Qian Ye, with a serious expression, said, “Your innate talent is actually quite good. It’s already a great achievement to have reached this level. However, you were held back by Liu Zhongyuan. If you correct your path now, there’s still hope for you to ascend to the rank of a divine general.”
Xu Jingxuan was both shocked and overjoyed, his voice quivering, “Is what you say true?” Then, he added dejectedly, “But the Imperial Preceptor once gave a verdict that I would never achieve it in my lifetime.”
Qian Ye sneered, “Liu Zhongyuan himself barely ascended to his rank, and he hasn’t made any progress in decades. He can’t even defeat me, who isn’t a divine general. How good could his judgment be?”
Xu Jingxuan’s hands trembled slightly as he asked, “Sir, what should I do to have a chance at becoming a divine general?”
“Of course, there are ways. Once we drive away the werewolves and establish our base, I will naturally tell you.”
Xu Jingxuan’s face flickered with emotions, struggling for a while before he suddenly knelt on one knee, saying, “Sir, you are devoted to fighting the dark races and willing to guide me. Xu Jingxuan pledges his loyalty from this day forward. Even if I break through the barrier to become a divine general, my loyalty will remain unwavering!”
No cultivator did not long to break through the barrier to become a divine general. This glimmer of hope, no matter whether it could ultimately be realized, was something.
Qian Ye nodded, “Rise. The dark races are powerful, and our human race is always struggling for survival. Even the werewolves on Yonglu, though abandoned by the Evernight faction, are not easy to deal with.”
“You can rest assured, sir. While I cannot claim much else, I do have some experience in dealing with werewolves.”
Qian Ye nodded, “That’s good. We must also hurry. The Evernight faction is planning for the New World. If they take the initiative, it won’t be good for us.”
“The New World?” Xu Jingxuan was lost, having no idea what Qian Ye was referring to.
In the upper echelons of the Great Qin Empire, the New World was no longer a secret. In every gathering of the noble families, the most discussed topic was about the New World.
A New World that was worth pausing the holy war of the entire Evernight faction, its allure was indescribable. People were anxious about where the New World was, what it was like, and what benefits it might bring. In fact, the last question was unnecessary; the benefits were bound to be beyond imagination.
Information about the New World from the Evernight faction was surprisingly scarce. The few strong figures standing at the peak of the Great Qin Empire had a feeling, but their words were vague. The top diviners brought fragmented information, but none could paint a clear and complete picture.
Some people thought of Lin Xitang. How could he not have left any words about such a significant matter? But after inquiring about Lin Xitang’s whereabouts during that period, they were disappointed. Before the news of the New World, Lin Xitang had entered the Diviner’s Pavilion and then rushed to the Floating Land. During that time, the capital was embroiled in turmoil, making it impossible to conduct large-scale rituals.
Because of the existence of the New World, the significance of the Empire’s victory on the Floating Land was somewhat diminished. People no longer talked about the joy of seizing the ladder to heaven, and their excitement was gradually replaced by worry.
There were still many wise individuals in the Empire who analyzed the characteristics of the New World from various clues. First, the New World should be able to accommodate a large number of ordinary lives, unlike the Great Vortex, which only allowed a few strong ones to roam freely. Second, the New World must be incredibly vast, requiring a massive number of soldiers to guard it.
These conclusions could be drawn from the unprecedented mobilization within the Evernight faction. According to insiders, the Evernight faction had already mobilized over a million troops, and the conscription and mobilization showed no signs of stopping, but rather were expanding. On every continent controlled by the Evernight faction, at least a hundred large military camps were being built. To fill all these camps, it would probably require ten million troops.
Such a large-scale mobilization was naturally not aimed at the Empire. During the Blood Funeral, the Demon Emperor and the Spider Queen had both appeared. If the two factions were truly preparing for a full-scale confrontation, they wouldn’t have waited until now. As time passed, the internal stability of the Empire increased, making the cost of attacking the mainland even higher.
Moreover, the Evernight faction’s large-scale mobilization of soldiers without simultaneously building transport ships indicated that these soldiers had another purpose and were not intended for other continents. Where else could they be used? Naturally, only the New World.
Based on this judgment, the Empire was also divided. One faction believed in building a large fleet to secure dominance in outer space. This way, even if they couldn’t get the New World, they might snatch another continent from the Evernight faction. The other faction believed in a full mobilization of troops, facing the dark races with a large army in the New World.
For Qian Ye, such debates were meaningless. He needed to address the significance of Yonglu.
During a stopover in Tower City for rest and recuperation, a high-speed escort ship arrived, bringing a letter from Song Zining.
The first part of the letter detailed the recent movements and major events of the Empire and the Evernight faction, along with some of Song Zining’s own analysis. After that, he changed the subject and talked about Yonglu.
At the beginning of this section, Song Zining asked, “What do you think is the significance of a vassal state like the State of Zheng?”
