Conquering He Sang, Qu Yue, and the Baekje Kingdom did not take Fang Yuan long. Under the sweeping iron cavalry of Grandmasters such as Gao Shang and Mo Tianxing, the stubborn small nations that resisted were quickly swept away, like autumn leaves falling to the ground.
In less than a month, the entire Eastern Continent was incorporated into the Great Xia Empire. From today onward, this vast land will only have one name —
The Great Xia Empire!
Baekje, He Sang, and even the vast ice plains were reorganized into provinces. The luck of these three countries, like rivers merging into the sea, would be fully absorbed into the Great Xia Dragon Pulse.
Next, various reform measures would be progressively implemented in these provinces.
But Fang Yuan did not need to worry about any of this himself. His subordinates and puppets would handle everything.
If he were a skilled politician, he might even consider merging He Sang, Baekje, and other countries into one province, letting them fight due to cultural differences.
This would shift the conflict inward, causing them to struggle against each other, making it harder for them to unite against the central rule.
This tactic was commonly used by Western colonizers in Fang Yuan's previous world.
However, in this martial arts-dominant world, Fang Yuan had no need for such tricks. Any rebellion could simply be crushed.
Not long after Fang Yuan unified the Eastern Continent, the nobles, monarchs, and martial arts experts of the Western Continent also received the shocking news through letters, secretive communications, and other extraordinary methods.
This action once again demonstrated that Fang Yuan possessed power capable of threatening the entire world!
The courts of the Western nations fell into a state of anxiety. What they feared was not only Fang Yuan's power, which could shake the continent, but also his unfathomable ambition, which kept their rulers awake at night.
The Eastern Continent had already bowed to him. Would Fang Yuan's eyes now turn toward the West...?
Fang Yuan was considerate. He did not let these nations worry for too long, because just a few days later, another shocking piece of news exploded like thunder — this sounded more like an ultimatum than just an announcement.
The Emperor of Great Xia, Fang Yuan, would personally arrive on the Western Continent in ten days!
And his first stop would be the Holy City of the Federal Church!
---
The imperial city of Great Xia, under the tireless work of thousands of craftsmen, had regained its former glory.
Although the scale was not as magnificent as before, the red walls and golden tiles were still majestic, and the flying eaves and brackets were still magnificent.
The entire imperial city shimmered under the sunlight, displaying the empire's undying grandeur.
In the newly completed Martial Arts Hall, the members of the Chongwu Guard were deeply focused on their cultivation.
Qin Hai stretched his muscles, his joints cracking loudly. Just a few days ago, this martial artist, over a hundred years old, had successfully broken through to the fifth realm.
In the past, Qin would never have imagined reaching this level, but since entering the capital with the emperor, the abundance of miraculous pills and treasures had rejuvenated his old body, giving him a second spring.
How wonderful!
He hadn't seen the emperor for a long time and missed him...
Thinking of this, Qin Hai glanced toward the graceful figure not far away and tentatively asked, "Miss Lin, do you have any news from His Majesty recently?"
Now that Fang Yuan was the Emperor of Great Xia, he could be said to be extremely busy, like a dragon with no head to be seen.
Even after moving into the imperial city, it was difficult for Qin Hai to meet with him.
Lin Jing, sitting silently at the corner of the hall, slowly finished her meditation. Over the past period, she had reached the peak of the third realm in her cultivation.
Like Qin Hai, she lacked no cultivation resources, and Fang Yuan had paved the way for her to become a Grandmaster.
Hearing Qin Hai's question, Lin Jing shook her head. "I don't know..."
Her fingertips dug deeply into her palm, a bitter taste rising in her throat. "Fang Yuan... His Majesty hasn't contacted me in a long time."
Lin Jing's voice showed a trace of loneliness. In just a few months, the young man who had shared wine and martial arts discussions with her at her dojo had now reached a height far beyond her reach.
Time had passed, and even everything she enjoyed now was a gift from him. The gap between their current statuses was too vast.
Qin Hai clicked his tongue, sensing the situation and refraining from asking further.
The gap in strength was too great, and it would only grow wider. He vaguely felt that the young emperor's ambitions likely reached far beyond the Great Xia.
A broader world was destined to be out of reach for lower-tier martial artists like them.
Lin Jing shook her head, forcing herself to focus. She was preparing to attempt a breakthrough.
Just then, the door to the hall suddenly burst open!
"I have the latest news from His Majesty!" Yin Shiwu ran in, panting, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Lin Jing immediately raised her head, almost losing control of her true essence. The entire Martial Arts Hall fell silent, and all the members of the Chongwu Guard held their breath, staring at Yin Shiwu.
Yin Shiwu spoke up:
"The new king of Baekje was struck dead by His Majesty's palm!"
"He Sang's capital was destroyed in a single day!"
"The Martial Saint ancestor of Qu Yue, who had been in seclusion for a thousand years..." Yin Shiwu swallowed hard. "He was also easily subdued by His Majesty!"
"His Majesty, with an unparalleled style, has unified the entire Eastern Continent! Now, he is preparing to head to the Western Continent to suppress the Western kingdoms!"
At these words, a deathly silence spread across the hall. The members of the Chongwu Guard exchanged looks, their faces reflecting disbelief and shock.
Even though they had witnessed Fang Yuan's rise, hearing that he had unified the Eastern Continent still felt absurd, as if it belonged to another era.
Qin Hai opened his mouth, but only managed to mutter, "This... was much faster than when he took over Great Xia..."
Fang Yuan's record had been updated. After conquering the Xia Kingdom in half a year, another achievement had been added:
One month to unify the Eastern Continent!
Was this something a person could achieve?
The Martial Arts Hall suddenly became lively, with the Chongwu Guard members marveling at the strength of their young emperor.
Lin Jing did not join in. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to suppress the emotions that surged within her.
The Emperor of Great Xia, having unified the Eastern Continent and about to become a Martial Saint... everything she could never achieve in her lifetime.
This should have been a moment to rejoice for a close friend, but the helplessness in her heart shattered that joy into pieces.
"Forget it..." Lin Jing slowly closed her eyes. "For now, focusing on my breakthrough is the most important."
One step at a time. Even if I can never catch up to him, at least... I can't stop moving forward.