Shu Prefecture City, Yan King's Manor.

Inside the main hall.

Chen Yuan sat high on the head seat, looking down at everyone, the entire hall was filled with an extremely solemn atmosphere.

Below, everyone sat in their respective places.

Daoist Tianxu, Jiang He, Zhao Danqing, and Daoist Lingxu were all present.

After the battle of Zhennan Pass, in order to prevent Xiang Qianqiu and others from launching a sneak attack, Chen Yuan issued a royal order to recall most of his forces to Shu Prefecture, to be wary of other forces.

The entire Zhennan Pass was left under the command of Chu Changfeng, Yang Huatian, Daoist Chongxu, and others.

There was a hierarchy of importance and urgency. Previously, the urgent matter was the Southern Border demon race, so he mobilized all his forces to Zhennan Pass. Now that the demon army was defeated, the focus naturally had to shift back.

"How have you all recovered?"

Chen Yuan picked up his teacup and took a light sip.

"We are mostly recovered..."

Daoist Tianxu smiled and said.

This could almost be said to be the most crucial moment. Once Chen Yuan was defeated in the battle for supremacy, these supporters of his would hardly have a good ending.

Therefore, they could only win, not lose!

Only through victory, seizing the world, could they realize their goals and obtain the promises from Chen Yuan, otherwise, it would just be empty words.

Against this backdrop, the Taixu Palace, Biyou Palace, and Mount Shu had all taken out their millennium-old accumulated foundations to help the powerful warriors under Chen Yuan recover their strength.

"Many thanks to the benefactors..." Although Monk Xuyan's aura was still weak, it was already steadily rising, and recovery was only a matter of time.

"What about the military?"

Chen Yuan asked again.

Jiang He looked around and said in a solemn voice:

"During the days when Your Majesty was in seclusion, all condolences and rewards have been fully distributed. Although the military's strength has declined, morale has not decreased but increased, and they are already stepping up their training.

More than half of the Jianghu martial artists are willing to temporarily serve under the Yan King's Manor, and the rest have scattered back into the Jianghu after the demon race retreated."

In any era, there was no shortage of heroes with lofty ambitions. In the battle of Zhennan Pass, people from the Shu Prefecture Jianghu, Nanzhou Jianghu, and even the Central Plains Jianghu came to help.

Those people were not afraid of death, only wishing to prevent the demon army from entering the Central Plains.

After the war, because most of these people fought on their own and suffered heavy casualties, Chen Yuan was also generous in compensating them in the same way as the Yan army.

Some were unwilling to accept it, but most people still accepted it.

By paying a small price, he could gain more people's hearts.

Zhennan Pass was entrusted to Chu Changfeng, while in Shu Prefecture, most of the military and political affairs were managed by Jiang He.

"Not bad..."

Chen Yuan nodded.

"Now that the situation in the world has changed drastically, how should we proceed next? I wonder if Your Highness has a plan?" Daoist Lingxu asked with a droop of his eyelids and a calm expression.

"That's right, while Your Highness was in seclusion, the Dongying dwarfs invaded the border, sending allied forces of small countries to secretly attack the East Sea. Now, Ye Xiangnan has been restrained.

The Northern Barbarian army had already begun attacking Liang Prefecture before, and Wudang Mountain and Wei Jinfeng were simply unable to spare any attention to the Central Plains situation. The thirty-six countries of the Western Regions now occupy Lanzhou, eyeing the Central Plains covetously. Xiang Qianqiu has already sent the Heavenly Demon Hall army westward, confronting the Western Regions army. The Southern Border's million-strong demon army has been badly defeated.

The Demon God has fallen, and the Demon Saint is severely wounded. It is said that they are now electing a Demon Emperor and have no time to look north to the Central Plains. Other rebel forces, such as the Gu family and the Goddess Palace, are not worth fearing.

The Sima clan of the Great Jin Dynasty is a decaying tree in a tomb. Although the Yan army suffered heavy losses in the battle of Zhennan Pass, they still have the strength to fight. This old man believes that this is a great opportunity.

While all the forces are unable to react, we should march north and seize the lands of Qing, Yang, Yun, and Zhong provinces. In this way, most of the fertile lands in the thirteen provinces of the Central Plains will be in our hands.

We can go north to take Liang and You provinces, east to send troops to the East Sea and destroy Martial Emperor City, and west to contend with Buddhism, achieving the position of Human Emperor. In this way, the great cause can be accomplished!"

Daoist Tianxu spoke his mind.

Zhao Danqing stroked his beard and nodded, feeling that it made a lot of sense.

But Jiang He shook his head and said in a deep voice:

Daoist Tianxu is thinking a bit too highly.

"Oh... then what does Grand Commandant Jiang think we should do?"

"Regarding what to do next, Your Highness has already made a decision. Going north to the Central Plains can indeed pick up some scraps at this time and gain great benefits, but... similarly, the crisis will be even greater.

