Chapter 736: Xu Qing, is your younger brother?

Under different circumstances, Grand Duke Shenglan would never have gotten involved in a succession struggle. After all, in any era and for any race, such a struggle is a high-stakes gamble with no turning back. Victory promises boundless glory, but failure leads to irreversible ruin.

Therefore, living freely and at ease within the Shenglan Domain was naturally the best choice for Grand Duke Shenglan, but now he could no longer afford that luxury. Fenghai County could now represent the Shenglan Domain, making it impossible for him to remain neutral at this juncture. Furthermore, the Shenglan Domain bordered Sacrificial Moon. Thus, he had no choice but to align himself with Fenghai County.

Even if King Tianlan died here, this highlighted Fenghai County's shrewdness. Under normal circumstances, the death of a Heavenly King would be a monumental event, but the current situation with Sacrificial Moon was shocking enough to deter even the Human Emperor from rash actions. Furthermore, by framing it within the context of a succession struggle, it provided an explanation to both the Human Emperor and the Imperial Capital, thereby altering the significance of the Heavenly King's death.

"The struggle between Fenghai County and King Tianlan has transformed into a conflict between the Second Prince and the Seventh Prince. What was once a dispute between feudal lords is now an internal affair of the imperial family!"

"Fenghai County has someone truly brilliant!"

Grand Duke Shenglan took a deep breath and submitted. His allegiance completely unified the entire Shenglan Domain. At this moment, Fenghai County became the core of the Shenglan Domain. All forces and races within the domain no longer possessed the ability or the will to resist. Under such absolute power, submission was the only option.

What's more, Fenghai County also commanded an army of tens of millions of humans, along with Grand Duke Shenglan's forces. Such power elevated Fenghai County to its zenith. With Fenghai County's rise, Xu Qing's prestige also soared, placing him at the pinnacle of the Shenglan Domain. Immediately thereafter, an imperial decree was issued from Fenghai County, spreading throughout the entire domain.

"All races and sects, heed the call! The War of the Dark Heavens resumes!" Once this decree was issued, all major domains, sects, and races dared not disobey.

Under different circumstances, Grand Duke Shenglan would certainly have felt disdain. But after learning about the Sacrificial Moon Domain, and that the supreme deity, Red Mother, had actually died, with Xu Qing as one of the participants, he could no longer harbor any contempt. Not only did he not, but in Grand Duke Shenglan's mind, Xu Qing's figure became shrouded in countless mysteries. He couldn't imagine how a mere Spirit Repository cultivator could achieve such a level of reverence from countless people.

"Something extraordinary must be at play here; this Xu Qing is truly exceptional!" Therefore, his response was utterly thorough, deploying eighty percent of his army to participate in the war.

As time passed, with the Shenglan Domain unified and cultivators from various sects and races across the land heading to the front lines under the deployment plans of Master Seven and Marquis Yao, the war was rekindled. Simultaneously, news about Sacrificial Moon spread rapidly. The reason for such rapid dissemination after a brief delay was twofold: first, the disappearance of the Red Moon was gradually noticed, and second, jade slips from the Sacrificial Moon Domain were dispatched in all directions. These jade slips, written by the Crown Prince, informed all races on the Wanggu Continent, with most territories receiving his message. The jade slips explained the situation, confirming Red Mother's death and pointing to the revival of the Sacrificial Moon Ruler. This news immediately caused a sensation among all races, shaking the entire Wanggu, and even prompting violent stirrings from some hidden deities upon their realization. The veracity of the news was easy to discern. Recalling the prior opening of the 'Incomplete Face's' eye and the subsequent changes in the Sacrificial Moon Domain, everything became perfectly clear.

The Imperial Capital Domain of the human race naturally also received the jade slips and learned of the matter.

At this moment, within the Imperial Palace of the human race's Imperial Domain, the Human Emperor stood in a tall pavilion shrouded in mist, gazing into the distance as strong winds whistled around him. On the table behind him lay two jade slips: one from the Crown Prince of Sacrificial Moon and one from the Seventh Prince. His expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful. His gaze fell upon a tumultuous sea of clouds and mist. Upon closer inspection, one could see that this cloud formation actually resided on an immensely vast, seemingly endless star, so colossal that its boundaries were beyond sight. This gaseous star was covered in flowing clouds and mist, resembling an abstract painting, vast and astonishing.

After a long while, a calm voice emerged from behind him.

"Your Majesty, I have finished reading both jade slips!" a voice stated. The Human Emperor did not withdraw his gaze, merely asking, "What do you make of it?"

At the table behind him, a person had appeared at some unknown time. This individual had a face like jade, long purple hair draped over their shoulders, and wore a long white robe. Sitting there with a serene expression, it was none other than the Imperial Preceptor.

"Actually, on that day, when I sensed my time being borrowed, I already realized it," the Imperial Preceptor said softly, picking up a nearby teacup and taking a sip. "Besides," the Imperial Preceptor continued, looking up at the Human Emperor and smiling slightly, "isn't this exactly what Your Majesty wished to see?"

The Human Emperor fell silent. After a long moment, a low voice echoed from his back, "How confident are you?"

