After Tian Jizi died in battle, the war intent of the cultivators from Chang Chun Temple immediately collapsed, but there were still some elders and disciples who vowed to never surrender, maintaining their last desperate fight using the Sect Protection Array.

When the Sect Protection Array was completely broken through, those stubborn elders and disciples who refused to surrender were all eliminated.

Xi Ying's methods were not cruel, but they were very decisive.

Some of these people chose to surrender only after being captured, and there were those in the Double Moon Alliance who pleaded on their behalf, but Xi Ying did not hesitate at all, because she had already offered them a chance to surrender after killing Tian Jizi.

That was the last chance for all the Chang Chun Temple cultivators to save their lives. Those who did not surrender then would not be accepted later; they were to be killed without mercy.

Because, she did not want to face numerous internal problems when a greater external threat emerged in the future.

After this incident, the original sect leaders and elders in the Double Moon Alliance's allied forces finally had a clear understanding of Xi Ying.

She commanded respect, acted decisively, wielded both carrot and stick—a true formidable figure, and no one dared to underestimate her because of her being a woman anymore.

Even the followers of the previously defeated Moon Sect had elevated her to a status equal to that of the Nether Moon God.

The battle at Chang Chun Temple defined the fate of the universe, and there was hardly any need to fight anymore afterwards.

Xi Ying stationed herself in Chang Chun Temple, treating it as a hub radiating over the Central Plains, and began to send out cultivators from the Double Moon Alliance to appease and recruit the small and medium-sized sects that had not yet pledged allegiance.

The process went very smoothly; whether they truly agreed or only verbally, there were no more sects daring to publicly oppose the Double Moon Alliance.

Afterwards, Xi Ying started to establish rules for both the upper and lower mountains, creating a series of standards regulating cultivator activities, with the most important rule being that disputes between mountain cultivators must not affect the Mortal World.

Cultivators should not regard mortals as insects and must not kill mortals without reason.

This was naturally Yuan Ming's idea. In his view, mortals were the source and foundation of cultivators; without mortals, what was there to speak of cultivation?

Besides these, Xi Ying undertook a massive task; she ordered the collection of geographical maps from all over the Yunhuang Continent, summarizing them, and then instructed cultivators skilled in formations to organize the spirit veins.

She aimed to undertake a task unprecedented in history, connecting all the spiritual veins of Yunhuang Continent to build a giant offensive and defensive array capable of mobilizing the entire continent's spiritual energy.

The person who proposed this idea was not a cultivator of the Double Moon Alliance, but an Array Master who had surrendered from the Wu Yue Sect after their defeat. He had once set up a Life Creation Array for Fusang Island, showing great proficiency in the field of formations.

Xi Ying was aware that this process was bound to be long and arduous, but she believed that once completed, it would not be so easy for the Demon World to invade Yunhuang Continent again.

At least, if they were to come again, the sacrifices from Yunhuang Continent would not be as severe as before.

...

A little over two months after the war, Yuan Ming arrived at Chang Chun Temple from the East Sea.

It had been half a year since Yuan Ming had been here, and everything felt as if it had changed, as though he were in a different era.

Compared to the previous atmosphere of the sect, Chang Chun Temple now resembled a strictly regulated military camp, where everyone who came in and out was busily engaged in their own tasks.

Each of them looked serious and focused, yet there was an unspoken eagerness in their eyes.

Yuan Ming made his way to the original Ancestor Hall of Chang Chun Temple, which had now been converted into the Zhengtong Hall for handling affairs.

The hall was brightly lit; in the center of the spacious hall, there was a huge sand table about thirty feet across, depicting topographic features from the south to the north, almost encompassing the entire Yunhuang Continent.

At that moment, Xi Ying was standing outside the sand table, holding a few red triangular flags in one hand and propping her chin with the other, gazing at the gigantic sand table, her brow furrowed in thought without uttering a word.

Her face was still as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, though there was a hard-to-detect weariness hidden in her eyes.

Before Yuan Ming could even greet her, Xi Ying suddenly came back to her senses and looked over.

Upon seeing Yuan Ming, her beautiful eyes slightly curved, a smile appearing on her face, making her expression lively all of a sudden.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time," Xi Ying said with a smile.

"You've handled everything so orderly, even not letting me join the decisive battle with Chang Chun Temple. Where would you still need me?" Yuan Ming said with a smile.

He did not ask about the unification of the Yunhuang Continent because, through the news he received earlier and his observations along the way, he already knew most of it, and he completely trusted Xi Ying.

Even in this aspect, Yuan Ming felt he could not handle things as thoroughly and effortlessly as Xi Ying.

Xi Ying, who always disliked beating around the bush, spoke up, "I've summoned you this time to tell you that I have extracted the secret of advancing to the Returning Void Stage from Tian Jizi's divine soul."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming's eyes instantly brightened.

"To break through to the Returning Void Stage, besides advancing one's cultivation to the bottleneck of the Late-stage Nascent Soul, one also needs to achieve the Five Elements Unification as a foundation for the breakthrough," Xi Ying explained.

"Five Elements Unification?" Yuan Ming asked in confusion.

"Five Elements Unification means that one must possess the Five Elements Spirit Root, cultivate the Five Elements Power, and accumulate enough of it. Then, combine the power of the Five Elements to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck and enter the Returning Void stage," Xi Ying explained.

"If that's the case, doesn't it mean that only those who have the Five Spirit Roots can become Returning to Void cultivators?" Yuan Ming asked dubiously.

