CHAPTER 1395: CHAPTER 1369: BANNER OF JUSTICE

The wars between great nations blaze across the sky, the Mystic Spirit Continent is in utter chaos. Tangyu knows that behind all this, it’s the orchestration of that one from the Hongchen Palace. Considering the conspiracy and planning, one must admire the opponent’s means; in just two short years, the entire Mystic Spirit Continent has been thrown into such disorder. In it, the art of sowing discord has been used to the fullest extent.

Among the more than a hundred nations on the Mystic Spirit Continent, many have perished, and indeed, quite a few heroic figures have seized the opportunity to rise and rebel.

The ones who suffer the most are the people of the Mystic Spirit Continent, trapped in hellish conditions with countless dying each day. Resentment, hatred, pain, and many other emotions have become the main theme of the Mystic Spirit Continent, making its atmosphere particularly oppressive.

The battle has entered its final stage, and soon the power of the Hongchen Palace will fully emerge; at that time, it will be the moment to decide victory or defeat.

"I estimate that in no more than three months, it will all be over. The strength of the Mystic Spirit Continent, through this turmoil, has already been reduced by more than half. Behind that one from the Hongchen Palace, I don’t know how much strength he’s controlling now. With such a heart and mind, the power he controls is likely not small. But now, I have an ace up my sleeve. With the one hundred and nine puppets from the South Sea Immortal Palace, the strength of Anyang County has greatly increased as well."

"Under the rules of the game, no matter how capable that one from the Hongchen Palace is, he cannot muster much strength. I am determined to win this battle."

Tangyu is full of confidence, with the limitations posed by the game’s rules, wanting to amass a large number of Zifu Realm Great Powers is simply impossible. Unless that one from Hongchen Palace also has a Great Destiny like Tangyu, able to obtain the puppets left by the ancestors of the Mystic Spirit Continent. Otherwise, the power of others cannot be utilized and must be cultivated on one’s own.

The time is too short, no matter how capable that one from the Hongchen Palace is, he cannot cultivate much power.

The key force that will ultimately determine victory lies with the Zifu Realm. Of course, to securely rule the Mystic Spirit Continent, having only Zifu Realm Great Powers is far from enough, public support is also essential.

Unifying the vast Mystic Spirit Continent is extremely difficult. Military force alone is definitely not enough.

"Master, several countries are sending emissaries indicating a wish to submit and become our vassal states. Master, do you think we should accept this?" asked An Shitong.

Tangyu thought for a moment and said, "Coming to surrender at this time always feels somewhat insincere; let’s not fall into others’ traps. They can surrender, but they must swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao to be accepted. Those unwilling to swear such an oath surely harbor ulterior motives. Such troubles are unnecessary to attract. Now, it’s a critical time, we cannot afford to take a wrong step."

An Shitong nodded, "Yes, Master, I have similar concerns and that’s why I haven’t agreed yet. Master, what should we do next?"

"Now we must take several steps forward; the first step is still to expand our own strength as much as possible. Recruiting soldiers is one way, but the most reliable is what we cultivate ourselves. Over this time, you must have gathered a lot of materials; I am preparing to engage in Alchemy again, and try to cultivate more Mystic Law Realm warriors. You determine the candidates worth cultivating. Most importantly, they must be loyal to Anyang Nation."

"Yes, Master, I’m well prepared." An Shitong was overjoyed upon hearing this; imagining an army of millions or even tens of millions from the Mystic Law Realm, is indeed a terrifying prospect.

"The second step is to gather public support. Not just the support of Anyang Nation’s people, but the entire Mystic Spirit Continent. Only with public support can we be invincible. It’s easy to conquer the world, but hard to keep it. Without highly cohesive public support, the idea of unifying the Mystic Spirit Continent is nothing but a fantasy. And now, the situation on the Mystic Spirit Continent is the best opportunity to gather public support."

An Shitong agreed, nodding, "Public support really is terrifying. The cohesion of Anyang Nation’s citizens is relatively high, so in every great battle, the public support is there, and our soldiers fight bravely without match. Even citizens from other states willingly help us, providing us with a lot. Many refugees prefer to flee to our Anyang Nation. Other states find it hard to recruit soldiers, but in Anyang Nation, there are many people eager to join our army daily, to become our warriors."

"Many people have lost their families and homes because of the war. These people harbor hatred and anger, and this force is extremely frightening. It compels them to forge ahead. Additionally, their presence in battle can stir others’ emotions, boosting morale."

Tangyu nodded and smiled, "Yes, indeed, this is the truth. When someone is full of hatred, that’s when they are at their strongest. You’ve done well in this regard; we need to be an army of righteousness. We must fly the flag of righteousness; we must do what everyone supports; we must capture the public’s heart, letting the heart of the entire Mystic Spirit Continent gather toward us. Therefore, we must go forth justly. Why do we fight? Not to rule the Mystic Spirit Continent, not for ourselves, but for world peace, for the salvation of humanity, and to return a stable and peaceful world to the people."

