Clouds Plains was soon unified. Tu Ni brought Qu Cheng to the territory of the Palace of Sun. Many families there surrendered at once.
Even Human Sovereign Realm warriors of the Palace of Sun had surrendered. Nothing good could come out of their stubbornness. After all, they were just minions. It didn't matter who they followed.
Some old warriors of the Palace of Sun were unyielding. They refused to surrender and even accused Qu Cheng of lacking pride. But after Tu Ni killed some of them, they behaved themselves.
Soon, the southwest was unified as well. Half of the land there belonged to the three forces and the other half was divided up by other forces.
Hu Lang, the Master of the Silver Wolf Mountain, led a team in person and killed all those that refused to surrender.
Since the army was traveling by Teleportation Formations, the speed was fast and the efficiency was high. In just 20 days, news of victory came from everywhere.
The Clouds Plains had basically been unified. One small family had escaped and posed no threat to Lu Ling.
Lu Ling sent out an announcement asking all the Family Patriarchs above the fourth rank to gather at the Drifting Cloud City to discuss the establishment of the empire.
Actually, there was no need to discuss anything. Everything was to be done according to Lu Ling's orders. Others had no right to speak.
Lu Ling decided to establish the Empire of Clouds Prowess, corresponding to the Empire of Godly Prowess at the Northern Desert.
But Lu Ling didn't become the emperor. Instead, Tu Ni became the first emperor of the Empire of Clouds Prowess. Lu Ling was still the Saintess of the Drifting Cloud Hall. She had become the Saintess of the Empire of Clouds Prowess.
What surprised many was that Lu Li had become the State Councilor.
At first, Lu Li wanted to say no when he heard that she wanted him to be the State Councilor. But on second thought, he understood what she meant.
The 12 Royal Families of the Central Plains had an agreement, but nobody would say anything if they played some tricks in secret. For example, the Samsara Palace controlled the Palace of Sun.
Lu Li becoming the State Councilor of the Empire of Clouds Prowess meant that the territory was his.
Those families that were planning to come to the Clouds Plains would have to think twice.
After all, Lu Li was backed by the Grand Master of the Demon-slaying Hall.
It was understandable that Lu Ling didn't want to be the emperor. She was only at the Noble Lord Realm. If she were to take the throne by force, many would be dissatisfied. Forces of the Serenity Plains and the Frigid Plains would covet her.
After all, all the Human Sovereign Realm warriors worked for Lu Ling. It didn't matter who the emperor was.
Most of the resources of the Clouds Plains would belong to Lu Ling. Nobody dared to disobey her orders.
The resources of the Clouds Plains frightened Lu Li. Countless Mystical Materials were collected. Almost all the Mystical Materials at the Palace of Sun were moved away. There were hundreds of Interspatial Rings, which were priceless.
Cloud Plains was dozens of times larger than the Northern Desert. The Sun Palace had always been the overlord of Cloud Plains and had accumulated many Mystical Materials over the years.
The Pavilion of Delicacy had stopped trading with the Northern Desert. At first, Lu Li was worried that the Mystical Materials could only last for a couple of years. Now, it looked like they could last for 100 years.
"Oh right!"
Lu Li thought of one thing. Lu Ling would not give up the Clouds Plains. This was a land of treasures and Lu Li would not let her give it up.
Therefore, he and Lu Ling would have to travel back and forth between the Clouds Plains and the Northern Desert. Therefore, they would have to enter the passageway from the Serenity Plains to the Deserted World.
This passageway would not be exposed in the short term. If it was exposed for too long, there would definitely be problems.
Lu Li went to Lu Ling and asked her to send someone to occupy the region near the passageway.
It was only a fifth-rank family that could be conquered by some Noble Lord Realm warriors.
Lu Ling didn't send random warriors. She found two warriors at the peak of the Noble Lord Realm of the Palace of Sun and forced them to take Fire Phoenix Pellets so that they could secretly occupy that region.
Clouds Plains and the Serenity Plains were close to each other but they minded their own business. If Lu Ling sent Noble Lord Realm warriors of the Drifting Cloud Hall to the Serenity Plains, it would attract the attention of some forces of the Serenity Plains.
