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Chapter 713: Chapter 713: The Tomb of the Living Dead

The jade plaques were crystal clear and square-shaped, each inscribed with a name.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Six of them instantly shattered into powder. These were the life plaques of his ten subordinates. If they died and their souls remained, the plaques would stay intact. But if their souls were obliterated, the plaques would shatter.

Dead? Souls obliterated?

Sima Ce closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a myriad of emotions. The people of this world were too ruthless!

During the Celestial Assembly, in the southeastern corner of Shenzhou, within the territory of the Great Zhen Empire, there was a peculiar mountain among the ranges. It was called \'Tianxia Peak.\'

There were no residents under Tianxia Peak, nor were there any demonic beasts, as the spiritual energy here was extremely sparse. Sparse to the point of being almost undetectable.

At the foot of Tianxia Peak, an old man with a stooped posture stood before an altar laden with offerings.

The old man stood in front of the altar, looking at the towering mountain. He lit incense and knelt before the altar, remaining in that position for three days and nights.

This old man was none other than Tianlao, the Feng Shui master of the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty.

Tianlao knelt devoutly before Tianxia Peak.

Three days later, Tianlao slowly stood up, bowed once more to Tianxia Peak, then packed up the altar and left as if nothing had happened.

After Tianlao left, another figure suddenly appeared where he had been kneeling.

The newcomer appeared to be in his thirties, holding a white longsword, his eyes cold as he watched Tianlao\'s departing figure. This man bore a strong resemblance to Tianjizi, whom Zhong Shan had encountered in the underworld.

This man was indeed Tianjizi, the former patriarch of the Tian family from the underworld, who had walked the Yellow Springs Road.

After Tianlao left, Tianjizi slowly revealed himself, looking up at Tianxia Peak with a frown.

Not far from where Tianlao had been worshipping was a faintly visible stone tablet, which seemed to be a part of Tianxia Peak.

"Tianxia Peak? The Tomb of the Living Dead?" Tianjizi muttered with a frown.

In another valley within the Great Zhen Empire.

Di Xuan Sha stood guard in four directions while the Eight Extreme Heaven Tail worked hard to digest the Taotie. The Taotie was ranked ninety-ninth among the divine beasts of the Daqian World—not as formidable as the Brain-Eater, but still a complete entity.

After two hours of terrifying digestion, it finally began to convert energy for Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan\'s cultivation surged. Thunderclouds still covered the sky, blocking out the sun. Birds and beasts scattered in a frenzy.

Eighth level of the Imperial Extreme Realm!

Ninth level of the Imperial Extreme Realm!

He ascended two levels in a row before stopping.

The Taotie was indeed a treasure! This time, Zhong Shan didn\'t let the Eight Extreme Heaven Tail release its power, sparing the surroundings from turning to dust.

As the endless black clouds dispersed, Di Xuan Sha approached.

"How is it?"

"Ascended two levels," Zhong Shan said with satisfaction.

Nodding as if it were expected, Di Xuan Sha seemed numb to the phenomenon.

"Return to the court! There might be great chaos soon," Zhong Shan said.

"Understood!"—

In the study of Gu Zhengyi in the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty, Sima Ce spoke to Gu Zhengyi.

"I have reviewed the information on the Great Zhen Empire. They achieved dominance in the south through opportunistic means; their foundation is certainly unstable."

"So what?" Gu Zhengyi frowned.

"What I mean is, in a world divided into four parts, your Dayong Heavenly Dynasty has only obtained two-tenths of it. To unify the world, we must incite widespread warfare!" Sima Ce declared.

"Oh?"

"Rest assured, since I\'ve committed to your side, I will naturally support you with all my might. With our current strength, we can absolutely take the lead among the major powers. To unify the world, we must quickly annex the territories of the other states," Sima Ce said.

Gu Zhengyi looked at Sima Ce, waiting for him to continue.

"The current global situation has already laid the groundwork for us. The weakest among them is the Great Zhen Empire. We should start with them!" Sima Ce asserted.

"Oh? The weakest? Wasn\'t the Raven Daoist Lord unable to subdue them even with a group of Heavenly Realm experts?" Gu Zhengyi said with a faint smile.

"That was because their capital was protected by boundless luck. Without that luck, what can the Great Zhen accomplish? Moreover..." Sima Ce began.

"Moreover what?"

"Moreover, the Great Zhen Empire is located in the south and borders three other dynasties. If we mobilize our forces, the other two dynasties will surely take the opportunity to seize a share. The world will then be divided into three parts, and we can gradually deal with the Great Qin and Taishui," Sima Ce said solemnly.

Gu Zhengyi frowned slightly, tapping his fingers on the desk as he pondered.

Sima Ce waited patiently.

One year later, in the Changsheng Hall of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

Zhong Shan sat on the dragon throne, listening to the court discuss the state of the world.

"Your Majesty, the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty has declared to the world that they are mobilizing troops to attack our Great Zhen Empire! Should we fight or negotiate? Please make your decree!" Yi Yan spoke up.

