1067 First Planar War (III)
Qian Heng accelerated everything after the visit from Reverend Tranquility. Everything was set up five days later, and he did not waste time to start the ceremony. The entire world watched and waited with bated breath. Once the ceremony ended, Qian Heng disappeared to another space to begin Heavenly Dao's test to see whether he was worthy of this position.
To the outside world, he only disappeared for less than ten seconds before reappearing. But Qian Heng has spent quite some time in space, including testing his Dao Heart, Willpower, and overall battle strength.
A strange look appeared on Qian Heng's face after returning from the past, and that's because he knew he must pay Wang Wei - his world's invader - a patent fee for becoming a Heavenly Emperor. The worst part is this was non-negotiable, as True Heavenly Dao would automatically deduct his merit to repay the fee.
He immediately summoned everybody else to confer the God Positions. Qian Heng knew the world's circumstances, so he tried to be selfless to prevent infighting. If someone complains about their position, he will respond that after the war, based on the results and accomplishments of each faction, the positions will be once again divided.
"Now that things have been settled, let's proceed with the rest," said Qian Heng. "The first order: the Peaceful Life Palace will participate in this war, providing us professional assistance."
"Your Majesty, you can't."
"Yes, we cannot trust these damn Taoists."
"Don't overreact. The Peaceful Life Palace has shown us they can be trusted."
"What if they betray us? Can you take responsibility for this?"
"Your weak fear tactics are useless here. We are not fighting some Taoist faction or world, so why would they betray us? There is literally nothing to gain for them."
"There is always something to gain for betrayal."
"By that logic, anyone here can betray the world for benefit or safety."
"You dare suggest I'm a traitor? My ancestors fought for the survival of this world."
"And the Peaceful Life Palace's ancestors did the same; they even went above and beyond just for the recognition."
"Enough!" declared Qian Heng, and after a few seconds, everyone stopped talking. "We are facing a catastrophe. In the best-case scenario, our world will suffer another era of oppression. As for the worst case? We might be wiped out and all our culture, lineage, and inheritance removed from the annals of history."
Qian Heng let the silence marinate for a few seconds. "We need all the help we can gather."
No one spoke for a while before the Rising Dragon Sect Master spoke, "Our founder believed in the integrity of the Peaceful Life Palace, so we will vouch for them."
"We also support their participation." Everyone gazed at the Celestial Demon Cult and wondered when these crazy demons cared so much about the world. However, with these two heavyweights vouching for them, the others accepted the proposal. Reverend Tranquility finally spoke and thanked everyone, promising to do their best for this war effort.
"That's decided," stated Qian Heng. "For our second order of business, we need to discuss military tactics. I suggest we remove the Death Forbidden Treaty."
"Your majesty? Seriously? First the Taoist bastards, and now this?"
"Please leave our ancestors to rest."
"Yes, leave them alone."
"Some of you truly either cannot understand the threat we are facing, or you refuse to do so. This method is the only way we have a remote chance in this war."
"But...what about filial piety and respecting the elders and ancestors? We might be martial artists, but we're not brutes."
"It's either that or you guys go forward, drastically increasing our death rate."
A silence ensued, followed by more discussions before everyone nodded in using this tactic. The meeting lasted a few hours as many more preparations for this war were coming. No one knew when the enemy was coming, but they understood it would not be much. They needed to organize their armies and pool their resources, followed by some training for better cooperation. Lastly, the people with God Positions needed to use their position's advantage to increase their strength as soon as possible; the majority have prepared to use forbidden methods to increase their strength at great costs.
After the meeting, Qian Heng thought he had a moment of respite. The next thing he needed to do was to see whether he could create a few more Immortals to participate in this war; better yet, he wished he had enough time and resources to train an Eternal Class Insurgent. However, he soon sensed something and looked in the eastern direction. Killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Those damn bastards," he groaned before disappearing from the golden throne.
