152: Emperor Qian was furious, and Princess Bai Kou

Qiankun Hall.

Mountain and river spirits, Great Qian divine generals, and literati ministers stood in rows on both sides.

The Imperial Advisor Shang Wudao convened the officials, commencing the grand imperial court session.

After a while, the Qian Emperor, clad in a nine-dragon golden robe and appearing slightly portly, arrived. His brows hinted at suppressed anger, clearly having already communicated with the Imperial Advisor. His face was grim, and he resembled a live volcano on the verge of eruption.

Why did he become an Emperor?

Was it not for that supreme power and the respect of all under Heaven?

Military strength, public support, and wealth—he lacked none of it.

Having reached this position, he should not be easily angered.

But what did that Spirit Emperor take him for?

He actually dared to demand the Imperial Empress, who presides over all under Heaven, to serve as a “hostage.”

What were his intentions? This was clearly an attempt to break the backbone of Great Qian without firing a single arrow.

To put a hat on him!

Even if the Spirit Emperor had reached that Realm, perhaps he had already severed worldly desires, but as long as the people of the world believed he wore that hat, he would never be able to take it off.

How could the dignified ruler of an Imperial Dynasty endure such humiliation!

When the Imperial Advisor relayed Xia Xuan's words, verbatim, in the Qiankun Hall...

The entire hall fell silent, the atmosphere utterly oppressive. Everyone observed the Qian Emperor's expression.

“Bastard! Bastard! In my entire life, when have I ever suffered such humiliation!”

“Spirit Emperor… I originally respected him as an ancient sage who founded the first Imperial Dynasty, but I never expected him to be so arrogant, practically treating my Great Qian as mere dirt!”

“Utterly hateful!”

The Qian Emperor's fury reached its peak, and he vented his emotions with a furious tirade.

“Your Majesty, calm your anger!”

The divine generals and ministers also had fire burning in their hearts, “We swear to defend the national prestige of Great Qian to the death!”

When the ruler is humiliated, his subjects die. Shang Wudao's arrangement successfully stirred the emotions of all civil and military officials, forming a united front and fostering hostility towards Great Xia.

“The present is not like the past. Nowadays, the Xuanling Continent is teeming with talents. The era belonging to the Spirit Emperor has long passed. Anyone, any force, that attempts to obstruct the advancing iron hooves of my Great Qian will be trampled into fragments!”

Shang Baxian, the Grand General who commands the three armies and duke protecting the nation of Great Qian, said in a deep voice, “I am willing to lead the army and give that so-called Great Xia a lesson they will never forget!”

“I, your humble general, also wish to go!”

“The Xuanji Camp requests to fight!”

“The Heavenly Poison God of Burial God Valley requests to fight!”

One by one, divine generals and mountain and river spirits stepped forward almost simultaneously, requesting to fight.

“Good, truly worthy of being citizens of my Great Qian!”

Seeing this scene of unity and indignant officials, Qiankun felt greatly relieved, his anger dissipating by thirty percent. His eyes gleamed, showing an intention to review his troops, appoint generals, and launch an expedition against Xia.

“Cough, cough.”

At this tense moment, Shang Wudao coughed twice, prompting the Qian Emperor to calm down slightly. “I wonder what insights the Imperial Advisor has?”

“Your Majesty, I believe it is not yet advisable to initiate war at this time.”

Shang Wudao explained, “There are three reasons. Firstly, Empress Gu Hua's attitude is ambiguous. In a three-way standoff, initiating conflict first is not a wise move.

Furthermore, the Spirit Emperor's awakening is not so simple. He is surrounded by numerous fierce generals. Conquering Great Xia is not a matter of a single day; it requires careful planning and preparation.

At this time, if the Spirit Emperor wishes to unify all under Heaven again, he must first resolve internal strife.

Among the Five Great Sacred Lands, Tianyin Pavilion will most likely choose to surrender directly. For No-Regret Cliff, Nine Nether Palace, and Ice Field Palace, all who participated in the rebellion have been executed, and their situation with Great Xia is one of undying enmity.

Blood God Mountain has already been annihilated by the Spirit Emperor and is not counted among them. It is feared that no one in the Blood God Domain will dare to covet it again…”

“Wait, Imperial Advisor, what do you mean Blood God Mountain was annihilated by the Spirit Emperor? When the Spirit Emperor was slaughtering at the Platform of Deification banquet, did he also send an army to deal with Blood God Mountain?”

The Qian Emperor interrupted, asking. Although he was an Emperor, he was not at the peak of the Imperial Dynasty's combat power and knew very little about the details of the Platform of Deification battle.

