As the Wolf King and his comrades followed Jiang HuanYu’s gaze, their hearts sank.

The Golden Lion King, once a symbol of their might, was now a grotesque figure. His severed head hung to one side, his tongue had been cut out, and his body knelt midair, subdued and lifeless.

Beside him stood an old man in ancient robes, exuding a rich, medicinal fragrance—Danchen, the famed alchemist.

Jiang HuanYu had anticipated the Golden Lion King’s connection to the Floating Sky Saint King, and from the very beginning, he had instructed Danchen to act as a shadow, ensuring the Lion King had no opportunity to alert his powerful ally.

While Medusa engaged Feng Gutian’s projection, diverting everyone’s attention, Danchen had taken his cue. Using his Xuanluo Cauldron, he captured the Golden Lion King and subdued him in a private, merciless ritual.

Now, the king’s lifeless spirit struggled futilely within the cauldron.

“Ancestor!”
“Old Ancestor!”

The Wolf King, Tiger King, and others roared in despair, but their cries went unanswered.

Jiang HuanYu smirked, his tone light but absolute. “Now that the heavens have been properly honored, let’s end this ceremony.”

He turned to Medusa.

“Kill them all.”

Medusa didn’t hesitate. She raised a palm, and a brilliant, multicolored flame formed in her hand. Its glow was both mesmerizing and ominous, locking onto the remaining members of the Eastern Sacred Land, the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts, and the Tempest Sect.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Feng Jingyao shrieked, her arrogance faltering. “If you harm them, my father will—”

Her words were cut short as Medusa’s flame erupted.

Boom!

A kaleidoscope of destruction consumed the attackers, their cries of agony drowned out by the deafening roar of the firestorm. The saintly brilliance of the flames swallowed their bodies and souls alike, leaving no trace of their existence.

Medusa’s sharp gaze caught two faint, flickering shadows attempting to flee—Wan Renwang and Wan Yuxuan had used forbidden techniques to separate their souls and escape.

She prepared to act, but Jiang HuanYu waved her off.

“There’s no need,” he said with a confident smile. “No one escapes the Jiang Dynasty.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Jiang HuanYu?!” Feng Jingyao screamed from where she was suspended.

“You’ve doomed the Northern Domain! My father—my Sacred Land—will erase you all from existence!”

Jiang HuanYu cast her a cold glance, unimpressed by her threats.

“Danchen, handle it.”

Danchen stepped forward, summoning the Xuanluo Cauldron. Before the wide-eyed crowd, he began refining the Golden Lion King’s struggling soul.

In moments, the once-mighty ancestor of the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts was reduced to a small, glowing pill, radiating potent medicinal energy.

The onlookers, including the region’s elite like Jian and Zhan Wuji, were horrified.

“He… turned the Golden Lion King into a pill?”

The implications were staggering. The Jiang Dynasty not only had another Saint Realm expert but one who was also a master alchemist capable of such gruesome feats.

As the scene unfolded, Feipeng and Chonglou descended, each holding a struggling soul—Wan Renwang and his son, Wan Yuxuan.

“Brother!” Feng Jingyao gasped.

Jiang HuanYu chuckled. “Planning to run, were you? How quaint.”

He gestured toward Feipeng and Chonglou.

“Search their memories, then lead troops to ensure that both the Tempest Sect and the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts vanish from the Northern Domain within three days.”

Feipeng and Chonglou bowed. “As you command, Your Majesty.”

The father and son were dragged off, their screams of protest fading into the distance.

“Danchen,” Jiang HuanYu said, his tone chilling. “Take her. Strip her of her cultivation, sever her tendons, and… let her experience true joy. Throw her in with eighteen wild boars fed the Chu Special Elixir.”

The crowd froze, shivering at the implications.

They didn’t know what the Chu Special Elixir was, but the rest of the punishment painted a vivid enough picture.

“Y-you can’t!” Feng Jingyao stammered, panic overtaking her haughty demeanor.

“You wouldn’t dare—my father will—”

Her threats dissolved into screams as Danchen dragged her away.

Jiang HuanYu turned back to the gathered elite, his expression calm yet commanding.

“Do not fear Feng Gutian’s threats,” he declared. “The Jiang Dynasty acts with purpose and precision. Should Feng Gutian come, we will face him.”

His confidence was unshakable, a stark contrast to the trembling hearts of those around him.

Jian Yihan stepped forward, his voice firm.

“The Heavenly Sect pledges its allegiance to His Majesty Jiang HuanYu. From today forth, we recognize you as the Sovereign of the Northern Domain.”

Zhan Wuji quickly followed.

“The Wuji Sect also submits to His Majesty. We, too, declare you the rightful ruler of the Northern Domain.”

Seeing the two hegemonic factions fall in line, the rest of the domain’s leaders quickly followed suit.

“We pledge ourselves to His Majesty Jiang HuanYu!”

Jiang HuanYu laughed heartily. “Good! From this day forward, the Northern Domain is united under the Jiang Dynasty. Together, we will usher in an age of prosperity and strength!”

As the grand ceremony came to an end, Jiang HuanYu left the administrative details to Zuo Xuanqi and his generals.

With Feipeng and Chonglou leading campaigns against the remnants of the Tempest Sect and the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts, the dynasty’s dominance was assured.

Satisfied, Jiang HuanYu returned to the palace.

The day’s victories called for celebration.

And what better way to celebrate than in the company of his four dazzling consorts?

The night promised to be as legendary as the day.