"Please make your decree!" the court echoed in unison, bowing.

Zhong Shan, holding supreme authority, could sway the court\'s decisions. If Zhong Shan declared war, the entire court would prepare for battle. If he chose peace, they would negotiate for it.

Zhong Shan tapped the dragon throne and said calmly, "War!"

"Yes!" the ministers responded immediately.

In the Great Qin Heavenly Dynasty, within the court.

"Your Majesty, the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty and the Great Zhen Empire have both declared to the world that they are going to war!" Li Si bowed.

"Where is Bai Qi?" Ying Zheng asked solemnly.

"Here!" Bai Qi immediately stepped forward.

Li Si returned to his position.

"Conduct a thorough inspection of the military households, prepare for battle, and forge a thousand war-rhino troops!" Ying Zheng ordered.

"Understood!" Bai Qi responded immediately.

After Bai Qi returned to his position, Lü Buwei stepped forward, frowning as he looked at Ying Zheng.

"Your Majesty, have you made your decision?" Lü Buwei asked with a frown.

"Yes, you are aware of the recent Celestial Assembly. Outside of this small world, countless forces are gathered. This small world is now boiling hot!" Ying Zheng said calmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We will follow your decree." Lü Buwei bowed.

With the commencement of the war between the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty and the Great Zhen Empire, thirty years of peace came to an end, plunging the world back into a period of chaos.

This war was enormous, covering nearly half of the Shenzhou region right from the start. It was just the beginning.

Contrary to expectations, the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty and the Great Qin Heavenly Dynasty remained motionless, observing the situation instead of attacking the Great Zhen Empire.

It wasn\'t until a year into the war that the Great Qin Heavenly Dynasty suddenly mobilized its forces.

Their target was not the Great Zhen Empire but the Dayong Heavenly Dynasty.

This unexpected attack caught Dayong completely off guard. Leading the troops was the feared Bai Qi, known as the God of Slaughter.

Bai Qi had earned this title thirty years ago, during the northern campaign where he slaughtered over a billion people—a true god of massacre.

"They\'ve gone mad! The Great Qin Heavenly Dynasty has gone mad! Why are they attacking us?" Sima Ce exclaimed in shock and anger upon hearing the news.

Gu Zhengyi frowned slightly.

"Does the Great Qin have a grudge against you? Why are they suddenly attacking?" Sima Ce asked, fuming.

Gu Zhengyi remained calm. "The reality is already upon us. Anger won\'t solve anything. It\'s best to draw the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty into this. If Taishui joins the battlefield, we won\'t be as passive."

The Taishui Heavenly Dynasty bordered the Great Qin. Whether Taishui attacked the Great Zhen or the Great Qin, it would be advantageous for Dayong.

In the Great Zhen Empire, the court was also abuzz with the news.

"Why is the Great Qin attacking Dayong? Because Dayong is the main belligerent, and the main belligerent never wins the hearts of the people. If they enter the war, it makes the most sense to attack them under the banner of justice, thus rallying public sentiment," Yi Yan explained to a courtier.

"I don\'t think it\'s that simple," Shui Jing said, shaking his feather fan.

"Oh?"

"I don\'t know why, but I feel that the Great Qin\'s sudden military action is not just about expanding territory," Shui Jing said, shaking his head and sighing.

Clearly, the deeper motives behind the Great Qin\'s mobilization were unclear.

Zhong Shan sat on the dragon throne, pondering the global situation. Like Shui Jing, Zhong Shan was also puzzled by the Great Qin\'s actions. Typically, a third party would intervene only when victory seemed certain to claim a share of the spoils. But the war had just begun, so why was the Great Qin mobilizing now?

The courtiers shifted their discussions from the battlefield to the Great Qin\'s intentions. Clearly, Ying Zheng\'s move was beyond their comprehension.

"Summon Ni Bosha," Zhong Shan said after some thought.

"Summon the Chief Astronomer to the court!"

An eunuch announced, and soon, Ni Bosha entered the hall.

"Your Majesty," Ni Bosha greeted respectfully.

"Ni Bosha, the Great Qin has intervened, and Dayong is bound to retaliate fiercely. The frontlines will be tense. I need you to rush to the front and join General Zhao in resisting the Dayong forces," Zhong Shan commanded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ni Bosha responded promptly.

At the frontlines of the Dayong and Great Zhen conflict, within the central military tent, Tianlao faced the Grand Marshal of Dayong, Huan Tulong.

"Marshal, I have a request that I hope you will consider," Tianlao said, frowning.

"Oh? What is it?" Huan Tulong asked, puzzled.

"Marshal, is our next battlefield near Tianxia Peak?" Tianlao asked.

"Indeed, why?"

"Tianxia Peak is the burial site of my ancestors. Please, could you steer the battle away from Tianxia Peak to avoid disturbing my forebears?" Tianlao requested earnestly.

At this moment, two Earth Immortals accompanying Sima Ce entered, and one of them sneered.

"Ancestral grave? Do you think war is a child\'s play? Just because your ancestors are buried there, we should move the battlefield?"