Chapter 309: Sworn Alliance in Blood
After stepping out from the “Imperial Bestowed Eastern Sea Dragon King’s Palace of Yingzhou,” Li Xian turned to look at the seemingly ordinary bronze hall behind him, feeling a sense of disbelief—there truly were mighty magical powers in ancient times. At the same time, Li Xian also felt a mounting pressure—the development of Anyang still had a long and arduous road ahead!
Beside him, Ao Qingxue’s eyes were still filled with excitement and joy. Her usually pure, jade-like complexion now had a slight blush. If Ao Qingxue used to appear somewhat proud and ethereal, now she exuded a hint of earthly charm.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Li Xian’s eyes were solely fixated on the “Imperial Bestowed Eastern Sea Dragon King’s Palace of Yingzhou.” Gazing at the bronze hall, he seemed somewhat entranced.
Seeing this, Ao Qingxue couldn’t help but roll her eyes and teased, “Your Highness the Wise King, stop staring. To craft such a cave dwelling requires true immortal methods. Unless one reaches the realm of an immortal, don’t even think about it.”
Li Xian finally snapped out of it, musing, “An immortal, huh? Interesting.”
After exiting the Dragon Palace, they saw Xia Qingqing happily wandering around the palace. But upon seeing Li Xian and Ao Qingxue walking side by side, Xia Qingqing suddenly ran over to Li Xian, grabbed his left arm, and gently pulled him aside, offering a tender smile: “Husband, the Dragon Palace is indeed filled with treasures, dazzling and countless. But it seems they’re all just ordinary treasures?”
Li Xian could clearly hear the jealousy in her tone!
Ao Qingxue, perceptive as ever, caught on to Xia Qingqing’s words and smiled slightly. “Sister, you may not know, but I just took the Wise King to see a real treasure—a magical artifact passed down from ancient times.”
Seeing that the two women were about to clash, Li Xian quickly pulled Xia Qingqing away. “I’m heading back to the mainland to make some preparations. The princess will arrive in Anyang this afternoon, and we will form a blood pact alliance.”
“Very well!” Ao Qingxue responded with poise. After instructing two mermaid girls to escort Li Xian and Xia Qingqing away, she also got busy with her own affairs.
Back on the surface, Li Xian quickly comforted the slightly sulking Xia Qingqing, then went straight to fetch Ling Zhifeng, who was busy crafting refined metal magical artifacts. “Hurry up and build me a sacrificial altar. I need to form a blood pact with the Dragon Palace and honor the heavens and earth together.”
“What?” Ling Zhifeng was stunned at first, then suddenly jumped up in excitement. “Wahaha! I finally have a chance to build a sacrificial altar like this—this is amazing!”
“Is there anything special about a sacrificial altar for a blood pact?”
“There’s nothing particularly special about the altar itself, but the royal blood of the dragon clan is special. Using the dragon clan’s bloodline to offer a sacrifice to the heavens, I’ll have a great chance of perceiving some of the heavenly secrets. As long as I can comprehend even a portion of those secrets, I’ll understand the path of future cultivation.
In other words, this kind of sacrifice could let me glimpse the road to the Nascent Soul stage.
Wahaha… Young Master, just wait a moment. I’ll set it up right away.”
As Ling Zhifeng spoke, he prepared to run off.
“I haven’t even told you the location yet!” Li Xian grabbed him.
“No need, no need—I already picked the spot.” Feeling smug, Ling Zhifeng shared his little scheme and slipped free of Li Xian’s grasp, disappearing like a streak of smoke.
Li Xian pointed at Ling Zhifeng’s fleeing figure, speechless; it seemed his subordinates each had their own quirks.
Seeing that Ling Zhifeng had vanished in a flash, Li Xian went to find Xu Ren. Although he had agreed to form a blood pact alliance with the Dragon Palace, details and broader strategy still required the wisdom of Xu Ren and the others for reference.
