Hai Lingyu, the King of Chu, lowered his head. No one in the grand hall dared to utter a sound. Even the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty could not stop the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty's advance, let alone their Haiyun Divine Dynasty.
In just half a month, the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty had lost two Saint Kings, and the battlefield had completely lost its balance. The Great Han's territory now encompassed half of the land in the Western Hundred Cities.
"Divine Emperor, esteemed officials, there are only two paths before our Haiyun Divine Dynasty at present."
"One: Cede territory and pay reparations, submitting to the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty; Two: Continue to ally with the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty, and even if we are defeated and our nation perishes, we will fight to the death without surrender!"
King Xuan, Hai Xing'an, looked pale, with noticeable white hairs at his temples. For days, he had been mobilizing the divine dynasty's armies while also constantly guarding the borders.
"Insolent!"
"Insolent!"
"Yang Hao, you impudent brat, barely a hundred years old, dares to ride on my neck and dictate the entire Western Hundred Cities! Insolent!"
Hai Yao flew into a rage. No one had expected the situation to escalate so quickly. Judging by the combat strength displayed on several battlefields, the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty's top powerhouses were undoubtedly crushing the entire Western Hundred Cities.
Even a civil official like Zhang Zai could escape from the hands of that old fossil of the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty, and even manage to slay Bu Xiangchu.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!!"
"The Primordial Divine Mountain... Three days ago, the Primordial Divine Mountain officially announced its surrender to the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty! The Great Han Heavenly Dynasty's two great legions, the Vermilion Bird Legion and the Azure Dragon Legion, have already entered the Primordial Divine Mountain and are now advancing towards our divine dynasty's borders!"
Suddenly, a frantic old minister rushed into the hall from outside, wailing.
"What?"
Inside the grand hall, all beings felt as if thunder had exploded in their ears. The Primordial Divine Mountain had surrendered to the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty!
This ancient remnant force had finally succumbed!
"Primordial Divine Mountain... Fo Ming Ci Zhi Xin..."
Hai Yao muttered weakly, slowly sitting on the imperial throne, his eyes vacant as he whispered.
"Where is the Crown Prince?"
"He'er!"
Hai Yao suddenly exclaimed, "Go, have He'er proceed to the Thunder God Hall today to seek aid!"
"Thunder God Hall!"
Hai Lingyu, Hai Xing'an, and all the civil and military officials in the hall trembled.
Thunder God Hall!
That was a power from the Northern Carp Territory, controlling thirty states and regions within the Northern Carp Territory. It was one of the three major powers there.
However, above these three major powers was a supreme overlord – the Azure Cloud Immortal Dynasty.
"Thunder God Hall!"
"Yes, have He'er go to the Thunder God Hall for help. The Haiyun Divine Dynasty is in peril, the Haiyun Divine Dynasty is in peril!"
Hai Yao cried out.
The Haiyun Divine Dynasty shared a border with the Thunder God Hall. For tens of millions of years, they had maintained marital relations with the high-ranking officials of the Thunder God Hall. To put it politely, they merely sent their princesses to appease the Thunder God Hall's powerful figures.
This was also one of the main reasons why the Haiyun Divine Dynasty could still stand tall in the Western Hundred Cities.
"As you command, I will attend to it immediately!"
Hai Lingyu hurried out of the hall.
"Xing'an!"
"You go and lead the mobilized army to the border. If the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty's army dares to violate our borders, then fight!"
Hai Yao now had some semblance of confidence.
"As you command!"
...
"Old Ancestor, the Primordial Divine Mountain has surrendered to the Great Han!"
"Bu Xiangchu and Bu Pinglong are dead. Bu Fan'gu is still in a secret realm and has not received news. It seems only Bu Heliang can't hold the current situation."
Deep within the imperial palace of the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty capital, the place was dim and lightless, with only a few candles providing meager illumination.
"Divine Emperor, what do you think we should do?"
Bu Fang looked at the newly appointed Yaoguang Divine Emperor.
"Old Ancestor, what can I do? Even the Four Kings entrusted by the late Emperor could not resist. What can I do?"
The Divine Emperor smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Old Ancestor, I heard that when my father was young and traveling in Wolong Abyss, he saved Jia Gu Zhe, the legitimate bloodline of the Demon Sea Marsh. Old Ancestor, in your opinion, can this chess piece be of use?"
As the Divine Emperor spoke, he produced a tooth.
"This is indeed true. However, ten million years ago, I heard that Jia Gu Zhe was deeply favored by the Demon Sea Lord and has now reached the Great Sage realm. His status is extremely noble. Perhaps he doesn't care about these things."
"Being saved by someone of lower status can sometimes be a disaster."
Bu Fang's eyelids drooped, his expression unreadable.
"Old Ancestor, then... then what do we do?"
The young Divine Emperor panicked for a moment.
"It's alright, this avenue can be attempted, but you must go yourself. The current situation in the Western Hundred Cities is critical. If you go to the Demon Sea Marsh, it will show our sincerity on one hand, and on the other, if the Great Han Heavenly Dynasty's army presses our borders, you can also preserve a spark of hope for our Yaoguang."
"Right!"
"Take this letter. When you arrive at the Demon Sea Marsh, whether you succeed or not, immediately proceed to the Grand Xuan Palace. The Grand Xuan Palace is our Yaoguang Divine Dynasty's backing in the western territories."
"Grand Xuan Palace?"
"It's the Grand Xuan Palace of Dong Bi Yuan!!"
The Divine Emperor's expression was one of horror. The Yaoguang Divine Dynasty was extremely far from the Grand Xuan Palace. Even through the void passages, it would take several months. How could the Old Ancestor recognize someone from the Grand Xuan Palace?
"Heh heh, like our Yaoguang, the Grand Xuan Palace also serves the Hong family. Both are chess pieces laid out by the Hong family for the Blood Sea Suspended Coffin. You just need to deliver this letter to the Grand Xuan Palace, and they will surely protect our Yaoguang!"
"Go, I have been nourished by the national destiny for a long time, and I can mobilize the national destiny of the entire Yaoguang Divine Dynasty."
"Even if a Great Sage powerhouse comes, I can contend with them. Go, Great Sage powerhouses have not appeared in the Western Hundred Cities for tens of millions of years. Divine Emperor, you can rest assured, I will hold on until you return with reinforcements!"
"Go!!"
...
"Commander, ahead is the perilous pass of the Heavenly Gang Great Sect – Bohai Pass!"
"The Sect Master of the Heavenly Gang Great Sect, Ying Yuan, is stationed here with one million elite troops. Scouts have reported that there are as many as one hundred large formations on this city alone, essentially depleting the Heavenly Gang Great Sect's reserves."
In the heartland of the Heavenly Gang Great Sect's territory, Cao Wei stood at a higher vantage point, surveying the surrounding terrain.
"Is that so?"
"Where is Hai Wen Shu's army from the Haiyun Divine Dynasty?"
"Reporting to the Commander, they are about thirty li west of Bohai Pass, at a place called Dong Lin!"
Lu Junyi said gravely.
"Bring the map!"
Cao Wei turned around and spread a map on the ground.
He Yuanqing quickly picked up a map and unfurled it.
Cao Wei marked the two strategic passes and studied them carefully.
"Commander, we must divide our forces into two routes. We absolutely cannot allow them to merge. If we attack like this, our White Tiger Legion will inevitably suffer heavy losses."
"The Heavenly Gang Great Sect's army this time is their last resort. They are elites, not comparable to the armies we encountered in the capital of the Yuhua Divine Dynasty."