176: Fourth Generation: Overlord (72)

On the Star-Observing Platform, Xu Yuan watched the direction the envoy had vanished. The calmness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a cold, heavy gravity.

"Lihuo Imperial Dynasty... Flame Dragon True Person..."

Xu Yuan murmured to himself.

He knew that the trouble had only just begun.

Rejecting the envoy was equivalent to completely burning the bridges.

The Lihuo Imperial Dynasty would certainly not remain limited to manipulating things from behind the scenes anymore; it was very likely that they would take more direct and intense actions!

Perhaps it would be a larger-scale vassal coalition pressing down on the border.

Perhaps it would be the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty's own army taking the field.

Or even... possibly that Flame Dragon True Person descending personally!

The pressure, like dark clouds pressing down, suddenly intensified!

"Pass the order!" Xu Yuan's voice resonated through the palace with unprecedented urgency. "All plans, advance! Accelerate!"

"The workshops are to operate day and night; you must complete all War Puppets and Formation bases within one year!"

"The implementation of the new policies must be intensified; use extraordinary means if necessary!"

"Preparations for the Grand Ceremony of Fengshan must enter the final stage!"

"We must be faster!"

Xu Yuan's orders were like the harshest whip, lashing the entire Great Shang Dynasty into motion at a near-manic speed.

Wang Qingshan sat in the command center, pushing the new policies to a degree that was almost cruel.

By reducing taxes to win over the hearts of the common people, while simultaneously employing iron-fisted suppression to uproot any signs of rebellion and old forces that feigned compliance, the smell of blood once permeated the skies over the newly annexed lands.

The efficiency was extremely high, and the potential consequences were temporarily suppressed by force; the hearts of the people, caught between fear and tangible benefits, were forced to quickly submit.

Wang Zhengqing guarded the border, his pressure mounting instantly.

He not only had to drill the increasingly complex army and consolidate the long defensive lines, but also had to deal with the potential for a suddenly escalating external threat.

Sure enough, not long after the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty envoy left in disgrace, even greater trouble followed!

First, the remnants of the nobility and loyalist troops from destroyed dynasties like Black Tooth and Yelang seemed to have received a massive influx of supplies and expert support overnight. They launched frequent rebellions in the newly occupied areas, raiding supply lines, sabotaging workshops, and even managed to capture a few small cities!

Their organization and combat effectiveness far exceeded what they had been before; clearly, they had guidance from experts and support from major powers.

Immediately following that, several dynasties not yet annexed by Great Shang, such as the "Liefeng Dynasty" and the "Hou Tu Sect Kingdom," openly deployed troops to the border. Their numbers far exceeded the past, and their equipment was even more refined!

They were no longer conducting small-scale harassment, but had assumed a posture of potentially launching a full-scale invasion at any moment!

Both the eastern and western fronts were reporting emergencies simultaneously!

The pressure hit like a landslide or a tsunami!

It went without saying that this was undoubtedly the handiwork of the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty!

Although he had not personally entered the fray, he was driving vassal forces to launch an all-around siege, intending to drag down Great Shang, exhaust Xu Yuan's energy, and even force him to leave the capital to lead the campaign personally, thereby revealing a weakness!

The only piece of good news was that, just as Xu Yuan had anticipated, the ruler of the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty, Flame Dragon True Person, had not descended personally.

Clearly, Xu Yuan's Perfect Dao Foundation, his hardline attitude, and his methods of controlling the National Fortune still made the opponent wary. They could not figure out his trump cards and dared not risk it lightly.

But this wariness would clearly not last long.

Once the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty confirmed that Xu Yuan did not have the terrifying backing they imagined, or if they lost patience, a Golden Core descent would be inevitable!

Internal trouble and external aggression, the situation was precarious!

However, under this suffocating high pressure, the war machine of Great Shang erupted with astonishing resilience!

Wang Zhengqing, tasked with saving the situation, displayed superb military talent. Instead of splitting his forces to put out fires everywhere, he concentrated his elites, using a portion of the War Puppets allocated by Xu Yuan as vanguards to launch several thunderous purges against the areas where the rebellion was most rampant. With overwhelming force, he crushed the main rebel forces; his methods were brutal, which greatly intimidated the small-fry. At the same time, relying on newly built fortress clusters and patrolling War Puppet armies, he managed to withstand several probing attacks from the border coalition, stabilizing the defensive line.

Wang Qingshan fully supported logistics, crazily tilting domestic resources toward the front lines and new territories. By both suppressing and pacifying, he barely maintained stability in the rear.

And the real Breakthrough came from Wang Xuanmo's workshop!

With Xu Yuan's support of "at any cost," with the near-unlimited supply of massive resources, and with the stimulation of immense external pressure, Wang Xuanmo and the craftsmen under his command erupted with unprecedented potential!

After experiencing countless failures and consuming mountains of rare Materials...

On this day, in the core area of the workshop, a tremendous roar erupted from a massive furnace covered in countless intricate runes!

A thick pillar of energy shot into the sky, tearing through the defensive Formation above the workshop and causing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to vibrate violently!

Within the pillar of light, a massive figure with a dark gold body, about three zhang tall, with smooth lines full of a sense of power, embedded with countless complex Spirit Patterns, and cold red lights flashing in its eye sockets, slowly floated up!

A terrifying Spiritual Pressure, far exceeding the Late Foundation Establishment Stage and reaching the realm of Perfection, yet carrying an inhuman coldness and deathly stillness, swept out like a storm!

Success!

The first War Puppet at the Foundation Establishment Perfection level— "Zhenyue"—was born!

Wang Xuanmo slumped on the floor covered in debris, his clothes tattered, eye sockets sunken, his whole body stained with oil and Spirit dust, yet his face was filled with ecstasy and excitement after extreme exhaustion!

"Success...!"

"Success!"

"A War Puppet at Foundation Establishment Perfection!"

"..."

The news reached the palace immediately.

Xu Yuan, who was reviewing battle reports with furrowed brows, saw the news, and at the first glance, a piercing brilliance erupted in his eyes!

He stood up abruptly, a rare, heartfelt smile appearing on his face.

"Good! Excellent!"

The success of the first Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppet was of great significance!

It not only meant a direct boost to Great Shang's high-end combat power, but also proved that Wang Xuanmo's design concepts and refining techniques were feasible! The manufacturing speed of subsequent War Puppets would be greatly accelerated!

The core eye of the "Nine Nether Puppet Killing Array" had been found!

"Pass the order! Reward all craftsmen in the workshop heavily!"

Xu Yuan ordered without hesitation.

The pressure remained immense, and the crisis had not been resolved.

But the birth of the first Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppet was like tearing a hole in the overcast sky, casting a ray of hope.

It proved that under the immense pressure of the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty, Great Shang had not collapsed; instead, it had erupted with even greater potential in the desperate situation and was arming itself at an astonishing speed, accumulating... the power for a counterattack!

"The Nine Nether Puppet Killing Array formed by nine War Puppets at the Foundation Establishment Perfection level is said to be comparable to a Golden Core True Person."

"But, what if I add my control over the National Fortune with the Perfect Dao Foundation? What would its power be like?"

"Could it not just be comparable to a Golden Core, but... reverse-slay a Golden Core!"

Xu Yuan walked to the window, his gaze deep and sharp.

"If that is still not enough, then what if I also achieve the Golden Core?"