195: Chapter 195 Preparations for the Expedition

The smoke of the battle at the Boundary Sea finally dissipated amidst three days of revelry and celebration.

The entire territory of the Heavenly Court, from the Yuhua Immortal Dynasty's monarch at the top to the common immortal citizens at the bottom, was immersed in the euphoria and pride brought by this unprecedented grand victory.

After this battle, the Heavenly Emperor's prestige reached its zenith.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan, who was at the center of this storm, only showed his face on the first day of the victory feast before quietly returning to his chambers deep within Little Qiong Peak, acting as a hands-off manager.

He had handled the fighting at the front lines.

As for the victory banquet, it was enough for the boys to go and drink.

He had more important things to do.

Three days later, Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

This was not a victory banquet, but the first true court assembly after the victory.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified, yet undercurrents surged; the eyes of everyone present burned with a flame called "fanaticism."

Li Changsheng, Li Qingyue, and his other grown children stood on the left side below the throne, their auras restrained yet sharp as unsheathed divine swords, brimming with brilliance.

On the right side were the heads of various affiliated forces, led by the monarch of the Yuhua Immortal Dynasty and the Great Elder of Ten Thousand Dragon Nest.

They stood with their hands down, their posture more than ten times humbler than before the war—a reverence that came from their very Souls.

Li Xuan sat high upon the Nine Dragon Throne, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd below.

He didn't speak any inspiring nonsense, but simply spoke plainly to announce the first decree after the war.

"In this battle, all of you have rendered meritorious service."

"Pass down my decree: all soldiers who participated in the battle, whether alive or dead, shall be rewarded with ten thousand years of cultivation, ten nine-turn golden pills, and ten thousand High Grade Immortal Stones!"

"For those who died in battle, a monument shall be erected in the Hall of Heroic Souls to enjoy the incense offerings of the Heavenly Court for ten thousand generations. Their direct descendants may enter the Heavenly Court Academy to practice without an entrance examination!"

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out below the hall!

Ten thousand years of cultivation!

Ten nine-turn golden pills!

This generosity could be described as inhumanly lavish!

Especially the treatment of "entering the Hall of Heroic Souls and descendants entering school without exams" completely resolved all the soldiers' worries, causing countless people's eyes to redden on the spot.

"We thank Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor for your immense grace! May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!"

The Yuhua Monarch and the Great Elder of Ten Thousand Dragon Nest exchanged a glance, both seeing extreme shock and ecstasy in each other's eyes.

Without hesitation, they led the way in kneeling, their voices hoarse yet filled with endless excitement.

They had bet correctly!

This gamble, where they had staked the lives of their entire clans, had brought the most bountiful return!

Immediately after, without waiting for Li Xuan to speak, the Yuhua Monarch took the lead, taking out a golden Jade Slip from his robe and holding it high above his head.

"Reporting to Your Majesty! After this battle, we deeply feel that the Heavenly Court's divine might is vast and beyond what our ragtag group can compare to! I am willing to offer all the territories, citizens, and the three thousand immortal ship fleets of the Yuhua Immortal Dynasty to Your Majesty! I only seek to become a mere soldier under the Heavenly Court's command, to expand the territory for Your Majesty!"

"Hmm?"

The Great Elder of Ten Thousand Dragon Nest suddenly became anxious; this old fellow was too good at stealing the spotlight!

He also hurried to take out a token carved from a dragon scale and roared with a voice like a great bell:

"Your Majesty! My Ten Thousand Dragon Nest is the same! All adult true dragons in my clan are willing to be incorporated into the Heavenly Court to become Your Majesty's sharpest dragon spears! I ask Your Majesty to treat us equally!"

As they spoke, the two old monsters who had lived for an unknown number of millions of years actually began to argue in the hall like street vendors.

"My Yuhua Immortal Dynasty has a deep foundation, and its million-strong army is well-trained, far better than those loaches of yours who only know how to use brute force!"

"Bullshit! My Dragon Clan has an unparalleled Physical Body and is born for battle! A single Golden Immortal dragon can tear apart your entire fleet!"

Seeing the two old fellows, whose combined ages were nearly a million years, arguing until their faces were red and necks were thick, Li Xuan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Enough."

He softly uttered two words.

The hall instantly fell silent.

The Yuhua Monarch and the Dragon Clan Elder shut their mouths resentfully, lowering their heads like children who had done something wrong, not daring to speak.

"I have received your loyalty."

Li Xuan's knuckles lightly tapped on the armrest, making a crisp sound, each sound seeming to strike the hearts of everyone.

"The trouble of the Boundary Sea is not something that can be solved overnight. A heap of loose sand will eventually find it hard to achieve great things."

He stood up, his gaze becoming deep and sharp.

"From this day forth, I announce the reorganization of the Heavenly Court's military System!"

"All affiliated forces will have their original structures disbanded and be uniformly reorganized into the 'Heavenly Court Expeditionary Force'!"

"With the eight hundred true dragons of Ten Thousand Dragon Nest as the backbone, I establish the [Tianshu Army] to be the vanguard of the entire army. In times of war, they shall tear through all enemy Formations for me!"

"With the million immortal soldiers of the Yuhua Immortal Dynasty as the trunk, I establish the [Yaoguang Army] to command the three thousand immortal ships, primarily responsible for support, long-range raids, and encirclement!"

"With the Disciples of the Heavenly Court Academy and subsequently recruited soldiers, I establish the [Tianquan Army] as the main central force, responsible for the frontal advance and stabilizing the battle lines!"

