Chapter 425: Border Situation! Empty‑City Stratagem! Chu Yang

After the banquet ended, everyone went their separate ways; the earth‑shaking turmoil had just settled, and now, as the dominant powers, they each had many matters to attend to.

The Great Summer Imperial Palace, the Empress's sleeping quarters.

Chu Yang sat beside the tea table, while Tang Huo'er knelt behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.

This scene made Fan Wu Ye on the opposite side gasp in astonishment.

In the earlier turmoil, the six emerging forces had all shed their cocoons, and among them the Great Summer Dynasty was undoubtedly the most prominent.

Setting aside Chu Yang and the few Saint Products under his command, the other five forces have not yet reached the transcendental level and can only be counted among the top of the hegemonial powers.

But the Great Summer Dynasty is different; even without Chu Yang, the Great Summer Empress's strength rivals a Saint Product, and ordinary Saint Products may not even be her match.

It should be noted that even the long‑standing transcendental Futu Ancient Clan now has only Grand Elder Fu Tu Xuan as a Saint Product.

In comparison, the Great Summer Dynasty is not weaker by a hair.

It can be foreseen that for a while the Great Summer Dynasty will be at the center of the storm, yet who could have imagined that the illustrious Great Summer Empress would shed her dignity and, in such a almost demure manner, massage a man's shoulders and pat his back? "Xiao Taizi went to Yun Lan Sect?" Chu Yang poured Fan Wu Ye a cup of tea and asked softly.

Fan Wu Ye nodded, looking at Chu Yang with a hint of melancholy.

Before leaving, Xiao and Dan Tong only said that the Yun Lan Sect's parkour still had many pill pills and herbs, so Ye Tao abandoned her senior brother and followed after him in a daze.

It should be known that before this, the senior brother and sister were almost inseparable in the outside world.

The last time they got separated was because Ye Tao learned her senior brother had gone out and secretly slipped out of the Northern Wilderness Hills.

After Fan Wu Ye learned the news, he hurriedly began searching.

Now, it seems his senior brother's place in Xiao Taizi's heart is far less than those "delicious sugar beans"...

And the mastermind behind all this is Chu Yang right before us! Chu Yang ignored Fan Wu Ye's resentful gaze, smiled, and said, "That's fine; after all we've been through, no one will dare trouble the Yun Lan Sect for a while, so Xiao Taizi will be safe there."

Fan Wu Ye nodded, then asked, "When does King Chu plan to go with us to the Northern Wilderness Hills?"

Chu Yang thought for a moment and replied, "Tomorrow morning I will head to the Martial Realm."

"Once the matter of the Western Heaven War Emperor is settled, we will set out together!"

Fan Wu Ye let out a bitter laugh, saying, "I suppose the teacher already knows what's happened recently; without his permission I'm helping you under the banner of the Land of Ten Thousand Graves, and returning will inevitably bring punishment."

Chu Yang glanced at him, shook his head, and said, "Regardless of the process, the outcome of this matter will ultimately be good."

"The Five Ancient Clans cherish their own rags, causing the primal Dharmic Body to be dust‑laden for years; now using it to forge the strong benefits the Great Vast Realm without harm!"

"Moreover, we have broken the so‑called rules of the Five Ancient Clans; if they later try to encroach on emerging forces, they'll have to think twice."

Chu Yang's words were clear: having reached the height of the three giants, the Undying Lord's vision and magnanimity are naturally extraordinary.

Moreover, as a descendant of the Immortal Great Emperor, the Land of Ten Thousand Graves has always prioritized resisting the Outer Evil Tribe in all matters.

Since the result of this turmoil benefits the entire Great Vast Realm, he has no reason to blame Fan Wu Ye.

Fan Wu Ye listened, stunned; his teacher and this fellow had never met, yet the latter seemed to know his teacher intimately.

Could this be the so‑called mutual respect among the strong? At dawn the next day, Chu Yang led Luo Shen and Fan Wu Ye away from the Shenzhou Continent.

It is worth mentioning that before the Five Ancient Clans acted, Chu Yang had already constructed a multi‑directional spatial teleportation array for each of the six forces.

This teleportation array borrowed part of the principles of the Super‑God World Worm Net; any force's array can reach the other five forces in a short time.

One must know this is a massive undertaking, as the six forces are scattered across various regions of the Great Vast Realm, far apart from each other.

Even an ordinary Saint Product Spiritual Array Grandmaster would find achieving this difficult.

Chu Yang accomplished it solely through his understanding of spatial power, combined with Pan Gu's flawless calculations, completing this alternative Worm Net in a short span.

Thus they only need to ride the teleportation array inside the Great Summer Imperial Capital to reach the Martial Realm quickly.

It was precisely through the teleportation array that Chu Yang gathered his strongmen before Qin Tian and the others arrived.

Half a day later, the extreme southern region of the Great Vast Realm: the Martial Realm.

