Chapter 878: Enemies Throughout the World

The grasslands.

Sakaze.

Outside the magnificent temple in the center of the city, the square was densely packed with people kneeling.

Beneath a statue carved from white jade stood an altar, where a Shaman dressed in red ritual robes was performing rites.

His entire body was painted with colorful patterns; he danced and gestured, chanting words under his breath.

A multicolored halo centered on the altar spread outward, sweeping over the believers in the square and continuing to expand.

With the temple as the center, the streets of the entire city were filled with kneeling people.

This was a city-wide sacrificial ceremony, a funeral held for the late first warrior of the Sakaze Temple, Huyan Hetai!

On the grasslands, the largest religion was the Full Wish Sect, which worshipped the Full God.

The Grassland Royal Court practiced a system where church and state were one, with religious authority placed above royal power; every successive ruler had to be crowned by the Great Full of the Full Wish Sect.

Therefore, the entire populace of the city was required to participate in the funeral of the Sakaze Temple's first warrior.

Woo—

A deep, heavy horn blast sounded from the temple, echoing throughout the city.

Upon hearing the horn, the people kneeling in the streets stood up one after another, holding white cloth high toward the sky, and cried out in sorrow:

"Tenggete, Yawula—"

"Tenggete, Yawula—"

"Tenggete, Yawula—"

This was in the grassland tongue, meaning 'soul returns to the heavens.'

The cries of over a hundred thousand people gradually converged, forming a dirge that struck the soul and drifted toward the nine heavens!

Outside the temple, upon the altar.

The first Shaman of the Sakaze Temple, Huyan Pushan, set down the white cloth in his hands and drew a dagger from his robes.

He looked around, his hoarse voice not loud, yet clearly audible throughout the entire city:

"Children of the Full God—"

"Our heroic first warrior of the temple has returned his soul to the heavens—"

"He was a warrior with the hope of becoming a Saint, the eagle of Sakaze, the hope of the grasslands—"

Just like the Northern Barbarians, the grasslands had once produced Martial Saints and even peak experts of the True One Realm.

Whether they were Martial Saints or experts of the True One Realm, they were collectively referred to as Saints on the grasslands.

It was just that the grasslands had not seen a Saint for five hundred years.

Huyan Hetai was a Grandmaster at the peak of the Dao Establishment Realm, ranking in the top three among the Grandmasters of the grasslands; he was indeed a 'Saint candidate' and the hope of the grasslands.

"But, the people of the Central Plains killed him with despicable means!"

Huyan Pushan roared in anger.

He was the first Shaman, a top-tier True Person, and also Huyan Hetai's nephew:

"I, Huyan Pushan, swear in the name of the first Shaman of the Sakaze Temple—"

"I will surely avenge him!!!"

The final note was like a thunderclap, like a volcano, echoing in the depths of everyone's souls.

Huyan Pushan held the dagger high, and in front of everyone, he sliced his left palm, then wiped his blood-drenched hand across his face.

His face was stained with blood!

On the grasslands, this was the 'Blood-Face Oath,' a vow of life and death!

As he finished this action, the believers kneeling all around also took out daggers they had prepared, and just like him, sliced their left palms and wiped the blood across their faces.

"She'ou!"

The people shouted loudly.

In the grassland tongue, this meant—revenge.

"She'ou!"

"She'ou!"

"She'ou!"

Deafening shouts erupted in every corner of the city.

Shaking the clouds.

Mingdu.

The largest city on the grasslands, the seat of the Grassland Royal Court, and also the location of the Full Wish Sect's Sacred Mountain.

The name of the Sacred Mountain was simply Sacred Mountain.

There was only this one Sacred Mountain on the grasslands.

When the sunlight spilled down, the entire Sacred Mountain was bathed in golden light—

Brilliant, sacred, and towering!

Every day when the sun rose, countless devout believers knelt at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, kowtowing toward it.

On the Sacred Mountain, the temple was located at the highest point.

Morning light pierced through the indigo clouds, landing on the pure white architecture; the entire temple looked like a piece of white jade left in the human world by the gods.

A ten-zhang-tall prayer wheel spun on its own in the gale, the clanging of copper bells shattering against the cliffs.

Twelve cinnabar pillars supported the flying eaves and brackets, and the gilded treasure vase on the dome was shrouded in thin mist.

Inside the hall, butter lamps burned eternally.

Priests in white robes bowed their heads and bent their waists, paying respects to several Shamans in bright red robes.

