The two great caves were utterly destroyed.
In just half a month, the Qingyang Immortal Nation used the three great caves as a foothold to swiftly sweep across the entire Ancient Desolation.
Various forces on the Ancient Desolation either submitted to the Qingyang Immortal Nation or were eradicated by its thunderous means.
During this half month, scenes of slaughter were seen everywhere in the Ancient Desolation. Many cultivators unwilling to kneel fell one after another, some were forced to flee their homeland, while the remaining ones all bowed in submission.
Among them,
Even some reclusive experts were dragged out and became souls under the Qingyang Immortal Nation's sword.
Naturally,
Not all reclusive experts were killed. Some chose to submit wholeheartedly in the face of the overwhelming power of the Qingyang Immortal Nation.
As the Qingyang Immortal Nation fully took control of the Ancient Desolation, the number of Lu Qingyang's followers surged.
Countless threads of incense intertwined like stars. The total number of followers in the Absolute Immortal Realm leapt to over twenty-six billion.
The dramatic increase in followers caused Lu Qingyang's annual incense power to skyrocket from a mere two hundred billion to two trillion.
This change was astonishing.
With two trillion incense power annually, Lu Qingyang could establish a seventh-tier Heavenly Court within five years.
However, it must be remembered,
Although the Qingyang Immortal Nation had occupied the Ancient Desolation and appeared to rule the land, true loyalty was still scarce.
The light of the nation's lord had yet to truly illuminate the entire Ancient Desolation.
Given time, when the light of the nation's lord shone deep into people's hearts, the number of followers would surely increase tenfold or even dozens of times.
"If the number of followers increases tenfold, I can establish a seventh-tier Heavenly Court within a year. As for the eighth and ninth tiers, the time required will also be greatly reduced."
"Who would have thought that such opportunities were hidden in the corner of the Ancient Desolation? If I could bring the entire No Immortals Realm under my control, the benefits would be immeasurable!"
Lu Qingyang was exhilarated, envisioning countless incense converging, the Heavenly Court reaching its pinnacle.
Once the Heavenly Court reached the ninth tier, Lu Qingyang would be able to sweep through the stars and the universe. At that time, the so-called Divine Eye Empire would be insignificant.
After all, with a ninth-tier Heavenly Court, Lu Qingyang was confident he could create numerous great emperors to conquer the universe.
Currently, in the universe, the ninth tier was supreme. Even the Divine Eye Empire, which spanned multiple star systems, only had ninth-tier experts.
After his excitement, Lu Qingyang quickly calmed down.
"The eighth and ninth tiers can wait. The priority is to break through the seventh tier for the Heavenly Court. The Qingyang Immortal Nation can slow down its expansion and need not rush to conquer the rest of the No Immortals Realm."
"We should consolidate our hold on the Ancient Desolation, allowing the nation to gradually digest the resources here, and in the future, we can sweep across the entire No Immortals Realm!"
With the Ancient Desolation as the foundation, Lu Qingyang was no longer in a hurry to expand.
The No Immortals Realm had deep foundations, and aside from him, no other seventh-tier experts had emerged in the Qingyang Immortal Nation.
He was willing to wait.
When the Heavenly Court reached the seventh tier and the Qingyang Immortal Nation had seventh-tier experts, it would be the right time.
Given the current number of followers, Lu Qingyang knew this day was not far off, possibly within one to two years, at the latest three to five years.
The only concern was that the destruction of the three great caves and the takeover of the Ancient Desolation would inevitably attract the attention of other forces. The intervention of imperial-level forces might not be far off.
As long as they could withstand the imperial-level forces, the Ancient Desolation would be secure.
With this in mind,
Lu Qingyang appeared at the former site of the Ancient Desolation.
The former cave had been leveled, and a majestic city had risen from the ground, where many cultivators of the Qingyang Immortal Nation were stationed.
This was the Immortal City!
Built on the foundation of the Ancient Desolation Cave, the Qingyang Immortal Nation established this supreme city, not only as the center of their rule over the Ancient Desolation but also as a symbol of the Eastern Domain's imperial capital.
Currently, most of the Qingyang Immortal Nation's high-ranking officials were gathered in the city lord's mansion, with a miniature map of the Ancient Desolation before them.
During this half month, the Qingyang Immortal Nation not only occupied the entire Ancient Desolation but also mapped out every inch of its land in detail.
The officials were eagerly discussing the map, planning the next steps and actions towards Xianhuang and the Central State.
Lu Qingyang's arrival halted the discussion, and everyone saluted him.
"Greetings to the Lord!"
"Rise, all of you."
Lu Qingyang nodded, casting his gaze on the map of the Ancient Desolation. He noticed a red-marked area and couldn't help but ask.
"What does this red-marked area signify?"
The red area gave Lu Qingyang a sense of foreboding.
Upon hearing this,
Yang Yan respectfully replied, "Lord, this is the Forbidden Abyss of the Ancient Desolation. It is said that an emperor fell here during the ancient times, and their resentment and unwillingness turned into this forbidden area, constantly devouring living beings."
"For millions of years, many powerful individuals have attempted to pacify this place, but all have fallen. From ancient times to the present, the Forbidden Abyss has grown even larger. Even seventh-tier saints find it difficult to escape unscathed."
"Previously, a small squad of the Immortal Nation accidentally ventured into it and was completely annihilated, hence the red mark as a warning not to enter."
At the mention of the Forbidden Abyss, everyone present looked solemn.
The missing squad consisted of hundreds, led by a sixth-tier True Lord, with the lowest being at the fourth tier, making it an elite force.
Such strength, even if it couldn't sweep the Ancient Desolation, could still intimidate many forces.
However, even this formidable force couldn't escape the Forbidden Abyss and was ultimately annihilated.
For a moment,
The danger of the Forbidden Abyss became a consensus among the people, and even top experts like Gu Fang and Zhang Ming dared not easily venture into it.
After Yang Yan finished speaking, Gu Fang said, "When I was with the Feng family, I heard of the Forbidden Abyss. It breeds eerie entities. Some ancient powerhouses, on the verge of death, would choose to enter the abyss to fight these entities."
"Although this temporarily curbed their growth, over time, the Forbidden Abyss eventually consumed these powerhouses and grew stronger."
"Even for an emperor, completely pacifying the ancient abyss is not an easy task."
After listening, Lu Qingyang remained calm, his gaze fixed on the red abyss for a long time before withdrawing.
"The matter of the Forbidden Abyss will be set aside for now. I will handle it personally. The Immortal Nation should slow its pace and use the Ancient Desolation as a foundation for recuperation. There's no need to rush expansion."
"At the same time, strengthen our defenses against potential invasions by external forces to avoid unnecessary losses."
"Understood!"
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