Chapter 17: A Thousand Autumns of Glory

Luo Hun never expected that the city lord would have such ambition, actually wanting to establish a "thousand autumns of glory" and unify the entire Fertile Continent. After all, on the Fertile Continent, Yan Capital was merely a small city. Although it had a population of millions, it was nothing compared to the giant cities with tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people. If it were to establish a country, it would be easily wiped out, let alone ruling a region and gradually swallowing the entire continent.

On the Fertile Continent, there were thousands of cities and tens of thousands of "feudal lords." To rule them all was no easy task. Even experts who had surpassed the Qi Master realm and reached the "Life Seizing" realm could not talk about such matters. The Sacred Ancestor Dynasty, with its multitude of experts, did not dare to fully centralize power but instead adopted a feudal system. In name, they were the Son of Heaven, but in reality, they were just a large city lord. This dynasty could only allow countless feudal states to coexist.

However, if the city lord of Yan Capital, Yan Gufeng, reached the "Life Seizing" realm and received support from the "True Dragon Academy," he might indeed be able to defeat the major forces around Yan Capital one by one, such as "White Stone City," "Cloud Sea City," "Morning Dew City," and so on. By annexing dozens of cities, he could enter the ranks of second-tier forces. Even if he could not achieve a thousand autumns of glory, the wealth, honor, and power he would gain would be incomparable.

The "True Dragon Academy" was a major force.

On the Fertile Continent, only first-tier forces could be called "academies." The rest, such as "sects," "orders," "divine teachings," and so on, were second-tier names. Although they sounded good, they were still second-tier.

Without a rich heritage and the aggregation of numerous experts into a cultural and civilizational force, one did not have the qualifications to be called an "academy." These two characters represented a weighty meaning, with a sense of sanctity and orthodoxy. Names like "sects," "orders," "teachings," "gangs," "associations," and even "dynasties" carried a sense of tyranny and even evil, far inferior to the orthodoxy and sanctity of "academies."

The "Heavenly Position Academy," "True Dragon Academy," and a few other academies were the radiant and revered holy places of the Fertile Continent. In their eyes, Yan Capital was nothing more than an ant.

"I never thought the city lord would have such ambition. I cannot let my skills go to waste. Establishing a dynasty and leaving a name in history is not impossible," Luo Hun was also stirred up with enthusiasm. "Are kings and generals born to their roles? I have heard that many cities have already begun to call themselves countries. Our Yan Capital can also be called the Yan Kingdom."

Yang Family Manor.

These days, Yang Qi's life was quite pleasant. He spent every day in cultivation, staying indoors during the day and practicing martial arts in the mountains outside the city at night. The qi in his body grew increasingly powerful, and his understanding of the "Divine Elephant Imprisoning Hell Technique" deepened. The fourth particle in his body seemed to be on the verge of awakening.

Once it awakened, he would possess the strength of four ancient elephants, and his qi would be so profound that even a seventh-stage expert would not match him. Soon, his qi would break through the sixth stage and reach the seventh stage.

For three consecutive days, the news of his elder brother Yang Yunchong and second brother Yang Hualong's recovery spread throughout the Yang Family Manor. The two began to manage the family business, and they had already pawned the bronze bell through the Yang Family's secret channels, exchanging it for 500,000 Qi Gathering Pills, gradually restoring the family's vitality.

The Yang Family was no longer a picture of decline but had a sense of revival. Especially when his second brother Yang Hualong successfully entered the fifth stage "Explosive Qi" realm, it shocked many of the family's guards and servants, making them feel that even if the family had been bankrupt, there was still hope of reviving the family business.

Breathing in and out, Yang Qi sat in the corridor of his room, facing the inner lake. Each time he exhaled, a current of qi rushed out, breaking through the waves and creating a waterway in the lake. Each time he inhaled, a tornado formed on the lake surface, lifting up large columns of water that eventually fell like a heavy rain, splashing on the lake surface.

This was clearly a sign of reaching a very high level of qi cultivation. This qi technique secretly contained the "elephant trunk water absorption" from the Divine Elephant Imprisoning Hell Technique. According to legend, when the divine elephant raised its trunk and inhaled, it could draw the stars from the Milky Way into its trunk. The elephant symbolized infinite strength.

Inside his body, the thunderous elephant roamed, starting from the dantian and traveling through the meridians, touring the entire body before returning to the dantian qi sea. Each time it roamed, a part of the thunderous elephant's essence seeped into his body, making Yang Qi's body even stronger.

At this moment, with his eyes closed, he could almost see a layer of film under his skin. This film was very tough and thick, like the skin of an elephant. Even sharp blades and qi attacks that broke through the surface of his skin would find it difficult to penetrate this layer of elephant-like film.

This film was transparent, like crystal, and gel-like. Upon closer inspection, there were faint runes flowing within, not human characters but those of demons and gods, twisted and winding, their meanings unknown.

