Chapter 1182: Thousand-Year Soul Returns Home

**Chapter 1192: A Thousand-Year Soul Returns Home**

Although the superficial strength of the Grand Imperium of Sheng Dynasty is expanding rapidly, it is currently far from being able to challenge the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Council of Five Elders. Therefore, the initial phase of the plan still focuses primarily on infiltration and erosion.

More than half a year ago, during the Great Upheaval in Xuanhuang, the Immortal Alliance lost a significant number of low-level cultivators. Consequently, whispers are now circulating that the Immortal Alliance will significantly expand its recruitment in the upcoming entrance examinations. Li Ping has already selected a group of promising candidates, preparing to use this opportunity to send them into the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Although low-level cultivators may seem insignificant, they can slowly corrupt the Immortal Alliance's internal governance like termites. Furthermore, as time passes, their cultivation and contributions will grow, leading to higher positions, and their resulting harm and influence will also gradually increase. The investment cost for this approach is extremely low, yet the effects are excellent. The more, the better.

"With the existence of the Golden Source Energy Network, we can not only ensure their successful infiltration into the Immortal Alliance but also maintain firm control over them from beginning to end," Li Ping mused. "Information and even material exchanges can be completed without needing to meet in person. This method of contact far surpasses the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Council of Five Elders in terms of concealment and security; they will find it extremely difficult to discover."

Besides internally corrupting the Myriad Immortals Alliance, it is also essential to simultaneously reduce its potential. "Within the Xuanhuang Realm, all outstanding cultivators in the next hundred years must be brought under our control. If they cannot be used by me, they should be eliminated as early as possible. We can even divert blame and frame the Council of Five Elders for assassination plots. I will sit back and watch the tigers fight..."

While weakening the Myriad Immortals Alliance through various means, Li Ping naturally would not slow down the development of the Grand Imperium of Sheng Dynasty. Once the number of the You Clan reaches a certain scale and enough pure Golden Source Energy is collected, Li Ping will use it to transform the Grand Formation of All Spirits in Heaven and Earth. This will truly forge the Grand Imperium's pocket world into an impregnable fortress, hidden and adrift in the void.

"I can feel that ever since esteemed figures like Senior Yin and Daoist Ou, among other Xuanhuang elites, came to serve me in the Grand Imperium's pocket world, the Sheng Dynasty's fortunes, which had previously hit a bottleneck, have surprisingly gained the possibility of another breakthrough," Li Ping thought. "This is a zero-sum game; I have directly encroached upon and swallowed the destiny that originally belonged to the Myriad Immortals Alliance. However, it's still not enough to completely fulfill the requirements for advancement. Besides encroaching upon destiny from the outside and requiring accumulation over time, the inherent grade of the Grand Imperium's pocket world itself is also a major limiting factor. Perhaps it's time to consider upgrading the pocket world."

With a thought, Li Ping returned to his Sacred Emperor's throne. Not long after, Sun Erlang, enveloped in an aura of stern resolve, appeared before him. The brave youth of yesteryear had grown into a terrifying God of Slaughter within the Grand Imperium of Sheng Dynasty. He commanded the Sacred Imperial Guards, conquering various realms. Over the years, countless beings from other pocket worlds had met a tragic end at Sun Erlang's hands.

"Greetings, Master!" Sun Erlang knelt on one knee.

"How is the construction of the Myriad Spirits Formation of All Realms progressing?" Li Ping asked.

"Eleven are completed. Six are still under construction," Sun Erlang replied concisely, simultaneously transmitting detailed information via divine sense.

"For the time being, halt the conquests. The expansion has been too rapid, and we need to properly consolidate. In those pocket worlds, anyone with rebellious intentions must be executed without mercy. I do not wish for our backyard to catch fire when we formally go to war with the Myriad Immortals Alliance."

The implications of Li Ping's words invigorated Sun Erlang. Although he knew his Master harbored grand ambitions, this was the first time Li Ping had explicitly stated his plan to conquer the Myriad Immortals Alliance. This instantly excited Sun Erlang, who had found conquering those minor worlds as easy as slicing vegetables, feeling no pressure and even a bit bored.

Li Ping naturally saw through Sun Erlang's thoughts at a glance. "If you see too many sheep, you start to believe the world is full of them. Not to mention the Myriad Immortals Alliance, even some of the hidden pocket worlds within the Xuanhuang Realm are beyond what our current Grand Imperium of Sheng Dynasty can contend with," Li Ping said faintly, then pointed towards Sun Erlang. "You should go to this place. It is the hidden abode of the ancient Taiyan Sect; see if you can persuade them to join our alliance."

"Taiyan Sect..." Sun Erlang's eyes flickered.

"Go. That place is a bit special; you'll understand once you're there. Don't force it; my only purpose is to make you curb your arrogance." Unlike his cultivation strategy for Ou Shangtian, when Sun Erlang's path showed a slight deviation, Li Ping chose to actively help him correct it. Besides having a deeper bond with Sun Erlang, Li Ping also needed a powerful senior disciple to keep all other disciples in check. Thus, he inevitably put more effort into nurturing him.

"I hope this lad gains something from his trip to the Taiyan Sect," Li Ping thought to himself, sitting on his Sacred Emperor's throne.

Meanwhile, following the Sacred Emperor's instructions, Sun Erlang arrived at Yi Xing's tomb. After collecting Yi Xing's remains and the white papers scattered everywhere, Sun Erlang headed straight for his destination.

"I didn't expect such an ancient immortal cultivator's tomb to exist within the Grand Imperium. I just don't know what purpose these papers, which Master specifically asked me to collect, serve," Sun Erlang mused on the way. He carefully examined them but couldn't discover any profound mysteries. Suppressing his confusion, Sun Erlang soon arrived at his destination: Taihua Prefecture, Mount Taixuan.

"Master said the entrance to this Taiyan Sect is hidden inside the mountain?" He searched around but found no traces of a spatial passage. Sun Erlang couldn't help but feel a bit troubled. If it came to brute force, carving a path directly through the mountain wouldn't be impossible. However, he was here as an emissary, to persuade them to join the Sacred Dynasty alliance, and rashly destroying someone else's sect grounds like this... After some thought, Sun Erlang still decided not to act rashly.

On Mount Taixuan, he chose a spot with good feng shui. He dug a pit and then took out Yi Xing's bones. Just as he was about to prepare for the burial, a figure suddenly appeared behind Sun Erlang.

"As expected!" Sun Erlang thought to himself. On the surface, he feigned alertness, as if facing a formidable enemy: "Who's there?!"

The figure ignored Sun Erlang, simply gazing blankly at Yi Xing's remains. It seemed to be lost in some memory, remaining motionless for a long time. Sun Erlang was not a reckless martial artist, so he naturally wouldn't disturb this seemingly unfathomable figure. He simply waited patiently in silence.

"If you, Elder Brother, had waited a few more years, perhaps everything would have been different," the figure finally sighed after a long time, and waved a sleeve towards Yi Xing. Yi Xing's remains instantly vanished, and the figure turned to look at Sun Erlang.

"Young sir, why have you come?"

Sun Erlang looked at the face before him, which seemed to be roughly his own age, hesitated for a moment, then truthfully explained his purpose.