"Even someone of supreme status can only pray for elixirs that prolong life...?"
Emperor Sheng looked at the spot where the other person had disappeared, then at the pure white Jade Bottle placed on the table, and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
He then caught it in his palm from a distance, and began to seriously ponder a question—
How can we recruit that young lieutenant named Ye Li to our side?
Recruiting and rewarding them handsomely is just the most basic approach.
The art of rulership is far more complex than this; the true means of taming a wild horse is always a combination of kindness and severity.
The degree to which benevolence and severity are applied determines how skillful an emperor's methods are.
The simplest example is that when Ye Li returns empty-handed ten days later, one must show the utmost understanding and tolerance.
However, at the same time, it is not possible to completely refrain from punishment.
"Um..."
"Since he is a henchman of Ling An, we can simply put pressure on Ling An and have her punish Ye Li on my behalf. That would be perfectly reasonable."
Emperor Sheng strolled toward the center of the lake, letting his thoughts wander freely.
Within the entire Great Sheng realm, there are truly very few things that can move the hearts of a peak Venerable.
Moreover, Ye Li is a clearly extraordinary Venerable, whose profound foundation is visible to the naked eye. It would be extremely difficult to move him.
"Speaking of which, he recently placed in the top three, and according to the rules, he will also participate in the Shangqing Martial Arts Tournament Competition next month."
"Why don't we discuss this with the Imperial Advisor? We can publicly request that she accept Ye Li as her disciple. That would be a great favor..."
Night fell, and the air grew still.
Alas!
After extensive preparations, a uniquely designed sky-blue Star Skiff sped out from the Capital City, which was hundreds of thousands of miles away.
On the Star Skiff, three figures sat upright, each with a different expression.
Eldest Princess Li Huaian sat opposite Ye Li, her eyes shining as she gazed at the young commander who had already stirred up the Capital City.
The other person was flipping through files on the geography of the Southern Territory and the various forces in his hands, his expression focused and calm, showing no sign of the tension of about to head into a den of wolves.
How composed you are...
A slight smile played on Li Huaian's lips, a subtle ripple stirring within him.
This trip to the south was a golden opportunity she had fought hard for.
It should be understood that, at such a critical moment, the intervention of the directly subordinate royal family can greatly appease the emotions of the local people.
Based on this, she successfully obtained the right to accompany him on this trip.
Although Li Yingluo almost exploded on the spot after hearing about it, she told Emperor Sheng that she was also capable of taking on this great responsibility.
However, given the urgency of the situation and the ten-day time limit, the more experienced princess was naturally the more suitable choice. Therefore, Emperor Sheng immediately rejected the Third Princess's request.
The advantage of seniority is perfectly demonstrated at this time.
Ling'an, blame yourself for starting too late... The Eldest Princess maintained a calm expression.
Xiao Yu sat in a seat a little further away.
She had her hair tied up and wore armor, her arms crossed as she closed her eyes to rest, her aura restrained and profound, yet the sharp edge befitting a top-tier Venerable emanated from her.
"Ahem." Li Huaian coughed lightly, breaking the silence in the cabin, and spoke in a deep voice to Ye Li, who was sitting opposite him:
"General Ye, the Bone and Blood Cult is incredibly powerful. They have stirred up unrest throughout the entire Southern Territory. To avoid alerting them, we must proceed with utmost secrecy."
"But ease of operation still needs to be guaranteed."
"Please accept this, General."
Ye Li then turned his gaze to her, reaching out to take the Token that was handed to him. "What is this?"
"This is the [Golden Token of the Governor] that my Father Emperor entrusted me to deliver to the General. It ranks above the prefects of various regions and grants the authority to inspect the entire Southern Territory."
The Eldest Princess's eyes flickered. With this Token in hand, even she, as a princess, had to obey Ye Li's arrangements when she was in the provinces and was not allowed to do anything that would interfere with official business.
The Bone and Blood Cult, such a deeply entrenched and insidious sect, was once destroyed by the Great Sheng Dynasty at its peak, despite the nation's resources being exhausted.
However, such a large-scale local cult cannot be eradicated with just one purge. This is the third large-scale resurgence since the founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty, which spanned millions of years.
Compared to this time, the previous two incidents seemed rather minor.
She composed herself, pushed a dossier sealed in a special Jade Slip in front of Ye Li, and said softly:
"Since the general has accepted this important mission, he must have set out with the intention of returning in triumph. This matter is of great importance, and if it can be accomplished successfully, even the Imperial Advisor will surely take notice of the general."
In the entire Great Sheng Dynasty, there was no powerful figure who could move this young commander.
The only person Li Huaian could think of was that Shangqing Immortal.
