Chapter 744: Expanding Territory: Chiyang City
Over the next few days, Jiang Yinlan clearly intended for Lin Langtian—fresh from the battle for the Universe Spirit Pool—to rest a little.
Lin Langtian thus had quite a bit of free time, but while he relaxed, Silver Mist Palace moved one step after another.
Thanks to his performance in the Spirit Pool, Lin Langtian had won back a great deal of face for the palace. Jiang Yinlan planned to ride that momentum and fully restore Silver Mist Palace's reputation.
After all, among the Nine Kings, Silver Mist Palace's foundations were undeniably the weakest.
If it wished to grow stronger, it would have to expand its borders and greatly increase its territory.
With sufficient land, it would receive vast amounts of Sovereign Spirit Liquid each year.
And what Silver Mist Palace lacked most at that moment was precisely Sovereign Spirit Liquid—especially after Lin Langtian promised the Silver Mist Guard their rewards, demand had only grown.
Without enough Sovereign Spirit Liquid, even survival would be difficult, let alone growth.
By now, nearly every faction in the Universe Sect had their eyes fixed on Silver Mist Palace, curious to see if the long-silent palace would make any bold moves.
Under those many watching gazes, Jiang Yinlan immediately dispatched envoys to the cities they had previously failed to claim, bearing a very simple message.
Submit to Silver Mist Palace at once.
Her approach left many observers stunned, and some privately shook their heads in amusement.
A woman was still a woman, they thought—too soft in her methods.
Did she really think one light sentence would make city lords, already sworn to Calamity Palace, turn coat so easily?
Reality proved their expectations correct. Of the forty to fifty cities contacted, only a few whose lords had been heavily exploited by Calamity Palace agreed to submit.
The rest offered no reply at all.
A handful of lords especially close to Calamity Palace not only refused, but outright expelled Silver Mist Palace's emissaries, their arrogance clear for all to see.
With the Calamity Palace at their backs, they had no intention of taking this "weak" Silver Mist Palace seriously.
Silver Mist Palace's first move had indeed been a little awkward.
Many in the Universe Sect quietly shook their heads, their earlier hopes of Silver Mist Palace's resurgence fading.
Calamity Palace, meanwhile, filled with mocking laughter, more than ready to vent the humiliation it had suffered at the Spirit Pool.
Yet within Silver Mist Palace itself, all remained calm despite those many strange looks.
Outside a great hall at the palace.
The Silver Mist Guard lined up in dense ranks, their chilling battle aura blanketing heaven and earth, even lowering the temperature in the air.
Jiang Yinlan stood before the hall in silver battle armor, silver hair cascading down like a waterfall and long jade legs straight as spears.
She lowered her head to study the scroll in her hands, which recorded the responses of each city they had contacted.
Her expression did not shift as she scanned them. Instead of anger, a faint smile touched her lips.
She lifted her gaze to the tall figure in green standing below, eyes dark as black holes, and flicked the scroll toward him with a tap of her finger.
"The list is all here. What happens next is up to Commander Lin."
Lin Langtian caught the scroll and smiled slightly. He turned toward the army of silver beneath him and spoke calmly.
"We raise troops for a thousand days to use them in a single moment. Now that some refuse to acknowledge Silver Mist Palace, what do we do next?"
"Kill!"
The shout rolled skyward in perfect unison, heavy with killing intent.
A fiery light burned in the eyes of the Silver Mist Guard. After so many years of endurance, they no longer needed to hold back.
"Some people think Silver Mist Palace's principles are spoken with words…"
Lin Langtian's deep black pupils swept across the assembled troops as his body slowly rose into the air. A surge of spiritual power exploded from him like a storm.
"But today, we will show them that our laws are written in iron and blood."
"Move!"
His cold command cracked through the air as he shot out in a streak of light.
Mu Honglian followed with a wave of her hand, and the Silver Mist Guard soared up like a tide of white steel.
Their murderous aura shook every faction under the heavens of the Universe Sect.
Silver Mist Palace was about to show its thunderous side.
Still, many doubted its chances.
In recent years, its progress had been slow and its foundation undeniably thin.
Jiang Yinlan's personal strength was no doubt impressive, but no force could rise on one person alone. The other Kings commanded armies full of experts.
She, on the other hand, had only one true standout beneath her: Lin Langtian.
And in the internal struggles of the Universe Sect, only subordinates could act—the Nine Kings themselves were forbidden from taking the field.
No matter how dazzling Lin Langtian's performance in the Spirit Pool had been, it had still been a solo act.
The city lords they now faced were anything but ordinary.
Some of the top among them even rivaled the five great Commanders.
Thus, many remained skeptical of Silver Mist Palace's attempt to reclaim its reputation.
Calamity Palace.
In a great hall, the Calamity King sat upon his throne, idly tracing a hand along the armrest as his black eyes turned toward the halls' entrance, a faintly amused smile at the corner of his mouth.
"So, Silver Mist Palace has finally made its move."
He chuckled quietly, glancing down at Dong Kui. "Everything ready?"
"All the city lords have gathered in Chiyang City. If he actually dares to go, he won't be going home with his face intact," Dong Kui sneered.
Becoming a city lord required considerable strength.
The top among them were no weaker than the five Commanders; they were simply older, with limited potential for further growth.
Together, they formed a formidable force.
Silver Mist Palace, outside of Jiang Yinlan, had only Lin Langtian to lean on.
If he truly thought he could face so many city lords alone, he was a fool.
"In the end, a woman is still a woman—unfit for great matters," the Calamity King said with a soft laugh.
