CHAPTER 667: SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN, FAME SPREADS ACROSS THE WORLD

"From today onwards, all Eight Great Empires are subordinate states of the Xuanyue Empire!"

However, as Lu Dingtian and the others were feeling aggrieved, Yun Xiao’s voice came again, making their expressions even uglier.

The so-called subordinate states involve not only the word "alliance" but also the word "subordinate," meaning that after this battle, the Eight Great Empires must comply with Xuanyue Empire’s commands without any defiance. That is the implication of the word "subordinate."

Especially the King of the Yufeng Empire, who had just freed himself from the control of another power and was looking forward to making a big move, never expected that in the blink of an eye, he would have another master.

Even for the other empires aside from the Lingtian Black Star, despite being tens of thousands of miles away from the Xuanyue Empire, once the alliance and subordination agreement is made, they will always have a mountain pressing down on their heads – the Xuanyue Empire.

Even Xuan Haoran and Xuan Jing were staring dumbfounded, thinking that these leaders could surely not agree to such terms, as it involves the inheritance of an empire.

However, if this arrangement were to succeed, then in the future, the Hidden Dragon Continent might truly come under the dominance of the Xuanyue Empire alone. Does this mean that this war for empire destruction didn’t actually lead to Xuanyue’s downfall but instead, pushed it to rise as the foremost empire of the Hidden Dragon Continent?

"How about it? You won’t agree?"

Yun Xiao’s right hand flickered with blood-red flames, dancing like spirits. Seeing Lu Dingtian and the others silent, he suddenly sneered and said, "I’ll repeat myself: if you don’t obey, then I’ll simply replace you with others who will!"

"This damn brat!"

This is truly what one might call a masterstroke; Yun Xiao’s repeated threats were spot on, forcing these leaders to only curse internally.

"Alas, life and death are in others’ hands; we have no choice but to bow our heads!"

The King of Yufeng Empire was the first to relent, sighing inwardly before bowing respectfully to Yun Xiao, saying, "I, the Yufeng Empire, will dutifully follow the decrees of Xuanyue!"

"I, the Jingshan Empire, follow Xuanyue’s decrees!"

"I, the Black Star Empire..."

"Lingtian Empire..."

"..."

With the Yufeng King taking the lead, the others dared not resist any longer and began to accept the commands one by one, making Yun Xiao nod slightly in satisfaction and think to himself that this finally resolves future troubles.

Compared to Yun Xiao, the two leaders of the Xuanyue Imperial Family were truly elated, as if they had forgotten the earlier sorrows of Xuanyue, only thinking of how glorious the future of the Xuanyue Empire would be.

"Yun Xiao, for such a great favor, our Xuanyue Royal Family really has no way to repay you!"

The father and son, facing the calm-faced young man, both felt a surge of emotion, knowing that the huge favor they owed Yun Xiao was likely something they could never repay in their lifetimes.

"Alright, leave the specifics to King Haoran and Brother Xuan Jing. Remember, there’s no need to be courteous with these guys; if they don’t comply, just beat them until they do!"

Just before leaving the hall, the words that Yun Xiao spoke made Lu Dingtian and the others inwardly curse, thinking if it wasn’t for this young man’s abrupt interference, they might have settled the compensation details already.

Now, not only has the compensation increased manifold, but the sovereignty of their empires is also in the hands of the Xuanyue Empire. This is truly a loss beyond worth.

At this moment, Lu Dingtian and the others extremely regretted their decisions; had they known this would be the outcome, they would have rather agreed to the initial harsh demands of Xuan Haoran.

Regarding these matters of aftermath, not only Yun Xiao but also the members of the Jade Pot Sect couldn’t be much help. After staying a few more days to intimidate the great empires, they returned to the Jade Pot Sect.

However, on their way back to the Jade Pot Sect, seeing the ruined and smoky cities along the road, everyone felt quite moved, thinking that although the Xuanyue Empire had withstood the pressure of annihilation, it would likely take at least a decade to recover.

But, as things stood, even Yun Xiao had no better solution; the cycle of Heavenly Dao dictates life and death, each person has their destiny, even those above the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud are often helpless.

So, this great war, cannot clearly be said to have a winner or a loser; it might also be said that both sides lost, with Xuanyue Empire losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and the controllers of the Eight Great Empires greatly diminished, presumably, the Hidden Dragon Continent will be quieter for a while?

Although this great war has ended, news about this war for empire destruction has only just begun to spread from the Xuanyue Empire; soon, that youngster named Yun Xiao will definitely become the most eye-catching figure.

With his own power, he turned the tide and saved the Xuanyue Empire from dire straits, leaving the controllers of the Eight Great Empires with no temper, even resulting in the death of three Earth Rank strongmen at his hands.

Earth Rank cultivators are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns throughout the Hidden Dragon Continent. Now, three of them had died at Yun Xiao’s hand, one can only imagine the shockwaves this would send out once the news spreads.

