"Your Majesty!"
Du Ruhui bowed slightly and stepped forward. "Your ministers believe that we can divide the territory of our Great Han into thirteen states for unified management. Too many prefectures are not conducive to the promotion of central policies, and too many officials will also increase the expenditure of government cultivation resources!"
"Hmm!"
Yang Hao nodded. The territory of the Great Han now had dozens of prefectures, which was indeed too many, so many that some prefectures had no sense of presence in Yang Hao's eyes.
He preferred the thirteen prefectures of ancient Huaxia, where power was unified and gradually concentrated, which was also conducive to control.
"You, the Military Council, should draft a plan and submit it as soon as possible. Once the territories of the states are completely under the control of our Great Han, it can be implemented!"
"Your ministers obey your decree!"
Yang Hao waved his hand. "Now, the territories of the Blood Origin Heavenly Dynasty, the Ancient Lion Kingdom, and the Sword Bone lineage must be gradually stabilized and advanced. The army at the front should remain vigilant of the movements of the Gate of Creation and the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty."
"After the territory is stabilized and power is unified, we will consider other matters!"
...
On the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the seventh year of the Great Han calendar, two days after the fall of the Ancient Lion Kingdom, the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty failed to unite with the Lingxu Palace. Bi Yi led troops deep into the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty, under the banner of the Lingxu Palace, harassing the Gate of Creation everywhere.
Due to repeated harassment and sneak attacks, the Gate of Creation suffered cumulative losses of over 100,000 troops. Rui Feng, the third elder of the Gate of Creation and the overall commander of the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty battlefield, decisively attacked and launched a three-day bloody battle against the Lingxu Palace army thirty miles north of the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty's capital.
The Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty battlefield was on the verge of ignition. The Lingxu Palace was passively involved in defense. Bi Yi, who had achieved his plan, timely led the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty army, bypassed thirty miles north of the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty's capital, and launched a siege on the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty's capital.
As the Gate of Creation had strengthened the anti-air formation in this area, Bi Yi could not break the formation despite his best efforts. He had no choice but to lead hundreds of thousands of Unity Realm troops to launch a ground assault.
Rui Feng, whose camp was attacked, was furious and timely divided his forces into two routes to reinforce the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty's capital. This place could not be lost for the Gate of Creation, as all the defensive measures on the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty battlefield were centered here.
Facing the weakened offensive of the Gate of Creation and receiving news from the front lines, the sect leader of Lingxu Palace, Zai Qianfeng, could not grasp the intentions of Emperor An Yuan.
"Is this still Emperor An Yuan?"
Looking at the battle report in his hand, Zai Qianfeng frowned.
"Sect Leader, is the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty really going to unite with our Lingxu Palace to destroy the Gate of Creation?"
The Grand Elder, Han Qiubai, took the battle report information written by Geng Xiazhi himself and pondered for a long time.
"I'm not sure!"
"Let Geng Xiazhi remain vigilant. This sect leader feels something is wrong, but I can't quite put my finger on it for the moment."
Zai Qianfeng closed his eyes, his face in pain.
"Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader!!"
A cry of alarm, a Celestial God of the Lingxu Palace lost his composure and rushed into the main hall.
"Sect Leader, the Nangong family... Nangong Ruofei of the Nangong family led 500,000 Nangong troops, opened the gate of our Lingxu Daozhou, and has now advanced a hundred miles!"
"Sect Leader, the front line is in urgent need!"
"The front line is in urgent need!!"
"What??"
Han Qiubai stood up abruptly, the hand holding the battle report trembling. What he feared had come to pass. After being wary of the Nangong family for so long, they had finally made their move.
"Where is Nangong Ruofei's army now?"
Zai Qianfeng's face turned pale. He gestured with his hand, and a huge blue map appeared in the hall.
"Sect Leader, it's at the Lingmen!"
The Celestial God scanned the map and blurted out.
"Grand Elder, it seems the Nangong family came prepared. Once they pass the Lingmen, they can go directly north and threaten the southern gateway of our Lingxu Palace."
Looking at the location of Lingmen, Zai Qianfeng's body trembled slightly.
"Sect Leader, the current situation is very unfavorable to us. This old man will go to Lingmen first to hold off Nangong Ruofei."
Han Qiubai clenched his cane.
"As for Geng Xiazhi, Sect Leader, it's better to recall him. Once the Nangong family attacks, our Lingxu Palace will lose the initiative. This territory Daozhou cannot be held!"
"It can only be so!"
Zai Qianfeng's face turned cold. He knew how fierce the battle on the Chiyang Heavenly Dynasty battlefield was. Geng Xiazhi could return, but he didn't know how many of their million troops would return.
Those Lingxu Palace armies that had appeared to harass dozens of times, Zai Qianfeng knew, were the work of the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty.
"Luring our Lingxu Palace to send troops out of the territory Daozhou, and then step by step forcing our Lingxu Palace and the Gate of Creation to consume each other, and step by step forcing us into endless bloody battles. Emperor An Yuan, how have I, Zai Qianfeng, offended you!"
"Nangong family!!"
"Grand Elder, I must go to the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty!"
"Indeed!"
Han Qiubai nodded. "It is the most opportune time to go to the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty. With the intervention of the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty, our Lingxu Palace can still get some breathing room!"
...
On the night of the sixteenth day of the fourth month of the seventh year of the Great Han calendar, Nangong Ruofei of the Nangong family led hundreds of thousands of troops to launch a surprise attack on the Lingxu Palace's border defenses. The gateway of Daozhou was wide open, and the Nangong army advanced a hundred miles.
On the second day, Zai Qianfeng, the sect leader of the Lingxu Palace, went deep into the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty and met with the Emperor of Jiuli. No one knew what they discussed, but the moment Zai Qianfeng left the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty, the Emperor of Jiuli officially declared war on the Nangong family.
On the seventeenth day of the fourth month of the seventh year of the Great Han calendar, the Gate of Creation, the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty, the Lingxu Palace, the Nangong family, and the Jiuli Heavenly Dynasty were engaged in mutual attacks and bloody battles.
What began as unity became increasingly chaotic. The entire situation exceeded the expectations of the An Yuan Heavenly Dynasty and the Nangong family. They did not know how Zai Qianfeng managed to enlist the Emperor of Jiuli.
However, far away on an island overseas, Liao Yan and Liao Seng were laughing heartily.
"Kill!"
"Kill!!"
"Kill to your heart's content!!"
"In this world, only scorching blood can proclaim to the Nine Heavens!!"
As they watched the continuous stream of death qi converge towards the Life and Death Banner behind them, and wisps of death qi gathered, the unremarkable Life and Death Banner became increasingly blood-red.
Liao Seng and Liao Yan had both cultivated in the Buddha Nether Shrine and were fellow disciples. Their sect originated from their cultivation. Millions of years ago, they had stepped into the Quasi-Saint realm and accidentally obtained the ancient divine artifact, the Life and Death Banner.
There is a legend in this world that says this ancient Life and Death Banner can mobilize the unique power within the Blood Sea Suspended Coffins at the time of their opening, and thus open up the Saint realm and achieve sainthood!
However, due to its age, this ancient Life and Death Banner had lost its divine power and was no different from an ordinary banner.
Liao Seng and Liao Yan, who obtained this item, traveled far and wide, and after hundreds of thousands of years, they found some clues.