Chapter 238: War Begins

Hearing Gu Jin Nian's words, the Emperor of Eternal Prosperity nodded repeatedly.

"Uncle, I won't say more about other matters; in seven days, we'll see the results."

Gu Jin Nian didn't say anything else.

Now we just wait for the results in seven days.

"Okay."

"Should we continue training during this period?"

"I think we don't need to train anymore; there are only the last seven days left."

The Emperor of Eternal Prosperity spoke up, expressing his thoughts.

"Okay, Uncle, isn't this still up to you to decide?"

Gu Jin Nian nodded; whether to train or not didn't matter.

"Okay, then Uncle will arrange it."

The Emperor of Eternal Prosperity wore a satisfied smile, but then he continued speaking.

"Jinian, Uncle has something to ask you; if it's inconvenient, don't mention it."

"This time you went to Coiled Mountain; what benefits did you gain?"

The Emperor of Eternal Prosperity asked.

"I have reached the Martial Dao Seventh Stage and also obtained a lotus seed, though it was acquired from Heavenly Equal Mountain."

"Uncle, the world will undergo great changes in the future; after this internal turmoil is completely over, we must exert all efforts to develop the Ministry of Works; conventional troops will be useless in the coming era."

Gu Jin Nian spoke up, emphasizing this matter.

"I understand."

The Emperor of Eternal Prosperity nodded; his feelings were hard to express, after all, for an emperor, the world's transformation has reduced the dynasty to the weakest force—no one would feel comfortable in that situation.

"However, Da Xia is fortunate to have you, Jinian; I must say, our Li Family has truly produced a peerless genius; although starting from scratch, for Da Xia, this is a different field."

"With this, the Da Xia Dynasty will unify the world."

How could the Emperor of Eternal Prosperity not know how good Gu Jin Nian's idea of prioritizing weapons is? Strengthen weapons, fully develop armaments, rather than focusing on conventional cavalry, infantry, and other combat methods.

It won't be long before the Da Xia Dynasty becomes the world's foremost dynasty.

This possibility is not small.

"Mm."

"Unifying the world may not be that difficult."

Gu Jin Nian nodded.

He roughly calculated that, currently, the Da Xia Dynasty's gunpowder, the most powerful ammunition, could produce a massive explosion; within five hundred meters lies the blast core, within ten li the shockwave, and the damage is not insignificant.

After tempering, the ammunition's power increases tenfold.

As for ammunition tempered with thunder and the Separate Yang Cauldron, the core zone extends fifty li, the shockwave spreads five hundred li, and a single such projectile can destroy a small city.

However, ancient cities are protected by formations; this formation is meant to guard against attacks by Sixth Stage Peak experts.

In other words, the power of a Thunderstorm Bomb is roughly equivalent to a full-force strike from a Sixth Stage Peak expert.

Of course, being area damage, it is considerably stronger overall.

But for Sixth Stage Experts, this means little, as their speed far exceeds that of the Thunderstorm Bomb.

Furthermore, this attack does not inflict serious injury on them.

At most, they would suffer a heavy blow.

But Gu Jin Nian has an idea: first, Da Xia's gunpowder can still be improved; within a year, he believes that with the Ministry of Works' power and the nation's effort, increasing it tenfold is not difficult.

Then have the Thunder Clan help manufacture Thunderstorm Bombs, then immerse them in the Separate Yang Cauldron for tempering; each will have the same power as the Thunderstorm Bombs he currently produces.

Moreover, if he himself crafts the Thunderstorm Bombs, their power can be increased tenfold.

Once reaching that level of Thunderstorm Bomb, it equals a small nuclear bomb; it's still a matter of gunpowder.

In roughly three years, it can be increased severalfold; within ten years, it can be boosted another tenfold, after which it reaches its limit, at which point other issues arise.

The Ministry of Works needs to explore gradually; Gu Jin Nian's ideas are few—being able to mass-produce this kind of Thunderstorm Bomb is enough, equivalent to a Sixth Stage Peak strike, with a large range.

In the future war, if mass production is possible, quantity can change quality; a thousand of the current Thunderstorm Bombs can completely kill Sixth Stage Experts.

If he waits until he reaches the Seventh Stage, the Thunderstorm Bombs tempered then can affect Seventh Stage beings.

Putting it bluntly, he can refine a few dozen per month, accumulating over a thousand in a year.

Such Thunderstorm Bombs can clear many problems for him; facing any demonic turmoil, a baptism of nuclear bombs can obliterate everything.

"No."

"In the future, we still need to spend time; I will personally push gunpowder power to develop three different models of Thunderstorm Bombs."

"Model One is this current one; Model Two equals a small nuclear bomb; Model Three would be stronger, making even Seventh Stage Experts unable to withstand it."

"In future personal battles, I fear nothing, but if a large-scale war erupts, it's different; I alone cannot be in multiple places, and before reaching a higher realm, I may sometimes be powerless."

Gu Jin Nian thought to himself.

After making up his mind,

He also didn't say anything else.

As he was about to take his leave, he intended to consume the lotus seed to seize this opportunity to break through to the Seventh Stage in the Immortal Dao, which would be beneficial.

However, suddenly, Gu Jin Nian thought of something.

"Uncle, I have a question for you."

"Are there any legends about West Zhou Mountain?"

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

Earlier, on Heavenly Equal Mountain, Su Rou said this.

Western Zhou Mountain harbors an even stronger being, whose origin is utterly mysterious.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongsheng felt somewhat curious.

"Western Zhou Mountain?"

"According to legend, Western Zhou Mountain is home to a Queen Mother, the chief of female immortals."

"I know nothing else about it."

Among the mountain and river spirit veins, Western Zhou Mountain is not particularly important in the Da Xia Dynasty, though it has a mysterious legend as the residence of the Queen Mother.