Once we occupy Qing, Yun, Yang, Zhong, and Bing provinces, the Yan army will inevitably be attacked from all sides, north, south, east, and west. At that time, it will not be the accomplishment of a great cause, but being trapped in a jar."

"This..."

Daoist Tianxu revealed a pensive expression, with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, a northern expedition to the Central Plains must first annex Blood Province and take down Xiang Qianqiu. Otherwise, under the attack from all sides, our chances of winning are very small. Otherwise, Ye Xiangnan and others would have taken advantage of the demon race's invasion to annex Yun and Zhong provinces."

Daoist Lingxu echoed.

Did they really think that they wouldn't dare to act just because of a word from Chen Yuan?

In fact, the nail that sticks out gets hammered. Whoever takes the most advantageous position first will be besieged, just like now, Chen Yuan's power is great, so many forces will target him.

Chen Yuan would never speculate about others with the greatest goodwill. He believed that once he really occupied Zhong, Bing, Qing, and Yang provinces, what would greet him must be... a siege!

"What does Your Highness think?"

Daoist Tianxu asked again.

Did he really not see the situation clearly?

He was just following the conversation to remind Chen Yuan not to miss the current good opportunity. Once Ye Xiangnan recovered, the Northern Barbarians retreated, and Xiang Qianqiu reached an agreement with Buddhism, then all the pressure would be on them.

Therefore, they must act as soon as possible!

Taking the initiative into their own hands, even though they had just experienced a great battle, they still had the strength to fight. Only by taking down Blood Province could Chen Yuan truly dominate the South and eye the world covetously.

"Da... da..."

Chen Yuan's expression was calm, his eyes were deep, and his fingers were constantly tapping on the armrest. After everyone had finished speaking, he nodded and said in a deep voice:

"What you have said makes sense, but no matter what, now is the best time to act. Compared to sending troops to Qing Province, taking down Blood Province is the top priority.

Therefore, I believe that at this time... it is appropriate to launch a northern expedition, and after destroying Blood Province, take Qing and Yun provinces in one fell swoop. Half of the country will be in our hands."

"Not bad..."

"Jiang He."

"Here."

"Prepare the army for war!"

"Yes."

"Daoist Tianxu, Daoist Danqing, Daoist Lingxu..."

"Please give the order, Your Highness!"

"The losses in battles between armies are too great. I think... we should kill Xiang Qianqiu first. Once he dies, the Blood Province alliance will break apart, and the Heavenly Demon Hall and Seven Kill Hall will be much easier to deal with.

This time... please, Daoists... do your best!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

......

Backyard of the King's Manor.

After Chen Yuan's order was issued, Jiang He and others quickly began to gather manpower. Chen Yuan's own war machine would be set in motion again. At the same time... mobilizing most of his forces, this time, he would have a final showdown with Xiang Qianqiu!

"Are we really going to act now?"

Su Ziyue, wearing a palace dress and a red skirt, gently pressed on Chen Yuan's body with her slender and fair hands. She leaned close, her eyes filled with worry.

In the battle of Zhennan Pass, the Yan army lost nearly half of its forces, and two Yang God True Monarchs fell, which was extremely tragic. They had not yet fully recovered, and many soldiers were still recovering from their injuries.

Once they acted...

It was not that she was reluctant to part with some family property. In fact, she was worried about Chen Yuan. Having such a powerful force, he was now admired by countless people, and millions submitted to him.

But in this chaotic world, it was just a castle in the air, with an unstable foundation. Once he was defeated... the consequences would be unimaginable.

She hoped that Chen Yuan could be more stable, and wait until he had completely reached the peak of the Fifth Realm and comprehended the rules before having a true decisive battle with Xiang Qianqiu.

Chen Yuan let out a breath, took Su Ziyue's slender hand and rubbed it gently, responding in a low voice:

"The situation is like this. It is not that I can stop the war if I don't want to act. The world is in chaos right now, and there are great battles taking place in the East, West, and North. When they come to their senses, they will join forces to target me.

Rather than waiting to be killed, it is better to take the initiative and take the initiative into my own hands..."

"Are you confident?"

Chen Yuan's eyes were deep:

"There is nothing in the world that is guaranteed to succeed. I can only do my best. I know that Xiang Qianqiu is not that simple. He has many thoughts and is willing to pay everything for the restoration of his country, even hatred...

If I'm not mistaken, he is probably waiting for me to act now. If I don't act, then he should make his move... Hehe... Then let's act."

"Isn't this even more dangerous?" Su Ziyue frowned.

"Danger... is often accompanied by opportunity, Ziyue, do you know who Qing Yan is to me?"

"Cousin?"

Su Ziyue was a little confused. Chen Yuan had informed her about this matter before, and asking her again now was really... strange.

