Chapter 602: On the Eve of the Founding Ceremony: Reactions from Various Nations

Once the major matters were decided in the imperial court, news spread across the continent in short order. Corresponding to this, invitations were sent out to all the major kingdoms, principalities, and sects.

This even included the Spirit Hall; of course, Feihuang only invited the people from the Offering Hall.

Star Luo, however, was ignored by Nan Tianchen. After all, his father and mother had died years ago due to the war with Star Luo. Back then, Gu Lei had nearly been destroyed and could only attach itself to Heaven Dou. As the weakest vassal kingdom, if not for his own diligent governance and the sudden emergence of his son Nan Feihuang, who suppressed the world, who knows how long the Gu Lei Kingdom would have remained in decline.

If the person Nan Feihuang hated most was Bibi Dong, then the entity he hated most was, without a doubt, the Star Luo Empire.

Therefore, Nan Tianchen had already made his decision: after establishing the nation and declaring himself Emperor, the first one he would take a knife to would be Star Luo.

Within the Spirit Empire, Qian Daoliu looked at the letter in his hand, a wave of emotion in his heart. "This day has finally come. After Nan Tianchen establishes his nation, I fear the war on the continent will truly begin. It will no longer be the kind of war between us and Star Luo that was all thunder but little rain, but a true war of unification!"

"There is no helping it. Ever since the day Bibi Dong assassinated Feihuang, Feihuang has changed completely. He no longer supports Xue'er, but instead, his ambition has surged, and he is constantly strengthening his own national power. Sigh, the strongest ally has become the most terrifying opponent," Guangling Douluo sighed.

Indeed, to those who did not know the truth, Feihuang had originally been Qian Renxue's most powerful supporter. It was all Bibi Dong's fault for assassinating Nan Feihuang under the guise of Qian Renxue, triggering all of his anger and causing his personality to undergo a massive shift, turning him into a figure of extreme ambition.

"Alright, it is too late to say anything now," Qian Daoliu sighed. In truth, he was also deeply regretful. Had he known Nan Feihuang would grow to such a degree in such a short time, he should have done everything in his power to stop Bibi Dong back then.

Every time he failed to act, it seemed to lead to terrible consequences.

"Then, Great Elder, are we going to attend Feihuang's invitation?" Guangling Douluo asked.

"Xue'er is in seclusion completing the Angel God Trial, and I must assist her. Old Five, you go. You have a good relationship with that boy, and you were the one who personally draped the robe over him during his Title Ceremony," Qian Daoliu said.

If it were anyone else's invitation, Qian Daoliu would definitely choose to ignore it, but Feihuang was different. Firstly, he was a powerhouse on the same level as himself, worthy of his respect. Secondly, he was his granddaughter's beloved; regardless of who won or lost between the Gu Lei Kingdom and the Spirit Hall in the future, he was very likely to be his grandson-in-law—it was just a matter of whether Qian Renxue married into his family or Nan Feihuang married into theirs.

Thirdly, he truly owed Nan Feihuang too many favors: the grace of saving Qian Renxue's life in the Star Dou Great Forest, the restraint he showed toward their Offering Hall on the battlefield multiple times, and the recent favor of helping Qian Renxue resolve her inner demons.

With all these things piling up, he felt he had no confidence when looking at Nan Feihuang now. With so many favors, how was he supposed to repay them!

Therefore, he had no choice but to give Feihuang face.

At this moment, Qian Daoliu actually envied Bibi Dong. She only remembered grudges and not favors; even if one had done her a kindness, so what? At worst, she would just return kindness with enmity.

But Qian Daoliu could not do that. He bore the name of the Angel God's justice, and his own character was decent enough; these things had become shackles that restricted him.

"Alright, rest assured, Great Elder, I am setting off now," Guangling Douluo said happily. He had wanted to go join in the fun anyway.

Within the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Ke had also just finished reading the letter in her hand, written to her by Feihuang.

"Brother Feihuang, your years of preparation have finally been completed," Xue Ke smiled. "Uncle Ge Long, go prepare immediately; we are setting off for the Gu Lei Kingdom."

"Your Majesty, why are you still so happy? The Gu Lei Kingdom becoming the Gu Lei Empire means it is completely breaking away from Heaven Dou and is no longer a vassal kingdom of our Heaven Dou Empire. Not only that, they have also taken the Hagen Dazs Kingdom and the Tianshuang Principality with them. This is betrayal." Ge Long was filled with indignation. Having always prioritized the Heaven Dou Empire, he could not stand to see anyone betray it.

"And so what? Those vassal kingdoms always had their own agendas. Did our empire have good intentions when we gathered them before? Didn't Father want to use these small countries between Heaven Dou and Star Luo as outposts to block Star Luo's invasions and as a buffer zone for war? Didn't my father-in-law's Gu Lei Kingdom suffer because of this back then, and didn't Brother Feihuang's grandparents die because of it?" Xue Ke said.

Having served as Empress for many years, she was no longer the naive girl she once was, and she could see many things clearly.

"Furthermore, in an official capacity, Brother Feihuang is still our country's Regent, and our country still needs to rely on his strength. If we do not attend his country's founding ceremony, wouldn't that be telling the world that our Heaven Dou Empire is dissatisfied with the Gu Lei Kingdom declaring itself an empire, thereby increasing the rift between the two countries? Privately, I am Brother Feihuang's wife; how could I be absent for such a big event in the family?"

Xue Ke said firmly. Her husband's letter had repeatedly urged her to go in person, as he had a gift for her, his wife. Feihuang had always doted on Qian Renxue and Lv Lingqi, but Xue Ke was also his woman, and he could not be too biased.

In fact, during the time Feihuang went to Sea God Island, Dian Wei and the others had not been idle.

Because when Feihuang advanced to Title Douluo, the powerful Ice and Fire Power caused the plants in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to grow rapidly. Among them, an eight-thousand-year-old Fleeceflower grew into a Ten Thousand Year Fleeceflower.

This was an Immortal Herb on the same level as the Ten Thousand Year Ginseng King, which meant Yang Wudi could refine the Nine Heavens Divine Dragon Pill once more. He prepared to try refining two of them again.

Having learned from the previous lesson, he brought in Dian Wei and Nan Tianchen to assist, using Dian Wei's Bursting Fire to enhance the flame power and Nan Tianchen's Array Fire to achieve precise control.

Finally, they succeeded this time. Although only one Nine Heavens Divine Dragon Pill was born, and the other ended up as a Dragon Transformation Pill, it was enough.

Nan Tianchen gave that Dragon Transformation Pill to Xing Daorong, the last of the three brothers. Xing Daorong, like his two older brothers, had just reached Level Ninety and became the Fire Ox Douluo.

And this Divine Dragon Pill was what Feihuang had left for Xue Ke. The medicinal power of the Divine Dragon Pill was far stronger than the Dragon Transformation Pill; even if Xue Ke's aptitude was insufficient, it was enough to help her reach the Title level. Although her cultivation would slow down in the future, if she relied on her own cultivation, she would never reach Spirit Douluo in her next life, let alone Title level.

Feihuang did not need her to become a god anyway; once he became a god, he could just take her with him.

Ge Long remained silent. He admitted that what Xue Ke said was right; the current Gu Lei Kingdom was no longer something the Heaven Dou Empire could manipulate.

Not only could they not afford to offend them, but they also had to continue to maintain friendly relations.

Otherwise, once a rift developed between the two sides, without the deterrence of the Gu Lei Kingdom's many Title Douluos and Nan Feihuang, the Spirit Empire's army would likely have already reached the gates of Tiandou City.

The Heaven Dou Empire could not withstand the Title Douluos from the Spirit Empire.

"Uncle Ge Long, I know what you are worried about. It's that after Brother Feihuang's war to unify the continent begins, our Heaven Dou Empire will also be invaded by him, right? Rest assured, that won't happen. Brother Feihuang has already told me his thoughts, and I have agreed," Xue Ke smiled.

"What thoughts?" Ge Long was somewhat puzzled; Xue Ke had never mentioned this to him.

Xue Ke did not say more. Of course she wouldn't mention it, because that was their family secret. Although Ge Long was a loyal subject of the Heaven Dou Empire, he was not part of their family. How could she tell an outsider like him about her family's plans for the future?

"Uncle Ge Long, you don't need to worry about this. Pass on my Imperial Edict: I will personally visit the Gu Lei Kingdom... no, the Gu Lei Empire, to congratulate my husband and father-in-law." Xue Ke stood up and issued the edict.

Seeing this, Ge Long had no other choice. In his heart, the Imperial Edict was above all else, so he immediately said, "This subject obeys the edict."

Unlike Qian Daoliu's hesitation and Xue Ke's joy.

On the side of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai was filled with nothing but anger.

"Hmph, what a Gu Lei Kingdom, they are simply arrogant!"

The Gu Lei Kingdom had sent invitations to all forces on the continent, but not to them. Wasn't this clearly looking down on the Star Luo Empire?

(End of chapter)