But for a ruler, the chief of women holds little significance, so it is not venerated.

"Queen Mother?"

Gu Jin Nian muttered to himself, then recorded this important information.

"Uncle, I'm heading into the deep mountains to refine lotus seeds, intending to break through the Seventh Realm of the Immortal Path as soon as possible. If anything arises, just call my name. I estimate it won't take long—about seven days—but I can't be certain."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, informing that he would be secluding himself for a period again.

This time it won't be long, but Gu Jin Nian couldn't gauge the exact duration, so he left a talisman to awaken himself at the critical moment.

"Alright, no rush; take your time."

"Jin Nian, Uncle's Seventh Realm dream rests on you."

Emperor Yongsheng nodded, then gave Gu Jin Nian permission to go without worry.

Soon, Gu Jin Nian departed.

He also pondered some matters.

"If I swallow the lotus seed."

"My Immortal Path breakthrough to the Seventh Realm, combined with Buddhist cultivation to the Seventh Realm, will let me directly reach the Triple Heaven."

"Aligned with the Saint King's Way, I could slay the Quadruple Heaven's strong ones."

"If so, in the future great age, even if all races revive, what then?"

"The stronger the being, the harder it is for them to emerge into the world."

"If they dare to blare before me, they will all be exterminated."

Clarifying his goal, Gu Jin Nian landed on a mountain range, then slipped into it, promptly extracted the lotus seed and swallowed it without hesitation.

It was a lotus seed condensed from the mysterious Blue Lotus.

It contained immortal divine power; compared with the lotus seeds previously swallowed by Master Zhang and others, this seed's value was exceedingly high, surpassing the total of the original six seeds.

As the Blue Lotus was ingested, Gu Jin Nian's aura continuously transformed, his primordial spirit instantly radiated light, and he rose in Holy Punishment's Light Shooting Upwards.

The great mountain roared loudly.

A powerful aura once again engulfed the Eastern Wilderness; someone sensed Gu Jin Nian's presence, instantly sparking massive controversy.

"Is Gu Saint about to breakthrough again?"

"Confucian Dao Seventh Realm, Martial Dao Seventh Realm, and now an Immortal Dao Seventh Realm; Gu Jin Nian had already obtained a Buddhist Qi fortune earlier. Had it not been for lacking Buddhist faith power, he might have already entered the Nirvana Realm."

"All four major systems have reached the Seventh Realm, leaving only Sword Dao, Demon Dao, and Art Dao."

"If Gu Jin Nian uses his remaining time to elevate the remaining three paths to the Seventh Realm together, that would be truly terrifying—could he thus become a Heaven's Mandate Saint?"

Someone expressed curiosity, finding Gu Jin Nian unbelievable; ordinary people find it exceedingly difficult to cultivate a single system to the Seventh Realm, yet Gu Jin Nian simultaneously practices all four major systems, which is astonishing.

Normally, even a prodigy, with heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and luck, needs a lifetime to reach the Seventh Realm, though some self‑proclaimed exceptional ones manage it in half a life.

The remaining time is wholly insufficient to cultivate another path.

Cultivating four paths together is utterly inconceivable.

"Practicing multiple different paths has its merits, but in a sense it wastes time; each path leads to the ultimate peak, and solitary cultivation of one surpasses all. The others can be referenced, but need not be practiced together—one's time is inevitably limited."

"Don't be fooled by Gu Jin Nian's rapid foray onto four different paths; in reality his strength won't increase much—it's merely patching some shortcomings, and the later ones add little significance."

"If all that time were devoted to the Confucian Dao, perhaps his strength would be greater."

Someone spoke up, doubting that Gu Jin Nian's all‑at‑once cultivation of various paths would be better.

In their view, it would be simpler and better to focus on a single path.

But another voice countered that argument.

"That's not certain; each path offers distinct insight, and although you think it requires a long time, Gu Saint actually spent no more than three years in total."

"Do not judge an unparalleled genius by ordinary human perception."

Someone defended Gu Jin Nian, believing his approach to be beneficial and not overly time‑consuming; after all, Gu Jin Nian is a prodigy, a true prodigy, an unparalleled genius, not a mediocre person.

"Hmm."

"Moreover, the more systems one cultivates simultaneously, the more inexplicable benefits arise later; throughout history, some have practiced all seven major systems, though they never reached the Seventh Realm, getting stuck at the Sixth Realm, yet they could still contend with Seventh Realm masters without being at a disadvantage."

"If Gu Saint truly cultivated all seven major systems to the Seventh Realm, he might possess combat on par with the Eighth Realm—this is not impossible."

People continued to discuss.

In short, some deem Gu Jin Nian's actions meaningless, while others see it as beneficial, perhaps touching upon terrifying things.

Of course, the specifics depend on Gu Jin Nian.

A terrifying golden phantom appeared above Gu Jin Nian's head; this phantom was his primordial spirit, towering ten thousand feet, hovering over the mountain range.

People looked on as voices rose.

"Ancestor of Dao's true form?"

"Saint's true form?"

"Buddha's true form?"

Voices rang out; many looked, each exclaiming, but soon they realized the primordial spirits they saw were completely different.

Some saw the Dao Ancestor's spirit, some the Buddha's, and others the Saint's.

This was strange.

This is the myriad-form Primordial Spirit; each person sees a different Primordial Spirit, it is the reverence in one's heart.

The Primordial Spirit we see is the reverence in our hearts; this is a complete Primordial Spirit.

Finally someone guessed what was happening, couldn't help but exclaim, pointing at this Primordial Spirit image and speaking, appearing especially shocking.

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood, understood what was going on.

It must be said, every move of Gu Jin Nian is watched by countless people.

And at the same time.

Inside the Ning Prince's Mansion.

