62: The fate of the nation

Inside the Xi Imperial Palace, Qin Gelan sat on the imperial throne clad in a purple-gold Dragon robe, looking down at the civil and military officials.

Yun Yao stood beside Qin Gelan, while on the other side sat Yin Shengge, dressed in a Phoenix robe.

"Your Majesty, the Tianheng Empire has two experts at the Immortal Emperor Ninth Heaven. If we demand it by force, I'm afraid..." a minister spoke up, his voice tinged with worry.

"Demand?" Qin Gelan glanced at the minister who had spoken and said coldly, "We are merely taking back what is ours."

Everyone looked at each other, not daring to say more.

This New Emperor of the Empire was far more forceful than the Empress; there was no room for conciliation.

"Zhang Heng, I leave the matter of reclaiming the lost territories to you." Qin Gelan looked at Zhang Heng and issued the command.

Zhang Heng's expression was a bit troubled as he cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, what if the Tianheng Empire does not agree?"

"Not agree?"

"If the Tianheng Empire dares to utter so much as a single 'no', take it by force directly."

"Furthermore, I will have all the Immortal Emperors in the Empire follow you. If they refuse, take it by force as quickly as possible."

Qin Gelan made the decision immediately. In such matters, speed was of the essence—to catch the opponent off guard before they could react.

Zhang Heng stood still, not daring to defy Qin Gelan's orders; Sheng Changfeng's miserable state from yesterday was still fresh in his mind.

Zhang Heng no longer believed that Qin Gelan was unqualified to ascend the imperial throne. He was now convinced, even harboring a sense of awe toward Qin Gelan.

"What, is there something else?" Qin Gelan frowned and looked at Zhang Heng.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Loulan Empire is behind the Tianheng Empire..." Zhang Heng said hesitantly.

"You mean a Supreme? A Supreme won't bother with these trivial matters. If it really comes to a fight, this Emperor may not necessarily fear a Supreme." There was no trace of reverence in Qin Gelan's tone.

Hearing Qin Gelan say this, Zhang Heng felt as if he had taken a sedative; this was exactly the reassurance he wanted.

He had long heard that there was a Supreme backing Qin Gelan, and now it seemed to be true.

Zhang Heng then led the Immortal Emperors of the Shenxi Empire and departed to carry out the order.

Yin Shengge watched all of this quietly, like an Empress who mothered the world.

Inside the Imperial Palace.

Qin Gelan was deep in thought over a chessboard, the black piece in his hand hovering indecisively.

"Doing this might provoke a war between the two Empires." Yun Yao looked at Qin Gelan's back.

"Since ancient times, on a chessboard, the black pieces have always represented the attacking side. That is why the black pieces move first." Qin Gelan smiled slightly.

"So, Husband's goal is not just those eight million miles of lost territory, but to use it as an excuse to annex the Tianheng Empire?" Yin Shengge was very clever and understood immediately.

Qin Gelan nodded and explained, "If we were to annex them rashly, I'm afraid it would drive the Tianheng Empire to a desperate struggle."

"Besides, what use do I have for those eight million miles of land? To gain it today and lose it tomorrow, only to reclaim it and lose it again—what would be the point?"

"What is the essence of war? Its core lies in profit. What if I take a step back? If the Tianheng Empire submits to me, and their National Luck Qi flows to Shenxi, over time, I will be the butcher and Tianheng will be the meat on the carving board."

"Tell me, can this battle be fought?"

Qin Gelan's words captured the essence of military strategy, surprising even Yin Shengge.

national fortune is a profound concept, similar to Buddhist or Daoist faith yet different. As the name suggests, it is the Luck of a nation.

In an Empire with powerful national fortune, the experts born there will be stronger; it is a virtuous cycle.

The reason why factions like Empires still exist in the cultivation world is precisely because of national fortune.

With strong national fortune, and under its blessing, comprehending the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the birth of unique Physiques becomes much easier.

