Chapter 1316: Coming of the Troops
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Emperor Li’s City, inside the palace, there seemed to be dark clouds hovering over it.
Princes, princesses, nobles, and other magistrates converged, and troops guarded the whole city.
Under the rule of Emperor Li, the Imperial Advisor of Dali oversaw domestic issues while King Tiandao dealt with outside matters. This management system rendered Dali Dynasty incredibly strong and prosperous, far exceeding the neighboring Emperor Xia’s Realm.
Therefore, many in the Dali Army and also many of the magistrates believed that they were in a position to initiate a border war and plunder the resources of cultivation from Emperor Xia’s Realm, thereby expanding the power of the Dali and making Dali stronger.
However, this all changed a few years ago when Ye Futian appeared in Dali Dynasty. After that, because of him, the Imperial Advisor of Dali was admonished, and the Imperial Advisor’s Residence sat there, deserted.
In a few short years, the invasion of Emperor Xia’s Realm swept from all directions, pressuring Dali Dynasty.
The situation was reversed so quickly.
In front of the towering Golden Hall of the palace, Emperor Li stood on the stairs case. People were moving below. Messengers kept coming urgently to report the military situation.
“His Majesty, Sword Mountain and Sun City in the southwest fell. In the northwest, Emperor Xia’s army had invaded Tianluo City and Yaodu. Directly to the west, Daoli Mountain and the relics of the Emperor were lost. King Tiandao and the Regent failed in the ambush, with many casualties, and are now retreating toward the Imperial City.”
The messenger relayed the news in one breath and then bowed his head on the ground, daring not to lift it.
An important and strategic location in the west, in the shape of a fan, was lost successively, and even the ambush had failed. On the side of the Empty Realm, King White had evacuated, with Cao Kong left behind.
The battle was becoming a one-sided situation.
However, this situation was also expected. Under the circumstances, the opponent’s cultivators of Nirvana Plane occupied the absolute advantage while Ye Futian still brought many figures of the Unblemished Saint Plane from the Crimson Dragon Realm. The invasion by one realm was composed of all major top forces and the Eight Great Armies.
As Dali had been weakened considerably by the loss of the Imperial Advisor’s Residence, in contrast, the disparity of power was one-sided.
There was silence in the palace. Many ministers were quiet, and the princes and princesses were speechless.
Some of the princes and princesses present even had dealings with Ye Futian when he was known as the Seventh Swordsman in Dali, whose reputation rang throughout the realm.
Who would have thought that the Seventh Swordsman now controlled this great battle of the Renhuang Realm?
“What are your thoughts?” Emperor Li looked at everyone in the hall.
It was met by more silence. In the world of cultivation, power trumped all. Their previous strategy was to retreat proactively, avoiding direct, all-out confrontation with the enemy, using a few cultivators to ambush possible points of entry. After all, the invading army of Emperor Xia’s Realm was scattered.
King Tiandao and the Prince Regent were undoubtedly the most promising. Supposing they could ambush and destroy one army of the enemy, they could immediately support other areas of fighting.
Then there was the Empty Realm. In addition to King White, Cao Kong was deliberately dispatched to infiltrate the Emperor Li’s City in secret and deal a fatal blow if the enemy intended to make a move on the Empty Realm.
But everyone had seen the result. Ye Futian had convinced the Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm to join forces with him to attack Emperor Li’s City in the Empty Realm, causing the capture of Cao Kong, the premier demonic figure of Dali.
“His Majesty, since this is already the situation, it is better to give up all the positions. I can’t hold it. Is it possible to concentrate all my strength and use time differences to break through one by one?” someone suggested.
There had to be a time difference with the arrival of the great army of the other side.
“King Tiandao and the Prince Regent originally planned to do the same, but the Swordmaster of Lihen and Yaya were the main forces defending the sword matrix. After the arrival of the reinforcement, the other party seemed to be able to communicate remotely and kept from consistently advancing together. The closer they were to the Imperial City, their more positions seemed to converge to support each other quickly,” reported the messenger.
“It is Ye Futian’s ability; he can control demons. That was the cause of defeat during the battle for the Empty Realm,” someone said.
“Unless…” The man who knelt on the floor continued. Emperor Li looked at him and said, “Unless what?”
“Unless His Majesty leads us to the battlefield and smashes them one by one at the fastest speed,” the messenger said, his head on the ground. When two armies fought, usually, Renhuags would not participate. If Emperor Li got involved, then it was possible that Emperor Xia may get involved as well.
Once a Renhuang intervened, it was possible to make the situation even more serious until it became uncontrollable. It could even trigger a battle to extinguish an entire realm. This kind of thing was not unheard of in history.
Emperor Li’s eyes were sharp as he stared at the other. The man continued, “However, the army of the enemy did not launch a killing spree. Perhaps, they have other motivations.”
“It was an invasion initiated by Ye Futian, presumably because of the Imperial Advisor,” the Third Prince of Dali said. He had participated in the battle of the Crimson Dragon Realm and understood that the Imperial Advisor was punished because he had let Ye Futian go. The Imperial Advisor’s behavior had indeed been a betrayal of his position.
Now, Ye Futian was eager to provoke this war. His motivation was clear.
He wanted to save the Imperial Advisor.
“Is it possible for the Imperial Advisor…” someone started, then shut up before finishing the thought.
After all, Emperor Xia’s Realm was using invasion as a cover and did not say that the operation was to rescue the Imperial Advisor of Dali. If Dali Dynasty used the life of the Imperial Advisor to threaten them in return, what would that look like?
Emperor Li would be embarrassed. Furthermore, the other had already attacked. Would using the life of the Imperial Advisor even work?
What would happen if it failed and Ye Futian ordered a slaughter?