Supreme Clarity Daoist saw this scene, his expression turned grim to the extreme; Gu Jin Nian had broken through the Saint Realm and reached Martial Emperor, and now even the Immortal Path was not spared, he wanted to become a Primordial Spirit Realm powerhouse.

In that case, it would completely obscure their brilliance.

Moreover, Gu Jin Nian is getting stronger and stronger, stronger and stronger.

To be honest, being unafraid is impossible.

"Supreme Clarity Venerable, now that it's come to this, are you still obstinately ignorant? Gu Jin Nian is getting stronger and stronger; his strength now can easily kill you."

"This war, although we have established a Heaven-Earth Covenant, we cannot guarantee that Gu Jin Nian will not intervene."

"As long as this war is not won, Gu Jin Nian will then start to settle scores with you."

The voice of the Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate sounded, behind Supreme Clarity Daoist.

Hearing these words, Supreme Clarity Daoist's expression turned somewhat cold; although he believed and knew what the Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate said, such words sounded extremely harsh to hear.

"This poor daoist does not need your instruction."

Supreme Clarity Daoist coldly spoke.

The latter did not speak, merely stood silently, waiting for the other party.

After a moment, Supreme Clarity Daoist looked toward the latter and said.

"You mean, if this war is lost, let us join the Central Continent Dynasty? Fight the Southern Barbarians?"

He inquired.

"Yes!"

"Cooperating with the Central Continent Dynasty to overthrow the Southern Barbarians, once the Southern Barbarians are destroyed, the ancient humanity can emerge; of course, if we could overthrow the Da Xia Dynasty that would be best, but I worry that if we do this, Gu Jin Nian will forcibly intervene."

"Then it would be like drawing water with a bamboo basket—all for nothing."

The Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate spoke, his expression extremely resolute.

"No."

"Gu Jin Nian will absolutely not interfere; this Heaven-Earth Covenant was established by Gu Jin Nian, if it were broken it could not be him breaking it, he is a Saint, and should all the more abide by the rules; if he does not abide by the rules, we will call upon heavenly punishment—can he withstand it?"

Supreme Clarity Daoist spoke with an extremely resolute expression.

But after saying this, the latter couldn't help but smile slightly, looking at Supreme Clarity Daoist.

"There is nothing Gu Jin Nian dares not do."

"Venerable, let us look back and see how many things Gu Jin Nian has done in these three years that ordinary people dare not do."

"Moreover, if Da Xia suffers defeat, it will surely be suffering for all living beings; as a Saint, he would intervene to stop it, even if he broke the covenant first, heaven and earth would understand."

The Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate seemed to have anticipated many things.

"Why would heaven and earth excuse him? Just because he is a Saint?"

Upon hearing this, Supreme Clarity Daoist became somewhat displeased.

He felt this was fallacious reasoning; the Grand Dao is impartial, why should it favor Gu Jin Nian? But the Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate said nothing, because everything is understood without words.

Seeing the other party's silence, Supreme Clarity Daoist also understood the meaning, and eventually remained somewhat silent.

"If this battle is lost, I will join the Central Continent Dynasty."

"But this poor daoist will not submit to the Central Continent Dynasty."

"The Immortal Sect is not inferior to anyone."

Supreme Clarity Daoist still bore an aloof and unyielding demeanor.

Hearing this, the latter smiled slightly.

"Please, Supreme Clarity Venerable, rest assured, I understand."

Having said this, the Grand Dao Prefecture Magistrate also quickly departed.

After the magistrate departed, Supreme Clarity Daoist gazed at the Primordial Spirit in the firmament, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Gu Jin Nian."

"You and I should not have come to this point; you shouldn't be like this, driving me to this state."

"All the consequences, you bear half the responsibility."

Supreme Clarity Daoist spoke, his eyes filled with a cold gleam, extremely cold.

Gu Jin Nian is growing stronger and stronger, while the grudge between them has become irreconcilable, not due to deep hatred, but due to contention.

This is the great world's contention.

Gu Jin Nian has his own stance; he wants to become strong, sweeping aside everything.

Supreme Clarity Daoist also has a stance; he also wants to become strong, to make the Immortal Sect invincible.

The two of them are not right or wrong, merely having different stances.

But precisely because of this stance, the contradiction between them will only grow larger; now that Gu Jin Nian has become stronger, Supreme Clarity Daoist and his group cannot but be anxious, nor can they avoid panic.

Under continued future struggle, it is hard to guarantee that terrifying killing intent will not arise; then it will be a fight to the death.

Having reached this point, unless one side abolishes their cultivation and chooses to withdraw, otherwise, do not indulge in fantasies.

At this moment.

Western Desert.

Buddhist sect.

With Heaven's Mandate bolstering the Western Desert, this place has completely changed; the former Western Desert was extremely barren, with most of it a barren wasteland stretching for thousands of li.

Now the Western Desert is resplendent, turned into an oasis, and the Western Desert Buddhist sect is frantically taking in the populace, building temples, supporting a Buddhist state, letting people come to live, altering taxes to become extremely low.

They are creating a beautiful world, but one must abide by the Buddhist sect's rules and have faith in the true Buddha.

Inside the Great Treasure Glazed Temple.

Guangyuan Buddha and Hui'jue Buddha sat cross-legged in the main hall.

But suddenly, Guangyuan Buddha opened his eyes, a smile in them.

"An ancient Buddha has sent word: a great change in the Buddhist sect's future will appear in the Southern Barbarians."

His expression was full of joy.

Although the Buddhist sect has received Heaven's Mandate's support, the variable has not yet appeared.

"In the Southern Barbarians?"

Good, good.

"The variable of the immortal sect lies in the transformation of immortal artifacts, relying on divine metal hidden in the various great spirit mountains."

"And our Buddhist sect's variable is also the transformation of Buddhist artifacts, requiring merit; this time in the Southern Barbarians, the underworld of reincarnation may appear, and then all our Buddhist monks will go to the Southern Barbarians to ferry the souls of the dead, gaining immense merit."

