I, a spoiled young master, conquered the Crown Princess right from the start!

A middle-aged woman dressed in a blue Taoist robe and holding a whisk appeared silently in the arena. With a casual flick of her whisk, the seemingly soft, thousands of whisk threads instantly transformed into the sharpest sword energy in the world.

boom!boom!boom!boom!

The four arrogant protectors of the Taiyi Sect were all forced back several steps by this gentle flick, their blood surging and their faces filled with horror.

The newcomer's strength far surpasses theirs!

Li Xuanyi's expression finally changed. He stared intently at the woman, his voice grave: "Tianjian Mountain, True Person Jingxuan! Does Tianjian Mountain intend to interfere in the feud between my Taiyi Sect and the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion?"

"Chu Qingge is the next sword-bearer of my Heavenly Sword Mountain." Master Jingxuan's voice was indifferent. "To harm her is to make an enemy of the entire Heavenly Sword Mountain."

Li Xuanyi's pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked sharply at Chu Qingge, his eyes filled with shock and realization.

"So you're Chu Qingge, the one hailed as possessing the potential of a sword immortal!" He then let out a cold laugh. "Very well! Heavenly Sword Mountain, Chu Qingge, I'll remember you!"

He gave Chu Qingge a deep look, his eyes filled with even more greed and possessiveness than anything else.

"Let's go!"

Li Xuanyi decisively waved his hand, took the four guardians, turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.

With the departure of the Taiyi Sect members, the crisis in front of the Prince's Mansion was finally resolved.

"Uncle-Master, what brings you here?" Chu Qingge stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Abbess Jingxuan.

Master Jingxuan looked at her with a hint of affection in his eyes: "The situation in the capital is changing rapidly. My senior brother, the sect leader, was worried about you, so he ordered me to come down the mountain to check on you."

Chu Tianyuan sheathed the Tiger Soul Blade, and his aura calmed down. He clasped his hands in thanks to Master Jingxuan: "Thank you for your help, Master. The Zhenbei Prince's Mansion is deeply grateful."

Master Jingxuan nodded slightly: "Your Highness Zhenbei is too kind. Since Qingge is a disciple of my Tianjian Mountain, we will not let her suffer any injustice."

……

As night fell, the cold winds of the North were even more biting than in previous years.

The endless camps, like a black herd of beasts, lay prostrate on the blood-stained earth. The air was thick with the stench of blood and burnt flesh; broken weapons, shattered armor, and uncollected corpses were everywhere.

King Kao Shan, clad in a purple-gold python robe, stood atop a high slope, overlooking the battlefield below, a scene of utter carnage. His imposing face, though not angry, was clouded with gloom.

Behind him, Marquis Weiyuan lay pale-faced on a stretcher, barely breathing. Marquis Dingguo, who had just led an army of 100,000 to his aid, had a solemn expression, filled with deep worry.

Just today, during the day, the King of Kaoshan personally led 100,000 black-armored soldiers to engage in a bloody battle with 200,000 barbarian troops on this plain.

He originally thought that with his strength at the Finger Profound Realm and the Black Armor Army he had painstakingly built over decades, he would be able to crush these so-called barbarian warriors in one fell swoop and decide the fate of the world in one battle.

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

The Black Armor Army was indeed elite, with combat power far exceeding that of ordinary armies. However, those barbarians were simply a group of madmen who had crawled out of hell! They were fearless, incredibly strong, and seemed to know nothing of pain.

King Kao Shan personally intervened, using his Finger Profound Realm cultivation to kill several barbarian generals, but he still couldn't turn the tide of battle. The barbarian army surged wave after wave, seemingly endless.

A bloody battle that lasted from day to dusk ended with the Black Armor Army suffering 30,000 casualties and being forced to retreat to their camp.

This battle shattered the pride of the Prince of Kao Shan. He finally understood why Chu Tianyuan's Zhenbei Army was hailed as the backbone of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" Marquis Dingguo asked worriedly, looking at the troubled Prince Kaoshan. "The barbarians are far more powerful than we imagined. With our limited forces, I'm afraid... we won't be able to withstand them."

The Prince of Kaoshan didn't speak, but clenched his fists tightly, his frustration and anger almost burning him up.

Just then, Marquis Weiyuan on the stretcher suddenly coughed weakly. He struggled to speak, his voice hoarse: "Your Highness... Marquis Dingguo... I... I have a plan, perhaps... to resolve this crisis."

