Chapter 327: North Tyrant King, Inner Realm and Substitute Straw Man

In the third month of the second year of Yuanhou, Zhao Xing arrived in Fengjing and then visited the imperial palace. Since Emperor Jing's passing, his visits to the imperial palace had become more frequent. In just two years of Yuanhou, he had already visited hundreds of times. He would often go there for a stroll, chat with Ji Che, and even engage in lively discussions late into the night.

"The Western nations have always regarded our dynasty as the Celestial Empire. Elder Brother, when you go, you must uphold the mighty prestige of Great Zhou!"

Zhao Xing chuckled, "Under Heaven, there is no land that is not the King's territory; among those who dwell on land, there is none who is not the King's subject!"

"Fifth Brother, rest assured. On this trip to Xiji Province, I will certainly make those vassal states understand this principle." Upon hearing this, Emperor Wu was overjoyed. "Excellent, well said! Summon someone!" Ji Che called for a Right Scribe. "Record Elder Brother's words from just now and circulate them among the officials."

The Right Scribe held a pen-knife, his pupils swirled, and faint white light emanated from his ears. He then heard the recent conversation between Zhao Xing and Ji Che, meticulously recording every word. After the Right Scribe finished writing, Ji Che dismissed him and spoke candidly. "Elder Brother, Father specially left the region of Xiji Province for me to establish my prestige. This is my first time dispatching a high-ranking official as an envoy since becoming emperor. If I cannot even resolve a minor dispute among the vassal states in Xiji Province, I will be ridiculed. I fear that peace-loving officials will use this matter to attack both you and me in the future."

"I will act with discretion and absolutely not let Great Zhou get entangled in a major war at this time." When Zhao Xing first heard of this assignment, he understood that Ji Che sending him to oversee Xiji Province was not a matter of emotional favoritism.

Two concepts need clarification here: Xiji Province has both a geographical scope and an administrative region. The geographical scope of Xiji Province is far greater than Great Zhou's administrative region. The area of Xiji Province actually controlled by Great Zhou is only one-thirtieth of the entire Xiji Province (for easier understanding, hereafter referred to as the Xiji Continent). Great Zhou's administrative region, "Xiji Province," accounts for only one-thirtieth of the Xiji Continent, but this one-thirtieth comprises more than sixty percent of the continent's fertile land. The remaining areas either do not border Great Zhou's territory, are lands belonging to vassal states, or are barren regions with extremely harsh environments.

The Supervisor of Agriculture once calculated that even if the Grand Minister of Agriculture were sent to alter the weather and regulate the earth's meridians, with the cooperation of the Directorate of Heavenly Engineering, it would take more than four hundred years. This estimate assumes peaceful agricultural development. It did not account for the expenses of garrison troops, civil and military officials, and relocating citizens after occupation. Financially, spending a hundred thousand units might not even yield one unit in return. It wasn't that Great Zhou couldn't conquer these lands, but the cost was too high, which is why numerous "vassal states" were allowed to exist.

On the Xiji Continent, the further west one traveled, the more barren the land became. Beyond the 'Heavenly Frost Mountains,' the region was no longer called the Xiji Continent but rather the Xiji Ice Land or Xiji Glaciers, as it consisted entirely of ice sheets rather than land. Knowing this, even the most belligerent strategists were unwilling to fight the barbarians in that area. However, while Great Zhou had no desire for war, the barbarians sought to move eastward. Who wouldn't want to live in warm, fertile lands? Some of these tribes, with the support of Emperor Taizu, established kingdoms like the Mos Kingdom. Through the enlightenment provided by Emperor Wen, they gradually adopted Great Zhou's culture and became a defensive line for Great Zhou's Xiji Province.

Under these circumstances, expanding territory or initiating a major war in Xiji Province would result in significant losses. Sending other impulsive military generals would likely lead to immediate conflict. Ji Che, by sending Zhao Xing, the Minister of Agriculture, naturally knew he would understand the calculations involved. In summary: they needed to display the might of Great Zhou as the Celestial Empire, yet prevent Xiji Province from falling into a quagmire of war, at least not a large-scale one. If a major war erupted, Ji Che's appointment of this high-ranking official would be considered a failure, and both he and Zhao Xing would face widespread criticism.