"Then we can achieve transcendence, transform a step earlier; at that time, the Buddhist sect will be Heaven's Mandate's chosen."

Hui'jue Buddha spoke, full of confidence.

Upon these words, Guangyuan Buddha put his palms together.

"Good."

Afterward, the two remained silent, showing a quiet stillness.

Soon, in the blink of an eye, three days later.

In the ocean, since Heaven's Mandate descended, the sea often experiences extremely strange phenomena: rolling heavenly thunder, thousand‑zhang waves, darkening skies, as if the world were ending.

This causes some treasure ships to dare not cross the sea lightly.

Thus, maritime trade suffered a huge impact, yet even so, at this very moment, hundreds of treasure ships still ply the ocean.

These are Da Xia treasure ships, currently engaged in trade.

They cross the ocean, and the first few treasure ships each have a Martial King realm expert guarding them to reassure the people.

In the lead ship, a Martial King expert stands guard silently, gazing at the terrifying celestial phenomena, his heart heavy to the extreme.

Fortunately, the treasure ships are sturdy, and besides possessing a Spirit‑Gathering Ancient Formation, even if trapped, as long as there is enough time, they can still depart.

However.

Just at that moment.

Boom! Terrifying tentacles stretched out, probing from the deep seabed like pillars of water, then directly slapped the surrounding treasure ships.

"Impudent!"

"Da Xia treasure ships, what demon dares to encroach?"

At this moment, the Martial King's roar rang out; though he roared, fear still welled up in his heart, for this monster was too terrifying—a single tentacle stood a hundred zhang tall.

Boom! Ship after ship shattered instantly, and the soldiers aboard fell one by one into the sea.

Gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle!

Gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle!

A strange sound rang out, causing fear; a seabed whirlpool instantly appeared, drawing in all the seawater, and the soldiers swimming in the sea were all swallowed.

Including the Martial King.

They had not the slightest ability to resist.

Gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle‑gurgle.

When everything had been swallowed, the seabed gradually calmed, but if viewed from above, one would see a cerulean sea surface with several huge shadows gliding across it.

They headed toward the shore.

One resembled a squid, one resembled a flood dragon, and there were several other different silhouettes.

About a quarter of an hour later.

On the shore.

Four figures appeared.

One wore heavy armor, like a small mountain, his aura terrifying, his expression stern, his eyes icy cold.

His body was covered in black scales, his pupils also strange, like a snake's.

Beside him stood an elderly figure, his whole body slimy, but after coming ashore it gradually dissipated.

Behind him were two women with extraordinarily alluring figures, dressed in black, extremely seductive, yet their aura was very gloomy, especially their eyes, which were completely like a snake's.

"Hahaha, after so many years, we have finally come out."

"How many years? Probably tens of thousands; at last we can emerge into the world—this sunshine feels truly wonderful, and I truly envy those lowly, base humans who can enjoy such sunshine, unlike us, who can only feel the cold in the deep sea."

The black‑clad woman behind him spoke, twisting her body, seeming somewhat strange.

"The taste of humans just now has completely changed; I still miss the ancient humans, at least they tasted better when eaten, but there's nothing to be done—this era's spiritual energy has dissipated too much."

The other black‑clad woman spoke, saying thus.

The three of them exchanged words back and forth.

And the man in heavy armor, unable to hold back, slowly spoke.

"Stop the chatter; quickly enter the world, seek what we need, find this thing, then we can offer it to the young master, who will present it to the crown prince—once the crown prince obtains this crucial divine object,"

"the position of the East Sea Dragon King will belong to the crown prince, and we too shall enjoy many benefits."

"A new round of the great worldly struggle is about to begin; the sea folk will not lag behind humanity."

He spoke, his voice cold.

Hearing this, the three all nodded together.

"The Commander is absolutely correct."

Then the Commander continued, saying.

"In this world, there are also Seventh Realm strongmen; you three are at the Sixth Realm, not yet broken into the Seventh Realm, so you must be cautious."

"My own strength may not be enough to resist the strong ones of this world, especially the Confucian and Daoist saints; we need to be extra careful."

"Do not be too careless."

He warned them: among the four demons, only the leader possesses Seventh Realm cultivation and seems to be forcibly advancing, not pure; he is an eel demon with a drop of dragon blood in his body, allowing him to transform into a flood dragon.

He is Commander‑level.

"We understand."

The three continued their reply; after saying this, the former turned his gaze toward a nearby fishing village and then spoke.

"However, when the time comes to release, we must release; we have been sealed for too long, truly feeling suppressed, so let's devour all these lowly humans around us."

"Some humble races even dare to hunt our Sea Clan."

He said coldly.

After saying this, the three great demons were instantly delighted, then turned into three black shadows and rushed to slaughter the fishing village.

About half an hour later.

All the surrounding fishing villages were massacred; the three demons did not manifest bodies, but brutally killed the people alive, then swallowed them, chewing them finely, mouths filled with fresh blood.

This is what they call "low profile."

Yet this is true; in the Ancient Era, the Sea Clan was even more rampant and tyrannical, killing indiscriminately. Now they only kill a small portion, but in the Ancient Era, a hundred miles around would have been completely barren.

Very quickly the three shadows returned, their faces full of joy.

"Although the taste is poor, after swallowing, the essence gained is abundant, quite extraordinary, likely blessed by Heaven's Mandate; if I keep swallowing like this, the people of a whole city will let me step into the Seventh Realm."

The Squid spirit spoke, his face full of excitement, his eyes brimming with desire.

Even in the Ancient Era, devouring ordinary humans yielded no such benefit, but now it is different; after swallowing only a few hundred people, the effect is already impressive.

