It appeared there were others he hadn't killed yet, as the original skill ratio was 90:10, just as it was before Munniq appeared.
He roamed the forest, searching. However, for seven days, he found nothing. All the demon beasts he encountered were low-level, and he couldn't obtain Ayrids from them.
If he wanted to acquire Ayrids, he needed to enter the next forest.
However, his cultivation reserves were already depleted. The culprit attempting to claim his skill might become aware of this fact and prepare to attack.
At this moment, he needed to return to the castle and assess the situation. Juwaira and every one of his men in the castle needed to know that some buildings could vanish at any moment and portals could appear, accompanied by an influx of demon-beasts.
He pondered this for a moment before beginning to chant. He vanished and reappeared in the room. After sending a message to Juwaira and receiving a reply that everything was fine, he entered a state of meditation.
***
Ten days later, he emerged. Accompanied by Renga, Cemu, and Juwaira, he made his way to the entrance. Leader San stood at the castle's threshold, with the forest behind him. He was joined by a group of approximately twenty thousand individuals.
Most of them were commoners on foot, while some were in carriages. Riders formed a protective circle around them. San's mission had been successful.
Abdin descended the wall and ordered a canopy. Six kings approached him first, each clad in armor and wearing a crown.
They stood before him, dismounted, and knelt in front of him.
King Bani of Sucan.
King Walo of Malumfa.
King Azul of In'd.
King Hubes of Qin.
King Masor of Sarma.
King Kilod of Xin.
In twenty days, San had successfully brought six kings, who were previously under Biyakis' leadership, to his side.
Despite leveraging his status as the sect leader of the Will of San to his advantage, Abdin felt that the man had done a good job.
Yes, other factors facilitated his mission. First, Munniq and Silver Mask had stirred the empires of the continent with their not-so-subtle operations. This caused the empires to neglect their responsibilities towards their subject kingdoms. Secondly, news of the castle and its abundant supply of ki had spread rapidly. This was due to the horde of intruders that had arrived in the past month and how Abdin had intimidated and driven them away. Many perceived this as a bold move against Biyakis.
Thirdly, they had already witnessed the consequences they would face if they didn't surrender. More than ten neighboring cities had been destroyed, and Biyakis had taken no action. Failure to surrender would lead them to the same fate, with no one seeking revenge on their behalf.
Just how many years would he gain by recruiting them?
The six kings approached him, pledged their allegiance, and took a cultivation oath.
Their subjects, who were still at the threshold, fell to their knees submissively.
For three centuries, they had been under Biyakis' rule, but now it was time for a new regime.
In the realm of cultivation, power alone held sway, and the might of a crown paled in comparison to a mightier one.
Abdin inwardly grinned. The admission of these entourages could earn him a bonus of at least five thousand pol years, and the castle would be prepared for its third expansion. Anything in its path would be destroyed in the process.
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News of Tairen and his company from the Will of San had already reached Abdin. They were en route here. He didn't know their exact location, but there was a possibility of them being caught in the middle of the expansion. So he decided to wait until they arrived.
Thus, Abdin accepted the allegiance of the newcomers but asked them to wait outside until accommodations were prepared. He employed another excuse of needing to record their skills and cultivation levels first before entry.
Three days later, Tairen and his company arrived. The entire community of the Will of San numbered up to ten thousand members. The entourage from Biyakis might have outnumbered them, but the Will of San made up for it with power. They didn't have any ordinary people and all of them were cultivators.
Abdin asked them to assemble, and for the next thirteen days, he accepted their allegiance.
[You invited men to the castle. Reward: 52 years.]
[You invited men to the castle. Reward: 31 years.]
[You invited men to the castle. Reward: 88 years.]
[You invited men to the castle. Reward: ...]
And it continued in this manner.
After admitting everyone, Abdin ordered the gates to be shut. As was customary during an impending expansion, the castle didn't allow anyone to enter or leave the castle.
He took this opportunity to appoint a new council.
His former council members remained, with the addition of Muwadd San from the Will of San and Juwaira. Additionally, the six kings newly arrived from Biyakis joined the council.
The castle was now filled to the brim with people, and many had to sleep outside. After the expansion, the accommodation problem would be solved.
During the first meeting of the council, the six kings sat on the left while the other six members sat on the right. Abdin occupied a throne at the head of the table, with Juwaira facing him.
"What would be your contribution to this esteemed land of ours?" he asked without preamble.
His use of the word 'land' caught their attention, but none of them protested. It was all the same at the moment, whether it was a land or a castle.
"Your Highness, representing the Will of San, I ask about the goals of this land," spoke Muwadd San.
"Our current aim is to replace this continent with this castle. We will start with Biyakis, then Dadiyan will follow next." Abdin didn't hesitate to tell them everything.
The room fell suddenly quiet. Everyone pondered the feasibility of such an undertaking. Biyakis comprised nine countries, each with its states, totaling around forty-nine in number. Even after destroying six cities and winning over six, Biyakis still held the upper hand with massive advantages. It was likely the contention between Biyakis and their neighbor, Dadiyan, that prevented them from paying any attention to the castle up until now.
"You've informed Biyakis and her states. Among the states in our direct path, six are currently here with us, while the remaining eleven have disregarded our warning. They are about to be wiped out of history in the next few days. I don't think Biyakis will remain quiet anymore."
It was a statement rather than a question, but his audience understood the message. Biyakis wouldn't overlook them anymore if any more of their states were destroyed. War would certainly be brewing.
Leader San bowed before he spoke. "It took you less than a minute to eliminate Jubu and Kininura - two of Biyakis' strongest pillars. I don't doubt our victory, even if King Biyakin himself were to lead the army."
San believed that since those two were Biyakis' strength and they were already eliminated, the rest of their army wouldn't matter much. Many would die but they would come out victorious.
One of the six kings present cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Commander, leader San has updated us about everything that has happened. However, I think there is another reason why Biyakis remains quiet. A while ago, we signed a letter requesting help from the guild representing all our level 1 empires. King Biyakin himself sent the papers to be signed by each king. We have all signed it, and they were already on the guild's table. I believe this is why our sister states never honored your invitation."
Abdin recognized the speaker as King Kilod of Xin. He sat in the chair closest to Abdin on the left and had the strongest cultivation among the six.
Abdin wasn't aware of this information until now. If it were true, then there was no time to waste. He had to act quickly.
He said, "Well, I guess you should all know about my engagement to Princess Juwaira. She is the daughter of Emperor Shen of Shurein. I need each one of you to spread this news in any way you can. The commander will wed Juwaira in a few weeks."