The old man swept his gaze across the surroundings. Having detached himself from his physical body and relying on the palace built by the Emperor, he had survived to this day, his purpose being to sow the seeds left by the Emperor into the human world before the seal shattered.
"Disciples of the human race in the Southwest Region, the palace has appeared, the seal is broken, and the human lands face a calamity that has been difficult to face even since the time of the Martial Emperor. I hope all the rulers of the Imperial Dynasties can shoulder the responsibility for the human race, put aside past grievances, and jointly resist the Ancient Wilderness!"
Yang Hao stood before the Xuanzheng Hall and couldn't help but curl his lips. This old man spoke of the human lands with every breath, placing a cap on all the rulers of the Imperial Dynasties in one fell swoop. If the war were to advance further, they would become public enemies of the Southwest Region's human lands – a clear case of moral blackmail!
The Great Han had declared war on the four great Imperial Dynasties, leaving only the Qingcang Imperial Dynasty and the Shengyuan Imperial Dynasty struggling to hold on. The Kui Niu Legion and the Vermilion Bird Legion were assembling at the border, awaiting the King's command to march into the battlefields of the Cangmu Imperial Dynasty and the Tianyuan Imperial Dynasty.
With the old man's casual words, anyone who dared to instigate further conflict might find themselves in a no-win situation.
However, it was not that easy to make the Great Han cease its hostilities!
The old man then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the palace. After a moment, the palace descended into the Beihan Imperial Dynasty.
...
At the encampment of the Human Emperor Hall, ten old men in white robes sat on thrones adorned with coiled dragons. If the martial artists of the Southwest Region were to witness this, their eyes would be filled with astonishment.
Thrones!
These were seats befitting the rulers of an Imperial Dynasty!
Even Yang Hao, the Human King of the Great Han, who now dominated the Southwest Region, could not stably occupy the Human Emperor's seat, and the Great Han remained merely a dynasty.
What virtue or power did these ten old men possess to dare sit upon imperial thrones?
"Sirs, are you aware of the events outside the hall?"
One of the old men, with his eyes closed, gently tapped his lips. The Human Emperor Hall was originally established for the century-long holy war. The ten great Imperial Dynasties sought to prevent the Human Emperor Hall from becoming a tool of domination by a powerful Imperial Dynasty.
At that time, each major Imperial Dynasty sent a cultivator in the Rongtian realm to form the ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall. Initially, there was no ranking among the ten elders; their purpose was to check the power of the Human Emperor Hall's Hall Master.
However, over the course of ten thousand years, the ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall gradually detached themselves from the Imperial Dynasties, forming their own system and becoming the Elder Council of the Human Emperor Hall. The selection of the ten elders no longer came from the major Imperial Dynasties but became a lineage of inheritance, with disciples succeeding them!
The names of the ten elders were derived from one character each of the ten great Imperial Dynasties: Elder Sheng, Elder Yun, Elder Qing, Elder Xue, Elder Tian, Elder Yue, Elder Wei, Elder Yan, Elder Cang, and Elder Han!
After a hundred thousand years of change, the ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall became the silent rulers behind the Southwest Region. Every holy war was orchestrated by the ten elders, while the Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall led the armies of the Imperial Dynasties to charge forward. Through millennia of holy wars, the power of the Imperial Dynasties dwindled, while the ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall remained secure in the rear, with Rongtian realm cultivators emerging in endless succession.
The current ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall had even reached the pinnacle of the Rongtian realm.
"Oh!"
"Elder Han, what are you referring to?" Elder Yun opened his eyes. The ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall rarely interfered in the affairs of the Imperial Dynasties, and this had not caused public outrage over the years.
"Heh heh, Elder Han is probably referring to the Great Han Dynasty's conquest of the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty, right?"
Elder Yue said softly, his tone exceedingly calm. The fall of the two great Imperial Dynasties had caused quite a stir outside.
"Indeed!"
"The Great Han Dynasty has risen powerfully. With the strength of a mere dynasty, it has fought against four great Imperial Dynasties and has not been at a disadvantage. On the contrary, it has swiftly absorbed the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty with thunderous means. Such national strength is not inferior to that of the Weiyang Imperial Dynasty and the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty."
"A dynasty so formidable, if it cannot be utilized by us, it will undoubtedly become a great threat in the future!" Elder Han frowned, his tone chilling. The ten elders of the Human Emperor Hall occupied the apex of the Southwest Region's pyramid, wielding immense influence and manipulating the Imperial Dynasties at their whim. After ten thousand years of scheming, the ten great Imperial Dynasties were severely weakened, with no top-tier Rongtian realm cultivators remaining.
The current collapse of the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty was the most pleasing event for the ten elders. They sought to devour the ten great Imperial Dynasties step by step, without any repercussions. The emergence of the Great Han had indeed aligned with the ten elders' desires.
However, this was followed by an extremely troublesome matter. In the hearts of the countless martial artists of the Southwest Region, the ten elders were not the strongest, but rather symbols of supreme authority and the flames of hope for humanity.
Since the establishment of the ten elders, their purpose had been to strive for the survival of the human lands in the Southwest Region. For ten thousand years, they had become a beacon of hope and a spiritual sustenance for humanity.
Although the ten elders now possessed the ability to replace the ten great Imperial Dynasties, this course of action had significant drawbacks, bringing more harm than good.
The most fatal issue was the absence of generals to lead the charge. The responsibility of resisting the Ancient Wilderness would then fall upon them, which was a precursor to falling in battle.
With the ten great Imperial Dynasties resisting in the front lines, they could develop covertly, garner public support, develop stably, and still earn the reputation of being the saviors of the Southwest Region's humanity.
And now, with the Great Han's powerful rise, it had replaced the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty. With the holy war imminent and the Qingcang Imperial Dynasty and Shengyuan Imperial Dynasty in peril, the foundation of the ten great Imperial Dynasties had suffered a severe blow.
With the seal shattered, who would resist the Ancient Wilderness?
"Elder Han is correct. The holy war is imminent, and the seal is about to break. Our human lands will face beasts capable of destroying Imperial Dynasties. This holy war must be approached with utmost caution!"
"This Great Han Dynasty must be brought under the Human Emperor Hall. The void left by the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty must be filled by the Great Han!"
Elder Sheng frowned. According to the old man from the Imperial Dynasty's palace and the examination of the boundary void by other Imperial Dynasties, several passages resembling ancient seals had indeed appeared and were continuously expanding. The Great Han's ability to easily overthrow two great Imperial Dynasties indicated that its national strength was on par with the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty and the Weiyang Imperial Dynasty, making it a force that could not be underestimated. With the Great Han's participation, the pressure of the holy war would be greatly reduced.
"In that case, Elder Han, this matter will be handled by you. Notify the Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall to convene the Human Emperor Ceremony. The collapse of the Great Yun Imperial Dynasty and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty has significantly weakened the fighting strength of the human lands in resisting the Ancient Wilderness. We hope the Human King of the Great Han will depart from the human lands of the Southwest Region, join the Human Emperor Hall, and jointly resist the Ancient Wilderness!"
"Furthermore, with the holy war imminent, we hope all Imperial Dynasties will consider the greater good and refrain from further self-inflicted conflicts. This matter will be conveyed to the Human Emperor of Great Yan, and he will be asked to intervene and halt the war between the Imperial Dynasties!"
Elder Wei said softly, though a hint of a smile played on his lips, showing no great pressure despite the impending holy war.
"Since that is the case, I will undertake this matter."
Elder Han nodded slightly, stood up, and walked out of the hall.