845: Zhuge Liang offers advice

“Forget it, it's just a dead person, why bother to investigate.”

Luo Li was too lazy to think further, she flicked her finger, and a wisp of flame, like a glow, streaked across the sky.

Although the light was faint, it stole all colors from the world; in the vast world, it seemed as if only this one streak of light existed.

The flame constricted space and destiny lines, pulling Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao into a spatial dimension.

In the boundless and vast time and space, only Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao remained.

Both of them were Master God Second Stage late-phase; even after being backlashed by the nation's destiny, they still possessed the strength of the Second Stage mid-phase.

However, upon seeing this wisp of flame, both of their expressions changed drastically, and fear appeared in their eyes.

The reason was simple: they had been pulled into a divine ability space without even realizing it, which indicated that Luo Li's realm far surpassed theirs.

And killing them would be as easy as crushing ants.

The reality was indeed so.

The flame transformed into a Divine Phoenix, burning with an eternal and unquenchable true fire, like a vast divine sun hanging high in the Nine Heavens.

“Ah…”

Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao's faces were contorted, their bodies engulfed in raging flames, emitting heart-wrenching roars.

Their bodies were burning, their souls were burning, their magic power was burning… “Break!”

The two combined their strength, attempting to break Luo Li's divine ability space, but as soon as the divine ability took shape, it was consumed by the Phoenix's undying true fire.

The two held their natal magic treasures and charged towards the Divine Phoenix, which hung high in the Nine Heavens, intending to obliterate it.

But no matter how they pursued, the Divine Phoenix was like the moon in water, a flower in a mirror, visible but unreachable.

The Divine Phoenix seemed to exist in an illusion, yet also within their bodies and minds… Soon, the two burned until only skeletons remained, their souls extinguished, with only residual thoughts residing in their bones.

“How could this be…”

“It’s over…”

The two were utterly despairing.

To think they were peerless fierce generals, sweeping away all rivals in their own rank, and even fighting above their rank was child's play.

They accompanied Qin Zheng throughout the All Heavens Myriad Realms, conquering the universe and receiving the worship of all living beings.

Yet now, they couldn't even withstand a single move from Luo Li.

What made them even more desperate was that Luo Li's divine ability had constricted their destiny lines; their souls left in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty would also be completely incinerated, leading to their utter demise, with no possibility of resurrection.

Even the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty's national artifact, the Reincarnation Pond, could not revive them.

Unless the Spirit of the Nation's Destiny of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty acted now to sever their karmic destiny and extinguish the Phoenix's undying true fire that was burning their souls.

However, the nation's destiny of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty was currently collapsing, and the Spirit of the Nation's Destiny itself was struggling to survive, unable to spare any effort to save them.

Qin Zheng was equally unreliable.

As the nation's destiny of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty crumbled, Qin Zheng, as the founding monarch of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, suffered the most severe backlash.

His realm had already fallen from Dao Lord Fifth Stage to Dao Lord Fourth Stage.

Qin Zheng was as disheveled as a dog at this moment, his eyes filled with a look of despair, completely devoid of the majestic imperial demeanor he had just displayed.

He couldn't tend to his injuries and was fully focused on stabilizing the collapsing nation's destiny.

The Spirit of the Nation's Destiny of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty was a golden dragon, circling in the air, wailing incessantly, like a divine dragon on the verge of death.

“How could this happen???”

The billions upon billions of citizens of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty looked up at the wailing Spirit of the Nation's Destiny, and immediately felt as if the sky had fallen.

Everyone's faces turned pale, fear appeared in their eyes, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

How could their invincible His Majesty, who had created countless myths, be defeated?

Many citizens' vision went black, unable to accept this fact, their bodies swaying precariously.

“Cao Zhengchun, immediately issue an order for all armies to return to the capital, and for all citizens who are out to return to the country immediately…”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Cao Zhengchun's face was pale, and he immediately took the order and left, the fear in his eyes impossible to conceal.

Not long ago, Qin Zheng was still full of vigor, issuing more than a dozen orders in a row, intending to annihilate the Starry Sacred Mother and Boundless Divine Sect in one fell swoop, kill Gu Qing, and display the might of Great Qin.

