"Yes."

Bai Zhao respectfully cupped his hands and responded in affirmation.

An easy conversation directly determined the life and death of a millennium-old sect family, yet, ultimately, everything depended on the main character’s reaction.

The Array Sword Peak Master’s resolute face turned stiff, his throat bobbed up and down, lips trembling as if wanting to erupt in anger, but after an internal struggle, he did not dare to speak.

"Won’t say anything?" Xu Yuan asked.

Array Sword Peak Master: "...."

"It seems you understand what the true reality is."

Array Sword Peak Master: "...."

"An empty threat is like the barking of a wild dog; I hope you remember today’s lesson, Ruan Wenzhou."

"...."

The Array Sword Peak Master’s face shifted from blue to purple, yet he still did not dare reply.

The pride in his heart did not allow him to bend the knee, yet the lives of thousands of elders and young ones in his family weighed like mountains on his shoulders, preventing him from uttering a word.

Meanwhile, at this moment,

"Wenzhou, sit down, do not be rude."

The belated rebuke from the Sword Sect’s Great Elder offered him a way out. Subconsciously wanting to reply, Ruan Wenzhou remembered the words of the Master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, swallowed back his words, cupped his fists, and silently sat back down with a stiff expression.

Xu Yuan watched this scene without speaking further, leisurely overlooking the Sword Sect crowd, thinking that some words were not appropriate for him to say himself.

Seeing this, Bai Zhao immediately understood and said aloud with neither humility nor arrogance:

"Great Elder, the price you offer does not match your actual value; I suppose you realized this when you were drafting the treaty.

"The Imperial Court needs your genuine sincerity."

The Sword Sect’s Great Elder carefully considered his words and said:

"This is already our sincere offer."

Bai Zhao frowned at these words.

The Great Elder sat up straight and said:

"Mr. Bai, in the current world as it strives for supremacy, it is still uncertain whose hands the deer will fall into. Neither the Imperial Court nor the Sect Alliance has a guarantee of victory.

"However, as a massive alliance, once the Sword Sect, as the leader of the myriad sects, surrenders, it will severely impact the morale of the Sect Alliance."

"If the Imperial Court continues southward and word of the benefits you offer to the Sword Sect spreads, it will become the final straw to crush the resistance of many sects.

"Those who swear to resist to the death will decrease,

"While those who surrender at the sight of the wind will rise geometrically.

"At that time, the end of this war that brings devastation to the world will also be greatly accelerated.

"Mr. Bai, doesn’t this count as the sincerity the Sword Sect offers the Imperial Court?"

Bai Zhao listened attentively, then looked across with a very puzzled gaze:

"Then what is the point of my young master starting this war? If you surrender, indeed the resistance of the Sect Alliance will decrease, but this war started because the young master presented the Immortal Tax Law. In the end, the Immortal Sects still don’t pay taxes. Great Elder, don’t you think this is too much of a farce?"

Hearing this, the Sword Sect’s Great Elder was inwardly delighted, for as long as there’s a willingness to communicate, there’s room for negotiation:

"Mr. Bai, your words are mistaken.

"This treaty has a time limit, and the specific terms can be discussed in detail. In my humble opinion, without accumulating small steps, you can’t reach a thousand miles. The tax rate can gradually increase over time, giving the world’s sects time to adapt."

"Such an adaptation period indeed!"

Bai Zhao chuckled and asked aloud: "How much time is enough for you to adapt? A hundred years, or as written in your treaty, three hundred years?"

The Great Elder quickly pondered and said:

"Three hundred years is indeed too long, we can adjust the timeline as a detail to discuss in negotiation....."

"Sigh.....enough."

It was a sigh coming from the man sitting high in the hall, instantly bringing everyone to a quick silence.

Xu Yuan continued to look at the upper echelon of the Sword Sect, but his eyes were filled with intense disappointment:

"I once thought that your Sword Sect would be different from other sects, maintaining a patriotic heart while preserving its interests, but evidently, there’s no difference between you and the others."

"Prince Han, what do you mean by this?" The Great Elder furrowed his brows.

Xu Yuan stared into the other’s eyes, speaking in a low voice:

"I know what you’re trying to do, no more than trying to buy time to dissolve this war. Your sects have already worn out my predecessors with time, and now look to apply the same method against me and Li Qingyan.

"The world has always been murky and filthy. Once we leave, I suppose things would return to the ’normal’ you desire."

At this point, the Sword Sect’s Great Elder’s face turned somewhat unsightly, responding in a deep voice:

"Prince Han, internal strife among high-level players is better than this devastating war. Maybe, in the end, the Sects could truly fulfill your wishes?"

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and said calmly:

"Absurd, if things could truly go as I wish, this war wouldn’t have occurred. By that time, your sect wouldn’t sit idly by, and it would lead to another war. Do you think I’d leave you time to prepare for the next war?"

With these words, Xu Yuan directly rose from his seat, his black dragon robe fluttering in the wind, his tied-up long hair swaying as his voice echoed in the hall:

"I won’t beat around the bush. My next words are a final ultimatum rather than negotiable terms.

"The Six Peaks of the Sword Sect need to be split. Those who do not comply with the Imperial Court’s orders can live in the Sword Sect Secret Realm I provide, forbidden to enter or exit for three hundred years. During this time, the entrance to the Secret Realm will be managed by my Prime Minister’s Mansion.

