Chapter 437: Subjugation

The lotus-flower-shaped small hill collapsed.

The legacies of the Peacock Bright King and the Great Peng Bright King had been fully borne by Wu Tie and Lao Tie; perhaps they had fulfilled the last trace of obsession, and the two statues collapsed and shattered before the five Elders, and after Wu Tie and the others emerged, the small hill became a flat plain.

Wu Tie and Lao Tie stood at the original cave entrance and saw to the left and right the great mountains formed from the corpses of the Great Peng and the Peacock slowly merging into the earth, like an iceberg melting back into heaven and earth.

They remained silent, and the hundred-odd Elders of the Five Elements Spirits, together with the vast numbers of Wood Spirits, all gazed upon this scene with solemn reverence.

The two mountains stretching thousands of miles vanished, whereupon the Five Elements Power began to operate on its own, and myriad wondrous mountains rose anew beneath the ground; this newly born mountain range left no trace of what had been before.

Wu Tie coughed lightly.

The hundred-odd Elders and countless Wood Spirits immediately fell to their knees in deep reverence, foreheads pressed firmly to the ground.

"Holy Ancestor." All the Five Elements Spirits chanted the name "Holy Ancestor" in hushed, utmost reverence, bowing before Wu Tie and Lao Tie; such extreme devotion made both Wu Tie and Lao Tie feel a little embarrassed.

"They regard us as……" Lao Tie, who stood a head taller than Wu Tie, lightly nudged Wu Tie's arm with his elbow.

"Mm… actually, speaking of it, it's not wrong. We really are!" Wu Tie looked at Lao Tie and nodded firmly.

They inherited the power of the Peacock Bright King and the Great Peng Bright King, inherited their remaining treasures, inherited their techniques and divine abilities, even inherited their will!

They shared a common enemy, they shared a common foe, they shared a common goal.

Even Lao Tie came from the ancient era of war contemporaneous with the two Bright Kings… and Wu Tie is considered Lao Tie's successor in mantle and teaching. Who dares say that the two of them cannot represent the two Bright Kings?

Moreover, these two Bright Kings are not the two from myth and legend, but rather two extraordinarily gifted Great Adepts from Lao Tie's era who received the transmission of the two Great Adepts of myth, then after long years of arduous training finally achieved reversion to the source and cultivated the true forms of the Great Peng and the Peacock.

Those two Great Adepts share the same origin as Wu Tie, both being genuine human bloodlines.

Same blood, same pulse, same origin, same ancestors, same civilization and spirit.

Wu Tie is unquestionably the purest, most genuine, and most righteous heir of those two Bright Kings.

"Will you all reverence me?" Wu Tie stepped forward, directly inheriting from the Peacock Bright King, the fully accomplished Five Elements Divine Light surged forth from behind him, shooting up to the ten-thousand-zhang heights, its radiance brilliant and unmatched.

All the Five Elements Spirits present felt their mana surge suddenly; their bodies, souls, and corporeal mana were wholly controlled by this Five Elements Divine Light, and a single thought from Wu Tie could dictate their life and death.

Their minds held no stray thoughts; all previous disputes and conflicts with Wu Tie had vanished like smoke.

In the hearts of these Five Elements Spirits, who had dwelt for countless years in the deep mountains and ancient forests, the most simple and ancient among them, Wu Tie and Lao Tie were their two Holy Clans returning to the mortal realm.

"Legend says the two Holy Ancestors will one day return to the mortal realm, govern our Five Elements Spirits, and bring boundless blessings to our people." The oldest and strongest Fire Spirit Elder crawled forward to the feet of Wu Tie and Lao Tie, lightly pressing his forehead to Wu Tie's toe.

"Holy Ancestor, your descendants will absolutely obey your will, whether in battle or in death."

The Fire Spirit Elder let out a loud roar.

The hundred-odd Elders of the Five Elements Spirits roared in unison: "Holy Ancestor, your descendants will absolutely obey your will, whether in battle or in death!"

All the Wood Spirits present also roared: "Holy Ancestor, your descendants will absolutely obey your will, whether in battle or in death!"

Wu Tie nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice: "Very good, excellent. Now, act according to my orders."

The hundred-odd Elders rose as one, each looking at Wu Tie with solemn reverence.

All the Wood Spirit warriors stood up, each gazing at Wu Tie and Lao Tie with frenzied fervor.

The Five Elements Divine Light behind Wu Tie and the Yin-Yang Five Elements Power surging on Lao Tie made these Wood Spirit warriors feel intoxicated, as if they wished to offer their flesh and souls, directly merging into the Five Elements Divine Light behind Wu Tie, or directly into Lao Tie's body.

Faced with Lao Tie and Wu Tie, who had inherited the legacy of the Peacock Bright King, these Five Elements Spirits offered no resistance whatsoever; from this day forward they became Wu Tie and Lao Tie's most devout zealots, their most dutiful descendants.

