Chapter 588 - Chapter 588: Chapter 275 Barrier Accumulation_3

Chapter 588: Chapter 275 Barrier Accumulation_3

It was precisely because of learning from such mistakes that when Lu Yuan engaged in combat with others, he became increasingly adept at hiding his true strength.

Without being completely confident, he would never reveal his full strength easily.

…

In a riverside conversation, Lu Yuan successfully appeased Li Xiong, gaining an excellent pawn in the process.

In the days that followed, Lu Yuan continued to lead his troops stationed in the Peaceful City. Aside from occasional skirmishes with the Da Changhe Army across the river, there was not much to do.

Thus, he took advantage of this idle time to devote himself to cultivation.

Since the start of the war with the Yi people of the southwest, the Chu State had enjoyed continuous victories. They had now seized one county and eight prefectures, expanding their territory by over 3,000 miles.

Although the Qianzhong County was still being gradually developed and assimilated, and even some of the grassroots prefectures and counties were only in the initial stages of construction, a stable rule was far from being established.

However, capturing such a vast territory and enslaving nearly a million Yi people had brought considerable Qi Luck.

Not to mention, the development of this one county increased the total amount of Qi Luck controlled by Lu Yuan by a tenth.

And this was only temporary.

As the development of Qianzhong County further progressed, and the various aspects of local governance stabilized, the conquered Yi people would gradually grow loyal.

The Qi Luck provided by this place would continue to grow, and eventually, reaching 30% of the current Qi Luck was not impossible.

But reaching this level would require a long time – at least two to three decades.

Nevertheless, even considering only the present boost, Lu Yuan was already thrilled.

In a nutshell, the future of Qianzhong County looked promising.

In addition to the Qi Luck provided by Qianzhong County, the news of Zhou Qing breaking through the Innate realm spread during this period, making the people within the Chu State more united than ever.

Even the neighboring countries’ attitudes towards the Chu State had changed accordingly.

Furthermore, the expansion into the Southwest Yi lands and the establishment of Qianzhong County had contributed as well.

Unintentionally, the Chu State’s prestige and strength in the eyes of the world had further improved, gradually displaying the demeanor of a hegemon.

After all, this had become a behemoth possessing four counties and twenty-five prefectures, with a territory of more than ten thousand miles, over a million households, and three Inborn Grandmasters – a major power in Jiangnan.

With such strength, the difference between the Chu State and the Ning Country was not substantial.

In the eyes of the world, the Chu State now had the qualifications to compete with the Ning Country for the title of Master of Yangzhou and could even be called a small hegemon.

This increased recognition implicitly made people identify more with the Chu State, drawing their hearts together and further increasing Qi Luck.

By this time, the amount of Qi Luck Lu Yuan possessed had increased by nearly 30% compared to before the war.

If his total Qi Luck before the war was ten, now it had risen to thirteen – a tremendous improvement.

As another benefit of the increase in Qi Luck, Lu Yuan’s pace of cultivation with the Taiping Dao Book had accelerated by about 30% compared to before the war.

Moreover, at the time of the Qi Luck surge, his strength had also made several breakthroughs, and his internal power had further thickened.

“At this rate, I guess it will take me another half a year to condense my energy and enter the Immortal Path, right?”

After communicating with the Heavenly Pillars through his divine soul and attracting a wave of Immortal Spirit Qi, Lu Yuan stopped refining his power and couldn’t help but ponder.

In the past few months, while leading his troops to fight against the Yi People of the Southwest, he had always been extremely concerned and observant of the movements of the Dan Ding Path.

Not only did he order the Royal Castle Department to pay close attention to the Dan Ding Path’s movements, especially any large-scale personnel movements to prevent a sudden attack, but he also hid among the army, never venturing out alone unless necessary.

On the few occasions he had gone out, like inspecting the construction of various prefectures and counties in Qianzhong County, he had stayed not far from the army. This ensured his safety and allowed him to return quickly to the army if danger arose.

He had been this cautious to guard against any revenge by the Dan Ding Path.

However, almost a year had passed, and it was now the fifth year of Shenwu, with no movements coming from the Dan Ding Path.

No news came from the Liang Country in the north.

Reports from the Royal Castle Department only mentioned that there had been no significant changes in the Dan Ding Path’s personnel on the surface. The Taoist priests on the mountain remained as devoted to their cultivation as before, and there were no signs they were going to leave.

Similarly, surveillance within the Chu State had not detected any large groups entering from the Liang Country – everything seemed extraordinarily calm.

It seemed as if the Dan Ding Path had no intentions of seeking revenge at all.

“Could it be that I’m overthinking things?”

Recalling all the information and feelings he had experienced during these days, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but have doubts.

Could it really be that those people from the Dan Ding Path were scared away by him and dared not seek revenge? Was this so-called one of the Six Great Daoist Paths sect really so timid?

For a moment, Lu Yuan didn’t know what to say.

“No matter! Regardless of what the Dan Ding Path thinks, as long as I can hold out for another half a year, I should be able to break through and condense my energy. By then, my strength will be more than enough to deal with any threats from the Dan Ding Path.

Let the enemy have countless strategies; as long as I focus on improving my own strength and follow my plan, I will be able to overpower their cunning and suppress everything.

In the end, the Dan Ding Path will be nothing more than that.”

Lu Yuan shook his head, then continued to draw upon the Immortal Spirit Qi through the Heavenly Pillars and began cultivating wholeheartedly.

In a world where immense power could be concentrated in one person, rather than relying on the enemy not causing trouble, it was better to find ways to enhance one’s own strength.

As long as one’s strength was sufficient, what seemed troublesome would no longer be a problem.

Even fearsome enemies would no longer be frightening.

What would the Dan Ding Path matter?

Once he condensed his energy and entered the Immortal Path, if they dared to come, he would just fight them back.

Both sides would have people at the same level of cultivation – with several Immortal cultivators on their side, and several Martial Arts Grandmasters on his side. Who would be afraid of whom?

Not to mention, Lu Yuan also had hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers at his command.

Time was all he needed now – time for his growth.

As long as he could hold out for another half a year, the Dan Ding Path would no longer be a threat.