The two immediately turned their attention to him.

Marquis Weiyuan took a few breaths, a flash of resentment and madness in his eyes: "Who do these barbarians hate the most?"

Marquis Dingguo was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "Then it is naturally the Zhenbei Army, which has dealt with them for decades."

"That's right!" Marquis Weiyuan's voice suddenly rose a few decibels. "What they want to deal with most is the Zhenbei Army! I heard that not long ago, the arrogant barbarian general, Manzhan, died in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion! With old and new grudges combined, the barbarians' hatred for the Zhenbei Army has already penetrated to their very bones!"

"In that case, why don't we... let them fight like dogs?"

Upon hearing this, Marquis Dingguo's expression changed drastically: "Marquis Weiyuan, what do you mean? The Zhenbei Army has already retreated, do you mean we...?"

"We can reach a deal with the barbarians!" A crazed glint flashed in Marquis Weiyuan's eyes. "We can tell the barbarians the current garrison locations and troop deployments of the Zhenbei Army! We can even... promise to formally cede one-third of the northern territory to them!"

"What?!" Marquis Dingguo stood up in shock, pointing at Marquis Weiyuan and shouting, "Are you insane! Colluding with barbarians and ceding territory! This is treason! A crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"

"shut up!"

A thunderous roar interrupted the Marquis of Dingguo.

It was the Prince of Kao Shan who spoke.

He slowly turned around, his sharp eyes fixed on the Marquis of Dingguo, his gaze devoid of any emotion, only a cold, lifeless stillness.

"Let's do it this way."

He squeezed out those three words through gritted teeth.

Marquis Dingguo was struck dumb, standing there in disbelief as he looked at Prince Kao Shan: "Your Highness... how... how could you..."

"Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles." The voice of the Prince of Kao Shan was as cold as a block of ice. "Once they are both weakened, I will personally lead my army to wipe them out in one fell swoop! At that time, not only will the barbarian threat be eliminated, but the Zhenbei Army, a thorn in the side of the royal family for decades, will also be removed!"

"Chu Tianyuan, you forced me to this!"

At this moment, his hatred for Chu Tianyuan completely overwhelmed his sense of national duty.

……

Taiyi Sect, main hall.

"Outrageous! Outrageous!"

The Taiyi Sect Master trembled with rage, roaring, "Heavenly Sword Mountain! What a Heavenly Sword Mountain! How dare they openly interfere in the affairs of my Taiyi Sect! Do they really think my Taiyi Sect is a pushover?!"

Below the main hall, Li Xuanyi remained calm, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Father, please calm down. I think this might be... an opportunity."

"Opportunity? What opportunity?" the Taiyi Sect Master asked angrily.

"An opportunity for our Taiyi Sect to take over Tianjian Mountain and become the number one sect in the Great Qian Dynasty!" Ambitious light gleamed in Li Xuanyi's eyes.

He slowly analyzed, "Tianjian Mountain has been ranked first among the ten major sects of the Great Qian Dynasty for hundreds of years. It is deeply rooted and acts domineeringly, which has long aroused the dissatisfaction of other sects. Even the Great Qian royal family has long been wary of them and wants to get rid of them as soon as possible."

"Now, for the sake of Chu Qingge, they are openly colluding with the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. And the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion is currently at odds with the royal family. Tianjian Mountain's actions are tantamount to standing in opposition to the royal family!"

"At this time, if our Taiyi Sect were to raise its voice and, under the pretext of 'assisting the royal family in eliminating sect scum who collude with rebels,' unite with the other major sects to launch an attack on Tianjian Mountain, do you think the Great Qian royal family would be happy to see this? Perhaps even secretly lend us a hand?"

Li Xuanyi's words gradually replaced the anger in the eyes of the Taiyi Sect Master with a light called "ambition".

He could almost see Tianjian Mountain crumbling under the siege of the major sects, while his Taiyi Sect ascended to the throne at the pinnacle of the martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Excellent... excellent plan!" The Taiyi Sect Master clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Xuanyi, you have indeed not disappointed your father!"

"Immediately send messages to the Qingyun Sect, the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley, and the Heavenly Crippled Sect... tell them that our Taiyi Sect is inviting them to discuss important matters!"

Li Xuanyi smirked and muttered to himself: Chu Qingge, you will soon be mine.