381: No Man's Land

Year 7935 of the Great Martial Era.

The Great Wu Dynasty's destiny was exhausted. The Martial Emperor Imperial City and the Imperial Palace successively sank. The rules and powers originally left by the Martial Emperor in the Imperial Domain all dissipated with the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny.

The Great Wu Crown Prince went missing, his life or death unknown.

The Great Wu Dynasty, personally founded by the Martial Emperor, thus came to an end.

The various regions that originally belonged to the Imperial Domain.

All became independent, similar to various territorial regions.

From this moment on.

The Tianwu Continent no longer had an Imperial Domain, only four domains remained.

As soon as this news broke, it immediately stirred up a tremendous storm throughout the entire Tianwu Continent!

Even though since the Martial Emperor's demise.

The Great Wu Dynasty's imperial power had already collapsed.

But in this situation of warlords carving up territory, the Imperial Domain still existed.

The Great Wu Dynasty still had the possibility of revival.

Although the various lords governed their own territories, they had always been wary of the Great Wu Dynasty.

The Great Wu Dynasty had always been the orthodox power of the Tianwu Continent.

However, now with the demise of the Great Wu Dynasty.

The Great Wu Dynasty thus became history.

The Tianwu Continent would enter a brand new era!

This matter caused shock and discussion among all martial artists throughout the Tianwu Continent.

Many people, while surprised by the Great Wu Dynasty's downfall, were not entirely unexpected.

In their eyes, from the moment the Martial Emperor fell, this outcome was already predetermined.

After all, in recent years, the Great Wu Dynasty had struggled to develop under the suppression of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

It was completely confined within the Imperial Domain.

It didn't even dare to easily step out of the Imperial Domain.

In this situation.

The Great Wu Dynasty could not possibly have a chance to rise.

And most importantly... the Great Wu Dynasty had never given birth to a Half-God!

This led to their inability to directly contend with the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

They could only rely on the rules and powers left by the Martial Emperor in the Imperial Domain, barely surviving.

While lamenting the downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty, everyone couldn't help but wonder... what kind of changes would the Tianwu Continent's landscape undergo after the Great Wu Dynasty's demise?

It was certain that the Tianwu Continent would inevitably be governed by the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

However, what made everyone curious was.

Would these three Half-God Heavenly Kings establish a new dynasty?

Whether from their own strength or their background.

These three Half-God Heavenly Kings now possessed the capital to establish a new dynasty.

This made the three Half-God Heavenly Kings the focus of everyone's attention.

Especially the various lords.

They were more nervous and serious than anyone else.

The current situation was very delicate.

Once the three Half-God Heavenly Kings established a new dynasty, these lords would inevitably have to choose a side.

Even if they had already chosen sides a long time ago.

But the current choice of sides was completely different from before.

Previously, their choice of sides was more of a statement of attitude.

At that time, it was mainly for the development of their own forces.

To achieve better development for their own territories.

They inevitably had to choose a side.

To obtain the support and assistance of the Half-God Heavenly Kings.

At that time, the relationship between them and the Half-God Heavenly Kings was more of a cooperative one.

And the stance to be expressed by this choice of sides was also one opposing the Great Wu Dynasty.

But once the three Half-God Heavenly Kings established a new dynasty, their choice of sides would have to be a complete joining!

If they did not join... their fate would surely be destruction.

After all, if the three Half-God Heavenly Kings established a new dynasty, they would certainly not allow independent territories to exist outside.

These territories would either submit and join them, becoming a part of their dynasty.

Or they would perish along with the Great Wu Dynasty!

This made all the lords very anxious.

Soon.

There was movement from the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

What was unexpected was... none of these three Half-God Heavenly Kings established a new dynasty.

They merely named their respective Great Domains.

They named their Great Domains Star-Chief Great Domain, Muwen Great Domain, and Yaoxi Great Territory, respectively.

It was clear that they named these three Great Domains after their own titles.

Everyone could see the meaning of this action.

Before this.

The Great Domains governed by these three Half-God Heavenly Kings had no names.

Now naming them... was clearly preparation for their future establishment of new dynasties!

With names.

They could then logically establish the Star-Chief Dynasty, the Muwen Dynasty, and the Yao Xi Dynasty.

However, the three Half-God Heavenly Kings had only named their Great Domains for now, and had not directly established new dynasties.

It seemed the time was not yet ripe.

The lords did not feel joy because of this.

From the actions of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings, it was clear that establishing new dynasties was only a matter of time for them.

Even if their territories would not immediately lose their independence.

The three Half-God Heavenly Kings would also begin to make them choose sides.

