You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Seeing the Imperial Ancestor and the Great Sages of the Demon Clan and the Demon Court tear through the void and escape, Zhou Chen's tense nerves relaxed instantly.

"The overall situation has been decided."

Zhou Chen felt incredibly relaxed.

Despite facing Long Xingtian and Mo Yan, Zhou Chen remained calm and composed throughout.

But in reality, Zhou Chen's inner world was not as calm as it appeared; his nerves were constantly on edge.

After all, this great battle was far too important; it concerned not only life and death in the present moment, but also the fate of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

Even though Zhou Chen had absolute confidence in Lü Bu and Bai Qi, he still couldn't help feeling nervous.

If we lose, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, in the end, Long Xingtian died, the two Great Saint Ancestors of Ziyang Sect and Qingyun Sect perished, and the Great Ancestor of the Imperial Dynasty and the two Great Saints of the Demon Clan and the Demon Court also tore through the void and fled in defeat.

Zhou Chen's tense heart immediately relaxed, and his tense expression also eased.

The battle has finally come to a close.

He, the Great Zhou, won.

As for the demon saint who was previously chased by Zhang Fei, he was also besieged by two of the four saints who followed the Great Sage of Qingyang and died at their hands.

……

Dynasty.

dong dong dong...

A series of melodious bell tolls echoed, shaking the entire imperial court.

Everyone who heard the bell's sound had a dramatic change in expression, their faces turning pale with shock.

Because this bell is a death knell, and it rang nine times in a row, everyone knows what that means.

Nine represents the ultimate, signifying the supreme ruler.

The death knell tolled nine times in a row; didn't that signify the fall of the supreme ruler?

And who else in the entire dynasty besides Emperor Long Xingtian could be called the supreme ruler?
In other words, Long Xingtian, the ruler of the dynasty, has fallen.

Some people who were unaware of the reason were utterly shocked.

They never expected that Emperor Long Xingtian would suddenly perish, which was hard to believe for a moment.

Only those who witnessed the distant battle in the void gained some understanding.

After the bell rang, the three highest officials and all civil and military officials immediately put down their affairs and rushed to the palace.

The fall of an emperor is no small matter.

As high-ranking officials of the court, they had to rush to the palace as soon as possible to find out the specific news.

Meanwhile, within the palace, morale was low and the nation's fortunes were in turmoil. The nation's already declining fortunes began to fall again, plummeting in a straight line…

However, although there was some unrest within the palace, it did not cause any major disturbances.

Obviously.

Before leaving the imperial dynasty for the Great Zhou, Emperor Long Xingtian made some arrangements.

Also.

How could an emperor like Long Xingtian not make the worst-case scenario plan?
Before planning for victory, plan for defeat.

This is a fundamental perspective that almost every emperor must possess.

In the True Dragon Palace, the First Prince and the Seventh Prince faced each other, each surrounded by a group of men who stared at each other with unfriendly expressions.

"Seventh Brother, what are you trying to do?"

"Do you intend to rebel?"

The eldest prince looked at the seventh prince with a grim expression, his brows furrowed with an indescribable gloom.

With his father's passing, he, the crown prince of the dynasty, took charge of the imperial regalia in accordance with his father's instructions and past practice.

Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, the usually mediocre and inconspicuous seventh prince jumped out and tried to interfere, which made the eldest prince extremely angry.

"Brother, you can't just say things like that. What do you mean I'm going to rebel?"

“We are all sons of the Emperor. This sacred artifact of the state is not something you alone have the right to wield; all of us brothers have this right as well.”

The Seventh Prince looked calmly at the First Prince and spoke slowly and deliberately, without giving an inch.

"That seventh brother is something else. He usually keeps a low profile, but I never expected him to be so cunning. He even tried to stir up trouble and drag the other brothers down with him."

Hearing the Seventh Prince's somewhat provocative words, the First Prince's face darkened even further.

The supreme throne and the sacred artifacts of the state—no one can escape such temptation.

The eldest prince could imagine the impact it would have if the seventh prince's words reached the ears of his other brothers.

"Let's talk again."

"Father Emperor was in the prime of his life, with immense power. How could he suddenly perish like this? There's clearly something wrong with this, and it makes one suspicious..."

As the Seventh Prince spoke, he gave the First Prince a deep look.

The eldest prince's face instantly darkened; "Seventh Prince, what do you mean?"

"Do you still suspect that I murdered Father Emperor?"

The Seventh Prince shook his head; "I didn't say that."

But the Seventh Prince's meaning was already quite clear.