"That's right, cousin. Her surname is Chen, and she is the daughter of my uncle. Then, do you know where my uncle is now?"

"I don't know..."

"He is in the Seven Kill Hall, is the Second Yama, King Chu Jiang. Once, in a battle in Blood Province, we recognized each other, but because of some things, he has never exposed himself, and is still in the Seven Kill Hall..."

"Having an internal response, wouldn't that be... better?"

Su Ziyue's face showed joy.

"I did think so before, but later, as I thought about it, I discovered something was wrong."

"Hmm, what do you mean?"

"My uncle once followed Xiang Qianqiu. Since the two of them had contact, do you think... Xiang Qianqiu would have discovered his true identity?"

"Xiang Qianqiu is not a god. If he is well-concealed, he may not be able to hide it from him."

"Haha, yes, Xiang Qianqiu is indeed not some god. There are many things he cannot predict, but one thing is that he is a cautious and suspicious old thing who is willing to plan for hundreds of years to restore his country.

With such deep schemes, who can be sure that he hasn't already known and buried a pit for me on my uncle?"

Chen Yuan laughed heartily.

Su Ziyue's face changed:

"You mean, Xiang Qianqiu has already known about this, but he is just hiding it and not acting?"

"Yes, that's what I'm so sure of!"

"In this way, wouldn't my uncle be in danger?"

"Before he kills me, Xiang Qianqiu will not reveal his true intentions. Killing my uncle will only provoke my anger. Other than that, it is useless.

Only by killing me and annexing the forces under my command is his true purpose."

"So..."

"So, this time, I predicted his prediction of my prediction of the prediction!"

Su Ziyue: "......"

......

......

Blood Province, Liangshan.

Xiang Qianqiu stood on the edge of a cliff, contemplating with his eyes closed. The dark red light of the setting sun shone on him, setting him off with a certain temperament.

The void rippled, and the Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall, wearing a mask, slowly solidified beside him.

"Chen Yuan has appeared."

Xiang Qianqiu opened his eyes and slowly uttered a few words.

"I know. He shouldn't have been in seclusion before, but went to the Southern Border..." The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall nodded as if he had expected it.

The Seven Kill Hall, as the only one of the ten Immortal Sects that focuses on assassination, has intelligence networks all over the world. Although it is not as good as the Dengxian Tower, it is definitely considered top-notch.

Including the Southern Border, there were also some informants.

After the end of Zhennan Pass, he mobilized all his forces to investigate Chen Yuan's whereabouts. Unfortunately, because it was too strict, they couldn't figure it out.

But recently, news came that Chen Yuan had recently appeared in the Southern Border, attracting the pursuit of the Demon God, and was safe and sound. Now he has appeared in the Yan King's Manor.

"What a bold spirit, daring to run around in this situation..." The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall shook his head.

"There is nothing he doesn't dare to do. Now he is preparing for war and will soon attack Blood Province."

"Hehe... After just experiencing the battle of Zhennan Pass, how much strength can he have? If he dares to act, we will take the opportunity to leave him behind, and the great cause can be accomplished."

"He dares to act, naturally he has something to rely on. Perhaps, he really believes that Dongfang Sheng is confronting Buddhism in Lanzhou, and Blood Province is empty at this time."

"Did you let this Seat come here today just to say this?"

"Of course not. I let you come here today to tell you something."

"What?"

The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall frowned and asked.

"King Chu Jiang is Chen Yuan's hidden pawn..."

"Are you kidding me? Hehe... When King Chu Jiang entered the Seven Kill Hall, Chen Yuan was still in her mother's womb and hadn't been born yet..." The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall sneered.

Regarding the identity of King Chu Jiang, he had some doubts and some speculations, and felt that it was not simple, but that was not important, because he was now the King Chu Jiang of the Seven Kill Hall, the second most powerful figure.

Saying that he was Xiang Qianqiu's man was more credible than Chen Yuan's man.

When the Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall said that Chen Yuan was still in her mother's womb, Xiang Qianqiu unconsciously flashed a hint of killing intent, but it quickly disappeared, and he said faintly:

"King Chu Jiang is a descendant of the Chen clan of the Yan Marquis of Great Chu, named Chen Huaiyi. He has a younger sister named Chen Xuanling. Chen Xuanling gave birth to a son, who is Chen Yuan!

Chen Huaiyi is Chen Yuan's uncle. Do you think he is Chen Yuan's man?"

"Chen Huaiyi... Chen Xuanling... Chen Xuanling..." The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall's gaze grew stronger and stronger, as if he had thought of something, and he looked at Xiang Qianqiu with a shocked expression, and asked in a deep voice:

"Chen Yuan... is your son?!"

As the Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall, he certainly knew who Chen Xuanling was and whom she eventually married.

"Yes."

"Hehe... Hahahaha..."

"What are you laughing at?"

"You father and son are really... kind father and filial son..."