Upon hearing this, Ye Li finally put down the file in his hand, picked up the Jade Slip that clearly carried the fluctuations of a restriction, and with a slight flash of golden light at his fingertips, easily broke the seal.
He quickly scanned the information while gesturing for the other person to continue.
Seeing this, Li Huaian continued solemnly, "This sect's methods are treacherous and ruthless, even more bizarre than in its heyday."
"In the past six months, their activities have suddenly intensified, causing more than a dozen cities in the Southern Territory with populations exceeding one million to vanish into thin air."
"Disappeared into thin air?" Ye Li looked up.
In terms of technique alone, it's quite similar to the Vajra Buddhist Disciple from back then.
However, Vajra Buddhist Disciple relied on the top-tier Buddhist Treasure [The Myriad People Bag], and just the fact that it could hold all the people of Luoxia City had already pushed the Treasured Artifacts's capacity to its limit.
Unless the Bone and Blood Cult has more than a dozen "Ten Myriad People Bag," the people who disappeared from those cities are probably in grave danger.
"Exactly." Li Huaian nodded, his chest swaying slightly, his exquisite face seemingly shrouded in frost, and he said coldly:
"It wasn't a massacre that left behind horrifying mountains of corpses and seas of blood; the entire city, along with its buildings, was razed to the ground!"
"Only a bottomless, enormous crater remained on the spot. Subsequent investigations revealed no signs of large-scale fighting or migration; it was as if they had vanished into thin air."
"Its method of expression is exactly the same as the Blood Sacrifice secret technique of the Bone and Bone and Blood Cult back then."
She paused, her tone becoming more serious. "But unlike back then, they now seem to have mastered some kind of method of group concealment, moving like ghosts and leaving no trace!"
"The governors of each continent have laid out an inescapable net, spending enormous sums to compress the area they can operate in layer by layer, but it has only shrunk from covering more than a dozen continents in the Southern Territory to the Three Continents of Yunze, Cangwu, and Liuhuo."
Ye Li stared thoughtfully at the projection of the deep pit depicted in the Jade Slip.
Although the Three Continents may not sound like much, they actually comprise at least fifty large prefectures and thousands of massive cities of similar size.
If we don't take some extreme measures, it will really take forever to find them.
Seeing the change in his expression, a hint of helplessness flashed in Li Huaian's eyes as he said:
"The land of the Three Continents is filled with countless Cave Abode and Secret Realm, large and small sects and aristocratic families, and even exiled forces, all intertwined and a mixed bag."
"If the Bone and Blood Cult were to remain hidden, it would be like throwing a stone into the sea. They may have already infiltrated and controlled some local forces as cover."
"The governors of the Three Continents tried their best to unite and suppress it, using the Mountain River Seal to monitor the heavens and earth and setting up layers of blockade, but they still could not pinpoint its specific movements."
"Retrieving it completely from these Three Continents would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack."
Xiao Yu, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them, her brows furrowed as she looked at Ye Li, a hint of barely suppressed resentment gradually appearing in her eyes.
All I've heard so far is bad news.
However, despite this Trouble situation, some people still felt that two months was too long and insisted on shortening it to within ten days in exchange for the governor's power!
What's the point of all this?!
If it weren't for the presence of the Eldest Princess, Xiao Yu would never have let go of this young general who had implicated her!
"What level are the higher-ups of the Bone and Blood Cult?" Ye Li put down the Jade Slip and looked directly at Li Huaian.
The fact that even several prefects blessed with the Mountain River Seal were helpless, and that two High-ranking Venerable from the Capital City had to be dispatched overnight to provide assistance, suggests that it was not just well hidden.
Li Huaian pursed his lips slightly and uttered a startling number:
"According to the news relayed by the Nine Luminaries Division of the Southern Territory, there have been multiple clashes between the governors of various continents and their remnants, and at least four Martial Path Venerable have been confirmed to be involved!"
Four Venerable Ones!
This is far beyond the scale of an ordinary cult. Even if it is not all beings in the late stage of the Cosmic Birth Realm, it is still a strength that no single continent can withstand!
"These are only those who have clearly shown their faces and displayed the aura of a venerable one."
Li Huaian added, emphasizing, "It cannot be ruled out that there are even stronger or equally powerful forces lurking in the shadows."
"The core members of their sect are fearless and skilled in combined attack Array Formation and Blood Sacrifice techniques. Local county soldiers and ordinary sect cultivators often suffer heavy losses when they engage them in direct combat."
Such a force cannot be cultivated overnight.
It's truly baffling that they've now joined a cult that was destroyed years ago.
Outside the Star Skiff, the Sea of Clouds churned, mirroring the chaotic situation in the Southern Territory at that moment.