This is the southern border of the Great Vast Realm, separated from the outside by an ancient battlefield.

Unlike the Senluo Domain, this ancient battlefield, like the Holy Abyss, is one of the main stages of the ancient great wars; thus, when a Heavenly Supreme steps in, spatial chaos ensues.

This is common knowledge in the Great Vast Realm: the more important the ancient battlefield, the more opportunities it holds, but the more unstable it becomes, preventing Heavenly Supremes from entering.

In contrast, medium‑sized battlefields like those in the Senluo Domain have fewer restrictions and can at least accommodate Heavenly Supremes.

Yet an ancient battlefield itself is synonymous with spatial instability; even those battlefields that can host Heavenly Supremes generally cannot withstand the full burst of a Heavenly Supreme's power.

Neither Great Vast Realm strongmen nor Outer Evil Tribe Demon Emperors will easily step onto such battlefields.

After all, each border battlefield houses many strongmen below the Heavenly Supreme; if the battlefield collapses, they will be sacrificed as well.

Nevertheless, the Great Vast Realm places great importance on each border.

Because the Evil Tribe has long lost humanity, who knows if they would sacrifice countless peoples of the ancient battlefield to invade the Great Vast Realm?

Fortunately, each border has a strongman stationed, and the Outer Evil Tribe dares not take risks; they usually use special means to send Evil Tribe members below the Heavenly Supreme into the Great Vast Realm.

These weaker Evil Tribe members then try to help the Demon Emperor, sealed by the Great Immortal Realm's strongmen during the ancient great war, to break free.

Or they serve as "containers" for a Demon Emperor whose soul has been reduced to a lingering spirit to possess.

For nearly a thousand years, both sides have clashed in this manner, never sparking a large‑scale war.

It was only Chu Yang's appearance that changed this situation.

The destruction of the Gui Mo Clan, the Blood Evil Tribe's loss of three Immortal‑Level Saints, and the descent of the World Will all became the fuse for war.

Especially the World Will, since the Immortal Great Emperor was the Outer Evil Tribe's chief enemy and knew that this person achieved a realm beyond Saint Product by invoking the World Will.

Plainly put, the Outer Evil Tribe's retaliation is less about Chu Yang's actions and more about their fear!

They fear that the Great Immortal Realm will produce another Immortal Great Emperor, perhaps even one surpassing the Immortal Great Emperor!

After all, the talent and strength Chu Yang displayed would outshine even the Immortal Great Emperor in his youth. On the surface, the Great Vast Realm bears the consequences of a series of events for Chu Yang.

Yet the Great Vast Realm is willing to bear such consequences!

On one hand, Chu Yang's talent gives many people a glimmer of hope.

On the other hand…

Chu Yang, Qin Tian, and Sun Wukong together have slain more than a dozen Demon Emperors in the outer realms! This record is a great victory unseen in the Great Vast Realm for thousands of years; paying some price for it is no problem.

Moreover, nowadays the Endless Fire Domain and the Martial Realm each guard the southern and northern borders respectively, and both of these forces were cultivated single‑handedly by Chu Yang.

The Outer Evil Tribe has long been at perpetual war with the Great Thousand Realm, which never shies from battle; moreover, Chu Yang did not simply retreat to the rear, but actually helped shoulder nearly half of the pressure on the border battlefields.

Consequently, within the Great Thousand Realm, from the three great leaders down to ordinary low‑rank demon‑exterminators, no one finds Chu Yang's actions improper; on the contrary, they admire him greatly.

When Chu Yang arrived at the Martial Realm, Lin Dong personally greeted him, bringing along his two brothers as well as his wife and sister.

The Martial Realm's top combat forces were virtually all gathered here, demonstrating absolute regard for Chu Yang.

If Chu Yang were to go to the Endless Fire Domain, he might not receive such treatment.

It's not that Xiao Yan doesn't value him; Xiao Yan's temperament differs from Lin Dong's.

Xiao Yan is relatively easy‑going, holding strong to sentiment and righteousness while also possessing sufficient rationality.

He can risk his life for those around him, and likewise can fight to the death to protect the Douqi Continent or the Great Thousand Realm.

At the same time, he distinguishes clearly between gratitude and affection; although Chu Yang is connected to him, the two share little camaraderie.

Lin Dong is different; he is far more emotional than Xiao Yan.

Back when he was on the Heavenly Profound Continent, he once even considered abandoning his role as "Savior," hoping only to stay close to his beloved before the continent's destruction.

Protecting the Great Thousand Realm is also largely motivated by safeguarding those around him.

Thus, in his view, gratitude is affection; otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to the Battle Demon Domain to aid Sun Wukong even when he knew it was a certain death trap.

Likewise, Chu Yang gave him a clue about his wife and led him out of the Outer Evil Tribe, which for Lin Dong are monumental acts of gratitude.

