In August of the first year of Han, the feudal lords of Qi and Zhao rebelled. Xiang Yu led his troops to quell the unrest. Xiang Yu advanced north to Chengyang, where Tian Rong gathered his forces to battle him. Xiang Yu defeated Tian Rong, burned down the houses in Qi, and buried all the surrendered soldiers alive. He took captive their elderly and young women. In April of the second year of Han, Liu Bang led five lords with a combined army of 560,000 soldiers eastward to attack the state of Chu. Xiang Yu, leading his army from the west, fought from morning until noon, reaching Pengcheng, where he decisively defeated Liu Bang's army. More than 100,000 Han soldiers were killed, and over 100,000 Han soldiers drowned in the Sui River, which became choked with bodies and could no longer flow.
In the fourth year of Han, Xiang Yu captured Xingyang. Liu Bang fled to Gong County. Xiang Yu returned and confronted Liu Bang at Guangwu, where they remained in a standoff for several months. Later, Xiang Yu found himself attacked from both front and rear, and his supplies ran low. Thus, he drew a line along the Hong Canal, dividing the realm in two.
After the peace treaty at Hong Canal, Liu Bang broke the covenant and pursued Xiang Yu. Liu Bang's five armies, totaling nearly 600,000 men, formed a four-sided encirclement of the Chu army from the west, north, southwest, and northeast. Xiang Yu was forced to retreat with 100,000 Chu soldiers towards Gaixia. Xiang Yu led 800 cavalry in a night raid to break through. By dawn, only twenty-eight riders remained.
Xiang Yu fled all the way to Wujiang. He dismounted and fought on foot, killing several hundred Han soldiers before drawing his sword and taking his own life.
"Heavenly Emperor!"
Wei Zhongxian, who was waiting outside the palace, saw Yang Hao's figure and hastily bowed in greeting.
Yang Hao walked to the Immortal Emperor Tablet and slowly said, "Issue decree!"
"Bestow upon Laozi the title of Ancestor of Taoism in the Great Han! He shall command all matters of Taoism!"
"Bestow upon Confucius the title of Grand Tutor of the Great Han!"
"Bestow upon Xiang Yu the title of Commander of the Sky-Splitting Rhinoceros Legion!"
"Proceed immediately to the chaotic space of the Ancient Star Road to investigate the Source Tower!"
"Your will be done!"
Wei Zhongxian gasped, his face turning pale with shock. They were here! These esteemed individuals had finally emerged!
...
Deep within the chaotic space of the Ancient Star Road.
Guiguzi and Li Yuanba led a host of heroes, traveling ten thousand li away from where the ancient ancestor of Desolation was in seclusion.
"Old Ancestor truly admires you all for overturning my meticulous plans in a mere century!"
"However, do you truly believe that this Old Ancestor only possesses the power you see before you!"
"Go!"
The host of heroes saw no figure, only heard a voice in the chaos softly whisper. The chaos then began to collapse, and a colossal spatial vortex formed. The violent energy caused everything to be destroyed!
"A foreign world nurtured and forged."
"Truly a masterful technique!"
At the other end of the chaos, Confucius sat in an ox cart, followed closely by a multitude of disciples led by the seventy-two worthies. Confucius looked up at the energy storm swirling at the edge of the chaos and gently shook his head.
"This foreign world has been forged and nurtured for eons. It has evolved its own path by relying on the Immortal Realm!" Confucius said softly.
On the other side.
Guiguzi, gazing at the forming spatial passage and the foreign world gradually pressing towards the chaos in an attempt to merge, frowned slightly. "It seems that the ancient ancestor of Desolation had many contingency plans prepared. This space was likely prepared from the moment he coveted the Source Tower!"
"By the will of the Old Ancestor!"
"Kill!"
An endless blood-red light erupted, and nearly tens of millions of strange beings emerged. They advanced in an orderly fashion, like a complete and well-equipped army, carrying the banner of the ancient ancestor of Desolation, charging towards the host of heroes.
Among them were humans, dragons, and others, very similar to the myriad races of the Immortal Realm!
"By the Old Ancestor's decree, kill!!"
The first ten beings, all at the Transcendent realm, roared and charged forward, leading millions of creatures towards the front.
Clang!
Li Yuanba shook his double hammers, just as he was about to strike, the entire chaotic space suddenly grew heavy. A powerful energy, not of killing intent, not of might, but an energy unseen in the Immortal Realm thus far!
Talent!
Righteousness!
The tens of millions of troops charging out instantly stopped their advance, looking towards the distant end of the chaos. There, an ox cart moved, guarded by three thousand disciples, exhaling ten thousand li of righteous energy, blanketing the land.
"What is that?"
The ancient ancestor of Desolation was shocked and immediately fled.
"Greetings, Supreme Sage Master!" The host of heroes bowed slightly, looking at the smiling old man on the war chariot.
"Greetings, everyone!" Confucius stood up and bowed slightly.
"When one's character is upright, actions are taken without command; when one's character is not upright, commands are not followed." On the ancient war chariot, Confucius watched the escaping figure, not intercepting it. He uttered a single sentence, and the three thousand disciples raised their Confucian classics, their pillars of talent propping up the descending foreign world.
Confucius spoke softly, as if narrating an ordinary event, but his body was covered by endless talent that stretched for countless miles, an ineffably majestic talent that enveloped the foreign world and the millions of troops!
Rumble!
"The Master taught with literature, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness."
The three thousand disciples shouted, and the endless talent blazed brightly!
Confucius smiled, stroking his beard, and with a flick of his finger, transformed the boundless talent into a sword of talent. Its light flashed, stripping away all killing intent!
"No one can obstruct the Old Ancestor's decree!!"
"Deserves to die!"
Li Yuanba attacked, raising his double hammers and smashing them towards the roaring Transcendent beings. Like rolling thunder, the Transcendent beings were instantly annihilated. Li Cunxiao raised his halberd and swept it out, repelling millions of troops.
"Go."
Confucius looked at the sword qi of talent condensed before his finger and spoke softly. The sword qi whistled out, its power not great, its swirling light faint, but its speed was extremely fast, so fast that even Li Cunxiao and other heroes could not detect it. Guiguzi smiled as he observed everything, understanding Confucius's intention to control that world. The sword of talent shot out, directly merging into the foreign world pressing down on the chaotic space.
Instantly.
Endless white lightning flashed, countless bolts striking the surface of the foreign world. Suddenly, the lightning descended into the chaotic space, locking down every soldier and creature!
Above the chaotic space, the three thousand disciples recited the classics, their rolling righteous energy pouring continuously into the foreign world. The endless lightning drew the millions of troops back into the foreign world, but left behind the few Transcendent beings. Soon, a few heroes stepped forward and directly annihilated those Transcendent beings!
"Go!"
Confucius waved his hand!
Boom!
The foreign world erupted with the light of Confucianism, illuminating the universe!
With a thunderous roar!
The foreign world, pulled by the righteous energy, arrived at the edge of the Immortal Realm. With a rumbling sound, the nine cauldrons of destiny ascended, illuminating both the Immortal Realm and the foreign world. Bronze divine light shot out, obliterating the great laws of the foreign world. The divine light guided it, merging with the Immortal Realm.
"Generals!" Confucius bowed slightly.
The host of heroes nodded and swiftly headed towards that foreign world.