At this moment, someone came in, running. He kneeled on one knee and said, “Your Majesty, the nine armies of the Emperor Xia’s Realm are advancing at full speed and heading straight towards the Imperial City. Without interception, it won’t be long before the Imperial Army of Xia arrives at the same time.”
The space was still silent. They were crossing the territory of the Dali Dynasty and heading straight for the imperial city.
Dali Dynasty was immense. Out of the countless cultivators, no one was able to intercept.
Although Dali was a dynasty, it couldn’t mobilize all the cultivators in its kingdom to participate in the war.
Nine armies plus Ye Futian and his people from the Empty Realm should be ten armies in total.
The Sword Qi permeated the air, and a strong sword will descended in the distance. Everyone turned their attention there, knowing that the cultivators of Sword Mountain had arrived.
Before the swordsmen of Sword Mountain entered the hall with their swords on their backs, the clan leader of Sword Mountain was at the forefront. He bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, Sword Mountain was not able to block them. I have disappointed Your Majesty.”
Emperor Li waved his hand, “Not your fault.”
It was expected that it could not be stopped.
The clan leader of Sword Mountain let out a sigh. Once upon a time, Sword Mountain had invited Ye Futian to cultivate there.
Although the army of the enemy invaded Sword Mountain this time, it was not a slaughter. The army of Emperor Xia’s Realm had only injured but did not kill.
Clearly, Ye Futian had deliberately ordered his men to show mercy.
Strictly speaking, there were also cultivators of Sword Mountain who were involved in the pursuit of Ye Futian while in the Empty Realm.
It is commendable that Ye Futian could achieve such mercy.
It was a pity that he was Ye Futian—not the Seventh Swordsman.
If he was really the Seventh Swordsman of Dali, how perfect would it be?
There was a strong breath coming from outside of the Imperial Palace, and the great army continued its return to the imperial city.
Both King Tiandao and the Prince Regent returned and came to the hall, bowing their heads. They said, “We have failed.”
Not only were they unable to kill the Swordmaster of Lihen and his companions, but were attacked by them. Their sword matrix killed many of their people.
Emperor Li said nothing, as there someone came forward again. It was King Li, who arrived with cultivators from the Lower World.
However, King Li Wang had not even reached the Nirvana Plane, and his arrival could change nothing.
King Li’s daughter, Li You, was also present, and her expression was extremely complicated.
Back then, she had a good relationship with the Seventh Swordsman, who came from the Lower World to the Upper World.
She knew that Ye Futian had given up on his grudge against Li Yao and had wanted to leave, but the Prince Regent pursued him relentlessly.
Furthermore, the Imperial Advisor of Dali was later dispatched to the Crimson Dragon Realm.
The real mistake may have been this.
Otherwise, the Imperial Advisor would not have gone to prison, and Dali would not be in this current situation.
No one could come out and turn the tide.
Dark clouds shrouded the imperial city of Li.
The once-prosperous Emperor Li’s Path seemed a little empty at the moment. The population was either converging at the palace or left this place all together.
Everyone was talking about just one thing—the great army of Emperor Xia’s Realm would soon arrive at the Imperial City of Li.
Moreover, the person who controlled this warfare turned out to be the Seventh Swordsman, a disciple of the Imperial Advisor whose name was known throughout Emperor Li’s Path.
Had he come to avenge the Imperial Advisor?
Many were thinking, in just a few years, what kind of genius had Ye Futian become?
What would happen at the Imperial City of Li?
In the imperial city, large armies from all sides continually gathered. They were the legions that guarded all corners of Dali Dynasty. They had all returned now to prepare for the battle at the imperial city.
But according to the information received by the people inside the imperial city, even if the entire army of the dynasty converged, they would still be suppressed in this battle.
After a long while, someone rushed toward the palace. Soon, outside the Imperial City, in various directions, the army of Emperor Xia’s Realm descended.
Outside the city, people looked up at the void, their hearts trembling fiercely.
Armies of Saints had surrounded the city.
Nine armies came one after another, appearing in different positions outside the Imperial City. Their bodies levitated in the air, and they could see the adjacent army.
They had arrived!
The troops had come.
No one would have thought that there would be a day when Dali Dynasty would be pressed outside its own city wall with no means to strike back.
In the Empty Realm, Ye Futian had also ordered the army to gather and prepare.
This time, with the troops marching to the imperial city, he did not believe that Emperor Li would not compromise and release the prisoner.
“Enter the city.” A command was issued, and suddenly, the army outside marched straight into the Imperial City in an awesome formation. All the cultivators within the city drew back with trembling hearts.
Not only did the troops came to the city, but they had now marched into the city and headed toward the palace.
Inside the imperial palace of Dali Dynasty, Emperor Li looked up into the distance. He had sensed everything outside the city. The presence of nine armies and a dozen Nirvana existence. It was almost double their own numbers.
He looked up at the sky and said, “Since you are already here, why not show yourself?”
The hearts of the people inside the palace trembled, and when they saw a figure descended from the sky, it was Emperor Xia.
When the army invaded the imperial city, Emperor Xia naturally had to be at the helm to control the situation. What if Emperor Li suddenly lost his composure and went crazy?
But what was shocking was that beside Emperor Xia, two figures descended with him. One of them was an extremely beautiful woman, who stood quietly next to a man. The middle-aged man was wearing a gorgeous robe that seemed to be cast by divine feathers. His figure was long and slender, and he had strange pupils. Even in his middle age, he still possessed a handsome and extraordinary temperament.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of the presence of the Peacock Emperor?” Emperor Li said, which made the hearts of many tremble. The Peacock Emperor of the Peacock Demon Realm had also come!