But now, after less than half an hour, he returned in utter defeat.

He didn't know what kind of formidable enemy he had encountered.

If not handled properly, the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty itself could be destroyed.

“Wait!”

Zhuge Liang disregarded the rules and directly burst into the imperial palace, saying anxiously: “Your Majesty, we cannot withdraw the army, absolutely not.”

“Why?” Qin Zheng's weak tone carried a deep sense of confusion.

He had already been defeated.

Completely crushed by the Starry Sacred Mother.

If the Starry Sacred Mother were to attack now, the nation could be destroyed.

However, this was not the most terrifying thing.

If the Starry Sacred Mother were to attack, within the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, he could mobilize the power of the entire nation; even if he couldn't defeat the Starry Sacred Mother, he should not lose.

After all, he still had many trump cards.

What terrified Qin Zheng was that the Starry Sacred Mother must have discovered the secret of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

She knew that the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty possessed the power of karmic destiny: if they lost, they would give their luck to the opponent; if they won, they would plunder the opponent's luck.

Under such circumstances, how could the Starry Sacred Mother possibly sit idly by while the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty's army expanded its territory?

She would definitely send people to intercept and kill the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty's army.

If he didn't call them back, they would be doomed.

Zhuge Liang: “…”

What else could it be for?

Of course, it's because I am the fish, and others are the butcher's knife.

Even if you want to cut losses in time and recover your vitality, you still have to see if others agree.

Zhuge Liang took a deep breath, pondered his words, and said: “Your Majesty, sects are different from our imperial dynasty. She doesn't attack directly but sends her disciples to act. It's clear she's treating our Great Qin Immortal Dynasty as a whetstone, intending to temper her disciples through this.”

“You mean, let our army willingly be the whetstone for the Boundless Divine Sect?”

Qin Zheng was stunned, his tone ominous.

If he didn't know that Zhuge Liang would never betray him, he would have suspected Zhuge Liang had defected to the Boundless Divine Sect.

Zhuge Liang was startled.

Was what he said not clear enough?

He pondered his words again: “Your Majesty, if we withdraw our army, the Boundless Divine Sect and the Star God Sect will surely attack our Great Qin Immortal Dynasty. At that time, how will our dynasty resist?”

“Therefore, I believe that instead of being attacked directly, it is better to contend with the enemy outside and buy time.”

“…”

Qin Zheng now understood.

He also grasped Zhuge Liang's intention.

This was indeed the most brilliant strategy at the moment, minimizing losses and even potentially expanding territory.

Most importantly, this could buy her time for development.

What he lacked most now was time.

It should be known that as long as the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty developed steadily, without needing to expand its territory, it could continuously increase its nation's destiny.

If attacked directly, no matter how well the country developed, there would be no nation's destiny.

After all, this was a sign of national demise.

However, the killing of soldiers would also result in the loss of nation's destiny.

Moreover, for him to willingly be a blood bag for the Star God Sect and the Boundless Divine Sect, did he not care about his dignity?

Where would his authority be?

Where would the authority of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty be?

“Your Majesty, we have the Reincarnation Pond and fear no attrition, but the Star God Sect and the Boundless Divine Sect are different. They cultivate a disciple over countless years, expending immense effort, heavenly materials, and earthly treasures to nurture a powerful expert. They certainly cannot afford such losses.”

Zhuge Liang said slowly.

“I suggest that the Bounty Hunter Hall, as well as the Ill-reputed, Brocade Guard, Black Ice Platform, Heavenly Net and Earthly Net, Underworld King Hall…”

He rattled off more than a dozen factions, instructing them to assassinate disciples of the two sects or to stir up trouble in their territories.

In short, they should do everything possible to spread the flames of war to the two sects, causing them to fall into complete chaos, so that they would have time to recuperate.

It must be said, this was a good method.

However, Zhuge Liang's heart was very uneasy, and he was not confident about it.

After all, a brilliant plan is a brilliant plan, but whether the other party falls for it is another matter entirely.