The Grand Martial Families' major moves instantly spread throughout the entire Great Qin, and everyone became aware of the Grand Martial Families' existence. They possessed powerful armies of martial artists, controlled numerous resources of the Great Qin, and many prominent families and major corporations on the surface were actually under their secret control.
In an instant, all information about the Grand Martial Families was unearthed. Some busybodies even established a website on the internet specifically for the Grand Martial Alliance, introducing information about each family.
Countless people flooded this website online. They couldn't believe their eyes; after seeing the contents, many were so terrified they broke out in a cold sweat.
The Grand Martial Alliance had secretly ruled this land for thousands of years. In previous dynasties, commoners were slaves and servants of the Grand Martial Families, with no human rights whatsoever.
It was only in the Great Qin era that the Grand Martial Families reined themselves in. However, even then, they secretly controlled a significant portion of the Great Qin's resources.
Many people toiled their entire lives for the Grand Martial Families, earning wealth for them.
"This is too terrifying, this world is too terrifying. The things hidden in the darkness send shivers down my spine!" someone posted, expressing their awe.
"Such families should have been wiped out long ago! They are draining the blood of us commoners, a tumor to the Great Qin!"
"What are they trying to do? Mobilizing their armies, do they want to rule us again?"
"The Great Qin has taken action, allying with the Dragon King's Hall. Led by the Dragon King, the army is eradicating the Grand Martial Alliance. The Dragon King has already destroyed three Grand Martial Families," someone explained, informing others about the current situation.
It was as if an unseen hand was guiding the public, making them aware of everything – who the oppressors were, and who was fighting for them!
"Well done! Such families should be annihilated! The Great Qin is for everyone to be equal; there should be no deformed existence like the Grand Martial Alliance!" some passionate youths furiously cursed online, wishing they could personally join the war.
Concurrently, in the Dragon Palace Hotel in the capital, Li Xiaotian sat calmly in his seat. Opposite him was Li Shanhai, who had rushed over.
"They finally couldn't hold back. Their armies are openly gathering, and the Qin Lord is furious," Li Shanhai said with a solemn expression. The power displayed by the Grand Martial Alliance made him feel apprehensive, but he also felt relieved. His persistence was correct; otherwise, if the Grand Martial Alliance were given sufficient time, they might have controlled the Great Qin without anyone noticing.
"Mr. Li, I will fight alongside you this time. The military will obey your command!"
Li Xiaotian remained calm. He had long anticipated this situation. The Grand Martial Alliance had held a supreme position for too long, and they would not tolerate their status being challenged. Therefore, once they felt threatened, they would eliminate the threat as quickly as possible.
"What's going on with that website on the internet?" Li Xiaotian asked, frowning.
"Ahem, I took it upon myself to arrange for someone to do that. Once war breaks out with the Grand Martial Alliance, it's bound to be known to the secular world. So, it's better to be upfront from the beginning and let the citizens of the Great Qin know the truth," Li Shanhai explained with a slight cough and an apologetic tone.
"As for exposing your information, that was also the Qin Lord's intention. The Great Qin needs a hero!"
Li Xiaotian frowned, feeling slightly displeased. He disliked being the center of attention and even more so disliked arrangements made without his consent.
"In the future, if there are such matters, I hope you will inform me in advance," Li Xiaotian's voice grew colder.
Li Shanhai was startled by this and, knowing Li Xiaotian was angry, quickly replied.
"This will never happen again. This incident occurred suddenly, so there wasn't enough time to notify you in advance."
Li Xiaotian did not respond, instead staring intently at the map on the wall.
The territory of the Great Qin appeared somewhat circular, and the area where the Tian family resided was the westernmost border region of the Great Qin.
That area contained hundreds of kilometers of desert no man's land, with extremely harsh conditions.
To reach the Tian family, one had to pass through the no man's land. Fighting in such an environment rendered many combat methods unusable, causing him some consternation.
Furthermore, the Tian family occupied the only forest and water source in that region, giving them a significant advantage in terms of timing and terrain.
"How many are there?" Li Xiaotian asked, calculating. He didn't care about one or two Grand Martial Families, but the presence of twelve families meant he had to take their strength seriously.
"From what we have, excluding the Tian family, they have over a hundred and fifty War God level powerhouses, and the number of their martial artist army exceeds sixty thousand!" Li Shanhai replied. As for the Tian family, their family never accepted outsiders, so his people never had the chance to infiltrate, making the Tian family's strength a mystery.
Li Xiaotian frowned. The Grand Martial Alliance's strength was formidable, exceeding his expectations. However, a cold smile then appeared on his lips; battles like this were more interesting.
"Additionally, the military will mobilize all its War Gods to participate. Our number of War Gods is comparable to the Grand Martial Alliance. The only uncertainty is the number of their top-tier experts," Li Shanhai continued. This was a tough battle, a difficult one to fight.
"I need time. Before that, I hope you can go to the Western Regions and keep the Grand Martial Alliance occupied," Li Xiaotian said. He had not yet fully reached the King level, and the injuries of Long Yi and others had not yet healed. In terms of top-tier experts, they were at a disadvantage.
"Mr. Li, I was thinking the same. I will lead the military forces to encircle the entire Western Regions, trying to compress the space for the war," Li Shanhai replied. He was also aware of Li Xiaotian's situation; he was essentially the only powerhouse on their side who had broken through to the King level. Therefore, once a full-scale war erupted with the Grand Martial Alliance, they needed Li Xiaotian to hold the fort to have confidence in defeating them.
Following this, the two discussed subsequent plans, and it took them an entire morning to finalize everything.
Li Shanhai left in a hurry, while Li Xiaotian seized the time to cultivate.
He had to admit that the foundation of the Grand Martial Families was indeed very strong. They possessed inherited cultivation techniques, so War Gods were not a significant threat to them.
However, Li Xiaotian's side was different. The total number of War Gods from the entire military and the Dragon King's Hall combined was only comparable to that of the Grand Martial Alliance.
It was important to remember that the Grand Martial Alliance now only had twelve families left. Compared to the population of the Great Qin, they were like an ant to an elephant.
Yet, their number of powerhouses was greater than that of the Great Qin, which sufficiently illustrated the terrifying nature of the Grand Martial Families.
For a period thereafter, Li Xiaotian focused entirely on cultivation, paying no attention to external affairs.
Every day, he could feel his body changing, growing stronger.
Impurities within his body were gradually expelled through his skin, causing Li Xiaotian's skin to appear like jade.
Simultaneously, during this time, Li Xiaotian's subordinates uniformly began practicing the cultivation techniques of the Grand Martial Families, continuously enhancing their overall strength.