When Li Xian returned to the main hall, Xu Ren, Li Yuanming, and Yan Ze’an were laughing heartily, evidently enjoying some joke. He could vaguely hear names like “Huang Fu” and “Cai Kingdom.”
“What’s making you all so happy?” Li Xian had to interrupt the three strategists who were laughing out of control.
Li Yuanming spoke first, “Young Master, you’re back. That Huang Fu actually tried to sow discord, and we’re discussing whether to use his trick against him.”
“Oh? Let’s hear it.”
Li Yuanming immediately recounted exactly what Huang Fu had said at the airfield, then shared his own thoughts. “Young Master, I have an idea. Anyang is too strong now—talents abound, and others are envious. I’m wondering if we should create a little smoke and mirrors internally, pretend to be at odds, and lull outsiders into complacency.”
Li Xian nodded, thinking it made some sense. He then turned to Xu Ren and Yan Ze’an. “What do you two think?”
Xu Ren pondered for a while before speaking. “I don’t quite agree. Though the plan makes sense, it could also create discord within Anyang itself, especially among the uninformed populace. Anyang has only just stabilized and now faces challenges from Xiao Liming and the approaching Cai State. The situation is extremely delicate.
At this moment, stability must be our top priority. Any careless change might actually play right into Huang Fu’s hands—turning pretense into reality and causing divisions among Anyang’s leadership.
Right now, Anyang’s upper ranks—finance, politics, law, military, industry, and commerce—are all clearly separated. We can’t afford any more instability.”
When Xu Ren spoke, Yan Ze’an finally opened his mouth and said: “I agree with Xu Ren’s opinion. But sometimes, things can go too far. I believe that unity is, of course, important; but it’s also acceptable to intentionally expose some ‘cracks’. It’s better for us to create those cracks ourselves and set traps than to have others force unknown cracks upon us.
However, this matter is truly a case of the benevolent seeing benevolence and the wise seeing wisdom. How to grasp the right balance—young master, please make the final call.”
Li Xian frowned slightly, realizing that he really had to make the decision himself. For such decisive matters, Li Xian had to make the final choice personally. Even if it turned out to be wrong, this right could not be handed over to others—this was a matter of direction, and asserting centralized power to the fullest.
After thinking for a while, Li Xian made his decision. His eyes lit up and his tone was resolute: “There is a legend of a sword called the Emperor’s Sword. It takes the Stone City as its spine, the soldiers as its edge, the officials as its guard, the virtuous and capable as its hilt, the rivers and mountains as its belt, and the people as its sheath.
Forged from the five elements, judged by punishment and virtue, opened with yin and yang, and wielded through spring and summer, operated through autumn and winter. This sword, when thrust forward, knows no obstacle; when raised, no higher point; when pressed down, no deeper place; when swung, no direction left untouched. It pierces the clouds above and cuts through the earth below.
Once unsheathed, it rectifies the nations, commands all directions, and wins the hearts of the world through virtue. This is the so-called Emperor’s Sword.”
Speaking each word step by step, as his voice fell, Li Xian sat upright on the throne with a proud and domineering posture: “Anyang shall open up an unprecedented world with unstoppable momentum and an overwhelming stance!”
Sitting on the throne, Li Xian’s gaze swept past Xu Ren and the others, past the wide-open doors of the great hall, as if looking toward an infinitely distant place.
In that moment, facing Li Xian, neither Xu Ren, Li Yuanming, nor Yan Ze’an could utter a word—each awed by his regal presence.
But at that moment, Ling Zhifeng dashed in like the wind. “Young master, young master! The altar is ready! Hurry up, I can’t wait any longer.”
Li Xian withdrew his gaze, and the kingly aura in the hall dissipated completely. Seeing Ling Zhifeng’s slightly anxious demeanor, Li Xian suddenly laughed. “No need to wait for an auspicious hour or anything like that?”
“No need, no need. It’s just a sacrifice to Heaven—Heaven is greedy and insatiable; anytime works.”