Swallowing a small city, hundreds of thousands of people, can break through to the Seventh Realm; how could one not be excited? "Do not act recklessly."

"If we truly swallow a small city, we risk being targeted by Seventh Realm strongmen; then it would cause great trouble for us."

He said.

"Although we also wish to devour, in the end we still know our purpose of reaching the shore."

"Commander, do they dare to provoke our Sea Clan? Even Seventh Realm strongmen are just barnyard chickens and cracked dogs before our Sea Clan; it is said that in later ages, the total number of Seventh Realm strongmen is only about ten."

The Python spirit spoke, showing a hint of resentment.

"Indeed, not many."

"But our Sea Clan has not yet fully revived; we must wait for the variables."

"Therefore, everything still needs to be handled with some caution."

"Stop the chatter, let's go."

He spoke, and after saying this, vanished on the spot; the latter exchanged a glance, then all disappeared.

After they all vanished.

In the blink of an eye.

Three days later.

In a deserted valley.

Within a massive abyss, several figures slowly emerged, surrounded by swirling demonic aura, their features indistinct.

About half an hour later, these figures turned human, but each was grotesquely ugly, teeth exposed, eyes bulging, nostrils huge—an unimaginable ugliness.

Two men and two women, their ugliness nauseating.

"After tens of thousands of years, our demon race has finally emerged, hahaha, our demon race has emerged."

The maniacal laughter echoed through the valley.

The four figures seemed especially excited, but soon they all donned cloaks.

Their gaze turned toward a place abundant in spiritual energy, miles away.

"Go!"

"Revive the Ten Thousand Demons Banner."

As the voice rang out, the four figures vanished from the spot and rushed toward the distance, their target being the Eternal Star Sect.

Most people are still unaware of these events.

At present, the most watched affair in the world is the Da Xia Civil War.

After today passes in New Xia, at midnight the nation will be established.

Everyone is waiting to see whether New Xia or the Da Xia Dynasty is stronger.

However, everyone previously thought King Ning would surely lose, but after some information was released, more and more people grew skeptical of the Da Xia Dynasty.

The reasons are none other than these.

Gu Jin Nian voluntarily forged a Heaven and Earth Covenant, prohibiting Sixth and Seventh Realm strongmen from intervening.

In this situation, it's a numbers game, depending on who has more troops and who is willing to sacrifice how much.

Yet King Ning now commands over three million soldiers, with the Xiongnu Nation, Fuyu Dynasty, Great Jin Dynasty, and the various Eastern Wilderness nations all supporting him.

In other words, the current situation is that King Ning has money, men, and grain.

Even within this brief period of less than three months, King Ning has reinforced all nine major cities once more, higher than before; even the city walls and gates were commissioned to be forged by Immortal Sect strongmen.

Regardless of whether we can win in direct combat, at least the defensive siege is invincible; even King Wu cannot break the city gates. Imagine how terrifying that is. After New Xia establishes its nation, it will begin to erode the Da Xia Dynasty's fortunes; if the Da Xia Dynasty cannot be conquered for a long time, the final choice will be either total annihilation or refusal to acknowledge New Xia, yet they will not intervene in New Xia.

Thus, New Summer will directly strip at least thirty percent of the nation's fortune.

Think about it: even if the Da Xia Dynasty's national fortune is only thirty percent, it still surpasses the Fuyu Dynasty, second only to the Great Jin Dynasty.

In this situation, the Da Xia Dynasty suffers a loss.

So all parties believe this war is not about who wins, but who suffers the greater loss.

King Ning has a flawless strategy; with these walls he can develop peacefully and steadily.

If, by chance, the Da Xia Dynasty cannot capture it after a prolonged siege, the army's morale collapses, and King Ning's troops turn the tables, that would be a world‑shaking event.

It is very likely to force Gu Jin Nian to act; but if Gu Jin Nian does act and voluntarily breaches the pact, the great powers will also scheme against Gu Jin Nian, so in this war whichever of the Seventh Realm strongmen strikes first will be the unlucky one. All advantage lies with King Ning.

Now.

In two more hours it will be the founding of New Summer, and a million troops on the front will begin to prepare for battle.

Although defending the city is invincible, a direct engagement is still needed to boost morale.

As for within the city, envoys from the great dynasties of the Eastern Wilderness have come to congratulate; today is the founding of New Summer, so they naturally come to offer their felicitations.

King Ning has handled every matter of the enthronement ceremony flawlessly; the dragon robe is already ready.

The whole city is filled with joyous cheer, truly delightful.

One hour later.

Finally, atop the front's main city, a resonant voice rang out.

"The Da Xia Dynasty, a hundred years since its founding, the founding ancestor rose from humble beginnings, pacified ten kingdoms, established the Da Xia Dynasty, received Heaven's Mandate, became the legitimate line, and passed the throne to Grandson Jiande. However, the founding ancestor's fourth son, Yong Sheng, driven by jealousy, ambitious and greedy, raised troops in rebellion, slaughtered civilians, and harmed the loyal."

"Today we list Yong Sheng's ten crimes, announcing them to the world."

The resonant voice belongs to a Sixth Realm strongman, who used his power to broadcast the sound throughout the Da Xia Dynasty.

It is clear this is meant to smear Emperor Yong Sheng.

Quickly, each charge is uttered, with language extremely vicious, brutal, greedy, ferocious, jealous—using every ugly term imaginable.

In the rear camp.

Emperor Yong Sheng listened calmly to the accusations, completely indifferent, while some soldiers in the main camp displayed intense anger one by one.

Whether genuine or feigned, it doesn't matter, but it must be displayed.

In the camp, Emperor Yong Sheng even took a sip of tea; these accusations held no meaning for him, for no other reason.

What is this? Are the ones insulting him few?

All this back‑and‑forth is just this sort of drivel, what purpose? He even finds it absurd.

