Feng Hao rose from meditation, his aura radiating across the courtyard like liquid sunlight. The unclaimed lands stretched before him on the system map — mountains, rivers, valleys, and scattered villages untouched by mortal dynasties or minor sects.
He didn't need to raise armies yet. Every soldier, captain, and elder already resonated with his Peak Qi Sea cultivation. Their strength alone could stabilize territory and enforce his command without a fight.
"Claim all unregistered territories within the Nine God sphere," he said. His voice was calm, precise, but absolute.
Golden threads shot out from the map, tracing every unclaimed peak, river bend, and forest. Villages felt the shift first — local leaders suddenly bowed, their loyalties subtly redirected, their bloodlines resonating with the Nine God aura. Forests and rivers seemed to align themselves, spirit veins stabilizing and harmonizing with the dynasty's energy.
Within the hour, the system updated:
Territory Expansion — Complete
Newly Claimed Land: 350,000 km² (mountains, plains, forests, islands)
Territory Qi Infusion: Peak Qi Sea — complete resonance established
Population Absorbed: 2,100,000 (settlers, minor clans, unclaimed villages)
National Power Increased: +1,200,000,000
With these additions, the Nine God Dynasty's foundation solidified. Feng Hao then turned attention to nearby minor forces — scattered clans, unaligned city-states, and weak cultivator sects.
Without drawing his sword, without a single battle, he sent messengers infused with dynasty authority. Each minor group, feeling the weight of his Peak Qi Sea presence and the resonance of his dynasty, submitted willingly:
Three minor mortal clans folded under the Nine God banner.
Two small sects of Foundation Establishment cultivators agreed to pay tribute and train under the dynasty's elders.
Hidden villages previously independent now bore the dynasty's mark.
Nine God Dynasty — Updated Stats
Population: 16,650,000
National Power: 4,237,000,000
Owned Land: 1,500,000 km²
Rank: Tier 2 Mortal Dynasty → On the rise toward Tier 3
Feng Hao reclined slightly, letting his golden aura ripple outward. This silent conquest — claiming unclaimed lands, bringing minor forces under his influence — had increased the dynasty's power without risking a single life.
He turned his eyes to the map. Beyond these territories lay Tier 8 dynasties and sects, each home to cultivators with Golden Core and higher. He could feel their presence, but he would wait. Wait until his Golden core breakthrough, until his dynasty itself was unshakable.
For now, the Nine God Dynasty had grown — quietly, methodically, and undeniably. By the time he moved on to the stronger forces, there would be no question: Feng Hao's dynasty was absolute.
Feng Hao's gaze swept northward. The mountains and rivers there were unclaimed, dotted with small clans and isolated villages. Spirit veins ran thick beneath the soil, waiting to be refined and connected to the Nine God Dynasty's network.
"Begin northern expansion," he commanded.
Golden threads of authority emanated from the map, curling through valleys, forests, and peaks. Even the faintest settlement felt the pull. Clan leaders who had once considered themselves independent suddenly found themselves compelled to acknowledge Feng Hao's dominion, bowing in respect as the dynasty's aura resonated with their bloodlines.
Within the week, the northern territories shifted entirely under Nine God control. Villages were reorganized, minor fortresses aligned with his borders, and spiritual veins fully integrated into the dynasty's lattice of power. The elders dispatched along the newly claimed lands oversaw the infusion of Qi Sea Peak energy, reinforcing both terrain and people.
[Territory Expansion — Northern Campaign Complete]
Newly Claimed Land: 180,000 km² (mountains, rivers, forests)
Population Integrated: 1,050,000 (minor clans, settlers, independent villages)
Territory Qi Infusion: Peak Qi Sea — fully resonant
National Power Increased: +650,000,000
[Nine God Dynasty — Updated Stats]
Population: 17,700,000
National Power: 4,887,000,000
Owned Land: 1,680,000 km²
Rank: Tier 2 Mortal Dynasty → Approaching Tier 3
Even the Spirit Veins of the northern mountains responded to the surge of dynasty qi, flowing like liquid gold through rock and soil, stabilizing the land and making it a natural extension of Nine God's influence.
Feng Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. Beyond these peaks lay clusters of independent clans and minor cultivator sects — forces that had not yet submitted but were too small to resist long. With the northern lands integrated, he could now move the dynasty's attention to consolidating these groups, raising their allegiance before even thinking about the Tier 8 powers to the northeast.
