You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

She hoped to improve her rank through methods such as cultivation techniques, spells, and magic potions. It turns out you only studied the theory but had no practical methods. In the officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty, this would be considered empty talk and would definitely be criticized.

"What a pity. Let's continue searching the surrounding area."

Feng Tianyin believes that the Heavenly Dao is an existence of extremely high status, and hopes to meet Him by elevating her status, but unfortunately, she cannot rush it.

The accompanying guards dispersed to guard the inner courtyard, while the priests conducted a thorough search.

After all, they had been cultivating psychic powers for a long time, and under the guidance of the Great Prophet, they knew some techniques. Moreover, they carried various amulets and tokens inscribed with runes, giving them higher resistance. They were experts in their own fields.

click!

Suddenly, a priest activated a mechanism on a painting hanging on the wall, instantly opening a secret passage.

"There's someone inside who's very weak, go check on them quickly."

Upon activating the Phoenix Heavenly Sound, they immediately sensed life force. The group quickly ascended the steps into the secret chamber, where a pungent stench of blood assaulted their senses. Countless materials were piled up inside. No wonder the ritual site on the ground appeared spotless; it was all show and no substance.

On the other side was a cage containing a thin little girl, who then weakly opened her eyes.

A divine appearance!

More than Feng Tianyin's appearance, she sensed a vast amount of spiritual energy.

It is restrained, profound, and immense, likely among the best in the world. Elevated by the terrifying power of faith, it faintly penetrates the mortal realm and touches the subspace...

It's unbelievable that they're all safe and sound!

"Interesting. You have a naturally keen sense of psychic abilities. You must have been born in these last few years."

"Your Majesty, she is Song Yan's youngest daughter, Song Qingyun. It was announced that she was going to die, but she is still alive. She must be about 6 years old. She was probably a sacrifice prepared, but she didn't have time to use her."

Everyone's faces showed anger; it was truly an outrageous act that angered both gods and men.

The girl, whose sore spot had been touched, began to cry and wipe away her tears, then fainted weakly with a thud.

Feng Tianyin immediately broke the lock and freed the girl from the cage.

"Leave it to the priests for now. Seal everything else in the room quickly and keep it purified. I will work temporarily in the room upstairs until you are finished cleaning up."

Yes, sir.

At first, they were a little apprehensive, after all, this place was too eerie, and they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

I feel relieved to hear that Feng Tianyin is keeping order here.

No evil spirits would risk their lives to harm the agents of Heaven, so everyone can safely and confidently move these special spoils.

Xia He shifted her gaze away from the microscopic focus on the City Lord's Mansion.

"They really know how to create something interesting."

After witnessing the former city lord's audacious research, she couldn't help but sigh that humanity's capacity for self-destruction should not be underestimated; they always come up with ingenious ideas.

The current version of the warp can't even cause trouble, yet you're forcing it onto it.

Fortunately, the Daqian army arrived in time.

Otherwise, she was certain that the Southern Plains would become a purgatory, continuously supplying large numbers of polluted beings, and even infecting the surrounding city-states, ultimately exhibiting a decadent trend and constantly bleeding the civilizations of its neighbors dry.

This case illustrates the perilous situation outside of civilized controlled areas.

The expansion and conquest of the Great Qian Dynasty gained another driving force.

Even if it's not for occupying land, resources, or population, you still need to make sure the fog zone is under surveillance. Otherwise, if monsters keep spawning every day without you knowing, how bad will it get if the snowball effect accumulates?

"On another note, the fact that they were able to develop a theory about promotion is quite impressive."

It does exist in the game mechanics.

It refers to the "ascension" of civilization to a higher level, but it only refers to a group. So it's not wrong to call it "upgrading" for an individual.

Even some so-called civilizations are merely companions to a small number of magnificent individuals.

In reality, the beta version of the new game "Civilization Evolution" is full of random events. Even Xia He didn't have much information. She could spoil the plot for herself, but there was no need. It would be better to let Da Qian do the research.

We cannot allow them to receive the version update without their knowledge.

Fortune favors the bold.

Feng Tianyin was clearly aware of the importance of spiritual energy, and was now carefully collecting this batch of spoils.

She made no secret of her desire for promotion and followed the path of Heaven, so she packed up all of Song Yan's research results and took them with her. He probably didn't expect that they would all benefit the Great Qian Dynasty.

[Note: The target for conquering the city-state "Southern Plains" has been met. Full information will be displayed.]

[You can search for details such as population and area information in this region]

As Xia He expected, once the city lord's mansion was completely occupied, the overall situation was settled, and the central government was now under Feng Tianyin's rule.

in addition,

A constant supply line and auxiliary troops connected the city-state of Nanyuan.

Therefore, it's not just about occupying the city, but also about maintaining contact. It's not a situation of "an isolated army occupying an isolated city," where people would be tempted to change their minds. Now, it's firmly under our control.

Their swift arrival also signifies the attitude of the annexed city-states: absolute support for the Great Qian Dynasty.

