"Your Heavenly Emperor, this subject is willing to assist General Wang Jian in unifying the Immortal Realm!" Sun Bin spoke, bowing slightly.
"Granted!"
Yang Hao nodded slightly, "I hereby confer upon Sun Bin the title of Grand Strategist of the Qilin Legion, to accompany the army and unify the Immortal Realm!"
"I hereby confer upon Gao Chong the title of Deputy General of the Third Army of the White Tiger Legion, and dispatch him to the White Tiger Legion's garrison!"
"This subject obeys the decree!"
Wang Jian, Sun Bin, and Gao Chong bowed in unison and departed the Imperial Study. After the three left, Yang Hao did not summon any more heroes. Instead, he picked up the memorial on the desk and examined the information about the newly occupied territories. Only by being familiar with governance could he select the best advice from the suggestions of the heroes and understand the people's sentiments. This was of utmost importance!
...
The next day.
"I wonder why the Heavenly Emperor summoned me here?" Zhuque entered the Imperial Study. It had only been a day since she had requested aid to enter the Ancient Star Road. Entering the Ancient Star Road was a matter of great significance, and it could very well drag the Great Han Heavenly Court into an abyss. She did not believe that the Great Han Heavenly Emperor Yang Hao would have made a decision so quickly. She spoke with a hint of doubt.
"Regarding the matter you mentioned yesterday, I have made up my mind. Our Great Han Heavenly Court is willing to enter the Ancient Star Road!" Yang Hao spoke with a calm expression.
"Oh?"
Zhuque's head shot up, slightly surprised. Such an important matter, and she had expected the Great Han Heavenly Emperor to ponder it for some time. She hadn't expected it to be decided overnight.
"May I ask how much strength the Heavenly Emperor can spare to enter the Ancient Star Road? This sealing of the Chaos Demon Ape, ostensibly with the intervention of the supreme giants from the four major factions, will surely involve that mysterious force behind them. With Immortal Emperors involved, it would be like a drop in the bucket. You should know that I wish to borrow the power of your court's supreme being!" Zhuque shook her head gravely. The Great Han Heavenly Court currently only had one supreme being, Yuwen Chengdu. If Yuwen Chengdu were to enter the Ancient Star Road, it would mean the loss of the most crucial and powerful force for the Great Han Heavenly Court. Could the Great Han Heavenly Emperor bear to do it?
"Currently, the Great Han Heavenly Court's top strength is still too early to contend with the supreme giants of the four major factions. However, Senior, our Great Han Heavenly Court is merely assisting; the core strength must still rely on you and Kunpeng to support it!" Yang Hao smiled faintly. The four ancestors of the four major factions – the World-Ending Immortal Emperor, the Heavenly Pride Immortal Emperor, the Ancient Yuan Immortal Emperor, and the Ancestral Dragon Immortal Emperor – were all supreme beings controlling eighty-nine imperial destinies. Yuwen Chengdu and other heroes were not yet strong enough to contend with them. However, since they had already fallen out with the four major factions in the Immortal Realm, aligning themselves with Zhuque and Kunpeng now would provide a considerable protective umbrella for the Great Han Heavenly Court.
Upon hearing this, Zhuque smiled faintly, "If that is the case, it is best to depart as soon as possible. The seal on the Chaos Demon Ape has lasted long enough from the Immortal Ancient Era until now. Coupled with the special environment within the Ancient Star Road, who knows when the four major factions and that mysterious force will make their move? It is best to be prepared as soon as possible!"
"Mm!"
Yang Hao nodded slightly and said, "Wei Zhongxian, summon Yuwen Chengdu and Gao Chong!"
"His Heavenly Emperor's decree! Summon Yuwen Chengdu and Gao Chong to the hall to pay their respects!" Wei Zhongxian stepped out of the Imperial Study and shouted loudly. Before long, Yuwen Chengdu and Gao Chong entered the Imperial Study and bowed slightly to Yang Hao.
"Hmm?"
At this moment, Zhuque turned her head and instantly looked at Gao Chong. The aura emanating from him was undoubtedly the power of a supreme being, his immense power on par with Yuwen Chengdu. She had never sensed such a supreme being's aura in Chang'an City before. Its sudden appearance, even for Zhuque, who was already accustomed to the Great Han's extraordinary nature, caused a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
"You two will accompany Senior to the Ancient Star Road to investigate the secrets behind it!"
"We obey the decree!" Yuwen Chengdu and Gao Chong bowed, then looked at Zhuque, who had just recovered her senses.
"It seems my choice back then was not wrong. Your Great Han Heavenly Court is truly extraordinary. In that case, thank you, Heavenly Emperor, for your assistance!" Zhuque stood up, opened a spatial portal, bowed slightly to Yang Hao, and stepped into the chaos.
"Heavenly Emperor, we humbly take our leave!" Yuwen Chengdu and Gao Chong bowed slightly, then turned and walked into the chaotic space, following Zhuque's footsteps. Watching the spatial portal gradually heal, Yang Hao's brow remained furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.
...
Core of the Immortal Realm.
At the junction of the territories of the four major factions, a grand palace stood, bearing three large characters on its plaque: "Palace of All Emperors!"
The Palace of All Emperors!
This palace was jointly constructed by the four major factions. Its establishment marked the Immortal Realm's transition from the Underworld Sea Era to the Age of All Emperors, ushered in by their four races. This palace could be said to be a symbol of the honor of their four major factions, as well as a symbol of their control over the authority of the Immortal Realm.
"In just a few months, the Great Han Heavenly Court has expanded to such an extent. Have even Fu Chen Mountain been unable to stop them?"
Gu Chun Immortal Emperor, who had returned from the Ancient Star Road, looked at the mountains of letters and the various holographic images. Most of them recorded the Great Han Heavenly Court's campaigns against the Thunder Dao Alliance, the Zhaoyao Palace, and the Tai Xu You Palace. The overwhelming slaughter and the brutal battles made Gu Chun Immortal Emperor's expression grave.
Since their entry into the Ancient Star Road, they had originally been pursuing Zhuque and Kunpeng Immortal Emperors. They had not expected to discover that Zhuque, who had roamed the Underworld Sea Era and survived to this day, was merely a clone, not her true body. This clone bore over seventy imperial destinies, which made one wonder just how terrifying her true body must be. But this was far from over. In the southern depths of the Ancient Star Road, they had discovered the fur of the Chaos Demon Ape. The supreme being sealed by the supreme power of the Imperial Ruins in the Immortal Ancient Era had not been completely annihilated but had survived. The sudden appearance of its fur in the depths of the Ancient Star Road indicated that the seal had become very weak, and the Chaos Demon Ape might break free.
From then on, their mission changed, and their focus shifted to finding the location of the Chaos Demon Ape's seal. This series of coincidences had tied up the elite forces of their four races, giving the Great Han Heavenly Court sufficient time to sweep across the four directions of the Immortal Realm. What surprised Gu Chun Immortal Emperor was that in such a short period, the Great Han Heavenly Court had become powerful enough to annihilate forces like the Zhaoyao Palace and Fu Chen Mountain.
Fu Chen Mountain was a force cultivated by the Ancestral Dragon Hall since the early days of the Age of All Emperors. Over the ancient years that had passed, this ancient accumulation had turned to ashes under the iron hooves of the Great Han Heavenly Court, with no resistance.
Gazing at the letters and holographic images, Gu Chun Immortal Emperor was filled with extreme rage. With a sweep of his eyes, he incinerated everything before him.