After Yuwen Yongyan's demise, Xu Chu's eyes, burning with threads of the Southern Bright Fire, fell upon the physical body of Qian Cun, the National Preceptor of the Xiling Imperial Dynasty.
A monstrous malevolence filled the void. Qian Cun's face turned dark purple, his eyes brimming with blood, and veins surfaced on his countenance.
"Yang Hao, how dare you act so recklessly! You have offended the Chiyue Imperial Dynasty and slain Yuwen Yongyan, a top-tier Venerable realm expert. He is none other than the direct brother of Emperor Chiyue! By committing such violence, do you truly intend to annihilate our human race?"
Nan Tianpuhe, his mind in disarray, roared hysterically. Yuwen Yongyan's death plunged him into an abyss of icy despair.
"Insolence!"
"The name of the Han Emperor is not for any commoner to utter!"
"Our Emperor is the symbol of the human race!"
"Only our Great Han Imperial Dynasty is the true successor of humanity!"
The suffocating malevolence in the void condensed directly in Xu Chu's eyes. A ferocious glint, the color of deep-sea blood, shot forth.
Upon the blood-red light, fierce flames burned!
The terrifying malevolence that had vanished into his eyes once again tore across the sky. In the clear void, two beams of blood-red light shot out, firmly locking onto Qian Cun and Nan Tianpuhe.
"Yang Hao, I am of the human race!"
"You dare let your subordinate slaughter me!"
"May you die a terrible death!"
"May you die a terrible death!"
Nan Tianpuhe's face was filled with terror as he watched the two blood-red beams streak across the void. Though not as potent as the blood-red saber that had previously spanned the sky, they still possessed the power to suppress him, rendering him immobile.
"Yang Hao, you are unworthy of being human!"
"No!"
In the instant before the blood-red beams arrived, Nan Tianpuhe and Qian Cun's physical bodies exploded. Great chunks of flesh and blood were directly refined into nothingness by the incoming crimson light. Their two white primordial spirits, their faces contorted in fear, dissipated into oblivion.
"This..."
Sikong Cheng's face was filled with regret. "Your Majesty, these deaths were unavoidable, truly unavoidable!"
"On the Eastern Desolation Continent, the Sword God Holy Land and the Chiyue Imperial Dynasty stand supreme!"
"The Nan Tian Family and the Xiling Imperial Dynasty follow closely. Now, with a single move from Great Han, you have slain the direct brother of Emperor Chiyue, a top-tier Venerable! Your Majesty, he was a top-tier Venerable!"
"With the loss of Yuwen Yongyan, the Chiyue Imperial Dynasty has lost an arm. How could Emperor Chiyue let this matter rest?"
"The opportunity of a million years is upon us, and the Demon and Barbarian races are watching. This is why the major powers have only dispatched their strongest individuals and not their full armies. Your Majesty's rash actions, condoning your subordinates in slaying Qian Cun, Nan Tianpuhe, Yuwen Yongyan, and Xi Gong, have thoroughly offended three top-tier forces!"
"Alas!"
"Your Majesty, by acting this way, you have made our path even more arduous!"
"So be it. Your Majesty, I shall return now to consult with the Great Cave Master. The Huoyun Cave will not abandon you easily; we are willing to advance and retreat with the Great Han Imperial Dynasty!"
"Farewell!"
"Ji Hongwen, let us go!"
Watching their receding figures, Li Si smiled faintly. "Your Majesty, the three great forces have come together. They intend to completely sever our Great Han's foundation. Nan Tianpuhe's visit to exert pressure was merely a facade; their true aim was to plot against the human race!"
"However, this subject cannot fathom the role the Xiling Imperial Dynasty plays in this. A Xiling Imperial Dynasty Venerable met his end in Chang'an some time ago. Why not seek revenge then? Why choose this moment to conspire with the Chiyue Imperial Dynasty and the Nan Tian Family? Your Majesty, this matter is likely not as simple as it seems."