“Mm.” Li Xian nodded, then looked at Xu Ren and the others. “Everyone, I am going to form an alliance with the East Sea Dragon Palace of Yingzhou—by a blood pact. What are your thoughts?”
This question instantly sent Xu Ren, Li Yuanming, and Yan Ze’an’s minds into overdrive, immediately analyzing the pros and cons. In the past, Anyang and the Dragon Palace had cooperated, but it was mostly just a “mutual benefit alliance.” A blood pact, however, was more like a “blood relationship” alliance.
In fact, this kind of “blood pact and joint reverence of Heaven and Earth” alliance could be more stable than blood ties, but also far more binding, leaving virtually no room for regret.
It was practically a massive gamble—a gamble on Anyang’s future.
In the end, it was Xu Ren who spoke first: “I’d like to hear the young master’s thoughts, and also ask what exactly you encountered at the Dragon Palace.”
“Of course,” Li Xian replied, and recounted everything he had seen and heard in the Dragon Palace.
Gradually, the faces of Xu Ren and the others grew solemn.
Finally, Li Xian shared his thoughts: “I believe that while allying with the Dragon Palace is risky—the Dragon King, Crown Prince, and Second Prince are seriously injured—the fact that the East Sea Dragon Palace of Yingzhou still stands means they still have the power to protect themselves.
We can provide the Dragon Palace with sufficient liquid spiritual energy, which may offer them a turning point.
Moreover, the Dragon Palace has a long heritage, even containing ancient demonic scripts. It may hold records, writings, cultivation methods, and rare treasures from the ancient times. These records and this knowledge are the most precious to me. If we form an alliance with the Dragon Palace, perhaps we can gain access to this information too.”
Xu Ren nodded. “If so, then forming an alliance with the Dragon Palace is feasible. But we must be prepared for a fierce battle. Enemies that the East Sea Dragon Palace of Yingzhou fears are likely also Dragon Kings of the Eighty-One Seas—possibly one palace, maybe even two.
It can’t be more than three; otherwise, the East Sea Dragon Palace won’t be able to hold.
But this time we’re playing a bit too big. We’re directly plunging into a war of grudges among the Eighty-One Dragon Palaces, which date back to ancient times… tsk tsk…
The ancient Eighty-One Continents and Eighty-One Seas—just one Yingzhou is already so vast. We haven’t even conquered Yingzhou, and we’re getting dragged into the Eighty-One Seas’ ancient feud. We’re playing too big… too big…”
It really was too much. Xu Ren even frowned. Eighty-One Sea Dragon Palaces—just hearing the name was overwhelming—full of Nascent Soul and Soul Formation stage experts running rampant.
Li Yuanming, however, spoke slowly: “Maybe it’s not too much. Today’s Dragon Palace is no longer what it was in ancient times. If it were the Dragon Palace of the ancient days, there would probably be immortal-level experts. Nowadays, even Soul Formation experts are likely the peak.
Besides, before we contacted the East Sea Dragon Palace of Yingzhou, the existence of dragons was almost a myth. Many people even doubted whether dragons still existed.
What does that say? It says the dragon race has long since declined.
I think this is dangerous, yes—but it could also be Anyang’s opportunity. If we can walk through this low point together with the Dragon Palace, the vast ocean ahead could one day belong to Anyang!”
Yan Ze’an pondered slightly. “In the internal war of the dragon race, the only things we can help with are supplying enough liquid spiritual energy, unrefined bacterial elixir fluid, and a large amount of refined steel and mystic silver.
The rest—we leave it to the Dragon Palace. I believe with the Dragon Palace’s foundation, as long as they have the resources, everything will work out.”
Li Xian burst out laughing, full of heroic spirit: “Good! Have the Green Cloud Valley speed up production of liquid spiritual energy, bacterial elixir fluid, refined steel, mystic silver, and the like.
Also, for all Golden Core and Nascent Soul stage equipment and artifact sets that have passed inspection—issue complete sets to increase Anyang’s combat power.
I shall now go to form the blood alliance!”