88: Chapter 8. War breaks out between the Kingdom of Kun and the Kingdom of Qian. War breaks out. War breaks out.

"No wonder Grandmasters don't think much of it!"

Lu Qing was on his way to the Pi Kingdom Imperial City. Along the way, combining what he had seen and heard, he found that the resources of the Pi Kingdom were actually quite abundant; there was no shortage of gold, silver, or iron mines. However, the only thing missing was the spiritual substances needed by Grandmasters; there wasn't a single one.

Medicines to assist martial artists in their cultivation were also very scarce. Apart from golden rice, there were not many medicinal herbs that could help martial artists train. It was likely due to the Tianduan Mountain, which had absorbed all the nutrients from the surrounding land into the Tianduan Mountains.

This kind of land was suitable for ordinary people who did not practice martial arts, as there was no shortage of grain seeds, but it was not suitable for martial artists. Not every martial artist was a peerless genius; without medicine, it was impossible to make any progress.

"The Imperial Palace."

Lu Qing found out the location of the palace and casually bought black clothes and iron equipment, creating a Demonic Cult disguise.

"I can't seem to break this habit after all!"

Looking at the Demonic Cult attire he was wearing, Lu Qing shook his head; before he realized it, he had already put on the Demonic Cult clothing!

Even though this mission was justified and there was no need for the Demonic Cult's name, he always subconsciously felt that doing bad deeds without wearing Demonic Cult clothes just wasn't perfect.

"Are other righteous sects like this too?"

Lu Qing murmured, rushing towards the Imperial City.

...

Meanwhile, in the imperial court of the Pi Kingdom, all the civil and military officials were present. A figure leaned against the dragon throne, majestic as a mountain.

Below, a high-ranking official was reporting news.

"Your Majesty, according to the information gathered, among the current major powers, the Kun Kingdom is the weakest, with only three Grandmasters. Even small nations whose national strength is far inferior to ours are frequently waging war against the Kun Kingdom."

"Moreover, the Kun Kingdom only has three Grandmasters and has suffered from war and natural disasters for years, so its national strength is not what it used to be. The Kun Kingdom's title as a major power has long existed in name only!

If it were over two hundred years ago, during the time when our Great Pi had three Grandmasters in charge, our strength would have been even greater than that of the Kun Kingdom!"

"Your Majesty, I request to lead the attack on the Kun Kingdom!"

A Grandmaster stood out impatiently. He was not one of the three original Grandmasters under Empress Xiao, but a newly promoted one.

He was originally a First-Class Martial Artist who participated in the war against the Grey Kingdom while obeying Empress Xiao's orders to attack the Cannon Kingdom and the Grey Kingdom.

He had used cannons to surround and kill two Grandmasters, inherited their legacy, and successfully broken through to become a Grandmaster.

He was only of First-Class strength back then, leading a team of one hundred martial artists, and easily blasted two Grandmasters to death with cannons.

This greatly increased his confidence, making him feel that even a Grandmaster could be surrounded and killed.

Cannons were simple to operate; anyone could use them. The power of a detonated cannonball was even stronger than that of a Grandmaster. They were just too bulky, but when there were enough of them, it was like a hundred cannons firing at once, covering a large area, and even a Grandmaster couldn't escape.

A Grandmaster was stronger than a Grandmaster, but no matter how strong, they were still flesh and blood. If one hundred cannons could surround and kill a Grandmaster, then to deal with a Grandmaster, he could use one thousand, ten thousand, or one hundred thousand!

This was not an exaggeration. After defeating the Cannon and Grey Kingdoms, they not only looted the wealth of both countries but also captured a large number of martial artists to mine. With sufficient raw materials, all the factories manufacturing cannons and cannonballs were operating day and night.

The minimum daily output of cannons was five thousand. Now, the Great Pi had a huge reserve of cannons, and they also had bombs used for making traps. With so many advantages, it was enough to kill a Grandmaster.

Thinking of this, the Grandmaster general became even more confident.