Zhao Xing and Ji Che talked for many days. The young emperor was full of vigor, but he rarely mentioned 'fighting' and never spoke of war. How could Zhao Xing not understand Emperor Wu's intentions? "I will gather the strength of the vassal states to fight the barbarians, and I will absolutely not deploy Great Zhou's main army in Xiji Province unless absolutely necessary," Zhao Xing said. It was simply a matter of emulating Wang Xuance.

Seeing that Zhao Xing had thoroughly grasped his intent, Ji Che clapped his hands and laughed, "With you, Elder Brother, I am absolutely at ease. You may mobilize the strongest figures from the seven great Grotto Heavens, two Blessed Lands, and various armies, acting as circumstances dictate. I have prepared an imperial decree for you. If you deem it necessary, you may establish a provincial administration in Xiji Province and take full command of military and governmental affairs!"

Lord Zhao was deeply moved by Ji Che's words. The rebellion of Prince Liang had occurred just over a century ago! Moreover, Zhao Xing was not even his blood brother. Working under Emperor Wu was, in a word, exhilarating. However, despite the exhilaration, Zhao Xing pondered for a moment and felt something was amiss. "The unrest in Xiji Province is merely a minor ailment. Why such a grand display?"

Ji Che replied, "That is precisely what I was about to discuss. According to the latest battle reports compiled from various parts of Xiji Province this year, and the deductions and analyses of officials, the court has discovered a rapid expansion of power in the Xisi Kingdom on the Xiji Continent. Since last year, Ji Si and others have repeatedly simulated and analyzed military intelligence reports, reaching an astonishing conclusion: the Xisi Kingdom has covertly and overtly controlled eighty percent of the small states and tribes on the Xiji Ice Land."

Zhao Xing frowned upon hearing this. In his previous life, he had indeed heard of this Xisi Kingdom, which rapidly rose to become the dominant power in the west after Emperor Wu's reign. But Emperor Wu had only just ascended the throne; how could it already be rising?

Bearing this question, Zhao Xing departed from Fengjing in early April. Accompanying him were four adjutants—Mi Fu, Chen Shijie, Hu Yang, and Zhang Tianxing—along with Prince Jinke's foreign entourage. The Divine Abode warship served as their traveling palace. The Divine Abode warship was a gift from Emperor Wu, a low-grade artifact of the treasure class. Even as a low-grade treasure, it was an extraordinary warship, originating from the Divine Abode Guard, one of the three Imperial Guards. Although Zhao Xing hadn't actively requested additional personnel, operating this military artifact still required a considerable crew. Emperor Wu assigned him five hundred Divine Abode Guards. The Divine Abode, Phoenix Chariot, and Golden Guard were the emperor's three Imperial Guard units, never deployed even during Emperor Jing's pacification campaigns. Yet now, five hundred of them were placed under Zhao Xing's command.

"The Xisi clan has seen its national power advance by leaps and bounds since its establishment in the first year of Dazhi, which is highly unusual," Zhao Xing mused, reviewing all intelligence related to the Xisi Kingdom. He personally reviewed all the deductions from officials and intelligence from the military sector. "Li Boqian once comprehended the 'Primal Seal' in the Xiji Glaciers. Now, this Xisi clan is rising, establishing a kingdom, and growing stronger. Could it be that an incredibly powerful 'instance dungeon' truly exists in the Xiji Sea? If their power began surging in the first year of Dazhi, then the Xisi clan must have acquired some kind of enhancement even earlier."

Zhao Xing retroactively traced to the Jingxin calendar era, retrieving and examining old intelligence from that period. "The Qitian Hall also emerged during the Jingxin calendar era; at least the Flower Fairy is confirmed to have participated in worldly affairs then. Could it be that Li Boqian's enlightenment in the glacier, the Xisi clan's rise to dominance, and the appearance of Qitian Hall are all connected? All these occurrences are no mere coincidence. The Xiji Ice Land holds a great secret!" A flicker of contemplation passed through Zhao Xing's eyes. "In my previous life, a 'super-version instance dungeon' might have existed in the Xuanhuang Realm, simply undiscovered by players. If that's truly the case, I must consider making preparations in advance." Zhao Xing thought of the Moya Vine seedlings in his Pure Essence Space. "If I truly discover something extraordinary, then I'll have to cultivate 'Big Brother'."

