248: Chapter 248 Finalizing Cooperation Details

This Karl was indeed a tough nut to crack.

"What are the conditions?"

Lin Tian asked directly, his eyes looking clearly at Li Yi.

"Helping your Xuanhuang Empire fight such a tough war can't be voluntary labor, can it? The State Preceptor should understand that the Heavenly Dao rewards belong to the Heavenly Dao; those are the 'hardship fees' we deserve. Where is the 'sincerity' of your Xuanhuang Empire?"

Li Yi seemed prepared and replied immediately:

"Your Excellency is straightforward! As long as Your Excellency agrees to dispatch troops to help my Xuanhuang kill Karl and recover the territories he occupies, once the matter is settled, all spoils of war, resources, and even the secrets that may exist in his lair captured from Karl and his sphere of influence will belong entirely to Your Excellency!"

"My Xuanhuang Empire will not take a single cent! We only seek to recover lost ground, cleanse the filth, and restore a clear sky to that region!"

He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his tone:

"Furthermore, if there is a need for my Xuanhuang Empire to coordinate troop movements, provide intelligence, or open borders for supplies during the process, our country will fully cooperate without a second word! This promise can be evidenced by a national letter personally signed by His Majesty!"

All spoils of war would go to Lin Tian, while the Xuanhuang Empire would only recover lost territory and provide full assistance.

These conditions could not be described as anything but generous.

Especially the clause "all spoils of war belong to him" held immense temptation for Lin Tian, who possessed the divine mirror of replication and could maximize the use of rare resources.

More importantly, this perfectly aligned with the Heavenly Dao mission he had just received!

He could get the "assist" from the Xuanhuang Empire and potential geopolitical benefits, while also conveniently completing that Heavenly Dao mission with its Heaven-Defying rewards, obtaining one thousand Divine Sources and two thousand law crystals...

Lin Tian leaned back in his chair, his fingers starting to tap rhythmically again, his eyes flashing as he quickly weighed the pros and cons.

There were definitely risks; that Karl didn't sound like a pushover.

But the gains were equally astonishing, and they were double gains.

He had Lin Yin, a trump card close to the True God realm, an army of over a hundred million who were at least Platinum rank, well-equipped, and experienced, and Divine-Grade generals like Lin Feng and Lin Yan.

With the cooperation of the Xuanhuang Empire, the local power... the odds of winning seemed quite high.

The hall fell silent for a moment, save for the "thump-thump" of Lin Tian's fingers tapping the armrest and the faint, calming scent of moonlight naturally emanating from Lin Yin.

Li Yi did not rush him, just waiting quietly with a peaceful gaze, though the palm hidden in his sleeve unconsciously tightened slightly.

He knew that the moment deciding the Empire's eastern border, and even more far-reaching situations, rested on a single thought from the young Lord before him.

Finally, Lin Tian stopped tapping, and a familiar, eager smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Good!"

He spoke decisively, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

"I, Lin Tian, will help with this! That scourge Karl should have been cleaned up long ago! As for the specifics of the cooperation, we will finalize the details later."

"But one thing: the command and the core tactics of the final battle must be led by my side. You will provide intelligence, assistance, and necessary flank support. How about it?"

Hearing this, the heavy stone in Li Yi's heart finally fell. A sincere and relieved smile appeared on his face as he immediately stood up and solemnly cupped his hands again:

"It should be so! Your Excellency's strength is extraordinary, and your use of troops is godlike; you should naturally lead the campaign! Everyone in the Xuanhuang Empire will fully cooperate!"

"As for the specific details, I will immediately send word back to the country for His Majesty's decision, and I can discuss them in detail with Your Excellency's subordinates first!"

"Straightforward!"

"Then it's a deal! State Preceptor, please rest for a while. I need some time to assemble the troops and allocate resources. Crusading against Karl isn't a picnic; we must be fully prepared."

"Precisely!"

Li Yi nodded quickly. "I wonder how many days Your Lordship needs to assemble the grand army? I should report back to His Majesty so he can make arrangements early."

"It won't take many days."

Lin Tian waved his hand, showing a somewhat mysterious smile.

"Very soon. If the State Preceptor isn't tired, why not wait a moment? You can see the 'capital' for our cooperation this time."

Li Yi naturally followed his lead and said repeatedly:

"Not tired at all. I am willing to accompany the Lord to witness the style of your heroic army!"

Lin Tian gave an instruction to the attendant beside him:

"Take the State Preceptor to the side hall for tea and wait a moment."

Then he gave Lin Yin a look. Lin Yin understood, and her figure quietly faded away, clearly going to convey the assembly order.

About two hours later.

A messenger came to the side hall and bowed to Li Yi, who was sipping tea while lost in thought:

"Lord State Preceptor, the Lord requests your presence. The army has finished assembling. Please move to the training grounds for review."

"Thank you for leading the way."

Li Yi put down his teacup, straightened his clothes, and followed the messenger out of the Lords Mansion.

Following the messenger, Li Yi stepped onto the thirty-meter-high, newly expanded, cold-glistening towering walls of Lintian City.

The wind on the city wall was strong, carrying the chill of early autumn, making his wide scholar's robes flap loudly.

He subconsciously tidied his collar blown messy by the wind and looked towards the direction indicated by the messenger—the endless assembly ground specially cleared outside the city walls.

With just one look.

This well-traveled, highly cultivated State Preceptor of the Xuanhuang Empire was frozen in place as if a binding spell had been cast on him.

The calm and elegant expression of having everything under control instantly froze, then peeled away like shards of broken porcelain.

All that remained was extreme shock and a trace of trembling rooted in biological instinct that even he hadn't noticed.

People.

Nothing but people.

No, they were soldiers! Boundless, silent, and murderous soldiers armed to the teeth!

Below the city walls, the area was now completely submerged by a vast ocean composed of steel and flesh!

And in this "ocean," the most heart-stopping part was that crimson cloud suspended in the low sky, almost blotting out half the heavens.

That was a full eighty million Dragon Blood Cavalry!

They sat silently on the backs of Dragon-Blood Steeds, which were also covered in dragon scales and exhaling scorching breaths, wearing heavy plate armor that matched the color of their mounts' scales and was inscribed with complex anti-magic runes.

They were not suspended in disorder but were neatly arranged in the air in units of thousand-man square formations, layered upon each other, stretching as far as the eye could see.

There was no neighing, no clamor, only the low sound of wind caused by the occasional flapping of a mount's wings to adjust its position, and the silent pressure that made one's scalp tingle when those eighty million gazes converged.

The sunlight was blocked by this terrifying cavalry cluster, casting a huge and oppressive shadow below the city.

This wasn't an army at all... it was a moving, breathing mountain range of steel!

It was a terrifying war beast born for destruction!

"This... how many are there..."

Li Yi subconsciously murmured, his throat feeling a bit dry.