Within the vast territory, hundreds of millions of Five Elements Spirits thus easily fell into Wu Tie's hands.

This is a fearsome power.

And Wu Tie is making them even more fearsome.

Standing before the hundred-odd Elders, Wu Tie selected five Elders and ordered them to perform the sacrificial dance and chant the sacrificial song.

After these five bewildered Elders completed the ritual, Wu Tie scowled and berated a group of Elders until they were drenched in filth.

A profound and mysterious body-forging method, a terrifyingly strong training system, actually caused these unworthy descendants to degenerate into a sacrificial dance and sacrificial song…

"You good-for-nothings, do you deserve the ancestors?" Wu Tie leaned toward the eldest Fire Spirit Elder and spat at his face.

The Fire Spirit Elder, towering over ten zhang, strained to shrink his stature, compressing his height to about two zhang, then he crouched on the ground, carefully hunching his body, making himself over a foot shorter than the "Great Holy Ancestor."

Wu Tie's saliva droplets sprayed onto the Fire Spirit Elder's face, continually emitting a "hiss-hiss" sound, turning into wisps of water vapor that drifted away.

The Elders all stared at one another, unable to speak.

Especially the Water Spirit Elders, whose emotions were rich and whose bodies held ample moisture, instantly burst into large tears that streamed down incessantly.

"Holy Ancestor, we are unworthy of the ancestors……" All the Five Elements Spirits present knelt on the ground and began to wail loudly.

Wu Tie shook his head, pointed at the Earth Spirit Skin he had fought: "Earth Spirit Skin, get up, and train as I say."

Earth Spirit Skin rose clumsily, gave Wu Tie a foolish grin, then followed Wu Tie's instructions precisely, earnestly re-performing the sacrificial dance.

With a "hum," the earth trembled slightly.

Earth Spirit Skin's movements directly activated the subterranean earth veins; streams of thick acquired earth power turned into visible yellow torrents, flowing along Earth Spirit Skin's toes into his body.

Within Earth Spirit Skin's body, clumps of chaotic earth power began to move slowly; between the clumps, filaments of yellow light appeared, these chaotic powers began to wriggle, to fuse, to operate in a strange manner.

Earth Spirit Skin's aura began to gradually weaken, but his aura shifted from its original massive and chaotic state to an inward, refined condition.

"This method can make the massive bodies of Earth Spirits become no different from ordinary people." Wu Tie said with a grim face and a cold snort: "A bunch of idiots, unable to control their own strength, swelling their bodies to tens or hundreds of zhang… are they just living targets?"

When Wu Tie spoke these words, his face twitched slightly.

Imagine, when an Earth Spirit whose true height is a thousand zhang forcibly refines his internal massive power, compressing his thousand-zhang stature to that of an ordinary person, what level would his bodily density and physical strength reach?

Even without any change in cultivation, his combat power could increase a hundredfold.

Earth Spirits of ordinary human height—how much greater would their agility and speed be compared to those of thousand-zhang stature? More than a hundredfold increase.

Not only Earth Spirits, but Wood Spirits, Water Spirits, Metal Spirits, and Fire Spirits are the same; they all possess great power yet lack the ability to control it.

Once they have mastered their training, thoroughly sorted their internal power, and grasped the corresponding divine abilities and secret arts…

Good heavens, Wu Tie eagerly anticipates the combat power these Five Elements Spirits can unleash.

With these Five Elements Spirits, these powerful and utterly obedient Five Elements Spirits… those provincial army toughs……

Wu Tie narrowed his eyes, a glint of cold light flashing in his pupils.

The provincial army toughs still have meaning, at the very least to keep the prisoners in check, to stir up trouble, to provoke incidents, even to let them take the blame sometimes—these are quite useful.

The unit of the state army warriors cannot be disbanded; on the contrary, it must be strengthened to the utmost.

Wu Tie even felt that, with these powerful, obedient Five Elements Spirits, do the state army warriors still need training? Let them deteriorate, and the worse the better.

Trash also has its uses, and sometimes trash is far more useful than elite troops.

Seeing Tuba Pi's body becoming ever clearer, Wu Tie nodded with satisfaction and said in a low voice: "Excellent. Now, quickly impart this cultivation method to all the clansmen, so that all the clansmen may begin cultivating."

"Moreover, select a few of the strongest young adults and have them follow us back."

Wu Tie looked toward his own camp and muttered: "This matter needs careful planning. Hmm, how can I make those fellows believe that I have already reached an agreement with the Five Elements Spirits, allowing me to pass safely through their territory without arousing their suspicion and jealousy?"

Without a doubt, the Five Elements Spirits are an extremely powerful force; if Sima You and the others knew that Wu Tie had inexplicably gained complete control over them, not only would Sima You and his companions be envious, but even the families behind them would likely covet them.