Tianyong Province was in the eastern part of the Central Continent, while Xiji Province was in the west. The two were extremely distant, spanning twelve major continents. The journey was vast; without long-distance teleportation altars like the 'Altar of Lihuo,' maintaining such a vast empire would be impossible. Even with prior preparation and choosing the shortest route, it still took Zhao Xing, Prince Jinke, King Bingtu, King Kelu, and their entourage over three months to reach Xiji Province. Upon reaching Xiji Province, they relied purely on flight, as the province was beyond the teleportation range of the Altar of Lihuo. Even the Dao of True Monarch Lihuo could not extend to this extremely cold province.

Traveling westward, it grew progressively colder. Upon arriving in the western part of Xiji Province, and passing through various prefectures, snow began to fall intermittently. "We departed in April, and after more than three months of travel, it's only mid-August now," Zhang Tianxing said, standing on the ship, gazing at the world outside blanketed in heavy snow. "Yet, the western part of Xiji Province has already entered its early winter. The winter seasonal qi began to become active, and all cultivation methods, martial arts, and spells related to cold and ice showed a slight increase in power. Conversely, fire-element cultivation methods, martial arts, and spells were somewhat weakened. It's truly cold."

"I heard that people from Xizhou have abundant body hair and are generally short. As for those from the Ice Land, they even develop gill-like organs behind their ears. Truly, each climate nurtures its own people," Hu Yang remarked. "The data states that Xiji Province is the most fertile land in the Western Continent, but it seems that's only relative," Chen Shijie said, looking down at the land below. "The earth's meridians are weak, and the soil is barren; it simply can't compare to other provinces. Thirty percent of my plant-based troops cannot unleash their full combat potential here, and the situation only worsens as we go further west." Mi Dai, meanwhile, closed his eyes to meditate, observing the inner world.

"Only thirty percent?" Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing looked at Mi Fu in surprise. None of them had ever been to Xiji Province before, leading to different observations. Yet, Mi Fu's remark particularly caught the attention of the other three. Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing even suspected Mi Fu was exaggerating. However, Mi Fu wasn't exaggerating. The environment in the Star Ruin Pocket Dimension where he served was also extremely harsh. Having been an official in such a place for a long time, Mi Fu's troop types had undergone transformations to adapt to extreme conditions. Mi Dai did not want to explain to Zhang Tianxing and Hu Yang, as both were from aristocratic families. Over the past three months, his interactions with them had been merely superficial.

He got along well with Chen Shijie. "Shijie, you excel in the three methods of Earth Palace, Earth Sundering, and Earth Treasury. If you can sunder the earth to draw up Yang energy, then use the Earth Palace method to prevent Earth energy from sinking, and store the power of the earth's meridians with the Earth Treasury, my plant-based troops could unleash their full strength." Chen Shijie shook his head. "I don't know if it will work once we get down there. I've heard that some areas have no land at all, just ice."

Hu Yang laughed, "It has to work, even if it doesn't seem possible! We're about to enter a war zone; we can't always rely on Lord Zhao to intervene." Zhang Tianxing wholeheartedly agreed. "Precisely."

The four men chatted outside. Inside the ship's cabin, Zhao Xing discussed the situation in the Xisi Kingdom with Prince Jinke, King Bingtu, King Kelu, and others. In his previous life, Zhao Xing had rarely visited Xiji Province, mainly because it was too impoverished. There was simply no profit to be gained. The part of Xiji Province controlled by Great Zhou was not much smaller than Pinghai Province, yet it had only two Blessed Lands and seven Grotto Heavens. The rest of the Western Continent was even less significant. Furthermore, transportation was extremely inconvenient. Undertaking missions or "instance dungeons" in such a place was time-consuming, laborious, and yielded little benefit, providing very little motivation to visit.

"Prince, which experts in the Xisi Kingdom are worth noting?" Zhao Xing asked. Although he had gathered considerable intelligence, Prince Jinke was a local and might have insight into unusual aspects. Prince Jinke replied, "The strongest individual is undoubtedly 'Deus,' the monarch of the Xisi Kingdom. He calls himself 'Grand Lord Xisi,' but he has never personally taken action." Zhao Xing asked, puzzled, "Oh? He hasn't taken action, or is it because everyone who has seen him act is dead?" "It's possible, as the Duke said, that all who have seen him act are dead," Prince Jinke said gravely. "He is lauded as the strongest primarily because Deus has fifty revered figures under his command. Half of these revered figures were trained by Deus himself. They differ from the other revered figures in that they address Deus as 'Great Sacred Master'." Zhao Xing listened quietly.