"Your Majesty, just give me three hundred martial artists, an army of ten thousand, and a thousand cannons. If I cannot destroy the Kun Kingdom, I will bring you my head!"

What a cunning fellow, wanting to monopolize the resources of a major power!

The other officials cursed inwardly. Two months ago, when Empress Xiao announced the attack on neighboring countries, the Great Pi army swept through two countries with an unstoppable force.

In a national war, the Great Pi lost fewer than a thousand soldiers, and the number of officials who were captains or martial artists who died was less than ten!

Every martial artist who participated in the war had a bountiful harvest. When the results were tallied, the officials realized that this was not going to war, but going to rake in gold!

The Grandmaster general wanted to attack the Kun Kingdom alone; his intentions were obvious!

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead fifty thousand elite soldiers as the vanguard to attack the Qian Kingdom!"

"Leave the Xuan Kingdom to me!"

"Your Majesty, give me ten thousand elite soldiers, and I can destroy the Man Kingdom!"

"..."

The generals scrambled to request to fight, plotting something huge. Even the surrounding small countries had not yet been subdued, and they were already rushing to attack the Man Kingdom, which was thousands, tens of thousands, or even a hundred thousand miles away!

If the martial artists of other nations heard this, their worldview would collapse. A group of martial artists without even a single Grandmaster was here arguing about crusading against current major powers!

And they looked so full of confidence. Had they lost their minds?

Yet, this was a country that had been cut off from the outside world for over two hundred years. The time was too long; even the oldest people of the Pi Kingdom had never seen a real Grandmaster.

Their knowledge of Grandmasters was entirely based on hearsay and conjecture. Now that they had mastered divine weapons that could easily kill Grandmasters, and in such large numbers that they could even blast mountains into flat ground, they had lost their awe of Grandmasters.

No matter how strong a Grandmaster was, could they flatten a mountain?

Since defeating two countries without any effort, they had developed a sense of superiority and did not take other nations seriously!

Now, the arrogant words of requesting to fight showed they even wanted to challenge all the nations directly.

Fortunately, they had not completely lost their minds. The rise of the Great Pi was too fast; although they were strong enough to challenge other nations, their foundation was still shallow, and they did not have the energy to go to war with so many countries at once.

"Do we have to fight from the small countries on the periphery all the way to the major powers?"

Many generals were unwilling. The nearest major power was twenty thousand miles away in a straight line. If they fought their way there bit by bit, how long would it take?

"We must attack the major powers first!"

A civil official smiled calmly, waving his fan, appearing inscrutable. "Not to occupy, but to launch a surprise attack. First, to weaken the strength of the major powers, and second, to bring back the unique spiritual substances of Grandmasters."

"At the same time, we will deploy a large number of landmines and bombs on the borders of the Great Pi Kingdom. Each city will be equipped with ten thousand cannons, covering the sky and the ground, forming an inescapable net. With such defenses, even if the armies of all the major powers arrive, there is nothing to fear!"

"We are closing our country, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving, slowly digesting the spiritual substances, cultivating Grandmasters, and forging weapons. When our foundation is sufficient, we can then conquer the various nations!"

"Good! We shall proceed with this plan!"

Empress Xiao stood up and walked to the center of the palace hall.

"Over two hundred years ago, our Great Pi lost three Grandmasters, and the other nations kicked us while we were down, humiliating our Great Pi... I have ascended to the throne, and I will not forget this national humiliation. I intend to wage war on these nations to avenge the ancestors of the Great Pi."

Subsequently, Empress Xiao looked at the general who had just broken through to become a Grandmaster.

"Liu Chengzhi!"

"Present!"

"I command you to lead ten thousand elite soldiers and three hundred martial artists. Take whatever cannons, bombs, and firearms you need. Depart immediately and wage war on the Kun Kingdom!"

"Yes!"

"Qiang Buzhong!"

Empress Xiao then looked at the spear-wielding Grandmaster. "I command you to lead thirty thousand elite soldiers and one thousand martial artists. Depart tomorrow and wage war on the Qian Kingdom!"

"Yes!"