"Asshole."

"Seventh brother, I don't want to waste words with you. Father has just passed away, and the dynasty is already in a precarious state. I don't want to create a situation of brothers fighting at this time. You should leave immediately, and I will pretend that nothing happened."

The eldest prince knew that now was not the time for idle talk, nor was it the time to get entangled with the seventh prince.

If this continues, many things will change once the other brothers enter the palace.

The most important thing right now is to take control of the national treasure and refine the imperial seal that suppresses the nation's destiny.

Only by refining the Imperial Seal can he be absolutely certain of success and mobilize the nation's destiny.

Even if his other brothers enter the palace and there are any unforeseen changes, he will not be afraid.

"Hahaha, big brother, do you think I, Long Yin, am still the same Long Yin who could be scared half to death by a single word from you?"

A powerful aura emanated from the Seventh Prince, no less powerful than that of the First Prince.

The Seventh Prince laughed loudly, no longer displaying his former humility and cowardice, but instead radiating unparalleled confidence, tinged with a hint of madness.

Half Saint?

The Crown Prince's pupils contracted, and his face turned extremely ugly.

He never expected that this previously overlooked, inconspicuous seventh brother would actually possess the strength of a half-saint.

It should be noted that even he, the crown prince of the dynasty, with ample resources and the support of his maternal clan, is only at the level of a half-saint.

And his talent was among the best of all the princes.

"You didn't expect that, did you, brother?"

“I, Long Yin, am no worse than you.”

The Seventh Prince laughed loudly, releasing all the pent-up frustration and forbearance he had endured over the years, displaying extreme arrogance.

Especially when he saw the Crown Prince's astonished expression, Long Yin felt an indescribable sense of pleasure.

Long Yin, despite being the seventh prince of the dynasty and holding a high position, actually lived a life worse than some servants in the palace. He had suffered countless bullyings since childhood, too many to even remember. To be honest, if he hadn't been so humble, cowardly, and cautious, it's uncertain whether he would have survived to this day.

This is the cruelty of the inner palace.

As for his father, the emperor of the Azure Dragon Dynasty, he had only met him a handful of times.

What an irony that would be if word got out.

All of this was because his mother was out of favor and died young, and he himself was of average talent and had no powerful backing or maternal clan to support him. Anyone could bully him and look down on him, even his father, the emperor…

But from this day forward, no one will be able to bully him anymore, and no one will be able to treat him with contempt and disrespect.

Because Long Yin had had enough, he no longer needed to endure it.

Unrestrained and arrogant laughter filled the entire True Dragon Palace.
at this time.

A soft sigh escaped.

"Long Yin, I didn't expect it to be you."

An elderly-looking man in a blue robe appeared silently inside the main hall.

Upon seeing the aged-looking man in a blue robe, the Seventh Prince's arrogant laughter abruptly ceased, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

The eldest prince bowed to the aged-looking man in the blue robe and called out, "Sixth Uncle."

That's right.

The aged-looking man in blue robes who appeared in the main hall was a guardian of the royal family and one of the royal family's most trusted and respected figures. He held a very high position and seniority within the royal family, and even the crown prince and other princes and grandsons of the dragon had to address him respectfully as "Uncle."

The aged-looking man in a blue robe nodded to the eldest prince, then looked at the seventh prince, Long Yin; "When did you defect to the foreign race?"

Perhaps the eldest prince is not strong enough to see through the true nature of the seventh prince, Long Yin.

However, the man in the blue robe, being a guardian of the royal family and a powerful sage, immediately saw through the true nature of the seventh prince, Long Yin.
Demonic energy swirls within his body, and demonic roots are deeply embedded.

Clearly, this indicates that the person has cultivated demonic arts and has long been implanted with a demonic seed.

Long Yin glanced at the man in the blue robe but did not speak.

Facing his sixth uncle, who held a very high position in the royal family, Long Yin felt a sense of dread from the bottom of his heart. It was as if he was being naturally suppressed, and he no longer had the arrogant courage he had just displayed.

"Since you're not going to say it, then don't say it."

The sixth uncle, the guardian of the royal family, didn't waste any more words and directly reached out his claws to grab Long Yin.

at this time.

A figure behind Long Yin stepped forward and blocked Long Yin's path.

With a single punch, he forced back the claw that the man in the blue robe was about to unleash.

"So brave."

"You demon scoundrel, how dare you act so presumptuously in my palace."

Upon seeing this, the man in the blue robe immediately burst into laughter.

"Humph."

