This is still a Martial Dao Saint, since last night, among the auras that have surged into the God Capital, there are at least nearly a hundred with the strength of a Sub-Saint of Martial Dao, which Hou Yuxiao is fully aware of in his heart.

This means that now in the God Capital, there are fourteen Saints, and over a hundred Sub-Saints of Martial Dao...

"This time, we really stirred up a hornet's nest!"

Hou Yuxiao sighed slightly in his heart, realizing the vast allure of the Divine Sect's treasure house, while also being shocked by the number of hidden experts in the thirteen states of the world.

According to the five-tier force system defined by the Divine Dynasty, the chief of a Holy Land should have the cultivation of a Martial Dao Saint, while the requirement for the chief of a Heaven-level force is a Sub-Saint of Martial Dao. There are only twenty-two Heaven-level forces in Shenzhou, and if you remove the already destroyed Leiyin Temple, there are only twenty-one left. Further subtracting the Chu Family, the Lu Family, and the six newly joined Great Yu forces, there are only thirteen left.

Can these thirteen Heaven-level forces have over a hundred Sub-Saints of Martial Dao?

Impossible.

That is to say, at least half of these hundred Sub-Saints of Martial Dao must come from Earth-level forces and Loose Cultivators.

Hou Yuxiao shook his head, he had thought before that most of the forces in Shenzhou would hide some cards, but he didn't expect that what they were hiding was so deep.

Over a hundred Sub-Saints of Martial Dao...

"Tonight at the Hour of Hai, I will open the Divine Sect's treasure house on time!"

Hou Yuxiao's gaze focused on Chu Kuangren, Lu Kangping, and the six Sub-Saints of Martial Dao behind them.

A hundred Saints gathering, along with fourteen Martial Dao Saints, this journey to the treasure house is destined to be fraught with danger, and it's no surprise that those people have already begun to form alliances. He, of course, must start taking action as well.

Winning over others is secondary, Chu Kuangren, Lu Kangping, and Zhou Xuan Kai and the others count as his fundamental support. Securing these eight people is essential before discussing anything else, with the main point not reversing priorities.

"With a hundred Saints gathering, the leaders of the Holy Lands all present, this journey to the treasure house is doomed to be perilous. If you eight can stand alongside me, the State Preceptor, combined with the growing momentum of Great Yu, we can stand in an unassailable position. All eight are smart people, so there's no need for me, the State Preceptor, to say much more, right?"

Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping nodded, their expressions relatively calm.

The other six heard this, their faces tensed slightly, and they fell into contemplation.

In fact, during this period of time, they had developed a good impression of Hou Yuxiao, and each had indeed been urging their respective forces to deeply integrate with Great Yu. Of course, this Great Yu referred to the one represented by Hou Yuxiao.

But the problem is, the time is still too short, just one or two months.

In one or two months, even for two strangers, it's hard to establish friendship and trust, not to mention six Heaven-level major forces with over a million Martial Sect Disciples and their six Sub-Saints of Martial Dao.

However, Hou Yuxiao's words do indeed make sense.

Fourteen Martial Dao Saints and over a hundred Sub-Saints of Martial Dao, all surging into the Divine Sect's treasure house, what can be gained by standing alone?

Not to mention those Martial Dao Saints, even Sub-Saints of Martial Dao like them must form alliances, and choosing the right alliance becomes especially important.

For their six families, both publicly and privately, Hou Yuxiao is indeed the best choice. Firstly, Hou Yuxiao's strength is evident; secondly, both Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping are clearly on Hou Yuxiao's side, so aligning with him offers greater support; lastly, there's the emotional foundation to consider.

One month is certainly not enough time for full integration.

But at least, it's better than choosing other allies right now.

The six quickly concluded their contemplation.

"Only by working together can we stand undefeated. The State Preceptor's words are very true, and Mr. Zhou agrees that after entering the treasure house, everything will be deployed by the State Preceptor."

"Mr. Dong agrees as well, and will adhere to the State Preceptor's commands."

"I am the same."

"Me too."

...

Hou Yuxiao nodded lightly, these six aren't entirely foolish.

Undoubtedly, for them, at this moment, he is indeed the best choice. After all, they dare not rely on the Saints, and picking other Sub-Saints of Martial Dao carries the risk of being backstabbed as well.

If they truly want to gain anything from the treasure house, they must stand with him.