According to intelligence, all fifty revered figures of the Xisi Kingdom possessed peak or perfected first-rank combat capabilities. Fifty Fate Palace Realm cultivators might not be remarkable in Great Zhou, but in the Western Continent, fifty at the peak or perfection of the Fate Palace Realm was a considerable number. The Fate Palace Realm, as its name suggests, involves constructing a Fate Palace. Achieving peak or perfected levels signifies a near-perfect Fate Palace, where every action aligns with the Heavenly Dao, and at this stage, at least a low-level domain of rules can be manifested. Even if no one had seen Deus take action, his ability to cultivate twenty-five revered figures alone was enough to earn him the title of the strongest in the Xiji Ice Land.

"King Bingtu, King Kelu, you have been at war with the Xisi Kingdom since the Dazhi era. Tell me about your experiences," Zhao Xing said, turning to the other two powerful figures. King Bingtu, already at the Fate Palace Realm, had experience engaging with revered figures.

"I have fought against 'Ulyk,' a revered figure of the Xisi Kingdom, seven times," King Bingtu recalled. "The earliest encounter was in the twentieth year of the Jingxin calendar. At that time, Deus had not yet established a kingdom, being merely the Grand Lord of the Xisi clan, and Ulyk was one of his subordinate lords. At that time, I was responsible for mining polar ice in 'Weishan' of the 'Xiji Glaciers.' Weishan wasn't a true mountain but a continuous ice mountain region. Many valuable materials could be found there, such as Weishan ice stone, extreme cold ice, cold marrow, and jade beads. My first clash with Ulyk occurred over the collection of these treasures. I was a third-rank cultivator then, and he was only fourth-rank. Seeing me, he could only flee. I struck him into the eye of the sea, believing he was surely dead, and paid him no further mind."

King Bingtu recalled, "Unexpectedly, he didn't die. Fifteen years later, when we met again, he had broken through to the early third-rank, while I was at the peak of the third-rank. We met again in the Weishan region, and in our second encounter, he escaped from me. The following year, the Xisi clan declared the establishment of their kingdom. However, no one paid much attention at the time, as the Xisi clan, though a large tribe, couldn't compare to our Mos Kingdom, and our territories weren't contiguous. It wasn't until the fiftieth year of Dazhi that Deus's Xisi Kingdom, through continuous conquests, finally posed a threat to our territory. Fifty years is not a short time; I had almost forgotten about Ulyk. But in their expansion, I encountered him once again."

King Bingtu's expression was somewhat dazed. "At that time, I didn't recognize him; it was only when he brought it up that I connected him with the former minor lord. That time, we clashed again. I was at the late second-rank, and he had reached the early second-rank. As a result, I only had a slight advantage." Zhao Xing, listening to this, found nothing amiss; it seemed like a common story of a talented individual from another race growing stronger.

"From our fourth encounter onwards, I could no longer gain any advantage. Our fifth encounter was in the seventy-fifth year of Yongzhi. By then, he had completely surpassed me, becoming a first-rank expert, while I remained at perfected second-rank." Zhao Xing checked the timeline; it was approximately five years later that Prince Jinke of the Mos Kingdom, accompanied by five of his generals, first came to Great Zhou seeking aid. In their sixth encounter, King Bingtu, having learned many advanced techniques from Great Zhou, still couldn't defeat Ulyk but successfully broke through to the first-rank realm. The seventh occasion was when Prince Jinke's brother died, and Prince Jinke lost an arm. Among Jinke's many strong subordinates, only King Bingtu, King Kelu, and Suoxuo survived.

"In just 135 years since its establishment, it has pressured the Mos Kingdom in warfare," Zhao Xing mused. "Revered Ulyk? I haven't heard of anyone like him, and there are fifty such individuals?" As he listened, Zhao Xing suddenly asked, "Do you know Deus's age? And what are the ages of his fifty revered figures under his command?"

"Age?" Prince Jinke pondered. "No one knows Deus's exact age; he is very mysterious, but he should be over five hundred years old. As for his revered figures, we don't know much about the others, but we only know that twenty-five of Deus's revered figures are very young and were rarely heard of before, only emerging in the last century or so." King Bingtu added, "I can sense Ulyk's life fluctuations; he's probably around 250 years old."

