However, the Hundred Battles Marquis, worthy of his second rank, reacted with incredible speed. At the critical moment, he grabbed Ying Ji, who was behind them, and pulled him in front of them. It seemed as if the Hundred Battles Marquis had acted, but Qin Nan had played a significant role. The instant the Hundred Battles Marquis made his move, Qin Nan sealed off Ying Ji's vital energy in his panic.
Ying Zhong's plan to kill two birds with one stone had backfired spectacularly, resulting in the loss of both his armies and his reputation. The Blood Sun Dynasty, his supposed ally, remained silent, while Lie Feng Hou, lurking behind the crowd, coldly observed the scene.
He had sensed something amiss regarding Zhang Liao's situation earlier, but he hadn't informed Saint Yuan Human Emperor nor stepped forward to intervene.
"Go!"
The Hundred Battles Marquis, without so much as a glance at the others, shot into the sky, heading towards the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty.
Qin Nan glanced at the ashen-faced Ying Zhong. Though their objective of weakening the Great Han had not been achieved, they had successfully weakened the Great Cloud Dynasty and the Saint Yuan Imperial Dynasty, making the trip worthwhile. With a cold smirk, he vanished from their sight.
"Farewell!"
"Farewell!"
"Farewell!"
The various imperial dynasty forces immediately exited the pavilion, unable to hide their delight. Whether it was the Great Han, the Saint Yuan Imperial Dynasty, or the Great Cloud Dynasty, any weakening of a major power was a welcomed outcome, and it didn't matter who it was.
The spectators on both observation decks stared blankly. The grand event had reached its zenith, only to abruptly end as all the imperial dynasty forces vanished.
"Men, ultimately, cannot accomplish great deeds!" Pei Yin shook her head, casting a cold glance at Ying Zhong and the distraught Yun Han. She then walked towards the Great Han contingent, bowed slightly, and disappeared into the void.
"Let's go!"
Li Bai surveyed his companions, then ascended into the air, vanishing into the heavens with Zhang Liao and the others.
"Ying Zhong, look at what you've done!"
"We grew up together, yet you have harmed our Great Cloud Dynasty so gravely!" Yun Han roared at Ying Zhong in the empty pavilion, his voice filled with fury.
"Do you think I wanted this?"
"I poured so much effort into this, only to lose a Void Integration realm expert. The Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty and the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty reaped the benefits, while the Blood Sun Dynasty is even more detestable, daring to break our prior agreement. They deserve to die!"
Ying Zhong's face was ashen, his heart bleeding. In just a month, the Saint Yuan Imperial Dynasty's strength had been greatly diminished. Chen Qiu's treason, the Dan Qing Pavilion's surrender to the Great Han, and Ying Ji's death in the arena—each event declared his incompetence as the new emperor.
"What do we do now?" Yun Han asked with difficulty, having managed to get back on his feet. He looked at Ying Zhong, who was pacing back and forth.
Ying Zhong's gaze immediately fell upon Yun Han, his voice cold: "The Great Cloud Dynasty, do you have the authority to make decisions?"
Ultimately, Yun Han was merely the heir to the Great Cloud Human Emperor, and the current authority of the Great Cloud Dynasty still lay with his father.
"I do!" Yun Han's face contorted. He had already dealt with his brothers and siblings, some killed, others rendered useless.
"Declare war!"
"Declare war on the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty and the Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty!"
"These two dynasties disregarded the arena's laws. Ying Ji and Xiong Feng faced peril, yet they did not intervene but instead caused harm. This act defies heavenly justice. Initiate imperial dynasty warfare!"
"If you don't want the Saint Yuan to fare well, then neither shall you!" Ying Zhong roared madly.
"What about the Great Han?" Yun Han worried. The Great Han was across the sea, and their strength could not be underestimated.
"I will not attack them. If they dare to intervene, with our two dynasties united, will we not be able to destroy the Great Han?" Ying Zhong said in a deep voice. "Once I win over the Blood Sun Human Emperor, he won't be able to resist such a good opportunity. He's not comparable to some trash fighter like Lie Feng Hou!"