"All of you are truly wise and righteous, Mr. Hou hereby offers my gratitude!"

Hou Yuxiao bowed slightly and then dismissed everyone.

The entire Great Yu Court was originally established by them: Chu Kuangren, Lu Kangping, and those six others left with their people, leaving only members of the Hou Clan in the palace.

Of course, there was also Jiang Yuyun sitting above, appearing almost transparent.

"Later, we'll need the Great Emperor to open the treasure vault. Wouldn't it be better for the Great Emperor to first go and prepare? This journey into the treasure vault, we do not know how much time it may take…"

Jiang Yuyun's expression froze, and his face turned bright red.

He actually suggested that he, the Great Emperor, leave the Yu Divine Palace…

Ever since Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping were warned, Jiang Yuyun had been cautious to avoid arousing Hou Yuxiao's suspicion, but Hou Yuxiao's transgressions had become more frequent. It was unclear whether this was intentional, to remind him of his own situation, or if Hou Yuxiao genuinely held him in disregard.

Even if it was a transgression, it should still have a limit.

Now, with the Hou Clan's people present, Hou Yuxiao openly ordered him, the Great Emperor, to leave, especially within the Yu Divine Palace.

Jiang Yuyun's flushed face didn't cause any change in Hou Yuxiao's expression. He wanted to rise and furiously rebuke Hou Yuxiao, but after contemplating for a long while, he forced himself to suppress the anger, said nothing, and slowly stood up and left the Yu Divine Palace.

"He really thinks Great Yu has been restored, this Sixteenth Prince, huh!"

"Understandably discontent, but doesn't he see the timing? The Divine Dynasty nearly had internal conflict just as Great Jin was about to invade. Who else would be killed first but this fool."

"If it weren't for his minor use, we would have sent him off long ago."

...

Listening to the Hou Clan's mockery of Jiang Yuyun, Hou Yuxiao ignored them and merely looked down at Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie, asking in a low voice: "Have you completed the tasks I assigned you?"

The two nodded quickly, responding: "The army is fully prepared. As soon as the treasure vault opens, once we enter the vault, the army will immediately set off!"

"You two will personally lead the army. There is no need to accompany me into the treasure vault."

Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie were startled by his words, and their expressions immediately changed.

"Big Brother is going to take this risk alone?"

"No, we must go inside; we can't let you go alone..."

"No need to worry..."

Hou Yuxiao shook his head, interrupting them with his words, and then continued: "Fourteen Martial Dao Saints will enter. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, others entering are merely for show. I am not that greedy; I just want to see which family gains the most."

Upon saying this, he paused, and a glimmer of coldness flashed in his eyes.

His motives, of course, were not limited to that alone.

Sikong Yue was intent on letting him open the treasure vault because there was certainly something extremely precious to her inside. If possible, he would risk everything to prevent Sikong Yue from getting what she wanted.

Additionally, Wuyuan would also enter.

He felt he owed this son.

No matter whether the Soul Returning Spirit Wood was real, he would accompany his son through this journey. He harbored no hope for the Spirit Wood; what mattered was protecting his son's safety.

Seeing Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie's reluctance still lingering in their expressions, he continued: "The New Moon Cult is about to officially come into play. We do not know what those Saints will obtain in the treasure vault. Once this treasure vault affair is over, the world situation will certainly undergo dramatic change. We are running out of time. With your current strength, you wouldn't help much by accompanying me inside. It would be better to align with Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping outside rather than entering with me, and better still to collaborate with Old Fifth!"

Touched by his words, Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie's expressions turned rather somber, but after reflecting for a moment, their hearts began to sway.

They possessed only broken realm cultivation; while formidable, compared with the experts gathered in the Divine Dynasty, they fell short. As Hou Yuxiao said, going into the treasure vault wouldn't be much help; indeed, they weren't comparable to Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping.

"Alright, I'm not in contention for the treasure. With Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping's eight helping out, there shouldn't be any major issues. But the tasks assigned to you are indeed significant, and I'm still somewhat uneasy..."

"Rest assured, Big Brother, we will cooperate fully with Old Fifth and complete everything you've planned. When you emerge from the treasure vault, the Hou Clan will surely have completely transformed!"

Their voices were firm, their expressions filled with confidence.

Hou Yuxiao nodded slightly, his pupils also revealing a hint of excitement.