New Yu Era, February 15, 1333

In just one month, the capital changed hands. The news of the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Yuyun's restoration of Great Yu spread across the thirteen states of the world...

Great Yu, has been restored!

The thirteen states of the world were in an uproar.

What time is it now? The Great Jin is marching south to Liangzhou, campaigning east to Jizhou, contending for the Hexi Region with allies, and taking the opportunity to advance into the Five States of Hedong. The momentum of the Great Jin is immense, appearing to have the tendency to swallow the world, overwhelming the four seas, showing the preliminary manifestation of ambition and grand plans.

The Great Yu Holy Dynasty, which had been extinct for eight years, has returned.

Moreover, it has reclaimed the capital controlled by the Great Jin.

The newly appointed State Preceptor, Hou Yuxiao, beheaded the Pingcheng King of the Wanyan Clan and annihilated two million of the Great Jin's elite troops.

Chu Kuangren of the Jiangbei Alliance, the newly appointed Grand Marshal of Soldiers and Horses of Great Yu;

Lu Kangping, head of the Lu Family, the newly appointed Grand Chancellor of Great Yu.

The Jiangbei Alliance, the Lu Family, and the Hou Clan, with two million Red Flame Army and eleven million troops, all returned to the Great Yu Holy Dynasty. Great Yu once again became rich in talent. Although its military strength cannot compare to the past, it can be said to be a great replenishment of Yuan Qi.

Though it lacks actual Holy Land status, Great Yu bears the Divine Dynasty's aura.

Its unique position cannot be replaced by any Holy Land,

To be precise, the Great Jin's smooth progress these past eight years stemmed largely from the battle at the capital eight years ago, where they destroyed the Great Yu Royal Family, killing over three thousand members, dismantled the Divine Court, and executed Emperor Yu Jiang Bufan, completely severing the last glimmer of hope for Great Yu in people's minds.

The era of the ten Holy Lands dividing Shenzhou has persisted for over thirteen hundred years. From the high-ranking members of the Holy Lands to the common folk, people's discontent has long simmered to a breaking point. This is why the battle of the Holy Lands is on the verge of eruption, and why all the forces of the world are beginning to merge and annex each other.

In their hearts, people yearn for the arrival of an era of peace, yet they understand that this process will be excruciatingly painful. None of the major Holy Lands will willingly cede the territories they have gained. More crucially, who will become the founder of this peaceful era?

The Great Jin Dynasty, Bailu Academy, Wanjian Holy Sect, Ziqing Holy Sect, Haoran Holy Sect, New Moon Cult, and Qinjian Villa, each believes they are right and think their ideology alone can establish lasting peace.

Whether for fame or gain, or to uphold their own beliefs, everyone wants to be the founder of this peaceful era, and no one is willing to back down.

This is the root of the conflict!

People are not foolish. Whether martial artists or common folk, everyone knows this in their hearts.

Humans are complex beings, both yearning for peace under the heavens and unwilling to pay the corresponding price. Therefore, they place their hopes on the Great Yu Holy Dynasty, for until now, only Great Yu has accomplished this.

They hope the holy lands of the world can set aside past grievances and regroup under Great Yu, even knowing it is impossible. But in their hearts, there is always this unrealistic fantasy.

Until eight years ago, when the Great Jin extinguished Great Yu, severing this dream.

But now, Great Yu has been restored once again!

This seems to indicate that the dream they hold in their hearts might be possible after all.

Across the thirteen states, from commoners to major martial artist factions and even to high-level sect members of major holy lands, people's hearts began to quietly change.

Small and medium forces from the thirteen states, wandering martial artists, and even sect members of earth-level and heaven-level major forces all flocked to the capital. Some came to pay homage to the newly appointed Emperor Yu, while others came to probe the strength and weaknesses of Great Yu for their sect's interests... Regardless of their intentions, their purpose was singular: to make plans for the future.

The newly appointed Emperor Yu, of course, is not so easily met.

The process of Great Yu's restoration is akin to extracting chestnuts from the fire. Although it now holds the world's most formidable city, the capital, its internal framework is, after all, predominantly built by the Jiangbei Alliance, the Lu Family, and the Hou Clan. The main military power still comes from these three families, so its strength cannot compare with the Holy Lands. Yet it stands as the top power beneath the seven holy lands of the world.

Even a broken ship has three thousand nails; how much more so the foremost power beneath the holy lands? If any random person could meet Emperor Yu Jiang Yuyun, wouldn't the restored Great Yu become a joke?

On this basis, people from various sects and factions flocking to the capital all shifted their attention to another person: the newly appointed State Preceptor of Great Yu, Hou Yuxiao!

In fact, some seek out Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping.

But anyone with a bit of insight, after probing around the capital—or even without probing, by just observing carefully—can immediately tell who truly controls the capital now.

There are three significant indicators:

First, around Yu Divine Palace has become the station of the Red Flame Army. Every day, soldiers clad in red armor come and go. From the dual-colored lotus markings on their armor, it's easy to discern they belong to the Hou Clan's Red Flame Army.

Second, the soldiers guarding the thirteen gates in the south of the capital are also from the Red Flame Army.

Third, the soldiers maintaining order within the capital are likewise from the Red Flame Army.

These three markers tell the whole story.

Currently, the nominal ruler of the capital is Jiang Yuyun.

But in reality, it's State Preceptor Hou Yuxiao who controls everything.

This is not difficult to understand. The one who played the greatest role in capturing the capital was, indeed, the Red Flame Army of the Hou Clan; the one who slew the Pingcheng King Wanyan Jun was Hou Yuxiao; the one who rebuked Emperor Wanyan Cheng before the eyes of all the people in the capital was also Hou Yuxiao; from leading the army north from Hexi to drawing in the Jiangbei Alliance and the Lu Family, it was still Hou Yuxiao...