The results of this battle were astonishing.

The reason is simple: it was too fast. Even Xia He thought it would be a protracted war with repeated sieges.

As a result, Feng Tianyin swiftly and decisively used multiple tactics to conquer the enemy in one fell swoop.

Her ideas were ahead of their time, and coupled with a series of military enhancements, she played a game-winning hand, easily crushing the Southern Plains city-states.

It intimidated all the powerful figures.

The city-states that had recently submitted and been granted titles immediately became obedient and dared not have any improper thoughts. Even the city-states that had joined due to the situation restrained their ambitions and felt that it was better to support the front line and gain military merit.

"Now that the supply line is secure, let's check the information."

Reassured about the situation of the Daqian army, Xia He began to search for information about Nanyuan. Its productivity had reached the level of the early classical era and had not fallen behind. Moreover, the output of commercial and production areas such as markets and artisan shops was also up to standard, and even had some surplus.

Although the former city lord caused a lot of trouble, the foundation was solid and it wouldn't collapse in a short time.

It truly deserves its reputation as the premier city on the northern plains.

Durable.

In addition, there are also quite a few people who have effectively controlled their population: 85K, which is of course the result of scorched earth policies.

A large number of people who should have been scattered in the surrounding villages and towns were brought into the city, but they will be released again once peace and stability are restored. In this day and age, apart from Xia County, very few places have the capacity to support an urban population of 100,000.

In addition, there were scattered groups of people from rural areas who had fled or were hiding...

No wonder even Feng Tianyin was beaming with joy; after all, she had met her KPI targets, and population was currently the most important factor for the Great Qian Dynasty.

There's no fear of not being able to afford to raise them; the more the merrier, the more progress you can unlock with a larger population.

[Faith: Heavenly Dao Sect]

This was also unexpected for Xia He. It turns out you had already pledged allegiance in the realm of faith long ago. No wonder they could completely and smoothly switch sides, because ultimately everyone shares the same beliefs.

At the same time, her gaze fell on the area surrounding the southern plateau.

When you switch to the faith-themed map, you'll find scattered populations, mostly hesitant refugees.

They had no idea what kind of state the Daqian army would be in once the city fell.

Run first, that's the best way to show respect.

"Most of them are wealthy families with some savings and travel expenses. It would be a waste for them to flee to the south. Let them come back."

Xia He had an idea: to pack them up as missionaries and send them back to the southern plains, bringing the total population to tens of thousands. This tactic was similar to mobilizing reconnaissance troops in the past, akin to military unit deployment.

At this moment, the group of people who were fleeing on the grassland were stunned.

The group looked at each other, then suddenly realized: "...That's strange. I have a feeling I should go back. I guess I still can't let go."

"If the situation were really that bad, we should have seen many more refugees along the way."

"Once you settle in the south, it will be difficult to come back."

"Let's go back to the Southern Plains."

But once they made up their minds to return, they felt their pace quicken, the wind direction change, and the carriage became smoother, no longer getting stuck in the mud.

Many groups of refugees on the plains surrounding the southern plateau regrouped and returned.

Xia He nodded in satisfaction.

With the Heavenly Dao Sect as a foothold, things are much more convenient. Otherwise, the population that can be mobilized is not large. Sure enough, the effective population under control is 86K and it is still rising. They have been brought under control.

A trial run proved effective in preventing some customer loss.

[Note: Feng Tianyin's activation of the "City-Specific Agenda: Resumption of Production" will improve the efficiency of related repairs.]

As always, we will resolutely use the agenda to expedite the repair process.

Most likely, there's still the need to strengthen city defenses, because we've reached the boundary of our current expansion. This harvest is enough to sustain us for several years, and there's a lot of wasteland waiting to be cultivated. We'll be busy from now on.

[Feng Tianyin initiates the city construction project "Building a Temple," increasing project efficiency]

really.

It must be because they realized they had enough control over the Southern Plains that the High Priest didn't delay. After all, it was already the territory of the Heavenly Dao Sect, so efficiency was the priority.

When building a temple, a platform should be erected first so that a blessing ceremony can be held.

"The Great Qian Dynasty will probably be withdrawing its troops soon."

Xia He had a clear understanding of all the expenses. Every extra day spent would cost a huge amount of military funds. With Feng Tianyin's meticulous planning, she was already thinking about a triumphant return and would soon initiate contact.

As predicted, as time accelerated, the Daqian army began to rapidly prepare and maintain order.

The key lies in controlling people's hearts, and the Heavenly Dao Sect has already accomplished the most difficult step, not to mention the former city lord's perverse actions.

Therefore, she saw that Feng Tianyin did very simply:

The evil act of sacrificial offerings was made public.

All the people of Nanyuan were terrified after learning of the atrocities committed in their own city.

Fear is the right thing to do, and then you will naturally seek the protection of Heaven.

-------

Within five days of conquering the southern plains, the entire city-state was completely transformed.