“Even your emperor has submitted to us, and you still dare to resist? You’re courting death.”

The figure blocking Long Yin snorted coldly and also sprang into action, colliding with the man from Qingshan.

"Seventh brother, I never expected you to betray us and join the alien race. You deserve to die."

Upon seeing this, the eldest prince, without saying a word, also attacked Long Yin, the seventh prince.

"Hmph, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

The Seventh Prince also stepped forward to meet him.

Those who followed Long Yin then engaged in a fierce battle with the group behind the Crown Prince.

Thus began a major battle within the imperial family of the dynasty.

……

Mu family.

Inside the council chamber.

The head of the Mu family, the fifth master of the Mu family, and other high-ranking members of the Mu family sat in separate rows.

Sensing the intense atmosphere of battle emanating from the palace, the head of the Mu family glanced at everyone and said, "Emperor Long Xingtian has fallen, and the great battle within the palace has begun. Let's all act according to the Demon Envoy's plan! Help the Seventh Prince ascend the throne and seize control of the dynasty as soon as possible."

"Yes."

All the high-ranking members of the Mu family present responded in unison and left the council hall.

same.

A similar scene was unfolding among many other forces within the dynasty.

These forces are all pawns that have already sided with the Demon Clan and the Demon Court, and have been captured by them.

At this moment, all these pawns of the forces began to move, without exception.

Emperor Long Xingtian wanted to use the Demon Clan and the Demon Court to deal with the Great Zhou, but little did he know that the Demon Clan and the Demon Court were also taking the opportunity to plot against Long Xingtian.

How could the two Great Sages of the Demon Clan and the Demon Court not have seen through Long Xingtian's previous feigned intentions?
Even if Long Xingtian hadn't died at the hands of Lu Bu and Zhang Fei this time, the two Great Saints of the Demon Clan and the Demon Court would never have allowed Long Xingtian to return to the Dynasty alive.

Because they had decided to take this opportunity to get rid of Long Xingtian, the emperor who had been feigning compliance with them, and to eliminate all forces that opposed them.

……

Big week.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen was unaware that the dynasty was already in turmoil due to the fall of Emperor Long Xingtian.

now.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, looking down at the dozen or so civil and military officials below.

After the battle in the void ended, Zhou Chen returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty immediately and summoned more than ten important court officials, including Li Si and Xun Yu, to discuss important matters.

"My beloved ministers, you must all be aware of the commotion caused by the previous battle. The Emperor of the Dynasty, Long Xingtian, is dead, and the Great Ancestor of the Dynasty, along with the Great Saints of the Demon Clan and the Demon Court, have also fled in defeat. Therefore, I have decided to immediately send troops to the Dynasty."

Zhou Chen glanced at Li Si, Xun Yu, and the other dozen or so important officials, and said loudly.

"His Majesty."

"Now that our Great Zhou has fought one war after another, our military strength is stretched thin and we are afraid that we will not be able to send troops to the Imperial Dynasty."

Li Si stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said...

In recent years, the Great Zhou Dynasty has first launched military campaigns against the Dynasty, then fought a major war against the Imperial Dynasty, and also experienced the impact of the Beast Dynasty, resulting in significant casualties among its troops.

The Great Zhou Dynasty itself was a dynasty with a weak foundation and overall strength. After these successive wars, it had no spare troops to send to the imperial court.

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for outstanding generals like Lü Bu and Bai Qi, the Great Zhou wouldn't have been able to control even the conquered territories of Yan and Yue.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen glanced at Li Si and said, "I am aware of the insufficient military strength of my Great Zhou. This time, the expedition against the Imperial Dynasty will not require many troops; only the Xiaoguo Guard will be needed."

Emperor Long Xingtian is dead. The Great Ancestor of the Dynasty and the Great Saints of the alien race, Lü Bu and Bai Qi, are still pursuing him. Therefore, sending troops to the Dynasty does not require too many soldiers. A Saint-level expert is enough to be worth a million soldiers.

At this point, Zhou Chen glanced at Xun Yu and the other ministers; "Furthermore, our Great Zhou is located on the edge of the Great Wilderness, which makes it difficult to control the nine provinces such as Yanzhou and Yuezhou, let alone the various parts of the imperial court."

"Therefore, in order to better control the various states and the various parts of the dynasty, I have decided to move the capital to the Imperial City, which will later become the capital of my Great Zhou Dynasty, Chang'an."

……

Zhou Chen announced a series of decrees, all of which he had already planned and instructed the six ministries of the court to discuss and prepare. (End of Chapter)