Seven days passed, and when the time arrived, everyone who would be participating in the war was waiting at the court. Wang Wei stood before more than hundreds of millions of cultivators.
"With me here, we will be victorious in this war no matter what." His voice was soft, but everyone present could hear it loud and clear, as if he was muttering directly into their ears.
"What you have to worry about is how fast we can win, how many of our people we can save before the war ends, how many enemies we can kill, and how to celebrate once everything is over."
A fervor rushed through every soldier's presence as the military aura around them drastically increased and solidified. Even the more cool-headed and experienced Immortals felt the passion of these simple but direct words. The idea that they have such a monster as their backer filled them with untold confidence.
"Now go," said Wang Wei as he waved his hand to create a portal. "Win this war and announce our glorious return to the Endless Void."
"Glory to Your Majesty and honor to the motherland."
"Glory to Your Majesty and honor to the motherland."
"Glory to Your Majesty and honor to the motherland."
All the troops began to chant in unison as they marched into the portal, directly teleporting outside the Martial Hegemony World. As soon as the troops arrived at their destination, they deployed all the formations while waiting.
"Do you think they won't fight us in the void?" asked Huo Fenghuang.
"Logically speaking, they should understand this formation won't hold two Eternals, so the best move is to fight us outside," replied Ao Shen. "However, they may have an unknown tactic that requires them to do so."
She nodded, "The commander seemed confident they would fight us outside." Her gaze looked at the calm and composed Tie Gang.
"Maybe he knows something we don't, or he's just that confident."
The wait was more than thirty minutes by standard time. The magic circles surrounding the Martial Hegemony World shone with golden lights before all their legions manifested.
"What is this stink? I know - fear and worry." Huo Fenghuang's voice echoed in the void, and the opposing troops could hear it clearly. Tie Gang smiled, secretly praising her. Morale is a crucial factor in any battle, and her small actions gave them another boost on top of the one from the Heavenly Emperor.
"We are martial artists," said Qian Heng, who finally appeared. "We pursue the transcendence of our body and mind. So what if we're afraid? That's just another emotion to conquer."
Ao Shen and Huo Fenghuang sneered but did not say anything.
"What is the plan?" she asked through divine sense. "Do you want to slaughter their leader immediately?"
"Haven't you realized for some people that this war is a game?" replied Ao Shen with a sneer. "Since they are not in a hurry, we don't need to be too eager."
"Hehe," chuckled Huo Fenghuang. Of course, she noticed, but her primary objective was to use this war to cultivate her Slaughter Dao. The White Tiger Blood in her veins is screaming in anticipation.
Meanwhile, Tie Gang looked appreciative; he did not expect the enemy's Heavenly Emperor to be this competent.
'Maybe this war will not be as easy as I anticipated,' thought Tie Gang. He did not care if this world struggled more than anticipated; he wished for it. He is treating this life as a form of experiencing gathering for the next, so the more turbulence he encounters, the better he will be for his next life.
"According to the order of my Emperor, I will give your world one last chance," yelled Tie Gang. "Stop this war, and the previous offer will still stand. By the honor of his majesty, the sovereignty of your court will be guaranteed."
"And my answer is still the same," replied Qian Heng. "We do not accept any foreign interference in our world - in any shape or form, and that's final."
"You know you cannot win this war, so why be persistent?" countered Tie Gang. "Billions of lives will die because of your stupid decision; their death will be in your hands."
"We will rather die standing than accept subjugation. And no, their deaths will not be on us but yours. You're the one who chose this aggressive path."
"Since that's your choice, fine," said Tie Gang. "See this, men? We have offered mercy to our opponent, but they have refused our goodwill. Now, let's show them what power is."
'"Glory to Your Majesty and honor to the motherland." The chants of the Myriad Emperor World's legions echoed in the void, even making it tremble slightly. Then, they marched forward.
"Release them!" yelled Qian Heng.