From this point on, even if the Xuanyue Empire had not fully recovered its vitality, no other empire would dare to provoke them. After all, with Yun Xiao in charge, no one wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Eight Great Empires.

Especially the last discussions on reparations and conditions for alliance states caused other empires to tremble with fear. Even the combined forces of the Eight Great Empires had been defeated, if one day the Xuanyue Empire wished to annihilate any empire, who could possibly stop them?

Regarding all these matters, Yun Xiao, who had returned to the Jade Pot Sect, didn’t spare many thoughts to interfere. However, after nearly a month of cultivation, he suddenly discovered that the Heaven and Earth Energy of the Hidden Dragon Continent seemed to no longer suit the advancement of his Meridian Qi.

Yun Xiao’s Meridian Qi Cultivation had already reached the peak of the Spirit Vein Realm, yet after several months, he hadn’t even broken through to the Half-step Earth Rank, let alone wondering when he could advance to the Earth Rank Third Realm.

This was actually why Earth Rank cultivators were so rare in the Hidden Dragon Continent. Without some fortuitous encounters or the profound inheritance of a great empire’s royal family, it would be extremely difficult for cultivators of the Hidden Dragon Continent to break through to the Earth Rank Third Realm.

Furthermore, the cultivation speed of Yun Xiao’s Ancient Dragon Taming Technique was originally not fast and required massive amounts of energy. The sparse Heaven and Earth Energy of the Hidden Dragon Continent was already insufficient for him to make a breakthrough.

"It seems it’s time to move to a higher plane!"

The memories of his past life as Long Xiao Battle God made Yun Xiao acutely aware of the reasons. Now that the Xuanyue Empire was on the right track, and the matters of Lingyun Sect had been resolved, there wasn’t much left in the Hidden Dragon Continent to hold his interest.

The Jade Pot Sect was one reason, but after all, no banquet under heaven lasts forever. Reborn Yun Xiao knew since the first day he resumed his cultivation that this small Hidden Dragon Continent could never truly contain him.

...

In a plaza in the Inner Sect of the Jade Pot Sect, many young talented disciples gathered, and numerous Steward Elders also hurried over because, in one corner of the plaza, a young man in coarse clothing was sitting.

This young man was naturally Yun Xiao. After those major events, although he was not the Sect Master of the Jade Pot Sect, his status within the sect had clearly surpassed that of Sect Master Yu Shu, becoming a figure of reverence for the younger generation and many Deacon Elders.

Ever since returning from the Imperial City, Yun Xiao had stayed inside the Cold Jade Hall, not venturing outside. He had barely even met the Sect Master a few times, let alone these young Inner Sect disciples.

Today, as Elder Brother Yun Xiao finally came to the plaza, those young disciples all did their absolute best, hoping to display their skills in front of Elder Brother Yun Xiao and possibly receive his casual guidance, which would benefit them immensely for life.

Standing beside Yun Xiao, however, was a child with a beautifully adorned face, but compared to the former’s calmness, this small child’s face showed dissatisfaction and irritation.

"Daddy, watching these guys fight is so boring. Let’s go somewhere else to play!"

Little Dragon, a formidable Dragon Summoning Tree Spirit, though not very strong in combat, could command Golden Snake Worms in battle. Thus, he found the fights among the Jade Pot Sect’s Inner Sect disciples unbearably tedious.

"Little Dragon, what do you want to play? Uncle Ling Wan will take you to play!"

Hearing Little Dragon’s words, Yun Xiao had yet to respond when Ling Wan, beside him, excitedly spoke up. After spending a month together, he had already taken to calling himself "Uncle."

"Cut it out, what fun things do you have other than turning into a big meatball?"

But no sooner had Ling Wan’s excited voice fallen than Little Dragon merely glanced at him dismissively. The words he spoke left Ling Wan quite embarrassed, as he had already performed the transformation into a meatball "trick" many times over the past month.

"Little Dragon, how about I take you to bathe in the hot springs?"

Standing on the other side of Yun Xiao, Mo Qing’s eyes flickered with a complex expression. She suddenly spoke up, yet her words still elicited a contemptuous look from Little Dragon.

"You want to steal my daddy, I won’t play with you!"

Such an unrestrained remark made Mo Qing’s face instantly turn beet red with embarrassment. She had never revealed her thoughts to Yun Xiao before, but unexpectedly, this little rascal was so blunt.

"Little Dragon, do not be rude. Call her Auntie!"

Yun Xiao, unable to bear listening further, scolded gently. However, his cheeky son was not the least bit afraid of him and instead glared back.

"Daddy, Mommy told me to keep an eye on you, don’t let you flirt around!"

A child barely three feet tall, pointing at Yun Xiao’s nose and speaking such words with all earnestness and a commanding tone, was a sight that almost made one burst into laughter.

"Nonsense, when did she ever say such a thing?"