However, upon hearing his explanation, Ding Yun was quite moved. Such a good place, complete with a guardian divine beast and a group of doorkeepers, was practically perfect!
Except for the drawback of the opponent's overwhelming strength.
That so-called Heavenly Flood Dragon Thunder Valley.
It was truly without flaws.
But the opponent being too strong wasn't a flaw of theirs; it was purely a deficiency of her own, much like an item being too expensive isn't a flaw of the item itself, but rather a reflection of one's own poverty.
Regardless, the flood dragon's strength far surpassing a peak Martial Saint was indeed a significant problem. Ding Yun quickly became preoccupied with how to subdue it. Should she find a way to elevate her own strength to surpass the flood dragon, defeat it, and make it her subordinate?
Or should she use the Reality Editor?
To edit it into her pet or something similar?
After much deliberation, Ding Yun decided a two-pronged approach was best. Merely improving her own strength to defeat the flood dragon wouldn't guarantee its willing submission.
What if it betrayed her someday?
That would be enough trouble for her.
As for forcibly turning the flood dragon into her pet using the Reality Editor, while she wasn't overly concerned about its ability to escape the editor's constraints and betray her, her own weak strength would always leave her feeling uneasy. Furthermore, the valley was filled with dragon descendants at the Grandmaster realm.
No one could guarantee they would obey the flood dragon.
She couldn't turn them all into pets, could she?
Therefore, a dual approach was the optimal choice: subdue the flood dragon first, then use the Reality Editor to make it her pet. She assumed the remaining Grandmaster realm dragon descendants wouldn't be foolish enough to court death by seeking her trouble or betraying her.
Having made her final decision, Ding Yun immediately said,
"Old Zhu, change course for Heavenly Flood Dragon Thunder Valley!"
Hearing Ding Yun's sudden command, Zhu Zhaoyun was stunned for a moment, then turned back with disbelief and surprise, "Master, you...
Wait, what I said just now was the absolute truth, not an exaggeration at all. That flood dragon's power absolutely far exceeds that of a peak Martial Saint. Some even suspect it might already be at the Martial God realm. According to historical records, three peak Martial Saints once joined forces to kill that flood dragon and obtain its inner丹 to break through to the Martial God realm.
But they all died.
Although it was a fierce battle, not a single one of them escaped alive. Even if your strength is immense, you still have the young master!
Please, Master, don't do anything reckless!"
Although Ding Yun had displayed great strength and miraculous abilities, in Zhu Zhaoyun's opinion, she was at most a Martial Saint, and could not be any more powerful. If a Martial God truly appeared in the world, they would not remain obscure.
But if she were merely at the Martial Saint level, she would be no match for that flood dragon. A Martial Saint could at best live for a thousand years, while that flood dragon had lived for three thousand years. The lifespan alone was incomparable.
Not to mention their strength.
At this moment, Zhu Zhaoyun regretted bringing up the matter. If he had known his new master was so impulsive and audacious, he wouldn't have been so glib as to mention it.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to my death. I'm just curious to see. Even if I only observe from the periphery the spectacle of ten thousand lightning strikes descending during a thunderstorm, it would be a life well spent.
I don't have any particular destination anyway.
I'll just pick some interesting places to observe!"
Some things don't need to be explained in too much detail, nor is it necessary to brag about how powerful she is with empty words. The most crucial point was that Ding Yun's current strength wasn't even that of a Martial Saint, so she was too lazy to boast about her confidence.
She merely stated she was going for sightseeing.
This explanation made Zhu Zhaoyun believe he had misunderstood. He breathed a sigh of relief and apologized, admitting he shouldn't have rashly speculated about his master's intentions.
Then, of course, the carriage's direction was changed.
Heading towards the prefecture where Heavenly Flood Dragon Thunder Valley was located.
...
Meanwhile, Su Yong, the heir apparent of Zhenbei Marquis, who had escaped that day, didn't feel anything amiss when he first left the capital. Although filled with intense anger and hatred, he at least knew to hurry to the northern prefectures to understand the situation.
His family had managed affairs there for decades, and there were bound to be some hidden arrangements and loyal individuals. Only by escaping there could he achieve some safety, and only by escaping there could he figure out what had truly happened with the northern expedition's failure and the annihilation of the army.
However, before he even reached the border, he noticed that many common people were privately discussing the Zhenbei Marquis's treason, and the execution of all members of the Marquis's mansion. What made him feel most indignant was that many of the common folk in the northern prefectures, who had been protected by the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion for decades, were now cursing them, calling them traitors who deserved to die.
After all, he also practiced the "Seven Killings Technique."
And he hadn't consumed a ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus.
If not for his low cultivation, merely at the Grandmaster realm, and his lack of extensive battlefield experience or many kills, his inner malevolence and killing intent wouldn't have been so strong. He would have likely gone completely mad the day the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion lost public support.
But now, seeing the ungrateful commoners slandering his lineage together, his inner rage and overwhelming hatred broke through his reason. The malevolence and killing intent within him surged instantly.
Then, he broke through to the Grandmaster realm.
And successfully went mad.
A Grandmaster who had gone mad was undoubtedly terrifying. However, the remaining sliver of reason and compassion within him still allowed him to maintain a degree of restraint while in his madness. He didn't attack the defenseless, easily swayed commoners. Instead, he turned and headed towards the local yamen, directing his fury at the imperial officials.
Initially, the yamen officials didn't recognize him, thinking he was a deranged demon who had appeared from nowhere. Some fled for their lives, while others hid. Those who dared to engage him were quickly killed.
Later, someone who had served in the Zhenbei Army recognized the originating technique of the Zhenbei Marquis's direct lineage through the overwhelming killing intent.
Combined with the fact that the world widely believed the heir apparent of Zhenbei Marquis was dead, and was merely at the Grandmaster realm before his demise.
Now, this disheveled individual was a Grandmaster.
Furthermore, Zhenbei Marquis was only missing, not confirmed dead. Therefore, it was generally believed that this Grandmaster, exhibiting the Seven Killings technique like a madman, was undoubtedly the missing Zhenbei Marquis. As for his strength, it seemed not as powerful as rumored, and he appeared somewhat insane.
His strength would naturally be diminished after suffering injuries in a great battle.
Upon hearing that his clan had been wiped out.
It was only natural for him to go mad.
After someone shouted out this information, those who had intended to intervene no longer tried to stop him, but instead focused on escaping. An injured and mad Zhenbei Marquis was still Zhenbei Marquis, and his influence in the northern regions was too profound.
Many in the north sympathized with him, and some even believed he had been framed, though they dared not speak it aloud.
At this point, they chose to flee rather than engage, not only because they felt they couldn't defeat him, but also out of a reluctance to fight him.
After half an hour, Su Yong's internal true essence began to deplete, and he regained a sliver of his sanity. He immediately turned and fled madly towards the north.
Naturally, the local prefectural office then reported the news.
Discussions spread throughout the northern prefectures, and some former subordinates of Zhenbei Marquis began to make inquiries. Some might have wanted to capture him for merit, while others might have simply wanted to repay a kindness.
Or perhaps seek to offer some protection.