Yu Ziqing had stayed here for ten days, and there was no sign of Uncle Fu. The people here took great care of him, each more polite than the last, so Yu Ziqing didn't have much to say. When he asked about Uncle Fu, they all said he was out on business.

Recently, the civil war in the north was in full swing, making business difficult. Many supplies needed new channels, and Uncle Fu was working on that.

These people were clearly from the Gu Family and knew nothing else.

Yu Ziqing wasn't in a hurry either. The White Sun Holy Mother had just suffered two recoils, so even if she wasn't dead, she wouldn't be a threat anytime soon.

After receiving the family letter from Jinlan Mountain, Yu Ziqing wasn't so anxious.

Everything at home was well, the village chief managed things neatly, and the surrounding area was enclosed by a tightly grown locust forest. Even those cultivators who occasionally appeared in the wilderness would fly around that forbidden land.

More people tended to heed advice after all.

With no issues at home, Yu Ziqing settled into cultivation, studying the vast amount of items sent by Yang.

The few economical methods to help Su Li restore his severed arm had all been given to him, letting him choose whichever he could use. Each had some shortcomings, with none offering a rapid recovery.

Yu Ziqing himself delved into the materials Yang provided, exploring various secret techniques fitting for him, along with explanations on possession.

He wanted to make some comparisons, since if his suspicions were correct, the method for the White Sun Holy Mother's descent was surely unlike any of those mentioned by Yang.

Not knowing how she descended, he first needed to understand how she didn't, to have a basic concept.

...

At the junction of East and West Dazhen, a north-south stretch of the Hengduan Mountains blocked the cold western winds, channeling them southward into the wilderness.

The base of the White Sun Evil Cult lay amidst these snow-covered mountains.

Uncle Fu floated high in the sky, standing in the air. A talisman floated quietly around him, masking all of his aura.

Looking down at the mountains below, one could faintly see at the bottom of a valley between two peaks, people dressed in white robes, hoods covering their faces, blending almost seamlessly with the environment.

After Yu Ziqing provided a rough area, Uncle Fu had guessed that these White Sun Evil Cult bases must be in the Hengduan Mountains.

Only here, seldom visited by people, stretched across all of Dazhen north to south, splitting Dazhen into east and west.

Finding a place to hide people here had always been easy, even more so with Dazhen embroiled in civil war, making this area safer.

Had it been just this, Uncle Fu wouldn't have found it so easily. However, the White Sun Evil Cult had previously recruited mortals and taken many away, leaving some traces that guided him.

Through a thorough search that took ten days, Uncle Fu found the area.

After the discovery, he didn't rush to act and continued keeping watch after sending back the information.

He remembered what his task was, focusing solely on completing it.

At the same time, on Dali's western side,

The Western Desolation General received the Eastern Palace's secret order, delivered by the Posthouse Official.

At the beginning, naturally, there was praise. His cooperation with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in disaster relief had effective results. Now, Dali's western side had stable situations, and people yearned for peace. A little to the south, the weather was milder, and the resettled civilians had started cultivating wasteland, waiting for spring to plant seeds.

Once initially stabilized, subsequent management no longer required the Western Desolation Army's presence. Various officials and county magistrates could handle it.

Now he had a new mission.

He was to immediately lead troops to the border between Dazhen and Dali.

Dozens of cities in the southern border of Dazhen had fallen under the White Sun Evil Cult's control. As the world's public enemy and causing trouble near Dali's border, Dali couldn't stand idly by. He was now ordered to proceed swiftly to the border and eliminate the White Sun Evil Dao.

The Western Desolation General looked at the order, his expression somewhat strange.

In western Dali, bordering the wilderness, the wilderness had now turned into a frozen land, with hardly any living people. The Western Desolation Army stationed here was mainly due to prior disaster relief efforts, but continuing to station them here was a waste of military force.

The military forces stationed in eastern, southern, and northern Dali couldn't easily be moved either. The Western Desolation Army was the only sizable force capable of deploying as a group.

Relocating them wouldn't affect others.

Moreover, the Western Desolation Army's recent movements had already loosened up their muscles from top to bottom. Well-prepared with food supplies and sharp equipment, many soldiers who were tired of disaster relief and dealing with tedious tasks were eager for a fight, with morale being high.

Just as he was pondering, the slimmer Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue entered the tent, holding a secret order.

"General, I just received a secret order from His Highness, instructing me to assist you in disaster relief and consolidating displaced people. Isn't the disaster relief more or less over? Where are we going for relief again? Why don't I know?"

"Hahaha…" The Western Desolation General laughed aloud, understanding immediately.

Their Highness intended for them to practice here, familiarize themselves with the disaster relief process, and then swiftly do the same again elsewhere, ensuring everything went smoothly.

Just moments ago, he was wondering why they were going to fight the White Sun Evil Cult.

Those evil paths brought ruin to Dazhen, and since Dazhen wasn't managing them, why should we intervene?

Now he understood.

The southern border of Dazhen, stretching thousands of miles east to west, contained dozens of cities. Including smaller towns, there were likely hundreds.

These places were now under the White Sun Evil Cult's grip. If they fought and won, it meant seizing them from the cult's hands… or rather, liberating them.

Dazhen was consumed with a civil war, indifferent to the civilians' fate, and neglecting the agreement to eliminate the White Sun Evil Dao. With the increasing audacity of the evil paths, Dali had inherent concerns for its border security. Righteous intervention, even when adhering to the agreement, bore absolute justice, leaving no room for complaint.

