The Northern Spiritual Realm was divided into the Nine Domains, each controlled by a Domain Lord. The domains formed alliances or stood against one another, and the Mu Domain was one of them.
Mu City, the main city of the Mu Domain.
Afternoon sunlight spilled over streets bustling with carriages and a woven stream of pedestrians. Shop banners swayed gently in the wind, painting a picture of prosperity.
The Teleportation Spirit Array in the city suddenly lit up with a soft white glow.
As the light gradually faded, a figure dressed in black stepped out of the array.
The youth stood straight as a pine, his dark hair tied simply behind his head, a few loose strands fluttering over his forehead. It was Mu Chen!
Familiar sounds of bustle poured into his ears. Gazing at the streets before him, Mu Chen unconsciously curved his lips into a warm smile.
His father, Mu Feng, was the lord of the Mu Domain.
"Young lord?"
The guards stationed beside the Spirit Array first straightened, then broke into delighted expressions once they recognized his face.
"You've returned from the Spirit Road!" the burly man leading them exclaimed excitedly, his voice ringing out.
Another young guard turned to report the news inside the city.
"No need for the trouble." Mu Chen raised a hand to stop him and smiled faintly. "I'll head back myself."
His voice was clear and his tone gentle, without a trace of arrogance.
Taking his leave of the guards, Mu Chen walked into the city.
Mu City had a square, orderly layout, with its main thoroughfare running north to south and buildings rising on either side. After crossing the bustling market streets, he turned onto a quiet road. Before long, an estate came into view.
The Mu Estate covered a considerable area, with pavilions arranged throughout, winding corridors, and ornamental rockeries and flowing water nestled between them. It was imposing without sacrificing elegance.
When the guards and servants within the estate saw Mu Chen return, they stopped to salute him, their respectful expressions tinged with joy.
Mu Chen kept walking, crossing the front courtyard and rounding the screen wall as he headed straight for the main hall.
"Dad!"
His voice arrived before he did.
The main hall was spacious and bright, its rosewood tables and chairs arranged neatly, with wisps of sandalwood incense curling through the air.
A man in dark robes sat in the seat of honor. His features were resolute, his frame upright, and white hairs streaked his temples. Yet beneath that weathered appearance, a measure of handsomeness remained.
He was Mu Feng, lord of the Mu Domain.
At that call, Mu Feng's hand abruptly stopped turning the pages of his documents, and he snapped his head up.
Seeing the black-clad figure enter the hall, a flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes before giving way to irrepressible delight.
"Chen?"
Mu Feng sprang to his feet, not even noticing as the documents in his hands slipped onto the desk.
"You're back. That's all that matters. You're back..."
He strode forward and pulled Mu Chen down to sit beside him, his eyes shining.
After they caught up, Mu Chen turned to the matter at hand. "Dad, Academy Head Xiao already told me about the Liu Domain. I'm now at the pinnacle of the Heaven Fusion Realm, so I should be the strongest in the Northern Spiritual Realm."
"Then what are you suggesting?" Mu Feng's expression shifted.
"Before I leave for the Five Great Academies, we should strike first and seize the advantage." Mu Chen's gaze was clear. "Convene the Nine Domains Conference and unify the Northern Spiritual Realm."
The Nine Domains Conference carried the weight of a thousand tons in the Northern Spiritual Realm!
This was no ordinary discussion, but the highest assembly deciding the course of the entire Northern Spiritual Realm. The last time it had convened, it had defined the boundaries, powers, and responsibilities of the Nine Domains.
"Dad, hear me out..."
Nine Regions City, in the heart of the Northern Spiritual Realm.
The city took its name from its special status. The previous Nine Domains Conference had been held here.
Nine Regions City was not particularly bustling on ordinary days, but after the Mu Domain announced the assembly, the city suddenly awakened.
Carriages streamed like dragons, and voices boiled through the streets.
"Have you heard? The Mu Domain called this assembly!"
"The Mu Domain? Haven't they always been suppressed by the Liu Domain? Where did they find the confidence?"
"The Mu Domain's young lord, Mu Chen, has returned from the Spirit Road! They say he took first place there!"
"So what if he took first place on the Spirit Road? That just gives them another Divine Soul Realm cultivator. How could he compare to a seasoned powerhouse like Liu Qingtian, lord of the Liu Domain?"
"The Liu Domain has been recruiting troops and buying horses for years. Their strength has long since become unfathomable. If you ask me... the Mu Domain is seeking its own death!"
