Boom!
Huangfu Chaoge’s dragon vein exploded—when ninety percent of his dragon vein had already been consumed by Lu Yang’s dragon vein. Hence, Lu Yang’s dragon vein bore the brunt of the explosion.
“No!” Lu Yang roared in horror. However, the explosion already started. There was no stopping it.
This explosion was even more horrifying than the earlier battle. The enormous impact nearly blew the distant Foundation Deity City away. Countless rocks got blasted into the sky, turning it pitch-dark. Only dirt and stone remained. The result looked like the end of the world.
“Your Majesty!”
Be it the officials or citizens in Foundation Deity City, they all knelt and cried.
The shock waves from this massive, earth-shattering explosion radiated into the distance.
Even the other eleven cities of the Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty more or less felt the tremors.
“What happened?”
“It came from Foundation Deity City’s direction? Could it be the battle at Foundation Deity City? That’s impossible. How could it radiate so far?”
“What happened in Foundation Deity City? What happened to His Majesty?”
The citizens of the various cities appeared anxious. However, Foundation Deity City was too far. No one knew what happened there.
Suddenly, a voice rang out via the blessings cloud sea.
“Just now, Lu Yang’s dragon vein swallowed up the dragon vein that Huangfu Chaoge stood on. In the end, Huangfu Chaoge exploded his dragon vein in hopes of destroying Lu Yang, to bring peace back to the world. Huangfu Chaoge died for his nation!” Gu Hai’s voice rang out.
A huge commotion immediately broke out in the eleven cities.
“That’s impossible! His Majesty cannot die! Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, you cannot die! This old one still has not repaid the grace I received from Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty…!”
“Gu Hai, you liar! His Majesty will not die! He will not die! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!”
Huangfu Chaoge died for his nation. The entire nation grieved for him. Countless citizens immediately knelt in Foundation Deity City’s direction, sobbing and crying, unwilling to accept this development.
Outside Foundation Deity City:
The lamentation of countless citizens carried in the darkness.
The dirt and dust in the air eventually started to settle, and the sky slowly turned bright. However, countless citizens remained kneeling.
Only rubble and rocks filled the environs of Foundation Deity City. The city appeared buried in dirt and stone.
The dust and dirt settled further, and the battlefield slowly revealed itself.
Huangfu Chaoge’s dragon vein was gone, and he died without a corpse. That vast explosion was horrifyingly powerful.
The dragon vein Lu Yang stood on had suffered from the intense impact. Now, many holes covered its body as it lay weakly on the ground. From its faint golden aura, it appeared to be on its last breath.
The imperial robes that Lu Yang wore were now tattered. His hair was scattered all over the place. He was pale, and the blood on his chest was mixed with mud. He appeared in a sorry state.
Blargh! Blargh! Blargh!
Lu Yang vomited a few mouthfuls of blood, evidently significantly injured.
However, Lu Yang survived, while Huangfu Chaoge died a horrible death.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Huangfu Chaoge, you deserve to die!” Lu Yang muttered weakly in hatred.
Despite his weakness, Lu Yang did not forget his hatred as he looked at Foundation Deity City with cold eyes.
“Gu Hai. Ha! It is your turn now!” Lu Yang said with a ferocious expression.
Gu Hai showed a cold expression as he spoke again. “Citizens of the Han Royal Dynasty, the blessings just arrived at Foundation Deity City. Unfortunately, Huangfu Chaoge already died a horrible death, dying without a corpse. We would like to take revenge for Huangfu Chaoge, but our cultivation is low. We sincerely ask all Han Royal Dynasty citizens, aside from the soldiers guarding the cities, to raise your right hand and lend us your strength. Give us a hand in destroying Lu Yang. Help us take revenge for Huangfu Chaoge!”
Boom!
Gu Hai’s voice spread all over through the blessings clouds sea.
First was Nine-Five Island.
When the citizens of Nine-Five Island heard Gu Hai’s voice, they felt slightly startled.
Raise your right hand? Lend my strength to His Majesty? Give His Majesty a hand? What does that mean?
Many people felt confused.
However, some people still raised their right hands to try. The moment they did so, they felt a suction pulling out their energy through their raised arm.
“Hey! This is strength. All my energy is gone! I…I lost my strength!” That person who raised his hand slumped to the ground in shock.
“It’s His Majesty? His Majesty borrowed your strength and energy?”
“So, that is what it means?”
“His Majesty wants to borrow our strength?”
“During the famine last year, if not for His Majesty, our entire family would have died from hunger. His Majesty not only opened up the granaries but even allocated land and gave us seeds. This old one has no way to repay His Majesty. Your Majesty, use my strength. My old wife, my son, my grandson, raise your right hands!”
“Your Majesty, take my energy!”
The citizens of Nine-Five Island raised their right hands, quickly sending their energy to the blessings cloud sea at Foundation Deity City.
Gu Qin quickly made arrangements at the Han Royal Dynasty’s palace. Aside from those who guarded the ritual array, all the officials and guards raised their right hands.
Inside a palace hall:
Meng Tai looked at the sky in horror.
“His Majesty is going to fight Lu Yang? Really?” Meng Tai showed an incredulous expression as he slowly raised his right hand.
While others might not know who Lu Yang was, Meng Tai was extremely clear on it. That was someone he had looked up to in the past, the master of Ying Province, the sworn brother of the Qian Heavenly Emperor, an expert that even Long Xiaoyue respected.
His Majesty has cultivated for only such a short time, and he is already fighting Lu Yang?
Whoosh!
Meng Tai slumped over, but his acknowledgment of the Han Royal Dynasty increased. The Han Royal Dynasty’s development was too rapid. What Meng Tai had always wanted were power and authority. Gu Hai had already given him great authority. If Meng Tai did not work hard, how could he live up to his own pursuit?
