Chapter 921

As Meng Ying's First Gate rule gradually reached perfection, she had now reached the point of engaging with the Second Gate rule.

For the Second Gate rule, Meng Ying showed deep interest in the spatial rule.

And a very good way to engage with the spatial rule is to study the spatial gates.

Of course, only spatial gates with full access permissions.

Otherwise, research is utterly impossible.

So Lin Yan had originally planned to grant several spatial gates, both to allow Meng Ying to study them and to help her and the others exert better control over the Flame Empire.

For other gods, granting physical objects from the Heavenly Realm is extremely difficult and not worth the cost.

For Lin Yan, however, this problem does not exist.

After Meng Ying prayed, about ten minutes later, she smiled with delight: "My god has responded!"

At this time, in the Kuibei Province of the Flame Empire, a vast army formed a sky-covering formation beyond the Flame Empire's border.

Above the army, there were also some flying ships, though their number was not particularly large.

This empire lay at the northernmost tip of the Continent of Gods, lacking a key resource needed to manufacture flying ships, and with few alchemical workshops within its borders, so its number of flying ships was not particularly large.

This empire was the one situated between the Flame Empire and the Elf Empire, and it was also a relatively powerful great empire.

Compared to other empires that had come from far away, they were already quite close to the Eternal Night Empire.

So they assembled a large number of elite warriors and conscripted the most elite soldiers from surrounding kingdoms, adopting a ground-marching approach.

For powerful warriors, ground marching speed is not slow.

First Rank warriors, if marching at full speed without restraint for over twelve hours a day, could cover several hundred kilometers per day.

Second Rank warriors were faster, Third Rank even faster—warriors who reached Third Rank could cover over a thousand kilometers per day when marching at full speed.

This empire's method was to transport slower First and Second Rank warriors on flying ships, while the faster ones marched on the ground—this marching speed was extremely fast.

"The Purple Gold Empire is merely a hundred-year empire; as we pass through it, we'll assess its strength. If its power is mediocre, after taking the Eternal Night Empire, we'll focus primarily on seizing its resources and population—but we can also take the Purple Gold Empire. My god's divine system needs to expand its territory."

On one flying ship, a Huapaozhu Sect prelate looked down and said.

In the distance, another flying ship flew over.

"Report, my lord! The letter requesting passage has been delivered, but their warriors say they are not the Purple Gold Empire—they are the Flame Empire!"

On the flying ship, a messenger shouted.

"Flame Empire?"

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate and the church's holy prince exchanged a glance.

At that moment, they saw a flying ship rise from the ground and fly to a point not far from the army; the flag fluttering on it bore a freely burning flame symbol!

"When did the Flame Empire emerge? Has the Purple Gold Empire been conquered by some great empire?"

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate murmured.

"Unlikely. To the east of the Purple Gold Empire lies the wilderness; further east are only very small nations, and beyond those small nations lies vast desert. East of the desert, there is indeed a great empire—but that great empire is called the Purple Cloud Empire, not the Flame Empire."

The church's holy prince said.

Clearly, the church's holy prince had some knowledge of the Purple Cloud Empire.

"I wonder how strong this Flame Empire is."

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate added.

"It shouldn't be too strong. The Purple Gold Empire's development has been completely restricted. To its south are three kingdoms; even if it absorbed those three, it would still be only a small empire. To the east, the wilderness offers no good expansion value in the short term. To the west lies the uninhabited Great Snow Mountains; beyond those mountains are the kingdoms surrounding the Eternal Night Empire. To the north lies us."

"As for the south, there are indeed some kingdoms—but none of them is called the Flame Empire."

The church's holy prince laid out his knowledge and concluded: "So this Flame Empire is probably not strong either—perhaps it's just the Purple Gold Empire renamed itself. After all, the Purple Gold Empire changed its name a hundred years ago."

This church's holy prince was clearly a learned and erudite man.

He could be said to know the heavens above and the earth below.

But the knowledge he possessed was likely from a few years ago.

That was normal—the flow of information across the Continent of Gods has always been slow, especially during relatively peaceful times.

When tensions rise and conflicts intensify, information flow generally accelerates.

Because every nation will spare no effort in dispatching countless spies and flying ships to gather intelligence.

The Flame Empire's flying ship rose into the sky and remained there, showing no intention of approaching to greet them.

Meanwhile, the Huapaozhu Sect prelate continued whispering with the church's holy prince, patiently waiting.

After thirty minutes passed, the Huapaozhu Sect prelate grew impatient.

"The Flame Empire's response is too slow. Do their border guards not have magic letters? Someone, send them a few magic letters."

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate said.

Just as a high mage of the church was about to act, they saw the Flame Empire's flying ship approaching.

That flying ship flew to a point not far from the Huapaozhu Sect prelate's vessel, and a warrior on board pulled out a letter and shouted loudly:

"By the Queen's decree: The Flame Empire does not grant passage. Please detour around the Flame Empire!"

The Flame Empire does not grant passage!

These words caused the Huapaozhu Sect prelate's face to darken.

Detour!

The word "detour" had never once crossed the Huapaozhu Sect prelate's mind.

And on the opposite side, after reading the letter, the warrior on the flying ship withdrew the vessel a certain distance, retreating to the Flame Empire's border line. The entire flying ship carried only a few hundred warriors—but these few hundred warriors, facing a million-strong army, showed not the slightest fear!

"What a formidable Flame Empire!"

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate let out a cold snort, his voice already tinged with hidden anger.

"Holy Prince, let's simply seize the Flame Empire outright. Across the northern stretch of the Continent of Gods, no empire except the Eternal Night Empire has dared speak to the Star Fall Empire this way!"

The Huapaozhu Sect prelate said.

The Church's Holy Son was about to speak when he saw the sky of the Flame Empire fill with countless flying ships.

Each of these flying ships was packed with warriors.

The foremost flying ship was one bristling with powerful crossbows!

That was the Flame Empire's flying warship.

The flying warship flew to the front, while the transport ships carrying warriors did not advance further, but instead landed rapidly ten kilometers from the border!

"Land swiftly! All warriors disembark at once and form battle formations!"

A warrior's booming voice echoed through the sky.

As soon as the flying ships touched ground, the warriors surged down at top speed and lined up into battle formations in an instant!

From landing to the warriors completing their formations, each ship took no more than five minutes!

Their movements were so practiced—no one could tell how many times they'd trained!

Watching this, a General from the Star Fall Empire on a nearby flying ship narrowed his eyes.

As a commander of troops, this General understood why the Flame Empire's flying ships moved so swiftly.

These warriors could not fly.

They could only unleash their full combat power on the ground.

On flying ships, they were nothing but targets.

Attacking while they disembarked was like striking halfway across a river.

But the Flame Empire's warriors moved too fast.

Even if the Star Fall Empire wanted to strike halfway, it was already too late!

Such speed revealed these warriors were highly trained, elite troops!

An empire possessing such warriors could not possibly be weak!

Under the gaze of the Star Fall Empire's millions of troops, within just twenty minutes, the Flame Empire's million-strong army had all disembarked from their flying ships and formed neat, orderly battle formations!

Such speed left many Star Fall Empire warriors gaping in astonishment.

If it were them, they could never achieve this!

Immediately after, a woman in a long gown flew forward and spoke in a calm voice:

"The Flame Empire does not grant passage. Please take another route!"

This woman was naturally the Crown Princess.

"Legends are nothing to fear."

At this moment, a faint voice echoed in the ears of the Huapaozhu Sect and the Church's Holy Son.

The Huapaozhu Sect and the Church's Holy Son exchanged a glance, and a great weight lifted from their hearts!

They naturally recognized that voice.