Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Qianzhou

The inner palace of the imperial city.

Inside the Imperial Study, the bright yellow candlelight flickered as Qian Tian was reviewing memorials.

His gaze would occasionally drift unconsciously towards the door, waiting for the shadow to return.

Ever since he learned of the unusual activity in King Wu's fiefdom the day before yesterday, and that all his spies had gone missing, a sense of unease had been lingering in his heart.

This unease is growing stronger over time.

"His Majesty."

A dark figure appeared silently in the imperial study, kneeling on one knee. It was Shadow, who had just returned from Qianzhou.

He still carried the dust of his journey, yet his aura remained calm and composed, though his voice carried an undeniable air of gravity.

"Speak." Qian Tian's voice was deep, carrying the unique majesty of an emperor, yet it could not hide a trace of urgency.

"Your Majesty, the unusual activity in Tianfeng City has been identified!"

"King Wu's army has secretly assembled."

"Furthermore, all forces within Tianfeng City that refused to obey were swiftly and decisively wiped out by King Wu."

"Tianfeng City has now become a place where the Martial King commands absolute power!"

Qian Tian's brows furrowed suddenly, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Although he knew that King Wu had ulterior motives, he did not expect that the other party would be so audacious as to act so openly in Tianfeng City, which was undoubtedly a blatant provocation against the imperial authority.

Shadow paused, then added, "Besides that, I've also discovered that many unfamiliar faces have appeared in Tianfeng City recently."

"These people are highly skilled, have an eerie aura, and act with extreme secrecy."

"My subordinates tried to track them down, but they were easily shaken off. Their strength should not be underestimated."

"A mysterious person?"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger, echoing through the empty Zichen Palace.

"It seems that King Wu really does have someone backing him up!"

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, Qian Tian slammed the vermilion brush in his hand onto the imperial desk, scattering the memorials all over the floor.

"What audacity!"

Qian Tian's eyes widened in fury, his dragon-like face contorted with rage, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Our Great Qian Dynasty, mindful of his ancestors' founding merits and the hereditary succession of the throne, has never treated him unfairly in the slightest. How dare he do this!"

"And the forces behind him, how dare they be so rampant? Do they really think my Great Qian Dynasty is invincible?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Shadow quickly advised.

Qian Tian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, and his gaze sharpened again:

"By imperial decree, convene a court assembly immediately, and all civil and military officials shall be present!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Shadow acknowledged the order, and with a flash, disappeared from the hall.

Before long, the urgent sound of bells and drums resounded throughout the imperial city.

The night was deep, but the Golden Palace was brightly lit. Civil and military officials, all dressed in court robes, rushed over, their faces full of surprise and doubt.

In the past, court assemblies were always held at dawn. This urgent summons tonight must mean something serious has happened.

The officials stood on both sides, whispering among themselves, creating a noisy atmosphere in the Golden Palace.

Wearing a nine-dragon imperial robe, Qian Tian slowly walked onto the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below.

The once noisy hall fell silent instantly, with only the slightly rapid breathing of the crowd remaining.

"My dear ministers, do you know why I have summoned you here so urgently tonight?"

He paused, then said, word by word:

"King Wu, colluding with unknown forces, secretly gathering followers, and slaughtering dissidents in Tianfeng City, his rebellious intentions are now crystal clear!"

"What?!"

"Is King Wu going to rebel?"

"This...how is this possible?"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the Golden Palace.

Hearing the commotion below, Qian Tian's face grew increasingly grim. He roared again, "Enough!"

The Golden Palace fell silent instantly.

At this moment, a figure slowly walked out from the ranks of civil officials; it was none other than Xiao Yan, the current prime minister.

He bowed respectfully, his voice steady and powerful: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

"In my opinion, this matter is of utmost urgency!"

"King Wu's intention to rebel is clear, and he has the support of a mysterious force behind him, so his strength should not be underestimated."

"If we wait for them to launch a rebellion, Tianfeng City and even the entire Qianzhou will be engulfed in war."

"If other forces intervene at that time, our Great Qian will suffer heavy losses."

"In my humble opinion, a large army of cultivators should be dispatched to Tianfeng City to thwart the rebellion before it occurs!"

As soon as Xiao Yan said this, all the officials echoed his sentiments.

"The Prime Minister is absolutely right!"

"Preparing early ensures everything goes smoothly!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Tian nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "What the Prime Minister said is exactly what I was thinking."

He turned his gaze to the ranks of military officers and said in a deep voice, "General Protector of the Nation!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

A burly, middle-aged man in armor stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a booming voice.

This person was none other than Song Zongxiang, the Protector General of the Great Qian Dynasty, whose cultivation level was at the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm.

"I order you to immediately reorganize the Imperial Guards in the capital, muster 100,000 elite troops, and march on Tianfeng City first thing tomorrow morning!"

Qian Tian's tone was resolute: "This rebellion must be nipped in the bud!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Song Zongxiang replied loudly, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

At that moment, several young princes in the hall saw this and their hearts stirred.

The position of crown prince has been vacant for a long time, which is a great opportunity for them to show themselves.

If he can make meritorious contributions in this campaign to quell the rebellion, he will surely gain the favor of his father, the emperor, and be one step closer to becoming the crown prince.

The eldest prince spoke first, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Father, your son is willing to accompany the Protector General on this expedition!"

"Firstly, it will allow me to hone my skills, and secondly, it will help my father share the burden and assist the army in quelling the rebellion!"

The second prince followed closely behind, proclaiming loudly, "Father, I also wish to go!"

"Your subject is well-versed in military strategy and has some knowledge of battle formations; I am confident I can offer strategic advice to the army!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request your permission!"

The other princes were not to be outdone and volunteered to fight, their words earnest and their eyes full of longing.

Looking at his sons, Qian Tian naturally understood their thoughts.

However, this campaign to quell the rebellion is no small matter. The strength of the mysterious force behind King Wu is unknown, and it is certainly fraught with danger.

How could he allow his son to be placed in such a dangerous situation?

"Nonsense!"

Qian Tian frowned and said in a deep voice, "This military expedition is to quell the rebellion, not a child's play."

"You who remain in the capital and perform your duties will be sharing my burdens. Let this matter not be mentioned again!"

Upon hearing this, the princes all showed a hint of disappointment on their faces, but dared not disobey, and could only bow and reply, "Your subjects obey the decree."

Qian Tian returned to the imperial study, pondered for a moment, and then said to the person outside the door, "Someone come here."

A eunuch hurried in, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"By imperial decree, the Imperial Clan Court is to select experts at the Fifth Nirvana Realm to accompany the Protector General on the expedition tomorrow!"

Qian Tian's voice carried an undeniable authority, "You must assist the Protector General in quelling the rebellion!"

"This old servant obeys the decree!" The eunuch responded and withdrew.

Then Qian Tian spoke to the shadows, "Shadow, I need to know the situation in Tianfeng City at all times."

"Yes." A voice came from the shadows.

Only Qian Tian remained in the Imperial Study.

He walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and a complex light flashed in his eyes.

He had a premonition that the mysterious force hidden behind King Wu...

Their goal was definitely not as simple as just supporting King Wu.