One decree after another issued from Li Xuan's mouth, like the most precise carving knife, rapidly integrating and reshaping the originally loose Alliance into a war machine with clear responsibilities and efficient operation.

Everyone below the hall listened with their spirits swaying and their blood boiling!

This grand blueprint allowed them to see the prototype of an unprecedented supreme divine dynasty that was about to reign over the Immortal Realm!

"My son, Li Daoyan!"

"Your son is here!"

Li Daoyan, about seven or eight years old and carved like jade, stepped forward. His body was surrounded by Formation patterns invisible to ordinary people, as if he were merged with the Laws of heaven and earth.

"I appoint you as the commander of the 'Divine Mechanism Division,' in charge of all war preparations, Formations, and the refinement of military equipment for the Heavenly Court!"

"As you command, Father!"

Li Daoyan answered crisply, but his eyes flickered with a steadiness and wisdom that did not match his age.

"My daughter, Li Qingyue!"

"Your daughter is here."

Li Qingyue, in snow-white robes, took a step forward, her cold temperament making the temperature of the hall seem to drop a few degrees.

"I appoint you to oversee the [Pure Moon Bureau], to monitor the Heavenly Laws and enforce military discipline. In times of war, you shall be responsible for intelligence gathering and eliminating enemy leaders! Anyone who defies the divine might can be executed first and reported later!"

"As you decree."

Li Qingyue's words were brief and concise.

Finally, Li Xuan's gaze fell upon his eldest son, in whom he placed the most hope.

"Li Changsheng!"

"Your son is here!"

Li Changsheng stepped forward, his white robes stained with blood—blood belonging to the enemy that he had intentionally not washed off.

At this moment, having undergone the baptism of a great battle, his Sword Intent was even more condensed, deep as an abyss and vast as the sea.

"I still appoint you as the Heavenly Court's Great Demon-Slaying Marshal, to lead the three armies and command the ten thousand immortals! All matters concerning the Expeditionary Force shall be under your full authority!"

Li Changsheng looked up, meeting his father's gaze filled with trust and expectation. He knelt on one knee and responded in a deep voice with all his strength:

"Your son will certainly not fail Father's trust!"

...The court assembly dismissed, and the entire Heavenly Court was like a precision machine that had been wound up, beginning to operate frantically with unprecedented efficiency.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan returned once again to his quiet chambers.

"A bunch of old schemers, throwing all the troublesome matters to me."

Li Xuan rubbed his temples and casually tossed the mountain of reorganization plans and resource lists aside, a trace of a smile on his face.

With a thought, several spoils of war that had luckily survived from the place where Carlos was erased appeared before him.

Most were scrap metal so corroded by the zhu xian sword Qi that they were unrecognizable, tainted with a thick darkness origin, and were of no use to Li Xuan.

However, a rhomboid crystal, pitch-black all over and seemingly composed of pure "nothingness," caught his attention.

This crystal could actually maintain its general integrity under the aftermath of that world-destroying Sword Qi; it was clearly no ordinary object.

Li Xuan reached out a finger and probed a wisp of Divine Thought into it.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, an incredibly vast and detailed 3D star map, seemingly composed of billions of stars, unfolded with a bang in his Sea of Consciousness!

The Boundary Sea!

This was a detailed star map of the Boundary Sea!

Compared to the blurred maps provided by the Yuhua Monarch, who only dared to explore the edge zones, this star map was more than ten thousand times more detailed!

Countless twisted routes, dark outposts emitting evil auras, and asteroid belts filled with deadly traps... everything was crystal clear.

Li Xuan's gaze was quickly drawn to a blood-red area in the center of the star map marked as extremely dangerous.

It was a massive island floating in the endless darkness, with a huge black vortex hovering above it that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

From the residual memory fragments belonging to Carlos in the crystal, Li Xuan learned its name.

"Devils Island"

The frontline command headquarters of the Boundary Sea's darkness Dominator in this Immortal Realm wasteland!

And that black vortex was the "Gate of the Boundary Sea" connecting the two realms. A steady stream of dark creatures was sent into this world through that gate.

On Devils Island, three Demon Lords of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal rank, whose strength was no less than that of the Dark Titan, and an elite demon army numbering over a hundred thousand were permanently stationed!

"So... the root is here."

Li Xuan's gaze instantly became incredibly cold.

Passive defense was not a solution after all.

As long as that "Gate of the Boundary Sea" still existed, today's war would continue to repeat in the future.

To solve it once and for all, there was only one way... He closed his fingers, and the black crystal containing Carlos's memories instantly turned into powder.

A bold and crazy plan had already taken shape in his heart.

It was time to bring the flames of war to the enemy's doorstep!

Li Xuan's gaze seemed to penetrate the walls of the chambers, passing through the endless Chaos Void Realm, and falling upon that "Devils Island" which emitted a heaven-towering Devilish Qi.

The corner of his mouth curled into a meaningful arc.

Then, he completely immersed his mind into the "Investiture of the Gods System" that had just finished upgrading, looking at that golden, incredibly precious "Designated Summoning" slot.

He had been a bit hesitant before, not knowing which mythological deity to choose to strike the first blow.

Now... he had a perfect candidate.

Since he was going to make a scene in someone else's "Heavenly Palace," who could be more suitable than that "specialized" deity?

A smile appeared on Li Xuan's face that only he understood.

"System."

"I choose you."

His Divine Thought pressed down heavily on a name on that golden god list that made the immortals and Buddhas of the Three Realms ache with headache!