These red-robed Shamans walked toward the depths of the temple, and the ritualists they encountered along the way, all shrouded in black robes, knelt and kowtowed to them.

The hierarchy of the Full Wish Sect, from bottom to top, was: black-robed ritualists, white-robed priests, red-robed Shamans, and the highest, the gold-robed Great Full.

Even the lowest-ranking black-robed ritualists, who could never reveal their faces, held a very lofty status on the grasslands.

At this moment, these ritualists kneeling on the ground would have even more people kowtowing to them once they left this temple.

Four red-robed Shamans walked into a great hall in the deepest part of the temple.

Inside the hall, in front of murals carved with gems and shimmering with golden light, stood a figure in golden robes.

This person had long, flowing hair and was not tall, but standing there, he gave one a feeling even more towering than the Sacred Mountain itself!

He was the Great Full of the Full Wish Sect—Qilian Guanshi.

The most noble existence on the grasslands, the one who shepherded the grasslands on behalf of the Full God!

Qilian Guanshi turned around.

His face seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, blurred and indistinct, with only his eyes appearing exceptionally clear.

He looked at the four red-robed Shamans with a benevolent gaze.

"Your Holiness."

The four red-robed Shamans bowed in unison.

"May the Full God protect us."

Qilian Guanshi raised his hand, and a golden radiance spilled over the four of them.

The four Shamans, who were at the top-tier True Person realm, were bathed in the divine radiance; their true power became exceptionally agile, and they had the faint illusion of ascending to the heavenly realm to have an audience with the Full God!

The four exchanged glances, and one of them said joyfully:

"Congratulations, Your Holiness!"

Previously, Ning Qingman had commented on the experts of the world, saying that Li Fei was already hard to find an opponent for at the Grandmaster level.

But below the peak, there were still some who could pose a threat to him.

Apart from those Princes of the Western Continent, there were several top-tier True Persons in the Eastern Continent whose strength was extraordinary.

The Eastern Continent did not have the concept of the Prince level; Grandmasters and top-tier True Persons were already the limit below the peak.

But there were always some who could break through the limit by special means.

For example, that heavily wounded Northern Barbarian King, who could surpass the peak of the Dao Establishment Realm and possess combat power comparable to the Prince level through special beast-transformation.

Or like this Great Full on the grasslands; he was at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend, but because of his special status and the aid of the Full Wish Sect's power of faith, he could also break through the limits of his own realm!

All along, the Grassland Royal Court had been viewed by the Great Lan Dynasty as the most threatening nation.

Because the Grassland Royal Court possessed over twenty top experts and a million troops under their command!

Besides this, the successive Great Fulls of the grasslands were not to be underestimated.

Therefore, even though the Grassland Royal Court, like the two great desert nations, bowed and submitted to the Great Lan Dynasty, the Great Lan Dynasty had always kept the White Flame Army stationed in the Eastern Border to deter the grasslands with a peak combat power.

And the Grassland Royal Court had always firmly believed that as long as their Great Full could become a Saint, the grasslands could cast off the fate of bowing and submitting to the Great Lan Dynasty and truly become a hegemon!

Qilian Guanshi was the youngest Great Full in the history of the Full Wish Sect and possessed the highest talent.

Now that his cultivation showed a trend of further advancement, it naturally made the Shamans present overjoyed.

"Has Your Holiness found the opportunity to ascend to Sainthood?"

A Shaman asked excitedly.

Qilian Guanshi smiled: "Everything is the guidance of the Full God."

"May the Full God protect us!"

The four Shamans said in unison.

After the few calmed their emotions, Qilian Guanshi spoke:

"Sakaze has made preparations; what about you?"

"We are willing to fight for the Full God!"

The four red-robed shamans said in unison.

"Good. Murong Zi has betrayed the Full God; take my holy decree and bring him back to the Sacred Mountain."

Qilian Guanshi said nonchalantly.

But his words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hearts of the four shamans!

Besides this temple atop the Sacred Mountain, the Full Wish Sect had eight other temples.

Murong Zi was the First Shaman of the Xiangpa Temple.

He was very close to the State Lord and had also won over two other temple shamans.

Of the eight temples on the grasslands, five supported Qilian Guanshi, while three stood on the side of the State Lord.

This was the balance of power between religious authority and royal power on the grasslands.

Now, Qilian Guanshi was actually going to move directly against Murong Zi!

Murong Zi was the State Lord's greatest reliance and a strong contender for the next Great Full.

Once Murong Zi was taken down, the State Lord's faction would suffer a heavy blow!