If it weren't for Chu Yang, he would have had to expend considerable effort to locate Ying Huanhuan's lingering soul.

To leave the Outer Evil Tribe, there are only two possible routes.

Either wait until one breaks through the Saint Product and forcibly opens a spatial corridor, or risk one's life by entering a spatial turbulence! "Brother Chu!"

Outside the teleportation array, Lin Dong bowed his hands to Chu Yang, and those beside him did the same.

"No need for such formalities!" Chu Yang waved his hand, then looked at Ling Qingzhu with a half‑smile, saying:

"I'm only passing through to the Ice Spirit Tribe, so I won't disturb your two‑person world!"

Ling Qingzhu's pretty face flushed, and in her uniquely cool voice she whispered, "King Chu is joking; Huanhuan and I are like sisters, and I only hope she recovers soon!"

She understands that Chu Yang's teasing stems from the fact that Ying Huanhuan will soon be reborn, and then there will be no genuine two‑person world between her and Lin Dong.

Fan Wuye scratched his head, looking bewildered; his gaze landed on Lin Yan, and as the four eyes met, an indefinable sense of mutual respect flickered between them.

One is a thick‑skinned simpleton, the other a muscular brute; surely the two have plenty of common topics.

After some small talk, Lin Dong took the initiative: "Since Brother Chu wishes to win over the Western Heaven War Emperor, I'll go together, which will also help resolve hostilities and prevent future strain on relations between the Martial Realm and Great Summer."

He already knows that Chu Yang intends to bring the Western Heaven War Emperor into the Great Summer Imperial Dynasty, and the Six Emerging Powers all maintain good relations, so he naturally does not want a rift over a single Western Heaven War Emperor.

Chu Yang nodded, then asked softly, "How are the border conditions?"

Lin Dong sneered, "The Outer Evil Tribe is all thunder and no rain; per the earlier plan, I have already recalled all the Great Thousand Realm's strongmen from the Life‑Death Realm."

"Only the Outer Evil Tribe remains in the Life‑Death Realm; even the Demon Emperors dare not show their teeth!"

"Now the Martial Realm's defenses are solid, and they know that ordering the Outer Evil Tribe's army under the Demon Emperors to attack is tantamount to suicide, so they merely attempt infiltration, never launching a full‑scale war."

This was the plan Chu Yang proposed after the Martial Realm and Endless Fire Domain fought along the border; with me, Qin Tian, here, the Great Thousand Palace on the other side is naturally cooperating fully.

The concrete plan is simple: cede the ancient border battlefield to the Outer Evil Tribe, then guard the battlefield's exit.

On this side of the Great Thousand Realm, the Celestial Supreme is stationed, so any number of Outer Evil Tribe incursions would be tantamount to suicide.

Of course, the Outer Evil Tribe could also withdraw from the battlefield, after which a Demon Emperor could destroy the battlefield's space, forcing both sides into close‑quarters combat.

But this would force the Outer Evil Tribe to bear enormous cost and risk.

First, the Outer Evil Tribe does not know the distribution of strongmen on this side of the Great Thousand Realm, especially since the Martial Realm and Endless Fire Domain have voluntarily withdrawn, giving the impression of a massive "empty‑city" stratagem.

If they fall into an ambush, not only will they fail to invade the Great Thousand Realm, but they may, like on the western border, see a portion of lost ground reclaimed, turning a half‑baked plan into a loss.

Another crucial reason is that destroying the battlefield's space requires a Demon Emperor to become a "death soldier"! Being immersed in spatial turbulence—especially the kind caused by a small world collapsing—may even prevent a Saint Product‑level master from emerging unscathed.

Lately, the Demon Emperors of the Outer Evil Tribe have already suffered enough casualties, and they are unwilling to bear such a cost again.

Moreover…

Only the southern and northern border regions of the Great Thousand Realm have set the "empty‑city" plan; if a full‑scale assault is launched rashly, the Great Thousand Realm could redeploy strongmen from other areas, concentrate forces at these two battlefields, and trap the enemy like a turtle in a jar.

As for whether to also break the stalemate on the other two borders—stop it! Guarding those borders are the Great Thousand Palace and the Sword Realm! The Great Thousand Demon Buddha and the Blue Robe Sword Saint, even one of them would be enough to give them a drink!

Of course, this empty‑city stratagem is more than just a show…

Chu Yang, pondering, asked, "When do we plan to act?"

Lin Dong's expression grew serious, and he said, "Once we hear news from the Great Thousand Palace, Brother Xiao Yan and I will act together!"

Chu Yang nodded and said, "The Great Thousand Demon Buddha has been away for some time; judging by the clock, he should be ready to move out…"

"He's probably still looking for the right moment; that at least buys us some time."

"After Ao Ting and the Fire Spirit merge with the primal Dharmic Body and obtain the true Dragon and Phoenix bloodlines, I will involve them in the plan!" (End of chapter)