CHAPTER 500: CHAPTER 247 TIME IS RUNNING OUT (REQUEST FOR MONTHLY VOTES)

The Hundred Sects Alliance progressed exceptionally smoothly. The arriving sects already intended to align with the Demon-Subduing Division; upon hearing of the benefits, they naturally had no reason to refuse. They also understood that once their sects agreed, it would be tantamount to standing with the Demon-Subduing Division. But what did that matter? The Demon-Subduing Division was an official power, strong beyond comparison to ordinary factions. Even the Heaven Alliance, which might dominate the South Nether Prefecture in their eyes, would likely have to bow its head before the vast Demon-Subduing Division. Moreover, Shimohe was a Great Grandmaster, and Shen Changqing was likewise a Great Grandmaster. In such circumstances, it was still questionable whether the Heaven Alliance could even conquer the South Nether Prefecture.

This was the very issue that had made these initially neutral sects wary. Otherwise, they would have defected to the Heaven Alliance the moment it was established, or they would have joined the Heaven Alliance when the Demon-Subduing Division was exterminating sects. The reason they had not acted, to put it plainly, was that these sects did not believe the Heaven Alliance could win. Now, if they truly had to choose a side between the two powers, the Demon-Subduing Division was the undisputed choice.

If some sects still harbored hesitations before the Hundred Sects Alliance, then receiving Shen Changqing’s promise during the alliance completely dispelled them. It was common knowledge that the Demon-Subduing Division’s Martial Arts resources were the most abundant. After all, since its establishment, the Demon-Subduing Division had been collecting Martial Arts from all sects across the land, making it inevitably rich in resources. Now, Shen Changqing, as a contemporary Great Grandmaster, possessed a vast array of Grandmaster Martial Arts, which was even more enticing.

While the hope of obtaining Grandmaster Martial Arts was slim, a slight glimmer still existed. However, when it came to Grandmaster Martial Arts, those were truly scarce. In the Jianghu, only two people potentially possessed Grandmaster Martial Arts. Shen Changqing was one, needless to say. Whether the other, Shimohe, held a large number of Grandmaster Martial Arts remained a question. Therefore, for many, Shen Changqing represented the only path to obtaining Grandmaster Martial Arts.

After the Hundred Sects Alliance concluded, all sects bid farewell and departed. Thus, the Hundred Sects Alliance, which had drawn considerable attention in the South Nether Prefecture’s Jianghu, came to an end. Before long, news of what transpired at the Hundred Sects Alliance had spread. Upon learning the details, even many sects aligned with the Heaven Alliance were profoundly shaken. It couldn’t be helped; the temptation of Grandmaster Martial Arts was simply too great. The fierce bidding at the previous black market auction clearly demonstrated how highly the Jianghu valued Grandmaster Martial Arts.

In the Great Liang Imperial Palace, the Liang Emperor spoke, his tone indifferent, "Did you not carry out the task I entrusted to you?"

The person standing before him was none other than Beiming Wang, returned from the South Nether Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Beiming Wang shook his head. "Your Majesty, I can see that Shen Changqing is unlikely to leave Great Qin, at least not for the time being. Based on the information we’ve received and an assessment of the current situation within Great Qin’s Demon Suppression Division, Shen Changqing is very likely to be its next Dominator. You must understand, Dongfang Zhao doesn’t have much time left."

Luring a South Nether Prefecture Defender Envoy was one thing, but wooing the next Dominator of the Demon-Subduing Division was far from simple. At the very least, the conditions Great Liang offered were not yet sufficient to sway him. With this factor in mind, Beiming Wang had not broached the subject of recruitment with Shen Changqing. Since it was an impossible endeavor, raising it would have been pointless.

The Liang Emperor fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "You have a point. For a contemporary Great Grandmaster like him, Gu Xuanji would have to be out of his mind not to appoint him as the next Dominator of Great Qin’s Demon Suppression Division. That is something my Great Liang cannot offer at this time."

The Great Liang Demon Suppression Department has its own difficulties, the Liang Emperor mused. Giving him the position of a prefectural head wouldn’t be an issue. But offering him the position of the next Dominator of the Great Liang Demon Suppression Department? That’s out of the question. After all, if I were to actually do that, it would likely cause considerable trouble within our own Demon Suppression Department. Even though I am the Liang Emperor, I can’t always act unilaterally.

"Let’s put Shen Changqing’s matter aside for now," the Liang Emperor continued. "Now that Great Liang has obtained the method to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, cultivating a new Great Grandmaster is merely a matter of time."

Was it difficult to cultivate a Great Grandmaster? For ordinary factions, yes, it was very difficult. But for Great Liang, it wasn’t actually that hard. In the past, without knowing the method to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, Great Liang couldn’t cultivate a Great Grandmaster even with its vast resources. But now, things were different. Great Liang had obtained the breakthrough method. Consequently, if they poured all their efforts into it, producing a Great Grandmaster wouldn’t be an issue.

Beiming Wang said, "There are no issues with the Spiritual System. The Demon Suppression Department has Demon Evils imprisoned; even if we have to use a wealth of resources to create a Grandmaster at the peak of the Spiritual System, it would merely mean a greater cost. As for Dantian True Qi, it can be accumulated with rare treasures, though the consumption would likely be substantial. Only the Physical System requires relentless cultivation; even with the aid of supreme treasures, it still demands time."

