The Almighty Dominance (by Sunshine) novel Chapter 656

A long caravan snaked along the ancient imperial road like a silver serpent beneath the blazing midday sun.

At its head, Alex rode a sleek black stallion, reins resting loosely in his gloved hands. His black robes, embroidered with a golden flower crest, billowed and snapped in the warm wind.

Behind him stretched an impressive column of officials, elders, and five thousand white-robed disciples marching in flawless formation. High above, drones hummed silently, invisible to the naked eye, feeding crisp surveillance overlays directly into his mind.

Zhuge Liang rode beside him.

“Changyi is the only choice. It sits at the exact crossroads of Yan and Qing. Two major rivers meet here, the imperial highways cross right through the center, and the high ground gives us sightlines for miles in every direction. Supplies from either province reach us in a day. Troops can pivot north or south before an enemy even finishes loading wagons. From here we don’t just rule two provinces—we hold them like one fist.”

Alex nodded once, gaze fixed on the distant walls of Changyi rising against the blue sky. The city looked prosperous, its tiled roofs gleaming, banners already fluttering with the white emblem of Bai.

Passersby on the street stole wary glances at him. Bai Xiaochun could sense their unease, though he had no idea what exactly they thought of him.

The rumors, however, had already taken on a life of their own. From the lowliest teahouse to the grandest scholar’s study, from local barracks all the way to the capital, the same scandalous tale was told:

Bai Xiaochun, the young governor of two provinces, was a dissolute wastrel who had lucked his way into power.

A man who indulged in wine, gambling, and women every night. A shameless gambler who never paid his debts.

A lecher who thought nothing of pushing through crowds to seize any beauty who caught his eye, dragging her to his bed without a care for the consequences.

Worse, people whispered he had no standards at all. Any woman. Young, old, stunning, plain—it didn’t matter.

Close friends swore he was the most generous soul alive, as long as the person in front of him wore a skirt.

He would look her in the eye and declare her the most ravishing creature on earth, then prove it with his hands and his mouth.

A sex maniac in governor’s robes.

The letters had started arriving the day after Liu Dai’s head went on the spear. Piles of them.

Scholars from every corner of the two provinces, writing in elegant, furious script, begging the new governor to reform.

“Your Excellency, if you wish to be remembered as a wise ruler rather than a disgrace, you must abandon these base habits. The people watch. The empire watches. Change, or lose their hearts forever.”

Alex had read the first few, laughed once, and told Zhuge Liang to file the rest. He had bigger problems than gossip.

The Wudang training realm was beginning to collapse.

He had once believed it could sustain unlimited growth — endless disciples and soldiers. But the data was merciless. Each new cultivator drained the realm’s energy like a leech.

The once abundant planetary qi had grown thin and weak. Even after strengthening the arrays and overclocking the formation cores, the results were minimal.

He now had to choose: support many at Foundation Establishment, or concentrate all resources on a single Nascent Soul cultivator.

A Nascent Soul breakthrough demanded approximately one hundred thousand units of ambient energy per Foundation Establishment-level cultivator.

At present, he was focused on raising the sect master. If he wanted that breakthrough to succeed, he could no longer afford to bring in more people.

He had already begun returning all untalented recruits to the outer world.

In the future, the realm would be closed to newcomers. It would become a specialized sanctuary dedicated solely to nurturing Core Formation and Nascent Soul experts.

In Chanyi City, the people waited nervously to welcome their new governor. The air was thick with the scent of incense, roasted meat, and nervous sweat. Banners snapped sharply overhead, while drums rolled ominously in the distance.

Some families had tried to hide their daughters and beautiful wives. Doors stayed bolted. Windows shuttered.

Beautiful girls were bundled away to cellars or country estates the moment word of the governor’s arrival reached them.

But opportunists were different.

Merchants, minor officials, ambitious clan heads—they saw a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

They dragged every female relative they possessed into the open.

Daughters from twelve to twenty-five stood shoulder to shoulder with aunts, mothers, even grandmothers.

Young wives stood right beside older wives, all arranged in a neat line by their own husbands. The deal was simple: if the governor took a fancy to any of them, the husbands were happy to hand her over — as long as she promised to send money back to the family every now and then.

Some men had decked their wives out in luxurious silks and makeup. Others just pushed their wives forward in plain, patched-up clothes, praying that desperation and availability would be enough.

The staff and soldiers tasked with clearing the route had been quietly persuaded—coins changed hands, favors promised—and the result was breathtaking in its audacity.

The first two rows on either side of the avenue, stretching for nearly a mile, contained nothing but women.

All ages. All types.

Stunning beauties with porcelain skin and flowing hair stood inches away from plain-faced matrons and women whose features could curdle milk. The contrast was so complete it looked staged.

A beautiful young woman near the front—maybe nineteen, dressed in emerald silk that hugged every curve—turned to the dowdy, middle-aged woman beside her and sneered.

“Look at you. So ugly. How dare you stand in the front row? Aren’t you afraid the governor will vomit blood the moment he sees that face?”

The older woman didn’t flinch. She lifted her chin, voice loud enough for half the street to hear.

“What are you worried about? Haven’t you heard? Governor Bai has peculiar tastes. They say he only likes ugly women.”

The beauty’s mouth fell open in genuine shock.

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