Xu Mo's expression was grave. In his more than a hundred years in the Great Wilderness, this was the first time he felt a sense of difficulty.
He hadn't found it troublesome when he led the rebel army to overthrow the Great Hao Dynasty; in fact, he'd enjoyed it.
But now, his heart was heavy. He was the Emperor of Great Gan, responsible for the welfare of his people.
If there was truly immense danger from the Endless Sea, could he protect his subjects?
Although Xu Mo was confident, he couldn't guarantee it.
The humans from the Endless Sea had built enormous iron ships, not driven by spiritual energy, but by other means.
This sounded like the giant ships of Earth.
But that was impossible.
This was the Great Wilderness, not Earth. How could ships and cruise liners possibly appear here?
Therefore, Xu Mo speculated that the humans from the Endless Sea might cultivate using a different system, and thus their method of powering the iron ships would differ from that of the Great Wilderness.
Gongsun Rou's expression was worried as she spoke.
"Your Majesty, are these visitors from the Endless Sea friendly or hostile?"
"Should we mobilize Great Gan's elite Dragon Guard to reinforce the Eastern Military Camp?"
She feared that the Eastern and Southern Military Camps might not have enough strength to defend the coastline.
The Dragon Guard were the elite of Great Gan's forces, personally commanded by His Majesty.
Their strength was immense, comparable to the elite Snow Dragon Cavalry of the Great Jin Dynasty.
Xu Mo pondered for a moment and shook his head.
"No need. If the Eastern and Southern garrisons can't hold them off, the Dragon Guard will be sent to their deaths as well."
He knew in his heart that while the Dragon Guard were strong, they were powerless against true experts, such as cultivators at the Divine Rope Realm or above.
The strength of powerful cultivators had reached a qualitative leap; they couldn't be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Take the Empress of Great Jin, for example. Her cultivation realm had reached the Heaven-Treading Realm.
In the Great Gan Dynasty, apart from him, no one could withstand her.
If Xu Mo didn't intervene, the Empress of Great Jin alone could defeat the entire Great Gan Dynasty.
Conversely, if Xu Mo wished, he could annihilate the Great Jin Dynasty by himself.
But he was not so cruel as to slaughter millions just to conquer Jin.
He couldn't do such a thing. Moreover, the Empress of Great Jin was not to be trifled with; it was said she had obtained a formidable sacred artifact in her youth.
Xu Mo frowned. "My greatest concern is the mist barrier mentioned in Fan Cheng's jade slip!"
"This barrier prevents beings from the Great Wilderness from leaving, yet it is open to beings from the other side. This is too disadvantageous for us!"
He suddenly wondered if he, not being a native of the Great Wilderness but having transmigrated directly, would also be blocked by the mist barrier.
Xu Mo felt a surge of eagerness, wanting to go and test it immediately.
He also wanted to see what kind of humans had come from the Endless Sea and whether they posed a threat to the Great Gan Dynasty.
Xu Mo announced his decision: he would personally go to the Endless Sea to investigate the situation.
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Rou was startled and quickly said, "Your Majesty, absolutely not! The selection of consorts is imminent in the Imperial Capital. You cannot leave the Imperial Capital, or the selection will be halted."
"Furthermore, the Great Jin Dynasty watches from the Northern Region like a tiger. If news of your departure from the Imperial Capital leaks, the Jin Empress will surely seize the opportunity!"
With His Majesty presiding over the Imperial Capital, the Great Jin Dynasty, no matter how restless, would not dare to attack Great Gan.
But if His Majesty were to leave, and the Imperial Capital lacked its strongest defender, Great Gan would have no power to resist Jin's offensive.
Therefore, His Majesty could not leave the Great Gan lightly. Even if he intended to be away temporarily, preparations would need to be made a month in advance.
She did not want His Majesty to leave the Imperial Capital, nor did the civil and military officials of the court.
Once His Majesty left, it was hard to imagine what actions the Empress of Great Jin might take.
Moreover, the selection of consorts was in its final stages. If His Majesty left now, how could the selection proceed?
Xu Mo frowned slightly, realizing the commotion his departure from the Imperial Capital would cause.
It was truly a case of one move affecting the whole game.
Yet, he genuinely couldn't put his mind at ease about the situation in the Endless Sea, but he was unable to extricate himself at the moment, which was troubling.
Xu Mo asked, "Can the selection of consorts be postponed until I return?"
"That won't do, Your Majesty," Gongsun Rou replied, shaking her head. "A hundred years have passed since your ascension, and this is your first selection of consorts. If it is postponed, it might lead to certain consequences and diminish your authority."
"Is that so..."
Xu Mo felt regret. It seemed he couldn't get away for the time being.
He would have to wait until after the selection of consorts before he could make proper arrangements and then set off for the Endless Sea.
Gongsun Rou, understanding His Majesty's concerns, said, "Your Majesty, you needn't worry too much. The situation in the Endless Sea may not be as dire as you fear."
"General Bai Zhan has already rendezvoused with General Fan Cheng. With those two half-step Divine Rope Realm experts there, there won't be any problems."
Bai Zhan was the commander of the Southern Garrison, possessing the same strength as Fan Cheng.
Half-step Divine Rope Realm was just a step away from the Divine Rope Realm, making them extremely powerful.
Xu Mo nodded slightly. Half-step Divine Rope Realm was already top-tier strength in the Great Wilderness, capable of entering and exiting the Monster Beast Mountains in the western regions of the Great Wilderness unharmed.
With these two commanders guarding the Endless Sea, his heart gradually settled.
Next, Gongsun Rou reported on the matters concerning the selection of consorts.
The final stage would commence in five days, at which point Xu Mo would personally have to make the selections.
Xu Mo nodded, acknowledging that he understood.
"By the way, has Great Jin learned of the changes in the Endless Sea?" he asked Gongsun Rou.
"They have," Gongsun Rou nodded. "Great Jin has been sending troops to the coast for defense recently. The Empress of Great Jin is taking the changes in the Endless Sea very seriously."
"Moreover, they are very aggressive. After discovering the changes in the Endless Sea, they immediately sent troops to investigate. Our spies have not been able to ascertain what they discovered."
It was as he had anticipated. That woman was still as impetuous as ever.
Xu Mo mused that perhaps he could go and speak with the Empress of Great Jin.
If something truly threatening to the Great Wilderness appeared in the Endless Sea, Great Gan and Great Jin might have to form an alliance.
If that woman refused to ally, then he would fight until she submitted.
Xu Mo asked Gongsun Rou to fetch paper and brush. He first wrote a letter, affixed his seal, and instructed Gongsun Rou to send someone to the Imperial Capital of the Great Jin Dynasty to deliver it to the Empress of Great Jin.
Then, he wrote an imperial decree, ordering Generals Fan Cheng and Bai Zhan to guard the Endless Sea well and not act rashly.
As for how to deal with the humans who had come from the Endless Sea, Xu Mo had no immediate plan. After all, he had not seen these people himself and did not know their background.
Therefore, he instructed Fan Cheng and Bai Zhan to refrain from interacting with these unknown humans for the time being and to observe them secretly.
Once they understood the background of these humans, they could act accordingly.
...