Chapter 384: Declaring War on Three Provinces

Chapter 384: Declaring War on Three Provinces

The Ethereal Sanctuary has submitted!

This news immediately sent shockwaves through Cloudsea Province.

Although the Ethereal Sanctuary was not the dominant force in Cloudsea Province, it was an ancient power with considerable strength and resources.

Now, the Ethereal Sanctuary suddenly declared submission to the Divine Martial Empire, causing a significant stir among the various factions in Cloudsea Province.

"Damn it, how dare the Ethereal Sanctuary do this!"

"Is Yan Lingyun's head being squeezed by a door? To submit to the Divine Martial Empire at this time, what does this leave us in?"

Many sects and noble families were cursing loudly.

Anyone who wasn't a fool could see that the Divine Martial Empire was ambitious, with designs on the entire Eastern Domain.

The sects of the world should unite to resist the Divine Martial Empire.

However, the Ethereal Sanctuary was the first to submit.

This undoubtedly made many forces feel betrayed.

If the Divine Martial Empire had besieged the city, and the Ethereal Sanctuary faced annihilation, then submitting under pressure would be understandable.

But the Divine Martial Empire hadn't truly mobilized its troops; it was merely the visit of Emperor Gu that led to the Ethereal Sanctuary's immediate submission. How could this not infuriate people?

Beyond anger, these forces felt more fear.

Yes, fear!

With the Ethereal Sanctuary's submission, was this a signal that the Divine Martial Empire intended to move against Cloudsea Province?

If so, wouldn't Cloudsea Province soon face the same fate as the two provinces before it?

When the Divine Martial Empire attacked the two provinces, the Xiao family of the Primeval Era was completely eradicated, with tens of thousands of clan members left without survivors. Now, the Xiao Mountain City is still littered with corpses, and no one dares to bury the remains of the Xiao family.

Moreover, it is said that due to the numerous fallen cultivators, the residual resentment of the Xiao family has not dissipated, turning the area into a bizarre restricted zone.

In the end, the place had been stained with the blood of a Great Sage.

Combined with the many fallen experts, it was only natural for strange phenomena to occur.

The fate of the Xiao family of the Primeval Era made the many forces in Cloudsea Province extremely wary, none wishing to follow in their footsteps.

---

Ancestral Province!

Imperial Capital!

In the imperial court, Gu Yang listened to the reports of the hundred officials, his expression calm and showing no emotion.

After the many voices died down, Gu Yang slowly spoke.

"It has been nearly two years since the submission of the two provinces. In these two years, the 11,182 prefectures of the four provinces have been resting and recuperating, steadily increasing their strength!"

"However, the demon invasions have intensified, and the Evil Spirits from the ancient era are gradually awakening. The great calamity for our human race is not far off!"

"In the ancient era, the Taiyi Divine Dynasty was destroyed by the great calamity. Our Divine Martial Empire must not follow in its footsteps."

"However, to resist the great calamity, we must possess supreme power. I wish for the Divine Martial Empire to ascend to a divine empire, reigning over the Ancient Realm, and leading our human race through this calamity!"

As Gu Yang spoke, his gaze swept over the many ministers, some of whom had varying expressions, while others had fiery looks, brimming with fighting spirit.

Immediately, a military official stepped forward, saluting and said, "Your Majesty, I believe the empire has rested enough. Our Divine Martial forces are strong and numerous, and now is the perfect time to vie for dominance in the world.

With the Ethereal Sanctuary's submission, why not immediately dispatch troops to Cloudsea Province? I am willing to lead the vanguard and expand the territory of the Divine Martial Empire!"

"I am also willing to expand the territory of the Divine Martial Empire!"

"I request to join the battle!"

One by one, the military officials stepped forward, their expressions filled with enthusiasm.

As military officials, the only way to advance is through battle achievements.

Without war, how could military officials have the opportunity to advance?

After all, the Divine Martial Empire now encompasses the 11,182 prefectures of the four provinces, with many positions vacant. With achievements, advancement would be much easier.

Faced with the requests to join the battle, even those ministers who were hesitant to rush into war now remained silent.

Morale can be harnessed!

This was what Gu Yang wanted.

Then, he looked at one person and said, "Shi Zhen!"

"Your subject is here!"

Shi Zhen stepped forward immediately.

Gu Yang said, "I command you to lead the Heavenly Pole Corps to immediately dispatch troops to Cloudsea Province. You may freely mobilize any military officials below the second rank. I want you to conquer the entire Cloudsea Province within three years. Is there any problem with this?"

"Your subject will not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

Shi Zhen's expression was steady as he answered, word by word.

The Heavenly Pole Corps has expanded to a force of thirty million, not as formidable as the Divine Martial Guard, but still an elite force within the Divine Martial Empire.

