, her voice as gentle as a lamb's:

"Servant Li Qiushui, bows before my Lord~!"

"From this day forth, I am willing to face fire and water, to die ten thousand deaths for my Lord! Should I ever defy him, may thunder strike me down and my soul be utterly annihilated!"

Ning Chuan looked at the stunningly beautiful Wang Fei who had now fully submitted to him, and smiled faintly within.

He could not help but marvel again—how mysteriously profound and tyrannically supreme the application of demonic energy truly was!

For these haughty, defiant so-called "strong ones," it was nothing short of dimensional suppression!

All schemes, all threats, all bribes—none were as simple or effective as direct control over the soul!

"Rise," Ning Chuan said coolly.

"Recite every technique of the Xiaoyao Sect, and every other skill you possess—leave nothing hidden."

"Yes, my Lord!" Li Qiushui replied respectfully.

Immediately, she recited all she had learned in her lifetime—including the Xiaoyao Sect's core Secret Techniques: the Northern Darkness Divine Art, the Minor Void Function, the Six Yang Palms of Tianshan, the Plum Blossom Pinching Hands, the Lingbo Micro-Steps, and more.

And all the miscellaneous knowledge she had acquired from Wu Yaoshi—on music, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination, astronomy, the occult, and the Eight Trigrams.

She recited them all, meticulously and without omission.

Ning Chuan listened carefully, committing every precious piece of knowledge to memory.

Especially the Northern Darkness Divine Art and the Minor Void Function—both sparked sudden insight in him, offering great inspiration for his path of demonic cultivation.

The Northern Darkness Divine Art's ability to absorb others' inner force and convert it into one's own echoed the black water serpent blood's innate instinct for consumption and evolution.

And the Minor Void Function's capacity to mimic all martial arts under heaven was vast and profound, embodying the ultimate truth that all methods return to one.

When Li Qiushui finished reciting.

Ning Chuan nodded in satisfaction, then instructed Wang Yuyan to record every detail, compile it into volumes, and store it in the Taohuadao's martial arts treasury.

Afterwards.

Ning Chuan looked at Li Qiushui, who still stood respectfully beside him, and spoke in a grave tone:

"From today, return to the Xixia Imperial Palace."

"I have several tasks for you."

"First, use your authority as Xixia Wang Fei and the power of the Xixia Yipintang to secretly gather every scrap of information on Dao cultivation, ancient secrets, rare beasts, and classified records from other dynasties—and send them all to Taohuadao."

"Make this as covert as possible—let no one suspect a thing."

"Second, within the shortest time possible, seize complete control of Xixia's military and political power!"

"Every official in court, every martial sect in the Wu Lin—must be firmly held in your grasp!"

"I will not tolerate any opposition to you within Xixia."

"Third, secretly dispatch agents to closely monitor every move of the Beiliang Wang Fu."

"Especially all intelligence regarding Beiliang Wang Xu Xiao and his heir, Xu Feng—report it to me immediately."

Ning Chuan's eyes flashed with icy coldness.

He had not forgotten the matter of the Spear Saint Xu Yanbing.

This debt will sooner or later be settled properly with the Northern Liang Wang Fu.

Still, he also knew that the Northern Liang Wang Fu was deep and unfathomable, its experts as numerous as clouds.

Especially that once-legendary blue-robed Sword God Li Chungang, who had split open the heavens with a single sword and attained divinity through the Way of the Sword — he was someone to be greatly wary of.

And then there was the so-called number-one iron cavalry under heaven, the Great Snow Dragon Riders, which would not be so easy to deal with either.

This matter still needed careful, long-term planning; it had to be done slowly, and one must not act in haste.

Li Qiushui, hearing Brother Ning Chuan's instruction, did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately replied with deference:

"This servant obeys the command! I shall surely not fail the trust my Master has placed in me!"

She knew that from this day forth, she would be the most important piece her Master had planted in Western Xia.

Her fate was now tightly bound together with this mysterious flood dragon, and with the grand, sweeping currents of the world.

She had no choice at all — she could only spare no effort in carrying out the task her Master had assigned.

After that, she quietly left Taohuadao and returned to Western Xia.

Brother Ning Chuan watched Li Qiushui's departing back, the corner of his mouth curving into an inexplicable arc.

He quietly counted the many pieces he had now laid down in the shadows:

Dai Qisi of the Bosiming Sect, about to take control of the entire Zhenggeming Sect, along with its vast power across the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

Li Qiushui in the Western Xia imperial palace, holding the reins of power over an entire nation, with a host of experts beneath her.

Duan Yu of Dali — although for now he was still nothing but a puppet, in the future he might yet become a regional overlord.

Zhao Min of the Mongol Yuan Empire — all the more cunning and full of ambition; in days to come she would surely stir up a storm within the Yuan court.

One day, if all these forces scattered across the land could be gathered and integrated into one,

what a terrifying power would that unleash?!

More than enough to let him overturn the order of this world with ease!

Brother Ning Chuan thought for a moment, then summoned Xiao Xiao Yuanshan once more.

"Xiao Yuanshan, I order you — three days from now, lead a contingent of elites from Taohuadao and proceed to Jiangnan."

"Take over completely the remnants and wealth left behind by the Gusu Southern Murong clan and by the Western Venom Ouyang Feng, whom I previously destroyed, and bring them all under the name of Taohuadao."

"Can you accomplish this?"

"Additionally, keep a close eye on the Great Ming side as well — send people to watch it carefully."

"Link up with Dai Dai Qisi's forces in the Zhongtuming Sect, and keep a tight watch on that Iron-Blooded Divine Marquis Zhu Wushi of the Shanzhuang for me!"

"That man is a wolf in ambition, his schemes run unfathomably deep — in the future he will surely be a mortal threat to our Taohuadao!"

A flash of icy killing intent passed through Brother Ning Chuan's eyes.

He had not forgotten the grudge of those four great secret agents of the Shanzhuang who had come to Taohuadao to die.

"Zhu Wushi! Hmph!"