For instance, the reason the Loulan Empire could become a Transcendent Faction is that its national fortune is so strong that no one in the entire Xuanhuang Heaven can compare, resulting in countless experts being born.

It is said that the current Supreme of the Loulan Empire Attained the Dao through the blessing of the nation's Luck. One can imagine how important national fortune is.

Attaining the Dao as a Supreme—this is the feedback of national fortune!

Yun Yao couldn't help but marvel at Qin Gelan's long-term vision; what seemed like reclaiming lost territory was actually aimed at the national fortune.

Years ago, when the eight million miles of territory in the Northern Border were occupied by Tianheng, the Empress had not yet reached the Immortal Emperor Ninth Heaven, so it had been under Tianheng's control ever since.

Later, when the Empress's cultivation reached the Immortal Emperor Peak, she focused solely on Attaining the Dao and set the matter aside.

Over the years, with the Empress's strength, even if the Tianheng Empire had an Immortal Emperor Ninth Heaven, they would be no match for her.

If the Empress had wanted to, the Tianheng Empire would have long been in her pocket. The claim that a Supreme Body can fight a Supreme is not just talk; it truly possesses such combat power.

But the Empress only thought about Cultivating and wanted to Attain the Dao through her own comprehension. In her view, only one's own comprehension was the most reliable.

Therefore, the Empress rarely showed her strength to the outside world and even more rarely exposed her Physique.

If it hadn't been for this attempt at Attaining the Dao, perhaps no one would have discovered that the Empress possessed the Innate Divine Phoenix Body.

But Qin Gelan was different. He wanted to lay the Foundation for unifying the heavens. The Foundation of Xuanhuang Heaven was excellent, which was exactly what he needed.

"Yun Yao, deliver this letter to Yu Linglong. Also, send someone to notify all factions within the Shenxi Empire that have Immortal Emperors to have them guard the Empire's Eastern Border to prevent an invasion by the Taizhen Empire."

Yun Yao took the envelope from Qin Gelan's hand and stepped into the void, departing.

"Husband, do you intend to use Linglong Island to deal with the Tianheng Empire?" Yin Shengge asked.

Qin Gelan shook his head and said, "Although I could borrow experts from Linglong Island, using them just to deal with the Tianheng Empire wouldn't be quite right."

"The Tianheng Empire also belongs to the Southern Divine Continent, and the south is dominated by Linglong Island. If Linglong Island helps Shenxi attack Tianheng, it would be seen as biased."

"Zhang Heng said there is a shadow of Loulan behind the Tianheng Empire. If Loulan intervenes, they will have crossed the line, and Linglong Island will not sit by and watch. That letter is just a small report to Linglong Island."

Yin Shengge nodded, thinking that what Qin Gelan said made a lot of sense.

In the south, as long as you don't provoke Linglong Island, they won't care how you fight to the death.

But if another Transcendent Faction intervenes, that would be crossing the line.

No matter the reason, Linglong Island would stop it.

Internal fighting among southern factions is a southern matter, but for a force from the Western Regions outside the Divine Continent to cause trouble is a slap in the face to Linglong Island.

"Husband, do you truly have a way to deal with an Immortal Emperor Ninth Heaven?" Yin Shengge asked, still feeling uneasy.

Although there was a Supreme behind Qin Gelan, they likely wouldn't concern themselves with matters below the Supreme level.

Just like with the Hall of Gods back then; if the Hall of Gods hadn't had a Supreme, the Supreme behind Qin Gelan probably wouldn't have appeared.

"Shengge, you don't believe me?" Qin Gelan deliberately pulled a long face.

Yin Shengge shook her head repeatedly and said, "No... I'm just worried about you..."

But upon noticing Qin Gelan's mischievous grin, Yin Shengge suddenly became a bit huffy.

How had she never noticed before that this guy loved to play pranks so much?

"Ahem... Wifey, I was just kidding..."

Seeing Yin Shengge leave in a huff, Qin Gelan quickly scurried after her to apologize.

In the Southern Divine Continent, a storm was quietly unfolding under Qin Gelan's planning...