Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed and scrambled to their feet.
The Holy Land Alliance was established.
The Xiao Family formed the core of the entire alliance, which would be known as the Inner Alliance. The other powers, meanwhile, would maintain their original structures and be referred to as the Outer Alliance.
At the same time, an Elder Council was also formed.
Each of the major powers would send one of their experts to join the Elder Council and discuss alliance affairs together.
Long Chuan spoke up, "Since we’ve established the Holy Land Alliance, we should give it a name. What do you all think we should call it?"
For a moment, everyone fell silent, unable to think of a good name.
Chu Tianxiong said respectfully, "Elder Su, you are the Saint Master. The honor of naming our Holy Land Alliance should fall to you."
"Name it?"
A look of resignation crossed Su Mo’s face.
’Just as I expected,’ he thought. ’The headaches are starting already, and I can’t even refuse.’
Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Then let’s call it the Xiao Alliance Sacred Land."
’A name is just a label, anyway. It doesn’t matter what we call it; no need for anything grand or impressive.’
"Alright, the Xiao Alliance Sacred Land it is."
Everyone agreed unanimously.
Next was the ceremony for everyone to pay their respects to the Holy Land Saint Master, but Su Mo quickly brushed past it.
Chu Tianxiong walked up to Xiao Zhan and said politely, "Congratulations, Patriarch Xiao, on becoming the acting Saint Master of the Xiao Alliance Sacred Land."
"You all flatter me."
Xiao Zhan looked utterly overwhelmed.
He never would have dreamed that he, the patriarch of a minor family, would suddenly be transformed. He was now the acting Saint Master of a Sacred Land, a position that placed him above all the most powerful figures of the Eighteen Kingdoms.
Although his title was "acting" Saint Master, he was for all intents and purposes the true Saint Master. He had the final say in all matters within the Sacred Land.
At that moment, Roger suddenly asked, puzzled, "Hey, where’s the Desolate Old Monster? I don’t see him here today. Didn’t you invite him?"
"We did invite him."
Daoist Xuanqing looked completely baffled.
’I wrote the invitation for the Desolate Old Monster myself and even had it delivered personally. So why is there no sign of him?’
’How strange.’
’The Desolate Old Monster always loves a lively event.’
’Especially since this is happening right in his own Desolate Empire’s territory.’
Chu Tianxiong grumbled, "Hmph. That Desolate Old Monster is getting bolder. He promised he’d come with me to pay respects to Elder Su, and now he doesn’t even show up. He stood me up."
"Do you think something delayed him?"
Daoist Xuanqing ventured.
Chu Tianxiong said coldly, "What could possibly be more important than Elder Su’s celebration? By not showing up, he’s offending Elder Su. He must be warned."
「Not far from the Xiao Family estate.」
"ACHOO..."
The Desolate Old Monster, in the prison cart, suddenly sneezed.
Huang Yunan asked with concern, "Grandfather, what’s wrong? Are you sick?"
"Sigh..."
The Desolate Old Monster sighed. "My old bones just can’t take this anymore. Who knows, I might just pass on at any moment."
Huang Yunan comforted him, "Grandfather, please don’t say that. The Xiao Family estate is just ahead. Elder Su is incredibly powerful. He’ll definitely kill the Heaven-Suppressing King and save us."
"I hope so."
the Desolate Old Monster said listlessly.
Arriving outside the Xiao Family’s estate, the Heaven-Suppressing King stared in shock at the sight before him: Spiritual Birds covering the grounds and the air thick with ethereal Immortal Qi.
’This is the Xiao Family’s estate?’
’It looks more like some Sacred Land.’
The Heaven-Suppressing King, who had arrived radiating killing intent, instantly retracted his aura, not daring to make a single rash move.
He feared a supreme expert might be living inside, one who could eliminate him in an instant.
The Heaven-Suppressing King asked doubtfully, "Did we come to the wrong place?"
"No, we haven’t!"
The leader of the Black Armored Soldiers replied.