"Wu Yelang, you lead fifty thousand elite soldiers and three thousand martial artists to wage war on the Xuan Kingdom!"

"Wage war on the Kun Kingdom!"

"She Jianzhun, you lead three thousand martial artists to wage war on the Man Kingdom."

"General Ye, you are responsible for deploying the defensive works. Once the outgoing armies return, immediately prohibit anyone from entering!"

...

The Pi Kingdom was in motion. Army after army assembled, carrying heavy cannons, and left the Pi Kingdom.

At the same time, rows of cannons were mounted on the walls of the Imperial City. They were very dense. The ground within three kilometers around the Imperial City was bare, without any obstructions. The dense artillery fire could cover every corner, whether in the sky or on the ground.

Lu Qing also arrived at the Imperial City. Looking at the dense cannons on the city walls, he smiled calmly and walked towards the city gate.

He had heard Li Jiao introduce the cannons and knew that their power was comparable to a full-force strike from a Grandmaster!

Cannons could injure Grandmasters, but their disadvantages were too obvious, depending on the operator. If ordinary people operated the cannons, just loading the ammunition and aiming would take at least nearly half a minute, and once the target was in a moving state, it was basically very difficult to hit.

Generally speaking, if ordinary people operating cannons faced a martial artist—not to mention a Grandmaster, even a First-Class Martial Artist—they would be closed in on by the martial artist before they could fire. Even if they wanted to run, they couldn't move the cannons that weighed several tons.

But it was different in the hands of martial artists. Martial artists had the strength to lift heavy tripods; carrying cannons that weighed several tons, while somewhat strenuous, was not too difficult. Coupled with the fact that as their martial arts realm deepened, their sensory and reaction capabilities also greatly improved, they could quickly make accurate judgments when facing sudden situations.

Their perception and reaction were far superior to ordinary people, and combined with their immense strength, they perfectly compensated for the shortcomings of the cannons.

Whether it was aiming, predicting, or firing the cannons, it could all be done in the blink of an eye!

Even at the moment the cannon fired, they could turn the muzzle. With their powerful physical fitness, they could even withstand the recoil of the cannon while holding it to attack!

When the number of cannons accumulated to a certain extent and fired in a saturating manner, even a Grandmaster could not escape. When Li Jiao started his uprising, he used saturation strikes to deal with Grandmasters.

Lu Qing also appreciated this weapon. This kind of weapon was very convenient. As long as there was sufficient ammunition, in terms of destructive power, even a Grandmaster could not compare.

The Imperial City was heavily guarded, and identity documents were required to enter and exit the city gates, but Lu Qing still walked in openly and aboveboard.

"The Artistic Conception of Kun is truly marvelous!"

Lu Qing sighed. Although he was from the Kun Kingdom, he had no affinity for the character 'Kun' and had not been able to study anything from it.

However, after following the Great King and breaking through to become a Grandmaster, he had gained some insights. Later, the Great King studied the ancient 'Kun' character, and he was fortunate enough to receive guidance, finally realizing the Artistic Conception of Kun.

This was also the first time he had used the Artistic Conception of Kun in front of others. His words and actions blended with the scenery. When he walked in, in the eyes of the soldiers at the city gate, he simply did not exist!

And this was just the entry level. If one were to cultivate the Artistic Conception of Kun to perfection, who knows how terrifying it would be!

Subsequently, Lu Qing walked towards the Imperial Palace. Along the way, there were not many commoners, only teams of martial artists pushing cannons and heading out.

"Attack the Qian Kingdom?"

Lu Qing suddenly stopped, looking at the team of martial artists pushing cannons in front of him, his expression strange. He heard someone among them saying they were going to attack the Qian Kingdom.

He must have misheard.

This group was mostly just Third-Class martial artists. How could they go to war with the Qian Kingdom? The two sides were simply not on the same level, not to mention that the distance was over sixty thousand miles apart, and he didn't know how many countries they would have to pass through in between.

"They must be bragging."

Lu Qing shook his head. When he was young, he often discussed rebellious things with his friends; these martial artists must be the same as him.

