177: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Chapter 73) (Bonus Chapter 1 for Gifts)

(Thanks to the big boss [Tan Zhongyu] for the great god verification. It is my first time receiving one. Without further ado, I am immediately adding two extra chapters!)

The success of the first Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppet, "Zhenyue," was like a spark that ignited a prairie fire.

Under the guidance of the experience Wang Xuanmo painstakingly summarized and the optimized processes, and with the massive resources poured in by Xu Yuan at "any cost," the potential of the Great Shang workshop was completely unleashed!

Furnaces burned day and night without ceasing, precious spiritual materials were tossed into them like ordinary Ore, and countless craftsmen, in coordination with Formation Masters, frantically engraved complex spiritual patterns.

Failure was still inevitable, but every failure was quickly transformed into valuable experience, pushing the next War Puppet to be born with faster speed and a higher success rate!

Half a year later, the second Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppet, "Liehai," was born!

Its design favored speed and armor penetration, with giant bladed claws mounted on its arms capable of tearing through spiritual energy shields.

Three months later, the third Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppet, "Qingtian," was born!

Its build was even more massive, focusing on defense and strength, with its heavy armor covered in spiritual patterns that absorbed and reflected Spell attacks.

Three massive War Puppets, standing three zhang tall, dark gold all over, and exuding heart-palpitating fluctuations of the Foundation Establishment Perfection, stood outside Wang Xuanmo's workshop like three towering guardian deities!

Besides these three Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppets, there were already thirty War Puppets of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

Their success not only meant a surge in Great Shang's high-end combat power, but also represented that the core eye of the "Nine Nether Puppet Killing Array" was not far from being completely formed!

Three Foundation Establishment Perfection War Puppets, thirty Late Foundation Establishment Stage War Puppets, and even more War Puppets of the early and middle Foundation Establishment stages...

This army of steel, composed of cold metal and profound spiritual patterns, tireless, fearless of death, and absolutely loyal, became the key force that changed the course of the war!

Wang Zhengqing and Wang Qingshan quickly adjusted their strategic deployment.

The "Liehai" War Puppet, with its extreme speed and armor-piercing ability, was deployed to the front lines of the rebellion suppression.

It shuttled through mountains, forests, and cities like a ghost, specifically targeting rebel core strongholds that possessed sturdy Formation defenses or were led by experts.

Its giant arm-mounted bladed claws tore through spiritual light shields as if they were paper. Often, before the rebels could react, it had already breached the core, beheading generals and seizing flags, greatly speeding up the suppression and producing a shocking deterrent effect.

The "Qingtian" War Puppet was stationed at the most pressured western border, confronting the coalition forces of the Liefeng Dynasty.

Its massive body and heavy armor turned it into a mobile fortress. When the Liefeng Dynasty stubbornly launched a large-scale attack, the "Qingtian" War Puppet stood firm against the sky-filling Spell bombardment, stepping into the enemy Formation step by step. Every punch and kick carried the power to collapse mountains and split the earth, easily tearing through the army Formation and destroying siege Magical Artifacts, forcing the coalition to pay a heavy price, retreat in disarray, and never dare to provoke it easily again.

The "Zhenyue" War Puppet served as a strategic reserve force, ready to support any front at any time, its balanced and powerful combat capabilities sufficient to handle any sudden crisis.

As for the thirty Late Foundation Establishment Stage War Puppets, they were distributed to various battle lines and important cities.

They might not be as flexible as real Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators in one-on-one combat, but as war weapons, they exerted an effect far exceeding that of Cultivators of the same rank when fighting in legions, holding key points, or executing specific tactical missions!

Their existence greatly made up for Great Shang's insufficiency in the quantity and quality of high-end combat power, liberating Wang Zhengqing from the predicament of having to put out fires everywhere.

With the full deployment of this terrifying Puppet legion, the pressure inside and outside Great Shang was suddenly and greatly relieved!

The rebellion was quickly extinguished, the border tended toward stability, and internal security improved significantly.

Xu Yuan was finally able to completely free himself from the overwhelming rebellion suppression and defense, pouring all his energy into the most critical link—the Fengshan Ceremony!

"Pass the order!" Xu Yuan's voice carried unquestionable decisiveness. "All remaining rebel forces within the territory, and any spies colluding with external forces, must be completely purged within one month! At any cost! I want an ironclad empire as the foundation for the Fengshan Ceremony!"

A more brutal and thorough bloody purge unfolded within Great Shang.

Wang Qingshan sat in the central command, the Shadow Guards poured out in full force, and local garrisons and government offices cooperated fully. Based on intelligence already mastered, they used iron-fisted means to plow the court and sweep the caves, uprooting those old forces, careerists, traitors, and spies hiding in the dark and still harboring evil intentions, causing heads to roll and blood to stain the long streets!

For a time, Great Shang was in a state of extreme tension, but it truly achieved a state where "doors were not locked at night, and lost items were not picked up on the road," with all opposing voices turning into dead silence under absolute force and terror.

Internal hidden dangers were basically eradicated, and the hearts of the people were forced to submit under high pressure and the increasingly apparent benefits of the new policies, making the National Fortune more cohesive and smooth.

The time was ripe!

On this day, the morning sun rose, and purple Qi came from the east.

Xu Yuan wore black and red imperial robes with twelve-chapter patterns and a flat-topped crown, its twelve strings of jade beads swaying slightly, obscuring the eyes beneath that were as deep as a sea of stars and seemed capable of piercing through the Void Realm.

He stepped out of the Nine Dragon Hall and boarded a massive jade carriage pulled by nine extraordinary, golden-armored snow-scaled Dragon horses.

The honor guard was solemn, banners fluttered, the elite Imperial Guards were in bright armor, clearing the path forward, and the civil and military officials followed with solemn expressions. The newly trained Puppet honor guard made its debut, its cold metal bodies and majestic appearance bringing unprecedented shock.

"Depart—Eastward Inspection!"

The ritual official sang out loudly, the voice spreading in all directions.

Xu Yuan's jade carriage slowly started, and surrounded by the massive and majestic honor guard, it drove out of the capital, beginning the journey to inspect the territory of Great Shang.

He was not touring aimlessly but traveling along a carefully planned route that traversed the core territory of Great Shang, connecting many important cities, Spiritual Vein nodes, and newly annexed lands.

This route was like a Dragon, coiled upon the map of Great Shang.

Every time he arrived at a place, Xu Yuan would either ascend to a high point to overlook the mountains and rivers, inducing the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins; or enter the city to accept the worship of the masses and listen to public opinion; or inspect the soldiers in the barracks to boost morale; or go to the workshops to encourage craftsmen and reward meritorious officials.

He did not need to say much; his existence itself was the core of cohesion.

The increasingly magnificent imperial fortune and National Fortune around him, following his footsteps, sprinkled along the way like imperial flow fluid.

Wherever he passed, the masses knelt and worshipped, shouting "Long live," and the magnificent faith and Power Of Will, as if drawn by an invisible force, gathered into a pale golden torrent invisible to the naked eye, surging into his body and perfectly merging with and strengthening the purple-gold imperial fortune swirling around him.

The National Fortune of Great Shang, following his footsteps, surged and flowed with unprecedented vitality, becoming more solid and more vast!

It was as if a sleeping Dragon was awakening, stretching its muscles and bones, emitting a Dragon roar that shook the heavens!