"Xiling Imperial Dynasty, Celestial God Mountain, Four-Eyed Tribe!"
Yang Hao's eyes were deep as he murmured softly.
"Notify the ministers of the Military Affairs Department for a council!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for summoning the worldly hero Xu Chu and slaying Yuwen Yongyan, a top-tier Venerable realm expert, earning one million six hundred thousand points of Slaughter Value!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for achieving a hidden achievement: slaying a top-tier expert of the Cangyuan world, a Venerable realm expert, for which you are rewarded twenty million Faith Value and one chance to summon a legendary hero of ages!"
"Ding! Reminder to the host that the Faith Value obtained from this hidden reward will not be absorbed by the Nine Cauldrons of Destiny, the Xuanyuan Sword, or the Human Emperor Tablet!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for summoning the worldly hero Xu Chu and slaying Nan Tianpuhe, Qian Cun, and Xi Gong, Venerable realm experts, earning four million points of Slaughter Value!"
"Your subject obeys!"
Li Si's expression was calm. With Xu Chu, a top-tier Venerable realm expert, guarding them, and facing several million Spirit Venerable troops, His Majesty might well march against the three great forces.
The Great Han Imperial Dynasty had recuperated for two years. Half of the national treasury's income was used to improve and elevate the citizens' cultivation realms and living standards. It was time for Great Han to mobilize its armies.
Only war could accelerate Great Han's development, only war could bring forth more and stronger heroes, and only war could protect Great Han's peace.
"System, first use ten million Faith Value to purchase blind boxes!"
"Let's try my luck!"
For the past two years, without any major military campaigns, Faith Value had been gained only sporadically from the seas. There had been a few draws, which had replenished the subordinate soldiers of heroes like Fei Yingdong!
"With ten million Faith Value, I wonder if I can draw some good items!"
"Ding! Ten million Faith Value successfully deducted!"
"Ding! Twenty Platinum Blind Boxes obtained!"
"Ding! Reminder to the host, remaining Faith Value is ten million!"
"Weng~~"
A dense array of Platinum Blind Boxes, long unseen and glinting with noble silver, instantly appeared in the host's mind!
"Ding! Prompting host, do you wish to open them!"
"Open!"
"Bang!"
The twenty Platinum Blind Boxes simultaneously flashed with silver light and vanished from Yang Hao's mind. Immediately, a torrent of information flooded into his ears.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining, forty thousand sets of Golden Griffin Legion Armor, Empty, Barracks Acceleration Card (Beginner), forty thousand sets of White Tiger Legion Armor, forty thousand sets of Kui Niu Legion Armor, Empty, Nirvana Pill (can allow a peak Nirvana realm cultivator to directly enter the Divine Nurturing realm with no side effects), Barracks Acceleration Card (Beginner), forty thousand sets of Golden Griffin Legion Armor, Barracks Acceleration Card (Beginner)!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining, Barracks Acceleration Card (Beginner), Nirvana Pill Formula x1, one hundred thousand elite Qi soldiers, Barracks Acceleration Card (Beginner), Divine Nurturing Pill Formula x1 (Divine Nurturing Pill: can help a Divine Nurturing realm cultivator break through a minor realm; each cultivator can use it only three times. Subsequent use after three times will be ineffective!), forty thousand sets of Qiongqi Legion Armor, forty thousand sets of Golden Griffin Legion Armor, forty thousand sets of Azure Dragon Legion Armor, forty thousand sets of White Tiger Legion Armor, Granary Path (Giant Teleportation Array)!"
Nirvana Pill!
Divine Nurturing Pill!
As expected, miracles continue to manifest!
I am already at the peak Nirvana realm. With this Nirvana Pill, I can directly enter the Divine Nurturing realm. The summoned heroes can also break through two minor realms. It's a shame about Xu Chu, who has already reached the peak Venerable realm.
"Ding! Reminder to the host that for heroes who have reached the peak Venerable realm, opportunities for realm advancement will continue in higher planes!"