fifth form

Chapter 3827 Seemingly Dead
"Ten years! A full ten years!"

For Zhang Xuezhou and others, they were traversing the turbulent void, and their perception of time was as if they had experienced one or two days.

But ten years have passed silently in the Three Realms.

The new emperor's increased power was not solely due to the sacrifices made to the Great Chanyu of the Fierce Kingdom, but rather the result of ten years of refinement, which transformed him from a naive youth into a mature and composed monarch.

Looking at the giant eye in the Qi Luck Space, the new emperor could hardly imagine what Zhang Xuezhou was doing, or why he hadn't shown up for ten years.

"So that's the Three Realms over there. Once we determine the direction of the Three Realms, we can return to the real world!"

Compared to the new emperor's complex mindset, Zhang Xuezhou's current mindset is indeed less chaotic; he is more focused on finding direction and a way out.

In the vast ocean, it is difficult to discern directions; adrift in the void, neither above nor below, in utter darkness, one cannot find one's way.

Like many cultivators exploring the wilderness, Zhang Xuezhou was currently searching for coordinates.

He quickly placed a mark on the new emperor.

"Please help me! I'm stuck in the void and can't get out!"

How can we provide assistance?

Zhang Xuezhou cried out for help, and the new emperor swallowed back all the words that were on his mind.

Ten years is enough for a child to grow up, get married, and have children; Zhang Xuezhou's absence has been far too long.

The Han Dynasty has produced many talented individuals and extraordinary generals in the past decade, but no one has been able to replace Zhang Xuezhou.

What was once a thoroughfare has become an insurmountable barrier, and the new emperor must ride his horse at full speed. He has accomplished many things, but some things have not gone as planned.

The myriad changes were difficult for the new emperor to describe, but upon hearing Zhang Xuezhou's plea for help, he quickly stopped his many thoughts and turned to ask directly.

"I will lend you a hand in the void and bring you into our place, thus propelling us on our journey. However, your time in this contest of destiny is running out, and we will need you to participate in one or two more contests of destiny to propel us forward!"

Zhang Xuezhou gestured, and a dimly lit area appeared in the dark space.

The new emperor, in his golden dragon form, leaped forward and found himself jumping into the giant eye of Zhang Xuezhou, instantly enveloped in endless shimmering light.

But in a very short moment, everything in front of him disappeared.

The space of destiny shattered, and he regained his clarity.

On the altar stood Yizhixie, the Great Chanyu of the Xiong Kingdom, and many Xiong Kingdom nobles were beheaded beside him.

The new emperor sheathed his longsword and looked around. There were red banners everywhere, as well as fanatical faces and many mutilated limbs.

The demonic calamity did indeed erupt, and the Great Han Dynasty swiftly quelled it, annihilating over 100,000 elite troops of the Xiong Kingdom and driving them to the northern deserts where the Xiong Kingdom's royal court was no longer standing.

However, this calamity was still in its early stages. The new emperor was well aware that the half-demon who had been blessed by the Goddess Houtu would rise from the ashes and make a comeback. This was not the end of the story.

From the perspective of national economic interests and public sentiment, the best choice for the new emperor is to withdraw at this time.

The successive wars eliminated foreign threats to the Han Dynasty's borders and brought abundant grasslands and warhorses to the country. At present, the Han Dynasty only needs to adjust and absorb these benefits to consolidate them and achieve stable and reliable growth.

From a strategic perspective, the new emperor knew that the war could not stop, and if the demonic disturbances were to subside, the Han Dynasty would inevitably have to pay an even higher price.

But things weren't always like this.

In the new emperor's plan, he will push for war, but the war will definitely not escalate to the point it is now.

"The illness... Wei Qing!"

The new emperor pointed at Wei Qing, whose face was solemn, and Wei Qing quickly stepped forward.

"The work of stationing troops and cultivating land, and building cities to repel the barbarians, must not be stopped!" "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"We must not only defend against them, but also launch a long expedition until we destroy their nation!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Wei Qing will obey the new emperor's words and carry them out to the best of his ability.

But the new emperor couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The joy of defeating the King of the Fierce Kingdom lingered in his heart for only a moment before being replaced by a sense of crisis.

"This place, to the north, west, south, and east, could all become sources of chaos and must be brought under control. Our territory should not be limited to the Southern Continent; it can extend to the Western Continent, the Northern Continent, and even reach the Eastern Continent by sea," the new emperor said. "Any dynasty built with demonic power must be destroyed. There must be no room for compromise on this matter!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"You're always like this, you're not as interesting as a sick child!"

Wei Qing was cold-blooded; on the battlefield, he was an emotionless killing machine, and his command of operations was almost flawless.

As long as Wei Qing leads the army, the new emperor is not worried about failure.

However, Wei Qing lacked offensive prowess and did not meet the new emperor's ideal standards.

"I wonder if the child will recover?"

If the Han Dynasty had any elite, top-tier offensive generals, it would undoubtedly be Huo Qubing, who was cultivated by the collective efforts of many.

Wei Qing was the shield of the Han Dynasty, while Huo Qubing was its spear.

This was the most outstanding cultivator to emerge in the ten years since Zhang Xuezhou left the Han Dynasty, and also the most powerful general of the Han Dynasty. Huo Qubing, who had stepped into the True Self Realm, was so powerful that even the new emperor had to avoid his sharp edge. The new emperor repeatedly declined Huo Qubing's requests to spar.

Huo Qubing's emergence directly reversed the shortcomings of the Han Dynasty's military and political system. He even repeatedly stormed into the Xiong Kingdom's court, destroying six ancestral lands and severing the Xiong Kingdom's lineage.

Perhaps due to his excessive brilliance, lack of discipline, bad luck, or even being plotted against, Huo Qubing fell like a shooting star at the height of his power.

The new emperor pondered the elixir of immortality that Huo Qubing had taken, and also the archery contest between Huo Qubing and Li Gan.

"Who exactly delivered the Heaven-Shaking Arrow to Li Gan, and who then fired it during his counterattack, thus defeating the sick child's body!"

The war was a great victory, but the new emperor was inevitably filled with doubts and found it difficult to solve all the problems with ease.

He couldn't even protect Huo Qubing, nor could he stop the accidents that Huo Qubing was involved in.

Although the Celestial Court has the Eastern Emperor who can restore Huo Qubing's physical body, the restored body has no cultivation. Just like the mediocre Dongfang Shuo in Chang'an City, who can only talk a good game and play riddles, and has some literary talent, he has no other skills.

For the past ten years, the new emperor has often wondered what it would be like to have another top-notch and capable assistant by his side.

Zhang Xuezhou may seem unimportant, but the new emperor noticed that he was always involved in many things, and things went much more smoothly when he was around.

Zhang Xuezhou did not die in Chang'an, but the other party was actually dead.

Huo Qubing did not die, but the Huo Qubing who came back to life was no longer the Huo Qubing who dominated the world, and he could no longer imitate the strength of others to defeat his enemies.

Will he ever be able to come back?

The new emperor looked at the vast, boundless sky and felt an emptiness and uncertainty in his heart.

But as soon as he thought of the fortune Zhang Xuezhou was seeking, the new emperor calmed down.

He looked at the dilapidated royal court of the fierce kingdom, then glanced at it again and looked towards the distant south.