Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The official residence of the Zhenfu Division.

Chamber of Secrets.

The candlelight flickered, casting dappled shadows on the wall.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged, eyes slightly closed, breathing long and even.

The internal energy flows like the tide, circulating along the meridians. With each breath, the internal energy sinks and condenses in the dantian, as if the invisible water has turned into solid iron.

Fine beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the bluestone floor with a soft "drip-drip" sound.

The seventh level of the "Dragon Body Refining Technique" - the initial stage of the Profound Gang Realm.

The energy in his dantian had long since undergone a complete transformation, turning from nothingness into reality and condensing into a powerful force. That once indestructible barrier was torn apart by him in a desperate, all-or-nothing attack one night half a month ago.

At that moment, the protective energy surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, and an invisible protective energy layer faintly condensed three inches from the body's exterior.

"Profound Realm..." He opened his eyes, a hint of satisfaction flashing deep within them, but more so a calm and composed demeanor.

At the early stage of the Xuan Gang realm at the age of fifteen, he could be considered a genius even in the Guangling Prefecture.

But he knew it wasn't enough. Far from enough.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and his inner energy circulated around his body, causing his clothes to move without wind. He walked to the window and opened it.

The moonlight outside the window was like water, spilling onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, giving them a faint silvery glow. In the distance, the faint sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard—it was the third watch of the night.

"The initial stage of the Profound Aura has been stabilized."

He murmured, gazing at the deep night sky in the distance, "Next step: mid-stage, late-stage Profound Aura, and even Grandmaster realm."

He turned around, walked back to his desk, spread out a sheet of white paper, picked up his pen, and wrote a few words—

The Green Dragon Society.

Hell.

He stared at the two names, remaining silent for a long time.

The Azure Dragon Society has expanded in the west and already controls three county towns. The Underworld has expanded in the East Sea, annexing more than ten fishing villages of varying sizes. One in the open, one in the shadows, they echo each other.

"One day..." Dongfang Weiwo put down his pen, a determination and sharpness beyond his years flashing in his eyes, his voice low and steady, "This Tianxuan Continent will be ruled by me."

The moonlight outside the window was like water, reflecting his young yet resolute face.

At the age of fifteen, the boy has already begun to plan for the future.

As the initial formation of Qi (vital energy) takes shape, so too does ambition, like Qi, solidify into substance.

Same night.

Meng Mansion, Secret Chamber.

The candlelight cast a dim, yellowish glow, making the shadows on the wall appear long.

Shangguan Jin Hong sat upright in the main seat, with a thick list in front of him. His left hand gently stroked the dragon and phoenix gold ring on the corner of the table, while his right index finger rhythmically tapped the table.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Every sound struck Meng Xinghun's heart.

Meng Xinghun knelt respectfully below, bowing his head to report, his voice clear but emotionless, like a sophisticated machine reporting data:

"Master, Pingyang County is now entirely under our control. Post-war statistics and consolidated gains are as follows—"

"The Qingmu Sword Sect: Qingmu Zhenren, Tiemu, Qingsong, He Qingquan and 27 others died in battle, and the remaining 73 surrendered and have been incorporated into the sect as instructed by the sect leader."

Seventeen martial arts manuals, thirty-eight mid-grade longswords, fifty-two low-grade longswords, 120,000 taels of silver, and a quantity of medicinal herbs were seized.

"The remnants of the Iron Sword Sect: Sun Tiegu and Zhou Tieshan led more than two hundred people to flee the county town and head south, suspected of seeking refuge with the headquarters of the Green Wood Sword Sect. Scouts have been dispatched to track them."

"The three major families have all submitted and signed contracts, agreeing to hand over 30% of their income each month. The old man from the Wang family was trembling when he signed the contract. The Lin family offered up a top-grade ancestral sword. The youngest son of the Zhao family tried to run away but was caught and behaved himself. After the three major families submitted, no merchant in Pingyang County harbored any further disloyalty."

"Wanbao Trading Company: The offer of 100,000 taels of gold has been accepted. In addition, they have offered 20 mid-grade weapons and 300 bolts of high-quality cloth. The manager said he wanted to treat the hall master to wine, but his subordinates turned him down."

"The two major escort agencies have submitted and accepted the terms. Zheng Tong, the head of Zhenyuan Escort Agency, tried to bargain, but after Xie, the head of the agency, cut off one of his fingers, he immediately signed the agreement. A total of 152 escorts from both agencies have been incorporated into the outer disciples."

"White Lotus Sect: Liu San Niang is still imprisoned in the dungeon, Granny Zhou is locked in the secret room, and there is no movement from the main altar for the time being. The guards have been changed twice, and they are all reliable old brothers."

"Skynet: Shadow has led the remaining assassins out of the city, their whereabouts unknown. My men tracked them down to thirty miles outside the city, but the trail went cold."

"Furthermore—" Meng Xinghun took a deep breath, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Pingyang Prefecture governs eight counties and seventy-two towns. After the initial battle, five counties and forty-eight towns have already submitted their surrender documents. The remaining three counties and twenty-four towns are still observing. The local magnates and military officers of each county have sent envoys to pay tribute."

"To sum up all the spoils and tributes: a total of 473,000 taels of silver, 21,000 shi of grain, more than 400 weapons of various kinds, 120 sets of armor, 60 fine horses, and countless kinds of medicinal herbs, cloth and minerals."

