Two quarters of an hour later.
Thud, thud, thud—
Hearing the sound of troops charging from behind, Yun Ming slowly turned around.
This was an elite force of eight hundred, all clad in Blood-colored Vicious Ghost Armor, and every single one of them was a Soul Master with Soul Power fluctuations above the level of a Soul Elder. They were precisely the elite Heaven's Chosen Troops that Han Yang had mentioned earlier, tasked with guarding the royal Yin family.
Clang, clang, clang—
"Kill, kill, kill!!"
Seeing Yun Ming turn around, the soldiers of the Heaven's Chosen Troops drew the long blades at their waists and pointed them directly at him. Their war cries were loud, sounding like a roaring sea or a crashing mountain, shaking the very heavens and earth. Though there were only eight hundred of them, they possessed a momentum as vast as a million-strong army, striking fear into the hearts of all.
Yun Ming was not annoyed by their baring of fangs, for in the next second, he would mete out punishment to these people. Against such small-fry, fodder-like characters, Yun Ming only needed to release a sliver of his pressure, and their only outcome would be to bow their heads in submission.
Thump—
In an instant, these tough men, who had just been so imposing and iron-willed, all had their spines bent by an irresistible external force. Regardless of their cultivation levels, not one was spared. The movement was so uniform and swift that if they hadn't already drawn their blades, one might have thought Yun Ming was their master!
Ghost Leopard Elder was not surprised by the Heaven's Chosen Troops kneeling in an instant; the gap in cultivation was too vast, so it was only natural. However, the young man beside him, dressed in black-and-gold dragon robes with black hair and blood-red eyes, found it somewhat unacceptable.
"How is this possible? My Heaven's Chosen Troops are an elite force famous throughout the continent, how could this be!"
The young man was named Yin Ming. He had just turned twenty and was the current King of the Blood Nether Kingdom. Despite his name sounding quite ominous, his personality was actually rather sunny. He had inherited the throne two years ago after his father passed away from a severe illness. He had not been in power for long, and furthermore, he was not the type of shrewd and capable imperial talent, so he often could not hide his emotions on his face. Now that his most elite force had been laid low in an instant, it was clearly a situation that made him unable to control his facial expressions.
Seeing that this King was someone who couldn't hide his thoughts, Yun Ming felt a sense of contemplation.
Seeing this situation, Ghost Leopard Elder hurriedly spoke up.
"My Lord, our King has arrived. You may now speak of your business."
The young King Yin Ming was also reminded by his elder, urgently recovering his composure. He looked at Yun Ming, a top-tier powerhouse even younger than himself, and spoke loudly.
"You specifically named me to find me. Now that I am here, you can release Prince Xie and the several elders, right!"
Yun Ming raised his eyes, and Yin Ming saw his pupils clearly. Yun Ming's eyes were undeniably beautiful, but what concerned Yin Ming more was the confident, indifferent, and profound emotion within them.
Yun Ming paid no mind to Yin Ming's observation. Even when facing the King of a nation, he spoke calmly.
"Whether they are released depends on their own choices later, so don't you worry about it. I brought you here to discuss other matters."
Yin Ming frowned deeply upon hearing this, but since his subordinates had all been knocked down, he had no choice but to follow Yun Ming's lead in the conversation.
"Then I wonder what it is you wish to discuss with me?"
Yun Ming smiled faintly and said.
"It is very simple. I want you, as the representative of the Blood Nether Kingdom, to announce your allegiance to me. From now on, the Blood Nether Kingdom will officially fall under my command."
'Shock!!'
Hearing these words from Yun Ming, everyone present who was still breathing and conscious was stunned. Forcing a King to acknowledge someone as his master in the Royal Capital—what kind of operation was this? The other party's goal was actually their Blood Nether Kingdom?!!
Although Yin Ming's ability was not great, he could not possibly agree to giving up his own throne. Without even thinking, he pointed at Yun Ming and immediately shouted in anger.
"Audacious!"
"You madman, how dare you attempt treason!!"
Yun Ming remained unmoved by Yin Ming's angry shouts and continued to speak his mind.
"You only need to say whether you agree or not; there is no need to say anything extra."
Yin Ming was furious; the person in front of him completely disregarded him! With a firm expression, he said decisively.
"Impossible!"
Yun Ming was not surprised by this at all. He looked at Yin Ming with indifferent eyes and said.
"The consequences of refusing me are very serious, and I will not give you a second chance, so you had better think carefully before you speak."
Looking into Yun Ming's eyes, Yin Ming felt a chill in his heart. He did not know what Yun Ming intended to do, but even if he was not an excellent King, he knew that the Yin family's throne could not be lost on his watch.
"I said, impossible!!"
