Chapter 293: Subjugation

Since Yang Guang's three failed campaigns against Goguryeo, heroes from all over have risen in rebellion, declaring themselves kings.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Great Sui has reached its precarious end. The world has entered a chaotic era; wars are breaking out, heroes are vying for the deer, and the winner shall be king.

The Dongming Sect, which made its fortune through weaponry, has suddenly become highly sought after. Most sects and factions have purchased equipment from it. If it can seize the opportunities of this chaotic era to develop, it may well become a powerful force carving out its own territory in the future.

But in the great upheavals of this era, the Dongming Sect could also be overturned by a single wave at any moment and vanish into thin air.

And once the world is unified, the Dongming Sect is destined to become one of the targets for the new dynasty to suppress.

If Yu Liancheng were representing a behemoth like the Four Great Sects to negotiate, combined with his own extraordinary martial prowess, the Dongming Sect might not be unwilling to submit.

But as it stands, judging by Yu Liancheng's meaning, he has come representing only himself, and he is currently alone, without any faction.

This could not help but make Lady Dongming knit her brows, thinking the other party was merely toying with her.

Yu Liancheng laughed, "Although I am a bit unconventional, I know when it is appropriate to joke and when it is not."

Lady Dongming's expression sank slightly, and she said, "The Four Great Sects, Wang Shichong, Zhai Rang, Du Fuwei, and their ilk—which of them does not have thousands of troops under their command? The Dao, Buddha, and Demon sects also have countless experts. What does the Young Master have to contend for the world? Do you expect them to hand over this empire just because of a few words from you?"

"Well asked!"

Yu Liancheng's gaze sharpened, and his vast, ethereal aura was fully released, causing his entire person to suddenly radiate a transcendent quality.

He slowly extended a hand from his robe; the five fingers were slender, the nails neatly trimmed, and the skin was as lustrous as jade, without a single flaw—it was a perfect work of art.

When Lady Dongming looked at this flawless hand, she could not help but feel a trace of jealousy.

Yu Liancheng's palm slowly opened; there seemed to be a mysterious suction force in the center of his palm, and countless lights and shadows gathered there, causing the light in the entire cabin to dim.

This hand lifted slightly upward.

Lady Dongming's beautiful head also lifted slightly, but her delicate body could not help but tremble.

At this moment, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, the horizon grew white, and the sun hung in the firmament once more.

And following Lady Dongming's line of sight, it was as if the sun were held within Yu Liancheng's palm.

The next moment, the five fingers suddenly clenched.

This clench not only gave the illusion of grasping the great sun in his palm, but it also felt as if he had gripped the entire universe, carrying an incomparable sense of shock.

"Martial power. I shall use incomparable martial power to integrate the universe and return a bright and prosperous age to the world." Yu Liancheng spoke slowly, and every word he uttered seemed to carry the weight of ten thousand jun.

Lady Dongming remained in a state of shock; after a long while, she could not help but say, "How can mere individual martial power withstand the great trends of the world? Even the Three Great Grandmasters, who have been famous for decades, would not dare to plunge alone into the midst of thousands of troops. Do you think you are more formidable than Ning Daoqi?"

This is a world where martial arts are revered, and the Three Great Grandmasters are three insurmountable mountains.

They have been famous for decades, yet no one has been able to shake their status, which shows how profound their methods and strength are.

The 'Scatterer' Ning Daoqi is renowned throughout the Central Plains, famous for his "Eight Strokes of the Scattered Hand," and is well-versed in the transformations of heaven and earth; even the heads of the Four Great Sects must treat him with courtesy and dare not show the slightest disrespect.

The 'Yi Sword Master' Fu Cailin is world-famous for his Yi Sword Technique and once resisted Yang Guang's three campaigns against Goguryeo. In the hearts of the Goguryeo people, he is already a God, not a man, filled with sublime and mysterious colors.

The 'Martial Venerable' Bi Xuan is the number one expert of the desert grasslands and a general of the Eastern Turkic; he is the faith in the hearts of the Turkic people, an invincible banner. The Turkic Khan can die or be replaced, but Bi Xuan cannot.

Yet even figures of the Three Great Grandmasters' caliber would not dare to easily plunge into the midst of thousands of troops.

Although they possess the ability to repel thousands and fight decisively,

their stamina and True Qi are ultimately limited. Once they cannot break through the encirclement in a short time, they could be worn down to death.

But Yu Liancheng does not have this worry.

His True Qi is inexhaustible, and he also possesses a body of hard-qigong.

As long as he is willing, he alone is an army—the sharpest of armies—traversing the world, invincible.

Yu Liancheng said indifferently, "If the Three Great Grandmasters joined forces, I would have some reservations. But if it were only Ning Daoqi, if I were to go all out, he might not be able to last a hundred moves, or perhaps fifty."