At this moment, another team of martial artists pulling boxes of bombs ran hurriedly towards the outside of the city. Even from a distance, Lu Qing could hear what they were saying.

"Hurry up, everyone! The general left overnight last night on the way to attack the Kun Kingdom. If we don't hurry, by the time they break through the gates of the Kun Kingdom, we won't even get a sip of hot soup!"

Lu Qing: ??

Attack the Kun Kingdom, and even break through the city gates... Are they talking about my Great Kun Kingdom?

Lu Qing stopped, carefully listening to all the sounds within a radius of one kilometer, his eyes gradually becoming bewildered. It was all actually true!

Just this morning, in the imperial court, Empress Xiao announced major news: war on the Kun Kingdom! War on the Qian Kingdom! War on the Xuan Kingdom! War on the Man Kingdom!

These four nations were all recognized major powers with deep foundations and transcendent status.

What was wrong with this world?

Lu Qing could not understand what kind of confidence Empress Xiao of the Pi Kingdom had to openly declare war on four major powers!

"She is a monarch of a nation; she shouldn't be so ignorant."

Lu Qing looked at the Imperial Palace and frowned. Openly provoking four major powers—if Empress Xiao of the Pi Kingdom really had the confidence, then the power she possessed would not be something he, a single Grandmaster, could compare to.

However, he had never heard of the Pi Kingdom having any glorious past. In its most powerful period, it only had three Grandmasters, right? What foundation could Grandmasters leave behind to challenge major powers?

Lu Qing hesitated, not knowing whether to go in. Having finally lived a new life, he cherished it very much.

"Forget it!"

In the end, Lu Qing retreated; he didn't need to take the risk.

Returning at full speed, half a day later, Lu Qing returned to Tiger King Valley and told Lu Hu what he had seen and heard.

Lu Hu was a little surprised and had the same guess as Wu Wen: Empress Xiao might have some trump card.

After all, the Pi Kingdom bordered the Tianduan Mountain. When the Tianduan Mountain fell, although it did not shatter the earth under the interception of Ancestor Que, the scope of the impact was wide. Perhaps some weak demons or Earthly Immortals were shaken to death, and now they had been obtained by Empress Xiao.

But Lu Hu did not think Empress Xiao's trump card was that powerful; it was definitely not as strong as his. However, Lu Hu had no intention of making a move.

Since the Pi Kingdom was planning to challenge four major powers, they had better be prepared to face the retaliation of those major powers.

Lu Hu intended to watch the show from the sidelines. If the Pi Kingdom had no trump card, he would just consider it entertainment. If the Pi Kingdom did have one, he could catch them off guard!

Then, Lu Qing hurried away from the Tianduan Mountain. He wanted to go and give the Kun Kingdom a heads-up. Things like cannons were too easy to affect the common people, so he should reduce casualties if possible.

Meanwhile, in the Tianduan Mountain, Lu Hu personally harvested the golden rice. In a few moments, he had finished harvesting the one thousand mu of golden rice.

The thirteenth, and also the third, advancement mission was completed. As expected, there was a system gift pack, which contained thirty thousand Spirit Coins, three thousand cubic meters of Spirit Soil, and a book titled "Basic Compendium of Artifact Forging," which contained the forging methods for various spirit artifacts, but most of them were about spirit artifacts for farming.

Lu Hu hurriedly digested the contents and left the Tianduan Mountain to watch the show.

The closest to the Pi Kingdom was the Kun Kingdom, which was less than twenty thousand miles away. The Grandmaster general Liu Chengzhi, who was attacking the Kun Kingdom, led ten thousand elite soldiers and three hundred martial artists, pulling three thousand cannons. After rushing and hurrying, he finally arrived at the border of the Kun Kingdom.

"As expected of a major power, even the city walls are not something our Great Pi can compare to!"

Liu Chengzhi looked at the towering hundred-meter-high city walls and grinned ferociously. A major power, huh? He wondered how long a Grandmaster could last under three thousand cannons!