Chapter 667: Dazhou

In the main hall of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Royal Palace, Zhou Qing sat upon the dragon throne. Below him stood numerous civil and military officials of the Great Zhou. A tense atmosphere permeated the entire hall.

The source of this tension was an urgent report received earlier. According to the scouts, the Great Wu Dynasty had recently shown significant activity, with numerous armies beginning to gather from various locations and converge towards the Great Zhou's borders.

An air of impending conflict hung heavy.

Over the past two years, the Great Wu Dynasty had abandoned its previous expansion in other directions, instead intensifying its close watch on the Great Zhou. Skirmishes frequently occurred along the border.

This made it clear to everyone that the Great Wu Dynasty harbored intentions of military action against the Great Zhou.

And after two years of preparation, it seemed the Great Wu Dynasty was finally preparing to make its move.

Inside the hall, everyone, including Zhou Qing, wore a solemn expression. Although the Great Zhou's strength had increased somewhat in recent years, they were undoubtedly at a disadvantage compared to the Great Wu Dynasty.

Furthermore, and most crucially, King Wu was a powerful expert of the Divine Dwelling stage.

On the battlefield, the impact of a Divine Dwelling stage expert was undeniably decisive.

Currently, Zhou Qing's strength had recovered to some extent, but he was only at the eighth layer of the Primeval stage. There remained a vast gap between him and King Wu.

Zhou Qing's heart was heavy, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He looked down towards the leading general, who was none other than General Wei Canglan. Over the past two years, Wei Canglan's strength had also advanced to the seventh layer of the Primeval stage.

“General, since the Great Wu harbors aggressive intentions, our Great Zhou must not be unprepared,” Zhou Qing said in a deep voice.

Wei Canglan solemnly clasped his hands in salute, accepting the order. “Your subordinate will immediately proceed to the frontier and prepare for a fierce defense,” he stated.

However, a flicker of worry crossed his eyes. After all, the Great Wu was too powerful; even if the Great Zhou's strength had surged in recent years, it was unlikely they could overcome them.

He turned and exchanged glances with the slender young woman behind him. This woman, possessing long, straight, elegant legs, was Wei Qingqing.

She too detected the worry in Wei Canglan's eyes and could only sigh softly in her heart.

“Your Majesty, the Great Wu is powerful. A head-on confrontation would not benefit us greatly.” At this moment, a voice spoke up. Wei Canglan looked to see the speaker, dressed in a black robe, who was none other than King Black Venom.

King Black Venom's expression was also somewhat bitter at this time. He had been captured by Zhou Yuan previously and, having made a spiritual pact, was forced to be subservient. However, over the past two years, he had lived comfortably in the Great Zhou. But now, with the Great Wu suddenly harboring intentions to invade, he feared his good days would come to an end if a direct clash occurred.

After all, King Black Venom was well aware of the Great Wu's might. King Wu alone, being a Divine Dwelling stage expert, was formidable enough to be irresistible and capable of swaying the tide of battle.

Zhou Qing gave him a faint glance and said, “So, you're suggesting that our Great Zhou should surrender?”

King Black Venom gave an awkward laugh. How could he not know the irreconcilable hatred between Zhou Qing and King Wu? It was impossible to mediate, so he could only sigh with bitter sorrow in his heart.

Although King Black Venom said nothing more, his lack of confidence affected many, immediately making the atmosphere in the hall even more oppressive.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing felt a sense of powerlessness rise within him. For years, he had tried his utmost to enhance the Great Zhou's strength. Some puppets unearthed from the Black Abyss had even become their final trump card against the Great Wu. But could these truly stop King Wu, a Divine Dwelling stage expert?

“Report!”

Just as the atmosphere remained heavy, another urgent report suddenly arrived.

A fully armored soldier quickly rushed into the hall, knelt on one knee, his face flushed. “Reporting to Your Majesty,” he said, “the Eagle Pavilion just received intelligence from the Sacred Continent.”

“The Sacred Continent?” Zhou Qing was startled. He naturally knew of the Sacred Continent; unlike remote places such as the Boundless Continent, it was the very center of the entire Cangxuan Heaven.

However, the Boundless Continent and the Sacred Continent were extremely far apart. Previously, Zhou Qing had no inclination to pay attention to intelligence from there. But ever since Zhou Yuan left the Great Zhou and entered the Cangxuan Sect, he had painstakingly ensured that the intelligence department, at no small cost, occasionally gathered information about the Sacred Continent.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing's heart suddenly stirred. “Could it be that Yuan'er has news?”

A wave of excitement surged within him. It had been two years since Zhou Yuan departed for the Cangxuan Sect, and in that time, he had received no information whatsoever. He had no idea how his child was faring now.

He had heard that the Cangxuan Sect was filled with countless geniuses. Was Yuan'er doing well there?

“Speak.”

“Your Majesty, we have just received news concerning His Highness!” the soldier quickly stated.

At these words, the gazes of everyone in the hall immediately turned towards him with surprise.

Wei Canglan and Wei Qingqing were the first to look at the soldier, then exchanged a surprised glance. That Highness, they had heard, had gone to the Cangxuan Sect to cultivate, but there had been no news for two years. They hadn't expected to finally receive a response now.

“His Highness Zhou Yuan was also a genius of exceptional talent back then. However, the Cangxuan Sect is a massive sect, gathering geniuses from numerous continents. With His Highness Zhou Yuan there, I wonder how he is faring now? Is he still as outstanding as he was on the Boundless Continent?” Wei Canglan pondered inwardly.

But then, he shook his head slightly. The Boundless Continent was too small. Standing out here didn't necessarily mean one could remain outstanding within a massive sect like the Cangxuan Sect.

Upon hearing the words “His Highness,” King Black Venom's expression also became somewhat complex. If not for the latter, he would probably still be living freely and at ease in the Black Abyss.

“This fellow hasn't had any news for two years, so he probably isn't doing so well in the Cangxuan Sect, is he?” King Black Venom was controlled by Zhou Yuan via a spiritual pact. Although he dared not show it normally, it was clear that he still harbored some resentment in his heart.