"The Sword Sect will remain the National Religion, but the position of Sect Master must be assumed by Ran Qingmo, with her mentor Luo Wei assisting."

"Correspondingly, the captured Sword Sect soldiers from the Battle of Heavenly River will be released in batches, but my Prime Minister’s Mansion will take residence in Array and Soldier Peaks, establishing permanent military offices. Henceforth, all military orders and deployments from these two peaks will connect directly with the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

"All secret techniques and formation diagrams within Magic Sword Peak will be acquired by the Imperial Family, with specialists dispatched by the Dayan Ministry of Industry to handle this affair."

"Lastly, as a condition of your surrender, I can promise that within a year after your surrender, there will be no transfer orders allowing you all to recuperate."

"...."

The conditions given by the Imperial Court were so harsh and shocking that no one expected them.

After a long silence,

the Great Elder of the Sword Sect took a deep breath, his voice slightly trembling:

"Prince Han, do you think anyone in the Sword Sect dares to sign this treaty?"

Xu Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, speaking word by word:

"If you don’t sign it, we’ll fight until you do."

His words fell silent.

The war in the Tianyuan Mountains continued,

and the four tentacle-like flesh and blood pillars still surrounded the main peak.

The appearance of the Qi Flow Sea severed the connection between the Sword Sect’s main peak and the outside world. Although there were contingency plans, chaos ensued with the loss of the central hub.

At the same time as this negotiation, Zong Qingsheng’s Central Army continued to steadily advance towards the heart of the Tianyuan Mountains.

The Sword Sect had no choice.

Surrender,

or perish.

Therefore,

Xu Yuan straightforwardly shattered the Sword Sect’s last illusion, which was also their greatest confidence:

"I know the Sword Sect is not yet at a dead end. Whether it’s the thousand-year-deep mountains you operate, or this all-encompassing Mountain Protection Array, or the Sect Alliance reinforcements that could arrive at any time, these are all chips in your hands.

"Of course, I also know that what you rely on is not just these. You know that even if you eventually lose, you won’t face total annihilation."

"...."

The chilling sense of being in an ice cave began to spread among the higher-ups of the Sword Sect. If they could, they would have liked to stop Xu Changtian from continuing.

But,

the words continued.

"You probably think that whether for personal emotions or for justice, I, Xu Changtian, have no reason to hold you accountable."

Xu Yuan’s indifferent and cold gaze swept across, seeing only those who averted their eyes and bowed their heads:

"After all, you have been with Qingmo day and night, guiding her with care. Out of personal feelings, I cannot possibly annihilate her maternal family.

"After all, the Imperial Court also needs your Sword Sect’s influence in Hongnong, needs your sect families to help me collect taxes, needs you to provide materials to maintain the stability of the Imperial Court Treasure Notes, and needs you to sustain the economic operation of Hongnong. Moreover, it needs the resources you produce to fuel this war."

The mountain-like pressure surged like a tide, and the Great Elder of the Sword Sect’s hand slightly clenched under his sleeve, instinctively opening his mouth:

"Prince Han..."

"Shut up."

Xu Yuan’s aura turned extremely cold, even becoming unfamiliar to the Big Ice Lump. He issued a final ultimatum to the Sword Sect:

"If that’s what you think,

"Then I can tell you right now....

"I don’t care,

"If you don’t surrender, I will slaughter all the sect families in Hongnong and rebuild according to my will.

"The Dayan Imperial Court has no losses too great to bear, nor any territory it cannot abandon."

"No one is beyond my ability to kill!

"Anyone who blocks the path to the future I desire, I will kill, even if it is someone most dear to me!

"Now,

"Immediately give me your answer."

"..."

Silence.

An endless aura of death permeated. No one thought the young man in the Black Dragon Robe was joking, and no one doubted his ability to fulfill these words.

There was only a deathly silence.

The roaring artillery from the distant horizon finally awakened the people of the Sword Sect. The Great Elder of the Sword Sect took a deep breath, with a slight tremor in his voice:

"Your Highness Prince Han.... this war will also cost many, many lives. Perhaps you can indeed win, but it will... last a very long time, far beyond your imagination, long enough to weaken the entire national power of Dayan."

"I know."

"By then, the Ancient Abyss and the alien races on the sea may take advantage of the situation."

"I also know."

"At that time, I’m afraid Dayan will be powerless to resist those foreign...."

"You need not worry." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Xu Yuan interrupted him, looking through the heavy hall doors towards the pitch-black sky: "I can live for a very long time. As long as I am alive, neither Ancient Abyss nor those alien races at sea can trouble the lands of Dayan."

The Great Elder of the Sword Sect remained silent for a long time, amidst the distant artillery roar, speaking with a trace of pleading:

"But... you will ultimately pass away."

"...."

Xu Yuan silently stared at the old man who had spoken, after a quiet pause, a wisp of Life and Death Power emanating from his fingertips, his eyes filled with a weary determination:

"I will not pass away."

Ran Qingmo seemed to sense his emotion, watching the brilliant and magnificent Life and Death Dao Charm, her ears filled with his weary voice.

"If I choose, I can live until the end of time, just like that ’Heaven’ once in the Jiatiange."

"So,

"No matter how long you want to fight, I’ll accompany you to the end."