“After this is over, recruit more Embroidered Uniform Guards!” Meng Tai said through gritted teeth as he lay slumped on the ground.
The energy from Nine-Five Island quickly gathered. However, the citizens from the Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty’s twelve cities had yet to pull themselves out of their grief and sorrow, so only a few people raised their hands.
Suddenly, Gu Hai could see streams of golden energy coming from Nine-Five Island’s direction pouring into the blessings cloud sea.
Boom!
All at once, the boundless energy from Nine-Five Island flooded into Gu Hai’s body.
This energy was even more vigorous than that of the crimson saber. Gu Hai’s strength soared immensely as a surging flame appeared around his body.
While Nine-Five Island’s populace was mostly ordinary people, there were many of them. The energy was monstrous.
Far in the distance, Lu Yang’s expression changed. He glared as he looked at the flames around Gu Hai.
“This flame? The strength of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? Fifth Nascent Soul Stage? Hahahaha! That is all? That is all?” Lu Yang relaxed, revealing a cold smile.
“Dragon, come!” Gu Hai shouted coldly.
“Roar!”
The ground trembled, and Gu Hai’s dragon vein suddenly appeared. Then, it carried Gu Hai out of the city.
Gu Hai’s dragon vein was no smaller than Huangfu Chaoge’s, also tens of thousands of kilometers long.
Rumble…!
Gu Hai slowly arrived before Lu Yang while standing on the dragon vein’s head.
Right now, Lu Yang’s dragon vein was riddled with holes, covered in wounds, and on its last breath. However, it was still larger than Gu Hai’s.
Lu Yang looked at Gu Hai coldly. “Gu Hai, you finally dare to come and die?!”
“Hahahahahahaha! Emperor Lu Yang, Lu Yang, your Ying Royal Dynasty is finished, right?” Gu Hai guffawed.
“Isn’t it all thanks to you? Humph! I’ll offer your life to my Ying Nation today!” Despite Lu Yang’s severe injuries, he still showed pride on his face.
After all, Lu Yang remained a Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator. On the other hand, when Gu Hai gathered the power of his nation, he only reached the Fifth Nascent Soul Stage. Although severely injured, Lu Yang could still squish Gu Hai to death.
“Ha! All thanks to me? Lu Yang, you bully the weak and fear the strong. You are as cowardly as a mouse, and you want to establish a nation? Huangfu Chaoge said that you are not fit to be an emperor. Indeed, he is right. Even without me, your nation would be destroyed sooner or later,” Gu Hai said coldly.
“Huh? What did you say?” Lu Yang glowered at Gu Hai.
“Isn’t that so? Am I the only one responsible for destroying your nation? You have a bunch of enemies, so why did you seek me out of all people? Why didn’t you go to Prince Shenwu’s Southern Suppression Army? You don’t dare to, as you are not comparable to him! The Yuan Imperial Dynasty swallowed a large portion of your nation’s land. Why did you not go to the Yuan Imperial Dynasty to cause them trouble? You don’t dare to, as you are not comparable to them! You know that I am the only one you can deal with because I am a Golden Core Realm cultivator. It is because you are only capable of bullying Golden Core Realm cultivators. Hahahahaha! Bullying the weak and fearing the strong? Avoiding the strong and going for the weak? Tell me, do you even have the heart of an emperor?” Gu Hai sneered.
Lu Yang suddenly took a deep breath and scowled at Gu Hai. “Brat, do you think that I am Ao Shun and will fall for your tricks with just a few words?”
“Haha! It is not about falling for my tricks. Lu Yang, just think about it for yourself. Do you dare to seek trouble with Long Shenwu or the Yuan Imperial Dynasty? You don’t dare. They are stronger than you, so you cower. You can only bully those weaker than you, just like me. Haha! However, do you know? An emperor first needs a strong ambition to carve out his land. An emperor will rise to the challenge, regardless of the difficulties or experts in the way. An emperor will subdue his fears, not avoid them. Do you have that kind of ambition?” Gu Hai said coldly.
Lu Yang’s eyelids twitched, his heart upset.
“You do not have the heart of an emperor, but I do! So what if I am facing you, Lu Yang? As long as I have my lofty ambition, I can trample you underfoot!” Gu Hai said coldly.
“Humph! Bring it on, then. Showing off your sharp tongue only makes you appear even more ignorant!” Lu Yang retorted coldly.
As Lu Yang stepped forward, his dragon vein rose with much difficulty, looking like it wanted to rush at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai suddenly laughed coldly. “I am not the ignorant one. It is you, Lu Yang. You have lost!”
“Huh?” Lu Yang raised his eyebrows, giving Gu Hai a confused look.
Now, Lu Yang saw the blessings cloud sea churning as energy poured over from all directions and into the blessings cloud sea. Then, they flooded Gu Hai’s body.
Rumble…!
This energy was countless times vaster than the one before.
The Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty citizens had finally come to terms with their grief and sorrow and raised their right hands with boundless hatred.
“Gu Hai, no, Your Majesty, use my energy! Take revenge for Huangfu Chaoge!”
“Take my energy and avenge the previous emperor!”
“Kill Lu Yang! I’ll lend you all my energy!”
“Kill Lu Yang, and I will be a Han Royal Dynasty citizen!”
All the citizens and officials in the twelve cities raised their right hands. They clenched their teeth as they lent Gu Hai their energy.
The process of borrowing strength and energy was also a process of the citizens formally acknowledging themselves as Han Royal Dynasty citizens.
When Gu Hai made use of the nation’s power, he also gained the support of the citizens.