“It seems... next will be the struggle for the new dynasties of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings!”

A bitter feeling arose in the hearts of the lords.

From their perspective.

The downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty was undoubtedly unfavorable to them.

This would break the previous situation of warlords carving up territory.

Making it impossible for them to remain independent.

They would have to choose one side among the three Half-God Heavenly Kings and join it.

In the past, the reason they could remain independent was mainly because the Great Wu Dynasty was trapped in the Imperial Domain and did not possess ruling power over the Tianwu Continent, plus these lords and the three Half-God Heavenly Kings were on the same side, so naturally, nothing could be done to them, allowing them to occupy territory and rule as kings.

Now that the three Half-God Heavenly Kings were in charge.

It was impossible for them to remain independent.

They had to make a choice among the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

Not only these lords faced choices.

The martial artists within their territories also faced choices.

Before this.

The reason these martial artists were unwilling to join the camps of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

On one hand, they didn't want to lose their freedom and didn't want to be bound by too many rules.

On the other hand, they were worried that the Great Wu Dynasty might one day be revived, and at that time, those who joined the camps of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings would inevitably be purged along with the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

Now with the downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty.

They no longer had such worries.

Many people began to have the idea of joining the camps of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

They all knew.

With the downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty, the Tianwu Continent would inevitably become the world of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

Even if they didn't join now.

When the three Half-God Heavenly Kings established new dynasties later, they would also find it difficult to remain aloof.

The difference between joining now and joining later was... joining now allowed them to choose the camp of their preferred Half-God Heavenly King.

If they joined later, they could only follow their respective territories and join the camp of one of the Half-God Heavenly Kings, without having the right to choose themselves.

This made everyone throughout the Tianwu Continent discuss one question.

That was, among the three Half-God Heavenly Kings... whose strength was superior?

This question was not only what these martial artists wanted to know.

The various lords also wanted to know.

They had always only known that the three Half-God Heavenly Kings were the strongest in the current Tianwu Continent, but no one knew who was stronger among the three.

Even the various lords.

Had never witnessed a Half-God make a move.

Those who had usually seen them make a move were already corpses.

This made everyone very conflicted about which Half-God Heavenly King's camp to join.

Many people directly chose to seek out people from Tianji Hall, intending to purchase intelligence about the three Half-God Heavenly Kings from Tianji Hall.

As early as when Xiao Shi completed the opening of the second area of Tianji Hall.

The entire Tianji Hall had once again become active in the Tianwu Continent.

Although there were still many people who had ideas about Tianji Hall.

The Hall Master of Tianji Hall was simply too mysterious.

Even the Fate Diviners could not calculate the identity, information, or location of the Hall Master of Tianji Hall.

Even if these people had ideas about Tianji Hall.

They couldn't find any opportunity to act.

Tianji Hall was destined to rise again in the Tianwu Continent under the leadership of this mysterious Hall Master of Tianji Hall!

...Fifth Domain.

“The Great Wu Crown Prince isn’t dead?”

Xiao Shi frowned.

Earlier, although he couldn't kill the Great Wu Crown Prince.

But when he eliminated Cheng Riyou through the self-destruction of his clone, it was equivalent to severing the Great Wu Crown Prince's possibility of escape.

After all, after the left eye of the great wu crown prince, which contained the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, was dug out by him, he himself did not possess any ability to escape.

To escape before the three Half-God Heavenly Kings arrived, he could only rely on the three Imperial Guards.

But those three Imperial Guards had previously poured all their recovered power into Cheng Riyou.

In such a short time.

It was impossible for them to still have the ability to escape with the Great Wu Crown Prince.

Yet, now Xiao Shi, through the intelligence gathering of the Eye of Heavenly Secrets, discovered that the Great Wu Crown Prince was still alive!

This greatly surprised him.

“He didn’t die even like that, so there are only two possibilities...”

“One is that he is now under the control of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings, and these three Half-God Heavenly Kings did not kill him...”

“The other is that he used some method I don't know to escape before the three Half-God Heavenly Kings descended upon the Imperial Domain.”

Xiao Shi currently leaned more towards the first possibility.

After all, at that time, the Great Wu Crown Prince was already at a dead end.

If he still had a means of escape, he would surely have used it directly before the three Half-God Heavenly Kings entered the Imperial Domain, not waiting until the very last moment.

Moreover, under the circumstances at that time.

Even if there was some means of escape, it was already too late.

After all, at the same time Xiao Shi eliminated Cheng Riyou, the three Half-God Heavenly Kings had already entered the Imperial Domain.

They would not possibly watch the Great Wu Crown Prince escape without intervening.

