Chapter 374: Then Leave It to Me

"I'm dead?"

Xinglian Hou couldn't help but pause, looking at Lin Qing with disbelief: "It was just a provincial war. No matter how fierce the fighting, it shouldn't have caused an Eternal Existence to fall, should it?"

It wasn't arrogance on his part; provincial wars rarely caused an Eternal Existence to fall. Usually, it was higher-order Chaos beings that perished.

After all, Eternal Existences were responsible for guarding the most important Xianlian Shengxing and rarely descended to the battlefield.

Although his own strength was significantly inferior to that of a peak Eternal, as long as he guarded the Xianlian Shengxing, bolstered by the Xianlian Shengxing's origin, his power was not far from a peak Eternal. Moreover, he had the nearly peak-Eternal Swallowing Flame Python fighting alongside him!

And among the Eternal Existences participating in the war from the various provinces, even the strongest was not a peak Eternal. How could they possibly kill him?

"According to the intelligence, Your Excellency was killed because the Jueyuan Hou personally led troops to invade the Transit Star, and you stepped out to block them," Lin Qing said.

"Jueyuan Hou?" Xinglian Hou frowned and said, "I have always acted together with the Swallowing Flame Python, leaving a clone behind to guard the Xianlian Shengxing. Jueyuan Hou's strength is even weaker than the Swallowing Flame Python's. How could he possibly kill me?"

Lin Qing shook his head and said, "Your Excellency was killed by three Eternal experts whose strength rivaled the Swallowing Flame Python."

"What? Three Eternal experts rivaling the Swallowing Flame Python?"

Xinglian Hou felt it was even more incredible. "This... how is that possible? Among the dozen or so Eternal experts participating in this provincial war, besides you and the Swallowing Flame Python joining forces, the strongest was Jueyuan Hou."

"They were outsiders," Lin Qing said. "These three Eternal experts were soldiers under Jueyuan Hou's command. They held no fiefdoms and were not ennobled. They claimed to be idle experts living in seclusion in the Ice Empire, so they could join either side."

According to the rules of the provincial war—

Eternal Existences from provinces not participating in the war were not allowed to intervene, and there were limits on the number of non-Eternals who wished to participate.

These three claimed to be secluded experts from Jueyuan Province, holding no fiefdoms or titles, and not belonging to any faction. After verification, they indeed qualified to participate.

In the King Realm, there were some secluded Eternal experts who refused to join any faction, had not received titles or fiefdoms, did not care about the benefits of nobility, and simply wandered as idle, reclusive experts.

Such beings qualified to participate as long as they were secluded in a certain province before the war began.

"Secluded idle experts?"

Xinglian Hou felt it was absurd. "Three reclusive experts, all with strength rivaling the Swallowing Flame Python, joining Jueyuan Hou's ranks for what purpose?"

"To find an opportunity to deal with me," Lin Qing looked at Xinglian Hou and said, "Xinglian Hou was likely killed by these three because you were protecting me."

The intelligence he obtained from the future recorded—

【... Three Eternal experts disguised and hidden within Jueyuan Hou's expeditionary army, claiming to be reclusive experts, joined forces to invade the Transit Star of Xinglian Province. Because Xinglian Hou stepped out to dissuade them, they struck him down without hesitation. One temporarily sealed the Swallowing Flame Python, while the other two instantly killed Xinglian Hou...】

"This..."

Xinglian Hou murmured, "However, since you already know this intelligence, the future has already changed, hasn't it?"

"It has changed," Lin Qing nodded slightly and said, "But Your Excellency must understand, the enemy is using an open strategy. The outcome of this provincial war itself no longer matters."

"No longer matters?" Xinglian Hou paused.

"Judging from the intelligence of the future, this provincial war will eventually become the spark for a Divine Kingdom War."

Lin Qing looked at Xinglian Hou. "The Divine Kingdom War sweeping the entire King Realm will break out in the Ice Empire, or even right here in Xinglian Province. Does the outcome of the provincial war still matter?"

Xinglian Hou's heart trembled, looking at Lin Qing in disbelief: "Divine Kingdom War? Why did I receive no news at all..."

"Facing the intelligence descending from the future, such a war catastrophe simply cannot be concealed. The high command of the Ice Empire must already know by now."