Yun Ming looked straight at him, and the white Sky Support Mark at the bottom of his eyes slowly lit up. Having experienced it once before, Ghost Leopard Elder's expression changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm.
"Your Majesty, be careful!!"
He wanted to step in to protect Yin Ming, but it was too late. Yun Ming's massive Space Prohibition pressure descended upon him once more, and with a 'thump', he was pressed flat onto the ground.
In the next instant, Yin Ming's body, controlled by the power of space, slowly rose and drifted toward Yun Ming. Yin Ming struggled with all his might, but it was to no avail; with his level of cultivation, he could not resist Yun Ming at all.
Looking at Yun Ming before him, Yin Ming firmly stated his position.
"Little thief, don't waste your effort. My Yin family will never submit!"
Yun Ming ignored him, simply summoning the Atlas Divine Radiance at his fingertips, and said with a tone of regret.
"I gave you a chance!"
Feeling the sharpness in Yun Ming's hand, Yin Ming thought of the worst possible outcome and cried out in terror.
"What do you want to do?"
As soon as the words left his lips, Yin Ming saw a golden light rapidly enlarging before his eyes.
Ghost Leopard Elder and the other soldiers present all had their eyes split with rage, wailing in grief.
"Your Majesty!!!" xN
"Urgh."
Yin Ming's pupils dilated. He wanted to speak, but with his Houlong pierced by the radiance of the Atlas Spear, blood gushed out incessantly, rendering him completely unable to utter a word.
"My name is Yun Ming. If you haven't forgotten me in the next life, you are welcome to seek your revenge at any time."
To pacify seven kingdoms and unify the Dou Spirit continent, Yun Ming never thought it could be done peacefully. He was strong, but did he really think he could just host a tournament, win it, and have the seven kingdoms support his unification? That method was far too idealistic and naive! Even if it were feasible, without resorting to bloodshed, it would merely turn national warfare into partisan strife. With rules in place, it would be difficult for him to act, potentially leading to even more trouble.
Yun Ming was only one man; his power was not enough. Shedding some blood to instill awe in them was the best solution he could conceive.
Moreover, compared to the current chaotic warfare among the seven kingdoms, which left the continent's people displaced and living in constant fear, Yun Ming's top-down method of slaughter was the most stable path. Giving Yin Ming a chance to die with clarity was his final act of mercy.
Yun Ming pulled out the Atlas Divine Spear and released his Anti-air Power. Yin Ming collapsed to the ground, struggled twice, then kicked his legs and died with his eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.
After killing a King, Yun Ming scanned the surrounding Heaven's Chosen of the Blood Nether Kingdom. As expected, the fear in their eyes intensified.
"You don't need to worry. Just because I killed him doesn't mean I am bloodthirsty. On the contrary, I am a peace-loving person. If I can reduce bloodshed, I am quite willing to do so."
A royal loyalist among the Heaven's Chosen Troops interrupted him with a furious curse.
"Bah! You treacherous villain, stop spouting nonsense! You killed His Majesty and now try to shake our morale—your heart deserves to be executed! Everyone, do not believe him; he is absolutely trying to deceive us!"
Yun Ming glanced at him and shook his head.
"You are brave and loyal; you are someone I admire. It is just a pity! The object of your loyalty is not me. Therefore, you should go and fulfill your duty to the end!"
Bang—
The Anti-air Power transformed into a giant hammer, striking the man with a single blow and turning him directly into an unrecognizable mess.
The others: "..."
What a lover of 'peace' (he-ping). He really did 'merge' the man with the earth and 'flattened' (ping) him into a pancake.
"A small accident occurred; let us continue."
Yun Ming was not affected by the minor interlude and continued.
"I do not like the current state of endless warfare on this continent, so I have decided to take action myself to unify the seven kingdoms. However, my personal energy is still insufficient, so I need your help."
"Those who wish to help me, speak up. I will immediately lift your restraints, and afterward, you will follow me into battle. In the future, you will lack nothing in terms of honor, status, wealth, and power. I can share all of it with you."
The Heaven's Chosen of the Blood Nether Kingdom were somewhat terrified. What kind of wild talk was this man spouting? Was it not enough to want to seize the Blood Nether Kingdom? He actually wanted to unify all seven kingdoms?!!
"How is that possible! It can't be done. Even the Blood Spirit Emperor couldn't do it!" someone said in disbelief.
Who did he think he was! Did he really think that by defeating Prince Xie, suppressing them, and killing the King, he could control the Blood Nether Kingdom!!
Some did not believe it, but others did. Those with flexible minds immediately considered the feasibility of the matter. Based on the martial power Yun Ming had displayed, as long as he continued to kill dissenters and promote the surrender faction and new factions, controlling the kingdom temporarily would be no problem. And if his power was truly strong enough—stronger than the two Nine Rings powerhouses of the Blood Spirit Kingdom—he could repeat this process in the other kingdoms. Unification of the world was indeed achievable!
