CHAPTER 586: CHAPTER 361 THE PROS AND CONS OF WAR_2

"We don’t know how many lords will agree to our plan," Lord Pan continued, "but having you on our side will surely improve our chances. We’ve read the astounding work titled ’War Art,’ and I must say, sharing this among others should make them eager to join us. We possess everything necessary to seize the kingdom. Your proposal regarding the Siban Empire seems to be our best option. The Siban Empire is right beside us, and they continually send delegations to our lands. Once they’ve had the opportunity to digest ’War Art,’ attacking them will likely be something everyone can unanimously support. Training the cultivators under Master Sunx’s theories with this young star, Yan Xiaobao, should allow us to begin the war in six months."

"Giving this woman six months to prepare for war against the Siban Empire should be ample time. Within half a year, we will crush their army and reclaim our kingdom." Lord Pan’s eyes reddened, and as Yan Xiaobao was slightly pushed back, the killing intent radiating outward caused him to breathe heavily, his entire body stinging from the oppressive aura. Suddenly he understood — although Wan Qiao was the Queen of the Divine Domain, many Forest Kings far outmatched the combined prowess of him and Lan Feng.

"Lord Pan, there’s no need for such urgency," Wan Qiao chuckled, noting Yan Xiaobao struggling to breathe as her gentle aura encircled the young man. This alleviated his difficulty in breathing, and the stabbing sensation gradually faded.

"Alright, milady, milord," Yan Xiaobao nodded toward the two experts standing before him. "If there’s nothing else, I’d like to return to my room. I am still far from reaching the strength level I aspire to possess."

With these words, Yan Xiaobao turned around intending to leave the room, only to feel a hand land on his shoulder. A light pat startled him.

"We’ll summon you when it’s time for the secret meeting," said Wan Qiao, withdrawing her arm. A satisfied smile appeared on her face. She felt that as long as she had Yan Xiaobao by her side, losing the war was impossible, nor could she fail to convince the lords of her righteousness.

Yan Xiaobao left the room and returned to his quarters, where he sighed deeply once again. He felt the increasing weight of responsibility pressing down on him, and though he still didn’t feel fully prepared to shoulder it, he nevertheless hoped not to let Wan Qiao’s expectations go unmet. He wished to prove his worth, knowing that this experience would ultimately yield growth.

Sitting in his room, Yan Xiaobao neither ate nor left to exercise; the only thing he did was remain in his room refining the essences of heaven and earth. Two days later, someone knocked on his door, calling him to the Upper House Council chambers.

As Yan Xiaobao stood up, his eyes opened wide, his lips curled into a smile. This was the last obstacle he had to overcome; the moment to prove his worth. It was time to face the Upper House Council. It was the pivotal moment to showcase his value to countless Saints, gambling on how many among them were willing to bet on someone like a Duke — someone who appeared as much beast as human.

Opening the door, Yan Xiaobao was surprised to see two guards dressed in ceremonial attire politely nodding at him. These guards weren’t Wan Qiao’s; he could tell they were undoubtedly experts serving the Emperor. Seeing the pair, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but feel slightly tense. Being escorted by such experts made it abundantly clear how important this secret meeting was, something he couldn’t fully comprehend while alone.

Behind the Guardian Beast, Yan Xiaobao surveyed the surroundings, noticing guards in the finest uniforms stationed at every castle door. Every doorway they passed was monitored, and Yan Xiaobao’s walk through the castle did not go unnoticed. Some guards displayed curiosity, while others betrayed jealousy and hatred. Judging by their demeanor and the solemn atmosphere, the young Duke finally grasped just how unusual it was for him to attend the Upper House Council. Yet even with that knowledge, this young man did not falter; instead, he straightened his posture and looked ahead with determination. In his mind, he revisited every tenet of ’War Art,’ and as the memory of its principles flooded him, his heartbeat slowed; he suddenly felt much calmer. He was ready to face the secret meeting.

Walking through the castle, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but be startled by the numerous guards stationed along the corridors. Approaching the library near the site of the secret meeting, Yan Xiaobao passed no fewer than a thousand guards — each one affiliated either with the Emperor or late Kings.

Seeing so many guards in the castle, all dressed in varying uniforms, Yan Xiaobao grasped the importance of the secret meeting. Such a significant deployment of guards to protect the castle meant that even Zhong Hui wouldn’t dare enter uninvited as he could once have done. Sixty-four Saints along with countless Emperors and Kings walked these halls, turning the palace into the safest place on the entire continent.

Astonished by the sheer number of guards, Yan Xiaobao quietly followed behind, escorted by the two experts as they slowly made their way toward the library. Standing outside, Yan Xiaobao felt his palms dampen with sweat and his heart beat irregularly as the grand doors before him opened at an agonizingly slow pace.

The library no longer resembled its former self. No longer merely a few chairs in the center, the space now housed a massive table surrounded by sixty-five chairs, the majority of them filled with beasts.

As the doors opened, every individual at the table turned their gaze toward him. In that moment, seeing the variety of eyes fixed on him, Yan Xiaobao’s heart nearly came to a stop. Snake eyes, feline eyes, human eyes, ursine eyes, equine eyes, and leonine eyes stared at him. Some eyes burned red, others glowed green; the one thing they all shared was curiosity, with some tinged faintly with admiration.

In every Saint’s hand was a sheet of paper — upon it written the title ’War Art.’ In the preceding days, Wan Qiao made certain that each expert had been provided a copy of ’War Art’ to read and familiarize themselves with.

They were deeply astonished to find the writer was someone so young — clearly just a Duke — who now stood before them.

"Step closer," Wan Qiao finally commanded. Without hesitation, Yan Xiaobao walked toward the direction of the Single-Horned Jasmine Hawk. His reflexes showed no trace of delay, though his eyes slowly scanned each beast present before him. Of all these creatures, Yan Xiaobao had previously encountered only two: Wan Qiao and Lord Pan.

Lord Pan sat beside Wan Qiao, and as Yan Xiaobao’s eyes briefly landed on him, the man offered a slight nod. Looking at the others, Yan Xiaobao found himself surprised to see that while some lords appeared more beastly, others resembled humans entirely. Everyone present in the library fixed their gaze upon Yan Xiaobao as he slowly took a seat in the empty chair next to Wan Qiao. Not a sound could be heard. Absolute silence reigned in the room, quiet enough that the drop of a pin onto the floor might be audibly clear.

Yan Xiaobao felt strange under the intense scrutiny of all these eyes as he sat down. His composed gaze met theirs, revealing a calm demeanor devoid of arrogance. Silence pervaded the room, with each occupant observing the others. Wan Qiao’s face lit up with a smile. She felt relieved seeing that none of the lords immediately started questioning Yan Xiaobao’s presence among them. If she had to fight for everything, even the right for him to sit, her efforts to share her vision would have been far more challenging.

Wan Qiao cleared her throat and stood up. In her hand was the document containing ’War Art,’ of which every individual had their own copy and had already read.

"My fellow beings!" Her voice boomed, shattering the quiet in the room and resonating to the core. All the lords shifted their gaze from Yan Xiaobao to this woman standing tall to address them. "We have lived in the Divine Domain for many years. It has been thousands of years since we could freely roam the outside world without fear for our safety; thousands of years where our species has been confined to the Divine Domain, forced to feed on other magical beasts and unable to risk venturing beyond."

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