He let out a quiet breath. "Northern expansion complete. Reinforce borders. Prepare supply routes. Any resistance is to be pacified swiftly."
The Celestial Forge, attuned to his qi, hummed faintly. Weapons and armor could be refined for the northern garrisons in hours, ensuring the troops stationed there would operate at peak efficiency.
Feng Hao reclined once more on his golden throne. The Nine God Dynasty stretched farther than it ever had before — each unclaimed mountain and river now under his invisible hand. Soon, every minor clan, every scattered village, every unclaimed peak would bear the mark of his authority, and when the Golden Core breakthrough came, nothing in the north would remain outside his control.
Feng Hao's golden aura rippled outward, suffusing the newly claimed northern lands with the quiet yet absolute authority of the Nine God Dynasty. Beyond the settled villages, the forests thickened, rivers twisted into hidden valleys, and mountains rose like jagged teeth against the horizon — wild, unclaimed, yet rich with spirit veins.
"Deeper north," he murmured, voice calm but resolute. "Connect the veins, integrate the clans, stabilize the terrain."
Golden threads of dynasty qi stretched from the system map, moving like ethereal rivers over mountains and through forests. Even uninhabited peaks and hidden valleys felt the pull; the land itself responded, reshaping subtle flows of qi to align with the Nine God Dynasty's resonance. Minor clans living in remote passes found their bloodlines stirred, their loyalty shifting instinctively toward Feng Hao, the aura of Peak Qi Sea authority pressing gently but irresistibly against their hearts.
Over the following days, the northern advance continued. Small fortresses perched on mountain ridges accepted garrisons without hesitation. Villagers who had never seen an emperor bowed as divine soldiers and elders passed, integrating the area into the dynasty's ever-expanding lattice.
The Spirit Veins of the northern mountains, once isolated and turbulent, now harmonized with the dynasty's energy. Qi circulated freely through hidden valleys and rivers, amplifying the flow in nearby settlements and minor clans. Peak Qi Sea energy radiated along the veins like sunlight through glass, stabilizing each settlement and forging a network of natural conduits, ready to support future cultivation breakthroughs.
By the end of the first week of the northern campaign:
[Northern Expansion — Phase One Complete]
Newly Claimed Land: 120,000 km² (mountains, forests, rivers)
Population Integrated: 650,000 (minor clans, isolated settlements)
Territory Qi Infusion: Peak Qi Sea — fully resonant
National Power Increased: +480,000,000
[Nine God Dynasty — Updated Stats]
Population: 18,350,000
National Power: 5,367,000,000
Owned Land: 1,800,000 km²
Rank: Tier 2 Mortal Dynasty → Solidifying Tier 3
Feng Hao's eyes narrowed as he scanned the map. The further north he pushed, the fewer organized forces there were — but the land became wilder, with clusters of minor sects, hidden cultivation schools, and isolated families who had long cultivated in secret. Some had Bloodline Techniques unique to the region, and a few of the more remote clans showed potential for Foundation Establishment within decades.
"These clans will join willingly," he murmured. "We do not yet need to strike — alignment first, conquest second."
He sent out subtle pulses of Peak Qi Sea authority. In each village, small sect, and hidden valley, the ground vibrated with golden energy. Leaders felt visions of Feng Hao's throne in the clouds, of the Nine God Dynasty expanding without resistance, and they bowed before what they instinctively understood as absolute power.
By the third week, the northernmost valleys began integrating fully. Small streams of commerce and culture opened between settlements, establishing supply routes and reinforcing the minor clans' dependence on Nine God protection. Elders and low-level Heavenly Kings were dispatched to oversee cultivation, formations, and qi alignment, ensuring no stray Spirit Veins remained unbound.
Even the Celestial Forge, responding to the increasing flow of Peak Qi Sea qi, produced enhanced equipment for settlers and garrisons alike, refining armor and weapons with innate qi resonance, ensuring all troops could maintain peak efficiency without training interruptions.
Feng Hao reclined on his throne, golden eyes scanning the horizon. The northern expansion was no longer just about claiming land — it was about embedding the Nine God Dynasty into the veins of the earth itself, making every mountain, river, and village part of the living web of his empire.
A faint ripple of qi stretched to the northeast, where minor Tier 7 sects lay hidden, unaware of the golden threads now reaching for them. Feng Hao's lips curved slightly:
"Soon… the north will be mine entirely. And when the Golden core breakthrough comes, no mortal or cultivator will resist the Nine God Dynasty."