For such matters, it's better to have less trouble.

Wu Tie also had to consider that, once this secret path is fully opened, the armies of the Great Jin Divine State will continuously use it to go to the Great Wu Divine State to wage war; for the Five Elements Spirits tribe to remain near the path in the future would clearly be inappropriate.

We must find them a new settlement.

But where in the surrounding mountains is still safe?

"Promotion." Wu Tie nodded thoughtfully: "If I now held a fief, then absorbing the Five Elements Spirits clan would be natural. But as merely a state army commander, I am not yet qualified to take them in."

"I need a fief, huh..." Wu Tie and Lao Tie exchanged a glance, both falling into contemplation.

In the pouring rain, the state army warriors of Great Marsh swaggered mightily, waving their small leather whips, driving the masses of laborers and artisans, and began their tense busyness.

With Wu Tie absent, Pei Feng oversaw daily affairs, and the construction of the forts could not cease.

Even after the trouble with the Five Elements Spirits is resolved, these forts will be retained as permanent facilities.

If the secret path is successfully opened, sturdy support forts must be placed along the long route. Put nicely, they provide logistical and tactical support for the frontline army groups; put bluntly, if the army that marches through the path to attack the Great Wu Divine State suffers a sudden defeat, these support forts can also effectively delay the enemy, buying time for the main force to regroup and counterattack.

Thus, in the downpour, the ground was flooded with water and mud, the biting wind made everyone shiver, and ranks of laborers and artisans continued to toil arduously in the storm.

The state army warriors cracked their small leather whips with a "pa-pa" sound, singing jaunty tunes with great gusto.

Such days—no fighting, no danger, yet allowing feasting, drinking, and lording it over others—were, to these warriors, nothing short of heavenly bliss.

Tsk... Indeed, compared to their former lives as city rats and village mice, beaten by government lackeys until their heads were swollen, this place is paradise.

Pei Feng's Black Phoenix Army mobilized entirely; numerous flying barges hovered above the treetops, with countless soldiers standing on the decks, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Occasionally, lightning struck down from the high heavens, smashing heavily into the treetops.

Whenever that happened, those huge barges would carefully lower their hulls a bit.

In the vast rear camp, inside an exquisitely built and lavishly decorated pavilion, Sima You and his companions were eating, drinking, and making merry, while dozens of beauties dressed as soldiers waved long swords, performing sword dances to enliven the atmosphere.

Through the open windows they gazed upon the busy Great Marsh state army and Black Phoenix Army in the distance, and they too felt quite content.

Not having to exert oneself, one could simply sit here and reap the credit; such days were not bad at all. Only, the endless rain was still a nuisance—no going out to hunt, truly boring.

The gazes of Sima You and his companions roved over the sword-dancing beauties; fortunately, they had prepared beforehand, secretly stashing many beauties in the camp, so they could always find amusement no matter what.

The pavilion doors were suddenly flung open, and the adjutants of Sima You and his companions entered, faces full of alarm and dread.

With a sinister visage and a murderous aura, Sima Lang strode in boldly; upon entering, he stood there, his stern gaze sweeping over each of the clansmen and generals who were drinking and making merry inside.

"Gentlemen, enjoy yourselves… heh, heh, why, are you treating my words as wind in the ears?" Sima Lang gave a cold snort, and in the room the wine cups in the hands of dozens of clansmen and generals simultaneously shattered with a "crack-crack-crack."

Sima You, Sima Xin, Sima Hu, and the others leapt up simultaneously, each bowing repeatedly to Sima Lang with great apprehension.

"Wolf Brother!" Sima Hu gave a dry laugh, stepped forward in small steps, and whispered: "Wolf Brother, regarding this matter, please hear us out..."

Sima Lang lightly patted Sima Hu's cheek, then delivered a heavy slap to his face.

"I say, I have come in person—Huo Xiong must die. Here, I will make Pei Feng my woman. Will you obey? Will you heed me?" Sima Lang's eyes were like blades, his body suffused with wicked aura: "Listen to me; I will take charge of the subsequent operations here, and thereafter we shall all be good brothers—I, Sima Lang, will not shortchange any of you."

"If you won't listen to me… heh, you're afraid of Zhao Xiong? Go ahead and complain to him… I, Sima Lang, don't care what kind of trashy deputy hall master of the Imperial Hall he is… the realm of the Great Jin Divine State will ultimately belong to our Sima clan!"

Sima Lang's murderous aura surged.

Sima You and the others exchanged glances, fell silent for a moment, and together with Sima Hu, whose cheek bore a palm print, they all bowed to Sima Lang: "Brothers, we will all obey you, Wolf Brother!"

Sima Lang snorted coldly, nodded, and kept saying "Good!"