His words were plain and calm, as if he were stating a fact that everyone had already accepted.

Lady Dongming's cherry lips parted slightly, and she suddenly let out a laugh, truly charming in every way: "You are truly arrogant to the extreme; you leave me not knowing how to respond."

Yu Liancheng did not get angry; he merely looked around the cabin and suddenly changed the subject: "I wonder what the name of this great ship is?"

Lady Dongming said, "This ship is called the 'Piaoxiang'. Why does the Young Master ask?"

"'Piaoxiang'? It sounds like a female name." Yu Liancheng laughed: "Is this 'Piaoxiang' a ship of your Dongming Sect?"

Lady Dongming nodded: "Indeed. This ship was supervised and built by Shan Meixian herself, exhausting the entire strength of the Dongming Sect, and it took four months to complete. Whether in sailing speed or underwater combat, it is top-tier in the world; few ships can compare to it."

Yu Liancheng said, "In that case, you could be considered its mistress?"

Lady Dongming nodded and said, "Indeed, one could say so."

A smile curled at the corner of Yu Liancheng's mouth as he said, "Then how do you prove you are its master? If you call out to the 'Piaoxiang', will it nod in response?"

Lady Dongming was slightly stunned, then shook her head: "Young Master, are you joking? The Piaoxiang is an inanimate object, not a cat or a dog."

Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow: "I can. If I call out the three words 'Piaoxiang', it will nod in response."

"This... I do not believe it."

"Since that is the case, let me broaden your horizons." Yu Liancheng smiled slightly, then called out softly: "Piaoxiang."

His tone was gentle and doting, as if the Piaoxiang were truly his pet.

And as he spoke, he pressed his hand onto the table.

Vast and surging True Qi seeped into the ship's hull through the table, thread by thread, and in an instant, it had spread through a small portion of the hull, causing it to sink down suddenly.

Immediately following, the entire massive Piaoxiang suddenly lurched and began to shake violently.

It was as if a behemoth were churning the water beneath, or as if the Piaoxiang had a spirit and was truly responding to Yu Liancheng's call.

Yu Liancheng shrugged, looked at the stunned Lady Dongming, and smiled: "See, it responded."

Lady Dongming looked at Yu Liancheng with astonished eyes and said incredulously: "What method did you use?"

"This is the supreme mystery of martial arts; it is just a pity that without a certain level of discernment, one cannot distinguish it."

Yu Liancheng said leisurely: "Very well, Lady, please make your choice: whether or not to submit to me. If you submit, it will be a merit of following the dragon in the future. If not, I will have no choice but to find someone else to be the sect leader of the Dongming Sect."

Lady Dongming pondered for a moment, then a bitter expression appeared at the corner of her mouth: "Does Shan Meixian have any room for choice?" The implication was self-evident.

"Haha, those who know the times are heroes." Yu Liancheng laughed heartily and said: "Rest assured, I do not need your Dongming Sect to do anything dangerous. Furthermore, submitting to me is also to your benefit; I can help you fulfill one or two wishes, such as... killing Bian Bufu and taking revenge on Zhu Yuyan."

Lady Dongming's delicate body trembled, a deep hatred appeared in her beautiful eyes, and her soft voice turned cold: "Young Master seems to know many things?"

"I know far more than you imagine." Yu Liancheng drank a cup of wine and said indifferently, "Also, mind your attitude; I am now considered your master."

Madam Dongming knitted her brows slightly, then immediately smiled enchantingly, her red lips parting slightly as she said, "Since the Dongming Sect has already submitted to the Young Master, and Dan Meixian is the Sect Leader of the Dongming Sect, then let Dan Meixian pour wine for the Young Master."

She rose to her full height, her graceful figure fully revealed. Her steps were dainty, her waist swaying slightly, exuding a mature charm that was a different kind of beauty compared to the youthful brilliance of Dan Wanjing, yet it was not the least bit inferior.

"Young Master, please." Madam Dongming presented the wine cup to Yu Liancheng with an extremely elegant posture, her pair of beautiful, slender hands pausing in mid-air.

At the same time, a delicate floral fragrance wafted from her beautiful body, lingering at the tip of Yu Liancheng's nose. Although one could not distinguish exactly what kind of flower it was, it did not give one a vulgar feeling, and it even seemed to faintly stir one's lust.

"Hmm, you are indeed quite sensible, Madam."

Yu Liancheng glanced at her, smiled slightly, and reached out to take the wine cup. Inadvertently, Madam Dongming's fingers lightly brushed his palm, and he felt an itchy sensation, as if the tip of his heart had been brushed by a feather.

