Cheng Yaojin led the big red horse forward, while Wan Mizhai lay on its back, regulating his breath and steadily suppressing the turbulent primal energy within him!
About dozens of miles from Wuhui Ridge, Wan Mizhai took a gourd from his waist, poured out three or four pills, and swallowed them in one gulp!
The cracks that had wound around his arms vanished in an instant, the bleeding stopped, and the color slowly faded from deep to shallow before peeling off.
Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened like bronze bells, "Good heavens, such a tiny pill is so miraculous!"
A moment after taking the pills, Wan Mizhai gradually regained his spirit.
He chuckled, "General Cheng is joking. This is merely to stop bleeding and solidify the primal energy. It's a minor, low-grade pill, not worth mentioning!"
As he spoke, Wan Mizhai scanned his surroundings. "There were too many people around just now. If others had seen it, it would have undoubtedly attracted the attention of Grandmaster level cultivators. That would have been a net loss!"
The identity of a Dan Master was incredibly precious. Ever since Dan Master Mu Hua's demise at Wuhui Ridge, for a thousand years, no one in the Wu Kingdom had managed to cross this formidable barrier.
If his identity were exposed and Grandmaster level cultivators were drawn here, it would undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to Yang Hao, and in a more severe case, it could even lead to the annihilation of his sect!
Hearing Wan Mizhai's detailed analysis, Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but slap his forehead, "Mr. Wan, you speak the absolute truth!"
"Let's hurry on our way. This is no place to linger. Now that the three Shengyuan Pills have found their owners, I imagine it won't be long before three new Grandmasters emerge in the Wu Kingdom!" Wan Mizhai sighed, gazing towards the horizon.
The heavens of the Wu Kingdom were about to change!
...
...
On the training ground in Shujun, Yang Hao practiced his swordplay with a treasured sword, his face already beaded with sweat as the weapon danced around him.
In recent times, Yang Hao had taken advantage of any free time Liao Hua had to have him critique his swordsmanship. Although Liao Hua was not skilled with a sword, he still knew a thing or two. With Liao Hua's help, Yang Hao's swordsmanship had advanced by leaps and bounds!
"Master, you should rest for a while!" Zhu Sheng advised from the side.
"No, this is not enough. To stand out before others, one must put in tremendous effort!" Yang Hao, engrossed in his practice, immediately shook his head at Zhu Sheng's words. The long sword flickered, creating a gust of wind with each movement!
A soldier ran up, "Reporting to the Prefect, Mr. Wan and General Cheng have returned!"
"Have them wait for me at the Prefect's mansion!" Yang Hao stopped practicing his sword. "Zhu Sheng, accompany me to the front hall for a discussion!" he instructed, walking towards Zhu Sheng.
"Yes!" Zhu Sheng bowed in response.
...
...
"We pay our respects to the Master!" Zhu Sheng, Wan Mizhai, Cheng Yaojin, and Liao Hua all shouted in unison as Yang Hao arrived.
Yang Hao sat in the main hall of the Prefect's mansion and surveyed the four, "Rise."
"Thank you, Master!" The four bowed in thanks and took their seats.
"Master, we have not disgraced our mission and have completed the task you assigned us!" Wan Mizhai said, holding out the official seal of Hanzhong Commandery and slowly walking towards Yang Hao.
Yang Hao took the seal, glanced at it, and placed it on the table. "You two have worked hard on this journey. By my command, I bestow upon Wan Mizhai and Cheng Yaojin a mansion each!"
As soon as the words fell, the two knelt and expressed their gratitude.
"What became of the remaining two Shengyuan Pills?" Zhu Sheng asked, swirling his feather fan, his brow furrowed.
"Heh heh, of the remaining two, one is in the hands of the imperial court, and the other is with the Tiangang Sect," Cheng Yaojin said, draining his cup of tea.
With this, the imperial court would possess four Grandmasters, deterring the realm. The Wu Kingdom's ruling power would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced, but this was ultimately a dying flicker. Just a final burst of glory! If, one day, the Wu King were to pass away, the Wu Kingdom would inevitably fragment and falter. At that time, the Tiangang Sect would surely rise in rebellion, and widespread chaos would not be far off! Anyone with discerning eyes could see that this was the calm before the storm.