Zhao Xing's brows furrowed. Ulyk, around 250 years old, reached the peak of the first rank? This level of talent was already incredibly exaggerated. Zhao Xing was born in the 274th year of the Dingxin calendar. The Dingxin calendar lasted 278 years, followed by 37 years of Jingxin, and a combined 158 years of Dazhi and Yongzhi. In the second year of Yuanhou, he was already 201 years old. Liu Tianning was 105 years older than him, making him 306. Liu Tianning also broke through to the first rank in his early two hundreds. Both had cultivated their way up independently.

Of course, age alone does not fully indicate talent. Both Liu Tianning and Zhao Xing had long ago comprehended domains of rules, excelled in multiple methods, and nurtured their Pure Essence Earth realms. At the time, Liu Tianning was focused on resolving the flaws of the Myriad Laws Strawman, while Zhao Xing was nurturing mountains to strengthen his Heavenly Fortune realm. However, from the intelligence and King Bingtu's description, it was evident that Ulyk possessed first-rate talent!

"Assuming they are all similarly young, are there dozens more with talent like Ulyk, or even stronger? Deus, this Grand Lord of Xisi, has actually cultivated so many powerful individuals. Their national fortune must be incredibly strong," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Combining this with what I saw in my previous life, the Xisi Kingdom later became the hegemon of the West. It is plausible that so many powerful individuals emerged at the beginning of its establishment, favored by Heaven. Now, signs of spiritual energy tides are appearing in the pocket dimensions again. Perhaps this Grand Lord Xisi discovered a pocket dimension."

But after much thought, Zhao Xing still felt there was a significant problem here. It wasn't that other places couldn't produce geniuses, but for so many geniuses to emerge densely within just over a century, each reaching such heights, was truly an exaggeration. "If the Xisi clan began to gain some kind of enhancement in the late Jingxin calendar era, it shouldn't have been from spiritual energy tides, as the Heavenly Realm might not even have begun showing spiritual energy abnormalities then. Qitian Hall was already among the earliest beneficiaries. There's no reason for the Xisi clan to have been stronger or benefited earlier." Many conjectures arose in Zhao Xing's mind.

"Currently, the spiritual energy in my seven great spiritual lakes has liquefied, which is extremely precious. If I wished, I could mass-produce some powerful individuals. I am only accumulating these spiritual liquids because I need to consider 'manual spiritual energy recovery'. This Grand Lord of the Xisi clan must also have obtained a similar fortuitous encounter." Zhao Xing could now confirm that Deus, the Grand Lord of the Xisi clan, had obtained significant fortuitous encounters, which allowed him to create powerful individuals in a short period. As for whether this encounter was related to the ancient temple Li Boqian once saw, that remained to be determined. "It would be best to capture Ulyk and interrogate him thoroughly. If it's confirmed that the benefits are substantial, we can mobilize a large army and send Great Zhou's powerful figures for a 'dimensionality reduction strike'." The reason for not conquering the Xiji Continent was the lack of significant benefits. If a great harvest was confirmed, Great Zhou would be like a hungry wolf eager to ascend!

With a plan in mind, Zhao Xing immediately declared: "Prince, Ulyk is the commander leading the assault on the Mos Kingdom. He harmed your brother, massacred the Mos people, and occupied Mos territory. He is truly guilty of heinous crimes! He must be eliminated! I have come here under orders to avenge you. Rest assured, no one can withstand Great Zhou's benevolent army, its forces of justice... Ulyk is doomed!"

With this grand promise, Prince Jinke and King Bingtu were instantly stirred, immediately rising to bow deeply to Zhao Xing. After reassuring Prince Jinke and the others, Zhao Xing left the passenger cabin and summoned Chen Shijie, Mi Fu, Hu Yang, and Zhang Tianxing for a meeting. "I intend to capture Ulyk, the revered figure of the Xisi Kingdom, alive. I suspect they harbor even greater ambitions."

Chen Shijie, familiar with Zhao Xing, felt that his words sounded odd but couldn't pinpoint why. Zhao Xing said, "Hu Yang, Zhang Tianxing, immediately take my seal and return by flying boat to the seven great Grotto Heavens and two Blessed Lands in Xiji Province. Notify the garrison commanders to prepare for battle. My requirement is that as soon as my order arrives, they must be able to immediately intervene in the Western Continent vassal states' battlefield and wage a war of annihilation!"