Those two temple shamans who had been won over would likely submit to the Sacred Mountain immediately.

"Your Holiness..."

The four men looked up at Qilian Guanshi.

This Great Full watched them with loving eyes, saying nothing.

"We will strictly follow the holy decree!"

One red-robed shaman was the first to accept the order.

The other three also bowed their heads one after another.

That night, the four great shamans suddenly descended upon the Xiangpa Temple with their men and announced the Great Full's holy decree.

Relying on the formation flags bestowed by Qilian Guanshi, the four of them sealed the entire temple at once, cutting off any possibility of Murong Zi escaping.

After a great battle, Murong Zi was captured by the four shamans working together and taken back to the Sacred Mountain.

This move immediately triggered a shock in the grassland royal court!

The State Lord's faction launched their toughest counterattack immediately—

The grassland's greatest warrior, Tuoba Shanhai, led the strongest Sky Wolf Blood Cavalry to surround the Sacred Mountain!

Just when many thought an unprecedented war would break out on the grasslands, the Great Full Qilian Guanshi descended the mountain alone.

Then, a scene that made everyone's jaws drop occurred—

Tuoba Shanhai took off his helmet and was the first to express his submission to Qilian Guanshi!

Following that, the ten thousand Sky Wolf Blood Cavalry dismounted and knelt on one knee!

Murong Zi, the temple's greatest supporter, was captured, and Tuoba Shanhai, the military's greatest reliance, had "defected" with ten thousand Sky Wolf Blood Cavalry.

This was simply a disastrous opening!

Without any surprise, the supporters of the State Lord's faction defected one after another, choosing to submit to the Sacred Mountain.

In just three days, this struggle between religious authority and royal power came to an end.

In the end, this internal strife only resulted in the deaths of Murong Zi and two Grandmasters of the royal family.

The State Lord of the grassland royal court personally climbed the Sacred Mountain to plead guilty!

On this day, the voice of the Great Full Qilian Guanshi rang out from atop the Sacred Mountain:

"Children of the Full God—"

"One thousand years ago, the sons of the grasslands dominated the East, and the sound of our hooves rang through the Central Plains!"

The sunset was like blood, and the Sky Wolf Blood Cavalry surrounding the Sacred Mountain drew their swords.

"More than five hundred years ago, the Central Plains dynasty unified the Eastern Continent, and they believed they had conquered the grasslands."

"Children of the Full God, tell me, have you forgotten the glory of your ancestors?"

One by one, the grassland people walked out of their homes, came to the streets, and shouted in the direction of the Sacred Mountain.

"No! The sons of the grasslands will never be conquered!"

"Five hundred years is too long; now, it is time to let the sound of our hooves ring through the Central Plains once again!"

An imperial edict stamped with the State Lord's golden seal was issued from the Sacred Mountain, and the messengers carrying the highest will of the grasslands rushed in all directions.

Weapons were moved out of the storehouses one by one.

Warhorses were saddled one by one.

Swords were stained with a bloodthirsty glow, and scorching lava erupted from deep underground—

The military vanguard surged forth like a great river from the grasslands!

The 49th year of Hongguang, December 7th.

The grassland royal court launched a war against the Great Lan Dynasty on the grounds that the first warrior of the Saka Ze Temple, Huyan Hetai, had been killed by the Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei!

After many years, the eastern border of the Great Lan Dynasty once again faced a million-strong army of archers!

Northern Barbarians.

Jinwu Mountain, the headquarters of the Wuri Tribe, one of the four great powerful tribes of the Northern Barbarians.

Inside a tent, a man sat on the ground, writing annotations in a book with a brush.

He wore a white robe, his long hair tied up with a hairpin, possessing a refined air rare among the Northern Barbarians.

It was Bo'erhu.

At this moment, the book he was writing annotations in was a martial arts manual he had compiled himself.

Although the martial arts of the Northern Barbarians were relatively more diverse than the combat techniques of the Western Continent, they were still not as profound as the martial arts world of the Central Plains.

The Dao energy that tribes could master to reach the Creation Realm was very rare.

During his stage as a Martial Arts Master, Bo'erhu had challenged all the powerful Martial Arts Masters of the seventeen tribes in turn, witnessing the martial arts of all seventeen tribes.

After becoming a Grandmaster, he integrated the martial arts of the seventeen tribes and created several unique skills.

After becoming the King of the Northern Barbarians, Bo'erhu was not stingy and passed on his unique skills to the powerful men who followed him.