Although Cloudsea Province has a strong foundation and numerous factions, Shi Zhen had the confidence to suppress them all.

Then, Gu Yang looked at another person.

"Jiang Mo!"

"Your subject is here!"

"I command you to lead the Heavenly Chief Army to conquer North Star Province within three years!"

"Your subject receives the order!"

...

"Xue Cheng!"

"I am here, Your Majesty!"

"I command you to lead the Mountain Quaker Army and conquer South Star Province within three years!"

"I accept your command, Your Majesty!"

...

Gu Yang issued one order after another, declaring war on the three provinces in an instant.

If it had been two years ago, Gu Yang would not have had such confidence.

But things were different now.

The Divine Martial Empire had annexed two provinces and, in just over a year, had entered a period of rapid development, with a surge of powerful cultivators.

Most importantly, the few Demon Emperor Cores that Gu Qingfeng had provided had been fully absorbed by the Divine Martial Empire, resulting in the emergence of many top-tier warriors.

Generals like Xue Cheng and Jiang Mo had all reached the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace, their combat prowess rivaling that of half-saints.

Thus, even if the Divine Martial Empire declared war on three provinces simultaneously, it had the strength to back it up.

When the courtiers heard Gu Yang’s words, they were all greatly shaken, their faces pale. Clearly, no one had expected him to be so decisive, declaring war on three provinces at once.

Some wanted to speak up, but seeing the look on Gu Yang’s face, they suppressed their thoughts.

Anyone with sharp eyes could see that Gu Yang’s determination to go to war could not be swayed. Anyone who disrupted his mood at this time would surely regret it.

Even if they weren’t immediately dismissed from office, they would not be treated kindly.

At the same time, some privately believed that, given the Divine Martial Empire’s current strength, declaring war on three provinces was not entirely impossible.

Finally, Gu Yang’s gaze fell on Gu Shengan.

"Second Prince!"

"I am here, Father!"

"You will lead the Divine Martial Guard to stabilize the army. If any issues arise in the three provinces, you must lead the Divine Martial Guard to suppress them immediately!"

"I accept your command, Father!"

Gu Shengan bowed and said.

Gu Yang then withdrew his gaze, looking at the ministers, his ambition unhidden.

"Ministers, the great calamity is coming, and the Divine Martial Empire must ascend to a divine dynasty. Whoever dares to stand in our way will be punished without mercy!"

"We will obey your command, Your Majesty!"

All the ministers bowed in unison.

"Adjourn the court!"

Gu Yang rose from his throne, his sleeves fluttering as he left the court, hands behind his back.

The other ministers followed suit, leaving one by one.

Soon, the news from the court spread throughout the land.

Many cultivators were visibly excited upon hearing it.

"To declare war on three provinces at once, the current emperor has great courage, befitting the ruler of an empire!"

"If we can conquer the three provinces, we cultivators will also benefit!"

"Joining the army... we must join the army!"

To these cultivators, the three provinces represented endless resources. If the Divine Martial Empire could conquer them, they, as citizens of the empire, would surely benefit.

To say nothing of the fact that when the first two provinces fell under the Divine Martial Empire’s control, the resources spread far and wide, benefiting all the people.

Cultivators were also citizens!

In this era of universal cultivation, who didn’t have some level of cultivation? Even those with the lowest aptitude could at least reach the Fifth Level of Body Tempering.

But with so many cultivators, resources became a significant issue.

Now, as the Divine Martial Empire continued to expand, it presented a great opportunity for these cultivators to gain more resources.

Who wouldn’t want to advance further?

Moreover, this emperor was a strategist with great foresight. In just a few years, the territory of the Divine Martial Empire had more than doubled.

If they joined the court, they would have a bright future.

Given that the court did not deliberately suppress the common cultivators, there was no notion of them being mere pawns of the government.

Serving the court was not a shameful thing; rather, it was something to be proud of.

...

South Star Province.

Taixuan Empire.

When the news of the Divine Martial Empire’s declaration of war on the three provinces reached the Taixuan Empire, the court erupted in chaos.

"The Divine Martial Empire has great audacity to declare war on three provinces at once! In my opinion, they have sealed their own fate!"

"Gu Yang is ambitious and must not be allowed to live!"

"Your Majesty, we request permission to go to war and ensure that the Divine Martial Empire never returns!"

Ministers shouted in anger, with some even volunteering to lead the charge.

In response, Nangong Zhu remained silent, but his dark expression revealed his agitation.

"The Divine Martial Empire... I never thought they would become such a threat!"

After a long pause, Nangong Zhu spoke slowly, his voice filled with coldness.