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing exchanged surprised glances, but since it was Zhao Xing's command, there was nothing to question. "Understood!" The two immediately took Zhao Xing's seal and began their journey back. This matter was best handled by Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing, as their demeanor clearly indicated they were influential figures from the capital. Mi Dai and Chen Shijie lacked this kind of aristocratic air.

After the two left, Mi Fu couldn't help but ask, "What's going on? Weren't we supposed to use barbarian troops to fight barbarians? Are we preparing to intervene already? Isn't such a military mobilization a bit premature?" Any other superior would surely find Mi Fu unbearable. Old Chen was still there, and questioning an order right after it was given was simply too disrespectful. However, Lord Zhao knew Mi Dai's character; this was the elder who could openly challenge Emperor Wu and drastically cut his military expenses. His current phrasing was already considered gentle. Zhao Xing chuckled, "The vassal states aren't foolish. We must first put on a display. If we don't even make a show, how can others trust us?" Mi Dai nodded, indicating he understood Zhao Xing's approach. His only concern was the burden war would place on his own citizens. As for the allied vassal states, they were barbarians, and thus outside the scope of Master Mi's patriotism and concern for the people.

Chen Shijie, meanwhile, was contemplating the specific plan. "The Ulyk you intend to capture alive is the commander leading the conquest of the Mos Kingdom. Intelligence indicates his strength is at the peak of the Fate Palace Realm. Capturing him alive won't be easy. With just the Mos Kingdom's troops, it would likely be difficult, perhaps even impossible to force Ulyk to lead his army personally. To encircle and kill him, we must first form a strong allied army from the vassal states to lure him out." Chen Shijie took two steps in front of the sand table, pointing to the map. "Apart from the Mos Kingdom, the three nations of Beitu, Sa Ke, and Ande all border the Xisi clan's territory. It would be easy to mobilize troops from these four nations to form a joint army. Once the allied army is formed, we can attack the defense line east of the Weishan Glaciers. This would compel Ulyk, who is currently fighting the 'Jialan Tribe' in the south, to personally lead his forces to respond. The battlefield would be of our choosing, thus increasing the success rate of the capture. He would have no choice but to come, because the Jialan Tribe is merely a small clan. But if the four-nation allied army is defeated, the Xisi clan could seize large swathes of eastern territory, preventing any significant threat from forming southeast of Weishan. Such a temptation, I believe, Ulyk would surely be willing to try."

Zhao Xing praised him, "Excellent, as expected of you." He had initially worried that Chen Shijie, having been a plains magistrate for so long and out of military service for over a century, might have forgotten how to wage war. But now, it seemed Young Chen's military acumen hadn't diminished at all. In just this short time, he had outlined a general plan. Chen Shijie calmly discussed with Zhao Xing, and soon Mi Dai joined the conversation as well. Zhao Xing found that Chen Shijie's thoughts were very similar to his own, even more detailed in some aspects, clearly indicating that Chen Shijie had done his homework in the past few months. Chen Shijie's diligence stemmed partly from his character and partly from his belief that his promotion was purely due to Zhao Xing's influence. Mi Dai possessed great strength, cultivating three disciplines concurrently. Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing were not only powerful but also from prominent backgrounds. What did Chen Shijie have? He felt he couldn't compare to the other three adjutants in any aspect, so he could only strive to work harder. The three discussed for a long time.

After the Divine Abode warship reached the Mos Kingdom's territory, it activated its stealth mode. Zhao Xing dispatched clones to secretly meet with the kings of the four nations: Mos, Beitu, Sa Ke, and Ande. The plan, which began in late August, proceeded smoothly with the Mos, Sa Ke, and Ande kingdoms. They were already Great Zhou's vassal states, admiring its culture, and having been enlightened by two emperors, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. As soon as Zhao Xing, the special envoy from the Celestial Empire, arrived, they became full of confidence and quickly agreed to deploy troops.

However, problems arose in the Beitu Kingdom. The King of Beitu warmly received Zhao Xing and maintained his enthusiasm for six days. However, when the topic of troop deployment came up, the King of Beitu grew hesitant and changed the subject. By the sixth day, the King of Beitu even avoided meeting Zhao Xing. Even the attitude of his envoys became somewhat cold.

