"Agreed!"
Yang Hao spoke the word, and Shou Ziping felt a sense of relief. He sensed hope; the imposing Great Han Emperor before him was now the sole option for the Creation Gate.
Initially, he had only come seeking aid. But as he journeyed, especially within this grand hall, he saw the black-faced, leopard-headed, wide-eyed warrior, and the handsome, fair-skinned, beardless figure resembling a scholarly general, standing beside Ma Chao, whose eyes gleamed like shooting stars.
These were all beings at the Heavenly God realm, their bodies radiating immense Dao God power, vast as the sea.
And Lu Wenlong, Wei Wentong...
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for peacefully receiving the Creation Gate!"
"Ding! Alerting the host, the Creation Gate's strength is greatly diminished, its controlled territory has been severely lost, and the acquired Fortune Merit points are greatly reduced."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining ten million Fortune Merit points!"
"Rumble!!!"
Deep within Yang Hao's mind, his primordial spirit, which had been meditating and cultivating, opened its eyes. A divine light swept across the territory currently controlled by the Creation Gate, then extended further, reaching the heartland of the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty.
Simultaneously, the Granary Dao, visible only to Yang Hao, directly overlaid the newly acquired territory.
The battle against the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty a few days prior had resulted in the loss of half of the Creation Gate's elite forces, and Bi Yi had annihilated all direct bloodlines of the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty.
It was understandable that the Creation Gate now possessed so much Fortune Merit points, as this value was directly linked to its top-tier combat strength.
"Your servant!"
"Shou Ziping expresses his deepest gratitude to Your Imperial Majesty for your divine grace!!"
Shou Ziping sighed in relief, the heavy burden on his shoulders significantly lightened. At the very least, the lineage of the Creation Gate could be continued.
"Ma Chao, Lu Wenlong, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei."
Yang Hao withdrew his thoughts. The Granary Dao now covered the front lines, allowing the Great Han Imperial Army to descend from the heavens and strike directly at the battlefield.
"Your servant is here!"
The four stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"The An Yuan Celestial Dynasty is amassing its army, coveting the territory of our Great Han Imperial Dynasty, and gravely threatening our Great Han borders. I order Ma Chao to be appointed as General of Cavalry, leading the First Army of the Vermillion Bird Legion to march beyond our borders and quell the enemy forces entrenched in the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty. I order Lu Wenlong to be appointed as General of Dawn Courage, leading the Third Army of the White Tiger Legion to assist Ma Chao in reclaiming the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty!"
"Your servant obeys the decree!"
Ma Chao and Lu Wenlong respectfully accepted the orders. Ma Chao, in particular, clenched his fists. He had killed Ben Heng without even exerting himself; the man was no match, merely a coward. As for quelling the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty and sweeping away the An Yuan army, Ma Chao did not take them seriously. What he cared about was the hidden hand behind it all, hoping to wield his Dragon Cavalry Spear!
"Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei."
Yang Hao's gaze shifted to the two beside them.
"Your servant is here!"
Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun's expressions turned solemn as they bowed respectfully.
"I order Zhao Yun to be appointed as General of Zhen Dong, leading the Second Army of the Vermillion Bird Legion, and Zhang Fei to be appointed as General of Chariots and Cavalry, leading the subordinate forces of the Eighteen Riders of Yan Yun to assist Zhao Yun. They are to sweep south from the Creation Gate, subjugating the Long Xiang Ancient Kingdom and completely annihilating the An Yuan army!"
Yang Hao spoke softly.
During this period, Yang Hao had used the remaining meager slaughter points to purchase blind boxes, thereby summoning all the heroic figures who had recently emerged, along with their subordinate armies.
"Your servant obeys the decree!"
The two accepted their orders, particularly Zhang Fei, whose eyes burned with boundless fighting spirit. After a thousand years of contemplation, his Zhangba Serpent Spear had long been thirsting for battle.