"Theoretically, you are correct. Hence, Nascent Soul cultivators, in their later stages, all seek to complement their Spirit Roots. However, your situation is special; with the Undying Tree fused within you, you already possess both Yin Yang Five Elements and Seven Spirit Roots," Xi Ying stated.

"Then, having cultivated the Nine Elements Technique and having mastered the Taiyin Refining Spleen Technique, with Wood and Earth powers already within me, do I now only need to cultivate Water, Gold, and Fire powers?" Yuan Ming pondered upon hearing this.

From his remark, it appeared he needed three different techniques to cultivate "Water, Gold, Fire."

"Mastering the Five Elements Technique is not hard, but just relying on the Five Elements Power accumulated inside your body makes it quite difficult to break through the shackles, so you will also need a Companion Spirit Treasure to assist you," Xi Ying continued.

Yuan Ming had reached his knowledge blind spot, so he simply remained quiet and listened attentively.

"Tian Jizi succeeded because the Chang Chun Temple ancestor passed down a secret technique for refining Companion Spirit Treasures. He refined a Five Elements Spiritual Treasure using this technique, merging it with his Spirit Root. That allowed the Spirit Root to cultivate the spiritual nature of the treasure, thereby accumulating Five Elements Spiritual Power. When he was ready to make the breakthrough, he plundered the Spiritual Power from the Companion Spirit Treasure in one fell swoop, greatly increasing his chance of success," Xi Ying elaborated, referring to Tian Jizi's case.

Yuan Ming nodded pensively, thinking to himself that it was no wonder they were called Companion Spirit Treasures, to be fused with and grow alongside the Spirit Root.

"Tian Jizi's Five Elements Spiritual Pearls were five beads, each possessing one of the Five Elements attributes. Among them, the Canghai Xuan Water Pearl was one; the other four beads were replicas he had crafted. At the moment of his breakthrough, all had been rendered useless. Even the Canghai Xuan Water Pearl had nearly half of its spiritual power drained," Xi Ying explained.

Hearing about the Canghai Xuan Water Pearl, Yuan Ming realized that these four replicas were probably not ordinary objects either.

"As for the matter of the Five Elements Spiritual Pearls, don't worry about it. Since I have the method, I can replicate them anew. However, there is no method to replicate the Canghai Xuan Water Pearl, and using it one more time will likely render it completely useless," Xi Ying said regretfully.

"That means we probably only have one chance," Yuan Ming reflected.

"Make thorough preparations, and I believe you can succeed in one go," Xi Ying said, looking at Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming remained silent, lost in thought.

After a long while, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "I almost forgot about the Undying Tree." Thereferenceversionof

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At hearing this, Xi Ying frowned, initially failing to grasp his implication.

"Xi Ying, after practicing the Ju Mang Spirit Technique, the Undying Tree in my Dantian has essentially become equivalent to one of my Innate Spiritual Treasures. You said earlier that with this tree, I have essentially obtained both Yin Yang Five Elements and Seven Spiritual Roots. So why not directly use the Undying Tree as the Companion Spirit Treasure and merge the Five Elements Power into it?" Yuan Ming proposed with a smile.

"Indeed, where else could you find something that fits so well with your Spirit Root? Not even the Five Elements Spiritual Pearls can compare," Xi Ying responded, her eyes shining as well.

"Starting tomorrow, I plan to enter seclusion here. Is there a suitable place?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"Chaotian Peak has been fully repaired; it is where the spiritual energy of Chang Chun Temple is most abundant. You can seclude yourself there, and I will bring all the techniques, secret skills, elixirs, and spiritual materials you need later," Xi Ying offered.

"Let's do as you suggested," Yuan Ming nodded in satisfaction.

...

Since Yuan Ming had begun his seclusion, Xi Ying once again continued to push forward and stabilize her unified cause.

Chang Chun Temple was completely erased from the annals of history, and the Sect was officially renamed the Double Moon Alliance Headquarters.

Under Xi Ying's governance, Yunhuang Continent swept away the shadows of war and welcomed a decade of rapid development.

After ten years, the Double Moon Alliance had effectively completed its unification.

Throughout Yunhuang Continent, whether in the Southern Border, the Northern Desert, the Central Plains, or the East Sea, almost all large and medium-sized sects had been incorporated under the Double Moon Alliance.

Both on the mountains and beyond, whether cultivators or common people, nearly ninety percent of the population had become devotees of the deities Ming Yue and Xi Yue, receiving their protection.

In the process of deploying union arrays across Yunhuang Continent, Xi Ying also gained a clear understanding of the distribution of spirit fields and spirit veins, deploying personnel for excavation and planting, eventually reserving a portion for unified distribution, with the remaining areas being traded for circulation in the market.

If conflicts arose among different factions within the alliance, the Double Moon Alliance would mediate. Both overt and covert struggles diminished, and practices like the widespread raising of Beast Slaves in the Southern Border were nearly eradicated.

There were also instances where some forces dissatisfied with their constraints plotted rebellions, but before any uprising could occur, they were secretly reported to the Double Moon Alliance and swiftly suppressed.

If there were disasters or famines within the countries of the Mortal World, the local cultivation forces would intervene to prevent catastrophes such as cannibalism or the dreadful misfortune of parents exchanging their children for food.

Under Xi Ying's management, both the Cultivation World and the Mortal World of Yunhuang Continent became orderly and prospered.

Eventually, Xi Ying began to step back gradually, no longer interfering much with specific affairs.

Now, those believers spread across the entire Yunhuang Continent were her greatest reassurance as she let go.

On one hand, she focused more on collecting the resources needed for Yuan Ming to advance to the Returning to Void Stage more quickly; on the other hand, she also continued to gather more intelligence, preparing to venture into the Overseas World.