Those forces would think that Lu Ling was invading the Serenity Plains. If they worked together, the Serenity Plains would suffer as well. There were many Human Sovereign Realm warriors at the Serenity Plains.
Sending two Noble Lord Realm warriors of the Palace of Sun wouldn't cause such a reaction.
After all, in the eyes of the forces of the Serenity Plains, the Palace of Sun was a defeated army. It was just two Noble Lord Realm warriors that escaped and they were trying to find a small place to linger on.
Sending two Noble Lord Realm warriors was also a reason. Two would be a fifth-rank force. Three would be a sixth-rank force, which would attract more attention.
The Clouds Plains hadn't been stabilized yet. The Serenity Plains in the south and the Frigid Plains in the north hadn't shown any reaction. There was no response from the Central Plains either. Therefore, Lu Ling couldn't leave the Clouds Plains now.
Lu Li decided to stay here and cultivate. He asked Third Patriarch to send a message to Ye Cha, telling him to go back to the Northern Desert and check on the situation. He would go back later.
Half a month later, the Clouds Plains was unified.
Lu Ling was busy during this time. She wanted to run the Clouds Plains as an iron bucket. She would show no mercy to anyone that disobeyed her orders or disobeyed her orders.
Lu Ling set up a Hall of Shadows, similar to the one Lu Li had set up at the Northern Desert, to monitor the entire Clouds Plains.
If anyone was dissatisfied with the current rule, what awaited them would be the destruction of their entire clan.
The outside didn't know that several Human Sovereign Realm warriors had become Lu Ling's slaves. Lu Ling didn't explain either.
On the surface, Tu Ni was the emperor and the other Human Sovereign Realm warriors were titled as generals.
The Drifting Cloud Hall and the families affiliated to the three forces were confused and dissatisfied. After all, none of them gained anything from the unification of the empire. Almost all the gains were handed over to the national treasury and fell into Lu Ling's hands.
Five days later, good news came from the Serenity Plains.
The region near the passageway to the Deserted World had been conquered by two Noble Lord Realm warriors of the Palace of Sun. Neither of them became the master of the region. Instead, they supported a puppet to be the master of the region.
They were secretly building a Teleportation Formation to the Drifting Cloud City. Lu Li could teleport to the Serenity Plains without traveling.
The Empire of Clouds Prowess was established. Lu Ling sent out letters to the forces of the Serenity Plains and the Frigid Plains.
Not long afterward, the forces of the two plains sent over messengers to celebrate. Lu Ling didn't show up in person. She asked Tu Ni to receive them.
Lu Li was relieved to hear the news. The forces of the Serenity Plains and the Frigid Plains had acknowledged the Empire of Clouds Prowess. They expressed goodwill and hoped to live in peace.
There was no empire at the Serenity Plains and the Frigid Plains. Just like the Clouds Plains, several forces divided the land equally.
Instead of coveting the Clouds Plains, they were afraid that the Clouds Plains would invade.
Lu Ling didn't plan on invading for the time being. It would be best if they could live in peace and mind their own business.
Another half a month later, Lu Ling and Lu Li decided to set off.
The affairs at the Clouds Plains had been settled. It was time to go back to the Northern Desert, enter the Ice Abyss and save Lu Renhuang.
This time, Lu Ling planned to bring four Human Sovereign Realm warriors with her. Two would stay behind and they would leave secretly.
As long as no outside forces invaded, Tu Ni and You Ping would be able to intimidate the entire Clouds Plains.
"Whoosh ~"
Since they were leaving, Lu Li wouldn't keep God of Meng and the others behind. He asked Lu Ling to send someone to bring them to the Drifting Cloud Hall.
The Teleportation Formation to the Serenity Plains was built in a castle of the Drifting Cloud Hall.
"God of Meng, Ke Mang, let me introduce you."
Lu Li noticed that God of Meng was looking at the four Human Sovereign Realm warriors behind Lu Ling with alertness. Lu Li said with a smile, "This is my sister Lu Ling. The other four are her subordinates."
"Um …"
God of Meng and Ke Mang didn't know the specific situation in the city. They only received a message from Lu Li saying that things had been taken care of and they didn't have to worry.
Little did they know that all the Human Sovereign Realm warriors of the Clouds Plains were under Lu Ling's command.
"Freaks!"