When the Divine Martial Empire and the Xingchen Imperial Court clashed years ago, the Taixuan Empire had even sent troops to attack the Xingchen Imperial Court.

But who could have predicted that, after several decades, the once weak empire would grow into a formidable power?

To declare war on three provinces at once, even the Taixuan Empire lacked such confidence.

However, the Divine Martial Empire did just that.

After the Divine Martial Empire secured the territories of two provinces, Nangong Zhu had been considering them a formidable enemy and had been secretly investigating their strength all along.

The findings of this investigation left Nangong Zhu greatly astonished.

The Divine Martial Empire’s strength had completely surpassed the millennia of accumulation of the Great Profound Empire.

The primary reason for this was the Demon Emperor Core.

A single Demon Emperor Core was enough to forge a large number of powerful warriors.

Combined with the various resources of the Divine Martial Empire, if they were to face each other in direct combat, Nangong Zhu had no doubt that the Great Profound Empire would be the losing side.

This was without even considering Gu Qingfeng’s involvement.

If that man were to take action, Nangong Zhu knew for certain that the Great Profound Empire would have no chance of resistance.

However—

Even if resistance seemed impossible, the millennia-old foundation of the Nangong royal family could not be allowed to crumble in his hands.

Thus, Nangong Zhu looked at his ministers and spoke in a solemn voice, “The Divine Martial Empire is ambitious, seeking to annex our Great Profound Empire. This cannot be tolerated!”

“Since the Divine Martial Empire wants war, then we of the Great Profound Empire will see it through to the end!”

“Wang Junze!”

“Your subject is here!”

As his words fell, a young general stepped forward, his aura as steady as a mountain.

Seeing this great general of the Great Profound Empire, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Nangong Zhu’s eyes.

It was true that the Divine Martial Empire was rich in resources!

But the Great Profound Empire was not without its own capable generals!

This man, who had been fighting for many years, was already known as a military god throughout the court and the land.

Therefore, Nangong Zhu gave the order directly.

“I command you to lead the Black Armor Army to the front lines and deliver a crushing blow to the Divine Martial Empire!”

“Your subject accepts the command!”

Wang Junze accepted the order without hesitation, bowing in acknowledgment.

Then, Nangong Zhu issued several more commands, instructing other generals to lead their forces and assist Wang Junze from the flanks, ensuring the fastest possible defeat of the Divine Martial Empire.

When the assembly dispersed, Wang Junze immediately led the Black Armor Army to the front lines.

As the surrounding scenery gradually faded away, the young general on horseback gazed deeply, a hint of regret in his eyes.

“After this battle… I fear I will never return here again!”

Wang Junze had never forgotten that he was a Shadow Guard under the command of the Gu family.

For many years, he had been secretly embedded in the Great Profound Empire, waiting for this moment.

Although Nangong Zhu trusted him greatly and had bestowed him with important tasks and high honors, Wang Junze knew deep down that he served only one person: Gu Qingfeng.

Now that the Divine Martial Empire was preparing to battle the Great Profound Empire, Wang Junze could not possibly lead his troops against them.

This campaign, ostensibly a march to war, was in fact a well-laid plan in Wang Junze’s heart.

—

“Your offspring, Gu Yang, has declared war on three provinces, causing a great stir throughout the Eastern Domain!”

“Your offspring, Gu Yang, is considered a true sovereign, and under his leadership, the Divine Martial Empire is expected to ascend to the status of a divine dynasty in the future!”

“Your offspring, Gu Yang, has quietly used the fortune of the Divine Martial Empire to break the shackles of Heaven’s Path, steadily improving his cultivation!”

“Your offspring….”

—

“Your loyalist, Wang Junze, has obeyed Nangong Zhu’s orders and led the Black Armor Army to the front lines to resist the Divine Martial Empire’s forces!”

“Your loyalist, Wang Junze, has secretly turned the Black Armor Army!”

“Your loyalist, Wang Junze, has used force to execute numerous Black Armor Army generals who refused to rebel, then led the remaining forces to join the Divine Martial Empire!”

“Your loyalist….”

—

In the Withered Mountain Immortal City, Gu Qingfeng, who had been in seclusion to study a cultivation technique, rarely emerged from his meditative state. He glanced at the information panel, and the words there rippled the calmness of his usually composed face.

“Declaring war on three provinces!”

“Wang Junze has betrayed the Great Profound Empire….”

Gu Qingfeng glanced at his attribute panel and realized that his seclusion had lasted just about two years.

No matter how he thought about it, Gu Qingfeng could not have imagined that so many events would transpire in just two years.

Especially when he saw that the Divine Martial Empire had already secured two provinces and was now declaring war on three more, even Gu Qingfeng felt a bit surprised.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end