Chapter 2199: The Dawn of Peace

Although Zhong Shengguang couldn't provide a definitive answer, his suggestions and ideas were extremely important. The successful precedent of General Hong's "one shot against the current" was particularly reassuring for He Lingchuan.

The revelation of this possibility presented a ray of hope, letting He Lingchuan know that this path could ultimately be successful.

Only then could he forge ahead in this direction, overcoming obstacles.

Zhong Shengguang then reminded him, "Also, be careful with secrecy."

Once primal energy could be utilized internally, the hopes and prospects for Panlong City would emerge. Such a significant secret naturally had to be protected with utmost care.

"Understood."

In the following months, He Lingchuan's perspective was validated daily.

The Ya-Mou War had been ongoing for nearly two years since it began. The two sides fought and paused, fought and negotiated, and the prospect of peace appeared repeatedly but never materialized.

Fu Shanyue, far away in the Yangshan Archipelago, also sent news to He Lingchuan, reporting that merchant fleets docked at the islands now mentioned the Ya-Mou War much less frequently.

The topic had been discussed to death, and everyone was tired of hearing about it, so they didn't bother to bring it up anymore.

When Zhu Erniang came looking for good wine, she sighed, "For the past few centuries, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has never been so abundant. Yet, these countries aren't thinking about proper development; they're fighting each other day in and day out, constantly sending nightmare energy to the demon realm!"

Over the past year and a half, Cangyan had fully committed to development, fiercely seizing the significant benefits brought by the 'Emperor's Flow.' Zhu Erniang, in particular, thrived during this period.

Fluorescent spores were in short supply, and Zhu Erniang opened several spore cultivation workshops. It was a pity her older sister wasn't there to supervise, otherwise, production could have doubled again.

"The human world and the demon world are two sides of the same coin on Tianluo Star. With chaos rampant in the demon world and 'Emperor's Flow' occurring frequently, the celestial demons will find ways to escalate conflicts, so how can the human world enjoy peace?"

Luo Xie, on duty before He Lingchuan today, received a nod and joined the conversation: "On the Ya-Mou front lines, large areas have low spiritual energy concentration. In the most intense battlegrounds, the land is barren, with no vegetation growing in spring or summer. It's hard to imagine that this is the landscape after 'Emperor's Flow' frequently visited for three or four years. Compared to it, the current Shanjing Plain is like paradise."

"Places frequently plagued by war have low spiritual energy concentration; this is known as the 'connection between heaven and humanity.' For the past millennium, Shanjing Plain remained impoverished this way. Now, the tables have turned, and it's Ya Nation's turn."

Zhu Erniang took a sip of wine. "Didn't your 'cheap' old man also start a war?"

This was the palace's newly brewed bayberry wine, sweet and sour with a strong kick. She liked it very much.

Humans truly are skillful.

"Although the wars west of Beijia are frequent and intense, they aren't protracted like those between Mou and Ya, where a single conflict can drag on for one or two years." Protracted wars are grinding mills of flesh and blood, consuming countless lives. "He Chunhua has achieved remarkable victories, having conquered three smaller nations and expanded his territory by 20 percent. I believe he still has strength to spare."

Shen Nation, inheriting the former Yuan territory, already had a considerable size. He Yue, after spending several months in Cangyan, became even more resolute and helped He Chunhua win several battles upon returning to Shen Nation.

Father and son worked together to expand their territory.

"He Chunhua has the support of Naraka Heaven, and some of his troops are equipped with special weapons. Furthermore, before his large-scale campaigns, Shen Nation's strength had already developed better than other smaller nations, so He Chunhua's rapid victories are entirely reasonable."

He Chunhua possessed considerable military talent, and it was said he had recruited many capable individuals over the years.

He Lingchuan then chuckled, "I've also received some news that the small nations in the west actually have the support of the gods of Lingxu and even the Kshatriya gods, but their inherent strength is too weak; they are truly no match for He Chunhua."

Celestial demons and human nations had long been intertwined in a complex relationship of interests.

Zhu Erniang asked, puzzled, "Isn't one Shen Nation enough for him? Why does he still plan to expand his territory?"

"In an era of great contention, small nations that merely wish to protect themselves might not even get their wish," He Lingchuan said seriously. "He Chunhua is very perceptive; he knows that advancing is an opportunity, while retreating could be an abyss. It's best to quickly expand his territory while he still holds an advantage. As the nation's size grows, its ability to resist external risks naturally increases, and he will also gain more influence and a stronger voice with Naraka Heaven and Kshatriya Heaven."

"One step back is Beijia," Zhu Erniang said, grabbing another jar and drinking from it. "Shen Nation's location isn't as good as Shanjing; it's right next to Beijia."

"Cangyan's surrounding security was something we secured ourselves. If Cangyan had remained complacent and overly deferential outwardly after its establishment, then even now, Ya Nation would still be at odds with Cangyan, and Mou Nation would still be undermining He Lingchuan." He added, "But with He Chunhua's capabilities, shaking Beijia or securing a more lenient surrounding environment is impossible."

"Beijia ignored Yuan/Shen Nation for many years simply because its territory was vast and it was too lazy to expand, and Yuan Nation was also plagued by long-term internal strife, constantly supplying nightmare energy to the heavens." He Lingchuan saw clearly. "Once Shen Nation achieves long-term stability and grows stronger and larger, do you think Beijia won't make a move against it?"

Panlong City in the past suffered precisely because it was too close to Beijia. Otherwise, with Zhong Shengguang's abilities, it might have developed into a second Mou Nation.

"He Chunhua is currently waging frequent wars, firstly to send nightmare energy to the heavens, and secondly, to quickly accumulate strength so he has more power to defend himself when facing Beijia in the future," He Lingchuan sighed. "Shen Nation's geographical location will sooner or later cause him constant unrest."

Luo Xie chuckled, "Wars are breaking out everywhere, yet the spiritual energy concentration in the human world is still rapidly increasing. It seems more demons are dying."

"This is inherently a zero-sum game," He Lingchuan stated solemnly. "Now, the Shanjing Plain no longer supplies them with nightmare energy. Shen Nation's external wars and the Ya-Mou War will also eventually conclude. Then, the world will generally tend towards peace, with only small, localized skirmishes occurring."

If He Chunhua's external wars conclude quickly, similar to the Dragon God War of the past, then objectively, it will help maintain future regional peace.

"The greatest sources of conflict in the human world have been temporarily suppressed, and the speed at which spiritual energy flows from Tianluo Star to the human world will certainly accelerate again. The celestial demons least wish to see this, so in the later stages, they will definitely manipulate Beijia to stir up trouble again."

Zhu Erniang sneered, "They're busy fighting among themselves while also inciting wars in the human world. They're truly overworked."

Just then, new war reports arrived from the western front:

General Ji Yingsong of the Mou army successfully captured Yangquan Pass in central Ya Nation, securing control of the waterway leading into Ya Nation's heartland!

This was a landmark victory.

The exhausted Ya Nation, reeling from this blow, finally couldn't hold on any longer. It made another significant concession, proactively proposing unprecedented and sincere terms:

Ceding all eight western prefectures to Mou Nation, along with a substantial indemnity!