Hou Yucheng silently noted in his heart, his expression carrying a slight anticipation. If Old Fifth could break through to become a Saint, then the Hou Clan would have two Saints. It might not compare to the Great Jin Dynasty or the New Moon Cult, but at least it wouldn't be far behind any single Holy Land among the Four Families of Hedong. And if the Red Flame Army was taken into account, the Hou Clan could truly be considered upper-middle tier among the Eight Great Sacred Lands in the world.

He exhaled slightly, clearing his mind of thoughts, then noticed Zhou Xuankai and Ying Tianyu behind him, their expressions hesitant, clearly wanting to speak but holding back.

Hou Yucheng was taken aback, then laughed and said: "Both of you are seniors to Mr. Hou. Mr. Hou has relied on my elder brother to become the Supreme Commander of the Red Flame Army and thus have the fortune to command you two. Mr. Hou has always been well aware of this. If you have anything to say, please feel free to speak."

As the Supreme Commander of the Red Flame Army, governing nearly twenty million troops, Hou Yucheng was no longer the simple brute who only knew how to shout and fight. Otherwise, his elder brother Hou Yuxiao wouldn't have entrusted the entire clan's army to him.

The Hou Clan is now a coalition; the largest segments being the Jiangbei Alliance, the Lu Family, and six other major heavenly powers. In reality, most of the commanding officers of the Red Flame Army are also from these eight families. Although Eldest Brother Hou Yuxiao has been trying hard to lessen the sense of belonging among the martial artists from these families, it's still been a short time, and the results are not yet evident.

Zhou Xuankai, Ying Tianyu, Dong Daokang, Li Ziyu, Shen Yuanfu, and Ding Bufan all served as generals in the Red Flame Army, each commanding an army of two million. Among the eight million troops deployed to Pengkang this time, half were led by Zhou Xuankai and Ying Tianyu.

As the Supreme Commander of the Red Flame Army, Hou Yucheng is considered the superior of these six individuals. This might seem unreasonable because Hou Yucheng only broke through to the Sub-Saint of Martial Dao a year ago and is much younger than these six. It is normal for them to feel uncomfortable being supervised by him.

Yet, regardless of their discomfort, there was nothing they could do. The Hou Clan had long established that only the five brothers could oversee the military.

Moreover, a year ago, when the Red Flame Army was restructured, the selection for the Supreme Commander was personally overseen by Hou Yuxiao. Hou Yucheng publicly defeated all six in front of thousands of Hou Clan soldiers, making his appointment as the Supreme Commander fully legitimate and justified.

Therefore, Hou Yucheng thought Zhou Xuankai and Ying Tianyu had grievances and initiated a statement to appease them. However, if they were to make any excessive demands, he wouldn't be courteous.

"Second Master, forgive Mr. Zhou for being blunt, but the Hou Clan needs a name change!"

Hou Yucheng was waiting for them to speak, not expecting Zhou Xuankai to suddenly say this, which left him momentarily stunned. His eyebrows furrowed, and before he could react, Ying Tianyu on the other side began to speak.

"Two years ago, the Family Head returned, and the Hou Clan already had the essence of a Sacred Land. Now, the Hou Clan has unified Jianye Prefecture, commanding twenty million elite troops from the Sacred Land, comparable to the seven other families in the world. Continuing to identify as the Hou Clan is not quite suitable. The Family Head's strength is unparalleled, and alongside the other seven Sacred Land leaders, he can stand as an equal, ascending to a grand position, which aligns with the order of heaven and is what the people desire!"

...…

Upon hearing Ying Tianyu's words, a glimmer of excitement flashed through Hou Yucheng's eyes, and his emotions couldn't help but surge.

This was not the first time he had heard such words. As the Supreme Commander of the Red Flame Army, he was very familiar with the situation among the soldiers. Since the beginning of the year, these ideas had already been circulating in the army.

In fact, these words began to spread in Jianye Prefecture City at the end of the previous year and quickly reached the other four prefecture cities. They inevitably reached the ears of the soldiers, which is why they started circulating among the troops.

Dazhao Holy Dynasty, ascending to the position...

Just those eight words already said it all.

If at the end of last year, upon first hearing these words, Hou Yucheng was somewhat wary, now, hearing them from Ying Tianyu, he felt only excitement and exhilaration.

He had long suspected that the term "Dazhao Holy Dynasty" originated from within the Hou Clan. The character "Zhao" held significant meaning for the Hou Clan, enough said. The key is that not many could come up with this term and spread the news.