"Reporting to the Master, the journey to Wuhui Ridge yielded unexpected gains!" Wan Mizhai said, cupping his fists.
"Oh? Elaborate!" Yang Hao's curiosity was piqued.
Wan Mizhai unfolded a scroll in his hand, and a white silk handkerchief slowly floated upwards.
"What is this?" Yang Hao asked, unable to discern anything extraordinary as a drawing slowly revealed itself.
"Reporting to the Master, this is the formula for the Shengyuan Pill!"
As these words were spoken, everyone was astonished, followed by broad smiles. This formula, if given to the Sword Gate of the Tiangang Sect, or even the imperial court, would be like a chicken bone - useless to eat, yet a pity to discard! But for Yang Hao, this formula was a ladder to heaven! With Wan Mizhai, a first-grade Dan Master, in his possession and this formula in hand, he was like a fish in water. As long as there was a Half-step Grandmaster, he could continuously forge Grandmaster level cultivators!
"Can Mr. Wan refine it?" Zhu Sheng asked joyfully. Yang Hao's eyes also gleamed as he stared intently at Wan Mizhai.
"Yes!" Wan Mizhai replied calmly.
"Excellent! Issue an order to gather the ingredients needed for the pills and coordinate with Wan Mizhai. Spare no expense or effort, we must collect them as quickly as possible!" Yang Hao decided on the spot. A Half-step Grandmaster, wasn't there one right before him? Yang Hao smiled knowingly at Wan Mizhai, filled with immense joy.
The matter of the Shengyuan Pill was easily handled, but for now! Yang Hao couldn't help but pick up the official seal of Hanzhong Commandery. He needed to consolidate control over Guanghan quickly, as that would surely bring in a massive amount of faith value. The world was in chaos, and heroes would surely rise. It was an era that forged heroes, and who knew what kind of protagonists with halos of destiny would appear! He needed to strengthen himself quickly to protect his territory.
"Cheng Yaojin, Liao Hua, heed my command!" Yang Hao's voice was crisp and resolute. The two bowed deeply, "Your subordinate awaits!"
"I order you two to lead troops and take control of Hanzhong. Within three days, I want Hanzhong entirely under my command! Disobey and you will be executed!" Yang Hao roared, his voice like a rainbow, majestic and resounding!
"Your subordinate accepts the order!" As they spoke, Cheng Yaojin took the official seal of Hanzhong.
"Go!" Yang Hao waved his hand. The two received their orders and rushed to the military camp. They immediately mustered their troops. A day later, twenty thousand soldiers moved like thunder, crashing like a downpour, covering thousands of miles and crossing into Guanghan. Upon arrival at Hanzhong, the army displayed their seals and announced their presence, and the troops advanced. Those who refused to yield to the city's command were dealt with by Cheng Yaojin and Liao Hua without effort. Blades flashed like lightning, and sabers obscured the sky. After their passage, nothing remained untouched! In less than three days, a large number of sect disciples and prominent families abandoned their homes and fled thousands of miles away from Hanzhong! For a time, the surrounding commanderies bordering Hanzhong were in constant fear, trembling.
The two generals acted decisively and with ruthless efficiency. Hanzhong Commandery's city was engulfed by dark clouds, its walls shattered, and a furious inferno raged for seven days and nights. With power in their hands, the two immediately pacified the refugees, opened the granaries, distributed food, exempted three years of taxes, and had the army lay down their arms and till the land. In time, the smoke of war dissipated from Hanzhong, and it gradually returned to peace. Not long after, large numbers of families migrated to Hanzhong. After several months of recovery and preferential treatment for its citizens, Hanzhong gained the support of many factions. Thus, the lands of Shujun, Guanghan, and Hanzhong became connected, and a nascent power at the junction of Yizhou and Liangzhou suddenly bared its sharp fangs. It eyed the world with ambition!