But if the Great Wu Crown Prince was now in the hands of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings... why didn't they kill the Great Wu Crown Prince and spare his life?

Without the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, the Great Wu Crown Prince no longer had any value.

Xiao Shi felt that if he were the three Half-God Heavenly Kings, he would definitely kill him directly and not keep him alive.

Unless there was some value in the Great Wu Crown Prince that he didn't know about.

But even if there was value in the Great Wu Crown Prince, among the three Half-God Heavenly Kings, it would involve a problem of distribution.

Before the downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty.

These three Half-God Heavenly Kings were barely considered to be in the same camp.

But with the downfall of the Great Wu Dynasty.

They were already in competition and opposition with each other.

And there was only one Great Wu Crown Prince... they would certainly not yield to each other.

It was impossible to hand the Great Wu Crown Prince over to any one of them.

“It’s a pity... although the Eye of Heavenly Secrets can perceive all things in the world, once it involves high-level existences, one must also possess sufficient cultivation to fully perceive them.”

Xiao Shi sighed at this.

With his current cultivation, he could not perceive intelligence involving Half-Gods.

Therefore, he could only confirm the Great Wu Crown Prince's life or death through the Eye of Heavenly Secrets.

He could not use the Eye of Heavenly Secrets to check if the Great Wu Crown Prince had fallen into the hands of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings.

However, even if the Great Wu Crown Prince was not dead, he posed no threat to Xiao Shi now.

As long as he dared to appear.

Xiao Shi could crush him at any time!

What Xiao Shi was currently focusing on were mainly those three Half-God Heavenly Kings!

He, like everyone else, was also paying attention to whether these three Half-God Heavenly Kings would establish a new dynasty.

After learning that they had only named their respective Great Domains.

Xiao Shi couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

The issues he considered were more numerous than those of others.

He felt that the reason these three Half-God Heavenly Kings had not established new dynasties was definitely not that they didn't want to, but rather... they couldn't!

Through the eras he had encountered in the past.

Xiao Shi discovered a pattern... that in every era, there seemed to be only one dynasty.

For example, in the Nether Moon Era, there was only one Youyue Dynasty, and no second dynasty existed.

“That is to say...”

“Each dynasty actually represents an era!”

“The end of the Great Wu Dynasty today is also the end of the Great Martial Era.”

“If the three Half-God Heavenly Kings want to establish a new dynasty, it means they want to create a new era!”

“This is definitely not something they can achieve currently.”

Xiao Shi suddenly understood.

The establishment of a dynasty was clearly not simply about declaring oneself king in one's own region.

If it was truly as Xiao Shi thought, that one dynasty represented one era.

Then these three Half-God Heavenly Kings, to establish a new dynasty, would inevitably need to promote a new cultivation system.

After all, the cultivation systems of each era were different.

Besides that.

When Xiao Shi thought of the importance of destiny to a dynasty.

He also realized that if these three Half-God Heavenly Kings wanted to establish a new dynasty, destiny must also be an indispensable part!

However, the destiny of the former Great Wu Dynasty was now all in Xiao Shi's hands.

“If the Great Wu Crown Prince is currently in the hands of the three Half-God Heavenly Kings, is it because they want to obtain the Great Wu Dynasty’s destiny from him, which is why they didn’t kill him?”

Xiao Shi had a conjecture in his heart.

After all, these three Half-God Heavenly Kings did not know what had happened before.

They didn't know that the left eye of the great wu crown prince, which contained the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, had already fallen into his hands.

And for the Great Wu Crown Prince to survive, he certainly couldn't reveal that the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny was no longer in his hands.

Once these three Half-God Heavenly Kings knew that he no longer had the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, he would lose his value and would inevitably be killed.

“It seems the Great Wu Dynasty’s destiny in my hands is extremely important to these three Half-God Heavenly Kings!”

While thinking.

Xiao Shi took out this golden pupil.

Specific relevant information immediately appeared in his vision.

【Name: left eye of the great wu crown prince】

【Type: Human Organ】

【Grade: None】

【Description: A crown prince in a desperate situation decided to go all out, sealing all the remaining dynasty destiny within his left eye. As a result, the entire left eye was plundered and dug out.】

【Remark 1: If you do not have imperial bloodline, do not try to seal destiny with your body. This will only lead to a dead end.】

【Remark 2: If you do not have the ability to condense destiny, do not try to release sealed destiny. Once released, the sealed destiny will scatter uncontrollably.】

【Remark 3: If the Imperial Domain has already been destroyed, then the released destiny will dissipate with it, unless you have a special method to keep the destiny condensed and prevent it from scattering.】