Amid the swirling discussions were doubts and anticipation, but more than anything, the tension of a mountain storm about to break.
The central hall.
The hall had a lofty, spacious dome, with eight stone pillars carved with coiling dragons standing beneath it. The Dark Azure Stone floor gleamed like a mirror.
Sunlight slanted through the high windows, casting bars of light across the tiles.
Aside from the Liu Domain, the delegations of the other seven domains stood arrayed on either side.
Mu Feng sat upright in a large rosewood chair, dressed in dark robes, his expression composed.
Mu Chen stood half a step behind him, clad in black with his hair tied back and his eyes lowered, as though he were merely a junior accompanying his elder.
"Three quarters of an hour have passed since the hour of the dragon began," Mu Chen suddenly said as a bell rang out.
"The Liu Domain still hasn't arrived. It seems they don't intend to attend."
As his words fell, the atmosphere in the hall tightened slightly. The Domain Lords turned their gazes toward him, their expressions varied.
"If the Liu Domain isn't coming, we won't wait," Mu Chen continued. "Before we begin our discussions, allow this junior to show you something-"
The instant his final word fell, an indescribably terrifying pressure erupted from Mu Chen's seemingly slender body, like an ancient savage beast suddenly waking from its slumber!
It was as though the weight of the entire sky and earth, every mountain and river, every wind, cloud, and thunderbolt, had gathered in that instant before bearing down without restraint!
Except for Tang Shan, the Domain Lord of the Tang Domain, every Domain Lord sat frozen in place, their faces deathly pale and sweat pouring down like rain...
They were all Divine Soul Realm experts who had commanded the winds and clouds of the Northern Spiritual Realm for decades, believing they had weathered their share of storms.
Yet now, faced with this pure, overbearing pressure, they truly understood what it meant to be separated by the heavens and an abyss!
Like ants looking up at a mighty dragon, like specks of dust facing the stars.
Even without his full strength behind it, the pressure of the pinnacle of the Heaven Fusion Realm was far beyond what Divine Soul Realm cultivators could withstand.
Inside the hall, a falling pin could have been heard.
Only heavy, strained breathing remained, along with the faint groans of chairs struggling beneath the burden.
Seated in the place of honor, Mu Feng felt the heart-shaking aura radiating from his son beside him. His face remained calm, but towering waves surged through his heart.
He had known that Mu Chen had reached the Heaven Fusion Realm, but never imagined that merely releasing his aura would produce such overwhelming power!
Mu Chen slowly reined in his aura.
The terrifying pressure that had suppressed heaven and earth receded like a tide.
The Domain Lords felt as though they had survived a calamity.
Mu Feng gave a timely, light cough, drawing everyone's attention back.
He slowly rose, sweeping his gaze across the hall, his voice steady and strong. "Everyone, as Chen said, since the Liu Domain disdains attending this assembly, there is no need to wait."
"When the time comes, Chen will have a private talk with them."
After a brief pause, he continued, "I invited you all here today to discuss a matter."
"The Nine Domains of the Northern Spiritual Realm stand divided, restraining one another and endlessly draining our strength through internal strife. Outside, the powerhouses of the Hundred Spirits Continent circle us like predators. Within, disputes over resources never cease. If this continues, the Northern Spiritual Realm will eventually become flesh on someone else's chopping block."
"Therefore, I, Mu Feng, propose that we unite all the forces of the Northern Spiritual Realm and establish the Northern Spiritual Alliance!"
"Each domain within the alliance will retain its autonomy, but must obey the Alliance Leader's commands. We will coordinate our resources, unite our military strength, resist foreign aggression together, and pursue our development as one!"
His gaze burned like a torch, each word clear:
"Who agrees, and who opposes?"
The Domain Lords all turned their gazes toward the black-clad figure behind Mu Feng.
Mu Chen merely smiled amiably, but that world-destroying pressure from moments ago had already been carved deep into every heart.
"What Domain Lord Mu says... does indeed make sense. The Nine Domains of the Northern Spiritual Realm have been divided for a long time, with constant infighting. If we can truly unite our strength, it will benefit everyone," Tang Shan, the Domain Lord of the Tang Domain, said first.
"The Tang Domain agrees!"
Lie Yan, the Domain Lord of the Lie Domain, drew a deep breath and rose. "The Lie Domain supports the proposal."
The other Domain Lords voiced their opinions one after another.
Agreement.
Unanimous agreement.
There was no bargaining, no exchange of conditions.
Before absolute strength, every scheme seemed pale and laughable!
Besides, the Mu Domain's terms were not unacceptable.
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