Indeed, previously there had been ample grain and supplies brought in at great cost, with even the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue present personally.

Concerns about supplies weren't an issue, and after securing those cities, neither was caring for the displaced people. During this period, with enough familiar junior officers and junior officials who understood the entire process, they could directly utilize them.

The Western Desolation General laughed uncontrollably. He knew when His Highness increased his responsibilities, it also meant opportunities.

Now the real chance had arisen.

Territorial expansion.

At least five hundred miles north to south, possibly a thousand miles. East to west spanned even longer, thousands of miles.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with extremely low difficulty and cost.

"My dear Vice Minister, His Highness surely values you. The old Chief of Staff is getting on in years. I reckon not long from now, I'll be calling you Chief of Staff." The Western Desolation General patted the other's shoulder robustly, laughing while handing him the secret order.

The Vice Minister only needed one glance at the order, and countless pieces of information flooded his mind instantly, filling him with joy.

"General, is this…"

"A merit for expanding territories, my lord. I told you earlier, your diligent efforts were noticed by His Highness, and now here it is!"

The Western Desolation General laughed as he strode out of the tent, his voice booming like thunder, shaking the entire camp.

"Gather the entire army, break camp, march north, and eliminate the evil spirits!"

Drums resounded and horns blared as the Western Desolation Army, eager for a fight, assembled rapidly and headed north in record time.

Three days later, some detached troops from the Western Desolation Army, initially engaged in disaster relief in the northwest, had already entered Dazhen territory.

Their rallying cry to eradicate the White Sun Evil Dao reverberated like a thunderclap.

In five days, even before the main force had entered Dazhen, the advance troops had already captured fifteen small cities and three large ones.

Dazhen's main army, currently embroiled in the civil war in the central region, left these border towns with loose defenses, having also relocated many cultivators. Additionally, the rampant evil paths faced the Western Desolation Army, already in peak condition and eager for battle, leading to an easy and overwhelming victory.

Therefore, the Western Desolation General acted decisively, boldly altering their strategy to become more aggressive.

In ten days, the main force scattered into several groups, spreading over a range of thousands of miles, simultaneously crossing the border and advancing into Dazhen.

These small towns were virtually defenseless, relying solely on the White Sun Evil Dao's recruitment of numerous civilians to maintain a façade of tranquility.

Moreover, the dispersed power of the White Sun Evil Cult was easily defeated, offering no resistance to the Western Desolation Army's assault.

Many within the towns associated with the White Sun Evil Dao fled at the first rumblings of the approaching army, without even attempting to fight.

...

Yu Ziqing was practicing a new Refining God Secret Technique, which was powerful, easy to start but placed a heavy burden on the body. He liked these kinds of techniques the most.

While practicing, he suddenly heard the deafening sounds of a battle cry.

Moving to the rooftop to look outside the city, he saw the sky filled with military might, vaguely forming the image of a fierce tiger roaring. A great banner, shining brilliantly, fluttered within the formation.

"Is that… the Western Desolation Army's flag?"

Yu Ziqing was dumbfounded. Why had Dali's Western Desolation Army suddenly appeared here?

Weren't these guys supposed to be assisting with disaster relief in western Dali?

What made him even more astonished was what followed? As the battle cry of the Western Desolation Army echoed, he saw the city gate open, with City Lord You Xinyu leading the city's senior officials to welcome the Western Desolation Army.

"The White Sun Evil Cult wreaked havoc, making Xinyu City suffer beyond measure. Our six subordinate cities have all fallen into the hands of the White Sun evildoers.

As the City Lord, I was tormented, unable to eat or sleep, simply because we lacked the strength and influence. We were utterly powerless.

Now that Dali remains true to the agreement, willing to spare no time or effort to eliminate the evil Dao, I, You Xinyu, City Lord of Xinyu City, must personally open the city gates to welcome this righteous army."

The City Lord's voice echoed throughout the city, resonating with pain yet firm, each word seemed to bear the stamp of justice.

Even though Xinyu City itself actually had no members of the White Sun Evil Cult…

Yu Ziqing stood on the rooftop, quietly watching the Western Desolation Army enter the city. Along the streets, numerous civilians appeared instantly, whether arranged or voluntarily, lining the streets to welcome the army.

Yu Ziqing pondered deeply for a while, finally grasping the situation.

No wonder Uncle Fu had been missing for so many days without any action taken.

He realized his perspective had been too limited.

He always thought that taking down just the White Sun Holy Mother was enough.

On the other hand, Dali never intended to merely take down the White Sun Holy Mother alone.

At his feet, Xinyu City was already nearing the eastern edge of the southern border of Dazhen.

The presence of the Western Desolation Army here at least indicated that all the cities stretching tens of thousands of miles from here westward had likely fallen into their hands.

Meanwhile, Dazhen was still engaged in civil war in the north, deeply embroiled in chaos, with no attention to spare. It had only been a few days since the start of the campaign, making it difficult for Dazhen to react.

Moreover, the relocation of the Western Desolation Army meant no defense remained in western Dali.

In part, it was also showing him that Dali wasn't stationing great armies in the west, not guarding against any threat from the wilderness.

Whereas the military forces in other regions remained poised, ever vigilant against anyone else.

Whether the wilderness possessed the power to invade western Dali was one matter; whether Dali would station troops in the west was another.

With all this considered, Yu Ziqing realized he had indeed underestimated the Eastern Palace of Dali.

From the very beginning, they had smoothly accomplished various tasks, making extensive preparations.

Now, the territorial expansion, wrapping up this grand opportunity, was truly the main course.