Lin Qing shook his head slightly. "Moreover, all the nations must already know. They are probably preparing for a total war. Does the outcome of a single provincial war really have any meaning?"

When foresight becomes commonplace, war intelligence is no longer so important; what truly determines victory or defeat is only solid combat power!

Xinglian Hou fell silent for a moment, speaking in a low voice: "True... In a Divine Kingdom War, Eternal Existences will perish in large numbers. What does it matter if just I die? But if I knew this, it would only create more variables in the future and increase the war investment. It would be better to let Xinglian Province proceed along its original future trajectory, making deployment easier..."

Lin Qing shook his head slightly and did not say much more.

In this war, Xinglian Hou's death was only a small matter. What was truly terrifying was that this war would become the spark for a Divine Kingdom War.

In the intelligence obtained from the descending future, it was the named disciple of Yuanchu Shen Di, 'Cangye Hou', who constantly acted in the shadows. As an outsider, he intervened in this war and wantonly slaughtered Eternal Existences, causing all sides to descend, which led to it evolving into a Divine Kingdom War sweeping the entire King Realm universe.

But what good was knowing this?

Stop Cangye Hou?

If Cangye Hou did not act, other terrifying experts from the Yuanchu Divine Kingdom would act. Even experts from the Wanhai Divine Kingdom would act. Defending against one or two individuals was useless, because the goal of the Yuanchu Divine Kingdom and the Wanhai Divine Kingdom was to trigger a Divine Kingdom War!

Provincial wars within a nation, or even wars between two nations, at least required adherence to rules—because these were rules established by higher powers.

But a Divine Kingdom War, this devastating war sweeping the entire King Realm, had no rules at all!

Or rather, there was only one rule—

Crush the enemy as much as possible!

This was the true trend of the times. No matter the outcome of such a small provincial war, it would eventually trigger a Divine Kingdom War.

The enemy simply wanted to use this opportunity to eliminate him, a future disciple of the Light King, thereby weakening the combat power of the Ice Empire.

As one of the powerful nations under the Tian Guang Divine Kingdom, the Ice Empire would also have an influence on the course of the Divine Kingdom War.

"What does Your Excellency plan to do now?" Lin Qing spoke up.

"Plan?"

Xinglian Hou shook his head with a self-mocking smile: "It seems the best choice currently is to immediately renounce the title and become an idle, secluded expert, or even go to the Chaos to stay far away from this war."

"Your Excellency planning this is not bad," Lin Qing nodded slightly, his eyes looking at Xinglian Hou, with future scenes faintly appearing in his pupils.

In an instant, he already knew Xinglian Hou's plan.

"Pity..." Xinglian Hou sighed and said, "This Xinglian Xianlian Shengxing still has my clan and my family. They cannot survive in the Chaos for long. If I abandon them and flee to the Chaos alone, leaving them to be overturned by the war, what meaning is there in my life..."

Speaking to this point, he looked at Lin Qing and said, "Mr. Brother Jialin, I have decided to hold fast at the Xinglian Xianlian Shengxing. At least this is the place where I am most confident of surviving. Is Mr. Brother Jialin willing to stay?"

"I stay?"

Lin Qing looked at Xinglian Hou with some surprise. "Xinglian Hou still wants me to stay? It is precisely because I stayed that this provincial war attracted at least three enemies rivaling the Swallowing Flame Python. If I had left, perhaps Your Excellency would not have been affected so much."

"It is indeed troublesome."

Xinglian Hou sighed and said, "But the Divine Kingdom War will eventually break out. This war sweeps the entire King Realm. Unless one flees into the endless Chaos, there is nowhere to hide. Since I have already chosen to stay and defend the Xinglian Xianlian Shengxing, I must find a way to survive the total war."

He looked at Lin Qing. "Although Mr. Brother Jialin's strength is still weak, your background must be immense. If I can protect Mr. Brother Jialin in the early stages of the war, forcing the enemy to send more experts and expose more of their trump cards, I suppose that would count as a merit?"

Lin Qing understood his meaning.

Xinglian Hou had always suspected he was a disciple of the Light King, obviously believing he had an immense background.

In a war where intelligence is nearly transparent, the contest is simply who possesses greater combat power and who holds more and stronger cards.

If the Marquis of Star Refining lets him leave alone, the enemy need only dispatch a small force; but if they choose to protect him, the enemy must pay a greater price and surrender more and stronger cards.