"Furthermore, the Blood Sun Human Emperor controls the Human Emperor Hall. If he were to stab us in the back, our two dynasties would surely collapse. Therefore, no matter what, we must pull the Blood Sun Dynasty into our alliance to resist the Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty and the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty!"
"With the combined might of our three imperial dynasties, we will surely sweep away the two opposing dynasties before the Holy War. At that time, with the momentum of victory, our three dynasties will dominate the Southwest Region of the Eastern Wilderness. Who would dare disobey then!" Su Dan Novel Net
"Alright, the Great Cloud Imperial Dynasty is in!"
"This Crown Prince must make the Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty and the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty pay the price!" Yun Han said coldly to Ying Zhong, whispering to himself, "After we deal with the Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty and the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty, I'll deal with you. The death of the Great Cloud's Great General Xiong Feng also has a part to play by your Saint Yuan Imperial Dynasty!"
...
On the seventh day of the first month of the second year of Great Han.
That is, on the third day of the Saint Yuan Human Emperor Ying Zhong's enthronement ceremony, the Saint Yuan Imperial Dynasty, the Great Cloud Imperial Dynasty, and the Blood Sun Imperial Dynasty openly declared war on the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty and the Northern Cold Imperial Dynasty!
Imperial dynasty warfare was imminent!
On the second day after the three dynasties declared war, the Northern Cold Human Emperor and the Heavenly Origin Human Emperor formed an alliance and immediately declared war on the three dynasties. Simultaneously, as elders of the Human Emperor Hall, they announced that while the Blood Sun Human Emperor presided over the Human Emperor Hall, initiating imperial dynasty warfare openly violated the decrees of the Human Emperor Hall. They immediately declared their non-compliance with the Human Emperor Hall's supreme decree.
On the third day of the imperial dynasty warfare, the Great Yan Human Emperor received the support of the Cang Mu Imperial Dynasty, the Qing Cang Imperial Dynasty, and the Tian Yue Imperial Dynasty. He announced his succession as the Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall, stripping the Blood Sun Human Emperor of his position as Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall.
A wave of bloody miasma quickly enveloped half of the human territory in the Southwest Region of the Eastern Wilderness!
Experts at the Void Integration realm reigned supreme, with Heavenly Martial realm and Spirit Venerable realm commanders leading the armies to fight on the battlefield!
...
On the tenth day of January, in the second year of Great Han.
"Announce the Minister of Personnel, Li Bai, former General Zhang Liao, Master of the Pill Hall, Sun Simiao, Tiger Marquis Xu Chu, Ling Mu, Ling Xuan, and Chen Qiu to have an audience!"
In the Xuanzheng Hall of the Great Han's imperial palace in Chang'an City, the Great Han was in a phase of vigorous development. After the Great Han mastered the Ling family's industries within the Great Han, resources flowed in abundance. Under the prudent allocation by individuals like Changsun Wuji, the entire Great Han resembled a mature giant, developing at a thousand miles a day.
At the entrance of the Xuanzheng Hall, Wei Zhongxian's voice was extremely sharp as he shouted to the surroundings. Today was the day Li Bai and his entourage returned to the court to deliver royal orders. After their return to the Great Han, they had immediately rushed to Chang'an City.
Chen Qiu and Ling Mu, constantly vigilant of the Bixi behind them, felt as if their vital energy, empowered by the Human King Stele, possessed the destructive force of the heavens and earth, making it incredibly terrifying.
Such was the power of a single imprinted Bixi. How formidable must the Han King within the grand hall be?
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Li Bai and the others then bowed in unison, their expressions solemn as they walked towards the hall. Chen Qiu, Ling Mu, and Ling Xuan quickly stepped forward, following behind Li Bai, taking a deep breath before entering the Xuanzheng Hall of the Great Han imperial palace.
At this time, it was the Great Han's morning court session. All the civil and military officials of the Great Han stood solemnly on the grand hall.
The terrifying vital energy clashed in the void. As the few entered, they were instantly overwhelmed by a suffocating pressure.