Just as Yu Liancheng raised the wine cup and took a slight sip, a trace of murderous intent flashed in Madam Dongming's beautiful eyes, and her True Qi surged. Those long cloud sleeves suddenly fluttered out, changing in an unfathomable way, like flowing water and moving clouds, striking directly at his chest with a force that seemed both light and heavy.

Madam Dongming controlled the vast Dongming Sect not only because she was adept at socializing, but also because her martial arts were superb; she was famous throughout the world for her "Water Cloud Sleeve Technique" and was a First-class Expert.

"Since you have already submitted to me, Madam, acting rashly now is truly not well-behaved."

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly, appearing not the least bit surprised.

As he spoke, the wine cup in his palm spun rapidly, colliding with the cloud sleeve. In an instant, the force of the sleeve was scattered, and the wine cup spun in the air before returning to Yu Liancheng's palm.

Madam Dongming's pretty face turned slightly pale; she flicked her fair wrists, and the water sleeves coiled in the air, twisting and turning like a dragon, bending as she wished, and in an instant, they bound Yu Liancheng.

"Oh, is this the martial art of the Demon Yin Gui Sect? It looks like nothing more than this." Yu Liancheng raised his eyebrows, his expression indifferent, as if it were not he himself who was wrapped by the cloud sleeves.

"Hmph, even at this point, you still dare to speak such wild words; do not blame me for being impolite."

Madam Dongming pulled with her slender palms, and a wave of terrifying power surged from the long sleeves that wrapped Yu Liancheng: "Who exactly sent you to the 'Piaoxiang'? Why do you know so many secrets? Speak quickly!"

She had originally intended to play along with Yu Liancheng to find out the truth before making a move.

Although the opponent's martial arts were high, as long as he was staying on the Piaoxiang, Madam Dongming had countless means to deal with him.

But because Yu Liancheng had exposed her secret in one breath, Madam Dongming could not care about much else; she acted decisively, first using the special fragrance to disperse the opponent's internal energy, then driving her Demon arts to influence his mind with lust, and finally binding him with her water sleeves.

Madam Dongming had been somewhat apprehensive, as the strength Yu Liancheng displayed was extraordinary and not easy to deal with. But who would have thought the opponent was too arrogant, actually not dodging or evading, and was firmly bound by the water sleeves.

One must know that this "Water Cloud Sleeve Technique" was her unique skill, and even these long sleeves were made of special silk; as long as one was bound by her, their life and death would be controlled by her hands.

"Not polite? In what way are you not being polite?" Yu Liancheng said without a care: "You acted against me rashly, committing an offense against your superior; you will have to be punished later."

Madam Dongming snorted coldly: "Stubborn and unyielding, only knowing how to wag your tongue. I want to see if you can withstand the power of my water sleeves."

Having said that, she exerted force with her delicate hands and drove her True Qi; the water sleeves tightened instantly, as if a force of ten thousand jun was binding Yu Liancheng's body. Furthermore, her True Qi transformed into invisible fine needles, specifically designed to break through internal energy barriers and external hard-body cultivation.

But to her surprise, the opponent was like copper skin and iron bones, completely ignoring the binding force, and the True Qi needles could not pierce his skin at all.

"Have you played enough? If you have, it is time for me to make a move." Yu Liancheng shook his body, and the specially made cloud sleeves shattered instantly, scattering like butterflies.

At the same time, he reached out his palm and grasped the air with five fingers, a strange suction force generating in his palm.

"Is this the 'Heavenly Demon Great Art'?"

Madam Dongming cried out in surprise, her body like catkins in the wind, involuntarily throwing herself toward Yu Liancheng. It was no wonder she mistook it; the strange force field generated by the Yin Gui Sect's 'Heavenly Demon Great Art' also had this effect.

In the blink of an eye, she had fallen into Yu Liancheng's embrace.

"I am a magnanimous person; although you committed an offense against your superior, I am going to treat you to a drink."

Yu Liancheng held Madam Dongming with one arm, lifting her delicate body and sitting her on his lap. With his other hand, he took the wine pot, took a sip, and held it in his mouth.

Immediately, he lowered his head, kissed Madam Dongming's cherry lips, and passed the wine to her.

For a moment, Dan Meixian's body felt burning hot and weak, and her already charming and gentle eyes seemed as if they were about to drip water.

"You have witnessed my martial arts; now I will give you one more chance to consider: surrender or refuse?"

Yu Liancheng looked at Madam Dongming's beautiful face and saw her biting her cherry lips slightly, two blushes appearing on her exquisite cheeks, showing a hint of hesitation, before her beautiful eyes closed, looking as if she were letting him do as he pleased.

Only her fan-like eyelashes trembled incessantly, showing the unrest in her heart.

"Very well, I already know your decision." Yu Liancheng lowered his head while simultaneously driving his Mental Secret Technique, making Madam Dongming even more infatuated and confused.