697: Chapter 697 Isolated and isolated, a do-or-die situation

The next day.

"Hun Tiandi, as you expected, Shen Xiu refuses to leave now. He's even inciting Xue Yiming and Wan Zhou to attack the Qin Family!" Bai Ye revealed a refined smile, looking somewhat excited.

"Oh? Your people have already infiltrated the imperial palace of the Great Wu Empire?"

Hun Tiandi asked in surprise.

"No, it was a eunuch leaving the palace who accidentally leaked the information!" Bai Ye flicked his sleeve, a smile flashing across his face.

Hun Tiandi knew Bai Ye wouldn't admit it, so he didn't press further and changed the subject.

"Are you going to help me crush the Qin Family?"

"No... I don't have that kind of ability. I'll just cheer from the sidelines. My cultivation is low, and my chamber of commerce has no experts. However, I can still handle some small matters!"

"Of course, I also want to see how you will topple the Qin Family," Bai Ye said candidly.

"Very well," Hun Tiandi nodded slightly.

"I wonder, what is the second step?" Bai Ye asked.

"The second step: Isolated and Helpless," Hun Tiandi said in a low voice.

On the other side, inside Qin Mian's camp.

"Is there any news of Hun Tiandi?" Qin Mian asked coldly, his expression dark and unsightly.

"No, he left the restaurant fifteen days ago, and his whereabouts are unknown," a subordinate reported respectfully.

"What's the news from the outside?" Qin Mian asked.

"Young Lord, I've noticed a massive amount of financial resources entering the market, and they are currently helping us."

"Oh? Helping us? How is that possible?" Qin Mian looked at his subordinate in confusion.

"Yes, helping us deal with the Great Wu Empire. At this rate, the Great Wu Empire will collapse in a month!"

"Could someone be waiting to buy at the bottom?"

"This capital is sweeping up all kinds of resources and even taking out crazy loans. The leverage is getting bigger and bigger. Once the world falls apart, this will likely be a disaster for the Great Wu Empire."

On a floating island outside, Hun Tiandi stood with his hands behind his back, watching the madness in the city, his eyes filled with solemnity.

"Hun Tiandi, isn't it too ruthless of you to help the Qin Family like this?" Bai Ye asked, puzzled.

"Mhm. Rumor has it that Xue Yiming's grand birthday celebration is about to begin. I'm giving him a huge gift!" Hun Tiandi smiled wickedly.

"'Isolated and Helpless' is the key to the second step."

Half a month later, the Great Wu Empire completely collapsed. The prices of countless resources skyrocketed, and the city was in total chaos. Looting and killing spread a hundred times more than before.

The appearance of treasure maps stirred up the world's chaos. Countless treasure maps threw the world into disorder.

Whether it was the commoners, the army, or even some ministers, they all left the city to search for treasure.

The Fog Capital became desolate. The Great Wu Empire was completely finished, leaving only an empty shell.

Wan Zhou did not fly into a rage. Instead, he comforted his ministers. After sending them away, he sat alone on the dragon throne.

He sat there for a full day and night.

"Qin Mian? You are too vicious." Wan Zhou's face was filled with killing intent. The Great Wu Empire was completely ruined.

Wan Zhou had lost, defeated by a rising star. Was he, Wan Zhou, truly so pathetic in front of the Qin Family?

"Your Majesty?" the old eunuch beside him asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Wan Zhou said indifferently. He stood up, slowly walked out of the hall, and stood at a high point overlooking the Fog Capital.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of grief and indignation.

The old eunuch followed behind him in silence.

On a peak in the Fog Capital, Bai Ye, Hun Tiandi, Hun Xiutian, and the others watched. This was the second step.

"Hun Tiandi, you are too ruthless. Wan Zhou's empire has collapsed. I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it mentally..." Bai Ye sighed.

"As the ruler of a dynasty, how could Wan Zhou's mental fortitude be so fragile? The destruction of his heavenly dynasty and the collapse of his empire are not enough. To become a blade in my hand, he must become demonic and crazed."

Without madness, there is no life.

Hun Tiandi shook his head.

"Congratulations to the Blood River Holy Lord, may you live forever!"

"Eh? What's going on?" Xue Yiming was also dazed, looking into the distance with a strange expression.

Is today my grand birthday?

"Holy Lord, please forgive me! Your subordinate did not know it was your grand birthday!" an Elder of the Blood River Holy Land said in terror.

"It's fine, I didn't prepare for it either," Xue Yiming said, frowning.

Wan Zhou frowned slightly. With the Blood River Holy Land and the Holy Lord Xue here, they wouldn't lose. In this battle, they would gain fame and power, and perhaps even longevity in the future.

But what about himself?

Scenes flashed through his mind. Since the experts from the Land of Ten Thousand Graves left after the Battle of the Black Sea, every step he took seemed glorious on the surface.

The Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty was destroyed, the Great Wu Empire collapsed, and he was even being hunted by the Qin Family.

He could only ally himself with the Blood River Holy Land—no, he was living under someone else's roof.