Shang Wudao took a deep breath and said, “Blood God Mountain and Rakshasa Ancient Land were both annihilated by a single palm strike from the Spirit Emperor.”

“Whoosh!”

At these words, the entire court erupted in an uproar.

“Imperial Advisor, this is no laughing matter!”

“The Imperial Advisor possesses the Golden Eye Divine Ability and can observe all matters under Heaven; how could he be mistaken?”

“This… the Spirit Emperor possesses such strength… how should we… respond?”

The expressions of all the officials changed, showing worry, fear, and resentment, but not unity.

Shang Wudao took everything in, his mind calm.

Mere hot-bloodedness was useless. The officials of Great Qian had enjoyed their privileged lives for too long. Having no opponents meant complacency; only fear could give them the motivation to advance.

“Imperial Advisor… what should I do?”

The Qian Emperor was terrified for a moment, then looked at Shang Wudao with eager anticipation.

Since his ascension to the throne, the Imperial Advisor had never disappointed him, and he hoped this time would be no different.

“Your Majesty need not worry too much.”

Shang Wudao's expression softened slightly as he explained, “Recalling that time, the Spirit Emperor was indeed invincible, shaking the Universe. He could kill a Divine Lord with his bare hands, and the power of a single palm strike was ten times stronger than the forbidden Divine Artifacts recorded to be capable of sinking continents.

However, I am certain that this state is by no means sustainable and must come at a great cost.

Therefore, Your Majesty need not be overly concerned.

My last reason also lies here.

Now, the Xuanling Continent is no longer isolated. Our top priority is to gather Divine Lords, communicate with the Underworld, and learn from the Underworld how to enter the Void Realm, and to establish trade relations with other Imperial Dynasties, or even Divine Dynasties, in the Sea of the Universe.

As long as we find divine objects that transcend this Realm, dealing with Great Xia and the Spirit Emperor will no longer be a problem.”

“Good, good, good, everything will be according to the Imperial Advisor's words!” The Qian Emperor was overjoyed, and the heavy pressure in his heart immediately lightened considerably.

“With the Imperial Advisor's assistance, I have gained a God King, no, ten God Kings could not compare!”

“Your Majesty overpraises me.” Shang Wudao gave a wry smile.

“I still have one question I wish to ask the Imperial Advisor. Must we simply endure and watch Great Xia reclaim its lost territories and gradually grow stronger?”

Shang Baxian asked in a deep voice.

“No, the rebellion of the feudal lords will inevitably shake the foundations of Great Xia. Furthermore, with the Holy Lands seeking survival, it will not be so easy for the Spirit Emperor to reclaim lost territories. If the Grand General wishes to intervene and hinder this process to buy time for Great Qian, it is permissible. However, it must not delay the matter of connecting with the Void Realm.”

Shang Wudao replied calmly… Heavenly Maiden Imperial Dynasty.

Taixuan City, Nine-layered Imperial Palace.

“Mother, the Spirit Emperor's demands are too excessive. Even if we send Ninth Sister over, we will still face difficulties after a year.”

“Your child suggests forming an alliance with Great Qian. If the Spirit Emperor wishes to invade either side, the other side will provide timely support, using the strength of the two Imperial Dynasties to counterbalance Great Xia's development.”

In the Imperial Palace, amidst the chatter of women, Empress Gu Hua met with the nine Imperial Princesses' spiritual avatars to discuss the matter of the hostage.

The Second Princess was aggressive and unwilling to compromise.

Most of the other princesses were hesitant and had no opinions of their own.

The First Princess was the only one who strongly urged Empress Gu Hua to send the Ninth Princess to Yujing.

For her, the Ninth Princess's appearance had usurped her position as Crown Princess. If she could be sent to Yujing, who knew, she might one day be executed for offending the Spirit Emperor, or perhaps the Imperial Dynasty would directly go to war in the future and sacrifice her as a banner.

She could then reclaim what belonged to her.

“Bai Kou, what are your thoughts?” Empress Gu Hua sighed softly, asking the person concerned.

“Of course, I must go. To stop the war for a year is still a year gained. Moreover, your child grew up listening to the legends of the Spirit Emperor and has long wished to see the Spirit Emperor's heavenly countenance.”

“On this journey, your child has the White Jade Heavenly Dragon to protect her, Mother need not worry…”

Bai Kou, wearing a white jade crown, possessed a captivating beauty that was astonishingly ethereal. Although she was the youngest Ninth Princess, she had already fully matured, her figure no less than Empress Gu Hua's.

Her personality was also not cold; from her eyes, it was evident that she genuinely held anticipation for the trip to Yujing.