This suggests that the term "Dazhao Holy Dynasty" might have been disseminated with the approval or tacit consent of Elder Brother Hou Yuxiao. If that's the case, Elder Brother's intentions are very clear:

The family is to formally advance to become a Holy Dynasty!

Given the current enormous scale of the Hou Clan, continuing to operate merely as a family is indeed inappropriate. Not to mention the twenty million soldiers of various surnames, the numerous heavenly powers at the mid and high levels, and nearly twenty Martial Dao Sub-Saints involved, all must have some feelings on the matter.

They don't bear the surname Hou, so how can they identify with the Hou Clan all the time?

A Holy Dynasty is indeed the best choice for the Hou Clan right now.

The Hou Clan would advance to royalty, controlling the core of the Holy Dynasty. The eight heavenly powers including the Jiangbei Alliance and Hou Clan confidants would wield the Holy Dynasty's authority. Twenty million Red Flame Army soldiers would be the backbone of the Holy Dynasty. All military leaders would join the Holy Dynasty's military officer system, being bestowed marquisates and titles.

The Hou Clan would gain supreme status; major heavenly powers would receive legitimate authority; the Red Flame Army would gain national identity, far more effective than family identity. The Hou Clan's martial artists would also acquire corresponding status and benefits...

This matter, which benefits everyone, indeed should be put on the agenda.

Hou Yucheng turned to look at Zhou Xuankai and Ying Tianyu, a slight smile on his face. He knew their eagerness was primarily for their future status within the Holy Dynasty, but it perfectly aligned with Elder Brother's wishes, which was naturally gratifying for him.

"Both of you speak sensibly. Our Holy Dynasty is now strong and mighty, with countless wise ministers and capable generals. It's indeed not suitable to continue identifying as the Hou Clan. Upon returning to the Prefectural City, I'll immediately propose establishing the Holy Dynasty to my Elder Brother; it's indeed imperative."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuankai and Ying Tianyu immediately smiled and bowed to Hou Yucheng in unison, "Second Master, you are wise!"

The three did not accompany the main army. With most demons in the five counties being eradicated, those remaining were insignificant. With more than seven million Red Flame Army troops, even Second-Rank Demons have to weigh their actions. They naturally were not afraid of these uninfluential demons. So, after arranging the army, the three directly hurried back to the Prefectural City to see Hou Yuxiao.

...…

Jianye Prefecture City, Zhao Yang Palace

Upon returning, Hou Yucheng rushed over, but before seeing Hou Yuxiao, he first encountered Hou Yujie, who had returned from Xiapi County ahead of him, waiting with a smile outside the palace gates.

"Second Brother, no need to go in. Elder Brother knows you've returned, and having learned that Pengkang County has been retaken, he asked you to rest well in the clan and see him again after a few days."

Startled, Hou Yucheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "No, I have matters to propose to Elder Brother, so I must see him."

Hou Yujie immediately laughed, winking at him:

"To establish the Holy Dynasty?"

"How did you know?"

"Hahaha, now who in the clan doesn't know? Elder Brother anticipated you'd bring this up, but he asked you not to rush. In a while, we still have to wait..."

"Wait for what?"

Hou Yujie suddenly turned to look around, then leaned in close to Hou Yucheng's ear, whispering, "Old Fifth is about to break through to become a Saint!"

Hearing this, Hou Yucheng's once puzzled expression shifted to excitement, his disbelief evident as he looked at Hou Yujie. Once confirmed, his heart filled with joy.

He had already suspected that Hou Yuduan would be the first to break through to become a Saint, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. Only two years had passed since the demon turmoil, and Old Fifth had closed himself in Five Elements Heaven for two years. Just last month he exited, already ready to break through to become a Saint.

This is indeed, incredibly fast...

"Old Fifth breaking through to a Saint, Elder Brother ascending to become a Great Emperor, double happiness!"

Hou Yucheng couldn't contain his excitement, voicing his thoughts aloud. Beside him, Hou Yujie's face also reflected deep emotion. Even though he had already been excited when he heard it earlier from Hou Yuxiao, listening again, his heart couldn't help but be stirred once more.

From a minor, insignificant clan in Zhaoyang to a significant Holy Dynasty, the Hou Clan's leap was unprecedented. Only when Elder Brother truly ascends to the position of Great Emperor will such a magnificent transition occur in the truest sense. How could their hearts not be excited?

Elder Brother Hou Yuxiao was about to become the second Great Emperor of the Holy Dynasty in Shenzhou.