If the Blood River Holy Land was destroyed, he would perish. If the Blood River Holy Land won, he would survive.

The Qin Family tested the Blood River Holy Land, and the Blood River Holy Land tested the Qin Family, strangely reaching a balance.

Once the Blood River Holy Land proved no match for the Qin Family, Xue Yiming would surely throw him out as a scapegoat. He hadn't truly been taken in by the Holy Land at all.

In the end, he was just isolated and helpless.

"Isolated and helpless?" Wan Zhou listened to the shouts in the distance, his mindset shifting as a deep sense of dread welled up.

Allies? Ridiculous.

In that instant, Wan Zhou's heart was filled with a sense of isolation and helplessness. It surged through his blood and froze his Soul.

Roar...

An uncontrollable rage erupted in Wan Zhou's heart. He let out a roar that shook the entire Fog Capital. In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on him.

"It worked?" Bai Ye was in disbelief.

"It worked!" A hint of excitement flashed in Hun Tiandi's eyes. Bai Ye took a deep look at Hun Tiandi, a trace of fear actually welling up in his heart.

This man was too terrifying. Laying out his plans step by step, he actually manipulated a person's Heart-Nature. Such a person should never be made an enemy.

A brief plan had completely changed a person.

"Majesty, is Wan Zhou willing to charge into the Qin Family?" Hun Xiutian asked in surprise.

"Wan Zhou's previous mindset was like a hot spring. He had a grudge against the Qin Family, but they weren't mortal enemies yet. Plus, with the alliance with the Blood River Holy Land, he still held a glimmer of hope."

"Now, he is facing a dead end. When a person faces a dead end, all they can do is exert their full power and burn their bridges."

Hun Tiandi gave a wicked laugh.

"A dead end?" Gu He asked, puzzled.

"Exactly. You catalyzed Wan Zhou's emotions to their peak, and it was exactly what you wanted. This is the deepest manifestation of one's own character."

At this moment, Bai Ye finally realized how terrifying Hun Tiandi was. He had altered someone's Heart-Nature without them even knowing.

The most difficult thing in the world is never cultivation talent, nor is it world-destroying Dou Techniques or Cultivation Techniques.

It is the human heart. Hun Tiandi's ability to manipulate and change one's Heart-Nature is truly frightening.

A wave of lingering fear washed over him. Was this Hun Tiandi even human? He was like a thousand-year-old monster.

In fact, Bai Ye was right about one thing: Hun Tiandi was indeed an old monster with deep schemes and exquisite planning.

This level of calculation was too terrifying.

"Let's go, let's head back," Hun Tiandi smiled.

"That's it?" Venerable Huanglong was a bit dazed. If it were a fight, he wouldn't hesitate, but these seemingly unrelated schemes were actually so terrifying.

"It's enough. When the time is right, the experts from Wan Zhou and the Blood River Holy Land will charge into the Qin Family," Bai Ye said indifferently.

Wan Zhou suppressed the turmoil in his heart and took a deep breath.

"Let's go back," Wan Zhou said to the old eunuch.

"Yes!" The eunuch suddenly realized that His Majesty had changed, but he didn't know exactly what had changed.

The atmosphere in the Fog Capital was now quite eerie.

Qin Mian looked at the intelligence in his hand, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.

"What's going on? I feel like there's a layer of mist obscuring my vision," Qin Mian said, full of doubt.

A group of strategists beside him looked at the intelligence. Wan Zhou's roar? The songs of the Fog Capital?

No one could see through it.

"This... it can't be, right?" Suddenly, a strategist seemed to think of something and whispered.

"What is it?" Qin Mian asked.

"I'm not sure. The first step made Shen Xiu want to strike back, and the second step made Wan Zhou want to strike back. Is this Xue Yiming's strategy? Or Wan Zhou's?"

The strategist said nervously.

"What?" Shock flashed in Qin Mian's eyes, while those around him clearly didn't understand.

"Hun Tiandi, are you some kind of old monster?"

Seeing Hun Tiandi in a new light for the first time, everyone looked at each other.

"Can't see through it? Can't guess it?" The strategist shook his head in disbelief. A subordinate spoke up, "Young Lord, could the Qin Family..."

"Don't worry. Given Hun Tiandi's influence and the experts on the periphery, it's impossible for them to cause any harm to the Qin Family," Qin Mian said confidently.

"Continue gathering information. Do not miss anything regarding Hun Tiandi!"

"Yes!" the subordinates replied.

Inside the imperial palace of the Fog Capital.

"Holy Lord Xue, call upon the Elders of the Holy Land. We shall destroy the Qin Family," Wan Zhou said indifferently.

"There's no need," Xue Yiming looked at Wan Zhou with a strange expression and said softly. "The Elders of the Holy Land are in seclusion. We should act according to the situation."

"We went there last time, and with our strength, we couldn't do anything to the Qin Family."

Not in a hurry? A flash of anger appeared in Wan Zhou's eyes, but he didn't show it.

"Fine," he could only nod expressionlessly.