Spiritual cultivation and True Qi, for Great Liang, both could be directly amassed with resources. The Physical System, however, wasn’t so straightforward. Of course, this ’not so straightforward’ was only relative. If truly given full support, Beiming Wang estimated, it wouldn’t take many years for a Grandmaster to reach the peak of the Physical System.

"However—" Beiming Wang couldn’t help but interject, "Your Majesty, if we were to cultivate a Great Grandmaster this way, the resource consumption would be truly astonishing. A single Great Grandmaster is merely equivalent to a King Rank Defender Envoy; it wouldn’t significantly alter the overall situation."

Exchanging for the method to break through to the Grandmaster Realm was fine; it was worth a significant cost. But to use a massive amount of resources to simply ’pile up’ a Great Grandmaster? That was questionable. Now that they had the breakthrough method, given enough time, Great Liang could surely produce a steady stream of Great Grandmasters. Time was what Great Liang truly needed. However, if, as the Liang Emperor suggested, they were to create Great Grandmasters purely through resource expenditure, the cost would be severe. Moreover, even with Great Liang’s national strength, such a forced nurturing approach couldn’t produce many Great Grandmasters and was far inferior to gradual, sustainable development.

As Beiming Wang finished speaking, the Liang Emperor suddenly turned, hands clasped behind his back. He gazed up at the Firmament, a subtle change in his expression. "The Great General is correct, but that assumes Great Liang truly has that much time left."

"What does Your Majesty mean by that?" Beiming Wang’s expression shifted slightly. He was well-informed about the world’s situation; as the Great General of Great Liang, he couldn’t be completely ignorant. The current circumstances shouldn’t be enough to shake Great Liang’s foundations. As for time, in his view, Great Liang had plenty.

The Liang Emperor shook his head slightly. "I have a feeling that Great Liang’s time is running short. Or rather, the time left for Great Qin and Dayue isn’t much either. Otherwise, Gu Xuanji wouldn’t be planning to lead an expedition personally at a time like this. His aim, I fear, is to conquer Great Zhou before his own lifespan is exhausted, thereby paving the way for Great Qin’s future and preparing for the troubles to come."

"Troubles?" Beiming Wang’s confusion deepened.

The Liang Emperor, however, didn’t offer much explanation for his cryptic words. "You need not ask me further. Frankly, I’m not entirely clear myself; it’s merely a vague premonition. But one thing must be understood: Demon Evils have always been the greatest enemy of our Human Clan. The Barbarian Clan colludes with Demon Evils, and Great Zhou colludes with Demon Evils—they are the greatest hidden dangers. Otherwise, Great Liang would not have sent troops to assist. Did they truly believe sending a Great Confucian could make me agree to an alliance? Ridiculous."

Great Liang sent troops to assist not because of any Great Confucian’s persuasion, the Liang Emperor thought. We had this intention all along, merely waiting for someone from Great Qin to arrive and provide a pretext for action. If not for this underlying reason, Great Liang would never have meddled in the conflict between Great Zhou and Great Qin.

After a moment of silence, Beiming Wang asked, "Now that Emperor Qin is personally leading the expedition, what measures should Great Liang take?"

"We will simply observe the changes. If Gu Xuanji wants to fight, let him. Great Liang is in no hurry. Sending troops to assist has already helped Great Qin considerably. In any case, Great Liang can afford to wait; Great Qin cannot." The Liang Emperor smiled faintly.

"Gu Xuanji truly doesn’t have much time left," the Liang Emperor continued, his faint smile lingering. "And this generation of the Great Qin Imperial Family has no particularly outstanding individuals. Forget making progress; even maintaining what they have is a challenge. He has always wanted to pave the way for the Great Qin Imperial Family, but alas, what can he really achieve? A tiger father begetting a dog son... it’s likely just so!"

The Liang Emperor understood Gu Xuanji’s intentions and actions well. With no suitable successor in the Imperial Family, Gu Xuanji likely fears that after his death, the court cannot be controlled, Great Qin’s stability cannot be protected, and over three hundred years of foundation could be destroyed at any moment. It would be impossible for him not to be concerned. In the Liang Emperor’s eyes, Gu Xuanji’s current actions were all aimed at re-stabilizing Great Qin’s foundation before his own demise, lest Great Qin disintegrate immediately after his fall.

Upon hearing this, Beiming Wang also understood the implications of the Liang Emperor’s words. An Imperial Family lacking a successor was indeed a troublesome matter. Fortunately, this Liang Emperor of Great Liang still had at least several decades of life remaining, and the Princes of the Great Liang Imperial Family were not incompetent. The problem of lacking successors was not a significant concern for Great Liang.

Then, as if recalling something, Beiming Wang couldn’t help but ask, "If Emperor Qin could break through to the Grandmaster Realm, shouldn’t the issue of his dwindling lifespan be alleviated? When a Martial Artist breaks their limits, their lifespan should surely increase somewhat, right?"

"It’s useless—" The Liang Emperor shook his head. Though not a Great Grandmaster himself, his answer was remarkably firm.

He seemed to come back to himself then, and noticing the puzzled look on Beiming Wang’s face, he offered no further explanation. "I am somewhat fatigued, Great General. You may withdraw for now."

"Your servant takes his leave!" Beiming Wang replied.