"What's the current situation?" Ye Li asked.
Li Huaian shook his head, his face devoid of any smile, "There are no new incidents to report for the time being."
"The Bone and Blood Cult's actions are always purposeful. They have been plundering the people of Dasheng on such a large scale, yet they have not yet performed the classic Blood Sacrifice. This clearly shows that they are not yet satisfied."
"The recent silence is most likely because they're brewing some killer move."
Fortunately, we have strong reinforcements in the Yunze Continent.
As she spoke, she looked at Ye Li, her tone finally becoming more relaxed. "The Cangbei Cold Palace, one of the Twelve Xuan Sects, is currently actively assisting the Three Continents Nine Luminaries Division."
The Twelve Xuan Sects are the second-best forces in the Great Sheng Empire, second only to the Four Extremes.
The most representative feature is that there is at least one supreme being within the sect who has reached the level of the Immortal Realm!
"With their help, the situation in the Yunze Continent is quite optimistic. Inspired by this, the Three Continents of Taizhou are currently trying their best to integrate local forces in order to stabilize the situation."
"In the Three Continents, sects stand tall and powerful families are entrenched, among which are many top-tier forces with profound foundations and Venerable-level experts."
"If we can get their help, whether it's providing intelligence, sealing off areas, or cooperating with the city's garrison in critical moments, it will greatly reduce the pressure on the Nine Luminaries Division and improve the efficiency of the purge."
Ye Li couldn't help but chuckle, "How was the effect?"
This strategy does sound very good.
But no matter where he is, as long as he interacts more with the local powerful families and factions, he will naturally understand why he is a little unable to hold back at this moment.
A wry smile appeared on Li Huaian's face; this was precisely the most difficult part of the plan.
"To be honest, the results were not very satisfactory."
"The Nine Luminaries Division has issued edicts to all the prominent sects and families within the Three Continents to assist in the recruitment, explaining the advantages and disadvantages and promising substantial rewards for meritorious service."
"But..."
She shook her head, her tone carrying obvious helplessness and a hint of barely perceptible resentment. "Very few responded!"
These local forces will absolutely not cooperate unless absolutely necessary.
Most of them were ambiguous in their attitude and gave perfunctory and evasive answers.
Some used the excuse that their sect was holding a grand ceremony or that their Old Ancestor was in seclusion, while others stated that they needed to protect their own Mountain Gate's foundation and were unable to attend to other matters.
Even more extreme, some have hinted that the Imperial Court should offer more substantial benefits, such as Spirit Veins, mineral resources, or even... fiefdom privileges!
Completely disregarding the impending disaster and the principle that "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold"!!
"I knew it!" Xiao Yu couldn't help but burst into angry laughter. "They're all a bunch of short-sighted, petty scoundrels!"
When the nation is in peril, they only care about their own selfish interests; it's utterly disgusting!
"General Xiao is absolutely right."
Li Huaian looked at Xiao Yu and nodded in agreement with her anger.
But as the regent, her primary concern was resolving the problem. "However, circumstances dictate actions."
"The scourge of the Bone and Blood Cult cannot be quelled quickly by the Imperial Court alone, especially with the ten-day deadline looming."
"The Nine Luminaries Division needs their power, even if it's just a portion."
Her gaze returned to Ye Li, her eyes gradually sharpening. "General Ye, the governors of the Three Continents of Yunze recently changed their strategy, choosing to directly invite these aristocratic families to [Yongle City] for detailed discussions."
"Because as long as representatives are sent, no one has a reason to refuse."
"Therefore, I intend to, in my capacity as the Regent Eldest Princess, explain the advantages and disadvantages and make a solemn promise on behalf of the Great Sheng!"
"At the very least, we must ensure that these local bullies, for the next ten days, dare not openly hinder us, secretly aid the enemy, or even provide us with some useful information!"
This was her authority as a princess, and also the main purpose of her trip.
Assist Ye Li in consolidating the local area, demonstrating that he possesses even greater power than the Imperial Sister!
Listening to the howling wind outside the cabin, Ye Li shook his head softly and said:
"That's far too much Trouble."
"What does the general mean?" Li Huaian's heart skipped a beat, and he asked instinctively.
"Turn down."
Ye Li abruptly withdrew his gaze and said no more.
Explain with emotion and reason.
This method is unlikely to truly subdue these local bullies, and besides, in his view, there is no need to subdue them at all.
It's just a shortage of soldiers, isn't it?
As long as all the disobedient clans and sects are killed and transformed into spirits that can be controlled at will, they can still be used to resist cults.
Why waste any more breath?
The cabin fell silent for a moment, with only the whistling of the Star Skiff cutting through the wind.