The Heaven-Suppressing King pointed toward the area shrouded in Immortal Qi and said, "Then explain to me what this Immortal Qi and these Spiritual Birds are all about."
"This..."
The leader of the Black Armored Soldiers looked just as confused.
He had come to Qingyang City a few years ago. At that time, Qingyang City was barren and desolate, its Spiritual Qi thin. Forget Immortal Qi and Spiritual Birds, there wasn’t a blade of grass in sight.
And now, it had transformed into... this.
The leader of the Black Armored Soldiers said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I’ll go capture someone for questioning."
"What are you doing? Why are you grabbing me?"
Soon, the leader of the Black Armored Soldiers had captured a shop assistant. He pointed at the Heaven-Suppressing King and said, "This is His Majesty. Kneel and pay your respects at once."
"Your Majesty?"
The shop assistant asked in confusion, "Your Majesty of where?"
The leader of the Black Armored Soldiers said with cold arrogance, "Naturally, His Majesty of our Desolate Empire. His Majesty is the former Heaven-Suppressing King. You must know of him, right?"
"Holy shit! Heaven-Suppressing King, you rebelled?"
The shop assistant looked terrified.
The Heaven-Suppressing King admitted without hesitation, "That’s right. I have rebelled. I’ve already captured the former Royal Family and locked them in that prison cart right behind you."
The shop assistant hurriedly looked behind him and indeed saw the Desolate Old Monster and Huang Yunan locked in the prison cart, tormented to the point where death would be a relief, their spirits utterly broken.
"This... The throne of the Desolate Empire has changed hands?"
the shop assistant stammered, nearly scared to death.
The Heaven-Suppressing King said proudly, "You are now my subject. You must answer my questions properly, or I’ll have your entire clan executed."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The shop assistant hastily dropped to his knees.
The Heaven-Suppressing King asked, "Tell me, what is this place? What manner of supreme expert lives within?"
"Your Majesty, this is the residence of the Xiao Family. If you’re asking about a great expert, that would be their Young Master, Elder Su Mo," the shop assistant answered, trembling.
"What? You said the Xiao Family lives here?"
A look of utter shock appeared on the Heaven-Suppressing King’s face.
The shop assistant nodded. "That’s right. Elder Su is holding a celebration right now. He even invited several Daoists skilled in geomancy and manipulating Earth Veins to transform this place into a Holy Land Immortal Realm."
At these words, the Heaven-Suppressing King’s expression turned grim.
’I didn’t expect Su Mo to be this capable—to just create a Sacred Land out of nowhere and hold some damn celebration.’
"Hmph. Building a Sacred Land in my territory? Did he ask for my permission? He’s courting death."
The Heaven-Suppressing King said angrily, and was just about to give the order to storm the Xiao Family estate, when the leader of the Black Armored Soldiers stopped him. "Your Majesty, wait. I feel like something isn’t right here."
"What’s not right?"
the Heaven-Suppressing King asked.
The leader of the Black Armored Soldiers said, "Creating a Holy Land Immortal Realm requires enormous financial and material resources. For Su Mo to be able to do this, his strength must be extraordinary."
The Heaven-Suppressing King asked disdainfully, "Didn’t he just find a massive amount of treasure in Qu Luo’s Tomb, become an upstart, and spend a fortune to hire people to do it? What’s so extraordinary about that?"
"Well..."
the leader of the Black Armored Soldiers hesitated.
The Heaven-Suppressing King said coldly, "If you’re scared and don’t want to be a founding hero of my new dynasty, then get lost now. Don’t get in the way of my killing."
"I wouldn’t dare!"
cried the leader of the Black Armored Soldiers in alarm.
The Heaven-Suppressing King said in a commanding tone, "Prepare yourselves. Follow me in. We’ll slaughter Su Mo and kill everyone in the Xiao Family."
With that, he led his men and descended before the gates of the Xiao Family.
Gazing at the Xiao Family’s estate, which looked like an Immortal Realm, the Heaven-Suppressing King smiled in satisfaction. "To work so hard, only to prepare a wedding gown for another. After I conquer this place, I shall make it my imperial palace."