"Wei Zhongxian, convey my order to Wei Wentong to lead his subordinate forces, integrating them into the First Army of the Qilin Legion, to stabilize the Creation Gate!"
Yang Hao said indifferently after a moment of thought. Although the Creation Gate's current territory was not vast, it could not be neglected. All power must be fully consolidated at the center.
"Your servant obeys!"
Wei Zhongxian bowed slightly and walked out of the Xuanzheng Hall.
"Du Ruhui!"
"Your servant is here!"
Du Ruhui stepped out from among the civil officials and bowed slightly to Yang Hao.
"Your Ministry of War must quickly devise a plan. Now that the territory has expanded, and the various legions have been constantly guarding the four directions, the recruitment speed of local soldiers must be accelerated. After unified training and integration, they should quickly take over the duty of guarding the prefectural cities!"
"Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, your two ministries must also prepare for the reception of the Long Xiang Ancient Kingdom and the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty. The selection of officials and the steady improvement of various practical policies must also be carried out!"
Yang Hao said solemnly to Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling.
Although the Blood Yuan Celestial Dynasty, the Sword Bone lineage, and the Ancient Lion Kingdom had been destroyed for over two months, and the implementation of various policies and the suppression of local rebellions had gradually stabilized, the vastness of the territory and the handful of legions patrolling the four directions would likely not be able to withdraw for several months, lest problems arise!
"Your servant obeys the decree!"
The two respectfully accepted.
With Ma Chao, Lu Wenlong, Zhao Yun, and Zhang Fei leading the armies, conquering the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty and the Long Xiang Ancient Kingdom would not be a significant challenge. However, they also needed to plan for dealing with the An Yuan Celestial Dynasty and the Lingxu Palace, among other forces, after the fall of these two regions.
Especially the "hidden hand" mentioned by Shou Ziping, which could easily deploy dozens of Heavenly Gods to lead armies and occupy the An Yuan Celestial Dynasty and the Nangong family. This force was absolutely not simple and might have considerable ties to Ben Heng at the Dao God realm.
"This battle will also unify the Domain Dao States. Li Si, you, as Prime Minister, along with the other esteemed officials, must work diligently and make thorough preparations!"
Yang Hao cast his gaze upon Prime Minister Li Si, standing among the civil officials.
The Domain Dao States were too vast, as would be future Domain Dao States. The effort required for this would be profound.
...
"Great General, General Gai and General Feng have sent news that the Fengshui Formation at the western corner of Long Xiang Valley has been completed!" Su Dan Novel Network.
At the Long Xiang Valley, on the mountain range bordering the Creation Gate and the Long Xiang Ancient Kingdom, An Yuan Celestial Dynasty's Great General Bi Yi, clad in gray armor, held the reins in one hand and stroked his mount's mane with the other, his eyes filled with fervent battle intent.
Having retreated from the Scarlet Sun Celestial Dynasty battlefield, Bi Yi had recuperated for a period, and the injuries he sustained in battle had all healed.
Beside him, two beings at the ninth layer of the Heavenly God realm gazed at the territory of the Creation Gate opposite them, their mouths curled into grins.
These two were ordered to garrison the An Yuan Celestial Dynasty and were part of Ben Chen's forces driving the Domain Dao State battlefield.
Behind them were soldiers distinctly different from the An Yuan Celestial Dynasty army, all uniformly at the peak of the Unity realm.
In front of their three mounts, a deputy general at the first layer of the Heavenly God realm respectfully cupped his fists towards Bi Yi.
"Inform them to proceed according to the plan. Once the Creation Gate penetrates deep into Long Xiang Valley, immediately shatter the seal and unleash the floodwaters!"
Bi Yi said dismissively. The Fengshui Formation at the western corner of Long Xiang Valley sealed an endless expanse of blood, refined through secret techniques. It contained a terrifying power sufficient to kill beings at the peak Unity realm. For this battle, Bi Yi had prepared for a month.
"Yes, General!"
The deputy general bowed slightly to the two Heavenly God ninth-layer beings under the eminent monk, then retreated.