The Star River Era! The Dimensional Freedom Demon

As evening approached, Lu Yi finally led his men back to Guangling City.

Lu Yi ordered all troops to return to their respective camps to rest and recuperate, while simultaneously reassuring them:

"Don't panic, it's not too late. Everyone has a chance to go home for New Year's Eve. But let me make this clear: if I see any battalion in the most disarray, that battalion won't be going home for the New Year today!"

Upon hearing this, the impatient troops below immediately murmured, but then fell silent.

After calming down the arrogant soldiers, Lu Yi ran to a magnificent carriage.

"Madam, we have arrived at Guangling."

Xue Baochai pulled back a corner of the curtain and said somewhat uneasily:

"General, has the King returned?"

How would I know?

Leading his troops through the freezing snow, all they saw along the way were scattered troops that had long since retreated from the front lines; there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight. He knew absolutely nothing about King Wu.

Lu Yi felt bitter inside, but since the person before him was a close associate of the king, he dared not be negligent. He could only make a promise and try to appease him for the time being:

"With your great strength, Your Highness is probably already back in the city enjoying a life of luxury."

The curtain closed.

Lu Yi personally escorted the carriage into the city.

The streets were bustling with vendors and pedestrians as the year drew to a close, and the sounds of hawking filled the air.

"Have you heard? Our Prince transformed into the Dragon King in a single day, traveling from south to north, leaving a trail of thunder and lightning wherever he went! With just one bolt of divine lightning, he blasted that Liu the Sect Leader who always opposed the Prince to ashes; another bolt struck, and the Liao Emperor of the capital died instantly! Even the Hall of Supreme Harmony was cleaved into a giant crater. Truly, the Dragon King's might is awe-inspiring!"

However, someone nearby shook their head in rebuttal:

"No, no! I heard that the Prince issued an imperial edict from Yingtian Prefecture that went straight to the Yangtze River, awakening the Dragon King who had been sleeping for thousands of years to take action, first pacifying Liu the Sect Leader in Changsha, and then using a single word in the Dragon Language to sever the last bit of fortune for the Qing Kingdom!"

After martial arts masters from the capital quickly joined Ji Chen's ranks, news of events in both the capital and Changsha spread rapidly. Within two hours, the rumors had become increasingly bizarre:

Some say he was a true dragon descended to earth, destined to be an emperor.

Some people claim that he is the reincarnation of the Yellow Emperor and possesses the skill of controlling dragons.

Some even swore that the prince could summon thunder and clouds with every breath he took, and that his words would become law.

In short, Lu Yi, who was leading the carriage, was completely bewildered, and even Xue Baochai inside the carriage seemed to be listening to a divine revelation.

Lu Yi arrested several people who spread rumors, but still couldn't figure out what had happened.

But he knew.

The heroes he served during the chaotic times have been completely deified in many places, and even many scholars who previously had reservations about the prince are now listening with great interest.

Of course, more importantly, the prince is now inside the city.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly urged the carriage to go faster, even faster.

. . . . . .

After having a full meal, Ji Chen didn't practice martial arts; instead, he strolled around the city.

Thanks to Ji Chen's vigorous promotion, the queue hairstyle has become a thing of the past in his area, and even clothing, all the wealthy families have changed to the styles of the Song and Ming dynasties.

As he listened to the increasingly bizarre tales circulating in the city, he finished chewing the last candied hawthorn, his face flushing slightly.

So Ji Tianmo, who was never thick-skinned, sat down at the foot of the storytelling pavilion until it was completely dark before reluctantly returning to his residence.

He was ultimately just an ordinary person.

Hearing others brag about him made him feel both embarrassed and secretly pleased.

"If I could overhear Lao Luo bragging about me someday, and then 'accidentally' appear from the side, that scene would be really awesome."

Ji Chen had just returned when he saw Xue Baochai anxiously waiting by the door.

After exchanging greetings, Xue Baochai, recalling the rumors circulating in the streets, couldn't help but ask him about his experiences in the capital.

Thinking that he had gone to the capital and hadn't even seen the gates of the Jia family mansion, he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

Xue Baochai was incredibly clever. She noticed a slight pause in his speech and immediately understood the outcome. Her eyes dimmed, and she took the initiative to change the subject.

Ji Chen patted her shoulder, speechless.

Some things are destined to require trade-offs.

Perhaps because the rumors about Ji Chen spread too quickly, by evening, Liu Lin, Chen Xianli, and others, who should have been spending the New Year in Bingzhou, braved the wind and snow to rush over.

Now that the core of the Baiyang Sect has collapsed and its followers are ruling their own prefectures, the Tianxia Society has long since withdrawn from the south, and the Wenxiang Sect has also retreated to the vicinity of Yingtian Prefecture out of fear of Ji Chen's power.

With the unification of the South in sight, they couldn't wait until after the New Year to come.

At this moment, we must race against time.

"Your Highness, the sooner the better; a decision must be made!"

Before the New Year's Eve dinner was even finished, the old team from the "Lu Xiao" era exchanged glances and decided to let Chen Xianli speak on their behalf.

They could be said to be mostly genuinely loyal to Ji Chen's ship.

Back when Ji Chen issued the shaving order and implemented severe laws.

Faced with the possibility of making enemies on all sides, they only offered some suggestions and never caused any trouble.

However, loyalty is not in conflict with the desire for greater power and a more prominent position.

They all wanted to be like the Duke, who was related to the nation, so that as long as the dynasty existed, his descendants would continue to be powerful and wealthy.

Ji Chen pondered for a moment. He already had a plan for the management model of the future dynasty in mind. Now that his subordinates wanted him to unify the southern states, it was a good time to start trying it out.

"good!"

Ji Chen stood up, looked around, and after the excitement in everyone's hearts cooled down, said:

"After the New Year, I invite all forces in the southern states that have achieved the third stage of Qi and Blood Transformation to gather in Hongdu. Tell them that I intend to establish a new dynasty!"

Why call someone a martial arts master?

Could it be related to the Prince's "Wu" Dynasty?

As soon as this thought crossed everyone's minds, their bodies instinctively knelt and kowtowed:

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Most of the people here started out as military officers or江湖人士 (jianghu figures), and none of them knew the rules for ascending the throne.

But since their leader had already proposed establishing a new dynasty, their limited understanding naturally led them to believe that this meant their leader was about to declare himself emperor.

Ji Chen ignored them.

"Chen Xianli, tomorrow you will write a letter on my behalf and send it to Longhu Mountain, Wudang Mountain, and the Wenxiang Sect."

After saying that, Ji Chen left the group of guys waiting for their reward behind and went back to his room to rest.

The fourth day of the first lunar month.

After the news spread that King Wu would host a banquet in Hongdu for the leaders of the southern states and invite all martial arts masters above the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation, the generals of the Baiyang Sect stationed in Hongdu took the initiative to withdraw their troops the next day, without even needing Ji Chen to send troops.

This is the formidable power that Ji Chen displayed in a single day, breaking through the Baiyang Sect and storming through the Qingting Imperial Palace!

But what is even more chilling to those who practice martial arts across the land is...

Those four martial arts masters who quietly perished in this storm.

In front of Hongdu Gate.

Even the vice leader of the Fragrance Cult was trembling slightly.

"Master, can we not go in?"