"Completely, Your Majesty. All it requires is your nod of approval for this transaction," the Imperial Preceptor said with a smile.

A profound look appeared in the Human Emperor's eyes as he continued gazing at the distant clouds and mist. Silence filled the pavilion until, after a long moment, the Human Emperor stepped forward, disappearing from the pavilion. Only his cold voice, carrying the unique authority of a superior, echoed.

"That Xu Qing, he's your younger brother, isn't he?"

The Imperial Preceptor's expression remained unchanged. After finishing the tea in his cup and setting it down, his smiling figure blurred and vanished. Strong winds blew, swirling the clouds and mist, submerging the pavilion in the sea of clouds.

Meanwhile, within the Shenglan Domain, as cultivators from various sects and races gathered, the war against the Dark Sky race erupted once again. This time, the war had nothing to do with the Seventh Prince or King Tianlan. It was initiated by Xu Qing, with the Twelfth Prince ostensibly leading the forces, resuming an unfinished war against the Dark Sky race. The number of cultivators was greater than before. Grand Duke Shenglan personally led the forces with Master Seven and Marquis Yao, among others, dividing the army into three legions before entering the Dark Spirit Domain.

Although King Tianlan had suffered a major defeat before, his underlying strength remained, and first-grade immortal arts could still be unleashed. Crucially, the vast territory he had conquered had already pressured the opposing Dark Sky race to a significant degree. Furthermore, ongoing wars in other regions involving the Dark Sky race prevented their reinforcements from arriving, forcing them to hold their ground and fight independently in various locations. However, in reality, if the Dark Sky race within the Dark Spirit Domain were to truly resist, the war would still be very brutal.

Yet, strangely, facing the Shenglan Domain's advance, the Dark Sky race in the Dark Spirit Domain offered no resistance whatsoever, a stark contrast to their previous encounters with King Tianlan.

As for Xu Qing, he did not go to the battlefield; instead, he remained at the border between the Dark Spirit Domain and the Shenglan Domain, compiling information from various sources. As time passed and the army advanced smoothly, Xu Qing also formed a judgment on the overall combat strength of the Dark Sky race.

The Dark Sky race had two major domains: Dark Spirit and Dark Sky. Their emperor and some peak experts had been severely wounded by a mysterious figure before the war began. This "decapitation" tactic caused the Dark Sky race to suffer continuous defeats when initially facing the human army. Furthermore, being leaderless and facing the threat of annihilation, the Dark Sky race also split into three factions based on differing ideologies. One faction was an army gathered under the leadership of the Dark Sky Imperial Family. Primarily located within the Dark Sky Domain, they constituted the main force engaged in combat with the human race. Another faction was led by the nobility. They contributed little to the war, mostly choosing to band together and hide, hoping to negotiate with the human race. This faction was active between the Dark Sky and Dark Spirit Domains.

The last faction was the one King Tianlan had previously fought, led by the Dark Sky race's priests. The Dark Sky priests represented the divine authority, originally superior to imperial power and holding the highest, most supreme status within their race. However, the failure of the divine summoning ritual, the race's devastating defeat, the deities' lack of response, and rumors of the deities' slumber severely diminished the priests' status from what it once was. Now, in the great war with the human race, they were even weaker and had incurred the wrath of their own people. Therefore, they could only choose to remain in the Dark Spirit Domain, steadfastly guarding their temples. Consequently, this faction was primarily composed of priests and divine guards, who had been tirelessly praying for the deities to descend.

They were also the first to sense Red Mother's death. Regarding Xu Qing's army's entry, it was from them that a decree was issued: do not resist, do not counterattack. This allowed the army to smoothly appear outside the mist surrounding their temples. This was also the place where King Tianlan had fallen into a trap. Having learned from past mistakes, the leading forces from the Shenglan Domain, along with Master Seven and Marquis Yao, did not directly rush in. Instead, they extended their immortal arts and prepared to send scouts to investigate.

But before the Shenglan forces could make arrangements, a lone individual emerged from the mist-shrouded Dark Sky race. This person, hairless and clad in a long purple robe, bowed to the Shenglan army upon appearing and then made a request. They requested Xu Qing's personal presence, wishing to meet him. They stated that if Xu Qing came, they would choose to surrender, regardless of the ultimate outcome.

Grand Duke Shenglan hesitated at this request. Previously, such a choice would have been incredibly simple for him, as it involved only a Spirit Repository cultivator. But now it was different; he clearly understood who held authority within Fenghai County. Thus, he forwarded the decision to Master Seven and Marquis Yao.

Soon after, Xu Qing, at the edge of the domain, received a transmission from Master Seven. Holding the communication jade slip, Xu Qing recalled the feeling of being summoned while on the forbidden sea. He then gazed into the depths of the Dark Spirit race's territory and decided to go.

Several days later, his figure appeared before the Shenglan army, standing just outside the mist. A strange sensation arose within Xu Qing's heart as he stood there. He knew that deep within the mist, he felt the power of his authority. His presence caused the mist to churn, and several Dark Sky priests, clad in long purple robes, emerged from within. The moment they saw Xu Qing, they were visibly agitated. After bowing deeply, the leading elder looked at Xu Qing and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Purple Master, please return to your rightful place!"