Amidst the restlessness caused by the speeches of Yuan Mingzhen and Yunrong among the seventy-two provinces,
Tao Qian was somewhat panicked due to Yunrong's declaration, not because of her posture in expelling Yuan Mingzhen as the rightful consort, but because she had publicly involved Jade Ring Mountain, which was rather inappropriate.
Although he had made a decision, he had never intended to involve Jade Ring Mountain.
Even Spirit Treasure Sect he was reluctant to drag into this, let alone others.
Just as he was about to inquire, Yunrong, in tune with his thoughts, transmitted a message first, saying,
"Dear brother, don't panic, those words were not spoken by Yunrong on her own accord."
"Grandma had already instructed before, since you married someone from Jade Ring Mountain, naturally, you are also a part of Jade Ring Mountain."
"Though grandma dislikes meddling in idle matters, she is fiercely protective, and anyone who dares to bully you, Jade Ring Mountain will certainly not let it rest."
As Yunrong finished speaking, Tao Qian sighed again.
This is indeed a sweet gig, no wonder Xiao Hua Daoist hesitated just briefly before succumbing that very night.
Although it was somewhat beyond expectations, Tao Qian thought it over and did not deny it.
In his heart, however, he was thinking, "Now Jade Ring Mountain stands out conspicuously, but it will not be so in a few days."
With his mind settled, Tao Qian proceeded according to plan.
Accepting the "good little sister" Devil Concubine, he handed over the Divine Machine Embryo to Sui Chaozi to take to the Outer Realm Heaven Venerable for refinement; in passing, he also sent Lian Jing'er along.
With great fanfare, without any concealment.
At this time, the whole world had come to know that it would not be long before Master Tao Qian's ranks would be joined by a Governance Divine Machine capable of easily managing several, or even up to a dozen, provinces. Moreover, there would be an additional mechanical army such as that once used by the Ancestor Dragon.
Seeing this, there were still many warlords and major forces who sent mocking messages.
Even individuals like Song Tiecheng, Yelü Lushan, Li Siming, Guo Zhanlong went so far as to send backhanded congratulations through those crystal ball projection arrays at this time, or simply issued warnings.
Like at this moment, a colossal Spirit Mirror floated across the sky.
In the mirror, an image akin to a wild savage bear or an ancient Demon General appeared.
Ferocious, with tusks exposed, and Demonic Qi reaching for the heavens.
Staring directly at Tao Qian, he then burst into laughter, thanking him:
"Master Tao, I am Yelü Lushan, I have long admired your great name."
"To speak the truth, a wild demon like me was able to gain the power I have now, thanks in part to you, Master Tao. And it's not just me; all the warlords in the world were once picking up scraps behind Master Tao."
"We were all originally very grateful to you for dismantling Zhu Dynasty and exposing that bunch of old Alchemists, creating chaos under the heavens, giving us rough folks a chance to indulge in imperial authority."
"But this time, you've gone too far, most illustrious Daoist First Heavenly Pride, why stoop to contend for the throne with us? It's quite unbecoming."
"You, Master, should return to the Penglai Sea and live carefree, enjoying longevity..."
Yelü Lushan, the spitting image of a Human Demon.
Yet once he began speaking, he turned into a chatterbox.
His lead, however, set off the other warlords to join in, all shouting from afar.
"Yelü barbarian speaks the truth, Master Tao, with your esteemed identity, why stoop to compete with us for scraps?"
"Master Tao, please return to the mountain, as long as you do not contend for the world, we will all remember your kindness. The Northern Lands' dozens of provinces will leave their gates open to you, wherever you go, you will be an honored guest, we will ensure your complete satisfaction."
"Master, do not think that conquering and governing the land is an easy task. The difficulty here is even greater than cultivation; such a talent like yours should not be wasted on these mundane matters. Besides, the poison of fortune and the sin of the human world will undoubtedly hinder your cultivation, I'm afraid if you get stuck in it, you will not be able to attain the Dao."
"Master, you should know your own nature, you are certainly not cut out to be a Human Emperor. Furthermore, you lack both the team for governing and a program for ruling the land; relying solely on a mechanical contraption might just backfire."
"Without mentioning other things, how do you, alone, intend to subdue the provinces of Qiantang, Tiannan, New Moon, merely with a loosely organized and ineffective Ancestor Dragon Society?"
"Master, you also shouldn't forget, right now there are a large number of Ultiama Happiness Realm evil people after you, with Sui Chaozi departing, your life is in great danger."
...
This subsequent scene once again left the onlookers from the seventy-two provinces stunned.
Such a situation was indeed rare.
It should be noted that the warlords who are now urging with civility are all ferocious demons and devils.
Ordinarily, to see them show such a lowly demeanor was impossible, let alone to speak kindly.
But in front of Tao Qian, they became so docile?
This, of course, was a façade.
The ferocious warlords from the North, each one a non-human existence, cultivating Sorcery and refining demonic bodies, twisted in heart and mind, gradually bereft of humanity, how could they truly respect Tao Qian?
It was simply because they felt another big crocodile encroaching on their territory, hoping to dissuade Tao Qian through non-warfare means.
It couldn't be helped, though the North was vast, resources were no longer sufficient to share.
Zhang Jinluan, Hong Fu, and Si Xixin were all aggressively shrinking their living space.
Add one more Daoist First Heavenly Pride, Tao Qian, to the mix? Who could stand it?
Although these warlords' attitudes were indeed unsightly.