Once the film formed, Yang Qi's physical elasticity, toughness, and resilience were many times stronger than before. Without using qi, his running could surpass a cheetah, his strength could rival a bear, his agility could exceed an ape, and his agility could surpass a bird. Few people could have such terrifying physical strength. Even experts like Yang Zhan and Yang Shi, who were at the eighth stage of qi cultivation, would not be a match for Yang Qi in a pure physical fight.

"Third Brother, Third Brother..."

A call came from outside, and Yang Qi slowly stopped his qi cultivation, standing up. The lake's surface was still rippling as he saw his second brother Yang Hualong approaching. "Big news, big news. Twelve days from now, the city lord's manor will hold a banquet, inviting all the unmarried young talents under thirty from the major families in Yan Capital. Third Brother, you are on the guest list. It's said that Miss Yan Feixia, who has been cultivating at the True Dragon Academy, is returning home to visit her family. The city lord is holding this banquet to find her a talented husband. Third Brother, you can go and meet her. After all, you saved her by the river and gained her favor. Your qi cultivation has also improved rapidly, making it a good opportunity to become the city lord's son-in-law."

"Really? A banquet?"

Yang Qi quickly took the invitation, a slightly uneasy look on his face. "I just stole his Dragon Subduing Pill and almost had my qi cultivation crippled by his subordinates. How could Yan Gufeng invite me? Even if I saved his daughter, as a city lord, he wouldn't be so simple. I need to be careful. But not going would be too disrespectful."

"Yes, Third Brother, you don't know. Our Yang Family was once the first major family in Yan Capital. We have been deeply feared by the Yan Family. Now, within a thousand miles of Yan Capital, it is already a 'Yan Kingdom.' The Yan Family is the ruler, and we are the subjects. Throughout history, there have been many cases where powerful subjects rebelled and killed their rulers. Seeing our family's power grow, the Yan Family naturally fears us."

Second Brother Yang Hualong was not a simple character, well-experienced and analytical.

"If that's the case, I need to go and handle it properly." Yang Qi put away the invitation.

Elder Brother Yang Yunchong was already married and had children, so he did not receive an invitation. Second Brother Yang Hualong also had a fiancée and could not go. In the entire Yang Family Manor, only Yang Qi was a young talent.

"Also, Third Brother, I have some news for you. Three days ago, the city lord of Cloud Sea City announced that he has declared himself the ruler of the Cloud Sea Kingdom, with the city as the capital. He has ambitions to annex the surrounding areas. I also heard that Yun Hai Lan and Song Hai Shan have entered the Heavenly Position Academy as disciples, greatly increasing the power of the Cloud Sea Kingdom." Second Brother Yang Hualong dropped another bombshell.

"What?"

Yang Qi was greatly surprised. "Establishing a kingdom? What a bold move. Do they no longer want to submit to the Sacred Ancestor Dynasty?"

"Third Brother, you don't know. Now, on the entire Fertile Continent, many forces have begun to establish kingdoms and call themselves feudal lords. However, they still pay tribute to the Sacred Ancestor Dynasty. The dynasty is weak, so it can only turn a blind eye. Perhaps Yan Capital will also become the Yan Kingdom in the future," Second Brother Yang Hualong said calmly. "On the continent, there are battles and struggles everywhere. Everyone wants to unify the world and achieve a thousand autumns of glory. No ruler or feudal lord is a good person."

"The world is changing, and we must consider the future of our Yang Family," Yang Qi's thoughts matured. The two brothers discussed the situation, giving a sense of discussing heroes over wine. "To the entire continent, our Yang Family is just a small local tyrant. Once a major force attacks, we will be like eggs, easily shattered."

"Strength is the foundation. I also need to strengthen my cultivation plan," Second Brother Yang Hualong agreed.

"We still have twelve days. I need to become stronger! I will go into seclusion for a while. When I return, Second Brother, please handle the family affairs well." Yang Qi's body flashed, and he disappeared, leaving only a faint shadow for Yang Hualong to see.

"Such speed, how did Third Brother become so strong?" He was startled and quickly called out, "Third Brother, where are you going to cultivate?"

"Black Corpse Mountains, to hunt demon beasts and magical creatures." The voice came, but Yang Qi was already gone.

"What? The Black Corpse Mountains? That is an extremely dangerous place. Our family's autumn hunts never dare to venture deep into it, only hunting on the outskirts. You are going alone..."

Yang Hualong shook his head.

The Black Corpse Mountains were a range at the source of the Yan River, a place of harsh terrain and dense demon beasts. Some of these magical creatures and demon beasts were remnants from ancient times, capable of using qi to summon clouds, mist, fire, and ice. Their qi was even more profound than humans, especially when they acted in groups.

However, the fur, cores, and other parts of these demon beasts and magical creatures were very valuable, and experts often entered the mountains to hunt them.

In fact, the Yang Family's annual autumn hunt was also a way to earn money by entering the mountains. However, it required a large group to go together. Going alone was extremely dangerous, and survival was difficult, let alone any gains.