"Let everyone have a home to return to, let no one live displaced and in pain. Let all tragedies never happen again. We must gather all people’s hatred, help them dissolve their hate, become their savior in their hearts, even rise to the level of gods, becoming their faith. Once we accomplish this, all forces will converge towards us like rivers into the sea."

"By then, we only need to call out loud, and we can gather the masses, letting the whole world stand for us in battle. Only in this way can we firmly rule the Mystic Spirit Continent and become the recognized overlord of this land."

"Brutality can only make people silent, but it cannot conquer hearts. Benevolence and righteousness can make people wholeheartedly devote themselves. Therefore, in Anyang Kingdom, in all policies, we must think for the people. We must let the citizens feel that we are the immortals sent from above, coming to save them from dire suffering. In this way, even if we do nothing, countless people will swarm to us, rapidly expanding the national strength of Anyang Kingdom."

Listening to Tangyu’s grand discourse, An Shitong was full of admiration and his heart surged with passion: "Brilliant, truly brilliant. Master, your theories are simply astonishing, expanding my knowledge greatly. Master is right, I feel ignited listening to this, and have a strong premonition that we will soon gather countless public support. Master, so what exactly should we do?"

Tangyu continued to impart various practical theories to An Shitong, such as tax reductions, providing poverty aid, and establishing refugee mechanisms. These theories were effortlessly put forward by Tangyu, directly borrowing successful experiences from Earth. Those were all successful ideologies, advanced thoughts; bringing them here would naturally be an astonishing thing. But Tangyu believes these theories will definitely be applicable here as well.

No matter when and where, public sentiment is always something to be reckoned with.

Mystic Spirit Continent is not like the Cultivation World, its governance is primarily national-based, and Zifu Realm Great Powers are very rare. Golden Core Realm is also not too abundant. The main strength still lies in the Mystic Law Realm. Moreover, the vast majority of people are just at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and even mortals are countless. Under such circumstances, the power of public sentiment is enough to overturn everything. This very premise is why Tangyu has long been brewing this plan.

The two of them discussed for half a day, formulating numerous plans, and even involving Zhu Sanliang’s military and other think tanks in the discussion. A series of comprehensive strategies, plans, and policies were formulated. An Shitong immediately ordered the start of implementation.

On Tangyu’s side, Shi Jian was brought into the South Sea Immortal Palace for the final sprint, hoping to use the many opportunities within the South Sea Immortal Palace to help Shi Jian break through to the Zifu Realm in one go.

At the same time, Tangyu also got busy with alchemy. With materials prepared thoroughly by An Shitong, Tangyu produced millions of Mystic Law Pills, enough to nurture millions into the Mystic Law Realm. With enough pills, they had the capital to recruit soldiers on a large scale. The national strength of Anyang Kingdom was rapidly improving.

Simultaneously, as the various policies in Anyang Kingdom were implemented, they resonated with countless people, causing the reputation of Anyang Kingdom to rapidly soar. Through word of mouth from them, it spread rapidly, like a tidal wave, quickly sweeping over several surrounding countries.

The reputation of Anyang Kingdom was already good, knowing An Shitong to be a wise ruler, and with the emergence of these strategies, the momentum of Anyang Kingdom surged drastically.

People even began to revere An Shitong as the Great Emperor of Anyang, and large numbers of people flocked into Anyang Kingdom. The security work in all aspects of Anyang Kingdom was indeed well done. Any refugees who escaped were given basic life guarantees. They were provided places to stay overnight, food to eat, and medical care if needed.

Strong men, without the need for Anyang Kingdom to enlist them, passionately went to enlist in the army. The old, weak, and children were well cared for by people dispatched by Anyang Kingdom.

This naturally triggered a chain reaction, like dominoes, spreading like a storm.

With Anyang Kingdom upholding the banner of justice, its prestige in all aspects soared, attracting not only some common people but even groups of military forces from surrounding countries who defected to Anyang Kingdom. Moreover, these people were willing to swear oaths to the Heavenly Dao to pledge allegiance, clearly showing their sincerity.

For such people, An Shitong naturally welcomed them. Those who were unwilling to swear the oath, An Shitong did not kill them; he simply drove them away.

In just one month, the population influx into Anyang Kingdom numbered in the billions, causing the national strength of Anyang Kingdom to skyrocket. The territory expanded rapidly, defeating surrounding countries without even deploying troops.

With millions of Mystery Law Pills refined by Tangyu, Anyang Kingdom developed a huge loyal army. Coupled with continuous recruitment, the military force of Anyang Kingdom now exceeded tens of millions. This enhancement made An Shitong and others admire Tangyu profoundly.