After listening, people had to admit they made sense.
Compared to other Talents and warlords,
Tao Qian's timing to enter the fray was indeed ill-suited. In the short term, he simply could not take over the three provinces, let alone handle complex administrative affairs.
By the time he slowly sorted everything out, it would probably be too late.
These thoughts were not wrong at all.
Unfortunately, they were soon proven otherwise.
Before everyone, Tao Qian scoffed coldly and reached out to perform the Grand Round Light Technique.
In the blink of an eye, the mirror reflected the current situation of Tiannan and Qiantang, two provinces.
To everyone's expectation, these provinces had first been exploited for many years by the Alchemist Gao Family and the Demon Buddha Temple, then underwent relentless changes and were ravaged by war.
At this point, they should have been engulfed in war smoke, utterly chaotic.
But the scene that revealed itself at this moment was the complete opposite.
In the two provinces, many large cities, towns, and even villages were all recovering peace.
A large number of extraordinary and talented individuals, cultivators and heroes, emerged from nowhere and took over the provinces with lightning speed.
Leading them were Zheng Yin, Zhao Gongda, Meng Shoudao, Guo Huchen, and others.
With the help of the "Heavenly Track Secret Skill", they formed an extremely efficient and unimaginable team.
Under their leadership, the two provinces began to clean up the mess left by the Gao Family and the Demon Buddha Temple, restoring production and order.
Now, both Tiannan and Qiantang provinces were the focus of widespread attention.
After seeing this, and comparing it to the condition of other provinces in the Northern Land, a conclusion sprung up in everyone's minds:
"Goodness, Tao Master must have been prepared a long time ago, having cultivated such a vast governance team in silence."
"These people, whether cultivators or mortals, certainly aren't mediocre, and though they have just taken over the two provinces, their condition is already catching up with the provinces under the governance of Zhang Jinluan and Si Xixin. If given more time, they might even surpass them."
"Indeed, Master Tao Qian, there is nothing he can't do if he sets his mind to it."
...
Now, no one, including those warlords ferocious as Demons, could deny that Tao Qian had provided too many surprises.
Governance team!
Army!
Territory!
Divine Treasures!
These were all things that required a long period to accrue.
Yet in Tao Qian's case, they seemed to have been resolved as soon as he stepped into the limelight, with no traces revealed beforehand.
It was as if that team had materialized out of thin air.
Then, there was a little episode:
After everything was settled, the surviving cultivators from all sects in Qiantang Province City, along with representatives from other provinces who were about to leave, including the master-disciple pair of Shenxiu and Long Meng Arhat, as well as over a hundred Vajra Monks.
But unexpectedly, there was a hiccup related to Shenxiu Buddha's son.
This renowned Buddha's son, who was said to be among the top three in talent and strength among the disciples of the Free Temple, publicly refused his own master.
Everyone saw him chant a Buddhist phrase and then, using the Heart Light Escape Technique, he moved in front of Master Tao Qian.
He bowed deeply and said,
"Amitabha!"
"Turns out, the Wu Gou Buddha Son was also Master Tao, no wonder he was so certain he could resolve the calamity in Qiantang, no wonder the fortune of All People recognized him."
"This humble monk is willing to admit defeat and is here to serve under the true master."
"If Qiantang is not at peace, this humble monk shall not leave."
Having said this, he didn't give Tao Qian a chance to refuse.
Then, turning to Long Meng Arhat, he continued,
"Please return, Master."
"My fate and karma are tied to Master Tao."
To onlookers, the actions of Monk Shenxiu were simply those of someone fulfilling a lost bet, nothing extraordinary.
While it was somewhat awkward for a distinguished son of Buddha like him to serve under the banner of a Daoist pride, considering Master Tao Qian's reputation, stature, and Divine Powers, it seemed not that unusual.
Up to this point, whether Daoist, Buddhist, Demon, and Devil, or Heterodox,
Tao Qian might not be at the forefront of each category when comparing Cultivation Realms, supernatural power, reputation, and temperament.
But if one were to evaluate comprehensively, there was no young talent who could match Tao Qian for the time being.
Monk Shenxiu also seemed reasonable in his defeat.
However, for some unknown reason, as soon as Long Meng Arhat heard this, he immediately showed anger and firmly stated,
"No!"
"Shenxiu, do not spout nonsense, your Auspicious Master earlier made a Prediction that might have been influenced by Duobao True Monarch, thus leading to a mistake."
"Now that Tao Qian has stepped forward, it's clear your fate and destiny do not lie here. Once this matter is concluded, you must return to the temple with me immediately."
With these words, even cultivators of lower realms could see the tension in Long Meng Arhat's eyes.
It seemed he was worried about something.
As people were wondering, Tao Qian chuckled lightly and straightforwardly explained,
"Daoist Shenxiu, you need not take that bet to heart, at that time it was merely a small trick of mine to entice you into the play and distract the attention of the three Arhats from the Demon Buddha Temple."
"Now that I have decided to come forward and protect the three provinces, and perhaps do more... it seems manageable, but in reality, it's extremely perilous."
"The Evil Demon's words are not wrong, with the troubles I've caused previously, the Evil People from the Ultimate Happiness Realm coming to kill me now probably number more than a dozen, and even those old monsters from the Alchemist's Daoist Transformations are watching me from afar."
"In such a situation, if you accompany me, your life could be at risk too."
"Go back!"
"That bet is invalid."