Yun Ming looked at the dissenter and said.
"If you dare not imagine it, nothing is possible."
Hearing this, the man turned red with shame and dared not speak again.
"So, who wants to join, and who wants to quit?" Yun Ming asked again.
The people present had different thoughts. There were ambitious individuals and idealists who saw their own pursuits in Yun Ming and were restless, while others were loyal to the royal family or simply wanted to stay out of it.
The Giant Bear Elder, who had been trapped by Yun Ming earlier, was one who did not want to get involved. Hearing Yun Ming's words, he asked in a muffled voice.
"What happens if we don't want to participate?"
Yun Ming said calmly.
"I will cripple your cultivation and then let you go."
"I am in a hurry; I have neither the time nor the excess energy to watch over uncontrollable factors."
"So, who wants to quit? Step forward!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the field fell silent. Most of those who originally wanted to quit were persuaded otherwise. They were all people who had experienced the privileges of a Soul Master; who would willingly give up their power to become an ordinary person? Only a few chose to abandon their Soul Master careers, the leaders among them being the Giant Bear Elder and the Ghost Leopard Elder.
One was a relative of the royal family by marriage, and the other had received great favor from the royal family; they truly did not want to work under Yun Ming, who had deep enmity with them and no hope of revenge.
Yun Ming nodded and looked at the other three elders.
"Since you did not object, I will assume you have joined my ranks."
"Now, I give you your first task: cripple their cultivation. Do you have any objections?"
The three of them knew that Yun Ming was making them offer a token of allegiance to completely draw a line between themselves and the Yin family, so they had no choice but to agree.
"Yes, my lord!" x3
Yun Ming released the three of them, allowing them to act freely.
"I'm sorry, brother!" the Heavy Sword Elder walked up to the Ghost Leopard Elder, apologized, and then used a sword-finger to strike his dantian.
"Ahhhhh."
The Ghost Leopard Elder could not withstand the excruciating pain of his dantian shattering and let out a miserable scream.
Dozens of seconds later, his cultivation dissipated, and he became a cripple.
The other two, the Bow and Arrow Elders, performed the same actions. In a few quick moves, they crippled all the remaining people, leading to another round of incessant screaming.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Yun Ming released everyone else.
"I know that many of you only submitted temporarily to preserve your cultivation. That doesn't matter; I judge by actions, not intentions. Regardless of why you joined, as long as you work hard and follow the rules, I will treat you all equally."
"But there is one thing you must remember: I have zero tolerance for those who betray me. If I discover it, you will surely die!!"
"Yes!" xN
The Heaven's Chosen Troops responded loudly, though whether any of them harbored ulterior motives remained unknown.
Just then, Han Yang, who had finally finished dealing with the Han Family, arrived with his kin. Seeing the King dead and the heroes submissive, they were thrilled by the Han Family's foresight; the rise of their clan began today!
"Lord!" Han Yang greeted respectfully.
Yun Ming looked at him, nodded, and said.
"You've come at the right time. Leave the subsequent matters to you."
"I need a stable court that can function normally for the time being, understand?"
He was referring to the two factions, intending to use a combination of civil and military officials.
"Yes, we will not fail the Lord's expectations!"
Han Yang and the three Great Elders replied respectfully and immediately took action, rushing off to stabilize the court. As for how to stabilize it, it naturally involved killing, exterminating families, and winning people over!
The male members of the Yin Clan royal family were slaughtered to the last man. Ultimately, the Queen Mother stepped forward to announce the clan's abdication and submission on behalf of the Yin Clan, thereby preserving their bloodline. In the officialdom, guided by the turncoat Han Family, most of the Yin Clan's in-laws and subordinate families were also purged, and the large number of newly vacated official positions were occupied by the surrender faction. Among the common people, once the news was blocked, the court remained stable, and the masses naturally did not descend into chaos.
Having sent away the errand runners, the final target Yun Ming needed to deal with was Equality King Xie Xiong.
Yun Ming arrived at the bottom of the pit and looked at Xie Xiong, saying.
"Since you're awake, state your thoughts. Submission or death!"
The head of a Title Douluo was a massive deterrent, which would be of great benefit for his future subjugation of other kingdoms.
Xie Xiong opened his eyes and said calmly.
"A Beast King only dies in battle; there is no such thing as surrender."
"Is that so? Then... goodbye."
The Atlas Spear appeared in Yun Ming's hand, and with one thrust, he pierced through his chest, sending him off directly. Only then did Xie Xiong realize that the person who had defeated him with his fists earlier was actually a Tool Soul Master.
At dusk, Yun Ming sat in the main hall of the palace, looking at the various delicacies before him, and murmured.
"Not bad at all! This dinner."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader