Chapter 302: The Clear Sky Sect Emerges; The Two Great Empires Are Excited

Heaven Dou Empire

"Your Majesty, the Bala Kingdom has not paid its tribute as promised this year, and the envoys sent there have also vanished without a trace; our secret agents have been unable to investigate clearly. Currently, a major event may be occurring in the Bala Kingdom. Should we take precautions against potential contingencies?"

During the morning court session, a Cabinet minister reported solemnly to Empress Xue Ke.

Empress Xue Ke sat upon the throne with a stern expression, her eyes flashing with decisiveness and majesty.

She was no longer that little girl from before, but the current ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire, a majestic and dignified Nuhuang.

She looked at the Cabinet minister below with a calm gaze, then asked, "Apart from the matter of the Bala Kingdom, are there any other important items requiring my attention?"

Her tone revealed a sense of composure and decisiveness, allowing everyone to feel her grip on the country.

Regarding the matter of the Bala Kingdom, she did not appear flustered, but viewed it with a calm eye.

Under her rule, although the Heaven Dou Empire faced various complex internal and external environments, it consistently prioritized stability and prosperity, continuing to develop.

And Empress Xue Ke's wisdom and leadership were, as a result, widely recognized and praised by the common people.

"357 new roads were completed this month..."

"There are signs of drought in the north; we need to dispatch Spirit Masters with the Water Attribute for artificial rain..."

"Near Heaven Dou City, 13 new rural villages have been constructed..."

After the Cabinet minister finished reporting, Empress Xue Ke returned to her study alone, falling into deep thought.

A woman in black with a masked face suddenly appeared; Empress Xue Ke did not feel surprised by the suddenly appearing woman in black. This woman in black had a slender figure, her face was covered, and she exuded a mysterious aura.

"How is the situation in the Bala Kingdom?"

Empress Xue Ke walked to the windowsill, turned her back to the woman in black, and asked indifferently.

"Nuhuang, according to information provided by the Spirit Hall Information Department, the Clear Sky Sect has emerged once again and quickly occupied the Bala Kingdom. However, the methods they used were too heavy-handed, leading to a power vacuum in many of the kingdom's official posts. They have been stabilizing affairs within the kingdom and no one has reminded them about the tribute."

The voice of the woman in black was cold and mechanical, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

This woman in black was a secret agent specially trained by the Spirit Hall Information Department; her mission was to transmit all important information on the continent to Empress Xue Ke in real time.

Although the Bala Kingdom had been sealed off, the Spirit Hall Branch had a channel specifically for transmitting information, a channel that could ensure the Spirit Hall understood everything happening on the continent in real time.

At present, no one had been able to block this information channel.

Empress Xue Ke was silent for a moment, then slowly turned around to face the woman in black: "Continue to monitor the movements of the Bala Kingdom closely, and at the same time strengthen connections with other kingdoms. Once there is any sign of trouble, report to me immediately."

The woman in black bowed slightly: "Yes, Nuhuang." Then she vanished into the night.

After the woman in black vanished, Empress Xue Ke stood alone before the window, gazing at the stars in the night sky.

Her heart was filled with thoughts, thinking of the coming storm and the potential crises that might arise.

She knew well that the re-emergence of the Clear Sky Sect was a threat that could not be underestimated.

Their strength was formidable and their methods ruthless; once they launched an attack on the Heaven Dou Empire, it would pose a massive threat to the country.

Empress Xue Ke paced back and forth in the study, thinking of countermeasures.

She decided to strengthen the Empire's defensive forces and raise the guard level at the borders to prevent a surprise attack by the Clear Sky Sect.

She quickly summoned the Cabinet minister and began discussing specific defensive strategies.

They formulated a series of rigorous plans and measures, including increasing the density of military patrols, strengthening Spirit Master defenses at the borders, and raising the vigilance of the populace.

At the same time, Empress Xue Ke also ordered the woman in black to closely monitor the movements of the Bala Kingdom and to strengthen connections with other kingdoms.

She knew well that at this time, she must utilize all resources and strength to guard against the coming storm.

As time passed, the Heaven Dou Empire's defensive preparations gradually unfolded.

Empress Xue Ke's instructions were as strict as military orders, leaving no one daring to slack off.

The entire country was permeated with a tense atmosphere, as if a great war were about to break out.

However, in this tense atmosphere, Empress Xue Ke always maintained her calm and decisiveness.

She knew that only through such preparation and effort could she truly protect her country and people, avoiding falling into the abyss of war.

Since ascending the throne, Empress Xue Ke had been committed to developing people's livelihoods and raising the living standards of the populace.

However, she also knew well that a country's development required comprehensive improvement, including the citizens' crisis awareness and spirit of unity.

Since coexisting peacefully with the Star Luo Empire, both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire had lacked a kind of external pressure.

In the past, this pressure had once pushed the two Empires to develop rapidly.

However, nowadays, despite the support of the Spirit Hall, the development speed of the two Empires had still slowed down.

But if one more pressure were added, both Two Great Empires could develop faster.

The Clear Sky Sect choosing the Bala Kingdom as a target, a place sandwiched between the Two Great Empires, and occupying such a place, had clearly indicated their attitude.

The Bala Kingdom had always been a vassal state of the Heaven Dou Empire, but now it had been occupied by the Clear Sky Sect; this was a slap in the face of the Empire.

Therefore, after the war preparations were finished, this great battle would be inevitable.

In fact, Empress Xue Ke could also seek help from the Spirit Hall, but she chose to deal with it independently.

The essence of the Spirit Hall's establishment was to maintain peace on the continent; to put it more clearly, it was to regulate the relationship between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

Now that the relationship between the two countries was very good, the matter of the Bala Kingdom could only be considered a civil war.

Therefore, the Spirit Hall had no reason to intervene for the time being.

Of course, if Empress Xue Ke personally requested the assistance of the Spirit Hall, the situation might change.

Empress Xue Ke deliberately spread this news to ignite the national enthusiasm and crisis awareness of the Empire's people.

When this news spread, the common people were all filled with indignation.

They understood the impact this conflict might have on the Empire and the role they could play in this war.

Because the people's living standards had improved and they had lived in peace and contentment for too long, the fact that the Empire was in trouble still stirred the hot blood in their hearts, so they one after another expressed their desire to repay the Empire and fight for it.

Consequently, the recruitment centers of the Imperial army were crowded with people, all expressing their desire to fight for the Empire and contribute their strength to maintaining the Empire's dignity and rights.

Empress Xue Ke's decision received the support and response of the people; she knew well that this was a responsibility she had to bear as a leader.

In the days that followed, Empress Xue Ke actively prepared for war, strengthened border defense measures, and established a united front with other kingdoms.

She firmly stated that she would fight to the end to protect the safety of the Empire and its citizens.

At the same time, she also stirred up a wave of patriotic fervor among the populace.

She encouraged the common people to unite as one and jointly deal with the foreign invasion.

She emphasized the importance of every individual in national security and called on the citizens to actively participate in this war.

As the war drew near, the entire country was immersed in an atmosphere that was both tense and united.

People began to realize that their country needed them, and their safety needed to be protected by themselves.

In this impending war, Empress Xue Ke saw both opportunities and challenges.

She understood that through this war, not only could the public's crisis awareness be raised, but the country's unity and national resilience could also be strengthened.

However, she was also deeply aware of the risks and pressures of this war.

Therefore, before setting out, she delivered a passionate and generous speech to the citizens.

She encouraged the citizens to unite as one, face this challenge together, and expressed her determination for their firm support.

In her speech, she emphasized the glory and responsibility of the country, as well as the determination to fight to protect their homeland.

She assured the citizens that no matter the result of the war, she would stand with them to jointly safeguard the dignity and rights of the country.

As the war drew near, the Heaven Dou Empire entered a state of readiness for war.

Every citizen threw themselves into this battle to protect their home and country, and their enthusiasm and spirit of unity deeply moved Empress Xue Ke.

Seeing the scene of the Empire's people being of one mind, Empress Xue Ke felt deeply gratified.

At the same time, Empress Zhu Zhuqing also received important news.

Zhu Zhuqing had not forgotten the incident previously exposed by the Clear Sky Sect regarding the Heaven Dou Empire's attack on the Star Luo Empire; this historical event had left a deep impression on her.

Later, for the sake of peace on the continent, Zhu Zhuqing suppressed the matter of the Clear Sky Sect.

After Xue Ke ascended the throne, the Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion again, and the matter of revenge was left unsettled.

