Night lay heavy, but the Crouching Dragon Mountains seethed with excitement.
News that Li Yun had slain Wei Wuji with his blade swept through the entire mountain range overnight like a gale.
The strongholds scattered across the peaks were stunned when they heard. Then they fell silent. At last, as though by unspoken agreement, they all made the same choice—to submit.
Even a Martial Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty had died beneath Li Yun's blade. What right did mere mountain bandits have to resist?
At dawn the next day, the chiefs of dozens of strongholds arrived at Eastern Splendor Stronghold in a steady stream, bearing gifts.
Some brought gold and silver. Others offered secret manuals of cultivation. Still others came with every last member of their strongholds, seeking refuge.
He Pingtian was run off his feet. Poison Granny and the One-Eyed Maniac bustled about assigning people to tasks, their faces glowing. Eastern Splendor Stronghold had never been so lively.
Li Yun, however, did not appear.
He stood alone on a cliff behind the mountain, looking out over the peaks below. The Dragon Soul coiled around his shoulder, its tail swaying gently, a dark gleam flickering in its eyes.
As a ruler who stood at the summit, he no longer needed to handle everything himself.
"Master, what do you plan to do once Crouching Dragon City is established?" the Dragon Soul asked.
Li Yun nodded. "Keep climbing the Martial Dao Ladder!"
"Keep climbing the Martial Dao Ladder? Uh, I thought you meant to use Crouching Dragon City as a base to contend for dominion over the world..."
Li Yun laughed.
"What would I want dominion over the world for?"
"I have no desire to be emperor."
"As a martial artist, pursuing higher realms and greater strength has always been the