As the emperor, the ruler of a nation, how could he be angered by such insults? Truly laughable.

This is Emperor Yong Sheng's thought.

However, the voice continued, presenting the tenth charge.

"He loves to claim great achievements; the officials' merits are his, their faults are others. For example, Gu Jin Nian's deeds are all seized, announced to the world as his own merit."

The charges are finished.

In an instant.

In the camp, Emperor Yong Sheng rose up immediately.

"I, damn it."

Emperor Yong Sheng nearly leapt up.

Previously, he cared not for the various charges, even despising them, finding those people utterly ridiculous.

But when it reached this point, Emperor Yong Sheng could no longer endure.

"This damn thing is slander!"

"When did I ever do such a thing? Damn me, when did I ever do this? 'Your Majesty, please do not be angry; this is a common enemy tactic, please do not be angry.'"

"Yes, Your Majesty, such baseless nonsense is nothing but a frame‑up, petty tactics, Your Majesty, calm down."

At this moment, every soldier in the camp rose, hoping Emperor Yong Sheng would not be angry.

But Emperor Yong Sheng pointed at them, his face ice‑cold, and said.

"What baseless nonsense? Gu Jin Nian reaching this point, I indeed have indispensable contributions; you don't truly think I never taught Gu Jin Nian anything, do you?"

Emperor Yong Sheng looked at the crowd.

In an instant, the camp fell silent.

Although they are subjects and know they must flatter, they cannot betray their conscience; they are warriors, their minds still can't…

"What are you doing?"

"Why are you silent?"

"Do you not trust me?"

Emperor Yong Sheng spoke, even more enraged.

"Believe, believe!"

"Your Majesty, I, the junior general, believe you completely."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, we naturally believe you."

"Indeed, the Marquis of Heaven's Mandate can achieve such; half the credit is yours, Your Majesty. In my hometown there is an old saying, 'Three years determines eighty', meaning a person's influences at three shape the future."

"When the Marquis of Heaven's Mandate was three, he often played in the palace; Your Majesty remembers, right?"

The crowd chattered, giving Emperor Yong Sheng a slight relief, though they knew these were flattery, sweet words, not to be believed.

But it sounded genuinely pleasant.

However, after the ten crimes were recited, the voice had not yet ended.

"Yong Sheng, do you know the crime?"

The voice rang out, questioning Emperor Yong Sheng.

"Know your mother's sin."

In the next moment, Emperor Yongsheng stepped out of the main army camp, raised his voice, and with the imperial seal, his words rang across the entire Eastern Wilderness.

For an instant, everyone was stunned; they hadn't expected a sovereign of a nation to speak like that.

But on closer thought, it seemed Gu Jin Nian had spoken that way before, too. In this respect, they believed Gu Jin Nian had learned from Emperor Yongsheng.

Boom—boom—boom.

As Emperor Yongsheng spoke, heaven and earth trembled; it was the emperor's wrath.

Above the northwestern capital city.

The Six Realms strongman shivered all over, his qi and blood roiling; faced with the emperor's wrath, he could not endure, after all Emperor Yongsheng already possessed the imperial seal.

"Fourth Brother."

"Stop being obstinate; back then you seized our nephew's throne, and now you must pay the price."

"Look at what has happened to the Da Xia Dynasty in your hands: corrupt officials, floods, the five great calamities. If it weren't for Gu Jin Nian, Da Xia would have perished long ago; don't you see your error?"

Prince Ning's voice rang out at that moment.

He rebuked Emperor Yongsheng.

"Rebellion?"

"Ridiculous."

"I merely did what anyone would choose; I, following Heaven's will, if Heaven does not permit me to ascend the throne, how could I ascend?"

"As for these calamities, are they caused by someone behind the scenes or genuine heavenly disasters? Don't you know?"

Emperor Yongsheng spoke; facing his own brother, he spoke plainly.

"Ha, it seems Fourth Brother still hasn't awakened."

"Enough, enough. After New Xia establishes the nation, the younger brother will be more modest. I will heal my country; you do your part. Do not cause needless casualties, bring suffering to the people, or cause the people's ruin."

Prince Ning's words were extremely disgusting; using that phrase made many in Da Xia frown.

Now it seemed as if it were Emperor Yongsheng's fault.

"Do you truly think you can definitely hold it?"

Emperor Yongsheng replied coldly.

"Then bring it on; I have three million troops, backed by the nations of the Eastern Wilderness. I'm not afraid of fighting for twenty years."

Prince Ning spoke, indeed confident; after all, the nations of the Eastern Wilderness are supporting his New Xia, so why wouldn't he be confident? "The nations of the Eastern Wilderness?"

"I shall see after today whether these nations will continue to support you as before."

Emperor Yongsheng's voice was exceedingly cold.

"Fourth Brother, you've become foolish with anger; three million troops—do you expect them to be annihilated overnight?"

"By the way, you have the two saints Gu Jin Nian and Su Wenjing; then have the saints act and exterminate us all—that would also work."

"After all, saints are full of benevolence and virtue; I understand."

Prince Ning sneered; he heard Emperor Yongsheng's implication that he could wipe out his three million troops in a single night.

Utterly ridiculous.

Truly maddening.

Thus he spoke, not only mocking back but also ridiculing Gu Jin Nian and Su Wenjing together.

"Hmph!"

"Then I shall let you see."

"Do not regret."

Emperor Yongsheng spoke, uttering that harsh words.

However, to the onlookers, that harsh statement seemed like a stubborn boast, meaningless.

"Then I shall watch and wait."

Prince Ning sneered.

At that moment, both sides fell completely silent.

At this instant, on the front lines, Duke Zhen Guo's voice rose.

"In one hour, the entire army will launch an attack; the first battle must be fought with all our might."

"Even if we cannot capture the city, we must slay all the enemies for me."