Qian Ye did not read on but pondered the question.
The question seemed simple. Humans were not fast enough, not strong enough, and did not live long enough, putting them at a natural disadvantage in competing with the dark races.
The strengths of humans lay in their wisdom, cultivation speed, and unity. From small families to large nations, humans gathered to survive. The small states like the State of Zheng provided a haven for humans, where they did not have to worry about becoming food for the dark races.
Among the upper echelons, there was another theory: the cultivation methods of humans far surpassed those of the dark races. Otherwise, how could humans have risen to form a nation a thousand years ago and fought the dark races for a thousand years, becoming stronger in the process? The many cultivation methods left by the founding emperor were of incomparable power, but like the Art of War, most required extremely strict conditions for cultivation. Throughout the human race, very few could meet these conditions.
Where did these cultivation methods come from? Was the founding emperor really a rare genius, who, solely through his intelligence and imagination, created these methods? This was an ancient mystery.
In summary, the existence of a state was to protect the people below and support the strong above.
These principles were well understood by everyone in the Empire, at least by the nobles and scholars, who were trained from a young age. Even the commoners knew that, despite the hardships, living in human settlements was better than being exposed to the wilderness. Qian Ye could think of no more and continued reading the letter.
“The foundation of a country lies in its people and its leaders. A state like the State of Zheng, mired in internal strife and ignoring external conflicts, what good does it do in the fight against the dark races? What good does it do for the overall situation of our human race?
When the King of Qingyang left White City, he left you a message. This time, when I returned to the Empire, I consulted him in person. His meaning was clear: if you dislike something, what use is complaining? Why not take everything into your own hands? Only then can you act according to your heart. If you think of the greater good of the human race, formality and others’ opinions are irrelevant. If the State of Zheng cannot protect the people, what use is it? You can destroy it. Who says the State of Zheng belongs to the Nan family forever?
If you become a king, who would dare to criticize you? If you don’t become a king, criticisms will come, and dwelling on them is useless.
Act in a way that you have no regrets.”
Upon reading this, Qian Ye felt enlightened, with all his doubts dissipating, leaving no shadows in his heart.
He came to Yonglu to seize a space for survival, to fully utilize the numerical advantage of humans on Yonglu, and to quickly establish his own army. With a large army, he could participate in the struggle for the New World.
Was there any difference between establishing an army and a power, or founding a country? Qian Ye asked himself, was the State of Zheng better off under Nan Ruohuai or under Qian Ye?
Qian Ye began to form his thoughts and was about to put the letter down when he saw one more sentence:
“Qian Ye, if we become kings, how can we remain aloof?”
This sentence instantly shook him. Reflecting on the past, the people who had the most influence on Qian Ye were Lin Xitang and Zhang Boqian.
Lin Xitang was not yet officially a king, but the stronger Qian Ye became, the more unfathomable Lin Xitang seemed. The more he dedicated himself to building and managing a power, the more he admired Lin Xitang’s actions and character. In terms of power and contribution to the Empire, Lin Xitang was no less than any king.
And Zhang Boqian, needless to say, this king had spent his life on the battlefield, supporting the sky for his family, country, and the human race.
As for Qian Ye himself, his vampire strength had reached the rank of Glorious Marquis, a true divine general. Though his Dawnforce was still a step short, it was only a matter of time. In terms of combat power, Qian Ye was already above the most ordinary divine generals, and his near-instantaneous defeat of Liu Zhongyuan was proof enough. Under such circumstances, Qian Ye did not feel relief but instead felt a heavier sense of responsibility.
From top to bottom, Dark Flame regarded him as the supreme leader. Even after the devastating battle at White City, the survivors, instead of harboring resentment, were even more loyal to Qian Ye. Re-recruiting for Dark Flame was smooth, with mercenaries from all corners of the neutral lands rushing to the Eastern Sea. What were they seeking? Nothing but a place to belong.
Mercenaries were not afraid of death, but they feared dying without dignity and leaving their families to live without dignity. In Dark Flame, they saw hope. Therefore, even in the fierce battle of White City, as long as Qian Ye did not retreat, no one would.
The more Qian Ye thought about this, the heavier the responsibility on his shoulders felt. No matter what, he could not betray the trust of these lower-rank soldiers.
As his strength increased, his burdens did not lighten but became heavier. It would likely be the same in the future. Besides the love of his life and brotherhood, he would have to bear more. Once he became a king, he would have to carry the entire human race forward.
Qian Ye quietly folded the letter, creating a force vortex in his hand, shredding the letter into pieces, leaving no trace.
He walked to the window, and in his view, Tower City was bustling with activity. Many people were out on the streets, heading to various recruitment points. In the nearby square, piles of ammunition and weapon crates were stacked. Young people, after passing the review, were immediately equipped with weapons, ammunition, and combat uniforms, then formed into lines and headed to the temporary military camps for new recruit training.
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