Become a king right from the start, beginning with receiving rewards from all the heavens.

It wasn't that Li Yun underestimated the Blood Saber Ancestor, but rather that he simply couldn't figure out what method could be used.

"Lingwei Sect is a power in the cultivation world, while the government represents the imperial court."

"The Heavenly Punishment Division has the power to investigate, arrest, and judge."

"Before, the branch was not taken back by you, so local officials were not afraid of the Heavenly Punishment Division branch. Today, you have taken back the Xuzhou branch."

"When the time comes, we'll show ourselves and warn the government: anyone who dares to use their official position to help martial arts factions should just wait for the Heavenly Punishment Division to come knocking on their door!"

After speaking, Blood Blade looked at Li Yun, who was deep in thought, trying to persuade him.

He spoke again, "Furthermore, now that you have initial control of the branch, you need to take action to show the officials here."

"You'd better be careful in everything you do from now on, because the Heavenly Punishment Division is like a sword hanging over your head."

Li Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Blood Blade had given him a difficult problem.

"I cannot make this decision on my own; I need to consult His Highness for a decision."

...

"Alright, no problem, let's both report to His Highness!"

Blood Blade thought about it and realized that this matter did indeed need to be reported to His Highness.

...

The actions of the fourteen heads of the Heavenly Punishment Division, who traveled to various states, were closely watched by major powers.

There are too many people, both in and out of the government, who do not want King Ni to successfully reclaim the power in the provinces.

But within the rules, they really had no way to stop them.

Unless someone is sent to kill these officials, but that would really cause a huge uproar.

They were not ordinary guards below the Acquired Realm, but rather the true high-ranking members of the Heavenly Punishment Division.

No one dared to do that, so they could only watch helplessly as the Heavenly Punishment Division gradually reclaimed local power.

However, a message quickly spread throughout the capital the next day.

The sensation it caused is enough to keep many people up at night.

"What? You're saying someone in Xuzhou has defected to the Heavenly Punishment Division?"

Inside the Eastern King's residence, Xia Donghai stood up instantly and asked with a solemn expression.

The subordinate below nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

"To be precise, they've sided with the Benevolent King behind the Heavenly Punishment Division!"

At this moment, a tremendous wave surged within the Eastern King's heart.

"What exactly happened?"

His subordinates then recounted the situation in Xuzhou City. At this point, even the most dull-witted person would realize that things were in trouble.

If Niou truly accepts the other party's offer of allegiance, it means that Niou will no longer be walking with a limp.

What worries them even more is that many forces in the Great Xia Dynasty now have a new option!

Not every faction is willing to gain the merit of supporting the emperor; it's just that in the past struggles among princes, no faction had a choice!

"No, we must stop this from happening!"

After a moment's thought, the Eastern King made a decision!

"No one else wants this to happen. We must contact others immediately and find a way to stop it from happening!"

His eyes were filled with a strong sense of vigilance, devoid of his usual laziness and frivolity.

"You must immediately contact the other princes privately and ascertain their attitudes!"

The crowd rose to receive their orders and departed without the slightest hesitation, fully aware that this matter was of great importance to the struggle for the throne.

The Eastern King's eyes seemed to pierce through the void, looking towards the direction of the Benevolent King's Mansion.

"My dear brother, sometimes I really doubt your ambition..."

In the Great Xia Dynasty, there are too many forces that do not want to participate in the struggle for the throne.

Having no other choice in the past, everyone was forced to choose a prince to side with.

Now, thanks to the choice made by a local power, all forces unwilling to participate in the struggle for the throne have taken notice of Prince Ren.

Suddenly everyone realized that the King of Benevolence had no intention of vying for the throne, but instead held the power of the Heavenly Punishment Bureau.

Isn't this the perfect example of a neutral party?

If this matter is not stopped, the Eastern King can foresee the future state of the court.

The neutral faction, led by King Ni, will become an unprecedented and powerful force throughout the court and the country.

This force is enough to frighten people not only in the imperial court, but also in the cultivation world!

Doesn't that mean that who inherits the throne will ultimately depend on Prince Ren's whim?

Isn't this ridiculous?!

Since the Demon Suppression Bureau behind him relinquished its power over the Demon Suppression Division, he has clearly felt that his competition has been hindered.

Most importantly, resources have been greatly reduced.

In the past, his methods of winning people over were nothing more than resources, background and status, and the core promise of meritorious service in supporting the emperor.

Now that resources are scarce, Dongwang's previous extravagant spending spree is no longer sustainable.

The annual stipends from the imperial court and the royal family are barely enough to maintain the current situation!

"Damn it, you're not even qualified anymore, what are you still doing..."

...

There are no fools in the royal family. The fact that the Wang family of Xuzhou City had pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Punishment Bureau has stirred up a huge wave in the upper echelons of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Whether they were princes or crown princes, they now truly felt the difficulty of the situation.

So, they all contacted each other first, without prior arrangement...

An undercurrent began to surge within the upper echelons of the Great Xia Dynasty!

Inside the Prince Ren's residence, Xia Zhaoyan frowned slightly, sitting in front of Zhuge Zhengwo.

"Sir, things have gotten a bit complicated!"

Xia Zhaoyan let out a long sigh, but felt no joy at having someone join him.

After more than a year of political struggle, even though he was once an inexperienced novice, he has now been tempered into a qualified prince.

Zhuge Zhengwo's expression was equally serious; his brow hadn't relaxed since he entered.

"This is indeed a bit troublesome!"

"The main problem is that the timing isn't right. This is putting Your Highness in direct opposition to all the other princes!"

Who would allow someone else to snatch the food from their plate?

"Sir, what should I do now?"

...

"Your Highness, the Heavenly Punishment Division is your top priority right now. We cannot allow anything else to cause any changes to this matter."

"Since the authority over the four major state branches was reclaimed, the princes have almost all given up on preventing you from taking back the remaining branches."

"But after the Wang family of Xuzhou City surrenders, the other princes will definitely try to stop you from taking control of the Heavenly Punishment Division again!"

"And this resistance will be unprecedented!"

Xia Zhaoyan nodded; of course he understood.

"Alas... my weakness has finally been exposed!"

Those summoned by the sacrifice all have focused their talents on martial prowess, and are practically complete novices when it comes to political talent!

He couldn't help but think of the Eighteen Earthly Fiends, but he didn't blame them. After all, they were doing it for his own good.

They believed that having powerful forces ally with them would increase their own strength and resources.

In their past lives, they were bandits, and their status limited their vision, preventing them from seeing the long-term situation or judging the various risks behind a matter.

This is the desolate Great Xia, a world where the strong are almost impossible to destroy or bury.

Both military and political struggles have reached their extremes.

"My original plan was to take action to deal with the remaining branches immediately after integrating these eighteen branches."

"It seems unlikely that this will happen in the short term!"

...

"Your Highness!" Zhuge Zhengwo looked at Xia Zhaoyan with a serious expression!

"What I'm about to say might be a bit harsh, and it might make you feel like I'm pressuring you!"

"Please forgive me, Your Highness!"