"We shall not disgrace His Majesty."

"Nor disgrace Da Xia."

Duke Zhen Guo, outspoken as ever, also flared up, seeking to give Emperor Yongsheng a face.

Yet at that moment, a piece of intelligence arrived swiftly.

"General, the imperial decree has arrived."

As the voice rang out, the generals in the camp were somewhat surprised, but Duke Zhen Guo remained calm.

"It must be His Majesty boosting our morale."

Duke Zhen Guo, after taking the decree and opening it, couldn't help but furrow his brows.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the camp grew strange.

"Duke, what's happening?"

"Yes, Duke, what's the matter?"

Voices rose one after another.

Everyone was somewhat surprised, genuinely curious.

"His Majesty says, let us delay three hours before dispatching troops,"

The Duke of Zhen Guo set the imperial edict down and said, his eyes full of curiosity.

What does it mean to dispatch troops three hours later? At this moment the atmosphere demands a swift push; everyone is angry, the frontline soldiers are each seething, after all their sovereign has been insulted—how could they not be furious?

Logically, another half hour should be enough to declare war, right?

Why delay three hours? They do not understand.

"Then what should we do?"

The crowd asked curiously.

"The imperial edict cannot be defied."

"Postpone by three hours."

The Duke of Zhen Guo publicly declared that they must obey, yet his heart remained full of doubt.

Meanwhile.

The sound of war drums rang out.

It was the enemy army's war drums.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening sound evoked an indescribable feeling.

It set blood boiling and left no fear in the heart.

The entire northwestern army deployed; outside the nine great cities, two million troops were dispatched, and within the main city there were five hundred thousand troops, of which two hundred thousand were Xiongnu heavy cavalry and one hundred thousand Red Lotus heavy cavalry.

Moreover, there was an invincible heavy cavalry unit, clad in meteoric‑gold battle armor, wielding meteoric‑gold long swords, their eyes icy, staring ahead with murderous intent.

Just a glance was enough to inspire dread.

Inside Prince Ning's mansion.

Everyone watched the scene in the sky; it was a Daoist technique that allowed remote observation and control of the battlefield.

Seeing this invincible army appear, smiles spread across everyone's faces.

Especially Prince Ning, who sat at the head of the banquet, eagerly awaiting this unit to slaughter Da Xia soldiers.

To carve a fearsome reputation.

"We, in advance, congratulate Your Majesty!"

At that moment, envoys from various nations rose, bowed to Prince Ning, and offered wine.

They had already begun celebrating early.

"You're welcome, you're welcome, hahahaha."

"Rest assured, once Da Xia is established, we will repay you all."

Prince Ning rejoiced greatly; he had already donned the dragon robe.

After today's battle ends, at the hour of Mao (5–7 am), he will ascend the throne.

Boom! Finally.

Just as the war drums violently reverberated.

The hour of Zi (11 pm–1 am) had arrived.

"All forces, advance!"

The command was issued.

Hundreds of thousands of troops formed battle lines, while the Da Xia soldiers stood motionless.

To onlookers, they seemed somewhat fearful.

During the banquet, Prince Ning smiled outwardly, yet he was deeply concerned inside.

Seeing this, Prince Ning couldn't help but frown; his intuition was uneasy.

After all, the Da Xia soldiers were all still; it was too strange.

"Hahaha, the Da Xia soldiers are scared stiff and dare not move."

A minor‑state envoy spoke pleasant words, yet nobody at the banquet responded much.

They were not foolish; they knew it was odd.

"Your Majesty, they won't employ the Seven Realms power, will they?"

Prince Ning couldn't help asking, still fearing someone might use the Seven Realms power; if such power were used, he would be doomed.

"Rest assured."

"If they truly use it, Gu Jin Nian will inevitably incur a terrible heavenly punishment; then we will ambush and execute him, sacrificing three million soldiers, and swapping one Gu Jin Nian will never be a loss."

"If that is so, Your Majesty can then proceed directly to the Da Xia capital to ascend the throne."

The Shangqing Daoist said with utmost confidence.

The other few strongmen also nodded.

Hearing this, Prince Ning instantly relaxed.

But at that moment.

Behind the Da Xia camp.

Emperor Yongsheng's voice slowly resonated.

"Sky Dome Camp!"

"Launch!"

As those words fell, in an instant, one Sky Dome fighter after another took off.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The sonic boom roared; Emperor Yongsheng had equipped the Sky Dome fighters with spirit crystals, making them faster.

Thus a terrifying sonic boom was produced.

Hundreds of fighters lifted off.

In addition, Sky Dome No. 2 and Sky Dome No. 3 also rose into the sky.

Rushed to the front‑line battlefield.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

On the battlefield.

The enemy's shouts kept echoing as they charged forward; the Da Xia soldiers frowned one by one, because a command from above forbade advancing and ordered a delay of three hours before engaging.

If the enemy reached them, they would choose to retreat.

A terrifying aura crashed in like the heavens splitting, and the Da Xia soldiers' morale indeed dropped considerably.

Some even began to sweat on their palms.

It's not fear of battle; it's the pointlessness of standing here forever—if they really charge later, they might not be able to run.

"Ding!"

"Ding!"

"Ding!"

At that moment, a metallic clang rang out, signalling a withdrawal.

In an instant, all the Da Xia soldiers fell back.

The retreat was swift.

But this scene left countless great powers across the world dumbfounded.

What on earth is happening?

People were shocked, truly not knowing what was going on.

Why retreat so cleanly? Weren't they supposed to fight? Did they just run away? Shouldn't Prince Ning be defending the city? Why are the Da Xia soldiers fleeing?

Is this just empty talk?

Countless doubts arose; even within Prince Ning's residence, everyone was puzzled, and the Upper Clarity Daoist were also confused, completely not understanding what the Da Xia Dynasty was doing.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, the enemy had already surged forward, each soldier ecstatic, feeling joy; they thought the Da Xia soldiers were scared, that they feared the war.

