Chapter 547: Chapter 329: Raging Divine Light
Chen Xuantian originally had no intention of getting involved in the Taiji Realm. Besides, this time was just an attempt to link and confirm the feasibility of the Tianku Flying Star project. He might wake up the next moment, so why bother too much.
Moreover, he is so weak now that he just needs to increase his Primordial Spirit cultivation and naturally would not actively get involved in the disputes of the Three Great Sects.
So Chen Xuantian also left the Three Constellations and wandered, only circling around the outskirts of Sizhou. He randomly stormed into those wealthy households that had valves erected outside their doors and a hundred pillars inside their residences, devouring the Divine Soul Nascent Souls of those patriarchs, condensing and refining his own Primordial Spirit.
And it seemed that seeing this Demon Head had come to the Central Plains purely out of a craving to eat people, neither the Shanglin Captain nor the Crown Prince’s Middle Attendant came to bother him. After all, the gate valves of the Immortal Palace were always human elixirs, so they just let him eat them.
But after all, the Primordial Spirit Divine Soul is a collection of knowledge, memories, and experiences, so the more he devours, the more Chen Xuantian sees many patriarchs’ spiritual sense memories and thereby gains some understanding of the Taiji Realm in this era.
Yes, it is now the era of Emperor Wu, although it is already the late period.
He had heard before that Emperor Wu’s era was the resurgence of the Immortal Palace, extending the territory to its limits, completely annihilating the Northern Shanyu, incorporating the Northern Plain into Kan Country, and once even directing military might towards the Mystic Sect of Qian Country and the Divine Sect of Dui Country.
It seemed that if not for Emperor Wu and Prince Li being instigated against each other in an internal conflict, there would indeed have been hope to thoroughly execute the Demon Path, sweep across the six directions, unify the world, and recreate the glory of the Immortal Venerable era.
But in fact, looking at it from the memories of these patriarchs, it was purely boasting, the Immortal Palace was merely gilding itself.
Actually by the late period of Emperor Wu, the so-called pinnacle resurgence of the Immortal Palace had already turned into a roller coaster, beginning free fall, nearing collapse.
It wasn’t that Emperor Wu lacked opportunities to campaign against the Demon Sect or Demon Path, nor was he hesitating which to attack first. He actually wanted all of them, ’Come at me all at once,’ he said.
Yes, the Immortal Palace was actually constantly sending out troops, and not just from Kan Country for constant expansion, nor just for the continuous Northern Expeditions, continuously going out north of Yin Mountain to drive and sweep the remaining units of the Shanyu. Even Li Country had dispatched troops several times for southern expeditions, beating the local demons and natives in the countryside.
It’s just that the Great Shanyu was the worst, the first one who couldn’t hold up, and battles were won from there first.
And now, only two directions remain for the battles of the Immortal Palace.
One, naturally, is the Mystic Sect Qian Country, led by the Sovereign of Gen at the forefront, with troops coming out of Qianzhou, advancing side by side along the Xuan Nu Eight Passes, cutting through mountains and piercing walls, paving the way, setting up passes and camps, slowly advancing towards the deep mountains and forests to set up camps in preparation for the army’s entry into the pass.
As for that elite cavalry army that once swept across Yin Mountain, pacified the Northern Plain, established great achievements, and was invincible in the world, the main force had already taken advantage of the situation, crossing Yin Mountain and entering the Western Regions.
Emperor Wu’s plan was actually quite clear, which was to first break through Heavenly Mountain, destroy the Divine Sect, pacify the Western Regions, and by then, when the marching paths of the Xuan Nu Eight Passes were repaired, to turn the army back again, attacking from the southeast, northwest, encircling on four sides, battling and eliminating the remaining forces of the Mystic Sect.
Eventually achieving sovereign power without external threats, unifying the world, and ensuring a thousand-year hegemonic enterprise.
But from the current perspective, actually the north and south are quite easy to deal with. The demons and barbarians truly can’t match the Immortal Palace, and the Mystic Sect is currently led by the Hidden Immortal Sect, which actually isn’t interested in hegemony.
After all, you can unify the world, I can find a mountain, dig a hole, crawl in, hide, and we won’t see each other, growing old and dying without interaction. Anyway, by the time I come out of seclusion, you’d be long gone.
But the Divine Sect is different.
Although due to the sudden departure of the Divine Lord, and the Holy Daughter unable to awaken, the Four Great Dharma Kings and the Four Great Venerables were once divided, pulling factions and engaging in internal strife, vying for position.
But they were originally the remnants of the Western Expedition Rebel Army, the children of criminals exiled by the Immortal Palace, with deep-seated hatred; naturally, they could not surrender with tied hands, sitting waiting for death, so under the pressure of the elite cavalry army, they had rallied together once more.
Thus, this basically became an internal war between the Northern Expedition Army and the Western Expedition Army. Knowing each other’s strategies well, they have fought bitterly for decades, so much so that even the Great General had to lay out camps over a hundred miles, arraying along the foot of Heavenly Mountain, facing off day and night, engaging forcefully, with difficult outcomes and countless casualties.
Even the Immortal Palace can’t endure fighting simultaneously against two Great Sects plus demons and barbarians.
Moreover, since Emperor Wu ascended to the throne, he continuously waged war for a century without stop. It’s fine when he kept winning, but once the Western Expedition against the Divine Sect proved unfavorable multiple times, various issues began to emerge.
Now, the people’s strength is exhausted, fortresses and granaries are empty, many people are fleeing, the world is depleted, people resort to cannibalism, rebellions are numerous, bandits rise up, gathering in the mountains and forests, causing upheaval in the world.
And internal struggles within the Three Constellations have also intensified, filled with conflict. Naturally, Emperor Wu had to employ tyrannical officials, implementing severe laws and harsh penalties, exploiting the world to supply military needs.
The Crown Prince, however, is kind and respectful, detests tyrannical officials and harsh laws and severe penalties, and overturns many injustices, gaining the people’s favor, but the ministers upholding the law are displeased. They frequently conspire against him before the Emperor’s Throne, resulting in more criticism than praise.
The Shanglin Captain is publicly opposed to the Crown Prince, representing this confrontation. Although he is merely a small captain, the Shanglin Garden is no small place.
It is, in fact, the Imperial Garden where Emperor Wu resides, spanning over a hundred miles, with twelve palaces, twenty-one pavilions, thirty-six gardens, crossing five counties and eight waters. It is Emperor Wu’s private park for hunting, entertaining officials, raising rare birds and beasts, exotic flowers and trees, and collecting Heavenly Materials Treasures.