CHAPTER 277: CHAPTER 274: AUTUMN_1

「The Kylin Sacred Land!」

Elder Han Yuquan stood in the middle of Kirin Hall, reporting on the war’s progress with a dejected air. His face was pale, devoid of any vitality or spirit. He had chosen to abandon his disciples to save his own life, but in doing so, he had lost all his reputation. He would likely face punishment from his sect. Presumably, after today, he would be expelled from its core of power.

Old Ancestor Tianqilin slightly raised his eyebrows in discontent. A Semi-Emperor spellmaster, fighting two opponents with an unprecedented method of attack? These pieces of information are far from satisfactory! I need to know about the mysterious force behind the Qin Dynasty Divine Court!

"Old Ancestor, I suspect that the mysterious force doesn’t regard the Qin Dynasty Divine Court with great importance. Otherwise, they would have shown up at the start of the war," Han Yuquan speculated in a low voice.

The Old Ancestor Tianqilin nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. Their disregard is good!

At this moment, an elder walked in, bowed, and reported, "Old Ancestor, the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea has sent information. They wish to clear our name and become a vassal power of the Sacred Land, asking only for our protection once."

"Agree to the terms of the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea. This Ancestor approves!" Old Ancestor Tianqilin voiced without hesitation. It had been too long; the reputation of the Kylin Sacred Land needed to be restored.

The elder bowed once more and respectfully exited the grand hall.

"Han Yuquan, This Ancestor intends to send you to the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea to assist them in restoring the honor of the Sacred Land. What say you?" Old Ancestor Tianqilin looked at Han Yuquan, his questioning tone carrying an undeniable command.

"I am willing!" Han Yuquan sighed inwardly. Going to the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea is equivalent to being exiled. Unless I can complete this upcoming task, I’ll never be able to return to the Sacred Land.

He bowed to Old Ancestor Tianqilin, the Fire Kirin Emperor, and the Kylin Great Emperor. With heavy steps, he departed Kirin Hall. This departure might be for a lifetime!

"Old Ancestor, what about the Qin Dynasty Divine Court?" the Kylin Great Emperor asked, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"The Qin Dynasty Divine Court is weak and poses no threat to us. Let’s first ascertain the power behind them!" Old Ancestor Tianqilin shook his head. His figure gradually faded until it completely disappeared.

As Zhuge Liang had speculated, Old Ancestor Tianqilin had no plans for military intervention. Regardless, he wanted to give some face to the force behind the Qin Dynasty Divine Court. Of course, if the Qin Dynasty Divine Court continued to develop and encroach upon the interests of the Kylin Sacred Land, the situation would be different!

"Humph! Pass the order: destroy all intelligence agencies of the Qin Dynasty Divine Court!" The Kylin Great Emperor’s expression shifted, and he gave a fierce command, venting his pent-up anger on the Hidden Guard.

In the time that followed, the Kylin Sacred Land continuously attempted to demolish the Hidden Guard’s strongholds, but most attempts were futile, only resulting in the capture of some peripheral members.

As time passed, the reputation of the Kylin Sacred Land gradually improved. The Ancient Court of the Azure Sea altered the narrative: the Kylin Sacred Land had supposedly attacked its vassal forces only because it was trying to eliminate the group from the Qin Dynasty Divine Court, and any harm was accidental. As for the dispatch of troops to surround and suppress, that was spun as a rash decision by an elder acting on his own authority. Furthermore, they claimed that if the Kylin Sacred Land had truly intended to kill them all, no one except for Qin Wudao and Jade Snow Gentleman would have escaped.

To corroborate the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea’s story, the Kylin Sacred Land captured a Semi-Emperor prisoner and, in the name of an elder of the Sacred Land, publicly beheaded him before all the major powers. Through a series of such cunning manipulations, the Kylin Sacred Land’s reputation somewhat recovered. At least among the common people, it regained its prestige, once again becoming a cultivation holy land they aspired to!

As for the major powers, although they saw through the Sacred Land’s facade, they dared not slander it. Those powers that had dared to denigrate it had already vanished!

During this period, the Qin Dynasty Divine Court maintained rapid development. Post-war reconstruction, talent selection, military training, academy enrollment, and other tasks were all carried out in full swing.

In mid-April, Qin Wudao led all officials in a state funeral, mourning the heroic souls of the fallen. The names of over 9,000,000 soldiers were inscribed in the martyrs’ register.

By the end of May, all damaged cities had been restored, and the lives of the citizens affected by the war had returned to normal.

In early June, the local military corps were reorganized, launching a massive recruitment drive. Countless aspiring individuals eagerly enlisted, and in just one month, 10,000,000 soldiers were recruited.

In mid-July, Qin Wudao distributed the Kunlun Supreme’s treasures as rewards to meritorious officials based on their contributions. This ignited a cultivation frenzy among the rewarded courtiers, and many broke through to new realms.

By August, the cultivation of all civil and military officials had reached a minimum of the Sky Stage, with many achieving the Reaching the Holy Realm or Saint Realm stages.

「Soon, an important time arrived!」

On September 15th, the first batch of agricultural tax arrived in the Imperial Capital. Mountains of Spirit Rice filled the granaries, signaling that the Qin Dynasty’s campaign against the Langya Sect was drawing nearer.

Ten days later, commercial tax also arrived in the Imperial Capital, replenishing the national treasury of Qin Country.

In the Deliberative Pavilion, Zhuge Liang put down his memorial and asked anxiously, "Lord Xiao, how are things?"

Xiao He replied with a broad smile, "The treasury is full! I have prepared three trillion for the upcoming war!" With money, his words carried confidence.

Zhuge Liang exclaimed in surprise, "Tsk, tsk. Three trillion! That’s quite a sum! Previous wars didn’t exceed one trillion; this is three times that amount."

"Brother Zhuge, with your insight, surely you’ve realized? His Majesty isn’t just targeting the Langya Sect. I’m merely making preparations in advance so the funds are immediately available when needed!" Xiao He said with a laugh.

Zhuge Liang nodded. He had, of course, discerned Qin Wudao’s intentions, which was why he hadn’t opposed Xiao He allocating three trillion as war funds.

「Five days later, the Grand Court Assembly!」

Qin Wudao, accompanied by his officials, ascended the high platform in the square. On the spacious square below, four legions, totaling 1,200,000 men, stood in neat formations. Their cultivation was all at or above the Beyond the Shore Realm.

They were clad in black armor, gripping their weapons, their eyes glinting with a faint killing intent. Perhaps because they haven’t been tempered by war, they appear somewhat inexperienced.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao each commanded one of these armies, standing at the forefront, awaiting inspection by Qin Wudao and the court. This was also the flag-awarding ceremony! After today, these legions would have their own official designations!

"Warriors of the Qin Dynasty!" Qin Wudao called out from the high platform. "In the days to come, you will fight abroad, galloping across battlefields, encountering all kinds of enemies, and perhaps even making the ultimate sacrifice! Tell me, are you afraid?"

The terrifying imperial might erupted, augmented by the nation’s Fortune, coalescing into a colossal dragon that exuded boundless pressure as it swept towards the soldiers below. Even a martial artist at the Cave Heaven Stage, let alone an ordinary person, would tremble and turn pale under such pressure.

But not one of the 1,200,000 soldiers present showed any fear. They raised their weapons high and roared in unison, "Valiant Old Qin, to face the nation’s peril together!"

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

"KILL! KILL! KILL!"

Their thunderous shouts shattered the white clouds in the sky, and their soaring battle intent enveloped the Imperial Capital, stirring the blood of all who witnessed it.