They won!

But the next moment—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Hundreds of golden rays flashed across the sky dome.

Soon, the sky‑dome warplanes became visible.

One after another, metal‑crafted warplanes appeared, looking extremely bizarre and strange to everyone.

The warplanes hovered over the battlefield.

"What is this?"

"Is it a flying artifact?"

"What a strange thing! It looks so odd, yet it gives an indescribable feeling."

"What is this thing?"

"Is this Da Xia's trump card? What is it? An artifact?"

People were astonished, and everyone inside Prince Ning's residence stood up, looking at the object with confusion.

"It's not an artifact."

"It's merely a flying object with a spirit‑collecting formation."

An Upper Clarity Daoist spoke; with a sweep of his mind, he understood what it was.

"A flying object with a spirit‑collecting formation?"

"What is that?"

"What is Da Xia making this for?"

"To scout the battle situation?"

Everyone was curious but completely baffled; at first they thought it was some powerful artifact, but the Upper Clarity Daoist said it wasn't, which puzzled them.

So strange.

Very eerie.

But while everyone was puzzled—

Suddenly, a terrified shout rang out.

"Look,"

"What is this?"

Someone pointed at the battle display and said.

Immediately, everyone turned to look.

Soon.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above the sky‑dome warplanes, stone‑like objects fell one after another.

They landed on the battlefield, triggering horrifically massive explosions on the spot.

The entire plain battlefield instantly turned into a sea of fire and a furnace of hell.

Especially the hundreds of Sky Dome No. 1 units, which dropped their altitude and launched terrifying shells one after another.

The explosions produced deafening blasts.

It was terrifying.

On the plain, the once‑raging half‑million army was instantly reduced to a wreck; under the massive explosions, corpses littered everywhere.

Blood flowed like rivers.

War horses galloped in disorder.

The Xiongnu iron cavalry, each of them dumbfounded.

"Didn't they say not to use seventh-realm battle power? Gu Jin Nian, fuck your mother."

The soldiers roared, instinctively thinking that Gu Jin Nian had made a move.

When Heavenly Firmament No. 1 appeared before them, accompanied by a falling shell, in an instant thousands perished in the sea of fire.

The battlefield instantly turned the tide.

The 500,000-strong army suffered heavy casualties under such terrifying bombardment; all soldiers fled in disarray, but the only place to flee to was the plain.

Where could they flee to? "Protect Heavenly Firmament No. 3!"

"Enter the city!"

"Cease fire!"

In the rear of the camp, the Eternal Prosperity Great Emperor's voice rang out, issuing the supreme military order.

In an instant, all warplanes flew upward, arriving beside Heavenly Firmament No. 3, tightly escorting it; Heavenly Firmament No. 3 appeared, a terrifying metal monster, shocking some powerhouses.

Soon, as Heavenly Firmament No. 3 entered the main city.

In an instant.

Thunderbolt bombs fell one after another.

As many as twenty.

At the greatest speed, in the skies tens of thousands of feet high, they directly discharged a full round.

Boom! Boom! Boom! An unparalleled explosion occurred.

The city walls praised as the most impregnable in the world.

The city walls praised as unbreachable.

Taiyuan Ancient City instantly erupted in dozens of mushroom clouds; the intense firelight within the city was blinding.

The great explosion sounded.

The ground trembled; the million-strong army had no time to escape, vanishing entirely with the firelight.

Fortunately, because they were going to war, all the civilians inside the ancient city had left.

Meanwhile, most of the soldiers in the city were reinforcements brought by various states; they came just to reap some benefits, never getting a chance to act.

Thus, merely garrisoning the city would suffice.

But they did not expect this.

In a moment.

Everything disappeared.

Accompanying the great explosion, it appeared.

On the Divine Land Continent, countless powerhouses could no longer sit still, each stunned into a dazed stare.

Da Xia military camp.

The Prince Who Guards the State stared dumbfounded at all this.

This war had cost him everything.

Everything, everything! Prince Ning's Manor.

Prince Ning stared blankly at all this.

Three million-strong army.

In an instant, casualties were heavy, yet not a single enemy died.

The Supreme Clarity Daoist, Zhang True Person, and the Yin-Yang Sect Leader were each left dumbfounded on the spot.

But.

Zhongzhou Dynasty.

The Zhongzhou Emperor sprang up from the dragon throne, his breathing extremely ragged, his gaze fixed tightly on the pool before him.

In the pool was Da Xia's internal war this time.

In his gaze.

Filled with incredulity!

It was shocking! It was incredible!

It was an unparalleled excitement! Also an ineffable fluctuation.

"How could this be possible?"

"How could this be possible?"

"How can the war still be fought like this?"

"How could a three-million-strong army possibly be utterly destroyed in an instant?"

"Even if we were to slaughter them, it would take three months, right?"

"What on earth is this?"

"Why do I not have such a thing?"

The Zhongzhou Emperor's breathing was extremely ragged; for him, the impact of this great war was too strong.

Too strong, too strong.

He had always believed that the Zhongzhou Iron Cavalry was invincible under heaven, but today the Da Xia Dynasty made him realize what terror is.

What true war is.

The million-strong army was instantly exterminated, and absolutely without relying on the power of the Sixth Realm and Seventh Realm.

He could sense it, very clearly.

"Come here!"

"Summon Master Guigu."

"Also, quickly send the Minister of Rites to fetch Gu Jin Nian; I wish to see him."

"Converse with him."

"I will receive Gu Jin Nian with the honor due a State Preceptor."

"The voice of the Central Continent Great Emperor sounded."

"And his breath could not settle."

"To be precise."

"Everyone was shaken to trembling! (End of chapter)"