Silver Mist Palace's roots were simply too thin. Expanding their territory on a grand scale was no simple matter. He had not spent all these years building his deterrence for nothing.
This time, he would enjoy watching their disgrace and remind them of the difference between the two Palaces.
…
Chiyang City.
An enormous city in the southeast territory of the Universe Sect.
It was one of its key strongholds and among the most prosperous cities under the sect's control.
When Silver Mist Palace had first been founded, it had wanted to bring Chiyang City under its banner, but Calamity Palace had moved first, forcing them out.
Today, the city was more crowded than ever.
Streams of light poured in from all directions, converging at its heart.
Transport arrays across the city flashed continuously.
Word had spread the day before:
Li Chi, City Lord of Chiyang, had summoned fifty city lords to gather there.
Those in the know understood the purpose at once.
This was a united front against Silver Mist Palace.
Though all of them technically fell under the Universe Sect, Silver Mist Palace's shallow heritage made it an easy target.
Li Chi himself was hardly lacking in ambition, and had no desire to offend Calamity Palace.
In his eyes, the newly founded, woman-led Silver Mist Palace could not compare with the ascendant Calamity Palace.
And he would never have been so bold without the backing of Calamity Palace behind the scenes.
At the center of Chiyang City stood a vast plaza.
Now, it was surrounded by seas of people and a roar of voices.
Figures continued to fly in and gather in the sky above the square and upon the surrounding rooftops, every eye fixed on the plaza's heart.
Dozens of stone seats had been arranged there, each with a figure seated upon it, spiritual power quietly radiating from their bodies.
Their auras were calm and potent, their eyes bright and sharp. These were no ordinary men.
Among them, three at the very center stood out as the strongest.
The one in the middle wore red robes and had a hulking frame and short red hair. His craggy face exuded authority even at rest.
Arms folded across his chest as he leaned back in his seat, he seemed utterly unconcerned about Silver Mist Palace's impending wrath.
This was Li Chi, City Lord of Chiyang.
He had ruled the city for many years, known for his brutality and cruelty. His strength had long since reached the peak of Third Grade Sovereign.
Among all the city lords under the Universe Sect, his name carried considerable weight.
On either side of him sat two older men.
They were the lords of White Deer City and Cold Frost City, both also at Third Grade Sovereign.
Yet their flickering gazes betrayed far more unease than Li Chi's calm.
No matter what they might think, offending Silver Mist Palace was not exactly reassuring.
Jiang Yinlan was still a Fifth Grade Sovereign and the Great Elder's personal disciple. Neither her strength nor her backing were things they could afford to provoke lightly.
"You two needn't worry. Jiang Yinlan might be formidable and well-connected, but Silver Mist Palace is still weak.
"That new Commander Lin Langtian has some skill, but he's just from a lower plane. He won't amount to much," Li Chi said with a booming laugh.
At his words, the two city lords relaxed a fraction.
"With our lineup on full display, that new Commander won't dare to push us too hard.
"We'll press him first, then sit down and talk. That should be enough to put him in his place," Li Chi added with a smile.
"And don't forget Lord Calamity King's promise. If we turn Silver Mist Palace away, we'll be officially welcomed into Calamity Palace. What need will we have to fear Jiang Yinlan then?"
At that, the two city lords finally nodded.
Joining the sect proper was worth far more than being a lowly city lord.
After all, while their cities brought in a great deal of wealth, most of it went straight into the sect's coffers.
"We've gathered many, but most don't truly want to break with Silver Mist Palace…" the White Deer City Lord muttered.
"That's why they must lose all faith in it," Li Chi replied, folding his arms. "Once they see Silver Mist Palace turned away before their eyes, they'll know exactly where to stand."
The two lords nodded again, but before they could speak, their eyes suddenly sharpened as they turned toward the city's southwest.
A pillar of light had erupted into the sky.
The transport array was active.
"So they've come already. Such quick action," Li Chi said, eyes narrowing with a cold smile.
All across Chiyang City, gazes snapped toward the rising beam.
Moments later, a surge of silver light poured from it like a tide.
A suffocating killing intent rushed straight into the sky, blanketing the whole city.
Many faces paled. Even skeptics found themselves shaken by the Silver Mist Guard's sharp aura.
More than a few hearts silently acknowledged what they saw. For all its shallow roots, Silver Mist Palace was still one of the Nine Palaces.
Even its supposedly weakest guard force was nothing to scoff at.
The tide of silver light swept across the sky and arrowed straight toward the plaza, coming to a stop in the air overhead.
The thousand-strong Silver Mist Guard fell silent, their cold eyes sweeping slowly across the gathered city lords.
Seeing this, the fifty-some lords below could not help the slight changes in their expressions.
Li Chi's pupils narrowed, then he rose to his feet with a cold chuckle.
"Honored guests of Silver Mist Palace, Chiyang City is honored by your presence," he boomed.
"But I wonder—which one of you is the new Commander of the Silver Mist Guard?"
At his question, all eyes turned to the Silver Mist Guard.
A gap opened in their ranks as a tall figure in green stepped forward.
He stopped at the very front, hands clasped behind his back, dark eyes sweeping across the powerful city lords below.
"I've come to Chiyang City for three things," Lin Langtian said in a faint voice.
"To conquer.
"To conquer.
"And to conquer."
"Those who follow me will prosper. Those who oppose me…will die."
At his icy declaration, the atmosphere across the entire city seemed to freeze.
More than a few drew sharp breaths.
The new Commander of Silver Mist Palace was unbelievably domineering.
(END CHAPTER)
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