With Sima Huan's peak Golden Core cultivation, it took him ten days to finally find the location of the dragon vein near Xiling Mountain.
The dragon vein is brimming with dragon energy, as vibrant as the midday sun.
At this moment, he was so focused on how to obtain the dragon energy from the dragon vein that he didn't realize that this was the place where he and Tao Yao had left.
Little did he know that his safe arrival at the Canglan Continent was not only due to Tao Yao's protection, but also thanks to the dragon energy of this place.
Sima Huan tried various methods, but could not use the dragon energy of the dragon vein. He was furious and filled with hatred for Tao Yao.
He threw away the magical artifact he was using to probe the dragon vein, and roared to the sky, "That bitch Tao Yao, the peach branch she cultivated is also a piece of rotten wood! With such a good situation, she actually couldn't hold on to it! I'm so angry, so angry..."
After venting his anger, Sima Huan forced himself to calm down.
He began plotting how to become emperor again in order to collect the dragon energy from the dragon veins.
The first thought that flashed through his mind was to find the Holy Son who appeared more than thirty years ago and use him to regain the hearts of the people.
However, he quickly rejected the idea. Putting aside whether this person would listen to him, this person had been missing for over thirty years and might have come from the Canglan Continent like Tao Yao. It was possible that he had already returned.
Secondly, he considered launching an internal rebellion, but he quickly rejected that idea as well.
He discovered that the entire dynasty was united and impregnable, making it virtually impossible to dismantle and overthrow the existing dynasty from within.
After several twists and turns, he finally found Mo Zhantian, the current King of Nanyuan in the desert.
Mo Zhantian's father and grandfather were both proponents of war.
More than 30 years ago, when the former King of Beiyuan returned after signing a peace treaty, he also brought back merchants from the dynasty. Among them, the most famous was Fangcao Pavilion, managed by Manager Azhuang.
Fangcao Pavilion opened in various cities across the desert, selling grains and medicinal herbs at fair prices.
Later, sweet potato and corn seeds were introduced from the dynasty. Due to a combination of factors, the people of the desert were no longer willing to fight, except for the hundred or so elite soldiers directly under the command of the King of Nanyuan, who still retained a lingering obsession.
Mo Zhantian's father eventually chose to remain silent.
After his father passed away, Mo Zhantian continued to train elite troops, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
Unexpectedly, he actually got his wish. Sima Huan and Mo Zhantian reached an agreement as soon as they met.
Sima Huan gave Mo Zhantian a body-training technique and guided him and his subordinates in its practice. The people of the desert were naturally strong and skilled in combat, and with the technique and Sima Huan's guidance, they progressed rapidly, mastering it in just one month.
He could easily take on a hundred opponents, and his combat strength was comparable to that of the top fighters in the dynasty.
Sima Huan was overjoyed and ordered Mo Zhantian to spread rumors throughout the desert streets and alleys: "All beings are equal. In the prosperous land of the dynasty, there should be a place for the sons of the desert."
"You must speak earnestly and passionately."
Sima Huan knew exactly how to stir people's hearts; it all came down to temptation. In his view, as long as the temptation was great enough, what did gratitude or morality matter? They couldn't compare to the real benefits that would truly benefit him.
A generous reward will surely attract brave men; money can make the devil turn the millstone.
Moreover, the problem is not scarcity but inequality; this has been true since ancient times.
The dynasty occupies vast and prosperous lands, while the desert is relegated to a remote and barren place. Now that it has the opportunity to occupy the prosperous lands, he doesn't believe that the people of the desert can truly remain steadfast.
Sima Huan instructed Mo Zhantian to arrange for more people to spread the word everywhere, in teahouses, restaurants, streets and alleys, without regard to location, and to spread it every day.
At this point, he reached out and patted Mo Zhantian on the shoulder, saying earnestly, "Among the people of this world, there are many who blindly follow the crowd, few who remain calm and self-possessed, and even fewer who possess true wisdom..."
"If three people say it, it will become a tiger; if many people say it, why worry about no one believing it?"
"Just do as I say, and things will turn out as you wish."
Having said that, he strode away.
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