"It seems this King of Beitu harbors disloyal intentions. Hmph, barbarians are indeed untrustworthy!" Mi Fu, having been brushed off again when he tried to see an envoy, was somewhat angered. "If you ask me, this King of Beitu must have already pledged allegiance to the Xisi Kingdom." "Not necessarily," Chen Shijie said. "His enthusiasm in the preceding days didn't seem feigned. The sudden change in attitude likely means the Xisi Kingdom's envoy has also arrived." Zhao Xing said, "The Beitu Kingdom hasn't directly faced the threat of the Xisi Kingdom yet; they haven't truly been defeated by the Xisi clan, so they might not make a decision so quickly. The King of Beitu is a strong individual, stronger than the kings of the other three nations. If we can win him over, we should still try. Let's wait for Zhang Ning's news." Zhang Ning was an envoy stationed in the Beitu Kingdom, having lived there for over a century, dispatched during the early Dazhi era.

As soon as he spoke, a tall, powerfully built man in battle armor, carrying a sharp sword on his back, hurried in. "Duke Junyi, my lords, I have received news that the King of Beitu, persuaded by Great Zhou's special envoy, has suddenly reinforced the capital's defense formation. I fear he is about to pledge allegiance to the Xisi Kingdom! Before official orders are issued, I will escort Duke Junyi and the two of you out of the city!"

In another inn within Beitu's royal city, a Xisi tribesman with gills behind his ears, three horizontal lines on his forehead, and what appeared to be blue luminescence flowing across his skin, was resting inside. Several other Xisi tribesmen were also waiting nearby. Suddenly, a figure rushed in. "Envoy Wuyuan, I have received news that the King of Beitu, persuaded by Great Zhou's special envoy, has suddenly reinforced the capital's defense formation and is resolved to attack our country! This place has become dangerous. Envoy Wuyuan, please leave quickly!" Upon hearing this, Wuyuan's pupils constricted.

Beitu's royal city was built against a mountain, with the imperial palace constructed on its highest peak. Inside a palace at that moment, a figure stood silently on a high platform, looking down at the inn below the mountain. He was the King of Beitu, a renowned first-rank expert on the Xiji Continent. During the Xisi clan's expansion over the past century, the Beitu Kingdom had remained unmolested due to the King of Beitu's formidable reputation.

"Father." A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes approached from behind the King of Beitu.

"Yi, how did it go?" The First Prince, Yi, was the King of Beitu's eldest son and also a first-rank Fate Palace Realm cultivator.

"Father, I have leaked the news to the envoys of both Great Zhou and Xisi." He paused, then asked, puzzled, "Father, whose side are we truly on? Why are you giving them such false information?"

"Yi, what do you think?" First Prince Yi pondered, "Compared to Great Zhou, the Xisi clan is small but formidable. Their threat is imminent, especially Grand Lord Deus, who is mysterious and powerful. Great Zhou is a giant, but its might is far in the Central Continent. Since the end of the previous emperor's reign, its gaze has rarely fallen upon the Xiji Continent. If I had to choose, I think I would opt to ally with the Xisi clan."

"Why?" the King of Beitu asked his son blandly.

"Wuyuan is first-rank, yet that so-called Duke is only at the second-rank realm." The First Prince mused, "The Mos Kingdom has been seeking aid for several years, but Great Zhou has never sent anyone, or only officials of limited strength. They merely want to use the power of the various vassal states to handle disputes. The official named Zhao Xing claims to be the new emperor's brother, but he doesn't even bear the surname Ji. It's clearly just a bluffing title. In the past century, Great Zhou's control over the vassal states has weakened. Whatever the reason, it proves that Great Zhou's rule here is declining. Therefore, I believe we should side with the Xisi clan."

"The Beitu people fight only for themselves," the King of Beitu stated blandly. "We will help whoever is strongest on the Xiji Continent. Watch, and see whose resolve is greater."

Inside the inn, Zhao Xing, having received the news, shook his head. "We cannot leave."

"My Lord, if we don't leave now, it will be too late," Zhang Ning said gravely.

"Zhang Ning, have you ascertained where the Xisi envoy is staying?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes," Zhang Ning nodded. "My Lord intends to..."

"Precisely." A hint of killing intent flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes. "If we kill the Xisi envoy, the King of Beitu will have no retreat." Great Zhou had not displayed its majesty in Xiji Province for nearly two centuries. Zhao Xing clearly understood the King of Beitu's dilemma and worries. He would side with whoever was stronger! If Zhao Xing were to simply leave, the King of Beitu would certainly ally with the Xisi clan.

"How could