The chicken soup was ready.
Ye Yin had personally overseen the preparation of a large number of Ding Dong Chickens, though the process itself was rather peculiar. When the chickens were placed in boiling water, they didn't just cook silently. Instead, they let out a series of strange, melodic sounds.
"Ding Dong Chicken, Ding Dong Chicken..."
"Ding Dong Chicken, Ding Dong Chicken..."
The bizarre chirping continued for a moment before fading. Soon, a deeply appetizing aroma wafted through the streets, filling the entirety of Yin Feng City. The first to be served the steaming chicken soup were Shi Jian and his most trusted subordinates, along with the administrative staff from the city lord's mansion.
After they finished their bowls, their eyes glazed over for a moment. When their focus returned, they looked at Ye Yin with an entirely new expression. The respect they held for him had transformed into something far more intense—a fanatical trust and worship that bordered on religious fervor.
"My Lord, you are too considerate of us!" Shi Jian declared, his voice trembling with emotion as he dropped to one knee. "Your subordinate is willing to die for you!"
"We are willing to die for Lord Earl!" the others echoed, their voices filled with absolute sincerity.
Ye Yin nodded, satisfied with the result. He instructed Shi Jian to organize the distribution of the "Earl's Special Meat Soup" in batches to the city's garrison, the local artisans, and all citizens who actively contributed to the community. The effect was immediate and profound. A powerful sense of unity swept through Yin Feng City, binding the people together. All doubts about Ye Yin's orders vanished, and his commands were carried out with incredible efficiency.
Shortly after, Ye Yin personally brought a pot of chicken soup to Tang San and Dai Mubai.
"Mubai, Little San," he said with a warm smile. "I brought you some chicken soup. You should drink it while it's hot."
As soon as they drank the soup, the way they looked at Ye Yin changed completely. But his plan didn't stop there. Under the guise of a friendly social gathering, Ye Yin's soup team delivered a large batch to the main Spirit Hall branch in Yin Feng City. The bishop, his deacons, and the guards all drank it, and they too developed a powerful fondness and unshakable trust for Ye Yin.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Yin proposed the idea of a joint security force for the territory. The Spirit Hall bishop agreed wholeheartedly, promising his full cooperation with Lord Earl's work. He even tacitly allowed Ye Yin's influence to seep into the daily affairs of the Spirit Hall. Unknowingly, the Spirit Hall branch in Yin Feng City had practically become Ye Yin's private army.
Next came the "Wang Zai Niu Bi Candy" plan. Ye Yin entrusted this task to Dugu Yan. Her mission was to distribute a new type of candy, supposedly developed by the Earl himself, to the women and children of the city. It was given away for free under the pretense of strengthening their bodies and enhancing their beauty. No one would refuse a free gift, and the candy quickly became popular among the city's female population.
Once matters in Yin Feng City were settled, Ye Yin took his team to Xiao Wu's Lingbao City, Zhu Zhuqing's Youying City, and Ning Rongrong's Liuli City, repeating the exact same process. Soon, all four territories were firmly under his control, their people bound to him by unwavering loyalty and complete trust. The power of the territories was now unified to an unprecedented degree.
"Boy, what kind of mesmerizing soup did you give these people?" Dugu Bo asked, looking at Ye Yin with unconcealed surprise. "The people in Yin Feng City, Lingtu City, Liuli City, and Youying City listen to you like you're their own father."
Ye Yin just waved his hand casually. "It's nothing that dramatic."
Dugu Bo was left speechless.
"For now, we just need to let things develop for a while," Ye Yin said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It probably won't take more than a few months for these four cities to grow to the scale I have in mind. By then, we'll be ready to head to the Star Luo Empire."
With the foundations of his power firmly established, Ye Yin began to occasionally release surströmming in the cities to earn resentment points. He didn't just want to build a power base; he wanted to turn his territory into the largest resentment point factory on the continent. As the foul smell of the fermented herring spread, the four cities began to generate a massive amount of resentment points for him. The points he had spent to get everything started were earned back within a few days. All Ye Yin had to do now was wait and let his plans mature.
Over the next few months, a peculiar phenomenon began in Yin Feng City. The birth rate of newborns increased significantly. All the babies were healthy and intelligent, with bright, lively eyes. Even more astonishing was that the gestation period for mothers seemed to have shortened, and their post-childbirth recovery was incredibly fast. The proportion of newborns awakening with innate spirit power and their average spirit rank far exceeded the normal levels for the continent. The future of Yin Feng Territory was quietly being seeded with countless geniuses.
After gaining absolute control over the hearts and minds of the people, Ye Yin began the third and most crucial step of his plan: building a Spirit Master army that was completely loyal to him and possessed formidable strength. He screened two thousand young and able-bodied individuals from across the city, selecting those who had the strongest reaction to the chicken soup and were thus the most loyal. The group even included some members from the local Spirit Hall. Thanks to the soup, their allegiance was no longer a concern.
Under the guise of a special training program for the Earl's personal guard, he gathered them at a newly constructed training ground. There, Ye Yin brought out the items he had prepared long ago: large vats of diluted juice from the Marrow Cleansing Fruit and the Soul Cleansing Fruit. The effects of these two immortal-grade herbs were well-documented. They could greatly improve one's physique, enhance spirit power, and purify one's Spirit. Although Ye Yin had diluted the essence, the effects were still potent enough to completely transform an ordinary person.
"This is a secret potion that can unlock your potential and strengthen your bodies," Ye Yin's voice boomed across the training ground, amplified by the lingering effects of the Ding Dong Chicken, making it sound utterly convincing. "It is the foundation upon which the future pillars of my Yin Feng Territory will be built!"
Without a single moment of hesitation, the two thousand chosen individuals drank the glowing fruit juice. A spectacular scene soon unfolded on the training ground. A wave of agony washed over the recruits. Men cried out as a foul-smelling, black grime was forced from their pores, a pain they later described as having their bones scraped clean. But the torment passed as quickly as it came, replaced by an incredible feeling of lightness and a surge of raw power they had never felt before.
Those who already possessed spirit power felt their ranks soar, and their Spirits became more solid and powerful. As for the ordinary people who had no spirit power, they felt the first spark of it awaken within their bodies. Even more shocking, their starting levels were not low, reaching level five or even level six. While it couldn't compare to being born with innate full spirit power, it meant they had officially crossed the threshold to become Spirit Masters.
Though most of them were only Spirit Scholars and Spirit Masters, this was an army composed entirely of spirit power users. Such a force would be astonishing anywhere on the continent. Combined with the absolute loyalty instilled by the Ding Dong Chicken, this "Yin Feng Guard" became the most effective weapon in Ye Yin's hands.
In just a few short months, the Yin Feng Territory underwent an earth-shattering transformation. Externally, the cities were constantly expanding, and bustling trade routes were established. Internally, the people were highly unified and full of hope for the future. Newborns possessed extraordinary talent, and a formidable Spirit Master army was beginning to take shape. A powerful, monolithic territory with infinite potential was quietly rising on the southwestern frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire, destined to become a giant.
Within months, the four cities of Yin Feng, Youying, Liuli, and Lingtu had become a single, unified entity under Ye Yin's strategy, their true potential beginning to emerge. With a stable foundation, a promising new generation, a loyal guard, and united people, it was finally time to head south to the Star Luo Empire to conclude Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's fated battle.
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