However, the Clear Sky Sect had now reappeared, giving the Star Luo Empire an opportunity for revenge.

Empress Zhu Zhuqing quickly summoned the Cabinet ministers to discuss this matter seriously.

When she announced to the ministers that the Clear Sky Sect had reappeared in the world, the scene became lively, and everyone felt incomparably excited.

In these past few years, the Star Luo Empire had developed quite well under the leadership of Empress Zhu Zhuqing, and the lives of the common people were stable and prosperous.

However, this also led to them gradually losing their crisis awareness.

Empress Zhu Zhuqing knew that she must awaken the vigilance of the people.

Empress Zhuqing also received news from the Heaven Dou Empire.

Consequently, she began to give public speeches, publicizing the existence and threat of the Clear Sky Sect.

Although it currently appeared that this matter belonged to the civil war of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire could participate in the war under the name of revenge.

She proclaimed to the public that this war was for the sake of revenge, not aggression.

Several consecutive days of speeches successfully ignited the blood and spirit of the Star Luo Empire's citizens.

The folk customs of the Star Luo Empire were originally bellicose, but they had gradually lost this characteristic due to long-term peace.

Through these few days of speeches, by exposing the past crimes of the Clear Sky Sect, Empress Zhu Zhuqing aimed to awaken the blood and spirit within them.

Similar to the situation in the Heaven Dou Empire, the military recruitment centers of the Star Luo Empire were also crowded with people. However, there were clear requirements for recruiting soldiers.

Those who were married with offspring were prioritized, the second sons of families with siblings were next, while unmarried only sons were not accepted.

Because these young people still had family responsibilities unfulfilled, and it was not currently a moment of life-and-death for the country, they were not encouraged to join the army.

Within the Two Great Empires, a preparation for war of unprecedented scale was quietly unfolding.

They were all busily strengthening their military armaments and sharpening their blades, waiting for the coming conflict.

At the same time, these two empires had jointly issued a notice to the Spirit Hall, clearly stating that this war did not require the intervention of the Spirit Hall; they preferred to resolve the dispute by relying on their own strength.

For them, this war was not just a struggle for power, but also a means to ignite the blood and spirit of the populace.

Every soldier, regardless of which empire they came from, would fight for the glory of their country and shed their blood to defend their own homeland.

After receiving the notice from the Two Great Empires, the Spirit Hall, after careful consideration, finally expressed its agreement.

They understood the intentions of the Two Great Empires and also understood that they needed this war to push their people to unite as one and face the coming challenges together.

However, the Spirit Hall also proposed a condition. They pointed out that the people of the Bala Kingdom were innocent and should not be dragged into this war.

Therefore, the Spirit Hall hoped that when the Two Great Empires attacked, they could target the Clear Sky Sect as their main objective, and for other troops, if possible, they should try to capture them rather than cause senseless slaughter.

On top of this condition, the Spirit Hall put forward a further suggestion: if possible, they hoped the Two Great Empires could protect the innocent people of the Bala Kingdom as much as possible, avoiding direct harm to them from the war.

This suggestion was recognized by the Two Great Empires, and they jointly promised that they would follow this principle as much as possible during the war to protect the innocent people of the Bala Kingdom.

They understood that although war was necessary, not all means could be accepted.

Only fair and wise decisions could ensure victory in war and maintain world peace and stability.

After the Two Great Empires agreed to the suggestion of the Spirit Hall, they began to further plan the details of the war.

They realized that to achieve victory in the war, they needed not only powerful military strength but also precise strategy and tactical arrangements.

Thus, they began to discuss together how to launch an attack against the Clear Sky Sect.

First, they needed to understand the strength and weaknesses of the Clear Sky Sect through detailed intelligence gathering.

This task was handed over to the Information Department of the Spirit Hall; after all, since there was a more convenient and better choice, one should naturally choose the Information Department of the Spirit Hall.

They began to actively take action, collecting useful information through various channels.

At the same time, the Two Great Empires also began to study the combat style and tactical strategies of the Clear Sky Sect.

The Two Great Empires cooperatively analyzed the past combat records of the Clear Sky Sect, studied their tactical habits, and looked for their flaws and weaknesses.

The Two Great Empires hoped to be able to attack these weaknesses on the battlefield to achieve victory at the minimum cost.

PS: I went out to handle some business today and came back a bit late; time was a bit tight.

(End of chapter)