Many in his personal guard had received his teachings.

After that battle ended, the heavily wounded Bo'erhu returned to the Wuri Tribe with his personal guard.

He no longer spoke of unifying the Northern Barbarians, but instead spent his time recovering from his injuries while compiling his martial arts insights into a book.

A woman wearing a short skirt, with a slender yet explosive physique, walked into the tent.

"My King, Father has agreed!"

Wuya Nana said excitedly.

She was Bo'erhu's wife and the only daughter of the Wuri Tribe Chief.

Bo'erhu put down his brush, turned to look at his wife, and a smile appeared on his face:

"Nana, it is all thanks to you."

Wuya Nana sat beside Bo'erhu and shook her head:

"Father did not agree because of me; he agreed because he believes in you. He believes that only you can become the King of the Northern Barbarians and lead the tribes of the Northern Barbarians out of the mountains!"

Bo'erhu fell silent.

In the last battle, the Great Elder of the Wuri Tribe died, and the Great Elder of the Huolin Tribe also died.

Three of the seventeen Northern Barbarian tribes were wiped out!

More seriously, when the remaining tribes used their foundations to activate the great formation, they were hit by Qiming's dying curse, which damaged their fortune and caused problems with the formation.

The great formation affected current safety, while fortune affected future development.

Both the present and the future of the Northern Barbarian tribes were in trouble!

This series of serious consequences ultimately led to Bo'erhu losing the hearts of the people, and the alliance he had worked so hard to build collapsed.

His personal guard, which had concentrated the elite warriors of the various Northern Barbarian tribes, also disbanded for the most part.

If there were no variables, even if Bo'erhu recovered from his injuries and his combat power returned to its peak, the hope of him unifying the Northern Barbarians in his lifetime was slim.

Fortunately, variables had appeared one after another!

"Send letters to the major tribes in my name."

Bo'erhu did not remain silent for long and pulled himself together.

"Yes, my King!"

Wuya Nana stood up and bowed to Bo'erhu.

Soon, the other Northern Barbarian tribes received Bo'erhu's letter, including the three tribes whose headquarters had been occupied by the Great Lan Dynasty:

"I, Bo'erhu, know that I am no longer worthy of being the King of the Northern Barbarians."

"But my fellow countrymen, we cannot be trapped in the mountains forever; we must walk out!"

"We cannot keep using the lives of our warriors to raid for food, only to barely fill our stomachs in the end."

"Now, the two great desert nations in the south are attacking the Great Lan Dynasty at the same time. The grassland royal court in the east has also declared war on the Great Lan Dynasty!"

"On the northern border line, that most terrifying Green Frost Army has been transferred away."

"This is the best opportunity, and perhaps the only opportunity for the Northern Barbarians!"

"I, Bo'erhu, ask everyone to believe in me one more time."

"Unite, gather everyone's strength, and let us march on the Central Plains together!"

The former King of the Northern Barbarians, Bo'erhu, launched an alliance once again in his personal name.

This time, the major tribes might no longer honor him as King.

But everyone's interests are aligned—

March south!

Before the Seven Western Lands nations land on the Eastern Continent, the greatest threat to the Great Lan Dynasty is the grasslands, followed by the Northern Barbarians.

Due to their unique geography and special physical constitutions, the Northern Barbarian tribes are almost entirely a nation of soldiers.

The grasslands have an army of a million archers, and the Northern Barbarians can likewise field a million battle-ready troops!

If pushed to the limit, they could even muster two million soldiers!

Furthermore, in terms of the number of top-tier experts, the Northern Barbarians are no fewer than the grasslands.

It is only because the Northern Barbarians are divided into over a dozen tribes and are not as unified as the grasslands that their threat is smaller.

Now, Bo'erhu is once again attempting to unify the power of the Northern Barbarians.

The 49th year of Hongguang, December 11th.

Of the fourteen Northern Barbarian tribes, nine chose to join forces and elected Bo'erhu as the Regional Commander of the allied army.

Each of the nine tribes contributed one hundred thousand troops, forming a grand army of one million!

Thus, the Great Lan Dynasty faces the grassland army in the east, fights two desert nations in the south, and encounters the Northern Barbarian army in the north.

The delegation from the Seven Western Lands nations is making exorbitant demands in Lanling City.

Dragons and snakes rise from the land.

The Great Lan Dynasty, an enemy to the whole world!

……

PS: Wishing everyone a happy holiday, asking for monthly votes.

(End of chapter)