"The Jin Meng Empire, a millennium-old dynasty, was already rotten to the core. Now that it lacks a National Guardian Martial Saint to keep it stable, its downfall is only a matter of time."
Han Bingyu had sent the news over immediately, so she was well aware of the details.
In her opinion, the Jin Meng Empire was doomed the moment its National Guardian Martial Saint perished.
If the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty hadn’t gained a new Martial Saint to preside over it, it might have followed the Jin Meng Empire into ruin.
"Even if there were no problems within the Imperial Family, its destruction would still be inevitable. The only question is when!"
Han Bingyu continued.
This was the conclusion she had drawn after compiling all the information she had received.
The Treasure in the Jin Meng Empire’s possession could only be used a few times before becoming useless.
Especially against a Martial Saint. The fact that it could injure a National Guardian Martial Saint on its first use was already its limit. It would be difficult to achieve any significant effect a second time.
"The Jin Meng Empire—oh, no, the Rising Sun Empire. Now that it’s been founded, what’s the situation like within the Rising Sun Empire?"
Yang Chan didn’t care that the Jin Meng Empire had fallen. He had no interest in a vanquished nation; it was in the past and held no value for him.
The newly established Rising Sun Empire, on the other hand, could potentially affect the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
And as long as he remained in the Cyan Yuan Sect, it could affect him.
"The situation in the Rising Sun Empire is relatively stable, at best. With a National Guardian Martial Saint like Ouyang Qingtian in charge, no one dares to oppose him openly. On the surface, everyone has submitted."
"But that’s only on the surface. In the provinces, they don’t follow Ouyang Qingtian’s orders at all. Even the Sects that appeared to submit to him began demanding control over their own territories as soon as the Rising Sun Empire was founded."
Hearing this, Han Bingyu continued her report on the Rising Sun Empire.
This was a common phenomenon, even within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
Ouyang Qingtian had won the support of the Major Sects. Besides him being a Martial Saint, this was also driven by the various Sects’ desire for revenge against the Jin Meng Imperial Family.
There is always a price for wrongdoing.
With a National Guardian Martial Saint in power, the Jin Meng Empire could afford to bear the consequences. Without one, it had to pay a much greater price.
The annihilation of the Jin Meng Imperial Family was that price.
Now that the Jin Meng Empire was gone, the Major Sects were naturally eager to claim the spoils of victory.
This was the predicament the Rising Sun Empire now faced.
’Given the personality Ouyang Qingtian has displayed recently, he probably won’t let the Major Sects get too comfortable.’
’Still, it’s better for things to be chaotic within the Rising Sun Empire. Otherwise, they’ll always be looking to stir up trouble elsewhere.’
Yang Chan wasn’t surprised. In this world, such a state of affairs was the norm.
Take the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty for example. Even with a National Guardian Martial Saint in power, didn’t it ultimately sign a covenant with the Major Sects, allowing them to carve out spheres of influence in the various provinces?
Although these provinces were officially the territory of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty and offered up Cultivation Resources as tribute each year, the Sects’ authority was far greater at the local level.
Of course, the Major Sects didn’t concern themselves with the common folk, leaving that to the Imperial Dynasty. This created a state of relative equilibrium.
While this balance sometimes tilted in one direction or the other, it was never fundamentally broken; it always persisted.
It was a continuous ebb and flow, a cycle of alternating power—precisely the kind of balanced state the Imperial Family desired.
"Given the Rising Sun Empire’s current state, even with the nation successfully founded, the internal strife won’t cease."
"Neighboring nations will also send people to ensure the chaos lasts a little longer."
"After all, every Imperial Dynasty is wary of the Rising Sun Empire’s new Emperor."
Han Bingyu was also aware of Ouyang Qingtian’s identity as a Dragon Slayer. Or rather, ever since his rise to prominence, his status had become widely known.
The history behind this once-unfamiliar "Dragon Slayer" title had been unearthed.
The various Imperial Dynasties and nations were wary of this status and wanted to keep him busy, forcing him to exhaust the power that came with being a Dragon Slayer.
The major Imperial Dynasties all had records on the subject, so they naturally knew how to deal with such an individual and how to wear them down until they no longer posed a threat.
The power of a Dragon Slayer is limited after one advances to the Martial Saint Realm. It lasts for one or two years at most before dissipating.
In some cases, it vanishes as soon as they reach the Martial Saint Realm and establish a nation.
Thus, the internal situation in the Rising Sun Empire was a perfect way to bog Ouyang Qingtian down with matters he couldn’t ignore.
With a new dynasty established, its fortune is unstable. If he isn’t careful, great chaos could erupt, and it’s not impossible for it to be destroyed outright.
With rebellions against the Rising Sun Empire flaring up everywhere, even someone at the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm like Ouyang Qingtian would struggle to handle all these problems alone, let alone stabilize his new Empire.
If its dynastic fortune is damaged, the founding of the Imperial Dynasty becomes a joke.
It could very well become the shortest-lived Imperial Dynasty in history.
Establishing an Imperial Dynasty requires more than just martial might; it also demands control over the hearts and minds of the people.
And when it came to manipulating the hearts of the people, the surrounding Imperial Dynasties and nations were masters of the craft.
This was especially true for their state-sponsored scholars. They made their living by employing these shady tactics and were the best in the business.
If you weren’t outstanding at it, you wouldn’t be able to make a living.
Yang Chan had heard of such people, but he paid them little mind. He wouldn’t be dealing with them, and he had no need to.
They were figures who served the ruling class of an Imperial Dynasty, speaking on their behalf and propagating their ideology.
Their rhetoric often offended the common people, sometimes to the point of disgust, and could be so absurd as to defy all logic.
In the modern world of Yang Chan’s previous life, there was a term for such people.
Unscrupulous "experts."
The things some of them said were so absurd that they made you question their intelligence, wondering if they were mentally deficient. Yet, upon investigation, it would turn out they had all received higher education, which was always a surprise.
Thinking it over, it became clear they were just mouthpieces for certain interests.
In Yang Chan’s eyes, these people who lived by their words were nothing more than buffoons. They could simply be ignored; their rhetoric wasn’t worth his attention.
In this Martial Arts Cultivation World, words had their uses, but their power was limited.
Ultimately, what mattered most was one’s own immense martial power.
Just like with Ouyang Qingtian, the Emperor of the Rising Sun Empire. As long as he handled things patiently, all these buffoons within his Empire would be cleaned up. The only thing he needed was a bit of time.
In the face of absolute power, all schemes and conspiracies could be crushed.
As long as Ouyang Qingtian didn’t immediately turn on the Major Sects within the Rising Sun Empire—eagerly casting aside his allies now that his goal was achieved—he likely wouldn’t face any major problems.
However, achieving stability would still take time, which, for Yang Chan, was good news.
While the major Imperial Dynasties were recuperating, he could wait comfortably within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty for his chance to enter the Merak Sacred Land. For him, this was the best possible outcome.
Once he joined the Merak Sacred Land and began his Cultivation in a Grotto Heaven, he would naturally have no reason to concern himself with the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty or the Rising Sun Empire.
The status of the major Holy Lands was transcendent; they generally did not involve themselves in the struggles for supremacy between Imperial Dynasties.
Of course, much like the Taiyin Saintess, they were extremely wary of an Imperial Dynasty’s fortune and would not associate with anyone stained by it.
Take the Taiyin Saintess for example. After seeing his body absorb the Imperial Dynasty’s fortune, her initially covetous gaze had turned to one of extreme disgust and apprehension. Afterward, she kept her distance as if he were a source of poison.