"In terms of troop strength: the original gang had 600 members, and 73 surrendered soldiers from the Green Wood Sword Sect, 152镖局镖师 (bodyguards) and more than 200 people from various town martial arts schools who had joined us were incorporated. With the addition of newly recruited able-bodied men, the total troop strength has reached 1,200. Among them, about 800 are elite and capable of fighting."

"The territory has been effectively controlled by Pingyang County and five counties and forty-eight towns, with a population of about 300,000. Every month, more than 50,000 taels of silver can be collected in taxes from the three major families, the escort agency, the merchant guild and various towns, as well as 3,000 shi of grain."

After listening, Shangguan Jin Hong nodded slightly.

The candlelight cast distinct shadows on his face, one side hidden in shadow, the other side illuminated by the candlelight, highlighting his angular features.

His eyes were calm as still water, revealing no emotion, but a slow curve appeared at the corner of his mouth—not a smile, but a cold, determined air.

After a moment of silence, he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an overwhelming aura of dominance and oppression, as if each word he uttered shattered the air in the entire room:

"From tonight onwards, in Pingyang County, there will only be one voice—"

His gaze swept over Meng Xinghun, like a tiger looking down at an ant: "It is my voice, Shangguan Jin Hong's voice."

Meng Xinghun shuddered and lowered himself even further.

"The Qingmu Sword Sect disciples who have been incorporated will be dealt with according to the 'collective punishment' and 'pledge of allegiance' rules." Shangguan Jin Hong's tone was calm and unhurried, yet every word was as firm as iron. "Anyone with disloyal intentions will be killed. Anyone who refuses to submit a pledge of allegiance will be killed. Anyone who dares to escape will be killed—along with their accomplices."

The three "kill" characters are all colder and heavier than the last.

Meng Xinghun's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head to reply, "Yes."

"The remnants of the Iron Sword Sect..." A cold glint flashed in Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes, as frigid as winter ice. "Send men to track them down and find their hideout. Don't alert them; wait for my orders."

He picked up the dragon and phoenix gold ring on the table and gently stroked it; the gold ring emitted a faint luster under the candlelight.

"When the time is right, we'll annihilate them in one fell swoop. The Iron Sword Sect's headquarters must hold even more resources."

"clear."

"The three major families and the escort agency have people keeping a close eye on them. Those who outwardly submit but harbor ulterior motives—" Shangguan Jin Hong raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, "make an example of them. No need for many, just pick the most disobedient one and execute his entire family, and the rest will naturally behave."

"Yes."

"Those who are observing from the three counties and twenty-four towns," Shangguan Jin Hong said calmly, "we will give them seven days. If they do not submit a surrender document after seven days, we will send Wen Tailai with one hundred elite troops to 'persuade' them to surrender. Those who refuse will have their ringleaders slaughtered, and the rest will be enslaved."

He paused, his tone carrying an undeniable confidence: "I will let the entire Guangling Prefecture know—those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish."

Shangguan Jin Hong stood up.

He wasn't particularly tall, but his mere presence seemed to compress all the air in the entire enclosed room. An invisible aura emanated from him—the aura of a domineering ruler, the oppressive presence of a sovereign.

He walked to the wall, where a huge map was hanging—the entire territory of Guangling Prefecture.

His gaze began in Pingyang County, slowly moving upwards to the surrounding counties and towns, then continued upwards to Guangling Prefecture, and finally beyond the prefecture to look further north.

"Pingyang Prefecture is now secured." His voice was deep and powerful as he traced his finger across the map. "The next step is to annex the surrounding prefectures and counties, and control the entire northern part of Guangling Prefecture."

He swiped his finger upwards, landing on the marker for Guangling Prefecture: "Then—we'll march south and take Guangling Prefecture."

Meng Xinghun's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but raise his head: "Hall Master, Guangling Prefecture is the superior of the county city. The power in the prefecture is deeply rooted, with peak Grandmasters or even Grandmasters in charge. I'm afraid—"

"What are you afraid of?" Shangguan Jin Hong turned around, her eyes blazing as she stared directly at Meng Xing Hun.

There was no hesitation in his eyes, only an indomitable ambition.

Meng Xinghun lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Shangguan Jin Hong said calmly, "Let's take it one step at a time. First, we'll annex the counties and towns surrounding Pingyang County and control the entire county's resources. Grain, silver, weapons, manpower—I currently have 1,200 brothers, 300,000 people, and 470,000 taels of silver, which is enough to support the next campaign."

He walked back to the table, sat back in the main seat, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Once the foundation is solid, we will sweep through the three surrounding counties, expand our forces to five thousand, and then plan to take over the prefectural city."

"The Master is wise." Meng Xinghun kowtowed deeply.

"Go."

Meng Xinghun stood up, bowed, and left the secret room.

The moment the curtain fell, Shangguan Jin Hong sat alone by the candlelight.

He was left alone in the secret room.

He picked up the dragon and phoenix gold ring and slowly stroked it; the ring gleamed softly in the candlelight. The candlelight flickered, casting his shadow on the wall, making him appear like an expanding giant.

The corners of his mouth curled up in that cold, sharp arc once again.

"The Road to Power..."

He murmured, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it carried an indescribable air of dominance and unwavering determination.

"Pingyang Prefecture is just the first step."

The dragon and phoenix golden rings touched lightly in his palm, producing a clear, metallic clang, like a dragon's roar or a tiger's howl, that echoed for a long time in the secret chamber.